The gap between what black and white workers earn in the U.S. was wider in 2015 than it was in 1979, according to a new report that says the gulf has expanded "primarily because of discrimination." The Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think-tank based in the District of Columbia, on Tuesday published a paper that compared average hourly earnings of white and black Americans, adjusting for "education, experience, region of residence" and metropolitan region. (U.S. News & World Report)

Google donated $1 million to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) through its charitable arm, Google.org. NMAACH is the 19th and newest Smithsonian museum in Washington D.C. It opens to the public Sept. 24. (Black Enterprise)

Fed leaders decided not to increase the bank's key interest rate on Wednesday at the conclusion of a two-day meeting. The decision was largely expected by economists and investors who bet there was very little chance of a move. (CNN Money)

When it comes to personal development and success, setting goals is usually brought up immediately—and rightly so! Taking the time to do this is critical to achieving success in all aspects of life. (The Muse)

The key to understanding life at work is to understand the relationship between power, fear and trust. Trust is a strong fuel source for any organization, but it is hard for some leaders to build and hard to maintain trust. It is easier and faster to lead a team through fear than to build trust into a workplace. (Forbes)

The biggest problem with the cult of happiness is that it is an unacceptable invasion of individual liberty. Many companies are already overstepping the mark. (The Economist)

NASCAR was hit with a $500 million lawsuit accusing the auto racing body of racial discrimination for preventing black-owned teams and drivers from competing, including in the Sprint Cup Series. (Business Insider)

At first blush, the part-time work program recently announced by Amazon seems to add the type of flexibility that employees, particularly Millennials and women – have been clamoring for. More broadly, the general consensus seems to be that added flexibility is a good thing. There is growing evidence that improving "work-life balance" is important in fostering employees who are happier, healthier and more loyal, and some have even suggested that a shorter workweek can fuel innovation. (Forbes)

The Bank of Japan plunged into virtually uncharted monetary-policy waters, introducing a target for something economists once argued was impossible to control: 10-year interest rates.The Japanese central bank, which has struggled for nearly two decades to bring about steady inflation, said Wednesday it wants to keep the yield on 10-year Japanese government bonds at zero, and will adjust the pace of its bond buying as needed to achieve that. (The Wall Street Journal)

Over the last eight years, America has written a new chapter in our relationship with Africa. Under President Obama’s leadership, we have worked to transition our support for the continent from aid to trade and empowerment. We have started to build a full, equal, advanced economic partnership — a partnership that holds as much promise for African countries as it does for America. This week’s U.S.-Africa Business Forum is a key component of that new partnership. (The Huffington Post)

Money isn't everything. But the opportunity for a high salary can certainly give you something to think about when deciding where to go to college. (CNN Money)

Join us this October in New Orleans for a week of unparalleled education, networking and career opportunities. The nation’s largest diversity career expo features 250+ employers, hiring now. Cutting edge educational sessions take your career to the next level. And you never know what career possibilities you’ll find meeting friends, colleagues and peers at our event. Housing closes Sept. 23, so register today! Conference Scholarships are available. Visit our Conference site to find out more.

All good things must apparently come to an end. After 74 straight days as the top grossing iPhone app in America’s App Store, Pokémon Go has been dethroned, according to data-tracking analyst group Sensor Tower. The new king of the hill is Clash Royale, from Supercell, which overtook Niantic’s augmented reality mobile game after unleashing an update that led to an upswell of user spending. (Fortune)

Nike's Back to the Future II self-lacing shoes, the HyperAdapt 1.0, are not only real, they now have an official release date: November 28. For "sneakerheads" and fans of the hit 1989 movie, the Monday after Thanksgiving should be a particularly exciting day. However, the shoes may be hard to come by, based on Nike PR director Heidi Burgett's tweet announcing the release date. (USA TODAY)

Many of America's small businesses operate on a tight budget and essentially live month-to-month, according to a new report from the JPMorgan Chase Institute that suggests unexpected shutdowns – like those suffered by businesses in flood-ravaged regions of West Virginia and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in recent months – could prove catastrophic to their survival. (U.S. News & World Report)

The local and national efforts have led to a surge of deposits in several black banks, as #BankBlack fever has swept the country. This movement, aimed at empowering the black community by taking control of its wealth and investing it in a black bank (21 black-owned banks are in the U.S) received national attention on July 8, 2016 when rapper Killer Mike implored the black community to deploy a portion of its financial resources to make a tangible difference. In July alone, more than 1,500 new accounts with deposit balances of approximately $2.7 million were opened at Industrial Bank, the oldest and largest African American-owned commercial bank in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region. This amount was more than the number of accounts that are usually opened in a six-month period. (Black Enterprise)

A new study by Harvard University’s George Borjas and the Center for Monetary and Financial Studies’s Joan Monras looks at evidence from four earlier refugee surges and finds they worsen prospects for one segment of the population while bettering the lot of another. (The Wall Street Journal)

It’s a tried-and-true maxim of economics: A falling unemployment rate should spur faster wage growth and inflation as employers pay up to attract a shrinking pool of available workers. Yet while unemployment has declined sharply the past four years, to 4.9% from 8.1%, annual gains in average hourly earnings have climbed far more modestly, to 2.4% from 1.9%. Largely as a result, employers haven’t had to pass along rising labor costs to consumers through higher prices, and inflation has remained below the Fed’s annual 2% target. (USA TODAY)

Yay! America is back on its feet again. At least according to the US Census Bureau, which said this week that median family incomes had risen for the first time since the recession. Sadly every silver lining has a cloud and in this case it came in the form of a supplemental report. (The Guardian)

Earning a lot of money doesn't necessarily make you rich. At the end of the day, no matter what your paycheck reads, you still have to save and invest your money if you want to accumulate wealth. Are you setting aside enough? To help you evaluate, we've rounded up nine red flags to watch out for. (Business Insider)

The summer has been a hot one for real estate, and the trend toward a strong seller's market is expected to be underscored Thursday as the National Association of Realtors releases its latest existing-home sales figures. Steve Udelson, president of Owners.com, a top 10 national real estate brokerage, gives his take on the home front. (USA TODAY)

AT&T got Turner Networks to join its upcoming Internet video services in the latest example of how the carrier is building a broad, mainstream offering to compete with cable television. (Fortune)

Silicon Valley is the capital of disruption. It’s the epicenter of the innovation earthquake. It’s the leader of the new way forward. And Apple, as the industry’s Think Different darling, is at the forefront of the revolution. So much so, in fact, that it decided a patent a sweet bag. (Gizmodo)

Deutsche Bank said it has no intention of paying the $14 billion settlement the U.S. Department of Justice demanded in order to end its civil suit, which stems from risky mortgaged-backed securities that led to the 2008 global financial crisis. (The Atlantic)

Leaders are not born, they are made. From our commitment to creating next generation leaders through the Leaders of Tomorrow program to working to refine current leaders through the Leadership Institute, the National Black MBA Association has become a breeding ground for some of the top African American leaders in the nation. (Black Enterprise)