Chicago businessman says his PPE supplies were turned down by officials

The state of Illinois and the city of Chicago have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 42,000 cases and almost 1,900 deaths state-wide. Most of those cases are coming out of Cook County, with many of the dead being African American.

So when Dr. Willie Wilson, founder and CEO of Illinois-based Omar Medical Supplies reached out to the office of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot with tens of millions of pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for sale, it seemed like a no-brainer that the city and the state would strike a deal with him.

Instead, Pritzker paid Federal Express nearly $1.8 million to retrieve PPE from China for the state of Illinois in addition to about $17 million on PPE itself.

READ MORE: Texas nurse creates face masks that protect against COVID-19 better than N-95 mask

theGrio spoke to the philanthropist, entrepreneur, and aspiring politician about his interaction with the governor and Chicago mayor, as well as his Senate run.

Dr. Willie Wilson speaks with his staff at Omar Inc. (Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Willie Wilson)

Dr. Wilson reached out to both Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot, only to hit roadblocks in conversations with both offices in trying to get a deal finalized. Both Pritzker and Lightfoot placed the blame on Wilson.

Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokeswoman for Governor Pritzker, claims Wilson wanted “an open purchase order, with no specific pricing set,” adding “the state does not enter into open purchase orders.”

Dr. Wilson vehemently denies this writing in a letter to the governor. “(The Governor and I) had a telephone conversation a few weeks ago and l expressed my desire to assist the State of Illinois through the provision of these necessary supplies,” wrote Wilson.

“After our discussion, a member of your staff called me. My staff explained the process of purchasing PPE from China. If the order from the State of Illinois was a one-time order all we would have needed was one purchase order,” Wilson explained.

“If the state needed more PPE than just the one order, we would have needed an open purchase order to secure additional PPE for several months, otherwise, we would run the risk of not being able to secure the PPE.

READ MORE: Meek Mill and Michael Rubin with Madonna to send masks to prisons

He adds, “I believe it was a misunderstanding in how business is transacted in China at this critical time. As for pricing, we are very clear on pricing per order. However, the price could fluctuate over time due to the emergency nature of the pandemic and availability of materials to make (the) product.”

The mayor’s office also placed the blame on Wilson, saying he requested cash payment upfront, which he also denies.

Lori Lightfoot addresses guests after being sworn in as Mayor of Chicago during a ceremony at the Wintrust Arena (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“That you would misrepresent my statements to you on this issue so blatantly and dishonestly is not only disturbing, it is, in light of our current public health crisis, profoundly disheartening,” Wilson wrote in a letter to Mayor Lightfoot. 

“(The Mayor and I) had a telephone conversation approximately six weeks ago and l expressed my desire to assist the city through the provision of these necessary supplies,” Wilson said.

“After our discussion, a member of your staff called me. At no point during either of these discussions was pricing ever discussed. After an initial conversation, I never heard from your administration again. Given the high volume of materials needed, I did state that to cover the cost of manufacturing, payment would be needed upfront. However, I never stated that we would demand or require cash upfront.”

Requests for comment from theGrio to the offices of both Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot went unanswered.

The qualifications of Wilson’s company can’t be disputed, he said. “We are eminently qualified,” Wilson said. “In fact, I provide 100 to 200 million face masks a month to Fortune 500 companies around the world.

Dr. Willie Wilson. (Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Willie Wilson)

READ MORE: Black men told to leave Walmart for wearing masks

“People are dying out here and I am right here, and I have product right here in my warehouse,” Wilson added.

The state of Illinois has reportedly spent nearly $180 million on COVID-19-related purchases, including ventilators and PPE, through April 21, according to the office of the Illinois State Comptroller. 

But how much of that money has gone to Black-owned businesses?

“Where is your commitment to the African-American community?” Wilson asked in an interview with theGrio. “More people are dying [in the African American community]. Where is your commitment to contracts and jobs? I bet you they can’t even show that African Americans have gotten a fair portion of the dollars that the federal government has given [the state] and money they are spending today.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Wilson also continues to be active in the community making both PPE and financial donations.

“My company has donated one million masks to Mount Sinai Hospital and 22 other community organizations,” Dr. Wilson said. “I have donated 20,000 masks to Jackson Park Hospital, 10,000 masks to the Westside NAACP, 50,000 to the Chicago Transit Authority, and 10,000 to Cook County Jail for correctional officers.

Dr. Willie Wilson. (Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Willie Wilson)

He added, “I donated masks to 75 senior citizen facilities and to several Aldermen for their residents. In addition, we have provided masks to the Chicago firefighters, and the Fraternal Order of Police.

“Finally, I have personally given away $1 million to people that have lost their jobs and another $1 million to 1,000 churches. The reality is I give away 90 percent of my profits back to the community.”

On Tuesday, April 28, Dr. Wilson donated 20,000 masks each to 50 Chicago aldermen for a total of 1 million, after Gov. Pritzker signed an order making it mandatory for all Illinois citizens to wear face masks starting May 1.

After receiving a shipment of supplies, Omar Medical Supplies has PPE totaling over 10 million, and its goal is to get the equipment to the people in need and help save lives. 

When asked why citizens of Illinois should vote for the senate hopeful, Dr. Wilson said he’s “I’m interested in being a US senator to shed some light on all of the communities, without leaving out the Black and Brown communities.”

“I’m not interested in a paycheck,” he said.

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D.C. Landmark Ben’s Chili Bowl approved for PPP loan after public outcry

Ben’s Chili Bowl has been approved for a Paycheck Protection Program loan following a public outcry regarding their extended wait time.

The original restaurant, famously located on U Street, will receive a loan, along with all other Ben’s locations in Washington D.C., WJLA reporter Anna-Lysa Gayle tweeted on Tuesday, April 28.

The D.C. staple, which fed protestors during the Civil Rights Movement, faced financial difficulties after the coronavirus pandemic forced co-owner Sage Ali to shut down all of its locations, with the exception of U-Street.

“We have Ben’s Chili Bowl here, we have Nats Park, FedEx Field, Horseshoe Casino and we have Capital One Arena,” Ali explained to local news outlet WJLA on April 21. “We were looking to really have our best year yet. And all of a sudden this hit and it just took in a very, very different direction.”

READ MORE: Restaurant that fed protesters during civil rights faces financial woes during quarantine

The restaurant owner and his team applied for a PPP loan after Congress passed a historic $2 trillion stimulus package, which included $349 billion allocated to small businesses, on March 27.

Ben’s Chili Bowl, located at 1213 U Street, N.W., in Washington, D.C. Date 5 January 2010 (Wikimedia Commons)

The program, marred by technical glitches and red tape, ran out of money by April 16, with thousands of small business owners stranded without any income or assistance. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that large corporations, such as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Shake Shack, had received millions of dollars worth of funding from the program.

“The COVID-19 hit us hard, we’ve had to consolidate, we’re just working out of here for carry out and delivery,” Ali said. “We applied for the PPP loan and unfortunately, it did not get through yet.”

READ MORE: Los Angeles Lakers return $4.6 million federal loan

Congress passed another $484 billion stimulus bill on April 21 to replenish the small business loans program.

The legislation includes $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, including $30 billion allocated to community lenders, small banks and credit unions, and $60 billion for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, which includes $10 billion in emergency grants for businesses.

The post D.C. Landmark Ben’s Chili Bowl approved for PPP loan after public outcry appeared first on TheGrio.

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Gospel singer Troy Sneed, 52, dies from the coronavirus

A powerful voice in gospel music has been silenced due to COVID-19. GRAMMY-nominated gospel singer, Troy Sneed, passed away on Monday morning due to complications from the deadly disease.

Sneed, a Florida native, studied education and music at the historic Florida A & M University, where he played football. Sneed was the Assistant Minister of Music for the Georgia Mass Choir for over a decade. He appeared with the choir in the 1996 film, The Preacher’s Wife starring Denzel Washington and the late, great Whitney Houston.

READ MORE: Whitney Houston biopic planned with ‘Photograph’ director possibly on board

According to Billboard, Sneed had seven albums hit the trade magazine’s Top Gospel Albums chart, including A State of Worship, In His Presence, In Due Season, My Heart Says Yes, All Is Well, Awesome God, and Taking It Back.

The Jacksonville-area native’s debut album, Call Jesus, was released in 1999. He and his wife, Emily, founded Emtro Records which allowed them to produce and distribute music for many others.

The Emtro label released Rev. Rudolph McKissick’s The Right Place, and Alvin Darling & Celebration’s, All Night.

Sneed and his wife had been married for 27 years. He leaves behind four children, Troy Jr., Evany, Trey, and Tyler.

Sneed was also a former educator who taught at Jacksonville Beach Elementary School. During his tenure with the Georgia Mass Choir, Sneed performed with James Moore, LaShun Pace, and the Rev. James Cleveland.

READ MORE: White Western Michigan University choir accused of cultural appropriation over negro spirituals

In an interview with the local news affiliate, FOX 23, in Jacksonville, Mike Chandler the CEO of Rejoice! Musical Soul Food radio network said that Sneed was, “one of the most talented men in our industry, but more importantly Troy was a good person and he did a lot of good work. The world is going to miss him.”

The state of Florida has over 30,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus with just over 1,000 deaths. Duval County, where Jacksonville sits, accounts for 990 cases and 19 deaths, now including the heralded gospel singer.

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Automating the search for entirely new “curiosity” algorithms

Driven by an innate curiosity, children pick up new skills as they explore the world and learn from their experience. Computers, by contrast, often get stuck when thrown into new environments.

To get around this, engineers have tried encoding simple forms of curiosity into their algorithms with the hope that an agent pushed to explore will learn about its environment more effectively. An agent with a child’s curiosity might go from learning to pick up, manipulate, and throw objects to understanding the pull of gravity, a realization that could dramatically accelerate its ability to learn many other things. 

Engineers have discovered many ways of encoding curious exploration into machine learning algorithms. A research team at MIT wondered if a computer could do better, based on a long history of enlisting computers in the search for new algorithms. 

In recent years, the design of deep neural networks, algorithms that search for solutions by adjusting numeric parameters, has been automated with software like Google’s AutoML and auto-sklearn in Python. That’s made it easier for non-experts to develop AI applications. But while deep nets excel at specific tasks, they have trouble generalizing to new situations. Algorithms expressed in code, in a high-level programming language, by contrast, have the capacity to transfer knowledge across different tasks and environments. 

“Algorithms designed by humans are very general,” says study co-author Ferran Alet, a graduate student in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). “We were inspired to use AI to find algorithms with curiosity strategies that can adapt to a range of environments.”

The researchers created a “meta-learning” algorithm that generated 52,000 exploration algorithms. They found that the top two were entirely new — seemingly too obvious or counterintuitive for a human to have proposed. Both algorithms generated exploration behavior that substantially improved learning in a range of simulated tasks, from navigating a two-dimensional grid based on images to making a robotic ant walk. Because the meta-learning process generates high-level computer code as output, both algorithms can be dissected to peer inside their decision-making processes.

The paper’s senior authors are Leslie Kaelbling and Tomás Lozano-Pérez, both professors of computer science and electrical engineering at MIT. The work will be presented at the virtual International Conference on Learning Representations later this month. 

The paper received praise from researchers not involved in the work. “The use of program search to discover a better intrinsic reward is very creative,” says Quoc Le, a principal scientist at Google who has helped pioneer computer-aided design of deep learning models. “I like this idea a lot, especially since the programs are interpretable.”

The researchers compare their automated algorithm design process to writing sentences with a limited number of words. They started by choosing a set of basic building blocks to define their exploration algorithms. After studying other curiosity algorithms for inspiration, they picked nearly three dozen high-level operations, including basic programs and deep learning models, to guide the agent to do things like remember previous inputs, compare current and past inputs, and use learning methods to change its own modules. The computer then combined up to seven operations at a time to create computation graphs describing 52,000 algorithms. 

Even with a fast computer, testing them all would have taken decades. So, instead, the researchers limited their search by first ruling out algorithms predicted to perform poorly, based on their code structure alone. Then, they tested their most promising candidates on a basic grid-navigation task requiring substantial exploration but minimal computation. If the candidate did well, its performance became the new benchmark, eliminating even more candidates. 

Four machines searched over 10 hours to find the best algorithms. More than 99 percent were junk, but about a hundred were sensible, high-performing algorithms. Remarkably, the top 16 were both novel and useful, performing as well as, or better than, human-designed algorithms at a range of other virtual tasks, from landing a moon rover to raising a robotic arm and moving an ant-like robot in a physical simulation. 

All 16 algorithms shared two basic exploration functions. 

In the first, the agent is rewarded for visiting new places where it has a greater chance of making a new kind of move. In the second, the agent is also rewarded for visiting new places, but in a more nuanced way: One neural network learns to predict the future state while a second recalls the past, and then tries to predict the present by predicting the past from the future. If this prediction is erroneous it rewards itself, as it is a sign that it discovered something it didn't know before. The second algorithm was so counterintuitive it took the researchers time to figure out. 

“Our biases often prevent us from trying very novel ideas,” says Alet. “But computers don’t care. They try, and see what works, and sometimes we get great unexpected results.”

More researchers are turning to machine learning to design better machine learning algorithms, a field known as AutoML. At Google, Le and his colleagues recently unveiled a new algorithm-discovery tool called Auto-ML Zero. (Its name is a play on Google’s AutoML software for customizing deep net architectures for a given application, and Google DeepMind’s Alpha Zero, the program that can learn to play different board games by playing millions of games against itself.) 

Their method searches through a space of algorithms made up of simpler primitive operations. But rather than look for an exploration strategy, their goal is to discover algorithms for classifying images. Both studies show the potential for humans to use machine-learning methods themselves to create novel, high-performing machine-learning algorithms.

“The algorithms we generated could be read and interpreted by humans, but to actually understand the code we had to reason through each variable and operation and how they evolve with time,” says study co-author Martin Schneider, a graduate student at MIT. “It’s an interesting open challenge to design algorithms and workflows that leverage the computer’s ability to evaluate lots of algorithms and our human ability to explain and improve on those ideas.” 

The research received support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Naval Research, Honda Research Institute, SUTD Temasek Laboratories, and MIT Quest for Intelligence.

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This Black Cannabis Advocate Wants To Shift The Narrative Around Cannabis Amid COVID-19

Recreational cannabis has become legal in several states including California, Massachusetts, and Maine with local entrepreneurs cashing in on the new legal status. The cannabis industry generates billions of dollars and yet black entrepreneurs are often left out of business opportunities despite the disproportionate number of black and brown people incarcerated across the United States for low-level marijuana convictions. One activist is looking to use the current COVID-19 pandemic to change the stigma around cannabis and leverage it for new business opportunities.

Solonje Burnett is a pro-cannabis advocate and co-founder of the cannabis immersive education and advocacy platform Humble Bloom with a mission to equalize the cannabis industry. The Brooklyn-based activist is looking to educate people about the healing benefits of marijuana and stands for inclusion for those underrepresented in the industry. Burnett says that cannabis has created a positive change for her and shares the many ways women can utilize it.

“Humans are in cages, convicted for something that is no longer a crime, while others are elevated and get the opportunity to build intergenerational wealth doing exactly the same thing,” Burnett tells Refinery29 Unbothered. She is using her platform during COVID-19, or novel coronavirus, quarantine, to urge others to use their platforms to fight for progressive humanist and regenerative solutions. She wants women to know that, even in these uncertain times, there are ways to tap into your wholeness and feel empowered through the use of cannabis.

The CDC does not recommend smoking during this time, however, there are other ways you can medicate. Burnett recommends using CBD and THC in the form of face masks, oils, soaks, drops, body serums, cooling rub, or edibles.

“All of these brands are small businesses owned by women and/or POC,” Burnett adds. “Where and how you spend your money matters more than ever. Instead of buying from Amazon and supporting a billionaire ruthless capitalist. Go direct to the source. You’ll support the USPS, cut out Bezos and give all the profit to these brands.”

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NBA G League Players May Form a Union

It’s a rarity that a professional minor league has a union for its players. This may change if the basketball players in the NBA G League vote to become a union, according to ESPN.

The ‘minor league’ system of the NBA is considering forming a union for the players with the support of The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). There would need to be more than 50% of players signing on to obtain that goal.

The players were to begin voting over the weekend by electronic transmission.

NBA’s G-League players will begin voting Saturday on the creation of a union, sources tell ESPN. The NBPA’s assisting in the formation of a G-League-governed players association that would need more than 50 percent of players to sign an electronic authorization card for passage.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 24, 2020

Among agents and players, there’s been optimism that the vote will render the union’s formation – which would allow G-League players to collectively bargain with the NBA and G-League. Issues for G-League players in the past have included housing, salary and travel. https://t.co/tyslZ7tC2B

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 24, 2020

Adrian Wojnarowski, senior NBA Insider at ESPN stated, “Among agents and players, there’s been optimism that the vote will render the union’s formation—which would allow the union to collectively bargain issues with the NBA and G League. The NBPA sent G League players a video of veteran player Andre Ingram describing the kinds of issues that a union could assist in collective bargaining with the NBA. Issues for G League players in the past have included housing, salary, and travel.

“The union would be separate from the NBPA and serve independently with its own constitution, bylaws, and leadership structure.”

Back in February, the NBPA Board of Representatives voted to support the formation of the union for G League players. The NBPA had representatives at the 2018 and 2019 G League showcases, the NBPA had representatives who were there to discuss the idea of the formation of a union with a significant number of players from the developmental league.

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Hotel CEO Says Industry Is In For A Major Change With Fewer Amenities

The global outbreak of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, has brought the travel industry to a complete standstill. Many countries have closed off their borders to all noncitizens and any plans of leisure travel have been canceled for the foreseeable future. As a result, the industry has lost millions of dollars in revenue with many major companies left struggling to stay afloat in the process.

When the industry does reopen, you can expect to see a lot of changes in the way you travel through airports and hotels. Some experts are sayings the days of extra amenities such as minibars, room service, and turndown service may be over as we know it if hoteliers can’t cut costs in other ways to survive this public health crisis.

“We need to operate less expensively,” said Pebblebrook Hotel CEO Jon Bortz, who oversees 54 high-end hotels in key markets such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Florida, and New York, during a Bisnow webinar last week. “Now, there are going to be things that are going to cost more, but there are other things we have to do less expensively and more efficiently because this recovery is going to take a significant period of time.”

Since the pandemic hit, Bortz said he has had to temporarily close 46 of its hotels and furloughed about 7,500 workers. Most of the eight hotels that remain open are running in the low- to mid-single digit occupancy range. In some hotels in San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, Bortz said he had to board up some of the ground-floor retail glass windows because of reports of looting in those cities.

“In all cases, we have skeleton crews running the hotels,” Bortz said, adding that there are only about five to 10 people working different shifts at each of the opened hotels. There are security guards at the closed hotels, he said.

Bortz went on to say that unless there is a medical breakthrough, he doesn’t expect the hotel industry to open until at least July 1. He does expect leisure to come back first but business travel will probably be slow. “It’s going to be a very, very slow and bumpy recovery,” Bortz said.

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Coronavirus: 'One billion' could become infected worldwide - report

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Tech Is a Double-Edged Lifeline for Domestic Violence Victims

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Today's Cartoon: Unfinished Business

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The Pandemic Creates New Challenges for Crisis Counselors

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French police officers suspended for using racist slur in viral video

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What is behind Nigeria's unexplained deaths in Kano?

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‘Little Women: Atlanta’ star Ms. Minnie, 34, dead after hit and run

Little Women: Atlanta star Ashley “Ms. Minnie” Ross has died after succumbing to injuries following a hit and run accident, the 34-year-old reality star’s publicist confirmed to theGrio in a statement early Tuesday morning.

“It is with profound sadness that we confirm on behalf of the family of Ashley Ross aka ‘Ms Minnie’ of Little Women Atlanta has succumbed to injuries from a tragic hit and run car accident today at the age of 34,” read the statement posted to Minnie’s official Instagram page.

“The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.”

READ MORE: Rapper Fred Tha Godson reportedly dies of coronavirus at 35

View this post on Instagram

Full Statement from the management team of @MsMinnieLWA It is with profound sadness that we confirm on behalf of the family of Ashley Ross aka “Ms Minnie” of Little Women Atlanta has succumbed to injuries from a tragic hit and run car accident today at the age of 34. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time. Please direct all media requests to: Liz Dixson Publicist for Ms Minnie 404-410-6912 ldixson@mediamcs.com

A post shared by 💄Ms.Minnie💋 (@msminnielwa) on Apr 27, 2020 at 10:15pm PDT

In an email to theGrio, Ross’s publicist Liz Dixson said the hit and run accident happened on Sunday in Atlanta. The driver reportedly fled the scene on foot. Ms. Minnie was pronounced dead on Monday night at approximately 10:30 p.m. at Grady Memorial Hospital.

READ MORE: Tyler Perry mourns the death of hairstylist Charles Gregory

Minnie rose to fame as a star on Lifetime’s Little Women: Atlanta, which followed an ensemble of little women and chronicled their lives in the city of Atlanta.

Minnie shared many intimate parts of her life on the popular show, including her relationship with rapper Pastor Troy. The cameras famously captured the moment she shared with him that she miscarried a child they had conceived together. She later revealed she was not actually pregnant.

Minnie also opened up about her estranged relationship with her father who left her and her mother when she was young. She allowed cameras to document a paternity test she had conducted in order to determine if the man in question was indeed her biological father.

Upon learning that he was her father, Minnie was brought to tears. “When I opened up the results and [saw] 99.9% my heart just stopped,” she said.

Her publicist wrote that she is survived by “her loving mother Tammy Jackson, Veronica Deloney (aunt), John Deloney (uncle), and beloved (grandmother) Rose Deloney.”

The post ‘Little Women: Atlanta’ star Ms. Minnie, 34, dead after hit and run appeared first on TheGrio.

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Coronavirus: What Africa countries are doing to help people to eat amid the lockdowns

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HBO drops trailer for Michaela Coel drama ‘I May Destroy You’

HBO just dropped the first trailer for I May Destroy You, the new drama series created by Michaela Coel. 

Coel stars in the series alongside Weruche Opia, Paapa Essiedu, Aml Ameen, Adam James, Sarah Niles, and Ann Akin. Other cast members include Karan Gill, Samson Ajewole, Harriet Webb, Natalie Walter Ellie James, and Franc Ashman.

Coel plays Arabella Essiedu “a self-assured, care-free Londoner with a group of great friends, a holiday fling turned aspirational boyfriend in Italy and a burgeoning writing career.” When she becomes the victim of having been given a date-rape drug, her entire world and identity are thrown upside down.

Getty Images

Peep the official description:

A fearless, frank, and provocative half-hour series exploring the question of sexual consent and where, in the new landscape of dating and relationships, the distinction between liberation and exploitation lies.

Set in London, where gratification is only an app away, the story centers on Arabella (Coel), a carefree, self-assured Londoner with a group of great friends, a boyfriend in Italy, and a burgeoning writing career. But when her drink is spiked with a date-rape drug, she must question and rebuild every element of her life.

READ MORE: ‘Chewing Gum’ star Michaela Coel speaks out about sexual assault and preps new series about consent

Following triumph from a piece of writing that garnered internet acclaim, Arabella Essiuedu (Coel) – easily distracted, non-committal and carefree – finds herself feted as the ‘voice of her generation,’ with an agent, a book commission and a helluva lot of pressure.

After being sexually assaulted in a nightclub, her life changes irreversibly, and Arabella is forced to reassess everything: her career, her friends, even her family. As Arabella struggles to come to terms with what has happened, she begins a journey of self-discovery.”

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Michaela Coel on finding joy after sexual assault and new Netflix film ‘Been So Long’

I May Destroy You premieres on HBO in June. Watch the trailer below.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

The post HBO drops trailer for Michaela Coel drama ‘I May Destroy You’ appeared first on TheGrio.

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Diddy Creates Initiative to Help Minority-Owned Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

Hip-hop media mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs announced the launch of Our Fair Share, a platform to help minority entrepreneurs and small businesses access much-needed funds brought on by the economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 is devastating our communities and without access to stimulus funding we risk losing critical businesses that create jobs and help build opportunities and wealth in our communities,” said Combs in a written statement. “I created Our Fair Share to help entrepreneurs play on an even playing field and give them a chance to survive with the hope to thrive.”

Due to the initial round of the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP) dollars being disproportionately given to those with the right connection rather than the businesses with the greatest need, Our Fair Share was created. This initiative will help minority-owned companies learn about the PPP and help get them connected to approved Small Business Administration (SBA) lenders that can process applications for these potentially business-saving loans.

Combs also announced a partnership with the National Bankers Association, the trade group representing minority-owned financial institutions. The association will connect minority-owned banks and financial technology companies to the Our Fair Share platform and enable these banks to originate PPP loans from applicants that utilize the site.

“It is inspiring to see a cultural icon like Sean Combs partnering with minority banks and others to ensure economic opportunity for minorities in this program”, says Kenneth Kelly, chairman of the National Bankers Association. “Our leaders in economics, politics, and culture must unite because the COVID-19 healthcare and economic impacts on our communities are interrelated. We can help our communities weather this storm if we work together.”

The applications are connected to these approved PPP lenders: The Harbor Bank of Maryland, based in Baltimore; Liberty Bank and Trust, based in New Orleans; Carver State Bank, based in Savannah, Georgia; and Lendistry, an online small business lender based in Los Angeles.

Combs has also extended an invitation for major financial institutions to partner with Our Fair Share.

“Minority businesses have always struggled to access the capital they need to thrive. Now is the time to show commitment to the communities being hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with the institutions that want to help,” said Combs.

For more information, visit www.ourfairshare.com.

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Black women sue golf course after cops were called for moving too slow

Two years ago, a group of five African American women golfing at a Pennsylvania golf course had the police called on them alleging that they were playing too slowly.

This year, two of the women involved in the incident Myneca Ojo and Karen Crosby, filed a racial and gender discrimination lawsuit against Brew Vino LLC which owns the Grandview Golf course as well as several employees involved.

READ MORE: How a Black man got sprung from jail thanks to golf

In their first game as members of the Grandview Golf course in York County, Pennsylvania. The women state that they were moving slowly because they hadn’t played in a while. However, they didn’t think they were holding up other players.

A man in a group behind them stated that the women were not impeding his play in any way. However, the co-owner of the club, Steve Chronister said that the women weren’t meeting time guidelines and called 911 twice.

York County police determined that the issue wasn’t a police matter, and the women left on their own.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 31: Irons used by Justin Thomas are dedicated “Black Mamba” for the late Kobe Bryant during the second round of the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale on January 31, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Bryant and his 13-year old daughter were among nine passengers killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The incident, which made national news in 2018, was one of many that year where African Americans suffered the indignity of having the police called on them for everyday activities. The phenomenon became known as #LivingWhileBlack.

An investigation of the incident found that the women had probable cause and that they were, “profiled, harassed, evicted, and subjected to different terms and conditions of service because of their protected classes.” That ruling gave them the right to sue for damages.

Two of the other women in the group, Sandra Harrison and Carolyn Dow, filed a similar lawsuit against the golf course. In their suit, they are seeking a declaratory judgment that would clearly state that they were discriminated against.

The final woman in the group, attorney Sandra Thompson, told CNN that she does intend to file a suit against the golf course.

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial as requests compensatory and punitive damages.

Chronister, now a defendant in the civil suit alleges that the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission has not “handled investigations properly.” The commission itself has denied any allegations of mishandling or bias.

The post Black women sue golf course after cops were called for moving too slow appeared first on TheGrio.

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26 Hours on a Saharan Freight Train

Photographer Adrian Guerin rode Mauritania’s Train du Desert, one of the world’s longest trains, at the hottest time of the year. It nearly broke him.

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Letter regarding decisions about summer programs

The following letter was sent to the MIT community April 24th by President Rafael L. Reif and Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart.

To the members of the MIT community,

Given the persistent threat of Covid-19, we write to share important decisions about summer programs for students, specifically travel programs and those research and internship opportunities that would usually occur on campus in June.

Students can find specific program decisions here. 
Staff and faculty involved in these efforts can find more information here.

Ordinarily, we would announce changes in student programs only to the people who might be directly affected. But since everyone is craving clarity about the future, we want to be clear that these decisions are the latest steps in a coordinated process of thinking through how our community will navigate this Covid-shadowed era.

For MIT as for institutions across the country, the current intense uncertainty presents a tricky balance: How to keep everyone as safe as possible while providing excellent educational experiences for our students, sustaining the momentum of MIT research and preserving MIT’s financial stability for us all?

Through consultation with students, faculty, staff and postdocs, as well as with state and local leaders and public health officials, we are working hard to imagine and plan various scenarios for a safe, step-by-step transition from the current reality – where most of us are “staying at home” ­– to a gradual restoration of various aspects of campus life, including options for how best to approach the new academic year. 

At this stage, we are eager to give you a sense of our working scenarios and create an opportunity for all of us to work through some big questions together. To that end, we are rapidly planning a participatory virtual community event and problem-solving process – stay tuned for more details.

To a large extent, the final plans we pursue for the months ahead will depend on the pace of scientific and government progress, from testing to contact tracing to effective therapeutics and a vaccine. We continue to take great hope from the fact that MIT researchers are among those who are pioneering advances in the fight against Covid-19, with projects that could help change the game not only for MIT but for the world.

While we don’t yet have more specifics about the rest of the summer, or about overall plans for a return to campus life, we have high hopes that your engagement in the interactive community event and problem solving will help us accelerate that process and arrive at a solution that is truly worthy of MIT.

Sincerely,

L. Rafael Reif

Cynthia Barnhart

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Coronavirus tests cause tailbacks at Kenya-Uganda border

Mandatory coronavirus tests for lorry drivers at the Kenya-Uganda border cause long tailbacks.

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Michael Jordan dragged Dennis Rodman out of bed as Carmen Electra hid

The ESPN documentary The Last Dance continues to spill all the hot tea about Michael Jordan and his Bulls teammates, particularly during his last season with the team.

Last night, the second night of the series, Jordan stated that he once had to fly to Vegas to retrieve his teammate, the brash and outspoken Dennis Rodman, from the bed of his then-girlfriend, Carmen Electra. The former MTV video host and actress stated that it could be “hazardous” being Rodman’s girlfriend due to his off-court antics.

READ MORE: Michael Jordan walked out of drug-fueled Chicago Bulls party as a rookie

Jordan said the trip came after a meeting where he implored Bulls’ coach, Phil Jackson to urge Rodman not to travel. Jordan was convinced that the star rebounder would not return on time. And he was right. After four days, MJ himself went looking for Rodman to bring him back to Chicago.

6 Jun 1997: Guard Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls stands on the court during a playoff game against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Jazz won the game 104-93. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

Despite his off-court behavior, The Last Dance rightly explained the sheer talent and drive that Rodman had to be one of the best Power Forwards in the league. A seven-time rebounding champion, “The Worm,” was known for his toughness and ability to grab the ball back by any means necessary.

Prior to his time with the Bulls, Rodman won back-to-back championships with the Detroit Pistons-the team that drafted him in 1986. That team was known as the “Bad Boys,” who were also featured in last night’s series.

Rodman is a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA all-star, and two-time NBA defensive player of the year. In The Last Dance, the eccentric star talked about his practice schedule where he would hit the gym as early as 3 am to work on his rebounding skills. 

READ MORE: Dennis Rodman believes 10-20% of pro athletes are gay and should come out

Rodman later became known for his colorful hair, romantic relationships with Electra and Madonna, and for a brief time-his close friendship with North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un.

Dennis Rodman retired from basketball in 2006 after departing the NBA in 2000. On April 1, 2011, Rodman was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The post Michael Jordan dragged Dennis Rodman out of bed as Carmen Electra hid appeared first on TheGrio.

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Trump mocked for saying journalists should return ‘Noble Prizes’

President Donald Trump posted then deleted a tweet on Sunday lashing out at the news media, again. In the tweet, he questioned whether reporters who won “Noble Prizes” for their work on the Russia investigation would return them.

The tweet was mocked on Twitter as the ‘Nobel Prize’ was not only misspelled and usually not given to journalists. It is likely that the president was thinking of the Pulitzer Prize.

READ MORE: Say what now? Republicans nominate Donald Trump for Nobel peace prize

He continued the rant in a three tweet thread further stating that he could give the “Nobel Committee,” a list of people whom he considers “real” reporters. He then asked with the committee would demand the prizes back.

The president is repeating his usual rant about reporters getting the Pulitzer Prize, except he is repeatedly calling it the “Noble” Prize. pic.twitter.com/Lt8XM2QJTr

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 26, 2020

Frequent Trump critic, George Conway-spouse of Trump Aide, Kellyanne Conway replied that the president is in “so over his head, you can’t see the surface.” Conway even went so far as to change his Twitter handle to “George Conway, Noble Committee Chair.”

Those reporters are indeed noble. You are ignoble. You are also ignorant. You refer to the wrong prize, and have misspelled it, to boot.

You’re so far in over your head you can’t even see the surface. https://t.co/1lkcL1tnoM

— George Conway, Noble Committee Chair (@gtconway3d) April 26, 2020

ABC News reporter, Will Steaken stated the blunder was one that Trump allies would criticize Democratic presidential hopeful, Joe Biden, for.

This is the kind of statement Trump allies would rip Biden to shreds for making https://t.co/UgwFoCoeeF

— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) April 26, 2020

Other political analysts point to this latest blunder, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidence that the president’s mental state is unraveling.

Noble prizes? First of all, it’s Nobel prizes. Second of all, I think he means Pulitzers; reporters don’t win Nobels. Third, at a time of a pandemic, why isn’t this string of tweets prima facie evidence of the necessity of the 25th amendment being invoked? https://t.co/1UTYgs1u2J

— Richard Stengel (@stengel) April 26, 2020

The Nobel Prize is awarded for literature, physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, and the well-known peace prize. It is likely that the president was talking about the Pulitzer Prize which is awarded to journalists. In fact, he may have been directly referring to Maggie Haberman of the New York Times who won the Pulitzer for her writing about the Russia investigation. The last time that a Nobel Prize has gone to a journalist is in 2015 when Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich won the award in the literature category.

Strangely enough, Alexievich won the honor for her work documenting life under the rule of the Soviet Union.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 21: Former President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally for Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Former president, Barack Obama, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people”.

Trump later tweeted that he was being sarcastic about the “Noble Prize,” defining the word noble: ‘having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.’

Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble (not Nobel) Prize is, especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists? Noble is defined as, “having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.” Does sarcasm ever work?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020

READ MORE: MLK’s Nobel Peace Prize speech 50 years later: Is it still relevant?

It is the second time that the president implied that he was being “sarcastic” after being skewered in the media for comments. On Friday, he implied that people could ingest disinfectants to cure them of the coronavirus.

The United States is nearing one million cases of the deadly virus and over 55,000 people have died.

The post Trump mocked for saying journalists should return ‘Noble Prizes’ appeared first on TheGrio.

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Flying Cars Could Take Off Soon, if We Let the Military Help

A ‘New School’ approach to military R&D funding doesn't just advance national security. It advances progress.

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The Anti-Quarantine Protests Aren't About Covid-19

If the tone of the demonstrations against stay-at-home orders seems familiar, that's because it is.

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African Venture Capital Director Launches Cryptocurrency Exchange

Yele Bademosi, a director at the venture capital arm of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, is launching Bundle, one of six African startups the crypto exchange is now funding in Africa.

According to Forbes, the startup is being run by Africans in an effort to get residents of the continent to use cryptocurrency, not as an investment vehicle, but as a global means of exchange. The idea basically makes Bundle, a social payment app, similar to Venmo or Square’s Cash App.

Bundle lets users send, receive, and spend bitcoin and Nigerian naira, the country’s main currency. Bundle will also let users spend Binance coin, the exchange’s native cryptocurrency, which has been doled out to loyal and active traders using its crypto exchange. Eventually, Bundle users will be able to spend and save Binance U.S. dollars, stablecoins backed by U.S. dollars and regulated in the U.S.

“Regardless of your geography, you should have access to the best financial services. And unfortunately, your geography today defines the quality of financial services that you have,” Bademosi told Forbes. “The same way the internet created freedom of information, I think blockchains create freedom of quality of financial services.”

Bademosi, who grew up in Nigeria, bought his first bitcoin in late 2017 and became hooked on cryptocurrency as its price fluctuated wildly. That led him to Binance and in late 2018, Binance published a 10-point thesis on why it was dedicated to Africa and launched a subsidiary in Uganda.

Bademosi said one of the biggest reasons Binance got involved in Africa is due to its potential in cryptocurrency.

“For me, blockchains are as big as the internet,” says Bademosi. “And can you imagine Bill Gates or Larry Page or Mark Zuckerberg coming to Africa less than one year after the company was started?”

Under Bademosi, Binance has invested in six African startups, one from South Africa, one from Kenya, one from Ghana, and three from Nigeria, all serving different aspects of the continent’s growing crypto economy. Lagos-based Yellow Card allows users to purchase bitcoin without a bank. Flutterwave is the same fiat-to-crypto bridge that lets Binance customers buy cryptocurrency with naira.

Bademosi isn’t the only one trying to give Africa a foothold in cryptocurrency. Musician and producer Akon is in the process of developing a cryptocurrency for Senegal and is working to provide electricity for 600 million Africans.

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Meet The Entrepreneur Creating Sunscreen For Black Women

Summer is on the horizon and that also means the return of harmful UV rays that can damage your skin. While many within the black community may believe the myth that darker skin tones cannot get skin cancer, studies say otherwise. Even though darker skin tones are less likely to contract the disease in comparison with those with fairer skin, your skin can become permanently damaged and you may not be able to see early signs of cancer until it’s too late.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, people with darker skin tones often do not receive a diagnosis until the cancer is in its later stages. This tends to be because the symptoms are harder to recognize. There are also limited options for sunblock that works well with dark skin. One entrepreneur decided to take matters into her own hands and created a product that protects our melanin.

Shontay Lundy founded Black Girl Sunscreen after becoming frustrated with the limited options for women with her skin tone. “[I started this company] because I am a woman of the sun and couldn’t find a sunscreen that would rub evenly into my complexion without leaving the tell-tale white residue,” Lundy told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

In 2016, she launched the brand based out of Miami. She continued on to say that the mission for her brand is “to educate and empower women of color to protect and nurture their skin no matter what shade it comes in while making them feel good and look good while being protected in the sun.”

Since its launch, Lundy’s sunscreen can be found in local beauty supply stores and Target. She credits Ureeka, a platform that connects female and minority small business owners to peers, mentors, and coaches, for helping her start and expand her brand.

“Ureeka has helped me personally level-up, which in turn helps Black Girl Sunscreen level up. Most recently, I entered an investor-pitch competition and Ureeka helped me prepare for the conversations,” she explains. “Before consulting Ureeka, I honestly didn’t know how to put together an investor deck or answer the ‘hard’ questions an investor may have. Within a couple weeks’ time, I had an investor deck put together, and was prepared to sit at the table with individuals that were ready to give capital so my business could get to the next level.”

 

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What’s your response when someone tells you that they don’t NEED sunscreen? #BlackGirlSunscreen⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ : @thisiskrisjoy

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