Missouri , Damon Wilson, sued
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 28, 2025

Detroit Lions’ GM Looks To Redefine NFL Front Offices: ‘We Need More Black Presidents’

Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes is working to make NFL front offices more diverse and reflective of their players and communities.

Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes is leveraging his success to diversify NFL front offices and better reflect players and the communities they represent.

Since being hired as the Lions GM in 2021, Holmes has become the third Black GM in NFL history, following Ozzie Newsome and Jerry Reese, both of whom have supported him along the way. Now, with six Black GMs in the league, including Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Ryan Poles, Andrew Berry, Chris Grier, and Terry Fontenot, Holmes has launched initiatives and recruitment efforts aimed at increasing Black representation in NFL front offices.

“It’s so many paths that you can take, and it doesn’t have to be just playing or coaching,” Holmes told ESPN. “… We need more Black [team] presidents. So, what can we do on our part to give others opportunities to become a [team] president?”

Holmes’ proven track record as a GM made him a standout hire following his success with the Los Angeles Rams. As the second Black GM in Lions history, Holmes, alongside coach Dan Campbell, orchestrated one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent NFL memory, leading Detroit to consecutive playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024, including an NFC Championship Game in 2023 and a franchise-record 15 wins last season, largely driven by players he drafted, signed, or acquired.

His success in Detroit follows his 18 seasons in the Rams’ front office, rising from a public relations intern in 2003 to director of college scouting. There, he played a key role in drafting Jared Goff, Aaron Donald, and Cooper Kupp, cornerstones of the Rams’ Super Bowl appearances in 2019 and 2022. Even in his first season with Detroit, Rams GM Les Snead credited Holmes for helping assemble the roster that won Super Bowl LVI.

When building his Lions front office, Holmes prioritized hiring Black executives he knew were ready for bigger roles. He selected former NFL player Ray Agnew as assistant GM after four years working with Holmes as the Rams’ director of pro scouting. Holmes also created the Scouting Advancement Department in 2021, appointing Mike Martin to lead the unit focused on enhanced college and pro scouting.

Martin has since moved on to become Notre Dame football’s general manager, reflecting Holmes’ commitment to developing Black leaders beyond the playing field and coaching ranks.

“I just try to make sure guys are in a position to succeed,” Holmes said, also citing the Fritz Pollard Alliance for helping him and other minority candidates land opportunities in coaching, front office, and scouting. “And look, they’ve gotta be qualified. Black, white, brown, purple … whatever color. They’ve gotta be qualified and good regardless.”

Building on his legacy, Holmes launched the Wally Triplett Fellowship in fall 2024, a program that provides two minority college students with hands-on experience in professional sports and front-office roles. Named for Lions legend Wally Triplett, the first African American drafted to play in the NFL in 1949, the fellowship features four six-month rotations across the organization.

Current fellows Alexis Williams (Notre Dame) and Myles Gresham (Saginaw Valley State) are in their second year, gaining experience in marketing, stadium events, team operations, corporate partnerships, and community relations.

“Do all these rotations to give these experiences outside of just coaching and scouting so those were some of the things we wanted to do to make sure we were giving other kids a chance,” Holmes said.

As a Black GM leading a team in a predominantly Black city and league, Holmes recognizes that his influence goes beyond the front office. Many Lions players view him as a role model who strengthens the connection between the team and management, building mutual respect throughout the organization.

“You look at an NFL roster and the majority of it is African American players,” Holmes said. “So, just to be able to relate, connect with them, talk with them … and I just think that it’s good to see for younger generations. So, just as I was looking to an Ozzie Newsome and a Jerry Reese and Rick Smith, hopefully I can be that same model for that younger generation.”

RELATED CONTENT: Detroit Lions Player Morice Norris In Stable Condition After Traumatic Injury

Missouri , Damon Wilson, sued
by Daniel Johnson

September 27, 2025

Terrell Williams, New England Patriots Defensive Coordinator, Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel indicated that Williams is currently in the process of undergoing treatment.

Terrell Williams, the 51-year-old defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to comments from Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel during a news conference on Sept. 26.

According to The Associated Press, Vrabel indicated that Williams is currently in the process of undergoing treatment and taking meetings with specialists to “figure out the best plan to be able to attack this and heal it and allow him to get back to better health.”

Vrabel added, “Our medical staff and the people in this town have been fantastic to help him and get him started with that process.”

Presently, linebackers coach Zak Kuhr has defensive play-calling duties in Williams’ absence, and the defensive coordinator will be around the team as much as he can. Williams called the plays in the Patriots’ season-opening loss, a game in which his defense only gave up 20 points, but an inconsistent offense cost them a win.

According to Boston.com, the announcement coincides with the NFL’s yearly Crucial Catch initiative, its collaboration with the American Cancer Society that promotes the prevention and early detection of cancer, which the ACS notes can impact anyone at any age.

“This week is Crucial Catch, and I unfortunately have to tell you that Terrell Williams was determined to have prostate cancer and is in the process of treatment, meeting with specialists, and figuring out the best plan of attack to heal it, fix it, and allow him to get back to better health,” Vrabel noted in his comments.

He continued, “You know how much Terrell means to me and the people around this football team. So, we want to send our regards and just publicly let everyone know that’s what he’s dealing with. I don’t know if he could get any better anywhere else. Our medical staff and the people in this town have been fantastic to get this started in that process.”

According to the head coach, Williams was one of his first hires when New England offered him the job. The two share a synergy dating back to Vrabel’s first head coaching stint with the Tennessee Titans, where Williams served as the defensive line coach.

“When you do this, you’ve got to have people that you trust implicitly, that are loyal,” Vrabel noted, characterizing his relationship with Williams. “He’s been that. When you get into [expletive] storms during the season, he’s got an ability to reach everybody. He always kept me in perspective; very few people do. He’s always willing to share his thoughts with me as I needed a guardrail.”

He concluded, “Our thoughts and prayers — and T (Williams) knows all this, we talk all the time — are with him and his family. We care about him.”

Prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men. In 2020, per 100,000 men, only 95 white men were diagnosed with a new case of prostate cancer, while 154 Black men were diagnosed.

According to Dr. John Stewart, chief of surgery for Morehouse School of Medicine at Grady Health System, it is of vital importance that awareness of prostate cancer is raised to improve the outcomes of Black men in particular.

“We’ve got to make sure to get the word out about prostate cancer screenings,” Dr. Stewart told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “As Black men, we aren’t exactly fond of interactions with the medical system. We see it in prostate cancer, we see it in colonoscopy screenings. We have to create a better agenda for men’s health in our community.”

Likewise, Dr. Wayne Harris, an associate professor in Emory School of Medicine’s department of hematology and medical oncology, noted that Black men should get screened earlier due to the more aggressive nature of prostate cancer in that population.

“In the African-American community, it [prostate cancer] is known to have an earlier onset and have a more aggressive profile for reasons that are not fully clear,” Harris said. “There’s this broad spectrum of contributing factors, but not one specific thing that says this is why there are disparities. The consensus is that there should be an individualized discussion with the patient’s physician.”

Stewart noted that the death of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King’s son Dexter King in January 2024 provided an opportunity to reaffirm to the Black community that prostate cancer does not care who you are or what your social status is.

“This is an opportunity to continue to educate our community and let people know that prostate cancer is not a respecter of social status. It’s not a respecter of position,” Stewart told the outlet. “It is a real issue that we have to address head on.”

RELATED CONTENT: Despite Steep Declines, Mortality Rates For Prostate Cancer Are 2 Times Higher For Black Men

OJ Da Juiceman, Medical Emergency, Police Custody
by Daniel Johnson

September 27, 2025

Iowa’s Top School Superintendent Detained By ICE

Roberts, a former Olympian and Guyanese immigrant, became the first Black person to oversee the largest school district in Iowa when he was appointed the superintendent of Des Moines public schools in 2023.

On Sept. 26, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents detained former Olympian and Guyanese immigrant Dr. Ian Roberts, who in 2023 became the first Black person to oversee the largest school district in Iowa when he was appointed the superintendent of Des Moines public schools.

According to The Guardian, the Department of Homeland Security alleges that Roberts was arrested due to the existence of “a final order of removal and no work authorization.”

Per the statement given to the outlet, their justification for the arrest is as follows: “During a targeted enforcement operation on Sept. 26, 2025, officers approached Roberts in his vehicle after identifying himself, but he sped away. Officers later discovered his vehicle abandoned near a wooded area. State Patrol assisted in locating the subject and he was taken into ICE custody. Roberts has existing weapon possession charges from February 5, 2020. Roberts entered the United States in 1999 on a student visa and was given a final order of removal by an immigration judge in May of 2024.”

As The Des Moines Register reports, the arrest sent shockwaves through the local community, epitomized by School Board Chair Jackie Norris’ comments at a news conference.

“We do not have all the facts. There is much we do not know,” she said during the press conference. “However, what we do know is Dr. Roberts has been an integral part of our school community since he joined two years ago.”

According to Norris, Associate Superintendent Matt Smith will serve as interim superintendent until further notice, Smith formerly served as the interim superintendent before Roberts was appointed to his position in June 2023.

The school district, meanwhile, said in a statement to the outlet that it “has not been formally notified by ICE about this matter, nor have we been able to talk with Dr. Roberts since his detention.”

Per ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson, “This should be a wake-up call for our communities to the great work that our officers are doing every day to remove public safety threats. How this illegal alien was hired without work authorization, a final order of removal, and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district.”

However, the only thing that the arrest of Roberts, a former mid-distance runner for his native Guyana during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, has garnered is protests and alarm from community groups and members that a trusted member of the community was arrested by ICE on what seem like dubious circumstances.

https://twitter.com/maddenifico/status/1971924658149810228?s=19

According to a statement from The Directors Council, an umbrella group of several nonprofits focused on Des Moines’ Black community, posted to Facebook, Roberts is “a valued member of our board,” whose detention currently lacks context and clarification.

The organization continued, “Dr. Roberts has been a trusted partner, a dedicated advocate for equity, and an unwavering supporter of families and youth in Polk County. His contributions to both The Directors Council and the wider community are immeasurable, and we stand with him during this uncertain moment.”

Alison Hoeman, founder of a local nonprofit, Des Moines Refugees Support, indicated to the outlet that her phone has been blown up with calls and texts offering support for Roberts, and she has indicated that she is aware that students have been asking about Roberts with concern, ““‘Nothing’s going to happen to Dr. Roberts, right?’”

She continued, “You know it’s the Black and Brown kids who are worried. If it’s Ian Roberts who’s in trouble, what does that mean for them?”

Mazie Stilwell, executive director of the liberal group Progress Iowa, indicated that “answers and appropriate action,” are needed from Iowa’s elected officials in the face of deep uncertainty over Roberts’ arrest.

Stilwell, the parent of a student enrolled in DPMS, continued, “No Iowan is safe. We’re living under a fascist regime because Nunn, Miller-Meeks, Hinson and every single Iowa Member of Congress has been in lockstep with the MAGA administration that is terrorizing our communities. President Trump is willing to use political power against anyone who disagrees with him.”

To Stilwell’s point, the Republicans in Iowa, including U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, whose district includes the DMPS, have been publicly supportive of the arrest of Roberts, while Democrats, like Iowa Rep. Larry McBurney (D-Des Moines) indicated on social media that he was “furious” about the arrest of Roberts.

“This is not only unacceptable, it is an outright disgrace,” he said in a statement. “Our schools should never be treated as political battlegrounds for federal overreach.”

Rep. McBurney continued, “I hold President Trump and Iowa’s delegation — Congressman Zach Nunn, Senator Chuck Grassley, and Senator Joni Ernst — directly responsible for this action. Their silence or complicity will not go unnoticed. If they have any shred of leadership, they must intervene immediately.”

RELATED CONTENT: Jasmine Crockett Likens Trumps’ Use Of ICE To ‘Slave Patrols’

Fani Willis, DOJ, Trump
by Kandiss Edwards

September 27, 2025

Another Trump Revenge Play? DOJ Subpoenas Fani Willis’ Travel History

The request reportedly targets her trips in the fall of 2024.

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a subpoena seeking the travel history of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

The request reportedly targets her trips in the fall of 2024. The time frame coincides with the period surrounding the 2024 presidential election. Willis was removed from the Georgia election interference case due to concerns related to her personal relationship with her former special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, The Hill reports.

The probe is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia under Theodore S. Hertzberg. It remains uncertain how far the inquiry will reach, or whether Willis herself is directly under scrutiny. But in 2023, Trump and 18 others were indicted over an alleged plot to overturn his narrow 2020 election defeat in Georgia to Joe Biden. The indictment was brought under Willis, who was the Fulton County District Attorney at the time. She led the investigation into the alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. She was removed from that case due to a personal relationship with Wade.

The subpoena raises new questions: Is Willis a focus of the DOJ probe, or is she caught in a broader inquiry? Willis’s subpoena can be viewed as part of a larger agenda to target the current president’s political opponents. Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Sept. 25 in the Eastern District of Virginia. He faces two federal counts, one for making false statements and another for obstruction. The charges are tied to his Senate testimony in 2020. 

Multiple government officials are speaking out in support of Comey and against the Trump administration, calling the indictments politically motivated. House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denounced the actions with a harsh critique. 

“The malicious prosecution against James Comey has no apparent basis in law or fact, and lawyers of good conscience in the department know it,” Jeffries said.

Democratic Sen. Peter Welch called Comey’s indictment a “new low.”

“President Trump and his Justice Department’s indictment of James Comey is a new low for our democracy. The reason for the indictment is clear: Comey is Trump’s political adversary,” Welch wrote on X.

Comey responded with a video message, declaring, “I am innocent … we will not live on our knees.” 

The timing of his prosecution adds to growing concerns that legal tools are being utilized to target powerful figures. Inquiries into Willis’s travel may lead nowhere, but if the political climate is one of vengeance, she may be in for a battle.

RELATED CONTENT: Fani Willis Appeal Of Removal From Trump Case Denied By Georgia Supreme Court

White Woman's Tears, Black History Museum
by Daniel Johnson

September 27, 2025

White Woman’s Tears At Black History Museum Goes Viral, Igniting Debates About White Guilt And Solidarity

A white woman’s visit to the Roots 101 African American Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, went viral after she broke down in tears when Founder Lamont Collins placed heavy shackles on her wrist.

A white woman’s visit to the Roots 101 African American Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, went viral after she broke down in tears when Founder Lamont Collins placed heavy shackles on her wrist, the same kind once used to bind enslaved people. A video of her crying as he implored her to share what she was feeling spread across social media like wildfire over the weekend, prompting a discussion of how necessary these kinds of viral moments are.

As The Root reports, Collins began by dropping the shackles on her wrists for dramatic effect as he told her, “Welcome to America.” Noticing her visceral reaction to the interaction, Collins instructed the older white woman, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I’ve always been interested in history and the history of Black people,” the woman answered, before noting that she had taken classes to learn more about what Black people have collectively endured in America and joined a predominantly Black church in the state. “I wouldn’t [want to] be anywhere else,” she said as she ended her tearful reflection.

https://twitter.com/TheGreatIsNate/status/1971640363552329847?s=19

As the video spread on social media, so did the commentary, which ranged from effusive praise for the museum and its founder to humorous jabs at the lady’s reaction to being briefly shackled and defenses of her reaction as one grounded in empathy and not necessarily white guilt.

According to a 2024 excerpt of Hilary Giovale’s book “Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers Toward Truth, Healing, and Repair,” reprinted in Yes! Solutions Journalism, white guilt can sometimes be characterized by tears, but it must move beyond tears into concrete action for it to be useful.

As Giovale writes, “I am grateful that the ancestors have shown me the unpopular truth: Unleashing their tears and reviving their memory might just be the messy, raw, healing balm for the wounds our people sustained and perpetrated so long ago. If we muster the courage to traverse these shadows, who might we become on the other side of all that pain? Who are we underneath the denial, amnesia, grief, guilt, and shame? Let’s find out.”

As Jeffrey Kass wrote for “ZORA,” a Medium publication, in 2023, there is a long history of white people jumping into the fight for equality with both feet, such as those who joined the civil rights movement in the 1960s. And some, like Andrew Goodman and Michael Henry “Mickey” Schwerner, lost their lives in doing so.

As Fred Hampton noted in his 1969 speech, “Power Anywhere There’s People!” the way to a true anti-racist society is paved with folks who know that solidarity, that is, a shared struggle, is necessary to achieve lasting change.

“We got to face some facts. That the masses are poor, that the masses belong to what you call the lower class, and when I talk about the masses, I’m talking about the white masses, I’m talking about the Black masses, and the brown masses, and the yellow masses, too. We’ve got to face the fact that some people say you fight fire best with fire, but we say you put fire out best with water,” said Hampton. “We say you don’t fight racism with racism—we’re gonna fight racism with solidarity.”

RELATED CONTENT: ‘The American Society Of Magical Negroes’ Cast Explains Film’s Satire On Assimilation And White Guilt Debate

Solange Knowles, Saint Heron, black lit
by Kandiss Edwards

September 27, 2025

Solange Launches Saint Heron Digital Archive To Keep Black Literature Accessible

Readers are allowed to check out titles from the Saint Heron multidisciplinary platform for 45 days.

Solange Knowles is launching the Saint Heron Digital Archive. The free service is designed to preserve and circulate rare works by Black and Brown writers, artists, and thinkers. 

Readers are allowed to check out titles from the Saint Heron multidisciplinary platform for 45 days. The content includes first-edition books and out-of-print titles that are no longer accessible to the public. The archive program partially runs on an honor system. Borrowers can request one book at a time, with Saint Heron covering shipping and return costs. However, customers must leave credit card information on file in the event of non-returned or damaged items. 

On Sept. 25, Solange made an Instagram post to let her followers know about the new tool and her motivations behind its creation. 

“As the market and demand for these books, zines, and catalogues rises, we would like to play a small part in creating free access to the expansive range of critical thought and expression by these great minds.”

The debut collection includes works such as “Shakespeare in Harlem” by Langston Hughes, “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler, and texts from experimental artists whose voices shaped generations but whose works are rarely found outside specialized collections. By making these texts accessible, the initiative aims to bridge gaps in access and preserve the cultural legacies of Black and Brown communities, which are often sidelined in mainstream libraries.

This new project continues Solange’s larger vision for Saint Heron, which she founded in 2013 as a creative hub to elevate underrepresented voices in art, design, and music. In recent years, the platform has hosted exhibitions, released music, and supported artists whose work pushes boundaries of culture and identity. The archive builds on this mission by giving readers a direct connection to literary and artistic history.

The archive arrives at a moment when access to diverse literature is under pressure nationwide. National book bans and curriculum changes aid in limiting exposure to authors of color. By offering free, mail-based access, Saint Heron’s archive serves not only as a repository of knowledge but as an act of resistance.

RELATED CONTENT: Solange Knowles Brings ‘Eldorado Ballroom’ Series Home to Houston

Snoop Dogg, Snoop Dogg, rap snacks
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 27, 2025

Snoop Dogg To Perform At Australian Football League Grand Final

After fans questioned the CEO's choice in entertainment, Andrew Dillon said, 'I've always been confident that he'd put on a show, but even more confident now.'

After the Australian Football League (AFL) announced that Snoop Dogg would perform as the Grand Final headliner, there were murmurs about the rap legend’s past use of misogynistic and offensive lyrics.

But AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon did not budge on his choice, and the 53-year-old California rapper to is slated to take the field Friday, Sept. 26.

Although the league did not make the entertainer available for an all-in media conference, like they did for past performers such as Katy Perry and Robbie Williams, the Doggfather did comment on the upcoming appearance in an on-stage interview.

“I’m expecting the crowd to be crazy, I know what this means,” he said. “I’ve been coming to this country for years, and I understand what this game is and what it means. I know that it’s not just a sport, it’s a way of life. I know it’s not just a team or club, it’s part of your DNA, so I understand what is at stake. I’m here to do my part and to bring what I bring to the table.”

The “Gin & Juice” lyricist is expected to have some special guests on stage with him, including Australian artists Vera Blue, Tash Sultana, Baker Boy, and footy anthems man Mike Brady.

Meanwhile, Dillon reassured the media that Snoop would be the perfect fit when he hit the stage Down Under.

“I’ve been really confident with the choice of Snoop,” he said. “He’s performed at the Olympics, he’s performed at a Super Bowl, and he’ll suit our stage. I’ve always been confident that he’d put on a show, but even more confident now.”

The Geelong Cats will be facing the Brisbane Lions for the championship.

RELATED CONTENT: Snoop Dogg Named LA Community Chairman For 2026 FIFA World Cup

Melvin Edwards, Sculptor, Black Resistance, Dies
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 27, 2025

Former Miss Universe Jamaica Contestant Dies In Apparent Suicide

In early September, Spaulding discussed struggling with suicidal thoughts in a YouTube video.

Former Miss Jamaica Universe contestant Tyra Spaulding died on Sept 23.

Police are investigating her death as a suspected suicide after Spaulding’s family discovered the 26-year-old accountant in her apartment with a curtain tied around her neck, Caribbean National Weekly reports.

Spaulding’s death came weeks after she shared a YouTube video in which she opened up about her struggles with suicidal thoughts, according to Us Weekly.

“I’m fighting for my life over here,” she said in the Sept. 4 video. “I feel like I need to go out and do something because my mind is trying to kill me. And if I do nothing, I am going to die, guys. Every day I get up, my mind tells me to go and jump off a building. It tells me to go and overdose on pills. It tells me to go and hang myself.”

Spaulding, who competed in the 2023 Miss Jamaica Universe pageant, said she didn’t understand where her suicidal thoughts were coming from and felt powerless to stop them.

“They’re my own thoughts, but do I want to be having them? No,” she explained. “Do I want to die? I mean, it would be easier than having to deal with the ups and downs of life, but…I don’t know. All I know is, right now I am fighting for my life. Right now I’m just trying to do anything I can that will distract me, give me temporary motivation, I don’t know.

“And I can’t quite pinpoint…why am I thinking these things all of a sudden?” Spaulding added. “It’s like there’s two different me’s. One of them wants me to live and one of them wants me to die…It’s me against me over here.”

The Miss Universe Jamaica Organization confirmed Spaulding’s death in a Sept. 24 Instagram post, passing in a heartfelt Instagram post.

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of the beautiful Tyra Spaulding. 🕊️💙,” the statement read in part. “She was a radiant soul and an amazing human being. Her light, grace, beauty and kind spirit touched every life she encountered, leaving memories that will never fade.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or emotional distress, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

RELATED CONTENT: Former Cincinnati Bengals Running Back Rudi Johnson Dead From Suspected Suicide

Starbucks, closures, restructuring, tariffs
by Sharelle B. McNair

September 27, 2025

Starbucks To Shutter Stores Amid Restructuring, Tariffs, Boycotts, And Policy Backlash

For several months, Starbucks has been subjected to lawsuits for policy changes against workers and customers of the Black and LGBTQ+ community.

Is it a restructuring or the result of a boycott? Starbucks announced massive location closures and layoffs to focus on restructuring models, but social media says otherwise, the Associated Press reports. 

In a Sept. 25 letter to employees, the Seattle coffee conglomerate said it will be shuttering hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, resulting in layoffs of 900 nonretail employees to focus on resources for a turnaround process. Back in June 2025, the company had 18,734 North American locations, but with the new plan, by Sept. 28–the end of Starbucks’ fiscal year–there will be roughly 18,300 locations. 

Baristas affected by the change will be offered severance packages and transfers to available locations. 

In a letter, CEO Brian Niccol says the company took a deep dive into identifying locations that don’t promise financial growth or aren’t creating the physical environment expected from customers. “Each year, we open and close coffeehouses for a variety of reasons, from financial performance to lease expirations,” Niccol wrote.

“This is a more significant action that we understand will impact partners and customers. Our coffeehouses are centers of the community, and closing any location is difficult.”

With restructuring in its future, Starbucks is expected to spend $1 billion, including $150 million for employee separation benefits and $850 million related to closing physical locations and exiting leases. Closing cost is an added stress to what Starbucks and other companies alike have suffered after being affected by President Donald Trump’s tariff wars. According to Fortune, thanks to the president’s 50% tariff on Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer, the company’s stock has plummeted 1.15% year to date, in addition to being down 8% over the past five trading sessions.

The list of stressors also includes major pushback over policy changes, resulting in boycotts and lawsuits. Starbucks Workers United, a labor group representing hundreds of workers, said barista input wasn’t offered when discussing closures. “Fixing what’s broken at Starbucks isn’t possible without centering the people who engage with the company’s customers day in and day out,” the union said in a statement. After issuing Palestinian support and solidarity and condemning Israel, a global boycott began, in addition to a pause in hosting Pride decorations in stores.

For several months, Starbucks has been subjected to lawsuits for policy changes against workers and customers of the Black and LGBTQ+ community. In late September 2025, three states–California, Colorado, and Illinois–sued the company over its new dress code, accusing it of refusing to reimburse workers for the new clothes they had to purchase. 

As word of the restructuring closures began to circulate on social media, users started celebrating, as boycotts have proven to hurt revenue for large corporations, similar to what happened to Target after it dialed back on its DEI initiatives. “But y’all swear boycotting big companies “doesn’t work” Baby their pockets are HURTING,” @drebae_ wrote on X.

RELATED CONTENT: Starbucks Denies Water To Black People In Sweltering Heat, This Time To A USPS Worker

MARTA, Atlanta, wheelchair
by Kandiss Edwards

September 27, 2025

Atlanta Transit Authority Leaves Disabled Passenger Stranded At Bus Stop For Hours

A transit operator for MARTA was dismissed after abandoning disabled passenger Latieria Jackson late at night at a station.

A transit operator for MARTA in Atlanta has been fired after he left a disabled passenger stranded for hours at the Vine City Station.. 

Latieria Jackson, who has cerebral palsy, said she was forced to wait from around 10 p.m. until past midnight before finally securing help from another MARTA driver, WSB-TV reports.

Jackson said she had used the MARTA app, which showed a bus was expected at 10 p.m., but no vehicle arrived. She waited until around 2 a.m. before another driver agreed to transport her. 

“Nobody was out here. I was in the dark. But when I got out here, they were nowhere to be found. It was too late for me to be out here. I was terrified,” she told WSB-TV. 

MARTA’s interim general manager, Jonathan Hunt, acknowledged the bus operator left their post. Leaving “is a clear violation of our work rules. That driver has been terminated,” Hunt told WSB-TV.

He also apologized “directly to Ms. Jackson,” and announced new training for mobility staff and plans to increase oversight.

MARTA officials noted they are reviewing their scheduling, dispatch, and monitoring practices to prevent future failures. The transit authority is reportedly considering expanded the number of active buses and availability. Additionally, the Atlanta public transportation company is looking into improving tracking systems. Their goal is simple: to make sure no rider is left behind, especially the city’s most vulnerable.

For MARTA, the incident is a blow to public trust. The agency must now balance repair of that trust with structural reforms to prevent repeat harm in a system residents rely on every day.

RELATED CONTENT: MARTA CEO Resigns Due To Immigration Complications

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