Biden says he’s considering this woman politician as his VP

Former Vice President Joe Biden added Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s name to the list of women he is eyeing for his running mate.

Biden, who said previously he would choose a female vice president, told MSNBC’s Brian Williams that he has been weighing Whitmer, along with a handful of other female vice-presidential possibilities, for several months but would ultimately narrow it down and pick a candidate this month.

Michigan Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Biden is also considering Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) and Stacey Abrams, the former minority leader of the Georgia state House, among others.

“She made the list in my mind two months ago,” Biden told Williams about Whitmer. “There’s probably going to be a list, I’m in the process of — Brian, we’ll have it by mid-April, putting together an organization that will run the background checks … by the second or third week in April.”

“I’ve thought about some of the women who I believe are ready to be president and I think I can work with and would be willing to work with me. It’s going to be somewhere between six and 10 of them,” Biden added.

Former Georgia governor candidate Stacey Abrams and former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris. (Photo: Getty Images)

As Michigan governor, Whitmer may be particularly appealing as she is a well-liked governor who heads up a must-win swing state for Democrats come November. Whitmer endorsed Biden ahead of her state’s Democratic primary and helped him score a victory over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Whitmer has also proven that she is tough and unafraid to take it to President Donald Trump, who she has publicly criticized for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Facing a dangerous abdication of leadership from Donald Trump during this pandemic, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been a tenacious fighter for Michigan families,” Biden released in a statement.

“Donald Trump could learn a thing or two from Governor Whitmer — speed matters, details matter, and people matter.”

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IRS rule requiring tax returns for coronavirus checks sparks pushback

The IRS is requiring retired seniors, people drawing disability and other groups to file a “simple” tax return in order to receive their one-time payments from the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus plan.

On IRS.gov, the agency said distribution of the economic impact payments will start in the next three weeks, but cautioned that “some people who typically do not file returns will need to submit a simple tax return to receive the stimulus payment.”

The stimulus package provides one-time payments of up to $1,200 to some adults and $500 per child.

READ MORE: Trump signs historic $2.2 trillion stimulus bill amid COVID-19 crisis

US currency. (Photo: Adobe Stock)

This news didn’t go over too well for roughly 40 Democrat and Republican congressional leaders who joined forces in asking the Trump administration to eliminate this requirement.

“This filing requirement would place a significant burden on retired seniors and individuals who experience disabilities,” Richard Neal (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, wrote in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul.

“Crucial filing resources, like Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly, are not available to provide assistance due to the COVID-19 crisis,” Neal said in the letter.

READ MORE: Republican dragged for complaining about COVID-19 funds for Howard University

Neal also sent off a letter to the Free File Alliance asking the group of tax preparers to work with the IRS to provide free assistance to these impacted groups, according to Fox News.

“I believe that free tax preparation assistance can go a long way in easing the burden on non-filers who may need to file a return and helping our country during this pandemic,” Neal wrote.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), agreed with Neal and is asking the IRS to clarify its stance.

“During this unprecedented time of need, requiring seniors to go through the confusing and laborious tax return filing process before receiving desperately-needed stimulus checks is unacceptable,” she wrote in a news release.

Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, questions witnesses during a House Intelligence Committee impeachment inquiry hearing on Capitol Hill November 21, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images)

“Thousands of seniors across my district do not file tax returns because their main source of income is Social Security. North Country seniors should not have the added burden and stress of figuring out how to file tax returns before receiving the checks that Congress allocated for them. I represent one of the largest constituencies of seniors in the country, and I will continue to be their advocate. This policy must be clarified immediately.”

IRS.gov appears to have been updated to explain that “Social Security beneficiaries who are not typically required to file tax returns will not need to file to receive a payment,” however no updates have been made thus far on other groups expected to file the simple tax form.

The IRS said it will continue to update its site as more information becomes available.

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Self-Grooming Inventor Joshua Esnard Meets A Key Need During The COVID-19 Crisis

Self-grooming has become an unavoidable necessity for millions of Americans across several states as governors and mayors shut down barbershops and salons in an effort to enforce social distancing mandates aimed at limiting the spread of the deadly and highly contagious COVID-19 virus. As a result, self-grooming products for those forced to take a DIY approach to haircare, mani/pedis, and other personal care needs are among the areas of entrepreneurial opportunity emerging from the coronavirus crisis.

St. Lucian immigrant and Shark Tank winner Joshua Esnard is one of those with a self-grooming product to meet a key demand in the current environment. His invention, The Cut Buddy, is a DIY-barbering tool created to help people do their own haircuts and beard trimming.

“I created this when I was a kid,” says Esnard, who was recognized as a 2018 BE Modern Man of Distinction. “I couldn’t go to the barber. Either it was too far away, or I couldn’t afford to. Now, with this pandemic, hopefully, my invention can help people feel a little bit better about their haircuts and themselves every day.”

The Cut Buddy is a stencil that, when held against one’s head, allows anyone to give themselves (or someone else) a barber-quality line-up, edge-up, or shape-up to their haircut or beard. Esnard was just 13-years-old when he created the self-grooming product as a solution to the same struggle many people are now challenged with during the current pandemic: “How can I cut my own hair?” After numerous failed attempts and mangled hairlines, Esnard traced out a stencil that would prevent him from making errors and give him crisp, barber-quality results.

Patented in 2015 and released in 2016, a YouTube influencer campaign helped The Cut Buddy go viral, with 4,000 units sold in just one hour. Esnard says that PayPal’s fraud system automatically froze his account because the large and sudden increase in cash flow triggered a shut-down designed to prevent suspected money laundering.

Since its viral release, The Cut Buddy self-grooming tool has been featured in GQ, Forbes, NBC’s The Today Show, NPR, and Black Enterprise. Esnard went on the ABC hit television show Shark Tank and struck a deal with Daymond John, giving up 20% of the company for $300,000. The Cut Buddy has since partnered with Andis Co. Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of electric clippers and other tools for professional barbers and hairstylists. Esnard says that as of the end of 2019, over 500,000 Cut Buddy haircut stencils have been sold worldwide.

In response to the current crisis, The Cut Buddy and The Cut Buddy PLUS are available at a 15% discount at checkout at TheCutBuddy.com with the promo code: DIY2020. The self-grooming products are also sold on Amazon. Esnard, now 33, looks back on his self-grooming invention of two decades ago and how it might be more helpful now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, than ever before. “It’s only a haircut tool, but I’ve seen how much it means to people to feel good about how they look every day,” he asserts. “I hope this can help people’s lives feel a bit more normal.”

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This Clothing Boutique Is Selling African Print Face Masks Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

Amid the coronavirus, outbreak, also known as COVID-19, there has been a huge call for donations of medical supplies for healthcare professionals working on the front lines of the crisis. Due to the shortage in necessary materials such as N95 masks and gloves, many doctors, nurses, and other essential workers have been left vulnerable to contracting the virus themselves as they treat patients.

Mississippi-based entrepreneur Alexis Williams is the founder of a local African and Hawaiian inspired clothing boutique called Aloha Glamour. In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Williams started selling reusable face masks with Ankara prints for use as protective measures against the spread of COVID-19.

“My masks are 100% cotton, reversible, reusable and machine washable,” says Williams in a statement “My masks are not meant to replace surgical masks, but it is a contingency plan for those who don’t have the ability to get surgical masks because of the shortage. It is not medical-rated, but it is good enough to filter other hazardous particles and bad smells. The response to it has been overwhelming and we want to do anything we can to help out.”

While the masks are not N95 certified, they are big enough to wear on top of the mask, which helps with keeping your hands off your face. For every face mask sold, Williams will be donating a free one to local healthcare workers.

“I decided to encourage my other customers to help provide masks for those on the front line in this pandemic battle,” Williams said. “I asked them to make contributions so my business could provide face masks for someone in public service for free. Several of my customers have responded by donating to help in this important effort.”

 

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@Aloha Glamour is doing our part to help curve the spread of COVID 19

A post shared by Aloha Glamour (@alohaglamour) on Apr 1, 2020 at 7:33am PDT

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Black Businesses Are Struggling To Adapt To The Coronavirus Crisis

The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has caused economic devastation across the country. Small business owners have been some of the hardest hit by the fallout after many cities issued mandatory stay-at-home orders, closing down all non-essential businesses to contain the virus. The health crisis has created a looming threat specifically for black business owners who make up 4.3% of business owners in the U.S and who are at a disproportionate disadvantage when it comes to securing small business loans.

“There’s this old saying, ‘When America catches a cold, black America catches pneumonia,’” Ron Busby, president and CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers Inc. told HuffPost.

Many businesses have had to halt their operations completely while others are taking advantage of other streams of revenue through digital content. The need to adapt to the changing landscape has pushed many entrepreneurs to go into crunch mode if they expect to keep afloat during a difficult time. Social media has also provided a way for independent businesses to stay connected to their customers with the use of Instagram Live streams.

“I’m hearing from people that are already feeling the crunch and are even going to feel it more in the next couple of weeks,” Busby said. “But I’m excited that our firms that are prepared, are taking this time to be locked away in their own homes, are really trying to think about their businesses and how they’re going to come out of this.”

Other businesses are seeing an increase in business as a result of the virus outbreak. OneUnited, the largest black-owned bank in the country, has seen a huge increase in its virtual banking since the start of the pandemic.

“To some degree, we’ve seen a positive impact, and I say this cautiously, because it’s still early, but we think that people are becoming much more comfortable with doing business online,” said President and CEO Teri Williams. “We’re seeing an increase in customers. Also, people are trying not to go into branches. Our online business is actually growing, but it’s early in this whole experience.”

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