The company’s already launched the messaging standard in the UK and France, and now America is next, carriers be damned.
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Friday, November 15, 2019
Anthony Roberson: Detective Builds Ties Between Law Enforcement And The Community
BE Modern Man: Anthony Roberson, Ph.D.
Law enforcement officer, community leader; 42; Detective, Providence (R.I.) Police Department
I started my Shop With A Cop program six years ago. I get businesses large and small to donate dinners, items, and the like, that are raffled off to raise money to buy $150 gift cards. That, in addition to some grant money, allows me to gather 25-30 students and partner them up with police officers who proceed to take them on a shopping spree. The shopping spree is nice but the relationships forged are priceless.
Then there’s the twice-a-year Handshake Initiative, eight years strong now, in Providence, Cumberland, and East Providence. I bring successful male adults from all walks of life, dressed up, to welcome the students to school in the morning, with encouragement, handshakes, and high-fives. The role models, mostly males of color, seek to impress upon the students that they too can achieve success as represented by the gentlemen welcoming them to school. Nearly 200 role models participate.
Then there’s my Bicycle Safety Initiative I started with Walmart, along with some grant money, with volunteer police officers providing 30 or so kids a year with a bicycle and a helmet.
Lastly, I sit on the board of directors at the Sojourner House, an organization that combats domestic violence. It’s my hope that forging and strengthening relationships between law enforcement and the community they serve will positively impact the quality of life for city residents.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN LIFE?
I’m most proud of the strength and perseverance I observed throughout my life, as embodied by my mother. She had to overcome obstacles in life that many would have surrendered to, through no fault of their own. It’s due in large part to her that I was able to confront the many challenges in life that resulted in not only my volunteering in the community or becoming a detective but earning a doctorate degree as well.
HOW HAVE YOU TURNED STRUGGLE INTO SUCCESS?
During my upbringing, there were many social struggles. Neighborhood violence, narcotics, and domestic abuse appeared to be the norm. Having gone through such experiences allows me to better relate to those who might be experiencing similar situations. Being able to relate has made me a better community leader and detective. There is perhaps no greater feeling than helping a person get out of a dangerous life situation. Although I experienced my struggles, my success as a detective rests in my ability to identify with and help others.
WHO WAS YOUR GREATEST MALE ROLE MODEL AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HIM?
One of my greatest role models, although I don’t know him personally, is Denzel Washington. It’s not because of his fame or fortune, but due to how he appears to treat his wife and his words of wisdom offered in his speeches throughout the years. In one of his speeches, he suggested that a person should place their slippers way underneath their bed at night because in the morning that person would have to get down on their knees to retrieve the slippers. While on their knees that person should be thankful to the Lord for their blessings. I couldn’t agree more.
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
The best advice I was ever given was to follow my heart because I was special and would change people’s lives for the better. To really appreciate that advice, you would have to have seen the sincere expression of the individual’s face when he shared it. He really meant it, and I believed him.
HOW ARE YOU PAYING IT FORWARD TO SUPPORT OTHER BLACK MALES?
In order to pay it forward, as a detective and a community leader, I make sure I mentor several young people each year. Being a man of color, I know firsthand that the world can seem limited as far as available opportunity is concerned. Communicating the appropriate wisdom and encouragement is essential, and a downright obligation.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE MANHOOD?
My definition of manhood is the moment immaturity leaves a male and is replaced with maturity and the embracing of responsibility.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BEING A BLACK MAN?
I love our heritage and expression in music that is arguably unsurpassed in any other genre. The soul that is poured, crafted, and produced as a rich melody is embedded with such emotion you can almost touch it. Luther Vandross, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, and so many others have captured the world with their gift.
BE Modern Man is an online and social media campaign designed to celebrate black men making valuable contributions in every profession, industry, community, and area of endeavor. Each year, we solicit nominations in order to select men of color for inclusion in the 100 Black Enterprise Modern Men of Distinction. Our goal is to recognize men who epitomize the BEMM credo “Extraordinary is our normal” in their day-to-day lives, presenting authentic examples of the typical black man rarely seen in mainstream media. The BE Modern Men of Distinction are celebrated annually at Black Men XCEL (www.blackenterprise.com/blackmenxcel/). Click this link to submit a nomination for BE Modern Man: https://www.blackenterprise.com/nominate/. Follow BE Modern Man on Twitter: @bemodernman and Instagram: @be_modernman.
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Texas appeals court blocks inmate Rodney Reed’s execution
HOUSTON (AP) — Texas’ top appeals court on Friday halted the scheduled execution of inmate Rodney Reed, whose conviction is being questioned by new evidence that his supporters say raises serious doubt about his guilt.
The stay of execution issued Friday afternoon by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals came just hours after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended delaying the lethal injection.
The parole board unanimously recommended a 120-day reprieve for Reed. The board rejected Reed’s request to commute his sentence to life in prison.
The 51-year-old Reed had been set for lethal injection Wednesday evening for the 1996 killing of 19-year-old Stacey Stites. Prosecutors say Reed raped and strangled Stites as she made her way to work at a supermarket in Bastrop, a rural community about 30 miles southeast of Austin.
Reed’s efforts to stop his execution have received support from such celebrities as Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Oprah. Lawmakers from both parties, including Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, have also asked that officials take a closer look at the evidence in the case.
The board’s decision was to go next to Gov. Greg Abbott, who hadn’t said whether he would accept or reject it or do nothing. The stay likely makes Abbott’s decision moot until Reed’s appeals are exhausted.
Bryce Benjet, an attorney with the Innocence Project, which is representing Reed, had sought to delay the execution to properly consider “powerful new evidence of his innocence” and for possibly allowing DNA testing that could prove “who actually committed the crime.”
Since Texas resumed executions in 1982, only three death row inmates have had their sentences commuted to life in prison within days of their scheduled executions.
The parole board since 1982 has recommended commuting a death row inmate’s sentence five times. But former Texas Gov. Rick Perry rejected the recommendation twice, in 2004 and 2009.
Since taking office in 2015, Abbott has halted only one imminent execution, which occurred in 2018.
Reed still has several appeals pending, including with the U.S. Supreme Court. His supporters have held various rallies leading up to his execution, including an overnight vigil on Thursday in front of the Supreme Court in Washington. A rally in front of the Texas governor’s mansion is set for Sunday.
Reed has long maintained he didn’t kill Stites and that her fiance, former police officer Jimmy Fennell, was the real killer. Reed says Fennell was angry because Stites, who was white, was having an affair with Reed, who is black.
Fennell’s attorney has said his client didn’t kill Stites. Fennell was paroled last year after serving time in prison for sexual assault.
Prosecutors say Reed’s semen was found in the victim, his claims of an affair with Stites were not proven at trial, Fennell was cleared as a suspect and Reed had a history of committing other sexual assaults.
Reed’s lawyers say his conviction was based on flawed evidence. They have denied the other sexual assault accusations made by prosecutors.
In recent weeks, Reed’s attorneys have presented affidavits in support of his claims of innocence, including one by a former prison inmate who claims Fennell bragged about killing Stites and referred to Reed by a racial slur. Reed’s lawyers say other recent affidavits corroborate the relationship between Stites and Reed and show that Fennell was violent and aggressive toward Stites.
The post Texas appeals court blocks inmate Rodney Reed’s execution appeared first on theGrio.
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Gayle King admits she posed nude for photoshoot during college
This week Gayle King made a surprising admission about an X rated photo shoot that she says will never see the light of day.
According to Page Six, Tuesday, while appearing on the “Pretty Big Deal with Ashley Graham” podcast, the CBS anchor opened up about her wilder days in the mid-1970s when she was a student at the University of Maryland.
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“Once in college, I was dating a guy who was a photographer, and I thought, ‘OK, let’s have a sexy photoshoot,” recalled the now 64 year old.
“Now, my idea of a sexy photoshoot, I was nude, but Ashley, I was wearing rollers. This was back in the day where you wear pink, foam rollers,” she continued.
“That’s very Marilyn,” Graham reassured her. “Were you doing, like, ‘50s poses?”
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“I mean, you know, you stick your butt out, you stick your boobs out,” King said, actually mimicking her pose. “He’s a photographer, so I went with him to the dark room to develop them, and then when they were done, I got all the negatives. I know that they will never see the light of day.”
Despite that one risqué moment, King admits she still has a hard time understanding the allure of the modern day practice of “sexting.” Unlike her situation where she had complete control of who would see her images, she can’t reconcile why people would take the risk of widespread public exposure.
“I don’t get it, because once it’s out there, it takes [on] a life of its own, I honestly don’t get that,” concluded the mother of two.
Check out the full interview below.
READ MORE: Eminem dragged for lyrics that defend Chris Brown for beating Rihanna, issues response
The post Gayle King admits she posed nude for photoshoot during college appeared first on theGrio.
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For Barack Obama and Deval Patrick, a long friendship and political bond
By JULIE PACE AP Washington Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON (AP) — Deval Patrick was in need of a pep talk.
He was staring down reelection as Massachusetts governor in 2010, in the midst of a sluggish economic recovery that would ultimately contribute to sweeping Democratic defeats across the country. In stepped President Barack Obama, a close friend and political ally, who was in town for an event. The two men met for a “get in the game” conversation that helped put Patrick on the path to a second term.
“I think it was very meaningful to Deval,” said David Axelrod, a political adviser to both Obama and Patrick. “That’s the kind of relationship they have. There’s a level of trust and mutual caring between them.”
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That relationship will test whether Obama can maintain his vigorously neutral approach to the 2020 Democratic primary now that Patrick has launched a late bid for the presidential nomination. Although Obama has ties to several candidates — most notably Joe Biden, who spent eight years as his No. 2 in the White House — his ties to Patrick are unique. The two men were friends well before the White House years and have bonded over shared personal experiences and a strikingly similar approach to politics.
“They both had Chicago roots, they both had the Harvard experience and they shared a set of values,” Axelrod said. “You go back and listen to some of Patrick’s speeches from when he was running for governor and you hear echoes of Obama.”
Obama advisers say there are currently no plans for the former president to endorse in the Democratic primary race, though he’s met with most of the major candidates and is said to be following the primary campaign closely. Yet advisers have purposely left some wiggle room in that position, well aware that there could be a moment that demands the input of the nation’s most popular Democrat, particularly if the primary appears to be headed toward a contentious conclusion.
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For now, the former president appears content to stay on the sidelines and offer occasional counsel to the candidates he is closest to, including Patrick.
When Patrick called him this week to tell him he was making a late bid for the nomination, he got advice similar to what Obama has told other White House hopefuls: Make an affirmative case for yourself, show up and be present even in places you might lose, and stay focused on the urgency of defeating President Donald Trump.
Patrick, who made his first campaign appearance in New Hampshire on Thursday, said Obama had given him “great insights about his own experiences and about his experience with some of the other candidates and what he thought the strengths and weaknesses of the campaign, of my campaign, might be.”
“He’s been, I think, entirely appropriate in saying, Look, this is your decision, no one else’s,” Patrick said shortly after filing papers to get on the ballot in New Hampshire. “And I’m not encouraging you or discouraging you. Be clear-eyed about how heavy the lift is.”
Obama and Patrick first connected in the 1990s, long before either was a national political figure. Both graduated from Harvard Law School and were shaped by their experiences on the South Side of Chicago, where Patrick grew up and Obama worked as a community organizer. Later, when Obama and his family vacationed during their summers in the White House at Martha’s Vineyard, Patrick and his family made regular visits from Boston.
As barrier-breaking African Americans, Obama and Patrick have also drawn comparisons throughout their political careers. The day after Patrick won his first campaign for governor in 2006 — running on a “Together We Can” slogan — two of his top political consultants, Axelrod and David Plouffe, met with Obama to start charting his 2008 presidential campaign. That campaign’s motto: “Yes We Can.”
In addition to Axelrod and Plouffe, Obama confidante and White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett is particularly close to Patrick and urged his campaign for president.
It’s unclear whether those connections will help Patrick, who is launching his campaign less than three months before voting begins. Many Obama staffers are already working for other candidates or have left the political arena. It’s also uncertain whether Patrick, who was the first black governor of Massachusetts, will be seen by African American voters as the heir to Obama’s legacy.
So far, it’s Biden who has had the strongest appeal with black voters, one of the most important constituencies in Democratic politics. And it’s Biden who has wrapped himself in Obama’s legacy, frequently reminding voters of the eight years he spent by the 44th president’s side. He’s also staked his candidacy in part on a robust defense of the landmark health care overhaul Obama signed into law.
Obama has stayed in touch with Biden throughout the campaign, and the two huddled privately last month at funeral services for U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland.
Biden also remains the only candidate whose entry into the race was greeted with a formal statement from Obama, who praised his former vice president but stopped short of endorsing his White House run.
___
Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC
The post For Barack Obama and Deval Patrick, a long friendship and political bond appeared first on theGrio.
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Judge denies motion to drop suspect’s charges in Nipsey Hussle murder
On Thursday Eric Holder, who is accused of killing rapper Nipsey Hussle, tried unsuccessfully to get his attempted murder charges thrown out.
READ MORE: Nipsey Hussle reportedly called his killer a ‘snitch’ before he was shot dead
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, a judge denied Holder’s motion to discharge the murder charges involving the March 31 fatal shooting of Hussle and attempted murder of two other men, XXL reports.
As previously reported by theGrio.com, prosecutors allege Holder fatally shot Hussle, 33, after having an argument with him in front of his Marathon Clothing Store in South L.A. earlier this year. He was ultimately charged with one count of murder, and two counts of attempted murder for shooting a man named Kerry Lathan and his nephew. Holder was also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Also reported by theGrio.com, in earlier in October, Holder’s legal team wanted the two counts of attempted murder dropped.
His counsel believed that the attempted murder charges fit within the “Kill Zone” theory, which is based on whether the shooter intended to kill the other people who were injured.
Deputy District Attorney John McKinney wasn’t buying it. He believes Holder’s case does not fit within the “Kill Zone” parameters, and suspects the attempt to have the two charges dropped is just a ploy to prolong the case. McKinney also points out that the alleged shooter waived his right to have a trial within 60 days after his indictment.
“Given the magnitude of the case, the complexities of the case, work his defense attorney needs to do, he knew it wasn’t in his best interest to try to go to trial right now,” McKinney previously told USC Annenberg’s student run news website Annenberg Media.
READ MORE: Attorney Christoper Darden calls it quits in Nipsey Hussle murder case defense
But his attempt to get the charges axed didn’t work.
Instead, he is being held on a $6.53 million bond at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. The case is slated to go to trial in February, and Holder faces life in prison.
The post Judge denies motion to drop suspect’s charges in Nipsey Hussle murder appeared first on theGrio.
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Five Ways To Leverage The Latest Rate Cuts By The Fed
Interest rates in America have been cut three times this year. The Federal Reserve on Oct. 29 slashed the federal funds rate to a range between 1.5% and 1.75%, a move to help keep economic growth spurring along. The action could bring lower rates on consumer loans, some mortgages, and student loans.
In tightening rates, the Fed has aimed to derail a global economic slowdown, President Donald Trump’s trade wars with other countries, and a drop in U.S. manufacturing. The trio of cuts was nearly a U-turn from the four increases the Fed made in 2018 to deal with a growing economy. The rate cuts since July 2019 are also geared to encourage more borrowing and spending. The move trims the short-term rates the nation’s central bank controls, determining the direction of some key consumer and business loans.
The Fed released a statement in its latest policy meeting that it has used since June to indicate a future rate cut is likely. That possibly indicates that the Fed is done cutting rates this year and will leave them untouched while gauging how the economy performs in upcoming months.
Consumers and entrepreneurs might benefit from the Fed rate cuts:
POSSIBLY MORE LOANS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Interest rates that banks and other financial institutions charge small businesses for loans likely move lower. That gives banks more incentive to boost loan activity, potentially increase the number of loans they make to small businesses. The lower rates make capital less costly and boosts the money supply. And with customers of small businesses able to borrow money for less, that perhaps means they could buy more goods.
POTENTIALLY LESS COSTLY TO MAKE HOME REPAIRS
A majority of home equity lines, also known as HELOC, are pegged to the prime rate. The prime rate is what most banks charge their most credit-worthy customers. Changes in the federal funds rate and the discount rate influence the direction of the prime rate. The prime typically determines the direction of borrowing costs on such things as credit cards, home equity loans, lines of credit, personal loans, and auto loans. Experts say the Fed’s third rate reduction could shave rates on HELOCs by a quarter-point by November or December.
For existing homeowners, the rate cuts could be good news. For those planning to make improvements to get their houses ready to sell next year, the rate changes could make financing the upgrades cheaper.
PERHAPS NOW IS THE TIME TO CONSIDER HOME REFINANCING
The Fed’s actions, along with the economy and other factors, could impact long-term mortgage interest rates. Still, how those rates move are more commonly tied to yields on U.S. Treasury notes. Accordingly, the mortgage rates are now much lower than since late 2018.
So if you purchased a house within the last several years, it would be worth checking to see if you can now refinance at a lower rate. Just cutting a percentage point off your mortgage rate could potentially save you more than $100 monthly, experts say.
PURSUE LOWER BORROWING COSTS ON STUDENT LOANS
More than 1.4 million students annually utilize private student loans to help pay college debt. At the same time, the bulk of students use federal student loans with fixed rates. The private loans can carry a fixed rate or variable rate. The loans with a variable rate could be trimmed when the Fed cuts rates. How much can be saved may depend on such factors as the terms of the loan. If you have both federal student loans and private student loans, experts advise paying off the private loans first or seeing if you can refinance them at a lower fixed rate.
LOWER CREDIT CARD COSTS, BUT ONLY EXPECT A TAD IN SAVINGS
The federal rate of 25 basis points will have little impact on the interest cost for consumers, says Robert McKinley, senior analyst for CardTrak.com. For example, a consumer with a credit card balance of $3,000, with a 20% interest rate, would save about $7.50 per year. So far this year there have been three rate cuts for a total of 75 basis points, dropping the prime rate from 5.50% one year ago to 4.75% in November. So, using the same example of a $3,000 balance at 20% APR, the savings would be $22.50 per year, or about a little less than $2 per month, compared to one year ago.
Unfortunately, the Fed rate means lower rates on a certificate of deposit and other savings accounts. Individuals may now have to look for higher-yielding savings accounts but realize the gains might be minuscule. Plus, senior citizens who put money into CDs and savings accounts will net less from lower rates. That could translate into less income for older Americans for retirement savings as well as money to live on.
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Rapper Lil Nas X makes history at the Country Music Association Awards
Lil Nas X has become the most unlikely darling dude of country music, making history as the first openly gay entertainer to win a Country Music Association Award.
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The “Old Town Road” rapper and his co-collaborator Billy Ray Cyrus has seen huge success with the folksy head-bopping rap jam. And on Wednesday the dynamic-odd-duo won for musical event of the year, which includes Cyrus’ rap solo on the song’s remixed version, Out Magazine reports.
“LETS GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! 🐎 ⚡,” Lil Nas X tweeted on Wednesday, celebrating his historic win.
LETS GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! 🐎⚡️ https://t.co/QjcZTvp09h
— nope (@LilNasX) November 13, 2019
“I wasn’t sure if this was going to be able to happen tonight,” he told reporters USA Today reports. “I’m so happy this song was accepted because it is the bridging of two polar opposite genres. I’m happy it’s gotten respect from both places.”
Earlier this year, Lil Nas X‘s smash single “Old Town Road” was removed from country charts. In a twist of irony, he later found himself nominated for a Country Music Award at the 53rd annual celebration of the genre.
The trap-infused, remix which was nominated for the Musical Event of the Year category, was even up against country music vets Brooks & Dunn and Garth Brooks.
According to the Huffington Post, the original version of “Old Town Road” first hit the web in December. However, it did not begin to catch the attention of the masses until March. As it began to ascend up the Hot Country Songs chart, it was also removed in March. Billboard cited the reason for the exclusion as the single not containing the “elements of today’s country music to chart.”
READ MORE: People keep stealing ‘Old Town Road’ street signs in Massachusetts
After the removal outrage spanned social media, the history of racism, in particular with Black artists and country music, arose. In April, Billy Ray Cyrus spoke out in support of the young star, spawning the first of many remixes to the song.
And when Lil Nas X came out as gay at the end of June, his song still continued to skyrocket and became the longest-running No. 1 single ever to hit the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
We’re happy for his success.
The post Rapper Lil Nas X makes history at the Country Music Association Awards appeared first on theGrio.
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