Tiffany Haddish talks coronavirus vaccines, reveals diagnosis in chat with Dr. Fauci

Tiffany Haddish hosted immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci for a coronavirus discussion on her YouTube channel

Tiffany Haddish landed an exclusive interview with esteemed immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci for her YouTube channel.

In the video posted late August, the comedienne went one-on-one with Fauci, the White House’s leading expert on coronavirus, discussing the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on the Black community and vaccine development, and revealing her own bout with the contagion.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, took the time to clear up what Haddish saw as “a lot of misinformation” circulating regarding the fast-spreading virus.

“From my community, we see things going on, we see stuff on the internet and I try to use my discernment,” Haddish said as she prepped to ask several questions.

READ MORE: Tiffany Haddish reveals she couldn’t read until her teen years

During the 34-minute interview, Fauci addressed numerous issues about COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, including the origin of the virus, the pros and cons of taking herbal supplements to fight off and prevent contraction, as well as the government-backed race to find a preventative.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies before a House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing on July 31, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images)

Although vaccines must go through extensive trials before being distributed to the general public in a process that typically takes years and years to complete, Fauci said he understands why many in the Black community may not be inclined to be inoculated.

“It’s understandable that people can have some hesitancy about getting vaccines,” Fauci said.

“You can’t expect the people who aren’t trustworthy about vaccines to just believe everybody,” he continued. “I think particularly in the African-American community, which, over decades, historically, have suffered from being taken advantage of by medical community and testing. I mean the infamous Tuskegee [Experiment] is something we will never, and should never forget.”

Over the course of the conversation, Haddish revealed that she tested positive for COVID-19 three months ago. The Carmichael Show actress said she tested twice for the disease, once after being potentially exposed on a film set, which came back negative, and again after someone she knows contracted the virus.

READ MORE: Coronavirus cases surpass 6M in the US

“Get the tests the second time. I’m not feeling any symptoms or anything, and it comes back like two days later, and they said I did have the coronavirus,” said Haddish, who has been dating and quarantining during the pandemic with rapper Common.

Common and Tiffany Haddish attend Toast To The Arts Presented by Remy Martin on March 2, 2018 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Remy Martin)

“Then I went and tested again, didn’t have the virus, and then I got tested for antibodies, they said I had antibodies,” she explained. “Then I get tested again, no virus, and then I had them test me for antibodies again, and then they said I don’t have any antibodies.”

“So I think I’m superhuman.”

In total, Haddish disclosed she’s taken 12 coronavirus tests as she returned to work.

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Black-Owned Bottled Water Brand Now Available in 1,100 Stores Nationwide

Rudy Byfield, founder of CellDration Water, one of only a handful of Black-owned premium water brands in the world, has partnered with Kroger, Ralph’s, Wakefern, DPI Specialty Foods, and other grocery store chains for distribution in over 1,100 stores nationwide in sixteen different states.

Utilizing a proprietary five-step process, and founded at the nexus between nature and science, CellDration Water offers an enhanced, mineralized purified water with multiple value-added benefits. CellDration’s game-changing national distribution deal signals a commitment by Kroger, Ralph’s, Wakefern, and DPI to supplier diversity by giving minority brands the opportunity to fairly compete with other brands on its shelves.

The water brand made its debut at various Kroger’s grocery stories in 2018 and sold over 300,000 bottles within the first six months – four times the projected sales goal and an incredibly promising start for a new brand market entry in the competitive beverage category.

“I have a deep and burning desire to foster an eco-system for health and wellness; it is my hope that CellDration lays a robust foundation for providing a sustainable and revolutionized hydration product for all to enjoy. As a Black-owned premium water brand, I am keenly aware of the historic nature of these unprecedented partnerships which will expose our great tasting product to millions of water drinkers,” states Byfield.

Involved in the development, production, management, and launch of multiple beverage brands, Byfield’s vast experience in the retail and beverage industries laid the foundation for CellDration’s “point of ignition”. Wanting to introduce water capable of doing remarkable things, Byfield became intrigued by a singular idea: to develop a more functional & efficient water product.

Learn more about the brand at CellDrationWater.com or follow the brand on Instagram @celldration_water

This article was originally written by BlackBusiness.com.

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How Entertainment PR Guru Lucky Church Builds Meaningful Relationships In The Industry

Having worked with huge brands like the Grammy Awards, Fat Joe, Nike, Wu-Tang Clan, Team Jordan, BET, Universal Records, DJ Khaled, and many others, it’s safe to say that Walter “Lucky Church” Simons has made a name for himself as the behind-the-scenes, go-to guy in the entertainment industry.

With over 15 years of PR and networking experience, he has become a super-connector, global liaison, and pro at building meaningful relationships..

Simons, currently director of client relations and PR at Mungo Creative Group, is a man who cannot be defined by one single role. The Harlem native wears many hats and has very recently partnered with Billy Porter, taking over his social media and content. He has a natural gift for building and cultivating relationships, and it shines through all that he does.

“I came up with the title global liaison because I’m just a connector of people and I love to connect people and things that make sense for each other.” 

How Lucky Church Became The Go-To Liaison

The former singer/songwriter/musician used his past rock band experience to begin connecting brands with celebrities and recording artists with record labels. “I wore so many hats.”

Simons came up with a creative way to have his band have a manager, using his real name to respond to emails and book shows as the band’s manager. “I didn’t realize during this time of being with the band that I was building this unique skill set that would help catapult my career in the future,” he shared.

When Simons exited the band, an opportunity at Lizzie Grubman’s high-profile PR firm came his way through a friend. He quickly stood out from the pack when he was able to pull some strings to secure spots for shows at Fashion Week through his connections, which grabbed Grubman’s attention. Ever since, he has had a very successful career in many roles, rubbing shoulders with everyone’s Hollywood faves.

It goes beyond networking for Simons, though; his relationships are solid because he is open to assist in any way that he can.

“My relationships have enriched my life and because I’ve been good to people, they in turn have been good to me,” he says. “That’s why I tell people all the time that it’s important to build those relationships because you never know when you’ll need people to help you or when you’ll be an asset to help somebody and push them through to the next level of their life and career. It’s about making yourself available and being open to being available to help people at the same time.”

Building Meaningful Relationships In The Entertainment Industry

In an industry where there’s a lot of fake love, Simons aims to always keep it 100 by building his connections genuinely. He encourages others to do the same.

“If it doesn’t feel authentic, don’t do it,” he explains. “People can read through that.What you want to do is find something unique between you and the person that you have common ground on, and start from there. You have to also realize that you will not connect with everybody–and that’s OK. I never force anything, I let everything flow naturally.”

Rushing and trying to push to the top isn’t what got Simons to where he is today. He has built his reputation through sincere relationships that developed over time. He recommends slowing down and following your gut. “Just be patient with yourself, trust your instincts, and also, trust your journey,” he advises. “People are so busy trying to force their careers and force themselves to success, but that’s just not how success is gained. You have to be patient with yourself and understand that it’s a process.”

Simons believes that another reason many aren’t able to build meaningful industry relationships is because they come with an ulterior motive. “People approach situations with an intent to get something,” he notes. “Anybody who knows me will tell you that my relationships are built off of just interacting with them to see who they are and to get to know them as a person.” Simons looks to build a rapport, remain in contact, and makes it known that he is there to help whenever needed.

 “There’s longevity in authenticity, and I cannot push that more. You have to be yourself. And with your network, you have to appreciate the small network in order to get to the big network. So many people are trying to push and force.”

WALTER “Lucky Church” SIMONS

Simons believes it is important to build a solid network to level up. And for those who are introverted, he shares, “You have to learn to break your shell, just a little bit. And sometimes it just takes meeting other introverts like yourself and finding common ground there. With no risk, there is no reward. If you’re not taking those little leaps of faith and stepping into your destiny, being fearless and unapologetic, you’re never going to find out who’s for you.”

He suggests practicing with friends who may be more extroverted or utilizing more social friends to introduce you to others and help you engage in conversations.

 

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Happy Birthday to a true King @FatJoe …. I appreciate you for real bro. Thank you for always being a good person when this world is filled with madness. You are truly a standup guy. Wishing you infinite success, health, wealth and happiness. You deserve it all King. God bless you and your family! #HappyBirthday #LeoSeason – – – #FatJoe #TerrorSquad #TS #LuckyChurch

A post shared by Lucky Church (@luckychurch) on Aug 19, 2020 at 7:01am PDT

Keeping Up With Lucky Church

Simons shares all of his gems and humor on his Instagram page, @LuckyChurch. He can also be found through Mungo Creative Group.

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My Doomed Search for a Bedside Wireless Phone Charger

My wife and I have spent years testing out dozens of wireless chargers on our nightstands. We’re still hunting.

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Every Christopher Nolan Film, Ranked for You to Disagree With

'Tenet' is finally out. Here's how it stacks up to the rest of Nolan's movies.

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A Florida Teen Shut Down Remote School With a DDoS Attack

Plus: Predictive policing taken even farther, Amazon surveillance of private Facebook groups, and more of the week’s top security news.

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Niger mass graves: Army accused of executing over 70 civilians

Niger's human rights commission has said the killings happened during counterinsurgency operations.

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Atlanta Man Becomes One of Georgia’s First Black Male Teachers of the Year

Johnathon Hines, a teacher at Barack Obama Elementary School in Atlanta, has been recognized as Georgia’s Pre-K Teacher of the Year. He is the first Black man to receive the award, and hopes to continue inspiring his young students!

“Now I have the opportunity to inspire other males in early childhood. And that’s definitely one of my biggest goals,” Hines told 11 Alive. “I know how hard it is to be a teacher. The love and passion that you have to have to come in the classroom every single day. It’s definitely a calling, and that is my calling.”

Hines has always been very passionate about teaching. He believes it is important that a child would first love learning which he does unconventionally and energetically through dancing and singing.

“Cause I feel like when a child is engaged, the more they will learn,” he explained. “When I was in school I didn’t really enjoy the story, or the story was boring. Pre-K is the first year a child will experience school, so I want their first encounter to be a loving, nurturing encounter. And also allow them to have fun and still be a 4-year-old.”

One of the most rewarding parts of his job is seeing his little students learn. Hines currently teaches 22 students that he treats like his own child.

“What I love most about my job is seeing the growth in my children,” he added. “Sometimes students come in being only able to recognize a few letters. But by May they are able to write their first and last names, read a short story. But even grow as a person. They develop self-confidence. They develop social and emotional skills. The growth is really important in pre-K.”

Moreover, Hines hopes he could get to inspire other men, especially Black men, to consider taking a career path in teaching.

“I have the opportunity to inspire other males to get inside of the classroom,” he said. “It speaks volumes because there’s so many teachers in the state of Georgia and to be the number one pre-K teacher means a lot.”

This article was originally published by BlackNews.com.

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9 Fun Ways to Help Kids Learn While they Play at Home (2020)

Learning isn't limited to school. Grab some of these tools and turn your kids into curious scientists exploring their world.

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Climate Change Drove the American Mastodon to Extinction

They migrated north to escape the heat but lost their genetic diversity, making them vulnerable to extinction. Today, some species face the same problem.

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17-Year Old Makes History, Becomes Licensed Pilot Before Graduating High School

At the age of 17, William Moore, Jr. is a licensed private pilot. Even though he hasn’t graduated from high school yet, he is already ready to pursue his instrument rating.

Over the past three years, he attended the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) Aerospace Career Education (ACE) Academy located in Northern Virginia (NOVA). This Academy provides middle and high school youth with exposure to opportunities in aerospace and aviation through week-long summer camps. The program is endorsed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), OBAP has served a leading role in establishing ACE Academies nationwide to introduce, educate and guide diverse students towards careers in aviation.

Earlier this year, he interviewed for a scholarship through the East Coast Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI) Youth in Aviation Program (YIAP). He was accepted to attend ground school and completed in the top 5% of his class.

The ECCTAI YIAP covered many of his hours towards dual flight instruction and over the summer he flew at Potomac Airfield through HJ Aviation, LLC. He was honored to learn that his flight school was named after Herbert H. Jones Jr., an original Tuskegee Airman. He had the privilege of meeting Mr. Jones and he encouraged him to remain focused and stay on the path to aviation.

He started his first flight lesson on April 28, 2019, completed his first solo on June 28, 2019 and received his private pilot’s license (PPL) on October 15, 2019 (his birthday). He was selected and awarded a scholarship from Delta Air Lines to attend the National Flight Academy for a 2019 Summer Deployment 19-06. He learned so much and looks forward to attending again.

“We are so proud of our son. He set goals, was determined to pass his FAA exam the first time and also spoke into existence that he would achieve his PPL on his birthday,” said his mother, Kamesha Moore and father William Moore, Sr.

He plans to give back by sharing his experience with his peers in hopes of inspiring them that their dream of becoming a PPL can be achieved through hard work. For example, he is the first to complete the program and was invited and will participate with the incoming class of students.

On October 24, 2019, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson introduced audiences at the National Business Aviation Association to William Moore Jr. He said, “Last week William celebrated his 17th birthday by passing the oral portion of the exam for his private pilot’s license and by taking a flight with his instructor. We need more like Moore.”

His future goal is to become a commercial airline pilot and/or a cargo pilot. In addition, he is also interested in serving his country as a military C-5/C-17/C-130 pilot

Moore will join a small group of African American male pilots. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, figures from last year show less than 3% of US commercial pilots are African American.

This article was originally published by BlackNews.com.

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How to Solve Bluetooth's Most Annoying Headphone Problems

Wireless headphones are convenient, but they come with a host of tricky troubleshooting problems. Here's how to fix them all.

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No, Amazon Won't Deliver You a Burrito by Drone Anytime Soon

Several companies are testing airborne deliveries. But rules are years away, and no one knows if consumers are even interested.

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The 22 Best Labor Day Sales (2020): Tech, Laptops, Phones, Outdoors, Etc

This long weekend, you can save on tablets, robot vacuums, camping gear, and more.

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Florida man reportedly used $2 million in virus aid to buy boat

Casey David Crowther has been charged with fraudulently acquiring millions through the Paycheck Protection Program.

A Florida business owner who received more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds used nearly $700,000 of it to buy a 40-foot boat, authorities said.

Casey David Crowther, 35, has been arrested and charged with fraudulently acquiring millions through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for his company Target Roofing & Sheet Metal, Inc., The Hill reports.

The PPP was a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The program was set up to help small businesses pay their employees and maintain their businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

Read More: Gas station uses PPP loans to pay for Trump billboards

According to the complaint, Crowther made false and misleading statements to a lender in April in order to secure the loan. 

A joint Secret Service investigation led to a Florida man being arrested for fraudulently receiving more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds for a small business, instead the government relief funds were used for his personal benefit. Read more: https://t.co/QwyZe4CGdD

— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) September 3, 2020

He then used approximately $689,417 of the funds to purchase a 2020 40-foot catamaran boat. Prosecutors say he transferred the rest of the money to multiple business accounts and closed the account he used to obtain the loan.  

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in federal prison.

Crowther is the latest business owner charged with fraud by federal prosecutors for crimes related to PPP loans.

theGRIO previously reported, Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star, Arkansas Mo, was charged in May with federal bank fraud charges after investigators discovered he used funds from a $2 million Paycheck Protection Program loan to buy luxury items for himself.

Mo, born Maurice Fayne, allegedly purchased $85,000 worth of jewelry, including a Rolex Presidential watch, a diamond bracelet, and a 5.73-carat diamond ring. He also paid $40,000 in back child support.

Read More: Companies owned by billionaire governor awarded up to $24M in PPP loans

According to MSN, The US Department of Justice also seized $80,000 in cash from the home and found a 2019 Rolls-Royce Wraith that still had temporary tags on it. Agents also seized three bank accounts into which Fayne had allegedly transferred $503,000 worth of PPP funds.

Maurice “Mo” Fayne and Karlie Redd attend “Ferrari Karlie” Single Release Party at Buckhead Loft on July 18, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

“The defendant allegedly stole money meant to assist hard-hit employees and businesses during these difficult times, and instead greedily used the money to bankroll his lavish purchases of jewelry and other personal items,” Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski said in a statement. “The department will remain steadfast in our efforts to root out and prosecute frauds against the Paycheck Protection Program.”

More than $3 billion in PPP loans may have gone to companies and firms that should have been excluded from the program, The Hill reports.

These increasing cases of fraudulently obtained loans continue to stir debate across social media among Black entrepreneurs who were denied loans through the PPP. According to a recent report from the Small Business Administration, Black and Hispanic businesses were largely shut out of access to the funding.

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Fauci warns these 7 states could see COVID uptick during Labor Day

The disease expert told former mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg that ‘there are several states that are at risk for surging’

American physician, immunologist, and infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has been cautioning the public about the greater effects of COVID-19–most recently warning that if Americans are “careless” then infection numbers will increase this fall.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a conversation with former mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg, “there are several states that are at risk for surging.”

Read More: Long-term effects of COVID-19 ‘really troublesome’ for young people, Fauci says

He especially emphasized North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois because these states have seen upticks in COVID-19 cases. Fauci insisted residents take additional measures as they go about to limit the spread of the virus during the holiday weekend

The number of Americans contracting coronavirus continues to increase daily. Statistics show the number of people contracting the virus has slowed down significantly in certain areas, but according to Fauci, coronavirus cases could spike if effective precautions are not taken.  

CDC head Dr. Anthony Fauci. (Photo by Al Drago – Pool/Getty Images)

“Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that there’s going to be a problem,” Fauci SAID in an interview.

At the beginning of the summer, some states saw an increase in the spread of the virus. Reports showed 10,420 new cases per day in July, as primary school students across the nation begin in-person socially-distanced teaching. The American death toll has reached around 1,000 people per day, the Washington Post reported.

“If we’re careless about it, then we could wind up with a surge following Labor Day. It really depends on how we behave as a country,” Fauci continued.

Vice President Mike Pence and Fauci have cautioned governors to enforce COVID-19 precautions for fear of spikes in cases similar to earlier summer holidays. In total, there have been 6 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and over 185,000 people have died.

Read More: Fauci requests security for daughters as family gets death threats

According to Forbes, America’s Midwestern region has become a high-risk zone for the spread of the virus.

The two most highly recommended measures to avoid spreading coronavirus are to wear a mask and social distance. To America’s betterment — these precautions also help to curb the spread of the common flu.

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Over 93 percent of summer protests were peaceful: report

‘With two months until the election, the US faces deep divisions over racial inequality.’

A vast majority of the anti-police brutality and racial justice protests that have erupted across the nation since the death of George Floyd have been peaceful and nonviolent, according to a new report.

The US Crisis Monitor — a joint project between ACLED and the Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) at Princeton University — analyzed real-time data about protest movements and political violence in the US, using news reports and social media for the report published on Thursday (Sept. 3). 

The ACLED recorded more than 10,600 demonstrations across the US between May 24 and August 22, about 93% were peaceful. Nearly 8,000 (precisely 7,750) were linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, the report states. 

Read More: Republican congressman threatens to kill protesters in Facebook post

“These data reveal that the United States is in crisis. It faces a multitude of concurrent, overlapping risks — from police abuse and racial injustice, to pandemic-related unrest and beyond — all exacerbated by increasing polarization,” the researchers wrote. 

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 28: Protesters hold signs of George Floyd during the Commitment March at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Natasha Moustache/Getty Images)

According to the study, less that 100 demonstrations between May 24 and August 22, where counter-protesters clashed with racial justice advocates, turned violent. The ACLED noted 43 incidents in the report.

“Authorities have used force — such as firing less-lethal weapons like tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray or beating demonstrators with batons — in over 54% of the demonstrations in which they have engaged,” the authors wrote.

They also warn that as we get closer to the November presidential election, “these intersecting risks are likely to intensify.”

“While these data present only a snapshot of demonstration activity and political violence in America, the trendlines are clear: demonstrations have erupted en masse around the country, and they are increasingly met with violence by state actors, non-state actors, and counter-demonstrators alike,” according to the authors. 

“With two months until the election, the US faces deep divisions over racial inequality, the role of the police, and economic hardship exacerbated by an ineffective pandemic response.”

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Minn. man charged after allegedly killing wife, 2 sisters next door

Jason Michael Mesich told investigators he shot his wife after an argument in the garage over the coupe’s lack of sex.

Two Minnesota sisters have a long road to recovery after being shot by their neighbor moments after he killed his wife. 

Jason Michael Mesich, 48, reportedly told investigators he shot his wife after an argument in the garage over the coupe’s lack of sex. He then shot his two neighbors in their front yard — 12-year-old Makayla Saulter-Outlaw and her 29-year-old sister Canisha Saulter, CBS Minnesota reports.

The mother of the sisters told investigators that Mesich came out of nowhere while the family was packing up a moving truck on the afternoon of August 30 and opened fire, hitting the sisters several times.

Makayla was shot in the head as she shielded her 1-year-old niece from Mesich. She is reportedly in critical condition and heavily sedated. The baby was not injured. Canisha was shot several times in the legs and left hip, and is in serious condition. The family says she will need physical therapy to learn how to walk again.

Read More: After losing siblings to police violence, women join forces in Sisters Of The Movement

Officer’s were called to the Mesich home on reports of several gunshots on Sunday afternoon. That’s when they found the shooter’s wife, Angela, dead in the detached garage. She had been shot “several times in the neck and upper torso.”

Mesich reportedly barricaded himself in the basement when the cops arrives. He was taken into custody after a standoff with police, during which he fired 40 rounds before surrendering to officers. 

When asked about shooting the sisters, Mesich said they were not “good neighbors,” and that “he hated all children.”

He also reportedly told investigators that he shot the sisters because he suspected they saw him kill his wife. 

Rev. Marcia Westbrook, Makayla and Canisha’s aunt, said the girls heard a popping noise.

“My sister said the same thing of, ‘You know, we heard them but we ain’t used to hearing shots so we’re thinking fireworks,’” Westbrook said. Moments later, the family saw Mesich outside firing at them. 

He is currently in the Hennepin County Jail on three 2nd-degree murder charges for the death of his wife, and for shooting two sisters. He faces up to 80 years in prison if convicted.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the sisters’ family cover their medical costs.

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Charges against Curtis Flowers dropped after 24 years: ‘I am finally free’

Flowers spent 23 years behind bars as a White prosecutor repeatedly took him to trial for a crime he claims he didn’t commit

Curtis Flowers is feeling “free” after prosecutors in Mississippi dropped murder charges against him that were repeatedly filed by a White prosecutor who also lobbied to keep Black jurors from serving on the case.

Murder charges against Curtis were dropped on Friday in the 1996 shooting deaths of Bertha Tardy, Carmen Rigby, Robert Golden, and Bobo Stewart at the Tardy Furniture store in Winona, Miss, The New York Times reported. Judge Joey Loper granted the motion.

(Credit: Curtis Flowers/APM )

Read More: Ann Romney to join Michelle Obama on voting campaign

Flowers was released from custody last December after 23 years behind bars.

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Curtis Flowers walked out of jail on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, after posting a bond of $25,000. It was 23 years, six trials, and four death sentences after the day he first walked in. Photos by @hunterhartphoto.

A post shared by In the Dark (@inthedarkapm) on Apr 22, 2020 at 9:22pm PDT

Until Friday’s decision, he was prepared to defend himself in a court of law once again.

“Today, I am finally free from the injustice that left me locked in a box for nearly 23 years,” Flowers said in a statement. “I’ve been asked if I ever thought this day would come. … With a family that never gave up on me and with them by my side, I knew it would.”

Over the course of more than two decades, Flowers had been put on trial for the slayings for which he has always maintained his innocence. District Attorney Doug Evans brought him to trial six times with the rulings resulting in mistrials or convictions that were ultimately reversed.

Evans’ zealous pursuit of Flowers made the case the subject of Season 2 of the APM Reports podcast In the Dark.  Their investigation found discrepancies in the evidence against Flowers.  

Read More: Wear Their Names’ jewelry inspired by Black death, glass from Charleston unrest faces backlash

Murder charges against Curtis Flowers have been dropped. He has already been tried six times for the same killings.

In 2019, the Black man was released from prison after SCOTUS tossed his murder conviction, ruling the white prosecutor kept Black people from serving on the jury. pic.twitter.com/lbXSpdBAPH

— AJ+ (@ajplus) September 4, 2020

In 2010, Flowers was sentenced to death row but the United States Supreme Court intervened after an appeal was filed. Last year, the High Court sent the case back to Montgomery County for the prospect of a seventh trial. The justices also ruled that Evans violated the constitution by keeping Black people from the jury and cited that over the various trials that Flowers had, 61 of the jurors were white out of 72.

“Equal justice under law requires a criminal trial free of racial discrimination in the jury selection process,” Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote for the majority.

Kavanaugh further declared that Evans wanted to put Flowers “ideally before an all-white jury.”

The Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch took over the case after Evans recused himself in January amid criticisms that he was biased and wasting taxpayer money. Evans is currently being sued by the NAACP in a federal class-action lawsuit for racial bias.

Fitch did not feel there was sufficient enough evidence to proceed with yet another trial.

“As the evidence stands today, there is no key prosecution witness that incriminates Mr. Flowers who is alive and available and has not had multiple, conflicting statements in the record,” Fitch wrote. “The only witness who offered direct evidence of guilt recanted his prior testimony.”

The decision to drop all charges was greeted by those who felt Flowers had been railroaded by the justice system.

“This is systemic racism. Help to eradicate it. It destroys lives, incarcerates people unjustly, puts profit before people, places barriers on the path out of poverty, etc,” Dr. Bernice King tweeted.

“It is inhumane and evil to continue to argue that racism doesn’t exist.”

This is systemic racism.

Help to eradicate it.

It destroys lives, incarcerates people unjustly, puts profit before people, places barriers on the path out of poverty, etc.

It is inhumane and evil to continue to argue that racism doesn’t exist. https://t.co/xuhIXkqxTR

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) September 4, 2020

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The post Charges against Curtis Flowers dropped after 24 years: ‘I am finally free’ appeared first on TheGrio.

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Coronavirus Guide: Symptoms, Testing, Treatment, and Economics

Everything we know about Covid-19, from avoiding the virus to caring for your loved ones, with regular updates.

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52 Black Ex-Franchisees File $1 Billion Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against McDonald’s

Fifty-two former McDonald’s franchisees who say they faced decades of discrimination at the fast-food chain are suing McDonald’s for more than $1 billion.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Tuesday, according to Yahoo. Franchisees say in the complaint that they faced “systematic and covert racial discrimination,” with McDonald’s denying them the same opportunities as their white counterparts.

The lawsuit also argues McDonald’s “systematically steered” Black franchisees to buy locations in Black neighborhoods that tend to have higher insurance and security costs while bringing in less revenue. One franchisee wrote in the complaint that Black franchisees were at such a significant disadvantage that acquiring a McDonald’s as a Black franchisee was “financial suicide.”

The franchisees say they lost more than 200 McDonald’s locations over the past decade because of misconduct by the company. Dozens of of other Black franchisees were forced out of the chain over the past two decades. According to the complaint, there are only 186 Black McDonald’s franchisees, down from 377 in 1998.

The complaint added the plaintiffs’ average annual sales of roughly $2 million were more than $700,000 lower than McDonald’s national average of $2.7 million from 2011 to 2016 and $2.9 million in 2019.

“These differences are statistically significant and are the result of Defendants’ racial bias and barriers within the McDonald’s franchise system,” the complaint states.

In a video message to employers and suppliers Tuesday, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski responded to the allegations.

“When allegations such as these occur, I want them investigated thoroughly and objectively,” Kempczinski said. “That’s been our approach to this situation. Based upon our review, we disagree with the claims in this lawsuit and we intend to strongly defend against it.”

In a statement to Business Insider, McDonald’s categorically denied the allegations, saying that they “fly in the face of everything we stand for as an organization and as a partner to communities and small business owners around the world.”

In July, the fast-food chain promised to improve diversity at all levels of its systems, including franchisees and suppliers.

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11 Best Mattress Sales and Deals for Labor Day (2020)

All of our favorite WIRED-tested bed-in-a-box mattresses are on sale for Labor Day weekend, including some by Helix, Leesa, and Casper.

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Why Can’t We Vote Online Yet?

This week, we discuss the security of mail-in voting (very good) and future of online ballots in the US (very unlikely).

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Here's how much Elon Musk's wealth has shrunk as Tesla shares slide

The sell-off in Tesla shares as been sharp and swift. As of Friday morning, the stock has lost roughly $85 billion in market cap since Monday and CEO Elon Musk's wealth has taken a hit. But the stock is still up about 800% over the past year. CNBC's "Squawk Box" crew discusses what could be ahead for the stock.

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Millennial Investor Aristotle Varner Provides Pathway to Options Trading

We quickly associate stocks with white men in tailored suits power walking the eight blocks of New York’s financial district known as Wall Street. But the landscape of investing is rapidly changing as more Blacks are entering into the game. 24-year-old Aristotle Varner has become the founder of Aristotle Investments and is educating the next generation in options trading.

A self-taught investor, Varner’s background is in stark contrast to his career in investments today. In 2014 Varner joined the Army at the age of 18 and thought he would be a career military man, but this soon changed when the access to information arrived.

“I saw an opportunity on my post to earn extra income by cutting hair,” says Varner. “The military barbers did not know how to cut Black hair, so I soon became the barber on the post. I began to educate myself in investing and used my barber earnings to make my first investment in the options trading market.”

A departure from the traditional form of trading, Varner believes that options trading is an opportunity everyone should have access to. “Our community has largely been under-educated in financial literacy and investments,” declares Varner. “I truly believe that if we put the work in, learn, study, and apply the practices, we can be successful investors. It can be done. You do not need a specific level of education, or experience, just the will to learn.”

In just a few years, Aristotle Investments has grown to include a best-selling book (Aristotle’s Investing Guide), an options trading group chat (Aristotle Signals and Learning), and an online trading university (AMUU). With the support of his wife, who handles aspects of the business behind the scenes, Varner has accrued over 50,000 followers invested in his method.

“Aristotle Signals offers people the flexibility to trade on the go,” says Varner. “The group chat, which has generated positive returns for its members, provides detailed insight into a watch-list of stocks before the market opens. No matter where you are you can make informed decisions.”

Varner represents the new face of young successful traders who are finding new ways to enter into stock market investing. His transparency, genuine approach, and consistency with followers and students is what sets him apart.

“There are many that are skeptical, and initially believe that being a successful options trader is not possible. I tell everyone that this is not a get-rich-quick opportunity. This is an opportunity to become educated in options trading, apply your learnings, and invest in the market. You have to put in the time and work to become successful at this just like anything else.”

To learn more about Aristotle Varner’s Investment course offerings and insights, connect with him at @Aristotle_investments on social media.

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Creepy ‘Geofence’ Finds Anyone Who Went Near a Crime Scene

Police increasingly ask Google and other tech firms for data about who was where, when. Two judges ruled the investigative tool invalid in a Chicago case.

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Will WhatsApp’s Misinfo Cure Work for Facebook Messenger?

To protect the election, the platform will limit message forwarding to five people at a time.

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How to Open Port for a Specific IP Address in Firewalld

How can I allow traffic from a specific IP address in my private network or allow traffic from a specific private network through firewalld, to a specific port or service on a Red Hat

The post How to Open Port for a Specific IP Address in Firewalld first appeared on Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides.

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How to Create Your Own IM/Chat Server Using “Openfire” in Linux

With the invention of the Internet, the way of communication revolutionized, a long ago. E-mail replaced traditional postal mail. The email was fast still there were some bottlenecks. One would not know if the

The post How to Create Your Own IM/Chat Server Using "Openfire" in Linux first appeared on Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides.

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A day trip to Antarctica? Yes, it exists

Antarctica Flights operates 12-hour sightseeing tours over the continent that take off and land on the same day. Passengers say its a cheaper, easier and warmer way to tour expanses of the polar region.

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3 Questions: Thomas Levenson on a finance scandal for the ages

The subprime mortgage-bond meltdown. The dot-com boom. The Enron fiasco. The last couple of decades have seen their share of finance absurdities and scandals, but such episodes are hardly new. Indeed the most important of them all may be the South Sea Bubble, in which Britain’s South Sea Company floated shares based on the promise of future trade while assuming Britain’s national debt, but then collapsed in 1720, ruining many investors.

And yet, as MIT Professor Thomas Levenson explains in a new book — “Money for Nothing: The Scientists, Fraudsters, and Corrupt Politicians Who Reinvented Money, Panicked a Nation, and Made the World Rich,” just published by Crown — the South Sea Bubble helped shape modern finance and debt markets. MIT News talked to Levenson, a professor in MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing and the Comparative Media Studies / Writing program, about his new work.

Q: How did you become interested in the South Sea Bubble, and what is relevant about it today?

A: I was writing a book about Isaac Newton, [“Newton and the Counterfeiter,” 2009], and came upon a stray mention about how he lost money on the South Sea Bubble. I thought: This is really curious. Isaac Newton is the smartest man maybe ever, certainly the smartest of his time. What was he doing losing a lot of money? As I started looking at this quite famous case of stock market exuberance and crash, the more it became evident why it seemed like a good idea at the time to people.

What’s striking is how little has changed. A lot of things we think of as part of our 21st-century financial markets were already there in 1720. Do we still have the same dynamics and pathologies that created that disaster? Yes, absolutely. We’ve gotten cleverer, the math behind the financial markets is more complicated, but the basic architecture of financial crashes and bubbles is similar.

Q: One part of this book is an intellectual history: You look at Newton, the astronomer Edmond Halley, a scholar named William Petty, and other figures who, you contend, helped pave the way for these financial innovations. What’s the connection between their work and the South Sea Bubble?

A: In one way, the single most important takeaway from the book is that although the South Sea Bubble was a disaster for those who lost all their money, it worked. It was the final victory in a revolutionary change in the way Britain, uniquely among the nations, was able to fund its national obligations. It led to the creation of the first modern bond market. If you think of finance as a technology, that’s an incredibly powerful technology. Because it allows you to basically rent money from the future, use that money in the present to do things that help build the wealth of your nation going forward, and thus make the future richer than it otherwise would have been.

To get to that point, there needed to be a change in the way people understood the relationship of numbers to experience. The first part of the book shows how the scientific revolution and the financial revolution are intimately connected. They’re part of the same phenomenon, populated in part by the same people and driven by similar habits of thinking. The core idea is that empiricism and quantification allow you to apply disciplined reasoning, in the form of mathematics, to come up with insights that are available no other way. 

Petty, a polymath who was a founder of the Royal Society, explicitly applied that doctrine of numbers, measure, and observation to practical problems [such as assessing the wealth of Ireland]. Edmond Halley applied calculations to provide the basis for life insurance. Yes, the scientific revolution involved things like what governs the motion of Jupiter, but it’s also: How should we think about probability and risk in human life? Isaac Newton wrote fairly well-thought-out memos on credit.

Q: All right, lightning round here. Who is the hero and who is the villain of the piece? What surprised you most about the South Sea Bubble? Who are your ideal readers?

A. There are no disinterested noble characters. The chief villain of the day is John Blunt, the secretary of the South Sea Company, the public face and one of the chief architects of the scheme. And it’s true he wanted to get rich and was unscrupulous in defense of the company. But I don’t think he set out to defraud the nation. He got on a horse that bolted and stayed on as long as he could. The great hero for me is clearly Robert Walpole, the parliamentary figure often seen as the first true prime minister in the British system of governance. In a sense he was lucky; if he’d been in power [when the scheme started], he might have been bribed. But he was a driven and devoted political leader who understood the problem well and worked his way toward a response. Like all his peers, he was perfectly happy with the ordinary corruption of the time. He got rich holding office. Just like Blount wasn’t all bad, Walpole was not someone you’d entirely admire.

It surprised me that the sense of human passions around money felt so familiar. Newton was a formidable intellect who had the mathematical knowledge in his fingertips to reason his way to the flaw in the South Sea plan. Other people did that. Newton didn’t, because he was a human being and got caught up in the money mania. Even somebody with his focus and concentration and seeming detachment from human passions was still vulnerable to the same excitement.

My hope for this book is that it would build bridges between different groups: people who like history and want to understand how the past makes the present; people who want to understand how science works; and, I hope, a lot of people who want to understand ideas about finance and money. The book is in some ways an extended meditation on how money changes its character over time.

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McDonald’s adding Travis Scott meal to menu to appeal to Gen Z

The rapper is the first celebrity the fast-food giant has put on its menu since Michael Jordan in 1992.

Travis Scott has teamed with McDonald’s on a new partnership with his Cactus Jack music label. 

The fast-food giant is adding the hip-hop star’s favorite meal to the menu starting Sept. 8 — a Quarter Pounder with cheese, bacon, and lettuce, medium fries with BBQ Sauce, and a Sprite — for $6. It will be available through October 4.

The rapper is the first celebrity McDonald’s has put on its menu since NBA legend Michael Jordan in 1992. Scott’s label even designed custom T-shirts for employees to wear during the promotion. 

Read More: Black Twitter defends T-Pain after Travis Scott ghosted him

“His ability to kind of see where culture is going and have a hand in where culture is going is really unique,” McDonald’s Chief Marketing Officer Morgan Flatley said in an interview with the IBI Times on Friday. “Then you couple that with his huge followership and his fans, social-media footprint, and … 3 billion streams. He just has an incredible audience.”

CACTUS JACK FOR MCDONALD’S https://t.co/48HdxmgwO4 pic.twitter.com/ke0a7U9g4n

— TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) September 3, 2020

The company said Scott will be “exploring opportunities to support charitable organizations during the month long program.” 

“Everyone has a favorite McDonald’s meal, no matter who you are,” Flatley wrote in a McDonald’s blog post. “Travis is a true McDonald’s fan having grown up visiting our restaurants in Houston, not to mention one of the biggest musical acts and cultural icons in the world.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to bring the Cactus Jack x McDonald’s collaboration to life,” wrote Scott in the same blog post. “We are bringing together two iconic worlds. Including a charitable component was key for me, and I can’t wait for people to see what we have in store.” 

View this post on Instagram

🌵🍔

A post shared by McDonald's (@mcdonalds) on Sep 3, 2020 at 6:31am PDT

While critics have noted that his explicit lyrics don’t really vibe with McDonald’s family-friendly aesthetic, the company said the partnership with Scott is key to appealing to younger customers. 

Flatley said people under the age of 34 are “becoming more and more challenging for brands to reach.”

“How they engage with media is different,” Flatley added. “They look to recommendations much more than any other generation has. They’re very reliant on social media. They’re very reliant on their friends.” 

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Old Navy to pay employees to work election polls

The retailer joins the effort to get out the vote

This week Old Navy has announced that it plans to pay its employees to work at the polls during November’s presidential election. 

Tuesday, the retailer announced it had partnered with Power the Polls, which is described as “a first-of-its-kind initiative to recruit poll workers to ensure a safe, fair election for all voters.” 

READ MORE: LeBron James partners with Dodgers to turn stadium into polling place for Election Day

“BIG NEWS! We’re partnering with Power the Polls to empower our 50,000 employees with paid time off to serve as poll workers this Election Day,” read the caption for the announcement on Facebook.

Old Navy also said employees would be offered up to 3 paid hours off to vote,” because the company understands, “it’s so important that we all can vote (and that we all do vote!)”

BIG NEWS!We’re partnering with Power the Polls to empower our 50,000 employees with paid time off to serve as poll…

Posted by Old Navy on Tuesday, September 1, 2020

“This is a critical moment. America is in the midst of a nationwide poll worker shortage,” reads the official website created for this initiative. “Most poll workers are over the age of 60 and, in the era of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, fewer are signing up for the job.”

Fayetteville State University students get off a Black Votes Matter bus at Smith Recreation Center on March 3, 2020 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

“The consequences have already been felt in several recent primaries, where poll worker shortages led to long lines and voter disenfranchisement. For example, 95% of past poll workers in Anchorage, Alaska, declined to work the polls this year (source) and the state of Kentucky consolidated in-person voting in each county to a single polling place during the primary due to poll worker recruitment concerns.”

READ MORE: Filmmaker Michael Moore warns of 2016 redux, says Trump support is ‘OFF THE CHARTS

“Power the Polls will be a part of the solution by addressing the need for low-risk and diverse poll workers who can staff in-person voting locations during early voting and on Election Day,” it concludes.

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