The Southern Environmental Law Center filed an appeal challenging the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s plan to issue an air permit to xAI’s affiliate company, MZX Tech. The appeal was filed on behalf of the NAACP, Young Gifted & Green, and the Safe and Sound Coalition, who believe the permit violates the law and threatens the health of families living in North Mississippi and South Memphis. The permit allows xAI to allow 41 polluting methane gas turbines—essentially a personal power plant—at a site in Southaven, Mississippi. The power plant would
IBM has agreed to pay $17 million to the US Department of Justice to settle allegations of illegal DEI practices, as CNN reported. The DOJ believes that the tech company engaged in illegal DEI practices” by factoring in “race, color, national origin, or sex” when hiring or promoting employees. The settlement “IBM is pleased to have resolved this matter. Our workforce strategy is driven by a single principle: having the right people with the right skills that our clients depend on,” an IBM spokesperson told TechCrunch. In May 2025, the
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is scrapping grants helping farmers secure land, according to POLITICO. Around $300 million was set aside to support nonprofits, tribal governments, and other organizations. These programs were created by The Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program and gave underrepresented farms access to capital, planning, and efforts to reduce land loss. A letter shared with POLITICO said that the program “involved discriminatory preferences based on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” and “wasteful spending.” Scrapping grants for underserved farmers “USDA will prioritize unity, equality, meritocracy, and color-blindness in furtherance
Victor Glover will be the first Black astronaut to travel to the moon. Clover is part of NASA’s Artemis II mission, which includes Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen. The four astronauts will embark on a 10-day trip around the moon. The launch will be the first time astronauts have traveled to the moon in more than 50 years, according to NBC News. Whilst the astronauts will not land on the moon, the launch hopes to pave the way for a moon landing in two years. Glover will
A judge has granted two Black women permission to proceed with their lawsuit against McDonald’s, Reuters reported. In the lawsuit, Victoria Guster-Hines and Domineca, two former McDonald’s VPs, claim that they faced discrimination because they were Black women and forced to leave after speaking up. The lawsuit is filed against McDonald’s USA, LLC; McDonald’s Corp.; Steven Easterbrook; Christopher Kempczinski; and Charles Strong. In a 2020 lawsuit, a regional president critiqued “Black woman attitude” and said that one of the plaintiffs and other McDonald’s employees were “angry Black women,” according to
Dr. Dre is officially a billionaire, according to Forbes’ 2026 Billionaires list. The producer and music mogul is tied for 3332nd place alongside Jared Kushner, Rihanna, steel magnate Richard Teets Jr., and others. Dre sold Beats by Dre to Apple for $3 billion, making his net worth over $1 billion. Dre becomes the sixth musician to become a billionaire, joining Beyoncé and Jay-Z, as well as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, and Rihanna, according to Variety. Dr. Dre’s career Dr. Dre’s career began in Compton, California, as a rapper and producer
Pastor Jamal Bryant announced on March 11 that the yearlong “Target Fast” had come to an end, following a meeting with Target CEO Michael Fiddelke. Bloomberg reported that Bryant cited progress on several key demands, including Target’s pledge to fulfil its $2 billion commitment to Black-owned businesses and a new employee inclusion programme called “Belonging.” But the women who organised the boycott before Bryant joined it have disputed both the announcement and his authority to make it. The boycott did not start with Bryant. On February 1, 2025, Minneapolis civil rights attorney Nekima
On Tuesday, 9th March, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) issued an air permit allowing Elon Musk’s xAI to operate tons of gas turbines at its facility in Southaven, Mississippi. The permit board’s decision comes weeks after community members held a hearing to share concerns about xAI’s potential health effects, according to a press statement. Internal documents from MDEQ and EPA indicate that the agency faced intense pressure to approve xAI’s air permit swiftly. “We are outraged that, despite the community’s clear demand to move the Election Day hearing,
Anifa Mvuemba, founder of the fashion brand Hanifa, has announced that the brand will pause production. “I don’t want to rush just to prove resilience. I don’t want to pretend everything is fine just to keep momentum,” Mvuemba said in an interview with The Cut. “Right now, I’m reflecting. I’m protecting what matters to me in this season. And I’m allowing myself to be human in the process. I don’t know exactly what the future of Hanifa looks like at this very moment. And for the first time in 14
A British Asian man was arrested for a burglary 80 miles away from his home after facial recognition mistook him for another man from a South Asian background, The Guardian reports. In January, 26-year-old Alvi Choudhury was taken in by the police at his parents’ home in Southampton. The burglary took place in Milton Keynes, which is 80 miles (130km) away from his home. Facial recognition wrongfully arresting man of color In January, 26-year-old Alvi Choudhury was taken in by the police at his parents’ home in Southampton. The burglary
