Morehouse College Partners with Microsoft to Provide New Students with Microsoft Surface 2-in-1 Tablets

Microsoft is making sure that students at Morehouse College have no excuses about not having access to computers. The HBCU has announced that it has initiated a partnership with Microsoft Corp. to address the digital divide. Morehouse and Microsoft launched the initiative to ensure that students in families struggling financially because of the COVID-19 global pandemic will be prepared for a successful transition to college.

“Microsoft is extremely proud to partner with Morehouse College to provide the technology that can bridge the digital divide that has too often stood between students and access to information and education,” said Fred Humphries, vice president of government affairs at Microsoft in a written statement. “We are excited to work with the newest men of Morehouse as they enter the institution and look forward to seeing the impact they can make on their communities and the world.”

The partnership announcement took place over the weekend at Morehouse College’s Virtual Admitted Students Day “MXP.1” on YouTube, the first day of the Morehouse experience for new students and their families.

MXP.1 News – Morehouse is partnering with Microsoft in a campaign to address the digital divide that will equip newly enrolled students for the 2020-21 academic year with Microsoft Surface 2-in-1 tablets that run Windows 10 and can be used in either tablet or desktop mode. pic.twitter.com/nX2goee6W9

— Morehouse College (@Morehouse) April 25, 2020

“The digital divide is another battlefield in the fight for social justice because it is directly linked to income disparities between racial groups,” said David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse College. “Black and brown families are at the lowest rungs of the household income scale.

The digital divide (the gap between those who have access to the internet and technology) is more than likely to impact students of historically black colleges or universities (HBCU). Currently, all Morehouse classes and pre-college summer programs are only available online.

“According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of adults with a yearly household income of $30,000 do not have a computer for themselves or their children to use,” Thomas added. “We are grateful to Microsoft for partnering with us to help level the playing field in technology for our new students.”

Nearly 2,200 students attend Morehouse. The college has enrolled approximately 600 new students during the 2019-20 academic year. Based on statistics, more than 90% of Morehouse students are eligible for financial aid.

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AT&T To Continue to Waive Late Fees and Keep Public WiFi HotSpots Open Through June

The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has been catastrophic for millions of Americans around the country. With over 700,00 jobs lost and over 26 million people filing unemployment, the ramifications from this public health crisis will be felt for years to come.

One of the results of the economic downturn is leniency on reoccurring charges and other household bills. Many major corporations have come out with relief initiatives and new policies that allow more flexibility to assist customers through this difficult time. AT&T was one of the many companies that pledged to help keep its customers connected to their wireless service even if they fell behind as a result of being impacted by the viral outbreak.

This week, the telecommunications giant announced it would be extending its initiative through June 30 amid the COVID-19 crisis. This includes keeping public Wi-Fi hotspots open for anyone who needs them and waiving any late payments fees for postpaid wireless, home phone, or broadband residential or small business customers.

The company will also be delivering 60 days of free and unlimited use of Caribu, an app that enables families to connect through a video-call.

The initiative is in conjunction with the FCC’s Keep America Connected Pledge with numerous technology and telecommunication companies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai recently announced the Keep Americans Connected Initiative as a measure to ensure Americans do not lose their broadband or telephone connectivity as a result of these exceptional circumstances caused by the virus outbreak.

“As the coronavirus outbreak spreads and causes a series of disruptions to the economic, educational, medical, and civic life of our country, it is imperative that Americans stay connected. Broadband will enable them to communicate with their loved ones and doctors, telework, ensure their children can engage in remote learning, and — importantly — take part in the ‘social distancing’ that will be so critical to limiting the spread of this novel coronavirus,” Pai said in a statement last month about the pledge.

Over 700 companies have joined the pledge including CenturyLink, Comcast, and Verizon.

 

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NFL Raises Over $100 Million for COVID-19 Relief During This Year’s Draft

With the National Football League‘s schedule still up in the air for the upcoming season, the league held its annual draft in different settings because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s draft was held virtually and along with the event, the NFL held an online fundraising campaign, “NFL Draft-A-Thon LIVE,” on NFL.com to raise funds to contribute toward COVID-19 relief. According to the NFL, that effort has resulted in the NFL raising more than $100 million.

The viewership numbers for the “NFL Draft-A-Thon LIVE,” averaged more than 5.4 million total daily viewers across multiple digital and social properties. That audience viewed over 46.7 million total minutes of the online fundraiser.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the efforts and collaboration of our clubs, league personnel, and our partners to conduct an efficient Draft and share an unforgettable experience with millions of fans during these uncertain times,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a written statement. “This Draft is the latest chapter in the NFL’s storied history of lifting the spirit of America and unifying people. In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of so many talented young men, we were pleased that this unique Draft helped shine a light on today’s true heroes—the healthcare workers, first responders, and countless others on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19. We are also grateful to all those who contributed to the NFL family’s fundraising efforts.”

Funds raised during the NFL Draft-A-Thon LIVE will help support six national nonprofit organizations and their respective COVID-19 relief efforts. Fans and anyone who wants to contribute to the fund can continue to donate at NFL.com/Relief.

At NFL.com/auction, fans can bid on autographed NFL items and exclusive packages to support COVID-19 relief as well. The NFL does not retain any profits from the sale of these items or experiences. Charitable contributions are donated to the NFL’s nonprofit partners.

“Draft-A-Thon LIVE was presented all three days of the 2020 NFL Draft and available through NFL digital properties across devices (phone, PC, tablet and connected TVs) as well as a number of digital platforms including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Reddit, TuneIn, Yahoo! Sports and more than 100 news websites via SendtoNews.”

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Tupac Shakur Tells Kentucky Governor 'I Ain't Mad at Cha' After Being Accused of Unemployment Prank

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear held a news conference Monday night, and he had an ace up his sleeve: He was going to talk about people filing for unemployment benefits using fake names, and he had a name that everyone knew was faker than the Trump presidency.

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Georgia men drink disinfectant to guard against coronavirus

Two men in Georgia were treated by emergency physicians after allegedly ingesting disinfectants to guard themselves against the coronavirus.

According to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, both men have a history of psychiatric problems.

READ MORE: New York City poison control sees spike in Lysol, bleach exposures in wake of Trump comments

The state has seen a spike in poisonings primarily from people mixing household disinfectants, trying to keep surfaces clean, then inhaling the dangerous fumes. Georgia’s poison control center has seen a doubling of their average monthly calls.

One of the men, in his 50s, told doctors that he drank several ounces of bleach “to prevent COVID,” he was treated, moved to a psychiatric ward, and later released.

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The other man, in his 30s, told doctors that he drank a combination of Pine-Sol, mouthwash, beer, as well as pain medication. He too was treated and released.

Gaylord Lopez, the head of Georgia’s poison control center stated that the pandemic can be particularly hard on the mentally ill.

Last week, President Donald J. Trump questioned whether disinfectants could be used inside the human body, musing if “we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?”

The comments sparked immediate disbelief and outrage. The president later tried to walk back the comments stating that he was being “sarcastic,” before again blaming the media for misinterpreting his remarks.

“I was asking a sarcastic, & a very sarcastic question, to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside. But it does kill it.” — Trump tries to rewrite history, says he was speaking “sarcastically” when he mused about disinfectant injections being cure for Covid. pic.twitter.com/bWRU8EV6FZ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 24, 2020

The remarks prompted Reckitt Benckiser, the UK-based manufacturer of Lysol, a commonly used disinfectant, to issue a warning about the misuse of its products.

“As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion, or any other route).”

Ingestion of household cleaners and disinfectants can be fatal.

READ MORE: Trump suggests injecting disinfectant to treat coronavirus

The president said on Monday that he takes no responsibility for the increase of calls to poison control centers due to people trying to ingest disinfectants. When asked about the increase during a White House news conference, Trump said, “I can’t imagine why.”

Of course, he can’t.

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