07.23.2026_Defender-e-FULL

James Talarico Pushes for Black voters

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Volume 95, issue 40 July 23, 2026

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2 | July 23, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN To the POINT

Lamine Yamal (19) of Spain celebrates after the 1-0 win during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina. Credit: Getty Images.

Message from the Reporter Whatever a person thinks of the president, a World Cup final belongs to the team that Spain lifted its second World Cup trophy, won it. Spain worked a full month to reach beating Argentina 1-0 in extra time on a goal that stage, and the country’s biggest sports from Ferran Torrres, closing out a tournament moment in over a decade briefly became a in which the U.S. men’s team could not get out story about whether Trump would leave the of its own way. Belgium ended the Americans’ frame. That instinct to stay in every shot, at run in the round of 16 on July 6 with a 4-1 every ceremony, on every world stage, is very blowout in Seattle, the fourth time in five World telling of his lack of situational awareness Cups the US has exited at that same stage. and humility he’s had. Yes, the US is the host To build a world-class football system country, but there is a time and place. Give Laura Onyeneho like Spain, a nation requires a unified sportSpain its time to shine. Hopefully, in the next ing culture, microscopic tactical education, and a seamless four years, the US will be standing on those podiums. youth-to-senior development pipeline. Despite significant advancements in physical fitness and athleticism, the US still Houston’s World Cup bet is paying off, unevenly lacks the institutionalized, clinical identity of Spain’s system.

The city’s World Cup Host Committee projected roughly The US Team relies heavily on the stars who play in Europe. 500,000 visitors and a $1.5 billion economic impact from the seven Spain proved that ultimate glory belongs to the strongest, most matches played at NRG Stadium, figures city officials have comtactical collective. pared to hosting seven Super Bowls back-to-back. Hotel bookings Millions of potential players are excluded from the Ameri- jumped sharply during the tournament window, and the 39-day can youth soccer system because it is based on a “pay-to-play” FIFA Fan Festival in East Downtown (EaDo) drew drew thoumodel, in which a child’s ability to play is determined by their sands of fans a day to watch matches on giant screens for free. family’s finances. Top-tier, low-income talent is effectively filHowever, the boost wasn’t equitable. Business owners in EaDo tered out by this fee-based system, which favors children whose described a mixed reality during the tournament: some restaufamilies can afford coaching and travel above those with the rants near the Fan Festival saw real spikes in traffic, while others greatest natural skill. If this country wants a soccer program said road closures and rerouted foot traffic actually hurt business that matches its size and its money, it needs to stop chasing star in the tournament’s early weeks. power and start building the structure Spain has spent decades That split matters most for Black-owned and independent perfecting, from coaching standards to how early it trusts its businesses in and around Third Ward, EaDo, and downtown, teenagers with real minutes on the senior stage. the ones without the marketing budget or brand recognition to pull in visitors who never wander past the festival footprint. A Trump’s podium moment overshadowed Spain’s $1.5 billion headline number is real, but so is the neighborhood night business that watched the crowds pass it by. Houston should be President Donald Trump joined FIFA President Gianni asking now what it does differently the next time a mega event Infantino on the field at MetLife Stadium to present Spain lands in its lap. with the trophy, then lingered next to the players as they celebrated, prompting Infantino to usher him aside so the team On The Web could have its moment. Boos rang out when Trump walked • OWN’s Heart & Hustle Houston stars talk real business. onto the pitch, and it was the crazy face palm moment that I’ve • Radical self-love: Antidote for anti-Blackness. seen in the tournament.

• Black art exhibitions worth your time in Houston.

The World Cup is over. What can we learn?

July 23, 2026 |

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DN News Blacks dominate Houston homeless

By Tannistha Sinha

Black residents continue to bear the greatest burden of homelessness across Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties, according to newly released data from the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/ Harris County.

Overall, homelessness remained virtually unchanged in 2026, with the annual Point-inTime Count identifying 3,321 people experiencing homelessness in these counties, just four fewer than last year.

Black people ‘overrepresented’ in count

Black individuals remain disproportionately represented among those experiencing homelessness, accounting for 57% of the total population. White individuals represent 25%, and Hispanic individuals account for 14%.

“The African American population is experiencing homelessness quite a bit,” said Jeremy Sanders, an outreach worker at the coalition. “Some come from incarceration, then try to reestablish their lives and don’t have the same fortunate opportunity to do so as quickly as others. Drugs play a part; some are already dealing with addiction.”

What do the numbers say?

Of those counted this year, 2,051 people were staying in shelters, while 1,270 were living unsheltered. The sheltered population increased slightly while the number of unsheltered individuals declined compared with 2025.

“This pattern reflects a positive development in system capacity, driven in part by the opening of two new emergency shelter programs serving survivors of domestic violence,” the report states. “These additional resources have expanded access to safe shelter for individuals and families in crisis.”

The annual count, conducted by hundreds of volunteers and outreach workers, serves as the region’s primary measure of homelessness and helps guide policy decisions and federal funding allocations.

“The Point-in-Time Count is like a photograph,” said Renee Cavazos-Benavides, vice president of the homeless response system at CFTH. “It captures an important moment, but there is always more happening outside the frame. That’s why this year’s report includes additional indicators that help us understand how people move into homelessness, how they move back into housing, and where we need to focus our efforts as a community.”

Houston-area leaders argue that the region’s coordinated approach has helped prevent the dramatic increases seen elsewhere. The local Continuum of Care, known as The Way Home, coordinates

Black residents remain disproportionately represented among people experiencing homelessness. Credit: Getty Images.

outreach, shelter, housing, and supportive services across the three-county region through dozens of nonprofit and healthcare partners.

The report

The new State of Homelessness report expands beyond the annual count to examine how people move through the homelessness response system throughout the year.

The report found that roughly 36,000 people received services through The Way Home program in 2025, while partner agencies helped house around 2,100 households.

Additionally, 85% of people who exited homelessness remained stably housed over a two-year period.

But there are also growing pressures entering the system.

The report found that more than 7,100 people entered homelessness for the first time during 2025.

Kelly Young, president and CEO of CFTH, says funding plays a key role in addressing homelessness.

“The additional data shows our system is doing a great job maintaining our progress, in spite of additional economic stressors and pandemic funding having been exhausted,” Young said. “Further progress will depend not only on additional investments in housing and services but also on our ability to expand new interventions to resolve homelessness more quickly.”

Survey data from this year’s count shows domestic violence, exit from jail or foster care, family conflict, job loss, rising housing costs, loss of caregiver, medical or mental health crisis, and substance use as some of the most commonly reported pathways into homelessness.

Beyond housing challenges, homelessness continues to carry serious health consequences. A 2024 Harris County

Homelessness Mortality Report found that 305 people died while experiencing homelessness that year.

4 | July 23, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN News

Gina Hinojosa said affordability and public education are central to her campaign message. Credit: Tannistha Sinha/Defender.

Texas Governor race

Gina Hinojosa makes her case

By Tannistha Sinha

As Texans inch toward the November general election, the gubernatorial race is shaping up to be one of the state’s most closely watched political contests.

Voters will decide whether to give incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott another term or elect a Democrat to the governor’s mansion for the first time in more than three decades.

For decades, Republicans have dominated statewide elections. The race remains an uphill climb for Democrats in the state, as no Democrat has won the Texas governorship since Ann Richards, whose term lasted from 1991 to 1995. Abbott has held the governor’s office since 2015, and a win in November would put him on track to become the longest-serving governor in Texas history.

Hinojosa says voter frustration has created an opening in a state long viewed as politically out of reach for Democrats.

“We are almost in a tie with Greg Abbott at this point,” Hinojosa said in an interview with the Defender. “Everybody knows

Greg Abbott, and that’s his problem, really.

They’ve known him for 12 years, and they do not like him.”

While Abbott seeks a fourth term, entering the race with the advantages of name recognition and a political machine built over more than a decade in office, Hinojosa says polls indicate a close competition.

While a Texas Public Opinion Research poll says the governor’s race is within five points, 48% (Abbott) to 43% (Hinojosa), a University of Houston poll shows a 49%42% margin in favor of Abbott.

Why should anyone vote for Hinojosa?

When asked what weaknesses in Abbott’s campaign Democrats have failed to capitalize on, Hinojosa rattled off a list, which includes Texas schools shutting down, high electricity rates, people without health insurance, and the city of Corpus Christi potentially running out of water.

“This is Greg Abbott’s record,” she said.

“Connecting those facts with the lived experience that people are feeling in Texas, the struggle people are feeling, is essential to help remind people why they’re in the situation.”

Her top three policy priorities, she said, are saving Texas public schools, holding down utility costs by making industry pay its fair share, and ensuring every Texas child has affordable health care.

“We will ensure every Texas child has adequate, affordable healthcare. We can do that by expanding Medicaid and pulling down those federal funds to ensure every Texas child and we need to rein in the health insurance companies that are charging us more and making it harder to see the doctors we need and get the medication we need,” she said.

Public schools, in particular, have emerged as a defining issue in the race.

Hinojosa frequently ties Abbott’s record to school closures, teacher shortages, and funding pressures.

A message for Black Houston Hinojosa said, “There is no electability without Black voters,” in Houston and Harris County, a community that will be central to any Democratic path to victory.

She framed Black voters as central to her campaign success, emphasizing outreach to Black leaders and civic organizations throughout Texas. During a recent stop in Houston, she met with Divine Nine leadership and community stakeholders to discuss priorities and expectations.

“That this is your campaign too,” she said.

On Black maternal mortality, Hinojosa noted that the Abbott administration stopped collecting data on disparities in maternal outcomes, a decision she called “cruel” and linked Texas’s abortion restrictions directly to women’s deaths.

“Women are dying in Texas,” she said.

“The vast majority of people do not support that kind of extreme consequence for doctors…that is not a popular position, and there is space there to save women’s lives.”

Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles

Content Manager Terrance Harris

Special Assignments Reporter Tannistha Sinha

VOLUME 95, NUMBER 40 - JULY 23, 2026

Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles

Community Reporter Aswad Walker

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From answering the call to joining the celebration

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We’ve proudly been serving communities around the country for 240 years.

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Learn more at BofA.com/Celebrating250 Tickets provided through Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Availability is limited and subject to eligibility, registration, verification and Vet Tix/1st Tix terms. Bank of America is a promotional sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2026™. Ticket figures are based on Bank of America’s June 3, 2026 announcement; military hiring figures are based on its September 17, 2025 announcement. Image is illustrative and has been digitally enhanced using artificial intelligence. Equal employment opportunity for persons with disabilities and veterans. ©2026 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

6 | July 23, 2026 |

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DN InFocus

James Talarico pushes for Black voters W addressing the nation’s maternal health crisis, particularly the disproportionate mortality rates experienced by Black women.

“Harris County is the deadliest place for a Black woman to give birth in the entire country,” he said. “That is shameful. That is unacceptable.”

Working alongside state Rep. Toni Rose, Talarico says he wants to pursue federal investments and protections aimed at reducing maternal deaths and expanding access to reproductive and maternal health care.

Representation within his own campaign, he argues, is also part of that commitment.

Rather than bringing Black advisers into the campaign late in the process, Talarico says Black staff members occupy senior leadership positions with decision-making authority.

“These are the folks who are actually making decisions about where we invest money, where we spend time, what policies and issues we’re talking about,” he said. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do in the U.S. Senate.”

The campaign also says it is preparing for what it believes will be an aggressive legal fight over voting access this fall.

Calling recent voting restrictions “the largest and most aggressive attack on Black political power since Jim Crow,” Talarico says his campaign has assembled a statewide network of volunteer attorneys prepared to respond quickly to reports of voter intimidation, ballot access issues, and election-related litigation.

By ReShonda Tate

ith just 15 weeks before Election Day, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico is facing perhaps his biggest political challenge: Convincing skeptical Black voters that Democrats have learned from years of taking them for granted.

For Talarico, the path to victory in Texas runs through an electorate that has long served as the Democratic Party’s most reliable voting bloc while increasingly questioning whether that loyalty has been reciprocated.

No Democrat has won statewide office in Texas since 1994. To defeat Republican nominee Ken Paxton in November, Talarico will need overwhelming support from Black Texans, while energizing voters who have grown frustrated with both parties and disillusioned by a political system they believe too often overlooks their concerns.

Rather than relying on last-minute church visits and campaign stops just before early voting, Talarico has spent months making appearances at historically Black colleges and universities, churches, community organizations, and Black-owned media across Texas.

His message is simple: Support should never be assumed. It must be earned.

“I don’t want anyone to vote for me because there’s a ‘D’ by my name,” Talarico said in a Defender interview. “I want folks to vote for me because of my record fighting for working people and fighting for Black Texans.”

The trust gap

The strategy comes after a Democratic primary that exposed lingering divisions within the party.

Polling throughout the primary showed Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett with commanding support among Black voters. She carried the 10 Texas counties with the highest percentages of Black residents by an average of 24%, including Jefferson County, where she defeated Talarico by nearly 60 points.

For many Democrats, the race became about more than policy. It reopened long-standing

James Talarico says he is working around the clock to earn the Black vote. Courtesy: Talarico campaign

Join the conversation at DefenderNetwork.com

frustrations that the party establishment had once again rallied behind a young white candidate over a rising Black woman with statewide appeal.

Talarico does not shy away from those concerns.

“The Democratic Party has a troubling history of taking Black voters for granted,” he said. “We’ve seen the results of that in recent elections, where Black Texans, young Black Texans in particular, have started to move away from the Democratic Party.

“The fastest way to lose an election is to take people for granted. We cannot just assume Black voters are going to show up and vote for the Democrat if the Democrat doesn’t actively compete for their votes, earn their trust, earn their respect, and speak to their needs.”

I don’t want anyone to vote for me because there’s a ‘D’ by my name. I want folks to vote for me because of my record fighting for working people and fighting for Black Texans.”

JAMES TALARICO in a Defender interview

Whether those words resonate enough to unite the party remains one of the defining questions of the general election.

Following the primary, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, one of Houston’s most influential Black political leaders and an outspoken Crockett supporter, urged Democrats to move forward.

“That was then, this is now,” Ellis told supporters. “There’s too much at stake to be petty.”

Earning Black voters, not expecting them

Still, unity has not come automatically.

Although Crockett publicly endorsed the Democratic ticket after the primary, she has yet to campaign alongside Talarico. Through spokesperson Karrol Rimal, her campaign signaled that Democrats cannot rely on conventional outreach, noting that the party’s statewide ticket is dominated by Austin-based candidates who must prove they can connect with communities across Texas.

“They’ll have to do a lot of work outside of Central Texas and resonate with constituencies across our state,” the statement said.

Talarico insists that work is already underway.

“As the candidate at the top of the ticket, it’s on me to earn the trust and support of Black voters that have been taken for granted for far too long,” he said.

His campaign points to months of sustained outreach as evidence.

Since last fall, Talarico has visited Black churches, participated in community roundtables, attended leadership brunches, spoken with students at Prairie View A&M University, delivered the commencement address at Paul Quinn College, met with Juneteenth icon Dr. Opal Lee, and worked alongside local organizers in historically underserved communities, including Sand Branch in Dallas County.

Instead of concentrating campaign resources during election season, Talarico says those visits reflect a philosophy of showing up long before votes are cast.

Early polling suggests the strategy may be gaining traction. The Texas Politics Project found Talarico receiving approximately 67% support among Black voters early in the general election campaign, giving Democrats optimism while underscoring that significant work remains to increase enthusiasm and turnout.

Running on his record

Talarico argues that his appeal extends beyond campaign promises to his legislative record.

A former middle school English teacher on San Antonio’s West Side, he frequently points to the issues he has championed in the Texas House as evidence of his commitment

The road to November

James Talarico listens to a voter at his Houston town hall. Credit: Tannistha Sinha.

to communities of color.

Among those accomplishments is legislation capping insulin copays at $25 per prescription in Texas, a measure informed by his own experience living with Type 1 diabetes.

He also joined fellow Democrats in breaking quorum to oppose Republican-backed voting legislation and became one of the Legislature’s most outspoken critics of private school vouchers, arguing that voucher systems have historical ties to efforts to circumvent school integration following Brown v. Board

of Education.

Perhaps the issue he discusses most passionately is Javier Ambler’s Law. Ambler, an unarmed Black man, died during a Williamson County Sheriff ’s Office pursuit while deputies were being filmed for the television show Live PD. Talarico worked alongside Ambler’s family to pass legislation prohibiting law enforcement agencies from participating in reality television productions.

“When an unarmed Black man, Javier Ambler, was killed in my community, I worked

with his family, particularly his sister Kimberly, to pass Javier Ambler’s Law,” Talarico said. “Those reality TV policing programs increase the number of violent interactions between law enforcement and their constituents, particularly their Black constituents. We passed that bill, and that will save lives in the years and decades to come.”

Policy priorities for Black Texans

Looking toward Washington, Talarico says one of his highest priorities would be

Ultimately, however, Talarico acknowledges that policies and campaign infrastructure alone will not determine the outcome in November.

The greatest obstacle may be convincing voters who have simply stopped believing that politics can improve their lives.

Asked what he would say to someone who has become so disillusioned that they are considering staying home on Election Day, Talarico returned to the importance of participation.

“They wouldn’t be trying so hard to stop you from voting if your vote wasn’t powerful,” he said. “The only way to transform this broken, corrupt political system is for all of us to take that power back from the people at the top who stole it from us. We are extending an open hand to Texans and inviting them to join this movement. If we do that, I feel it in my bones that we can win this race and transform the politics of this state.”

Whether that message is enough to rebuild trust among skeptical Black voters may ultimately determine not only Talarico’s political future, but whether Texas Democrats can finally end a statewide drought that has lasted more than three decades.

8 | July 23, 2026 |

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DN Feature

Janice S. McNair 1936-2026

A Personal Tribute to

Janice McNair

By Sonny Messiah Jiles

There are those who come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

Janice McNair entered my life as the wife of Bob McNair, a businessman and friend of my husband Jodie. Over the years, I grew to know her – the gentle spirit, the kind word, and the commitment to helping others.

Although she moved in a quiet manner, her impact was magnified by the programs, projects, and people she invested in. The Defender did stories on her heartfelt investment in the Houston Texans YMCA in Third Ward, Pro-Vision Inc in Sunnyside, Sunnyside Solar Farm, KIPP Texas, Texas Southern University, and a host of other ventures. But one of the best-kept secrets I must share (one I put in our 95th Anniversary book, which I planned to give to her) is her investments in the Houston Defender.

When COVID hit the Defender, the

world stopped, as so many other businesses did. Advertisers were not placing or paying for advertising runs, our distribution locations shut down, and our business began operating on our reserves.

By Summertime, I decided to reach out to family and friends, and Janice McNair answered my call. There was no reason for her to stop and support the Defender.

The Texans had never advertised, but she heard my cry and answered. She understood the value of the Defender to the community, and as a businesswoman, she knew the challenges businesses face. I thanked her repeatedly, but words could never truly express the value of her support, which helped us survive COVID. I tell you this story so you will know that there was so much more to this lady of grace than many will never know. I thank GOD for Janice McNair in my life.

Go with GOD, my friend, as you graduate to be with the Lord.

CLASSIFIED BID NOTICE The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD will be accepting proposals for the following: Facilities Specialty Service Providers Electrical, Painting, Plumbing, Flooring, Door Hardware/Locksmith, Paving/Striping, Doors, Fence Installation/Repair, Restoration/Waterproofing, Roofing, HVAC, General Contractor, Environmental Services, and Event Equipment Rental Specifications may be secured from The Harris Center website www.theharriscenter.org beginning Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The Harris Center utilizes Bonfire for their solicitations https://theharriscenter. bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities . A non-mandatory vendor conference meeting will be held in person at 9401 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074 at 10:30 a.m., on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Thursday, August 6, 2026 . Proposals must be submitted by 10:00 a.m., Thursday, August 20, 2026. The Harris Center reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.

Notice of Class Action Settlement Authorized by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York

— Notice of Class Action Settlement —

Si desea leer este aviso en español, llámenos o visite nuestro sitio web.

TO: All merchants in the U.S. who accepted Visa or Mastercard credit or debit cards at any time since December 18, 2020.

This notice (“Notice”) is authorized by the Court to inform you about an agreement to settle the equitable relief claims in a class action lawsuit, called In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, No. 05-md-01720 (BMC)(JAM)(E.D.N.Y.). The lawsuit claims that Visa and Mastercard, separately, and together with certain banks, violated antitrust laws and caused merchants to pay excessive fees for accepting Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, including by adopting interchange rules and rates, and other network rules, which the lawsuit has claimed constituted unlawful price fixing, unreasonable restraints of trade, and monopolization.

The defendants say they did nothing wrong. They maintain that their business practices are legal, justified, and the result of independent competition, and have benefitted both merchants and consumers. The Court has not decided who is right because the parties agreed to a settlement, which was preliminarily approved by the Court on June 9, 2026.

A. What Merchants Will Get from the Settlement • The cost of an Independent Auditor who will ensure that Visa and Mastercard comply with the credit card During the lawsuit, the Court previously certified interchange-rate reduction commitments, and an Equitable Relief Class under Federal Rule of • Attorneys’ fees and expenses, including any Civil Procedure 23(b)(2) and has now preliminarily named Class Representative service awards, as approved a settlement of the Class claims (the approved by the Court.

“Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement” or “Settlement”).

Under the Settlement, Visa and Mastercard have agreed The money in this fund will be distributed only if the to substantive changes to the Visa and Mastercard rules Court grants final approval of the Settlement, and the applicable to merchants who accept their cards as a money for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service form of payment. awards to Class Representatives, will be distributed The Class includes all persons, businesses, and only if the Settlement has become final and all entities that accept any Visa-Branded Cards and/or appeals are exhausted, and the Court approves the Mastercard-Branded Cards in the United States at any application for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and Class time during the period between December 18, 2020 Representatives’ service awards. and the date of preliminary settlement approval, or Attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards June 9, 2026. The Court has set November 16, 2026 to the Class Representatives: For work done through as the date for a final approval and fairness hearing (the final approval of the Settlement by the Court, as well “Fairness Hearing”) in connection with the Settlement, as any work they will be required to do in the future, after members of the Class have had the opportunity to Class Counsel will ask the Court for attorneys’ fees and evaluate the Settlement and exercise their rights, as set reimbursement of reasonable and necessary litigation forth in the Notice. Further information regarding the expenses, and any service awards to the named Class Settlement and the Fairness Hearing will be posted on Representatives that the Court may award, in an www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com. amount not to exceed $206,000,000. The Settlement Under the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement, Mastercard Agreement requires Visa and Mastercard to pay these and Visa will modify certain rules to preserve, establish, fees and expenses separately from the other Settlement or expand the circumstances in which merchants can, financial obligations and they will not reduce any other among other things, do the following: benefits of the Settlement; members of the Class will • Decline acceptance of Visa- or Mastercard-Branded not be required to pay any amount toward these fees Commercial Credit Cards and/or Premium and expenses.

Consumer Credit Cards.

C. Legal Rights and Options • Surcharge customers a fee for the use of any Visa or Merchants who are included in this lawsuit have the Mastercard-Branded Credit Cards, including based on the type of card used (e.g., a different surcharge legal right to Object to the Settlement. The deadline to object is: September 14, 2026. To learn how to object, for rewards and non-rewards cards).

• Offer discounts to customers who do not pay with visit: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com or Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Cards, or call toll-free: 877-318-7713. based on the financial institution that issued the Note: You cannot elect to be excluded from the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement.

Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Card.

• Decline acceptance of Visa or Mastercard-Branded For more information about these rights and options, Cards at all outlets that operate under the same visit: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com or trade name or banner, even if that merchant call toll-free: 877-318-7713. accepts those same cards at outlets that operate D. If the Court Grants Final Approval of under a different trade name or banner. the Settlement • Engage in Pilot Programs whereby they accept Visa or Mastercard-Branded Credit Cards at some If the Court grants final approval to the Settlement, but not all outlets operating under the same trade members of the Rule 23(b)(2) Class will be bound by name or banner for a limited duration or test out the terms of the Settlement and will release all claims various acceptance, surcharging and discounting against all released parties listed in the Settlement options at some but not all outlets operating Agreement. The Settlement will resolve and release under the same trade name or banner, including any claims by payment card acceptors against Visa, not accepting Commercial or Premium Consumer Mastercard and other defendants that were or could Credit Cards, for a limited duration. have been alleged in the lawsuit, including any claims • Accept some digital wallets at brick-and-mortar based on interchange or other fees, no-surcharge rules, locations but decline others and enable some no-discounting rules, honor-all-cards rules, and any digital wallets for on-line transactions but not other network rules. The Settlement will also resolve enable others, and “steer” among the cards within any payment card acceptor claims based upon the a digital wallet under the same rules that govern future effect of any Visa or Mastercard rules as they steering among traditional cards. were or are in place on December 18, 2020 and up to • Receive the benefit of credit interchange rate the Settlement Final Date (as defined in the Settlement reductions: Visa and Mastercard will reduce Agreement), the modified rules provided for in the published and negotiated Credit Card interchange Settlement, or any other rules substantially similar to rates for U.S. merchants. those rules. The release will not bar claims involving • Receive the benefit of Credit Card interchange certain specified standard commercial disputes arising rate caps: The Settlement Agreement reduces in the ordinary course of business. and caps “Standard” Consumer Credit Card rates at a specified level and otherwise caps Credit For more information on the release, see the Superseding Card interchange rates, such that neither Visa andAmended Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement Agreement nor Mastercard will increase any of its published at: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com.

E. The Court Hearing About This Settlement Credit Card interchange rates above the rates effective as of March 31, 2025 and each will On November 16, 2026 at 11:00 am ET, the Court reduce its network-wide average Credit Card will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the interchange rate to or below the specified level. proposed Settlement, Class Counsel’s request for • Form Merchant Buying Groups that meet certain attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards for criteria to negotiate with Visa and Mastercard. the named Class Representatives. The hearing will take • Receive access to a Merchant Education Program, place at: established and administered under the Settlement United States District Court for the Agreement, to help understand and maximize Eastern District of New York the benefits of the rule changes, including how to U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan effectively “steer” in States that restrict surcharging.

225 Cadman Plaza East B. Monetary Aspects of the Rule 23(b)(2) Brooklyn, NY 11201 Class Settlement You do not have to attend the Court hearing or hire There is no monetary payment to members of the Class an attorney, though you may do either at your own in this Settlement. This Rule 23(b)(2) Class Settlement expense. The Court appointed the law firms of Hilliard concerns only the Equitable Relief Claims set forth Shadowen LLP; Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.; Freed in the lawsuit. Claims for monetary damages arising Kanner London & Millen LLC; and Nussbaum Law out of the defendants’ alleged antitrust violations Group, P.C. to represent the Class (“Class Counsel”). are the subject of a separate settlement for the F. Questions?

Rule 23(b)(3) Class. For information concerning the separate Rule 23(b)(3) Cash Settlement Class, please For more information about this case (In re Payment visit the website: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com.

Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount The Settlement does provide for Visa and Mastercard Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1720), you may: to make certain payments into the Rule 23(b)(2) Class Call toll-free: 877-318-7713 Settlement Escrow Account, which money will be used Visit: www.InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com to pay: Write to the Class Administrator: Interchange B2 Class Administrator, P.O. Box 6340, Portland, OR • The cost of settlement administration and notice, 97228-6340 as approved by the Court, or Email the Class Administrator: • The cost of Merchant Education Program expenses, as approved by the Court, info@InterchangeEquitableReliefSettlement.com

July 23, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

| 9

DN Profile

WATCH VIDEO

Keyatta Crews Creates Tubi success with family empire

By Laura Onyeneho

Keyatta Crews had no Hollywood connections and launched her first TV series with no budget to speak of.

Today, Season 1 of her drama “Bordersville” has surpassed 60 million views on Tubi, making her the first Black woman in Houston to create an original streaming series on the platform. She did that in Houston, without a network deal, and with her husband and children by her side.

That story of grit, ownership, and building something from nothing is exactly the kind Crews has always been drawn to tell.

“Acting is my first love,” Crews said during a recent interview with the Defender Network. “That’s what I wanted to do since I was a kid. I was infatuated with television, infatuated with movies. But looking around, I had no clue how I would get there. I didn’t know anybody who looked like me, anybody that had anything to do with movies.”

Crews grew up in Houston and pursued her passion through formal training, earning a major in business and a minor in theater.

By 2015, she was hitting auditions across the city and had briefly secured representation through a talent agent. But opportunities in Houston’s developing film scene were scarce, and the ones that did exist rarely paid.

In 2018 or 2019, she made a move that many aspiring Houston filmmakers before her had considered: She drove to Atlanta, convinced that Tyler Perry would discover her. She was not prepared for what she found.

“I was going to move. I was going to work for Tyler Perry. Baby, I was destined,” she said, laughing at the memory. “Got to Atlanta. Couldn’t find [anywhere] to live, couldn’t find [anything]. I called my

like teaching myself.

And that’s when I wrote my book.”

That book, “Tubi or Not Tubi: FilmLook what I did in 10 days. Just making on a Dime imagine what we could do if we in 10 Days,” cappull our resources together. The tures the philosofilm community needs to get it phy she developed out of necessity. It together. Because we would starts with what you be so much further ahead have, protect what if we stopped playing you build, and get and worked together.” it done.

She launched KEYATTA CREWS “Bordersville” in 2020 on YouTube in short episodes released every Saturday. Initially slow to gain traction, the storytelling eventually resonated, leading to interest from Tubi, the ad-supported streaming service owned

by Fox Entertainment.

Crews combined her short installments into five full-length episodes for Season 1.

It took years, but the series eventually blew Keyatta Crews, the first Black woman in Houston to create an original up. She now has three seasons streaming and streaming TV series on Tubi, has accumulated more than 60 million views a fourth she funded entirely on her own, for Season 1 of “Bordersville. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender. investing $50,000 out of pocket. husband boohooing and crying.”

“They were like, ‘You wrote this? Like, The road was not without its challenges.

Her husband gave her some advice this is good,” Crews said. “But I’m like, what After Season 1 found its footing, Crews that would redirect the entire course of am I going to do with it? I don’t have any secured a $35,000 production deal for her career. He told her to come home and money. I don’t know the first thing about a Season 2, completing it in 10 days with six become her own Tyler Perry. production.” episodes. When a dispute with the investor “I was like, what? How am I going to do She figured it out. Crews reached out threatened to bury the season permanently, that?” she recalled. to trusted contacts, borrowed resources, she made a move that has since become the and, in the process, discovcornerstone of her business From Atlanta to Houston ered an ability she had not philosophy.

She did it anyway. Back in Houston, fully claimed before, and then “He sent me an email saying, Crews sat down and wrote the first episodes directed. She realized that if ‘ Give me $30,000 in 10 days,’” of what would become “Bordersville,” a raw, she had the vision for these she said. “I reached out to my community-grounded drama inspired by characters, she was also best distributors. Two days later, I real experiences, teenage pregnancy, domes- equipped to translate them. told him, `Meet me at Navy tic hardship, family dysfunction, and the “I didn’t realize that I was Federal.’ I gave him a $30,000 Keyatta’s secrets that fester inside households that really good at training people cashier’s check. Sign this lessons on look normal from the outside. When she with acting. I was really good contract, and give me everyownership shared the pages with family and friends, at molding people,” she said. thing you have of my footage. the reaction floored her.

“Going in headfirst, honestly, We’re done.”

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10 | July 23, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Sports

Darrell Green Football doesn’t begin to tell the full story

By Terrance Harris

Darrell Green is known for so much.

The Houston native is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, arguably the fastest man to ever wear a football uniform, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Washington Redskins, and the player who played the most games during an NFL career that spanned 20 years.

But let Green tell it, none of that comes close to defining the man he is. His true measure lies in being a man of God, a husband, a father of four, a grandfather of 17, and a man committed to charitable work and giving back.

“These are the spoils of my career, but these don’t tell the whole story about Darrell Green,” he said recently while in town for Texas Southern’s football camp. “This is just some stuff that I got from working at this company called the Redskins that I played cornerback. But they don’t tell my whole story.

“This ain’t nothing. My kids, my wife, my friends, they are what make me something.

When you get that revelation, that is the biggest victory of my life.”

Truth be told, everything about Green’s life is a victory. Raised in the Cuney Homes Projects, across the street from TSU in Third Ward, were it not for some decisions Green made back when he was in seventh grade, he might not have ascended to the heights he has.

There is no other way to describe Green’s path than to say it was simply a blessing.

How else do you explain how a young man, knowing he had speed at an early age, decided in middle school that in 10th grade, he would go out for track, and then in 11th grade, he would give football a shot?

Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback and Houston native Darrell Green shows off all of the rings he has acquired from playing football during a speaking engagement on Texas Southern’s campus. Credit: TSU.

Wrap your mind around that.

But even more miraculous is that he did what he planned from way back in seventh grade – almost. He did go out for track at Jones High School in 10th grade, and then added football in 11th grade. The only hitch was that since he had never played organized football in a state where little boys are born with a football in their hands, Green was relegated to junior varsity.

He didn’t get his shot at varsity until

Darrell Green (right) was hosted by his friend and former teammate and Texas Southern head coach Cris Dishman (left), along with interim athletic director Dr. Paula Jackson in the middle. Credit: Terrance Harris.

senior year, where his athletic gifts were obvious from the get-go. But Green was small and inexperienced, so playing football in college wasn’t necessarily a given.

“I had one year to make varsity,” Green said. “I wasn’t going to go to college or the NFL. I just wanted to play.”

Green jokes that he grew up right across the street from TSU, and the Tigers never looked his way. Nobody did. He ended up as a walk-on at NAIA Texas A&I (now known as Texas A&M-Kingsville), where he was a standout, but even that program never offered Green a scholarship.

Still, this man was impressive enough to be drafted with the final pick in the first round (28th overall) in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins.

In today’s college football world, it’s likely Green and his enormous talent and speed would have kept elevating to bigger programs and garnered NIL and revenue-sharing riches. But none of that existed during his time. All he had was the $20 his mother sent him to school with, and his coach had to confiscate it in order to prevent him from buying a one-way bus ticket back to Houston.

What happened once Green reached the NFL, of course, was more mind-boggling

than his journey to get there.

• Played 20 seasons for only one franchise.

• Played in 295 games.

• Finished his career as arguably the best cornerback to do it.

• Ran a 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash on the record, but rumors persist of a 4.06 time in 1986 at the Redskins training camp.

• A 10-time All-Pro. • Made the 100th Anniversary All-Decade Team.

• The Commanders (formerly the Redskins) retired his No. 28 jersey.

Those are just some of the highlights of an enduring career that lasted well into his 40s when he was still locking down receivers half his age.

But for Green, this was all about God’s plan.

“There ain’t no Darrell Green without my faith,” said Green, now 66. “I’m not going to stay faithful to this girl if I ain’t right. Ain’t no way. Not from where I came from, the way I used to be. No way.

“My faith is everything. My kids, and everything they’ve got; it ain’t got nothing to do with football. It’s because I became a born-again Christian. That’s their victory, that’s my victory because I knew God.”

July 23, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

| 11

DN Sports

Summer recruiting College camps offer training, visibility

By Jimmie Aggison

More than 50 offensive and defensive linemen took part in two summer football camp sessions at Texas Southern University’s Durley Field Complex, each hoping to catch the attention of head coach Cris Dishman and his staff.

But for many athletes, the camp was simply another stop in a summer of travel, evaluations, and competition as they chase the same goal: A college football scholarship.

The Dishman Camp, named after Texas Southern head football coach, featured two days of coaching and evaluation. Each day was split into two sessions, with a morning session for offensive and defensive linemen and an afternoon session for skill players.

Today’s high school football players can’t rely strictly on game film. Many spend their summers traveling from camp to camp to gain exposure and put themselves in front of college coaches.

“Camps are an important part of the recruiting process today because coaches around the country get a lot of film, but attending camps allows coaches to evaluate you in person,” said Dishman. “I think all high school kids, whether you’re interested in the school or not, should get out there and attend camps so coaches can see how tall you are, how much you weigh, how fast you are, your shuttle time, and see you in person.”

Beyond evaluating a player’s size, speed, and athletic ability, Dishman said in-person camps allow coaches to assess the intangibles that often set recruits apart.

“We can learn a lot from seeing a prospect at a camp,” said Dishman. “You can learn how their attitude is and whether they are a leader. Film has a tendency to hide things from you because you can’t see or hear a player motivating their team.”

For several players, Texas Southern offered another opportunity in a summer that has become anything but a break.

Leo Barbour, an upcoming 6-foot-3, 235pound junior defensive end from Jersey Village High School, attended the camp after participating in camps at SMU, Texas, Baylor, TCU, HCU, Texas A&M, Sam Houston, Texas Tech, UTSA, and Texas State.

“I’ve attended 13 camps this summer,” said Barbour. “Consistent attendance is important because each camp is another opportunity to compete, improve, and get in front of coaches. I’ve learned that recruiting is all about relationships, consistency, and hard work. Coaches pay far more attention to those qualities than to athletic ability alone.”

David Okunoye, an upcoming 6-foot3, 290-pound senior offensive guard from

Texas Southern University head football coach Cris Dishman (right) talks with Willowridge High School senior offensive lineman La’Darrion Diggles (left) during the Dishman football camp. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender.

Camps are an important part of the recruiting process today because coaches around the country get a lot of film, but attending camps allows coaches to evaluate you in person.”

CRIS DISHMAN

George Bush High School, also participated after attending camps at the University of Houston, Midwestern State University, and Howard Payne University, where he received a scholarship offer.

“Although I received an offer from Howard Payne University, I continue attending camps to showcase my abilities as an athlete for coaches to see and want,” said Okunoye.

“This summer has changed my approach to recruiting, making me more intentional.

Every time I come up, my foot is all on the gas.”

Jerrell Hinnant, an upcoming 6-foot-3, 280-pound senior offensive lineman from Eisenhower High School, also attended after participating in camps at HCU, North Texas, and Stephen F. Austin.

“Every camp opportunity is important to me this year because I know I haven’t been recruited or recognized for what I can do,” said Hinnant. “Every time I touch the turf, whether coaches are watching or not, I know to give it 100% because my college isn’t guaranteed! When college coaches evaluate me, I hope they see my twitch and quickness out of my stance. I hope they see my base staying wide and my feet moving nonstop while blocking.”

The camp also drew athletes from across Texas and beyond, including Travarous Scott, a senior defensive lineman from Broadmoor High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He attended the Gridiron Football Elite Camp at Louisiana Christian University, and Kaden Wiltz, a junior tight end/ defensive end from Westbrook High School in Beaumont, attended camps at Stephen F. Austin and Lamar.

While exposure is the primary goal, camps also offer valuable instruction that can benefit athletes long after the final drill ends.

“Beyond size and athleticism, the athletes who leave the biggest impression are

the ones who always want to be first in line,” said Dishman. “The ones who motivate the other athletes, ‘Hey, let’s keep it moving. Let’s keep going.’ That leaves a bigger impression on me. That tells me he’s a leader.”

For athletes pursuing a scholarship, Dishman advises them to invest time in maintaining relationships.

“Keep in contact with the position coaches because they can get you on the board,” said Dishman. “Tweet him, follow him, and send him messages. The position coaches bring players to the head coach, and then we sit and watch as a staff. We watch everyone, from offense to defense to special teams, not as individuals but as a staff.”

Coachability, effort, competitiveness, attitude, and attention to detail are the qualities coaches value most, and players hope to carry these lessons as they prepare for the upcoming high school season.

Although the whistles eventually fell silent and the camp came to an end, the recruiting journey continues. For players like David Okunoye, Jerrell Hinnant, and Leo Barbour, each camp is another chance to improve, be noticed, and move one step closer to playing college football.

“I hope my hard work has established relationships with coaches and set me up to be evaluated properly for my senior year’s highlights that I drop,” said Hinnant.

12 | July 23, 2026 |

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