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This Little Girl Dressed Up As Superman For Her School Picture Because She’s A Badass

By Staff Report

Kaylieann Steinbach is the biggest badass living today on planet Earth.

She has accomplished this feat, previously occupied by Bob Dylan after he refused to return phone calls from the Nobel Prize committee, at the tender age of 3.

But badassery knows no age.

Steinbach’s father posted a picture to Reddit of his daughter grinning at the camera while holding her bae- a plastic Superman toy for her class picture.

“In September, we went to the San Francisco Comic Con and she went as Supergirl to that,” Austin told BuzzFeed. “She refused to take off her costume after it.”

3 years old folks and she’s already much cooler than any of us will ever be.

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Steinbach is also 75% deaf in both ears and mostly communicates through sign language.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Hong Kong Channel ViuTV Just Suspended A Reality Show With Pro-Independence Content

By Contributor

By Jessie Pang

Travel with Rivals, a travel reality show featuring two persons with conflicting values and perspectives, has been a highly watched programme of the newly launched ViuTV channel.

Wang Dang, a student leader of the June Fourth Massacre, and Billy Fung Jing-en, the former President of the Hong Kong University Students’ Union, was particularly criticized for his open support of HK independence movement.

They both participated in the second season of the programme in which they travelled to Japan from October 5th to 19th.

ViuTV issued a statement last night claiming that the two had met the media on their own and made inappropriate remarks, deciding to cut all footage filmed with the two “Any remarks on Hong Kong Independence is not only an insult to the dignity of our nation, but a total false hope, a farce that can never happen,” the statement reads. “We reserve all legal rights against anyone who once or will use(d) our channel to promote Hong Kong Independence.”

The two were particularly attacked for their participation in a “self-arranged” press conference in which Billy Fung consolidated his points about HK Independence, and even supported the similar claim of the Uyghur people.

Based on the report by Radio Free Asia, Billy Fung called on the international community to support Hong Kong Independence.

“In 1984, Zhao Ziyang openly stated that it was feasible to govern Hong Kong with democracy,” Fung said. “Such democracy in Hong Kong has since, yet, been refused on various occasions.”

Wang Dang, famous for his patriotic stance said that “Hong Kong Independence should be up to the referendum among Hongkongers, which is believed to be the most reasonable way.”

In reply to a question from a member of the World Uyghur Congress, Fung said, “Similar to Hong Kong, Uyghur people are under suppression and persecution by the CCP. Our destiny is alike. Based on the principle that locals shall make decision on their local affairs, we support the choice of the Uyghur people. We can cooperate in this respect.”

The statement and claims made by ViuTV was instantly slammed by netizens, and especially Wang Dan himself, who never knew about such hidden agenda.

“The whole schedule was arranged by the Channel only, including the press conference. It now yet claimed it is Billy and I who ‘arranged it on our own’. There is nothing more shameless than such claim!” said Wang on his Facebook page.

He further warned ViuTV for its shameless act of lying while showing his disappointment towards Hong Kong. “Hong Kong has already fallen,” lamented Wang.

This has became the second incident recently which demonstrates the growing suppression on Hong Kong Independent sentiment, following the recent scandal of Legislative Councilors banned from oath-taking with the exhibit of a flag with “Hong Kong is not China”.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

You can also like our RISE NEWS Hong Kong Facebook page to stay engaged with our local coverage.

Trump Supporter Wants Hillary To Denounce Beyonce For Bringing Jay-Z To Red Lobster

By Staff Report

Seriously.

This happened.

On national television.

#millennialoutreach

Betsy on Hillary: But she likes, QUOTE “I came to slay bitch, when he effs me good, I take his ass to Red Lobster”? #CNN #Beyonce #DonLemon pic.twitter.com/9pJ40cg1DJ

— Creole [krēˌōl] (@foxaylove) October 11, 2016

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Y’all, We Really Do Have To Talk About These Damn Clowns

By Contributor

By Courtney Anderson

Creepy clowns have been popping up all over the country.

There’s been so many sightings, heavy.com has compiled a list of states that have reported clown sightings. And it’s a long list.

So far, at least 28 states have reported weirdness in the form of people in clown costumes intimidating and even assaulting people.

And most of the states have reported varying degrees of violence and intimidation from the clowns.

While some the police departments in some states have found the clowns to be just annoying hoaxes, some have had it much worse.

In Memphis, Tennessee, someone in a clown mask robbed a bank and threatened customers with explosives.

A couple of weeks earlier, students at the University of Tennessee received an alert from the university stating that students in clown costumes were physically assaulting students who on campus after dark as a part of a “Purge” re-enactment.

A Georgia news site reported that someone in a clown mask tried to lure children into a wooded area.

The article on Heavy.com reported an 11-year old girl in Athens took a knife to school to protect herself from clowns that had been spotted in the area.

A 10th grade student in Pennsylvania was fatally stabbed after getting into a fight with someone in a clown mask, according to Pennsylvania news site Pennlive.com.

Police have been arresting many clowns, but it hasn’t stopped many others from popping up in their place.

It’s got to be one of the strangest—and most frightening–trends, but it’s not a trend that’s entirely new.

In 2014, California dealt with creepy clowns.

According to a report from CNN, while California is sans-clowns in 2016 (as of now), Bakersfield police had about 20 reports about clowns threatening people in the area.

And then there is the 2013 clown sighting in England that turned out to be a “performance art” stunt.

Not to mention the various reports of “Ain’t Clowning Around” social media accounts that have been created and deleted or proven to be hoaxes over the past couple of years.

One major question regarding these sightings is “why?”

Why are people deciding to dress up as clowns and terrorize people?

People.com tried to answer the question in its article “Why You Shouldn’t Panic About This Year’s Clown Panic.”

In the article, author of Bad Clowns, Benjamin Radford states that many of the creepy clowns are “copy cats,” taking inspiration from previous reports.

Radford also said that social media has been a “powerful amplifier” for the sightings.

And he doesn’t really see it going away permanently, especially with the escalating reactions to the clowns.

“These archetypes are in our culture, they are not going away,” Radford said to People.com. “I guarantee you there will be another phantom clown panic – maybe two years, maybe five years, but it’ll happen again.”

Well, as long as the sightings continue, so will the creepiness.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Coconut Cove/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Asking People To Pay For Your Vacation On GoFundMe Is Actually Pretty Insulting

By Howard Rudnick

I can’t stand it when other people call my generation entitled.

The word entitled is such a filthy word to me, especially because I personally don’t find it applies to me.

My biggest pet peeve in life is to be grouped into a group of people based on similar traits, characteristics or because of my demographic.

The fundraising platform GoFundMe is a great way for individuals to bring awareness to their cause, often times to help those in need or even complete strangers with financing for medical hardships, unexpected deaths, etc.

Real, true causes for people who need it. Life happens and not everyone can be prepared for it financially.

My heart breaks every time I see a donations page for a family struck by tragedy, whether it be from the recent storms, the loss of a loved one from cancer or other medical injustice, or a bizarre or freak accident that took the life of someone unexpectedly.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, one person can ruin a good thing for everybody, and is exactly what has happened with GoFundMe.

My peer group thinks it’s okay to use the fundraising platform to afford a lifestyle or trips that they can not afford, but have no problem asking friends, family and strangers for money for it, because they don’t know any better.

As the times continue to progress and more and more people take to the platform, the novelty of the website will become obsolete like most things, and those most in need may be second guessed.

It may be because I grew up in a home where my parents taught me the importance of work ethic, because I’ve had a job since I was 14, or because I know that it’s pitiful to ask people to pay for things that I shouldn’t have/do without working for it.

Let’s take for instance Rachel.

She wants to go to Bali because she enjoyed traveling while her parents were often deployed around the world.

She says she’s a poet, artist, etc. and wants people to fund her trip to Bali because she didn’t work hard enough to save up the money before her trip.

I take great insult to this idea because it insults the American Dream and the American work ethic.

I haven’t taken a TRUE vacation in close to two years, oftentimes because I had changed jobs but also because doing so would be detrimental to my savings account and my goals towards financial success.

Every last “luxury” I have wanted, I have worked for because that is what you are supposed to do, not beg for it on the Internet in hopes random strangers will donate to your cause.

I’m all for people following their dreams, but I also believe in having to compromise during other times in order to truly pursue your interests.

This generation has become so obsessed with finding themselves and “living their dreams” that they’ve forgotten about those who came before them who worked their entire lives to afford them the lifestyles they’ve grown accustomed to.

How about Jason? Instead of saving up the funds like a normal human being from his various odd jobs he has listed, he has taken to the Internet in hopes people will pity him and give him money because that is the new norm.

There is also Tom who asked his friends, family and the Internet community to fund his trip to Vietnam.

He didn’t even bother to mention whether he was working towards his goal to help get him to his destination on his “humanitarian” trip, instead hoping and spamming his friends and family begging them for money for his irresponsible decision to take a trip he could not afford.

I think it’s absolutely disgusting that people have the audacity to go online and ask people for money for things they cannot afford without thinking about how it may be perceived.

There are hard-working Americans out in the workforce who don’t have the luxury of picking up and going on a trip, who can’t afford their rent or to eat a decent meal because of their situation, but they don’t all take to GoFundMe asking people to fund their lives.

Since when did the citizens of this country become so dependent on others instead of creating and reinforcing their work ethic?

So please, next time you think about asking people for money, think twice about and the insensitivity that comes along with it.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

The Cincinnati Zoo Does Not Think Your Harambe Memes Are Dank At All

By Kelsey D'Auben

This past May following an unfortunate incident involving a young boy falling into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo a 17-year-old gorilla, named Harambe, was shot and killed.

And, as usual, the world only took the death of the late gorilla seriously for about a minute before forever immortalizing him online by turning him into a widely popular internet joke, or otherwise referred to as a “meme.”

Many examples of Harambe memes can be found on the popular website Reddit, which has an entire feed dedicated to Harambe.

At first the zoo appeared to be at least trying to ignore these jokes, hoping they would die down over time.

But as more and more Facebook posts, tweets, vines, and websites were made to joke about Harambe, the zoo has finally had enough.

“We are not amused by the memes, petitions, and signs about Harambe,” Cincinnati Zoo director, Thane Maynard told the Associated Press in an email early this week. “Our family is still healing, and the constant mention of Harambe makes moving forward difficult for us.”

But that won’t stop people online from being vicious.

This past weekend Maynard’s personal twitter account was hacked.

A variety of Harambe jokes were posted from Maynard’s account, most of which included hashtags such as #AnimalRights #JusticeForHarambe and the infamous #*****OutForHarambe.

He has since gotten control back over his account and removed the offending tweets.

And Maynard isn’t the only one getting slammed on twitter.

On nearly every tweet recently put out on the official Cincinnati Zoo account there are dozens of vicious and sarcastic responses condemning the zoo for their actions that resulted in Harambe’s death.

The online harassment towards the zoo got so bad that they officially deactivated their twitter account last night.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Infographic: What Will The Earth Look Like In 50 Years?

By Contributor

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RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Dako Huang/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Infographic: 8 Reasons Why Electric Vehicles are the Future of Transportation

By Contributor

By Rebecca Hill

Do you spend your evenings scrolling through EV forums, perhaps skipping out the sunsets?

It’s no doubt an exciting time for electric vehicle fans.

After all, news stories and events just keep on getting more exciting, whether they are developments from brands themselves or consumers warming up to electric cars.

To fuel your interests, Auto Loan Solutions has created an infographic that showcases the electric car scene, as well as what’s to come.

“8 Reasons EVs are the Future of Transportation” examines the efforts brands and governments around the world are putting forth to create a sustainable system for EVs.

It’s a sharp contrast to the claims of those who believe in the eventual downfall of electric vehicles. And you’ve most likely seen your fair share of negative comments out there.

For example, skeptics often say a greater fleet of electric cars will have little (if any) impact on our cities and roads.

“They won’t stop air pollution” or “They won’t replace gasoline cars” many say – the skepticism is never-ending.

But here’s the reality: only 25% of cars now cause 90% of air pollution, and those emissions contribute to chronic illness and premature deaths.

In regards to our oil dependence, several countries are adopting pro-EV initiatives that prove we don’t need gasoline as a crutch (as you’ll read see in the infographic).

Additionally, the electric car revolution has renewed interest for other environmentally-friendly technology.

For example, there’s now a push for more home and public charging stations that use solar panels.

Also, EVs themselves will have components that are more recyclable than their gasoline counterparts.

It goes without saying that electric cars have much more to offer than what critics say. Of course, you that already.

However, it’s always nice to see more evidence of their value, and this infographic provides more proof.

So take a look and see how EVs will further impact your world:

electric-vehicles-are-the-future-2 RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Soylent: The Future Of Food That Promises To Be The Only Thing You’ll Ever Need To Ingest

By Contributor

By Courtney Anderson

If the idea of a single product that contains all the nutrients humans could ever need to be healthy and stay alive sounds like something ripped straight out of an old-school sci-fi thriller, that’s because it kind of is.

Make no mistake, Soylent is a real product.

It was created by Rob Rhinehart, a Georgia Institute of Technology graduate and trained software engineer a few years ago.

Now, Rhinehart, along with COO Matthew Cauble, spearhead the development, research, marketing, global logistics, and financial operations for the Soylent team.

Cauble and Rhinehart had worked together before: they founded Level RF, a wireless communications firm that was supported by Y-combinator, in the summer of 2012 before embarking on adventures in food production.

The name “soylent” is a portmanteau of the words “soy” and “lentils.”

The name was inspired by the 1966 sci-fi novel “Make Room! Make Room,” written by Harry Harrison.

The book was later turned into a film about the perils of overcrowding and climate change- Soylent Green (“Soylent Green is people!”).

Rhinehart conceptualized Soylent as a new way to take care of your body.

Soylent started off as a 30-day nutritional experiment Rhinehart was running, in which he ate only the vitamins and nutrients that are recommended by the Food and Drug Administration.

He posted the experiment and initial results on his website, robrhinehart.com.

“What if I consumed only the raw ingredients the body uses for energy? Would I be healthier or do we need all the other stuff that’s in traditional food? I just want to be in good health and spend as little time and money on food as possible,” Rhinehart wrote in a blog post titled “How I Stopped Eating Food,” in 2013.

After posting the details of this experiment onto his blog for the entire month, Rhinehart realized that he could find a way to create a new foodstuff that would adhere to FDA requirements.

“I haven’t eaten a bite of food in 30 days, and it’s changed my life,” he wrote.

Thus, the idea for Soylent was born.

Soylent didn’t go into full production until 2013, after it was fully funded through crowdfunding. Soylent raised $3 million online. To date, Soylent is the most funded food project on any crowdfunding site.

The first real version of powdered Soylent product was produced as the Rosa Labs Company first line in 2013, and the first shipments went out in early 2014.

In the summer of 2015, Soylent 2.0 was introduced to the public.

In 2015, the Soylent team accepted an investment of $20 million from Lerer Ventures, Index Ventures, and David Friedberg, CEO of the Climate Corporation. The investment was led by Andressen Horowitz.

Pretty huge investment into sci-fi-esque foodstuff, right?

Now, the Soylent team is kicking it (and producing and shipping Soylent products) in downtown Los Angeles., which means Rhinehart is a long way from his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.

Soylent is completely animal-free. It was a “neutral taste profile by design,” so that you can adjust the flavoring to your choosing.

Its nutritional design includes protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, and vitamins and minerals such as potassium, iron, and calcium.

So, pretty much everything the doctor would tell you to eat.

Rhinehart has often described as Soylent as the future of food, or maybe even the final destination of food and cooking as we know it.

“The future of food is not the return to an agrarian society but the transcendence of it,” he wrote in 2015. “We will make food so cheap only the rich will cook.”

Soylent isn’t that expensive to begin with. As of right now, July 2016, the price for a monthly subscription from Soylent drink is $32.50, down from $34 per month.

A monthly subscription of Soylent powder will run you $54 per month, down from $64.

And there isn’t much in the way of cooking, either. Every customer who signs up for a monthly subscription gets their own pitcher and scoop with their first shipment. Just put some water in the powder, or just drink, and you’re done.

So they may already be on their way to revolutionary food.

Of course, are you ready to give up food to join the revolution?

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

Anthony Appolonia Tortured And Killed 19 Cats. Now Some Fear He Might Be At It Again

By Contributor

A half hour into his interview with police, Anthony Appolonia broke down, according to the chief investigator on the case. Appolonia said he was sorry. He begged authorities not to be mad. And in gruesome detail, he described how he had tortured and killed 19 kittens and cats he adopted through newspaper ads in just two… Read More

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