You do all the skincare rituals experts recommend from moisturizing to cleansing, so why aren’t you seeing the results? The truth is, some of your persistent habits can actually be harming your skin. Here are seven bad skincare habits you should break as soon as possible to get the clearest and healthiest skin you’ve ever had.

1. Using dirty makeup brushes

It’s always easy to put off cleaning your makeup brushes and sponges, but a dirty brush or sponge can really harm your skin. Besides accumulating old makeup, used brushes and sponges can carry dirt and dust, face oil, and whatever you may spray in your bathroom. Sponges have the additional problem of mold or even bugs. Dirty beauty tools can cause skin irritations, acne, and sometimes serious infections. Plus, they’re less effective and can streak your makeup. There are numerous methods you can use to clean your supplies from brush cleansing balm to dish soap and canola oil. Just set aside one day every week to clean your brushes and sponges and see your skin, and makeup, improve.

2. Over-cleansing

Just because you scrub your skin rigorously doesn’t mean you’re cleansing it effectively. While it may feel nice, it can, according to Garnier, disrupt your skin’s barrier function and cause your face to overproduce oil, making it just as bad as under-cleansing. You should also be wary of harsh scrubs. Here’s a basic rule to remember: If your skin stings or is inflamed after using your cleanser, you’re damaging your skin more than you’re helping it.

3. Overloading on products

There are so many products that promise they’ll make your skin soft, clear, healthy, etc. It can be hard to choose between the dozens of options, and you may start to think that using more products is better. However, when using a bunch of different products, the best-case scenario is that the active ingredients cancel each other out. The worst-case scenario? Doubling up on products could cause irritation or even skin damage. To keep your skin healthy, make sure to read the ingredients lists and get samples before purchasing a product to see how it works with everything else you use.

4. Never changing your skincare products

We all have those favorite skincare products that we use religiously, but do you sometimes wonder if they’re really working? Here’s the thing – your skin changes as you age, in addition to being affected by other factors like climate and stress. If you feel like that “holy grail” product isn’t working anymore, it’s probably because your skin, or your location, has changed. Instead of hoping something your skin will come around, try exploring some new products. You never know what you might find, and your skin will thank you for it.

Related: 9 Products to Get Gorgeous Glowing Skin Without Makeup

5. Sleeping with makeup on

This is a bad habit we all know about, yet continue to do time after time. While it may be easy to just fall asleep and worry about the consequences later, there are many health risks associated with sleeping with makeup. In addition to the acne, chapped lips, and weaker eyelashes it causes, it can also lead to more severe risks. One such case was published in by the American Academy of Ophthalmology in May of 2018 when a 50-year-old woman had to have surgery due to sleeping with mascara on. Try putting some makeup remover wipes right next to your bed so that on those days when you just need to hit the sheets, you can still do a quick wipe of your face and avoid facing any of these risks.

6. Forgetting to put on sunscreen

While we all know sunscreen is important for protecting against sunburns and skin cancer, sunscreen can also protect against photoaging. According to an Australian study in 2013, SPF can stave off the wrinkles, spots, and loss of elasticity caused by exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Anytime you are out in the sun, you should make sure to wear makeup with SPF or classic sunscreen to protect against these harmful UVA/UVB rays. And remember, just because you have darker skin or tan easily does not mean you are protected. Start using that sunscreen now so you’ll have beautiful, clear skin in 40 years.

7. Only taking care of your face

While your face is important, you should not forget the rest of your skin, including your neck and chest. All the things that damage your face can damage the rest of your skin, leaving wrinkles, sunspots, acne, and more. Start using serums or lotions meant for your neck and chest now to avoid serious damage later in life. As for the rest of your body, try and use some simple scrubs to get rid of dead skin and regularly use lotion to keep your skin moisturized and healthy.

Your skin is your body’s largest organ, meaning it’s critical you keep it healthy. By learning to avoid these bad habits now, you’ll be guaranteed to have clearer and more radiant skin both now and in the long run.

Most people don’t talk about their periods, which is weird, because most of us get them. About half of the world’s population has this shared experience, but it’s hugely stigmatized. If you asked any woman (no matter her age) about her period, she’ll probably tell you that she has a lot of questions.

We know that periods come every month on the same day – or they’re supposed to anyway. We’ve been told that after the first year or so of getting our periods, our cycles will become regular and we’ll have “our time of the month.” But what if that’s not the case? What if you don’t get your period every month? What if it’s twice a month? What if it lasts for one day one month and two weeks the next? That’s the case for a huge majority of women.

Irregular periods are actually more common than you’d think. So, if your period is irregular, don’t worry too much. You’re not alone. It’s pretty rare for a woman to gets her period at the same time, on the same day, every month. While irregular periods on their own aren’t generally dangerous, they can be symptoms of some deeper problems in your body—like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PCOS affects 6 to 12 percent of all women, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that endometriosis affects one in ten women and irregular periods in general impacts many more. Really, you aren’t alone.

But even though irregularity might be common, it’s not trivial. It can be a big issue, and the best way to figure out what’s going on with you is to see a doctor.

“I feel like the best way to control irregular periods is to have a candid talk with your gynecologist. I know it can feel intimidating to be open about your periods with your doctor, especially if you're seeing a new OBGYN, but OBs are used to hearing all the ugly and gross details about periods” says Chelsea Jackson, a junior at Iowa State University.

No matter how uncomfortable it may be, you need to see a doctor with any questions you may have. The treatments they can provide are almost foolproof in how well they work to regulate periods.

If you’re still on the fence about whether or not your irregularity seems severe enough to see a doctor, or if any treatments can really help, listen to what these college women have to say:

"So during my freshman year of college, I had my period three times in six weeks. I think it was due to the change in lifestyle and overall stress that freshman year brings. Anyways, after the third time I got it I hysterically called my mom because I was freaking out as I know I was getting my period an unnatural amount of times. So, she scheduled me a meeting with a gyno and we came to the conclusion that the best way to get in on track was for me to start birth control. She prescribed me the lowest dosage and since then my period has always been on track!" -Jana Brzovski, Marist College

"I got my period in third grade (super early!), and from then until about 10th grade it was always irregular. It never came on the same day of the month, and sometimes it came on an entirely different week. I always had really bad cramps, but during November of my 10th grade year, I ended up in the emergency room from how severe they were. I was diagnosed with endometriosis and put on birth control as treatment. Since then, my period has been regular and much more manageable. I really encourage anyone who has an irregular period or bad cramps to see a doctor! It’s so important that we as women see doctors that take our symptoms and pain seriously so we can get an accurate diagnosis and treatment." -Nicole Wills, University of Central Florida

"I stopped getting my period for about a year when I was a sophomore in high school. I found out that my estrogen levels were low (I wasn't on birth control), and so I started eating more foods with estrogen in them, like soy, vegetables, chickpeas, etc. and it came back on it's own. I had blood work done by my doctor to figure out what was going on with my hormone levels." -Meghan McMahon, Colgate University

"I used to experience highly irregular periods, I even once went 6 months without having one. At that point I was tired of never knowing when I would have a period, and worrying that something could be wrong with me. So, I went to the gynecologist and had a check up to get birth control.  I’ve now been on the pill for three years and it has made my periods so much more bearable. I know exactly when I will start and usually how long it will last. I hardly ever have cramps, and my periods are lighter than they've ever been." -Sydney Keith, University of Texas

"I discovered I had PCOS when I was about 13. PCOS is a hormone condition, and one symptom is never getting your period. I rarely had a period after my first one at age 11 (another PCOS symptom is early puberty), and when I did, it would be so heavy and painful from months of building up that I could barely leave my bed, let alone go to school. We went to an endocrinologist, who diagnosed the PCOS based off my symptoms. I went on the combination pill to regulate my periods so that I would no longer have to miss school for them or live in suspense wondering when it would come, and it has been an absolute lifesaver for me!" -Colleen, Northwestern University

"I’ve had irregular periods since I was about 12 years old! The doctors wanted to put me on birth control at such a young age but my mom always said no. But the summer before college I went to the OBGYN and was put on birth control to help with [the irregularity], but I ended up finding out I had PCOS and my irregular periods was part of the diagnosis!" -Kashawna Guy, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Related: 6 Reasons You Might Miss Your Periods When You’re Definitely Not Pregnant

"I've dealt with irregular periods for as long as I've been getting them. Some months I wouldn't get my period at all, other times they would be for weeks. Several fainting episodes when I was 16 led to a gynecologist appointment where I was told I had a hormone imbalance. I was prescribed birth control for a year, [but I stopped] taking them after a few months. My periods became regular and stayed regular for a while, up until recently. My irregular periods were accompanied with bloatedness and anxiety about not getting my period. One trip to the gynecologist later I was told I have PCOS. I guess moral of the story is sometimes irregular periods can just be your body funding it's rhythm, but it's always best to consult with a medical professional because you never know." -Fadiyah Rabin, University of Cape Town

"I had irregular periods for a long time, and ended up going to see my OB-GYN because it was causing so many problems in my life. It took two years, but we finally got a diagnosis: endometriosis. It took another two years after that to find a medication that would help me control my periods. Now, I am back on track and have very light flows for only a couple days a month! It took a long time to get there, but I am so glad that I made the commitment to myself and my health, and was able to find a medication that worked." -Audrey Lent, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

So, the moral of the story is this: If you have irregular periods, you’re not alone. But just because it’s something that many women experience doesn’t mean you have to just sit back and deal with it. Make an appointment with your doctor to make sure nothing is seriously wrong, and hopefully you can get your periods working like clockwork.

Jeff Fager, the executive producer of “60 Minutes,” is leaving CBS“immediately” amid allegations of sexual misconduct and perpetuation of an abusive culture at the acclaimed newsmagazine.

CBS News President David Rhodes announced Fager’s departure on Wednesday in a note to staff. Fager’s exit comes just two days after CBS announced that CEO Les Moonves would resign amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

CBS News reported Fager’s departure, quoting the note that Fager was “leaving the company effective immediately” after serving as the executive producer of “60 Minutes” since 2008. Bill Owens, who has served as the newsmagazine program’s executive editor since 2008, will manage the program’s team during the search for a replacement, according to Rhodes.

Rhodes, in the note, wrote that Fager’s departure “is not directly related to the allegations surfaced in press reports, which continue to be investigated independently. However, he violated company policy and it is our commitment to uphold those policies at every level.”

via Getty Images

While CBS did not state what company policy that Fager had violated, Fager said in a statement to CNN that CBS had “terminated my contract early because I sent a text message to one of our own CBS reporters demanding that she be fair in covering the story.”

“My language was harsh and, despite the fact that journalists receive harsh demands for fairness all the time, CBS did not like it,” Fager said. “One such note should not result in termination after 36 years, but it did.”

In a July report in The New Yorker, journalist Ronan Farrow reported that six former employees told him that Fager would touch them in way that would make them uncomfortable at company parties. In one instance, Fager allegedly made inappropriate advances toward a junior staffer. Fager, however, denied those allegations.

Farrow also cited “nineteen current and former employees” who said Fager “allowed harassment in the division,” with Fager protecting men accused of misconduct.

When the story came out in July, Fager said that Farrow’s sources for the report had an “axe to grind.”

In a follow-up story published on Sunday, Farrow cited a former intern who claimed that Fager once groped her at an office party, and described the culture as “sexist” and a “boy’s club.”

On Wednesday, Rhodes’ note invoked the name of the company’s acting CEO, Joe Ianniello.

Rhodes wrote that “Ianniello is in full support of this decision and the transition to come.”

An eight-year-old female student in Ogden, Utah was disciplined by her school for breaking a Mormon rule about girls not being able to show their shoulders.

Staff at Valley Elementary School forced Jada Kelson to wear a jacket since her shirt showed her shoulders. The school claimed she violated the school dress code, which is heavily influenced by Mormon scripture and prohibits women from showing their shoulders.

Screenshot via Appignani Humanist Legal Center

The school, however, has since changed its dress code, now only prohibiting clothes that are “disruptive,” but the former rules are still in place in surrounding school districts.

According to Raw Story, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly referred to as the Mormon Church, offers guidance regarding modesty, including a list of ways that members of the church can sew or alter commercial clothing to ensure that it is compliant with religious rules. It advises women and young girls to buy longer men’s or boy’s short and to buy longer shirts that can be tucked into pants to prevent any skin from being shown when they wear shorter tops.

A lawyer is currently demanding that the school review and revise its dress code policy to be more gender neutral and to refrain from including religious influence, especially since the dress code jeopardizes female students’ equal access to education as it forces them to miss important instructional time in the classroom.

Jada’s older sister, Bailey Kelson, who is now in her second year at the University of Utah, also dealt with a similar situation in 2017 at the school district’s high school, Weber High School, according to the lawyer’s letter to the district superintendent. 

“This happened to me my senior year of high school. I was working with my group in AP Chemistry, and I was told to leave and find a jacket to wear over my knee-length, long-sleeved dress because the sleeves had slits in it. I ended up coming back and not knowing what was going on in my group because of what I had missed. For what it’s worth, my group members were as confused as I was about my outfit meriting a dress code,” the eldest Kelson daughter said. 

She said that the incident made her feel humiliated, adding that “somehow this dress was enough of a distraction for it to be deemed necessary for me to leave in the middle of class.”

This just comes to show that girls continue to be humiliated, stigmatized and unfairly sexualized when it comes to dress code. And it’s only reinforcing harmful messages to female students that they are at fault for experiencing harassment based on their clothing choice. 

Hurricane Florence, a dangerous Category 3 storm, is expected to bring catastrophic flooding, with drenching rains that could last for days and potentially release more than 40 inches of rain in North Carolina alone.

The National Weather Service office in Newport, North Carolina warned residents on Wednesday that the rainfall could be historic and the flooding unprecedented.

“This will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast, and that's saying a lot given the impacts we've seen from Hurricanes Diana, Hugo, Fran, Bonnie, Floyd, and Matthew,” a National Weather Service meteorologist in Wilmington, North Carolina said. “I can't emphasize enough the potential for unbelievable damage from wind, storm surge, and inland flooding with this storm.”

With new forecasts showing the storm becoming more of a southerly threat, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has joined Virginia, North and South Carolina in declaring a state of emergency, but did not immediately order evacuations.

“I ask all Georgians to join me in praying for the safety of our people and all those in the path of Hurricane Florence,” Deal said.

President Donald Trump declared states of emergency for the Carolinas and Virginia, opening the way for federal aid, ABC News reports. He touted that the government is “absolutely, totally prepared” for Florence, and urged people to get out of the way of the storm.

“Don’t play games with it. It’s a big one,” Trump said.

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday evening, the storm’s eye was approximately 335 miles southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, moving northwest at 16 mph. The hurricane center said Florence will approach the coast on Friday and linger for a while before coming ashore.

via Alexander Gerst/Twitter

The shift in the protected track spread concerns to areas that once thought they were safe.

Meteorology director Jeff Masters at the private Weather Underground says Florence will come “roaring up to the coast” and “say ‘I’m not sure I really want to do this, and I’ll just take a tour of the coast and decide where I want to go inland.’”

According to The Huffington Post, more than 1.7 million people in Virginia and the Carolinas were warned to evacuate on Tuesday, and airlines had cancelled nearly 1,000 flights at that point.

“Today is your last day to get out of the areas that have been placed under evacuation orders,” Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said. “If you don't do it now, your time is going to be running out. And once the impacts of this storm start to come in, it's going to be very difficult for first responders to get to you.”

Duke Energy, one of the nation’s top power companies, said Florence could knock out electricity to three-quarters of its 4 million customers in the Carolinas, and these outages could last for weeks. The power company said it is bringing in workers from the Midwest and Florida to help in the storm’s aftermath.

Forecasters worry the storm’s damage will be significantly worse if it lingers on the coast.

University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy says the storm could be “exceptionally bad news, as it smears a landfall out over hundreds of miles of coastline, most notably the storm surge.” McNoldy says “the rainfall has been and continues to be a very substantial threat over the entire area.”

Last week, Oregon police arrested Nancy Crompton-Brophy, a 68-year-old romance novelist, for fatally shooting her husband on June 2nd, according to the Portland Police Bureau. Get this though, she recently wrote an essay literally titled, “How to Murder Your Husband” for a blog website.

The Washington Post reported that before this essay Crompton-Brophy had delved into the romance genre of story-telling, with titles such as, “The Wrong Cop,” in which a woman fantasizes about killing her husband, and “The Wrong Husband,” where a woman tries to fake her own death. So, this seems ominous, right?

Her blog post highlighted five possible motives for killing a husband, and analyzed the different options for the act, including poison and a hitman. She gave her opinion on all resources like guns saying they are, “really personal and close up. Blood everywhere. Eww.” At the end of the essay she even writes, “I find it is easier to wish people dead than to actually kill them. I don’t want to worry about blood and brains splattered on my walls...But the thing I know about murder is that every one of us have it in him/her when pushed far enough.”

via The Oregonian

It seems slightly suspicious, and the cops agree. They have decided to charge her with the death of her husband, Daniel Brophy. Daniel was found fatally shot in his place of work in June. The town was shocked at the sudden loss, and soon after Nancy came under question. According to The Oregonian, a neighbor believed that Nancy seemed hardly fazed by the death of her husband.

Anna Brentwood, a friend of Nancy, told The Oregonian, “Everyone that knows her, especially those closer to her than myself are sick at heart...We are hoping the police are wrong and just going after the easiest target."

As of right now, Nancy has been jailed without bail and the cops have yet to release any information on the possible motive. Did Nancy see this coming in one her novels? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Hurricane Florence, a dangerous Category 3 storm, is expected to bring catastrophic flooding, with drenching rains that could last for days and potentially release more than 40 inches of rain in North Carolina alone.

The National Weather Service office in Newport, North Carolina warned residents on Wednesday that the rainfall could be historic and the flooding unprecedented.

“This will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast, and that's saying a lot given the impacts we've seen from Hurricanes Diana, Hugo, Fran, Bonnie, Floyd, and Matthew,” a National Weather Service meteorologist in Wilmington, North Carolina said. “I can't emphasize enough the potential for unbelievable damage from wind, storm surge, and inland flooding with this storm.”

With new forecasts showing the storm becoming more of a southerly threat, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has joined Virginia, North and South Carolina in declaring a state of emergency, but did not immediately order evacuations.

“I ask all Georgians to join me in praying for the safety of our people and all those in the path of Hurricane Florence,” Deal said.

President Donald Trump declared states of emergency for the Carolinas and Virginia, opening the way for federal aid, ABC News reports. He touted that the government is “absolutely, totally prepared” for Florence, and urged people to get out of the way of the storm.

“Don’t play games with it. It’s a big one,” Trump said.

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday evening, the storm’s eye was approximately 335 miles southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, moving northwest at 16 mph. The hurricane center said Florence will approach the coast on Friday and linger for a while before coming ashore.

via Alexander Gerst/Twitter

The shift in the protected track spread concerns to areas that once thought they were safe.

Meteorology director Jeff Masters at the private Weather Underground says Florence will come “roaring up to the coast” and “say ‘I’m not sure I really want to do this, and I’ll just take a tour of the coast and decide where I want to go inland.’”

According to The Huffington Post, more than 1.7 million people in Virginia and the Carolinas were warned to evacuate on Tuesday, and airlines had cancelled nearly 1,000 flights at that point.

“Today is your last day to get out of the areas that have been placed under evacuation orders,” Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said. “If you don't do it now, your time is going to be running out. And once the impacts of this storm start to come in, it's going to be very difficult for first responders to get to you.”

Duke Energy, one of the nation’s top power companies, said Florence could knock out electricity to three-quarters of its 4 million customers in the Carolinas, and these outages could last for weeks. The power company said it is bringing in workers from the Midwest and Florida to help in the storm’s aftermath.

Forecasters worry the storm’s damage will be significantly worse if it lingers on the coast.

University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy says the storm could be “exceptionally bad news, as it smears a landfall out over hundreds of miles of coastline, most notably the storm surge.” McNoldy says “the rainfall has been and continues to be a very substantial threat over the entire area.”

Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.

But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)

Omarosa Thinks She May Know Who Wrote the Anonymous NY Times Op-Ed

Omarosa Manigault Newman, who has recently been on a press tour for her new book and has shared multiple tapes from her time in the White House, has a theory of who the author behind the anonymous New York Times op-ed might be.

“I took some time and went back and looked through all of my emails, particularly emails out of the vice president’s office, because the first time I read the op-ed, it just seemed kind of familiar to me,” Manigault Newman told Yahoo Finance on Tuesday, discussing who the author might be. “After looking at memos and correspondence from the vice president’s office, I’m pretty convinced that it came from that way. Not just because of the term ‘lodestar,’ but because of the style and tone of it.”

via Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Not only did Newman say narrow it down to the Vice President’s office, she went even further as to name a particular person that could be the anonymous author: Nick Ayers.

Newman, a former White House aide, made the same suggestion earlier this week on ABC’s “The View,” but she elaborated on her comments, saying that Vice President Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff had the “most to gain” from this anonymous op-ed, which described an “active resistance” inside the Trump administration. Ayers has served as Pence’s Chief of Staff since July 2017, and is one of Pence’s most trusted aides, The Huffington Post reports.

“All of these guys work in these groups together and could see themselves as some sort of hero trying to save the country from Donald Trump, but to me Nick Ayers is the one who has the most to gain from writing this,” Newman said.

Pence, however, has denied that he or any of his staff members was affiliated with the op-ed piece.

“Let me be very clear. I’m 100 percent confident that no one on the vice president’s staff was involved in this anonymous editorial. I know my people,” Pence said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “They get up every day and are dedicated, just as much as I am, to advancing the president’s agenda and supporting everything.”

Last week, President Donald Trump said he wants Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate, calling the article a breach of “national security.” At the time of the op-ed’s publication, Trump likened the story to treason.

FiveThirtyEight Forecasts Republicans As Likely to Keep the Senate

FiveThirtyEight has forecasted that Democrats have a one-in-three chance of winning the Senate majority this November, according to their just-launched 2018 Senate forecast. Republicans, on the other hand, have a two-in-three chance of keeping control of the chamber.

via FiveThirtyEight

In the race for the House of Representatives, however, Democrats are favored; but they are fighting an uphill battle in the upper chamber of Congress.

The FiveThirtyEight Senate model produces these forecasts, as opposed to quick predictions of who will win or lose, by using a statistical model that analyzes the polls of each race, how the state has voted historically, fundraising, etc.

FiveThirtyEight’s model estimates the chances of each candidate winning in every Senate race on the ballot for the 2018 midterm election.

You can check out the full forecast for details about each race, and it will be continuously updated up until Election Day.

Apple Unveils Its New iPhones & Apple Watch

Each fall we get to take delight in sweater weather, indulge ourselves with pumpkin spice treats and get to see the unveiling of the new iPhone. This year, however, Apple is rolling out three new iPhones, and a new apple watch.

At its annual September press conference on Wednesday at the Steve Jobs Theater on its circular Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, Apple released three new versions of its signature phones, all with bigger screens and improved photo and video features.

The new phones — the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR — all have screens that extend to the edge, along with no home button. The XS Max will have the biggest display in the iPhone universe with a 6.5 inch screen. According to ABC News, the new phones will have the first 7-nanometer chip in a smartphone, and its face ID will be faster. There are even benefits for travelers, too, with dual SIM options available.

via Apple

The new phones come in silver, black and a new gold finish and will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, September 14 and in stores on September 21.

There will also be an “affordable” iPhone XR, which will be available in black, white, red, yellow, coral and blue, and can be ordered starting October 19.

The Apple Watch Series 4 has moved the company further into the health world, with the latest smartwatch being able to take an electrocardiogram, or ECG, to monitor heart rate abnormalities, according to Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer.

Apple, according to ABC News, said it has obtained two Food and Drug Administration approvals for the watch as a medical device, including the ECG feature and for the monitoring of irregular heart rate.

Ivor J. Benjamin, President of the American Heart Association, took to the stage at the Apple press conference to discuss how devices that offer real-time heart information are “changing the way we practice medicine.”

The new watch can also detect falls or slips, and if the wearer stay motionless for more than a minute, it will begin to call emergency contacts and services.

The smartwatch is thinner, has a larger screen and comes in stainless, gold and black. It can be ordered beginning September 14, and will be available on September 21.

What to look out for…

Here’s how you can help Hurricane Florence victims. And if you’re currently in the region, please stay safe. 

This article has been syndicated from Kelsey Barnes, an InfluenceHer Collective Member. Read the full post here. 

If you’re like me, you’ve already seen some fall trends start to pop up in your Instagram feed. Fall is my favorite time of year, but the season can go rather quickly. This means that you only have a limited time to max out on all the 2018 fall trends before it’s time to wrap up in your heavy winter coats.

Even in these last few weeks of summer, there are plenty of fall trends to start trying out now. Incorporate these top trends in combination with your current summer wardrobe, and when the weather turns, you’ll already be ready to go full-on fall!

Western boots

 

 

 

 

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Girly dresses & badass boots 🙌🏻 full look via @shopbop #stylehigh #ad

A post shared by The Demeler (@lilymontasser) on Sep 6, 2018 at 8:37am PDT

As a Texas girl, I can’t be more excited for this 2018 fall trend. But thankfully, these aren’t the cowboy boots you’d wear mucking horse stalls. The trendy fall pairs are refreshingly modern. Pair them now with breezy dresses, and then keep them going as the weather cools by adding a pair of tights.

White shoes

 

 

 

 

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What was the best birthday of your life? 🎂 As mine is coming in 10 days I was thinking the best one ever, was 2 years ago 💕 how did I celebrate it? - Quitting the job I hated, booking a flight to Bologna and a luxurious hotel in Florence 💛 Do the crazy things sometimes - they make us extremely happy 💕 🇺🇦 Який був ваш найкращий день народження? 🎂 Так як мій наближається і буде тут через 10 днів, я з впевненістю можу сказати, що найкращий для мене був 2 роки тому 💕 як я його відсвяткувала? - Покинувши роботу, яку терпіти не могла, купивши квиток на літак в Болонью і забронювавши розкішний готель в Флоренції 💛 Робіть частіше божевільні речі - вони роблять нас неймовірно щасливими 💕

A post shared by Oksana 💖 Fashion 💖 Travel (@oksiblue_berry) on Sep 9, 2018 at 10:48am PDT

Gone is the old age that you can’t wear white after labor day — and good thing, because there are so many stunning white pairs of shoes in stores right now! With the top trends ranging in mules, loafers, heels and boots, white shoes will pair perfectly with your summer denim and liven up your fall sweaters.

Leopard everything

 

 

 

 

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When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful. ✨

A post shared by Kelly Schneider (@diamondsfordimes) on Sep 10, 2018 at 4:20pm PDT

This fall trend is going to be everywhere– literally wearing it head to toe is the way to go. But if you just want to dip your toe into this animal print look, grab a leopard maxi skirt or accent leopard coat. It’ll work just as well with a crop top now, as with a turtleneck when it gets cold.

Fall florals  

 

 

 

 

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I bought this dress for less than 7€. Found in an #outlet and it was ❤ at first sight. Isn't it pretty? 😍 Cand am vazut rochia asta intr-un outlet am zis ca e musai sa o cumpar. O pot purta si acum cu o geaca de piele deasupra sau cu una de blugi. Si cat de curand cu bocanci / ankle boots.😀 Daca este vreun print de care nu cred ca o sa ma satur vreodata, acela e printul floral. Al vostru care e?

A post shared by DEEBI 👩 (@andreea_goia) on Sep 9, 2018 at 11:33pm PDT

One of my favorite things to wear in the summer are maxi floral dresses. Luckily, that doesn’t have to end come fall. Start switching out your light florals for the new fall versions in deeper colors and bolder patterns. Just accessorize with sandals and a straw bag now and switch for knee-high boots and a structured bucket bag come fall.

Checks

 

 

 

 

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Obsessed with this set... What does it remind you of? Have a wonderful Sunday guys 💛 . . . . . . . . . . . #bershkastyle #bershka #outfitoftheday #ootd #lookoftheday #lookbook #checkpattern #fashioninspo #fashioninspiration #fashion #style #styletips #geeksty #bohostyle #beret #frenchberet #blackberet #styletips #twopieceset #ptblogger #bloggerstyle #portugalblogger #fashioninspiration #yellowcheck #glasses #geekglasses #streetstyle

A post shared by Zazu (@zazusworld) on Jul 22, 2018 at 7:37am PDT

The check pattern is back again this fall and I’m not mad about it. Something about this print reminds me of back-to-school and professors. Grab a blazer or skirt and pair it with a white frilly blouse now. Once fall hits, you can easily swap the blouse out for a rich mustard or wine colored sweater.

There are tons of fall trends to try this year, so don't be afraid to get a head start on assembling a chic fall ensemble! 

Read the full post here. 

The popular clothing brand Revolve has recently released a controversial collection in partnership with fashion brand LPA and people are not OK with it. The set of sweatshirts —including one that reads "Being fat is not beautiful, it's an excuse"— has been called out for promoting fat-shaming. The collection, which has only been up on the website since Wednesday morning, is understandably sparking outrage from celebs and fans of the retailer alike.

Several social media influencers and body-positive advocates, including Tess Holliday and Felicity Hayward, have expressed their thoughts on this collaboration via Twitter:

Despite the controversial messaging, representatives and collaborators of LPA say that the purpose of the campaign was to highlight Internet troll's hateful messages and to "shine light on how horrible trolling is." High-profile collaborators like Emily Patajkowski and Cara Delevigne are amongst the list of celebrities who had a hand in what a Revolve spokesperson calls a "commentary on the 'normality' of cyber-bullying and the shared desire to create community for those most affected by the epidemic."

Lena Dunham, a close collaborator with LPA for Revolve, has since been open on social media about the backlash. In an Instagram post, she too noted that the sweatshirts were aimed to "highlight quotes from prominent women who have experienced internet trolling and abuse." She also continued by saying that she was unaware that the collection would be worn by "thin white women" on the Revolve website, leaving her disappointed and unable to further support the collaboration.

Revolve has since removed the collection from the website and apologized for it's "premature release" on the website, according to HuffPost. A spokesperson also told HuffPost that their original intention to donate $20,000 to the charity Girls Write Now will still be upheld despite the collection being taken down. We understand the sentiment of the collection's message, but the execution missed the mark big time. Our question is would the collection even succeed or avoid criticism if it was "executed properly"? 

A Simple Favor is hitting theaters this weekend, and why wouldn't you want to watch it when it stars Gossip Girl alum Blake Lively and Pitch Perfect's Anna Kendrick? Because obviously you've seen every episode of GG, and Pitch Perfect was everything. And you'd think everyone is like you, but funny enough, there are people who have never seen Gossip Girl (*gasp*), like Blake Lively's A Simple Favor co-star, for example. In a recent interview with Vulture, Anna Kendrick confessed that she has never seen a single episode of Gossip Girl. *jaw drops in shock*

“I haven’t actually seen Gossip Girl,” she spilled. “So there were a couple things Blake said on set [about the show] that I was like, girl, totally!” Then Kendrick’s voice dropped into a dramatic whisper: “But like, wait, what is she talking about?”

Although I'm just shocked, the good is it's never too late for her to get started on our generation's favorite teen drama. XOXO Gossip Girl

For those of you who, like Kendrick, are unfamiliar with Gossip Girl, the show premiered in 2007 and is set in an elite New York City high school, revolving around the escapades of Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester). As always, there is drama—LOTS of drama.

It's okay, Anna, we'll let this one slide (for now), especially since she's been sharing some behind-the-scenes secret about working with Blake.

In another interview, the 33-year-old star discussed what it was like to kiss Blake in A Simple Favor, even sharing how she wanted her breath to be as fresh as possible. “I mean, all I’m ever thinking about in [kissing] scenes is, who has gum?,” Anna said. “Who has a mint? And I think Blake is probably the same because I’ve never experienced a guy, searching for gum. So, we were the mintiest, freshest two people to ever have kissed in the history of America.” 

A Simple Favor centers around Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), a mommy blogger who seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emily's (Blake Lively) sudden disappearance from their small town. The film also features Crazy Rich Asian's Henry Golding as Emily's husband. The film hits theaters Friday, September 14.

Subway is officially killing the hopes and dreams of all foot-long lovers across the country again. I personally feel victimized because I never walk away from a trip to Subway with anything less than a foot-long, chips and a cookie. So, my bank account just took a hit.

You might remember this similar feeling of hurt and sorrow because Subway had taken this deal away in 2016, years after its introduction. They brought it back in early 2018, and now are likely to be taking it away once again. So, like all of you may be feeling, I am pretty shaken from these changes.

But, anyway, for the hard hitting news: According to Fortune, Subway announced that starting this month they will be giving freedom to individual franchises to decide whether or not to keep the discounted price. The franchises around the country have always had the option to opt out of this discount,even though it would seriously upset customers (like me).

Realistically, it is argued, as Forbes noted, that it’s difficult for Subway stores to make enough of a profit with this $5 footlong deal with other stressors like rent, food and labor costs.

On a promising note, Lisa Oak, who worked directly with the co-founder and CEO of Subway, told Forbes that she is, “sure the company leadership and Subway franchisees are ready to launch new cutting-edge initiatives to address the company’s current needs."

Obviously, we are all a little taken aback by this news, but, if it’s going to keep Subway around for as long as possible, I will accept it. We saw the loss of hundreds of Subway locations during 2017 and this past year, so we have to accept the responsibility the company is taking to keep themselves around. I will still get my foot-longs and will probably still sing the catchy jingle every time too, $5+ or not. 

Wearing sneakers doesn’t mean you’re limited to athleisure – in fact, when done right, you can wear sneakers with everything from a suit to a date night ensemble. Case in point: the FILA Disruptor 2 that’s been blowing up your Instagram feed. It has had a tremendous resurgence globally, which means the “chunky sneaker” trend is officially back. Though originally a ‘90s shoe, we’re all about the next generation embracing this stylish footwear – and influencers have definitely gotten creative with their sneaker-apparel combinations.

Don’t brush off this trend as either too trendy or unconventional for you to try. The truth is that you can wear a good chunky sneaker with pretty much anything and it’s totally going to elevate your outfit. To give you some inspo, our editors styled chunky sneakers three ways catered to different fashion aesthetics, so you can slip into this trend with ease.

LA Edgy

Maggie Scenna

If you favor baggy jeans over skinny and regularly find yourself in a band tee, your go-to outfits tend to have an edgy, grunge vibe. Chunky sneakers blend perfectly into this aesthetic, not surprisingly since LA cool girls are the OG stans of oversized shoes.

Start by pairing your Disruptor 2 with white jeans and a casual crop top, but make sure to add in accessories for texture – think chain detailing and statement sunnies. It’s totally fine to let the sneakers be the focal point of your outfit instead of just a last-minute thing you put on while getting ready to leave the house. In the spirit of true fashion-forward influencers, just let your shoes be their own moment.

City Chic

Gina Escandon

If your aesthetic is city chic, you gravitate towards understated looks with a limited color palette. You’re not afraid to invest in well-fitted pieces that will last you a few years, and you love a good burst of accessories. For this style, pair your chunky sneakers with sophisticated denim and a boxy-fit shirt, like this ruffled side-tie top with blush stripes. Because chunky sneakers add a lot of thickness on the bottom, you can go pretty top-heavy while styling to balance it out – and maybe even throw in a neck scarf.

Sure, you might be tempted grab a strappy sandal or mule for walking the city streets, but chunky sneakers can totally work with the midi-dress or sophisticated frock in your fashion wheelhouse. Think: polished, but not taking yourself too seriously.

Beach Town Chill

Rachel Lewis

If every day is casual Friday and you prioritize comfort over anything else, beach town chill is an ideal aesthetic for sneaker-wearing. With fashion faves centered on white tees, faded black denim, sunglasses and a good mini-backpack to tote your essentials, this look is lowkey enough to pass for a stroll on the boardwalk or day bouncing around campus. Everything is low maintenance and effortless – but in a way that doesn’t look sloppy. This is clearly a look, just one for the ladies who want to wear sneakers as part of their outfit instead of the focal point.

Are you feeling inspired yet? Whatever your fashion aesthetic, everyone needs a pair of chunky sneaks. If you’re ready to hop on the trend, you can grab your own pair of the FILA Disruptor 2 here in pink, white or black. Just a warning: They’ll look so good with everything, you’ll probably never take them off.

How much effort has a person ever put in to making a connection with you or a friend? Maybe they’ve messaged twice, asked you out in the first hour of meeting, or has *shockingly* not ghosted you. All of these are always flattering gestures someone makes to see you.

Think about this though, has anyone ever emailed every single person with your first name (and variation of your name) in your school registry to find you? Yeah, me neither. But, a special girl from Holland on exchange at the University of Calgary captured the attention of Carlos Zentina. Apparently, the two hit it off immediately at a campus bar. After spending time together, Carlos brought Nicole and her friend home, and she gave him her phone number.

The number ended up being wrong, so Carlos took matters into his own hands and worked his magic through a lost art: email. He emailed every single Nicole, Nikki, Nicolette, Nicky and Nik at the school, from professor to first year. You seriously can’t make up this kind of effort.

via Metro

Some dude emailed every Nicole at U of C to try to find the girl he met last night and instead they formed a girl gang and I am legit DYING @ucalgary#nicolefromlastnightpic.twitter.com/ql4sxuBADQ

Besides being such a romantic act, this email brought more than 80 of the Nicoles together into a Facebook group named “Nicole from last night.” Some of the members even met up at a bar downtown.

via Huffpost

The best part: with the help of another Nicole, the real Nicole from the bar ended up seeing the email and has reached out to Carlos to grab coffee. 

All in all, technology is truly an amazing thing which can bring together the most interesting groups of people, right? It can also lead you to 246 other people with your name at the same university. Carlos has us all wishing we were named Nicole now.

As cliché as it might sound, we all want our apartment, dorm or off-campus house to look and feel like home. Most weeks, it might feel like you only use your apartment to sleep and sob about assignments, but redecorating your abode to match your personality can make the college experience a little bit less stressful.

Granted, redecorating an entire apartment on a student’s budget (or lack thereof) can be even more stressful. Whether you’re school-supply shopping to avoid the inevitable (but necessary) furniture shopping or you’re attempting to figure what you actually need to bring to college, there are a few ways to make sure your apartment overhaul doesn’t disrupt your budget.   

1. Go thrift shopping

Thrift stores and some antique stores sometimes have discounted furniture and decorations that you can use to revamp your apartment aesthetic. Although some of the furniture at your thrift store might be stuck in a previous decade, you can modernize your previously-loved side chair with a more modern pillow.

We get it: It's tempting to buy a new throw pillow that matches your room's current color scheme, but it can get pricey to stock up on your Target wishlist. Thankfully, some smart thrifting can help you cut down on your redecoration costs, so channel your inner Sophia Amoruso and haggle your way into a better bargain. 

2. DIY some decorations

DIY projects have a bad rep for being useless and overly complicated. While some of them definitely are, DIYing a hanging shelf or organization units in your drawers could save you money. Although these projects can be time-consuming, you can spend the rest of the summer brainstorming projects and acting start constructing them. No, you probably won’t be able to profit from an Etsy store after knitting a plain pillow cover, but it can help you update your apartment for the impending semester without overhauling your entire dwelling.

Searching YouTube for DIY ideas for a college apartment can be overwhelming because there are thousands of options. However, there are few, low-maintenance options to revamp aspects of your apartment that won’t jeopardize your paycheck for your lack-luster crafting skills. (We can’t all be the Wengie of apartment DIYs, and there’s no shame in admitting that.)

• Paint your rug: Seriously, you can paint your rug with long-last fabric paint. This simply DIY trick can help revitalized your rug that’s already suffered some wear from your first year at college.

• Make an Insta-worthy flower wall: For the broke, but extra, college students, making a flower wall is a dorm essential.

• Reuse your empty wine bottles: If you’re an upcycling-queen-turned-DIYer, you can transform your wine bottles into a simple light.

• Knit something: Knitting for a novice knitter can be baffled. While knitting your own pillow covers might seem like more work than it’s worth, but knitting can get a relaxing and productive hobby (so it’s a win-win for your apartment and your mental health).

Related: How to Make Your Dorm Instagram-Ready

3. Try resale sites

We get it: Craigslist, like everything else about the internet, is a scary place. But people sell some affordable and useful things on the site. If you’re incredibly fortunate with your Craigslist sleuthing skills, you might be able to find a person who’s giving away something for free.

Granted, Craigslist isn’t the only online marketplace where you find previously used furniture and apartment décor. While Facebook Marketplace has a variety of items for sale, you can search Facebook for groups in your college town that are dedicated to buying, selling and trading items. Typically, these groups have a plethora of affordable used furniture and decorations. Because these area-specific groups are close by, you won’t need to coordinate a day-plan just to pick up a desk.  

However, if you still can't find the perf apartment accessories in your area-specific searches, don't discredit the power of online shopping. Ebay is an exceptional place to look for some obscure home furniture, art and general knick-knacks. However, if a moderately intense bidding war is too overwhelming for you (and tbh, same), Etsy is another amazing option for your dorm desires. Plus, shopping on Etsy allows you to support a range of creators. 

4. Create your own wall art

Sure, thinking about your middle school art class might still make you cringe. But crafting some wall art can be an inexpensive alternative to buying actual posters or art. While you might not plan on picking up oil pastels any time soon, you can use some mod podge and your favorite photo of you and your roomies to create a new spin on your college-fam portrait.

Plus, scream-sobbing about how you aren’t as calm and collected at Bob Ross can be an innovative form of self-care.

5. Rent your furniture

While you might think buying all your furniture before you start your first year of college less expensive and just easier, no college student enjoys actually moving their furniture or finding temporary storage for their it at the end of the academic year. Yes, you could go through the end-of-the-year routine of stress packing your entire apartment only to convince yourself that you don’t need that $30 futon you bought at the beginning of the year, which you sit on every day, but there are several companies that allow you to rent your furniture instead.

Organizations like CORT specifically cater to college students, so you can customize your furniture package to furnish the rooms you have in your apartments. Plus, you can split the bill with your roommates who also don’t want to go through the hassle of moving sh*t at the end of the year or the struggle of trying to find a single over-priced storage unit in a college town. Granted, if you’re a minimalist or you just don’t want to rent furniture for your entire apartment, rent-a-center also offers affordable rent-able options.

Whether you rent or own any items in your redecorated apartment, you can combine your deal-searching skills will some DIY techniques to make your apartment unique to you and your roommates. But we get it: Redecorating anything, whether it's a single drawer or your entire apartment, can be overwhelming. When in doubt, go to YouTube and search some inexpensive DIY videos to help inspire your inner decorator. If you're especially adventurous, you can socialize with your fellow dorm-mates so you can scope our how they've organized their room. Worse case scenario you make a new acquaintance (which we realize, is just dreadful). 

After teasing fans for months with small glimpses of the Sabrina reboot, Netflix has finally released the first trailer of the highly anticipated show, and it’s just in time for our Halloween spooky movie season.

The official trailer for The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina begins with the strike of a match and the lighting of 16 blood-red candles on a birthday cake. In the background, a eerie voice sings “Happy Birthday.” Kiernan Shipka, who stars as the titular teenage witch, told Vulture earlier this month that the first episode of the Sabrina reboot would take place on the teenage witch’s 16th birthday, which is considered the “Dark Baptism” in the witches’ world.

According to Elle, as part of the “Dark Baptism,” Sabrina is expected to sign her name in Satan’s book and renounce her mortality, including her mortal boyfriend, Harvey, who we kept a quick glimpse of in the trailer.

Sounds spooky already!

While Shipka didn’t reveal if Sabrina embraces satanic witchcraft or not, she did say that the teenage witch will face an inner moral struggle.

Riverdale creator Aguirre-Sacasa will direct, and executive produce, this dark coming of age story, alongside Riverdale collaborators Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater and Lee Toland Krieger, Variety reports.

The first season of Sabrina launches October 26 on Netflix.

Safe to say, the trailer certainly makes the show look absolutely creep-tastic and I’ll definitely be adding it to my Halloween lineup!

Pretty Little Liars star Janel Parrish is now a married woman!

The 29-year-old actress and her fiancé Chris Long tied the knot on Saturday in Waikane, Hawaii. Parrish shared a photo of her and Long kissing at their rehearsal dinner on her Instagram account.

“Rehearsal dinner photo. But today...I married him,” she wrote. “Loving my husband so much @c_long.”

According to Us Weekly, Parrish wore a mermaid-style Inbal Dror gown with a sweetheart neckline, corset bodice and long, feathered train for the wedding ceremony.

And from these pictures that Parrish shared on her Instagram, I can honestly say that I am so in love with her wedding dress.

Parrish’s sister served as her maid of honor, and Long’s brother officiated the ceremony, where the couple exchange their own vows. Parrish told People in May that she looking forward to the vows the most.

“We are probably both just going to cry like babies,” she said at the time. “I ugly cry, so it’s not going to be cute photos, but it’ll be a beautiful memory.”

Parrish had also commemorated her big day on Instagram by sharing a photo of the gorgeous surroundings on Saturday, writing, “This day is already my favorite day.”

via Janel Parrish/Instagram

According to E! News, guests included several members of the Pretty Little Liars cast and crew, such as Brendan Robinson, who played Lucas, and I. Marlene King.

“Congratulations to @JanelParrish and Chris,” King wrote on Twitter, sharing some beautiful photos from the wedding, including one of the stunning wedding arch covered with pink and white flowers. “Photos of the happy couple to come. But for now here’s a few snaps of an amazing day. Grateful to be included. #JanelGoesLong.”

Robinson appeared to reveal that the couple tied the knot at Kualoa Ranch, where Jurassic Park was filmed. Standing in front of a sign for the ranch, Robinson called it the “Perfect location for a wedding.”

via Brendan Robinson/Instagram

Parrish announced last October that she and Long were engaged. Long proposed in Toronto while they were on a walk with their dog.

“Went to the park for a stroll with Klee and came back with a fiancé,” Parrish had captioned the shot featuring her engagement ring. “I get to marry my best friend and I’m over the moon. I love you @c_long.”

Parrish will return to television as Sasha Pieterse in the Pretty Little Liars spinoff, The Perfectionists, which premieres in 2019 on Freeform.

A series of photos of model and reality star Kendall Jenner in the nude were leaked and shared online on Tuesday, according to USA Today, and Twitter users took it as an opportunity to target Jenner with body-shaming comments. In what appears to be a statement regarding the photo leak, Elle reports that Jenner shared a video of her younger sister and lip kit mogul, Kylie Jenner, discussing her experience with online harassment and bullying.

The bullying PSA features a video montage and dramatic music, but it all heightens the message in the youngest Jenner’s voiceover.

In the video, which was originally a series of Snapchat videos, Kylie says: “Half of you guys think that I’m weird, and the other half think I’m funny. But I’ve been bullied since I’ve been nine, from the whole world it feels like sometimes. And I think—I think that I’ve done a really great job in handling all of this. But there’s bullies everywhere so this is just a little—this is just a little late Snapchat to tell whoever with their own bullies that the only opinion that really matters is yours and to never change. This isn’t a pity party though, don’t get it twisted. This is for those with bullies out there to know that you’re not alone. Now good night, spread love.”

Kylie first posted the message in June 2015 shortly before she unveiled her #IAmMoreThan anti-bullying campaign.

Sharing the video with her 26 million followers on Twitter, Kendall captioned the video with a heart emoji.

The photos, TMZ reports, were illegally obtained from photographer Russell James. The photos, which were from a photo shoot with James, were meant to be published in an upcoming book about Victoria’s Secret models titled “Angels,” and were released without James’ permission.

Jenner, who has been attending fashion shows in New York as part of New York Fashion Week, nor James have officially publicly commented on the photo leak.

Either way, it’s not right to invade an individual’s privacy, and it’s especially wrong to bully and body-shame someone.

Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.

But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)

Paul Manafort Reaches Tentative Plea Deal With Special Counsel

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has tentatively reached a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller that will head off his upcoming trial, sources familiar with the negotiations told ABC News.

It is unclear at this time if Manafort has agreed to cooperate with special counsel or is simply agreeing to guilty plea, which would avoid the stress and expense of a trial. The deal is expected to be announced in court on Friday.

via Shawn Thew/EPA/REX via Shutterstock

According to ABC News, Manafort and his defense attorney spent more than four hours in negotiations on Thursday with special prosecutors involved in the investigation looking into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Word of the agreement comes as Manafort’s second trial was set to begin later this month in Washington D.C.

Manafort was set to face criminal charges in a federal court in Washington D.C. for failure to register his foreign lobbying and for money laundering conspiracy related to his Ukrainian political work.

In another case earlier this year in Virginia, Manafort was found guilty on five charges of tax fraud, one charge of hiding foreign bank accounts and two counts of bank fraud, and faces a maximum of 80 years in prison. He has not yet been sentenced in that case.

Senator Dianne Feinstein Claims to Have Secret Brett Kavanaugh Document

California Senator Dianne Feinstein acknowledged on Thursday that she has a document concerning Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but she has so far refused to share the document despite requests to do so from fellow Democrats on the Senate Judiciary committee.

“I have received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court,” Feinstein said in a statement. “That individual strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities.”

via Reuters

Multiple sources told The Huffington Postthat the document in question, which was first reported by The Intercept, is a letter sent to California Rep. Anna Eshoo regarding potential sexual misconduct involving Kavanaugh and a woman when they were both in high school.

The White House took issue with Feinstein’s announcement on Thursday, saying that the senator never brought up the letter when she spoke with him or at his hearings.

“Not until the eve of his confirmation has Sen. Feinstein or anyone raised the specter of new ‘information’ about him,” White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said, blaming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for an “11th hour attempt to delay” Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation.

“Throughout 25 years of public service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has thoroughly and repeatedly vetted Judge Kavanaugh, dating back to 1993, for some of the most highly sensitive roles,” Kupec said. “He has served in the Office of Independent Counsel, the White House, and on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, all before his nomination earlier this year to serve as Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, did not comment on the document since he had not seen it, but said he was aware of the matter.

“All I know is what I read, and I wouldn’t make any judgment of it until I get more information,” Grassley told reporters.

Sen. Dick Durbin told BuzzFeed on Thursday that the matter had been referred to the FBI. According to HuffPost, an FBI official said the bureau received the information on September 12 and “included it as part of Judge Kavanaugh’s background file, as per the standard process.”

The document is only the latest occurrence to create controversy during Kavanaugh’s confirmation process. Democrats had previously attempted to postpone Kavanaugh’s confirmation, and their attempts to subpoena hundreds of thousands of Kavanaugh documents that have been deemed privileged and unavailable to the public were voted down on Thursday.

The Cyclist Who Flipped Off President Trump is Running for Office

Juli Briskman, a marketing executive, achieved internet fame back in October 2017 after a picture of her flipping of President Donald Trump’s motorcade while on her bicycle went viral. While the photo ended up costing Briskman her job at a government contracting firm, Briskman is taking up a new career: running for public office.

The Washington Post reported that Briskman is running for to represent the Algonkian District on the Loudon County Board of Supervisors in the 2019 Virginia elections, where she will go up against Republican incumbent Suzanne M. Volpe.

On her crowdfunding campaign page, Briskman writes that she has been heavily involved in her community over the past 20 years and says she is “not one to sit idle.”

“Whether it’s standing up for a cause, such as our First Amendment rights to peacefully protest the policies of the Trump administration, or working to ensure our children and teachers are given every opportunity to succeed, I do not back down when I see something is not right,” Briskman wrote.

Briskman said that “the Algonkian District has been poorly represented by our supervisor,” citing recent votes to cut school funding and stall public transportation.

She also told the Post that she hadn’t considered running for public office until her photo went viral.

“We have a right to peacefully protest and criticize and express dissent toward our government,” Briskman said. “I’ve gotten some feedback that folks say you should respect the president. Even if you don't like what they’re doing, you shouldn’t show this sort of disdain. And I simply disagree, and I think the Constitution grants me that privilege.”

One thing is for certain: it’s good to see women across the nation, regardless of what they believe in, standing up to fight for what they think is best for their communities.

What to look out for…

Today is National Cream-Filled Donut Day, so make sure to head to your favorite donut shop and treat yo’ self.

I Did A Thing is our weekly advice column where the Her Campus editorial team helps you out when you ruin your own life (hey, we've been there). Email advice@hercampus.com for any and everything you need help with. We’ll answer you (anonymously!) on hercampus.com so we can all learn, together. We’ve got your back.

@whodoichoose: So, me and my current boyfriend have been together for about 8 months, and although my mom says she likes him she feels like he’s not good enough for me. She says that whenever he gets paid I should get part of the check – but he’s 21 and in school, and I’m 23. I don’t like asking him because I feel like I’m begging, and my mom is just telling me to call it quits. I don’t know what to do, because I’m very happy in the relationship. Can you help me?

@helpmehc: Having your parents judge your dating choices is always super stressful, trust us, we know. We all want our parents to be proud of the choices we make, and for them to see that we are capable adults. When your parents disapprove your SO, it can really put a strain on either or both relationships. In all of this mess, it's extremely important to think about what you really want and what makes you happy. 

Let's discuss your boyfriend's situation first. What abut his circumstances makes your mom think he owes you money? If you are living together, it is certainly important to make sure you are both equally contributing to the household. In other words, both of you should share the rent, split the various bills and take turns buying groceries and other supplies. This is something that should happen whenever you are living with someone as an adult other than maybe family (though even there you should help out around the house). Is he not paying his fair share? If you don't live together, is he making you pay for every date you go on? If so, maybe it's time to make a change. I, for one, would not be happy carrying the burden of all of these costs alone.

On the other hand, technically, he has no obligation to split his paychecks with you unless you are sharing some big expense together, such as an apartment or a pet. You said that he is still in school, which means I assume a lot of his paycheck goes towards school supplies, tuition or student loans, all of which are very important. Repeat: There is NO obligation for him to split his paychecks with you – just needed to get that across. 

Your mom may be stuck in the past where it was common for men to pay for everything. Have a talk with her, see where her concerns stem from. Don't let money be the deal breaker if you are happy in the relationship, but also don't let your happiness blind you to any underlying issues. Make sure you are both equally contributing to the household (again, if you are sharing one) or splitting anything you do together – and make some changes if you aren't. Hopefully, over time, your mother will come around and trust that you know what's best for you in a relationship. 

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