5 reasons we can’t stop watching ‘Love Is Blind’ + find out who’s still together (SPOILERS)

***WARNING: This post contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 1 of Love Is Blind *** 

If you’ve been living under a rock, you may not know that Netflix has a new hit on their hands with their “dating experiment” series Love Is Blind. 

Fortunately, we haven’t been able to look away from the oddly addictive reality series that dares to ponder whether or not people can find and sustain a love not based on physical attraction. 

Here are 5 reasons Love Is Blind is our new obsession: 

Me: This show is trash
Also me:

#LoveIsBlind #loveisblindnetflix pic.twitter.com/MoBoGyOG68

— 90dayHousewife (@KayCeeBee3) February 28, 2020

The premise is pretty crazy. Single men and women talk to each other through “pods” separated by a thin wall and don’t get to see each other face to face until they’re engaged to be married to the stranger they’ve been chatting with through a wall for like 2-5 days. By the time they lay eyes on one another, they’re supposedly already deeply in love and committed to marriage. Next, the couples go on a romantic getaway to get to know each other before moving in together and planning their wedding that’s just three weeks away. You’ll keep telling yourself how ridiculous this is as you ignore your kids, your husband, your boss, the CDC, and anyone else who dares to distract you from this all-consuming series. 

Amber basically told Jessica at the bachelorette party… “Bitch, I will CUT you” in a very sensitive heartfelt way #LoveIsBlind pic.twitter.com/S7bI6GQL6d

— melanLIT (@lit_melan) February 28, 2020

It’s messy AF. Since all of the singles start out by “speed-dating” each other, it’s only natural that some folks got pretty intimate in their conversations before finding their special someone. The result is that the newly-engaged couples ALL have some sort of history with their friends’ new fiances and they ALL have opinions about each other’s matches. Cue the drama when the walls come down and someone realizes that the person they passed up in the pods is super hot and dating one of your new homegirls that really ain’t sh*t.  

Love Is Blind

Carlton had us screaming at the TV. In one of the most infuriating moments of the series, the only couple with two Black folks in it turns out to be a total mess. Carlton and Diamond seem like a match made in heaven until he reveals to his bride-to-be that he used to date men. Even though she’s completely shocked at the news, Diamond is willing to work things out after hearing his truth, but he’s such a douchebag that he gets angry with her for even questioning their relationship and ends up calling her a “b—ch” and proving that he’s nothing but a manipulative narcissist. He breaks her heart and has the nerve to act like the victim and we still can’t wait to see him in these streets. Matter of fact, there are a few folks on this show who could catch these hands but we won’t name names (Jessica and Kelly). 

love is blind

Lauren. There’s something so captivating about this 33-year-old content creator with a gorgeous smile and a heart of gold. We’re not sure if it’s her adorable haircut or her genuine desire to meet the man of her dreams that keep us in her corner, but this girl certainly has an “it” factor. She falls in love with a very tall white boy named Cameron who, while a little tiny bit dorky, is just as sweet as he can be. His love for Lauren never waivers and he’s not intimidated by the issues he and his wife-to-be may face as an interracial couple in Atlanta because his last serious relationship was with a Black woman and he’s ready for whatever comes. Lauren, on the other hand, is smitten with her new man while worried that his lack of melanin may prove too big an obstacle to overcome. 

Netflix

The ending is insane. It turns out, the finale episode that features the weddings of these couples was filmed over a year ago. Only two of the five couples actually tie the knot at their weddings. That means we get to watch three people get their hearts obliterated in front of their family and friends. Seriously, the suspense almost took us out and the blinding rage that filled our hearts when some of these fools flashed toothy grins seconds before stomping on their partner’s heart was epic. Fortunately, one of the happy couples still standing by the end of the finale is Cameron and Lauren. Otherwise, we’d have to call in sick for the rest of the year because our nerves are bad.

According to the show’s creator, Chris Coelen, BOTH of the couples who get hitched on the show’s finale are still together today, nearly 18 months after saying “I do.” 

“I think that’s just a testament to the authenticity of the whole thing,” he told TheWrap. “They went through this process, built this relationship and put it to the test. It’s trial by fire and their relationships are forged incredibly strongly. I don’t see them ever slowing down.”

The Love Is Blind reunion hits Netflix on March 5. 

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Cigna Medicare Supplement | 2020 Plan Review

Cigna Medicare Supplement | 2020 Plan Coverage And Review

Designed to work alongside of Medicare Part A and Part B (Original Medicare), Cigna Medicare Supplement plans (also known as Medigap plans) help to pay for certain out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments not covered under Original Medicare.

In the next few paragraphs we’ll explain:

• What Original Medicare covers
• How Medicare Supplement plans work
• How Medicare Supplement premiums are calculated
• What the benefits of a Cigna Medicare Supplement plan are
• How to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan

What Does Original Medicare Cover?

All Medicare Supplement plans are designed to help with out-of-pocket expenses that Medicare Part A and Part B don’t cover. To fully appreciate what that means, let’s run down what Original Medicare does and does not provide.

Medicare Part A

Part A provides coverage for inpatient hospital care, along with:

• Skilled nursing care
• Home health care
• Hospice care

Medicare Part B

 Part B covers medically necessary and preventative services, such as:

• Physician visits
• Outpatient surgery
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Some durable medical devices
• Certain cancer treatments including chemotherapy

Original Medicare Expenses

Original Medicare doesn’t pick up all of your healthcare costs. You are responsible for the following premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance fees:

1. Part A hospitalization deductible. Each time you are admitted to a hospital there is a deductible before any benefits kick in. In 2020, that deductible will be $1,408. This deductible covers your share of costs for the first 60 days of your hospital stay.
2. Part A hospitalization coinsurance. Beginning on day 61 of your hospital stay, you will have a $352 per day coinsurance cost. After your 90th day of hospitalization, your coinsurance is $704 per day.
3. Part B premium. In 2020, the average monthly premium for Part B will be $144.60.
4. Part B deductible. The 2020 Part B annual deductible is $198.
5. Part B coinsurance. Once Your Part B deductible has been met, you will be responsible for 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered services. 
6. Excess charges. Some healthcare providers don’t accept Medicare assignment. Assignment is the amount Medicare is willing to pay for a service. Providers who don’t accept assignment are allowed to charge up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount. For example, if the Medicare-approved cost for a service is $1,000, but your provider doesn’t accept Medicare Assignment, they can charge you another $150 (15%). You then would be responsible for $200 (20% coinsurance) and $150 for the excess for a total of $350.

As you might imagine, these costs can add up quickly, particularly if you have or develop a chronic disease like high blood pressure, arthritis, or diabetes.

How Do Medicare Supplement Plans Work?

Medicare Supplement insurance plans are offered through private insurance companies such as Cigna. There are elven standard Medicare Supplement plans approved by the federal government. These standardized plans are lettered A, B, C*, D, F*, F-High Deductible*, G, K, L, M, and N. (*Beginning in 2020, Plans C, F, and F-High Deductible are only available to individuals first eligible for Medicare before 2020.)

The federal government requires that all private insurance companies offer the same basic benefits. In other words, a Medicare Supplement Plan G will offer the same benefits whether you purchase it from Cigna or another insurance company.

While plan benefits are the same across all insurance companies, premiums will vary. In addition, some companies may offer extra benefits.

How Much Do Medicare Supplement Plans Cost?

Pricing for monthly Medigap premiums is set by the insurance companies issuing the policies. There are three methods used to determine premiums:

Community-Rating

This method charges the same premium for all eligible applicants in a state without regard to age or gender.

Issue-Age-Rating

This method of calculation uses your age when you first enroll to determine the premium. With this method premiums will not go due to increases in your age, provided that your policy is renewed.

Attained-Age-Rating

This method is likely the most common calculation method. Your premium is based on your age at enrollment. Premiums start out low, then increase as you age.

In addition to these rating methods, plan premiums can be influenced by the plan letter you select, where you live, extra benefits offered by the insurance company, discounts, and medical underwriting.

Why Choose a Cigna Medicare Supplement Plan?

Cigna offers a variety of Medicare Supplement plans with competitive monthly premiums. In most states Cigna also offers a Household Premium Discount for households with more than one individual enrolled in a Cigna Medicare Supplement plan. Cigna provides free plan quotes for Medicare-eligible individuals. Cigna customers have access to dedicated customer service representatives through a toll-free number (1-866-459-4272).

Eligibility for Cigna Medicare Supplement Plans

If you are enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, then you are eligible to apply for a Cigna Medigap plan. The best time to enroll is when you first enroll in Part B. Enrolling and paying premiums for Part B marks the beginning of your Initial Open Enrollment Period when you can purchase a Medigap plan without any underwriting concerns. During your Initial Open Enrollment, you have guaranteed issue rights which means you cannot be declined coverage for any medical reason.

If you opt for a Medicare Advantage plan rather than a Medigap plan, and your Medicare Advantage plan loses its contract with Medicare, or you permanently leave the plan’s service area, you can apply for a Medicare Supplement plan with guaranteed issue rights.

Otherwise, you will have to wait for the annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period, and you will be subject to medical underwriting.

How to Enroll in a Cigna Medicare Supplement Plan

To continue evaluating your Medigap plan options, consider obtaining a free, personalized Medigap quote from a licensed Medicare insurance agent. With a personalized quote you’ll have access to plan and premium information, tailored to fit your needs.

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WATCH: Octavia Spencer transforms in ‘Self Made: Inspired By The Life of Madam C.J. Walker’ Madame C.J. Walker

Netflix just dropped the first official trailer for its upcoming series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker and in it, we see Octavia Spencer truly transform.

Produced by big names like LeBron James, Maverick Carter, and Kasi Lemmons, among others, the four-part series is based on the book, On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker, written by Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles.

FIRST LOOK: Octavia Spencer as Madame C.J. Walker in Netflix series ‘Self Made’

In it, Octavia Spencer stars as Madam C.J. Walker, the trailblazing African American haircare entrepreneur who was America’s first female self-made millionaire. The highly-anticipated project brings the uplifting story of this cultural icon to the screen for the first time. Against all odds, Walker overcame post-slavery racial and gender biases, personal betrayals, and business rivalries to build a ground-breaking brand that revolutionized black haircare, as she simultaneously fought for social change.

The four-part limited series also stars Blair Underwood as her husband C.J. Walker, Tiffany Haddish as her daughter Lelia, Carmen Ejogo as Walker’s business rival Addie Munroe, Garrett Morris as Walker’s father-in-law, Kevin Carroll as her longtime lawyer Freeman Ransom and Bill Bellamy as Ransom’s cousin Sweetness.

Check out the first official trailer:

The series is helmed by co-showrunners Elle Johnson & Janine Sherman Barrois, along with writer and co-executive producer Nicole Jefferson Asher. It’s directed by Kasi Lemmons (Harriet) and DeMane Davis, and executive produced by Janine Sherman Barrois, Elle Johnson, Maverick Carter, LeBron James, Octavia Spencer, Mark Holder, Christine Holder, Kasi Lemmons, and Jamal Henderson.

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Africa's week in pictures: 21-27 February 2020

A selection of the best photos from across the continent and beyond this week.

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The Ethiopians returning home to start businesses

The Ethiopian government is asking citizens living abroad to return home and help expand its economy.

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A Flaw in Billions of Wi-Fi Chips Let Attackers Decrypt Data

Affected devices include iPhones, iPads, Macs, Amazon Echos and Kindles, Android devices, and various Wi-Fi routers.

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Zamalek say Egyptian FA sanctions for Al Ahly no-show are 'illegal'

Zamalek president Mortada Mansour says sanctions imposed by the Egyptian Football Association, for failing to honour its league fixture against Al Ahly, are illegal.

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Dylann Roof staged hunger strike to protest ‘harsh’ treatment inside federal prison

Dylann Roof, the white supremacist convicted of murdering nine Black church members in Charleston, South Carolina as they attended Bible study five years ago, went on a hunger strike this month to protest treatment by prison staff while on federal death row.

READ MORE: Dylann Roof pleads for court to overturn conviction and death sentence

In letters to The Associated Press, Roof, 25, claims he’s been targeted by staff members, “verbally harassed and abused without cause” and “treated disproportionately harsh.” Roof told the AP in a Feb. 13 letter, that staff at the Terre Haute, Indiana realize that he is “hated by the general public” and thus feel their alleged poor treatment of him is warranted.

Roof told the news organization that he went on a hunger strike to protest how he is being treated by a Bureau of Prisons disciplinary hearing officer. He further brought up earlier complaints alleging that he was denied access to the law library and a copy machine to file legal papers.

In one letter to the news outlet, he mentioned that he was already “several days” into the hunger strike. However, in a subsequent letter, Roof told them that the strike ended on Feb. 14, after correctional officers attempted to take his blood, and inject an IV into his arm.

“I feel confident I could have gone much, much longer without food,” Roof wrote in the second letter, dated Feb. 16, according to the Associated Press. “It’s just not worth being murdered over.”

The Bureau of Prisons have not verified Roof’s claims, with a spokeswoman citing privacy concerns and telling the AP the agency would have no comment.

In a statement to the AP, Roof’s lawyers said they are “working with BOP to resolve the issues addressed in the letters.”

Last month, the lawyers filed an appeal hoping to reverse his federal capital murder convictions and death sentence. They claim he is mentally ill and shouldn’t have represented himself during the penalty portion of his trial.

READ MORE: Dylann Roof appeals death sentence for 2015 Charleston, SC church massacre

In the appeal, Roof’s lawyers submitted a 321-page legal brief, arguing that U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel should not have prevented Roof from representing himself during the penalty phase because the ninth-grade dropout “believed his sentence didn’t matter because white nationalists would free him from prison after an impending race war.”

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Sports Agent Scott Boras to Honor Kobe Bryant’s Final Request

One of Kobe Bryant’s last requests before his untimely death last month will be honored by baseball agent Scott Boras, according to Sports Illustrated.

Bryant had sent a text message on the morning of his death to Los Angeles Lakers general manager, Rob Pelinka, inquiring if he knew a baseball agent. The retired basketball legend wanted to help secure an internship with an agent for a friend’s daughter. That friend, John Altobelli, was the coach of the Orange Coast College baseball team in California. Unfortunately, Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter, Alyssa, died on the same flight as Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.

“Kobe’s last human act was heroic,” Pelinka told the crowd of 20,000 mourners at Bryant’s memorial at Staples Center earlier this week. “He wanted to use his platform to bless and shape a young girl’s future.”

Boras told Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times that he plans to offer 16-year-old Alexis Altobelli an internship at his sports agency. Bryant was seeking to be a character reference for Alexis before the helicopter crash.

Boras told The Los Angeles Times that he had reached out to the Altobelli family to invite John and Alexis to tour his office and discuss the internship for her. He plans on creating a position for her to rotate through the departments at Boras Corp., including marketing, baseball operations, sports science, and office administration.

Bryant played his whole 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a five-time NBA champion, a two-time Finals MVP, and the 2008 Most Valuable Player. During his career, Bryant made the All-Star team 18 times and became the youngest player to ever reach 30,000 points. He retired from the NBA in 2016, scoring an NBA-season high 60 points in his final game.

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In California, Which Self-Driving Cars Log the Most Miles?

New reports show autonomous vehicles from 36 companies covered 2.9 million miles in the state last year, up from 2.1 million in 2018.

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Years after his murder, House finally passes Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Bill

Lynching grew one step closer to becoming a federal crime yesterday after the House passed the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act. The House bill, introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), would add lynching to the United States Criminal Code and make it a hate crime.

READ MORE: House to vote on 120-year-old long overdue anti-lynching bill

Last year, the Senate unanimously passed an anti-lynching bill that was put forth by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Now all that remains is for the two bills to be merged into one and sent to President Trump to sign into law, which he is expected to do, The New York Times is reporting.

This moment is historic because, for at least 120 years, the House and Senate have tried to pass an anti-lynching law to make the abominable evil a federal crime. But each time, anti-lynching bills were blocked, put on hold or ignored, until now. Even though the move is considered more of a symbolic gesture in today’s time, it is still needed, legislators said.

“Today brings us one step closer to finally reconciling a dark chapter in our nation’s history,” Booker said in a statement about the approved House bill.

“We are one step closer to finally outlawing this heinous practice and achieving justice for over 4,000 victims of lynching,” Mr. Rush said in a statement when the House vote was announced last week.

Emmett Till was just 14 when white men tortured and killed him in 1955 after a then 21-year-old white woman named Carolyn Bryant said he grabbed her by the waist and whistled at her in a Mississippi grocery store. Many years after Till’s murder, Bryant admitted that she lied in her testimony. Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, chose to have an open-casket funeral so photographers could capture it and the whole world could see what they did to her son.

Bryant’s husband, Roy Bryant, and his brother, J.W. Milam, were charged with killing Emmett but were acquitted by an all-white jury, which was typically the outcome in such cases.

But on Wednesday, the House sought to acknowledge the wrong by adding lynching to the United States Criminal Code. And while its timing is late, it is still important to have an anti-lynching law on the books, particularly with a surge in racist acts that the United States has experienced in recent years – from the nine Black parishioners killed in a Charleston, South Carolina church while attending Bible study in 2015 to the brutal killing of James Byrd Jr., a Black man who was tied to a pickup truck and dragged for several miles by three white supremacists in Jasper, Texas in 1998.

“The importance of this bill cannot be overstated,” Mr. Rush said in his statement, according to The New York Times.

READ MORE: WATCH | The evil history of lynching and why President Trump&’s tweet was disrespectful

“From Charlottesville to El Paso, we are still being confronted with the same violent racism and hatred that took the life of Emmett and so many others,” he said, referring to the violent white supremacist rally that occurred in Virginia in 2017 as well as a mass shooting in Texas in 2019 where Latinos were targeted. “The passage of this bill will send a strong and clear message to the nation that we will not tolerate this bigotry.”

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Louisiana judge apologizes for using the n-word, says she won’t step down

A white, Louisiana district court judge admitted that she used a racial slur in a text message exchange to describe a Black sheriff’s deputy and Black law clerk.

The 23^rd Judicial District Judge Jessie LeBlanc told WAFB that she sent a heated text message to her one-time lover, Bruce Prejean, the former Chief Deputy in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. Both LeBlanc and Prejean were married at the time of the affair. Prejean has seen been demoted by Sheriff Leland Falcon after he admitted to the affair last year.

READ MORE: Judge allows discrimination case related to Bill Maher’s use of n-word to move forward

LeBlanc told the station after she ended the affair with Prejean, someone left an anonymous note on her door with the “n-word” scrawled on it, and someone sent a package to her office with Prejean’s phone records. She claims the phone records included the phone number of another judge’s female law clerk, which led her to believe that Prejean and the Black law clerk had been seeing each other.

“From there, I did lash out at him,” the judge told WAFB on Sunday. “And, in lashing out at him, in those text messages, I lashed out at two of his African-American friends. One of them being that law clerk. I did call them that name (n-word). They do not deserve that. They deserve an apology from me. And, I sincerely apologize to both of them for using that word. While I may have been upset, angry, scared, it does not excuse my actions.”

“I admit that I used that word,” LeBlanc added. “I profusely apologize for that. I should have never said it. It was uncalled for. I was angry. I was upset. But, it’s no excuse.”

When the WAFB reporter asked the judge if she ever used the offensive slur before, she appeared to stutter. “Not in a – no – not – no – not in a – no – I have not used that racial slur in the past,” LeBlanc told the station. “This was in a moment of a heated exchange that was private between Bruce and one I that I never dreamed would have come out to the public.

Now Baton Rouge NAACP President Eugene Collins is calling for LeBlanc to step down and threatens demonstrations if she fails to do so.

“She should be removed from the bench,” Collins told WAFB. “This is about creating a fair and impartial system.”

Also, District Attorney Ricky Babin and the district’s lead public defender have filed a motion asking that LeBlanc remove herself from criminal cases in Assumption Parish or have the court force her to do so.

LeBlanc’s attorney, Jill Craft said the slur was horrible but cautioned as to the widespread implication if LeBlanc is forced out.

“It’s terrible and there’s no excuse – zero excuse – for anyone using that word and that language,” Craft said. “My concern globally is one of where do you draw the line? Does that mean that every judge in the state has to sign an affidavit under oath that they’ve not used the n-word or they’ve not referred to women as the c-word or the b-word or gay people in a derogatory fashion and, if they have, are they automatically disqualified from cases involving women, African Americans, Hispanics, or gay people?”

READ MORE: A Chicago judge removed from the bench after claims of making insensitive racial statements

As for LeBlanc, she said she won’t be stepping down.

“I know in my heart that I have done my job to the very best of my ability,” she told the station.

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Shop These Black-Owned Beauty Brands For A Flawless Look

Rihanna turned the beauty industry on its heels with the debut of Fenty Beauty. According to Forbes, the Bajan mogul has racked in over $570 million in revenue since its launch. With an array of 40 shades to complement a range of complexions for women of color who are often underserved in the market, Fenty was something refreshingly new that the makeup industry desperately needed. Black women spend an estimated $7.5 billion every year on beauty products; 80% is spent on cosmetics and black shoppers spend twice as much on skincare than non-black shoppers.

With Fenty encouraging the industry to recognize the needs of black women, more and more black-owned beauty entrepreneurs have hit the ground running with various ventures that focus on our beauty needs from nails, lips, and hair. Here are a couple of fabulous black-owned companies to help complete your flawless look.

 

Nails: Pear Nova

Source: Instagram

Blending fashion-forward hues fresh off the runway with a vegan, five-free formulation, Pear Nova’s colorful line of polishes quickly gained devoted fans with nude tones to complete darker complexions and colorful shades. Founder Rachel James, one of the stars of VH1’s Black Ink Chicago, used her background in fashion merchandising to launch the brand in 2012 with the aim of uniting her diverse expertise in beauty and fashion.

 

Lips: The Lip Bar

The perfect pout can highlight any outfit. In 2012, Melissa Butler wanted to help black women find their perfect lip color, so she opened Lip Bar, a cruelty-free, vegan lipstick brand to work with their skin tones. Her colorful lipsticks were featured on black Muslim model Ashley Blevins in the #ThisIsBeauty campaign, where consumers on Instagram were encouraged to take photos wearing their favorite Lip Bar product.

 

Just for Men: Bevel

Source: Instagram

Women aren’t the only ones driving the beauty industry. Men’s skincare is also on the rise and Bevel caters to black men who are looking to upgrade their daily look.

 

Hair: Taliah Waajid

Source: Instagram

New York-based Taliah Waajid wanted to create a collection of hair products that would help manage her kinky coils. After years of making hair formulas in her home, she decided to open her own natural hair business. It is now sold in stores across the country.

 

Skincare: Base Butter

Source: Instagram

Base Butter was a company She’Neil Johnson created for women who wanted simple, natural remedies for better skin. Today, her company sells a wide variety of skincare products with organic ingredients for perfectly healthy, smooth skin.

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Best Pet Camera (2020): Petcube, Furbo, and More

These cameras let you check up on your dog or cat—and feed them treats—over the internet.

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The Smithsonian Puts 2.8 Million Images in the Public Domain

The archive includes hi-res images of Muhammad Ali's boxing gear, 15th-century manuscripts, and data that could help surface untold stories of women in science.

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Mexico returns ancient bronze sculpture to Nigeria

The ancient artefact was seized by customs officers at the main airport in Mexico City.

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Black Developer Terrica Smith Went from Homeless to Building Affordable Housing

As a black woman in her mid-30s, Terrica Smith has cleared many hurdles to accomplish a number of major feats. She is the owner of Cachet Real Estate and a managing partner for Salt Capital Equity Group. Smith is also bringing her dream to life with the Madeline Cove project, a housing development that will provide 30 affordable homes, 60 townhouses, a 50-unit senior complex, and a retail building, according to The Acadiana Advocate.

The purpose of the project is to satisfy the housing needs of New Orleans’s north side. This project, backed by a local bank, already has a waiting list of more than 300 people. According to The Acadiana Advocate, the structure will include “the senior center, featuring 50 living units that will each be 500-600 square feet” and a “retail center, which will feature up to five spaces for light retail, a coffee shop or maybe a grocery store.”

Smith’s journey was a difficult one. She was a foster child who ended up aging out of the foster care system when she turned 16. Afterward, she was homeless on the streets of New Orleans.

“My mentor was being homeless,” Smith said. “It was the scariest moment of my life because people are pulling on you, trying to attack you. It’s not safe. You can’t sleep. I made a promise to my son under that bridge: As long as I had air in my lungs, I would never be homeless again.”

But Smith turned her life around, taking a leap of faith from living under the Claiborne overpass to visiting the White House, where along with other leaders and various business officials, she spoke about New Orleans’s progress with the project and Opportunity Zone program.

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I Used 'Minecraft' to Cope with My Apocalypse Anxiety

A series of mods can transform the building-block game into a new way to explore what the world may look after climate change.

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GOES Extreme Weather–Tracking Satellites Get Ready for Launch

A new array of sats will detect nearly every bolt of lightning in the Western Hemisphere, powering an early warning system for climate-change-fueled superstorms.

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When AI Can’t Replace a Worker, It Watches Them Instead

Whether software that digitizes manual labor makes workers frowny or smiley will come down to how employers choose to use it.

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Faf de Klerk: My pants gave Prince Harry a 'bit of a fright'

The South African World Cup winner was somewhat under-dressed when he met Prince Harry.

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How door-to-door canvassing slowed an epidemic

Liberia was the epicenter of a high-profile Ebola outbreak in 2014-15, which led to more than 10,000 deaths in West Africa. But for all the devastation the illness caused, it could have been worse without an innovative, volunteer-based outreach program Liberia’s government deployed in late 2014.

Now, a study co-authored by an MIT professor shows how much that program, consisting of door-to-door canvassing by community volunteers, spread valuable information and changed public practices during the epidemic. The findings also demonstrate how countries with minimal resources can both fight back against epidemics and gain public trust in difficult circumstances.  

“Mediated [volunteer-based] government outreach had a positive impact on all of the [health] outcomes we measured,” says Lily Tsai, a professor of political science at MIT and co-author of a new paper detailing the study’s findings. “People knew more [about Ebola], had a more factual understanding of the epidemic, and were more willing to comply with government control measures. And downstream, they’re more likely to trust government institutions.”

Indeed, after talking to canvassers, residents of Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, were 15 percentage points more supportive of disease control policies, 10 percentage points less likely to violate a ban on public gatherings (to limit the spread of Ebola), 26 percentage points more likely to support victims’ burials by government workers, and 9 percentage points more likely to trust Liberia’s Ministry of Health, among other outcomes. They were also 10 percentage points more likely to use hand sanitizer.

Intriguingly, the volunteer-based outreach program succeeded after an earlier 2014 campaign, using Ministry of Health staff, was abandoned, having been “met with disbelief and outright violence,” as the new paper states.

“There’s often an assumption that government outreach doesn’t work,” says Tsai, the Ford Professor of Political Science at MIT. “What we find is that it does work, but it really matters how that government outreach is conducted and structured.”

The research shows that, crucially, 30 percent of the people who spoke with canvassers already knew those volunteers, adding a layer of social trust to the program. And all volunteers canvassed in communities where they lived.

“They were building interpersonal trust and enabling people to hold them accountable for any misinformation,” Tsai says. “They were like guarantors for a loan. It’s a way of saying, ‘You can trust me. I’m going to co-sign for the government. I’m going to guarantee it.’”

The paper, “Building Credibility and Cooperation in Low-Trust Settings: Persuasion and Source Accountability in Liberia During the 2014-2015 Ebola Crisis,” appears in advance online form in the journal Comparative Political Studies.

In addition to Tsai, the authors are Benjamin S. Morse PhD ’19, a senior training manager and researcher at MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), and Robert A. Blair, an assistant professor of political science and international and public affairs at Brown University.  

When “costly signals” build confidence

Liberia faced many challenges while responding to the Ebola crisis. The nation’s brutal civil wars, from 1989 to 2003, stripped away much of the government’s functionality, and while the country has since taken major steps toward stability, there is still deep and widespread suspicion about government.

“In Liberia, you have a postconflict setting where citizens already mistrusted the government strongly,” Tsai explains. “When citizens say they don’t trust the government, they sometimes think the government is actually out to hurt them, physically.”

To conduct the study, the research conducted multiple public-opinion surveys in Liberia in 2014 and 2015, and added 80 in-depth interviews with government leaders and residents in 40 randomly sampled communities in Monrovia.

To be sure, Ebola was a substantial problem in Liberia. Overall, there were 10,678 reported cases of Ebola and 4,810 deaths attributed to the illness. In June 2014, the surveys showed, 38 percent of Monrovia residents thought the government’s statements about Ebola constituted a “lie” designed to generate more funding from outside aid groups.

However, the study found, once the volunteer-based program got underway, canvassers were able to not only reach large numbers of residents but persuade residents to believe what they were saying.

While knocking on doors in their own communities, the canvassers were equipped with bibs and badges to identify themselves as program volunteers. They distributed information and had conversations with other residents, and even offered their own contact information to people — a significant (and potentially risky) gesture providing a form of accountability to other citizens.

“A large part of what worked was that the outreach workers made it possible for the people that they were canvassing to track them down,” Tsai says. “That’s a pretty big commitment, what we call a ‘costly signal.’ Costly signals help build trust, because it’s not cheap talk.”

Ultimately, while Ebola took a significant toll in Liberia, the volunteer campaign was “remarkably (and surprisingly) effective” in changing both behavior and attitudes, the paper concludes.  

A case study in rebuilding trust?

Tsai believes that beyond the specific contours of Liberia’s Ebola response, there are larger issues that can be applied to the study of other countries. For one, while Liberia received significant aid in combatting Ebola from the World Health Organization and other nongovernmental organizations, she thinks the need for short-term aid should not preclude the long-term building of government capacity.

“In the short term, it can make sense for external actors to substitute for the government,” Tsai says. “In the medium and long term we need to think about what that substitution might do to the trust and confidence that people have in their government.” For many people, she adds, “the assumption is the government either isn’t capable of doing it, or shouldn’t be doing it,” when in fact even underresourced governments can make progress on serious issues.

Another point is that the Liberia case shows some ways governments can build confidence among their citizens.

“In so many countries these days, trust in institutions, trust in authorities, trust in sources of information is so low, and in the past there’s been very little research on how to rebuild trust,” Tsai notes. “There’s a lot of research on what lowers trust.”

However, she adds, “That’s what I think is special about this case. Trust was successfully built and constructed under a pretty unlikely set of circumstances.”

Support for the study was provided by the International Growth Centre, the Omidyar Network, and the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

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The US Has Its First 'Community Spread' Coronavirus Case

The patient was admitted to UC Davis Medical Center on February 19 but not diagnosed until the 23rd—raising concerns about testing capabilities and health care workers’ exposure to the disease.

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What Is Medigap (Medicare Supplement) Insurance?

Is a Medigap Insurance Plan Right for You?

Did you know that Original Medicare health insurance plans don’t cover all of your health care costs? That’s where Medigap insurance plans (also known as Medicare Supplement insurance) come in. Medigap plans are designed to help reduce your extra expenses by supplementing Original Medicare and paying for certain out-of-pocket costs.

We will give you the answers you need to common questions about how Medicare Supplement insurance works. 

A Quick Summary of Original Medicare

Before we get into Medigap plans, let’s look at how Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) usually works:

Part A covers:

• Inpatient care offered in hospitals or skilled nursing facilities
• Home health care services
• Hospice care for the terminally ill

Part B covers:

• Doctor services
• Outpatient care
• Medical supplies
• Medical equipment
• Preventive services

Medicare Plans	Part A	Part B	Medicare Advantage (Part C)	Part D	Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans
Features	Covers inpatient care and home health care services	Covers doctor services, outpatient care, and medical supplies	Coverage may include wellness programs, hearing aids, and vision services	Provides prescription drug coverage	Covers out-of-pocket costs (such as deductibles, copays and coinsurance) not covered by Parts A and B

 

What Is Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Insurance?

Medigap plans are offered through private insurance companies and cover extra health care costs not covered by Original Medicare (Parts A and B).

Medicare Supplement insurance plans cover:

• Copayments
• Coinsurance
• Deductibles

Some Medigap plans also cover medical services when you travel outside of the U.S.

Covered by Medigap	Not Covered by Medigap
Copayment	Prescription drugs
Coinsurance	Long-term care
Deductibles	Private-duty nursing care
Medical services received outside the U.S. (some Medigap plans)

How Does Medigap Work?

You must already have Medicare Parts A and B before you can buy Medicare Supplement insurance.

Here’s what to expect when you enroll in a Medigap insurance plan:

1. First, Original Medicare pays its share of the Medicare-approved amount for covered health care costs. Then, your Medicare Supplement insurance policy kicks in and pays its share.
2. You pay a monthly premium to a private insurance company for your Medigap plan. This monthly premium is in addition to your monthly Medicare Part B premium.
3. A Medigap plan only covers one person. If you and your spouse are looking for a Medigap insurance plan, each of you will need to buy separate policies.
4. All standardized Medigap plans come with guaranteed renewal, even if you have health problems. Your insurance company can’t cancel your Medigap policy as long as you pay the premium. 
5. You can’t have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time.
6. There’s no prescription drug coverage. Medigap plans don’t include prescription drug coverage. You can join a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D), if you need prescription drug coverage.
7. Not everything is covered by Medigap. Medigap plans usually don’t cover long-term care, vision or dental care, hearing aids, eyeglasses, or private-duty nursing.
8. Make sure your insurance company is licensed. You can get a Medigap plan from any insurance company that’s licensed in your state to sell one.

Standard Medigap plans are labeled A through N and offer different health coverage levels.

While premium amounts differ among insurance companies, the benefits of each standard Medigap plan are the same.

For example, Medigap Plan C policies offer the same benefits regardless of which insurance company provides it. The premium amounts might be different depending on which state you live in.

When Can I Enroll in a Medigap Plan?

Most people become eligible for a Medicare Supplement plan shortly before age 65. The Open Enrollment Period for Medigap plans is six months before the first day of the month of your 65th birthday — as long as you also have Medicare Part B — or within six months of enrolling in a Medicare Part B plan.

During this time, you can buy any Medigap policy at the same price a person in good health pays, even if you have health issues.

Here’s an important thing to keep in mind if you have health problems: you might have to wait up to six months for Medigap coverage if you have a pre-existing health condition. Your insurance company can refuse to pay for out-of-pocket costs for pre-existing conditions during this six-month period.

Your Medigap policy must cover your pre-existing conditions after that initial six months.

An exception to this rule is if you get a Medigap policy during your Open Enrollment Period and have had continuous creditable coverage (a health insurance plan) for the six months before getting a policy. The Medigap insurance companies can’t deny you coverage for a pre-existing condition in this situation.

 

Can I Change My Medigap Plan?

There are certain situations where you might want to change your Medigap plan. For example, you might want to change your Medigap plan if you find a plan with a lower premium. Perhaps you’ve decided that you need more benefits than offered in your current Medigap plan. Or, you might want to change insurance companies.

As long as you are enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B you can apply for a Medigap plan at any time.  If you are also within your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, you can switch Medigap policies.

While you can apply for a Medigap policy at any time, it doesn’t mean that an insurance carrier has to accept your application unless you have guaranteed-issue rights.

Guaranteed-issue rights, also known as Medigap protections, are situational rights you have that mean insurance companies must offer you certain Medigap policies. If you are in any of following situations you have guaranteed-issue rights:

• You previously had a Medigap plan, dropped it to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, it’s been less than one year, and now you want to switch back
• You are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan and your plan is no longer covering your area, or you are moving out of the coverage area
• Your current Medigap insurance provider goes bankrupt and you no longer have coverage
• You have Original Medicare, along with either union coverage or an employer group health plan that pays after Original Medicare pays, and that plan is coming to an end

The Bottom Line about Medigap Insurance Plans

Medigap plans can give you peace of mind by reducing your out of pocket expenses and keeping your health care coverage affordable. It’s a good idea to shop around and look at different Medigap plans, as different insurance companies can charge different premiums for the same policy. 

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‘Sistas’ cast defends Tyler Perry against critics who say he shouldn’t be writing for women

After Tyler Perry revealed that he has no writer’s room and pens all his own scripts, many in Hollywood began questioning if it was ill-advised for a man to be writing so much female-centered content without collaborating with actual women. Now the cast of his new BET show Sistas is stepping forward to respond to his critics.

Earlier this month, while taking part in Deadline‘s New Hollywood podcast with the African-American Film Critics Association, comedian Lil Rel Howery minced no words while voicing his opinion on the topic.

Read MORE: Tyler Perry responds to criticism about not having a writers’ room

“I love Tyler Perry and I’m proud of him, but I told myself I’m a say something because I don’t agree with that. I don’t understand,” he said, noting, “You can’t write a show called Sistas and you’re not a sista. So you don’t want no suggestions or nothing?”

“I know we talk a good game about ‘This is what I’m doing, I’m doing this, I’m doing that.’ Once again, I’m talking, but I’m putting my money where my mouth is,” he added. “I don’t have what he got yet, but as I climb up here, I’m a do even more of that. We gotta do better man. It’s all talk, but if you’re really on that, then give people jobs, bro. You can’t base nothing on one writers’ room, brother. That means you didn’t hire good writers. Find more writers! That’s just real.”

READ MORE: Tyler Perry admits having ‘knockdown, drag-out’ fight over wig featured in Netflix film

The cast of @SistasOnBET says Tyler Perry is qualified to write for and about Black women: "I think there is a culture of hateration." https://t.co/Mg0SkNA4EQ pic.twitter.com/9CbKXsuu59

— ESSENCE (@Essence) February 25, 2020

But Sistas star Mignon Baker doesn’t necessarily agree with that take, explaining to Essence, “We have a director, producer, executive producer, creator who loves women. If you’ve ever taken the time to watch his interviews, he will tell you that his number one inspiration is his mother.”

“I think—I’m just going to be honest with you– there’s a culture of hateration,” she continued. “There’s a culture of being critical. And I think there’s a reason for that. And it’s because so many of us aren’t following our dreams. And it’s so easy to not be in the ring and to stand on the sidelines and critique. But once you get in the ring, once you start following your dream, you are going to naturally become a compassionate, less critical, more gracious person. So, all those people critiquing, I understand that. I believe in constructive criticism. I understand everyone has an opinion but get into the ring. Understand how hard it is first and then criticize.”

READ MORE: Three big changes for Tyler Perry shows this upcoming season

“I think it’s really important to remember that Tyler Perry puts Black women at the forefront in so many ways. “Sistas” comes from women in his life,” chimed in costar Ebony Obsidian. “He may have sat there and written a script but it’s coming from Black women. So Black women’s fingerprints are all over this script.”

Baker also added, “He said at our premiere that he actually gave some of the women on his staff producer credits because he listened to them. He sat down and talked to them for a couple of hours and he was like, ‘I’m going to write this.’”

The post ‘Sistas’ cast defends Tyler Perry against critics who say he shouldn’t be writing for women appeared first on TheGrio.

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OPINION: The Gayle King vs Snoop Dogg debacle woke up cells of pick-me’s & Black woman haters

Days after the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant, journalist Gayle King became entangled in a web of grief-driven backlash when a truncated clip of her interview with basketball star Lisa Leslie hit the airwaves. King probed Leslie on Bryant’s legacy, touching on the rape allegations that shadowed his career in the early 2000s.

Snoop Dogg says his desire to ‘protect’ Vanessa Bryant led to him lashing out at Gayle King

The segment was aired without context, and critics, who hailed the line of questioning as insensitive, inappropriate and at its worst—hateful, made King a target of vitriol and misogyny within the Black community.

Snoop Dogg became one of the leaders of the verbal mob, posting a video on Instagram filled with threats and name-calling aimed at the careered journalist. Death threats haunted King both online and offline, prompting Oprah Winfrey to speak up on behalf of her friend, who understandably feared for her life. In the days that followed, Snoop went on to offer an apology to King—one she accepted—and made the decision to continue his forgiveness tour with a seat at Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Red Table.

OPINION: Marc Lamont Hill talks Gayle King controversy

I was admittedly skeptical about Snoop being on the show. First, because King as the victim should have been centered in the conversation, but Pinkett revealed early on that she offered an invitation to Gayle to come on the show too. Second, I was concerned about what accountability would look like for Snoop outside of apologies–too often Black women impulsively coddle and protect Black men amidst their own wrongdoing. 

Black Twitter responds to Red Table Talk promo clip of Snoop Dogg episode

While the hate from men towards King came as no surprise, the Black women who joined in on the tirade against the 65-year-old, demonstrated how the sneaky hands of patriarchy compel women to fight at their own expense. This phenomenon, referred to in popular culture as pick-me syndrome, aligns women with the misogynistic views of their oppressor to earn favor or to appear more desirable. Black women are particularly vulnerable to dive into pick-me territory, triggered by scarcity and the desperation to be chosen by their male counterparts at any cost. Snoop’s defenders saw the tension between King and Snoop as a microcosm for an overall “attack against Black men” who are idolized in sports and entertainment. 

A respected Black man passes away.

An uglass Black wanna be white woman spits on his name.

A Black man grieves his friend and calls out previously mentioned wannabe.

A different dumb ass Black woman reprimands Black man?

This ain’t it, Jada. https://t.co/TbiZbdp6QI

— Transforming…….💜💛💜💛 (@QueenOHarts) February 23, 2020

Right!! She started it!! He finished it #imwithsnoop I bet she’ll think twice next time trying to tarnish the black man!!!

— Rhoda (@Rhoda77862587) February 9, 2020

Just another example how the black mans value is deprecated. Snoop is being emasculated and he’on even know it.

— AShaye💫🕊 (@BlaqueBonnE) February 24, 2020

 

 

 

On Red Table Talk, Snoop himself addressed the “collective anger of Black men” saying they “came from behind closed doors” against King because they feel Black women are targeting them. “You guys are coming after us, and you are us. Why y’all attacking us, after we make it?” he said.

What’s missing here on both sides is the critical understanding that holding men accountable for their actions is not an attack. In fact, that accountability is what cultivates healing and mutual respect in our communities. It’s understandable that emotions were high in the wake of the death of one of our superheroes, but we do ourselves a disservice if we don’t acknowledge the human part of the man. While we can be critical of the timeliness of Gayle’s interview questions, the hate aimed toward her in the fallout speaks more about the disdain for Black women than a reverence for Kobe’s family. 

And when the dust settled, Black women were left to pick up the pieces. Pinkett, along with her family members, Iyanla Vanzant and Jemele Hill, thanked and praised Snoop for his apology on “Red Table Talk,” seeing it as a step towards collective healing. Even though Snoop was called out by other famous men about his actions, it was ultimately a phone call from his mother that prompted his apology.

“There were certain things she said to me that made me feel like a kid again,” Snoop said. 

I would’ve liked to see another Black man visible in this segment to hold Snoop accountable because so often Black women are burdened with the roles of victim, ally, fixer, and absolver. Ultimately, changed behavior will be the test of true reform, and hopefully another Black woman won’t have to bear this type of pain in the gap between sorry and corrected action.

 

The post OPINION: The Gayle King vs Snoop Dogg debacle woke up cells of pick-me’s & Black woman haters appeared first on TheGrio.

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Forced sterilisation in South Africa: They removed my uterus

Bongekile Msibi is one of 48 women forcibly sterilised at state hospitals in South Africa.

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University of Southern California Announces Financial Aid Expansion to Benefit Lower Income Families

University of Southern California President Carol L. Folt announced two new policies to make a USC undergraduate education more affordable for those who may not ordinarily meet the financial constraints of the university: families with an annual income of $80,000 or less will attend USC tuition-free and owning a home will not be counted in the calculation used to determine a student’s financial need.

These new actions will start with first-year students who will enter USC in the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021.

“We’re opening the door wider to make a USC education possible for talented students from all walks of life,” said Folt in a written statement, who has promised to make access and affordability a priority since she became president. “This significant step we are taking today is by no means the end of our affordability journey. We are committed to increasing USC’s population of innovators, leaders, and creators regardless of their financial circumstances. Investing in the talent and diversity of our student body is essential to our educational mission.”

These changes will allow the university to provide more viable opportunities for low- and middle-income students both in California and throughout the United States. Eligible students who apply will receive up to $45,000 more aid during their undergraduate studies.

“Financial barriers should not be a deal-breaker for students with the merit and motivation to attend a top-tier research university like USC,” said Undergraduate Student Government President Trenton Stone. “This plan will help make our incredible university community more accessible to a wider range of individuals from diverse financial, geographical, and cultural backgrounds.”

As part of this new expansion, USC will increase undergraduate aid by more than $30 million annually, which will allow the university to provide stronger financial assistance to more than 4,000 students every year once the program is in full effect. It is anticipated that approximately one-third of the fall 2020 and spring 2021 entering class will benefit from this increase in financial assistance.

“USC is committed to educating the strongest minds, independent of background or ability to pay. For decades, USC has invested in this commitment,” provost Charles Zukoski said. “With this new initiative, we will be even better positioned to recruit students from all backgrounds and strengthen the USC experience for everyone.”

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Ammunition x Gantri Lamp Collection Illuminates 3D Printing's Benefits

The lamp maker Gantri partnered with the Silicon Valley design firm Ammunition to produce a new line of greener lighting products.

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Court evidence show girl found dead in duffel bag had been abused for months

Trinity Love Jones, 9, had been bruised and abused for months. When she was finally identified, after her dead body was found in Hacienda Heights partially stuffed inside of a duffel bag, a medical examiner drew multiple diagrams to capture all of her scars.

READ MORE: Missing Black girl found in duffel bag identified by police; death ruled homicide

Recently in a Pomona, California courtroom, Superior Court Judge Mike Camacho ruled there was enough evidence against the girl’s mom, Taquesta Graham, 29, and her mom’s boyfriend, Emiel Hunt, 39, for the state to proceed to trial. Both have been charged with murder and torture and have pled not guilty, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Evidence presented at the preliminary hearing included text messages between Graham and Hunt that allegedly show they had beaten and starved the girl numerous times over a period of months. Trinity developed an infection on her feet that made it painful when she wore shoes.

On Friday, Camacho ruled the case should proceed to trial, noting the evidence showed “systematic abuse and neglect.”

“It’s clear that these were intentional acts and the defendants acted with conscious disregard,” Camacho said, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Investigators read text messages in which Hunt and Graham talked about punishing Trinity for peeing on herself. “Trinity is going to get it,” her mom allegedly texted Hunt during one text message exchange.

In another, Graham asks Hunt to show Trinity the text she has sent: “We were talking about giving you a burrito …you messed up.”

Hunt and Graham told police that two weeks before Trinity died, she had fallen and hit her head. L.A. County Sheriff’s Det. Marc Boisvert testified that the girl had a huge lump on her forehead and both of her eyes were swollen.

Boisvert told the court that Graham told investigators Trinity was congested on Feb. 28, 2019, so she gave her Pedialyte, soup and a bagel, then got in the shower. She said when she got out, Trinity was having a seizure, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Later that day, Graham told detectives, she went to work at a dollar store while Hunt waited for her in the parking lot. Trinity was in the back seat of the car sleeping. She said when she got off work around 9:30 p.m., the three returned to a hotel, and Hunt carried Trinity to the room. Graham said when she checked on her daughter later that night, she wasn’t breathing. She also shares, according to The Los Angeles Times, that she believed that Hunt had placed a pillow over the child’s face earlier that night in the car.

Hunt tells a slightly different story. He told police that when he woke up around 3 a.m. on March 1 and noticed Trinity wasn’t breathing, he and Graham “freaked out” because they both have criminal histories. He further stated that they told each other “we didn’t do anything wrong,” Boisvert testified, according to The Los Angeles Times.

READ MORE: Mother charged with gruesome murder of girl found stuffed in duffel bag

The girl’s body was found March 5, 2019, partially hidden inside of a large duffel bag near an equestrian trail in Hacienda Heights. Police asked for the public’s help in identifying the girl and received thousands of tips, including one from a relative who called police after seeing a sketch and photo of Trinity, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Sheriff’s Det. Louie Aguilera testified that police have the couple on surveillance footage carrying what appears to be a body wrapped in a blanket from the Budget Inn in Sante Fe Springs. They also have video from Walmart showing the couple buying two shovels, a blanket and a lighter and video of them at another store buying a duffel bag identical to the one Trinity was found in.

The post Court evidence show girl found dead in duffel bag had been abused for months appeared first on TheGrio.

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