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The grassroots advocacy group the People’s Union USA will launch a nationwide boycott of McDonald’s on Tuesday, protesting the fast-food chain’s decision to scale back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The protest is the latest in a wave of pushback against major companies retreating from DEI efforts.

Who is leading the McDonald’s boycott?

The group, led by founder John Schwartz, began protesting in February after President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders aimed at phasing out DEI initiatives across federal, private and nonprofit sectors, Blavity reported. Other companies, including Target, Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy, were listed alongside McDonald’s in several planned boycotts over the past few months.

On Saturday, the People’s Union USA shared an Instagram post announcing the nationwide protest against McDonald’s.

“This is about more than burgers and fries, this is about power,” the advocacy group wrote in its post. “When we unite and hit corporations in their wallets, they listen. This week, June 24-30, we’re taking a stand. No McDonald’s. No compromise. We’re demanding fair taxes, an end to price gouging, real equality and corporate accountability. This is a show of strength, solidarity and people powered change. Let them feel it. Let them hear us. Let this be just the beginning.”

McDonald’s executive speaks out amid DEI changes

Bloomberg reported that in early June, Jordann Nunn, McDonald’s chief people officer for the U.S. market, told a human resources conference the company had maintained its core diversity programs, albeit with updated language.

“We changed some of the language that we’ve used it around it, but at the core none of our programming has changed,” Nunn said, adding, “We have no intention of doing that.”

According to USA Today, the McDonald’s boycott follows a decline in sales at the fast-food chain. The drop in U.S. sales began in the first quarter of this year, marking the most significant decline in the company’s history since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Since then, McDonald’s has introduced various strategies to boost foot traffic and sales at its restaurants nationwide, including the return of the popular Snack Wrap, which is set to be added to menus on July 10.

More boycotts are planned against Walmart, Amazon and other major retailers

Schwartz also announced on Instagram other upcoming protests against Starbucks, Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot and more, per USA Today.

July 4: Economic blackout

July 1-31: Boycott of Starbucks, Amazon and Home Depot

August 1-31: Boycott of Walmart, McDonald’s and Lowe’s

Red Lobster is celebrating the summer season by adding ten new dishes to its menu.

According to Allrecipes.com, the seafood restaurant chain’s annual Crabfest is back with new twists, including two seafood boils.

Red Lobster offers seafood boils for the first time

Crabfest sees Red Lobster bring back menu items that highlight crab, including Crab Your Way, a pound of crab legs that you can customize with the restaurant’s seasonings. This year, Red Lobster is introducing a new flavor for diners to consider: Old Bay & Parmesan.

The new menu will also include other crab dishes, including new seafood boils. Food & Wine reported it’s the first time the seafood restaurant chain has offered seafood boils on the menu.

Diners can choose between two seafood boils: the Mariner’s Boil and the Sailor’s Boil. The former includes a Maine lobster tail, a dozen shrimp, and snow crab legs, as well as corn and red potatoes. The Sailor’s Boil has smoked sausage and shrimp paired with corn and red potatoes.

Crabfest will also see menu items like the new Crabby Stuffed Mushrooms, Crab-Topped Asparagus, and Crab-Topped Potato. Meat lovers should look out for the Steak Oscar, which features a sirloin steak topped with lump crabmeat and a cream sauce. The Salmon Oscar includes the same lump crabmeat and cream sauce but consists of an Atlantic salmon centerpiece.

In addition to the new food options, the Crabfest festivities will also include new drinks on the menu. The Purple Haze cocktail gets its name from its magenta hue and features Still G.I.N. by Dre and Snoop mixed with desert pear, fresh lemonade, and gold shimmer. The Passion Star Spritz includes a mix just as refreshing with Tito’s Handmade Vodka and passionfruit. The drink also includes Wycliff Sparkling Wine and a gold-dusted dried starfruit garnish.

The Starry Eyed Surprise mixes Patron Silver Tequila with guava, blue curacao, and Starry lemon-lime soda. A sugar rim pulls the flavors together and leaves a lasting sweetness.

According to Southern Living, Red Lobster’s Crabfest is available from Monday through September 14.

Thirteen people have gone on trial in France over a campaign held against Aya Nakamura, a singer who performed at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. All defendants are linked to far right group Les Natifs, who have advocated for Nakamura to be removed from the ceremony.

The trial was held earlier in June after the group Les Natifs unveiled a banner reading: “No way, Aya, this is Paris, not the Bamako market” in March 2024, according to France 24. The phrase was made in reference to the capital of Mali, where French citizen Nakamura was born. 

Far-right ideology on trial after 13 people launch ‘racist’ campaign against Aya Nakamura

Les Natifs is a French white supremacist group that has taken on the theory of the Great Replacement, an ideology according to which white Europeans are being replaced by immigrants of color. 

The 13 defendants are all aged between 20 and 31 years old. They face charges of inciting hatred and violence based on ethnicity, nationality, race or religion. Three of them appeared and court, while the others were represented by their lawyers.

The defendants, including the spokesman for Les Natifs, Stanislas T., refused to answer questions, reading a statement to justify their actions.

“What is at stake today is the issue of freedom of expression and the independence of the judicial system,” Les Natifs spokesperson Stanislas T. said. 

He denied that the group incited any hatred against Nakamaura while refusing to answer questions. Stanislas T. said the aim of the group’s campaign against the singer was to call out “a political choice that deliberately sought to promote the dissolution of our ancestral culture.”

Prosecutors requested sentences of up to four months of incarceration, while lawyers for the defendants asked for their clients to be acquitted. 

The group’s campaign against Nakamura echoes similar sentiment shared by far-right leaders. Marine Le Pen said the singer’s participation in the opening ceremony would “humiliate” France because of her “vulgarity” and “the fact that she doesn’t sing in French.” Former parliamentary assistant to National Rally MPs Capucine C. was among those accused, according to France 24.

President Emmanuel Macron defended Aya Nakamura’s opening ceremony performance

Macron called out the debate ahead of the singer’s performance at the opening ceremony that was spearheaded by far-right politicians and activists. He described the public outrage against Nakamura as “racist” and “shocking.”

Nakamura previously gave a public response to the stunt pulled by Les Natifs.

“You can be racist, but you’re not deaf … and that’s what really bothers you! I’m suddenly the number one topic of debate – but what do I really owe you? Nothing,” she wrote on social media at the time.

A Walmart in Shrewsbury, Missouri is seeing a decline in theft after removing its self-checkout lanes. Shrewsbury Police Chief Lisa Vargas recently revealed the latest findings, saying that police calls and arrests have significantly declined since the store made the change.

Why did one Walmart location get rid of its self-checkout lanes?

According to People, Walmart had been facing a significant challenge after people were using self-checkouts and walking out without paying for their items. After the store removed the self-checkouts, however, the change has become evident. According to the Webster-Kirkwood Times, police calls and arrests at the Walmart declined by more than half after the store removed self-checkouts in 2024.

Data shows that the Shrewsbury Police Department responded to 1,915 calls from January to May 2024. Over 25% of the calls came from the Shrewsbury Walmart. In 2025, only 11% of the same type of calls came from the store.

“That’s a huge change. We really appreciate Walmart taking initiative and removing those self-checkers,” Vargas said, per the the Webster-Kirkwood Times.

What else is Walmart doing to reduce shoplifting?

Walmart implemented handheld scanners at some locations in 2024 to make sure shoppers don’t use old or fake receipts when they walk out of stores. In addition, the retailer is fighting back against card skimming, which is when thieves steal credit card information by replacing existing devices with fake ones at self-checkout stations.

“We’re always looking for ways to innovate in our stores, including the checkout experience,” Charles Crowson, Walmart’s director of global affairs, told People. “Any adjustments are based on varying factors, including feedback from associates and customers, shopping patterns and business needs in the area.”

B. Simone is back in the spotlight for her recent comments about shopping at H&M.

Social media users are dragging the popular social media user for her recent comments on a recent episode of Let’s Try This Again with B. Simone. The podcast description on Apple Podcasts reads, “Join me as I virtually document and take you on my healing journey.”

The first clip in question is one where B. Simone’s best friend, Shekinah, opens up about financial struggles, revealing that she did not lean on her successful friend at the time for support.

B. Simone was almost brought to tears as she revealed she’s so broke now that she has to shop at H&M instead of Bloomingdale’s. 👀pic.twitter.com/2W7Yntx1L3— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) June 22, 2025

What exactly did B. Simone say?

“To not have resentment in my heart towards you, because I saw you do this for other people, I saw you give a check to somebody … to help them through whatever they went through,” she told B. Simone in the clip. “Nobody gave me a handout, but guess what … that wasn’t your responsibility.” 

“God has to take me through that for my own season, for my own thing,” Shekinah continued. “I had to get my car repossessed. I had to go through the food stamp line. I had to be on Medicaid. … As a friend of somebody who has it … it’s hard to digest.”

This sent social media into a frenzy, with many users questioning why B. Simone acted as if she was just made privy to her friends struggles during the conversation on the episode, and others speculated how she could sit by and watch her friend struggle.

B. Simone says lifestyle changes have caused a major shift in her journey

Throughout the rest of the conversation, B. Simone opened up about her new efforts to rebuild with a new app, spiritual changes, noting how she has had to make lifestyle changes that she deems to be uncomfortable.

“I feel like it’s a breakthrough with what I’m creating with the app,” she said. “Just, my finances. Like, the budgeting. You see how I am. Nitpicking every little thing. I’ve never been like that. We were in Bloomingdale’s yesterday. I’m like, ‘We have to go to H&M.’ And I notice in me now, just nitpicking. I just don’t have it to spend, the liquid. I’m used to having liquid. And because I’ve invested in this app, in this platform, I don’t have the liquid. I got the money, but not yet. It’s coming. I have it in assets, I have it in jewelry. I’m used to seeing a certain amount in my account.”

Much like the backlash B. Simone faced for what many called a lack of empathy toward her bestie, Shekinah — even her coming to the realization that she was uncomfortable with witnessing her wins over time — people also dragged her for the Bloomingdale’s versus H&M comparison.

“Bloomingdale’s versus H&M people are starving girl shut up,” wrote one person in the comments on The Shade Room’s Instagram post where the clip was shared.

On X, actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. chimed in, resharing the clip with a response that said, “H&M got good sh*t. WTH lmaoo”

This isn’t the first time B. Simone has been in the spotlight for actions that have rubbed people the wrong way. In 2023, people questioned her decision to charge fans for exclusive access to witness her as she grieved the loss of her friend Jacky Oh.

Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., revealed she experienced an ectopic pregnancy last year that nearly killed her. She said doctors hesitated to take necessary steps to end the pregnancy due to the state’s abortion ban, a delay she blamed on fearmongering from the left as opposed to the right-wing legislation that resulted in the ban.

When did Cammack find out she had an ectopic pregnancy?

According to The Wall Street Journal, Cammack went to the emergency room in May 2024, about five weeks into her ectopic pregnancy. Doctors told her there was no heartbeat and that her life was at risk.

However, due to Florida’s six-week abortion ban, doctors hesitated to administer a shot of methotrexate, the medication needed to terminate the pregnancy, out of fear of losing their medical licenses or going to jail.

Cammack said she looked up the state’s abortion law on her phone and showed it to hospital staff. She also contacted the governor’s office, but no one could help her. After several hours, doctors agreed to give her the medication. The representative has since gotten pregnant again and is due sometime this summer.

Cammack blames left-wing “fearmongering” for care delay

As co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, Cammack, 37, remains anti-abortion but supports the procedure in cases of rape and incest as well as when the mother’s life is at risk. While the life-threatening condition could have killed her, she said she believes the hospital’s hesitation stemmed from Democrats’ opposition to abortion laws, which she said has frightened medical workers into fearing severe consequences for performing abortions.

“It was absolute fearmongering at its worst,” Cammack told The Wall Street Journal, noting that she would face backlash from abortion-rights advocates over her conservative views despite having the procedure.

“There will be some comments like, ‘Well, thank God we have abortion services,’ even though what I went through wasn’t an abortion.”

Florida’s abortion ban took effect on May 1, 2024, stating that abortions are illegal after six weeks of pregnancy.

Medical professionals and legal representatives speak out

Molly Duane, a senior attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the law exempts ectopic pregnancies from abortion restrictions, but medical workers may be unsure how to apply it, The Wall Street Journal reported.

She told The Wall Street Journal that pro-abortion supporters are often to blame in these instances, which is considered the “playbook of antiabortion extremists that for decades have been blaming and villainizing doctors.” 

Dr. Alison Haddock, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, told The Wall Street Journal that doctors in states with abortion restrictions often worry “whether their clinical judgment will stand should there be any prosecution.”

She described early pregnancy care, including ectopic pregnancies, as a “medically complicated space” marked by uncertainty, calling it “a real stress point for a lot of our physicians.”

Cammack said hopes to find common ground among women across the political spectrum to ensure they receive the medical care they need.

“I would stand with any woman — Republican or Democrat — and fight for them to be able to get care in a situation where they are experiencing a miscarriage and an ectopic” pregnancy, she said.

Elon Musk‘s Tesla held a kick-off event over the weekend for a limited test run of its AI self-driving vehicle for a select few. The long-anticipated launch of this diving has been a decade in the making, Reuters reported. Throughout the years, Musk has promised the release of “Robotaxi” cars, but they haven’t been ready. On Sunday, that changed when 10 driverless Tesla automobiles were deployed in Austin, TX, to pick up paying passengers.

Tesla offered a test run of its Robotaxi service for a select few people

The event marked Tesla’s introduction of driverless cars, transporting commercial riders at a set price.

“The @Tesla_AI robotaxi launch begins in Austin this afternoon with customers paying a $4.20 flat fee!” Musk tweeted.

The @Tesla_AI robotaxi launch begins in Austin this afternoon with customers paying a $4.20 flat fee!— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2025

Despite Tesla not clarifying how they would guide the Robotaxi in case of an emergency, each car had a designated “safety monitor” in the front passenger seat to oversee the transportation that took place within the South Congress neighborhood. 

Musk believes the innovative cars will become a crucial stream of income for Tesla. He also noted that this was the “culmination of a decade of hard work,” according to Reuters.

Rob Maurer, the host of the Tesla Podcast, posted a video clip showing off his Robotaxi experience on X with the caption, “Here’s my entire first Tesla Robotaxi trip from start to finish. Ten miles across south Austin. Timestamps in comments.”

In a follow-up tweet later that day, Maurer provided his feedback on why Tesla’s driverless car has an advantage over its competition, Waymo.

“After multiple Tesla Robotaxi and Waymo rides in Austin, I have to say Tesla is quite a bit smoother,” he said.

How Texas is balancing safety and innovation ahead of Tesla’s Robotaxi service launch

As Tesla geared up to launch its Robotaxi service, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quietly shifted gears on how it handles autonomous vehicles two days ahead of the debut. He signed a new law requiring companies to secure a state permit before operating fully driverless cars on public roads, marking a notable departure from Texas’s previous hands-off stance. The law places oversight in the hands of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, granting them the authority to approve or revoke permits if safety concerns arise. 

This change will take effect on Sept. 1, 2025. Additionally, companies must now certify that their vehicles meet at least Level 4 autonomy, meaning they can function without a human driver under specific conditions. The law also requires firms to provide clear emergency protocols for first responders. While Texas isn’t adopting a California-style regulation, it’s clear that state leaders want to strike a balance between innovation and caution as autonomous vehicles hit the streets.

University of South Carolina law professor and autonomous vehicle expert Bryant Walker Smith shared that “California permits are hard to get, easy to lose. In Texas, the permit is easy to get and easy to lose.”

Now that it’s real, Musk says the company is being “super paranoid” about safety, limiting operations to specific zones, steering clear of tricky intersections, bad weather and restricting rides to those 18 and older. However, bringing autonomous vehicles to market hasn’t been smooth for the industry overall. Regulators are closely watching Tesla and its competitors, including Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox. 

Unlike its rivals, Tesla is going all-in on a vision-only system powered by cameras, ditching pricier lidar and radar tech. Musk claims it’s not only safer but far more cost-effective, though the gamble could set Tesla apart, for better or worse.

Elijah Obeng, a former In-N-Out employee who happens to be Black, has filed a $3 million discrimination lawsuit against the company after he was fired for his hair. Per the complaint, In-N-Out is accused of failing to prevent harassment, harassment based on race and intentional infliction of emotional distress, as well as failure to prevent harassment, discrimination, or retaliation.

A former In-N-Out employee says he faced hair discrimination

According to KTLA 5, Obeng’s lawsuit states that he faced discrimination as a result of In-N-Out’s dress code. Per the lawsuit, employees are required to tuck in their hair and wear In-N-Out’s hats. The dress code also requires men to be clean-shaven.

Obeng said management required him to change his hairstyle and comply with the restaurant’s policy as his hair grew. He added that In-N-Out specifically told him he needed to cut or change his hair to make sure it fits under the hat.

Obeng said he braided his hair to comply with In-N-Out’s rules, but he was then told he also needed to cut his sideburns. In the following days, Obeng said he faced consequences and lost opportunities for promotion.

The former In-N-Out employee’s lawsuit cites the CROWN Act

When his supervisor told him to go home and shave, Obeng said he only had natural sideburns, which are part of his hairstyle. A few days later, Obeng said he was told that he is fired due to his “natural hair and resistance to discriminatory policies.” He described the experience as “humiliating and discriminatory.”

Obeng’s lawsuit cites the CROWN Act—which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair—the California law which protects employees from discrimination based on their hairstyles and hair textures.

Lynn Hamilton, the actress who is best known for her role on Sanford and Son and on The Waltons, has died at age 95. Hamilton’s former manager and publicist, Rev. Calvin Carson, told The Hollywood Reporter that the actress died from natural causes at her home in Chicago on Thursday.

A statement from Carson reads on Instagram in part, “With profound gratitude and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of iconic actress Alzenia ‘Lynn’ Hamilton-Jenkins, whose remarkable legacy continues to uplift and inspire. Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, stage, film, and television actress […] Lynn was also the recipient of the prestigious NAACP Award, a testament to her outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry […] Her passing marks the end of an era, but her legacy will continue to inspire and uplift future generations.”

What were some of Lynn Hamilton’s most memorable roles on TV?

In addition to playing the girlfriend of Redd Foxx on Sanford and Son, Hamilton also starred as Miss Verdie on The Waltons.

She landed another popular role when she played Vivian Potter on NBC’s daytime drama Generations from 1981–91. Additionally, Hamilton played Cousin Georgia Anderson on Roots: The Next Generations in 1979. The Hollywood star continued to make an impression when she played Emma Johnson on NBC’s 227. Hamilton’s long résumé also includes her role on ABC’s The Practice, where she played a judge.

What were some of Lynn Hamilton’s notable movie roles?

Hamilton made her movie debut in 1959 when she starred in Shadows. She then landed another movie role in 1971 when she starred in Brother John alongside Sidney Poitier. A year later, Hamilton appeared in Buck and the Preacher, also with Poitier. In that same year, Hamilton starred in Lady Sings the Blues. She also acted in Leadbelly in 1976 and Legal Eagles in 1986.

How did Lynn Hamilton get her start in entertainment?

Hamilton, who was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, moved to Chicago with her parents at age 4. After attending Chicago’s Bloom High School, Hamilton graduated from the Goodman School of Drama Theater. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the actress later said in an interview that she was the only Black actor in her class and there weren’t any roles for her. Still, she found an opportunity with a South Side theater company and later moved to New York to star on Broadway. That’s where Hamilton appeared in the 1959 show Only in America, as well as The Cool World, Face of a Hero and Tambourines to Glory.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, spoke candidly about her safety concerns following the recent shootings of two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota.

On Thursday, Crockett appeared on ABC’s The View. When asked if she feels safe “as an elected official in this political climate,” the 44-year-old told the co-hosts, “No, not at all,” according to The Hill.

Jasmine Crockett said Congress should shift funds to cover lawmakers’ security

Crockett continued, suggesting that Congress should allocate some funds from other projects, including the recent U.S. Army military parade President Donald Trump initiated on June 14 to coincide with his 79th birthday.

“I mean, here’s the deal: I do this job, and the fact that my safety is a part of doing this job is really bad, in and of itself, but while we spend millions upon millions just so that this guy can go and golf, or while they spent $45 million for his little birthday parade,” the lawmaker said.

“I’m just saying, can we reprioritize some of those dollars?” she asked.

.@RepJasmine tells ‘The View’ she does “not at all” feel safe as an elected official in the current political climate: “The fact that my safety is a part of doing this job is really bad in and of itself.” pic.twitter.com/5cFoGwKItr— The View (@TheView) June 19, 2025

‘We have nothing’

Crockett also pointed out that a recent spending bill included over $25 million for 24/7 security for the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices.

“Listen, I’m not even asking for a million, but can we get something? Because we have nothing,” Crockett said. “The only people in the House that have protection, you get protection based upon your leadership post. That’s it. Those are the only ones. And so when you figure out security, you have to hopefully raise enough money to then be able to pay for security yourself.”

“This is a problem, especially in light of the environment,” the congresswoman who has represented Texas’ 30th District since 2023 added.

Crockett said she spoke with a Republican colleague about introducing legislation to fund security for lawmakers. Despite political differences, both Democrats and Republicans have condemned the recent violence and threats against legislators.

“We still have a role to play,” Crockett said. “I get that nobody really likes the Congress, but I mean, we still are duly elected, and we’re a co-equal branch of government, but we always seem like we’re the stepchild.”

Who was the gunman in the Minnesota shootings?

Crockett’s comments come nearly a week after Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in the suburban neighborhood of Brooklyn Park.

In a separate shooting, state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot at their home in the Champlin suburb, Blavity reported.

The suspected gunman, Vance Luther Boelter, had an extensive list of other state Democratic lawmakers, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison. He was later captured and taken into custody.