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Sunday, January 19, 2020

Bloomberg pitches $70 billion economic justice plan to help Black voters forget stop-and-frisk

Michael Bloomberg put his money where his apology is, and he picked Tulsa, Okla., to place his bold wager.

The Democratic presidential candidate on Sunday announced a five-year plan to invest $70 billion into the 100 most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the country, and to create a Neighborhood Equity and Opportunity Office in the White House to oversee the plan.

disadvantaged from growth and opportunity.”

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Here is why Black educator Geoffrey Canada endorsed Mike Bloomberg

The goal, Bloomberg said, according to the New York Daily News, was “to tackle the neighborhood conditions that perpetuate poverty and exclude the historically

The site of this announcement was clearly no coincidence. Tulsa is the site of the infamous 1921 race riots that resulted in the deaths of some 300 Black people at the hands of whites, and the destruction of “Black Wall Street.’’ It was a tragedy that the former New York City mayor admitted he, like many, had never heard of until recently.

The timing was on-point as well: the weekend of the Martin Luther King holiday.

Bloomberg used the site of his speech as a jumping-off point for his plan, which would include the creation of 1 million new Black homeowners and 100,000 new Black-owned businesses, through several economic incentives and enforcing existing legislation.

“The exploitation worked exactly as it was designed to — slavery, sharecropping, Jim Crow, segregation and redlining,” he said. “For hundreds of years, America systematically stole Black lives, Black freedom and Black labor.

READ MORE: Bloomberg claims ‘Stop and Frisk’ was meant to help Blacks, but admits mistake

“Well, it’s past time to say enough — and to damn well do something about it.”

How convincing Bloomberg’s plan is to potential Black supporters, though, remains to be seen. Since joining the race in November, he has had to answer for his role in New York’s stop-and-frisk policing policy, and his answers have hardly been embraced by Black New Yorkers who saw and lived the results for years.

Bloomberg may have been hinting at that debt he owed Black communities when he said Sunday: “The crimes against black Americans still echo across the centuries, and no law can wipe that slate clean. Not here in Tulsa, or anywhere else. But I believe that this is a country where anything is possible. And I believe that we have the power to build a future where color and capital are no longer related.”

Is Bloomberg’s plan enough to sway the voters damaged the most by his previous policies? Do you, Grio fam, believe in either his plan or his apologies, or both? You can cast your own vote here.

 

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Video of Baltimore police being attacked underscores divisions in city leadership

When a video went viral on Saturday of a Baltimore police officer being kicked by bystanders while he wrestled with someone he was arresting, another kind of pile-on ensued. Police union leadership seized the moment to call for new city leaders.

State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, who was “disgusted” by the video of the attack on the officer, later lashed out at the city’s Fraternal Order of Police’s “continued inappropriate political rhetoric, fanning the very flames they then call on me to put out,” she said, according to The Baltimore Sun.

READ MORE: Marilyn Mosby confirms 25 Baltimore officers have been accused of using excessive force

“Their responses are relentlessly divisive, and they seem to lose no opportunity to misplace blame,” Mosby continued. “Our city desperately deserves better and needs to move past such divisive rhetoric, and hypocritical finger-pointing.”

The union and its president, Sgt. Mike Mancuso, issued a statement earlier in the day, Fox News reported, directly indicting Baltimore’s elected officials: “Crime in Baltimore is out of control, and until new leadership is elected and appointed, this lack of respect for the law and those who enforce it will continue and deepen.”

Mancuso and the union have frequently issued inflammatory reactions in recent years, as the homicide rate in Baltimore has climbed to record rates and elected officials, including former Mayor Catherine Pugh, have been accused of corruption (Pugh resigned last year and later pleaded guilty to federal charges). In addition, the police themselves have come under fire for their own corruption, including convictions connected to the Gun Trace Task Force.

Mosby seemed to have that in mind in her statement: “The same sense of outrage in this case should be expressed by the leaders of the police union when their officers are convicted of attempted murder, assault, and unlawful arrest against citizens.’’

READ MORE: Slain Baltimore salon owner feared for her ‘life and business’

Mosby came to prominence, and raised the ire of city police, in 2015 when she indicted six officers on charges in connection with Freddie Gray’s death in police custody, charges which followed several days of unrest after Gray’s death. None of the six were ever convicted, however.

Mosby, Mayor Jack Young and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison publicly condemned the actions on the video, but, among others, Mancuso and Gov. Larry Hogan had added on pointed criticism of city politicians.

To the mayor, Mancuso said in an additional statement: “We all know the truth is that you are way in over your head! Attacking me is just another attempt to take the heat off your failed leadership.”

 

 

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EXCLUSIVE: Here is why Black educator Geoffrey Canada endorsed Mike Bloomberg

Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg on Sunday garnered a coveted endorsement from education leader Geoffrey Canada after the candidate announced a bold $70 billion investment plan for Black America.

Bloomberg announced the initiative Sunday at the site of historic race riots in Tulsa, Okla., in the Greenwood community. The area, once known as the “Black Wall Street,” was destroyed by marauding racists in one of the worst incidents of racial terror in U.S. history.

Read More: Bloomberg claims ‘Stop and Frisk’ was meant to help Black, but admits mistake

Canada, founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City who has been a national leader in education and education reform, especially for some of the nation’s poorest children, called the plan a major game-changer. 

Bloomberg’s plan, “The Greenwood Initiative: Economic Justice for Black America,” proposes a $70 billion investment in 100 disadvantaged communities in this country. In addition, it sets goals to create 1 million new Black homeowners and 100,000 new Black-own businesses, largely women, in the next decade.

MLK and “True Equality”

“[A]s we celebrate the life of Dr. King, we remember that he not only marched for equal rights, he marched for economic justice, because they go hand-in-hand,” Bloomberg said in a statement released over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. “He knew that equality under the law was only the first step to true equality, and true equality is only achieved when there is no correlation between skin color and success.”

Canada, who spoke exclusively to TheGrio, said such an investment in Black communities is long over due.

“I know from experience that simply raising salaries is not going to improve the outcomes for poor children around this country and we need a massive investment in community infrastructure if we’re going to save children,” Canada said. “Our communities are way overdue for a massive reinvestment in community infrastructure necessary for communities to be successful.”

As a respected advocate for poor Black and Brown kids, Canada knows that he will be asked how he can support Bloomberg who is well-known for his “Stop and Frisk” program, which disproportionately impacted people of color. 

READ MORE: Michael Bloomberg campaigns against voter suppression at voters rights summit in Georgia

The Problem with “Stop and Frisk”

“Mike and I have this interesting relationship because he will admit I am one of the people who told him he was wrong about “Stop and Frisk” and he debated back and forth with me on this. He believed what his criminal justice people were telling him about broken windows and why this was really going to be a successful crime fighting strategy and homicide were decreasing. And I argued that this was a discriminatory practice. And we simply debated this, and he refused to move on this point. And it was a mistake. And I told him it was a mistake. And I told him it was going to undermine the good work he had done in the city, in particular supporting education and other issues in the Black and Brown community.”

Canada shared that he also sounded the alarm about the negative impact President Bill Clinton’s infamous crime bill would have on people of color. “I have video of me testifying in front of Joe Biden, and telling them that this crime bill, which was a focus on punishment and no support, was going to be a disaster in our community.”

Unable to undo the past, Canada said “For me, the issue is who is going to give our community the best opportunity to recover from that damage that was done by those laws and those police laws. And, for me, that’s Mike Bloomberg.”

True economic investments for African Americans 

Asked about his endorsement for Bloomberg over Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, a former educator who is polling strong for president in 2020, Canada was frank about seeking an economic infusion for African Americans. 

“My issue is not on whether or not someone believes in education or has an interest in education or wants to do something significant. I wanted somebody who was prepared to make a massive financial investment in poor communities. Not, you know, a hundred million dollars, a couple of hundred. I’m talking something big enough so we thought it could do the job and there’s no other candidate who’s come up with anything even close to that. This to me is very important for our community that, in the end, we know someone’s going to be president who is going to be prepared to do the kind of investment in our communities that have happened in other communities. 

“President Trump got in, he took care of all the businesses. He made these tremendous tax cuts for them. They’re all doing great. That’s terrific. That’s who he supports. I want somebody who’s prepared to do something as significant for our community and Elizabeth Warren or none of the others have come on that I see with a plan that approaches the kind of scale that I think is necessary if we’re really going to make a difference in the entire country.”

 

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Delbert Orr Africa, member of MOVE 9, freed after 42 years in prison

Delbert Orr Africa had already been arrested, convicted and imprisoned as a member of the MOVE activist group, when Philadelphia police in 1985 notoriously ended a conflict by dropping a bomb on their home base, killing 11 people and burning dozens of surrounding houses.

Orr Africa on Saturday was released from Pennsylvania state prison, according to The Guardian. He was one of nine MOVE members convicted in the wake of a siege that left a police officer shot to death.

READ MORE: ACLU Sues FBI For Sealed Documents That Label Black Activists A Domestic Threat

Now, 73 years old, he was one of the last of the “MOVE 9” still imprisoned. One still remains; Orr Africa is the sixth to be released, and two have died, according to KYW radio. Orr Africa had been jailed since 1978.

The nine had originally been sentenced to 30 years to life in the killing of the officer. But, Brad Thomson, who is part of Orr African’s legal team, told The Guardian that releasing him “affirms what the movement to free the Move 9 has been arguing for decades: that their continued incarceration is unjust.”

Orr Africa’s arrest was captured on video, the Guardian reported, that showed him leaving the Philadelphia house under siege with his arms outstretched, a police rifle pointed at his neck, then being slammed to the ground and kicked in the head.

He described the arrest in an interview with the Guardian last year: “I went down, and after that I don’t remember anything till I came to and a dude was dragging me by my hair and cops started kicking me in the head.”

READ MORE: Black Activists have been unnecessarily monitored by Top Government Agencies

The members of MOVE all took the surname “Africa.” After the 1978 arrest, they reassembled at a new headquarters, the one that eventually was the location of the 1985 police standoff, which ended with police flying a helicopter in to drop an incendiary device on the roof.

One of the five children killed in the attack was Orr Africa’s then-13-year-old daughter, Delisha.

Of the original MOVE 9, only Charles “Chuck” Africa remains in prison.

 

 

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Meghan and Harry give up titles in epic break with royal family

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have relinquished their titles of His and Her “Royal Highness.” They also gave up their rights to public funds as part of a deal that allows them to end their roles as royals, Buckingham Palace announced Saturday.

The announcement capped off nearly two weeks of rumor and speculation about the couple’s next move. The two, however, will retain their titles of Duchess and Duke of Sussex, according to The Associated Press.

READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth releases official statement on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s future

The pair’s announcement earlier this month that they wanted to withdraw from the intense media and public scrutiny – a large part of which was racism directed toward Meghan by England’s tabloids – shook the palace and the country accustomed to throwing a bright spotlight on the royals. Meghan, the longtime star of the TV series Suits, Harry and their infant child Archie are expected to live part-time in Canada.

They did agree to repay the $3.1 million in U.S. dollars in renovations to a home they were to share near Windsor Castle. That expense, The AP reported, was part of the public uproar from the announcement that Meghan and Harry wanted to withdraw from the public portion of their royal duties.

In the official palace statement, Queen Elizabeth said: “I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life … It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.’’

“Peaceful” was a term that hardly applied to the relationship between the British press and the then-royal couple, particularly Meghan – dating back to their engagement and their 2018 marriage witnessed by a worldwide audience.

READ MORE: How Meghan Markle exposed racism in the British media (then bounced)

The bitter feud with the media reached new depths in October when Meghan launched legal action against a newspaper for publishing a letter she wrote to her father. Prince Harry has taken his wife’s side unconditionally in the face of the blatantly racist undertones in some of the reporting. The tensions have also contributed to a rift between Harry and older brother William, second in line to the throne behind their father, Prince Charles; the details of the rift, however, have not been made public.

Is the split with the British throne the best move for Meghan’s peace of mind, and for her still-new family? Weigh in on it, Grio fam.

 

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Isabel dos Santos: Africa's richest woman 'ripped off Angola'

Leaked documents reveal how Isabel dos Santos made her fortune through exploitation and corruption.

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Peter Mathebula: South Africa's world champion boxer dies

Peter Mathebula made history in 1980 when he won the world flyweight title.

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These Photos Bend Time and Space. Literally

A special panoramic camera allows artist Jay Mark Johnson to distort reality.

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Electric Delivery Vans, Tesla Stock, and Other Car News

Home delivery is where the action is for real estate developers and EV startups. 

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Sanders and Warren's Big Debate Dust-Up Tops This Week's Internet News Roundup

Last week, news of the Democratic debate was all over social media.

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How Long Do We Have Before Arctic Ice Melts Away?

With the frozen top of the world melting to liquid, an expedition set out to untangle the physics and help forecast its future.

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Fujifilm X-Pro3 Review: A Nod to the Era of Film Cameras

Fujifilm's latest X-Pro leans into its eccentricities, bringing film-era aesthetics to the digital present.

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Don't Ignore Chrome's New Password Checkup Feature

It could help save you when the next big breach hits.

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He Wanted a Unicorn. He Got ... a Sustainable Business

Gumroad founder Sahil Lavingia finds a way to thrive outside Silicon Valley's cult of big riches. 

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South African rugby: Meet the female players changing the game

Meet the young female rugby players changing the game and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi.

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Chekhov's Three Sisters gets Nigerian reboot

Inua Ellams gives Chekhov's classic play a radical new setting: 1960s Nigeria during the Biafran War.

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Henry Onyekuru: Nigerian cleared to make Galatasaray debut

Nigeria international Henry Onyekuru will finally be able to make his second debut for Turkish club Galatasaray this month after receiving a playing license.

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Libya civil war: Rivals to join major powers in Germany

The Berlin summit follows the collapse of efforts to secure a ceasefire between the warring factions.

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Saturday, January 18, 2020

Trump administration announces plans to ‘roll back’ Michelle Obama school lunch rules

On Friday, the Trump Administration announced its proposal to further “rollback” the standards of healthy lunches that were put in place by former first lady Michelle Obama – on her birthday.

According to The Hill, the Agriculture Department addressed the changes in a press release to give schools a flexible option “because they know their children best.” 

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdu said in the press release that food waste is still an ongoing problem, stating, “Schools and school districts continue to tell us that there is still too much food waste and that more common-sense flexibility is needed to provide students nutritious and appetizing meals. We listened and now we’re getting to work.” 

READ MORE Barack Obama shares tender birthday message to wife Michelle

Under the executive order from the Obama administration, the school lunch plan was started as the former first lady’s “Let’s Move!” healthy living campaign with the initiative to tackle childhood obesity and to provide healthier requirements such as fruits, vegetables, lower trans-fat, reduced-sodium levels, and the option of skim or low-fat milk. 

Due to the new changes from President Trump, the new rules will give schools the liberty to “reduce the number of fruits and vegetables required at each meal” in addition to the previous rollback of milk and sodium restrictions in 2019, as stated in the article. 

Juliana Cohen, a nutrition professor at Harvard University’s School of Public Health also commended Mrs. Obama’s efforts in The New York Times. She declared that “improved the diets of millions of children, especially vulnerable children in food-insecure households.” 

READ MORE Michelle Obama announces new Instagram TV series

In an op-ed for The Hill, Dr. Rachel Borton, director of the Family Nurse Practitioner online program at Bradley University, said altering the standards of healthier options for students will lead to unhealthier choices.

“They may turn to low cost, processed foods that are high in calories but sparse in nutrients. Immediate effects of this type of diet include weight gain and poor physical health. Long-term impacts range from increased risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and a slew of other unfortunate health outcomes,” Borton wrote.

The former First Lady has not addressed the proposed changes to her signature initiative.

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Concerns of public safety prompt cancellation of annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day vigil

The violence that Dr. Martin Muther King Jr. stood against for has reared its head once more and this time, it will interfere with plans to remember the slain civil rights icon.

The Coalition To Stop Gun Violence Virginia State Director Lori Haas released a press release on January 17 to cancel the scheduled Martin Luther King Jr. Day Vigil for Monday, January 20 due to concerns for public safety. 

“It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing the cancellation of the annual Martin Luther King Day Vigil and Day of Advocacy,” Haas says in an issued statement. “We have chosen to cancel the event due to the ongoing, credible threats to public safety that have been promoted and encouraged by gun extremists.” 

READ MORE Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter slams Comcast over attack on civil rights law

The Armed Insurrectionists, a group of “heavily armed white supremacists,” are seeking to attend the vigil to incite violence, prompting The Virginia Center for Public Safety, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence to cancel the event. The organizations have collectively hosted the event for the last 28 years and noted that advocates have “faced armed individuals trying to intimidate us each year.” 

“Our organization has decided that the safety of our volunteers, advocates, and staff, many of whom are survivors of gun violence, must be our top priority,” Haas says in the press release. 

Haas addressed the current climate following the results of the 2019 election in Virginia in which “people of the Commonwealth voted for stronger gun laws” and citizens in their efforts to protect their First Amendment rights with the message promoting the mindset of “the people with the guns make the rules.”

“Given the serious concerns about possible violence on Monday, we recognize that we can not guarantee the safety of the brave gun violence prevention activists and survivors who have fought so hard for this day. We are an organization that strives to promote public health and safety, and we cannot in good faith lead our supporters — some of whom are children and teenagers — into a violent, dangerous situation. We refuse to engage with those who seek to physically harm us,” the statement read.

READ MORE Film and documentary on Martin Luther King’s murder mystery in the works

It continued by insisting that the armed intimidation was a threat to public safety and democracy. Still, it was stressed that there would be safer gun violence prevention by the end of the legislative session in Virginia. Such measures would include universal background checks and Extreme Protection Orders.

Despite the cancellation to honor the late civil rights activist, who would’ve turned 91 on January 15, Haas says despite the efforts to dismay those who stand to make a difference will stand strong regardless. 

“We will continue to fight for the rest of this legislative session with the data, facts, research, and the strong belief that we will succeed and save lives in Virginia.”

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Oprah Winfrey Network cancels Pastor John Gray’s TV show

After three seasons, the Oprah Winfrey Network has pulled the plug on The Book of John Gray

The Greenville News confirmed through a network spokesperson that there are “no plans” for new episodes of the series that starred Relentless Church Pastor John Gray. Being a part of the network’s programming since 2016, it was not disclosed as to why the show was canceled. 

Gray made headlines in 2018 for purchasing his wife a $200,000 Lamborghini for their eighth wedding anniversary. It was a gesture that caused controversy and accusations of using church funds for the purchase. Gray has denied and defended his purchase, saying, “not a nickel, not a penny” was taken from Relentless Church in Greenville. 

READ MORE Redemption Church files court notice to evict John Gray’s Relentless Church

The article mentioned Gray’s intentions of working to produce the fourth season for OWN after defending himself in an Instagram post to clarify his sources of income, including his books and television show. 

“For those of you who don’t know, my wife and I have a show on the Opray Winfrey Network. We’re working on Season 4 right now. Shhh, don’t tell anybody. That’s four seasons, okay? And I’m not an actor on it; I’m a producer of it. Get that straight,” Gray said.

READ MORE Woman at center of Pastor John Gray’s so-called ’emotional affair’ is spilling the tea

The Book of John Gray was described as a “dramedy docu-follow hybrid about the life of John Gray and his uniquely humorous way of helping people” and “gives viewers unprecedented and intimate access into his church and home life”. Holly Baird, a spokesperson for Gray and his wife, Aventer, is currently “considering other TV and film opportunities.”

The cancellation comes weeks after it was revealed that Gray’s megachurch, The Relentless Church, is being evicted from its Greenville, South Carolina property. He allegedly breached his lease by not making his scheduled payments.

 

 

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Rihanna splits with boyfriend Hassan Jameel after 3 years

Sources have confirmed that Rihanna and billionaire businessman Hassan Jameel have split after three years of dating.

Us Weekly reported that the Barbados singer and businessman, both 31, broke up but no reason has yet been given. Neither has publicly commented on the status of their relationship. The former couple began “hooking up for a few months” after being linked together in June 2017. The two soon became serious and were described as opposites attracting.

READ MORE Rihanna’s reps deny asking Shaggy to audition for her upcoming album

“Rihanna and Hassan understand each other very well and their personalities mesh well together. They’re both so different, but it works for them.” Another source would agree, describing Hassan as “serious” and the “Work” singer “fun and wild.”

In June 2019, the Fenty Beauty mogul opened up about her relationship in June 2019 with Interview Magazine where she revealed that she’s in love but was quiet on the idea of marriage. When asked if she desires to be a mother she answered, “More than anything in life.”

Rihanna also confirmed to Vogue in their November 2019 issue that she was in a happy place in her life.

“Yeah, I’m dating,” she said, adding “I’m actually in an exclusive relationship for quite some time, and it’s going really well, so I’m happy.”

READ MORE Rihanna makes history as first woman of color to helm own fashion line with LVMH

Fans have already started to speculate that her upcoming album will have content inspired by her recent breakup. The Bajan superstar hinted what music lovers could expect from the much anticipated R9 era. Riri said it would be reggae-inspired.

“Reggae always feels right to me. It’s in my blood. It doesn’t matter how far or long removed I am from that culture, or my environment that I grew up in; it never leaves. It’s always the same high. Even though I’ve explored other genres of music, it was time to go back to something that I haven’t really homed in on completely for a body of work,” she told Vogue. 

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Mother sues Franklin County Board of Education for racial discrimination

After witnessing the silence towards her son’s continuous racial bullying at school in Franklin County,  an Alabama parent is taking matters into her own hands.

A federal lawsuit was filed earlier this month by a Franklin County employee against the school board and administrators with claims of their inaction on “multiple occasions when her young, biracial son was called a ‘n—–’ by classmates and threatened with a photo of a noose,” according to AL.com.

The minor child, who is identified by his initials M.G. in court documents, attended Phil Campbell High School that includes grades 7-12 and attended both seventh and eighth grades during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years.

READ MORE Illinois High school responds after graduates are caught on video screaming ugly racist language

In the article from Huntsville Real-Time News, the mother claims that teachers and administrators made no effort of disciplining the students in question for the abuse, and “also did not discipline other white children the same way they disciplined her son.”

The lawsuit details several incidents involving racial harassment and threats towards M.G., including one incident where one of his teachers participated, and the lack of appropriate action during the school years he was subjected to a near-daily basis of “racial slurs and harassment.”

READ MORE Black students file 50-page lawsuit for racist bullying at a Minnesota high school

On behalf of her son, the mother filed Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 suit against the Franklin County Board of Education and three men who were employed during the incident. Title VI sites that entities that “receive federal funding are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, and are also required to have procedures in place for investigating complaints from people who believe they have been discriminating against,” according to AL.com.

The mother is suing on two counts of racial discrimination. Her son has since been removed from PCHS and transferred to another public school.

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Libya civil war: UN envoy Salamé says foreign intervention must end

Ghassan Salamé's remarks come on the eve of renewed peace talks between Libya's warring factions.

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Get the Protection You Need With a Mutual of Omaha Medicare Plan

Mutual of Omaha Medicare

Enrollment in Medicare, a U.S federal health insurance program, can provide you with coverage for hospitalization, doctor appointments, preventative care, labs, and medical tests. You’re eligible for Original Medicare at age 65, which includes Medicare Part A (hospital) and Medicare Part B (medical insurance).

But while original Medicare adequately meets the healthcare needs of many older adults, it doesn’t offer extensive coverage. It only covers about 80% of medical costs, and it doesn’t include a prescription drug plan. As a result, you could end up paying a lot for health care out of pocket. A health plan with comprehensive benefits can prove more cost-effective as you approach retirement. For this reason, you should look into a Mutual of Omaha Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan.

How Does Mutual of Omaha Medicare Advantage Work?

A Medicare Advantage plan is Medicare offered by a private insurance company. These plans include the same basic coverage as Original Medicare, in that they offer Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. However, these plans offer additional coverage, too. 

Mutual of Omaha’s Medicare Advantage plan functions as all-in-one medical care. You’re covered for hospital stays (with the exception of hospice, which you’ll get under Original Medicare), skilled nursing facilities, doctor’s visits, preventative care, labs, medical tests, and other health care. 

Other coverage included in a Mutual of Omaha Medicare Advantage plan:

  1. Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage 

One feature that separates Mutual of Omaha’s Medicare Advantage plan from Original Medicare is that the latter doesn’t include a prescription drug plan (PDP). Medicare Advantage plans include coverage for prescription medication — generic or brand prescriptions. Under Medicare Part D, you’ll pay a low copay for medications, helping you save money.

  1. Dental and Vision Coverage 

In addition to regular doctor visits with a specialist or primary care physician, Medicare Advantage plans include dental benefits that extend beyond basic coverage to protect your teeth and gums. You’ll also receive coverage for routine eye examinations, contact lenses, and eyeglasses at no extra charge.

  1. No Copays for Lab Tests

Copays and coinsurance for lab tests can be expensive, so you may delay scheduling a recommended test. When you sign up for Mutual of Omaha’s Medicare Advantage plan, you won’t pay a copay for most labs or tests.

  1. Free Enrollment in the Silver Sneakers Fitness Program

Being physically active is an excellent way to maintain a healthy weight and promote heart health. Through Mutual of Omaha’s Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll also receive a free gym membership through the Silver Sneakers Program.

  1. Medical Transportation Benefit

If you need assistance getting to and from your doctor appointments, this plan includes a transportation benefit to cover the cost of travel to appointments. Depending on your diagnosis or condition, it may also cover non-emergency ambulance service to and from your doctor.

  1. Over-the-Counter Allowance

Each quarter, Mutual of Omaha’s Medicare Advantage plan gives you an allowance toward over-the-counter health-related items. Covered items range from bandages to non-prescription medications.

How to Enroll in a Mutual of Omaha Medicare Advantage Plan

If you feel that a Medicare Advantage program through Mutual of Omaha is the right fit for you, enrollment is during the seven-month period when you initially become eligible for Medicare. This period begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after your 65th birthday. 

To enroll at a later time (or switch plans), the Open Enrollment Period occurs each year from October 15 to December 7. If you enroll during the annual open enrollment, your coverage doesn’t begin until January 1. You might be eligible to take advantage of special enrollment periods if you move to a different area, or if you lose your health insurance coverage at work.

If you have health insurance through work, speak with your employer first to see how enrollment in a Medicare Advantage plan will affect your coverage at work. 

Do You Need Mutual of Omaha Supplement Insurance?

But while a Mutual of Omaha Medicare Advantage plan is necessary for some seniors due to the extra benefits, you might be okay with Original Medicare. In this case, consider enrolling in a Mutual of Omaha Medicare Supplement insurance plan to pay costs that Original Medicare doesn’t cover (copays, coinsurance, and deductibles). 

One benefit of getting a Mutual of Omaha Medicare Supplement insurance plan is that you’re able to use your plan anywhere Medicare is accepted, including in different states and when traveling internationally. 

There are 10 basic standardized Medicare Supplement insurance plans, each with varying coverage amounts that vary by state. You’ll need to review these plans and then determine which one is right for you. 

Another benefit of supplemental insurance is that your plan can never be canceled, as long as you continue to pay your premiums. Also, you can’t be denied for pre-existing health conditions if you apply during open enrollment. This period starts once you turn 65 and enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B, but it only lasts for six months. 

Keep in mind that Medicare Supplement insurance can only be purchased if you have Original Medicare. It cannot be combined with a Medicare Advantage program. You can, however, purchase a standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan to accompany your Mutual of Omaha Medicare Supplement insurance.

Even though there are 10 standardized Medicare Supplement insurance plans. Mutual of Omaha’s most popular plans include: Plan F, Plan G, and Plan N.

Benefits Plan A Plan B Plan C Plan F Plan G Plan K Plan L Plan N
Part A Coinsurance and Copay 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Part B Coinsurance and Copay 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 50% 75%
Part A Deductible 100% 100% 100% 100% 50% 75% 100%
Part B Deductible 100% 100%
Blood (first 3 pints per year) 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 50% 75% 100%
Part B Excess Charges 80% 80% 80% 80%

Final Word

Whether you’re interested in learning about enrollment in Medicare, or just looking for a Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare Supplement insurance, Mutual of Omaha has a Medicare solution to help reduce your out-of-pocket costs. Speak with Mutual of Omaha to learn more about these Medicare plans and request a quote.



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At Last, Physicists Confirm the Fastest Way to Board a Plane

Turns out, letting slower passengers—like travelers with small children, or who need extra assistance—board first really is faster.

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Space Photos of the Week: Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse\!

We're not sure when this star will go supernova, but one thing is certain: It'll be spectacular.

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FBI Takes Down Site With 12 Billion Stolen Records

Turkey gets Wikipedia back, Mayor Pete loses his cyberguy, and more of the week's top security news.

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This Philosopher Dreams of Writing Sci-Fi

Philosophy professor Peter Boghossian would much rather be working on screenplays.

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17-Year Old Teen is the First to Have Books Become a Requirement at School

Essynce Moore Books

In addition to writing three books, 17-year old Essynce Moore’s books are mandatory for several school districts, including the Hillside School District in New Jersey and Charter Schools in Brooklyn, New York. Now, Essynce aspires to have her Middle School Chronicles book series in additional schools all across the globe in various countries as not only mandatory reading but a part of their curriculum.

Her books are a part of a series that she created called The Middle School Chronicles. According to BlackNews.com, when Essynce’s first book in the series was released in 2015, it immediately became an Amazon Top International seller.

According to BlackNews.com, Essynce’s books are often used to prepare students for the challenges of middle school by focusing on “self-esteem, bullying, how to handle certain situations with teachers/friends, encourage youth to live their dreams now, and so much more.”

Even parents learn many lessons from Essynce’s books which helps them to fully understand their children’s experiences in middle school. As she states, “They think they know the truth about what happens in middle school, but they have no idea!” In addition to publishing books, Essynce is also an incredible speaker who enjoys encouraging her peers to go their absolute highest at schools, in conferences, and workshops during her travels across the country. She empowers both teens and adults alike.

Essynce’s wish list is meeting her idols including Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, Steve Harvey, Zendaya, Rihanna, Ian Somerhalder, Michelle Obama, and more. She also hopes to visit schools throughout the United States to discuss entrepreneurship in the education system as well as other opportunities that are centered around children and teens.



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The 7 Best Portable Coffee Makers: Aeropress, Delter, And More

Whether it's Aeropress, French press, or faux espresso, we've found the best ways to make a great cup of Joe anywhere.

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In Paris, Ecommerce Warehouses Get a Chic Makeover

Online ordering means more deliveries to more places. One Paris hub sports a data center, offices, sports facilities like tennis courts, and an urban farm. 

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14 Best Tech Deals on WIRED's Favorite Gear (Jan. 2020)

Great deals on gear our team has tested, and loves—TVs, Android phones, camera bags, cold-brew coffee makers, and more.

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Friday, January 17, 2020

PopSockets, Sonos, and Tile Ask Congress to Rein in Big Tech

At a congressional hearing Friday, smaller companies including PopSockets, Tile, Sonos, and Basecamp criticized Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon for having power over them.

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In pictures: The sniffer dogs taking on Africa’s poachers

Canines with a nose for detection have led to hundreds of arrests and the disruption of smuggling routes.

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HBO’s Watchmen will not move on to a second season

Watchmen was an instant success on HBO, but now the network has announced the show will not move on to a second season.

The reason is in part that the creator, Damon Lindelof, felt that he already told the story he set out to tell, and did not want to move into a second season. The showrunner was content with the outcome of his work. However, Lindelof gave HBO permission to find another creator if the network chose to move forward with the hit show, and HBO declined, according to USA Today.

READ MORE: Unpacking the brilliance of ‘Watchmen’ … the most important show of the year

Casey Bloys, HBO’s president of programming, told USA Today that “It’s really in Damon’s thinking about what he wants to do.” Watchmen, based on a 1987 graphic novel, starred Regina King as a masked cop in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Robert Redford played the president.

“If there’s an idea that excited him about another season, another installment, maybe like a Fargo, True Detective anthology take on it, or if he wants to do something different altogether. We’re very proud of Watchmen, but what I’m most interested in is what Damon wants to do,” Bloys said.

Lindelof toyed with the idea of doing a second season but said he would only proceed if he felt he had the right motivation, according to TheWrap.

So far that motivation does not seem to be there, and again he suggested that they look for someone else to lead the show if they really wanted to do another season. Bloys put the damper on this idea.

“It would be hard to imagine doing it without Damon involved in some way,” Bloys told the newspaper.

READ MORE: The REAL story of the Tulsa race massacre of 1921 depicted in ‘Watchmen’

Watchmen was based on Alan Moore’s graphic novel. In Lindelof’s hands, the drama was reimagined in Tulsa after a white supremacist attacks the police department leaving only two cops alive. Local laws are then passed that allow police to hide their identities behind masks to protect themselves. King played a cop, Angela Abar, who became known as Sister Night and she made us all proud as she fought racists.

The post HBO’s Watchmen will not move on to a second season appeared first on TheGrio.



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Houston’s Amanda Edwards Sets Out to Become Texas’ First Black Woman U.S. Senator

Amanda Edwards

Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards is making a run to become the next Democratic U.S. Senator from Texas, according to The Grio.

If she garners enough support and is elected to office, she will become the state’s first black woman to hold the post. She is running to replace Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

“I’m running to be the next U.S. senator because I believe that the time has come and gone for people just to be about politics and making promises on those campaign trails and under-delivering,” Edwards told The Grio.

It’s going to be a real challenge as Edwards is facing a field of 11 other candidates in the upcoming Democratic primary taking place on March 3rd. Her rivals running for the same spot include former Rep. Chris Bell, state Sen. Royce West, and union activist Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, just to name a few.

“I think it’s time that we have servant leaders in office who are focused on people, but most importantly, delivering the results for people that they deserve. I bring agility to the table, an ability to connect with people to the table, and then most importantly, a commitment and laser focus on delivering for people to the table. I think right now there has been this concept that you have to check certain boxes or send in a certain order in order to be someone who could be effective while in office and I think that quite frankly, is just wrong.”

Edwards has a very big Texas supporter pulling for her to become victorious in her quest: Beyoncé‘s mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson. “I was so grateful for Tina Knowles-Lawson and her support. She got behind me. She really connected with my story. And she believes and she has seen it. I mean, we’ve seen it through the legacy her children in that anything is possible.”

According to the Texas Tribune, Lloyd Bentsen was the last Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas in 1988.

To find out more information on Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards, check out her website.



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How Much Superpower Does It Take to Bash a Bullet in Midair?

In the upcoming movie 'Wonder Woman 1984,' our hero is able to knock a bullet off to the side with just her arm. Let's look at the physics.

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Students propose plans for a carbon neutral campus

While so many faculty and researchers at MIT are developing technologies to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy sustainability, one class puts the power in students’ hands.

In 2.S999 (Solving for Carbon Neutrality at MIT), teams of students are tasked with developing a plan to achieve carbon neutrality on MIT’s campus by 2060. “It’s a ‘roll up your sleeves and solve a real problem’ kind of class,” says Timothy Gutowski, professor of mechanical engineering and co-instructor for the class.

In nearly every class, students hear from guest lecturers who offer their own expert views on energy sustainability and carbon emissions. In addition to faculty and staff from across MIT, guest lecturers include local government officials, industry specialists, and economists. Whether it’s the science and ethics behind climate change, the evolution of the electric grid, or the development of MIT’s upgraded Central Utilities Plant, these experts introduce students to considerations on a campus, regional, national, and global level.

“It’s essential to expose students to these different perspectives so they understand the complexity and the multidisciplinary nature of this challenge,” says Julie Newman, director of MIT’s Office of Sustainability and co-instructor.

In one class, students get the opportunity to embody different perspectives through a debate about the installation of an offshore wind farm near a small coastal town. Each student is given a particular role to play in a debate. Caroline Boone, a junior studying mechanical engineering, played the role of a beachfront property owner who objected to the installation.

“It was a really good way of grasping how those negotiations happen in the real world,” recalls Boone. “The fact of the matter is, you’re going to have to work with groups who have their own interests — that requires compromise and negotiation.”

Armed with these negotiation skills, along with insights from different experts, students are divided into teams and charged with developing a strategy that outlines year-by-year how MIT can achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. “The final project uses the campus as a test bed for engaging and exposing students to the complexity of solving for these global issues in their own backyard,” Newman adds.

Student teams took a number of approaches in their strategies to achieve carbon neutrality. Tom Hubschman’s team focused on the immediate impact MIT could have through power purchase agreements — also known as PPAs.

“Our team quickly realized that, given the harsh New England environment and the limited space on campus, building a giant solar or wind farm in the middle of Cambridge wasn’t a sound strategy,” says Hubschman, a mechanical engineering graduate student. Instead, his team built their strategy around replicating MIT’s current PPA that has resulted in the construction of a 650-acre solar farm in North Carolina. 

Boone’s team, meanwhile, took a different approach, developing a plan that didn’t include PPAs. “Our team was a bit contrarian in not having any PPAs, but we thought it was important to have that contrasting perspective,” she explains. Boone’s role within her team was to examine building energy use on campus. One takeaway from her research was the need for better controls and sensors to ensure campus buildings are running more efficiently.

Regardless of their approach, each team had to deal with a level of uncertainty with regard to the efficiency of New England’s electric grid. “Right now, the electricity produced by MIT’s own power plant emits less carbon than the current grid,” adds Gutowski. “But the question is, as new regulations are put in place and new technologies are developed, when will there be a crossover in the grid emitting less carbon than our own power plant?” Students have to build this uncertainty into the predictive modeling for their proposed solutions. 

In the two years that the class has been offered, student projects have been helpful in shaping the Office of Sustainability’s own strategy. “These projects have reinforced our calculations and confirmed our strategy of using PPAs to contribute to greenhouse gas reduction off-site as we work toward developing on-site solutions,” explains Newman.

This spring, Gutowski and Newman will work with a number of universities in South America on launching similar classes for their curricula. They will visit Ecuador, Chile, and Columbia, encouraging university administrators to task their students with solving for carbon neutrality on their own campuses.



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Thousands sign petition to get Wendy Williams fired for imitating cleft lip

Wendy Williams has apologized to the cleft community and donated to Operation Smile and American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association after more than 42,000 people signed a petition to get her fired after she used her finger to imitate someone with a cleft lip.

On the “Hot Topics” section of Jan. 7th The Wendy Williams Show, Williams was talking about how she found actor Joaquin Phoenix “oddly attractive” and liked his facial scar.

READ MORE: Ray J tells Wendy Williams his public spat with his wife, Princess Love, was his fault

“When he shaves off his mustache he’s got a hairline fracture. He’s got one of those – what do you call it? Cleft lip, cleft palate,” Williams said as she used her finger to pull up her upper lip on her show, “I find that to be very attractive.”

Since the episode aired, people have blasted Williams on Twitter, including Cher.

One outraged viewer, Corey Perry, even started a petition on Change.org to get Williams removed and has so far collected more than 42,000 signatures as of Friday morning. Perry wrote he started it for his friends who have a son with a bilateral cleft lip, hard and soft palate.

“So this ignorant piece of work decided to mock Joaquin Phoenix and his ‘hare lip, cleft lip palate’ on daytime television and even went as far as pulling her upper lip with her finger, she is a total disgrace,” Perry wrote on the petition. “Kids can be cruel and as a mother of an amazing little guy who was born with complete bilateral cleft lip, hard and soft palate, I am completely disgusted that she thinks it’s ok to ridicule and make a joke out of something that is completely out of our control.”

“The hours spent worrying about the hard times ahead for him, all the days spent in the hospital and the numerous surgeries he had to go through, the blood, the pain, the day to day activities that he had to miss because of feeding tubes that he needed to be able to get liquids to his stomach instead of his lungs (complications brought on by the hard and soft cleft palate called silent aspiration). His little lungs so scared up From lung infections due to this silent aspiration. And that is only a few of the complications that can come with a cleft,” Perry wrote.

“What I am saying is that she is a disgusting human being and in my opinion, if Don Cherry got fired for saying ‘you people’ than she should be banned from daytime TV,” Perry added.

READ MORE: Wendy Williams celebrates her new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Wendy apologized and shared that her show will be donating to the cleft lip and cleft palate nonprofits Operation Smile and American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.

“@Bighill44 We’re thinking about Beau today as he is in surgery. I want to apologize to the cleft community and in Beau’s honor, our show is donating to @operationsmile and @AmerClefPalate and encourage our Wendy Watchers to learn more and help support the cleft community,” Williams said on Twitter.

Some of Williams’ fan base came out in support of the talk show host and urged people to move on.

“Honestly people, you wanted her to apologize she’s done that, you wanted her to make a charitable donation, she’s done that. Let it go! If you hate her show so much, don’t watch it and stay off her social media page. No need to keep insulting her, otherwise you’re no better,” wrote Rose @RosebushoBethel.

 

The post Thousands sign petition to get Wendy Williams fired for imitating cleft lip appeared first on TheGrio.



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Jay-Z Puts His Money Behind Criminal Justice Reform With Lawsuit Against Mississippi Prison

Jay-Z

After several prisoner deaths at a Mississippi prison, The Mississippi Department of Corrections is being taken to court by no other than rapper and justice reform activist Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, according to NBC News.

Jay-Z is suing the head of the Mississippi Department of Corrections as well as the warden of the state penitentiary on behalf of 29 prisoners who claim that the two prison officials have done nothing to stop the violence there. There has been a reported five inmates dead in the past two weeks alone.

The lawsuit names Department of Corrections Commissioner Pelicia Hall and Mississippi State Penitentiary Superintendent Marshall Turner as defendants in the case. “These deaths are a direct result of Mississippi’s utter disregard for the people it has incarcerated and their constitutional rights,” according to the lawsuit filed by Jay-Z’s attorney Alex Spiro at the U.S. District Court in Greenville, Mississippi.

“We cannot treat people this way and it’s time to do something about it,” Spiro of the Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan L.L.P. law firm, said in a statement to NBC News.

The lawsuit was started after a letter dated January 9th of this year was sent to Hall and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant on behalf of Jay-Z and hip-hop artist Mario “Yo Gotti” Mims. The basis of the correspondence was to protest the “inhumane conditions in prisons operated by the Mississippi Department of Corrections.” 

Spiro warned that they were “prepared to pursue all potential avenues to obtain relief for the people living in Mississippi’s prisons and their families.”

“This unthinkable spate of deaths is the culmination of years of severe understaffing and neglect at Mississippi’s prisons,” Spiro’s letter reads. “As Mississippi has incarcerated increasing numbers of people, it has dramatically reduced its funding of prisons. As a result, prison conditions fail to meet even the most basic human rights.”

“People are forced to live in squalor, with rats that crawl over them as they sleep on the floor, having been denied even a mattress for a cot,” the letter goes on to say.

Spiro ended the letter with a warning: “Roc Nation and its philanthropic arm, Team Roc, demand that Mississippi take immediate steps to remedy this intolerable situation.”

The Mississippi Department of Corrections responded for an NBC News request for comment by saying it does not discuss pending litigation.



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The Best Gaming Mouse for Every Kind of Player (2020)

Whether you're into esports or casual fragging, these are the best corded and wireless gaming mice we've tested at a variety of price points.

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The Disturbing Case of the Disappearing Sci-Fi Story

A young writer wrote a controversial bit of military science fiction about sexual politics. The fallout was nuclear.

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Black College Students Face Bigger Debts Than Their White Counterparts

black college students

Black college students are suffering under an unequal burden of student loan debt, according to a recent study reported by Blavity. The median black student federal debt for graduate school was about 25% higher than their white counterparts, while their total federal debt was $25,000 higher. 

Ben Miller, vice president for Postsecondary Education at the Center for American Progress, wrote a lengthy report about the current debt situation amongst college students, detailing the difficult position many black teenagers and young adults are facing. Miller’s report shows that this country’s student loan problem has a significant dangerous effect on blacks who are looking toward higher education as a means to get out of entrenched poverty.

“The sustained rise in graduate debt also has substantial equity implications, particularly for black students. Black students are more likely to borrow in graduate school and have more undergraduate debt than their white peers. As a result, the median debt for a black student borrower finishing graduate school is 50% higher than that of a white borrower. Societal pay disparities also mean that women with graduate degrees receive salaries comparable to their less-educated male peers,” Miller stated in the article.

“The result is that individuals seeking graduate education to address pervasive societal pay gaps will end up paying more for those credentials over the long run,” he added. 

Sadly, based on the findings, many black college students feel they must justify taking out the high-interest loans to try to keep pace with their less-educated white peers in order to stand a chance of making any type of comparable money—especially when they feel they need to obtain more than a bachelor’s degree to earn the type of salaries that less-educated white men receive.

“Black and Latinx graduate students are more likely to go into debt than their white peers, and those who finish end up with much more total debt. Almost 90% of black or African American students who took on federal loans for graduate school and finished in the 2015-16 academic year had debt from undergraduate studies. Black students’ median federal debt for graduate school was about 25% higher than that of their white peers, and their total federal debt was $25,000 higher,” Miller wrote.

The report also states that to allow black students to continue taking out high-interest loans just to keep up with their white peers will only make the situation worse.

“The laissez-faire federal approach to graduate student debt must change. The unchecked accumulation of federal debt can lead too many students into loans they will struggle to repay, while extended repayment time frames can make it harder to build wealth and leave an entire generation behind,” Miller said.

“The current system has had particularly pernicious effects on black and Latinx students, as well as women, who are seeking a better life for themselves and their families. It is time for the federal government to make sure that the tens of billions of dollars in graduate student loans it provides each year really are making lives better.” 



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Joe Biden kicks off new “HBCU Students for Biden” initiative

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden has kicked off an initiative to get students at historically black colleges and universities excited about his campaign.

READ MORE: Corporate executive, Curtis Symonds, launches new app that can potentially change the game for Black college athletes at HBCUs

The Biden campaign recently released a video for the “HBCU Students for Biden” initiative that points out the achievements of HBCUs throughout America – from playing an instrumental role in the Civil Rights Movement to serving as the backbone of the country’s Black middle class. Biden also announced three student co-chairs for the initiative, and the co-chairs attend Spelman College, Texas Southern, and Claflin University.

“Joe Biden is not only investing in us but investing in a better America,” the video narrator says. “Historically black colleges and universities built America’s black middle class, and Joe Biden knows that’s the backbone of our country,” a narrator says in the clip.

Biden proposes giving HBCU’s $70 billion under the plan to invest in infrastructure, boost enrollment and help retain staff, among other things. The plan also aims to close the funding gap between historically black colleges and universities and other mostly white colleges, according to BuzzFeed News.

“Joe Biden has always been, and continues to be central to civil rights activism and social justice, and produce outstanding young leaders. … The campaign is proud to have student leaders on HBCUs across the country organizing and volunteering for our campaign, and their strength will help us win the nomination and beat Trump,” Kamau M. Marshall, Biden’s campaign aide, told BuzzFeed News.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Joe Biden surrogate, said she thinks young people will support Biden if he wins the Democratic nomination.

READ MORE: Buttigieg speaks at Black college in push to boost support

“For many African Americans, it’s not lost on us that this was an older white man willing to stand behind a younger African American man and to be a part of his team as a No. 2,” Lance Bottoms told Yahoo News. “That may be something that may appear very subtle to a lot of people, but to African Americans it’s a very strong signal.”

However, the timing of the rollout has political pundits saying it also is aimed at attracting younger Blacks to the Biden campaign, a demographic that Biden is currently losing to Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The post Joe Biden kicks off new “HBCU Students for Biden” initiative appeared first on TheGrio.



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Nature Will Triumph—and Reclaim All Our Gadgets

A new art exhibit, “The World After Us,” shows the power and ingenuity of nature to make use of machines in a world without humans.

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SpaceX Will Blow Up a Falcon 9 Rocket to Prove It's Safe for People

On Saturday, Elon Musk's space company will attempt its last big test before it can begin launching humans from US soil.

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Gadget Lab Podcast: One Wheel, Zero Buttons

This week, the hosts debate whether one wheel is better than two, and whether having a few buttons on a smartphone is better than having none at all.

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Apple's Latest Deal Shows How AI Is Moving Right Onto Devices

The iPhone maker's purchase of startup Xnor.ai is the latest move toward a trend of computing on the "edge," rather than in the cloud. 

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Seriously, It's Time to Lean Into Monowheels

Call them fanciful, or a faceplant waiting to happen. But one-wheeled vehicles are how we'll roll into the future.

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Fake drugs: How bad is Africa’s counterfeit medicine problem?

Seven African countries are meeting in Togo to tackle the issue of fake drugs.

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Kenenisa Bekele to take on Eliud Kipchoge at London Marathon 2020

Kenenisa Bekele - the second-fastest marathon runner of all-time - will take on world record holder Eliud Kipchoge in at April's London Marathon.

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Thursday, January 16, 2020

MORE DRAMA: Raz B arrested for DUI in Los Angeles

It looks like Raz B is kicking off the new year with more drama.

According to reports, the B2K member was arrested for DUI on Wednesday morning in Burbank, California and it’s just another thing to add to his long list of recent legal issues.

The Love & Hip Hop Hollywood star reportedly failed field sobriety tests administered by police after he was spotted running a red light around 3 am after admitting he had consumed alcohol and marijuana earlier in the night.  He was released after posting $5,000 bail.

Last year, Raz B (De’Mario Monte Thornton) was arrested for domestic violence in Minnesota after claims were made that he allegedly beat up and choked his girlfriend in a parking lot.

His reps alleged that when he fought back it was in self-defense. Cops were reportedly called after the woman told family members about the violent confrontation, which resulted in the subsequent arrest. He was eventually cleared of the charges.

Raz B of B2K arrested for reportedly beating up his girlfriend

He also had a run-in with LYFT over a Louis Vuitton bag he claims went missing. Let’s hope Raz B has learned his lesson and stays safe in these streets.

In March, he took to Instagram to announce he was quitting the B2K’s Millennium Tour because he felt unsafe with the group’s former manager around — who he accuses of sexually abusing him.

The post MORE DRAMA: Raz B arrested for DUI in Los Angeles appeared first on TheGrio.



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