Since early May, the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has experienced devastating floods due to torrential rain which also lead to AI-generated misinformation. At one point, the region saw four months’ worth of rainfall in just three days. This catastrophe has left over half a million people displaced and much of the state capital still submerged weeks later. It is the worst flooding disaster in Brazil’s history, with the ongoing rainy season likely prolonging the situation. AI-Generated Misinformation Spreads Amid Crisis Amid the chaos, misinformation has flourished with
Uncle Nearest is the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in history, driving a business worth $1.1 billion, according to Forbes and ISWR data. Uncle Nearest Black woman-owned distillery Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey was launched in 2016 by Fawn Weaver and quickly ascended to global recognition. The company’s rise is a tribute to Nearest Green, the first-known African American master distiller who taught Jack Daniel the secrets of distilling. Expanding its presence to over 30,000 stores, bars, hotels, and restaurants across 12 countries, the business also has a 432-acre distillery in Shelbyville,
Sponsored by Karat Brilliant Black Minds. I’ve been to a lot of conferences in my 22+ year career as a software engineer and career coach, but it took a bit of experience to figure out which ones were good for me and how to get an outsized return on my investment. When done right, the best conferences are where you can learn cutting-edge skills, make connections that can change your career, and find incredible new opportunities. Here’s how to make the most of them. Why go to tech conferences? We
The Senate is considering a bipartisan bill to establish Black Wall Street as a national monument. Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced Senate Bill 3543 to create the Historic Greenwood District—Black Wall Street National Monument. This initiative aims to honor the legacy of Tulsa’s Historic African American Business District and commemorate the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Honoring Black Wall Street’s Legacy In 1921, white mobs attacked and destroyed Black Wall Street, a thriving Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Originally, the state recorded 36 deaths, but a 2001 state commission reported that
Brand new Techish! Hosts Abadesi and Michael dive into: Starbucks and Apple are in their flop era Women on Bumble no longer have to make the first move Bank of America employees to strike following death from overwork The decline of the UK Listen on Spotify or Apple podcast also. Watch On YouTube
Donna Summer’s estate has reached a settlement with Kanye “Ye” West and Ty Dolla $ign over claims that they unlawfully used Summer’s classic hit “I Feel Love.” According to Rolling Stone, the settlement comes after the estate accused the artists of “blatant theft” in their song “Good (Don’t Die)” from the album Vultures 1. Legal Battle and Settlement The lawsuit, filed in February by Summer’s estate, alleged that West and Ty Dolla $ign, whose legal name is Tyrone Griffin Jr., copied significant portions of Summer’s iconic track without permission. The legal complaint detailed
OpenseedVC has reached the first close of its $10 million fund for operator-led startups in Africa and Europe. Founded by former Octopus Ventures and Oxford Seed Fund investor Maria Rotilu, OpenseedVC is a new solo General Partner (GP) that aims to be the first check for startups. OpenSeedVC: Filling a Crucial Funding Gap According to Sifted, Rotilu is Europe’s first Black solo GP and one of the first female solo GPs in the region. Rotilu’s strategy with OpenseedVC is to back startups even earlier than the pre-seed stage, at a
Viola Davis, journalist Joy Reid, and radio host Charlamagne Tha God are among the partners that have teamed up with The Grio founder David A. Wilson and tech leader Brandon John-Freso to launch ALTR. ATLR pronounced ‘alter’, is a personal development app tailored to the Black community. A Collaborative Vision for Empowerment ATLR aims to provide short-form audiobooks by Black luminaries and authors. It is currently open for early access sign-ups and is scheduled for an official launch in late 2024. The development of ALTR is in collaboration with JuVee Productions, founded by Davis
NBA legend Charles Barkley has pledged a $1 million donation to St. Mary’s Academy, where two high school students, Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Johnson, claimed to have solved a mathematical mystery. The duo’s work, unveiled at the American Mathematical Society’s Annual Southeastern Conference, presented a new proof of Pythagoras’ theorem that many mathematicians thought impossible. Jackson and Johnson have submitted their discoveries for final peer review and publication. NBA Legend Charles Barkley’s Donation After learning about their achievement during a segment on CBS’ “60 Minutes” featuring St. Mary’s Academy, Barkley was deeply moved
Irving L. Peddrew III, the first African American admitted to Virginia Tech, has passed away at the age of 88. Breaking Barriers in Education In 1954, Irving Peddrew made history as the first Black student admitted to Virginia Tech, a historically white, four-year public institution in the former states of the Confederacy. Despite the milestone, Peddrew faced a level of adversity, including being forced to live and eat off campus due to segregation. He found a home with a Black couple, Janie and William Hoge, who supported him during his
