Campus
UB to host annual Refugee Health Summit
UB will host its fifth-annual refugee health summit on April 20, bringing together clinicians, resettlement caseworkers, community health workers, researchers, students, municipal leaders and refugees to raise awareness to the factors affecting the health and well-being of Buffalo’s refugee population.
New York state is the third-highest resettlement state in the U.S., according to UBNow.
The event will consist of a series of town hall discussions at the Educational Opportunity Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will feature presenters and panelists from UB.
Bitcrusher crushes competition at UB entrepreneurship event
A team comprised of Ryan Jaquin and Shane Nolan, both dual electrical engineering and MBA students, and Alex Schwartz, a UB electrical engineering graduate, will receive $25,000 in startup capital and an additional $27,000 for in-kind services for their company, Bitcrusher.
The group earned its winnings after taking first place in UB’s Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition for technology that integrates digital sound effects directly into guitars, according to UBNow.
Local
Spectrum Cable costs expected to increase
Spectrum Cable is improving its digital television service and customers will no longer be able to connect their cable line directly into their TV, according to The Buffalo News. A set-top box will need to be installed, costing customers $11.75 per month.
The fee is per television, not per household and costs more than many popular streaming subscriptions. Spectrum told The Buffalo News most current customers will qualify for one or more digital receivers to use for free for up to five years depending on their cable setup.
After the free period ends, customers can expect to pay roughly $141 yearly, per TV for Spectrum’s converter boxes.
City spends millions refurbishing houses
The city of Buffalo spent $4.3 million in federal and urban development funds renovating 10 run-down homes that sold for an average of $100,000, according to The Buffalo News.
The homes –– located throughout the East Side and South Buffalo –– cost $430,000 on average to renovate. The most expensive refurbishment cost $560,000 in the historic preservation neighborhood Hamlin Park.
Collectively, The Buffalo News predicts the houses will bring roughly $1 million, less than a quarter of what the city spent rehabilitating them.
National
House Speaker Paul Ryan won’t seek re-election
House Speaker Paul Ryan announced on Wednesday he will not seek re-election in November, according to The New York Times.
Ryan said he based his decision on wanting to spend more time with his family and will serve until the end of this Congress in January.
His retirement, after 20 years in Congress, is likely to start a succession battle for the leadership of the House Republican Conference.
Vermont governor signs new gun control measures
Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed sweeping gun control measures on Wednesday that the legislature passed last month. The measures include raising minimum age for gun buyers to 21, banning bump stocks, limiting rifle magazines to 10 rounds and requiring all gun transactions to be accompanied by background checks, CNN reports.
In the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that left 17 dead in Parkland, Florida, other state legislatures are also considering gun safety restrictions.
Global
Military plane crash in Algeria leaves 257 dead
An Algerian military transport plane filled with soldiers and civilians crashed on Wednesday, leaving at least 257 people dead. The transporter crashed into a field near the capital shortly after takeoff from a military base near Algeria, according to The New York Times.
At least two people were reported to survive the crash and are being treated in the hospital.
The cause of the crash remains unclear and will be further investigated, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Suspected chemical attack in Syria leaves about 500 injured
A suspected chemical attack affected about 500 people in Syria’s rebel-held town of Douma, according to the World Health Organization.
An estimated 500 patients at medical facilities displayed symptoms such as breathing problems and burning eyes, which are consistent with symptoms from exposure to toxic chemicals.
European aid groups have condemned President Bashar al-Assad’s government for the latest assault in Syria’s seven-year civil war since the outbreak on Saturday. Although President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May have publically castigated the suspected attack, they have not made any political decisions.
News desk can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com
