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When you think of on-air personalities, a few names automatically come to mind such as Oprah Winfrey, Wendy Williams — and Don Lemon. And while their impact on media is varied, the common denominator is their tenure in the roles with their respective media outlets. Winfrey retired after decades of hosting her show, and personal health challenges initiated Williams’ departure from her talk show. Then there’s Lemon, who has parted ways with CNN after 17 years at the network. He is a Baton Rouge, LA, native and began his career while studying at Brooklyn College, working as a news assistant for WNYW in New York City. According to PBS, Lemon would go on to work for several other local news stations in the New York Area; Philadelphia, PA; and Birmingham, AL. He got his big break in September 2006 when he joined CNN. During his time at the global news station, the 57-year-old hosted major news coverage events, including the 2008 Presidential election, the death of Michael Jackson in 2009,...
New York-based multimedia organization OkayMedia — whose mission is dedicated to elevating Black culture and amplifying Black voices — has tapped former CNN International anchor Isha Sesay as its first-ever female CEO. According to Variety, Sesay will oversee the company’s digital publications, Okayplayer — the progressive music site founded by The Roots member Questlove — and OkayAfrica — the website dedicated to all things African culture, music, and politics. She will also serve on OkayMedia’s board of directors, alongside Sam Hendel — co-founder of Dataminr — and Shawn Gee — president of Live Nation Urban and manager of The Roots. Additionally, she has also been named co-founder and CEO of OkayMedia’s latest production arm, SPKN/WRD, which aims to bring “fresh perspectives to the forefront, across feature films, documentaries, television, podcasting, and publishing,” according to the company. Some personal news… 👏🏾 Former CNN journalist @IshaSesay joins OkayMedia as new CEO....
On the heels of his hard-fought racial discrimination settlement with Comcast, media mogul, Byron Allen has his sights set on a new business venture, which is owning CNN. The Entertainment Studios owner went on record earlier this month revealing his ultimate dream of owning one of the most viewed cable news networks in the U.S., according to Statista. “I’d love to own CNN. But I have to buy AT&T to do that. And I will. Believe me, I think about it every day,” Allen told The Hollywood Reporter. Allen has a master plan brewing that he predicts will be on par with the likes of News Corp. founder, Rupert Murdoch. “I’m close to the same age when Rupert Murdoch came here to America,” he said. “He was in his 50s. I’m 59. What you see today will be 10,000 times bigger.” Those who know Allen, like his longtime friend and chess rival, Eddie Murphy, vouch for his acumen, especially his ability to patiently wait for the opportune time to secure epic business deals. “He’s super patient. He...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. A recent study released by Lending Tree revealed that a lot of Americans are using buy now, pay later (BNPL) loans from companies like Klarna and Affirm to buy groceries (25%, up from 14% in 2024). As economic fears mount and uncertainty about the economy continues, people are turning to financing their everyday necessities. But using BNPL loan services is a mistake, especially for those who struggle with debt. BNPL is an interest-free loan, allowing consumers to split their purchase into smaller payments. For those who have an issue with credit cards or deal with debt, this could be an alternative. But if you begin making late payments, you can be charged high fees, which is a problem for those who have multiple loans. While the existence of BNPL loans isn’t necessarily a problem, how they’ve come to be used is concerning. Recently, DoorDash announced its plans to accept BNPL financing through...
After more than six decades of leadership, Warren Buffett made a surprise announcement at the close of Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholders meeting on Saturday, May 3, 2025. According to CNBC, he revealed that Greg Abel will take over as CEO on Jan. 1, 2026. The board voted unanimously to approve the transition, with Buffett remaining as chairman. As news of the change spread, attention quickly turned to the future of Berkshire Hathaway stock, a long-standing indicator of investor confidence and corporate stability. “Buffett leaves a company that is less reliant on his investing capabilities, with an array of leading businesses with strong cash flows,” Brian Meredith, UBS’ Berkshire analyst, said via CNBC. Berkshire Hathaway Stock Responds To Leadership News Following the leadership announcement, Berkshire Hathaway stock experienced a brief dip of 5%. Class A shares fell 4.9% to $769,960, down from a record $809,350 the day before. Class B shares also declined, closing at...
Harvard University professors are donating a portion of their salaries to the Ivy League after it lost federal funding. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Harvard received two letters from federal agencies instructing it to discontinue its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments. The letters stated that failure to comply could result in the loss of about $9 billion in federal funding. According to Reuters, some of the conditions included reducing the influence of faculty, staff, and students who are “more committed to activism than scholarship.” Additionally, the letters requested an external panel to audit these groups for alignment with “viewpoint diversity,” arguing that the university has “failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment.” The letters also flagged concerns about unchallenged antisemitism. While Harvard University did agree to address concerns about antisemitism on campus, it also stated, “These ends...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Recent viral videos on TikTok by Chinese wholesalers are claiming that luxury handbags and other items are made in China . This is a strong assertion when the trade war between the United States and China has consumers thinking about how much more they will have to pay for everyday items, as well as more frivolous purchases. Luxury goods aren’t as necessary when compared to food, clothes, and certain machinery. However, in recent years, consumer purchasing habits have diverged among various generations. Some Millennials and Gen-Z are focused on splurging on regular items like coffee and little treats, so spending money on big-ticket items has taken a backseat. Even so, while luxury goods have a higher mark-up in price based on brand recognition, many still use quality items to construct their products. For example, Hermés, the French luxury house, does not manufacture its bags in China, according...
If you’ve been plugged-in to the political side of the business world lately, you may have noticed a fundamental shift in how corporate culture is responding to DEI measures . DEI, which stands for diversity, equity and inclusion, has been the industry standard blanket term for the last several years regarding certain hiring practices, employee training routines and more. Major companies such as Target, Costco and Apple have utilized specific language upholding DEI in their company guidelines at one point or another, amid a national push to support BIPOC employees , those with disabilities and members of all other marginalized communities. Of course, when Donald Trump regained control of the White House in January, he issued a day-one decree that all companies must remove DEI protections from their charters, sparking a wave of discussion about government overreach and the future of diversity in the workplace. Some, such as Target, Walmart and Harley Davidson, were quick to discard...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Billionaire business leaders turned against President Donald Trump as he implemented sweeping tariffs with other countries, which have amounted to billions of dollars lost. Many of the billionaires who have pushed back against the Trump tariffs have also endorsed him for the 2024 presidential election. One of those billionaires, Bill Ackman, warned against tariffs, likening them to an “economic nuclear war” in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). He also claimed that the tariffs weren’t what he voted for, despite Trump speaking on tariffs early on in the election. How Will Tariffs Affect The American Consumer? Unwarranted tariffs will not only decimate our economy but also hurt our already fragile standing on the world stage. In retaliation, China has raised tariffs on American goods to 125%. Most business leaders, economic experts, and other world leaders are confused over Trump’s misguided...
President Donald Trump’s 10% tariff on all countries took effect over the weekend, and on Monday, April 7, U.S. stocks fell by at least 20%, entering what is known as a “bear market,” CNN reported . According to Dictionary.com, a bear market — the opposite of a bull market — is a prolonged period of declining stock prices , generally defined as a drop of 20% or more from a recent high, though not a formal measurement. On Thursday, April 3, stock markets had already experienced their worst day since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, AFROTECH™ reported. Then came Friday with another record drop. The S&P 500 index, which tracks 500 leading U.S. companies, fell by over 4%, marking a decline of more than 16% from its peak. The Russell 2000 index, which follows smaller U.S. companies, plunged by 5.3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index — already in a bear market — had experienced a decline of over 5% on Thursday, marking its worst trading session in more than five years. It...
The U.S. job market is sending mixed messages — and workers are caught in the middle. On one hand, employers are adding jobs at a pace that suggests economic growth. On the other hand, unemployment is rising and confidence in long-term stability is shrinking. It’s a win-loss moment for the American workforce: The numbers are up, but the foundation feels shaky. According to CNN, the U.S. economy added 228,000 jobs in March, beating expectations and extending a 51-month streak of job growth — one of the longest in U.S. history. Yet, in the same report, the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%, indicating that while more people are entering the labor force, not everyone is finding a place in it. The Strengths And Limits Of The Job Market March’s numbers were encouraging in many ways. Job creation exceeded expectations, and average wages rose 0.3% for the month, slowing to a 3.8% year-over-year increase. Economists had predicted slower growth — around 130,000 new jobs — but the market...
The global economy is not just shaped by technology or innovation — it’s governed by decisions made behind closed doors, often under the guise of economic strategy. One such decision, the imposition of tariffs, is anything but neutral. It is an instrument of pressure, a marker of priority, and increasingly, a reflection of geopolitical posture. Tariffs have reemerged as a centerpiece of American economic policy, not as quiet fiscal levers but as loud, disruptive statements. The Trump administration’s recent directive — a flat 10% base tariff on all imports and a sweeping set of reciprocal tariffs targeting nearly 90 countries — represents a radical reorientation of U.S. trade policy. In an interconnected world already strained by inflation, global supply chain challenges, and diplomatic fragility, these decisions matter deeply — and immediately. What Are Tariffs? At their core, tariffs are taxes on imported goods, imposed by governments to influence the cost and flow of trade. By...
Apple faces its largest decline since 2020, leading the race of significant drops in technology stocks as President Donald Trump announced a 10% tariff on all imported goods and higher duties targeting specific countries, according to CNBC. Trump shared the news about tariffs from the White House’s Rose Garden after the market closed on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, raising concerns about a potential global trade war . According to a White House fact sheet, the tariffs will take effect at 12:01 a.m. EST on Saturday, April 5, 2025. “Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that foreign trade and economic practices have created a national emergency, and his order imposes responsive tariffs to strengthen the international economic position of the United States and protect American workers,” the fact sheet read. On Thursday, April 3, Apple stock declined by over 8%, Meta Platforms and Amazon each dropped about 7%, and Nvidia and Tesla experienced declines of over 4%, per CNBC. The...
Costco’s consumer base is on the rise. According to Retail Brew, the retailer has continued seeing an increase in its foot traffic, having reached its 13th consecutive week during the week of March 17. Costco’s influx of customers is in part due to its decision to uphold diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). It sparked a “buy in” led by Civil Rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton in January 2025 at Costco Wholesale, 1055 Hudson St., in Union, NJ. “We are planning to release a boycott list in the coming days,” Sharpton told TMZ at the time. “But in the interim, we are going to do a ‘buy-cott,’ which means we are going to support those who support diversity.” As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Costco’s board of directors requested for its shareholders to vote against a proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) that would dismantle its DEI programs. “Our success at Costco Wholesale has been built on service to our critical stakeholders: employees, members, and...