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Groundbreaking treatment has officially been conducted in a recent case of HIV. NBC News reports that an American research group may have cured HIV in a woman for the first time ever. Now, the patient has entered a rare club made up of three men who have been cured, or close to being cured, of the disease. Building on past success within the field of HIV research, scientists were able to use a cutting-edge stem cell transplant method anticipated to expand across more patients with HIV in the foreseeable future. With this huge leap toward a cure for a disease that has plagued the U.S. since 1981, the director of the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Carl Dieffenbach, notes that the latest progression “continues to provide hope.”
Have you recently hit pause on your love life? Well, Lyft and Tinder believe it’s time to put moves on your dating prospects while putting them on the move. In an unanticipated yet innovative matchup, the companies partnered on Oct.7 for a new Lyft feature that allows Tinder users to send their date a Lyft ride, according to a Lyft blog post. Outside continues to open back up and the dating app and transportation app have teamed up to assist getting real life connections back in action. “The seamlessly integrated feature encourages thoughtful gestures for those ready to get back out there and meet someone new,” Lyft shared. First impressions are crucial to securing a second date and the two apps are helping their users come in strong into the dating world in regards to in-person dating. This latest feature can be accessed through Tinder’s new Explore hub — where users can now buy a Lyft ride credit for their match to transport them to their special date. The feature’s steps are...
A new grant is underway to preserve historical archives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). According to PR Newswire , the world’s leader in visual communication — Getty Images — is in partnership with the Getty Family and Stand Together to launch the inaugural Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs. Stand Together , a philanthropic community created to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, have partnered with Getty Images in order to digitize a huge part of the visual history of HBCUs. A total of $500,000 will be committed toward the digitization of two HBCU’s photographic archives and includes the digitization of up to 100,000 archival assets per Grant recipient. An opportunity to apply metadata and licensing opportunities to the winning HBCU’s existing digitized libraries will also be available to the selected institutions. “ Black history is American history,” said Grant judge, Aba Blankson, NAACP Chief Marketing and Communications...
Public health has been the most talked about topic of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but today marks another important day for our health and development as we continue to battle the HIV epidemic. World AIDS Day — held on the 1st of December every year — is a global health day that gives people the opportunity to unite in the fight against HIV worldwide and show their support. For this year’s World AIDS Day, media personality, talk show host, and HIV advocate Johneri’O Scott is using his own story living with HIV to help break the stigma in the Black community through his new digital campaign, #IAMNOTHIV. In this newly-launched campaign, Scott opens up about being diagnosed with HIV, challenges placed upon individuals living with HIV, and how he plans to educate communities in Georgia to help spread awareness about the virus. “I want to get my story out there and let people know that nothing can get in your way and nothing can stop you,” he said. “I want to inspire, empower, and...
This week, the National Recording Registry announced that Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” will be archived in the Library of Congress. According to Rolling Stone , the Compton music mogul ‘s debut album is one of 25 recordings deemed “worthy of preservation because of their cultural, historical and aesthetic importance to the nation’s recorded sound heritage.” “The National Recording Registry is the evolving playlist of the American soundscape. It reflects moments in history captured through the voices and sounds of the time,” Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, said in a statement . Other records include Whitney Houston’s Grammy Award-winning single, “I Will Always Love You,” Selena’s 1990 LP “Ven Conmigo,” Tina Turner’s 1984 album “Private Dancer,” and Village People’s disco hit, “Y.M.C.A.” Songs from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” have also been inducted. “We received over 800 nominations this year for culturally, historically or aesthetically significant recordings to add to the...
Across the world, countries like Australia are starting to develop harsher laws targeting online platforms for issues ranging from hate to misinformation and beyond. The downside of those laws is becoming clear, though, as some sites say they’re being falsely reported. Archive.org — a nonprofit that was founded to build an Internet library — saves digital information like old webpages and more. In a blog post , the organization shared that they received over 550 takedown notifications from the European Union. The organization wrote: “In the past week, the Internet Archive has received a series of email notices from French Internet Referral Unit (French IRU) falsely identifying hundreds of URLs on archive.org as ‘terrorist propaganda’…It would be bad enough if the mistaken URLs in these examples were for a set of relatively obscure items on our site, but the French IRU’s lists include some of the most visited pages on archive.org and materials that obviously have high scholarly and...
Chinese gay dating app, Blued, has stopped registration for new users for a week after underage users contracted HIV from dates set up through the app, according to reporting by Caixin Global. In September, China reported a 14 percent increase in the number of HIV cases in the country, with 40,000 new cases being reported by the second quarter of the year. Blued, the largest networking app for the LGBTQ community, has been cracking down on underage users and is using artificial intelligence to rid the platform of pornography. “Blued always forbids juveniles from logging on and using the app,” Blued said in a statement on its Weibo account. According to Caixin, Blued’s lack of age verification methods made it easy for underage users to create profiles on the app. Blued currently has 40 million users worldwide, and is also the owner of another popular gay dating app, Grindr.
Six years after opening, a Philadelphia, PA, pizza shop continues its mission of providing a fresh start and making life easier for former inmates . According to NBC News, the seven-member staff at Down North Pizza consists entirely of formerly incarcerated individuals, including executive chef Michael Carter. Carter was searching for a new beginning after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic and selling barbecue meals off his porch. “When I add up the guys who work here, it’s about 63 years incarcerated. So it’s like we understand each other, where we come from,” Carter told NBC. “We had the same barriers when we came home, like whether it be employment, housing, health care — we all had to figure it out.” Carter was one of the first hires at Down North with experience in the kitchen, AFROTECH™ previously reported. Childhood friends Kurt Evans and Muhammed Abdul-Hadi founded the North Philly staple, hoping to reduce recidivism rates in the area. The restaurant serves pizza,...
The Grammy Awards marked a major moment for Beyoncé — and her Spotify streams. After taking home the Album of the Year award for the first time on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 — following four previous nominations without a win — the singer’s eighth studio album “Cowboy Carter” saw a 795% increase in streaming on Spotify compared to the previous day, according to Variety. Tracks such as “My Rose” and “Oh Louisiana” experienced a 175% increase, while “Ameriican Requiem” rose by 170%. “Protector” increased by 150%, “Alligator Tears” by 140%, and “II Most Wanted” by 135%. “I just feel very full and very honored. It’s been many, many years,” Beyoncé said during her Grammy acceptance speech. “I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, for all of the hard work.” Beyoncé’s Album of the Year win made her the first Black woman to win since Lauryn Hill for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” in 1999. The Houston, TX, native also won the Best Country Album...
24-year-old Naomi Girma has landed a historic deal! The young soccer star was drafted to the NSWL league back in 2022 as a first-round draft pick selected by the San Diego Wave, notes NBC News. Widely regarded as one of the top defenders in the U.S., she has earned 44 national team appearances and a Paris Olympics gold — now, she’s taking her talents to Chelsea in England. “San Diego Wave has been such an important part of my journey,” said Girma, according to Forbes. “I’ll forever be thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow here and for the incredible relationships I’ve built with my teammates, the sporting staff, and our amazing fans. I’m especially grateful to ownership and Cami for supporting my dream of playing in Europe. San Diego will always hold a special place in my heart, and I wish nothing but the best for the team moving forward.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Naomi Girma (@naomi_girma) Reflecting on her transition, Girma commented, “I mean, this...
Despite pressure from a conservative group, Apple is going against the grain. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Meta announced a hard stop to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and will no longer maintain its DEI team, effective immediately. The company stated it intended to place its attention “on applying fair and consistent practices to mitigate bias for everyone, regardless of their background.” “The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of human resources, said in a memo. “The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI. … The term ‘DEI’ has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others.” Meta now joins companies including Amazon, Walmart, and McDonald’s in retracting their DEI efforts...
Fanbase, founded in 2018 by Isaac Hayes III, is rapidly climbing the charts in the App Store. The Atlanta, GA-based social media company allows users to not only create content but also get paid through various mediums, including video, photos, audio, and stories, its website mentions. Additionally, through subscriptions valued from $2.99 to $99.99, users can further support creators in exchange for exclusive content. “For people who value content and community, Fanbase is a free-to-download, free-to-use, next-generation social network that allows any user to earn money from day one,” the company website reads. Moreover, users not only have a chance to participate in Fanbase but can also opt-in to become an investor. For a minimum amount of $399, users make an investment that will be “speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk , including the possible loss of your entire investment.” “I’m the only Black-founded start-up social media app that’s currently in existence...
The workforce is shifting in ways we’ve never seen before, and 2025 is the year to be strategic. From AI jobs changing the future to frontline roles making a major comeback, the opportunities are out there — but thriving in this market requires more than just showing up. “It’s a fresh year, and I know the pressure’s on to hit the ground running,” says Andrew McCaskill. “The job market feels tough right now. Competition is fierce. Black professionals and people of color are facing some unique challenges, from systemic racism to limited access to mentors and sponsors. Despite the challenges, opportunity is still out there, and we always persevere. The key is to work smarter, not harder.” As we explored in a recent AFROTECH™ breakdown of workforce trends, industries like AI, travel, and healthcare are booming, offering new opportunities for professionals ready to pivot or grow. LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise 2025 report takes it a step further by spotlighting 25 of the fastest-growing...
Khabane “Khaby” Lame chose to give back to his family as one of his first acts of success. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Lame was once a factory worker in Chivasso, Italy, barely earning enough to make ends meet. He also worked several other jobs, driven by his commitment to support his family. “Before TikTok , I was working in a factory. I had a lot of different jobs,” he told People. “I was helping support my family — three little brothers, one older brother, and my parents. Then my world changed completely. It’s a whole different life now.” Lame’s circumstances took a dramatic turn for the better, all thanks to social media. What began as a simple hobby — silently reacting to memes and viral videos — quickly evolved into a life-changing platform for his unique, wordless humor. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Khabane Lame (@khaby00) Lame would soon find social media stardom, amassing 162.4 million followers and 2.5 billion likes on TikTok alone, along with an...
Houston,TX, native and 32-time Grammy award-winning recording artist Beyoncé put on a halftime show performance at the NFL’s Christmas Day football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. She performed several hits from her most recent album, “ Cowbo y Carter” which pays homage to the often-forgotten Black history of country music . Mrs. Knowles-Carter, dressed in all-white cowboy regalia, sat atop a white horse led by a Black cowboy for her grand entrance onto the field. She was joined by backup dancers and the third-ward Texas Southern University marching band, Ocean of Soul. They delivered a “ Homecoming” -esque show that featured songs like “Blackbiird,” “Sweet Honey Buckiin,” and “Leviis Jeans,” which she collaborated with Post Malone, Shaboozey , Tanner Adell, Britney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts on. As noted by Forbes, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” World Tour earned over $600 million in revenue. While she has yet to announce concert dates for her “Cowboy...