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8 Things You Need To Know This AM — Oct 20 2015

Photo: MediaPunch/REX USA
A generic-looking white dude refused to attend his college class on sexual consent because he doesn’t “look like” a rapist. Clearly he hasn’t seen a single episode of Law & Order: SVU. U.K. student, George Lawlor, 19, made a viral fool of himself by publishing a treatise against sexual consent classes in a student news site. As his story in The Tab goes, Lawlor was indignant at being invited to a University of Warwick workshop on sexual consent; “I found this to be a massive, painful, bitchy slap in the face,” he writes. Lawlor was so confident about his knowledge of consent and how not to sexually assault, that he paired his article with a photo of himself holding a sign reading, "This is not what a rapist looks like.” This begs the question: what do Lawlor and his supporters think a rapist looks like? (Mic)
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Clock-making teen Ahmed Mohamed will visit the White House for “Astronomy Night,” or as Mohamed’s old high school calls it, “Wizards Conjure Pictures Of The Sky Lights That Revolve Around Us Night. One month after he was handcuffed, brought to juvenile detention, and suspended for three days for bringing a handmade digital clock to school, Texas freshman Ahmed Mohamed took President Barack Obama up on his offer to visit the White House. Ahmed joined hundreds of other STEM enthusiasts, including students and professionals, for the second annual Astronomy Night, an event that sprawls across the White House’s South Lawn. No word yet on whether Ahmed brought along his infamous clock. (Refinery29)
Man You Used To Think Was Cute, Anthony Mackie, announced his support of Donald Trump. Excuse us as we go rewatch the end of 8 Mile over and over again. Spoiler Alert: after what Anthony Mackie said in his recent interview with BET, we think The Falcon may be affiliated with Hydra. While talking about the current presidential landscape, The Our Brand Is Crisis actor threw his support behind none other than sentient comments section Donald Trump, saying he’s “on the bandwagon” and “drinking the Kool-Aid.” In the words of Tyra Banks, "WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU! HOW DARE YOU!" (Complex)
A federal court upheld New York and Connecticut’s post-Sandy Hook bans on semi-automatic assault weapons; other states continue to make it harder to buy Sudafed than a gun that looks like this.

Inspired by the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, which took the lives of 20 children and six adult employees, New York and Connecticut both passed gun control laws banning the use of semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. Gun advocates, including lobbyists and dealers, challenged the laws for violating Second Amendment rights. But a U.S. appeals court ruled in favor of the protective measures, citing the correlation between such legislation and the “important - indeed, compelling - state interest in controlling crime.” In its decision, the three-judge panel wrote, “gun-control legislation ‘need no strike at all evils at the same time’ to be constitutional.” (The Guardian)
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A bride-to-be’s family turned her cancelled wedding into an opportunity to feed the homeless. After her fiancé’s cold feet proved to be more permanent than is typical, causing the dissolution of her relationship just days before she was supposed to be wed, Quinn Duane of California was unsure of what to do with her $35,000 reception. Then, Duane’s mother came up with a brilliant idea: with the help of local homeless shelters, the Sacramento family turned what was supposed to be a wedding feast into a meal for around 90 homeless individuals. All the flowers were donated to a nursing home. (Refinery29)
Amazon sued over 1,000 users for selling fake product reviews. Amazon is cracking down on users who are “misleading customers” by posting fake product reviews for a profit. The commerce company filed a lawsuit against 1,114 people who allegedly charge for their customer reviews, promising perfect five-star ratings or allowing a seller to write their own feedback. Amazon claims the deceit was uncovered through an investigation of the site Fiverr, an online marketplace for tasks and services. (BBC News)
A man called his local TV station and confessed to a 33-year-old murder, shockingly proving that people watch local news. A break in the 1982 case of 13-year-old Carrie Ann Jopek’s death just came from an unexpected source: the man who killed her. Milwaukee’s WISN 12 News fielded what they thought was just another viewer call, when the man on the other side of the line, 50-year-old Jose Ferreira, made a shocking confession of guilt, claiming he pushed Jopek down a flight of stairs. The caller reportedly shared “disturbing” details from the cold case with the local news outlet. Over 30 years after his crime, Ferreira has been arrested and charged with murder. (Washington Post)
Oprah bought a 10% share of Weight Watchers and made $60 million in one day. So, just a typical Oprah Monday. Although she “retired” back in 2009, Oprah Winfrey just expanded her already considerably vast empire beyond OWN and O, sinking $43 million into Weight Watchers for a 10% stake in the company and a seat on its board of directors. “I believe in the program so much I decided to invest in the company and partner in its evolution,” the former TV host said in a statement. In just a matter of hours following Winfrey’s announcement, Weight Watchers’ stock experienced a 100% surge, increasing to around $13.67 a share. That’s the power of Oprah. (USA Today)

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