As '90s kids, the first thing we'd put on our holiday wishlist was a sweet toy: Tamagotchis, Hit Clips, and Bratz dolls would get us beyond hyped when it was time to unwrap presents.
Those were simpler times. As adults, our wishes — and needs — have changed. Frankly, being a grown-up is exhausting, and all we want to do these days is relax. Brunch dates, shopping trips, and cocktail hours would gladly be traded for a massage or trip to the spa. But every holiday season, that gets tougher: Between gift shopping, working, hosting family, and mandatory partying, downtime is usually the hardest thing to get.
Luckily, you don't even need to leave the house to truly unwind. There are plenty of relaxing holiday sets you can give (and gift yourself) that'll basically turn your bathroom into a five-star oasis... or at least as close as you can get with your cousins screaming "Yahtzee!" from the other room. We rounded them up, ahead.
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Some rules were made to be broken, and we're more than happy to disobey the unwritten, “thou shalt not wear white after Labor Day,” commandment. As one of the oldest styling tropes in the figurative fashion book, this idea is not only dated, but it's also downright illogical. Because, really, what's a winter wonderland without a fresh palette of white?
All-white outfits feel like forward and elevated statement-makers outside of the summer season — and nothing says power-look like matching your crisp-clean style to the cold-barren climate. Ahead we're showcasing 20 of our favorite colorless pieces, from chic coats to cozy knits and trousers, that will inspire you to go full snow angel with your winter wardrobes. And if anyone throws ancient fashion shade your way for stepping out in head-to-toe white? Just own your inner ice queen and cue up, ‘Thank U, Next.”
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Remember when becoming "Facebook official" was a thing? That was cute. Nowadays (and now that we know the social-media stalwart allegedly handed out our personal information to big tech companies), couples everywhere are confirming their relationship statuses with the much more dramatic — and permanent — display of matching tattoos. And if anyone takes their ink-worthy relationships seriously, it's celebrities.
The one thing stars enjoy more than getting tattoos dedicated to their partners (of seven months or seven years — they don't discriminate) is showing them off for the whole world to see. It's kind of like broadcasting your wedding vows on Instagram Live, only they require four weeks of healing time and Aquaphor. There's loads of proof out there of Hollywood love affairs of our past, present, and future — and we've rounded up the best, ahead.
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Over the years, we've come to learn that one is either born to holiday gift...Or not. And for those of us who were skipped by the gifting gene, this season represents a time of idealess turmoil instead of festive shopping sprees. But this year, we won't be throwing in the towel when our creativity banks hit empty. Because this year, the effortless solution of the subscription box has hit an all-time high in creativity and quality.
When you can't figure out how the hell to wrap friends, family members, or SOs up into one thoughtful box with a ribbon on top, there's a service out there to do it for you. These companies all offer a unique range of pre-curated goods that can be subscribed to, for either one-offs or recurring periods, and delivered directly to your (or a giftee's) doorstep. Unsure of what the hell to buy your picky brother? There's a specialty man-scaping box to handle that. How about your dog-obsessed BFF? A themed box brimming with pet products has that covered.
Let the wild, weird, and wonderful subscription sites ahead stand in strong as your missing gifting gene this holiday season. With categories from wellness to fashion, beauty, food, and even sex toys ( ahooga), there's a box to wrap up every character in your life.
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When the earliest-known New Year's Eve celebrations went down in 2000 B.C.E., the Mesopotamians probably weren't spending the days leading up to the party worried about the falsies that could last through sticky showers from popped Champagne bottles (which, frankly, no one likes, by the way) or exactly what kind of updo they'd spin into a fancy hair clip. But in this day and age, what you wear seems almost as important as who you'll be kissing when the clock strikes midnight... if not more.
The good news is you've got most of your NYE to-do list crossed off: You ordered the dress, you booked the blowout, and you've scheduled the pre-party manicure. But what about your makeup? Lucky for you, we took all the fuss out of shopping around for a glittery lid or festive cat-eye, and rounded up the only inspiration you'll need to get the night started. Even better, we asked some pros — A-list makeup artists Mario Dedivanovic, Violette, and Nam Vo — for their party makeup advice.
Ahead, everything you need to know to have the coolest look on New Year's Eve.
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Makeup artists have a lot to deal with when it comes to the red carpet: Bright flashes, harsh lighting, and unflattering lenses can turn a perfectly buffed face into a flat, blank canvas. Now take those conditions, add in a marathon, and that's what Cirque Du Soleil performers deal with.
"We do two shows a night, 10 shows a week," Cirque Du Soleil Zumanity acrobat Marina Tomanova says. "We sweat, we run around, and we want it to last."
In this video, Tomanova walks us through her hour-long pre-show beauty routine, which involves plenty of glitter, sequins, and a healthy dusting of powder. "Stage makeup is a little bit different than your average makeup," she says.
The resulting look is specifically designed to be seen from yards away from the stage. Her dramatic two-toned lip has a darker, more defined edge, while her contour runs higher and curves upwards to cut out her cheekbones. Watch her transformation in the 180-VR video above.
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Tiger stripes. Lightning strikes. Stretchies. These are some of the pet names people (Chrissy Teigen among them) have come to use when talking about their stretch marks. As cute as they sound, the nicknames are proof that the naturally-occurring scars needed something of a re-brand in a society that has long deemed them undesirable.
In the ancient era, it's been rumored that both the Greeks and Romans looked to the powers of olive oil to make stretch marks on pregnant bellies disappear. And in the 21st century, people readily use things like Photoshop and photo editing apps to make them vanish from ad campaigns, billboards, social media posts, and more. The problematic message that's sent, of course, is that stretch marks are unappealing. And what that's inevitably led to is a world of (mostly) women who understandably feel a variety of different emotions when they see stretch marks on their skin, zigzagging their way up their thighs, tummies, or sides.
Ahead, we talked to five women talk about their stretch marks, and what they really think about them now.
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Back in the day, making a statement with your hair meant mom tying plaid ribbon around your ponytail, tacking plastic bow-shaped clips on the ends of your braids, or lining them with beads. Now, the accessories from our childhood are all grown up and bold in a totally different way.
A new wave of hair jewels (including headbands, metallic clips, and even velvet ribbon) are emerging on runways, and on the heads of some of our favorite celebs. The latest adornment to steal our hearts? Blinged-out clips that send a sharp message. Last September, Selena Gomez was spotted wearing a crystal-covered barrette with the word "Ugly" in bold caps, a direct retort to Stefano Gabbana 's notorious comment about her. Since then, we've seen plenty of stars follow suit with their own hair-clip messages.
Proving that you don't need a graphic T-shirt (or a cheeky Instagram caption) to make a point, these barrettes reflect your mood without saying a word. The best part? They can make the most basic hairstyle look like a million bucks with half the effort. Check out our favorites, ahead.
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Welcome toHype Machine, our hit-list of the top reviewed products across the web — according to a crowd of die-hard shoppers. Call this your 4-star & up only club, with entry granted by our devoted-to-the-goods shop editors.
Update: Thank you for all of your amazing input in the comments. We've since updated our story with a few popular options.
To bring you up to speed, we recently launched a new series, Hype Machine, where we round up the top reviewed items on the internet. Boots, sex toys, humidifiers, body pillows (!!!); we're aiming to make the process of shopping for all of your favorite things as painless as possible.
And while our editors are adept at scraping the internet to find the best of the best, we're turning to you, our readers, to hear which products you live and breathe by. In one of our recent installments, we covered the Internet's top rated black leggings and immediately received a ton of amazing feedback in our comments section. You all provided some great insight on the leggings you swear by and the ones you thought should have made the cut.
For our next Hype Machine subject, we're turning our lens towards one of winter's most essential layering pieces: black tights. Whether your favorite pairs are opaque, full-control, sheer, lined with fleece, dipped in glitter — whatever — so long as they're black, we want your input on which brands make your ride or die black tights and why you love them.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and look out for our full story on Friday detailing all the best black black tight worth your hard earned cash and valuable space in your sock drawer.
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Finding a salon and a hairstylist is like dating. You have to play the field a bit, get together a couple of times, weigh your options, and ultimately decide whether they're worth settling down for. It's exhausting, but once you meet the one, there's no turning back.
For those Big Apple go-getters still single in the salon department (or for those casual daters finally looking to make things official), we're here to play matchmaker. We asked our beauty editors (who have some of the best hair in the biz) for their favorite salons across New York City, as well as their go-to stylists and colorists.
Check out the list ahead. Hopefully, you're prepared for a long-term, committed relationship, because you're bound to fall in love with one of these recs. Here's to love, health, happiness, and really, really great hair.
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Back in 2012, Taylor Swift told Taste of Country that if she were to ever get a tattoo, "it would be a '13,' but I just... I don't want to get a tattoo." Six years later, it looks as if she's changed her mind.
Around 3 a.m. this morning, celebrity tattoo artist JonBoy posted a photo to Instagram of what appears to be the back of Taylor Swift's neck with a brand-new rose tattoo. He tagged Swift in the photo, and geotagged it to "Welcome To New York," referencing her famous single.
In the photo, the woman (presumably Swift) is wearing a gold chain necklace with a rose pendant that's nearly identical to the tattoo.
Though the meaning behind the tattoo is yet unknown, Swift has a history of wearing jewelry that has some kind of significance, like when she wore a paper plane necklace (a nod to her relationship to Harry Styles) in the video for "Out of the Woods."
Swift herself hasn't posted on Instagram for two days — but considering her 29th birthday was last week, we can venture to guess it was in celebration of that. Whatever it all means, we're sure Swifties will crack the case soon. We've reached out to JonBoy and will update this post as soon as we hear back.
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While Michelle Obama’s entire Becoming book tour has been a delightful spectacle of fashion-forward outfits (Cushnie! Pyer Moss! Givenchy!), the former first lady’s wardrobe made quite a statement Wednesday on the final stop in Brooklyn. It was the thigh-high Balenciaga boots that signaled post-White House Michelle Obama, The Civilian, was finally relaxed after meticulously calculating her appearance for the last eight years. Eight years of scrutiny and policing that women who look like her are all too familiar with. This isn’t to discount the stunning $3,900 boots, which yes are very important, but so is the context of why Black women are cheering her on for wearing them.
For Obama, becoming First Lady of the United States was about more than supporting her husband’s political ambition or developing her own platform. As the first black woman to hold the position, she had to be prepared for a particular type of attention to her every move.
"As a Black woman, too, I knew I’d be criticized if I was perceived as being showy and high-end, and I’d also be criticized if I was too casual," Obama wrote in her memoir, describing the White House strategy. Obama recounted how "a few times a month, [her longtime personal stylist] Meredith [Koop] would roll several big racks of clothing into my dressing room in the residence, and we’d spend an hour or two trying things on"; and the clothing had to pass a test of whether Michelle could "squat, lunge, and pinwheel" her arms (a preventative measure the garments move naturally in public in way Obama would be criticized for). Presumably, she and Koop are still performing those sort of tests, but Michelle’s style is different. It’s better. It’s hard to imagine the person who shunned the spotlight, wearing J.Crew sweater sets alongside Chicago’s political set is suddenly this Fashion Person ™ wearing Balenciaga fresh off the runway.
Despite this strategy she discusses in the book, she was still lambasted, — or perhaps the strategy was a result of the criticism — which is why the internet collectively lost its mind when Obama got her hair wet on vacation, showing her natural curls for the first time publicly. One Twitter user summed up the risk that comes with Black women wearing their natural hair in white spaces, writing "Boy if Michelle Obama would have ever worn her hair natural it would have been a fuckin debacle."
When Obama wore a pair of drawstring high-waisted shorts and a white tank top under a voluminous white jacket to see On The Run II in Paris where she danced beside Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles. Black women celebrated Obama having a night of fun with her daughter and friend, but it didn’t take long before detractors began to compare her to Melania Trump. “Embarrassing entire US in shorts… former First Lady Michelle Obama,” @RickAndKim30yrs wrote. “Not even mother of Beyoncé is as classless as Michelle to wear shorts like a teenage fangirl. FLOTUS Trump = Elegance.” The fact that Rick and Kim are Trump supporters aside, this criticism is baseless. Michelle Obama was the picture of elegance during her eight years in the White House. She used her fashion to not just show how relatable she was, but also to uplift emerging and international designers. Taiwanese designer Jason Wu’s career took off after he designed Obama’s first inauguration dress. Tracey Reese became a household name after she created the dress Michelle wore to the Democratic National Convention in 2012; as well as Thakoon who FLOTUS often wore on the campaign trail.
Obama certainly never used her appearance to demean anyone in the ways Trump has with her controversial Zara jacket or “storm stilettos.” Obama is still being held to a code of conduct that has never existed for our current administration — she had to acknowledge Donald Trump at George H.W. Bush’s funeral while Bill and Hillary Clinton didn’t have to acknowledge her or Melania — and that’s why we celebrate her liberation now.
Not only is she dressing differently, she’s conducting herself differently in interviews. Sure, she’s trying to sell books, but Obama is candid about Donald Trump’s birther conspiracy theory, what it was like to conceive her children through in vitro fertilization, and even how it felt to leave the White House for the last time. And she’s doing it in designers who mimic a breath of fresh air. During Obama’s Brooklyn stop with moderator Sarah Jessica Parker, the actress asked Michelle if there was an underlying meaning to the Givenchy spring 2019 boots. "We learned that fashion does have meaning," she reiterated.
"So, turning that awareness on its head so that it becomes strategic and impactful is definitely something that doesn't just happen — you have to actually be thinking about it or you waste the opportunity to have a broader impact. But now, I'm free to do whatever. There is no message. The boots are telling you no message. They were just really cute. I was like, Those some nice boots!" But for a woman whose body was under attack for the last eight years, there is a message, and it’s a freedom that’s long awaited and much deserved.
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Just like that gorgeous sequin party dress you bought has been hanging in the closet for months, gold eyeshadow tends to sit unused until the perfect opportunity comes around. Well, the time has come to dust off those duo-chrome and metallic shades, because it's the holiday season and flashy is highly encouraged. Unless that's your M.O. year-round, of course, then it's your time to turn it up a notch.
But before you invest in a Midas-approved shade online, we've consulted with industry pros to learn which golden eyeshadows look best on fair, medium, and dark complexions. Find out which gold shade is perfect for you, and snag a new sparkly formula for the New Year's Eve turn up.
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When I decided to transition my hair from relaxed to natural over the course of a year or so, I naively thought I could continue my usual lazy-girl routine — which basically consisted of going to the hairdresser and having someone else deal with my head. But, as more and more new growth began to replace my straighter strands, I became concerned about not only the heat damage that might occur in the long run, but the fact that I was relying on somebody else to do all the work. So, I took on the task of doing my own hair.
I quickly realized I had no idea what I was doing. Turns out, reading countless natural hair blogs and watching many hours of YouTube tutorials does not make one an expert. My first twist-out was such a fail, I ended up covering my hack job with a hat. Don't even get me started on my botched bantu knots. Lawd.
Anyone who's gone natural, or is in the transitioning process, knows the pain I'm preaching. Trying to blend two vastly different textures — while coming up with hairstyles that are presentable enough to go out in public with — is hard work. That's why I enlisted Vida Latimer, senior stylist at Devachan Salon, to help transitioning ladies get through the awkward stages and see the light at the end of the natural hair tunnel.
Click through for some new looks to try out, broken down by your stage in the transitioning process.
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Weekend getaways can end up being more difficult to plan than a lengthier trip. With only two to three days at your travel disposal, strategic time-management is vital. Plus, not all cities are short stay-friendly. Unless, that is, you're equipped with expert travel knowledge. Collette Stohler, from award-winning travel blogRoamaroo, just so happens to be an expert in getting-the-hell-out-of-dodge for short stays — so, we hit her up for a weekend-getaway game plan.
Stohler outlined her top five destination picks around the world that are ideal for fleeting visits and why — including insider recs on places to stay, eat, and adventure. From desert towns in Arizona to international cities in the Netherlands, the below trips are weekend getaway vetted and approved. So scroll on to find a location that fits your travel style and get-the-hell-out-of-dodge this weekend.
Scottsdale, Arizona
"In less than an hour flight from Los Angeles, you can transport yourself to a desert landscape filled with endless adventures, divine dining, and lots of fun in the sun. We highly recommend staying at the historic Hotel Valley Ho, dining at The Mission (order their table-side guacamole and avocado margarita!), and head out into the Sonoran desert for hot air ballooning, UTV’ing, mountain biking, hiking, and kayaking along Saguaro Lake."
Park City, Utah
"Park City may be known as a haven for snow bunnies, but it truly comes alive in the fall months when the summer crowds dissipate and the trees turn to magnificent shades of red, orange, and yellow. This charming mountain town has plenty of adventures including standup paddle board yoga in a 10,000 year old crater, bobsledding at the Utah Olympic Park, and hiking through its hundreds of mountain trails. We highly recommend staying at the Stein Eriksen Residences, grabbing bloody marys at the St. Regis Deer Valley, and imbibing in some delicious cocktails at High West Distillery."
Amsterdam, Netherlands
"Amsterdam may be known as a city of sin, but it offers so much more beyond the Red Light District and coffee shops. As one of the best preserved cities in Europe, this progressive city has a burgeoning brewery scene, a plethora of museums, an abundance of history, and it always promises to offer a good time. We highly recommend staying at the Hotel Pulitzer, exploring the Museumplein, visiting the Keukenhof Gardens (in season), dining at the Pancake Bakery (order the poffertjes!), and renting bikes to explore the canals of this quixotic city."
Singapore, Southeast Asia
"With direct flights from major U.S. cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Newark, it has never been easier for a quick stopover in Singapore. While it’s known for its massive skyscrapers and shiny facade, there is so much more to this Southeast Asian city. A visit to Singapore needs to be a mix of new-world glitz and old-world authenticity; a swim in the Marina Bay Sands pool, a ritzy dining experience at Michelin-starred Jaan, and street food on Lau Pa Sat."
Savannah, Georgia
"This sweet southern city exudes “Southern Charm” at every twist and turn. With its scenic Spanish moss trees, antebellum architecture, and gourmet foodie scene, it is no wonder Savannah has a reputation for romance. We recommend renting your own apartment through Lucky Savannah, exploring the Wormsloe Historic Site, walking through its 22 outdoor squares. When you head to Savannah, be sure to bring your appetite and dine at Treylor Park, Collins Quarter, The Grey, The Olde Pink House, and save room for dessert at world famous, Leopold’s Ice Cream."
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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was diagnosed with early stage lung cancer and underwent surgery Friday to remove one of the five lobes of her lung, a Supreme Court spokesperson announced. Physicians found the cancer by accident after the 85-year-old liberal justice fell and fractured three ribs in early November. She's being attended at the at Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital in New York.
Ginsburg is a survivor of colon and pancreatic cancer. Doctors said she's likely to have a full recovery, unless she faces complications. Never one to be stopped from working, RBG hopes to be back in the bench when the court starts its new term next month.
"According to the thoracic surgeon Valerie Rusch, both nodules removed during surgery were found to be malignant on initial pathology evaluation. Post-surgery, there was no evidence of any remaining disease," the Supreme Court statement read. "Scans performed before surgery indicated no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body. Currently, no further treatment is planned. Justice Ginsburg is resting comfortably and is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days."
Ginsburg's health has been a source of worry for liberals concerned with the balance of the Supreme Court and what her retirement could mean. At 85, Ginsburg is the oldest justice on the bench. If she retires, President Donald Trump would have the opportunity to appoint a third conservative justice to the bench. His two appointments, Associate Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, cemented the balance of the court to the right. Trump had said in the past he hoped he could appoint four Supreme Court justice s by the end of his first term.
Over the summer, Ginsburg said she plans to stay in the bench as long as she can. "I'm now 85," shesaid. "My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years."
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Bags are packed, presents are bought — now there's only one more thing to think about before the holidays: sales. You may have thought you'd seen the last of 'em this year, but the discount gods have graced us with one last round of half-off price tags and BOGO deals before the ball drops on New Year's Eve. Every December 26th (or even earlier), the retailers we go to for everything from dresses to shoes to bags slash their prices in the name of Boxing Day.
This year is no different. Starting now until well into 2019, everyone from Nordstrom to Aritzia is bringing us some major deals. So while you've probably spent the last month shopping for everyone from your sister-in-law to your not-so-pleasant next-door neighbor, there's still one person who deserves a little love. To help you buy yourself that one gift you asked for but didn't receive this holiday season, we've rounded up the best Boxing Day deals so you can do so without breaking the bank.
While you lounge around in a post-holiday food coma, take a scroll through this selection of can't miss Boxing Day sales.
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The Democratic leadership have selected Rep. Kathy Castor to chair a select committee on climate change they're planning to revive once the 116th Congress comes in session. The move all but ended the push by environmental activists and progressive darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to create a select committee on the Green New Deal, an ambitious reform that seeks to tackle climate change and income inequality in the next decade.
But despite the setback, it's unlikely this is the last we will hear of the Green New Deal. In fact, it seems that the policy proposal and the issue of climate change as a whole will continue to be a major talking point.
Ocasio-Cortez, the congresswoman-elect of New York's 14th District, made a bold move when she joined a sit-in environmental protest outside of the office of Rep. Nancy Pelosi last month. The action, organized by the environmental youth organization Sunrise Movement, called for the presumptive House Speaker to create the Green New Deal's select committee. Immediately, the proposal became part of a mainstream debate. In the past month, 43 members of Congress have joined the freshman congresswoman in supporting the plan, including some lawmakers likely to be 2020 presidential hopefuls. Last week, more than 300 local and state officials across the U.S. also got involved and called for the proposal to be considered.
The last month has not only proven a change in how much political will there is to tackle climate change. According to a poll released Monday, a staggering 81% of registered voters said they are supportive of the general policies outlined in the Green New Deal, including the transition to using 100% clean energy in the country and providing training for green jobs. Per the survey, the proposal has the support of 92% Democrats, 88% Independents, and 64% Republicans.
"The entire conversation about climate politics in America has shifted," Varshini Prakash, co-founder of Sunrise Movement, told Refinery29. "Rather than discussing half-measures, politicians and the people alike are grappling with the true scope of the [climate change] crisis and what it takes to combat it."
One of the main elements of the Green New Deal was the creation of the select committee. This working group, comprised by 15 members both Republican and Democratic, would have one year to draft a climate change and income inequality reform. Activists called for members of the committee to be barred from taking campaign donations from oil and gas companies. They argued this stipulation would prevent the legislation from being watered down by outside interests.
But the Democratic leadership chose instead to revive a dormant U.S. House select committee on climate change, tapping Rep. Castor as the leader. The ban on campaign contributions specifically ruffled weathers among some representatives. Castor, a six-term congresswoman, told E&E News the issue with that stipulation is that "I don’t think you can do that under the First Amendment, really." Inadvertently or not, the Florida representative echoed the reasoning used by multinational oil and gas corporation Exxon Mobil Corp. in court when it defended funding right-wing think tanks that churn misinformation and denials about climate change on purpose. Castor also told E&E News that while she believes in some of the components of the Green New Deal, the proposal would not be the only focus of the committee.
But Prakash said that despite the setback, activists will continue to push for the Green New Deal and policies to fight the climate change crisis. "Thousands have taken action in recent weeks, tens of thousands have joined our growing youth movement, over a hundred new Sunrise chapters have launched in towns and cities across America, and dozens of politicians have backed policies like a green jobs guarantee, and a move to a 100% renewable energy future that leaves no community behind," she said. "We always knew the Select Committee would be a long shot. But the road to the Green New Deal doesn't start and end in Washington, D.C. The organizing continues into 2019."
On Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez stressed the urgency of passing reform that addresses climate change and income inequality. She added that Democrats "shouldn't be afraid to lead" when it came to taking a stance against letting the members of the committee take fossil fuel money.
"We don’t have time to sit on our hands as our planet burns," she said. "For young people, climate change is bigger than election or re-election. It’s life or death."
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If the clock strikes midnight on January 31st and no one pops Champagne, is it even New Year's Eve? We might not be able to fully address this timeless philosophical conundrum, but we can attest that bottles of bubbly and NYE go together like PB&J. Champagne undoubtedly adds festive layers of sophistication to any celebratory occasion, but finding the right bottle can an expensive investment. So what's a New Year's Eve partier, with no dough to drop on Dom and no desire to go the sugary $5 bottle route, to do? Steer clear of Champagne altogether.
Instead, we suggest taking a good look at other sparkling wines, because the $20, and under, market for bubbly alternatives is bursting with chic finds. These bottles are not only more affordable than the fancier options, but the labels are chic enough to look way pricier than they are: from pop-able brut rosés, to crisp Proseccos, Sofia Coppola's luminous take on Blanc de Blancs, and even a surprise sparkling Shiraz. Let the options ahead help you ring in the new year with cheap and unique style; you'll forget all about not having the budget to shell out for that bottle of Dom.
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For an image to receive the coveted status of becoming an official emoji, it needs to satisfy multiple requirements set forth by the Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit that reviews all emoji applications.
Among the factors taken into account are: expected usage level, image distinctiveness, and compatibility with apps that regularly use emoji, such as Snapchat and Twitter. But it's also important that the emoji have references beyond its most literal meaning. The example that Unicode offers applicants is a shark, which can be used as the large saltwater fish, or, more creatively, to describe a card shark or loan shark. (Whether or not Unicode predicted how users would interpret the eggplant — which is, at heart, just a vegetable — is up for debate.)
But beyond metaphorical meanings, there are also the emoji that we think mean one thing, but were actually intended for other uses. The peace sign? Nope, it isn't actually a peace sign. The angry face blowing steam? Nope, it isn't actually angry.
Click through to see 21 of the most surprising meanings behind your favorite emoji. If your mind is blown, you'll definitely want to check out the full dictionary here.
This article was originally published on August 16, 2016 at 5:20 p.m.
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