Disability Lawsuit, Senior Living Facility

by Sharelle B. McNair

December 4, 2025

HUH? HHS Adds New Remote Work Conditions For Disabled Employees, Leaving Folks Confused As Hell

Federal agencies are required to give reasonable accommodations (RA) such as providing interpreters and accessible technology to disabled workers unless the accommodations would result in “undue hardship.”

New conditions for disabled Health and Human Services Department (HHS) employees to have their remote work requests approved are leaving them confused, Government Executive reported.

A policy document that allegedly hasn’t been shared with the workforce in its entirety states that all requests for remote work, telework, or reassignment must now be approved by an official at the assistant secretary level or above. In the past, approvals had to be signed by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Chief Human Capital Officer, Thomas J. Nagy Jr. In addition, the new policy bans granting telework as a temporary accommodation without approval from an official at the same level.

Federal agencies are required to provide reasonable accommodations (RA), such as interpreters and accessible technology, to disabled workers, unless the accommodations would result in “undue hardship.”

The move resulted in major outcry from unions and disability advocates. Eric Pines of Pines Federal Employment Attorneys feels the new requirements will deter employees from applying for an RA. “If you are going to put the deciding level so high as the assistant secretary… you’re going to make it much, much harder, on a practical level, for reasonable accommodation requests to be handled in a timely manner,” he said.

According to Stat News, there are more than 3,000 pending RA requests in the system, including those from disabled employees who rely on them to function properly at work. The uncertainty has left some employees confused and panicking about job security.

HHS claims it needs roughly six to eight months to clear the current RA backlog at the CDC alone.

Pines says the action could open the doors for an abundance of discrimination lawsuits. “That would not be good for the agency because they’re going to have a lot of discrimination cases against them in the [equal employment opportunity] arena, and it’s not good for the employee because they are basically going to have to jump through many, many more hoops to get the accommodation that they either had in the past and was effective or they believe would be effective in the future,” he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a HHS agency, faced major backlash after requiring its employees to return to the office full-time amid a mandate from the Office of Personnel Management. However, the January 2025 mandate listed an exception for those “excused due to a disability, qualifying medical condition, or other compelling reason certified by the agency head and the employee’s supervisor.”

Officials from the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2883, which represents CDC employees, condemned the new requirements, placing some of the blame on the political climate. “We are looking at an agency that’s supposed to be at the forefront of public health, putting the health and safety of its workers with disabilities at risk,” local President Yolanda Jacobs said in a statement.

“Under this new policy, it seems like political appointees are practicing medicine without a license instead of allowing workers’ medical doctors to make the best recommendations for their patients.”

by Kandiss Edwards

December 4, 2025

Study: More Customers Giving Themselves 5-Finger Discount At Self-Checkout

The act of skipping scanning is driven by a mix of moral justification and a sense of entitlement.

A growing number of Americans are deliberately bypassing item scanners at self-checkout kiosks, “fighting” against corporate greed and causing retailers to take action.

According to a new study by Lending Tree, the act of skip scanning is driven by a mix of moral justification and a sense of entitlement. Regardless of motive, this spike in retail shrinkage has prompted major companies to invest heavily in advanced surveillance technologies and retailers to seek more aggressive prosecution strategies.

The widespread adoption of self-checkout machines, introduced by retailers to reduce labor costs, has inadvertently opened a new lane for shoplifters. Some instances involve simple human error, but a significant portion of inventory loss comes from intentional skip scanning, where customers fail to scan items while passing through self-checkout kiosks.

Researchers who study consumer behavior note that for many, the act of stealing at a self-checkout does not carry the same moral weight as stealing from a manned cash register because they perceive the crime as being against a faceless corporation.

Questions of ethics and morality come into play when individual cashiers or small business owners are victims. This behavior is sometimes referred to as “moral licensing,” which is a psychological justification for the behavior.

“Even though people know that stealing is wrong and most understand the risk they’re taking, tough times require tough choices, and lots of people are clearly willing to take a risk,” said Matt Schulz, an analyst at LendingTree.

Furthermore, the study suggests customers believe they are performing the labor previously done by an employee, and they are effectively owed some form of compensation.

Retailers have recognized that the losses incurred from self-checkout theft are negating the savings from a reduced workforce. In response, they have launched a full-scale counter-effort employing high-tech surveillance such as computer vision technology and advanced A.I. monitoring systems at checkout stations

In addition to technological safeguards, retailers have dramatically ramped up prosecution efforts. Instead of simply issuing warnings or barring customers, corporations are now pursuing charges for theft.

Some chains have even begun scaling back on self-checkout areas entirely.

by Jameelah Mullen

December 4, 2025

Glucose Monitor Malfunctions Linked To 7 Deaths, Over 700 Severe Injuries

Abbott's FreeStyle Libre is a device that measures glucose levels via a sensor applied to the upper back of the arm.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about malfunctioning blood glucose monitoring devices that have been linked to seven deaths and more than 700 serious injuries worldwide. The alert issued on Dec 2 notes that Abbott Diabetes Care glucose monitors worldwide provided users with incorrect glucose readings.

“If undetected, incorrect low glucose readings over an extended period may lead to wrong treatment decisions for people living with diabetes, such as excessive carbohydrate intake or skipping or delaying insulin doses,” the agency said. “These decisions may pose serious health risks, including potential injury or death, or other less serious complications.” The FDA notes in its alert.

The FDA considers this a “potentially high-risk issue” and says it will continue to update its website as more information emerges.

Abbott also issued a warning stating that 3 million FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensors are affected. Libre3 readers and mobile apps are not impacted. No other Libre (FreeStyle Libre 14-day, FreeStyle Libre 2, FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus, or Libre Pro) or Abbott biowearables are affected by this issue.

“Abbott has identified and resolved the cause of the issue, which relates to one production line among several that make Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus sensors. The company continues to produce Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus sensors to fulfill replacement and new orders and does not expect significant supply disruption,” the company stated in a press release.

Abbott advises its customers to check whether their sensors are affected and to stop using the device and dispose of it immediately. The company also noted that among the 60 injuries reported in the U.S., none were fatal.

Patients can visit FreeStyleCheck.com to see if their sensors are affected and receive a replacement at no cost.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 38 million people in the U.S. are living with diabetes. The disease is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 4, 2025

Los Angeles Clippers Nix Chris Paul In Middle Of Night During Road Trip

'Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home'

Earlier this year, NBA point guard Chris Paul stated that this would be his last season in the league, before making a triumphant return to the team he led for six years, the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the Clippers gave him an early exit from the franchise after cutting him during the team’s recent road trip.

At 3 a.m. on Dec. 3, the veteran alerted the world that he was being “sent home” by the Clippers while the team was in Atlanta, ending his storied Clippers career in a way that no one could have predicted. In a now-deleted social media post, the world found out that Paul had played his last game for the franchise.

“Just Found Out I’m Being Sent Home”

Can confirm as Chris Paul says on his IG that he has been told he is being sent home from Atlanta where the Clippers play on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/EITdJ9hzLt
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) December 3, 2025

The team’s top executive, Lawrence Frank, President of Basketball Operations, released a statement confirming the release.

“We are parting ways with Chris, and he will no longer be a part of the team,” Lawrence said in a written statement. “We will work with him on the next step of his career. Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career. I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”

The Clippers are having an awful season, with a losing record of 5-16. Although the team is doing poorly, it can’t be blamed on Paul, as he is not a starter and was averaging a career-low 2.9 points and 3.3 assists while playing only 14 minutes a game off the bench.

NBA reporter Chris Haynes did state that the player was being labeled a “negative presence” on the team and wanted to meet with the team’s coach, Tyronn Lue, but was denied that opportunity before Frank met with the point guard.

Sources: Weeks ago Chris Paul requested to have a meeting with Tyronn Lue to discuss allegations of being a negative presence on team. Lue refused to meet with him. Lawrence Frank traveled to Atlanta to deliver news of parting ways. Paul desired final season to be with Clippers.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 3, 2025

living wage, basic needs, struggle, families

by Kandiss Edwards

December 4, 2025

Single Americans Need Almost 6 Figures To Live Life Comfortably

As inflation rises so does the cost of comfort.

Single American households will need an annual salary of $80,000 to $90,000 to be considered financially comfortable in 2026.

This figure serves as the baseline for financial security and reflects the rising costs of housing, transportation, and other necessities across the country, according to GoBankRates.

This rising income baseline reveals that for many households, the cost of comfort has escalated dramatically in recent years. Financial comfort, according to SmartAsset, is the ability to follow the 50/30/20 budget rule. This budgeting method dictates a clear allocation of net income to maintain stability:

50%: Dedicated to needs (rent/mortgage, groceries, utilities, and transportation).
30%: Allocated to wants (discretionary spending, entertainment, and non-essential purchases).
20%: Committed to savings and debt repayment (retirement accounts, emergency funds, and credit card debt).

The $80,000 to $90,000 baseline represents the minimum income level at which the average household can reliably adhere to this model. The model allows people to save for the future while meeting all immediate obligations and needs.

While the $80,000 to $90,000 figure serves as a national average, the necessary salary for comfort varies based on location and family size. Living in high-cost metro cities would significantly increase the required income amount.

In many major U.S. cities, a single adult navigating the expensive rental market and high transportation costs may need an income of at least $85,000 annually to be secure. Consequently, a family of four in these same high-cost cities could face a minimum salary requirement approaching $200,000 to maintain a comfortable standard of living while also effectively funding a retirement account.

Analysts projected the 2026 figure while accounting for an estimated inflation rate of around 3% to 4%, which continues to erode purchasing power. This persistent inflation, coupled with sustained higher interest rates, forces households to earn more money simply to maintain their current economic standing, raising the financial bar for millions of Americans.

Mississippi mayor, clerk, embezzlement, Charlotte,, arrested, schoolbus, Leetwain Darrell Tate

by Kandiss Edwards

December 4, 2025

Ex-Jail Officer Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Co-worker’s Paycheck

The ex-officer faces seven charges.

Shalanda Williams, a former officer at DeKalb (GA) County Jail, has been arrested for allegedly redirecting a co-worker’s direct-deposit payroll to her personal bank account, WSB-TV reports.

The 47-year-old was taken into custody on Nov. 20 and was fired that day.

An investigation into the missing paycheck began Oct. 2, when a staff member failed to receive their expected payment.

Investigators say the victim’s employer account at the DeKalb County Sheriff’s office was accessed without authorization, and the routing information was manually changed and diverted into an account controlled by Williams.

Prosecutors say she used her access as a detention officer to exploit the county’s payroll system.

The ex-officer faces seven charges related to the crime, according to a court filing:

Theft by Taking-Felony
Computer theft
Identity fraud using the identifying information of another
Computer invasion of privacy
Computer forgery
Computer trespass
Violation of oath by public officer

Williams was released on bond shortly after her arrest.

When reached for comment by WSB-TV, Williams denied involvement in what led to the missing funds. “No, I didn’t, but I need to talk to my lawyer,” she said.

The sheriff’s office has not yet issued an official public statement on the case. According to WSB-TV, deputies are conducting a review of internal payroll-access procedures and have placed controls intended to prevent similar fraud from happening in the future.

Williams is scheduled to appear in DeKalb County Superior Court later this month, where bail conditions and a preliminary hearing date will be reviewed.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 4, 2025

Budget Crisis: University of Colorado Athletic Department Faces $27M Hole After Sanders-Fueled Enrollment Surge

Part of the expenses come from the $20.5 million earmarked for the players and $10 million for head coach Deion Sanders' annual salary.

The athletic department at the University of Colorado has projected a more than $25 million hit for the current fiscal year, ending June 2026, in part due to football head coach Deion Sanders’ salary and athletes’ (name, image, and likeness) NIL payouts.

According to USA Today Sports, the projected revenue is $136.7 million, yet the expenses come in at $163.7 million. The highest cost is from the football team, which has $20.5 million earmarked for the players and $10 million for Sanders’ annual salary.

Not very good news, considering that the team, minus former stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, had a dismal 3-9 record (1-8 in conference play) in 2025 following a nine-win 2024 season that featured Hunter receiving the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best college football player. Shedeur Sanders was one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA.

The university rewarded the senior Sanders, who had major success at Jackson State, with a new five-year contract in March, nearly doubling his take-home pay from the past two seasons.

The provided revenue numbers are not final, and the school said it hopes the final number will be slightly lower by the end of June, including revenue from donations, sponsorships, and concerts at Folsom Field. The school expects a “balanced” budget of $141 million in revenues and expenses for the year. That number includes $24 million in institutional support revenue from the Boulder campus and the university’s president’s office.

There are questions as to how those expenses will be paid, but Colorado spokesman Steve Hurlbert said the school will “not cut sports nor cut any resources for student-athletes.” In addition, tuition money and state funds will not be used to address the deficit.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 4, 2025

Odell Beckham Jr. Laments Lack Of Financial Literacy After Making Millions In NFL

'We weren’t taught about no financial literacy…We weren’t taught this skill.'

NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. discussed the lack of financial literacy among young athletes on a recent episode of The Pivot.

Beckham, who won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, has made hundreds of millions but said he lacked the right tools to be financially solvent.

“I’ve always explained this to people, bro, you give somebody a 5-year, $100 million contract–what is it really? It’s five years for 60 (million),” he said on the podcast. “You’re getting taxed. Do the math, that’s 12 a year that you have to spend, use, save, invest, flaunt, whatever. I’ma buy a car, I’ma give my momma a house. Everything costs money. So, if you’re spending $4 million a year, that’s really $40 million over five years, eight a year.”

But, Beckham said, after taxes, buying property, investments, and regular expenses, the money isn’t as much as it appears.

“Now, you start breaking down the numbers, and it’s like that’s a five-year span of where you’re getting $8 million,” he explained. “Can you make that last forever? And you always hear the people who ain’t us and ain’t be in the position, like, ‘Oh, that would last a lifetime.’ Yeah, this job I sacrificed my whole life for, they are giving me that. I didn’t ask for the certain dollar amount or whatever. But we weren’t taught about no financial literacy…We weren’t taught this skill.”

Beckham is a free agent and isn’t currently on a roster. However, according to The Root, he accepted a six-game suspension after he tested positive for having unusual testosterone levels. If and when he signs with an NFL team, he will have to serve the punishment before he can play in a game.

by Keka Araújo

December 4, 2025

Elevate Your Excellence: From Comedy Stage To Global Empire, Byron Allen Is Taking Over The Media Space

Comedian-turned-mogul Byron Allen is the Founder/CEO of Entertainment Studios, owning The Weather Channel and championing Black media ownership.

Byron Allen Folks, widely known as Byron Allen, is an American comedian, producer, and entrepreneur who built a sprawling, multibillion-dollar media empire from a foundation in syndicated television.

As the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Allen Media Group, formerly Entertainment Studios, Allen oversees a global media company with assets in film, television production, broadcasting, and digital media, including the acquisition of The Weather Channel and the news platform TheGrio.

Born in Detroit in 1961, Allen moved to Los Angeles as a child after his parents divorced. His early exposure to the industry came via his mother, Carolyn, a publicist for NBC Studios, which allowed young Byron to mingle with stars like Redd Foxx and Freddie Prinze. Allen began performing stand-up comedy at age 14.

He was quickly discovered by Jimmie Walker, who invited him to join a writing team that included future late-night stars Jay Leno and David Letterman. This trajectory culmi n ated in Allen’s historic appearance at age 18 on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, making him the youngest comedian to ever perform on the program.

After hosting NBC’s reality program Real People and touring as a stand-up opening act for musicians like Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie, Allen pivoted from “show business” to “business show,” establishing his production company, CF Entertainment, in 1993. His initial syndicated talk show, Entertainers with Byron Allen, employed a pioneering revenue-sharing model in which he distributed the program to stations at no cost, generating revenue through advertising sales.

Despite early struggles, including home foreclosures and the loss of phone service, Allen persevered, and his show remains in syndication.

Renamed Entertainment Studios in 2003, the company is now valued at over $4.5 billion. Allen has built one of the industry’s largest cable network portfolios, featuring 10 24-hour HD networks, including THE WEATHER CHANNEL, COMEDY.TV, CARS.TV, and LOCAL NOW. The company also continues to produce and distribute Emmy Award-winning and nominated shows while selling advertising for 43 broadcast and cable television programs.

Allen has aggressively pursued business acquisitions, including the film distributor Freestyle Releasing (now Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures), which released the 2017 hit shark thriller 47 Meters Down. Other film successes include the Western Hostiles and the mystery-thriller Chappaquiddick.

In the digital space, Allen acquired TheGrio in 2016, transforming it into a video-centric news platform that delivers compelling content to African Americans and attracts over 20 million annual visitors. The company’s 2018 acquisition of The Weather Channel, the No. 1 weather news television network, further diversified its portfolio. The Weather Channel has since deployed cutting-edge Immersive Mixed Reality (IMR) technology to enhance climate and weather reporting.

Allen has consistently championed economic inclusion and Black ownership of media companies, asserting, “Blacks need to both be on the camera and own the camera.”

In October, Allen was featured in Variety and shared his latest projects from his film studio with the publication.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Allen Media Group (AMG) (@allenmgroup)

This vision led to the formation of ALLEN MEDIA BROADCASTING in 2019, which began building a broadcast station group through a series of acquisitions, including 11 stations from USA Television. He also personally partnered with Sinclair Broadcast Group to acquire 21 Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) from Walt Disney/FOX Corporation for $10.6 billion.

Allen is married to TV producer Jennifer Lucas, and the couple has three children. He was inducted into Broadcasting and Cable’s Broadcast Hall of Fame in 2019.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 4, 2025

Serena Williams Quickly Shuts Down Rumors Of A Comeback

'Omg yall I’m NOT coming back.'

After reports started coming out that retired tennis legend Serena Williams had re-entered the drug testing pool, there was speculation that she would be making a comeback. Still, once she caught wind of the same rumors, she quickly shut it down on social media.

According to The Athletic, the Compton-raised Williams reportedly contacted the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to request reentry into the International Registered Testing Pool. After contacting the organization’s spokesperson, speculation was leaning toward Williams gearing up for a comeback to the sport she has dominated for years.

In a text message to the media outlet, Adrian Bassett, a spokesperson for the ITIA, stated, “She has notified us that she wants to be reinstated into the testing pool.”

Williams’ name appears on the updated list of players dated Oct. 6, but Bassett did not know if that meant she was doing that to get back on the tennis court.

“I do not know if this means she is coming back, or just giving herself the option. All I can say is she’s back in the pool and therefore subject to whereabouts.”

Almost as soon as the news started to float around the media, Williams took to social media to dispel any rumors of her coming back.

Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy-
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) December 2, 2025

Now that she has put that rumor to rest, the organization requires its players to provide details of their whereabouts at a given time every day of the year. Anyone who has recently reentered the list must be in the pool for six months before being eligible to play in a tournament.

So, if she were to come out of retirement, she would not be able to play until April 2026, but since she has already stated that she is “NOT coming back,” it does not matter at this point. Yet folks are wondering why she is back in the pool; only she knows.