Madagascar's anti-corruption watchdog is asking for help to track down Raoul Arizaka Rabekoto, the head of the country's football federation.
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Friday, February 28, 2020
5 reasons we can’t stop watching ‘Love Is Blind’ + find out who’s still together (SPOILERS)
***WARNING: This post contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 1 of Love Is Blind ***
If you’ve been living under a rock, you may not know that Netflix has a new hit on their hands with their “dating experiment” series Love Is Blind.
Fortunately, we haven’t been able to look away from the oddly addictive reality series that dares to ponder whether or not people can find and sustain a love not based on physical attraction.
Here are 5 reasons Love Is Blind is our new obsession:
Me: This show is trash
Also me:#LoveIsBlind #loveisblindnetflix pic.twitter.com/MoBoGyOG68
— 90dayHousewife (@KayCeeBee3) February 28, 2020
The premise is pretty crazy. Single men and women talk to each other through “pods” separated by a thin wall and don’t get to see each other face to face until they’re engaged to be married to the stranger they’ve been chatting with through a wall for like 2-5 days. By the time they lay eyes on one another, they’re supposedly already deeply in love and committed to marriage. Next, the couples go on a romantic getaway to get to know each other before moving in together and planning their wedding that’s just three weeks away. You’ll keep telling yourself how ridiculous this is as you ignore your kids, your husband, your boss, the CDC, and anyone else who dares to distract you from this all-consuming series.
Amber basically told Jessica at the bachelorette party… “Bitch, I will CUT you” in a very sensitive heartfelt way #LoveIsBlind pic.twitter.com/S7bI6GQL6d
— melanLIT (@lit_melan) February 28, 2020
It’s messy AF. Since all of the singles start out by “speed-dating” each other, it’s only natural that some folks got pretty intimate in their conversations before finding their special someone. The result is that the newly-engaged couples ALL have some sort of history with their friends’ new fiances and they ALL have opinions about each other’s matches. Cue the drama when the walls come down and someone realizes that the person they passed up in the pods is super hot and dating one of your new homegirls that really ain’t sh*t.
Carlton had us screaming at the TV. In one of the most infuriating moments of the series, the only couple with two Black folks in it turns out to be a total mess. Carlton and Diamond seem like a match made in heaven until he reveals to his bride-to-be that he used to date men. Even though she’s completely shocked at the news, Diamond is willing to work things out after hearing his truth, but he’s such a douchebag that he gets angry with her for even questioning their relationship and ends up calling her a “b—ch” and proving that he’s nothing but a manipulative narcissist. He breaks her heart and has the nerve to act like the victim and we still can’t wait to see him in these streets. Matter of fact, there are a few folks on this show who could catch these hands but we won’t name names (Jessica and Kelly).
Lauren. There’s something so captivating about this 33-year-old content creator with a gorgeous smile and a heart of gold. We’re not sure if it’s her adorable haircut or her genuine desire to meet the man of her dreams that keep us in her corner, but this girl certainly has an “it” factor. She falls in love with a very tall white boy named Cameron who, while a little tiny bit dorky, is just as sweet as he can be. His love for Lauren never waivers and he’s not intimidated by the issues he and his wife-to-be may face as an interracial couple in Atlanta because his last serious relationship was with a Black woman and he’s ready for whatever comes. Lauren, on the other hand, is smitten with her new man while worried that his lack of melanin may prove too big an obstacle to overcome.
The ending is insane. It turns out, the finale episode that features the weddings of these couples was filmed over a year ago. Only two of the five couples actually tie the knot at their weddings. That means we get to watch three people get their hearts obliterated in front of their family and friends. Seriously, the suspense almost took us out and the blinding rage that filled our hearts when some of these fools flashed toothy grins seconds before stomping on their partner’s heart was epic. Fortunately, one of the happy couples still standing by the end of the finale is Cameron and Lauren. Otherwise, we’d have to call in sick for the rest of the year because our nerves are bad.
According to the show’s creator, Chris Coelen, BOTH of the couples who get hitched on the show’s finale are still together today, nearly 18 months after saying “I do.”
“I think that’s just a testament to the authenticity of the whole thing,” he told TheWrap. “They went through this process, built this relationship and put it to the test. It’s trial by fire and their relationships are forged incredibly strongly. I don’t see them ever slowing down.”
The Love Is Blind reunion hits Netflix on March 5.
The post 5 reasons we can’t stop watching ‘Love Is Blind’ + find out who’s still together (SPOILERS) appeared first on TheGrio.
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Thursday, February 27, 2020
Cigna Medicare Supplement | 2020 Plan Review
Cigna Medicare Supplement | 2020 Plan Coverage And Review
Designed to work alongside of Medicare Part A and Part B (Original Medicare), Cigna Medicare Supplement plans (also known as Medigap plans) help to pay for certain out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments not covered under Original Medicare.
In the next few paragraphs we’ll explain:
- What Original Medicare covers
- How Medicare Supplement plans work
- How Medicare Supplement premiums are calculated
- What the benefits of a Cigna Medicare Supplement plan are
- How to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan
What Does Original Medicare Cover?
All Medicare Supplement plans are designed to help with out-of-pocket expenses that Medicare Part A and Part B don’t cover. To fully appreciate what that means, let’s run down what Original Medicare does and does not provide.
Medicare Part A
Part A provides coverage for inpatient hospital care, along with:
- Skilled nursing care
- Home health care
- Hospice care
Medicare Part B
Part B covers medically necessary and preventative services, such as:
- Physician visits
- Outpatient surgery
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Some durable medical devices
- Certain cancer treatments including chemotherapy
Original Medicare Expenses
Original Medicare doesn’t pick up all of your healthcare costs. You are responsible for the following premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance fees:
- Part A hospitalization deductible. Each time you are admitted to a hospital there is a deductible before any benefits kick in. In 2020, that deductible will be $1,408. This deductible covers your share of costs for the first 60 days of your hospital stay.
- Part A hospitalization coinsurance. Beginning on day 61 of your hospital stay, you will have a $352 per day coinsurance cost. After your 90th day of hospitalization, your coinsurance is $704 per day.
- Part B premium. In 2020, the average monthly premium for Part B will be $144.60.
- Part B deductible. The 2020 Part B annual deductible is $198.
- Part B coinsurance. Once Your Part B deductible has been met, you will be responsible for 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered services.
- Excess charges. Some healthcare providers don’t accept Medicare assignment. Assignment is the amount Medicare is willing to pay for a service. Providers who don’t accept assignment are allowed to charge up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount. For example, if the Medicare-approved cost for a service is $1,000, but your provider doesn’t accept Medicare Assignment, they can charge you another $150 (15%). You then would be responsible for $200 (20% coinsurance) and $150 for the excess for a total of $350.
As you might imagine, these costs can add up quickly, particularly if you have or develop a chronic disease like high blood pressure, arthritis, or diabetes.
How Do Medicare Supplement Plans Work?
Medicare Supplement insurance plans are offered through private insurance companies such as Cigna. There are elven standard Medicare Supplement plans approved by the federal government. These standardized plans are lettered A, B, C*, D, F*, F-High Deductible*, G, K, L, M, and N. (*Beginning in 2020, Plans C, F, and F-High Deductible are only available to individuals first eligible for Medicare before 2020.)
The federal government requires that all private insurance companies offer the same basic benefits. In other words, a Medicare Supplement Plan G will offer the same benefits whether you purchase it from Cigna or another insurance company.
While plan benefits are the same across all insurance companies, premiums will vary. In addition, some companies may offer extra benefits.
How Much Do Medicare Supplement Plans Cost?
Pricing for monthly Medigap premiums is set by the insurance companies issuing the policies. There are three methods used to determine premiums:
Community-Rating
This method charges the same premium for all eligible applicants in a state without regard to age or gender.
Issue-Age-Rating
This method of calculation uses your age when you first enroll to determine the premium. With this method premiums will not go due to increases in your age, provided that your policy is renewed.
Attained-Age-Rating
This method is likely the most common calculation method. Your premium is based on your age at enrollment. Premiums start out low, then increase as you age.
In addition to these rating methods, plan premiums can be influenced by the plan letter you select, where you live, extra benefits offered by the insurance company, discounts, and medical underwriting.
Why Choose a Cigna Medicare Supplement Plan?
Cigna offers a variety of Medicare Supplement plans with competitive monthly premiums. In most states Cigna also offers a Household Premium Discount for households with more than one individual enrolled in a Cigna Medicare Supplement plan. Cigna provides free plan quotes for Medicare-eligible individuals. Cigna customers have access to dedicated customer service representatives through a toll-free number (1-866-459-4272).
Eligibility for Cigna Medicare Supplement Plans
If you are enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, then you are eligible to apply for a Cigna Medigap plan. The best time to enroll is when you first enroll in Part B. Enrolling and paying premiums for Part B marks the beginning of your Initial Open Enrollment Period when you can purchase a Medigap plan without any underwriting concerns. During your Initial Open Enrollment, you have guaranteed issue rights which means you cannot be declined coverage for any medical reason.
If you opt for a Medicare Advantage plan rather than a Medigap plan, and your Medicare Advantage plan loses its contract with Medicare, or you permanently leave the plan’s service area, you can apply for a Medicare Supplement plan with guaranteed issue rights.
Otherwise, you will have to wait for the annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period, and you will be subject to medical underwriting.
How to Enroll in a Cigna Medicare Supplement Plan
To continue evaluating your Medigap plan options, consider obtaining a free, personalized Medigap quote from a licensed Medicare insurance agent. With a personalized quote you’ll have access to plan and premium information, tailored to fit your needs.
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WATCH: Octavia Spencer transforms in ‘Self Made: Inspired By The Life of Madam C.J. Walker’ Madame C.J. Walker
Netflix just dropped the first official trailer for its upcoming series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker and in it, we see Octavia Spencer truly transform.
Produced by big names like LeBron James, Maverick Carter, and Kasi Lemmons, among others, the four-part series is based on the book, On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker, written by Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles.
FIRST LOOK: Octavia Spencer as Madame C.J. Walker in Netflix series ‘Self Made’
In it, Octavia Spencer stars as Madam C.J. Walker, the trailblazing African American haircare entrepreneur who was America’s first female self-made millionaire. The highly-anticipated project brings the uplifting story of this cultural icon to the screen for the first time. Against all odds, Walker overcame post-slavery racial and gender biases, personal betrayals, and business rivalries to build a ground-breaking brand that revolutionized black haircare, as she simultaneously fought for social change.
The four-part limited series also stars Blair Underwood as her husband C.J. Walker, Tiffany Haddish as her daughter Lelia, Carmen Ejogo as Walker’s business rival Addie Munroe, Garrett Morris as Walker’s father-in-law, Kevin Carroll as her longtime lawyer Freeman Ransom and Bill Bellamy as Ransom’s cousin Sweetness.
Check out the first official trailer:
The series is helmed by co-showrunners Elle Johnson & Janine Sherman Barrois, along with writer and co-executive producer Nicole Jefferson Asher. It’s directed by Kasi Lemmons (Harriet) and DeMane Davis, and executive produced by Janine Sherman Barrois, Elle Johnson, Maverick Carter, LeBron James, Octavia Spencer, Mark Holder, Christine Holder, Kasi Lemmons, and Jamal Henderson.
The post WATCH: Octavia Spencer transforms in ‘Self Made: Inspired By The Life of Madam C.J. Walker’ Madame C.J. Walker appeared first on TheGrio.
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Dylann Roof staged hunger strike to protest ‘harsh’ treatment inside federal prison
Dylann Roof, the white supremacist convicted of murdering nine Black church members in Charleston, South Carolina as they attended Bible study five years ago, went on a hunger strike this month to protest treatment by prison staff while on federal death row.
READ MORE: Dylann Roof pleads for court to overturn conviction and death sentence
In letters to The Associated Press, Roof, 25, claims he’s been targeted by staff members, “verbally harassed and abused without cause” and “treated disproportionately harsh.” Roof told the AP in a Feb. 13 letter, that staff at the Terre Haute, Indiana realize that he is “hated by the general public” and thus feel their alleged poor treatment of him is warranted.
Roof told the news organization that he went on a hunger strike to protest how he is being treated by a Bureau of Prisons disciplinary hearing officer. He further brought up earlier complaints alleging that he was denied access to the law library and a copy machine to file legal papers.
In one letter to the news outlet, he mentioned that he was already “several days” into the hunger strike. However, in a subsequent letter, Roof told them that the strike ended on Feb. 14, after correctional officers attempted to take his blood, and inject an IV into his arm.
“I feel confident I could have gone much, much longer without food,” Roof wrote in the second letter, dated Feb. 16, according to the Associated Press. “It’s just not worth being murdered over.”
The Bureau of Prisons have not verified Roof’s claims, with a spokeswoman citing privacy concerns and telling the AP the agency would have no comment.
In a statement to the AP, Roof’s lawyers said they are “working with BOP to resolve the issues addressed in the letters.”
Last month, the lawyers filed an appeal hoping to reverse his federal capital murder convictions and death sentence. They claim he is mentally ill and shouldn’t have represented himself during the penalty portion of his trial.
READ MORE: Dylann Roof appeals death sentence for 2015 Charleston, SC church massacre
In the appeal, Roof’s lawyers submitted a 321-page legal brief, arguing that U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel should not have prevented Roof from representing himself during the penalty phase because the ninth-grade dropout “believed his sentence didn’t matter because white nationalists would free him from prison after an impending race war.”
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Sports Agent Scott Boras to Honor Kobe Bryant’s Final Request
One of Kobe Bryant’s last requests before his untimely death last month will be honored by baseball agent Scott Boras, according to Sports Illustrated.
Bryant had sent a text message on the morning of his death to Los Angeles Lakers general manager, Rob Pelinka, inquiring if he knew a baseball agent. The retired basketball legend wanted to help secure an internship with an agent for a friend’s daughter. That friend, John Altobelli, was the coach of the Orange Coast College baseball team in California. Unfortunately, Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter, Alyssa, died on the same flight as Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.
“Kobe’s last human act was heroic,” Pelinka told the crowd of 20,000 mourners at Bryant’s memorial at Staples Center earlier this week. “He wanted to use his platform to bless and shape a young girl’s future.”
Boras told Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times that he plans to offer 16-year-old Alexis Altobelli an internship at his sports agency. Bryant was seeking to be a character reference for Alexis before the helicopter crash.
Boras told The Los Angeles Times that he had reached out to the Altobelli family to invite John and Alexis to tour his office and discuss the internship for her. He plans on creating a position for her to rotate through the departments at Boras Corp., including marketing, baseball operations, sports science, and office administration.
Bryant played his whole 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a five-time NBA champion, a two-time Finals MVP, and the 2008 Most Valuable Player. During his career, Bryant made the All-Star team 18 times and became the youngest player to ever reach 30,000 points. He retired from the NBA in 2016, scoring an NBA-season high 60 points in his final game.
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Years after his murder, House finally passes Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Bill
Lynching grew one step closer to becoming a federal crime yesterday after the House passed the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act. The House bill, introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), would add lynching to the United States Criminal Code and make it a hate crime.
READ MORE: House to vote on 120-year-old long overdue anti-lynching bill
Last year, the Senate unanimously passed an anti-lynching bill that was put forth by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Now all that remains is for the two bills to be merged into one and sent to President Trump to sign into law, which he is expected to do, The New York Times is reporting.
This moment is historic because, for at least 120 years, the House and Senate have tried to pass an anti-lynching law to make the abominable evil a federal crime. But each time, anti-lynching bills were blocked, put on hold or ignored, until now. Even though the move is considered more of a symbolic gesture in today’s time, it is still needed, legislators said.
“Today brings us one step closer to finally reconciling a dark chapter in our nation’s history,” Booker said in a statement about the approved House bill.
“We are one step closer to finally outlawing this heinous practice and achieving justice for over 4,000 victims of lynching,” Mr. Rush said in a statement when the House vote was announced last week.
Emmett Till was just 14 when white men tortured and killed him in 1955 after a then 21-year-old white woman named Carolyn Bryant said he grabbed her by the waist and whistled at her in a Mississippi grocery store. Many years after Till’s murder, Bryant admitted that she lied in her testimony. Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, chose to have an open-casket funeral so photographers could capture it and the whole world could see what they did to her son.
Bryant’s husband, Roy Bryant, and his brother, J.W. Milam, were charged with killing Emmett but were acquitted by an all-white jury, which was typically the outcome in such cases.
But on Wednesday, the House sought to acknowledge the wrong by adding lynching to the United States Criminal Code. And while its timing is late, it is still important to have an anti-lynching law on the books, particularly with a surge in racist acts that the United States has experienced in recent years – from the nine Black parishioners killed in a Charleston, South Carolina church while attending Bible study in 2015 to the brutal killing of James Byrd Jr., a Black man who was tied to a pickup truck and dragged for several miles by three white supremacists in Jasper, Texas in 1998.
“The importance of this bill cannot be overstated,” Mr. Rush said in his statement, according to The New York Times.
READ MORE: WATCH | The evil history of lynching and why President Trump&’s tweet was disrespectful
“From Charlottesville to El Paso, we are still being confronted with the same violent racism and hatred that took the life of Emmett and so many others,” he said, referring to the violent white supremacist rally that occurred in Virginia in 2017 as well as a mass shooting in Texas in 2019 where Latinos were targeted. “The passage of this bill will send a strong and clear message to the nation that we will not tolerate this bigotry.”
The post Years after his murder, House finally passes Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Bill appeared first on TheGrio.
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Louisiana judge apologizes for using the n-word, says she won’t step down
A white, Louisiana district court judge admitted that she used a racial slur in a text message exchange to describe a Black sheriff’s deputy and Black law clerk.
The 23rd Judicial District Judge Jessie LeBlanc told WAFB that she sent a heated text message to her one-time lover, Bruce Prejean, the former Chief Deputy in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. Both LeBlanc and Prejean were married at the time of the affair. Prejean has seen been demoted by Sheriff Leland Falcon after he admitted to the affair last year.
READ MORE: Judge allows discrimination case related to Bill Maher’s use of n-word to move forward
LeBlanc told the station after she ended the affair with Prejean, someone left an anonymous note on her door with the “n-word” scrawled on it, and someone sent a package to her office with Prejean’s phone records. She claims the phone records included the phone number of another judge’s female law clerk, which led her to believe that Prejean and the Black law clerk had been seeing each other.
“From there, I did lash out at him,” the judge told WAFB on Sunday. “And, in lashing out at him, in those text messages, I lashed out at two of his African-American friends. One of them being that law clerk. I did call them that name (n-word). They do not deserve that. They deserve an apology from me. And, I sincerely apologize to both of them for using that word. While I may have been upset, angry, scared, it does not excuse my actions.”
“I admit that I used that word,” LeBlanc added. “I profusely apologize for that. I should have never said it. It was uncalled for. I was angry. I was upset. But, it’s no excuse.”
When the WAFB reporter asked the judge if she ever used the offensive slur before, she appeared to stutter. “Not in a – no – not – no – not in a – no – I have not used that racial slur in the past,” LeBlanc told the station. “This was in a moment of a heated exchange that was private between Bruce and one I that I never dreamed would have come out to the public.
Now Baton Rouge NAACP President Eugene Collins is calling for LeBlanc to step down and threatens demonstrations if she fails to do so.
“She should be removed from the bench,” Collins told WAFB. “This is about creating a fair and impartial system.”
Also, District Attorney Ricky Babin and the district’s lead public defender have filed a motion asking that LeBlanc remove herself from criminal cases in Assumption Parish or have the court force her to do so.
LeBlanc’s attorney, Jill Craft said the slur was horrible but cautioned as to the widespread implication if LeBlanc is forced out.
“It’s terrible and there’s no excuse – zero excuse – for anyone using that word and that language,” Craft said. “My concern globally is one of where do you draw the line? Does that mean that every judge in the state has to sign an affidavit under oath that they’ve not used the n-word or they’ve not referred to women as the c-word or the b-word or gay people in a derogatory fashion and, if they have, are they automatically disqualified from cases involving women, African Americans, Hispanics, or gay people?”
READ MORE: A Chicago judge removed from the bench after claims of making insensitive racial statements
As for LeBlanc, she said she won’t be stepping down.
“I know in my heart that I have done my job to the very best of my ability,” she told the station.
The post Louisiana judge apologizes for using the n-word, says she won’t step down appeared first on TheGrio.
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Shop These Black-Owned Beauty Brands For A Flawless Look
Rihanna turned the beauty industry on its heels with the debut of Fenty Beauty. According to Forbes, the Bajan mogul has racked in over $570 million in revenue since its launch. With an array of 40 shades to complement a range of complexions for women of color who are often underserved in the market, Fenty was something refreshingly new that the makeup industry desperately needed. Black women spend an estimated $7.5 billion every year on beauty products; 80% is spent on cosmetics and black shoppers spend twice as much on skincare than non-black shoppers.
With Fenty encouraging the industry to recognize the needs of black women, more and more black-owned beauty entrepreneurs have hit the ground running with various ventures that focus on our beauty needs from nails, lips, and hair. Here are a couple of fabulous black-owned companies to help complete your flawless look.
Nails: Pear Nova
Source: Instagram
Blending fashion-forward hues fresh off the runway with a vegan, five-free formulation, Pear Nova’s colorful line of polishes quickly gained devoted fans with nude tones to complete darker complexions and colorful shades. Founder Rachel James, one of the stars of VH1’s Black Ink Chicago, used her background in fashion merchandising to launch the brand in 2012 with the aim of uniting her diverse expertise in beauty and fashion.
Lips: The Lip Bar
The perfect pout can highlight any outfit. In 2012, Melissa Butler wanted to help black women find their perfect lip color, so she opened Lip Bar, a cruelty-free, vegan lipstick brand to work with their skin tones. Her colorful lipsticks were featured on black Muslim model Ashley Blevins in the #ThisIsBeauty campaign, where consumers on Instagram were encouraged to take photos wearing their favorite Lip Bar product.
Just for Men: Bevel
Source: Instagram
Women aren’t the only ones driving the beauty industry. Men’s skincare is also on the rise and Bevel caters to black men who are looking to upgrade their daily look.
Hair: Taliah Waajid
Source: Instagram
New York-based Taliah Waajid wanted to create a collection of hair products that would help manage her kinky coils. After years of making hair formulas in her home, she decided to open her own natural hair business. It is now sold in stores across the country.
Skincare: Base Butter
Source: Instagram
Base Butter was a company She’Neil Johnson created for women who wanted simple, natural remedies for better skin. Today, her company sells a wide variety of skincare products with organic ingredients for perfectly healthy, smooth skin.
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