Gabe's Musings

Monday, September 9, 2019

Objects can now change colors like a chameleon

The color-changing capabilities of chameleons have long bewildered willing observers. The philosopher Aristotle himself was long mystified by these adaptive creatures. But while humans can’t yet camouflage much beyond a green outfit to match grass, inanimate objects are another story.

A team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) has brought us closer to this chameleon reality, by way of a new system that uses reprogrammable ink to let objects change colors when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) and visible light sources.

Dubbed “PhotoChromeleon,” the system uses a mix of photochromic dyes that can be sprayed or painted onto the surface of any object to change its color — a fully reversible process that can be repeated infinitely.

PhotoChromeleon can be used to customize anything from a phone case to a car, or shoes that need an update. The color remains, even when used in natural environments.

“This special type of dye could enable a whole myriad of customization options that could improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce overall waste,” says CSAIL postdoc Yuhua Jin, the lead author on a new paper about the project. “Users could personalize their belongings and appearance on a daily basis, without the need to buy the same object multiple times in different colors and styles.”

PhotoChromeleon builds off of the team’s previous system, “ColorMod,” which uses a 3-D printer to fabricate items that can change their color. Frustrated by some of the limitations of this project, such as small color scheme and low-resolution results, the team decided to investigate potential updates.

With ColorMod, each pixel on an object needed to be printed, so the resolution of each tiny little square was somewhat grainy. As far as colors, each pixel of the object could only have two states: transparent and its own color. So, a blue dye could only go from blue to transparent when activated, and a yellow dye could only show yellow.

But with PhotoChromeleon’s ink, you can create anything from a zebra pattern to a sweeping landscape to multicolored fire flames, with a larger host of colors.

The team created the ink by mixing cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY) photochromic dyes into a single sprayable solution, eliminating the need to painstakingly 3-D print individual pixels. By understanding how each dye interacts with different wavelengths, the team was able to control each color channel through activating and deactivating with the corresponding light sources.

Specifically, they used three different lights with different wavelengths to eliminate each primary color separately. For example, if you use a blue light, it would mostly be absorbed by the yellow dye and be deactivated, and magenta and cyan would remain, resulting in blue. If you use a green light, magenta would mostly absorb it and be deactivated, and then both yellow and cyan would remain, resulting in green.

After coating an object using the solution, the user simply places the object inside a box with a projector and UV light. The UV light saturates the colors from transparent to full saturation, and the projector desaturates the colors as needed. Once the light has activated the colors, the new pattern appears. But if you aren’t satisfied with the design, all you have to do is use the UV light to erase it, and you can start over.

They also developed a user interface to automatically process designs and patterns that go onto desired items. The user can load up their blueprint, and the program generates the mapping onto the object before the light works its magic.

The team tested the system on a car model, a phone case, a shoe, and a little (toy) chameleon. Depending on the shape and orientation of the object, the process took anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes, and the patterns all had high resolutions and could be successfully erased when desired.

“By giving users the autonomy to individualize their items, countless resources could be preserved, and the opportunities to creatively change your favorite possessions are boundless,” says MIT Professor Stefanie Mueller.

While PhotoChromeleon opens up a much larger color gamut, not all colors were represented in the photochromic dyes. For example, there was no great match for magenta or cyan, so the team had to estimate to the closest dye. They plan to expand on this by collaborating with material scientists to create improved dyes.

“We believe incorporation of novel, multi-photochromic inks into traditional materials can add value to Ford products by reducing the cost and time required for fabricating automotive parts,” says Alper Kiziltas, technical specialist of sustainable and emerging materials at Ford Motor Co. (Ford has been working with MIT on the ColorMod 3-D technology through an alliance collaboration.) “This ink could reduce the number of steps required for producing a multicolor part, or improve the durability of the color from weathering or UV degradation. One day, we might even be able to personalize our vehicles on a whim.”

Jin and Mueller co-authored the paper alongside CSAIL postdocs Isabel Qamar and Michael Wessely. MIT undergraduates Aradhana Adhikari and Katarina Bulovic also contributed, as well as former MIT postdoc Parinya Punpongsanon.

Adhikari received the Morais and Rosenblum Best UROP Award for her contributions to the project.

Ford Motor Co. provided financial support, and permission to publish was granted by the Ford Research and Innovation Center.

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Uncovering links between architecture, politics, and society

A building is many things: a stylistic statement, a form shaped to its function, and a reflection of its era.

To MIT architectural historian Timothy Hyde, a building represents something else as well.

“Every building is ultimately a compromise,” says Hyde. “It’s a compromise between the intentions of architects, the capacities of builders, economics, politics, the people who use the building, the people who paid for the building. It’s a compromise of many, many inputs.”

Even when architecture is stylish and trend-setting, then, buildings are developed within political, legal, and technological limits. And Hyde, formerly a practicing architect himself, has built a niche for himself at MIT as a scholar exploring those issues.

In a relatively short span, Hyde, an associate professor at MIT, has written two books on the relationship between architecture and society, one exploring modernism and democracy in 20th century Cuba, and the other looking at the connections between architecture and power in modern Britain.

In both, Hyde, whose sharp archival work matches his grasp of buildings, shows how buildings have co-evolved along with the political and legal practices of the contemporary world.

“I really think about myself first as a historian of modernity,” Hyde explains. “Architectural history is the particular vehicle that I use to explore the history of modernity.”

The writing on the wall

Hyde grew up in New York City’s Greenwich Village and double-majored in English and architecture at Yale University. He then received a master of architecture degree from Princeton University and became a practicing architect, mostly working on residences. But he kept writing about architecture, a fairly common practice in the field.

“In architecture, as a profession, writing has always been a companion to the building,” Hyde says. “Many architects write.” But before long, he says, “I just had a recognition that the ideas I wanted to explore were best expressed through writing, as opposed to through building.”

At about the same time, Hyde was teaching a course at Northeastern University and soon realized he wanted to fully commit to the academic life.

“Instead of trying to write alongside my practice, I realized at that point I wanted to flip the two around and focus on writing as a historian, and to be able to teach and work in academia but still remain engaged in a contemporary conversation about architecture,” Hyde says.

Hyde thus returned to school, earning his PhD at Harvard University. He sought out an academic position, and at MIT, has landed in the Program in History, Theory, and Criticism, a highly active group of architectural and art historians within the School of Architecture and Planning.

“We’re a humanities discipline, but we’re affiliated very tightly to a professional practice that is itself a composite of art and engineering,” Hyde says. “So the role of the historian within the architecture program is a very broad one. We can talk about many facets of buildings.”

Cuba, Britain, and … the South Pole?

One hallmark of architectural history at MIT is geographic scope: Professors at the Institute have often made a point of examining the subject in global terms. Hyde takes that approach as well.

Hyde’s 2012 book on Cuba — “Constitutional Modernism: Architecture and Civil Society in Cuba, 1933-1959” — stemmed from his realization that Cuba at the time “was an incredibly exciting and fertile place for cultural exchanges and avant-garde aesthetics, and had an economic boom that allowed the commissioning of very innovative projects.”

When Cuba drafted a new constitution in the 1940s, philosophers, artists, and writers were a part of the process. Architectural thinking, Hyde contends, was an integral part of the planning and vision of the country — although that became discarded after Cuba’s communist revolution of the late 1950s.

“I wrote about the relationship between a national project that was being articulated in political and legal terms, and a national project that was being articulated in terms of architecture and planning,” Hyde says.

His book on Britain — “Ugliness and Judgment,” published in 2019 — explores several distinct episodes in which aesthetic disagreements over architecture in London helped produce modern social and legal practices. For instance, Britain’s libel law took shape in response to failed lawsuits filed by Sir John Soane, whose early 19th-century buildings were the object of stinging put-downs from critics.

Moreover, in Britain, environmental science and policy have important roots in a controversy of the Houses of Parliament, rebuilt in stone in the 1840s. When the parliament building quickly became smothered in soot, it instigated a decades-long process in which the country gradually charted out new antipollution laws.

Hyde is currently working on a third book project, which looks at the historical legacy of buildings that have vanished, from Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond to shelters in Antarctica. Their presence as architectural objects was crucial to the people who inhabited them; Hyde is exploring how this shapes our understanding of the history surrounding them.

“Thoreau’s cabin at Walden has an enormous textual presence, but it has virtually no physical presence,” Hyde says. “If the architecture is so central to Thoreau’s book, yet no longer has a presence as a material object, how should architectural history approach that?”

Working well with others

Beyond his own work, Hyde has helped establish a new, cooperative group of scholars in his field, the Aggregate Architectural History Collaborative.

The group holds workshops and produces published volumes and pamphlets in architectural history, to aid scholars who often work in isolation. Their edited volume, “Governing by Design: Architecture, Economy, and Politics in the Twentieth Century,” was published by the University of Pittsburgh Press.

The idea, Hyde says, is “to try to allow for a collaborative conversation that is otherwise not cultivated very strongly within the field.” The group’s in-depth workshops provide scholars with substantive feedback about works in progress.

“Having a workshop where you can spend two days talking about each other’s work is an enormous luxury, and something that I have not experienced elsewhere in our field,” Hyde says.

Scholars participating in the collaborative can thus can enjoy a win-win situation, pursuing their own work while getting help from others. Perhaps every building is a compromise — but architectural history don’t have to be one.

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Using rigorous evaluation to reduce and prevent homelessness in North America

For millions of people in the United States, the struggle for stable housing both shapes and is shaped by numerous factors, such as employment opportunities and wages, housing market dynamics, access to health care, financial stability, and involvement with the criminal justice system. In the United States, more than 500,000 people experience homelessness on a given night, and 1.4 million people pass through emergency shelters in a given year. Many more individuals experience housing instability in other, often uncounted forms, whether living doubled up with friends or family, living in temporary accommodations such as motels, or living under threat of eviction.

The scope and complexity of housing instability and homelessness in the United States highlight the need for rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of strategies to prevent and reduce homelessness. Each year, billions of dollars in public financial resources are devoted to combatting housing instability, between federal expenditures and additional spending within local jurisdictions. It is critical that these resources fund policies and programs that will efficiently help to end homelessness.

In the past few decades, many organizations have shifted the types of services offered to individuals and families experiencing housing instability to prioritize immediate housing, referred to as a Housing First approach. Evidence played a fundamental role in building support for this new model from the beginning, with several randomized evaluations demonstrating that a Housing First approach could more effectively house people experiencing chronic homelessness than shelter-based approaches.

While the rigorous evidence on the Housing First model and other approaches to reducing and preventing homlessnesss provides a start, open questions remain as to effectiveness of the current organization of homelessness programs in North America. How can rigorous evaluation continue to drive improvements to policies and services aimed at helping people experiencing housing instability access and maintain stable, affordable housing?

To answer this question, J-PAL North America released an Evidence Review summarizing results from 40 rigorous evaluations of 18 distinct programs related to homelessness prevention and reduction. The publication focuses mainly on questions that can be answered through rigorous impact evaluation methods and outlines a research agenda for additional evaluation based on a recently released academic working paper on homelessness, “Reducing and Preventing Homelessness: A Review of the Evidence and Charting a Research Agenda,” by William Evans (University of Notre Dame), David Phillips (University of Notre Dame), and Krista Ruffini (University of California at Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy).

The body of evidence suggests some areas of promise, but demonstrates that additional research on the effectiveness of other strategies to reduce homelessness is needed.

First, homelessness prevention is an area that demands more rigorous evaluation. An existing body of research demonstrates that emergency financial assistance and more comprehensive interventions that provide a range of financial assistance, counseling, and legal supports can prevent homelessness among families at risk of eviction. Additionally, legal representation for tenants at risk of losing their homes holds promise for reducing evictions. However, more research is needed on how prevention programs can best be delivered and targeted towards those most in need.

Second, permanent supportive housing programs, which provide long-term housing support and wrap-around services with no preconditions, can increase housing stability for veterans and individuals with severe mental illness. Based on the body of rigorous evidence behind Housing First approaches to homelessness reduction, many organizations have shifted toward this model of intensive assistance, and away from the traditional model of requiring preconditions, such as sobriety and employment, before obtaining permanent housing. However, there has been little rigorous evaluation of the impact of permanent supportive housing programs for other groups of people.

Third, although rapid re-housing is a potentially cost-effective solution to provide immediate access to housing, there is limited evidence on the impacts of rapid re-housing on long-term housing stability. Rapid re-housing aims to house people experiencing homelessness as quickly as possible by providing short-term rental assistance and services to help households overcome barriers to long-term housing stability.

Fourth, subsidized long-term housing assistance in the form of housing vouchers helps low-income families avoid homelessness and stay stably housed. The federally subsidized housing program with the most rigorous evidence to date is the Housing Choice Voucher program. Also known as Section 8, the program provides eligible low-income households with rental assistance to pay for private-market housing in units that they select.

The publication also identifies existing gaps in the literature and outlines key open questions about the effectiveness of strategies to reduce and prevent homelessness to consider going forward. For instance, it is important to rigorously test the impact of existing programs with a limited evidence base, such as rapid re-housing. Additional questions remain on how homelessness programs and services affect non-housing related outcomes and how best to design and target services to maximize potential impact.

To help answer these questions, J-PAL North America’s work on homelessness seeks to expand the base of rigorous evidence on strategies to reduce and prevent homelessness and promote housing stability by partnering directly with nonprofits and government agencies.

Organizations interested in being paired with researchers to rigorously evaluate strategies to ameliorate homelessness are encouraged to contact project manager Rohit Naimpally. J-PAL North America may be able to offer technical assistance, matchmaking with researchers, and funding to cover the cost of an evaluation. For more information, please see our Housing Stability Evaluation Incubator.

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South Africa: Nigeria to repatriate 600 citizens amid violence

A wave of attacks on foreign-owned businesses in South Africa has left at least 10 dead.

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Coach Parent Company Tapestry Names New, Black CEO

Kawhi Leonard’s sister arrested and charged with the murder of 84-year-old woman

The sister of NBA star Kawhi Leonard has been arrested and charged with the brutal murder of an 84-year-old woman.

—LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard gives away 1 million backpacks to kids in need—

Kimesha Williams is reportedly Leonard’s sibling, according to Williams’s aunt Denise Woodard.

Williams and another woman, Candace Townsel, 39, have been accused of killing Afaf Anis Assad inside a bathroom at the Pechanga Resort Casino in California on Aug. 31, according to police.

Assad reportedly died four days after she was brutally assaulted. Williams and Townsel have been charged with murder and robbery, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

The Pechanga Resort Casino released a statement saying: “We are absolutely saddened over this incident and are praying for the victim and her family. The suspects were quickly identified through surveillance footage and the information was immediately provided to law enforcement,” Munoa said.

“We pride ourselves on putting the safety of our guests and Team Members first and are fully cooperating with law enforcement to bring these perpetrators to justice.”

According to the Press-Enterprises, the suspects stole the elderly woman’s purse, which reportedly contained $1,200.

—Big Sean donates $100K recording studio to Detroit Boys and Girls Club—

Leonard has yet to release a statement.

“He didn’t have anything to do with this,” Woodard told the newspaper.

Leonard recently signed with the Los Angeles Clippers after an impressive NBA Championship win with the Toronto Raptors.

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Kevin Hart is reportedly walking and on the road to recovery after horrific car crash

Kevin’s Hart on the road to recovery after a severe car crash and is reportedly exercising his limbs as he begins therapy by walking around.

—Let’s discuss why Kevin Hart gaslighting Lil Nas X is so infuriating—

Although Hart is getting his rehab in at a local hospital in Cali, he is reportedly walking slowly and gently as he builds up his strength but he’s still is excruciating pain, The NY Daily News reports.

Hart’s lucky to be alive, according to reports, after he was a passenger in a horrific car crash in Calabasas and his vehicle tumbled over several times. Hart’s vehicle, a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, reportedly was driven by Jared Black, and plummeted off the side of the road into an embankment. Rebecca Broxterman, another passenger reportedly had minor injuries.

It remains unclear how the accident will affect Hart, who has emerged from his roots in standup comedy to become one a major Hollywood star. His next major release, “Jumanji: The Next Level,” is scheduled for release in December.

—Syracuse welcomes Central Park 5 member to coveted campus—

Hart’s team has been mum about his condition, but last week his wife Eniko Hart did say her bruised and banged up husband would be “just fine.”

The accident, which remains under investigation, occurred on a stretch of road in the hills above the city of Malibu.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Majeed Waris: Ghana striker looks ahead after collapsed move to Alaves

Ghana international Majeed Waris is 'looking ahead' following the dramatic collapse of his move to Spanish club Alaves, according to the striker's agent.

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Star Wars News: Those Bad 'Rise of Skywalker' Rumors Are False

It's not being rewritten. Sorry, haters.

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Amazon Employees Will Walk Out Over Climate Change Inaction

The planned event will mark the first time in Amazon's 25-year history that workers at the company's Seattle headquarters have participated in a strike.

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Red Flag Laws Are Red Herrings of Gun Control

Opinion: There’s little data on the effectiveness of mental health reporting laws, and we’re being distracted from measures we know will save lives.

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Unusual Fluids Flip, Twirl, and Redefine How Liquids Work

New shape-shifting liquids can move or morph on command. One scientist even used them to make liquid cables for his headphones.

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China Has an Ecommerce Giant You’ve Never Heard Of

Pinduoduo draws shoppers outside China's big cities with low-priced goods. It trails only Alibaba in number of users, and has a larger market cap than eBay.

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Angela Bassett preaches about the power of purpose for epic Black Girls Rock speech

In all her fabulousness, ageless actress Angela Bassett stood on the Black Girls Rock stage and accepted the Icon Award and served up a heartfelt lesson and powerful speech about what it means to walk in your purpose.

—Ageless beauty Angela Bassett admits she’s gotten a ‘little bit’ of Botox—

On Sunday, BET aired the BGR ceremony, created by DJ Beverly Bond, and gives voice to the excellence Black women share with the world across the disciplines of music, entertainment, education and more.

Bassett was the recipient of the Icon Award, and shared the ups and especially the downs she experienced despite attaining critical acclaim for tackling roles like playing Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It. Still, Bassett said her phone stopped ringing and she had to dig deep and walk in her purpose. Through it all she said she maintained her integrity and refused to compromise on that.

“My purpose as a Black woman, as an actress, has always been to portray excellence on the screen, to be proud, unapologetic and without regret,” the Black Panther actress said.

“It hasn’t always been easy, and there have been tough times, days when the phone didn’t ring, even after ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It.’ As well as moments of uncertainty and doubt,” she said. “But what women like my mother, Betty Jane, and my Aunt Golden taught me was that there will be times when you seem to face insurmountable obstacles but that’s when you dig deep into your soul with confidence and fortitude.”

“We have much work to do and, together, we are unstoppable,” she said. “Always remember that our voices, the very power that we hold individually, and all of us collectively, it does matter. Now is not the time to be silent. Find your purpose, pursue it relentlessly, passionately and loudly. Be persistent and win.”

.@ImAngelaBassett gives her acceptance speech at #BlackGirlsRock! pic.twitter.com/MeTeY7cPnA
— BET (@BET) September 9, 2019

Basset, who was introduced by Oscar winning actress Regina King, gave thanks to her family for “giving me the opportunity and the space to be a Black girl who rocks.”

She also gave a nod to Bond, BET and trailblazing women in history, Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King and yes, Tina Turner.

—Angela Bassett is awesome in Netflix’s touching comedy ‘Otherhood’—

Bassett then took it there when she preached about the nasty rhetoric, typical of Trump and white supremacists, of being told to go back to where you came from.

“So when you’re told you’re not good enough, you tell them, not only am I good enough, I’m more than good enough,” she said. “When they say send her back home, you tell them I am home. I am the foundation of what you call home. When they tell you that you’re angry or nasty, you tell them that they’re mistaken. This is me. This is me being resolute and standing firmly in my truth. And when they say you’re not beautiful, you tell them that you are the descendant of royalty.”

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Syracuse welcomes Central Park 5 member to coveted campus

Through the eyes of a 14-year-old with a love of basketball and the trumpet in 1989, Syracuse University had everything Kevin Richardson would ever want in a college: Big East idols like Dwayne “Pearl” Washington and Derrick Coleman, along with the spirited band that played at games.

“All of my friends, we all had different teams and mine was Syracuse,” Richardson says today, 30 years removed from those days as a youngster in New York City. “I just had a love for Syracuse.”

Any dreams he had of attending would come to a sudden end that year, when he and four friends were convicted of a rape in Central Park they never committed. As one of the “Central Park Five,” Richardson spent his high school and would-be college years in prison.
To this day, as a 44-year-old father of two, he’s never set foot on the Syracuse campus.
He aims to change that this weekend when he accepts the university’s invitation to visit and lend his name to a scholarship.

A separate student-led effort is pushing for an honorary degree.

“My main goal is just to visit the campus. Anything that happens beyond that is like a bonus,” Richardson said by phone before the visit. “I’m just thrilled just to be connected to the university 30 years later.”

The connection grew out of the recent four-part Netflix series “When They See Us” and a related interview with Oprah Winfrey, where Richardson talked about his dream of playing trumpet in the Syracuse University band.

The series introduced the saga of the Central Park Five to a new generation of justice-minded young people, many of whom weren’t born when it was playing out, Richardson said. Details of the questionable police practices that led to the convictions of Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise, all black and Latino teenagers, in the rape of a white woman still resonate today, he said.

The five were exonerated after spending between five and 13 years in prison.

“Now, when they see ‘When they See Us,’ it becomes fresh to them, the story. The story has been around for 30 years, and even before that, and the same thing is still happening,” Richardson said. “So I think kids now are very eager to do something.”

Student Jalen Nash’s petition to award an honorary degree had nearly 6,000 signatures ahead of Richardson’s visit.

“While this dream could never be fulfilled due to circumstance, it is never too late to do the right thing,” Nash wrote.

In the meantime, while on campus with his wife, Johansy, Sunday and Monday, Richardson will meet with beneficiaries of the Our Time Has Come Scholarship program, which will name one of its scholarships for him. He will also talk with student athletes and musicians — though he says it’s been too long since he’s played to join them on trumpet this visit.

“When I was incarcerated, I always thought about what could have happened, so it will be bittersweet because I know that, wow, this could have been me when I was younger on campus,” he said. “But just to be there will surpass the negative things that happened to me in my childhood.”

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South Africa: Two dead in new bout of mob violence

Violence erupted after a rally on Sunday called to ease tensions over recent xenophobic attacks.

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Robert Mugabe died a 'very bitter' man, nephew says

The long-time Zimbabwean leader was "bitter" about being ousted in 2017, a relative tells the BBC.

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Today’s Cartoon: The Four Horsemen of Procrastination

Apocalypse later.

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The Lovability of Malcolm Gladwell: A Gladwellian Analysis

In which the journalist's podcast and new book, *Talking to Strangers*, are reviewed on his own terms.

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Let's All Just Chill About Processed Foods

Processed foods are bad for you, right? So super-processed, plant-based meat must be terrible, right? Not so fast on either count.

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How to Watch Apple’s 2019 iPhone Announcement

The next iPhone (and a lot of other stuff) will be unveiled Tuesday. Here's how to tune in.

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Gaborone United coach Madinda Ndlovu 'stable' after collapsing in training

Former Zimbabwe coach, Madinda Ndlovu, is in a 'stable condition' in hospital after collapsing during a training session at his club Gaborone United in Botswana.

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Dino Maamria: Stevenage sack Tunisian; Mark Sampson takes temporary charge

Stevenage sack manager Dino Maamria and put former England Women's coach Mark Sampson in caretaker charge.

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Sunday, September 8, 2019

Defeat malaria in a generation - here's how

The world could be free of malaria by 2050, says a major report that sets out the road to eradication.

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MIT named No. 3 university by U.S. News for 2020

For a second year in a row, U.S. News and World Report has placed MIT third in its annual rankings of the nation’s best colleges and universities, which were announced today. Columbia University and Yale University also share the No. 3 ranking.

MIT’s engineering program continues to top the magazine’s list of undergraduate engineering programs at a doctoral institution. The Institute also placed first in six out of 12 engineering disciplines. No other institution is No. 1 in more than two disciplines.

MIT also remains the No. 2 undergraduate business program. Among business subfields, MIT is ranked No. 1 in two specialties.

In the overall institutional rankings, U.S. News placed Princeton University in the No. 1 spot, followed by Harvard University.

MIT ranks as the third most innovative university in the nation, according to the U.S. News peer assessment survey of top academics. And it’s fourth on the magazine’s list of national universities that offer students the best value, based on the school’s ranking and the net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid, and other variables.

MIT placed first in six engineering specialties: aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering; chemical engineering; computer engineering; electrical/electronic/communication engineering; materials engineering; and mechanical engineering. It placed second in biomedical engineering.

Other schools in the top five overall for undergraduate engineering programs are Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, Caltech, and Georgia Tech.

Among undergraduate business specialties, the MIT Sloan School of Management leads in production/operations management and in quantitative analysis/methods. It ranks second in entrepreneurship and in management information systems.

The No. 1-ranked undergraduate business program overall is at the University of Pennsylvania; other schools ranking in the top five include Berkeley, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, New York University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Texas at Austin.

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Letter from Africa: 'I gave up on catching the train in Ethiopia'

Ethiopia is hugely proud of its new Chinese-built railway - but it is surprisingly difficult to buy a ticket.

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New York man wrongfully convicted of murder is finally free

It took 24 years, but Sundhe Moses is finally free.

Moses was just 19 years old when he was forced into confessing to a crime that he never committed. At the time, the teenager said Louis Scarcella, a New York police detective who has had more than a dozen cases connected to him that were later overturned, beat him until he confessed to the Brooklyn drive-by shooting that claimed the life of a young girl in August 1995.

Moses, who was in community college at the time and the father of an 8-month-old boy, was convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, according to ABC News.

Although Moses was exonerated for the murder of four-year-old Shamone Johnson last year, he still had a felony on his record due to an additional sentence of promoting prison contraband. He received the charge and conviction after he was found to have a marijuana cigarette that contained traces of heroin while serving time for the murder.

“I was going back and forth to court fighting a case, again. Riding back and forth from prison to court, shackled, I can’t describe it,” Moses told ABC News about the additional charge. “I just copped out … it’s not like I knew when I was going home.”

On Friday, prosecutors finally dropped the drug charge under the argument that had Moses not been wrongfully convicted for the young girl’s murder, he would not have been in prison to accrue a new charge.

“The system encountered someone who has been exonerated for a charge, but while in prison for a case they were wrongfully in prison for, they picked up another conviction,” Moses told ABC News. “There wasn’t any case law similar to give a judge direction on how the case should be litigated.”

Moses’ lawyers Kuby and Rhiya Trivedi filed a motion early this year to have Moses’ guilty plea in the promoting prison contraband case thrown out.

“This situation presents the extremely rare case in which the Court cannot say the defendant would have entered a guilty plea to the crime of attempted promoting prison contraband in the first degree had it not been for the conviction on the murder charge,” wrote Clinton County Court Judge Keith M. Bruno in his written decision granting the motion.

Persistent prosecutors instead asked Moses if he would plead guilty to a misdemeanor
instead of a felony, Kuby told ABC News on Friday.

“I wasn’t comfortable with that. What if I had a dream to get into politics tomorrow? A
misdemeanor or not, I don’t need that on my record,” Moses told the news outlet.

“As a Black person they think it’s OK to have that on your record. They don’t see it as you shouldn’t have it at all,” Moses explained to ABC News. “They looked at it as ‘Just take it, you’re out, you’re free,’ but I looked at it from a whole other perspective.”

On Friday, Clinton County prosecutors dropped the drug charge “in the interest of justice,” according to Kuby.

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Nicki Minaj apologizes to Barbz, says she will explain her retirement on Queen Radio

Nicki Minaj took to Twitter to elaborate on her shocking tweet last week that she was hanging up her mic to have a family.

Minaj abruptly called it quits last week in a surprising tweet: “I’ve decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, in the box- cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love you for LIFE,” she wrote, according to HollywoodLife.

In a new tweet, the “Hot Girl Summer” rapper apologized to her distraught Barbz fans and revealed that she would be giving them more details in a Queen Radio discussion.

“I’m still right here. Still madly in love with you guys & you know that. In hindsight, this should’ve been a Queen Radio discussion & it will be. I promise u guys will be happy. No guests, just us talking about everything. The tweet was abrupt & insensitive, I apologize babe,” Minaj tweeted, ending with the heart and prayer hand emojis.

I’m still right here. Still madly in love with you guys & you know that. In hindsight, this should’ve been a Queen Radio discussion & it will be. I promise u guys will be happy. No guests, just us talking about everything. The tweet was abrupt & insensitive, I apologize babe ♥️🙏 https://t.co/eS0oHipwtg
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 6, 2019

Nicki, 36, plans to start a family with Kenneth Petty, 41, whom she has been dating since last December, though the pair has known each other since they were teenagers, according to HollywoodLife. The couple filed for a marriage license last month, and it is unclear whether they have already married. Nicki changed her Twitter handle to Mrs. Petty recently and she calls Kenneth her “husband” on social media posts.

A source told HollywoodLife that once Nicki does the radio discussion, her fans will see that she isn’t really retiring.

“Nicki spoke too soon on a full retirement because she loves doing music way too much to retire. Nicki wants to be a mom, wants to get married, and wants that life, but she also wants the life of rap star that she worked so hard for,” the source explained to HollywoodLife.

“She is looking to take some time off, but to fully retire isn’t going to happen. Her fans should expect her to take a bit of a break but not to be completely finished making music,” the source added. “She will be back. How many artists have said that they are retiring or going to stop touring and then come back bigger and better than ever? Tons! And it is the same case for Nicki. She’s not retiring permanently; it’s just a bunch of hot air!”

Nicki Minaj’s rep didn’t respond to a request for comment from HollywoodLife.

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OPINION: Liberation, violence and the complex legacy of Robert Mugabe

The death of 95-year-old former president Robert Mugabe has taken me down memory lane.

I remember running outside in celebration as an 18-year-old freshman at Syracuse University in 1980, waving a copy of The New York Times that carried the story of Zimbabwe’s independence.

African Liberation

Mugabe was one of the great heroes of African liberation alongside Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere, Patrice Lumumba, Samora Machel, Amilcar Cabral and others. He was also one of the most intelligent and articulate leaders. His legacy will be a mixed one because he clung on too long to power.

When he was imprisoned in the 1960s for his activism in White-ruled Rhodesia, Mugabe used the incarceration to earn multiple degrees through correspondence courses.

When he escaped into exile he led his Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) party and its military arm. His counterpart in the struggle was Joshua Nkomo, who led Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu). The two teamed their forces to fight against the racist regime, under the banner The Patriotic Front.

I became a big admirer of Mugabe and Nkomo in the 1970s in Tanzania, where my family was exiled to from Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere provided training and other support for Mugabe’s and Nkomo’s guerrilla armies.

Africans, including in Diaspora –African Americans, Caribbean, in Brazil, Europe and elsewhere– rooted for the Patriotic Front. Victory against Ian Smith’s White minority regime in Rhodesia was seen as one-step closer to the big prize; defeating apartheid in South Africa.

When Britain realized that Smith’s regime was about to be defeated, it organized independence talks at Lancaster House in the U.K. This paved the way to elections won by Mugabe in 1980.

Violence and Sanctions

Mugabe invited his sometimes-rival Nkomo into his cabinet. After a falling out between the two, Mugabe unleashed the army on Nkomo’s stronghold of Matabeleland region, ostensibly to quell rebellion. Between 1983 and 1987, thousands of civilians —some reports say tens of thousands— were massacred. This episode tarnished Mugabe’s reputation to many Pan-Africans.

During the Lancaster House negotiations Britain had pledged funding to help the post-independence government buy the land from White farmers under a policy called willing-buyer, willing-seller. There were not many willing-sellers; Whites didn’t want to surrender their privilege. When a new government came into power in Britain in 1997 under Tony Blair, it ended financing of the purchase of land. Mugabe’s government said it couldn’t justify paying White settlers for land that their ancestors stole when the country was colonized in the 19th century. The government encouraged land seizures; they were often violent and some White farmers died.

Africans won back their land. This is a feat not yet accomplished even in South Africa where, 25 years after the end of apartheid, whites, who make up less than 10% of the population own 72% of private farmland.

Relations between Zimbabwe and Blaire’s government deteriorated. Later, Blair even tried to get South Africa to support an invasion of Zimbabwe. Britain, supported by the U.S., then imposed debilitating sanctions on Zimbabwe. The sanctions cut off Zimbabwe from foreign credit sources including loans from The World Bank and support from the IMF. The country was unable to import products ranging from medicines, machinery for factories, and other essential products.

A Complicated Reputation

During one of his addresses to the United Nations General Assembly, Mugabe famously declared, “We are not Europeans, we have not asked for any inch of Europe; any square inch of that territory. So Blair, keep your England and let me keep my Zimbabwe…People must always come first in any process of sustainable development; and let our Africans come first in the development of Africa. Not as puppets, not as beggars, but as a sovereign people.”

These were the kind of declarations that won continued support for Mugabe in the global Pan-African community.

Mugabe was thoroughly demonized in Western media. When he was invited to City Hall in 2002 by City Council-member Charles Barron, scores of reporters came.

Mugabe offered a comprehensive historical account of how the land had been violently stolen by white settlers. In the end, having been schooled, not a single one of the reporters asked him a question.

Back home, the sanctions took a heavy toll and Mugabe was increasingly violent toward the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The economic downslide created hyperinflation, destroying the national currency. By 2015, Zimbabwe had replaced its currency with the U.S. dollar.

An aged and frail Mugabe clung to power. His much younger and ambitious wife, Grace Mugabe, wanted to succeed him as president. There were rumors that she poisoned then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa –he survived– to remove any obstacles. As a power struggle intensified between Ms. Mugabe’s supporters and Mnangagwa’s, the military sided with the Vice President and eased Mugabe out of power.

Mugabe had started out as a hero of African liberation and champion of Pan-Africanism. By wielding power for 37 years, many Zimbabweans who came of age at a later stage will associate the country’s economic demise as his legacy. But millions more will remember the return of the land to Africans.

Ironically his death may now pave the way for the lifting of Western sanctions, which is something Zimbabwe badly needs to restore it’s economy.

Milton Allimadi publishes Black Star News www.blackstarnews.com and is an adjunct professor of African History at John Jay College. He doesn’t believe in geographical boundaries and his motto is “One Africa, United.” He enjoys listening to Malcolm X’s ‘The Ballot or the Bullet Speech’ while doing sit-ups. Follow @allimadi on Twitter.

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University of Alabama dean resigns after past tweets are posted in conservative news article

Just seven months into his role as the dean of students at the University of Alabama, Jamie R. Riley has resigned from his position after some of his past tweets, which criticized the American flag and the often turbulent relationship between police officers and the Black community, were unveiled by ultra-conservative news site Breitbart News.

Riley, who was hired last December as the University of Alabama’s assistant vice president and dean of students, resigned on Thursday. This was one day after Breitbart News published an article detailing some of Riley’s past tweets, according to campus newspaper The Crimson
White. Riley started working for the university in February.

“For us right now, basically all I can tell you is that the University and Dr. Riley have mutually agreed to part ways,” Jackson Fuentes, press secretary for the University of Alabama Student Government Association, told the school newspaper. “So yeah, that’s true, and we do wish him the best.”

Chris Bryant, assistant director of the Division of Strategic Communications, issued an official statement confirming Riley’s resignation.

“Dr. Jamie Riley has resigned his position at The University of Alabama by mutual agreement,” Bryant said in the statement, according to The Crimson White. “Neither party will have any further comments.”

In the Breitbart News article, the reporter pulled an old tweet that Riley put out, which reportedly read: “The [American flag emoji] flag represents a systemic history of racism for my people,” Riley wrote in the tweet. “Police are a part of that system. Is it that hard to see the correlation?”

Fox News host Laura Ingraham tweeted the Breitbart News article to her conservative followers.

Torments from the Twitter Attic: University of Alabama Dean Claimed American Flag, Police are Racist https://t.co/UGdHfj409j
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) September 5, 2019

The Breitbart News article also included an October 2017 tweet, in which Riley said white people have “0 opinion” on racism because white people cannot experience racism.

“I’m baffled about how the first thing white people say is, ‘That’s not racist!’ when they can’t even experience racism,” Riley wrote in the tweet. “You have 0 opinion!”

Prior to working at the University of Alabama, Riley served as the executive director and chief operating officer of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He also previously worked in student affairs and diversity roles at Johns Hopkins University, The University of California-Berkeley and Morehouse College.

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‘This Is Us’ star Susan Kelechi Watson announces her engagement

Couples sue over Virginia marriage license racial identity requirement

More than 50 years after the Supreme Court struck down a Virginia law banning interracial marriage, Virginia is still requiring couples to identify their race before approving marriage licenses — a stipulation that prompted three couples to file a lawsuit against the state.

The couples filed the suit on Thursday in the Eastern District of Virginia, accusing the state requirement of being “offensive,” “unconstitutional” and “reflective of a racist past,” according to NBC News.

Sophie Rogers and her fiancé, Brandyn Churchill — one of the couples in the suit — tried to obtain a marriage license in the Rockbridge Circuit Court clerk’s office but were told that if they failed to list their race, they would not be receiving a marriage license in advance of their Oct. 19 nuptials.

Ashley Ramkishun and her fiancé, Samuel Sarfo, were told the same thing. The couple, who met in Virginia, don’t think it’s right to be forced to divulge their racial identity to get a marriage license, according to the suit.

Couple Amelia Spencer and Kendall Poole also hope to marry in Virginia “but not if [they] must label [themselves] with a race,” NBC News reported from the suit.

So far, all three couples have been denied a marriage license simply because they won’t check a box and state their race, the suit alleges.

“Plaintiffs deem the requirement of racial labeling to be scientifically baseless, misleading, highly controversial, a matter of opinion, practically useless, offensive to human dignity, an invasion of personal privacy compelling an unwanted public categorization of oneself, and reflective of a racist past,” the lawsuit states, according to NBC News.

In the lawsuit, the couples seek “reasonable costs,” which include covering attorney’s fees. In addition, Rogers and Churchill are hoping a judge will prohibit the clerk from denying them a marriage license so that they can still get hitched next month.

Even though the Supreme Court prohibited Virginia from banning interracial marriage in the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case, Virginia is one of eight states that continue to ask couples to list their race before they are allowed to marry, according to the lawsuit. The other states include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Minnesota. In New Hampshire, a court clerk fills out the information pertaining to a couple’s race.

What Virginia needs this information for is anyone’s guess. So much for the idea of a post-racial America.

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2022 World Cup: Liberia through after dramatic penalty save from teenage keeper

18-year-old goalkeeper Ashley Williams is Liberia's hero after he saves a stoppage-time penalty in Sierra Leone to help his country advance in World Cup qualifying.

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2022 World Cup: Tanzania and Ethiopia advance to group phase of qualifiers

Tanzania beat Burundi on penalties to reach the group phase of 2022 World Cup qualifying as Ethiopia advance with an away-goals win over Lesotho.

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South African crowds walk out of anti-xenophobia speech

An attempt to quell this week's anti-foreigner violence is met with heckles followed by a mass walkout.

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Supreme Court Justices tuning in to cable television civil rights lawsuit

WASHINGTON (AP) — Comedian and media mogul Byron Allen wants TV viewers to watch the channels his company produces — from one that runs “Judge Judy”-like shows all day to those dedicated to comedy, cars, food and pets. But while many distributors carry Allen’s channels, two cable giants have refused.

Allen says the reason is that he’s Black, and so he’s sued for racial discrimination. An appeals court has let his lawsuits go forward, but now the Supreme Court will weigh in and could deliver a setback.

The justices will hear arguments Nov. 13 in a $20 billion lawsuit that Allen filed against Comcast, with the outcome also affecting a $10 billion case he has filed against Charter Communications.

If Allen prevails, Black-owned businesses will have an easier time winning suits that allege discrimination in contracting. If Comcast wins, the bar will be high to bring and succeed with similar suits.

The question for the justices is whether Allen needs to show that race was just a factor in Comcast’s decision not to offer him a contract or whether it was the sole factor.

Allen said his case is about getting rid of institutionalized racism. Pursuing that claim, he said, “is one of the greatest things I’ve ever done in my life” and “one of the things I’m most proud of.”

But Comcast says its decision not to carry Allen’s channels has nothing to do with race. Allen’s content is “not particularly original” and “not particularly high quality,” said Comcast lawyer Lynn Charytan, and Comcast simply made an editorial decision not to carry it.

A trial court dismissed Allen’s suit three times before an appeals court, according to Comcast, wrongly let it go forward . The Trump administration has sided with Comcast.

Allen, 58, began his route to media mogul as a child when his family moved from Detroit to Los Angeles. His mother got a job at NBC, which meant Allen hung around the studios. He would see Johnny Carson tape “The Tonight Show” and comedian Flip Wilson rehearse for his variety show.

As a teenager, Allen began doing comedy himself, and he appeared on the “Tonight Show” for the first time when he was 18. That led to a job as a host for reality television forerunner “Real People” while he was a student at the University of Southern California. Ultimately, Allen’s interests turned to the business of television, and in 1993 he founded his own media company.

Today his Los Angeles-based Entertainment Studios has 10 television networks, including Cars.tv, Comedy.tv, Pets.tv, Recipe.tv and JusticeCentral.tv. Last year, he bought The Weather Channel. He also has a movie distribution company.

But Comcast and Charter Communications, the nation’s two largest cable providers, have passed on carrying Allen’s channels. Other distributors including Verizon FIOS do carry the channels. So do the now-merged AT&T and DirecTV after Allen sued them and they settled.

Comcast has called Allen’s suit “a scam,” saying it and others that Allen filed were intended to generate media attention and timed to exploit when the companies were working on mergers. Comcast has noted that Allen originally sued Comcast, but also civil rights groups including the NAACP and National Urban league, saying they had conspired to discriminate against him. Comcast has called the allegations preposterous.

“This is really a run-of-the-mill carriage dispute that has been dressed by Mr. Allen in the garb of racial discrimination for purposes of his own,” said Comcast lawyer Miguel Estrada.

But Skip Miller, one of Allen’s lawyers, said Allen’s channels are “perfectly good channels” and “popular programming in many areas.” Miller said he cannot see any legitimate reason that Comcast and Charter would refuse to carry them.

“There’s no reason, no reason in our opinion, other than he’s black,” Miller said.

Allen sued Comcast in 2015, pointing to Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 . Enacted a year after the Civil War ended, the law bars racial discrimination, saying all people should have “the same right … to make and enforce contracts … as is enjoyed by white citizens.”

Allen and his lawyers argue that to sue under the law and win, he only needs to show that his race played a factor in Comcast’s decision not to offer him a contract. Comcast says Allen has to demonstrate that he didn’t get a contract solely because of his race.

No matter what the justices decide, Allen is prepared to make either argument and for the case to continue after the Supreme Court’s decision, his lawyer said. This past week he got support from the Los Angeles Urban League, which threatened Comcast with a boycott and other action if it doesn’t drop the case.

“This case is bigger than me,” Allen said.

Along with the properties mentioned in the article above, theGrio.com is also owned and operated by Entertainment Studios.

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Claudio Ranieri in race to take over as new Guinea coach

Former Chelsea and Leicester City coach Claudio Ranieri is shortlisted for the vacant position of Guinea national coach.

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Imagine the Views From This Italian-Designed Swiss Train

Italian design firm Pininfarina has designed the new rail cars with nearly floor-to-ceiling windows for a line in the Swiss Alps.

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The Boston Straight Pride Parade Tops This Week's Internet News Roundup

Also, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a very bad week and Walmart took a stand to curb gun violence.

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Kenyan Brigid Kosgei sets half marathon record

Mo Farah wins a record sixth consecutive Great North Run, while Brigid Kosgei sets a new half marathon world record to win the women's race.

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8 Best Electric Bikes for Every Kind of Ride (2019)

We've tested ebikes for commuting, mountain biking, gravel, and even a few that can fold up. These are our favorites.

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Are We All Wrong About Black Holes?

A philosopher of science worries that the analogy between black holes and thermodynamics has been stretched too far.

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2022 World Cup: Botswana held 0-0 by Malawi at home in first leg of qualifier

Botswana are held 0-0 by Malawi on Saturday as home sides continue to struggle in 2022 World Cup first round first leg qualifiers across Africa.

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Concerning Consent, Chappelle, and Canceling Cancel Culture

Dave Chappelle hates cancel culture. Some people have canceled him. Should we just cancel cancel culture already?

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Huge crowds attend Pope's mass in Madagascar

Many of the worshippers brave the cold and wind, spending nights outdoors ahead of his arrival.

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World Cup qualifying: Somalia national team's history-making driving instructor

Somalia defender and Manchester driving instructor Mohamud Ali was part of one of the biggest upsets in the history of international football.

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Saturday, September 7, 2019

Samson Ebukam: 'American football helped me fight racism in US'

Samson Ebukam is a Nigerian-born American football player who used sport to overcome bullying in US.

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Nigeria: Why is it struggling to meet its tax targets?

Nigeria says more people than ever are paying tax - but government revenues are not growing

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GM's Search for In-Car Tech Lands on Google

The automaker and the tech giant say Google's Android software will underpin the infotainment systems in future GM cars.

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Letter regarding action on the Media Lab

The following email was sent today to the MIT community by President L. Rafael Reif.

To the members of the MIT community,

Last night, The New Yorker published an article that contains deeply disturbing allegations about the engagement between individuals at the Media Lab and Jeffrey Epstein.

Because the accusations in the story are extremely serious, they demand an immediate, thorough and independent investigation. This morning, I asked MIT’s General Counsel to engage a prominent law firm to design and conduct this process. I expect the firm to conduct this review as swiftly as possible, and to report back to me and to the Executive Committee of the MIT Corporation, MIT’s governing board.

This afternoon, Joi Ito submitted his resignation as Director of the Media Lab and as a professor and employee of the Institute.

As I described in my previous letter, the acceptance of the Epstein gifts involved a mistake of judgment. We are actively assessing how best to improve our policies, processes and procedures to fully reflect MIT’s values and prevent such mistakes in the future. Our internal review process continues, and what we learn from it will inform the path ahead.

Sincerely,

L. Rafael Reif

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Black Biz Excellence: Blended Designs brings fashion and empowerment to bookbags

NeNe Leakes and Cynthia Bailey spotted in reportedly heated conversation while filming RHOA season 12

MLK’s daughter reacts to GOP leader saying ““I Bet MLK Wishes He’d Had a Sniper by His Side That Day”

An official of the Republican party is receiving backlash after saying that Martin Luther King Jr. would have wanted someone armed with him the day he was assassinated.

In a Facebook post Kristina Cook, chairman of the Denver Republican Party wrote, “I Bet MLK Wishes he’d Had A Sniper by his Side That Day,” reports Newsweek.

The post after someone on Facebook posted an old photo of her with a gun. The comment stated that it’s no wonder Cook was unwanted at Denver’s MLK march and that MLK would not approve of the firearm, Colorado Times Recorder reported.

But the conversation didn’t stop there. Bernice King, daughter of the late Dr. King, responded on Twitter by saying: “Listen to his speech, ‘I’ve Been To The Mountaintop,’ delivered the evening before he was assassinated. My father knew his time on earth was short. He stood by his nonviolent philosophy. He would not have wanted a gun battle on his behalf. Don’t use him for this.”

One person even took to twitter to express their criticism of Cook’s comment.

My understanding of the late Dr. King was that he would stand bravely for what he believed was right, without advocating violence or armed conflict. That ignorant tweet was directed at bigots who wish he'd never existed, descendants of bigots who wanted him gone from the start.
— Ruh Roh (@03purplejazzMIM) September 5, 2019

Cook released a statement saying, “Regardless of the context of the conversation, my comment about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. drew the attention of Dr. Bernice King. Her tweet helped me understand that while I wish that he’d had a protective detail on that day so that he’d still be with us, that would not have been her father’s wish. I have reached out privately to Dr. King to thank her for helping me understand her father’s perspective. I will also be issuing a public response to her tweet following an opportunity to speak with her further.”

“We could use Dr. Martin Luther King’s presence in this divided world. Doctored memes like the one being circulated of me only serve to increase the division, when in a case like this both sides share the same ultimate respect for Dr. King. The Denver County Republican Party will continue to reach a hand over that divide in the hopes that we can join others looking to find unity, peace, and healing for our community.”

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Berry Gordy Donates $4 Million to Motown Museum

As reported by Billboard, Motown legend Berry Gordy has donated $4 million to Motown Museum’s expansion project. The money donated by Gordy will help fund a targeted $50 million, 50,000-square-foot complex at the Hitsville, U.S.A. site in Detroit.

The Motown Museum is located in the Motor City building where Gordy started and built his legendary music label, Motown Records. As of last year, a total of around $18 million was raised.

“I’m excited about the future of Motown Museum and happy to support it,” Gordy said in a release. “Not only will the expanded museum entertain and tell the stories of talented and creative people who succeeded against all odds, but it will also inspire and create opportunity for people to explore their dreams the way I did mine. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of that.”

Gordy launched Motown in 1959. He then moved the label to Los Angeles in 1972 and sold the label in 1988. Esther Gordy Edwards, his late sister, founded Motown Museum in the former “Hitsville U.S.A.” headquarters on West Grand Boulevard in 1985.

Museum chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry, who is the grand-niece of Gordy, says, “There would be no Motown legacy, Motown Sound, or Motown Museum without Berry Gordy. He has given the world a soundtrack to live by; Detroit a legacy of pride; and our youth an example of entrepreneurial and creative excellence,” Terry says in the release. She also called the donation “transformative and generous.”

Gordy, a former auto plant worker, received an $800 loan in 1959 from the Gordy family’s Ber-Berry Co-operative. He used that money to finance his first independent record label called Tamla Records and eventually that created the Motown Record Corp. The revolutionary label started the careers of The Jackson 5, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, and in its later years Erykah Badu, Boyz II Men, Johnny Gil, Stacey Lattisaw, and even actor Bruce Willis.

In the same year that Gordy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he eventually sold Motown for $61 million in 1988 to MCA.

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Chance the Rapper and Kirsten Corley welcome a baby girl

Chance the Rapper and wife Kirsten Corley‘s new bundle of joy has arrived.

The newborn’s arrival was announced on Corley’s Instagram on Friday, Sept. 6., where she welcomed their second baby child, a girl named Marli, according to E! News.

In an Instagram post-Kirsten shared the announcement with fans, stating, “Our sweet baby girl, Marli, is here.” The message also was accompanied by a photo of Marli without her face showing, and onesie that says, “I am who he says I am.”

Baby Marli is the couples second daughter; they also are the parents to 3-year-old Kensli Bennett.

The news of the couple expecting again was announced in March when Kirsten told fans they were expecting baby number two, according to E! News.

“Oh yeah, we’re pregnant,” she posted on Instagram, accompanied by a photo of her growing baby bump. Chance, whose real name is Chancelor Jonathan Bennett, also commented under the picture saying, “New baby droppin September.”

This post came only a week after the couple wed in Newport Beach, Calif. with close family and friends. They had been legally married for over two months prior to their ceremony. The couple legally wed on December 27, at the Cook County clerk’s office in Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune.

This year has been eventful for the Bennett family, with weddings and baby announcements. Outside of older sister Kensli, Marli will also have a cousin her age to play with as well. Last December Chance’s brother, Taylor Bennett and girlfriend Kayla, announced the birth of their baby boy Charlie.

The Grammy award-winning father also dropped his second album in July, titled The Big Day. The album features over 20 songs with features from artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Gucci Mane, John Legend, and Nicki Minaj.

Congrats to the family of 4!!!

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Ciara and Russell Wilson’s first day of school photo of kids is too cute to miss

Rumor Patrol: Serena Williams’ coach concerned about Meghan Markle’s appearance at U.S. Open

Serena Williams remains hopeful as she swings her way into the Grand Slam final, but her team has some doubts.

Williams team is concerned she may not perform her best due to Meghan Markle’s appearance at the match, according to Page Six.

“Serena asked her coach about Meghan coming when she won last night, and everyone is worried, as tennis players are very superstitious, and Serena lost when Meghan came to watch her at Wimbledon,” a source told us Page Six.

“[Williams’ coach] Patrick keeps telling her, ‘Focus focus focus.’ The aim is getting her to win her 24th Grand Slam.”

This will be a last-minute trip across the pond for the Duchess but should come as no surprise. Markle and Williams have been friends since meeting at the Super Bowl in 2010. Williams also helped throw Markle’s stateside baby shower and attended the royal wedding last spring where Markle wed, Prince Harry.

Although these girlfriends have built a bond, Williams’ coach feels confident that Markle’s presence won’t sway the match at all.

“Not at all,” he said. “There will be 22,000 people in the stadium; 23,000, actually. One more or less won’t change a thing.”

This will be Markle’s first trip solo since giving birth to 4-month-old son Archie. It will also be her first visit back to the US since her baby shower in New York, this past February.

But some think Markle is using this trip to support Williams, as a publicity stunt to save face after her and husband Prince Harry experienced some backlash this summer, Page Six reported.

Markle put a no photo ban into place at Wimbledon, and even though they identify as environmentalists, some were shocked to know they took a private jet for a family vacation to Elton John’s house in France.

If Williams wins, she has the chance to make Grand Slam history. This will be Williams’ fourth attempt to tie Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

The post Rumor Patrol: Serena Williams’ coach concerned about Meghan Markle’s appearance at U.S. Open appeared first on theGrio.

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Hampton University Is Offering Displaced Bahamas College Students A Free Semester

Hampton University has entered into an agreement with the University of the Bahamas-North to allow its students displaced due to Hurricane Dorian to finish their studies free in Hampton, Virginia. The archipelago nation of the Bahamas was recently devastated by the Category 5 hurricane with winds up to 185 miles per hour. Countless homes and building structures have been destroyed. The confirmed death toll has reached 30 and is expected to increase.

“I think this agreement is something that can be helpful to a great number of students and families and is part of something I’ve tried to do my entire career—helping people to achieve and meet their goals,” said Dr. William R. Harvey, president of Hampton University, in a statement.

In addition to offering University of the Bahamas students the ability to attend free classes for the remainder of the fall 2019 semester, the HBCU is also covering room and board for the Bahamian students. After the semester is over, University of Bahamas students will have the option to stay at Hampton University to finish their education at regular tuition and fees.

Lawrence Rigby, a 2015 graduate of Hampton University, is pleased with his school’s empathy and commitment to the Bahamian students.

“Hampton has been the educational choice for many Bahamians over its long history. I am grateful to President Harvey and university leadership on this demonstration of kindness and humanity to my home in our time of need,” said Rigby, 2014-2015 Student Government Association President from Nassau, New Providence. “Young Bahamians from Abaco and Grand Bahama who are looking for the tools to rebuild their lives and our home [and] will find them at Hampton.”

The two universities do have a connection. Before Dr. Rodney Smith became president of the University of the Bahamas, he served as Administrative Vice President and Chief Planning Officer at Hampton.

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