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A Look at the 2024 Olympic Schedule and the Black Athletes Competing in Paris

THE AFRO — Take a look at some of the events and athletes you should keep an eye out for as the 19-day event unfolds.
The post A Look at the 2024 Olympic Schedule and the Black Athletes Competing in Paris first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 year ago

July 29, 2024

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By Special to the Afro | The Afro American Newspaper

The 2024 Paris Olympics are under way and there are multiple athletes across the 32 sports being contested at the Olympic Games that should be on your radar. Take a look at some of the events and athletes you should keep an eye out for as the 19-day event unfolds.

Track and Field – Women

Sha’Carri Richardson

Richardson is in search of redemption as she qualifies for the first Olympics of her young, accomplished career. The 2023 World Champion was ruled ineligible to compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to a positive drug test after winning the 2020 U.S. Olympic trials. She admitted to smoking marijauna to help deal with the death of her mother.

Now, after repeating as the U.S. Olympic trials 100-meter dash champion, Richardson will look to claim the gold medal in Paris; something she didn’t even have a chance to do in 2021. As Richardson loves to say, “I’m not back– I’m better.”

Richardson and her two training partners, Melissa Jefferson and TeeTee Terry, made history by becoming the first female training group to sweep an event at an Olympic trial meet. The women were coached by Dennis Mitchell, who will be looking to get the same result in Paris. The only coach to successfully lead his camp in sweeping both the national trials and the Olympics was Jamaican coach Glen Mills. Headlined by track and field legend Usain Bolt, Mills led his camp in sweeping the 200-meter dash at both the Jamaican trials as well as the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The 100-meter dash event begins Aug. 2 at 4:35 a.m. EST, with the event final taking place on Aug. 3 at 3:20 p.m. EST.

The 200-meter dash event begins on Aug. 4 at 4:55 a.m. EST, with the event final taking place on Aug. 6 at 3:40 p.m. EST.

Gabby Thomas

Thomas will look to use her Olympic experience to her advantage as she prepares for the trip to Paris. The 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games bronze medalist and 2023 World Championship silver medalist in the 200-meter dash will be looking to continue her strong 2024 outdoor campaign after dropping a world-leading time of 21.78 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Veteran Jamaican sprinter and five-time Olympic medalist Shericka Jackson will challenge Thomas for the gold as she attempts the double (winning both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash). Thomas’ teammate McKenzie Long will also be vying for a spot on the podium. The budding star has captured the hearts of America after the death of her mother. Long was able to channel her grief into motivation, winning the double at the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Outdoor National Championships. She currently has the second fastest 200-meter time in the world right now at 21.83 seconds, according to World Athletics.

The 400-meter hurdles event begins on Aug. 4 at 6:35 a.m. EST, with the event final taking place on Aug. 8 at 3:25 p.m. EST.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

McLaughlin-Levrone looks to continue to be in a class of her own as she prepares for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. McLaughlin-Levrone is already the world record holder in the 400-meter hurdles, lowering the world record she already held to 50.65 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials. The New Jersey native is already in contention for the best track and field athlete of all time, as she is an Olympic champion and a World champion in the 400 meter hurdles before the age of 25. She also currently has the fastest 400-meter dash time and sixth fastest 200-meter dash time in the world right now, but opted to focus solely on the 400-meter hurdles in Paris.

Vying for a podium finish is Anna Cockrell, who will be competing in her second Olympic Games. She finished seventh in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic 400-meter hurdle final, but was eventually disqualified due to a lane error. McLaughlin-Levrone’s stiffest competition will come from Dutch superstar Femke Bol. Bol is the world record holder in both the indoor 400-meter dash and the 300 meter hurdles.

The long jump event begins on Aug. 6 at 5:15 a.m. EST, with the event final taking place on Aug. 8 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

Tara Davis-Woodhall

2024 World Indoor champion Davis-Woodhall, 25, looks to claim her first Olympic gold medal in Paris. Davis-Woodhall currently has the second furthest long jump distance in the world at 7.18 meters. Davis-Woodhall’s husband, Hunter Woodhall, will also be competing in 2024 at the Paralympic Games.

Former Florida Gator star Jasmine Moore, 23, made her second consecutive U.S. Olympic team and currently has the third furthest distance in the long jump at 6.98 meters (22 ft., 10.8 in.).

The 100-meter hurdle event begins Aug. 7 at 4:15 a.m. EST, with the event final taking place on Aug. 10 at 1:45 p.m. EST.

Masai Russell

Russell, a Maryland native, currently holds the fastest 100-meter hurdles time in the world at 12.25 seconds. The world-leading time was a breakthrough performance for the 24-year-old. Russell dropped the blazing time in the 100-meter hurdle final at the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials, taking home the gold.

The women’s short hurdles are one of the most competitive events in the world right now. Russell will be looking to continue her winning ways against world record holder and 2022 World Champion Tobi Amusan out of Nigeria and the reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn who was born in the United States but competes for Puerto Rico.

Track and Field – Men

Noah Lyles

Lyles will be seeking to do something that only nine other men to grace this planet Earth have ever done – win both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash at the Olympics. The historic Olympic “sprint double” has only been achieved four times since 1984, and three of those were courtesy of one of the greatest sprinters of all time, Usian Bolt. Lyles, the reigning 200-meter World champion, is the favorite in the 200 but the 100-meter dash is very much up for grabs.

Challenging Lyles for gold in the 100-meter dash is Kishane Thompson of Jamaica, reigning Olympic 100-meter champion Lamont Marcel Jacobs and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala.

The 100-meter dash event begins Aug. 3 at 4:35 a.m. EST, with the event final taking place on Aug. 4 at 3:50 p.m. EST.

The 110-meter hurdle event begins on Aug. 4 at 5:50 a.m. EST, with the event final taking place on Aug. 8 at 3:45 p.m. EST.

Grant Holloway

Five-time world champion and currently the second fastest man to ever run the short hurdles, Holloway will look to avenge his upset defeat at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Reigning Olympic champion Hansle Parchment will be in the hunt to reclaim his title, while USA’s Daniel Robert will attempt to step out of Holloway’s shadow and have his breakthrough moment in Paris.

The javelin event begins on Aug. 6 at 4:20 a.m. EST, with the event final on Aug. 8 at 2:25 p.m. EST.

Curtis Thompson

Thompson, now a two-time Olympian, will be looking to add an Olympic medal to his résumé. He is already an NCAA champion, a three-time American champion, and won the Pan American Games in 2023. He was the only javelin thrower from the United States to qualify for the Olympics.

India’s Neeraj Chopra will be looking to reclaim his title as Olympic champion in the men’s javelin. Chopra was the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in the javelin.

The shot put event starts on Aug. 2 at 2:10 p.m. EST, and the final takes place on Aug. 3 at 1:35 p.m. EST.

Ryan Crouser

Already regarded as the greatest shot putter of all time, Crouser will be looking to add yet another Olympic gold medal to his illustrious career. The three-time World champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist already holds both the world and Olympic records.

Crouser’s stiffest competition will be fellow American Joe Kovacs. Kovacs defeated Crouser at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, but finished second to Crouser at both the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

The mixed 4×400 meter relay event begins on Aug. 2 at 1:10 p.m. EST.

The men’s 4×400 meter relay event begins on Aug. 9 at 5:05 a.m. EST.

The event finals take place on Aug. 3 at 2:44 p.m. EST and Aug. 10 at 3:12 p.m. EST, respectively.

Quincy Wilson

Wilson will look to continue his historic season as the rising junior was named to the relay pool for Team USA. The 16-year-old phenom will have the opportunity to run for either or both the mixed 4×400 meter relay and the men’s 4×400 meter relay. That decision will not be made until the day of the event.

Men’s Olympic basketball games begin on July 27 at 5 a.m. EST.

The bronze medal and gold medal games begin on Aug. 10 at 5 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. EST, respectively.

Men’s Basketball – Team USA

The 2024 roster for Team USA Basketball appears to be one of the most talented teams in Olympic history, being challenged only by the 1992 Dream Team and the 2008 Redeem Team. Highlighted by LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards, this team will look to prove to Noah Lyles and others that they are truly the best team in the world. Big additions to Team USA include Stephen Curry, who is surprisingly playing for Team USA for the first time ever, and 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid. James was awarded the honor of being Team USA’s flag bearer, making him the first male American basketball player with that distinction in Olympic history. Women’s National Basketball Association superstars Dawn Staley (currently head coach of the South Carolina Lady Gamecocks) and Sue Bird have previously been flag bearers for Team USA.

The group has a tough challenge ahead of them, however, as many believe that the basketball talent around the world is beginning to catch up with the Americans. Team USA’s biggest challenger will likely be Canada, sporting a roster that includes First Team All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillion Brooks. This is also believed to be the last Olympics for both James and Durant.

*Derrick White has replaced Kawhi Leonard.

Men’s 3×3 Basketball – Team USA

3×3 basketball officially became an Olympic sport in 2017 and was contested for the first time at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Latvia took home the gold at the last Olympics, but Team USA will be looking for better fortune this time around.

The 3×3 roster is led by former NBA sharpshooter Jimmer Fredette and 3×3 veteran Kareem Maddox. Maddox, a Princeton grad, won Ivy League defensive player of the year honors back in 2011 and was a part of the 2019 FIBA 3×3 World Cup team that won gold in Amsterdam. He also holds two gold medals from the Pan American Games from both 2019 and 2023.

Men’s Olympic 3×3 basketball games begin on July 30 at 12:35 p.m. EST

The gold medal and bronze medal game will take place on Aug. 5 at 4:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. EST, respectively.

Women’s Gymnastics

The USAs Women’s Gymnastics team is set to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics where you will be able to watch the top US gymnasts like Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera. Biles is definitely someone to keep an eye on this summer as she has taken home over 30 Olympic and World medals. She is sure to make history as she makes her way to Paris.

The women’s gymnastics event begins on July 28 at 3:30 a.m. EST. The event final will take place on Aug. 6 at 6:38 a.m. EST.

Jessica Stevens

Olympic athlete Jessica Stevens was born July 5, 2000 in Ellicott City, Md. She is in the 2024 Olympics for synchronized trampoline gymnastics and has her eyes on the gold this year. Stevens has a total of four world championship medals and earned a gold medal in 2023 for synchronized gymnastics during the Pan American Games.

Women’s Basketball

Team USA’s Women’s Basketball team is making history right now. The team has earned seven Olympic medals back to back. Their first match up will begin July 29. In Paris, they are set to play a number of teams that are in their equal group (group C) including Germany, Japan, and Belgium. To win gold, the Americans must advance from a team of 4 groups where they will then have to take home 3 consecutive wins in the knockout round. There is a multitude of talent on this year’s roster including A’ja Wilson, Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, Kelsey Plum, Alyssa Thomas and more.

Games begin on July 29 at 7:30 a.m. EST, with the gold medal and bronze medal games taking place on Aug. 11 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. EST, respectively.

Women’s Soccer

Team USA’s Women’s Soccer team is headed to Paris with a roster filled up with 18 talented women. The team is now led by new head coach Emma Hayes, and she is ready and eager to fight for this year’s gold medal. The women’s team had a heartbreaking loss as the team had to exit the World Cup in 2023 unexpectedly. The opening ceremony took place on Friday, July 26, but the team had their first match on July 25 against Zambia. They will play against Germany on July 28 and face off against Australia on July 31. The quarter-finals will begin Aug. 3.

Games begin on July 25 at 11 a.m. EST, with the bronze medal match taking place on Aug. 9 at 9 a.m. EST and the gold medal match on Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. EST.

Tennis

Team USA’s Olympic tennis team’s first tournament is set to begin July 27 to Aug. 4 in the Roland Garros on the red clay courts. This will be the first time Olympic tennis will be playing on the clay courts since 1992. Tennis was one of the nine original Olympic sports at the very first games in Athens in 1896. The team consists of gold medalists Coco Guaff, Jessica Pegula, Dannielle Collins, and Emma Navarro in singles. Desirae Krawczyk will be participating in the doubles round.

The games begin on July 27 at 6 a.m. EST, with the women’s singles gold medal match taking place on Aug. 3 at 6 a.m. EST. The women’s double gold medal match and single bronze medal match will take place on Aug. 4 at 6 a.m. EST.

Five other Olympic athletes to keep an eye on:

Jahmal Harvey – Boxing

Jahmal Harvey, 21, was born November 19, 2002, in Oxon Hill, Md. Harvey is an Olympic boxer who is looking to bring the gold in Paris, back home. This is Harvey’s first time as an Olympic athlete, but he has some experience with participating in the Pan American Games back in 2023, in which he won gold. Harvey will be entering the 125-pound weight class in the Paris 2024 Olympics and is currently ranked No. 2 in the amateur featherweight category.

Tatiana Nazlymov – Fencing

Tatiana Nazlymoz, 19, was born Sept. 2, 2004 in Montgomery County, Md. She currently attends Princeton University as a sophomore. Nazlymoz competes in the Paris 2024 Olympic games for fencing and acclaims her fencing career to her father and grandfather, who were fencers as well. Nazlymov has some world championship experience as she competed with the women’s saber team in the Pan-American senior championships and won gold, but this will be her first time on an Olympic team.

Aaron Russel – Volleyball

Aaron Russel is a two-time Olympic athlete born in Baltimore. The 6’9” volleyball player who played at Pennsylvania State University is now going for the gold in the Paris 2024 Olympic games. Russel is pursuing to level up his bronze medal from the Rio 2016 Olympics to gold. Russel also plays club volleyball here in Maryland under former gold medalist Aldis Berzins.

Taylor Knibb – Triathlon

Taylor Knibb, a Washington, DC native, is competing in the Paris 2024 triathlon. Knibbs competed in the 2020 Olympics, where she won silver in the mixed relay, and is now making her way to Paris for gold.

Carl Nickolas Jr. – Taekwondo

Carl (CJ) Nickolas Jr. is a 23-year-old American taekwondo practitioner hailing from Oakland, Calif. Nickolas is a three-time Pan American Games gold medallist and won a silver medal at the World Championships in 2023. Nickolas is currently ranked as the second-best fighter in his weight category of 80 kilograms (176 pounds).

The post A Look at the 2024 Olympic Schedule and the Black Athletes Competing in Paris first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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A Nation in Freefall While the Powerful Feast: Trump Calls Affordability a ‘Con Job’

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — There are seasons in this country when the struggle of ordinary Americans is not merely a condition but a kind of weather that settles over everything.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 3, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

There are seasons in this country when the struggle of ordinary Americans is not merely a condition but a kind of weather that settles over everything. It enters the grocery aisle, the overdue bill, the rent notice, and the long nights spent calculating how to get through the next week. The latest numbers show that this season has not passed. It has deepened.

Private employers cut 32,000 jobs in November, according to ADP. Because the nation has been hemorrhaging jobs since President Trump took office, the administration has halted publishing the traditional monthly report. The ADP report revealed that small businesses suffered the heaviest losses. Establishments with fewer than 50 workers shed 120,000 positions, including 74,000 from companies with 20 to 49 workers. Larger firms added 90,000 jobs, widening the split between those rising and those falling.

Meanwhile, wealth continues to climb for the few who already possess most of it. Federal Reserve data shows the top 1 percent now holds $52 trillion. The top 10 percent added $5 trillion in the second quarter alone. The bottom half gained only 6 percent over the past year, a number so small it fades beside the towering fortunes above it.

“Less educated and poorer people tend to make worse mistakes,” John Campbell said to CBS News, while noting that the complexity of the system leaves many families lost before they even begin. Campbell, a Harvard University economist and coauthor of a book examining the country’s broken personal finance structure, pointed to a system built to confuse and punish those who lack time, training, or access.

“Creditors are just breathing down their necks,” Carol Fox told Bloomberg News, while noting that rising borrowing costs, shrinking consumer spending, and trade battles under the current administration have left owners desperate. Fox serves as a court-appointed Subchapter V trustee in Southern Florida and has watched the crisis unfold case by case.

During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump told those present that affordability “doesn’t mean anything to anybody.” He added that Democrats created a “con job” to mislead the public.

However, more than $30 million in taxpayer funds reportedly have supported his golf travel. Reports show Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel have also made extensive use of private jets through government and political networks. The administration approved a $40 billion bailout of Argentina. The president’s wealthy donors recently gathered for a dinner celebrating his planned $300 million White House ballroom.

During an appearance on CNBC, Mark Zandi, an economist, warned that the country could face serious economic threats. “We have learned that people make many mistakes,” Campbell added. “And particularly, sadly, less educated and poorer people tend to make worse mistakes.”

Stacy M. Brown

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The Numbers Behind the Myth of the Hundred Million Dollar Contract

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Odell Beckham Jr. did not spark controversy on purpose. He sat on The Pivot Podcast and tried to explain the math behind a deal that looks limitless from the outside but shrinks fast once the system takes its cut.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 3, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Odell Beckham Jr. did not spark controversy on purpose. He sat on The Pivot Podcast and tried to explain the math behind a deal that looks limitless from the outside but shrinks fast once the system takes its cut. He looked into the camera and tried to offer a truth most fans never hear. “You give somebody a five-year $100 million contract, right? What is it really? It is five years for sixty. You are getting taxed. Do the math. That is twelve million a year that you have to spend, use, save, invest, flaunt,” said Beckham. He added that buying a car, buying his mother a house, and covering the costs of life all chip away at what people assume lasts forever.

The reaction was instant. Many heard entitlement. Many heard a millionaire complaining. What they missed was a glimpse into a professional world built on big numbers up front and a quiet erasing of those numbers behind the scenes.

The tax data in Beckham’s world is not speculation. SmartAsset’s research shows that top NFL players often lose close to half their income to federal taxes, state taxes, and local taxes. The analysis explains that athletes in California face a state rate of 13.3 percent and that players are also taxed in every state where they play road games, a structure widely known as the jock tax. For many players, that means filing up to ten separate returns and facing a combined tax burden that reaches or exceeds 50 percent.

A look across the league paints the same picture. The research lists star players in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland, all giving up between 43 and 47 percent of their football income before they ever touch a dollar. Star quarterback Phillip Rivers, at one point, was projected to lose half of his playing income to taxes alone.

A second financial breakdown from MGO CPA shows that the problem does not only affect the highest earners. A $1 million salary falls to about $529,000 after federal taxes, state and city taxes, an agent fee, and a contract deduction. According to that analysis, professional athletes typically take home around half of their contract value, and that is before rent, meals, training, travel, and support obligations are counted.

The structure of professional sports contracts adds another layer. A study of major deals across MLB, the NBA, and the NFL notes that long-term agreements lose value over time because the dollar today has more power than the dollar paid in the future. Even the largest deals shrink once adjusted for time. The study explains that contract size alone does not guarantee financial success and that structure and timing play a crucial role in a player’s long-term outcomes.

Beckham has also faced headlines claiming he is “on the brink of bankruptcy despite earning over one hundred million” in his career. Those reports repeated his statement that “after taxes, it is only sixty million” and captured the disbelief from fans who could not understand how money at that level could ever tighten.

Other reactions lacked nuance. One article wrote that no one could relate to any struggle on eight million dollars a year. Another described his approach as “the definition of a new-money move” and argued that it signaled poor financial choices and inflated spending.

But the underlying truth reaches far beyond Beckham. Professional athletes enter sudden wealth without preparation. They carry the weight of family support. They navigate teams, agents, advisors, and expectations from every direction. Their earning window is brief. Their career can end in a moment. Their income is fragmented, taxed, and carved up before the public ever sees the real number.

The math is unflinching. Twenty million dollars becomes something closer to $8 million after federal taxes, state taxes, jock taxes, agent fees, training costs, and family responsibilities. Over five years, that is about $40 million of real, spendable income. It is transformative money, but not infinite. Not guaranteed. Not protected.

Beckham offered a question at the heart of this entire debate. “Can you make that last forever?”

Stacy M. Brown

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FBI Report Warns of Fear, Paralysis, And Political Turmoil Under Director Kash Patel

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Six months into Kash Patel’s tenure as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a newly compiled internal report from a national alliance of retired and active-duty FBI agents and analysts delivers a stark warning about what the Bureau has become under his leadership.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 2, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown

Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Six months into Kash Patel’s tenure as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a newly compiled internal report from a national alliance of retired and active-duty FBI agents and analysts delivers a stark warning about what the Bureau has become under his leadership. The 115-page document, submitted to Congress this month, is built entirely on verified reporting from inside field offices across the country and paints a picture of an agency gripped by fear, divided by ideology, and drifting without direction.

The report’s authors write that they launched their inquiry after receiving troubling accounts from inside the Bureau only four months into Patel’s tenure. They describe their goal as a pulse check on whether the ninth FBI director was reforming the Bureau or destabilizing it. Their conclusion: the preliminary findings were discouraging.

Reports Describe Widespread Internal Distrust and Open Hostility Toward President Trump

Sources across the country told investigators that a large number of FBI employees openly express hostility toward President Donald Trump. One source reported seeing an “increasing number of FBI Special Agents who dislike the President,” adding that these employees were exhibiting what they called “TDS” and had lost “their ability to think critically about an issue and distinguish fact from fiction.” Another source described employees making off-color comments about the administration during office conversations.

The sentiment reportedly extends beyond domestic lines. Law enforcement and intelligence partners in allied countries have privately expressed fear that the Trump administration could damage long-term international cooperation according to a sub-source who reported those concerns directly to investigators.

Pardon Backlash and Fear of Retaliation

The President’s January 20 pardons of individuals convicted for their roles in the January 6 attack ignited what the report calls demoralization inside the Bureau. One FBI employee said they were “demoralized” that individuals “rightfully convicted” were pardoned and feared that some of those individuals or their supporters might target them or their family for carrying out their duties. Another source described widespread anger that lists of personnel who worked on January 6 investigations had been provided to the Justice Department for review, noting that agents “were just following orders” and now worry those lists could leak publicly.

Morale In Decline

Morale among FBI employees appears to be sinking fast. There were a few scattered positive notes, but the weight of the reporting describes morale as low, bad, or terrible. Agents with more than a decade of service told investigators they feel marginalized or ignored. Some are counting the days until they can retire. One even uses a countdown app on their phone.

Culture Of Fear

Layered over that unhappiness is something far more corrosive. A culture of fear. Sources say Patel, though personable, created mistrust from the start because of harsh remarks he made about the FBI before taking office. Agents took those comments personally. They now work in an atmosphere where employees keep their heads down and speak carefully. Managers wait for directions because they are afraid a wrong move could cost them their jobs. One source said agents dread coming to work because nobody knows who will be reassigned or fired next.

Leadership Concerns

The report also paints a picture of leaders unprepared for the jobs they hold. Multiple sources said Patel is in over his head and lacks the breadth of experience required to understand the Bureau’s complex programs. Some said Deputy Director Dan Bongino should never have been appointed because the role requires deep institutional knowledge of FBI operations. A sub-source recounted Bongino telling employees during a field office visit that “the truth is for chumps.” Employees who heard it were stunned and offended.

Social Media and Communication Breakdowns

Communication inside the Bureau has become another source of frustration. Sources said Patel and Bongino spend too much time posting on social media and not enough time communicating with employees in clear and official ways. Several told investigators they learn more about FBI operations from tweets than from internal channels.

ICE Assignments Raise Alarm

Nothing has sparked more frustration inside the FBI than the orders requiring agents to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The reporting shows widespread resentment and fear over these assignments. Agents say they have little training in immigration law and were ordered into operations without proper planning. Some said they were put in tactically unsafe positions. They also warned that being pulled away from counterterrorism and counterintelligence investigations threatens national security. One sub-source asked, “If we’re not working CT and CI, then who is?”

DEI Program Removal

Even the future of diversity programs became a point of division. Some agents praised Patel’s removal of DEI initiatives. Others said the old system left them afraid to speak honestly because they worried about being labeled racist. The reporting shows a deep and unresolved conflict over whether DEI strengthened the organization or weakened it.

Notable Incidents

The document also details several incidents that have become part of FBI lore. Patel ordered all employees to remove pronouns and personal messages from their email signatures yet used the number nine in his own. Agents laughed at what they saw as hypocrisy. In another episode, FBI employees who discussed Patel’s request for an FBI-issued firearm were ordered to take polygraph examinations, which one respected source described as punitive. And in Utah, Patel refused to exit a plane without a medium-sized FBI raid jacket. A team scrambled to find one and finally secured a female agent’s jacket. Patel still refused to step out until patches were added. SWAT members removed patches from their own uniforms to satisfy the demand.

A Bureau at a Crossroad

The Alliance warns that the Bureau stands at a difficult crossroads. They write that the FBI faces some of the most daunting challenges in its history. But even in despair, a few voices say something different. One veteran source said “It is early, but most can see the mission is now the priority. Case work and threats are the focus again. Reform is headed in the right direction.”