The return of the Zimbabwean dollar has raised fears about a return to hyperinflation.
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Sunday, July 21, 2019
Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands tours MIT
Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands visited MIT on Friday, taking an innovation-oriented campus tour with a focus on computing and robotics.
Rutte’s visit was centered in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), where he watched robotics demonstrations and spoke with faculty and students about a variety of topics concerning innovation.
Rutte was also accompanied by a larger delegation of Dutch government and business leaders, who are on a four-day visit to the Boston area, examining research in AI, robots, biotechnology, and health care. The group included Bruno Bruins, the Netherlands’ minister of medical care, as well as about 40 Dutch innovators in the areas of AI and robotics.
On the MIT tour, Rutte was principally hosted by Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL and the Andrew and Erna Viterba Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Rutte was also greeted by Frans Kashooek, the Charles Piper Professor in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, who is also a CSAIL member; Kashooek is a native of the Netherlands.
Rus told Rutte she was “delighted to welcome you to CSAIL and to MIT,” and, along with several CSAIL graduate students and researchers, guided him through a series of demonstrations highlighting different aspects of robotics research and development.
The projects Rutte observed included a muscle-controlled robotic system CSAIL researchers call “RoboRaise,” in which sensors on human muscles relay signals to a robot, showing it how much to, for instance, help lift objects. The system could have applications in construction or manufacturing.
“In the future, the machines will be always adapting to us,” Rus noted.
Rutte was also given demonstrations about inexpensive 3-D printed robots; the incorporation of new, soft materials in robots; a robotic fish; and “M-Blocks,” a set of square blocks that reconfigure themselves and could be the basis for self-assembling forms of robots.
Rutte was highly engaged in the demonstations and asked a series of questions about them — querying about the exact mechanisms that, for instance, allow the M-Blocks to both move and stay attached to each other.
“You make it look so easy,” Rutte marveled to the robotics researchers, at one point during his CSAIL tour.
Rutte also had a sit-down conversation with CSAIL professors Peter Szolovits and David Sontag, whose work is at the junction of computing and health care research. Szolovits is, among other things, the principal investigator in the MIT-Philips alliance, a five-year research agreement formalized in 2015 between MIT and Royal Philips N.V., the giant Dutch technology firm which has a major division in health care innovation. Philips North America moved its headquarters to Cambridge, Massachusetts, last year.
“Everything is here,” Rutte noted when talking to Sontag about the advantages of doing research in the Boston area — a reference to the ecosystem of universities, technology firms, hospitals, and capital available in the region.
Rutte also remarked on the informal layout of the Stata Center, where CSAIL is housed, and asked Szolovits and Sontag about the “overall atmosphere” at the Institute.
“It is a wonderful atmosphere,” Szolovits replied. “But for me, the best thing is the students. If I don’t know something, I ask my students.”
Rutte has been prime minister of the Netherlands since 2010 and is currently serving his third term. He studied history at Leiden University, the oldest university in the Netherlands, and worked in a managerial role at Unilever before first being elected as a member of parliament in 2003.
Rus also presented Rutte with gifts from MIT, including a hand-crafted glass sculpture made at the MIT Glass Lab, and an MIT cap which, she noted, could be worn by Rutte when he is cycling to work. Rutte is known, in part, for bicycling to the office, and the Netherlands has the densest set of bike paths in the world.
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The first Black woman to integrate a southern medical school dies at 91
There are so many unsung hereos in our history that do not get the recognition they deserve and Edith Jones, who died this week, is more than qualifying. Predating the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, over 70 years ago, Jones became the first Black student to attend a medical school in the South.
Born in Conway, Ark., in 1927 to a mother, who was domestic worker and a father, who was a sharecropper before his untimely death when Jones was eight, she experienced humble beginnings that was far from uncommon for most Blacks in the south. She probably could not have imagined all the things she would do and all of the paths she would pave, yet she dreamed of helping others in a way her sister, who died of typhoid fever, could not be helped; she wanted to be come a doctor.
READ MORE: Human Rights Campaign appoints its first African American president
According to the New York Daily News, when Jones submitted her application to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1948, there were only 185 Black medical students in the whole country. Jones ranked in the top 230 applicants, but the school had never accepted Black applicants, so they decided to increase the class sizes by one so that white students could not argue that a spot was taken away from a white person.
Despite death threats and other forms of racist taunts, Jones went on to complete her studies to become a trailblazing doctor.
“Dr. Jones has had a dramatic, lasting impact on health care that will never, ever go away,” the school’s chancellor, Cam Patterson, said in a statement. “She was a tremendous woman, and she opened so many doors for minority students. We are forever in her debt.”
In addition to integrating the University of Arkansas, she also became the first Black woman to attend Baylor College of Medicine’s residency program in Houston as well as the first female president of the National Medical Association.
Outside of the medical field, Jones also made her mark in civil rights working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. traveling from church to church and house to house to urge people to join the Civil Rights Movement. The New York Daily News reported that she was the only physician and female member of what was called the “Freedom Four,” who spread the message of the movement.
READ MORE: ‘SouthPark Susan’ pleads guilty to harassing and calling cops on two Black women for nothing
“Her life embodied Dr. Martin Luther King’s call that ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Brian Gittens, a vice chancellor at the University of Arkansas, said in a statement.
Jones died in Houston, she was 91. Memorial services in Texas and Arkansas will take place next weekend.
The post The first Black woman to integrate a southern medical school dies at 91 appeared first on theGrio.
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NFL player Tyreek Hill will not be suspended amid charges of child abuse
The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been under major scrutiny since reports claimed he may have abused his son. Now the NFL has announced that they are not seeking any disciplinary action against the football star.
In April, KCTV released a partially audio tape that suggested Hill broke the arm of his 3-year-old son. Hill can also be heard telling his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, “You need to be terrified of me, too, b—-.” This was not the first time Hill had been accused of domestic violence.
In 2014 while he was a member of the Oklahoma State University football team, Hill was accused of the domestic assault and battery of Espinal, who was pregnant at the time. According to CNN, he received three years probation and was dismissed from the Oklahoma football team. He finished his college career at the University of West Alabama.
READ MORE: Tyreek Hill denies ever harming his son, despite accusations, lawyer says
When the April incident came to light, the Kansas City Chiefs banned Hill from team activities and police launched an investigation. As of June, a criminal investigation was no longer active.
In a statement released Friday, the NFL said they based their decision on their lack of access to evidence in the case:
“Over the past four months, we have conducted a comprehensive investigation of allegations regarding Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill,” the statement said. “Throughout this investigation, the NFL’s primary concern has been the well-being of the child. Our understanding is that the child is safe and that the child’s ongoing care is being directed and monitored by the Johnson County District Court and the Johnson County Department for Children and Families.
In conducting our investigation, we have taken great care to ensure that we do not interfere with the county’s proceedings or compromise the privacy or welfare of the child in any way. The information developed in the court proceeding is confidential and has not been shared with us, and the court has sealed all law enforcement records. Local law enforcement authorities have publicly advised that the available evidence does not permit them to determine who caused the child’s injuries.
Similarly, based on the evidence presently available, the NFL cannot conclude that Mr. Hill violated the Personal Conduct Policy. Accordingly, he may attend Kansas City’s training camp and participate in all club activities. He has been and will continue to be subject to conditions set forth by the District Court, Commissioner Goodell, and the Chiefs, which include clinical evaluation and therapeutic intervention.
If further information becomes available through law enforcement, the pending court proceeding, or other sources, we will promptly consider it and take all appropriate steps at that time.”
Hill seems to be walking on a cloud despite the accusations against him as the Arrowhead Pride reported Kansas City is still interested in extending his contract. Hill took to Twitter to express his thanks for the support after his reinstatement:
“I can assure you that I will continue to work to be the person, player and teammate that you envisioned me to be,” he wrote.
Love you guys !!!✌🏿 pic.twitter.com/QWKA7ia37i
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) July 19, 2019
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Viral Texas rapper Tay-K convicted of murder in 2016 robbery
Viral sensation Tay-K will not be making music for a while as he was found guilty of a murder that took place during a robbery a few years ago.
In 2017, the 19-year-old Texas rapper, whose real name is Taymor McIntyre, became a household name with the release of is song “The Race,” which he recorded while on the run from police. The video for the song now has over 100 million views on YouTube and according to CNN, the song debuted at No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts. McIntyre also received widespread support from rappers like Lil Bibby and Travis Scott. He was taken into custody after being on the run for three months.
READ MORE: Suburban Chicago man uses dating app to find then rob women
Prior to the release of the song, McIntyre was involved in a home invasion with six other people in 2016 that resulted in the death of 21-year-old Ethan Walker, who was fatally shot in the stomach according to People. CNN reported that Walker, a young father, did not even have the money or drugs the group was looking for. McIntyre and the others involved were initially arrested on capital murder charges in July 2016. He was then placed on house arrest, where he somehow removed his ankle monitor and went on the run.
Prosecutors argued that though McIntyre was not the one that made the fatal shot, he was just as responsible because he was aware that someone was going to be shot in the process of the robbery.
People reported that a 15-year-old girl devised the plan and reached out to the rapper to see if he could get guns for the robbery. When McIntyre told her he did not have guns, he also said he knew someone who was “trigger-happy.”
READ MORE: Kim Kardashian calls on Trump to help A$AP Rocky get out of a Swedish jail
McIntyre is also facing a capital murder charge for a April 2017 robbery that took the life of 23-year-old Mark Saldivar at a Chick-fil-A in San Antonio.
A jury deliberated his sentencing on Friday and will continue deliberating on Monday. McIntyre is facing between five to 99 years in prison.
The post Viral Texas rapper Tay-K convicted of murder in 2016 robbery appeared first on theGrio.
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Mahershala Ali to star in ‘Blade’ series reboot
To add to the list of “matches made in heaven,” we now have the incomparable Mahershala Ali taking the baton to play Blade in the much anticipated reboot of the supernatural movie franchise.
Marvel Studios announced Ali’s new role at Comic-Con on Saturday and we cannot wait to get our tickets! According to Variety, the actor received wide praise from the audience as he donned a Blade hat.
READ MORE: Now we know why Donald Glover won’t be involved in the ‘Deadpool’ animated TV series
The original Blade franchise, which was based on a character from the Marvel Universe, starred Wesley Snipes. The movie, which centered around a half-human/half-vampire that hunts the undead, was first released in 1998 and received two spin-offs Blade II in 2002 and Blade: Trinity in 2004. Ali is more than qualified for the role having won two Oscars for his work in Greenbook and Moonlight. Ali has also played in countless other roles in movies like Hidden Figures, Alita: Battle Angel and most recently in the third season of HBO’s drama series True Detective.
This is not Ali’s first time finding himself in the world of Marvel. He received wide praise for his role as Cottonmouth Stokes during the first season of the Netflix series Luke Cage, and most recently he portrayed Prowler in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
READ MORE: Beyonce whisked into exclusive Grand Canyon tribal grounds to film music video
According to CNN, in addition to their big announcement about Blade, Marvel also announced the release of several other projects including Black Widow and The Eternals coming in 2020.
As far as the new Disney streaming service that is set to be released in November, Marvel is also bringing several series to the service like The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Wandavision, Hawkeye, as well as the company’s first animated original series What If …? The movies Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, being released in 2021.
The post Mahershala Ali to star in ‘Blade’ series reboot appeared first on theGrio.
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Pregnant Black Georgia lawmaker confronts racist who told her ‘go back where she came from’
After posting a now viral video of her reaction to a white man verbally abusing her in a grocery store line, a Black Georgia lawmaker confronted the man in a heated exchange that was captured on news cameras.
On Saturday afternoon, State Rep. Erica Thomas was talking with Atlanta’s WSB-TV news station at the Publix grocery store where she was berated by Eric Sparkes when he showed up. In the video Thomas posted about the Friday incident, she said she had been in the 10 items or less line with 15 items. With her 9-year-old daughter in tow, she claimed she got into the express line to minimize the time she was on her feet as she is expecting to deliver in less than three weeks, WSB reported.
Thomas was then approached by Sparkes who was angry that she had more than 10 items.
“This white man comes up to me and says, ‘You lazy son of [expletive]. You need to go back where you came from,'” she said in her Facebook video. “Sir, you don’t even know me. I’m not lazy. I’m nine months pregnant.”
She alleged that he also said, “‘You lazy son of a bitch. You need to go back where you came from,'” adding Sparkes also called her “ignorant” and “a piece of shit.”
After Thomas’ tearful video went viral and on Saturday, Sparkes disputed the claims made by the lawmaker insinuating that Thomas was lying.
“I’m a liar about what?” Thomas asked.
“Everything that happened,” Sparkes said. “Me telling you to ‘Go back where you came from.’ Did I say that? Is it on video?”
“Are you serious? What did you say to me then,” Thomas pressed.
According to Buzzfeed, though Sparkes admitted he called her “lazy,” he denied he told her to “go back where she came from” telling news media that he was a Cuban Democrat. He also alleged Thomas was making up the claims to advance her political career.
READ MORE: Black kids on bikes threatened with gun, called slur after woman says her foot was run over
“This woman is playing the victim for political purposes because she is a state legislator,” Sparkes said. “I’m a Democrat and will vote Democrat for the rest of my life, so call me whatever you want to believe. For her political purposes, make it black, white, brown, whatever. It is untrue.”
Since Donald Trump wrote several tweets about four Democratic congresswomen telling them to go back to their countries of origin, Democrats have been denouncing the president as racist. The lives of the congresswomen have also been threatened by Trump supporters.
Though Thomas did not record the incident with Sparkes on her cellphone, she told WSB that there are witnesses willing to testify in court. Publix also confirmed that there is surveillance footage of the incident, and store management has been cooperating with police on the matter.
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Date Hotspots For Frequent Travelers Looking For Romance
What exactly is a “frequent flyer dater?” Match, an online dating platform, defines it as someone who mixes business with pleasure while on the road and, apparently, it is becoming increasingly popular.
Match and travel site Localeur have teamed up to provide customers with a list of recommendations provided by locals on which dating hotspots they should hit up while they’re in town or on a business trip.
“Leisure travelers have been the primary source of Localeur’s users for years, but working with Match has allowed us to service the growing needs of business travelers,” Joah Spearman, CEO of Localeur, told Black Enterprise. “By partnering with Match, we’ve been able to bring more value to busy business travelers—whom we’ve deemed “frequent flyer daters”—who don’t want to stop their social lives just because they’re in a new city. This partnership, much like our work with JetBlue Airways, further demonstrates the desire from travelers for more authentic recommendations from locals.”
Joah Spearman, CEO of Localeur (Image: Larry Luk)
Curious about the top 10 cities that stand out for an on-the-go romance and what places you should visit, according to the locals? Here they are:
Chicago
- RM Champagne Salon, West Loop
- Whiskey Business, Wicker Park
- Quiote, Logan Square
New York
- RakuEast, Village
- El Almacen, Williamsburg
- 67 Orange Street, Harlem
Los Angeles
- La Tostaderia, DTLA
- A-Frame, Culver City
- Vinoteque, Fairfax
Washington, DC
- Harold Black, Capitol Hill
- Iron Gate, Dupont Circle
- Atlas Brew Works, Ivy City
Dallas
- Ten Ramen, Oak Cliff
- Louie’s Lower, Greenville
- Happiest Hour, Victory Park
Houston
- Batanga, Market Square
- Lei Low Bar, The Heights
- Mongoose vs. Cobra, Midtown
Denver
- Angelo’s Tavern, Alamo Placita
- Denver Beer Co., Highlands
- Thin Man Tavern, Northeast
Philadelphia
- Devil’s Alley, Rittenhouse Square
- Standard Tap, Northern Liberties
- Zavino, University City
Phoenix
- Joyride Taco House, Central Phoenix
- The Little Woody, Arcadia
- Undertow, Central Phoenix
San Francisco
- El Techo de Lolinda, Mission District
- Fat Angel Food and Libation, Western Addition
- Swan’s Market, Downtown Oakland
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published on October 15, 2018.
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