Tennessee State University receives $2M to support undergrad and grad students

Lee Johnson
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Tennessee State University receives $2M to support undergrad and grad students

By LEE JOHNSON | Nashville Voice

Tennessee State University has received $2 million in funding to support undergraduate and graduate students.

One million dollars is a grant from the National Science Foundation and will provide 30 scholarships to students who are pursuing master’s degrees in engineering or computer science over five years., according to TSU officials.

“We are strategically focused to increase our enrollment through the graduate program and increase our research activities in advanced materials, cybersecurity, and data sciences and analytics,” said Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering at TSU. “We recently reformed our graduate degree programs in engineering, and this funding will allow us to recruit talented students to pursue a master’s in engineering or computer science.”

As part of the College’s strategic plan, the goal is to increase graduate enrollment by at least 25 percent in areas of research.

In addition to financial support, the program will include cohort building activities, graduate student support services, seminars, summer internships, and mentorship.

Dr. Frances Williams, the project’s Principal Investigator (PI) and associate dean, said the “measures are crucial in providing for recruitment, retention, and graduation of graduate students.”

“This is imperative as the United States is faced with a human resource challenge in its need to produce more domestic scientific and engineering talent with advanced competencies,” she said.

 

The other million dollars is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and will be used to bolster undergraduate students’ interest in agriculture, as well as science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.

In addition to scholarships, TSU officials said the funds will aid students’ professional development by allowing them to “travel to different professional conferences and meetings to gain exposure to what’s being done.”

USDA State Conservationist Sheldon Hightower said the agency is pleased to partner with TSU because it has a “tremendous agriculture program and collaborates with the other STEM colleges to bring the latest innovations and technology to the industry.”

“From a state perspective, we want to engage more students in agriculture,” Hightower added. “Through this partnership agreement with TSU, we hope to develop a well-qualified, diverse applicant pool in STEM to meet the future workforce needs of NRCS and throughout USDA.”

Earlier this year, TSU President Glenda Glover surprised 20 students who visited the university with scholarship offers if they planned to major in a STEM course and have a good grade point average.

Amesa Tidwell, who attends Whites Creek High School in Nashville, was among the students who visited TSU that day.

“I was completely stunned,” said Tidwell, who plans to major in biology. “I had no idea I was going to be offered a scholarship. Thank you TSU!”

Twitter is considering labeling Trump tweets that violate its rules

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Twitter is considering labeling Trump tweets that violate its rules

By Hadas Gold, CNN Business

(CNN) — Twitter is considering labeling tweets that violate its rules but should remain on the platform because they’re in the public interest.

Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s head of legal, policy and trust made the announcement during an on-stage interview with the Washington Post on Wednesday.

The social media company is trying to find a way of maintaining its standards while adding context to tweets from politicians and other figures that may be offensive but are important for public debate.

Twitter has come under fire from some critics who say President Donald Trump’s tweets often violate its rules against bullying, dehumanization and threatening harm.

In response to a question about whether Twitter’s current approach means Trump gets total immunity for whatever he says, Gadde said the social media platform wants to find a way to keep tweets up for their newsworthiness, while also noting if a tweet violates their rules.

“One of the things we’re working really closely on with our product and engineering folks is, ‘How can we label that?'” she said, without naming the US president. “How can we put some context around it so people are aware that that content is actually a violation of our rules and it is serving a particular purpose in remaining on the platform.”

Trump regularly insults people on Twitter. He called a former staffer a “dog” and posted an altered video from a WWE wrestling match showing Trump beating up a man with a CNN logo superimposed on his head.

Though similar tweets by others might be removed for violating Twitter’s rules, the platform currently grants an exemption for world leaders and tweets it considers newsworthy.

Gadde said that doesn’t give leaders complete immunity, and it would draw the line on some content.

“An example would be a direct violent threat against an individual that we wouldn’t leave on the platform because of the danger it poses to that individual,” she said.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how it would go about labeling content or when the new system would be rolled out.

Social media companies have been struggling with how to police speech on their platforms for years, but the pressure has ratcheted up in recent months.

On Wednesday, Facebook announced it was banning all “praise, support and representation of white nationalism and separatism” on Faceboo and Instagram.

The move comes less than two weeks after the suspect in the terror attack at two New Zealand mosques streamed the massacre live on the platform. A manifesto allegedly written by the suspect revealed white nationalist views.

Gadde said Twitter is considering limiting the visibility of dehumanizing tweets. A user would have to click through in order to view the tweet.

This, she said, would “force people to acknowledge what this is and make the choice of whether to see it or not versus it just being on the platform with full visibility.”

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Jordan Peele and the art of being unapologetically black

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Jordan Peele and the art of being unapologetically black

Analysis by Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Call it revenge of the “blerds.”

Jordan Peele, a self-proclaimed “black nerd” who helped to popularize the term as part of the comedy duo Key and Peele, is boldly going where no black man has gone before by conquering the horror film genre.

His sophomore film, “Us,” is out Friday to rave reviews and early awards season buzz for its star, Lupita Nyong’o.

‘Us’ scares up screams and applause at SXSW premiere

The film is on track to make history as the biggest horror film about a black family, written and directed by a black man with a mostly black cast.

Peele is among several successful creatives in Hollywood who are being unapologetically black in their craft.

Along with Peele, “Atlanta’s” Donald Glover, “Insecure’s” Issa Rae, “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris, “Luke Cage” showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker and filmmakers Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler have produced entertainment that showcases the African-American experience as part of the American experience as a whole, while still celebrating the uniqueness of black culture.

Collectively, they have produced content in which they don’t feel the need to give context for mainstream America.

If you don’t get a joke or a reference because it’s too “inside black baseball” as it were, there’s always Google.

They are also reminders of what should be a given but isn’t in a society fractured by debates over race and class: people of color have smart, funny, engaging and relatable stories to tell.

Bringing the flavor

When Peele used the ’90s rap song “I Got 5 On It” by Luniz in his film and trailer, it sparked a conversation on Twitter about the brilliance of transforming a classic hip-hop track into a menacing horror soundtrack.

It was black and it was beautiful.

Peele told EW, “That song, it came pretty simple.”

“I’m making a movie in Northern California, that’s a Bay Area hip-hop classic and I wanted to explore this very relatable journey of being a parent [and] maybe some of the songs you listened to back in the day aren’t appropriate for your kids,” he said. “So that was one level, and another part was, I love songs that have a great feeling but also have a haunting element to them and I feel like the beat in that song has this inherent cryptic energy, almost reminiscent of the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ soundtrack.”

“Those were the ideas that that song hit the bullseye on for me, and also, it’s just a dope track,” he added.

Rise of the ‘blerds’

Momentum for moments like that has been building since the embracing of blerds.

The rise of black nerds was thrust into the spotlight in 2012 by NPR television critic, Eric Deggans.

“For years, we black nerds felt caught between white folks’ expectations that we’d be cooler and black folks’ disappointment that we’re clearly not,” said Deggans, who is also the author of “Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation” and was at the time the TV and media critic for the Tampa Bay Times. “But then, something wonderful happened that turned the image of the black nerd sideways.”

That something, according to Deggans, was the success of argyle sweater wearing rapper Kanye West.

“Look around now and blerds are everywhere, intellectual, rock and roll loving, politics talking, comic book reading black nerds,” Deggans said.

Blerds are a tribe that has endured the, “You aren’t like other black people” wonderment and the surprised, “You are into THAT?” remarks with a polite smile to the face and an eye roll as soon as they turn away.

Black Hollywood

The blerd culture is very similar to what it’s like to be black in Hollywood, where being labeled as the “other” can work both for and against you.

Not only is there the ever looming specter of the lack of diversity (hello #OscarsSoWhite), but black people in Hollywood are almost always held up as representatives of their culture.

If a movie by a black director or starring a majority black cast is successful, invariably there are think pieces published either speculating on or declaring that it’s the beginning of a “golden era” for black films.

Let it flop and the conversation pivots to whether it will now become more difficult to get similar projects made in the future.

Peele has a vision

“Us” on its own is an already critically acclaimed horror film, predicted to scare up major box office receipts.

And while it is not explicitly about race, like Peele’s first film, “Get Out,” there are layers of identity themes in “Us,” which centers on a black family and their murderous doppelgangers.

‘Us’ delivers thrills

It’s the kind of film that needs to be viewed more than once to peel back all that Peele appears to be saying about who we are as a nation.

In a 2017 interview with CNN, Peele said his hope was to make horror films in the vein of two of his favorites, “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Stepford Wives.”

“I consider them social thrillers,” he said at the time. “They’re about gender and the women’s lib movement and that civil rights movement, but they’re also entertaining mysteries. I figured we could make a ‘Rosemary’s Baby/Stepford Wives’ of race.”

With “Get Out” and “Us,” he is well on his way.

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Krispy Kreme owners admit to family history of Nazi ties

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Krispy Kreme owners admit to family history of Nazi ties

By Chris Isidore, CNN Business

(CNN) — The family that owns well-known consumer brands like Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Keurig Dr. Pepper and Panera Bread say their Nazi ancestors used slave labor during World War II.

The Reimann family, which owns the controlling stake in JAB Holdings and is reportedly one of the richest families in Germany, will donate €10 million, or $11 million, to a yet-undisclosed charity after a three-year investigation that it commissioned discovered details of their ancestors’ behavior.

A family spokesperson said Albert Reimann Sr., who died in 1954, and Albert Reimann Jr., who died in 1984, used Russian civilian prisoners and French prisoners of war as forced labor in their factories during the war, and that they were anti-Semites and avowed supporters of Adolf Hitler.

The investigation also found that Reimann Sr. donated to Hitler’s paramilitary SS force as early as 1931.

Investigators also found a letter from Reimann Jr. to a local mayor complaining that the French prisoners of war weren’t working hard enough and should be in prison.

“Reimann Senior and Reimann Junior were guilty. The two businessmen have passed away, but they actually belonged in prison,” said Peter Haft, the chairman and one of the managing partners of JAB Holdings, in an interview with German publication Bild. “We were ashamed and white as sheets. There is nothing to gloss over. These crimes are disgusting.” A family spokesperson confirmed the quote to CNN Business.

The family expects to publish a book next year that will detail the ties.

JAB Holdings, which is based in Luxembourg, also owns Peet’s Coffee, Pret A Manger, Einstein’s Bagels and Coty.

The company acquired most of its best-known brands within the last several years. It took a stake in Coty in the early 1990s, and is the beauty company’s largest shareholder.

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Shame on Nashville: Dr. Shawn Joseph Deserved Better!

The Nashville Voice
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Shame on Nashville: Dr. Shawn Joseph Deserved Better!

Nashville—a city known for its world-famous honky-tonks, southern hospitality, rich tradition of historically black colleges and an inclusive progressive enclave in a red state—will now also be remembered as one MNPS School Board member wrote, “that racist city that forced the first ever Black Director of Metro Schools out of office.”

It’s impossible to isolate the despicable acts of certain members of the MNPS school board from Nashville’s greater collective character.

Last Friday, Joseph was barred from entering a school board retreat as members of the board conspired against him behind closed doors in the presence of a Metro lawyer.

On Monday, it was reported that a school board member intends to file a motion to terminate Joseph’s contract nearly a year before its scheduled ending. On April 9, the school board will conduct a vote to terminate Joseph’s contract.

“After the last board retreat, I realized that my value system no longer aligns with that of some on this board,” Joseph stated in response to the incident.

In the face of his potential forced ousting, Joseph has maintained that he does not plan to resign, although he also has no intentions to renew his contract, which ends in June 2020.

The fight to bring down Shawn Joseph has been slow and painstaking.

In an unexpected letter of resignation, school board member Will Pinkston pointed out the “racially motivated attacks” perpetrated at the hands of “at least one-third of the body” who have acted in a coordinated fashion to dismantle the Joseph administration.

As Pinkston boldly declared in his own words, this school board has repeatedly emanated “the worst of human nature.”

One particularly disgusting incident, which Pinkston rightfully makes specific reference to in his letter, involves a Female White school board member’s decision to incite and encourage masked protests against the embattled director—a threat that felt highly reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan whose roots were begun not very far South of our city.

Perhaps most concerning, is that our progressive city failed to collectively call for that school board member’s resignation. We as an “It City” did not collectively say, “This is not who we are! We are better than that!” Indeed, the elected school board is intended to be representative of Nashville citizens and their values.

Yet no one on the MNPS Board demanded that their colleague be censored or disciplined for highly offensive actions. Instead, she was given the benefit of the doubt that she made an innocent mistake! “Bless her heart, how would she know telling teachers to wear hoods, I mean masks to protest against the first African-American MNPS Director of Schools would be extremely offensive and racist?”

Yet, this same school board member who plead her innocence in wake of her actions offered no such courtesy to Dr. Joseph at any time nor those Board members who follow her. Instead of supporting a director of schools who more closely resembles the increasingly Black and Brown faces of MNPS 86,000 student population, this school board has come to represent and even spearhead some of Nashville’s most unsettling intolerance for powerful people of color.

“Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Shawn Joseph will not be in his job past June 30, 2020, when his contract ends — and he may be ousted by the school board well before then,” The Tennessean’s David Plazas opined in an editorial published Monday afternoon. “That means Nashville is back to the drawing board on seeking leadership, vision, and strategy of its most important agency.”

Plazas got it wrong. This isn’t just about finding another director.

The larger, more pressing issue is that we have a school board who have allowed this travesty to happen. This is deep-seated, self-serving systemic racism that has been executed with precision by people who were elected to serve the people of Nashville.

Joseph has become a fractured school board’s personal ax to grind. And, no Prominent leaders from the business community, Faith community, Education Advocacy Groups nor Political Leaders other than those who look like Dr. Joseph-could stand up in their positions of power to condemn the board’s undue treatment of Joseph.

In the same editorial, Plazas commended Joseph’s strategic priorities to close Nashville’s achievement gaps as efforts that “should be priorities for Joseph’s successor.”

“Given that it took two tries over two years to land the latest schools director and given the acrimonious nature of school board politics, citizens might rightfully ask, who would want the job?” he asked.

Wrong again, Plazas. Given that the entire city watched idly by as one of its most powerful leaders derailed by blatant acts of subservient racism in broad daylight, why would any qualified candidates of color want to even consider Nashville as a great place to uproot and relocate their families?

How can the rapidly growing city of Nashville present itself as welcoming and inclusive to all prospective citizens, including those of color, when our true color showed itself by our silence during the character assassination of the first African-American Director of our Public Schools?

Easy Ways to Be More Eco-Friendly

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Easy Ways to Be More Eco-Friendly

Earth Month, celebrated in April, is a great time to take a look at your daily habits and consider how you can give your lifestyle a green makeover.

To get started, check out these three eco-friendly changes you can make right at home:

Eat Less Meat

On average, it takes 434 gallons of irrigation water to produce 1,000 calories of beef, according to National Geographic. To protect waterways, consider going meat-free more often. These days, there are plenty of great online resources for finding and selecting vegetarian and vegan recipes. Make it fun by making Meatless Mondays a family tradition.

Green Your Car Wash

The way you wash your car matters. Unfortunately, when you wash your car at home, the runoff you create heads straight into storm drains without being treated first. When you use harsh chemicals to clean your car, you’re effectively pouring those elements directly into waterways. Reduce this impact by washing with eco-friendly soap and taking steps to prevent water from entering the gutter. If you bring your car to a commercial car wash, select a facility that recycles the wash water.

Buy Natural

Put your money where your mouth is and make a tangible impact simply by buying and using natural products from brands that are committed to taking care of the planet. One example of a brand doing a world of good is Tom’s of Maine, the leading maker of natural personal care products, which donates a portion of its profits to support nature and healthy families.

The company has been giving back 10 percent of its profits to worthy causes for decades; and has supported hundreds of nonprofits in that time, including The Nature Conservancy. To date, Tom’s of Maine has committed more than $2.8 million to help restore and revitalize waterways in need. Their support has already made an impact, including helping to reduce pollution in the Mississippi River across 11 states and protecting over 5,000 river miles for wildlife nationwide. To learn more, visit tomsofmaine.com/turnthetide.

Compost

Food waste in the U.S. is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. A good portion of that waste goes directly into landfills. By setting up a compost bin at home, you can reduce your contribution to landfills while creating high-quality soil for your garden. Be sure you understand what should and shouldn’t be composted and take steps to create the right mix of scraps for the proper breakdown to take place.

From the products you buy to the foods you eat, your habits can have an impact on the environment. Let Earth Month inspire you to make eco-friendly changes to your routine.

Spring Forward Toward Healthful Eating and Activity!

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Spring Forward Toward Healthful Eating and Activity!

NASHVILLE – Choosing nutritious foods and getting enough physical activity can make a real difference in the health of Tennesseans. During National Nutrition Month® 2019, the Tennessee Department of Health is encouraging everyone to make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits.

“Eating right doesn’t have to be complicated,” said TDH Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “Think about what you want your plate to look like and ask if it incorporates all major food groups. Choose a mix of lean protein foods, vegetables, whole grains and fruits to enjoy a healthful meal, and balance those nutritious foods with physical activity most days of the week.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services physical activity guidelines recommend adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week, including at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities. Being physically active up to 300 minutes per week has even greater health benefits. Children and teens need 60 minutes of activity each day, and it should be fun!

“Look into incorporating physical activity as part of your daily routine,” said TDH Assistant Commissioner for Family Health and Wellness Morgan McDonald, MD. “Take a walk during your lunch hour or after dinner with your family. Do something physical during the weekend like playing basketball with your kids or going dancing with your friends. Tennessee has many beautiful parks and green spaces with walking and biking trails. The goal is to get moving with big decisions or small habits.

Tennessee had the 15th highest adult obesity rate in the U.S. in 2017 at 32.8 percent, up from 20.9 percent in 2000. Data from that 2017 show 39 percent of Tennessee high school students were overweight or obese. One step Tennesseans can take to strive for better health is to cut down on sugar sweetened beverages like sodas and sports drinks, which provide many calories without much nutritional value. Substitute water for these beverages. Eating healthy foods and getting physical activity are also keys to maintaining a healthy weight.

Good nutrition and an overall healthy lifestyle are possible for people of all ages. The first opportunity in life to decrease the risk of being overweight or developing diabetes is breastfeeding, and Tennessee has seen a 21% increase in breastfeeding initiation since 2010. TDH offers resources online for programs and services including WIC, breastfeeding, diabetes management, nutrition and youth run clubs to help support Tennesseans’ efforts to pursue healthful lifestyles.

National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Learn more at www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month/national-nutrition-month.

The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health. 

FTC: Tennesseans Lost Over $18 Million to Scammers, Fraud in 2018

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FTC: Tennesseans Lost Over $18 Million to Scammers, Fraud in 2018

NASHVILLE – Scam artists pilfered over $18 million from Tennesseans in 2018, making the Volunteer State the nation’s fifth-leading state per capita when it comes to complaints about fraud and other scams, according to a new report by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Reports of identity theft also grew in a year’s time, moving Tennessee to 21st in the country in 2018.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs, who are highlighting consumer education during National Consumer Protection Week (March 3-9), urged Tennesseans to renew their efforts to protect their families by learning the “red flags” that might indicate a scammer’s activity and to always report suspected fraud to local law enforcement.

“The FTC’s new report and ranking is a wakeup call for Tennesseans to renew their efforts to protect their families from fraud, scam artists, and identity theft,” said TDCI Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “Scam artists may promise once-in-a-lifetime opportunities but, in fact, they’re ripping off hard- working Tennesseans and their families. If consumers believe they have been victimized by a scammer, they should report the incident to their local law enforcement agencies. Additionally, they can file a complaint through the Division of Consumer Affairs.”

The FTC’s report was compiled from complaints to the FTC’s call center or online as well as complaints filed with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and other organizations. Other Tennessee-related details from the report include:

  • Tennessee’s total fraud losses were $18.4 million with the median loss $345 in 2018; last year, Tennessee’s fraud losses were $13.7 million with the median fraud loss of $444.
  • Tennessee had 53,014 complaints of fraud and other reports compared to 43,579 last year;
  • Memphis ranked 32nd in the FTC’s top 50 metropolitan areas for fraud reports;
  • Memphis ranked ninth in the top 50 metropolitan areas for identity theft reports.

The FTC found Tennessee’s top three complaint areas (debt collection, imposter scams and identity theft) remained unchanged since the 2017 report.

With complaints about debt collectors as Tennesseans’ top complaint area, the Division of Consumer Affairs and the state Collections Board reminds Tennesseans to be wary of unscrupulous and illegal practices of debt collection agencies.

Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse consumers or any third parties they contact. For example, debt collectors may not:

  • Use threats of violence or harm.
  • Publish a list of names of people who refuse to pay their debts (but they can give this information to the credit reporting companies).
  • Use obscene or profane language.
  • Repeatedly use phone communication to annoy you.
  • Contact you at inconvenient or unusual time periods (Between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. is considered acceptable).
  • Contact you at work if the collector knows, or has reason to know, the employer prohibits such communication.
  • Contact you after you provided a notice in writing that you wish the communication to cease.
  • Debt collectors may not lie when they are trying to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    • Falsely claim that they are attorneys or government representatives;
    • Falsely claim that you have committed a crime;
    • Falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit reporting company;
    • Misrepresent the amount you owe.

To check the status of a collection agency’s license, visit verify.tn.gov or file a complaint related to a licensee here.

Pinterest files to go public. Its not-so-secret weapon: Moms

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Pinterest files to go public. Its not-so-secret weapon: Moms

Seth Fiegerman, CNN Business

(CNN) — For years, Pinterest received less media attention — and less scrutiny — than rivals like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Now the company may finally have a moment in the spotlight.

Pinterest, a service that lets users bookmark or “pin” images ranging from recipes to home design, filed paperwork on Friday to go public. It will list on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker “PINS.”

The company set a placeholder target of raising $100 million in the public offering, an amount that will likely change as it begins courting public market investors.

Pinterest is the latest unicorn to stampede toward Wall Street this year. Lyft is currently looking to raise more than $2 billion from its public offering. Slack and Postmates have both filed paperwork to go public. And Uber, the biggest of the group, is expected to make its Wall Street debut later this year.

In 2018, Pinterest posted revenue of $756 million, up from $473 million in the year prior. Like many tech companies going public, however, Pinterest is not yet profitable. The company lost $63 million in 2018, down from a net loss of $130 million in 2017.

The company was founded in 2010 by Ben Silbermann, Evan Sharp and Paul Sciarra, the last of whom parted ways with the company early in its history. Over the years, Pinterest has tried to evolve from being a digital scrapbooking service to a visual discovery tool, positioning it as a potential competitor to products like Google Search.

At the same time, Pinterest has long insisted it’s not a social media service, despite building an ad-based platform where users can follow friends, colleagues and brands, and view their daily posts in a feed.

“At its most basic level, it’s just about you,” Silbermann told CNN Business in a recent interview. “It’s not about following the news. It’s not about accruing followers. It’s not about following celebrities. It’s really about your personal interests.”

In the filing, Pinterest describes itself as a “productivity tool” rather than a social network. When listing off competitors, it starts with Amazon, rather than social networks like Facebook and Instagram.

The fact that it’s less focused on news sharing and virality has arguably helped insulate the company from recent criticisms of other social networks for spreading fake news and harmful content. Over the years, however, Pinterest has served as a platform for some Russian propaganda, anti-vaccination content and posts glorifying eating disorders.

Last month, Pinterest made headlines by taking the step of blocking searches on the platform related to vaccinations.

Pinterest now has more than 250 million monthly users, according to its filing to go public. It is much smaller than Facebook and Instagram, which measure their audience in billions, but its size is competitive with the likes of Twitter and Snapchat.

While its reach may be smaller than some, Pinterest has long been viewed as an ideal environment for advertisers, given it’s a platform filled with aspirational content. It is also very popular with a key demographic that is often overlooked by Silicon Valley: women.

In the filing, Pinterest says two-thirds of its user base are women. More than that, it claims to have “eight out of 10 moms” in the US, “who are often the primary decision-makers when it comes to buying products and services for their household.”

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Could Saving With An Online Bank Help Your Money Grow Faster?

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Could Saving With An Online Bank Help Your Money Grow Faster?

While there’s no doubt that putting money aside with each paycheck is an essential component to a healthy financial future, it’s important to keep in mind that not all savings accounts are going to give you the same pay back or benefits.

It’s estimated that American consumers are missing out on over $50 billion dollars of interest they could be earning every year. The average interest rate on savings accounts is 0.08 percent, according to the FDIC, with many of the largest financial institutions paying as little as 0.01 percent.

But did you know that the top online banks have interest rates 20 times higher than the national average, according to rates published by the FDIC? Because they have no physical branches, they are often able to pass on that savings to customers through consistently competitive rates.

“A traditional bank savings account is certainly a safe vessel in which to deposit money, but it won’t necessarily help that money grow,” says Diane Morais, president, Consumer & Commercial Banking Products for Ally Bank, Member FDIC, which won the title of Best Online Bank in the GOBankingRates Best Banks ranking from 2015-2018.

What’s more, online banks can offer greater convenience and flexibility, since consumers can bank from anywhere on computers and mobile devices, and there’s no waiting in line or waiting for the bank to open. The most common services and transactions (i.e. monthly account maintenance fees, standard or expedited ACH transfers, domestic and international incoming wires, cashier’s checks and personal checks) are free at many online banks. And most online banks are FDIC insured, so a customer’s deposits are equally as protected as they would be at a traditional bank.

To increase your savings, Morais recommends the following:

• Pay yourself first. When you save, you are paying yourself, so be sure your monthly budget includes a line item for savings. You can make it easier to commit to this great habit by setting up automatic transfers to your savings account.

• Do a little research. Find a bank that will pay you a more competitive interest rate on your savings. You may have to do a bit of comparison shopping, but the extra money coming your way will make the effort worthwhile. According to the FDIC, the median balance in U.S. savings accounts is around $5,000. At 0.01 percent interest, that equals 50 cents in interest for the year, however if that money was in a savings account at one of the top online banks, it would earn almost $90 of interest.

To learn more about saving with an online bank, visit www.ally.com.

It is estimated that consumers have about $3 trillion in bank accounts earning a relatively low interest rate. If a portion of that figure belongs to you, consider making your money work harder by moving it to an account with greater interest earning potential

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