Maryland Receives 500K Coronavirus Testing Kits
Vol. 55, No. 28 • April 23 - 29, 2020
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Biko Sheridan Wins 38th Annual For Some of the Smaller HBCUs, Coronavirus Could Be Fatal Blow Washington Informer Spelling Bee Revenues Dwindle as Pandemic Takes Hold District Fifth Grader Becomes Prestigious Competition’s Youngest Champion
By Sarafina Wright WI Contributing Writer The coronavirus pandemic is not only causing a financial strain for everyday Americans and small businesses but also for higher education institutions who were already facing financial woes. Many of those schools, in particular, are historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which are often underfunded, have smaller endowments than their white counterparts and an overall finite amount of resources. In the heart of Columbia, South Carolina, stands Benedict College, a small Black liberal arts school founded in 1870 by Northern Baptists as a teacher’s college. Officials there say the school expects to lose $2 million in housing refunds out of a $52 million budget since the pandemic has forced students to prematurely evacuate dormitories.
5 Biko Sheridan, 12, a fifth-grade student at Mundo Verde Public Charter School in Northwest, with his dad Chris, celebrate winning Washington Informer Charities’ 38th annual Spelling Bee held at the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME) in Northwest on February 29. The Spelling Bee was televised on April 19. (Ulrich Funoa/The Washington Informer)
By James Wright WI Staff Writer @jamesdcwrighter Biko Sheridan, 12, a fifth-grade student at Mundo Verde Public Charter School in Northwest, won the 38th Annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee – besting 30 competitors from other District schools to emerge as the youngest person in the history of the spelling bee to win the citywide contest. NBC4 and the District Knowledge Network, an affiliate of OCTFME, aired the competition on April 19 which took place
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While Struggling Americans Await $1,200 Stimulus, Wealthiest Reap Windfall By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
earlier at the studios of the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment [OCTFME] in Northeast on Feb. 29. Normally, Biko would go on to represent the District at the Scripps National Spelling Bee originally scheduled to take place in National Harbor at the Gaylord Hotel during the week of May 24. But the event – that is, the nation finals – has been canceled due to the coronavirus and ongoing stay-at-home orders. Biko, following his victory, talked about his pride in winning.
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Benedict College President Roslyn Clark Artis said the school is under financial stress and is looking for ways to cut costs, which inevitably may result in layoffs. “We have to think clearly about the future of the institution,” Artis said. “The notion of refunding an amount this significant would cripple the institution, there’s no doubt.” In Daytona Beach, Florida, Bethune-Cookman University, another small, historically Black institution, has been hit hard by the pandemic. Like Benedict, dormitories are a significant source of revenue for the college. Gregory Price, professor of economics at the University of New Orleans, said the absence of students in residential on-campus housing could result in a severe revenue shock. “Bethune-Cookman is obligated to spend about $306 million to pay off debt it took on to build a new dorm,” Price said. “If
While struggling individuals and families look forward to a $1,200 federal stimulus check, America’s wealthy have again made off with most of the cash. The $2.3 trillion coronavirus stimulus package includes a temporary tax change for individuals who make at least $1 million a year, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. The committee’s analysis shows 43,000 taxpayers in the highest income bracket who make more than $1 million a year could save a combined $70 billion in taxes. Almost all benefits from the tax break go to people making 5 (Courtesy of pymnts.com)
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Celebrating 55 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area
