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Free agent Odell Beckham Jr. is speaking out after comments he made about managing a five-year, $100 million NFL contract ignited conversation online. The wide-ranging discussion began in October during an episode of “The Pivot Podcast,” where Beckham outlined why a contract of that size may not last as long as it appears once expenses are taken into account. The wide receiver, who was drafted No. 12 overall by the New York Giants in 2014, went on to play for the Cleveland Browns and Las Angeles Rams. Beckham last played for the Miami Dolphins before he became a free agent in 2024. According to Spotrac, his total career earnings sit at $102 million. His podcast remarks resurfaced this week and drew reactions from fans, commentators, and former players. On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Beckham posted a response to the attention on X. “Boy u can’t say nothin in this world nowadays, that’s why I been in my own lane my own world n put the way,” he wrote. “People love to take Shxt completely outta...
U.S. Bank is stepping up its presence across the Southeast, aiming to reach more businesses and broaden its lending services, including Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. According to Banking Dive, the Minneapolis-based bank, with $695 billion in assets, is actively hiring bankers in areas where it doesn’t currently operate branches. Dee O’Dell, head of business banking sales, confirmed that within six months, U.S. Bank plans to bring on at least a dozen new bankers in a couple of Southeastern states. Though they weren’t specified, possibilities include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina, the outlet notes. While O’Dell did not go into detail, the bank is clearly positioning itself to tap into growing business markets across the region. This expansion follows recent moves in other key markets. Banking Dive states that U.S. Bank has added multiple banker teams in cities like Charlotte, Las Vegas, and Chicago, reflecting its strategy to meet...
Americans may have to wait until next year to learn whether a proposed $2,000 tariff-funded dividend check becomes a reality, according to new comments from President Donald Trump. President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Nov. 17, that his administration is preparing for what he described as “dividends” tied to national tariff revenue, USA TODAY reports. He said the goal is to send “thousands of dollars” to Americans, estimating that the earliest timeline would be sometime around mid-2026. According to the outlet, during his conversation with the press, Trump said the government expects to start issuing payments “probably in the middle of next year, a little bit later than that,” adding that the proposed amounts would specifically support “moderate income, middle income” households. His remarks echo messaging he has repeated for months, including a Nov. 10 post on Truth Social where he said $2,000 checks would go to “low and middle income USA Citizens.” The idea...
President Donald Trump has proposed a bold plan to return some of the tariff revenue collected by the federal government directly to Americans — potentially putting $2,000 in the pockets of middle- and low-income households, according to Business Insider. Trump outlined the idea in a series of posts on Truth Social, where he described a “dividend” funded by tariffs. “A dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone,” he wrote, emphasizing that those earning above certain thresholds would not be included. Although posts about the tariff rebate checks have attracted significant attention, they do not represent official government action. How The Proposal Would Work In corporate terms, a dividend is a distribution of profits to shareholders. In this case, Trump’s plan, according to Business Insider, would treat Americans as “shareholders” of the federal government, distributing a portion of revenue collected from import tariffs. Trump...
For anyone hoping that new IRS direct deposit relief payments would arrive this November, the IRS and federal officials say no new stimulus or relief payments have been approved for 2025. IRS Direct Deposit Relief Payment The claims follow months of online discussion about potential federal aid programs. According to USA Today, payments have been referred to under labels such as “direct deposit relief,” “tariff rebate,” or “DOGE dividend.” The IRS says no new federal stimulus payments or rebates have been authorized, per the outlet. The only proposal under consideration is the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025, introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), which would provide payments ranging from $600 to $2,400 to qualifying taxpayers if enacted. As of November, the bill has not moved through Congress, and no payments are currently authorized. USA Today also noted that the last round of federal stimulus payments was distributed in response to the pandemic. Individuals who did not...
Citibank has lowered its base lending rate by 0.25% on Oct. 30, 2025, from 7.25% to 7.00%, according to a Citibank news release. This follows a similar reduction in September, the bank announced, and comes a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve lowered its policy rate to a 3.75%–4.00% range, the lowest in three years, CNN reports. Borrowers with floating-rate loans tied to Citibank’s base rate may see lower interest payments, potentially saving hundreds of dollars annually, according to The Economic Times. The cut aligns the bank’s lending rate with the U.S. prime rate, standardizing borrowing costs for individuals and businesses. Loans such as mortgages, auto financing, and business credit lines tied to the base rate will see immediate changes in monthly payments. Citigroup, Citibank’s parent company, operates in more than 180 countries, offering personal banking, wealth management, and capital markets services, the outlet notes. Citi has a market capitalization of $177.36 billion,...
NFL running back Saquon Barkley has invested in AI data center startup Crusoe, joining other investors in the company’s $1.4 billion funding round, which values the startup at more than $10 billion, per Business Insider. According to the outlet, Crusoe, which calls itself “the AI Factory Company,” develops clean-energy-powered data centers for artificial intelligence. The company integrates energy sourcing, AI-optimized construction, and proprietary cloud services. Its Crusoe Cloud platform is used by AI startups, including Together AI and Fireworks, to provide computational resources for AI model training and data processing. Investors in the funding round also include Nvidia, Valor Equity Partners, Mubadala Capital, and Founders Fund. Details about Barkley’s individual investment were not disclosed, per Business Insider. The funds will support the expansion of Crusoe’s renewable-energy-powered data centers for large-scale AI operations. Barkley, who plays for the Philadelphia...
Millions of people across the U.S. felt the effects of Amazon Web Services (AWS) going offline. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the global outage on Monday, Oct. 20, disrupted access to websites, apps, and services across sectors. As recovery continues, new details are emerging about just how integral AWS is to everyday digital life. According to CNN, the outage rippled through nearly every aspect of daily routines. People couldn’t order coffee through mobile apps, teachers couldn’t access lesson plans, and smart home systems like Ring and Blink cameras stopped working. For many, it was more than just an inconvenience. Hospitals also lost key communications tools, and customers at digital banks such as Chime couldn’t access their money. The shutdown underscored how essential AWS has become to digital infrastructure. The platform provides the behind-the-scenes computing power for millions of businesses, offering storage, servers, and data management tools that keep operations...
The U.S. government has been shut down since Oct. 1, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Two weeks later, both the Republicans and Democrats show little sign of compromise. Senate Votes On Government Shutdown On Oct. 14, the Senate rejected the House-passed stopgap funding bill for an eighth time, a bill that would have funded the federal government through Nov. 21, NBC News reports . Another vote is scheduled for Oct. 15, according to the outlet. Republicans argue that Senate Democrats should approve the short-term funding measure to reopen the government and address policy differences separately, while Democrats insist that any funding bill must include provisions to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies. Republicans have accused Democrats of holding the government “hostage” to their healthcare priorities. On the other hand, Democrats see the debate over healthcare funding as a strategic opportunity to unite their party after the 2024 election and reset the narrative ahead of the 2026...
The Trump administration is reportedly considering selling portions of the federal government’s $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio, The Guardian reports. Senior officials in the Education and Treasury Departments have discussed a potential student loan debt sale, focusing on high-performing loans, and have met with financial industry representatives to gauge interest and feasibility, according to the outlet. About 45 million Americans currently hold federal student loans. Experts warn that transferring loans to private investors could limit oversight, borrower protections, and the government’s ability to cancel or forgive debt. Daniel Zibel, vice president and chief counsel at the National Student Legal Defense Network, described the idea as “complex and unprecedented,” as The Guardian notes. He told the outlet, “The system for student debt is incredibly complicated. For the administration to do this in a way that lives up to the protections that exist in the law for student loan...
Will there be another round of a federal stimulus or state-issued refund? The Austin American-Statesman reports that officials have no confirmed plans for new payments for Texans. The outlet shares that any federal relief would require approval from Congress. Some states have recently issued their own relief payments. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, New York is sending one-time inflation refund checks of up to $400 to more than 8 million residents throughout the state. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the Treasury Department announced in September that it would send property-tax relief payments to nearly 300,000 residents, including renters, according to the New Jersey Digest. Texas, however, has not launched a similar program, per the Austin American-Statesman. At the federal level, lawmakers have not authorized a fourth round of stimulus payments, and the IRS has not scheduled any new direct deposit checks. President Donald Trump suggested rebate payments funded by revenue from recent...
The IRS has announced several updates that will impact how Americans file their taxes over the next two years. According to CNN, the agency released new details about inflation-based adjustments and changes resulting from the tax law passed in July. These updates will affect federal tax filings for both 2025 and 2026. How much the changes matter will depend on an individual’s income and deductions, but CNN reports that most taxpayers may see “modest relief” as thresholds move higher in response to inflation. Standard Deduction Increases The IRS confirmed that the standard deduction — the amount most taxpayers claim vs. itemized — is rising again. For tax year 2025 (returns filed in 2026), the deduction increases to $15,750 for single filers, compared to the planned $15,000 before the tax law passed; $31,500 instead of $30,000 for married couples filing jointly; and $23,625 for heads of households, up from $22,500. By 2026, those amounts will rise further due to inflation adjustments...
Student-loan forgiveness resumes for millions of borrowers after months on hold. According to Business Insider, the U.S. Department of Education has resumed processing student-loan forgiveness for people enrolled in income-based repayment (IBR) plans. Over the past week, many borrowers began receiving emails from the department confirming they’ve met the required number of payments and now qualify for loan discharge. The messages, which had the subject line “You’re eligible to have your student loan(s) discharged,” said that the department is working with loan servicers to process the relief “over the next several months.” Income-based repayment is designed to make student-loan payments more manageable by tying monthly payments to a borrower’s income and family size. After 20 or 25 years of consistent payments, the remaining balance is eligible for forgiveness. According to Business Insider, as of mid-2025, about 2 million borrowers were enrolled in IBR plans. The Department of...
Many Americans are asking, “Is the government still shut down?” As the standoff enters its sixth day, senators have returned to the Capitol seeking a deal to restore funding and reopen federal operations, CNN reports. Is The Government Still Shut Down? Yes, and the government shutdown, which began on Wednesday, Oct. 1, as AFROTECH™ previously reported, has already disrupted services nationwide. In Dayton, OH, residents encountered closed national parks and museums. According to another CNN report, Howard Patterson, a DHL worker, said he had planned a family visit to the Wright Cycle Company, part of the national park on aviation, but found it locked with a sign reading, “Due to the current lapse in federal government appropriations this site is closed to the public.” The political standoff centers on disagreements between Republicans — who fully control the federal government but lack the 60 votes needed in the Senate — and Democrats, who are demanding extensions of tax credits to...
The U.S. government officially shut down on Oct. 1, 2025, after lawmakers failed to pass a continuing resolution to fund federal operations before the fiscal year deadline. The question many are asking this week is simple: Is the government shut down? The answer is yes — agencies without approved funding have halted or reduced operations, marking the 21st time since the 1977 fiscal year, as ABC News reports. Is The Government Shut Down Right Now? According to the outlet, essential services — such as air traffic control, certain military, the U.S. Postal Service, and border security — continue to function, but many other public-facing offices and programs are closed or delayed. This shutdown began after Congress was unable to reach a deal on funding, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Republicans proposed a short-term measure to keep the government running for a few more weeks, while Democrats sought additional provisions, including extensions for health care benefits like the...
