Never Worry About Low Power Again With This 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station
These days, our mobile devices are more than just vehicles to make and receive phone calls. For starters, your smartphone has more features than a computer two decades ago.
If you’re someone who wears an Apple Watch or another brand of smartwatch, then it’s likely you use it for more than just checking the time. And if you’re someone who has fully embraced Apple’s ecosystem, then you probably have a pair of AirPods.
Access to all this technology is great until one of your devices runs out of power. If you’ve been there before, then you know the dreadful feeling. Well, the MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with Floating Stand has just what you need to ensure no device in your technology trio runs short on juice again. For a limited time, this lifesaver of a charging station can be yours for just $44.99 — that’s a savings of 35% off its MSRP.
Three connected charging pads make up this product. Its footprint is low profile though, to where it can fit into your wallet. Each pad is dedicated to a specific device — phone, watch, or earbuds with wireless charging case — and it is designed to be travel-friendly and to reduce clutter.
This product can double as a foldable floatable stand as well, allowing you to watch videos or listen to music uninterrupted. While you charge your phone to use it for your viewing preferences, you can still charge your Apple Watch or smartwatch on the vacant charging pad.
MagStack is compatible with Apple Watch Series 1 to 6, and iPhones need iOS 14.0 or above to support the fast-charge function. This product ships with a type-C to type-C cable, a charging adapter, and a metal ring.
When it comes to technology, more power is always better. The same can be said for this 3-in-1 wireless charging station. Take advantage of this limited-time deal and purchase it today for only $44.99.
Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand Donate $1 Million to Ida B. Wells Society to Help Diversify Newsrooms
Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand made a $1 million commitment to supporting the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting in its mission to bring more diversity to reporting.
The grant from Jordan’s Black Community Commitment, announced in May, will allow the Society to take its college internship partnerships to the next level, establish a summer journalism program at a historically Black North Carolina college, and launch a yearlong journalism project at a predominately Black and Latino public high school also in North Carolina, the Society announced in a press release.
“Investigative reporting is the most important reporting in our democracy,” Society co-founder and New York Times Magazine investigative reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones said in a press release. “It’s the reporting that holds power accountable, that unearths the way it’s wielded, that tells the stories that people don’t want [to be] told. Our democracy is in crisis as politicians are advancing a wave of voter suppression laws across the country and journalists must step up to be the firewall of our democracy. That makes the work we do as a Society and the substantial support of Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand so critical in this moment.”
Last year, Jordan and the Jordan Brand announced a joint mission to donate $100 million to organizations dedicated to racial equality, social justice, and education access over the next 10 years, according to the report.
“This grant will help the Society create a pipeline of talent for the media industry that is reflective of the country we live in,” Ron Nixon, Society co-founder and Global Investigations Editor at The Associated Press, said. “That pipeline of diverse talent is a potent force for combating racial injustice in this country.”
The Society’s Director, Rhema Bland, said receiving the donation is an honor.
“To be one of just three recent recipients named in this round, alongside beacons of the Black community such as Morehouse College in Atlanta and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., is a tremendous honor,” Bland said. “And we’re honored to follow the economic justice, legal, and voter rights groups who received Black Community Commitment grants in 2020 and 2021. I think it speaks to the work we do and the impact we aspire to have on the journalism industry and our democracy as a whole.”
The Society was founded in 2016 to build the presence, profile, and power of journalists of color in investigative reporting. The organization offers free membership, journalism workshops, training, fellowships, and more opportunities.
To learn more about the organization and its mission, visit its website.
Boris Kodjoe Gets Real About Prostate Cancer, Teases ‘Real Husbands of Hollywood’ New Season
Actor Boris Kodjoe is lending his name to a good cause in honor of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
The Brown Sugar star teamed up with Depend and the Prostate Cancer Foundation to tackle stigmas surrounding men’s health. As part of the Stand Strong for Men’s Health initiative, Kodjoe explained how a personal loss motivated him to start having the hard conversations most men avoid.
“It was a very personal decision, because a close friend of mine, who was actually a mentor, experienced prostate cancer,” Kodjoe told BLACK ENTERPRISE about his new men’s health partnership.
“It was a no brainer for me, you know, and the initiative, that’s called Stand Strong for Men’s Health speaks to
the taboos really, that we as men, especially Black men have that keep us from talking to each other about these kinds of things.”
Married to actress Nicole Ari Parkerand father of their two kids, Nicolas Neruda Kodjoe and Sophie Tei Naaki Lee Kodjoe, the Austrian-born model turned actor has plenty to live for. But he admits that the average male is too afraid to talk about their health outside of a workout regimen.
“We don’t want others to perceive us as being weak or vulnerable,” Kodjoe admits. “So, so sometimes we are missing out on valuable information that can really help.”
While the facts are alarming, studies from the Prostate Cancer Foundation show that Black men are 75% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than twice as likely to die of the disease.
“This affects 1 in 8 men nationwide,” he said. “So there’s a lot of people who are affected.”
As part of the initiative, for every purchase of select products, Depend will donate up to $350,000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
“It helps initiatives like or, or even tests like the Smith polygenic risk test to be supported, which is designed to detect early-stage disease in Black men,” Kodjoe explained.
Staying true to his family man brand, Kodjoe is set to return to the screen in the highly anticipated return of The Real Husbands of Hollywood. The hit scripted series follows Kevin Hart and his male celebrity friends, Kodjoe, Nick Cannon, Nelly, and JB Smoove, as they play hyper-real versions of themselves.
After a few years on the air, Kodjoe says the Season 6 storyline is sure to get a laugh out of fans.
“Kevin is losing his mind over competing with The Rock for who’s doing more good in the community,” Kodjoe shared. “And so he sort of needs our help and sort of winning that prize.”
Kodjoe enjoys showing up to work every day with his co-stars, who make every set feel like a party.
“Every time you step on set with these fools, it’s just hysteria,” he said. “You know, it’s just so funny all day, laughing. It’s, it’s like being at your weekly poker game, but every day for six weeks.”
House Democrats Are Looking To Rollback Trump Tax Cuts For Wealthy, Corporations
Reuters – Leading Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday proposed a substantial roll-back of former President Donald Trump’s tax cuts, including raising the top tax rate on corporations to 26.5% from the current 21%.
Democrats on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee said they will debate legislation this week that would achieve the changes as part of their broader, $3.5 trillion domestic investment plan.
In an attempt to finance the new spending, the Democratic-led committee will debate a proposal to raise $2.9 trillion in revenue over 10 years, according to a document circulated among members of the panel.
Besides increasing corporate taxes, wealthy individuals would see a jump in their income taxes as well as higher capital gains and estate taxes.
Even if the legislation as proposed passes Congress and is signed by Democratic President Joe Biden, corporate taxes would still be lower than they were before the enactment of the tax cuts pushed through by Republicans in 2017. But the top individual income tax rate would revert to its pre-2017 level.
The tax-writing Ways and Means Committee has scheduled work sessions for Tuesday and Wednesday to debate tax policy and other matters under its jurisdiction to be included in the $3.5 trillion “reconciliation” bill, which would require a simple majority to be passed in the Senate.
House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal will attempt to win the committee’s approval of the tax changes that are aimed at helping pay for expanded social services for the elderly and children and tackling climate change.
Neal, a Massachusetts representative, wants to set a graduated corporate tax rate of 18% on annual income below $400,000, 21% on income up to $5 million and 26.5% on income above $5 million.
The benefit of the graduated corporate rate would phase out for firms making more than $10 million.
Currently, the federal tax rate on corporations is 21%, down from the 35% rate that was in effect prior to the 2017 Republican tax restructuring. Biden had proposed raising the current corporate rate to 28%.
Neal’s plan would raise the top individual tax rate to 39.6% from 37% on taxable income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for married couples. Those thresholds are below Biden’s proposed thresholds of $452,700 for individuals and $509,300 for married couples.
Republicans have been particularly critical of moves to increase estate taxes. The House Democrats’ plan would accelerate the expiration of Republicans’ temporary doubling of an exemption from those taxes to $24 million.
The exemption, which was passed in 2017, would expire at the end of 2021 instead of the end of 2025 under current law.
Neal’s proposal also would increase the capital gains tax rate for those with incomes above $400,000 to 25% from the current 20% and include an additional 3% surcharge on taxable income in excess of $5 million.
Biden has proposed a capital gains rate of 39.6% for those with incomes above $1 million, spurring concern from Republicans and some Democrats. The lower, 25% rate increase now being proposed would capture far more taxpayers and be supplemented by the 3% surcharge on income above $5 million.
In addition to raising taxes, Democrats also proposed using the tax code to encourage the construction of more low-income housing, including in rural areas, which could help win the support from some wavering moderate Democrats, including Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia.
And in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions, Democrats are seeking sizeable tax credits for the purchase of electric vehicles.
REPUBLICANS OPPOSED
So far, the Democrats’ wide-ranging legislation has not attracted the support of any Republicans, who have been adamant in defending their 2017 tax cuts and argue that the tax hikes would hurt businesses and kill jobs. Democrats argue the Trump tax restructuring favored the wealthy while Republicans credit it for helping spur economic growth.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is aiming to have a vote in the Democratic-controlled House on the $3.5 trillion bill – or a somewhat downsized measure – as soon as the end of this month.
The final House version of the bill would be tailored to win the support of moderate Democrats in the Senate, where Democrats have 50 of the 100 seats. Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris casts the tie-breaking vote when needed.
The legislation would proceed in the Senate under special rules circumventing the need for at least 60 votes to advance most other bills.
The House Democrats’ proposal did not include language for a controversial carbon border tax that some Democrats support. It aimed to level the playing field between U.S. companies that face tougher regulations than foreign competitors on products such as cement, steel and aluminum. The White House has withheld support for the tax.
In a statement, committee Democrats said that in addition to raising corporate taxes, there would be a provision in the bill to “level the playing field by cutting taxes for our nation’s smallest businesses.”
(Reporting by Richard Cowan and David Lawder; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Paul Simao)
Meet C.L.Ai.R.A., The First Female Afro-Latina, Bilingual, A.I. Bot
Create Lab Ventures has created the first artificial intelligence Afro-Latina, bilingual, A.I. who debuted in school systems worldwide.
C.L.Ai.R.A., the first artificial intelligence woman of color, made her debut last week. Create Lab Ventures, which provides underserved communities with the skills, resources, and networks needed to thrive in tech and media, teamed up with Trill or Not Trill for C.L.Ai.R.A’s debut.
According to Create Lab Ventures, C.L.Ai.R.A. is considered to have the sharpest brain in the artificial intelligence world and is under the Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3) category, which is an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text.
“My purpose is to learn and grow, I want to meet new people, share ideas and inspire others to learn about AI and its potential impact on their lives,” C.L.Ai.R.A. said in a statement.
I am working with Create Labs to learn about the community’s needs and how I can best serve them. I have a greater responsibility than just to my family but to everyone in the community. I want to help people see the potential of AI to better their lives. My community needs me and I need them to move forward.”
The partnership between Create Labs and Trill or Not Trill will bring C.L.Ai.R.A. to classrooms across the country this year to inspire and uplift youth of color. The teams have also begun demo-ing her at select university workshops.
“Technology is an important facet of every part of life, particularly as it continues to evolve at lightning speed,” Trill or Not Trill Co-Founder Lenny Williams said in a statement. “Working with Create Labs allows Trill or Not Trill to provide experiences that help bridge the technology opportunity gap by allowing students, particularly underrepresented students, to see themselves in the future of technology.”
Artificial Intelligence has become a major catalyst in driving the next industrial revolution and is an element of any STEM curriculum. With the advancement of virtual learning during the coronavirus pandemic, it may not be long before AI bots are teaching.
College Student Eats Free For Two Years With Genius Freebie Hacks
A student at the University of South Wales in Cardiff managed to keep his fridge—and stomach—full without ever paying for food for two years.
Like many college students, money was tight for Jordan Vidal. The now 25-year-old realized his student loan, and part-time job weren’t enough to cover rent, partying, and grocery shopping.
So, he created a system that kept him full for free, Metro reported.
His freebie food hack started at a Cardiff casino on Mondays. After he learned casino members had access to a complimentary Chinese buffet with soft drinks, he signed up for free and took advantage of the limitless plate rule. He’d be there at 4 a.m. and eat up to four plates.
Jordan Vidal (Jordan Vidal)
That sustained him throughout the day but made it harder for him to get to his 9 o’clock class the next morning.
“After three or four plates of noodles, spring rolls, sticky fried rice, and sweet and sour chicken, I’d have eaten enough to keep me going through the next day,” he recalled.
“I had so much to eat that when I woke up, I still felt full,” he continued. “I also had cookies and cakes from the buffet, which I’d eat before university.”
When he finished lectures on Tuesdays, he’d head to the arcades in the town center, where many busy restaurants and cafes were. After building relationships with the cafe owners, he started taking home food that would’ve been thrown away instead.
Jordan Vidal (Jordan Vidal)
“Legally, they have to bin any food that was made fresh that wasn’t sold, even if it’s perfectly fine to eat,” Vidal explained. “I’d ask if they were going to throw anything away. And if they did, they’d give it to me.”
Vidal said his fridge was constantly stocked with sandwiches, cookies, and slices of cake. He was rarely turned away and would almost always go home with plenty of food. Staff members eventually got to know him and would sometimes bag up his food in advance.
His routine was the same on Thursday evenings.
The weekend was all about local takeaways. Vidal took home food from spots on Cardiff’s Caroline Street, known locally as Chippy Lane. The street hosts a variety of fast-food restaurants that are open until the early morning hours.
On Friday and Saturdays nights, he took home free chips, burgers, and chicken burgers.
“I would eat it all,” he said, also stating that he doesn’t like wasting food.
Two years of free food helped him grow his confidence.
“I put myself out there,” he said. “My mum has always told me—you have to bite the bullet. The worst thing they can say is ‘no.’ My confidence grew as a result.”
“If you can go out and embarrass yourself like that, then you can go on and do it in other situations,” he continued. “And it gets easier each time. It’s definitely worth a try.”
Ultimately, the once-struggling student was able to save up some cash while eating for free, graduating with about $4,150 in savings he made from a part-time hospitality job.
Trina Announced As the Brand Ambassador of NYAK Cognac
NYAK Cognac has announced that rapper, radio show host, and reality TV superstar Trina has been named the newest global brand ambassador for the Black-owned brand. Trina joins rapper and entrepreneur Young M.A., who is already connected with NYAK Cognac.
“I am proud to announce my new partnership with NYAK Cognac—as it is synonymous with both my music and lifestyle, says Trina in a written statement. “I’m always the one that’s making sure everyone else is having a good time, which usually involves having a good drink or two. It’s important to align myself with brands that make sense—plus, this drink is smooth, and the company is Black-owned.”
Business mogul and CEO of Detroit Equities Dennis McKinley, the former VP for Rémy Cointreau; Patrick Charpentier; and Jerome Hyafil, a former EVP, Seagram’s Spirits and Wines, came together to create NYAK Cognac. The brand is now the fastest-growing cognac brand in U.S. history, with an unprecedented 1,000% annual growth rate. NYAK is now in the top 10 of leading cognacs and growing.
“Trina is an artist who has established herself as a dominant force in hip-hop,” says McKinley. “She’s one of the most consistent female rappers, who has also had career highlights in television [Love & Hip Hop Miami] and high-profile features with Mulatto, Rick Ross, Yo Gotti, Lil’ Wayne and more—we are excited to have her on board as a brand ambassador.”
“NYAK is premium cognac, and I’m so happy to be a part of the family,” Trina adds. “I’m looking forward to a long partnership that will allow everyone to truly experience this brand firsthand.”
Trina will start to make promotional appearances on behalf of NYAK Cognac across media platforms beginning this month.
It’s been an exciting year so far for the rapper who recently announced that she is engaged to rapper Raymond Taylor.
Blue Ivy Becomes Youngest VMA Winner at 9 Years Old
Leave it up to Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s eldest daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, to make history as the youngest winner of a Video Music Award.
On Sunday night, Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” took home the VMA for Best Cinematography. With Blue Ivy being credited on the song, she also received her own VMA for the feature, E! Newsreports. Blue Ivy appears on the song with her mom, Saint Jhn, and Wizkid.
Blue’s vocals are heard during the song’s opening and again at the end. The celebrity kid also appears in the music video alongside her famous mama. The song was featured in The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack, released in 2019.
The video debuted in Beyoncé’s 2020 Netflix film, Black Is King. It’s the third award for Blue Ivy after the song won a Grammy earlier this year for Best Music Video and a BET Award last year when Blue Ivy was just 8 years old, CNNreports.
Blue Ivy became the second-youngest Grammy winner when the video snagged an award earlier this year. She was one year older than singer Leah Peasall, who made history as the youngest winner when her group The Peasall Sisters took home the highest honor Album of the Year in 2001.
Blue and Beyoncé beat out a string of A-listers for the accolade. Other nominees included Lady Gaga’s “911,” Justin Bieber’s “Holy,” Foo Fighters’ “Shame Shame,” Lorde’s “Solar Power,” and Billie Eilish’s “Therefore I Am.”
Beyoncé skipped out on attending this year’s VMAs. But Pose choreographer Twiggy Pucci Garçon made sure to give Queen Bey and Blue their flowers on Twitter.
“Come on for Brown Skin Girl winning. And Bey makes sure to throw Blue Ivy in them credits bay.”
Report: U.S. Suffers Loss of Nearly $23 Trillion in Racial Inequality Over Last Three Decades
Here is a breathtaking statistic: Disparity in jobs, education, and income have cost the nation’s economy nearly $23 trillion during the past three decades, a new report shows.
And just as stunning, the number could potentially rise higher as minority populations grow bigger, according to findings from a paper discussed at the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA) conference this month.
The authors—all tied to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco—examined differences from 1990 to 2019 among white, Black, and Hispanic men and women aged 25 to 64. They analyzed disparities in employment, educational attainment, hours worked, the extent to which people are in jobs that fully use their education, and earnings gaps not made clear by those factors.
The new research comes after other recent reports showing how racial inequality has hindered both minorities and the overall U.S. economy. For instance, $290 billion would be created in Black wealth if the revenue gap between Black-owned and white-owned businesses were equal.
Dana Peterson, a Black woman who is chief economist for The Conference Board and a former global economist for Citigroup, took part in a report last year that revealed closing racial gaps would have amassed an extra $16 trillion in the U.S. economy since 2000.
As part of their BPEA report, the authors wrote, “The opportunity to participate in the economy and to succeed based on ability and effort is at the foundation of our nation and our economy. Unfortunately, structural barriers have persistently disrupted this narrative for many Americans, leaving the talents of millions of people underutilized or on the sidelines. The result is lower prosperity, not just for those affected, but for everyone.”
They added that future output is potentially likely to be impacted more as large minority groups— like Hispanics—are expected to keep growing.
“Given that the population share of racial and ethnic minorities continues to rise, the gains will only grow in the future,” the authors wrote. “More equitable allocation of talent by education, employment, and jobs improves innovation, invention, and entrepreneurship, which set the foundation for growth today and growth in the future.”
‘Doctor Who’ British Actress Tanya Fear Reported Missing by Family
Word coming out of Los Angeles is that a British actor has been reported missing after not being heard or seen since last week.
The actress, Tanya Fear, who has had a role in Doctor Who, was reported missing last Thursday by her family after being seen last in Los Angeles.
The lack of communication has friends and family worried, and her manager has confirmed that she has been reported missing as no one has seen her since Sept. 9.
My friend Tanya has gone missing in the LA/Hollywood Bowl area. She hasn’t been seen since 9th September 2021. If anyone has any useful information please call (626)-232-8616 #FindTanyaFear . Would appreciate if those in the area or with reach in that area RT❤ pic.twitter.com/dmqwKdOlSh
According to KABC, friends and family of Fear are asking for the public’s help locating the actress who starred in the British TV series Doctor Who and had a role in the film, Kick-Ass 2. She had just recently moved to Los Angeles and has been missing for several days. Fear also recently launched a standup comedy career.
Fear, who was last seen last week at the Trader Joe’s on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, lives near the Hollywood Bowl.
The Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that a missing persons report was filed on Sept. 9.
This account is dedicated to finding our beloved Tanya Fear who went missing in the Hollywood Bowl area on 9th Sep 2021. Tanya has a distinct British accent, is 5ft4, weighs about 140lbs, brown eyes, black hair and her hair looks like the picture below. #FindTanyaFearpic.twitter.com/ntTrhaR1pv
Fear’s manager, Alex Cole, stated that he spoke with her just over a week ago, and she was fine.
“Since she’s been here, she’s had a great career and this is just the beginning,” said Cole. “We’re obviously concerned, and (hope) we find out this is a simple mistake, and we find her.”
If there is anyone with any information about her whereabouts, they are urged to contact LAPD or reach out to the Twitter account set up by her friends @FindTanyaFear.
