Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta steps down, after being detained by soldiers, state TV reports.
from BBC News - Africa https://ift.tt/3iQb6V6
via Gabe's Musing's
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Georgia voters at risk of being declared ‘inactive’ to vote
Thousands of voters in Georgia may not be able to vote due to undeliverable absentee ballots
Thousands of voters in voters in Georgia may be declared inactive to vote in the upcoming election after their absentee ballots were declared undeliverable.
Read More: Georgia governor withdraws mask lawsuit against Keisha Lance Bottoms
County officials notified voters in July that their absentee ballots weren’t able to be delivered, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Tuesday. Some of the people may have moved from where they originally requested a form in the spring or the address listed was incorrect.
Consequently, they may now be deemed inactive for the presidential election. Voters now have 30 days to respond and maintain their active status on the rolls. An official number was not given by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger but Gwinnett County alone sent over 20,000 notices last month.
The sheer number of voters who may be deemed inactive has left the Democratic Party of Georgia accusing Raffensperger’s office of illegal activity and that federal law is being comprised.
In April, he authorized the decision to send absentee ballots to all the eligible 6.9 million voters in the state. He reasoned it would give voters more options because of the pandemic.
The recent inactive status of voters has sparked criticisms of the Republican official’s actions. There was even the suggestion that the subsequent results may be illegal as The National Voter Registration Act mandates that any measure to cancel voter registrations has to be done within a three-month period.
The upcoming presidential election takes place on November 3 which is less than 80 days away.
“It may make you believe you’re no longer eligible to vote in the presidential election,” Matt Weiss, an attorney for the Democratic Party told AJC. “Why does this need to happen right now, before a major federal election? Anything that’s going to increase confusion among voters should be avoided.”
Election officials pushed back against any notion that there was an attempt to suppress the vote. It was argued that if voters did not receive absentee ballots at designated addresses, it meant that they no longer lived there.
“The intention is to try to keep the voter rolls accurate,” said Kristi Royston, the elections supervisor in Gwinnett County. “It’s not that an inactive voter cannot vote. Any action the voter takes while on the inactive roll will move them back to active.”
Read More: Black voters could tip the scale for Biden-Harris in battleground states
Once a voter is declared inactive, it can trigger removal from the Georgia voter rolls. However, in order for that to occur, they must not vote for five years or miss two federal general elections.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
The post Georgia voters at risk of being declared ‘inactive’ to vote appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/323RAxF
via Gabe's Musing's
Rapper Common launches wellness YouTube channel
The rapper/actor enters the YouTube channel space with the launch of his new wellness show, ‘Com+Well.’
Rappe/actor/author Common recently announced that his latest project is a YouTube channel streaming his new health and wellness series.
READ MORE: Common confirms tie-up with Tiffany Haddish: I am ‘grateful to have her in my life’
The news was initially reported by Deadline before he confirmed it. According to the report, the series Com+Well will feature six-episodes beginning Aug. 18.
Filmed in his home, the series will feature guests including lifestyle influencer Grace Harry, life coach Yancy Berry and urban gardener Ron Finley, according to Deadline. The conversations were filmed virtually and content ranges from workouts, cooking, and gardening.
“Peace y’all! I want to introduce you to my new show, Com+Well which is a health and wellness series that will look at a holistic approach to the state of being healthy,” he writes on Instagram, along with a video introducing the new endeavor to his followers.
“I believe deeply that the more at peace you are with yourself, the more love and compassion you are able to put out into the world,” Common says to Deadline.
“Now more than ever the world needs love and mindfulness towards one another. The Black community needs love, the brown community needs love. Really, we all need it. I created Com&Well to share the self-care knowledge and tools I’ve had access to and live by with my community.”
The first episode is now live on the platform providing some background for the series for viewers who may not be aware of his previous work as a rapper, actor, or author.
He even gives his audience a kitchen tour, including a deep dive into what is and is not inside the refrigerator.
“Green juice is essential,” he says grabbing a bottle from the middle shelf. “It’s basically like liquid energy.” The video then details the benefits of drinking the blend as well as the typical fruit and vegetables included.
Common goes on to admit that while he loves food he cannot cook and hires a chef to prepare his favorite meals.
READ MORE: YouTuber Jackie Aina to produce ‘Social Beauty’ documentary with Black influencers
The series is executive produced by Common himself alongside Dayna Carney. Tari Wariebi serves as director and Tamara Brown, Sean Glover and Adiza Mahamah have additional producer credits.
Check out the series below:
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
The post Rapper Common launches wellness YouTube channel appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/3iQ8K8I
via Gabe's Musing's
Big cities see spike in crime over the summer
The decades-long decline in urban crime rates may be about to turn, leading some to question what the economic ripple effect could be if a spike in crime sends people fleeing to the suburbs. CNBC's Robert Frank reports.
from Wealth https://ift.tt/31ZWXhr
via Gabe's MusingsGabe's Musings
from Wealth https://ift.tt/31ZWXhr
via Gabe's MusingsGabe's Musings
NBA Photographer Fired After Posting Sexist Kamala Harris Meme on Facebook
An NBA photographer was terminated for posting an inappropriate and sexist meme of Senator Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s running mate, according to USA Today.
The photographer, Bill Baptist, is an independent contractor working out of Houston, Texas. The photographer had worked with the Houston Rockets for over 30 years.
WNBA and college basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes went to her Facebook account to show her disgust.
“So this guy works for the NBA but covers the Houston Rockets. Has been around for a while. Even worked for the Houston Comets. It’s amazing how people will smile in your face but eventually their true colors will show.”
An NBA photographer has been fired and kicked out of the Disney Bubble after posting an offensive meme about Kamala Harris, per USA Today
Bill Baptist worked with the Houston Rockets for more than 30 years. pic.twitter.com/mCJ4MzJmVn
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 14, 2020
A spokesperson for the NBA had issued the following statement to Houston’s KPRC 2 regarding the matter: “The photographer is an independent contractor and his services are no longer being used in Orlando.”
KPRC 2 stated that they had also received an apology and written statement from Baptist:
“I deeply regret posting on my Facebook page a phrase that I saw and copied from others as a sample of some people’s reactions to Biden’s selection of Senator Harris as his choice for VP. The phrase I posted does not reflect my personal views at all. I should not have been so insensitive to post the statements by others. I sincerely apologize to all of those who have rightfully been offended and I have taken the post down from my FB page. It was a horrible mistake on my part.”
from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3h6W0KB
via Gabe's Musing's
Michelle Obama says Trump is the ‘wrong president for our country’ at DNC
The former first lady spoke at the opening night of the virtual Democratic National Convention and criticized President Trump for his lack of empathy
Former first lady Michelle Obama was the keynote speaker at the opening night at the virtual Democratic National Convention and praised Joe Biden as a restorative figure who would bring America back closer to its ideals.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the pageantry of the typical DNC with cheering crowds, falling balloons, and politicos in attendance is not an option. However, the enthusiasm for the ticket Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris was still on display the first night of the shuttered convention.
Read More: Republicans to support Biden/Harris at Democratic convention
The former FLOTUS spoke highly of Biden who served as vice president during the two terms of Barack Obama’s presidency.
“I know Joe,” Mrs. Obama said. “He is a profound, decent man guided by faith.”
“[Biden] knows what it takes to rescue our economy, beat back a pandemic and lead our country,” the former first lady said. “And he listens. He will tell the truth and trusts science. He will make smart plans and manage a good team, and he will govern as someone who has lived the life the rest of us can recognize.”
As Biden decided on who would be his running mate, Obama’s name was mentioned as a possible VP pick. She had no interest in the role but spoke as a character witness for Biden possibly becoming commander in chief.
“When he was a kid, Joe’s father lost his job. When he was a young senator, Joe lost his wife and his baby daughter, and when he was vice president, he lost his beloved son. So Joe knows the anguish of sitting at a table with an empty chair, which is why he gives his time so freely to grieving parents,” she said.
“Joe knows what it’s like to struggle, which is why he gives his personal phone number to kids overcoming a stutter of their own. His life is a testament to gettin’ back up. And he is going to channel that same grit and passion to pick us all up to help us heal and guide us forward.”
Obama noted that Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million votes and urged citizens to vote in the upcoming presidential election. She encouraged mail-in voting, voting early, and requesting mail-in ballots. Her necklace even spelled out ‘vote.’
“You simply cannot fake your way through this job,” Obama said of Trump.
Read More: Kamala Harris has a message for voters who aren’t feeling her and Joe Biden
During the 2016 DNC held in Philadelphia on behalf of Hillary Clinton who was the party’s standard-bearer, Obama memorably declared that “when they go low, we go high.” She remained true to that refrain.
“Going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty,” she said, “Going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free: the cold hard truth.”
Obama addressed the president by his name and declared that he was not the person to lead this country at this pivotal moment.
“Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is,” Obama said.
She warned that the country could become more compromised should Trump remain in office.
“If you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can, and they will if we don’t make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it,” the former first lady said.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
The post Michelle Obama says Trump is the ‘wrong president for our country’ at DNC appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/3ayWBCc
via Gabe's Musing's
Here's what happened when the world's most popular islands let tourists back in
The U.S. Virgin Islands is closing its doors to tourists again, and plans to reopen Bali, Hawaii and the Cayman Islands hang in limbo. From the Caribbean to French Polynesia, island destinations are changing tourism plans to cope with rising Covid-19 infections from within and around the globe.
from Wealth https://ift.tt/3iOzZ3x
via Gabe's MusingsGabe's Musings
from Wealth https://ift.tt/3iOzZ3x
via Gabe's MusingsGabe's Musings
How to Install Pop!_OS on Your Computer
Pop_OS is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu and built by System76. It is specifically built for software developers, makers, and computer science professionals who use their computer as a tool to discover and
from Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides https://ift.tt/3awvuYw
via Gabe's MusingsGabe's Musings
from Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides https://ift.tt/3awvuYw
via Gabe's MusingsGabe's Musings
Monday, August 17, 2020
A scientific approach to education reform
The Covid-19 pandemic has upended educational systems around the world, from kindergartens through graduate schools. Classes with students packed into seats and a teacher giving lessons from the front were suddenly transformed into some combination of online Zoom lessons, home instruction by parents, or solitary work. When things eventually stabilize and return to “normal,” what will that normal be?
Sanjay Sarma, MIT’s vice president for open learning, sees this unprecedented upheaval as a moment to get rid of outmoded methods with little pedagogical basis, and replace them with new approaches based on the latest scientific research on how learning works.
In a new book called “Grasp!” Sarma has drawn on his years of experience directing MIT’s many online learning systems, including MITx and OpenCourseWare. With lessons from the use of these platforms and from ongoing research on cognitive science, he offers a vision of how teaching and learning can be radically improved using new methods.
Though the book was completed before the pandemic struck, its lessons have become all the more timely as the world has shifted toward online learning. Sarma recently published an essay on the lessons from the research on learning that are especially relevant to the present situation.
Online learning, he says, offers both advantages and disadvantages compared to in-person classes; it all depends on the approach taken, the subject matter, and the circumstances. Ultimately, looking ahead to a post-pandemic education system, the goal should be to combine the advantages of both online and in-person approaches — and jettison what doesn’t work.
One thing that has become clear from research in recent years is the benefit of what has been called a “flipped” classroom approach. In such a system, lessons that would typically be taught in the classroom would instead be given through online, video, audio, or written materials that students could absorb at their own pace, being able to pause and rewind a lecture repeatedly if necessary in order to grasp a point.
In scenarios where students have safely returned to school, classroom time would instead be devoted to the kinds of things that have traditionally been “homework,” such as working on math problems or on a project, where teachers could be there to offer help and guidance when needed, as students work away individually or in pairs or teams.
When it comes to the time spent lecturing in front of classrooms, Sarma says, “that could be done better online.” Another benefit to this approach is that providing information in shorter units of 10 or 15 minutes each, instead of fitting everything into one-hour or 90-minute lecture formats, has been shown to be much more effective, he says.
As for the interactive parts of teaching, Sarma points out that in some ways there can be advantages to having some kinds of classroom-like discussions in an online Zoom-style format, since that acts as a kind of equalizer so that nobody gets lost in the back rows. “At least they’re all in front of you,” he says. “There are no back-benchers.”
The real hope, of course, is to get back as soon as safely possible to learning situations that really do benefit from face-to-face interaction, he says. For example, projects that entail generating ideas, narrowing down choices, and ending up with a finished product — whether that’s a simple robot or a successful lab experiment or a musical composition — are an important way to build new knowledge and skills, he says. Such activities can benefit immensely from interactions while working hands-on as a team, and from judicious one-on-one coaching by an instructor who is watching carefully as the project unfolds.
The old view of education, Sarma says, saw students’ minds as pieces of paper, and the teacher’s job was essentially to write information on that paper. That’s all wrong, he says. “The student is building a model of the world, like a plant growing. What you need to do is tend to that plant.”
Every student is different, he says, and it’s important to serve the individual interests and needs of individual students. But, he says, that’s very different from the notion of “learning styles” that is prevalent in some educational circles, suggesting that some people learn better visually and others through sound, for example. That notion, he says, is totally unsupported by evidence. Rather, it’s more useful to home in on an individual student’s specific areas of confusion and struggle.
Much of Sarma’s book, which is subtitled “The science transforming how we learn,” is based on recent research using tools such as magnetic resonance imaging to study what takes place in the brain during the learning process. One key lesson, he says, is the importance of circling back to a topic multiple times, and of integrating different parts of a lesson with each other.
Traditionally, classes have often involved teaching a concept, giving an exam, and moving on, he says. But long-term learning is greatly reinforced if that concept is also reintroduced alongside the next one being taught, and if some exercises involve how the two concepts can interact. “If you’re teaching two or three concepts in succession, integrate across them. Give problems along the way that mix them up. It causes them to reload the thinking required for that first problem. It’s in the reloading where the learning occurs,” Sarma says.
For learning to last, he says, it’s also important to “ask [students] now, ask them a week later, and ask them a month later.”
The book delves into a wide variety of other aspects of how recent research is changing our understanding of many aspects of learning and teaching. For example, new ways of detecting the different ways brains process visual information could lead to very early detection of dyslexia, and to ways of applying early and more effective measures to help address it.
One key message of the book is the need for a new way of looking at the whole purpose of education. For a long time, a major function of educational institutions was what Sarma describes as “winnowing” — progressively sorting out the best and brightest students from the rest.
But that’s not an effective or useful strategy, he suggests. An approach that is built on inclusiveness and encouragement, which gives learners a chance to struggle and wrestle with a problem — though not to the point of discouragement and giving up — is likely to produce much better outcomes, Sarma says.
from MIT News https://ift.tt/2Q8kG9n
via Gabe's Musing's
Jussie Smollett hate crime case contained ‘operational failures’
The actor is accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in Chicago in January 2019.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and her office are being called out once again over the handling of the controversial Jussie Smollett hate crime case.
Special Prosecutor Dan Webb noted in a statement on the conclusions of his investigation into Foxx’s management, the “substantial abuses of discretion” used by the attorney and her assistant prosecutors. According to Webb, however, they did nothing criminal, The Huffington Post reports.
“Aside from him coming out with an actual criminal charge against her, it’s about as devastating a report as a sitting state’s attorney can have leveled against them,” Cook County Republican Chairman Sean Morrison said of Webb’s findings.
Read More: Jussie Smollett lawyers claim recording evidence can prove his innocence
Smollett is accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in Chicago in January 2019. The former Empire star has since maintained that the attack was real and wasn’t a publicity hoax.
Foxx was inundated with death threats after her office dropped 16 criminal charges against Smollett last year, The Chicago Sun-Times reports. Webb ultimately resorted the charges against the embattled star. theGrio also previously noted that after Foxx recused herself from the case, she was accused of stirring the pot via messages to her colleagues.
In messages, Foxx said to First Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Joe Magats, who took over the case after she reportedly stepped down, that “I’m recused.” She then expressed her disapproval over the number of charges against Smollett.
“Sooo …… I’m recused, but when people accuse us of overcharging cases … 16 counts on a class 4 becomes exhibit A,” Foxx wrote in her March 8th messages.
Part of Webb’s investigation was taking a deeper look into whether Foxx acted improperly by meeting with a Smollett relative and Michelle Obama before the charges were dropped.
Foxx, the first Black woman to hold Chicago’s top cop job, was widely criticized by her peers, critics and the public for her actions.
Webb’s statement said his investigation “did not develop evidence that would support any criminal charges against State’s Attorney Foxx or any individual working at (her office).” But it “did develop evidence that establishes substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures” in how Smollett’s case was handled, the report states.
Read More: Jussie Smollett lawyers claim recording evidence can prove his innocence
Former Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine said Foxx will have to answer for her handling of the case up until the November election, when she faces off against Republican Pat O’Brien.
“It’s a very unusual election process with all these things going on,” Devine said. “Everything is remote right now, so it’s difficult to place it in the context of a normal campaign … but I think there are questions that are there and I think the media is going to point them out. … What impact it will have in these unusual circumstances is really very difficult to say right now, but it’s an issue, and it’s going to remain an issue. It’s not going to go away, I don’t think.”
Meanwhile, Foxx’s office issued a statement rejecting Webb’s “characterizations of its exercises of prosecutorial discretion and private or public statements as ‘abuses of discretion’ or false statements to the public.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
The post Jussie Smollett hate crime case contained ‘operational failures’ appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2EagZ0j
via Gabe's Musing's
Ohio State’s Justin Fields starts petition to restore Big Ten football
After the Big Ten athletic conference canceled the upcoming football season, student-athletes respond with a petition to let the sport go on.
Though the Big Ten football season has officially been canceled, some players hope there is still a chance to gear up and get on the field.
READ MORE: Report: Big 10, Pac 12 to cancel fall football season
Star quarterback Justin Fields of the Ohio State University Buckeyes, has launched a petition requesting the Big Ten reinstate the 2020 football season. The decision was made as the looming threat of coronavirus continues to shift the sports world norm.
theGrio reported that Fields, along with University of Lousiville receiver Dez Fitzpatrick, University of Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and more started using the hashtag #WeWantToPLay expressing their desire to push through the pandemic.
Now the Buckeye QB has turned to a digital campaign in hopes of change.
“This cause is close to my heart – please sign:,” he says, sharing the petition to Twitter.
READ MORE: University of Utah suspends football coach for texting a racial slur
According to the official MoveOn landing page, Fields demands the decision to play or to sit out be placed on the athletes themselves on an individual basis.
“We, the football players of the Big Ten, together with the fans and supporters of college football, request that the Big Ten Conference immediately reinstate the 2020 football season.
Allow Big Ten players/teams to make their own choice as to whether they wish to play or opt-out this fall season. Allow Big Ten players/teams who choose to opt-out of playing a fall season to do so without penalty or repercussion,” the petition reads.
According to ESPN, some parents also hope the Big Ten reconsiders the decision. The outlet reports that parents of Ohio State, Iowa, and Penn State players asked the Big Ten conference to reevaluate the cancellation in multiple letters, taken directly to conference offices.
“The Big Ten had months to develop a strategic plan but instead chose to leave it up to each individual school creating confusion, inconsistency and no plan of action,” reads the letter from parents of Iowa players, according to ESPN.
“There is time to fix the wrongdoings and come out as leaders. We strongly encourage the Big Ten to reconsider playing the fall college football season, develop a plan of meaningful action, and letting these young adults be included in the decision-making process.”
This written statement was hand-delivered to conference headquarters in Chicago, requesting a meeting with commissioner Kevin Warren, reports ESPN.
Heather Dinich, ESPN senior writer, shares the letter from OSU and Iowa football parents on social media.
Some parents issued their thoughts directly to the outlet. “It’s unacceptable,” says Corey Teague. His son, Master Teague III, plays running back for Ohio State.
“It’s something that needs more explanation because when you go in a certain direction and days later it changes, and no one has spoken to anyone else, and players weren’t able to be involved in this decision, and the protocols that were put in by Ohio State were very successful.
He added: “It’s unfortunate and I don’t know if it’s shortsightedness there, lack of leadership, but it’s definitely something that needs to be rectified and more dialogue needs to happen. It’s just a very messy situation, and we want to clean it up.”
The Big Ten Conference has not released a statement since the official cancellation.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
The post Ohio State’s Justin Fields starts petition to restore Big Ten football appeared first on TheGrio.
from TheGrio https://ift.tt/347QTG6
via Gabe's Musing's
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)