Happy Friday everyone! Last night, Trevor Noah came up with a pretty good summary of the year, saying: “2016 started with Zika and then turned bad.” But satire is the best medicine, so watching Noah’s clip could help. Hope you have a great weekend and see you on Monday! Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

Is This America? NC Republicans Attempt a Legislative Coup

You might have thought that American politics couldn’t get any messier right now. But in North Carolina, the GOP has basically staged a coup. When it became clear on November 9 that Pat McCrory was losing the governor’s seat, he claimed the results were too close to call, with Democrat Roy Cooper only 4,300 votes ahead. He then demanded a statewide recount and claimed that there was voter fraud, before admitting defeat on December 5. But now the GOP is trying to undermine the results by introducing two bills, HB 17 and SB 4, which would essentially strip Cooper of a lot of power.

North Carolina Republicans Make Brazen Bid for Permanent Power After Losing Governor’s Race https://t.co/VFFwNLaSpx pic.twitter.com/iNXPiSmRVQ

— Patrick (@cahulaan) December 15, 2016

The bills would prevent the new governor from making some cabinet appointments, restrict how many Democratic lawmakers could be hired, and basically ensure Republican rule continued. And last night, the NC House passed HB 17, so it’s now up to the NC Senate to decide what to do.

Denying the results of a democratic election is alarming. As Slate writes, “What’s happening in North Carolina is not politics as usual. It is an extraordinarily disturbing legislative coup, a flagrant effort to maintain one-party rule by rejecting democratic norms and revoking the will of the voters.”

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Why did Dan Quayle Visit Trump Tower?

Late Tuesday, people were speculating why former Vice President Dan Quayle would be visiting Trump Tower in Manhattan, walking side by side with Kellyanne Conway. He served during George H. W. Bush’s presidency, from 1989 to 1993. Reportedly, journalists didn’t recognize him as he walked in, until Republican Party spokesman Sean Spicer told them that it was the former VP. A bystander even took a selfie with Conway without acknowledging Quayle, who stood in the background.

Former Vice President Dan Quayle waits in Trump Tower lobby as @KellyannePolls obliges a selfie seeker. #2016 pic.twitter.com/7dUDSZb3vU

— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) November 29, 2016

After visiting Trump, Quayle told reporters that he only went to offer his well wishes in person. “Things are in good hands, he’s moving forward, and he’s going to make America great again,” Quayle said.

But his appearance had some fondly remembering the years of Bush and Quayle, when controversial events in politics were maybe a little less complicated:

remember when Dan Quayle misspelled ‘potato’ and because the American people held politicians to such high standards he never recovered?

— Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) November 29, 2016

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Don’t Shoot The Messenger?

Yesterday, CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin interviewed author Charles Kaiser, who is a Trump critic. But when he used the n-word when quoting Steve Bannon, Trump’s pick for White House strategist, she cut him off. “The fact that somebody used the N-word on this show–it is not OK. It is not OK, Charles Kaiser,” she said. She seemed to be close to tears when she interrupted the show and called for a break. Kaiser later wrote to CNN apologizing and also saying he mistook Bannon for Jeff Sessions. Yes, the n-word shouldn’t be normalized, but Kaiser quoted someone else, so didn’t Baldwin miss the point when she cut short the interview?

@BrookeBCNN by being scared of that word you give it power. The context was completely appropriate, esp. in regards to a cabinet member.

— Skyler Acord (@Skyduck64) November 22, 2016

You’re more upset over someone quoting a bigot than you are over that bigot. Don’t act holier than thou. YOU’RE the problem! @BrookeBCNN

— Nnenna..aaaaa (@Live_Beautiful) November 22, 2016

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Who is Richard Spencer?

If you hate the fact that “alt-right” is a thing or are just plain confused as to why it is a thing you can blame this guy named Richard Spencer, I guess, who pretty much coined the term.

Spencer gave a chilling speech at a conference in Washington D.C.  last night. The conference was attended by alt-right writers and activists and was meant as a celebration of Donald Trump’s election and to proclaim the “awakening” of white identity.

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Texas Considers Awful Anti-Transgender Student Bill

Last week, Texas Senator Konni Burton filed a bill that would force schools to out transgender students to their parents. Under Bill 242, ironically filed on National Transgender Day of Remembrance, school staff would face disciplinary action if they fail to tell parents about kids’ physical and psychological states. This sounds vague, but Burton wrote that the bill is a response to previous guidelines that DO allow school staff to withhold information about transgender students from parents. When the media started paying attention, Burton decided to attack journalists in general, claiming the reports were all “clickbait” and claiming that the reporters had not contacted her when in fact, they had.

Anger stoking, click bait sites that do not contact sources to write a story depend on ur anger to keep them relevant. Don’t be their puppet

— Konni Burton (@KonniBurton) November 18, 2016

@the_mical People are upset because a few publications ran with a totally false story & never contacted us to understand it. It’s clickbait.

— Konni Burton (@KonniBurton) November 18, 2016

Transgender individuals and activists were quick to respond, claiming that Burton’s bill will put lives at risk.

@KonniBurton awful lot of kids going to get murdered or forced into suicide by their parents because of this bill

— Transgarbo woman (@Herracks) November 17, 2016

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New Kids in Town?

Today, Donald Trump is expected to announce many of his picks for high-ranking positions in his new government. According to the rumors, he will name Michael Flynn as national security adviser, Representative Mike Pompeo as CIA director, and Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general. The pick of Sessions is controversial, as he is known for his hard-line and very conservative views on immigration, same-sex marriage, and marijuana legislation. He was denied a position as a lifetime tenured federal judge in the 1980’s because of his views on race, an inappropriate joke about the KKK, and a series of other incidents.

Trump: I’ll make KKK supporter Jeff Sessions attorney general!!

Trump Supporters: I don’t get why minorities make everything about race.

— America’s Henchman (@TheDailySchmuck) November 18, 2016

Trump voters wanted change, well, you got it. With the appointment of “Jeff Sessions” we’ve changed back the 1950’s, Jim Crow South.

— Kilgore Trout (@CohibaSmkr) November 18, 2016

Pompeo is a former Army officer and was a sharp critic of Hillary Clinton when the whole Benghazi saga was going on. Flynn is a registered Democrat, but he likes Russia a lot and does not like Islam at all. In February he tweeted that it is RATIONAL to be afraid of Muslims.

Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL: please forward this to others: the truth fears no questions… https://t.co/NLIfKFD9lU

— General Flynn (@GenFlynn) February 27, 2016

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Hillary Is Disappointed, and So Are We

Last night Hillary Clinton spoke publicly for the first time since losing the election to Donald Trump. She has stayed out of the public eye since last Tuesday but speaking at a Children’s Defense Fund event in Washington, she said “I know many of you are deeply disappointed about the results of the election. I am, too–more than I can ever express.”

Just watched Hillary Clinton’s speech at the Children’s Defense Fund’s awards ceremony. Oh America. You made a monumental mistake.

— kc wildmoon (@wildmoon) November 17, 2016

“There have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do was just to curl up with a good book or our dogs, and never leave the house again,” she said. We feel the same, Hillz.

via GIPHY

But she ended on a positive note, saying that America is still the greatest country in the world, and: “This is still the place where anyone can beat the odds. It’s up to each and every one of us to keep working to make America better and stronger and fairer.”

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Paul Ryan Renominated as Speaker of the House

Yesterday, House Republicans voted to renominate Paul Ryan as House Speaker. After the unanimous vote, Ryan, who previously had run-ins with President-elect Donald Trump during the campaign, emphasized unity in the Republican Party. He became speaker after John Boehner resigned at the end of last year, so this would be his first full term holding the position. The next step for Ryan is to win the vote in early January.

It is a tremendous honor to be nominated by my colleagues to serve as Speaker of the House. Now it’s time to go big. pic.twitter.com/ot7fqYEGun

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) November 15, 2016

“Welcome to the dawn of a new, unified Republican government,” Mr. Ryan told reporters Tuesday.

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Obama’s European Trip is all About Trump

This morning, Obama arrived in Europe for his last visit as president. And he has a tough job while he’s there—-to try to convince European politicians that Trump isn’t as bad as everyone thinks. Many leaders in European countries are very worried about what could happen during a Trump presidency, especially since nationalist movements using similar language have gained ground in a few different countries.

We warmly welcome in Athens @POTUS Barack Obama. A meeting of great importance for our country and Europe. pic.twitter.com/M0pe0sPr3O

— Alexis Tsipras (@tsipras_eu) November 15, 2016

Obama is starting off in Greece today and will head to Germany tomorrow. “I believe that European integration is one of the greatest political and economic achievements of modern times, with benefits for EU members, the United States and the entire world,” he said to a Greek newspaper.

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According to the New York Times, Facebook has been accused of helping spread misinformation and fake news stories that “influenced how the American electorate” voted.
Even though Facebook continues to defend itself as nonpartisan, the idea that Facebook had a direct role in the election is, to quote Zuckerberg, “a pretty crazy idea.”

via GIPHY

It just goes to show that there’s nothing good about getting all your news from Facebook.

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So…I Guess Nike’s Stock is Up?

Executives from Boston-based sportswear company New Balance told the Wall Street Journal that they believe Donald Trump will get things moving in the right direction. Consumers reacted with fury and by setting their shoes on fire.

@SoleCollector @newbalance good to know. I made a little bonfire tonight pic.twitter.com/yOdCTbQgac

— skreetware (@milftears) November 10, 2016

Hundreds of people posted pictures of their burning shoes or of throwing them in the garbage. Some others said they would keep buying stuff from NB because the company opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. But the ones who dropped their support of the brand were more visual.

@SoleCollector @newbalance pic.twitter.com/i8IdsxzMu4

— gay boots (@omaha_trash) November 10, 2016

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This. Is. Really. Happening.

Yesterday was a dark day. Hillary Clinton delivered a classy but painful concession speech, saying, “this is not the outcome that we wanted and we worked so hard for, and I am sorry that we did not win this election.” She spoke to supporters and campaign staff in New York about how she did not manage to break the glass ceiling and become the first female president, but that someday, someone will.

Five moments from Hillary Clinton’s concession speech that will break her supporters’ hearts. pic.twitter.com/FjDLpaAwto

— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 9, 2016

Clinton and her listeners were emotional, and many people cried. But she kept a positive and dignified tone, ending with the words: “Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead.”

Thank you @HillaryClinton for your speech and for your endless bravery. We are stronger together.

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 9, 2016

And today President Obama is meeting with Trump in DC to go over practical matters. He also kept it cool by telling people, “We’re all on the same team,” referring to our hope that the country will be governed in a good way. Let’s hope that can happen.

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The Morning After

Last night, it became clear that Donald Trump was the unexpected winner of the election and is going to be the 45th president of the United States. Wednesday morning saw people on the streets of New York in tears and many fear that this is the start of a xenophobic and sexist presidential period. The hashtag #StillWithHer trended on Wednesday morning.

I hope @HillaryClinton knows there was nothing more she could’ve done. She was a warrior. And she made me proud. #StillWithHer

— Max Weiss (@maxthegirl) November 9, 2016

Donald Trump doesn’t respect women, LGBT, Muslims, or any people of color. Therefor, I won’t be respecting him back. #NotMyPresident

— antonio (@antoniodelotero) November 9, 2016

But when the shock subsides, let’s come together and keep fighting to make the world better and more united, not more divided.

We all need to give President-Elect Trump a chance. Support the good. Lobby against what we disagree on. No one is bigger than us all

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) November 9, 2016

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Hundreds of Women are Honoring Susan B. Anthony’s Grave

Suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony tried to cast her vote in the election of 1872, but was arrested and fined $100. This election, hundreds of visitors, mainly women, have been lining up to put “I Voted” stickers on her gravestone. The graveyard, located in Rochester, New York, is even planning on staying open until 9 PM tonight instead of the normal 5:30 PM.

Susan B. Anthony head stone filling up with voting stickers at Mt.Hope Cemetery @DandC @SOrr1 pic.twitter.com/LoLyrREHc9

— Max Schulte (@maxrocphoto) November 8, 2016

Unfortunately, Anthony passed away 14 years before women earned the right to vote in 1920. Rochester’s mayor, who has the cool name Lovely A. Warren, placed a “thank you” plaque next to the grave after Clinton earned the Democratic nomination in July, and said yesterday that Anthony “would have wanted to be a part of the significant history this year’s election holds for women.”

This is not a line to vote; it’s a line to see Susan B. Anthony’s gravesite. #Election2016 pic.twitter.com/xUd44WpJgj

— Patrick Thornton (@pwthornton) November 8, 2016

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Deja Vu: Clinton Is Cleared By The FBI – Again

It’s been a long saga–there have been more emails, FBI Director James Comey’s comments that those emails were being investigated, and Obama’s criticism of Comey’s comments. But on Sunday the FBI declared that it did NOT find anything incriminating whatsoever in the new emails that had surfaced. This could mean that Hillary can finally put that whole email thing behind her.

All I want to hear from FBI Director James Comey is a freaking apology to Hillary Clinton and to the people of this country #clintonemails

— Nasty Gnu (@GopSux2) November 6, 2016

But it’s too early to say whether or how it could affect the election outcome. Trump, who loved the FBI last week, may not be as affectionate toward the federal bureau now…because it didn’t come up with the answer he wanted.

“Hillary Clinton is guilty. She knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it,” he said at a rally in Michigan.

via GIPHY

Democrat Dianne Feinstein criticized the FBI, saying, “Today’s letter makes Director Comey’s actions nine days ago even more troubling. There’s no doubt that it created a false impression about the nature of the agency’s inquiry.”

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Talk Spanish To Me, Tim Kaine

As the election continues to make us groan, Tim Kaine continues to impress us. He can play the harmonica, he’s insanely charismatic and, get this…he can speak Spanish like a boss. Kaine made history by delivering a stump speech entirely in Spanish at a community center in Arizona.

After Trump’s “bad hombres” and constant alienation of bilingual and multilingual families, Tim Kaine sought to rally key voters by actually speaking their language and treating them with respect.

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The World’s Scariest GOTV Strategy?

A historically black church in Greenville, Mississippi was set on fire late Tuesday night and vandalized with the words “Vote Trump” spray-painted on the façade. Most of the damage was to the main building and no people were hurt. But the community is in shock over what reminds many of hateful attacks in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Black Church in Mississippi Burned Down, ‘Vote Trump’ Painted on It https://t.co/vTcPtZs72F pic.twitter.com/HUBpCy8PFB

— CitizenSlant (@CitizenSlant) November 2, 2016

Many fear that this is only the beginning of what could happen if Trump is elected president. But at the same time some crazy people think it was staged by Democrats to place blame on the Republicans.

Just like the 1960’s, #Democrats are burning churches to scare and intimidate Black Voters who are voting for Trump https://t.co/SSm317UFfL

— P. J. (@Portosj81J) November 2, 2016

The Trump campaign made sure to dissociate itself from that message.

Trump campaign statement on Mississippi church arson pic.twitter.com/d6PnyVuHBR

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 2, 2016

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There’s Nothing Fiercer Than a Girl and Her Dog

Ehlena Fry was born with cerebral palsy and when she was five years old her doctor recommended she get a service dog to help her become more independent. But when Ehlena brought Wonder to school, she and her family were told that the dog was “unnecessary,” and officials wouldn’t allow Ehlena to enter school premises with her very necessary service dog.

Ehlena, Wonder, their family and their lawyers fighting for children with disabilities at the Supreme Court today pic.twitter.com/DCu14yJoKH

— ACLU National (@ACLU) October 31, 2016

On Monday, Ehlena, several lawyers from the ACLU, and Wonder hit up the Supreme Court to sue their former school district under the American with Disabilities Act and other federal laws. The school district, which is backed by the National School Boards Association, argues that such lawsuits could cost school districts millions if they go through. Ehlena is now 12 years old and in middle school and Wonder is now retired with a pet’s life.

“He helped her bridge that gap,” Ehlena’s mother observes. “Working with him helped her to learn how to not need him as much.”

A decision is expected next summer.

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You Guys Ok?: Republicans Are Flipping Out

With one week to go until the election, team Trump is finding new ways to provoke people. On Monday night the hashtag #HillaryForPrision trended among people who want to see Hillary locked up. The word “prison” was misspelled to avoid detection by Twitter’s “censors”–the users employing the hashtag claim Twitter is trying to silence their opinions. Smart move, Republicans?

#HillaryForPrison Has been blocked by Twitter, so use the hashtag #HillaryForPrision!

— Democrats for Trump (@YoungDems4Trump) October 31, 2016

Please tell me again HOW she’s still allowed to run for President? 2 FBI criminal investigations? Seriously? #HillaryForPrision

— Heather Ross (@RealHeatherRoss) October 31, 2016

Also, during a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, Trump supporter Wayne Allyn Root basically wished for the deaths of Clinton and Huma Abedin by comparing them with the movie characters Thelma and Louise. Hint: the movie ends with them driving their car off a cliff.

via GIPHY

And lastly, someone dumped a huge truckload of cow poop outside the Democratic Party headquarters in Lebanon, Ohio on Saturday. Can this election get any crappier?

Pile of manure dumped in front of Warren County Democratic Party HQ early today https://t.co/3QOOjyrfpV pic.twitter.com/MvwZwZwpzK

— Ohio_Politics (@Ohio_Politics) October 29, 2016

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What is Duffgate 2016?

Misappropriation or mistake? Hilary Duff and her new boyfriend Jason Walsh wandered around town this weekend to take part in Halloween festivities. But when this picture hit the stands…it kind of sucked out all the fun.

Hillary Duff made her first public appearance with boyfriend Jason Walsh, but many questioned their costume choices. https://t.co/p2HpdDGt2Z pic.twitter.com/l0msDyRKIm

— EntertainmentTonight (@etnow) October 30, 2016

What could have been an innocent costume choice is not so innocent anymore because of these implications…

why did hillary duff and her boyfriend think it was a okay to dress up as a pilgrim and a Native American

— yesica (@yfjgtr) October 30, 2016

But are people really being too harsh?

Hillary Duff joins the ranks of T Swift and Amy Schumer in the “most tone deaf to privilege and racism” competition.

— Nat 8 Days Purser (@NatPurser) October 30, 2016

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New Allegations Against Clarence Thomas Surface

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been accused of sexual assault by Moira Smith, an Alaskan lawyer. Smith claimed that when she was 23–in 1999–Thomas groped her at a dinner party when she was working in DC. Thomas was already a Supreme Court justice at that point. Smith posted about the allegations on Facebook, and was then interviewed by The National Law Journal. In an interview she explained her motivations for coming forward, saying:

We now know that many men in power take advantage of vulnerable women. That willingness by men in power to take advantage of vulnerable women relies on an unspoken pact that the women will not speak up about it. Why? Because they are vulnerable. Because they are star-struck. Because they don’t want to be whiners. Because they worry about their career if they do speak out. But silence no longer feels defensible; it feels complicit.

Clarence Thomas–who was also accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill during his Senate confirmation in 1991–denies the allegations by Smith.

Anita Hill discusses Moira Smith’s accusation that Justice Thomas groped her in 1999 https://t.co/D2DpakjdIV via @TheNLJ @ZoeTillman pic.twitter.com/5q29qpBpBo

— Beth Frerking (@BethFrerking) October 27, 2016

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PA AG Goes to Prison

If you like weird political scandals, then boy do I have a doozy for you. You may or may not have heard of Kathleen Kane, the former Attorney General of Pennsylvania. She ran for office to break up the “old boys club” dominating PA politics, but her methods weren’t so pure. She ended up leaking grand jury testimony about one of her rivals (which is illegal) and lying about it to a different grand jury (also super illegal.) She was found guilty of two felony perjury charges and seven misdemeanor counts and resigned from office. She has now been sentenced to 10-23 months in prison.

Former Pa. Attorney General Kathleen Kane leaves in handcuffs after her sentencing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown. pic.twitter.com/3Zkkld66Nh

— Dan Gleiter (@DanGleiter) October 24, 2016

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Newt Gingrich and Megyn Kelly Go At It On Fox News

Here at RantCrush we love rants and tirades of all kinds. Especially ones involving Trump surrogates and news anchors who just don’t give a damn. Newt Gingrich and Megyn Kelly went at it last night after Kelly pressed Gingrich on Trump’s sexual assault accusers. So, Gingrich accused Kelly of being “fascinated with sex.”

via GIPHY

This is when things started to get not so sexy…you can watch for yourself here:

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Samantha Bae

Samantha Bee, who really is just marvelous at pinpointing what we’re all thinking about this election, took Donald Trump to task over his claims of “partial birth abortions” at the last debate. But partial birth abortions, as Bee points out, aren’t actually a thing–in fact the question by Chris Wallace, the moderator, wasn’t even accurate in the first place. Only a tiny percentage–under 2 percent of abortions–are after 21 weeks. And they’re overwhelmingly for medical reasons, like because the woman’s life is at risk. Watch Bee’s takedown of Wallace and Trump here:

Also, kudos to Bee for our favorite nickname for Trump yet: a “dick-waving Berlusconi knock-off.”

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Bernie Sanders Wants to Break Up the AT&T-Time Warner Merger

When we heard that AT&T was in talks to buy media company Time Warner for a whopping $85 million, we immediately thought of the game “Monopoly.” I mean seriously, Time Warner is a HUGE asset. The media company owns HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, AND Warner Bros. Some people are salivating, waiting for the deal to go through, while others, like Bernie Sanders, are calling for legislators to BREAK IT UP!

The administration should kill the Time Warner/AT&T merger. This deal would mean higher prices and fewer choices for the American people. https://t.co/S8c4ldDqhi

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 23, 2016

A deal this big certainly raises concerns, but what some people are really worried about is how it will affect the “independence” of CNN. Media buffs, particularly those on the far right who are critical of the “mainstream media,” are calling foul:

Sure. https://t.co/vYLNENisd6

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) October 24, 2016

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What’s Wrong With the Original?

Twitter is a force to be reckoned with. Marvel was basically forced to pull its character Riri Williams as the new Iron Man after sharp criticism from Twitter users and The Mary Sue. People claimed that the character, a fifteen year old, was being sexualized, and that she was drawn in a manner that did not match that of a teenage girl.

Riri Williams is 15 years old. Unfortunately, it seems some comic artists have never laid eyes on a young teenager… pic.twitter.com/hUxKhaGbxc

— Donna The Dead (@MildlyAmused) October 19, 2016

The artist, J. Scott Campbell, told the Twitterverse he was simply trying to portray “a sassy, coming-of-age young woman” and did not expect this reaction. Now his Riri Williams is being replaced with a new version.

.@Marvel pulled the controversial #RiriWilliams variant cover & released these teaser sketches of #InvincibleIronMan https://t.co/BkghwthWoo pic.twitter.com/T0yFnTbRTE

— The Mary Sue (@TheMarySue) October 21, 2016

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Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

Hillary Clinton is a Nasty Woman?

The last presidential debate of the 2016 cycle was last night, and for all intents and purposes it was a lot more substantive than the first two. But, in true Trumpian fashion, the Republican nominee had a few inappropriate quips throughout the evening–including when he said that Hillary Clinton was a “nasty woman.” How did the internet respond? By pointing out that a lot of other “nasty women” are voting for Clinton.

I’m a nasty woman and I vote. #nastywoman #nastywomenunite

— Kate Binder (@katebinder) October 20, 2016

Nasty Woman seeks Bad Hombre to share long walks on the beach, leisurely afternoons reading, and trading off who is the real puppet.

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) October 20, 2016

The “nasty woman” comment, in the end, will sum up this presidential run and be the mark of the final undoing tonight. #debatenight

— Uzo Aduba (@UzoAduba) October 20, 2016

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This is NOT Spinal Tap

Harry Shearer, along with three others, created “This is Spinal Tap”, a 1984 rock mockumentary that will go down in movie history as one of the best comedies to do laundry to on a Sunday. Harry Shearer on the other hand, got swindled. Big time. He claims that since the movie’s release, he and the other creators have not received a dime in royalties.

via GIPHY

He is suing Vivendi, the company that owns the copyright, for $125 million dollars.

Shearer and the gang co-created the music, the script, and played the lead roles in the film.

@theharryshearer i’m asking respectfully, is this due to “creative accounting” on Vivendi’s part, or did you sign a bad contract?

— do I care? (@BKeachDay) October 18, 2016

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Canada Tells Us We’re Great!

Some of our neighbors up to the North thought Americans needed a little pick-me-up after all the controversy and negative news surrounding the election. Canadian PR firm The Garden started a little campaign called “Tell America it’s great,” where they asked a bunch of Canadians why America is so awesome.

We love you guys, and we’re really sorry you’re going through a tough time. Thank you for being our cool big bro #TellAmericaItsGreat

— Kel H. (@Venomous_Bear) October 15, 2016

obama: oh god this country is going to shit i can’t even watch…
trudeau: i know, i’m so sorry bro pic.twitter.com/NxQKQep5j7

— jennifer (@jramseyxo) October 10, 2016

The result was a bunch of tweets under the hashtag #TellAmericaItsGreat, and a short video. The Garden’s workers wrote they were a little nervous before beginning, considering America is not perfect and its relationship with Canada often focuses on making fun of each other’s imperfections. But the results are pretty heartwarming and almost tear-jerking.

Thanks, neighbors!

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Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange’s internet link cut off by “state actor”

Recent reports tell us that Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange’s access to the internet has been severed. Assange has been in exile for almost four years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The Associated Press concludes that an “unidentified state actor” has cut off his internet access and not much information about the event can be obtained at the moment. Many hack-savvy Redditors have pointed to some legitimate clues as to what could be going on. Others seem to be coming to their own conclusions.

The fact that #julianasange has been cut off the Internet for #wikileaks is proof that we need to vote for TRUMP!!!!! #noHillary #trumptrain

— cbreezy (@carriebeez1) October 17, 2016

So John Kerry working so hard to stop #julianasange makes u wonder what’s coming that they are so scared of to come out ?

— KamieK #TOLG (@01Kamie) October 17, 2016

Regardless of what people might think of Assange, what he’s been doing is pretty risky, and that makes him an important political character.

via GIPHY

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Women For Trump?

After Trump’s horrible comments about sexual assault, women supporting Trump are in the limelight and it’s confusing a lot of people.

Take a look:

A lot of us are like: why, just why? Hillary becoming president is one of the best things that can happen for the majority of American women, historically speaking, and they just want to vote for Trump?

It’s their vote, I guess, but WTF.

WE ALL STAND BY TRUMP. WOMEN FOR TRUMP. HE’S OUR ONLY SAVIOR. #maga #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #Trump2016 #Trump @Cher pic.twitter.com/vOcgXMr0FB

— Ingrid Mueller1 (@_Women4Trump) October 9, 2016

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Female Officer Investigating Derrick Rose Rape Case Found Dead

LAPD detective Nadine Hernandez, who was part of the team investigating the rape allegations against NBA star Derrick Rose, died yesterday. Authorities in Los Angeles say she was found with a single gunshot wound to her chest, in an apparent suicide.

Breaking: After the judge denied Derrick Rose’s mistrial motion, the LAPD detective on the case is found, dead pic.twitter.com/qpCUA5Yjpt

— Spark Sports (@Spark_Sports_) October 12, 2016

Last year, Rose’s ex-girlfriend accused him of gang raping her with two friends, and the trial started last week. The timing seems peculiar and had many people speculating.

This Derrick Rose case is turning into an SVU episode

— Iesha ✨ (@ieshaax3) October 12, 2016

But authorities say there are no signs that Hernandez’s work on the Rose case had anything to do with her death.

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Haitians Urging People Not to Donate To the American Red Cross

While many people across the world are calling for donations to help the 350,000 displaced and vulnerable victims in Haiti, others are pointing to the red flag that is the American Red Cross. Facebook and Twitter posts are popping up, warning altruists not to give to the organization:

Do *NOT* donate any monetary funds for #Haiti to the American Red Cross. ARC has a *long* track record of pocketing donations.

— canoecanoa (@canoecanoa) October 8, 2016

According to The Independent, “despite collecting nearly half a billion dollars to provide relief after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and pledging to build 700 permanent homes, the ARC has been accused of only building six.”

In a joint investigation, ProPublica and NPR found that ARC has a huge issue with donation mismanagement and does not accurately report the success of its rebuilding projects.

via GIPHY

An estimated 10,000 people are sick with a recent outbreak of cholera and more than 80,000 Haitians have fallen ill with the disease since 2010 when the bug was introduced into the country’s river system.

This essentially means many of the issues Haiti now faces could have been prevented years ago.

Clintons/Red Cross /several Republicans just big fish in #Haiti aid scam, 100s of churches/NGOs/charities make it a cottage industry

— HaitiInfoProject (@HaitiInfoProj) October 8, 2016

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The Internet’s New Darling

After the debate, uncommitted voter and power plant operator Ken Bone from Illinois became an internet sensation. After asking the presidential nominees a question about their energy policies, he was suddenly all over the web thanks to his mild manners, cute mustache, and bright red sweater. The sweater in question actually sold out online.

BREAKING: The Ken Bone sweater has sold out pic.twitter.com/q9FnjeuNPa

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 10, 2016

“Yesterday I had seven Twitter followers and two of them were my grandma,” he said about his very sudden rise to fame. He also said he was supposed to wear a green suit to the debate, but that since he gained some weight he ripped the pants when getting into his car and had to “move to plan B.”

via GIPHY

Ken actually said that he had leaned toward voting for Trump, but that Hillary’s answers and cool way of handling Trump’s personal attacks impressed him. But can’t we just vote for Bone for president?

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Jon Voight Hits Back On Robert De Niro Comments

Robert De Niro delivered a blunt criticism of Donald Trump in a video released on Saturday. De Niro didn’t hold back as he called Trump a slew of names and seriously questioned his presidential fitness.

While many people tend to agree with De Niro, fellow actor Jon Voight responded by attacking him Trump-style in a series of tweets.

I am so ashamed of my fellow actor Bobby DeNiro’s rant against Donald Trump. What foul words he used against a presidential nominee. cont’d

— Jon Voight (@jonvoight) October 8, 2016

Voight continued by defending Trump and said that he didn’t know of too many men who hadn’t expressed similar sentiments toward women.

‘Bobby’ responded, saying “Voight is a nice guy but he’s delusional” in an interview following the presidential debate. De Niro urged Americans to get out and vote. “It’s imperative that you vote, it’s a very serious situation.”

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Vladimir Putin Dubbed Peacemaker by Surprise Banner

A banner lauding Putin as a “Peacemaker” appeared on NYC’s Manhattan bridge Thursday. It immediately stirred up a lot of buzz. It was removed in a couple of hours, but not before Twitter users grabbed some pics.

We spotted this Putin banner being unfurled on north side of the Manhattan Bridge at 1:47 p.m. https://t.co/DStAoerBz9 pic.twitter.com/kL2uUh9Vhe

— Gothamist (@Gothamist) October 6, 2016

Some observers were amused, but others not so much.

This Vladimir Putin banner dangling on Manhattan Bridge is equally as disturbing as the numerous clowns that are showing up in random places

— Call me James (@nyjones7) October 6, 2016

The thing that makes me madder than this banner is the fact that someone had to piss off a whole lot of bikers going uphill to put it there. https://t.co/qLAp9t09ie

— Scott Steinhardt (@ScottFromNY) October 6, 2016

Police are checking surveillance cameras to see who the person is behind this obvious statement.

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No, All Chinese People Don’t Know Karate

On Monday night, the “O’Reilly Factor” showed reporter Jesse Watters on a mission to find out what people on the streets of Chinatown are thinking about the 2016 election. Instead he ended up making fun of Chinese people by using blatantly racist stereotypes. He asked people if they know karate (the Japanese martial art), or if he should bow while saying hello to them, if in China they call Chinese food just “food,” and he made fun of old people who didn’t speak English.

The segment was immediately criticized by a whole bunch of journalists and pundits as blatantly racist. Did Fox apologize? Of course not…instead, the network tweeted that it was “hilarious.”

Hilarious #WattersWorld: @JesseBWatters Goes Down to Chinatown to Find Out What They Think of @realDonaldTrump: https://t.co/HBQCGdHO01

— Fox Nation (@foxnation) October 4, 2016

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Yahoo: “U.S. Intelligence Made Us Do It!”

Reuters reported Tuesday that Yahoo has been doing broad sweeps of its users’ incoming emails under the (no longer) classified directive of the NSA or the FBI. The details of what the company was supposed to be looking for are still unclear. When asked about the matter, Yahoo said: “Yahoo is a law abiding company, and complies with the laws of the United States.”

Which is legalese for: Yahoo denies any semblance of wrongdoing. This news comes weeks after Yahoo announced a 500 million account hack.

*Suspicious squint*

Also Yahoo’s pending deal to be purchased by telecom giant Verizon for $4.8 billion is looking pretty rickety.

via GIPHY

Sources say that it is likely other tech companies have been ordered by the government to conduct this type of surveillance too. Reuters says Google and Microsoft have not responded to requests for comment on the issue.

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Major Burn Alert: Joe Biden Doesn’t Think Trump Can Carry His Golf Clubs

After Trump’s attack on Hillary Clinton, in which he said she doesn’t have the physical stamina to be president or take on ISIS, Vice President Joe Biden attacked Trump’s own stamina.

“I’ll bet he couldn’t carry his bag 18 holes on one of his own golf courses, speaking of energy,” Biden said to CNN on Tuesday morning.

Trump has been mocking Clinton for stumbling when she was suffering from pneumonia, while he himself is deemed overweight, which he revealed in an interview with Dr. Oz in September.

Biden also commented on Trump’s recent middle-of-the-night Twitter activity when he—again—attacked former Miss Universe Alicia Machado: “I think the real issue here–can you imagine the president getting up at 3:30 in the morning and tweeting vitriol?” Biden said. We’ll see what Trump has to say to these comments:

via GIPHY

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U.S. Transfers Internet to ICANN, Sparks Criticism

On Saturday, the U.S. government handed over its control of the internet’s DNS, or domain name system, to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Besides its very boring name, the implications of this handoff became clear as Senator Ted Cruz and others claimed free speech was being threatened by this move.

In September, Cruz said at a congressional hearing: “imagine an internet run like many Middle Eastern countries that punish what they deem to be blasphemy.” This certainly sounds crazy awful but ICANN said those claims were unfounded, that the turnover was based on accountability, and that it does not have the ability to regulate content on the internet.

ICANN is a group made up of technical experts and business and government representatives.

STILL, the internet is filled with people worried about what the change will do to their precious virtual world.

via GIPHY

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Trump’s Climate Change Mix Up

For some of us, climate change is a hard pill to swallow. Even the Trump campaign seems to be really divided on the issue. This week, both Trump’s campaign manager and his vice presidential pick were grilled on the campaign’s views on climate change. Donald Trump has repeatedly shifted his thoughts on climate change, first calling it a hoax created by the Chinese in 2012. In Monday’s debate with Hillary Clinton, Trump adamantly denied ever having said that.

On Tuesday, however, his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway clarified that Trump did not believe climate change was man made and was instead naturally occurring. Almost within the same hour, in a different interview, Mike Pence told New Day’s Chris Cuomo that climate change was indeed spurred by man made activities. He also said that he and Trump had differing views on the issue.

So which is it, guys? The American people need to know. It’s 39 days until the election that could change our lives forever and you still don’t know what’s going on?

via GIPHY

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Breitbart Is Anti-Semitic?

Breitbart is coming under fire for… well, being Breitbart. After harboring scum like Milo Yiannopoulos, and the like, Breitbart just published what many are calling an “anti-semitic” attack on Washington Post reporter Anne Applebaum. The article is littered with criticisms of Applebaum that are hard to ignore:

Breitbart’s not racist. They’re just really worried this “Jewish… elitist” is controlling the global media with all her friends. pic.twitter.com/XqkdkpVPnX

— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) September 28, 2016

And apparently most of them are just outlandish accusations:

also, it contains a list of the journalists I supposedly “control,” many of whom I don’t know, and other made-up facts https://t.co/6d4SBCWpbz

— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) September 28, 2016

Should it really matter though? It’s not like Breitbart has the greatest reputation for reliable news.

via GIPHY

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Oh My Gosh, They Made A Three Parent Baby!

Five months ago, a scientific miracle was born in Mexico (because the U.S. ain’t about that life), a child born with the DNA of three parents. I know, I know, you must be asking: how does one have a three person baby? Well this family, fearing that their baby would inherit an awful condition from the mother’s side, allowed doctors to create an embryo using the dad’s sperm, the mom’s egg, and donor DNA, by removing the mitochondrial material that carried the disease and replacing it with the donor’s mitochondrial DNA. They essentially deleted the chance of that particular disease from the family’s offspring using this awesome new technique! Crazy, right?

The baby now carries less than one percent of that gene and doctors say it shouldn’t become a problem.

via GIPHY

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Trump will never be between two ferns

Funny or Die is a website and digital production company that specializes in, well, being funny, and producing programs such as Drunk History. One of its recent hits is “Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis”–which feels like a parody of the famous “Inside the Actors Studio.”

Background aside, Galifianakis has had many celebrities and even politicians on his mostly-scripted show, including President Barack Obama and more recently Hillary Clinton. Although the show is clearly meant as a satire, this has been lost on some Trump supporters.

Scott Auckerman, the show’s director, has been quoted saying Trump does have have “…thick enough skin,” to participate in the show. But Galifianakis made it clear that there was no chance Trump would be joining him between any ferns in a quote to the L.A. Times.

Zach Galifianakis on why he won’t feature Donald Trump on “Between Two Ferns.” pic.twitter.com/gqeSmV1td0

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) September 26, 2016

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Middle Eastern Cookies Cause Bomb Scare

Last week a gas station, a nursery, and a road were shut down after a community in Pennsylvania was alerted to a “suspicious” box. The box had Arabic writing on it and had been left at a gas pump, so a bomb unit from Scranton came to investigate. The bomb unit found no bomb but instead discovered that the box was filled with cookies. The Halwani Bros Maamoul Date Filled Cookies had Arabic and English writing on the box. Can these people not read? But many people agreed that it was always better to say something when you see something, especially after last week’s attacks in New York and New Jersey. Police are still investigating.

This cookie box was left at a pump at Gulf Station near E. Stroudsburg. Bomb squad was called to check it. @WNEP pic.twitter.com/qN9tJofLpn

— Carmella Mataloni (@Carmella_News) September 19, 2016

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Mel Brooks Tried Pulling Down President Obama’s Pants

Why? Because he’s Mel Brooks. Best known for his films “Spaceballs” and “Blazing Saddles,” the 90-year-old director was at the White House last night accepting the National Medal of the Arts from President Obama. Which is pretty awesome!

Anyway, Mel Brooks, like many 90-year-olds, doesn’t give a shit about social conduct. So he decided to pull a gag, by pretending to pull down Obama’s pants.

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Meet Henry Lee, the ‘Rosa Parks’ of Charlotte, N.C.

He’s being called the ‘calmest man in Charlotte.’ After a new wave of protests broke out last night over the death of Keith Scott, a picture taken by a Guardian reporter of 51-year-old Henry Lee surfaced online.

The calmest man in Charlotte is protester Henry Lee, 51, who silently refuses to leave his chair. pic.twitter.com/8abgzPwoDZ

— Matthew Teague (@MatthewTeague) September 22, 2016

As rioters raged violently, Lee sat in this chair and refused to move–his own version of dissent. Some Twitter observers are cheering him on, while others question whether this is actually an effective way to protest.

I never put my political imput on social media but this image is so powerful. This is protest, this is peace but not all will sit silent. https://t.co/8aabU17wUF

— Mind of Sol (@Mindofsol) September 22, 2016

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History Teacher Stomps on an American Flag

You know it’s going to be an effed up day when you’re sitting in class, learning about freedom of speech and your teacher pulls down the American flag and stomps on it. Lee Francis, a teacher at Massey Hill Classical High School in Fayetteville, N.C., said he took down the flag, took two steps, and almost immediately students left the classroom.

Mr. Francis at Massey Hill Classical HS in Fayetteville stomped all over the American flag…”it was teaching first amendment rights” pic.twitter.com/f8dAR0zPlc

— (@TheMrsH_) September 20, 2016

Residents of Fayetteville have since called him unpatriotic and one observer said that he could stomp on the flag on his own time, but not in the classroom.

Francis maintains that he was simply teaching a lesson and didn’t mean any disrespect. In fact, he’s pretty shocked by the backlash.

He said: “Just because I step on the flag doesn’t mean I step on their graves. It doesn’t mean I step on their bodies as they return from overseas. It means I step on a piece of fabric.”

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Congressman Lee Zeldin Drags Kaepernick Into Terrorism Debate

People on Twitter are wondering why New York congressman Lee Zeldin thought it was appropriate to bring Colin Kaepernick into the whole New York, New Jersey bomber situation.

After the FBI apprehended Ahmad Khan Ramahi yesterday morning, Lee Zeldin posted this on Twitter:

Suspect in custody. You are welcome Colin Kaepernick.

— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) September 19, 2016

His tweet sparked some confused and disapproving responses:

@leezeldin If only Kaepernick had stood for the anthem these past two weeks, we could have caught the terrorist 3 hours sooner probably.

— Alex Katz (@Alex__Katz) September 19, 2016

1+1 = kumquat https://t.co/6psueTQz9r

— Shers (@aubrihshark) September 19, 2016

Just did my job that I get paid for. You’re welcome, Colin Kaepernick

— Margaret Don’t-@wood (@DavidUzumeri) September 19, 2016

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