Why is a Benedictine monk travelling to Mali to save Islamic texts?
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Saturday, February 15, 2020
Morehouse College first HBCU to have a polo team
Morehouse College has found itself in the throws of history with the first Polo Team at an HBCU.
Earlier this month, the Morehouse Polo Team took to Instagram to share a picture of the team and announce that they were official.
“Say hello to our Polo Team! These men are making history as the World’s FIRST polo team ever to be created at an HBCU. All made possible by visionary and co-founder @miguelwilsoncollection alongside co-founder and team captain @cabester99official,” they wrote.
The Washington Informer reported that the team was put together last year by Miguel Wilson who also founded the non-profit organization Ride to the Olympics. According to the org’s Facebook page, it is aimed “to eliminating barriers, strengthening communities, and helping youth in need reach their full potential.” The team consists of members Rian Toussaint, Jayson Palmer, Justin Wynn, and Caleb Cherry.
Because of Them We Can reported that last fall, Ride to the Olympics was able to raise money for the Morehouse Polo Club through its annual Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic event, where Atlanta influencers and celebrities come out to support the foundation.
Bossip reported that last week, the team received its first official membership acceptance letter from Amy Fraser, Director of Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Polo.
“We would like to officially welcome Morehouse College to the family. Morehouse will be playing out of the Atlanta Regional Polo Center with Jolie Liston and Frankie Questel.”
Morehouse has previously made headlines for amazing monetary gifts, which include when Oprah Winfrey donated $13 million to the college last fall, making her endowment the largest in the school’s history. Month’s earlier, billionaire Robert Smith announced during the school’s commencement ceremony that he vowed to pay off the debt for the entire class of 2019. He later announced that he would also pay off their family’s debt as well, which would total up to $34 million.
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LaVar Ball Asks Sons to Fund Big Baller Brand Rebirth
Looks like the “ball” is in his sons’ court! LaVar Ball, father to NBA player Lonzo Ball and international player LaMelo Ball, has asked his sons for money to invest in the Big Baller Brand that he started several years ago, according to the New York Post.
On a recent episode of Ball in the Family, the Facebook Watch reality show that follows the lives of the Ball family, LaVar tried to encourage his sons to reinvest in the apparel company. “The more special you get, all these people will be coming in with all this other s–t because everybody want a piece,” he says in a clip. “What we got going on is gonna be a billion-dollar thing—everybody gotta put their teeth in it somewhere. And as a family, we just gotta stick together. Like, OK, we good. Put your money over there. My money over here … Melo over there. And we put all our money together, that’s where the venture capitalists come in and say, ‘We got a hundred mil’ for y’all.’ We don’t need to have a hundred mil’. We got it right here if we put our (sh–) together.”
Last year, due to discrepancies found during audits of Ball’s Big Baller Brand, co-founder Alan Foster was fired for allegedly embezzling funds. Back in March of 2019, Lonzo told ESPN that he believes Foster, a friend of LaVar’s for almost a decade who owns 16.3% of Big Baller Brand, had “used his access to my business and personal finances to enrich himself. As a result, I have decided to sever all ties with Alan, effective immediately.”
LaVar put out a statement at the time, “Unfortunately, Alan Foster continues to try and leverage the Ball family name for his own gain. Alan Foster is a convicted felon who served seven years in jail for defrauding people out of their money. He is a thief and con man and cannot be believed or trusted.”
Lonzo and LaMelo went public about separating themselves from the company while middle brother LiAngelo stayed with the brand. Lonzo, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, is currently playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, while his brother LaMelo is expected to be a high NBA draft pick after the season. LiAngelo joined the Oklahoma City Blue, an NBA G League team, as a practice player in December.
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Michelle Obama gets real about life after the White House
Former First Lady Michelle Obama recently sat down with friend Oprah Winfrey to discuss her journey after the White House.
During Winfrey’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus tour, sponsored by Weight Watchers, she and Obama took the stage at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York to discuss life after her husband’s, Barack Obama, term as president ended in January 2017. The full interview aired on Feb 12.
During the interview, Obama went on to tell Winfrey that she is still on a mission according to The Root.
READ MORE: Michelle Obama announces new Instagram TV series
“The next phase of my journey of becoming is really continuing to make sure that what I do has meaning and purpose to somebody outside of myself,” she said. “I want to empower the next generation of politicians, and community activists, and teachers and doctors and lawyers. I want to be a part of laying out a set of values and principles that we can all be proud of; of this country.”
Obama is now a best-selling author and Grammy winner thanks to her book “Becoming,” which is now the best-selling memoir ever, and its Audiobook. Still, she told her friend Winfrey that she remembers where she came from.
READ MORE: Barack and Michelle Obama’s first Netflix film wins Oscar for Best Documentary
“I’m Michelle from the South Side of Chicago,” she said. “[W]e were raised with the [idea that] that’s enough. You be grateful for what you have and you don’t look at the next thing. You be happy with what you have, and that’s how we worked in the White House. That didn’t change because we moved to a different house…The House didn’t define us, it’s the values that defined us.”
The former First Lady and the president are now empty-nesters now that their daughters Malia, 21, and daughter Sasha, 18, are college students. Obama went on to explain that it is important for their daughters to find their own way. She said it was also important that they were “checked by somebody younger than me.”
“They cannot define themselves by looking at each other or looking at me or their dad,” Obama said. “They have to take the time to get to know themselves—give themselves a moment to figure out who they want to be in the world, not who they think I want them to be, not what the rest of the world says about them, but to really think about how they want to shape their lives and how they want to move in this world. So, I don’t want them measuring themselves by external influences, and for young girls, that is hard to do.”
READ MORE: She’s Just Like Us: Michelle Obama had insecurities that her 2019 book and tour would be a flop
With this being Valentine’s Day weekend, of course, many find themselves looking Obama and her husband for love inspiration. Obama has always kept it real about how much hard work goes into their marriage and according to The Root, she said they are finally seeing each other for the first time in a long time.
“You can have chunks of hard, bad times and if that’s how you define your marriage by just the hard times, then you’ll miss the truth of what’s really there,” Obama said.
Watch the full interview below.
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Vanessa Bryant Reveals Mamba Sports Foundation Name Change to Include Daughter Gianna
In recognition of her daughter Gianna, Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, has decided to change the name of the Mamba Sports Foundation to Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation according to People.
Vanessa Bryant continues to cope with the death of her husband and daughter after they both perished in a helicopter crash several weeks ago, Bryant made the announcement via her Instagram account.
The retired basketball player was killed in a helicopter crash on January 26 along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers: John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Ara Zobayan, Sarah Chester and Payton Chester.
The foundation focuses on empowering underserved communities through youth sports. Bryant called himself “The Black Mamba” representing his ‘on court’ persona and his daughter, Gianna, who also excelled at basketball, was known as “Mambacita” as she was following in his footsteps by playing youth basketball.
In honor of the Byrants, at this year’s NBA All-Star Game, Team LeBron and Team Giannis will wear No. 2 and No. 24, respectively, on their jerseys as a dedication and memorial for Kobe and Gianna.
Bryant played his whole 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a 5-time NBA World Champion, a 2-time Finals MVP, and the 2008 Most Valuable Player. During Bryant’s career he made the All-Star team 18 times. He was the youngest player to ever reach 30,000 points.
Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016 and scored a NBA-season high 60 points in his final game.
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R. Kelly faces new sexual abuse charges ahead of April trial
R. Kelly already has a lot to worry about ahead of his April trial in Chicago and now he has been hit with even more charges of sexual abuse.
According to Complex, Kelly is facing a whole new indictment that will include more sexual abuse allegations. This indictment, which was filed on Thursday, will add a new victim to the case while removing another. These new developments have the possibility of delaying the Chicago trial as the now-disgraced singer is set to appear in an arraignment at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago.
In addition to being charged in Chicago, Kelly has also been indicted in Brooklyn and Minnesota. He is facing charges that range from child pornography, obstruction of justice, and racketeering; he has also been accused of getting a fake ID so that he can marry the late singer Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time they were married, while Kelly was 27, which was added after his New York case was revised.
Next month, Kelly’s lawyers will have the chance to see the names of the accusers added to the New York case during the revisions. In January, a judge ruled that there was substantiated claims that Kelly would interfere with the case from jail, Complex reported. So his legal team will not be allowed to see the name of the new accusers until right before his trial.
READ MORE: R. Kelly charged with bribing official for fake ID to marry Aaliyah when she was 15
Kelly has been locked up in a Chicago prison since July and recently prison staff has come under scrutiny for allowing him to make an “off the record” phone call, according to Complex. The staff has been accused of circumventing “the protocols in place to ensure monitoring of the defendant’s communications.” In addition to problems with phone calls, Kelly has also been accused of smuggling a letter.
Following Kelly’s Chicago trial, his New York trial is set for July.
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Gunman walks into Kandi Burruss’ restaurant Old Lady Gang and shoots three people
An unknown male walked into “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kandi Burruss‘ popular Atlanta restaurant Old Lady Gang (OLG) and shot three people.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, on Valentine’s Day night, while several people were celebrating the holiday with a night out, a man came into the OLG location in East Point targeting another man. After firing multiple shots, the man also hit two bystanders who were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“We were waiting for our spot at the Juicy Crab and we were waiting outside actually at that bench right there,” witness Brynae Kinsey told CBS 46. “We heard two gunshots and I seen somebody run out that door, and I ran…I just heard her scream ‘ahhh,’ and then I heard two pops. Pop, pop. I just wondered what was going through his head for him to pop off like that.””
READ MORE: SNEAK PEEK: Here’s what to expect on season 12 of ‘RHOA’
AJC reported that another witness described the chaotic scene when the shots were being fired.
“While they were back there cooking and stuff, they just heard gunshots,” Ricka Franklin, whose brother works at the restaurant, said. “All of a sudden, the customers ran to the back where they were.”
East Point police Capt., Allyn Glover told AJC that they are still looking for the suspect.
READ MORE: An emotional Wendy Williams dishes on Nene Leakes’ plans to quit RHOA
Burruss and husband Todd Tucker opened OLG in 2017 with the Southern-style menu paying homage to Burruss’ mother Joyce Jones and aunts Bertha Jones and Nora Wilcox. The restaurant’s planning and the opening was well-documented on “RHOA.” The notoriety made the eatery very popular among locals and tourists, sometimes there were lines outside of the door. OLG’s first location was so successful that the couple decided to open up the second location in East Point in 2018, AJC reported, which was also documented on the reality show.
As of Saturday morning, neither Burruss nor Tucker have commented publicly regarding the shooting,
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California School District Names Elementary After Michelle Obama
The Wilson Elementary School in Richmond, California, will be renamed as Michelle Obama Elementary School when it reopens later this year, according to Newsweek.
The unanimous decision was made recently among board members of the West Contra Costa Unified School District after considering a proposal from the school’s Parent Teacher Association for the school to be renamed in honor of Obama, whose name is synonymous with her support of education and children’s health programs, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
“Naming this school after Michelle Obama is a sign of the school’s rebirth,” Stephanie Hernandez-Jarvis, the president of the board, said in a statement. “The parents and students advocated to rename their school after Michelle Obama because they believe the values our former First Lady embodies and the educational, child-centered causes she champions are representative of what we all aspire to nurture in our school communities.
Michelle Obama (Image: Instagram)
Obama was a huge advocate for education during her time in the White House and continues to advocate for students. President Barack Obama and the first lady launched the “Let Girls Learn” initiative in 2015 to raise awareness and ensure adolescent girls around the world are ensured the right to an education. There are several other initiatives led by Obama supporting post-secondary education, the necessity of school counselors, education for African Americans, and art education, to name a few according to theedadvocate.org.
The elementary school, which was formerly named after Woodrow Wilson, will be the second school in California to be named after Obama, the school district says, with the other in Panorama City in Southern California. The school is currently being hosted in a temporary campus in El Cerrito while its Richmond location at 42nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue is being developed into a new “state-of-the-art 21st facility,” according to the statement, the East Bay Times reports.
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Black Entrepreneur Opens Detroit Luxury Beauty Salon After Receiving $596K In Funding
Katrina Wilson’s passion has always been to help people look their most glorious through the complex art of hairstyling. The Detroit native is now able to successfully achieve that dream thanks to being granted $596,000.
Katrina is launching her own beauty salon called Creme Brulee. What sets this salon apart from all the other salons in downtown Detroit, is the fact that it is not only multicultural but luxurious.
According to BlackBusiness.com, Katrina’s background includes growing up in a family that often struggled financially. As a result, Katrina began working as a hair stylist at only 13 years old in order to help her family with money. When she was 16, she earned her Cosmetology license and has been working with a variety of VIPs as a “platform artist and celebrity stylist,” according to BlackBusiness.com.
But it was when she got an endorsement from the industry’s #1 brand, Paul Mitchell, that her career blew up. Katrina wanted to go a step further and open her very own salon. She decided that she wanted to create a luxurious salon where her clients can be treated like celebrities no matter their race and background.
Once she made her choice to own her salon, Katrina was given $170,000 from organizations such as the Space Award from the Motor City Match Program which according to BlackBusiness.com, “helps entrepreneurs from Detroit find a location and build their space.” Katrina was also given $426,000 in microloans. All funding is now being used to renovate the space she has rented for her salon.
Creme Brulee will have its grand opening this year in downtown Detroit. The salon will be the first and only multicultural, celebrity beauty salon in the area that caters to all hair textures and ethnicities, setting it apart from all the rest in Detroit.
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Vanessa Bryant writes sweet Valentine’s Day message to Kobe on his favorite holiday
Vanessa Bryant, the widow of the late Kobe Bryant, took to social media on Valentine’s Day to share a message to her husband and daughter, Gianna.
On Friday night, Vanessa posted a sweet video that featured a picture of her being held by Kobe with Lauryn Hill‘s song, “Tell Him,” in the background with the lyrics to the song flashing beneath the picture.
“To my forever Valentine, I love you so much. Missing you so much on your favorite holiday. Te amo per sempre. Kisses to you and Gigi in heaven. Happy Valentine’s Day, my babies. With all my love, your boo-boo. ❤️song: Tell Him @mslaurynhill,” she captioned the video.
READ MORE: Vanessa Bryant changes name of Kobe’s foundation to honor her late daughter Gianna
According to TMZ, Kobe was a huge fan of Hill and in 2018, he had posted a picture of him and Vanessa with Hill.
“@vanessabryant surprised me with a date night to see my sister Lauryn Hill at The Hollywood Bowl,” Bryant wrote. “Loved catching up with her. My wife is winning the battle of best date night ideas.. FOR NOW.”
READ MORE: Vanessa Bryant says her ‘brain refuses to accept’ that Kobe and Gigi are gone
Vanessa’s heartbreaking message is one of several that she has posted since returning to social media following the deaths of her husband and daughter. She has been open with followers about her grieving, sharing multiple pictures of Kobe and Gianna. Recently, she posted a picture of the new Mamba Sports Academy name, which is now the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Academy, in honor of Gianna, who was following in the basketball footsteps of her father.
It has been nearly three weeks since Kobe and Gianna died tragically alongside seven others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. A private funeral was held for the late basketball legend and his daughter last week. A public memorial and celebration of life for all nine victims of the crash will be held at the Staples Center on Feb. 24.
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Does Medicare Cover Dental? A Look At Coverage Options
An Overview Of Medicare Dental Coverage
Medicare insurance is a valuable benefit for millions of Americans in retirement and those with disabilities or major illnesses. There is one conspicuous gap in Medicare coverage, though: dental services.
Maintaining your oral health is an important part of living a vital life. Before asking “Does Medicare cover dental?,” know that you have several options for covering your dental needs when you have Medicare insurance.
What Dental Services Does Medicare Cover?
Medicare was designed to be a health insurance program and originally didn’t provide any dental coverage at all. However, in 1980 changes were made that allowed for coverage of dental services in some limited circumstances.
The change provides for coverage of a few services if they are provided in a hospital setting. Original Medicare will cover dental services in these circumstances:
- Oral exams in the hospital before a kidney transplant.
- Dental services related to certain treatments for oral cancer, like radiation.
- Reconstruction when an oral tumor is removed.
- Surgery and recovery for broken jaws.
Aside from these emergency-type services, Medicare won’t help with your dental needs. Medicare offers no help for preventative services or dental maintenance. To get help paying for these services, you’ll need to look to the private market.
Medicare Advantage Plans
If you want to find something like Medicare dental plans, you’ll have to look into Medicare Advantage. These plans, which are sometimes called Part C plans, often offer dental coverage.
Dental coverage can come in two different forms with Medicare Advantage plans:
- Included in the plan with no additional premium; or
- Available for an additional premium
As you might expect, coverage that’s available for no additional premium is fairly basic, providing mostly routine, preventative coverage like cleanings and X-rays.
Medicare Advantage plans that offer dental services for an additional premium often have more comprehensive benefits. These plans sometimes come with the choice of two coverage levels: a standard, or value dental plan, or a more comprehensive premium dental option.
These more comprehensive dental plans provide preventative coverage as well as more major restorative services like fillings, root canals, crowns, and more. Dental coverage provided by Medicare Advantage plans may come in HMO- or PPO-type plans.
In an HMO plan, you’ll need to use the plan’s network of providers; you’ll likely receive no coverage for dental work done by an out-of-network provider. With a PPO plan, you’ll pay lower prices if you use a network dentist, but the plan will still provide some coverage if you go out of network.
Private Dental Insurance
If you don’t want a Medicare Advantage plan, perhaps because you already have a Medicare Supplement insurance policy, another option for dental coverage is standalone dental insurance. You can purchase dental insurance from a private insurer.
Private dental insurance for individuals and families is available from a wide range of insurance companies. When shopping for dental insurance, you’ll want to consider:
- The monthly premium.
- The deductible, if any.
- The plan maximum coverage.
- The network of dental providers.
- The waiting period for major services, if any.
The monthly premium is a fairly basic item that’s easy to grasp, but pay close attention to the maximum coverage amounts. Many dental insurance plans limit payments to between $1,000 and $2,000 per person, per year. It won’t take many procedures to reach this cap, after which you’ll pay the full cost.
Also check to see if a waiting period applies to any dental plan you’re considering. For major services like root canals, and crowns, you may have to pay premiums for six months or more before you’ll be covered. This can be an unpleasant surprise so make a point to find out before you enroll.
When you go to a dentist, make sure that they accept your plan. If your dental plan is HMO-based, you may not receive any coverage if you see an out-of-network dental professional.
Dental Discount Plans
As the cost of dental services has gone up and dental insurance plan maximums have stayed stagnant, dental discount plans have become more and more popular.
Dental discount plans are not insurance at all. You don’t pay a premium for them and they don’t provide coverage like insurance does. Instead, you pay a fee in return for access to discounted dental services and procedures.
Most dental discount plans have an annual fee and a monthly payment amount. They are less expensive than almost all other forms of non-Medicare Advantage dental insurance. There are no waiting periods, plan maximums, or deductibles.
For any type of service, from cleanings and X-rays to repairing major decay with root canals and crowns, you can save by using a discount card.
Providers of dental discount cards are often insurance companies. The discount cards work with a select group of providers. The dental providers agree to charge discount plan members less than their normal prices. Frequently advertised discount plans mention discounts of 10% to 30%. Just like with dental insurance, be sure to find a discount plan that your preferred dentist participates in.
Pay Cash For Dental Services
If you can’t afford the premiums for dental insurance, and you’re not interested in a dental discount plan, you’ll have to pay cash for dental services. This may not be as daunting as it seems, provided you are proactive in your planning.
Properly taking care of your teeth with frequent brushings and flossing can go a long way to preventing poor oral health. Call your dentist and ask how much a cleaning would cost if you paid cash. If it’s beyond your budget, you can always save for it over several months, if need be.
You can utilize the same strategy for repair work; ask how much you would pay if you paid cash. You may receive a discount for paying in cash, even without paying for a discount card.
If you’ve experienced severe dental pain before, you know it’s better to cut back on your budget for a few months than to ignore a tooth problem. Plus, if you ignore it long enough, the cost when you finally address your dental issues can be far worse than if you’d taken care of it earlier.
Choosing Your Medicare Dental Coverage
Many people are concerned about the lack of Medicare dental plans. With enough research and planning, you can get the right coverage. Get a Medicare Advantage quote if you’re interested in the dental insurance options provided by these plans.
Beyond Medicare Advantage, look for a combination of affordable premiums, and a plan that your dentist accepts. If your dentist accepts a dental discount plan and dental insurance, compare the discounted prices to the premium for the insurance to see which is best for you.
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Friday, February 14, 2020
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