Filtered: Billionaires, Baristas & War Crimes: Starbucks $39M Payout, Swiss Tax Revolt & Hegseth Fallout

Starbucks is forced to pay nearly $39 million in New York City’s largest-ever worker protection settlement after officials say the company shredded baristas’ rights to stable schedules. In Switzerland, voters crush a proposed 50% inheritance tax on fortunes above 50 million francs, sending a loud message about how tightly democracy still hugs billionaires. In New Jersey, former Governor Jim McGreevey, once driven from office in scandal, asks voters for a second chance as he runs for mayor of Jersey City. On the racetrack, Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team is taking the France family’s empire to federal court in an antitrust showdown that could rewrite who controls stock car racing and who gets paid. At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces allegations of possible war crimes after a deadly two-strike boat attack in the Caribbean. Even some Republicans and President Trump himself are now trying to distance themselves from the controversy. In this episode of Filtered with TJ Walker, we explore: How the Starbucks settlement shifts the balance of power between low-wage workers and big brands Why Swiss voters rejected a dramatic inheritance tax on the ultra-rich Whether Jim McGreevey’s record deserves a political “second chance” How NASCAR’s charter system looks a lot like a protected cartel Why the allegations against Pete Hegseth fit textbook definitions of war crimes Practical tips to look and sound more confident on Zoom Listen in for a deeper look at who really holds power in 2025, and how communication, narrative, and law shape that power every day.