African American entrepreneurs and executives are using their political and financial clout to drive policing reform. (Black Enterprise)

In the wake of welfare reform, unemployed people are pushed to quickly find work, any work. But too often those jobs lead nowhere. (The Atlantic)

DE BEERS, the world’s largest diamond producer by value, has selected five black-owned cutting and polishing companies for special attention towards meeting the South African government’s demands for beneficiation of the country’s mineral wealth. (Business Day)

People flying to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia could be greeted with an unconventional kind of welcome at the airport: Picket signs from workers who say they plan to strike for a $15 minimum wage. (The Wall Street Journal)

Ever have so much on your plate that you don’t even have a free moment to appreciate your progress? When it comes to having a to-do list full of heavy-hitter items, you’re probably not the only one who feels more erratic than accomplished. (The Muse)

Leadership is the critical factor that determines the success of any business, department, or organization. To become more effective daily, think and act on the basis of the key qualities of effective leaders throughout the ages. (Black Enterprise)

In an effort to boost minority participation in science and technology, 100 Black Men of America recently hosted a panel discussion with representatives from General Motors to encourage young minorities to think outside the box when it comes to their career paths. (Black Press USA)

Are you color-blind or color-brave? That was the question Marlin D. Smith, director of HR for Woodridge, Ill.-based Hendrickson Truck Commercial Vehicle Systems, raised during a packed concurrent session at the Society for Human Resource Management's 2016 Annual Conference & Exposition in June in Washington, D.C. (Society for Human Resource Management)

Diversity can help your company prosper -- embrace it. (Winnipeg Free Press)

One of the Middle East's biggest carriers, Qatar Airways, announced on Monday net profits of $445 million in 2016, up from $103 million the previous year. (Associated Press)

European officials approved a new agreement on Tuesday that will allow some of the world’s largest companies, including Google and General Electric, to move digital information freely between the European Union and the United States. (The New York Times)

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney denied allegations on Tuesday that the bank tried to frighten the British electorate into voting to remain in the European Union (EU) by using "phony forecasts and scare stories." (CNBC)

Traveling halfway across the world for a fellowship program is a step toward a better community for Lawal Lukman and several others participating in the Mandela Washington Fellowship program. Mr. Lukman is one of 25 business people from sub-Saharan Africa participating in the fellowship at the University of Iowa. The program is focused on teaching skills for business and entrepreneurship. (Dispatch-Argus)

Recent events in Louisiana, Minnesota and Texas have once again placed a spotlight on relations between police and African Americans in particular, and on the challenges faced by African American men in general. Young African American men account for a disproportionate share of the nation's prison population and are unemployed at far higher rates than their white counterparts. (Inside Philanthropy)

Registration is now open for the National Black MBA Association's 38th Annual Conference & Exposition will be held Oct. 11-15 in New Orleans, LA. Conference early bird rates are available through July 25.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will focus on educating customers about Autopilot instead of disabling the semi-autonomous driving system following a fatal crash of a Model S sedan that was reportedly using the technology. (Fortune)

Twitter said on this week that it would partner with CBS to live-stream the Democratic and Republican National Conventions later this month, as the social media company works to be a leader in broadcasting live news and entertainment. (The New York Times)

Consumers are shunning cable television, subscribing to Netflix and Hulu, and it’s the end of the world as we know it. Or is it? Despite all the headlines about "cord nevers" and "cord cutters," terms used for people who opt to skip traditional television cable subscriptions or move away from them, such behavior isn’t as radical as it appears. (Fortune)

The number of businesses owned by African-American women in the Bay Area -- and the United States -- has been soaring, according to a new government report. (The Mercury News)

Airbnb is partnering with three travel management companies — American Express Global Business Travel, BCD Travel and Carlson Wagonlit Travel — to grow business travel on the platform and gain market share from hotels. (CNBC)

U.S. stocks extended their run into the record books on Thursday, finding support after stronger-than-expected results from large financial institutions as well as upbeat economic data. (Marketwatch)

Twitter seems to be everywhere. But despite its ubiquity, the platform hasn't been able to overcome growth and money-making obstacles. SunTrust downgraded the stock Monday, adding to the "buzz kill," Jim Cramer said. (CNBC)

Half of the economists in a Wall Street Journal survey expect the Federal Reserve will leave short-term interest rates unchanged until December because of uncertainty over Brexit and the U.S. presidential election, as well as mixed signals from the labor market. (The Wall Street Journal)

If you've spent years — maybe even a lifetime — building a small business and are starting to think about retiring or cashing out, now may be a good time to sell. (USA TODAY)

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), recently announced rules aimed at protecting Americans from getting into financially disastrous debt spirals due to repetitive short-term borrowing through payday loans. (Black Enterprise)

If retirement is the average saver’s field of dreams, new research is telling them "If you build it, it will be sufficient." (Marketwatch)

In a memo sent to all 157,000 U.S. employees, CEO Howard Schultz announced a wage hike for all store employees and managers as of Oct. 3. Starbucks will also double the company stock awards for employees who've been there two or more years. Altogether, these changes will boost total compensation between 5% to 15% for all workers. (CNN Money)

In 2010, Goldman Sachs launched the "10,000 Small Businesses" program to help business owners unlock their potential for growth and job creation by providing greater access to business education, financial capital and support services. Six years later, the $500 million initiative continues to empower small business owners – from startups to seasoned companies – with the tools they need to achieve higher levels of success. (Black Press USA)

Jamie Dimon's commentary is the latest sign that employers are seeing evidence that the available labor pool is shrinking and that long-stagnating wages need to go up. (CNBC)

Private equity firms have used sophisticated but indirect political maneuvering with state and local entities to smooth the way for growth and revenue. (The New York Times)

Seller-financed home sales are "toxic transactions," a prominent national consumer law organization said on Thursday as it released a report and called for greater federal and state oversight of the sales. (The New York Times)

At the corner of Assembly and Washington Streets stands a two-story building, its angled entrance facing the corner. Built in 1914, the building’s lower floor originally housed a black-owned pharmacy; upstairs were the offices of black doctors and a prominent black attorney. Now, a Chicago developer is planning a high-rise apartment building for that very site. (Free Times)