5 Ways Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, ‘Dean of the Civil Rights Movement,’ Changed Black History

Rev Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, a revered civil rights icon and community organizer, died at the age of 98 on Friday. His family confirmed that he died peacefully from natural causes while surrounded by his three daughters, reports NBC News.

Born on Oct. 6, 1921, in Huntsville Alabama, Lowery spent his adolescence in Alabama and Chicago. After earning a bachelor’s degree at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, he dedicated his life to ministry and the fight to end racial discrimination around the world.

Throughout his life, the ordained Methodist minister pastored three churches in Alabama and Georgia, worked as a former aide to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and spearheaded some of the most pivotal moments in the civil rights movement. His fight for equality continued into the 21st century.

Lowery’s work earned him several awards and honorary doctoral degrees. In 1997, the NAACP crowned him as the “dean of the civil rights movement” and presented him with a lifetime achievement award. In 2009, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest honor, under then-President Barack Obama.

Tonight, the great Reverend Joseph E. Lowery transitioned from earth to eternity. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. He was a champion for civil rights, a challenger of injustice, a dear friend to the King family.

Thank you, sir.

[: MLK, Lowery, Wyatt Tee Walker] pic.twitter.com/PGHpBJJjNm

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) March 28, 2020

Here are five ways Rev. Lowery altered the course of black history throughout his decadeslong dedication to fighting for civil rights.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

After Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955, Lowery helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott with Dr. King.

“Born and raised in Jim Crow Alabama, preaching in his blood, the Rev. Joseph Lowery is a giant of the Moses generation of civil rights leaders,” Obama said about Lowery in 2009. “It was just King, Lowery and a few others, huddled in Montgomery, who laid the groundwork for the bus boycott and the movement that was to follow.”

Co-founded SCLC

In 1957, King and Lowery co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization devoted to human rights. Their work helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Lowery served as the organization’s vice president and chairman of the board. He went on to serve as SCLC president for two decades from 1977 to 1997.

Helped Organized the March on Washington

Lowery played a pivotal role in coordinating the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans.

Led the Selma to Montgomery March

Lowery led the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965 at King’s request. They were joined by thousands of nonviolent demonstrators as they marched to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, after a 5-day, 54-mile march from Selma, Alabama, to rally for voting rights.

Co-founded the Black Leadership Forum

Lowery co-founded the Black Leadership Forum, which played a key role in protesting apartheid in South Africa by pressuring businesses not to trade with the apartheid-era regime.

“He was a fierce advocate for voting rights and criminal justice reform, and led groundbreaking protests, including a boycott in the mid-1980s that persuaded the Winn-Dixie grocery chain to stop selling products from South Africa during apartheid,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a statement to BLACK ENTERPRISE on Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

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Why Is Everyone Watching 'Tiger King'?

The Netflix docuseries is extremely popular. It’s also appalling. Why are people flocking to such a feel-bad show?

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Queens hospital worker dies due to COVID-19: ‘Rest in Power’

A Queens, New York hospital worker, known for her community activism and an “advocate for the underdog,” has died from COVID-19.

New York State Senator Jessica Ramos announced the passing of Priscilla Carrow in a tribute posted on her Twitter page. Ramos said Carrow, who was the coordinating manager at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens and who also worked as the deputy director of community relations with the New York Senate, would deeply be missed. Elmhurst, like other hospitals in New York, has been hard hit with coronavirus cases.

READ MORE: NYC paramedic fighting for her life against coronavirus, family says

“Heartbroken to share my neighbor Priscilla Carrow passed away due to COVID-19. She was a crucial member of our community for 25+ years, proud @CWA1180 & @queensCB4 member & former coordinating manager at Elmhurst Hospital & staffer for my predecessor Jose Peralta. Rest in power,” tweeted Ramos.

Heartbroken to share my neighbor Priscilla Carrow passed away due to COVID-19. She was a crucial member of our community for 25+ years, proud @CWA1180 & @queensCB4 member & former coordinating manager at Elmhurst Hospital & staffer for my predecessor José Peralta. Rest in power. pic.twitter.com/f4UmIfbTub

— Jessica Ramos (@jessicaramos) March 30, 2020

My condolences to her family and our community!! Thank you for your service you will be missed!! RIP!!

“My condolences to her family and our community!! Thank you for your service you will be missed!! RIP!!” wrote Michelle Dunston in response to Ramos’ tweet.

My condolences to her family and our community!! Thank you for your service you will be missed!!
RIP!!

— michelle dunston (@DunstonMichelle) March 31, 2020

CWA Local 1180, Carrow’s worker’s union, issued a lengthy statement on Facebook, saying Carrow walked her talk and calling her a “passionate leader” in the community and “one of God’s most precious children.”

“It is with tremendous sorrow and the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of Priscilla Carrow, Coordinating Manager at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, on Monday, March 30, 2020, due to COVID-19. She was also a dedicated, active CWA Local 1180 Shop Steward. Priscilla first became a member of Local 1180 in August 2006. She was also a passionate leader of the Queens Borough Community Coordinating Committee, but she was so much more than that. She diligently served as a member of Community Board #4, was a member of the Queens Democratic Party, was extremely active in her community, and was one of Local 1180s most involved Shop Stewards,” the statement reads.

“We lost one of God’s most precious children due to the coronavirus, a blessed soul who gave her all every day at work at Elmhurst – a hospital overloaded with the coronavirus – to make sure others were taken care of,” said President Gloria Middleton. “I am beyond devastated and heartbroken as is the entire Local 1180 Executive Board. Priscilla always had a huge smile on her face and kind words to offer. Please keep her family in your prayers,” the statement adds.

The union asks everyone to pray for Carrow’s two children, son Tasheen Carrow, and daughter, Keyana Reaves.”

Many people responded to the post with personal stories of Carrow.

Celeste Spriggly wrote: “Condolences to Priscilla’s family she was a firecracker. Always a ray of sunshine a great soul Im in such disbelief she always would light up a room and always made me laugh. An advocate for the underdog. I will miss you Priscilla. Sleep in peace. Xoxo”

READ MORE: Retired nurse becomes first COVID-19 fatality in Illinois

And Jim Brown said he is still processing the news.

“When I came to work today I was thrown off balance by the news. My senior shop steward…… no way. Every event, through her surgery, through her healing, she was there front and center for her community, for her Elmhurst community, for her borough, for her Union. She reached out to senior/executive management and politicians alike. I respect her for her efforts, I will remember her passion,… I will not forget her encouragement to do more for our union brothers and sisters. She is the first loss to this pestilence that I personally know. I just can’t believe it,” Brown wrote.

The post Queens hospital worker dies due to COVID-19: ‘Rest in Power’ appeared first on TheGrio.

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The Search for the Next Big Idea in Magnetic Field Mapping

A new competition challenges scientists to innovate on how we map Earth's constantly shifting magnetic field—and make navigation safer and more accurate.

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U.S. coronavirus deaths reach 3,000 mark as crisis escalates

As of early Tuesday, the United States has now lost more than 3,000 people to the quickly-spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

The most recent numbers came via the tracker at the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. There are also 164,610 confirmed cases in the U.S. during the same timeframe.

READ MORE: ‘Respect’ and ‘Genius: Aretha’ release dates delayed by coronavirus

Globally, there are more than 788,000 cases and nearly 39,000 deaths.

Meanwhile, large cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago continued to struggle to keep up with the skyrocketing numbers and find adequate health care solutions and equipment to accommodate a spike in new patients. Those three cities are all rolling out or planning to roll out, makeshift hospitals to meet the demand.

New York has converted a portion of Central Park into a temporary hospital and is also planning to use the USNS Comfort, a Navy hospital ship, to treat coronavirus cases. The Comfort, which is docked in New York harbor and expected to start taking patients as early as Tuesday, adds 1,000 more hospital beds and 12 operating rooms.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is also asking for nurses and doctors in less hard-hit states to come to New York to help with the devastating outbreak, according to USA Today.

“In this battle, the troops are our healthcare professionals,” Cuomo told the newspaper. “We need relief. We need relief for nurses working 12-hour shifts. We need relief for doctors. Help us now and we will return the favor.”

“The number of beds we had in the beginning of March has to triple by May,” Mayor Bill de Blasio added. “It’s a daunting task, but we got a big, big boost.”

In Illinois, Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, which is the biggest conference center in North America, will be transformed into a care facility to treat up to 3,000 coronavirus patients.

READ MORE: Coronavirus outbreak shakes up Black skiers summit

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters that the state would need to ramp up more than 50,000 additional hospital beds to accommodate the outbreak, and warned that the peak in California is still a few weeks away.

As large cities grapple with the need for more hospital beds, masks and equipment, state and local leaders across the country have increasingly issued stay at home orders and curfews. On Monday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a stay at home order that takes effect immediately and runs until June 10.

The post U.S. coronavirus deaths reach 3,000 mark as crisis escalates appeared first on TheGrio.

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Venture Exec Lisa Coca: Outperforming the Competition Is the Price of Admission for Women of Color

Featuring a broad cross-section of women who have distinguished themselves across a rich variety of careers, our Portraits of Power series is a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Black Enterprise, and of black women. It’s a place for today’s businesswomen to share their own favorite images and their own stories, in their own words. Today’s portrait is startup adviser and investor Lisa Coca.

Lisa Coca

Managing Director/Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Intel Emerging Growth & Incubation

My first job was as a financial analyst on Wall Street. I constructed the firm’s first automated model for the valuation and acquisition of more than $700 million of distressed loans.

My big break came when Beth Comstock, then Global CMO for GE, tapped me to partner with her in development of the business plan for the launch of GE Ventures. She was incredibly forward-thinking and trusted my ability to translate prior experience and skill sets in a new domain.

I’ve had to work hardest at always being better than the best. For women of color, outperforming the competition in financial services, which is dominated by Caucasian males, is not a luxury. It is table stakes.

I never imagined I would have a daughter who is so incredibly dominated by her right brain! I could not be more proud—she is amazingly artistic but it does take her 20 minutes to put on her socks in the morning. It makes me crazy!

I wish I’d learned sooner about the world of technological innovation. It is driving transformative shifts in our economy, our everyday lives, and offers women an incredible path to empowerment.

My biggest regret is not taking more risks early in my career—exploring opportunities that would have placed me in greater control of my own destiny.

If I could design my fantasy self-care day, I would go back in time to the days when I had fewer responsibilities. When I could wake up, go for a 10-mile run in Central Park, relax, meet my girlfriends for a leisurely lunch, go home and read a book and then re-group with the girls for a night out on the town!

Being a working mother keeps me up at night. I love the adrenalin rush from working and achieving success in a very competitive profession. I also appreciate the element of providing our daughters with role models … “if she can see it, she can be it”. Notwithstanding, it requires compromises. I wish I could be there for her and with her every minute, of every hour, every day.

When I’m struggling, I say to myself, you got this!

I am unapologetically tenacious in my drive for results.

---

Portraits of Power is a yearlong series of candid insights from exceptional women leaders. It is brought to you by ADP.

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U.S. Government Signs $450 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Contract With Johnson & Johnson

The Trump administration has made another move in the race to combat and stop the viral outbreak of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, around the globe. The Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) recently signed a deal for a $456 million order with Johnson & Johnson’s Pharmaceuticals arm Janssen. The order has been specified as a “new vaccine asset for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).” It is the largest amount spent on a vaccine project to date by the administration.

A spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson didn’t provide any more details on the specific order. The deal was in an announcement from ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in February.

This moves the partnership forward between the U.S. government and Johnson & Johnson to co-invest $1 billion into COVID-19 vaccine research and clinical testing. Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals hasn’t yet started any clinical trials for a vaccine but expects human clinical studies for its vaccine candidate to go ahead, at the latest, by September 2020. The company predicts the first round of vaccines to be available for emergency use in early 2021.

Johnson & Johnson also unveiled a new collaboration with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in developing potential preventive vaccine candidates for COVID-19 earlier this month. A company spokesperson confirmed Johnson & Johnson still hopes to announce progress on the partnership very soon.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are only two active cases of vaccines going through trials —an NIAID-backed treatment with two others in China from CanSino Biological and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology.

Despite the global rush to get a vaccine out as soon as possible, it is highly unlikely anything will be made available to market within the year. Healthcare professionals such as Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO at CEPI, have stated it’ll take somewhere between a year and 18 months before the world has access to a coronavirus vaccine.

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This Pandemic Is Perilously Boring

It's far from being the most important source of human suffering. But the rapid spread of boredom across the world is a crisis of its own.

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A Creator of the Ebola Vaccine Has Hope for Slowing Covid-19

Gary Kobinger says a vaccine targeting groups like the elderly could be ready in less than a year, and control measures are slowing the disease's spread.

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In Crowded Hospitals, Who Will Get Life-Saving Equipment?

As health care workers prepare for surges of Covid-19 patients, they must grapple with the ethics of rationing critical medical gear.

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People Read a Lot of Covid News—but It Won't Save the Media

Yes, everyone is hungry for information about the pandemic. But media's ability to monetize that readership is dissolving. Time for policymakers to act.

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Why Life During a Pandemic Feels So Surreal

The study of the surreal has mostly concerned Dali's paintings and Kafka’s writings. But there are psychological reasons why every day seems so otherworldly.

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Covid-19 Symptoms: What to Do If You Might Have It

Stay calm. Here's our guide to what symptoms you should look out for, and how to respond if you've been exposed.

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The Newest US Sanctions on China's Huawei Could Backfire

A reported ban on sales to Huawei of chips made with American equipment might intensify China's drive to develop its own chip industry.

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Mesoamerican copper smelting technology aided colonial weaponry

When Spanish invaders arrived in the Americas, they were generally able to subjugate the local peoples thanks, in part, to their superior weaponry and technology. But archeological evidence indicates that, in at least one crucial respect, the Spaniards were quite dependent on an older indigenous technology in parts of Mesoamerica (today’s Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras).

The invaders needed copper for their artillery, as well as for coins, kettles, and pans, but they lacked the knowledge and skills to produce the metal. Even Spain at that time had not produced the metal domestically for centuries, relying on imports from central Europe. In Mesoamerica they had to depend on local smelters, furnace builders, and miners to produce the essential material. Those skilled workers, in turn, were able to bargain for exemption from the taxes levied on the other indigenous people.

This dependence continued for at least a century, and perhaps as long as two centuries or more, according to new findings published in the journal Latin American Antiquity, in a paper by Dorothy Hosler, professor of archeology and ancient technology at MIT, and Johan Garcia Zaidua, a researcher at the University of Porto, in Portugal.

The research, at the site of El Manchón, in Mexico, made use of information gleaned from more than four centuries worth of archeological features and artifacts excavated by Hosler and her crew over multiple years of fieldwork, as well as from lab work and historical archives in Portugal, Spain, and Mexico analyzed by Garcia.

El Manchón, a large and remote settlement, initially displayed no evidence of Spanish presence. The site consisted of three steep sectors, two of which displayed long house foundations, some with interior rooms and religious sanctuaries, patios, and a configuration that was conceptually Mesoamerican but unrelated to any known ethnic groups such as the Aztec. In between the two was an area that contained mounds of slag (the nonmetallic material that separates out during smelting from the pure metal, which floats to the surface).

The Spanish invaders urgently needed enormous quantities of copper and tin to make the bronze for their cannons and other armaments, Hosler says, and this is documented in the historical and archival records. But “they didn’t know how to smelt,” she says, whereas archaeological data suggest the indigenous people had already been smelting copper at this settlement for several hundred years, mostly to make ritual or ceremonial materials such as bells and amulets. These artisans were highly skilled, and in Guerrero and elsewhere had been producing complex alloys including copper-silver, copper-arsenic, and copper-tin for hundreds of years, working on a small scale using blowpipes and crucibles to smelt the copper and other ores. 

But the Spanish desperately reqired large quantities of copper and tin, and in consultation with indigenous smelters introduced some European technology into the process. Hosler and her colleagues excavated an enigmatic feature that consisted of two parallel courses of stones leading toward a large cake of slag in the smelting area. They identified this as the remains of a thus-far-undocumented hybrid type of closed furnace design, powered by a modified hand-held European bellows. A small regional museum in highland Guerrero illustrates just such a hybrid furnace design, including the modified European-introduced bellows system, capable of producing large volumes of copper. But no actual remains of such furnaces had previously been found.

The period when this site was occupied spanned from about 1240 to 1680, Hosler says, and may have extended to both earlier and later times.

The Guerrero site, which Hosler excavated over four field seasons before work had to be suspended because of local drug cartel activity, contains large heaps of copper slag, built up over centuries of intensive use. But it took a combination of the physical evidence, analysis of the ore and slags, the archaeological feature in the the smelting area, the archival work, and reconstruction drawing to enable identification of the centuries of interdependence of the two populations in this remote outpost.

Earlier studies of the composition of the slag at the site, by Hosler and some of her students, revealed that it had formed at a temperature of 1150 degrees Celsius, which could not have been achieved with just the blowpipe system and would have required bellows. That helps to confirm the continued operation of the site long into the colonial period, Hosler says.

Years of work went into trying to find ways to date the different deposits of slag at the site. The team also tried archaeomagnetic data but found that the method was not effective for the materials in that particular region of Mexico. But the written historical record proved key to making sense of the wide range of dates, which reflected centuries of use of the site.

Documents sent back to Spain in the early colonial period described the availability of the locally produced copper, and the colonists’ successful tests of using it to cast bronze artillery pieces. Documents also described the bargains made by the indigenous producers to gain economic privileges for their people, based on their specialized metallurgical knowledge.

“We know from documents that the Europeans figured out that the only way they could smelt copper was to collaborate with the indigenous people who were already doing it,” Hosler says. “They had to cut deals with the indigenous smelters.”

Hosler says that “what’s so interesting to me is that we were able to use traditional archeological methods and data from materials analysis as well as ethnographic data” from the furnace in a museum in the area, “and historical and archival material from 16th century archives in Portugal, Spain, and Mexico, then to put all the data from these distinct disciplines together into an explanation that is absolutely solid.”

The research received support from Charles Barber, CEO of Asarco; the Wenner-Gren Foundation; FAMSI; and MIT’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.

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The 2020 U.S. census: Time to make it count

The year’s U.S. census is taking place at a unique time in the country’s history. Many people, including college students, are staying in their homes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the Census Bureau has taken a number of steps to respond to the disruptions of the outbreak.

Students who are usually at school should be counted at school, even if they are temporarily living somewhere else due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and universities like MIT are working with census officials to count students that normally live in a dorm or other college-owned housing.

But, under official guidance, “if you live in an apartment or house alone or with roommates or others,” you should receive an invitation in the mail to respond to the census, which you can respond to online, by phone, or by mail. “Whatever method you choose,” the guidance continues, “make sure you use your normal address — where you usually live while you’re at school. You should also include anyone else who normally lives there, too. That means you’ll be asked about your roommates’ birthdays, how they want to identify their race, etc. But if you don’t know that information, or you can’t verify whether your roommate has already responded for your home, please respond for the entire household.”

Census Day is April 1, but the government strongly encourages online responses, which can be submitted here until Aug. 14 under a revised schedule. Census takers will also follow up with some households that don’t respond. Still, most things will not change for the once-a-decade-survey. By law, the Census Bureau must deliver each state’s population total to the president by Dec. 31 of this year. That’s because census data have important implications for redistricting and representation purposes.

The census is valuable for a number of other applications as well. To learn more, and to understand why members of the MIT community should participate, MIT News spoke with Melissa Nobles, the Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and Amy Glasmeier, a professor in the Department of Urban Studies and Planing, both of whom have used census data for important research throughout their careers.

Q: Why is the census so important?

GLASMEIER: The census is the basis of many important functions in our society. First, it helps to set the congressional districts and decide how many representatives particular geographic areas have. Second, the census is used to determine the distribution of federal resources. For example, if a region goes down to 49,000 people, it’s not considered a metropolitan area anymore and falls into a completely different [resource allocation] category. Third, it’s important at the community level. Communities are responsible for certain kinds of goods and services, and if they don’t have an accurate count of their population, they don’t have a good way of knowing what their responsibilities are. It’s incredibly important to know how many students are in your school district and the growth rate of your school district, or the growth rate of your elderly population. So the census is the statistical fabric, if you will, of our society.

NOBLES: Over the centuries, the importance of census data has grown far past representative purposes. Uses now extend to budgeting and really anything we care about in public life.

The census deals with many things researchers are interested in. From where people live to how they are living, to how large their households are, to age distribution, gender distribution, etc. It’s a public service and it allows for broad access to data by researchers, which is different from private databases ,which may not provide you that information. It’s a public service that researchers rely on enormously.

Q: Why should members of the MIT community participate?

NOBLES: The census is based on inhabitants in locations, so it’s indifferent to citizenship. It’s important for governments (federal, state, and municipal) and researchers to know that international students are here, for example, and how many people there are in their communities.

The main thrust of the census is to be counted. It asks where every inhabitant in the U.S. is on April 1, census day. It’s a relatively quick survey and it’s worth doing; it’s part of our civic duty. Our government needs reliable data — we should appreciate the importance of that, at MIT. In order to make good policies, you first need good data, so participating in the census is  part of our intellectual duty in addition to our civic duty.

GLASMEIER: Unless someone is registered to vote in their home, they’re going to be identified here as a resident in a group quarter. This kind of information is important for the city of Cambridge, because they’re making decisions about things like water supply, housing, and transportation, and it’s also important from the perspective of understanding who’s going to college. What’s their personal history? Where do they come from, from the standpoint of ethnicity, race, gender?

Q: What do you wish more people know about the census?

NOBLES: I don’t want people to be suspicious of it. There are rightly many concerns right now about data privacy, and sometimes it seems people are more fearful of the census than they are of private corporations, which often have way more personal information than the government, by the way. You can rest assured that these data are used for a range of government programs, most importantly our own democratic governance, and it’s part of living in the U.S. People should look at it as a useful tool and not be suspicious of it.

GLASMEIER: The anonymity is important. America is extremely rigorous about confidentiality across the entire census. It also sets the political environment for the nation, and it’s exceedingly important in that way. Finally, for those of us who use it for research purposes, it’s a daily thing we touch. For many others that are starting to deal with populations and think about people, the census is this amazing source they may not even know exists.

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Maxine Waters slams Trump in fiery tweets: ‘You incompetent idiot!’

Rep. Maxine Waters set Twitter ablaze on Monday with a series of fiery tweets aimed at President Donald Trump for what she called his “disaster” of a response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact in the United States.

“Trump, stop congratulating yourself! You’re a failure & you’ve mishandled this #COVID19 disaster!” Waters tweeted. 

READ MORE: ‘We love Yamiche’ trends on Twitter after Trump berates Black reporter’

“You’re not knowledgeable & you don’t know more than experts & generals. Your ignorance & incompetence are appalling & you continue to demonstrate that every time you open your mouth!”

Trump, stop congratulating yourself! You’re a failure & you’ve mishandled this #COVID19 disaster! You’re not knowledgeable & you don’t know more than experts & generals. Your ignorance & incompetence are appalling & you continue to demonstrate that every time you open your mouth!

— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) March 30, 2020

“Trump, you incompetent idiot! You sent 18 tons of PPE to China early but ignored warnings & called COVID19 concerns a hoax. You’ve endangered doctors, nurses, aids, orderlies, & janitors – all risking their lives to save ours,” she said in another tweet.

“Pray 4 forgiveness for the harm that you’re causing!”

Trump, you incompetent idiot! You sent 18 tons of PPE to China early but ignored warnings & called COVID19 concerns a hoax. You’ve endangered doctors, nurses, aids, orderlies, & janitors – all risking their lives to save ours. Pray 4 forgiveness for the harm that you’re causing!

— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) March 30, 2020

The California congresswoman’s impassioned tweets to the president were likely in response to Trump’s numerous false claims about the novel coronavirus and the U.S.’s response to it. What’s more, the U.S. has now surpassed China and Italy as the country with the most virus cases and continues to grabble with scarcity in medical supplies, among other national concerns.

Water’s tweets caused “Auntie Maxine” to trend on Twitter, drawing many responses from supporters cheering on her tough message.

House Financial Services Committee ranking member Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) arrives for a Democratic caucus meeting. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Auntie Maxine wasnt having the BS today…,” tweeted @PricelessT1285.”

Songwriter Dianne Warren wrote, “Don’t f**k with Auntie Maxine!!”

READ MORE: Don Lemon accuses Trump of ‘gaslighting’ over coronavirus

Of course, Waters isn’t the only person to express their anger at Trump’s various falsehoods during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Trump had said that businesses would reopen by Easter, only to days later change course. Adhering to public health professionals, he ultimately extended nationwide social distancing guidelines through April 30, according to CNN.

READ MORE: Man dies after taking drug promoted by Trump to treat COVID-19

President Trump also pushed certain drugs as a potential treatment for COVID-19 — drugs that are now at the center of at least one death and thousands of lupus patients unable to get proper medication. Trump has also been repeatedly contradicted and corrected by Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Critics, like Waters, have slammed Trump for using his world microphone to lambast the press and Democratic opponents rather than addressing the concerns of the American public during a time of fear and uncertainty.

The post Maxine Waters slams Trump in fiery tweets: ‘You incompetent idiot!’ appeared first on TheGrio.

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Chris Brown hides behind a wall during encounter with ‘crazy’ fan

Earlier this month, Chris Brown had a disturbing encounter with an obsessed fan who allegedly attempted to sneak onto his property. Apparently, the entire run-in was caught on tape.

Saturday, the singer took to his Instagram page to share the scary face-off, writing in his caption, “MENTAL ILLNESS IS REAL!! SHE TRIED TO SNEAK OVER THE GATE AT MY CRIB BUT SHE SAW MY DOG and he saw her ( WHAT DA F**K Was MY HOMIE ZOOMing INTO).”

READ MORE: Chris Brown’s baby’s mother Ammika Harris blasted for taking son out during COVID-19

In the footage, the 30-year-old can be seen cowering behind a low wall while a woman right outside his property yells at him. At one point, she informed him that she’s decided he’s her “life partner.”

The camera operator appeared to struggle to focus on the woman as he filmed, as she stood at a distance from Brown’s home. A lot of what she said was unintelligible, but at one point she asked the entertainer did he “know Lorena?” to which he responded, “No!” before screaming that the woman was clearly “crazy.”

Unfortunately, none of this is new to the entertainer. Back in 2016, he had to get protection from his female stalker Danielle Patti, who broke into his home on three separate occasions.

A year earlier, in May of 2015, Brown came home to find an unidentified 21-year-old naked woman in his bed.

“I get home and find this crazy individual in my house,” he would later write while recalling the details his social media.

“She had broken the hinges off the doors. She Found time to cook her several meAls. She Wrote “I love you” on the walls. She threw out my daughters clothing as well as my dogs stuff. Then had all these crazy voodoo things around my crib. goes to show you how crazy people are crazy! And she painted her name on my cars!!!! I love my fans but this is some is on some real real crazy s***.”

READ MORE: Is Chris Brown thirsty over Rihanna? Online mag spills tea on insider’s thoughts

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😳 MENTAL ILLNESS IS REAL!! SHE TRIED TO SNEAK OVER THE GATE AT MY CRIB BUT SHE SAW MY DOG and he saw her ( WHAT DA FUCK Was MY HOMIE ZOOMing INTO) @teezio full credit

A post shared by CHRIS BROWN (@chrisbrownofficial) on Mar 28, 2020 at 2:07pm PDT

 

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Coronavirus outbreak shakes up Black skiers summit

Attendees at a weeklong event in Sun Valley are on edge after at least 10% of attendees already testing positive for the coronavirus and many more already feeling ill.

According to NBC News, this year’s National Brotherhood of Skiers’ ski summit took place on Feb. 27-March 7 in Sun Valley, Idaho. But what was meant to be a time of fellowship unexpectedly turned into a cautionary tale on the necessity of social distancing.

“It was at a time when the serious nature of coronavirus was not conveyed by the supposed leadership of the country,” said Brad Corbin who has been a faithful attendee for the last 25 years. “I’m sure it would have been canceled. But it was classified as a ‘hoax.’”

This year, Corbin missed the event for only the sixth time in over two decades which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

READ MORE: Black people who have died from COVID-19

National Brotherhood of Skiers (Credit: NBS)

“It’s a fantastic event. The only reason I didn’t go is because I don’t particularly like the Sun Valley setup,” he explained. “I likely dodged a bullet. But I feel badly for those who have contracted the virus. And it’s a little unsettling to know I could have been on that list, too.”

The summit was ultimately a success. However, only days after everyone went home, NBS sent an email to over 3,000 members alerting them that attendees from Ft. Washington, Md., (one), Washington, D.C. (one), Detroit (three) and New York (one) had all tested positive for COVID-19.

“Our hearts and prayers are with everyone and every family that has encountered COVID-19, the flu, pneumonia or any other virus that is affecting our population,” read the email from summit leadership Peggie Allen and Henri Rivers.

They assured everyone that Art Cox, the organization’s safety director, was compiling a list of attendees who have tested positive.

READ MORE: Brooklyn teacher denied coronavirus test three times now on life support

“We wish you a swift and speedy recovery. Please keep each other in your prayers and stay safe.”

Saturday, Allen and Mayors Peter Hendricks and Neil Bradshaw from Sun Valley and Ketchum, all issued a joint statement.

“There is no evidence as to when and how the virus first entered Sun Valley or Ketchum. Sun Valley is a ski destination which hosts national and international tourists. It had numerous visiting guests and organizations before, and during the same time the NBS members were visiting. It is virtually impossible to pinpoint a group or person who were carriers of the virus,” it read in part.

“We all love this valley and our main concern now is that everyone who has been affected in the NBS and other groups, and in all of Blaine County, recovers in better health. Know we are here to support them,” the statement said.

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NCAA Reduces Distribution to Division I Schools to $225 Million Down From $600 Million

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced that the Board of Governors has voted unanimously to distribute $225 million in June to Division I member schools to specifically focus on supporting the college athletes. The previous revenue distribution for 2020 was budgeted at about $600 million scheduled to be released in April. Due to all remaining winter and upcoming spring athletic events being canceled and/or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, plans were altered.

“We are living in unprecedented times not only for higher education, but for the entire nation and around the globe as we face the COVID-19 public health crisis,” said Michael V. Drake, chair of the board and president of The Ohio State University in a written statement. “As an Association, we must acknowledge the uncertainties of our financial situation and continue to make thoughtful and prudent decisions on how we can assist conferences and campuses in supporting student-athletes now and into the future.”

In the decision for the reduction of funds, the Board of Governors stressed the importance of using the distributions to aid college athletes during the uncertainty of the current environment, as well as the importance of planning carefully with less revenue. The decision also allows the membership to engage in planning while the NCAA continues to work with its contractual partners.

The NCAA stated that of the $225 million distribution planned for the schools, $50 million will come from NCAA reserves. The NCAA also has a cancellation insurance policy that is worth $270 million and the proceeds when received will be used to pay off a line of credit that will cover the remaining distribution within 12 months.

“The Association has prepared for a financial catastrophic event like the one we face now,” Drake said. “While we certainly have challenges ahead, we would be in a far worse position had it not been for this long-standing, forward-focused planning.”

For this year’s Division I distribution, $53.6 million will go through the Equal Conference Fund, which is split equally among the Division I basketball-playing conferences that meet the athletic and academic standards to participate in the men’s basketball tournament. The rest will be proportionally distributed through the remainder of all other available funds. The funds will be unrestricted to provide latitude to conferences.

“Our priority is to ensure that we are able to support student-athletes and continue to provide opportunity as broadly as possible,” said Division I board chair Eli Capilouto, president at Kentucky.

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This Is Not the Apocalypse You Were Looking For

Pop culture has been inundated with catastrophe porn for decades. None of it has prepared us for our new reality.

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Drake debuts son Adonis: ‘I love and miss my beautiful family’

Drake debuted images of his son for the first time on Monday in a rare family appreciation post amid national quarantine measures set in place due to COVID-19.

The Grammy-award winning rapper revealed photos of his family on social media including his son, Adonis, and the child’s mother and his parents.

Fans of the 6-God were introduced to his son, however, in an unconventional way. During a rap-beef with Virginia rapper, Pusha T, Drake’s then-new dad status was announced by his current nemesis. 

READ MORE: Drake tests negative for coronavirus after self-quarantine

Rappers Drake and Pusha T. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images and Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

A messy back-and-forth between the two on wax came with personal jabs. “The Story Of Adidon” the diss record by Pusha T against Drake plainly, but powerfully stated, “You are hiding a child, let that boy come home”  and went on to rap, “Adonis is your son, and he deserves more than an Adidas press run.” And from that moment, the secret was out. 

Smoke may remain in the air between the two artists but both have officially moved on musically. Although the infamous verse dropped two years ago, Drake remained adamant about hiding the world from his child. The heartwarming post includes a lengthy caption detailing how he misses his family.

 

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What is most important for you right now is to connect to your own inner light. This will create the biggest opening of all. Trust that you have all of the power within to make this happen, and in order to do that connect to the people and things that bring you a lot of joy. When the mind starts to move into overthinking or fear, shift your attention right away to something bright. It doesn’t matter what has happened in the past or what is happening around us now, you can always make the choice to break free of the wheel of suffering and panic and open up to your own light. We are powerful manifestors , so once you make the choice in the moment to shift your awareness to something good, it will show you in your reality. Be conscious, especially right now of fears coming in from others, and recognize that not everything should be held by you. Laughter is your best medicine, but tears can also be a powerful release. Let go of any judgment you may have around that. Remember that you are never alone, and if you need to be reminded of that ask for support and it will show up. Everything comes down to intention, and even though there are conflicting energies circling around us you must KNOW…It will rebuild. But in order for that to happen, you have to do exactly that. Trust. You have the biggest heart and that is your greatest gift. It’s impossible to always control your surroundings, but when you shift the focus to how you want to feel, everything will conspire to assist you. I love and miss my beautiful family and friends and I can’t wait for the joyful day when we are all able to reunite. Until then please keep your lights on. 🤍

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Mar 30, 2020 at 2:14am PDT

READ MORE: Drake has ‘no desire’ to end Pusha T and Kanye West feuds, discusses classics in ‘Rap Radar’ interview

“It doesn’t matter what has happened in the past or what is happening around us now, you can always make the choice to break free of the wheel of suffering and panic and open up to your own light. We are powerful manifestors, so once you make the choice in the moment to shift your awareness to something good, it will show you in your reality. Be conscious, especially right now of fears coming in from others, and recognize that not everything should be held by you,” Drake writes on Instagram. 

The adorable family photos capture Drake holding his son in one image, sporting all black against a black backdrop. The multi-photo upload also includes throwbacks of Drake’s parents, a photo of he, Adonis, and Sophie Brussaux, Adonis’ mother, and candid shots of Adonis enjoying childhood. 

Drake was recently forced to self-quarantine after hanging out with Kevin Durant who later tested positive for COVID-19. The Take Care rapper revealed negative test results shortly thereafter.

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Man filming bodies loaded inside truck tearfully warns: ‘This is real, ya’ll’

The voice of a grief-stricken Brooklyn man can be heard on a video he captured appearing to show medical personnel removing wrapped bodies out of Brooklyn Hospital of people who died from the coronavirus and placing the bodies inside of a truck.

READ MORE: New Orleans man, 58, becomes Louisiana’s first coronavirus death

On the NYC Scanner Twitter page, the unidentified man said he decided to record the video to warn people who are not taking the virus seriously.

“This sh*t is for real, ya’ll. This is Brooklyn ya’ll. Family, ya’ll take it serious. Ya’ll take this thing real serious,” the man says on the video.

Brooklyn hospital. pic.twitter.com/Ip7H3PuR1M

— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) March 29, 2020

“Ya’ll not taking it serious,” the man says. “This may make you want to take it serious, ok?”

The man explains that what people are seeing is medical personnel putting “the bodies in an 18-wheeler.”

“Please stay inside, this is no joke ya’ll this is for real,” the man goes on to say, explaining that the bodies were being put in the back of a freezer truck. “Please stay inside. Please pray for the people ya’ll. This is for real.”

“Lord have mercy, help us, Lord. Please, please ya’ll stay inside,” the man, who sounds like he’s crying, pleads on the video.

The video had 3.1 million views as of Monday morning. Many responded to the Twitter video with surprise, disgust, denial or disbelief.

“This is happening while Trump is on stage suggesting healthcare workers in this same city are selling masks out the back door,” tweeted Skeletress.

“How terribly sad we have come to this. The trump klan of goons is responsible for this mess,” tweeted PatriciannS.

READ MORE: Michigan student, 25, died after he was refused COVID-19 test, sister says

“OMG. That poor man witnessing that. People from all walks of life are sharing the same trauma. STAY HOME. FFS, STAY HOME,” wrote @HedFulofDreams.

“Remember this in November. tRump’s failure to act early has contributed to the impact,” wrote ResistanceDerry.

“This should be sent to trump let him see the real life situation” tweeted Linda.

“The raw grief in his voice has me weeping…” wrote @MsDixieDiva8253.

 

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Former NBA Player Stephon Marbury to Deliver 10 Million Masks from China for New Yorkers

Giving back is essential in this dire time of need and New York Knicks legend Stephon Marbury is coming through in a big way!

According to the New York Post, the former point guard has arranged a deal that will sell 10 million face masks to New Yorkers for $2.75 each from a mask supplier in China. That price is almost a third of the $7.50 price that other retailers have been quoting for the N95 masks.

The former New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks player is now a coach for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Royal Fighters and still has family in Coney Island, Brooklyn, where he grew up. “At the end of the day, I am from Brooklyn,” Marbury told the New York Post in a phone call from his Beijing home. “This is something that is close and dear to my heart as far as being able to help New York.”

“I have family there in Coney Island, a lot of family … who are affected by this, so I know how important it is for people to have masks during this time.”

The Brooklyn native revealed that he got the idea last week after learning about New York’s low supply of masks and the extremely high price New York is paying for them and the state’s lack of protective gear. He decided to reach out to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who has backed Marbury’s local charities in the past, to let him know he wants to assist in getting the masks for the state.

Since China’s coronavirus pandemic has steadily gone down, the need for masks isn’t what it used to be during the peak of the outbreak over there. The connection that Marbury has in China has more N95s than that country presently needs, according to Brooklyn Borough Hall. The gear would be delivered 2 million at a time over five weeks.

Marbury, who was picked fourth overall in the 1996 NBA draft, played for 13 seasons with the New York Knicks, New Jersey (Now, Brooklyn) Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics before moving to China in 2009 and winning three Chinese Basketball Association titles with the Beijing Ducks. 

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OK, This *Watchmen* Hand-Washing PSA Is Pretty Good

If Regina King can't get you to wash your hands, who can? 

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‘We Love Yamiche’ trends on Twitter after Trump berates Black reporter

Reporters are coming to PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor’s defense after President Donald Trump attacked and berated her because she asked him to explain an earlier comment he made on Sean Hannity’s show where he questioned the number of ventilators governors were requesting.

As Alcindor began her question, Trump told her to, “Be nice. Don’t be threatening.”

READ MORE: Don Lemon accuses Trump of ‘gaslighting’ over coronavirus

“President Trump today at the White House said to me: “Be nice. Don’t be threatening.” I’m not the first human being, woman, black person or journalist to be told that while doing a job. My take: Be steady. Stay focused. Remember your purpose. And, always press forward,” Alcindor tweeted following the exchange.

President Trump today at the White House said to me: “Be nice. Don’t be threatening.”

I’m not the first human being, woman, black person or journalist to be told that while doing a job.

My take: Be steady. Stay focused. Remember your purpose. And, always press forward.

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) March 29, 2020

“Your brilliance is seen as “threatening” by him, keep pressing and being your graceful self” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted in response.

Alcindor posted the video on Twitter of the exchange and said she had simply asked Trump about a statement he made on Hannity, where he said this about governors: “I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they are going to be. I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators.”

Video of my exchange w/ Pres Trump today.

My Q is on Trump saying this about governors on Thursday: “I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they are going to be. I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators.” https://t.co/bska84ZFPs

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) March 29, 2020

Trump angrily replied “I didn’t say that” and then asked Alcindor why “you people” can’t act “in a little more positive, it’s always trying to get you, get you, get you.”

Trump turned Alcindor’s microphone off and refused to allow her to ask a second question. Later, when Trump called CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, he passed the microphone to Alcindor and allowed her to finish.

Both Alcindor and Diamond were lauded by journalists, politicians and everyday citizens across social media for standing their ground amid bullying behavior by Trump. “We Love Yamiche” began trending on Twitter.

“Totally legitimate question from @Yamiche about what Trump said to Hannity about ventilators. Fair game,” tweeted Jim Acosta.

Totally legitimate question from @Yamiche about what Trump said to Hannity about ventilators. Fair game.

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) March 29, 2020

“Then back her up! All of you. Ask the same damn question over and over again” responded @fleurdelisa27.

Then back her up! All of you.
Ask the same damn question over and over again

— Lisa~i like my curves flattened (@fleurdelisa27) March 29, 2020

“Couldn’t be prouder of @Yamiche for refusing to be intimidated. This is real journalism. What’s sad is that she has to take this on a regular basis from this condescending asshole,” tweeted Jemele Hill.

Couldn’t be prouder of @Yamiche for refusing to be intimidated. This is real journalism. What’s sad is that she has to take this on a regular basis from this condescending asshole. https://t.co/l4jJtjnV8Z

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) March 29, 2020

“I consider @Yamiche a role model for all of us working in journalism, both in terms of her reporting and her decorum. No one deserves the treatment she receives from Donald Trump or his followers,” wrote Jamil Smith.

I consider @Yamiche a role model for us all of us working in journalism, both in terms of her reporting and her decorum. No one deserves the treatment she receives from Donald Trump or his followers. https://t.co/N8StAVlLxG

— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) March 29, 2020

Many also applauded for Diamond for backing his colleague.

“Cheering for my friend @JDiamond1 who handed the microphone to @Yamiche!! This is how it’s done people. Proud to know them both,” tweeted Abby D. Phillip.

Cheering for my friend @JDiamond1 who handed the microphone to @Yamiche !! This is how it’s done people. Proud to know them both 🙌🏾🙌🏾

— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) March 29, 2020

READ MORE: What Trump can learn about leadership from Obama

Another person weighed in on what’s really going on.

“He hates being held accountable by black women. His ire for Yamiche Alcindor and April Ryan is palpable,” tweeted Corey Richardson.

He hates being held accountable by black women. His ire for Yamiche Alcindor and April Ryan is palpable.

— Corey Richardson (@vexedinthecity) March 29, 2020

And don’t forget Abby Phillip, another responded.

“He’s been “nasty” to @abbydphillip also. They make me proud; never bowing down nor out,” wrote Rhondaology.

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