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Paris Hilton Is A Donald Trump Fan

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Hotel heiress Paris Hilton appeared on CNBC’s Closing Bell with Kelly Evans and Bill Griffeth on Wednesday and made some remarks about presidential candidate Donald Trump.

When asked about the conservative and offensive (yet somehow popular) Republican nominee, Hilton said, “I’ve known him since I’m a little girl. He’s a very nice man. You know, I think on TV people like to say things about certain people, but he’s actually a very sweet person. I like him a lot.”

Despite Trump having said some very questionable and distasteful things about Mexicans, women and other minority groups, Paris went on to say that Ivanka Trump is a “brilliant businesswoman,” that she’s handled her father’s run for presidency “very well,” and that she’s “very happy for her.”

While we don’t know who Hilton is voting for to lead our country, we do know that in 2008 she released a Funny or Die video poking fun at John McCain for using her image in one of his campaign videos. So even though her mother taught her “not to talk about money or politics,” it seems like Paris could vote liberal or conservative this election season. 


All That 'Bachelor In Paradise' Controversy Has Increased Andi Dorfman's Book Sales

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Former star of The Bachelorette and Bachelor Nation favorite Andi Dorfman was a topic of frequent discussion on this past summer's season of Bachelor In Paradise, which comes as no surprise given not one, but two of her exes were on the show. And no, she's not complaining—all that talk over her book, "It’s Not Okay: Turning Heartbreak into Happily Ever After" has increased sales.

"We did well before but we definitely got an extra boost that I’m not going to complain about," she revealed.

Her dramatic tell-all focuses largely on her relationship with ex-fiancé Josh Murray, whom she accused of being a "classic emotional abuser" among other troubling claims. Murray, who caused controversy the moment he stepped into Paradise, is now engaged to co-star Amanda Stanton.

In classic Andi fashion, the fan favorite gave her tough-love advice when speaking with Us Weekly on their “Most Stylist New Yorkers” event on Tuesday. “You kind of have to remember your pasts are going to get brought up [if you’re on reality TV] … We all kind of just have to swallow that pill.”

As for what she thinks about her ex's new engagement? She said, "I didn’t really hear much about it. I kind of just tried to stay away from it because I’m not involved anymore so I’m like to each their own." Good answer.

Her famous exes don't end there. While one is engaged, the other—Number 25, better known as Nick Viall—is set to become the new Bachelor. Despite the shit he pulled on her season's episode of After The Final Rose, Andi is in full support. "I think if anyone has like earned it and has been perseverance about love on TV, it’s Nick so I’m going to root for him," she said. "He’s a decent guy."

We're not sure how we'd feel about our exes flaunting new relationships on screens all across America, but kudos to Andi for dealing with it with class.

Taylor Swift's Old Myspace Photos Are All of Us in High School

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You know that feeling when you scroll a little too far down your Instagram feed and cringe at the photos you took years ago? We think that Taylor Swift can probably relate to that with the release of her very, ahem, basic Myspace photos taken all the way back in 2006.

All of these photos were take pre-superstar status, and you’ll be happy to know that, yes, T Swift went through all the awkard stages that you did. It's a nice little reminder that no matter how famous you get, a picture is forever—and there was actually a time when mirror selfies were taken with a real camera. 

So, here is a very young Taylor Swift in all her early 2000s glory:

The “I’m experimenting with filters" stage

The “ride or die” BFF stage

The Pre-iphone era

The punk rock-avoid-my-responsibilites stage that was most likely accompanied by trips to Hot Topic

The bug-eyed sunglasses everyone thought looked so great but no one could pull off

The late night fro-yo runs… ok actually this still happens

The school dance photos that everyone's mom loves to take

The toes in the sand pic

still working on the photo editing...

The resurfacing of these pics just might be something out of Swift's "Wildest Dream," but at least it makes us feel a little better about our own #TBTs.

'No Means Yes' Sign On Campus Causes Scandal at Western University

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How many times must we say this: Rape. Isn't. Funny.

Students heading into their first week of classes at the University of Western Ontario in London were welcomed back to campus with a sign reading, "No means yes... Yes means anal." Yeah, we're livid. And what's worse is, this isn't the first time this phrase has been used on a college campus. In 2013, students at Saint Mary's sang, "U is for underage, N is for no consent" at an orientation event; in 2014, frat boys at Yale used the phrase from the window as a chant; in 2015, a frat's notebook making references to rape and lynching was discovered; that same year, a fraternity at Penn State was suspended when they were discovered posting photos of naked, passed out women to Facebook. Need us to go on?

The image from Western first went viral when it was posted to Facebook by Emma Richard, who came across the sign on her way home. “After standing, staring, taking a picture, I came home. My shock turned into rage, and my rage turned into awareness, and so I wept. I wept for everyone who has ever said 'no' only to have 'yes' heard, yes acted upon. I wept for those who never had a chance to say 'no' because someone else already decided the answer was 'yes,' or failed to even ask the question. I wept for those who will continue to suffer the consequences of a culture in which a household feels “No means yes” is an acceptable thing to write on their window,” she wrote—and we couldn't have put it better.

As Vice reports, the university tried to downplay the incident. Glenn Matthews, the school's housing mediation coordinator, told the London Free Press, "I get it: the message is really bad, but students do dumb things." 

So boys will be boys, basically. Hmm, where have we heard that before?

Jana Luker, Western's associate vice-provost of student experience, did damage control this week. "Western takes full responsibility for not responding to the incident adequately,” she said in a statement, according to the London Free Press. “The University is reviewing its response mechanisms in these kinds of serious situations and the current incident is being investigated by London Police, as well as Campus Police as a Code of Student Conduct violation."

We'll repeat this again: Rape. Isn't. Funny. So stop making jokes about it.

5 Things We Learned From Trump's Dr. Oz Interview

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In an episode of Dr. Oz that aired on Thursday, Donald Trump was interviewed for an hour about his health and his recent physical exam results. This comes soon after Hillary Clinton announced she had been diagnosed with pneumonia, which kept her from campaigning for a few days, leading to questions about both candidates' health. The show went through Trump's major body systems, including his risk of diseases like Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease, his bladder and prostate health, and a review of his head and neck, along with other questions about some of his other stances on healthcare. If you thought (like us) Trump's neck is in rough condition, considering how big his head is, you would be wrong! According to the candidate himself, he's had "no problem" with his head and neck.

Some of the biggest takeaways from this conversation?

1. Trump considers giving speeches to huge groups of people "exercise."

When asked how he stays healthy on the campaign trail, Trump answered with this: "When I’m speaking in front of 15 and 20,000 people and I’m up there using a lot of motion, I guess in it’s own way, it's a pretty healthy act. I really enjoy doing it. A lot of times these rooms are very hot, like saunas, and I guess that is a form of exercise and, you know?" If only we could all give speeches to packed, overheated arenas instead of going to spin class!

2. We're not totally sure how much Trump weighs.

He's 6'3" and weighs either 236 or 267 pounds—audience members heard the figure differently. If he's 267 pounds, Trump would be considered obese, but at 236 he would just be overweight. He said he'd like "to be able to drop 15, 20 pounds."

3. Trump thinks women should be able to get birth control without a prescription.

"It should not be done by prescription. You have women that just aren't in a position to go get a prescription," he said. "And more and more people are coming out and saying that, but I am not in favor of prescription for birth control." This is actually a pretty great stance. But when Republicans tried last year to pass a bill making birth control accessible over the counter, Democrats countered by saying the bill would make contraceptives too expensive—So maybe Trump is just making a good business decision.

4. Undocumented people needing medical treatment wouldn't be a problem in Trump's America.

That's because he'll be deporting all of them, so there won't be any undocumented immigrants to get sick. "Well, under my plan the undocumented or as you would say illegal immigrant wouldn’t be in the country," Trump told Dr. Oz. "They only come in the country legally."

5. He wants Hillary Clinton to feel better.

Dr. Oz told Trump he couldn't talk about Clinton during the interview, to which he replied, "We want her to get well, so I think that's fine." So nice!

Head over to The Washington Post for the full transcript of the conversation between Trump and Dr. Oz.

New Studies Show That We Get Intelligence From Our Moms

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Have you thanked your mom today? If not, you probably should. New research has confirmed that the majority of our intelligence comes from our mothers, Cosmopolitan reports.

How does this work? Some genes are conditioned, and these genes work differently depending on their origin (your mother or your father). The conditioned genes that determine your intelligence are located on the X chromosome, which females have two of. Since males only have one, you’re more likely to get that intelligence gene from your mom. If you get it from your father, too, chances are it’s going to be deactivated. Of course, there are genes that work in the opposite manner as well, which are deactivated when they are inherited from your mother.

According to Psychology Spot, this research dates as far back as 1984, when researchers at the University of Cambridge found that maternal genes contribute the most to developing the thought centers in our brains—but until recently it was thought that intelligence depended on both mom and dad. But researchers at the University of Ulm, located in Germany, found that many genes involved in brain damage, especially ones relating to our cognitive abilities, were on the X chromosome. It’s not only genetic, though. Emotions play their part in the development of our intelligence, as well; researchers at the University of Minnesota found that a strong bond between a mother and her child will help to increase their competence at earlier ages, because she gives them security and confidence to explore their surroundings and solve problems.

One of the most telling studies came from the Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow, Scotland. Every year since 1994, 12,686 people between the ages of 14 and 22 were interviewed, with factors such as skin color, educational status, and socio-economic status taken into account. But the best predictor of the kids’ intelligence was their mother’s IQ—most individuals were only an average of 15 points off of their mother’s IQ.

So go ahead and pick up the phone—after all, you got it from your momma.

Whistleblower Chelsea Manning Will Receive Gender Reassignment Surgery

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The U.S Military has told Chelsea Manning that she will receive gender reassignment surgery while in prison, her lawyer said Tuesday. 

Manning, who announced she was female back in 2013, was recommended surgery by her psychologist back in April 2016.

According to The New York Times, Manning is pleased with the decision but wishes it hadn’t taken such a long time. 

“I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing,” Manning said. “I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted — for them to let me be me. But it is hard not to wonder why it has taken so long.”

In 2013, Manning was sentenced to 35 years of prison in violation of the espionage act after sending nearly a quarter of a million classified or sensitive documents to Wikileaks, according to an article she wrote in The Guardian. While in prison, she requested hormone therapy which was not approved until early 2015 after she sued the military. 

Because of her lack of treatment, Manning attempted suicide back in early July, then began a hunger strike in September. 

While the military has agreed to provide her with treatment, she still could remain in solitary confinement for charges related to her suicide attempt, said Chase Strangio, a lawyer representing Manning for the American Civil Liberties Union told NBC

Before June 2016, when the Department of Defense announced it would allow transgender people to serve in the military, members who were receiving gender reassignment surgery were discharged. However, the military has retracted their position, saying they would now provide care to all transgender service men and women, according to USA Today

In her statement published in the Times, Manning said, “I hope this sets a precedent for the thousands of trans people behind me hoping they will be given the treatment they need.”

Facebook Won't Be Able to Stop a 14-Year-Old Girl From Suing Them Over Her Naked Photos

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A 14-year-old girl from Ireland is suing Facebook over a naked photo of herself that was posted on the social networking site multiple times. Although Facebook attempted to get the case dismissed, a judge in Belfast, Ireland has decided that it'll be going to trial. The Guardian reports that the photo had been repeatedly posted as an act of revenge on a "shame page" between November 2014 and January 2016. The girl is suing both Facebook and the man who posted the photo, and has compared the posting of the photo to child abuse.

Facebook argues that they took down the photo every time they were notified of it, but they haven't explained why their automated software didn't catch the photo on its own—which the girl's lawyers say they should have easily been able to do.

Since 2011 Facebook has boasted about a technology called PhotoDNA, which creates a sort of DNA fingerprint for photos posted to the site. The automated system can tell if a photo that has been removed for violations, and can stop the photo from being reuploaded. The company says they still use this program today. However, they didn't explain why this girl's particular image was not flagged by the program after being reported and deleted the first time it was published, CNN reports. After hearing of the judge's ruling, a spokesperson for the company said, "There's no place for this kind of content on Facebook and we remove it when it's reported to us," reffering to nudity and sexual exploitation. Why, then, was this image able to be reposted multiple times?

Facebook has repeatedly run into issues with their flagging and removal system, with some critics of the program saying the system should not be automated while others say cases like these show it should be. This case seems especially bizarre when compared to last week, when Facebook was widely criticized for removing an iconic Vietnam War photo of a naked girl running from a napalm bomb.


This 15-Year-Old is Fighting for Representation One Emoji at a Time

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As Europe and the United States struggle with multiculturalism and Islamophobia, a 15-year-old Saudi girl sees a new opportunity for representation—through the emoji.

Rayouf Alhumedi, who now lives in Berlin, Germany, has proposed adding a headscarf emoji to be included alongside Apple’s extensive collection of everything from the Easter Island head to a ticket icon. 

The idea for the emoji came earlier this year, when Rayouf and her friends decided to represent themselves in a group chat using emojis. While her friends were able to find matching cartoon portraits, the 15-year-old muslim, who wears a headscarf, found nothing, according to The Washington Post.

That’s when Rayouf decided to take matters into her own hands. She sent Apple a short note, but didn’t hear back. A few months later she stumbled upon a Mashable article that taught her the basics of emoji proposal.

Now several months later, Rayouf has developed a proposal which she expects to present in November to the Unicode Consortium, a non-profit corporation that reviews and develops new emojis, according to BBC.

While you would think proposing an emoji would be simple, Rayouf proposal is more than seven pages and includes links, graphs and other evidence arguing the importance of a hijab emoji. Unicode expects the emoji will be available in mid-2017. 

The 15-year-old, who had never written anything longer than a lab report before this project, believes emojis are a way to promote representation and inclusivity. 

"In this day and age, representation is extremely important,” Rayouf told BBC. 

"There are so many Muslim women in this world who wear the headscarf. It might seem trivial... but it's different when you see yourself on the keyboard around the world. Once you experience that, it's really great."

Girls Who Play With Skinny Barbies Are More Dissatisfied With Their Bodies

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Barbie dolls have been a source of controversy among parents for a long time, even recently when Mattel released dolls to represent a more diverse group of women. Dispite the company presenting these new dolls as making up for years of the stick-thin classic Barbie, a recent study has shown that girls are still feeling the effects of the dolls on their body image.

In the journal Body Image, researchers looked at the effects of different types of Barbie dolls on 224 young girls. The girls, ages 6-8 years old, played with either a thin Barbie doll or Hairspray-inspired full-figured Tracy doll, or with two similar unbranded dolls, one thin and one with a fuller figure.

In the end, the study found that the girls desired the body type of the doll they played with most. This means that the girls who played with thinner dolls wanted thinner bodies, while the girls who played with the full-figured dolls were more content with their own bodies, Mic summarizes. Whether the dolls were dressed in bikinis or modestly covered up, Refinery29 points out that the results were the same for all the girls: playing with a skinny doll had negative effects on body positivity.

Mattel is trying to fight the body image issue through their new line of dolls, which they made in "curvy,""tall" and "petite" versions with different skin and hair colors. Their goal in releasing this new line of dolls was to have a doll that would more closely represent every girl who played with Barbies. Let's hope these new dolls make an impact.

University of Richmond Frat Suspended After Sending Gross, Sexist Party Invitation

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Listen, ladies. If the invitation says that the party will be one that "makes fathers afraid to send their daughters away to school", DO NOT GO. 

Last Friday night, the University of Richmond's Kappa Alpha fraternity chapter sent an email containing exactly that. The University's student-run newspaper, The Collegian, got their hands on the email and immediately had to wash them because its contents were so disgusting. The newspaper published this screenshot to their website:

"Today is the day boys.

Lodge season has finally arrived. We just wanted to send out a reminder that our theme for the night is ameriKA. Roll through in your best red, white, and blue (or just be naked for all I care, just make sure your ass makes it out tonight). Just a quick reminder, make sure you have your Spider ID on you to swipe in to the lodge. This is gonna be one for teh books. Both [redacted] and I have the night off so we're looking forward to watching that lodge virginity be gobbled up for ya'll. See you boys tonight.

If you haven't started drinking already, catch up. Tonight's the type of night that makes fathers afraid to send their daughters away to school. Let's get it."

The party was supposed to be a deflowering event for the "lodge" where it was to be held. The dress code? Red, white, and blue. Or, just go butt naked. How respectable. Two fraternity brothers are responsible for sending the email to more than 95 recipients, likely pledges and brothers of Kappa Alpha. In response to the email, the University has deferred all meetings, events, activities, and operations of the fraternity until UR officials and Greek leadership discuss further actions.

In a statement published on The Collegian, the University said, 

"The e-mail contained grossly offensive language and suggestions of behavior inconsistent with our policies concerning Greek life and with the caring nature of our campus community. As a result, the University has suspended all chapter operations, activities, and events pending a thorough investigation. We have also contacted the national Kappa Alpha Headquarters, which promptly suspended the chapter while it conducts its own membership review and investigation."

The national Kappa Alpha Order headquarters gave the University statement a "ditto" and said that the invitation clashed with the fraternity's value of "gentlemanly conduct".

Just a friendly reminder that all of this is happening just weeks after two University of Richmond students came forth and wrote about the mishandling of their sexual assault on The Huffington Post. Cecilia Carreras, one of the victims, was told she was a liar by University officials, so she published the receipts of her case. In addition, the newspaper disclosed that the university has been under federal investigation for numerous Title IX violations.

University of Richmond, UR in a little bit of hot water.

You Have to Try These New Cookie Fries Making a Grand Entrance in Texas

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We all know that every food item on the shelf has its soulmate, whether it's peanut butter and jelly, cookies and cream or ketchup and fries.  But, unfortunately we must announce that those last two couples have recently broken up, due to the new love affair that has been created between cookies and fries!

State Fair Treats, a new restaurant opening in a Walmart in Plano, Texas, will be serving the one and only Cookie Fries! According to Cosmopolitan, the owner of the new restaurant, Issac Rousso, created the crinkle-cut fry shaped cookie with sprinkles and the drizzle of either a chocolate or strawberry sauce down the side. The Daily Meal reports that the state-fair themed restaurant will have 45 items to offer on their menu, including fried Pop Tarts, deep fried Cuban rolls, and smoky bacon margaritas too!

Though these amazing treats will be difficult to get unless you live in Plano, State Fair Treats will also be at the State Fair of Texas, running from September 30 to October 23. And even better, Rousso is planning to take the restaurant on the road for a national run!

Sorry cream and ketchup, looks like you’ll be single for a while.

Mother Will Go to Psychiatric Hospital After Killing Her Children in an Exorcism

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According to the New York Daily News, Zakieya Avery stabbed four children in what she thought was an exorcism in 2014, fatally injuring her two youngest children and wounding their two older siblings.  She pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. 

At her sentencing, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Terrence McGann ruled that she was not criminally responsible for the children’s deaths and instead will go to a psychiatric hospital, the Associated Press reports. Avery and her housemate believed the children to be possessed by demons and themselves to be "demon warriors." The two had even lived in a car for nine days in order to avoid demons in the house.

“The only way to understand her actions in this case is to factor in her mental illness, her delusional belief that her children were being possessed by demons,” Neil Blumberg, a psychiatrist retained by an attorney for the mother, Avery, testified. The Washington Post reports that though McGann usually gives extremely strict punishments for violent crimes, he also has displayed his understanding of mental health. Given the testimonies during the trial and that Avery had been hospitalized before, McGann chose to sentence her to psychiatric care as opposed to jail.

Here's Yet Another Reason to Get Excited for 'Moana'

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The time has finally arrived *drum roll* for an extended peek at Disney’s next animated film, Moana. An official trailer was just released for the movie, starring newcomer Auli’i Cravalho as the Polynesian princess and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Maui. Their characters journey together throughout the Pacific Ocean, and a bond inevitably develops between the pair.

The trailer does not disappoint when it comes to creating a fascinating new world and bringing it to life through animation. You really have to see it in its full colorful and textured glory to understand what a visual delight this film is sure to be.

Although we’ll have to wait a couple more months until Moana is released in theaters nationwide, this beautiful trailer has given us yet another reason to get excited about Disney's newest princess. It seems like November can't get here soon enough, so in the meantime, we’ll have to watch this nonstop until the release date finally arrives.

This 'American Horror Story' Trailer Reveals What Season 6 Is Really About

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The sixth season of American Horror Story premiered on Wednesday night, and you loyal viewers might still be scratching your heads in confusion.

A month before the season six premiere, pictures surfaced on TMZ of the rumored set for the new season. That’s when news outlets began to spread speculation that this season would be based in America’s “Lost Colony” of Roanoke.

While the full cast won’t be sporting colonial garb for the entire season, it seems like the rumors were true, and American Horror Story: Roanoke is happening.

In the official trailer for the new season, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sarah Paulson play real-life event recreators, Matt and Shelby. In the premiere, they started to unfold the story of “My Roanoke Nightmare.”

The new documentary-style season looks like it’s going to give us a history lesson, a killer colonial woman played by Kathy Bates and restless spirits.

It’s unclear whether or not the themes from the teaser will come into play, but Ryan Murphy has tricked us before and he’s likely to do it again. Get ready to be spooked and obsessed this fall.


Another Female-Led Superhero Movie Is In The Works & We Are Rejoicing

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The recent increase of female-led superhero films and television shows has been nice, but we're always looking for more. Thankfully, we're in luck because another movie featuring a female superhero is in the works. She may not be your typical heroine and she’d probably fight you if you suggested she is, but she's definitely one badass chick not to be messed with.

If you haven’t guessed already, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is getting her own spin-off film. Stealing the show with her unbelievable performance in this summer’s lackluster Suicide Squad, a Harley Quinn solo story is deserved, particularly for Robbie's take on the character. No other information has been released at this time, but will she appear in the film sans the Joker? It's rare to see Harley without her paramour, but we wouldn’t mind watching Robbie take on the action all by herself.

In addition to her role as Harley Quinn, Robbie will reportedly also contribute as a co-producer on the upcoming action flick. Seems she's just as badass as the heroine she plays.

Emily Ratajkowski Claps Back at Tim Gunn After He Calls Her Red Carpet Look 'Vulgar'

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Emily Ratajkowski is not letting the patriarchy get her down. The supermodel recently sported a black Julien Macdonald dress that cut down to her belly button and left her sides bare. Despite the fact that Ratajkowksi nailed the look, Project Runway host Tim Gunn was not a fan.

On Fashion Police, Gunn showed his distaste for the model’s choice of dress, saying, “If I saw this at a party, all I could do would be to drink. I couldn't eat. There's absolutely no way. This dress is so appallingly vulgar and revealing. Why wear anything? Why not just take it all off?”

Ratajkowski is no stranger to standing up for herself. She's penned a Lenny Letter about what it means to be sexy, posed for a topless selfie with the Internet-breaking Kim Kardashian and recently wrote an essay for Glamour about how you don’t have to be a female to dress for attention.

After Gunn’s Fashion Police comments went public, Ratajkowski took to Twitter to clap back at him.

Even though Fashion Police is infamous for criticizing looks, there’s no doubt that Gunn took it too far with his comments.

Ratajkowski put it best when she tweeted, “It's 2016. Why keep trying to dictate what women can wear?”

Your Guide to Surviving Parents’ Weekend

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Parents’ Weekend is the perfect opportunity to show off your campus—without all the added stress of moving in. You’ll be all settled into your dorm and ready to spend quality time with your family, as well as enjoy some delicious (non-dining hall) food. Of course, Parents’ Weekend can also come with a lot of pressure. As a new student, you’re still navigating college life. Your family will have a lot of questions and more than a few expectations. If you’re nervous about Parents’ Weekend and you want to handle it like a pro, then listen up. Her Campus is here to help: We’ve outlined 7 situations that are likely to occur during Parents’ Weekend, and broken down how to deal.

1. Dealing with awkward or messy roommates

In a perfect world, your freshman year roommate is the sister you’ve never had. The two of you have tons in common, she’s clean (but not too clean!) and you coexist harmoniously. In reality, though, you and your roommate are bound to have a few disagreements. Worst-case scenario, she’s totally awful and you’re worried about inviting your family into your shared space.

Talk to your roommate and ask if her family is coming to visit for Parents’ Weekend. If not, it might be a hard time for her, so be considerate. Definitely show off your room, but after a tour, you and the fam can spend some time off campus and give her a bit of space. If her family is coming too, discuss your plans beforehand! Do your best to coordinate schedules so that each of you is able to have personal time with your family. Plus, you can only fit so many people in your dorm room!

If you feel it’s necessary, give your family members a heads up about your roommate’s habits. You can’t clean up her mess or even make her talk to you, but you can (politely) let your family know that the two of you don’t exactly see eye to eye. Most likely you’ll be out and about enjoying family activities or chilling in their hotel room, so it shouldn’t even be too big of an issue.

2. Balancing the visit and your weekend social life

Parents’ Weekend is early in the semester, and you may be anxious to spend time with your new friends or go to that party after a long day with your parents. Remember that this visit is special, and you may not see your family again for a while. While it can be tempting to make other plans, your fellow students will understand if you choose to put your family first.

If there’s an event you absolutely cannot miss, don’t try to make up excuses to push your parents out. Tell them that you would love to spend the afternoon and evening together, but after dinner you would really like to attend said event. Chances are they’ll be exhausted and won’t mind turning in early. They just don’t want to feel neglected when they made the effort to come out and see you.

You may have to make some difficult choices regarding your social calendar, but remember that for these few days your family is your priority. It’s one weekend out of many and there will always be another party—trust us.

3. Fielding personal questions

Prepare yourself for a ton of questions from your parents. They’ll want to know everything: have you met any cute guys or girls, who are your friends, how’s the food, do you like your classes, are you doing your homework… and on and on. Be patient with them; they’re only asking because they care about you, and they are genuinely interested. Hopefully you’ve called to update them every once in a while, so they already have a good idea of what’s going on. If not, answer their questions as best you can. Introduce them to your friends, take them to the dining hall and show them around campus. They’ll feel a sense of relief knowing what you’re up to.

Natalie, a sophomore at Adrian College, got support from a friend during her Parents’ Weekend freshman year. “My best friend and I (from the same home town) arranged to get dinner with our families together, so as to ease the flow of personal questions. That way we had each other there for moral support,” says Natalie. “Our families are already friends, since we went to high school together, which made it easier to arrange, but you could even go so far as to plan on being at the same restaurant at the same time, and then catch sight of each other (coincidentally, of course) and say, ‘Mom, Dad, this is my best friend and her parents, let's all eat together!’”

Sometimes, you don’t need to be 100 percent honest. If you’re involved with someone but the relationship is in its early stages, you don’t have to meet their parents (and vice versa). You don’t need to tell your parents that you tried a beer or slept through your 8 AM once. Part of college is having your own life, separate from your parents. If you’re super close and want to share everything, that’s great! But don’t feel pressured to give them every detail of your college experience thus far. Obviously be open with your family and tell them if there’s something to be concerned about. Just remember that you’re establishing your independence and are totally allowed to set boundaries. You can always say, “Hey, I’d rather not talk about that right now,” and hopefully they won’t push it.

4. Planning activities (and downtime!)

Obviously you want to keep your family engaged and have a good time with them while they’re visiting. In order to ensure the best possible experience, you need think about what you want to do in advance—say a week or two before Parents’ Weekend. You may have to order tickets or make reservations (especially since your college town will be full of families), so you definitely don’t want to wait until the last minute.

Malone, a junior at John Carroll University, emphasizes the importance of planning ahead. “Before Parents’ Weekend, see what your school has to offer. While most schools will have fun family activities during the day, many will also offer shuttle services to nearby touristy or fun parts of a city; discounted tickets for a baseball game or even just a list of attractions or restaurants for you all to try out when campus is a little slow,” says Malone. “Taking advantage of opportunities like these will keep Parents’ Weekend fun-filled and will give you lasting memories.”

Whether you’re planning on spending the majority of your time on campus, doing touristy activities or showing your family the lesser-known parts of the surrounding town, be sure to factor in some downtime. Parents’ Weekend gets hectic, so you’ll want to rest in your dorm or at the hotel at some point. While it’s important to have fun, you don’t have to be doing something exciting every minute. It’s all about spending time with your family and catching up with them—so don’t forget to relax.

5. Getting dinner reservations

Eating meals out is arguably the most exciting part of Parents’ Weekend. By now, you’re probably already sick of on-campus food and your parents may be inclined to splurge on dinner while you’re all together. After living on a college budget for weeks, you’ll feel spoiled. It doesn’t matter if you want to show your family your favorite restaurant or if you’d rather try out somewhere new—you need to make a reservation. Parents’ Weekend means that all the local places will be booked in advance, so be sure to call a few days ahead.

“I would definitely recommend getting dinner reservations beforehand,” says Rachel Petty, a junior at James Madison University. “Parents’ Weekend can make restaurants really busy and hectic, so it's nice to know you won’t have to wait or drive around just to find somewhere to eat dinner!”

You don’t have to have every detail figured out, but the more you do, the less you’ll have to stress about. When it comes to Parents’ Weekend, it’s important to be proactive. Plan ahead and communicate with your family before they arrive on campus, but also remember that plans can change. Being flexible will ensure that the weekend goes as smoothly as possible.

6. Sharing time with siblings

If your sibling or siblings are joining you and your parents for the weekend, things can get even more complicated. There may be more arguments over what to do or you might feel like your parents aren’t paying you an equal amount of attention. Try your best to remain calm and remember that you’re only together for a couple of days.

Even more problematic is if you have a sister or brother at a different school and your parents are splitting their time between the two of you. As with the rest of Parents’ Weekend, planning ahead and communicating with your family should ease any tension.

7. Having to say goodbye

 

Hopefully you use this guide and your weekend goes off without a hitch. Even if there are problems (and when are there not during family gatherings?) you’re sure to get through them and laugh about it later.

Unfortunately, seeing your family again for such a short time can bring up feelings of homesickness. You may not want to say goodbye and you might have trouble readjusting after they leave. Whatever you do, don’t isolate yourself. Talk to your friends at school and focus on your schoolwork. The great thing about college is that there’s always something going on if you need a distraction.

Call your family on the phone, Skype or FaceTime them and look forward to the next time you’ll see them in person. Remember that this goodbye is only temporary. You’ll be back to your normal, college-loving self in no time!

Your freshman Parents’ Weekend only happens once, so be patient with your family and enjoy your time together. Above all, be sure to have fun!

Donald Trump is STILL Hesitant to Say Obama was Born in the U.S.

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Remember back in 2011 when Donald Trump essentially kick-started his political career on Good Morning America by starting the “birtherism” controversy which questioned President Obama’s US citizenship? A dark day for American politics, Trump’s accusation on GMA would actually gain him credibility as an influential figure in politics and encouraged conspiracy theorists to keep up the controversy. Turns out, we still haven’t settled the matter, even though Obama’s been in office for 8 years now.

The White House released President Obama’s birth certificate in 2011 to settle the matter, but when asked by the Washington Post this week, five years later, Trump still couldn’t bring himself to admit he was wrong.

In true politician style, Trump's senior communications adviser, Jason Miller released a public statement trying to assure the public Trump has moved on from the “birther” issue:

"Hillary Clinton’s campaign first raised this issue to smear then-candidate Barack Obama in her very nasty, failed 2008 campaign for President. This type of vicious and conniving behavior is straight from the Clinton Playbook. As usual, however, Hillary Clinton was too weak to get an answer. Even the MSNBC show Morning Joe admits that it was Clinton’s henchmen who first raised this issue, not Donald J. Trump.

In 2011, Mr. Trump was finally able to bring this ugly incident to its conclusion by successfully compelling President Obama to release his birth certificate. Mr. Trump did a great service to the President and the country by bringing closure to the issue that Hillary Clinton and her team first raised. Inarguably, Donald J. Trump is a closer. Having successfully obtained President Obama’s birth certificate when others could not, Mr. Trump believes that President Obama was born in the United States.

Mr. Trump is now totally focused on bringing jobs back to America, defeating radical Islamic terrorism, taking care of our veterans, introducing school choice opportunities and rebuilding and making our inner cities safe again."

One thing about the Trump camp excels at—staying on brand. They manage to slam Hillary and assert Trump’s greatness all at the same time, which is quintessential "Make America Great Again" campaigning. Whether or not crusading a conspiracy theory against the President of the United States “did a great service to the President and the country” is up to you, but the entire re-birth of the “birther” issue does beg the question if Donald Trump is a legitimate politician now, or if he’s still just the same shit-stirrer he was five years ago.

Alabama Teen Kills Parents After Getting in Trouble for Throwing House Party

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A troubled teen and self-professed “pot head” allegedly shot and killed his parents over the weekend, according to authorities. 

Mike and April Holton, both 37, returned to their Eclectic, Alabama home Sunday to find the house trashed after a party thrown by their 17-year-old son Jesse Holton. 

Mike Holton, the former mayor of Eclectic and a volunteer firefighter, called the sheriff’s department Sunday afternoon. When an officer arrived at the house, he found that the father had handcuffed his son to “get his attention.” 

“They obviously were trying to discipline their son, and they had had problems with him in the past,” Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin told the Associated Press

Officers photographed the damage to the property and collected evidence which included a pipe used to smoke marijuana. Mike Holton told the responding officer that he and his wife planned to sign a juvenile arrest warrant against Jesse for damage to the property and drug use Monday morning. 

Officers left the Holton residence to respond to another call and according to Franklin, “everything was calm when the deputy left.” Officers received a call from a neighbor about 30 minutes later saying that Jesse was at their house and said his parents were fighting. 

When a deputy returned to the Holton residence, he found Mike and April Holton in the master bedroom of the home. Mike was dead of a gunshot wound to the head and April, who had also been shot in the head, was in critical condition. She later died at a hospital on Monday. 

Jesse told officers that his father shot his mother during an argument and then turned the gun on himself. However, Frankilin says that Jesse’s description did not match the physical evidence. A forensics examination and preliminary investigation determined that neither Mike nor April Holton’s wounds were self-inflicted. 

Jesse Holton was arrested and charged as an adult with murder in the death of his father, Mike Holton. Investigators expect Jesse Holton will be charged in the death of his mother, April Holton, pending autopsy results, People reports. 

“He (Jesse Holton) hasn’t shown any emotion at all.” Franklin said. “He just said, ‘I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it.” 

Eclectic, Alabama is a small close knit community where everyone knows each other and Mike and April Holton were well known members of the Eclectic community Franklin said. The couple has two younger children who are with relatives. 

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