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Fifth Ward Nonprofit Helps Provide 21,000 Meals for the Elderly
On April 13, Julia C. Hester House became a food sorting site for the Houston Food Bank and Harris County Precinct One serving seniors living in a food desert.
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Nonprofits Hit by 6% Decline in Giving Due to COVID-19
If Trend Continues for the Rest of 2020, Nonprofits Will Lose More than $25 Billion
Giving to charitable organizations is down by 6% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same time last year, according to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s 2020 First Quarter Report.
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“Tyler Perry's Palace of Versailles Mansion Sells To Steve Harvey”
Inventive, creative powerhouse Tyler Perry has charmed his film fans with his acting, writing and production skills generating massive wealth over $600 million well before the age of 50. He has homes in the Bahamas, Wyoming, Texas, Mulholland Estates in Los Angeles (currently on loan to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle), but chooses to live and work in Georgia on his 1,100-acre property where his film studios are located. Partial to the Atlanta area, his longtime home was a palatial mansion in the Paces Ferry community of Buckeye, which he built in 2007 on 17acres of prime land overlooking the Chattahoochee River. When he sold it for $17.5 million in 2016, it was the highest-priced home in the history of the city. That buyer has sold it once again for $15 million - still the highest-priced home in Atlanta.
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Uncle Nearest And Jack Daniel's Join Forces To Launch The Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative To Increase Diversity In American Whiskey Industry
Together the Two Tennessee Distilleries Have Pledged $5 Million to Advance African American Leadership in Whiskey
The Jack Daniel Distillery and the Nearest Green Distillery announced today the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative to further diversity within the American whiskey industry. Both companies are supporting it equally with an initial combined pledge of $5 million to help create the Nearest Green School of Distilling, develop the Leadership Acceleration Program (LAP) for apprenticeships and establish the Business Incubation Program (BIP), focused on providing expertise and resources to African Americans entering the spirits industry as entrepreneurs.
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Report: Nursing Homes Facing Financial Crisis
Medicaid covers more than 60 percent of all nursing home residents and roughly 50 percent of costs for long-term care services and support. (The Center On Budget And Policy Priorities, 4/14/20) “Nursing homes predominantly care for two groups: short-term post-acute care patients with Medicare coverage and long-term residents with Medicaid coverage. Medicare is a relatively generous payer, whereas Medicaid often pays below the cost of caring for these frail and medically complex individuals.” David C. Grabowski, PhD, Harvard Medical School & Vincent Mor, PhD, Brown University (Journal Of American Medical Association, 5/22/20)
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Fort Bend Count Has the Highest Census Response Rate in Texas
Fort Bend County has the highest response rate for the 2020 Census among all counties in Texas.
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Clinical Trial Evaluating RLF-100 in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients with Respiratory Failure to Houston Methodist Hospital
RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding AG (SIX:RLF) “Relief” and its U.S. partner, NeuroRx, Inc. today announced that Houston Methodist Hospital is participating in their Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating RLF-100 as a research intervention for critically ill patients with COVID-19 and respiratory failure. RLF-100 is a patented formulation of Aviptadil, (synthetic human vasoactive intestinal polypeptide or VIP), which targets alveolar type 2 cells in the lungs that are a major target of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. VIP is known from numerous animal models of lung injury and lung disease to inhibit inflammatory cytokines and to protect pulmonary epithelial cells that line the air sacs (alveolae) of the lungs.
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Sun Belt cities comprise nearly half of US population growth
The Sun Belt's large metro areas are growing much faster than those elsewhere in the United States, and they are adding more young and old residents than the rest of the nation, according to a new white paper from Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. But most American urban policy is still crafted -- and research is still conducted -- with traditional Northeastern and Midwestern cities in mind, the paper says.
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2U, Inc. Announces $3 Million Scholarship Fund to Expand Access to Tech Boot Camps at 30 Top Universities Nationwide
Scholarships will increase affordability of training programs for historically underrepresented communities in the tech economy experiencing recent job loss or financial hardship
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Houston Launches Staycation Campaign
Houston First Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the Do Something New, #Explore HOU staycation campaign, inviting locals to unwind, relax, and enjoy the perks of vacation without the concern of travel.
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UT Austin Student Riders Launch Virtual Ride to Engage More People and Communities in the Fight Against Cancer
The Texas 4000 for Cancer 2020 summer ride has gone virtual due to risks related to Covid-19. Rather than embark on the annual 70-day ride from Austin to Alaska, the team of University of Texas at Austin students are putting on a virtual ride from May 29 through June 26, 2020, to raise awareness of cancer. Texas 4000 will broadcast live daily and invite the public to make ride dedications and join the riders cycling indoors as we share ride dedications, cancer awareness and prevention information, and feature stories of riders, individuals, families and other organizations engaged in the fight against cancer.
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Weekend Repairs Prompt Bus Shuttles Along Red Line
METRORail service will be interrupted along a section of the Red Line for maintenance work on Saturday, June 13, 2020 and Sunday, June 14, 2020.
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Wrongful Conviction Podcasts Presents: Power to the People
Thursday, June 11th at 5 p.m. EST
In the wake of the recent protests, justice advocate and philanthropist Jason Flom has been flooded with questions from people who are looking for advice on how to use their time, energy and money to make the biggest impact in the fight for equality in our criminal legal system.
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WNBA Statement on Racial Injustice
Remembering George Floyd today on the day of his memorial service. Throughout this unprecedented time, we must address the recent killings and acts of racial injustice. The WNBA opposes racism in all its forms and will work to bring measurable and meaningful societal change.
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Harris County Commissioner Court Approves Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ Eight Criminal Justice Reform Measures
Items Include Three Budget Reallocation Measures, Independent Oversight Board and Expansion of Public Defender Office to Help End the Mass Incarceration of Communities of Color
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Azzad commends Alphabet stockholders for anti-censorship vote
Shareholder proposal asks Google parent to report on government requests to remove content
Azzad Asset Management, a leading socially responsible investment firm, today praised Alphabet shareholders following a strong vote in favor of greater transparency at subsidiary Google. A shareholder resolution sponsored by Azzad and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate--and supported by transparency advocate Open MIC--called on the company to disclose the search terms and content removed at the request of foreign governments. It was presented at the company's annual general meeting held on June 3.
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Coronavirus Shines Spotlight on Healthcare Disparities
The emergence of the devastating Covid-19 crisis has forced every nation and people everywhere to recognize our interconnectedness. This Coronavirus pandemic has shifted the way we live, communicate and do business. It has cost many people their livelihoods and, as of May 28, 2020, infected almost 6 million people globally. Still growing, the heart-breaking number of deaths is more than 350,000, to date. Indeed, all of us are left with an indelible mark and forced to actively adjust financially, psychologically, and emotionally.
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Congressmen Gomez and Ruiz Lead Effort for Additional Community Health Centers Funding
Today, Congressmen Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) and Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) called on House and Senate Leadership to protect and expand funding for Community Health Centers (CHCs), which play a vital role in treating patients, working with local health departments, and fighting the spread of the coronavirus. In a letter led by Congressmen Gomez and Ruiz, 40 California members of Congress urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell to protect the $7.6 billion in funding set aside for CHCs in the Heroes Act and to include an additional $1 billion for telehealth infrastructure projects and $1 billion in emergency workforce funding.
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Six Simple Ways to Bring Calm into Your Home
(When the World Is Full of Chaos)
When we get intentional about creating a calm home environment, we can better cope with the upheaval going on in the world. Karen McGregor says it requires only a few simple changes.
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Support Black Owned Business: New Rendezvous Date App
Rendezvous Date is a new dating service with the goal of bringing matches together in-person sooner than later.* (Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Rendezvous is installing a video service w/in the App that is going live soon.) Rendezvous is for singles who are serious about a relationship and fed up with ghosting, catfishing and penpals. Founder Jason Paul created Rendezvous after one to many frustrating online dating experiences and incorporated features into his app he wished he’d seen in others. What sets Rendezvous apart?

