Category: Uncategorized

T-Mobile Raises Minimum Wage to $20 an Hour
T-Mobile joins a growing list of retailers, restaurants and other service sector businesses that are raising pay, offering signing bonuses and sweetening their benefits packages in response to struggles with hiring and retaining workers. The mobile communication company is raising its minimum wage to $20 per hour for all of its hourly workers. In a statement titled “Making a Great Place to Work Even Better,” CEO Mike Sievert said, “Every single employee at T-Mobile, even our newest team members just starting to build their skill base, should have a competitive wage. So, we have decided to implement a nationwide minimum pay at T-Mobile of at least $20 per hour. This will now apply to every single employee regardless of role, or full-time or part-time status. “This move is about inclusion, and we wanted to draw a line that ensures no employee is left behind,” added Sievert. After the increase in pay, Sievert says that weekly applications jumped from 300 applications a week to 4,000. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, so T-Mobile’s new base pay is almost 2.5x higher than the federal minimum wage. Image source: Walton Signage

Civil Rights Pioneer Claudette Colvin Has Juvenile Record Expunged at 82 Years Old
Judge Calvin Williams of Montgomery, Alabama, was not even born yet when 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a White person. 66 years later, Williams was able to expunge the record of that incident and clear Colvin’s name, adding that he knows he has benefitted from the civil rights pioneer. "I want to thank you for your courage. Your courageous act. I want to, on behalf of myself and all of the judges in Montgomery, offer my apology for an injustice that was perpetrated upon you," Williams told CBS. “I’m one of several African American judges in Montgomery,” continued Williams. “That's the uniqueness of this whole circumstance. That she stood up for right, and now I'm the beneficiary and byproduct of that and I can correct the wrong that was done to her. That's the significance of it." Colvin, who is now 82, was arrested at just 15 for refusing to give up her seat to a White person on a bus in Montgomery. The incident came nine months before Rosa Parks' more famous arrest for a similar act of civil disobedience in the Jim Crow era. Colvin went on to join the plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, a 1956 case that made its way to the Supreme Court and led to the end of bus segregation across Alabama. Colvin wanted to be expunged to prove it is possible to “move forward and be better,” she said. "When I think about why I'm seeking to have my name cleared by the state, it is because I believe if that happened it would show the generation growing up now that progress is possible and things do get better. It will inspire them to make the world better." Image source: BBC, CBS

Climber Allowed to Keep $84,000-Worth of Jewels He Discovered on Mont Blanc
A climber who found a trove of emeralds and sapphires on Mont Blanc in 2013 is now allowed to keep half of the stones, according to a Facebook post from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc council. The treasure is worth 150,000-euro ($168,700), and the unnamed French climber is now able to keep his half after authorities were never able to locate the family of the original owner in India. The council will put its share of the stones on display at the Chamonix Crystal Museum, which has been under renovation but is set to reopen on Dec. 19. Two Air India planes crashed into Mont Blanc — one in 1950 and a second in 1966. Authorities believe the gems likely came from the Boeing 707 flying from Mumbai to New York that crashed on the southwest face of Mont Blanc on January 24, 1966, killing 117 people. When the climber discovered the gems, local gendarme chief Sylvain Merly said, “You can say the climber who made this find is someone very honest,” according to a report by The Guardian. “He saw very well that what he had in his hands was something very valuable, realizing straight away that it was precious stones that had been very carefully wrapped.” Image source: CNN

Woman Forms Friendship with 88-Year-Old Uber Passenger, Quits Full-Time Job to Become His Caretaker
Paul Webb called an Uber to take him to a nearby Verizon store to get his phone fixed in March 2020. Jenni Tekletsion picked up the 88-year-old man in her gray Toyota RAV4 at his home in Columbus, Ohio, where he lives alone. “From the start, we really connected,” said Tekletsion. The feeling was mutual. “She was very personable, easy to talk to,” said Webb, who was diagnosed with dementia several years ago and has been unable to drive since having a stroke in 2017. The 52-year-old driver said she could tell how lonely Webb was. “I had a feeling that he needed help. I told him I live nearby his house, so I said, ‘From now on, when you need a ride, just call me.’ I will take care of you,” she told him, giving him her phone number. “He trusted me.” Webb took her up on her offer, and she began driving him to do various errands. She began stopping by just to check on him, and eventually the pair began going to eat together every day. Tekletsion drives for Uber in her spare time to earn additional money to send to an orphanage in Ethiopia — her home country, from where she emigrated to the United States two decades ago. For more than a year, Tekletsion has driven Webb wherever he needed to go, free of charge. This past April, Webb’s health started to decline, so Tekletsion decided to quit her full-time job to become his caregiver. “The hardest part was to build trust with his children,” Tekletsion said. “I explained to them who I am and where I come from, and that I don’t need anything from Paul, but I want to take care of him and help him in his daily life.” Her own father passed away in 2003 in Ethiopia, and she was unable to be there to care for him. Webb’s children eventually came around, seeing that Tekletsion was sincere. “There are people in this world that really care,” said Keith, one of Webb’s sons. Tekletsion’s kindness is “an example of hope generated in a nation that can feel hopeless.” Tekletsion took a 50 percent pay cut to become Webb’s full-time caregiver, but her new job came with “so many other rewards” that surpassed what money could offer. Plus, she added, her husband works three jobs, which affords her some financial flexibility. “She is the real deal,” Keith said of Tekletsion. “She’s been there through everything. I’m just so grateful.” Image source: The Washington Post, ABC6

From Rookie to Record-Smasher, Stephen Curry’s Rise to Three-Point King
Stephen Curry hit his 2,974th three-pointer on Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden, passing Hall of Famer Ray Allen, who previously held the record. And, Curry beat the record in 511 fewer games. The Golden State Warriors went on to beat the New York Knicks 105-96. "It was a beautiful ending to this last week," Curry said after the game. "The buildup to getting this number, it was a special atmosphere. I knew the Garden would deliver just in terms of how iconic this place is -- I can't say it enough, I appreciate so much the way the fans embraced the moment with me and let me kind of get lost in it. I could feel it. Once I took the shot on the wing, it just felt good, looked good -- it felt like we were at home." Curry began his journey to the top of the NBA’s all-time three-pointers list on Oc.t 30, 2009, as a 21-year-old rookie playing in just his second-ever career game. The television broadcaster that night, Gary Bender, called Curry “one of the pure shooters you’re ever going to see coming out of college.” He was right. “He has revolutionized the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing artistry and extraordinary shooting ability,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “We congratulate him on this historic achievement.” Currently in his 13th season with the NBA, Curry has won three championships, two MVP awards and two scoring titles with the Golden State Warriors. He refused to refer to himself as the greatest shooter of all time until the numbers became undeniable. As for now, Curry said: “I got that baby.” Image source: New York Times

Yale Researchers Develop Promising Lyme Disease Vaccine
Researchers at Yale University have developed an mRNA vaccine against lyme disease that triggers an immune response at the site of a tick bite and gives partial protection against the disease-causing bacteria. Currently, there are no commercially available vaccines for lyme disease. This new solution is unique in that it targets the vector of transmission rather than the actual pathogen itself. “Lyme disease is the most common Tick–borne human illness in the United States, leaving an urgent need for either therapies or preventative strategies, such as a vaccine,” said Jacqueline Mathias dos Santos, a postdoctoral associate at the School of Medicine. “Our vaccine is unique in that we don’t actually target the pathogen, we target the vector … instead. This strategy can work for Borrelia because it takes around 24 hours of tick feeding for the pathogen to be transmitted. This offers a unique opportunity to disrupt transmission. Additionally, by targeting the vector, we don’t expect this to drive resistance by the pathogen.” While ticks can be difficult to detect due to their small size, eliciting an immune response at the site of the bite can allow for a quicker removal. Ticks need to stay attached for 24 hours in order to transmit the bacteria, according to Matias dos Santos. The technology for this vaccine has been decades in the making, and has been a joint effort by Erol Fikrig’s laboratory at the Yale School of Medicine and Drew Weissman’s laboratory at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The vaccine has been tested on guinea pigs but has not yet undergone clinical trials. Image source: Yale University

Indiana Attorney Donates $30k in Gift Cards for Families to Purchase Christmas Gifts
Injury attorney Kenneth J. Allen donated $30,000 in gift cards to Northwest Indiana families in need so they would be able to purchase Christmas gifts for their children. Each family received a $100 gift card to Meijer, a supercenter chain throughout the Midwest. Allen worked with Portage and Hammond school districts to distribute gift cards to the most needy families. “I’m passionate about helping others and giving back to the community,”Allen said. “Growing up in Gary and working in the mills and the trades, I’ve seen firsthand the hardship families face when jobs are lost by layoffs or cutbacks which has certainly happened this year due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Good people in difficult times deserve help.” Allen has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to needy families in the Northwest Indiana and Chicago areas, sponsoring programs like Reading Buddies, which promotes child literacy, and the Kidstop program, which provides a safe environment and engaging place for children after school. Image source: Chicago Tribune

Japanese Scientists Use Ostrich Cells to Make Glowing COVID-19 Detection Masks
Japanese researchers have developed masks that use ostrich antibodies to detect Covid-19 by glowing under ultraviolet light. Scientists from the Kyoto Prefectural University say that the masks contain an additional filter within its layers that, when removed and sprayed with fluorescent dye containing antibodies, will glow when placed under UV light if traces of the coronavirus are detected. According to a press release from the university, the team of scientists developed this method by first injecting an inactive form of the COVID-19 virus into female ostriches. Then, they worked to extract antibodies from the eggs of these female ostriches, infusing these antibodies into the fluorescent spray. This discovery could provide a low-cost, at-home testing option for the virus. The team hopes to further develop the masks so that they will glow automatically, without special lighting, if the virus is detected. Image source: Japan Times

7-Year-Old Chicago Girl’s Homemade Bracelets Raise $20k for Hospital’s Pandemic Gear
Hayley Orlinsky makes colorful bracelets by looping rubber bands over her thumb and index finger in a robotic-like fashion. The 7-year-old girl from Chicago spent most of the pandemic making the bracelets and selling them as a way to purchase personal protective equipment for a children’s hospital. So far, Hayley has brought in nearly $20,000 for Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. Her initial goal was just $200 — which she met very quickly — by charging just $3 for a bracelet and $5 for an added charm. She was inspired to help after hearing news stories of PPE shortages during the height of the pandemic. All of the funds Hayley makes go straight to the hospital through a fundraising office. “I want to do it until coronavirus is over,” said Hayley. “It feels like I’m helping a lot of people.” Image source: U.S. News & World Report

Marcus Lemonis Donates $10 Million to His Alma Mater, Including $18k Bonus for Each Employee
Entrepreneur and television star Marcus Lemonis is carrying out a nationwide initiative he started called “The Great American Tip-Off,” where he initially pledged $1 million as the kickstart to a call to action for others to show extra love this holiday season — he has since far surpassed the initial pledge. On Thursday, Lemonis returned to his alma mater, Christopher Columbus High School, where he graduated in 1991. “It’s hot as s*** out here. I know we’re not supposed to cuss — all right — I will try to be brief about this,” said the 48-year-old as soon as he took the stage in front of about 1,600 people during a 9 a.m. school-wide meeting on the football field. “When we think about the people that make this school run, the people that make it tick, the people that take care of the grounds and the classrooms, that teach us, that take care of us, those to me are the most important service providers on the planet,” Lemonis said. “It’s not a glamorous job; it’s not a high-paying job; it’s a job with a lot of stress. “Today, I’ll be providing a $3.1 million tip to everybody who works here. You’ll be sharing it,” he said. “Whether you’re a school teacher, whether you are in the maintenance department — every single employee will receive a check for $18,000.” These bonuses will go to the approximately 145 teachers and 35 support staffers. Omar Delgado, a broadcast teacher at the school, said this life-changing surprise was special for his growing family. His wife is pregnant with their first son. “My son just started with a step forward in life,” said Delgado. The donation will include an additional $7 million to develop new buildings on the school’s campus. Image source: Miami Herald