Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could potentially be given gloves that deliver electric shocks. ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to buy the Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (GLOVE), according to a note published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as reported by the BBC. Whilst a standard US power outlet is 120 volts, the gloves can produce up to 380 volts. How will the gloves work? The shock gloves made by Compliant Technologies LLC use neuro-peripheral interference, which essentially shocks the skin, flooding sensory nerves and temporarily
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Washington University after it fired a Black worker who opposed mandatory DEI training that separated her from her colleagues. This act violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, or sex. “Federal law protects workers who complain about race discrimination in the workplace, regardless of whether those complaints are made inside or outside the employer’s organization,” David S. Davis, director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District, said in a press release. About
61 S&P 100 companies have removed diversity criteria for upcoming board members since 2023, according to an ESGAUGE analysis of filings and governance documents for Bloomberg News. Companies such as Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Starbucks Corp. and Wells Fargo & Co have eliminated diversity requirements for directors in the last three years. Companies removing diversity criteria for board members ESGAUGE analysis of corporate filings found that companies that had previously referenced gender, race, ethnicity, or underrepresented groups in board-selection criteria had removed that terminology. Companies like Micro Devices
Dr Erica Schwartz will be the first Black woman to lead the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The Senate confirmed Schwartz in a 51-44 vote on Wednesday, 5 August. Schwartz, who will run the federal agency that primarily focuses on infectious diseases, was Trump’s third nominee for the position in 18 months. Dr, Erica Schwartz becoming the first Black woman to lead the CDC Schwartz will serve during a time when the US is facing a significant rise in Measles in three decades, low childhood vaccination rates and a
Black women are the fastest-growing group of entreprenuers in the US. Black-women-owned businesses have increased by 13% between 2024 and 2024 compared to the 4.4% rate for women-owned businesses overall, according to Forbes. Black women turning to entrepreneurship Black women have been pushed out of the workforce as their unemployment rate has reached 7.3% in 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last year, Black women’s unemployment rate increased from 5.1% in March to 6.1% in April, reached an all-time high of 6.2% in May, then dropped to 5.8% in June,
Nike faced a federal EEOC investigation in Missouri after the Trump administration moved in court on Feb. 4, 2026, to compel information tied to allegations of anti-white discrimination. Andrea Lucas, a commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (E.E.O.C), sent a 26-page memo to several agency officials, stating that Nike had been discriminating against white employees and job applicants. Lucas, who has been appointed to the commission by President Trump during his first term, claimed that the retailer used internal processes to promote racial representation, even though it removed white
The NAACP recently filed a request for a preliminary injunction to stop air pollution from Elon Musk’s company, xAI, and its parent company, MZX Tech. The lawsuit states that xAI is operating dozens of natural gas turbines at its Mississippi data centre without proper air permits, violating the Clean Air Act, and posing a risk to local communities’ health. But, how dangerous are these pollutants to local communities, and what are their long-term health risks? POCIT spoke with Glory Dolphin Hammes, the CEO of IQAir North America, who has years of experience
A Black fintech home-improvement financing platform has announced a new $150 million home-improvement loan portfolio. TGUC Financial, Inc. aims to fix the broken home improvement market by providing loans to homeowners, contractors, and lenders. The platform uses AI on both the business and customer service sides, with human agents. It also matches homeowners with vetted contractors through SmartMatch. The $150 million home-improvement loan portfolio The new initiative will help underprivileged communities upgrade their homes. The capital base of a credit union and a Community Development Financial Institution collaboration seeks to provide capital
Black-owned Redemption Bank is introducing a debit card supporting single mothers living in government-subsidised housing. The Bank King card, which launched on Juneteenth, will donate from every available account to nonprofits that support underprivileged families, according to ABC News. “Bank King Card represents a new regenerative banking model that starts with investing in mothers who are a few hopeful dollars away from breaking out of poverty, and opening up America’s vaults of opportunity that have been closed to too many for too long,” Redemption Holding Co. chair and Chief Executive
Amira Rasool, founder and CEO of The Folklore, has just launched a new index that highlights the first 200 Black women founders to raise $1 million in venture capital funding. Alongside the index is The First 200 Podcast, featuring interviews with founders about their experiences as entrepreneurs. “As the Founder & Host, I will sit down with founders from the Index to explore what it really takes to raise capital, build venture-backed companies, navigate setbacks, and create lasting impact,” Rasool said in a LinkedIn post. Rasool raised $6.2 Million for her
