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11 Mexican-Owned Businesses (That Aren't Bars) To Support On Cinco De Mayo

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Despite Latinos’ best efforts to explain the true story behind Cinco de Mayo, it seems nothing will stop fraternities and the general American public from turning the holiday into an excuse to get turnt up. 


But we refuse to surrender!


Since the country seems so eager to celebrate Mexican culture, why not channel that festive spirit into supporting the men and women who embody it? So put the margarita down and, instead, treat yourself to an avocado bath bomb, a “ride or die” necklace or a bilingual book for your child.


Here are 11 businesses owned by Mexicans and Chicanos that you can support on Cinco de Mayo: 


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'Handmaid's Tale' Memes Flood Twitter As Women Respond To Health Care Bill

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On Thursday, House Republicans finally voted through legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), replacing it with a bill that would, among other consequences, make things like pregnancy, postpartum depression and rape pre-existing conditions.


As a result, the new American Health Care Act (AHCA) ― yet to be passed in the Senate ― could put women in particular at risk of being denied coverage or having to pay the higher premiums that Obamacare previously banned. According to HuffPost’s Catherine Pearson, an amendment to the bill “effectively gives states permission to discriminate against women.” (Though House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has denied this.)


It didn’t take long for people on Twitter to respond with a meme that’s become terrifyingly relevant to American politics: images from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s eerily prescient 1985 novel.







Screenshots of women in red robes and white bonnets began flooding social media, accompanied by chilling parallels between today’s health care chaos and the book’s depiction of a theocratic regime that subjugates women after taking control of their reproductive rights. 


In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood’s dire account of a near-future United States called Gilead, an authoritarian government rises to power and quickly decides to drain women’s bank accounts, the first step in a series of shockingly quick policy moves that seem to strip women of their status as equal citizens before they even had a chance to fight back.


“I was asleep before,” Offred, played by Elisabeth Moss, proclaims in a trailer for the Hulu show. “That’s how we let it happen.”


Even Atwood herself has admitted that her book seems more relevant now than ever.






Women had already been protesting state senates by dressing as handmaids in an attempt to raise awareness of certain lawmakers’ pushes to limit reproductive health in states like Missouri, Minnesota and Texas. On Thursday, opponents of the AHCA followed suit, posting images and references to Gilead in the hours after the House decision in order to make their stance clear.


In a piece titled “Women In The U.S. Don’t Live In A Dystopian Hellscape. Yet,” HuffPost’s Emily Peck rightly pointed out that, despite the setbacks that have occurred under President Donald Trump’s administration, women in the U.S. have helped push for progress in 2017, too.


“The resistance in the U.S. is very much alive and well,” Peck wrote. “And in the first 100 days of the Trump administration, it’s been remarkably effective.” She cited the ousting of longtime Fox news host Bill O’Reilly, the “unprecedented” numbers of women considering running for office in upcoming elections, and the failure of other policies like Trump’s anti-immigration orders, which was fought by a huge number of female immigration lawyers.


Still, as Congress mulls a health care plan that could potentially put individuals’ lives at risk, women (and men!) are quick to voice their opposition to anything that resembles Gilead. 






And the tweets keep coming.










































































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This Subscription Box Sends You Products Only From Women Of Color

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Digital campaigns and apps are making it increasingly easy to buy black, and one woman is bringing black businesses right to your door. 


Sapphira Martin, 27, is the founder of SassBoxx, a monthly subscription service that offers products exclusively from businesses owned by women of color. 


“It’s important for us to support black businesses because African-Americans have to bring back that united force that we’ve gained from our ancestors,” Martin, a Queens native, told HuffPost in an email Thursday. 


The Root reported Wednesday that 30 percent of black-owned business in New York City shut down their operations between 2007 and 2012, making Martin’s venture all the more significant. 


“In the grand scheme of things, African-Americans have invented and created some of the most important businesses and everyday [inventions],” she said. “We have to continue a legacy laid out before us.”



The box, which launched in January 2016, contains four to seven items that range from candles and inspirational notepads to beauty products. Martin gets theme ideas for the boxes from media, the women’s rights movement, her family and the sheer existence of black women. While the box is ideal for any woman, Martin said she’s particularly focused on women of color. 


To honor Mother’s Day, the company’s limited-edition May box will be titled MomBoxx, and features products from brands like Ivy’s Tea Co. and Dope Mom Behavior


When Martin’s not tending to the lifestyle of black women through SassBoxx, she’s doing so through the “Black Girl Podcast,” which she co-hosts with four of her friends. 


You can sign up for SassBoxx here.

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Prince Philip's Retirement Shocker Isn't All That Shocking

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The Duke of Edinburgh plans to retire from his royal duties this autumn, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday morning, ending a night of speculation and worry that the palace was about to share news of far more gravitas.


So yes, at age 95, Prince Philip is retiring. He spent 110 days of the past year attending official royal events, which makes him the fifth-busiest member of the royal family, according to Court Circular listings and as reported by the BBC. And he will continue to support the queen. But as far as making appearances on his own, well, he’s stepping back.


He has no health issues beyond those associated with being a man his age, the palace said, prompting the BBC to reprint what he said on the occasion of his 90th birthday: It’s “better to get out before you reach your sell-by date.”


He’s always been quick to quip ― when a man at a royal lunch Thursday said to him, “I’m sorry to hear you’re standing down,” the duke replied, “Well, I can’t stand up much.” Precisely.


Of course we all age differently. But there are a few truths about being 95 that science and research can impart ― all realities that make slowing down sound pretty sensible.


About that standing thing


A person’s ability to transition from sitting to standing becomes critical as they age. Losing balance can lead to falls, which are the No. 1 cause of injuries and death among the elderly, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every second of every day, an older adult in the United States falls.


Balancing is also important ― and can be an indicator of stroke risk. Researchers at the Center for Genomic Medicine at Kyoto University in Japan asked about 1,400 people (average age 67) to stand with one leg raised and their eyes open for up to 60 seconds. Everyone got two tries, and the best times were used for analysis. Then they used MRIs to assess disease in the small blood vessels of the participants’ brains. 


The researchers found that the inability to balance on one leg for more than 20 seconds was linked to having had tiny strokes or small bleeds in the brain.


You don’t taste food as well as you once did


Lots of royal duties involve food: entertaining heads of state, attending major events, throwing parties at palaces. By age 60, most people have lost half of their 10,000 taste buds. Of the four taste sensations — sweet, salty, sour and bitter — sweet and salty are pretty much the first to go, which is why many older people over-salt their food trying to make it taste better. 


But don’t just blame taste buds, because the real culprit is likely the nose, according to the National Institutes of Health.


A person’s sense of smell generally declines when he or she is over 60. By the time they reach 80, about a third have issues smelling. Smell that declines with age is called presbyosmia and is not preventable or reversible. The number of sensor cells that detect smell routinely die out and, in younger people, are replaced. in older people, the replacement process does not work as well.


Now of course, for thousands of years, kings and queens have relied on food tasters to protect them from culinary harm. The Telegraph reported last year that Queen Elizabeth regularly turns the tables on this practice and would personally try the lunches prepared for her bodyguards to make sure they were up to her quality standards.  


Prince Philip’s favorite dish is Gaelic steaks ― fillet steak in a creamy mushroom and whisky sauce. “He would have it on the menu every day if he had his way,” said Darren McGrady, his former personal chef, who also used to add a quarter-teaspoon of Marmite to the sauce. The duke also drinks beer with his meals rather than wine, even at official banquets.


We don’t know how his taste buds are faring, but his taste in food is still great.


Hearing does fail


Hearing loss can begin as early as someone’s 20s, but tends to be a slow decline and not really noticeable until your 50s. One in every three adults experiences hearing loss by age 65. By age 75, it’s one in two. 


The duke was first spotted wearing hearing aids in public in 2014. The point was made that his need for hearing assistance was unsurprising at his age, particularly because he still makes regular appearances at events where he engages in conversation with dignitaries, politicians and members of the public. 


“He has done remarkably well to be doing what he does for so long and not need them,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine since 1999, said at the time. “Over the years it has been apparent when he has been out with the Queen that he has not been fully au fait with things going on around him and she has had to tell him. I think his hearing has been impaired for some time so it is just a way of improving his quality of life.”


Much was made of the fact that the duke wears the same kind of hearing devices that are available to the British public through their publicly funded National Health Service.


Older Americans with hearing loss wouldn’t be quite so lucky. With very few exceptions, Medicare doesn’t cover hearing exams, hearing aids or exams for fitting hearing aids.



Feeling tired a lot



Fatigue goes hand in hand with aging, but it’s been hard to say why. Some research suggests that feeling more tired as we age is a symptom of illness, medications or the obvious lack of a good night’s sleep. Fatigue is rarely seen as a standalone event without something underlying it.


While Prince Philip may be cutting back on attending events, he will maintain several positions as a patron, member or president of almost 800 organizations and will continue to be associated with them, Buckingham Palace said. That’s good, because as the National Institute on Aging reports, active participation in hobbies and social pursuits lowers the risk for dementia, increases lifespan and results in being happier. 

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These Title Ideas For The 'Game Of Thrones' Spinoffs Are Pure Dragon Fire

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The spinoffs are (reportedly) coming.


And so are the hilarious suggestions as to what the four new proposed “Game of Thrones” shows should be called.


After reports emerged Thursday that HBO wants to extend its epic fantasy drama which is based on George R. R. Martin’s books, it didn’t take long for Twitter users to begin imagining amusing titles for the new additions to the “Thrones” universe.


Check out some of the best ideas below:


















































































































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Illustrator Sums Up The Injustice Of AHCA In One Heartbreaking Drawing

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House Republicans passed legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, slashing health care coverage for millions, capping Medicaid expansions, and potentially allowing for discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions ― some of which essentially amount to being a woman


An amendment added to the Affordable Health Care Act could allow insurance companies to charge higher premiums for citizens who have experienced postpartum depression, pregnancy, a C-sectiondomestic violence or rape. On the same day, the House also voted to defund Planned Parenthood, stripping approximately 390,000 low-income women of access to birth control and preventive health care.


It’s difficult to know what to say when lawmakers are knocking back beers while millions of poor and sick Americans contemplate their mere survival. Instead, illustrator and writer Courtney Privett posted her response to the “cruel and deadly” bill in the form of a drawing. 


The illustration features a woman holding a protest sign reading, “I am a human being.” Various medical conditions including anxiety, cancer, HIV and sexual assault survivor are scrawled across her body and face. An elephant’s trunk pops into the frame, along with a speech bubble reading: “Human being? All I see is a pre-existing condition!” 


Beneath the image, Privett wrote a response to the bill’s passing, expressing her disgust and disbelief with the news.



I’d hoped that we’d never regress back here. No one should have to choose between death and remaining alive but being unable to afford to live. PPD, sex assualt [sic], domestic violence as preexisting conditions shames the population into potentially fatal silence via financial blackmail.


Pre-ACA and before I got married, I was declined by every insurance carrier I applied for except for one, which wanted to charge me more money than I was earning. The first exclusion cited: knee arthroscopy, which was necessitated by a freak accident that dislocated my knee. Anything can be cited as a pre-existing condition, and under the proposed plan used to box you into a lifetime of medical debt.



In an email to HuffPost, Privett expanded upon her feelings regarding what she described as “a long day.”



We are not our diseases, conditions, disorders, or injuries. It’s dehumanizing to be seen as nothing but a label or a risk, and it’s humiliating to be shamed for circumstances outside of our control. Our lives are worth more than that, and much more than a number on a bill, but there are those who look at their fellow humans and see only profit or loss margins. That mentality leads not only reversion to the stigmas and stereotypes we’ve fought so hard to erase, but also to the devaluation of all of us from human beings into commodities.



Privett has been drawing politically inclined work since Trump’s inauguration. Following Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)’s now infamous silencing of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) with the phrase “nevertheless, she persisted,” Privett created a drawing that soon went viral. 


She then went on to create a series of works celebrating the resilience of other marginalized groups including immigrants, queer couples, people with disabilities and survivors of sexual assault. 


When HuffPost interviewed Privett about her work in February, she summed up her intended message with four simple words: “We are not alone.


Certainly those words feel necessary right now. 


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Giphy's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month GIFs Are Pretty And Personal

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May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and what better way to celebrate it than with the perfect GIF to punctuate your social media?


In honor of the monthlong tribute, Giphy, the popular graphic-making site, released this week a series of original GIFs that explore and celebrate those in the Asian American Pacific Islander community.


Similar to their Black History Month and Women’s History Month campaigns, Giphy’s latest project honors what AAPIs have contributed to the country. The website is also sharing individuals’ take on what it’s like to be an AAPI minority in this country through the “I Am” interview project


“We’re mindful of ensuring Giphy portrays the diversity of America as much as possible,” content strategy director Yosub Kim told HuffPost. “I definitely felt we needed to drive conversation for other underrepresented communities, which led us to the AAPI community.”





To truly represent the community, Giphy Studios commissioned Asian-American artists to create a series of GIFs that spotlight a variety of trailblazing AAPI individuals who have made a lasting impact in the United States.


For example, David Ho, a Taiwanese doctor whose breakthrough research helped tens of thousands of AIDs patients live longer lives, is memorialized in a winking graphic, where he spins an atom on his fingertip. Kristi Yamaguchi, the former Olympic figure skater, has been turned into a Claymation figure twirling in her iconic blue dress and gold medal.


Other notable people featured include Patsy Mink, the first Asian-American congresswomanEllison Onizuka, the country’s first Asian-American astronaut; and Kamala Harris, the first Indian-American senator.








Jasmyn Lawson, Giphy’s culture editor, interviewed 25 New Yorkers who were Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders for the “I Am” project. She says it was an opportunity for her to learn about the diversity within America’s AAPI communities and listen to what types of problems they face.


“Some people shared stories about having immigrant parents and what it was like trying to fit in when your parents can’t necessarily teach you that,” Lawson told HuffPost.


“Other people shared stories about dating and how their race and ethnicity has complicated that for them, whether it be fighting against blatant racism or not being aware if someone likes you for you or if they are only dating you because you’re Asian,” she added.








For Giphy’s Kim, a South Korean man who grew up in the U.S., this project felt personal and “incredibly important.”


“I’ve dealt with a lot of the insecurities of being Asian American,” he told HuffPost.


Kim recalled a time when he was an 18-year-old drama student and an Army recruiter asked him about joining the military. Kim said he told the recruiter that he’d rather be an actor, to which the recruiter replied, “Oh, you want to be the next Jackie Chan?”


“It hit me that his only reference for Asians in American media was Jackie Chan,” Kim said. “I will never forget that.”


Experiences like that fuel Kim’s passion for including a more diverse collection of identities on Giphy’s website.


“This is why we wanted to make GIFs of all the Asian Americans we brought in so we can start showing representation through reaction GIFs,” he said. “We’re taking on the challenge of original content that paves the way for minorities.”


If you want to honor Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with style, use any of Giphy’s graphics below to show your friends what diversity looks like.



















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23 Must-See Blockbusters And Indie Gems Opening This Summer

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Blockbusters, once associated only with the dog days of summer, are now year-round events. But as long as studios keep packing the hottest months with one big-budget spectacle after the next, we’ll offer some recommendations on which ones look the most promising. (Sorry, “Transformers.”) 


In between all that computer-generated action, you’ll also find indie charmers, thoughtful documentaries and a few intimate genre pieces likely to generate buzz. (Enough with you, “Transformers.”)


Here are 23 options fulfilling all sides of the moviegoing spectrum. (Bye, “Transformers.”)



All release dates are subject to change.


The above video was edited by Gabe Piscione.

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'Little Women' Is Coming Back As A Three-Hour Miniseries On PBS

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Whether you’re a Jo, a Meg, a Beth or an Amy, we have good news: your favorite treatise on girlhood and growing up is back.


Masterpiece and PBS announced on Thursday that the network has an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women underway, in conjunction with Colin Callender’s Playground and the BBC.


So far we know that the two-volume novel will be turned into a three-hour miniseries, though further details, such as casting choices or release dates, have yet to be announced. The U.K.-U.S. production team will begin principal photography as soon as July.


In a press release, series writer Heidi Thomas, who also adapted “Call the Midwife,” said the story’s “humanity, humor and tenderness never date, and as a study of love, grief and growing up it has no equal. There could be no better time to revisit the story of a family striving for happiness in an uncertain world [...]”.


It seems that showrunners and filmmakers have shared this sentiment in the past. The March sisters have seen their share of on-screen time. The book was adapted in 1917, 1918, 1933, 1949, 1950, 1958, 1970, 1978 and 1994. Three of those remakes were BBC miniseries. The novel has also been turned into a Broadway play and two anime series. In 2015, The CW announced that it would take on Alcott’s story, but with a sci-fi bent; the project was later abandoned.


If you’re unfamiliar with the book, its story centers on Jo March and her three sisters as they come of age amid the American Civil War. The tale grapples with selfishness, will power and ambition, and is loosely based on Alcott’s own family.


Thomas said, “we hope to deliver a new screen version that will speak to contemporary audiences, meet the expectations of the book’s ardent fans and bring a whole new generation to this great classic.”


In the meantime, we’ll be waiting by our closest PBS-enabled device, collectively mending the family bed sheet in solidarity.




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Award-Winning Photographer Admits To Plagiarizing Mary Ellen Mark

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In 2014, HuffPost featured a series from award-winning photographer Souvid Datta titled “In the Shadows of Kolkata.” The photos depict women living and working in Sonagachi, a red-light district in Kolkata, India, focusing on the relationships between mothers and daughters amidst a backdrop of sex work riddled with assault and abuse.


Upon seeing the HuffPost piece, a shrewd Bangalore-based reader named Shreya Bhat noticed something strange ― that a woman featured in the background of one of Datta’s photos suspiciously resembled a subject of the late photographer Mary Ellen Mark, who famously documented Mumbai’s red light district in the 1970s. 


In fact, Datta’s subject and Mark’s weren’t just similar, they were identical. 


“I was working in Calcutta, in the red light district of Sonagachi, as a social worker in the year 2014,” Bhat wrote in an email to HuffPost. “When I came across the picture in question, I started to look more closely, not because I thought it was doctored, but because the woman in the background looked familiar. Like I had seen her somewhere else, in another photograph.”


On a whim, Bhat decided to check Mark’s portfolio, as she considered the photographer’s work to be the most extensive when it comes to covering sex work in India. “I had looked through every bit of her work in the past and started doing that again, image by image,” she recalled. “Until I came to the photograph Souvid had nicked the woman from.”




Mark’s 1978 photograph, titled “Transvestites getting dressed in a courtyard. Falkland Road, Bombay, India” and shown above, depicts four women helping one another with their saris. The woman on the left is featured with the exact same clothing, pose and expression as the figure in Datta’s photo.


In an essay featured on The Scribbler, Datta explained the story behind his image ― or at least, what he claimed the story was before taking his comments offline. Thankfully, PetaPixel took a screenshot before the comments were removed.



“Radhika, 17, in the room of a veteran sex worker, Asma, in Sonagachi (featured dressing in background). The two have grown close over Radhika’s period here; she respects and learns from Asma’s experience and matter of fact, survival attitude, while Asma feels a fondness for Radhika’s unfettered ‘kindness, curiosity’ and innocence. Strong bonds can often form within brothels as girls learn to support each other and find self-empowerment through group assertion and collective experience.”



How could Asma in 2013 be the same woman that Mark photographed in 1978? Obviously, she couldn’t.


“I was amused, amazed and repelled at the same time,” Bhat said. “I did a re-check. I was right. I did share the whole finding on email with two of my colleagues at that point. They too were amazed and shocked. I did consider writing to Souvid, but it would have been a pointless exercise. I also checked if I could write to [HuffPost], but the piece was dated January 2014 and it was April when I came across it. I thought it would be too late for you to want to act on it. I was probably wrong!”


Eventually, Bhat decided to reach out to photo blog PetaPixel with her findings. They published a piece enumerating her claims just this month, along with side-by-side images of Mark’s and Datta’s images, on their website. The similarities are staggering. 


Upon learning of Bhat’s detective work, HuffPost reached out to Datta for comment with no reply. Since the allegations were published on Wednesday, he took down his website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. One day later, in an interview with Time, the photographer appeared to have admitted to plagiarism.


“I foolishly doctored images,” Datta said, “inexcusably lied about others’ work being my own and then buried these wrongdoings in the years that followed.”






Regarding the specific use of the Mark image, Datta explained that when his photo was taken in 2013, he was 22 years old and a university student, exploring photography as a hobby but without solid knowledge of “photographic ethics.” While volunteering with non-governmental organizations in the red-light district of Kolkata, Datta felt compelled to document his time there, and used his camera to do so. 




During his travels, Datta met a 17-year-old woman working in a brothel named Radhika. She is the woman who appears in the foreground of the photo in question. In conversations, Radhika told Datta about her mentor, an older woman named Asma. Although Datta met Asma briefly, she asked not to be photographed; so Datta ended up shooting Radhika alone. 




A few weeks after the trip, Datta came across the work of Mary Ellen Mark. In one of her photographs, he noticed a woman that resembled Asma. Datta then used Photoshop to transplant Mark’s subject into his image of Radhika, without acknowledging the image’s origins or crediting Mark, who died in 2015, for her work.




“I wrote the caption as if Asma herself was in this image, not a woman from someone else’s work,” Datta said. “In effect, I lied.”




Datta’s decision to steal imagery from a photographer as legendary as Mary Ellen Mark was a brazen one. Having worked consistently since the 1960s, Mark was granted a retrospective in 1992 at the International Center of Photography in Manhattan and awarded a Lifetime Achievement in Photography Award from George Eastman House in 2014. 




Datta, however, has racked up a few awards himself, including a Getty Images Editorial Grant, the Visura Photojournalism Grant and an Alexia Foundation Award of Excellence Grant, although these achievements too are not without their controversy.




In light of PetaPixel’s piece, The Alexia Foundation published a note on Facebook, saying that in 2013, Datta was given between $500 and $1500 in cash to attend an education workshop, with the stipulation that he turn in a final project after one year’s time. According to the Foundation, Datta has yet to turn in said project; they are currently investigating to determine the proper way to proceed. 






Datta also used his Time interview as an opportunity to admit to doctoring and poaching other images throughout his career. He acknowledged “stitching and cloning” elements from photos of India taken between 2013 and 2014 and going overboard with post-production techniques on photos taken in China. He also conceded to “appropriating” images by photographer Daniele Volpe and claiming them as his own. (Datta had already deleted the images from his portfolio but never came forward with having stolen the images in the first place.) 


“A colleague sent me the links of his post, it was around November 2016,” Volpe wrote to HuffPost. “At first I didn’t understand. I knew some of Datta’s work and considered him a professional. I saved the screenshots with the intention to write him a private message but I never did. [...] I felt sad to know that it was a Datta’s ‘modus operandi’ and that is what moved me to make this public. I don’t feel sad about my pictures or Mark’s work. I felt sad for the people in his pictures. He touched very important issues, very sensitive ones. Those people deserve more respect.”


In his Time interview, Datta appears to genuinely regret his wrongdoings, arguing that his youth and the pressure of freelancing led to unscrupulous conduct. Volpe added that he took issue with Datta’s defense, which he thought used excuses to justify his dishonesty. “It’s absurd he used his age as a defense,” Volpe said. “And the rules of ethics, honestly, are the first things to keep in mind in this job (and in daily life in general).”


This is far from the first time a photojournalist’s reputation has been tarnished as a result of plagiarizing or doctoring photos. Most famously, Steve McCurry, the photographer behind “Afghan Girl,” was accused of Photoshopping images last year. 


In his Facebook post, Volpe expressed that he didn’t entirely blame Datta for poaching his work, but rather the cutthroat photography industry as a whole, which compels young photographers to take shortcuts to get ahead. If Datta’s controversy can teach us anything, it’s that the shortcut certainly isn’t worth the mess left behind. 


“I am glad he did admit to doctoring those images,” Bhat concluded. “I am also hoping his response sets a rule; you don’t build false sob stories around the dreary and helpless lives of women in sex work, unless of course those stories are legit and come from the women themselves. You also do not cash upon these lives and earn awards because none of that is helping improve their daily living conditions, unfortunately.”


Note: Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity. 


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Mom Rewrites 'How Far I'll Go' For Pregnant Women Who Want To Give Birth Already

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When Danielle and Jon Murray learned they were expecting their fifth child, they shared the news with a fun parody of “You’re The One That I Want.”


Now that Danielle is at the very end of her pregnancy, she decided to vent her last trimester frustrations with another music video. This time the mom rewrote “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana,” and the transition was surprisingly seamless.


Standout lyrics include: “I wish I could meet this perfect daughter, but I cannot break my water no matter how hard I try”; “Am I in labor? No, though I long to be”; “And no one knows how large I’ll grow!” and “There’s just no telling how long I’ll go!”


From the hot sauce to the trampoline, Murray is determined to put an end to her post-40 week angst.  

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Ivanka Trump's Book Uses Toni Morrison Quote To Equate Busyness With Slavery

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One of the less brutal reviews of Ivanka Trump’s book Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success, penned by The New York Times’ Jennifer Senior, described it as “a strawberry milkshake of inspirational quotes.”


Indeed, Trump does begin each chapter with a snippet of wisdom from a woman she, presumably, admires. Each is scrawled in darling, lopsided letters on a pink notecard, resembling a throw pillow more than a page in an actual book. Beneath every quote, Trump honors the intelligence and resilience of the featured writer with the thoughtful commentary #ITWISEWORDS. 


This recipe ― which NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben accurately described as possessing “the aesthetic of a Pinterest board” more than a career guide ― is vapid and irritating enough. But some of the quotations Trump elects to include, particularly one from Toni Morrison, reveal the staggering extent of Trump’s privilege, entitlement and ignorance. 



The quote above comes from Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1987 novel Beloved, which, inspired by a true story, brings to light the odious ways slavery ripped apart black families through the lens of a mother trying to save her children from its horrors, and the ghastly lengths she endured to do so. 


The story follows a mother and escaped slave named Sethe who, upon being discovered by her master, attempts to kill her children to prevent them from being subjected to the barbarity of life on a plantation. Sethe succeeds only in killing her 2-year-old daughter by cutting her neck with a saw. The daughter’s ghost returns to haunt Sethe’s home years later, which is where the story begins.


“Bit by bit ... she had reclaimed herself,” Trump quotes Morrison as saying. “Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.”


While Morrison’s words reference the experience of liberation after being the literal property of another human being, Trump updates the phrase to address the modern dilemma of spending too much time on one’s phone. 


“Are you a slave to your time or the master of it?” Trump asks, seriously using the words slave and master, while quoting Toni Morrison, to talk about time management. “Despite your best intentions, it’s easy to be reactive and get caught up in returning calls, attending meetings, answering e-mails...”


This is not the only moment in the book Trump appropriates the words of others with no consideration or respect for those words’ context and weight. She quotes poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou while discussing negotiating for a raise. 



So far, at least one woman quoted in Trump’s book has spoken out with some skepticism about her citation: legendary primatologist Jane Goodall. Her quote, as featured by Trump, reads: “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”


In an interview with CNN, Goodall said she “sincerely” hopes Trump “will take the full import of my words to heart. She is in a position to do much good or terrible harm.”


Unfortunately, because of the tasteless manner in which Trump has sprinkled the words of others throughout her book like glorified palate cleansers, stripping them of their original context and urgency, it doesn’t seem like she has taken any of the messages to heart. 


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Hanson Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Throwback 'Mmmbop' Performance

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Get ready to feel old!


Hanson has been a band for 25 years. Their oh-so-catchy 1997 hit “Mmmbop,” which apparently no one knows how to sing correctly, is officially 20 years old. That’s right, 20. 


To celebrate both their major milestones and the launch of an upcoming world tour, brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac stopped by “Good Morning America” to perform the song that started it all. “Mmmbop” hit the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 when it came out, and somehow, it still stands up. 


The nostalgia is real. 


 Hit Backspace for a regular dose of pop culture nostalgia.


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See 5 Beautiful Weddings Across The Globe In 90 Seconds

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To survey spirituality’s role in everyday lives, Oscar-winning documentarian Thomas Lennon commissioned more than 40 filmmakers across the globe to capture ceremonial expressions of faith. The end result is “Sacred,” a travelogue that celebrates humans’ search for meaning. 


The Huffington Post has an exclusive clip from the documentary, which opens Friday in limited release. This particular snapshot focuses on weddings in China, Kenya, the Netherlands, Lebanon and the U.S. The rituals are different in each, but participants’ joy doesn’t falter. 

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Remember That NSFW Queer Coloring Book? The Artist Is Back With Stunning New Work

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In January 2016, HuffPost Queer Voices brought you one of our favorite pieces of art from the past year: a very NSFW queer coloring book called LAST NIGHT I DREAMT THAT SOMEBODY LOVED ME by artist Nathan Rapport.


The coloring book depicted beautifully graphic sex scenes between men contrasted with lyrics from classic heartbreak songs, inviting the viewer to examine their own relationship with atrophying of intimacy and casual sex.


Now Rapport is set to showcase new work ― a series of paintings that highlight moments of connection in a show called “In the Springtime of His Voodoo.”



“I took this show as an opportunity to look at intimacy in a different way than I did with the coloring book,” Rapport told HuffPost. “Rather than focusing on the loss of intimacy, and subsequent search for it, with these new paintings I have decided to take moments of intimate connection, and hover on them and observe them in a grateful manner. Choosing to move back into painting has allowed me to flesh out these moments in a way line illustration never would.  By utilizing a hypercolor palette, elements of fantasy, nature imagery, and nostalgia by way of musical reference, I hope to create visual experiences of heightened gay romance.”



Rapport also told HuffPost that after publishing LAST NIGHT I DREAMT THAT SOMEBODY LOVED ME, he has expanded his work into a variety of different creative mediums, including wearable art forms.


“Since the book I have pretty much dedicated all my energy to creating new work and taking it on the road,” Rapport continued. “The almost year-long book tour grew many sets of legs and has allowed me to create a whole line of queer wearables, resulting in collaborations with Mr. S Leather and Folsom Street Fair. The push from the book also led to several gallery opportunities, and I’m very grateful and excited that fine art, specifically painting, is my crystal clear focus again. Preparing for this show has forced me to flex muscles I haven’t worked out in too long, and simply taking more time with each piece on a technical level has created a greater level of intimacy between myself and the paintings. I feel like this show is the start of a new, more focused and patient phase of my work, and it excites me a lot.”



When asked what he wanted viewers to take away from his latest work, Rapport told HuffPost, “I hope viewers look at this work and are able to lose themselves in the connection occurring on the page or canvas.” He added, “It’s one thing to recognize an embrace or a kiss as tender or connected, but another to physically feel the electricity between a pair of almost touching lips. To have an image make you weak in the knees or tingly in the toes. I want people to feel the breath in these moments.”


In the Springtime of His Voodoo” is on display from Friday, May 2 - 27, 2017 at Strut in San Francisco.

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See Richard Gere And Laura Linney As Sparring Parents In 'Virginia Woolf'-Type Thriller

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Couples spending a night arguing and/or bonding under one roof is an under-appreciated movie genre, partly because it provides an excuse to put a slew of interesting actors on the same screen. This at least dates back to “Who’s Afraid of Virgnia Woolf?,” with recent examples featuring disparate pairs coming together in the name of their children. In 2011, “Carnage” did it with Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly. In 2015, “The Overnight” gave the concept a comedic bent via Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godrèche. 


The Dinner,” which opens in limited release this weekend, revisits that plotline. This time, Richard Gere, Rebecca Hall, Steve Coogan and Laura Linney star as the central quartet, who meet to discuss a crime their respective sons have committed.  


HuffPost has an exclusive clip from the thriller, written and directed by Oren Moverman. Tensions are running high among these anxious parents, and this scene alone offers a showcase for four of our finest actors. 

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Photographer Does Typical Newborn Photoshoot … But With A Kitten

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Kitty Schaub, a 30-year-old photographer from Benton Habor, Michigan, recently had a paw-some idea.


Three weeks ago, she and her 5-year-old daughter, Amelie, adopted a kitten they named Luna.



Naturally, Amelie is obsessed with her new furry friend.


“When Amelie plays in her doll house, the kitten is in there too,” Schaub told HuffPost. “She even asked if they could take a bath together last night!”



On April 24, Schaub took out a bunch of props she uses for newborn baby photoshoots in preparation for a client. She was about to wash them, when she noticed Luna snoozing away on the couch and was suddenly struck with a fun idea.


“I picked her up, loosely wrapped her in a blanket, and set her down,” Schaub said.


The photographer began to snap away, treating little Luna just like she would an infant subject.


And the results are pretty cute and funny:



“The bowl I posed her in is literally a salad bowl from my kitchen,” said Schaub.



“She didn’t even wake up,” she said. “We had to try to wake her up to get her to open her eyes, but she was very comfortable in there.”



After Schaub’s five-minute photo session shooting Luna was over, she found the photos so hilarious she decided to post them to her professional Facebook page. The pictures quickly went viral, receiving over 64,000 likes and 66,000 shares.


Fans of the photos even requested more photos of Luna, and Schaub happily obliged.




And when Schaub’s sister-in-law, Danielle, mentioned that the kitten looked like Dinah from “Alice in Wonderland,” the photographer got a great idea for a cute “Mommy & Me” photo series with Amelie:



“Since Ami already had an Alice dress, it was the perfect idea!” she told HuffPost.



And because so many people think Luna’s pictures are the cat’s meow, Schaub has decided to compile them in a June to December 2017 calendar, which is on sale for $20 a pop on her site.


All the proceeds will go to Save a Stray, an animal rescue in St. Joseph, Michigan.





Now isn’t that purr-ecious?

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Illustrator Holds Nothing Back Depicting The Horror Of Trumpcare

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House Republicans passed legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Thursday and replace it with the American Health Care Act (AHCA). If passed in the Senate, the proposed bill, described as a “moral travesty,” would gut health care coverage for millions, ax Medicaid expansions, and allow for discrimination against individuals with a lengthy list of pre-existing conditions that disproportionately affect women.


“I was surprised,” artist Edel Rodriguez told HuffPost, upon hearing the bill was voted through the House. “Because of what happened a month ago, I figured it wouldn’t pass. But these guys seem to be really intent on ruining lives. They kept at it.”


Rodriguez is a Cuban-born, New York-based artist whose illustrations collapse the details of Trump’s alarming rise to power into stark, urgent graphics that are as easily digestible as they are scathing. The day after AHCA was announced, Rodriguez uploaded two new images to his Facebook, again translating the nation’s angst and horror into imagery that pops and burns.


“It makes it easier,” he explained, “if you have something you want to say right away. And you have an audience right away, too. People are angry, they are looking for something to hold on to, share and talk about. I want to help people realize they are not alone.” 



One of Rodriguez’ drawings features an orange, faceless man in white scrubs and a red tie, holding a bloody chainsaw in his hand. The second reduces the same Dr. Trump to the size of a middle finger, which flies in the face of the viewer. Like Rodriguez’ previous work ― which famously includes an image of Trump decapitating the Statue of Liberty ― the images are not subtle. 


“I really do feel this president is an abuser,” Rodriguez said. “He abuses people. And when someone is getting abused, I want someone to come in and say, ‘You’re not alone in this, I feel it too.’ There is no reason to go after people with medical issues, people who are poor and need help.”


In an earlier interview with HuffPost, Rodriguez explained how artwork has the rare capability to communicate instantly and intensely, regardless of who the viewer may be. “I want to make images that can reach someone with a Ph.D. and someone who is an immigrant laborer who doesn’t speak English,” he said. 


He also expressed hope that the blunt indignation in his imagery would inspire others to shed their hesitation and get angry. “My work encourages people that are a little afraid,” he said. “When they see what I do, and all the stuff that comes at me, they might say, ‘Wow, that guy has some guts. Maybe I should get some, too.’”


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The 20 Funniest Tweets From Women This Week

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The ladies of Twitter never fail to brighten our days with their brilliant ― but succinct ― wisdom. Each week, HuffPost Women rounds up hilarious 140-character musings. For this week’s great tweets from women, scroll through the list below. Then visit our Funniest Tweets From Women page for our past collections.




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Claire Danes And Hugh Dancy Summed Up Parenting In Two Sentences

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On Monday, celebrities descended on the the Upper East Side for the annual Met Gala.


Humans of New York photographer Brandon Stanton was on hand to talk to famous attendees and shared notable snapshots and soundbites from the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Serena Williams, and Matt Damon.


But perhaps the most spot-one quote came from none other than Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy.





Speaking about their 4-year-old son Cyrus, they told Stanton, “Having a child was the best thing that ever happened to us. But it is constant company with terrible conversation.”


Too real.

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