Come Pick Up Your Feelings

Money in the Bank

“Recently, Goalsetter partnered with NBA superstar Chris Paul for its “Drafted” campaign, which sought to jumpstart the financial freedom of one million Black and Brown kids by providing educational tools that will teach them how to establish effective financial habits and generate wealth over the course of their lifetimes. Now, the company has partnered with the NFL Player’s Association and former NFL star Maurice Jones-Drew to surprise more than 250 students at St. Peter Martyr School in Pittsburgh, Calif., with starter savings accounts. As part of its “Dropping Jewels” campaign, which coincides with Financial Literacy Month, Jones-Drew schooled students on the importance of financial education and provided each of them with the following:

• An FDIC-insured savings account through the Goalsetter app.
• A deposit of $40 in their individual Goalsetter savings accounts.
• Five years of financial literacy educational tools, which include weekly fun quizzes and games designed for kids that are kid-friendly and culturally relevant.
• A Cashola Card (the Goalsetter tween and teen debit card backed by Mastercard) that has game-based financial literacy quizzes attached to it.

The Root: Maurice Jones-Drew, NFL Player’s Association Partner With Goalsetter to Surprise Over 250 Students With Savings Accounts  I think this is great. Being taught about money and how it works is something that is often missing. And what you miss out on when learning it through trial and error is wealth. 

Shelter Bias

“Housing Secretary Marcia L. Fudge announced this week the withdrawal of a Trump-era proposal to allow federally funded homeless shelters to exclude transgender people by accommodating only people whose sex assigned at birth matches those served by single-sex homeless shelters.  HUD implemented an equal access rule in 2012 that barred federally funded housing programs from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In 2016, the agency amended its definition of gender identity to take into account the difference between actual and perceived gender identity and clarified that sex-based discrimination could be motivated by perceived nonconformity with gender stereotypes. The change was meant to protect transgender people from discrimination — and danger — at homeless shelters because they are often denied access to an emergency shelter that corresponds to their gender identity. Transgender people already face disproportionately high rates of homelessness, HUD officials said. But the Trump administration in 2017 removed guidance on how shelters should comply with the equal access rule. Ben Carson, the HUD secretary at the time, introduced a proposal to allow shelters to deny transgender people admission on religious grounds, or force transgender women to share bathrooms and sleeping quarters with men.” WaPo: Biden administration withdraws Trump-era proposal to allow homeless shelters to discriminate against transgender people  Do people in the country really feel the need to control gender identity among the homeless population? I am always amazed the things that people choose to devote their time to. 

And Just for Fun

“Courtney Wilson and Shenita Jones invited family and friends to their “dream home and estate” for their weekend wedding celebration: the ceremony Saturday, brunch on Sunday. There was just one problem: The couple didn’t own the 16,300-square-foot mansion and didn’t have permission to use it. The suburban Fort Lauderdale estate had everything: a bowling alley, swimming pool with a waterfall, hot tub, tennis courts, a gazebo and an 800-foot bar. Wilson said it was God’s plan that the couple marry there. But despite what the invitation said, the actual owner, Nathan Finkel, never gave them permission to hold the festivities there. He was stunned when Wilson showed up Saturday morning to set up and he called police, according to the South Florida SunSentinel. “I have people trespassing on my property,” Finkel told a 911 dispatcher. “And they keep harassing me, calling me. They say they’re having a wedding here and it’s God’s message. I don’t know what’s going on. All I want is (for) it to stop. And they’re sitting at my property right at the front gate right now.” Two officers told Wilson he would have to leave. He did and no charges were filed. Tampa Bay Times: Florida couple planned wedding at mansion they had no permission to use Ahhh! Florida. Always good for a laugh.