Judge says Nipsey Hussle documents will stay sealed for now

A Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday that grand jury transcripts in a murder case over the killing of rapper Nipsey Hussle will remain sealed, for now.

Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry ordered that the documents, which would give the first glimpse of the prosecution’s evidence against defendant Eric Ronald Holder, will remain under wraps for at least three more weeks while Holder’s lawyer expands her argument that they should be kept secret in the interest of a fair trial.

Perry rejected a motion from the Los Angeles Times , which moved for the transcripts’ immediate release, saying the law here favors the public’s right to know.

The grand jury returned an indictment May 9 charging Holder with the murder, attempted murder, and other felonies . He has pleaded not guilty. Transcripts of the proceedings, under California law, would have become public May 31, and The Associated Press and other media outlets sought copies.

But Holder’s lawyer Lowynn Young filed a motion to keep them under seal until after trial, arguing that their release could unfairly prejudice the public against Holder and taint potential jurors.

Young, a public defender who took over Holder’s case when high-profile attorney Christopher Darden stepped down, said she has yet to have access to most of the evidence, and that the documents’ release would give the public as much knowledge as the defense has. Holder, who is jailed as he awaits trial, sat with his lawyer at the hearing.

LA Times attorney Rochelle L. Wilcox said there was no way the pool of potential jurors in LA County would be tainted by the information.

“I can’t imagine that the publicity is likely to be so pervasive that it would not be possible to find 12 unbiased jurors,” Wilcox said.

She argued that the defense would have to meet a high standard of precedent to keep the documents under wraps.

“I’m not persuaded by that,” the judge said, adding that three weeks of “breathing room” for all involved was perfectly acceptable.

He asked the defense for a more detailed motion before another hearing June 27.
The judge also raised the possibility that the unsealing could jeopardize public safety.

“I understand it was a near-riotous situation the day of the shooting,” said Perry, referring to a spontaneous memorial that temporarily turned into a stampede when gunshots were heard, leaving nearly 20 people injured.

Wilcox argued that the circumstances are nowhere near that volatile.

Hussle, 33, was shot and killed outside his clothing store on March 31. Two other men were shot and injured. Holder was arrested after a two-day manhunt.

The prosecution, which has not revealed why it used a secret grand jury instead of a public preliminary hearing, supports at least a partial release of the transcripts, and doesn’t believe it would bias a jury.

“There have to be at least hundreds of thousands of people in Los Angeles who haven’t heard of Nipsey Hussle,” Deputy District Attorney John McKinney said.

The post Judge says Nipsey Hussle documents will stay sealed for now appeared first on theGrio.

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Why Siri and Alexa Weren’t Built to Smack Down Harassment

Yes, sexism plays a role. But tech companies keep you glued to your devices by making sure their digital assistants never take offense—even at misogyny and bigotry.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2IlES3A
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Inside an All-White Town’s Divisive Experiment With Cryptocurrency

In South Africa, a right-wing enclave turned to blockchain to cut themselves off from the black-majority state.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2HXRajr
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South Africa captain Janine Van Wyk's journey to the Women's World Cup

South Africa women's captain Janine Van Wyk goes from having to play in boys' teams to the World Cup finals.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2QP8tpF
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Fighting Germans and Jim Crow: Role of Black troops on D-Day

It was the most massive amphibious invasion the world has ever seen, with tens of thousands of Allied troops spread out across the air and sea aiming to get a toehold in Normandy for the final assault on Nazi Germany. And while portrayals of D-Day often depict an all-white host of invaders, in fact it also included many African Americans.

Roughly 2,000 African American troops are believed to have hit the shores of Normandy in various capacities on June 6, 1944. Serving in a U.S. military still-segregated by race, they encountered discrimination both in the service and when they came home.

But on Normandy, they faced the same danger as everyone else.

The only African American combat unit that day was the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, whose job was to set up explosive-rigged balloons to deter German planes. Waverly Woodson Jr. was a corporal and a medic with the battalion. Although Woodson did not live to see this week’s 75th anniversary — he died in 2005 — he told The Associated Press in 1994 about how his landing craft hit a mine on the way to Omaha Beach.

“The tide brought us in, and that’s when the 88s hit us,” he said of the German 88mm guns. “They were murder. Of our 26 Navy personnel there was only one left. They raked the whole top of the ship and killed all the crew. Then they started with the mortar shells.”
Woodson was wounded in the back and groin while on the landing craft but went on to spend 30 hours on the beach tending to other wounded men before eventually collapsing, according to a letter from then-Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Van Hollen, now a U.S. senator, is heading an effort to have Woodson posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on D-Day. But a lack of documentation — in part because of a 1973 fire that destroyed millions of military personnel files — has stymied the effort.

Another member of the unit, William Dabney described what they encountered on D-Day in a 2009 Associated Press interview during the invasion’s 65th anniversary.

“The firing was furious on the beach. I was picking up dead bodies and I was looking at the mines blowing up soldiers. … I didn’t know if I was going to make it or not,” said Dabney, then 84, who passed away last year.

Linda Hervieux detailed the exploits of the 320th in her book “Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, at Home and at War.” She said the military resisted efforts to desegregate as it ramped up for World War II. Instead they kept separate units and separate facilities for black and white troops.

“This was a very expensive and inefficient way to run an army. The Army … could have ordered its men to integrate and to treat black soldiers as fully equal partners in this war. The Army declined to do so,” she said. The Army wanted to focus on the war and didn’t want to become a social experiment, Hervieux said, but she notes that when African American soldiers were called on to fight side by side with whites, they did so without problems.

By the end of World War II, more than a million African Americans were in uniform including the famed Tuskegee Airmen and the 761st Tank Battalion. The Double V campaign launched by the Pittsburgh Courier, a prominent African American newspaper, called for a victory in the war as well as a victory at home over segregation, including in the military.

During World War II, it was unheard of for African American officers to lead white soldiers and they faced discrimination even while in the service. Black troops were often put in support units responsible for transporting supplies. But during the Normandy invasion that didn’t mean they were immune from danger.

Ninety-nine-year-old Johnnie Jones Sr., who joined the military in 1943 out of Southern University in Baton Rouge, was a warrant officer in a unit responsible for unloading equipment and supplies onto Normandy. He remembers wading ashore and coming under fire from a German sniper. He grabbed his weapon and returned fire along with the other soldiers. It’s something that still haunts his memories.

“I still see him, I see him every night,” he told the AP recently. In another incident, he remembers a soldier charging a pillbox, a selfless act that likely ended the soldier’s life. “I know he didn’t come back home. He didn’t come back home but he saved me and he saved many others.”

After defending their country in Europe, many African American troops were met with discrimination yet again at home. Jones remembers coming back the U.S. after the war’s end and having to move to the back of a bus as it crossed the Mason-Dixon line separating North from South. He recalls being harassed by police officers after returning to Louisiana.

“I couldn’t sit with the soldiers I had been on the battlefield with. I had to go to the back of the bus,” said Jones, who went on to become a lawyer and civil rights activist in Baton Rouge. “Those are the things that come back and haunt you.”

The post Fighting Germans and Jim Crow: Role of Black troops on D-Day appeared first on theGrio.

from theGrio https://on.thegrio.com/2K2CZMe
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Chicago releases 911 calls from Smollett incident in January

The city of Chicago has released two 911 calls made after “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett claimed he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack.

Recordings of the calls following the January 29 incident were obtained by The Associated Press and other outlets Wednesday evening. Both calls were made by an unidentified man who said he worked for “an artist” who he didn’t want to name.

During the first call, the man said the person went to a Subway restaurant and “some guys … they jumped him.” The caller said the person was initially reluctant to make the report but that he would speak to police.

The man expressed concern about a perceived delay in police response during the second call.

Smollett was later charged with lying to police. Prosecutors dropped the charges on March 26.

The post Chicago releases 911 calls from Smollett incident in January appeared first on theGrio.

from theGrio https://on.thegrio.com/2Z7SDcP
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R. Kelly to be arraigned on 11 new sex-assault charges

Singer R. Kelly is expected to plead not guilty to 11 new sex-related felonies at his Cook County arraignment.

Thursday’s hearing in Chicago comes a week after prosecutors announced the new counts, including four aggravated criminal sexual assault ones. Each carries a maximum prison term of 30 years.

Kelly pleaded not guilty in February to 10 related counts of aggravated sexual abuse involving three girls and one woman over roughly 10 years starting in the late 1990s.
The judge could revoke his bond and order him jailed pending trial. But legal experts say that’s highly unlikely.

Kelly’s lawyer, Steve Greenberg, has said the accuser in the new charges is one of the four accusers in the February charges. Even with more charges, he has said Kelly still expects to prevail at trial.

The post R. Kelly to be arraigned on 11 new sex-assault charges appeared first on theGrio.

from theGrio https://on.thegrio.com/2ERHtRB
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Is Canada asking countries for a million immigrants?

Stories have been spreading about Canada "begging" individual countries for a million immigrants.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2WLpUNr
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Election Security Is Still Hurting at Every Level

With the 2020 election fast approaching, too many problems from 2016 persist.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2wGmOvn
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Telemedicine as a Workaround to Abortion Regulations, and More News

Catch up on the most important news from today in two minutes or less.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2QPF5jg
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Attacking The 2% Problem: Black Male Teacher Recruitment

Now that school is out, teacher recruitment is kicking in. We all know that you can’t teach all students the same right? Well, guess what? Not only can we not teach all students the same, but we also need to have the right teachers in front of our students in the classroom. We have powerful sisters in the classroom, but a scarcity of black male teachers.

So, what does this mean? What role models do we have for our students? Our African American student populations need powerful black male role models to lead by example and guide them to successful lives to shut down the pipeline to prison.

The current buzzword phrase is “diversity and inclusion.” But, how are schools or districts adhering to this goal without representation in the classroom? Fifty-one percent of the kids sitting in the seats in classrooms are minority students. Eighty-two percent of the teachers teaching them are Caucasian teachers.

Without black teachers in the classroom to teach black students, many negative factors come into play. Black students are less apt to see college graduation. They are less prone to enroll in Pre-AP, AP, or gifted courses. They are expected to do less from those that don’t look like them.

Only 2% of educators in the classroom are black males and 2% are Hispanic males. There is a racial gap that needs to be addressed here. Districts need to hire the population being served. Teachers need more culturally-relevant training and awareness. More males need to be hired as the industry is comprised of 23% males in a female-dominated field.

One black teacher in 3rd through 5th grades reduces a black student’s probability of dropping out of high school by 30%.

Recently, I worked with a student at a charter school in Dallas on Algebra. When the STARR results came out recently here in Texas, I advised this student that she passed. The entire time I was working with her, she thought she wouldn’t pass (and at times had an attitude when I was trying to help.) Upon the great news, she said, “Wow, I passed? I’m going to cry. You are kidding right?”

As a matter of fact, all the black students in Algebra 1 that I and the teacher worked with, passed the test. This particular young woman was the only black girl in her sixth grade and she struggled.

According to a report in The Chicago Tribune, the University of Illinois at Chicago will invest about $1 million in an initiative to recruit and train male elementary education majors of color, similar to how universities recruit and train star athletes.

There are about 575 black male public elementary school teachers in Illinois—roughly 1% of the total—and the number who are Hispanic and male is even smaller, at approximately 465. Black students with black teachers were suspended less often than black students with white or Hispanic teachers. Black students were three times more likely to be assigned to gifted programs when taught by a black teacher than a non-black teacher. In addition, having one black teacher in early elementary grades led to greater expression of interest in college by African American boys and raised the proportion of black students taking a college entrance exam by 10%.

Solutions for Recruiting More Black Male Teachers

• Hire male educators of color for elementary school education
• The Call Me MISTER program in Chicago, Clemson, and other schools (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models). Each person admitted to the program receives a full scholarship covering tuition and room and board for becoming an elementary education major
• Hire millennial black male educators who can relate to students.
• Increase teacher retention by ensuring teachers are heard by school administrators when addressing issues. Teachers are normally unhappy with school administration, teaching assignments and accountability/testing. Better relationships with administration, getting teachers in front of schools that make sense for them, and reducing the accountability/testing strain will increase retention immensely.

The journey may be long, but getting the right people on the right bus going the same direction is key to the success of our minority teachers and black and brown students.

The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author’s and not necessarily the opinion of Black Enterprise.

 

 

---

Black Enterprise Contributors Network 

 

 

from Black Enterprise http://bit.ly/31dMq0E
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Black doctors collective opens first Black-owned urgent care center in Chicago’s southside

Letter from Africa: Torture revelations transfix The Gambia

Testimonies before a truth commission are revealing the horrors of ex-Gambian President Jammeh's rule.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2F6bA8n
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Africa Eye: How a codeine investigation changed Nigeria

Africa Eye investigated widespread abuse of codeine cough syrup which left many Nigerians addicted.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2WS0zBk
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White woman who confronted Black couple at gunpoint for having picnic faces criminal charges

The pistol-packing granny who pulled a gun out on a Black couple at a Mississippi lake not only lost her job as a campgrounds manager but she now faces criminal charges.

—Viral ‘It’s Above Me’ guy apologizes after his transphobic tweets come back to haunt him—

Ruby Nell Howell, 70, the angry white lady who was caught on video confronting a man, his wife and their dog with a fun at Kampgrounds of America on May 26, is facing a misdemeanor charge of threatening exhibition of a weapon, The Daily Mail reports.

On Tuesday, granny-with-the-gun turned herself in to the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department. She was released on $500 bond but will return June 25^th for a court date. A conviction could send Howell to prison for up to three months, coupled with a maximum fine of $500.

Howell is feeling the heat after she took matters way too far when she found Jessica Richardson and her husband Franklin on the campgrounds and ordered them to leave the premises at gunpoint.

Jessica filmed the dangerous encounter with the racist woman and the clip soon went viral. With her gun drawn, Howell can be seen addressing the upset couple who told her multiple times she could have easily asked them to leave without whipping out her weapon.

“This lady just pulled a gun because we out here and don’t have reservations,” Richardson says in the video that she posted on Facebook.

“The only thing you had to tell us was to leave, we would have left. You didn’t have to pull a gun.”

—Central Park 5 prosecutor resigns from nonprofit boards—

Jessica wrote that “racism is alive and well.”

While it’s good to see justice being served, Howell is only facing a misdemeanor charge instead of a possible felony.

The post White woman who confronted Black couple at gunpoint for having picnic faces criminal charges appeared first on theGrio.

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Preliminary reports examine options for MIT Schwarzman College of Computing

MIT has issued a set of reports today outlining its progress developing the essential elements of the new MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing.   

The reports summarize the efforts of five working groups which, over the last few months, have been studying ideas and options for the college, including its structure, curriculum, faculty appointment and hiring practices, social responsibilities, and computing infrastructure. The working groups have been informed by a series of community forums; further feedback from the MIT community is now sought in response to the reports.

The Institute announced in October 2018 the creation of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, which represents the biggest institutional change to MIT since 1950. MIT is largely structured around five broad-reaching schools that are the Institute’s main sites for undergraduate and graduate education, and research.

In response to the pervasiveness of computing in society and academic inquiry, the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing will serve as a campus-wide “bridge” across disciplines. It will advance research in computing and computer science — especially in artificial intelligence — and enhance our understanding of the social and ethical implications of technology.

Working on solutions

The working groups consist of over 100 MIT faculty, students, and staff, and have been in operation since February, with the help of community input and a campus-wide Idea Bank. The groups each submitted separate reports last week.

The working group co-chairs are also part of a steering committee which is helping guide the formation of the new college and has convened frequently in recent months to examine overlapping areas of interest among the groups. Steering committee members also include MIT Provost Martin A. Schmidt, Dean of Engineering Anantha Chandrakasan, and Faculty Chair Susan Silbey.

“I wish to express my deep appreciation to the Steering Committee and to all of the members of the working groups for their dedicated work during the last several months, especially knowing that they had a great deal of territory to cover during a relatively short span of time,” said Schmidt in an email sent to the MIT community today. “We are extremely grateful for their efforts.”

Each working group evaluated multiple, often overlapping ideas about the Schwarzman College of Computing. These working group reports do not represent a series of final decisions about the college; rather, they detail important organizational options, often weighing pros and cons of particular ideas.

The Working Group on Organizational Structure was chaired by Asu Ozdaglar, head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and the School of Engineering Distinguished Professor of Engineering, and Nelson Repenning, associate dean of leadership and special projects and the Sloan School of Management Distinguished Professor of System Dynamics and Organization Studies.

The group evaluated the best organizational structure for the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing in light of the existing strengths of computing research in EECS and the overall needs of MIT’s five schools: the School of Engineering; the School of Science; the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; the School of Architecture and Planning; and the Sloan School of Management.

The working group discussed a structure in which all five schools work to create interdisciplinary core course offerings in the new college. Another key issue the group has been examining is the relationship between the college and EECS. Additionally, the group outlined several ways that faculty can be affiliated with the college while continuing as members of their own departments and programs.

The Faculty Appointments Working Group was co-chaired by Eran Ben-Joseph, head of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and William Freeman, the Thomas and Gerd Perkins Professor of Electrical Engineering.

The group examined options concerning four related topics: types of faculty appointments, hiring models, faculty rights and responsibilities, and faculty mentoring handbooks. Many faculty hires could be joint appointments, the group proposed, with teaching and research in both the new college and existing departments; the college’s hiring process could also allow for a significant portion of new faculty to have this kind of multidisciplinary status.

If this approach is followed, the working group suggested, joint-faculty roles, rights and obligations need to be well-defined — including research expectations and teaching commitments — and guidelines for faculty mentoring should be established in advance.

The Working Group on Curriculum and Degrees was co-chaired by Srini Devadas, the Edwin Sibley Webster Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Troy Van Voorhis, the Haslam and Dewey Professor of Chemistry.

Proposals from this group include ways to encourage more undergraduates to complete the flexible computer science minor or to pursue “threads” — sets of coursework similar to minors — enhancing computing studies within their own majors. MIT might continue to expand joint degrees or even more-encompassing double majors, and might consider establishing a General Institute Requirement in computing. The group also examined graduate education and developed ideas about graduate degrees and certificates in computation, as well as the expansion of joint graduate degrees that include computing. The group also outlined a variety of ways new curriculum development may occur.

The Working Group on the Social Implications and Responsibilities of Computing was co-chaired by Melissa Nobles, the Kenan Sahin Dean of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and a professor of political science, and Julie Shah, an associate professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and head of the Interactive Robotics Group in CSAIL.

Broadly, the working group examined how best to incorporate social and ethical considerations into the college’s fabric — including education, research, and external engagement. On the education front, the group examined how that stand-alone classes about ethics and social responsibility could be woven into the college curriculum. They also evaluated how smaller educational units about social issues could be incorporated within other classes. The group also proposed new ideas about including an ethics dimension in research and extracurricular learning — such as leveraging MIT’s UROP program or mentored projects to provide a strong grounding in ethics-focused work.

The Working Group on College Infrastructure was co-chaired by Benoit Forget, an associate professor in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, and Nicholas Roy, a professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of CSAIL.   

This working group took particularly in-depth look at MIT’s future needs in the area of computing infrastructure. The group suggested that MIT’s future computing infrastructure is unlikely to be optimized around a single model of computing access, given the diversity of research projects and needs on campus. In general, the group suggested that support for a renewed computing infrastructure and improved data management should be a high priority for the college, and might include expanded student training and increased professional staffing in computing.

The way forward

Members of the MIT community are encouraged to examine the latest reports and offer input about the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing.

“I invite you to review these preliminary reports and provide us with your feedback, Schmidt said in his letter to the community, adding: “I look forward to further opportunities for community involvement in the early phases and continuing development of our new college.”

He noted that community input will be collected until June 28, after which the final reports will be posted.

The official launch of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing will occur this fall, with the full development of the college occurring over a period of several years. MIT aims to add 50 full-time faculty to the college and jointly with departments across MIT over a five-year period. The Institute has also identified the location for a new building for the college, on the site of 44 Vassar Street, between Massachusetts Avenue and Main Street, and aims to open the new facility by late 2022.

In February, MIT announced the appointment of Dan Huttenlocher SM ’84 PhD ’88 as the first dean of the college. Huttenlocher will begin the new post this summer.

The MIT Schwarzman College of Computing is being supported by a $1 billion commitment for new research and education in computing, the biggest investment of its kind by a U.S. academic institution. The core support for the new college comes from a $350 million foundational gift from Stephen A. Schwarzman, the chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Blackstone, the global asset management and financial services firm.

from MIT News http://bit.ly/2Msg92I
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Smart lockers for Aids patients' drugs wins inventors' award

The drug dispenser removes the need to queue at pharmacies, and means people can collect them anonymously.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2QMwoWY
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Plant Silhouettes Foreshadow the Effects of Climate Change

A former field biologist turns to art to grapple with the effects of global warming.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2QMg7kD
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Maya Pope-Chappell shares her LinkedIn staff intel about how to prosper in your career

Maya Pope-Chappell, a senior editor at LinkedIn, is the host and producer of an online series called How I Got Here where she interviews successful people about the zigs and zags along their career paths. Recently, Chappell chatted with theGrio to talk about how she got here.

The bubbly, California native shared her own story, career lessons she’s learned along the way, some of her favorite How I Got Here episodes and what she’s learned so far from her time at LinkedIn

READ MORE: Nipsey Hussle’s brother in competition with the Crips over use of ‘The Marathon Continues’

theGrio: Before we get to your show, I wanted to talk about how you got here. How did you get started?

Maya Pope Chappell: I’m from Oakland, CA. Went to college at UC Santa Cruz. In college, I realized I wanted to become a journalist and tell stories. Once I started writing for the school paper, I fell in love. I had an internship at Kaiser Permenente through a program called InRoads. I worked there straight out of college and the plan was to save up my money, move to NYC and become a journalist. I figured the best way to do that was to go to grad school, so I went to CUNY in New York. 

theGrio: How did New York impact your career journey?

Maya Pope-Chappell: I interned at CNN, NBC, the New York Amsterdam News, and Essence. I even wrote a few pieces for theGrio.  When I started grad school, I thought I wanted to go into magazines, but then the school was focused on new media and digital storytelling. It changed my view of what I wanted to do. I got a job at the Wall Street Journal four months after I graduated. I started out as the founding assistant web producer for the New York section and then transitioned to being the online news editor for WSJ.com based in Hong Kong and then eventually went on to become the founding social media and analytics editor for Asia.

 

theGrio: Such a bold move! You had never even been to Hong Kong  before, right? What did your family think?

Maya Pope-Chappell: Right. I had never been there before. My mom had been there when I was a kid, so I have memories of the souvenirs from that. Something that I notice is present in my own career is that I like to take on things that are new and exciting. I like to create things and start from scratch. My mom was super supportive of my move. Most people spoke English so that wasn’t an issue. I lived there for a little over two years.

READ MORE: Meek Mill granted new hearing and new judge after district attorney admits bias

theGrio: Eventually you made your way back to the United States. I’m told you came across the LinkedIn job on LinkedIn? Normally people find other jobs on that platform.

Maya Pope-Chappell: I was ready to move back to New York and take on a new challenge and you’re right,  I came across the LinkedIn role on LinkedIn. I’ve been on LinkedIn since they started. It’s nice to have your network. I had someone who knew someone who worked here, so I had that. At the time, they were looking to expand the team. I  like that it’s a different approach to news and original content. I also really liked the mission of the company, which iss to create economic opportunity for everyone in the global workforce. It’s not only the opportunity to tell stories, but to tell stories that could create opportunities for other people. I worked for the New York office for a year and then moved back to the Bay Area about two years ago.

theGrio: For LinkedIn, you have a couple ‘founding’ adjectives in there for your various roles. This lines up with your previous experience of getting of going all out. 

Maya Pope-Chappell: Around here things changed up all the time. I’m really able to take on different tasks and I appreciate that. I have the space to do that. That’s how the How I Got Here series came about. It’s an opportunity to showcase real stories of people and success and give people something to aspire to.

theGrio: Has your own experience impacted how you approach this series?

Maya Pope-Chappell: I’ve always been fascinated by people’s stories and how they got to where they are. I consider myself to be a very ambitious person. I always want to do well and be successful. So I’m always attracted to those types of people and wondering what their stories were and how they got where they are. I want to feature not only people who are big names, but also “hidden gems.” They are people whose names you might not know, but they’ve done really extraordinary things in their careers and have really interesting stories about how they got to where they are.

theGrio: How can LinkedIn members contribute to the series? 

Maya Pope-Chappell: I want to members on LinkedIn to share their own How I Got HEre stories. There are things that could benefit someone else. I’m really calling on members to share their own storeis whether that’s in the form of  a post, video or whatever it might be.


theGrio: What’s our biggest challenge with How I Got Here? 

Maya Pope-Chappell: The biggest challenge is scheduling. It requires a lot because it’s not just a sit-down interview, it’s also gathering b-roll with that person, following them around. It requires that person to invest a lot of their team. We have a small team, but we make it work.

theGrio: I understand if you don’t want to point out favorites, but do you have favorites?

Maya Pope-Chappell: Ha! One of my favorites is Melissa Butler. She is the founder of the Lip Bar. I really like her story. She talked about rejection from Shark Tank to VCs telling her that her idea would never work. But, she persevered and ended up being very successful because she defied the odds.

Another one that stands out is Van Brooks, the founder of this non-profit in Baltimore called Safe Alternative. He suffered a really tragic accident in high school when he was playing football and ending up being paralyzed in a wheelchair. His story is so inspirational. He talks about finding his why and his purpose for doing what he’s doing nad how that accident really contributed to that. I alike all of them, but those are two of my faves.

theGrio: With all of your own experience and the super dope bird’s eye view of other people’s career paths, what advice do you have to people who are contemplating making a sharp turn in their career?

Maya Pope-Chappell: I would say do it. Take that turn. That’s something that is true for me and the series. One of the themes is don’t be afraid to deviate from your intended career path. Be willing to take chances. It’s about where you move from one level to the next or one experience to the next. Take that left turn whenever possible. Trust your gut. 

On top of that, it’s just saying yes to opportunity. First and foremost, everything starts with work ethic and focus. All of the people who I feature are super hard workers who stretch themselves to be the best and stand out. There’s a willingness to learn and seek out information. Stay curious.

Check here for the latest How I Got Here episode.

 

The post Maya Pope-Chappell shares her LinkedIn staff intel about how to prosper in your career appeared first on theGrio.

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Caster Semenya: IAAF wants 'swift reversal' of Swiss court's suspension of testosterone rules

The IAAF says it will seek a "swift reversal" of the decision that allows Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya to temporarily compete without taking medication.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/31cl77h
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St. Louis and Philadelphia police investigate racist, violent and anti-Muslim Facebook posts by officers

St. Louis and Philadelphia police departments are investigating reports of racist, violent and anti-Muslim Facebook posts by some current and former city officers.

—Central Park 5 prosecutor resigns from nonprofit boards—

The Philadelphia-based The Plain View Project started examining thousands of shocking posts in 2017 from law enforcement officials in St. Louis and Philly. The group reviewed more than 5,000 posts they deemed could, “undermine public trust and confidence in police,” according to the group’s website.

“We prioritized jurisdictions that are already having conversations about police community relations. And the other consideration is geographic diversity. We didn’t want only large cites … (but) something that represented what America looked like,” said Emily Baker-White, founder and executive director of the project.

The posts included images of the Confederate flag, hateful rhetoric against Muslims, criticism of immigrants who can’t speak English and promoting violence, The Daily Mail reports.

Some supported shooting criminals and expressed hate against women.

Other big cities reviewed included Dallas and jurisdictions like Lake County, Florida, CNN reports.

—Viral ‘It’s Above Me’ guy apologizes after his transphobic tweets come back to haunt him—

According to the St Louis Post-Dispatch, a sergeant named Ron Hasty, who goes by the name “Ron Nighthawk” on Facebook appears more than 30 times in negative posts outlined in the Plain View Project’s report.

Hasty spoke with the outlet and defend himself by saying: “I’m not a racist. You can talk to any of my friends.”

“We strongly condemn violence and racism in any form. The overwhelming majority of our 7-thousand officers regularly act with integrity and professionalism,” Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 President John McNesby said in a statement.

The investigations are still underway.

The post St. Louis and Philadelphia police investigate racist, violent and anti-Muslim Facebook posts by officers appeared first on theGrio.

from theGrio https://on.thegrio.com/2IxRWTF
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The Return of Fake News—and Lessons From Spam

The doctored video of Speaker Pelosi proves there’s still no consensus on how to address false content. Could long-standing practices for thwarting spam provide guidance?

from Wired http://bit.ly/2JZB1wm
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A Mythical Form of Space Propulsion Finally Gets a Real Test

Scientists have debated for decades whether the propulsion concept known as EmDrive is real or wishful thinking. A sensitive new tool may at last provide an answer.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2JZB37s
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Lee Daniels confirms Jussie Smollett will NOT appear on the final season of ‘Empire’

The final season of Empire will move forward minus Jussie Smollett, its showrunner Lee Daniels tweeted on Tuesday.

—VIDEO: Twerking shoplifter foils cops trying to catch the booty bandit—

Daniels took to Twitter to clear up a Variety report that alleged writers were prepping for the embattled actor’s Season six return.

“This is not factual. Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire,” Daniels wrote.

@Variety @JoeOtterson This is not factual. Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire. -LD

— lee daniels (@leedanielsent) June 4, 2019

Last month, Fox announced the sixth season of the popular show will be its last.

Jussie Smollett had been indicted on 16 felony counts by a grand jury for falsely reporting a hate crime but the charges were later dropped.

Even though the singer and actor has always maintained his innocence, the City of Chicago still filed a lawsuit against him to recoup the cost of what they believe was an unnecessary police investigation.

Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television have since confirmed that while they extended the actor’s option for Season 6, there are currently no plans for him to take part.

His last appearance on the popular drama was in an episode where Smollett’s character, Jamal Lyon, married to his partner.

—Fourth Black transgender woman murdered in Dallas—

The post Lee Daniels confirms Jussie Smollett will NOT appear on the final season of ‘Empire’ appeared first on theGrio.

from theGrio https://on.thegrio.com/2Kvgxem
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Spike Lee to present Denzel Washington with AFI Award

Spike Lee will honor Denzel Washington’s career by presenting his friend and collaborator with the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award.

AFI said Tuesday that Lee will present the actor and director with the honor at a gala Thursday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Lee has directed Washington in four films, including “Malcolm X” and “Inside Man.” He also worked with Washington’s son, John David, on the 2019 Oscar best-picture nominee “BlacKkKlansman.”

It’s a role reversal for Washington, who has helped present Lee with an honorary Oscar in 2015 and an NAACP Hall of Fame Award in 2003.

Mahershala Ali will join a star-studded list of presenters including Morgan Freeman, Chadwick Boseman and Julia Roberts.

The tribute will air on TNT on June 20 at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

The 64-year-old Washington joins the ranks of Mel Brooks, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep and Alfred Hitchcock. Last year’s AFI honoree was George Clooney.

The post Spike Lee to present Denzel Washington with AFI Award appeared first on theGrio.

from theGrio https://on.thegrio.com/2HYdMR7
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Bridgestone’s Turanza QuietTrack Tire Silences Electric Cars

The new rubber has specially designed threads to hush the pesky "pattern noise" that's especially noticeable in cars without loud engines.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2QLOWGV
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The WIRED Guide to Aliens

Everything you need to know about SETI, the Drake equation, ’Oumuamua, and hot tubs.

from Wired http://bit.ly/317e1Rr
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Apple Mac vs. Windows PC: The 9 Best Mac Alternatives

If you're tired of Apple's Mac desktops or MacBook laptops, consider these Windows and Linux-powered options.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2WH8Fgj
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Manal Rostom: 'I grew up hating my culture and faith'

Egyptian athlete Manal Rostom is the first woman in a hijab to be featured in a Nike campaign.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2KqamIt
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Charges against members of violent white supremacist group tossed by judge

Federal charges against three alleged members of a violent white supremacist group accused of inciting violence at California political rallies were dismissed by a judge who found their actions amounted to constitutionally protected free speech.

Prosecutors said members of the Rise Above Movement conspired to riot by using the internet to coordinate hand-to-hand combat training, traveling to protests and attacking demonstrators at gatherings in Huntington Beach, Berkeley and San Bernardino. The group also posted videos to celebrate violence and recruit members.

Despite the group’s “hateful and toxic ideology,” a rarely used criminal statute passed during civil rights and Vietnam War protests went too far in regulating free speech, Judge Cormac J. Carney ruled Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Carney said the Anti-Riot Act of 1968 — most famously used to prosecute the “Chicago Eight,” including Abbie Hoffman, Bobby Seale and Tom Hayden for conspiring to incite a riot at the ’68 Democratic National Convention — was unconstitutional in part because it criminalized advocating violence when no riot or crime was imminent. He said prosecutors cited social media posts the men made months before and months after the rallies.

“Some posts express repugnant, hateful ideas,” Carney wrote. “Other posts advocate the use of violence. Most, if not all, are protected speech.”

The judge threw out the charges and ordered the release of alleged RAM leader Robert Rundo and suspected member Robert Boman. Charges against Aaron Eason, who was free on bond, were also dropped.

Defense attorney John McNicholas, who represented Eason, said his client was never a member of RAM and committed no crime.

He said the men thought they were doing good going to conservative rallies to counter the anti-fascists known as Antifa who were “committing acts of violence to suppress speech they disagreed with.” He criticized prosecutors for not pursuing charges against Antifa members that he said instigated violence and doused rally participants with pepper spray.
“Beyond the unconstitutional nature of the statute, nothing about the case makes sense because the people inciting the riot were never charged with a federal offense,” McNicholas said.

The Los Angeles ruling alarmed groups that track white supremacist activity and fear the court victory could empower the group known for espousing anti-Semitic and other racist views.

RAM’s account on Gab, a social media network known as a haven for racists and anti-Semites, hailed the dismissals and announced it would relaunch its Right Brand clothing line.

“It underscores their sense of vindication,” said Joanna Mendelson of the Anti-Defamation League. “This court victory has the great potential of giving them renewed energy and will reinvigorate the group overall.”

Prosecutors were disappointed with the ruling and reviewing grounds for appeal, spokesman Ciaran McEvoy said.

A federal judge in Virginia reached a conclusion opposite of Carney’s in a similar case involving other California members of RAM who participated in violent white nationalist rallies in both states.

Four alleged members of the group pleaded guilty and admitted punching and kicking counter-protesters as white nationalists led a torch-lit march at the University of Virginia and at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in August 2017.

Defendants in those cases plan to appeal on the grounds that the statute is unconstitutional because it is overbroad, vague, and infringes on protected First Amendment activities, said Lisa Lorish, assistant federal public defender in Charlottesville. She expects the appeals court will agree with Carney’s reasoning.

There are plausible arguments in support of both decisions — with Carney taking a broad interpretation of the law and Judge Norman Moon in Virginia taking a narrow one, said Eugene Volokh, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The conflict between the rulings on opposite coasts could rise to the Supreme Court if both rulings are appealed and circuit courts reach different conclusions, he said. But that’s far from certain.

In the California case, a fourth defendant, Tyler Laube, who pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge in November, filed papers in court Tuesday to withdraw his guilty plea and have the charges against him dismissed after Carney encouraged him to do that, attorney Jerome Haig said.

Laube was facing nearly three years in prison after he admitted that as a member of the group he assaulted counter-protesters at a “Make America Great Again” rally in Huntington Beach in 2017.

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, said if members discussed a criminal plan and took steps to carry it out their speech was not protected.

“The Supreme Court has basically held that hateful speech is protected, however violence and conspiracies are not,” Levin said. “That’s where I think the judge may have gotten this one wrong.”

The post Charges against members of violent white supremacist group tossed by judge appeared first on theGrio.

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Central Park 5 prosecutor resigns from nonprofit boards

A former prosecutor in the Central Park Five case has resigned from at least two nonprofit boards as backlash intensified following the release of the Netflix series “When They See Us,” a miniseries that dramatizes the events surrounding the trial.

On Tuesday, the president of Vassar College posted a letter on its website saying that Linda Fairstein had resigned as a Board of Trustees member.

“I am told that Ms. Fairstein felt that, given the recent widespread debate over her role in the Central Park case, she believed that her continuing as a Board member would be harmful to Vassar,” Elizabeth H. Bradley wrote.

The victims-services agency, Safe Horizon, also confirmed Fairstein’s resignation on Tuesday, thanking her for “her decades of pioneering work on behalf of victims of sexual assault and abuse.”

Messages requesting comment from Fairstein were not immediately returned.
Fairstein was the top Manhattan sex crimes prosecutor when five teenagers were charged with the 1989 rape and beating of a female investment banker jogging in Central Park.
The attack became a national symbol of urban mayhem at a time when New York City’s murder rate was nearing its historical peak.

The teens said they were coerced into confessing their involvement in the attack. Their convictions were overturned in 2002 after convicted murderer and serial rapist Matias Reyes confessed to committing the crime alone, and DNA linked him to it.

Fairstein observed the boys’ 1989 interrogation, conducted by another prosecutor and police. She didn’t personally try the case.

Since its collapse, she has denied the teens were coerced and has defended authorities’ conduct in the case, explored in a 2013 documentary by Ken Burns.

The city reached a roughly $41 million settlement with the five the next year, while not admitting any wrongdoing.

In an interview with the New York Post published on Tuesday, Fairstein said she also resigned from the boards of God’s Love We Deliver and Joyful Heart Foundation, a group founded by actress Mariska Hargitay that helps survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.

Messages requesting comment from these groups were not immediately returned.
Fairstein told the Post she was forced to act due to the “mob-mentality reaction” to the Netflix series, which has sparked a #CancelLindaFairstein movement and calls to withhold funding.

“Each of these organizations does great work,” she said. “It’s so foolish of the bullies to punish the charities. Totally pig-headed and stupid.”

Last year, the Mystery Writers of America withdrew a major honor from Fairstein, known for her best-selling novels featuring prosecutor Alex Cooper, after other authors condemned her role in the Central Park Five case.

The post Central Park 5 prosecutor resigns from nonprofit boards appeared first on theGrio.

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Tracy Morgan involved in NYC fender bender in his Bugatti

Comedian Tracy Morgan was involved in a minor traffic crash while driving his 2019 Bugatti in midtown Manhattan.

Police say the fender bender happened Tuesday afternoon near Tenth Avenue and 42nd Street.

Police say the mishap involved the 50-year-old Morgan and his white Bugatti, reportedly worth around $2 million, and a 61-year-old man driving a Honda CR-V.

A representative for Morgan says the comedian bought the vehicle an hour before the minor crash.

Police say both vehicles sustained minor damage and all parties refused medical attention, although photos of the scene show Morgan sitting in an ambulance.

In 2014, the former “30 Rock” and “Saturday Night Live” star suffered severe head trauma when a truck slammed into the back of the limo van he was riding in. Comedian James McNair, his friend and collaborator, was killed.

The post Tracy Morgan involved in NYC fender bender in his Bugatti appeared first on theGrio.

from theGrio https://on.thegrio.com/31aJ0vJ
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For Apollonia Kotero, Prince was a king ‘When God created Prince, he composed the most perfect song’

Former Prince protege and longtime friend Apollonia Kotero said the Purple One had major plans for her before his untimely death in 2016, including new music, a possible film and even a book to follow-up his upcoming memoir.

He had even given Kotero and her Apollonia 6 bandmates the trademark to the group’s name to keep the legacy alive.

“My first thought was like, ‘Damn, I gotta hit the gym now,'” Kotero said. “We gotta rehearse. We gotta go back in vocal classes. Get this (expletive) party started, man. I was excited. He was happy. He had so many plans.”

But things changed once Prince died, sending Kotero into a “rabbit hole of severe depression” — as she put it in her first interview since Prince died on April 21, 2016.
“I just physically couldn’t cry and I was feeling ill, really ill. I just didn’t know if I was going to make it,” she recently told The Associated Press by phone in Los Angeles. “It sounds strange for me to be saying it for the first time publicly. I’ve never discussed this, other than with my loved ones. I didn’t think I was going to make it. I’d never felt that way before. I never suffered such severe depression.”

Kotero co-starred in 1984’s “Purple Rain” and was in the trio Apollonia 6 with Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie, former singers in Vanity 6. Kotero said she’s still in touch with her bandmates and she’s finally speaking publicly since it has been three years since Prince’s death.

“Prince and I never dated — we’re family, we were friends,” she said. “There’s a different type of respect that he had for me. He had that for me for 33 years. We had our difficulties, and I always stood up to him. I believe that’s what he respected, that I wasn’t a pushover. I said no to him for a lot of reasons professionally.”

Kotero recalled some of her last conversations with Prince, saying they talked about “family, his parents, politics, love, death, dementia, our marriages.”

“We discussed the issues that we had. All of the things that we didn’t discuss before,” she continued. “I just looked, like, ‘Man, we’re growing up. We’re old folks now.’ He gave me the look like, ‘Ain’t no old folks here.'”

She said when he asked her to be in the “Purple Rain” sequel, “Graffiti Bridge,” she turned him down.

“He sent me the script. I remember I read it. I said, ‘Oh my god, this is horrible,'” she recalled. “I said it, ‘This is a piece of (expletive).'”

She said she worked on a real sequel and pitched him the story when she visited Paisley Park in 2014.

“He liked it. It was a little bit dark because he dies in it. I gave him two reasons why he would die and he just gave me this blank look. It was just kind of, I mean, the irony of it,” she said.

Kotero said Prince wanted her to write a book after he finished his (Random House will release Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” on Oct. 29).

“He said, ‘I want you to stop telling the priceless stories because you’re going to write a book, your biography,'” she recalled. “He said, ‘Yes, you’re going to release yours within the year after mine.'”

She also said in his vaults, Prince left her a house music album and began working on an Apollonia 6 film.

Kotero credits her faith in God for pulling her out of her depression after Prince’s death. Writing a lengthy letter to Prince — posted to her Facebook page four months after his death — was also therapeutic.

Now, she’s ready to get back to her career.

“My passion is work, singing, acting dancing, producing, writing. I’m a songwriter,” she said. “I’m feeling better about life. My life has changed. Prince changed my life when I first met him and he had me in his film. He changed my life again when he was taken away from us too soon.”

“I really believe that when God created Prince, he composed the most perfect song,” she said. “That comes from my heart. I really believe that. He is music.”

The post For Apollonia Kotero, Prince was a king ‘When God created Prince, he composed the most perfect song’ appeared first on theGrio.

from theGrio https://on.thegrio.com/2KtOXy7
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Egypt police killed in Sinai checkpoint attack

At least eight officers died when militants struck a checkpoint in the peninsula's restive north.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2Z97EeA
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Autonomous boats can target and latch onto each other

The city of Amsterdam envisions a future where fleets of autonomous boats cruise its many canals to transport goods and people, collect trash, or self-assemble into floating stages and bridges. To further that vision, MIT researchers have given new capabilities to their fleet of robotic boats — which are being developed as part of an ongoing project — that lets them target and clasp onto each other, and keep trying if they fail.

About a quarter of Amsterdam’s surface area is water, with 165 canals winding alongside busy city streets. Several years ago, MIT and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute) teamed up on the “Roboat” project. The idea is to build a fleet of autonomous robotic boats — rectangular hulls equipped with sensors, thrusters, microcontrollers, GPS modules, cameras, and other hardware — that provides intelligent mobility on water to relieve congestion in the city’s busy streets.

One of project’s objectives is to create roboat units that provide on-demand transporation on waterways. Another objective is using the roboat units to automatically form “pop-up” structures, such as foot bridges, performance stages, or even food markets. The structures could then automatically disassemble at set times and reform into target structures for different activities. Additionally, the roboat units could be used as agile sensors to gather data on the city’s infrastructure, and air and water quality, among other things.

In 2016, MIT researchers tested a roboat prototype that cruised around Amsterdam’s canals, moving forward, backward, and laterally along a preprogrammed path. Last year, researchers designed low-cost, 3-D-printed, one-quarter scale versions of the boats, which were more efficient and agile, and came equipped with advanced trajectory-tracking algorithms. 

In a paper presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation, the researchers describe roboat units that can now identify and connect to docking stations. Control algorithms guide the roboats to the target, where they automatically connect to a customized latching mechanism with millimeter precision. Moreover, the roboat notices if it has missed the connection, backs up, and tries again.

The researchers tested the latching technique in a swimming pool at MIT and in the Charles River, where waters are rougher. In both instances, the roboat units were usually able to successfully connect in about 10 seconds, starting from around 1 meter away, or they succeeded after a few failed attempts. In Amsterdam, the system could be especially useful for overnight garbage collection. Roboat units could sail around a canal, locate and latch onto platforms holding trash containers, and haul them back to collection facilities.

“In Amsterdam, canals were once used for transportation and other things the roads are now used for. Roads near canals are now very congested — and have noise and pollution — so the city wants to add more functionality back to the canals,” says first author Luis Mateos, a graduate student in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) and a researcher in the MIT Senseable City Lab. “Self-driving technologies can save time, costs and energy, and improve the city moving forward.”

“The aim is to use roboat units to bring new capabilities to life on the water,” adds co-author Daniela Rus, director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “The new latching mechanism is very important for creating pop-up structures. Roboat does not need latching for autonomous transporation on water, but you need the latching to create any structure, whether it’s mobile or fixed.”

Joining Mateos on the paper are: Wei Wang, a joint postdoc in CSAIL and the Senseable City Lab; Banti Gheneti, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Fabio Duarte, a DUSP and Senseable City Lab research scientist; and Carlo Ratti, director of the Senseable City Lab and a principal investigator and professor of the practice in DUSP.

Making the connection

Each roboat is equipped with latching mechanisms, including ball and socket components, on its front, back, and sides. The ball component resembles a badminton shuttlecock — a cone-shaped, rubber body with a metal ball at the end. The socket component is a wide funnel that guides the ball component into a receptor. Inside the funnel, a laser beam acts like a security system that detects when the ball crosses into the receptor. That activates a mechanism with three arms that closes around and captures the ball, while also sending a feedback signal to both roboats that the connection is complete.

On the software side, the roboats run on custom computer vision and control techniques. Each roboat has a LIDAR system and camera, so they can autonomously move from point to point around the canals. Each docking station — typically an unmoving roboat — has a sheet of paper imprinted with an augmented reality tag, called an AprilTag, which resembles a simplified QR code. Commonly used for robotic applications, AprilTags enable robots to detect and compute their precise 3-D position and orientation relative to the tag.

Both the AprilTags and cameras are located in the same locations in center of the roboats. When a traveling roboat is roughly one or two meters away from the stationary AprilTag, the roboat calculates its position and orientation to the tag. Typically, this would generate a 3-D map for boat motion, including roll, pitch, and yaw (left and right). But an algorithm strips away everything except yaw. This produces an easy-to-compute 2-D plane that measures the roboat camera’s distance away and distance left and right of the tag. Using that information, the roboat steers itself toward the tag. By keeping the camera and tag perfectly aligned, the roboat is able to precisely connect.

The funnel compensates for any misalignment in the roboat’s pitch (rocking up and down) and heave (vertical up and down), as canal waves are relatively small. If, however, the roboat goes beyond its calculated distance, and doesn’t receive a feedback signal from the laser beam, it knows it has missed. “In challenging waters, sometimes roboat units at the current one-quarter scale, are not strong enough to overcome wind gusts or heavy water currents,” Mateos says. “A logic component on the roboat says, ‘You missed, so back up, recalculate your position, and try again.’”

Future iterations

The researchers are now designing roboat units roughly four times the size of the current iterations, so they’ll be more stable on water. Mateos is also working on an update to the funnel that includes tentacle-like rubber grippers that tighten around the pin — like a squid grasping its prey. That could help give the roboat units more control when, say, they’re towing platforms or other roboats through narrow canals.

In the works is also a system that displays the AprilTags on an LCD monitor that changes codes to signal multiple roboat units to assemble in a given order. At first, all roboat units will be given a code to stay exactly a meter apart. Then, the code changes to direct the first roboat to latch. After, the screen switches codes to order the next roboat to latch, and so on. “It’s like the telephone game. The changing code passes a message to one roboat at a time, and that message tells them what to do,” Mateos says.

Darwin Caldwell, the research director of Advanced Robotics at the Italian Institute of Technology, envisions even more possible applications for the autonomous latching capability. “I can certainly see this type of autonomous docking being of use in many areas of robotic ‘refuelling’ and docking … beyond aquatic/naval systems,” he says, “including inflight refuelling, space docking, cargo container handling, [and] robot in-house recharging.”

The research was funded by the AMS Institute and the City of Amsterdam.

from MIT News http://bit.ly/2QL6DGB
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Companies Expect Climate Change to Cost Them $1 Trillion in 5 Years

Many corporations see climate change posing a significant threat to their business within the decade, according to a new report.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2KsoAZp
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DR Congo Ebola outbreak: More than 2,000 cases reported

Hostility to medical staff is hindering efforts to tackle the deadly disease.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2wAvXpd
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Why Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard is suing Nike

Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard has more on his mind these days than just defeating the Golden State Warriors for a championship title.

The NBA star alleges that Nike stole his logo and infringed on his design when they filed for a copyright.

—Lala Anthony joins ‘90210’ revival: ‘I’m Glad They Are Bringing Some Color’—

On Monday, Leonard reportedly filed a federal lawsuit in Southern California to stop the brand and fight for his ‘Klaw’ logo. The athlete alleges that Nike filed the copyright without his authorization and under “false representation” that “Nike authored the logo.”

“Leonard traced his notably large hand, and, inside the hand, drew stylized versions of his initials “KL” and the number that he had worn for much of his career, ‘2,'” the suit reads, according to The Portland Business Journal.

“Unbeknownst to Leonard and without his consent, Nike filed an application for copyright registration of his logo and falsely represented in the application that Nike had authored the logo.”

Nike reportedly was granted the copyright called the ‘Kawhi Leonard logo’ (the ‘Klaw’ logo) on May 11, 2017. Leonard wants control and says Nike has no rights and that he designed the elements of the logo when he was in college.

—Marlon Wayans wishes daughter ‘Happy Pride’ and claps back at trolls for hateful comments—

The issue likely stemmed from Leonard’s previous endorsement deal with the company’s Jordan Brand when he gave them approval to use the logo but with restrictions. That deal dissolved September 30, 2018 when he copped a multi-million dollar New Balance deal in November.

Leonard has helped the Raptors secure a Game one win against the Golden State Warriors and now the series is tied 1-1.

The post Why Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard is suing Nike appeared first on theGrio.

from theGrio https://on.thegrio.com/2WdWt22
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Why I May Never See ‘When They See Us’

I may never see When They See Us, Ava DuVernay’s groundbreaking, disturbing and necessary documentary for Netflix about the Central Park Five saga, one of the worst chapters in New York City’s long tradition of racially biased law enforcement and mass media.

If I were still raising minor children, I’d be watching When They See Us with them, just as my mother required us to watch the groundbreaking Roots miniseries in 1977 (Her oldest child, I was 17 then).

However, I lived through the whole Central Park Five (Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise) media massacre—and the false narrative of young black and brown males “wilding” through the city that it justified—both personally, as a resident of Brooklyn, and professionally as a New York journalist. I’ve reached a stage of my life where I do my best to avoid unnecessarily re-traumatizing experiences.

I’m not saying I’ll never watch the documentary, but… let’s just say that I’m going to protect my mental health and spiritual peace, PERIOD.

The people who most need to watch When They See Us (in addition to young people) are those who are in deepest denial of the racial injustice that contaminates both law enforcement and mass media—which puts the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of black people, and young black males in particular, at ever present risk.

What made Roots matter was not that it was a revelation for black people (other than us kids at the time), but for white people (including many of my high school classmates) who were ignorant or in denial of the reality of slavery. The same must happen for content like When They See Us if we hope for comparable impact. (By the way, the media currently showering this doc with accolades—and likely to add more than a few well-deserved awards in the future—is the same media that vilified the Central Park Five, and continues to vilify victims of police brutality today.)

As for me, I’ve seen this “movie” too many times. The Scottsboro Boys. Jena Six. And countless others too numerous to name. I’ll pass on When They See Us, at least for now.

---

The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author’s and not necessarily the opinion of Black Enterprise.

 

from Black Enterprise http://bit.ly/2QJ5C1t
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The Physics of the Millennium Falcon's Jump to Hyperspace

The faster-than-light travel in *Star Wars* involves some otherworldly acceleration. Here's how to calculate the g-forces of a hyperspace jump.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2JWhjBG
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Tanzania's President Magufuli shops with basket after plastic bag ban

John Magufuli's defiance of Tanzanian convention is likely to help stamp out the use of plastic bags.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2WappZ2
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We Are #BlackLove | Meet Keondra and Alicia

Ciara opens up about how she healed relationship scars with Future on ‘Red Table Talk’

Ciara sat down at the Red Table and picked open an old wound when she discussed the fractured relationship she had with rapper Future that left her emotionally scarred.

—Marlon Wayans wishes daughter ‘Happy Pride’ and claps back at trolls for hateful comments—

The Level Up singer appeared on an episode of Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett-Smith, Willow and Adrienne Banfield-Norris and got real about how she healed her relationship scars and turned them into beauty marks.

Ciara said the pain she endured while engaged to Future (the two split just three months after she gave birth to their son, Future Jr) served as the catalyst that helped her eventually develop a wonderful marriage to NFL star, Russell Wilson.

Ciara explains that although looking ahead she realized the road ahead would be rough in the role as a single mother, but she said she doesn’t regret the course of action she took and knows it was the best decision to split, PEOPLE reports.

“I grew up with my mom and dad being together. The idea of it being mommy and daddy that made baby,” she said Monday.

She continued, “The one thing I fear in life is really wasting my life. I really fear that ‘cause you realize that time does not stop and it will be the worst scenario to stay in a situation that it’s just not healthy, it’s not going to get any better. I realized that I have to start making different decisions.”

She said the decision to end the relationship didn’t come easy.

“When I was thinking about my son, I know what I want to feel. I know the kind of love that I want for us,” she said. “What I did was – [son] Future was like my teddy bear. So I was like, we gon’ go. We ‘bout to do this thing together.”

—Lala Anthony joins ‘90210’ revival: ‘I’m Glad They Are Bringing Some Color’—

When it came to Wilson, Ciara, who released her seventh album Beauty Marks in May, said it was a different kind of love that lured her in.

“It was different,” she said. “I never had that feeling in my life. It was just like, it was calm … It’s a different level of love.”

The two married in July 2016 and share a daughter Sienna Princess, born in April 2017.

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How Early-Stage VCs Decide Where to Invest

You don't have a lot of financial metrics to go on, but yes, the team is very very important. Also, look for good ideas that look like bad ideas.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2HSEJFD
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You Could Live Forever With This Sci-Fi Time Hack

In science fiction, time passes in funny ways—vastly slowed down, insanely sped up. Maybe this trope is the secret to eternal life in the real world.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2IgRdWM
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A women-only trekking adventure in the Atlas Mountains

The Travel Show's Cat Moh meets Berber women who share their life experiences with her.

from BBC News - Africa https://bbc.in/2XkPqpP
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Marlon Wayans wishes daughter ‘Happy Pride’ and claps back at trolls for hateful comments

How Mattel Shrinks Cars Into Hot Wheels (Crash Test Included)

Before a Hot Wheels car hits a store shelf, it must pass the "launcher on speed 2" test, and the "side slam launcher" test, among others.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2QIs6jr
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The Beauty and Madness of Sending a Man to the Moon

From the delicate engineering of the landing module, to the self-contained globe of the spacesuit, the astronauts took the world with them—and brought another one home.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2WDEGpu
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New York's Privacy Bill Is Even Bolder Than California's

New York is poised to become the next battleground in the fight for consumers' rights over their personal data.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2WEgqnd
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Neal Stephenson's Latest Book Dodges Its Scariest Premise

In Fall; or, Dodge in Hell: A Novel, the sci-fi author tracks our inevitable descent into AR-enabled filter bubbles—only to leave it all behind.

from Wired http://bit.ly/2WMGbl6
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Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins to direct film about choreographer Alvin Ailey

Barry Jenkins will direct a film based on the life of choreographer Alvin Ailey.

A spokesperson for Fox Searchlight on Monday confirmed that the studio is developing the project, with the “Moonlight” filmmaker directing. Jenkins last helmed the Oscar-nominated James Baldwin adaptation “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

Raised in segregated rural Texas, Ailey became a pioneering choreographer, dancer and director who helped popularize modern dance. He died in 1989 at the age of 58 from AIDS-related complications. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded him a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The film will be partly based on Jennifer Dunning’s biography “Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance.” Searchlight last year began developing the film after securing the rights to Ailey’s choreography from the Ailey Organization.

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June Ambrose SLAMMED for Kate Spade flub at CFDA Awards

June Ambrose is usually at the top go her game when it comes to the fashion world but the costume designer made a major flub while hosting the CFDA Awards red carpet at the Brooklyn Museum on Monday night.

While chatting up entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman, she asked if deceased designer, Kate Spade would be attending the event before wondering aloud if she skipped her spot not he red carpet.

Obviously, Ambrose didn’t recall that Kate Spade committed suicide last year, although she referred to her as one of her favorite American designers.

“Are you here with Kate? Is she here?,” Ambrose asked.

“I’m here with the Kate Spade New York team,” Bronfman replied after June Ambrose repeated the puzzling quandary.

Of course, viewers went wild on social media and accused Ambrose of being insensitive.

“Why did the host at @cfda just ask someone if Kate Spade was there?!!!? Insensitive af. Wow,” one user tweeted.

“This girl is hosting the CFDA live stream needs to be fired. How do you not know kate spade passed away like whattttt and she knows nothing about these people,” said another.

Celebrity stylist June Ambrose debuts shoe line for Home Shopping Network

June Ambrose has yet to formally address the mistake, but briefly alluded to it before she signed off.

“It has been my honor and pleasure to host, screw up and cause chaos tonight on this carpet for you,” she said at the end of her hosting stint. “I hope you enjoyed and learned as much as I did.”

 

 

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FIRST LOOK: Check out Beyonce as Nala in ‘The Lion King’

Disney just dropped the first trailer for The Lion King that shows Beyonce voicing Nala.

The film that hits theaters on July 19 also stars Donald Glover as the voice of Simba along with a star-studded lineup of talent.

Jame Earl Jones will reprise his role from the animated original, voicing Mufasa in the live-action adaptation. Chiwetel Ejiofor will voice Scar, Seth Rogen will play Pumbaa and Billy Eichner will play Timon.  JD Mccrory will voice Young Simba and Us star, Shahadi Wright Joseph will voice Young Nala while Keegan-Michael Key plays Kamari.

‘Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé’ brings Bey’s brilliance and Blackness to Netflix

The film, directed by Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book), journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

According to the press release, The Lion King tells the story of what happens when after the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.

PHOTOS: Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and more stars stun at WACO Wearable Art Gala

Considering how Beyonce slayed in her Lion King-inspired ensemble at the third annual WACo Wearable Art Gala over the weekend, we can’t wait to see (or rather, hear) her turn as Nala when the movie hits theaters on July 19.

Check out the trailer:

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Serena Williams makes history as first athlete ever to make Forbes’ list of World’s Richest Self-Made Women

Serena Williams just made history…again. 

The superstar athlete with 23 Grand Slam titles under her belt is the first athlete ever to make Forbes‘ coveted list of the World’s Richest Self-Made Women.

According to the magazine, she’s sitting on an estimated $225 million fortune, thanks in large part to her business savvy.

Celebs like Jay-Z, Serena Williams, Jaden Smith invest $300 million in plant-based Impossible Foods

While she’s arguably the best female athlete on the planet, she’s also a super smart business woman who has quietly invested in 34 startups over the past five years. In April, she announced the launch of her investment entity, Serena Ventures, which will focus on funding companies founded by women and minorities.

“I learned you can’t overspend, but I also learned that I love seed investing,” she told Forbes.“It’s fun to get in there. I don’t gamble. I don’t jump off buildings…I’m the most non-taking-a-chance kind of a person, but I felt like seed was where we wanted to be.”

Serena Williams slays French Open in outfit emblazoned with female empowerment themes

Aside form her investments, she also has multiple clothing lines and endorsement deals bringing in major money.

“I want to be in the infrastructure. I want to be the brand, instead of just being the face.”

Serena Williams discusses sister’s murder during inaugural episode of digital series, DiversiTea

Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, weighed in on his wife’s inspiring vision.

“Firms know Serena is a hugely valuable strategic investor,” he told Forbes. “I think it is the best of all opportunities, and she can essentially cherry-pick from the top VC firms on deals that are interesting that come her way and at the same time she still has her own deal flow from folks who want her to invest.”

 

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Cardi B, Lil NAS X, Lizzo, H.E.R. and more stars set to perform at BET Awards

BET just announced an impressive list of performers set to take the stage at the 19th annual BET Awards. Cardi B, DJ Khaled, Migos, H.E.R., Lil Nas X, Lizzo,  City Girls’ Yung Miami, and Kiana Ledé are just a few of the stars who will perform at the annual event hosted by Regina Hall.

“The BET Awards stage has become synonymous with powerful and groundbreaking performances that are authentic and bold, celebrating the influence and power of black culture,” said Connie Orlando, Executive Vice-President, Head of Programming at BET. “We are thrilled to have been and continue to be the launch pad and home for some of today’s most talented and inspiring voices, as BET continues to showcase the impact of established and up-and-coming artists, providing them a global stage to share their art and creativity.”

Cardi B, Drake, Beyonce lead 2019 BET Awards nominations + full list

Aside from the all-star lineup of performers, several other stars will be on deck to present award to the best and brightest stars across music, television, film, sports, and philanthropy..

Taraji P. Henson, Lena Waithe, Morris Chestnut, Yara Shahidi, and Marsai Martin are among the first presenters the network has announced.

When it comes to this year’s nominees, Cardi B leads the pack with seven nods including ‘Best Female Hip Hop Artist,’ two separate nods in both the ‘Best Collaboration’ and ‘Video of the Year’ categories, ‘Album of the Year’ and the ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award.’

Riding into the Money: 5 fascinating facts about Lil Nas X

Drake follows with five nominations including one for ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Best Collaboration’ and the ‘Coca-Cola® Viewers’ Choice Award.’ Beyoncé, Travis Scott and J. Cole all scored four nominations each, while Bruno Mars, 21 Savage, Childish Gambino, H.E.R. and Ella Mai each scored three nominations.

The late, Nipsey Hussle is up for Best Male Hip Hop Artist and Queen Bey will face off against her own protégées, Chloe x Halle in the Best Group category, where she’s nominated with her husband, Jay-Z as The Carters.

The BET Awards 2019 will air LIVE on Sunday, June 23rd at 8 pm ET from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on BET.

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