A Rastafarian student, who was suspended by school officials from his Louisiana high school for wearing dreadlocks, has enlisted the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for violating his right to religious freedom.

The Louisiana chapter of the ACLU sent a letter to South Plaquemines High School last week in defense of the student known as “John Doe.” According to the published letter, John Doe was sent home the first day of school on August 8th because his dreadlocks extended past the top of his shirt collar. The student complied with school officials demands that he pin his dreadlocks to meet length requirement, but as of August 15th he is facing an indefinite suspension.

The student’s mother spoke to school officials to explain her family’s religious beliefs, which require that they grow dreadlocks and more specifically don’t cut their hair. The school board told the mother that the documentation presented was not sufficient to readmit her son to school, and Superintendent Denis Rousselle told her that “he was not a lawyer” and didn’t know what else she could provide to have him placed back in class.

[Image: Shutterstock]

The school’s president, John Barthelemy, told ThinkProgress that the school updated its behavioral code this summer to expound on “distracting” hairstyles to include “long hair.” According to Barthelemy, students “cannot wear hair below their eyes or wear hair below the collar.” The principal didn’t clarify whether the policy includes female students, who often wear their hair below their collar. Barthelemy disputes claim from the ACLU that they are preventing the student from receiving an education. While they “assess” the validity of Rastafarism they have allowed him to make up work he missed while away from school and attend classes as long as his hair is pinned up.

“We’re not going to deny anyone their freedoms,” Barthelemy said. “He’s in school receiving his education just like everyone else.”

School boards are faced with evaluating stringent dress code policies based around ambiguous language such as extreme hair styles. Many times these are interpreted to mean hairstyles that cause a distraction and prevent other students from learning in a conducive environment. In recent years, school boards have come under fire for sending home students whose hair expression doesn’t comply with the school’s dress code policy. Those cases often end with students back in the classroom after gaining traction with media outlets, such as the case of a young African-American girl suspended for wearing her natural hair to school.The ACLU letter cites case Helaire, et al. v. Lafayette Parish, et al., in which the school board reached a settlement with eight children to waive the school’s dress code policy to allow the students to wear headwear that covered their dreadlocks.

Representatives for the ACLU are asking for a formal hearing as quickly as possible so that John Doe can continue receiving an education in the classroom.

A 15-year-old autistic teen with learning disabilities stripped down to his underwear thinking he was taking the ALS ice bucket challenge, but instead of ice, bullies flooded him with urine, feces, and cigarette butts. As if that wasn’t enough to humiliate the teenager, the entire “prank” was caught on video using the teen’s cellphone and posted on Instagram. In the video the teen is seen standing in the driveway of a home off school grounds. The bullies dumped the waste on his head from the roof of the garage.

The Ohio teen’s family said he felt humiliated after realizing that he was bullied into taking the challenge with bodily fluids. “Once we found out about it, we were just horrified,” said Diane, the teen’s mother. Diane said she found the video on her son’s cell phone. Diane, along with her husband and other son Jacob, agreed to allow the video to be posted in an effort to make others aware of high school bullying, but requested that the last name be withheld to protect the boy’s identity.

[Image: Shutterstock]

The Bay Village Police Department was made aware of the alleged incident on Wednesday. According to Detective Kevin Krolkosky, the group of juveniles who carried out the “prank” could face delinquency charges. Officials from Bay High School, the child, and his family are working closely with police to assist with the investigation.

“The bucket challenge is supposed to be raising awareness for this disease and now they’ve turned it into a sick joke,” said the victim’s mom. “I just can’t understand why kids would do something this cruel.”

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A lingerie brand is taking a new spin on the term nude, debuting skin colored hosiery for darker skin tones.

Nubian Skin is redefining what nude means in the beauty market, by catering to darker complexions. The line, which will features bras, panties and knickers in flesh colors, will be available in plain and lacy designs.

The darkest shade is ‘Berry’, which the brand suggests would best suit women who wear foundations such as Mac NW50, Bobbi Brown Espresso 10 and Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint in Beige 90.

In the company’s blog, the founder spoke about her designs and bridging the gap in the lingerie market: “My nude isn’t the nude I see in shops. Despite the reality that women of colour have the same needs as all women when it comes to lingerie and hosiery, the industry simply doesn’t cater to us. So, I thought, it’s time to rethink the definition of nude. Thus, Nubian Skin was born.”

The bras will range from 30B to 36E, with a wider range expected at a later date.

The line will be available for purchase in October.

Photos: Twitter/NubianSkin

In a freak accident Thursday afternoon, an engaged mother of two was fatally struck by a falling gargoyle stone off a historic church in Chicago.

Sara Bean, 34, was walking to lunch with her fiancé when a stone clipped the head of a gargoyle on the side of Second Presbyterian Church, landing on her head. An eyewitness reported the debris split Bean’s head from front to back. The stone had fallen three stories from the historic 140-year-old church’s tower.

Bean, who was scheduled to marry later this year, lived across the street from the church, and walked passed the it millions of times, according to family. She leaves behind two sons, ages 10 and 14.

Rev. Robert Reynolds, executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Chicago, issued an apology statement today to Bean’s family.

“We’re devastated by the death of this woman and the fact that it is a function of some of the masonry at the Second Presbyterian Church,” he said. “My prayers go out to that woman and her family.”

Second Presbyterian Church is inspected every year and passed inspection in recent years. The church, erected in 1847, was recently cited as a landmark.

Undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather has a new battle on his hands, and it has nothing to do with his impending bout with Marcos Maidana. His former fiancé Shantel Jackson is suing Mayweather for being abusive during their relationship and humiliating her on social media.

Jackson has enlisted celebrity attorney Gloria Allred to file the lawsuit in Superior Court in Los Angeles. Jackson, who was with the boxer for seven years, held a tearful press conference yesterday, describing her love for Mayweather and her distress with the ending of their relationship.

Jackson, popularly referred to as Miss Jackson, claims Mayweather was physically abuse during the course of their relationship. The suit also claims Mayweather, the highest-paid athlete in the world according to Forbes, posted a sonogram of her pregnancy on Instagram, alleging her abortion was the cause of the breakup.

Jackson said Mayweather also threatened to post naked photos of her online if she didn’t remove a photo she posted of herself with rapper Nelly at a basketball game in April.

The suit comes only nine days before the heavyweight champion is scheduled to fight Maidana in Las Vegas.

While the #Beyhive celebrated Beyoncé‘s birthday like a national holiday yesterday, possibly the most adorable gift came from her hubby.

On Bey’s 33rd birthday, husband Jay Z posted a 34 second montage clip of Beyoncé from their On The Run tour. Sean Carter uploaded the YouTube video to his website, Life + Times, sharing some of his favorite moments of his wife. From clips of her acting silly, getting dressed to perform, and behind-the-scenes footage, Jay Z’s birthday tribute to Beyoncé is sure to make you gush.

The video also serves as a preview of the power couple’s HBO “On The Run” special. The show will contain exclusive footage of the tour’s Paris stops. The special will premiere on September 20.

After Beyoncé slayed the MTV Video Music Awards, accepting the Video Vangard Award from daughter Blue Ivy and husband, I think it’s safe to put those divorce rumors to rest.

After learning he was cut from the Cincinnati Bengals this past Saturday, Devon Still thought his football career was over and the fight against his 4-year-old daughter’s stage 4 pediatric cancer had just gotten harder. A phone call shortly after ended with a second chance and an opportunity to pay for little Leah’s treatments.

The Bengals brought Still onto the practice team and he claims the move was a “blessing in disguise.” Devon Still learned of Leah’s sickness back in June and the diagnosis probably explains the lack of drive on the field. He also missed mini camps and practices to be home with his daughter.

“They could have washed their hands with me and said they didn’t care about what I was going through off the field,” Still said. “It’s like a blessing in disguise for me.”

As a member of the practice squad, Still will be paid a weekly salary of $6,300 and be given health insurance. He will also be able to travel less due to his daughter’s condition in which he says he’s grateful for. “We’re going to go to battle with cancer,” Still said. “She’s willing to put up a fight to beat it.”

IMAGE:FOX SPORTS/CBS

Express Starbucks? Sounds delightful. Starbucks Corp. is planning to put a new twist on the brand by catering to busy bee commuters and coffee-maniac students with smaller, “express-style” stores. The Starbucks shops will reduce its menu and utilize digital payments and mobile ordering systems to hurry along buying the process.

The plan is to start next year in New York to give customers a feel for a drive-thru experience. Starbucks stores with drive-through windows have higher sales growth than stores without drive-through service, according to The Wall Street Journal. Starbucks is also planning to expand with plans to open 100 new stores in the next five years.

[Image: Starbucks]

Back in December, Starbucks revealed that it would be opening a new store with limited brands of coffee under the Reserve name. “It’s going to be this mix of roasting, manufacturing and retailing in one café,” said Starbucks spokeswoman Haley Drage. “It’s going to be massive: 15,000 square feet. It’s really going to be an immersive experience to our customers.”

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Doing what you love while achieving a level of success is a goal many people strive to meet. In UPTOWN Unplugged’s newest series presented by Lexus, “LUV Your Life”, our co-founder Brett Wright interviews people who do just that – and inspire those around them to do even more.

Keith Clinkscales’ rise in the media industry is legendary. Early in his career he was given the opportunity to serve as President of Vibe magazine, a Quincy Jones/Time Inc venture. Under his tenure, the magazine was the definitive voice of hip-hop culture. Today, he is CEO of Revolt TV, P. Diddy’s cable network that is expected to redefine music television.

A white New York school security guard is kicking off the year with a suspension after involving a Black student in a racist joke on the first day of school, reports Syracuse.com.

Brandiss Pearson says she, her husband and her father were accompanying her 12-year-old son Brandon Pearson on his first day at Huntington K-8 School in Eastwood, a suburb of Syracuse. The student, who has Down syndrome, was said to be excited for a new year, but the moment was quickly soiled by an offensive joke.

Pearson claims the family stopped in front of a hallway mural to take pictures when the security guard interrupted, saying “Wait, wait, wait, hold on.” He proceeded to turn Brandon toward the wall and lifted the student’s hands above his head, in a position to be frisked.

“And he starts laughing and says, ‘Now take the picture, he’s in the right position,’” Pearson recalled. “[...] I was shaking, just like fire-breathing mad. All he saw was a little black boy who needed to assume the position.”

Pearson said Brandon didn’t understand the joke, but she and her family were left stunned. They took the boy to his classroom and reported the incident to the school principal later that afternoon.

The unidentified guard, who called the incident “a funny joke,” has been suspended as school administrators looks into the situation.

Photo courtesy of Syracuse.com

Michael Henesey, coordinator of communications for the school district, said in a statement: “We are in receipt of the complaint filed against one of our school sentries. The school district has begun an internal investigation into the alleged complaint. The school sentry in question has been placed on administrative leave while the district conducts the investigation. We will not be releasing any more information at this time.”

Legendary actress and activist Ruby Dee will get a final send-off later this month as a host of celebrities come together for a memorial in New York City.

The Terri Williams Agency announced the celebration will take place at Riverside Church on Sept. 20. Former Mayor David Dinkins and Sonia Sanchez will deliver reflections, while Harry Belafonte will provide the eulogy.

Dee’s poetry and prose will be read by Angela Bassett, Tyne Daly, Kim Fields, S. Epatha Merkerson, Phylicia Rashad, Pauletta Washington and Lynn Whitfield. Additionally, musical tributes will be performed by Alicia Keys, Audra McDonald, Wynton Marsalis and Peter Yarrow.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America

Dee died died June 11 at the age of 91. She is credited for a number of film and television roles that include The Jackie Robinson Story, A Raisin in the Sun, Do The Right Thing, American Gangster and more.

Over the course of her career, she scored an Emmy, Grammy, two Screen Actors Guild awards, the Kennedy Honors and the National Medal of Art, among others.

The Colossus roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain, in Valencia, Calif., caught fire and partially collapsed on Monday. Pieces of the wooden track could be seen falling away from one of the high points of the ride as firefighters struggled to reach the blaze with the stream from their water hoses.

The park was closed at the time and no injuries were reported. The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the fire at 1:30 p.m. and the fire was extinguished by 2 p.m. Local TV news stations aired aerial views of the blaze. There’s no word yet on what caused the fire.

The ride opened in 1978 and was closed just last month. It was due to be replaced by a new combined wooden and steel structure called Twisted Colossus.

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Paris Jackson, the late-Michael Jackson’s daughter, sparked rumors that she’s pregnant after fans reported seeing a bulge under her loose top in Utah. “I saw her at dinner and she twice made a toast drinking water instead of wine,” said a fan. “That and the prominent stomach bulge got people talking.”

What makes the news even more interesting is that Paris, 16, was spotted looking at engagement rings with her mystery boyfriend a few weeks ago, according to a tabloid. “It’s highly unusual to toast with anything but a full glass of wine,” the source said. But let’s remember that in the United States the legal drinking age is 21. Furthermore, Utah is littered with dry counties that make obtaining alcohol difficult.

Paris has retreated from the spotlight since attempting suicide last year. Reportedly she is undergoing psychiatric treatment which includes medications, which are well known to cause weight gain. A source reported she attended the $14,000-per-month boarding school Diamond Ranch Academy in Utah to assist with suicide and possibly an eating disorder. Her doctors released her from the boarding school in May into the care of Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother. Currently Katherine and TJ Jackson, Michael’s nephew, share parenting duties with Prince, Paris, and Blanket. Rumors have circulated that the children want to have a relationship with their biological mother Debbie Rowe.

Home Depot has confirmed that it has suffered a payment data systems breach. The news comes less than a week after an investigation was launched into the matter.

In an attempt to avoid some of the fallout that Target experienced after its breach last year, Home Depot is offering free identity protection services to any customer affected. The Frequently Asked Questions page on their site urges customers to check their bank statements for any suspicious activity.

The company says that only its physical stores in the U.S. and Canada were affected, while it seems that locations in Mexico and purchases made on the online shop were not touched. The investigation includes transactions made from April 2014 onward. Home Depot claims that while the the magnitude of the breach is still being determined, “there is no evidence that debit PIN numbers were compromised.”

Home Depot Chairman and CEO Frank Blake stated:

“We apologize for the frustration and anxiety this causes our customers. We owe it to our customers to alert them that we now have enough evidence to confirm that a breach has indeed occurred. It’s important to emphasize that no customers will be responsible for fraudulent charges to their accounts.”

If this breach is on par with the Target fiasco last year, it can cost Home Depot in the hundreds of millions of dollars. However, analysts are confident that Home Depot would be able to sustain the blow.

Police are investigating a mob of teens who attacked people at random during a knockout game-style challenge, in a Memphis Kroger store parking lot. The mob included as many as 100 to 125 kids, who had previously patronized a CiCi’s Pizza, were involved in the brutal attacks that happened around 9:15 p.m. Sept. 6.

A 25-year-old man said he was first attacked by the group as he walked from his car to enter Kroger. When two Kroger employees attempted to help the injured man, they were attacked by the mob of teens. Both were struck in the head and face multiple times with pumpkins “in excess of 20 pounds,” while they were on the ground and knocked unconscious. Only when a Kroger security guard intervened did the mob disperse. The three people were treated on the scene for their medical injuries, reportedly refusing to be taken to a local hospital.

“It is extremely troubling to see how many young people were involved, especially on the heels of last week’s youth forum,” Memphis Police Department Director Toney Armstrong said via a statement. Armstrong is referring to an initiative aimed to provide safe and productive alternatives for Memphis youth.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Police have arrested one minor teen on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated riot, and other counts. Police can’t release the boy’s name because he is underage. Memphis police are actively pursuing the other teens who were involved in the brutal attacks and ask that anyone with information assist in their investigation.

“Last night’s events clearly demonstrates a lack of parental controls and if warranted these parents will also be held accountable,” Armstrong said. “We will be meeting this week and I think in the days to come we are going to sit down and try to craft a plan where we can hold parents for your kids’ actions especially in those incidents where we can prove that you were fully aware of your kids’ actions but chose not to step in.”

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[Image: LiveLeak.com]

General Mills announced Monday that it is buying organic food company Annie’s Homegrown. It bought the company for $820 million, in an effort to bulk up on its organic snacks.

Snacks were one of the only U.S. categories in which General Mills saw any growth in the last fiscal year. U.S. retail sales account for 75 percent of the company’s profits. With more and more consumers making conscious healthy food decisions, the purchase makes sense.

General Mills has been acquiring natural food companies since January 2000 when it purchased Muir Glen and Small Planet Foods. In 2012, it bought the LARABAR line of fruit and nut bars in 2008, and the Food Should Taste Good line of savory snacks.

Annie’s Homegrown, which started selling macaroni and cheese dinners in New England in 1989, has since expanded to frozen food, dressings, and snacks. The company saw $204 million in sales for 2014, a 20 percent bump from the year before. The news of the General Mills sale increased Annie’s stock 37 percent in after-hours trading, while General Mills stock stayed flat.

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Janay Rice is supporting Ray Rice after the elevator footage of him knocking her out on Feb. 15, 2014 at an Atlantic City casino was released. And as expected, Twitter erupted! Many suspected Janay would ultimately use this as an opportunity for help, but the new wife did otherwise. This morning, she took to her private Instagram account to describe her grievances and disgust for media releasing the video.

“I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I’m mourning the death of my closest friend,” she wrote. “But to have to accept the fact that it’s reality is a nightmare in itself.”

Janay then expressed her embarrassment for her marriage with the former running back who was terminated by the Baltimore Ravens yesterday. The statement left many critics describing her statement as “typical” for battered women.

The original video, released by Revel Hotel and Casino, where the assault occurred in an elevator, only showed Ray dragging his unconscious fiancée out of the elevator, but when the second video was released by TMZ earlier this week, the NFL took extraordinary measures to save face from the PR nightmare.

“THIS IS OUR LIFE!,” Janay wrote. “What don’t you all get. If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you’ve succeeded on so many levels,” she vented. “We will continue to grow and show the world what real love is.”

Last month, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a two-game suspension as punishment for Ray’s transgression, but the uproar fizzled out after the couple got married. According to Fox Sports, the NFL claimed not to have seen the “disgusting” video and that the blame should be on Atlantic County Prosecutor James McClain.

Ray also issued an Instagram post quoting Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you….”

We guess he skipped the part about the Golden Rule.

Monday morning, TMZ released surveillance video from the Feb. 15th elevator assault involving Ray Rice and his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer. This video, which shows the assault in shocking detail, has led some to call the victim into question. Palmer, who was knocked unconscious when Rice punched her in the face and her head hit a metal railing, married Rice just one day after he was indicted on third-degree aggravated assault charges. She then appeared beside him at a press conference, where she said, “I do deeply regret the role that I played in the incident that night. But I can say that I am happy that we continued to work through it together.”

RELATED: Janay Rice Is Supporting Ray Rice: ‘This Is OUR Life’

Her unwavering faith in her abuser has confused many, who wonder why she would stand by, and ultimately marry, a man who is capable of such vicious violence. But the deep-seeded effects of intimate partner violence can be difficult to understand.

Racine Henry, a therapist and doctoral candidate at Drexel University, told Kimberly Foster of For Harriet, “It’s never that simple or that easy. If they have children together, if he’s the only source of income in the family, if she has strong religious beliefs about marriage or about what it means to be a good girlfriend or wife, all of these things — which you can’t really separate out from the others — play a role.”

In response to the questions surrounding Palmer, author and domestic violence survivor Beverly Gooden created the hashtag #WhyIStayed, which shed light on the many complex reasons why people stick with partners who abuse them. This prompted brave survivors, including singer Marsha Ambrosius and fashion blogger GabiFresh, to share their own gripping stories of domestic violence and escape, in hopes of educating those who seek to blame the victim.

Read on to see just a few of the responses to #WhyIStayed.

I stayed because my pastor told me that God hates divorce. It didn’t cross my mind that God might hate abuse, too. #WhyIStayed

— Beverly Gooden (@bevtgooden) September 8, 2014

They attempted suicide #WhyIStayed They attempted suicide #WhenILeft

— MARSHA AMBROSIUS © (@MarshaAmbrosius) September 9, 2014

Because he said we just needed to work on forgiving each other. #WhyIStayed — Brittany (@dearminerva) September 8, 2014

The stigma of being a single mother is #WhyIStayed for so long. #WhenILeft my fears were confirmed. I was told that I let a god man go. — Mother Justice (@MotherJustice) September 9, 2014

Mama stayed bc when we left, we didn’t have anywhere to go. We lived in the car, friends stopped helping. We had to go back. #WhyIStayed — yasiin bae. (@CourtJusBChilln) September 8, 2014

As a Blk queer radical feminist activist I was afraid 2 tell community I was living the reality I was trying to dismantle #WhyIStayed

Being told by the police that I was doing something to drive him crazy was #WhyIStayed for as long as I did. I blamed myself. — Mother Justice (@MotherJustice) September 9, 2014

— Paris Hatcher (@parishatcher) September 8, 2014

#WhyIStayed Because I felt guilty about calling police and getting another black man swept up into the justice system. — Adrianne (@writersrepublic) September 8, 2014

#WhyIStayed I always fought back so I thought it was my fault too. #WhenILeft I realized that I had a right to self defense. — Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) September 8, 2014

The hardest part about #WhyIStayed was fear of failure. I felt pressure to stay 2 avoid perpetuating stereotypes about single Black mothers. — Mother Justice (@MotherJustice) September 9, 2014

“You act like I’m killing you. You’re not even bleeding.” #whyistayed I was convinced I was overreacting. — Pardo (@blowticious) September 9, 2014

people told me i was the crazy one, my friends defended him, he was the king of gaslighting, he told me we were soulmates. #whyistayed — gabifresh (@gabifresh) September 9, 2014

#WhyIStayed he was the most loving, generous, and attentive being I had ever met. The best gifts, & overt displays of love. — Black and Golden (@blackandgolden) September 9, 2014

“He hit you? What did you do?” People I loved convinced me it was my fault. #WhyIStayed — Pardo (@blowticious) September 9, 2014

Another school year is upon us as high school seniors are filing into what will be their last classes, before many of them will leave the nest to start their journey into adulthood. Seniors and parents, if you haven’t started preparing for the SAT and/or ACT, sending in those college applications, or applying for financial aid, then you’re definitely behind the curve. For those adults who are considering returning to school for their undergraduate degree, there’s plenty to glean from the 2015 best colleges list, as well.

The U.S. News & World Report continues its 30-year tradition of ranking the top colleges nationwide by academic excellence. The 2015 edition also features lists on “Campus Ethnic Diversity,” “Economic Diversity,” “Best Undergraduate Business Programs,” “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs,” and “Best Colleges for Veterans.” Also, highlighted in the lists are campus crime and security information reported by the institutions to the the U.S. Department of Education. More importantly, U.S. News & World Report has profiled the rate of student loan debt and default rates to give interested seniors a realistic view of how college graduates have been able to manage their loan payments.

College Factual, another resource for college selection, released its list Friday containing the top ten colleges nationwide for 2015. College Factual includes tools that match students with their desired majors for a snapshot of schools that might be the best fit for the high school seniors. University of Pennsylvania topped the College Factual list. Yale University, Duke University, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) rounded out the top five.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Making a commitment to college is more than just picking from a list. The best way to see if you’re a fit for a college is to get out and view the campus and talk to students currently attending the school. Don’t be afraid to talk with your peers to see what schools they’re considering. You never know what you may discover about a college you never even considered before. The U.S. News & World Report list may be a great starting point for you on your higher education journey.

U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 Best Colleges Rankings

Best National Universities
1. Princeton University (NJ)
2. Harvard University (MA)
3. Yale University (CT)
4. Columbia University (NY)
4. Stanford University (CA)
4. University of Chicago (IL)
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
8. Duke University (NC)
8. University of Pennsylvania
10. California Institute of Technology

Best National Liberal Arts Colleges
1. Williams College (MA)
2. Amherst College (MA)
3. Swarthmore College (PA)
4. Wellesley College (MA)
5. Bowdoin College (ME)
5. Pomona College (CA)
7. Middlebury College (VT)
8. Carleton College (MN)
8. Claremont McKenna College (CA)
8. Haverford College (PA)

Best Public Schools

National Universities
1. University of California–Berkeley
2. University of California–Los Angeles
2. University of Virginia
4. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
5. University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill

Liberal Arts Colleges
1. United States Naval Academy (MD)
2. United States Military Academy (NY)
3. United States Air Force Academy (CO)
4. Virginia Military Institute
5. New College of Florida

Best Value Schools

National Universities
1. Harvard University (MA)
2. Princeton University (NJ)
3. Yale University (CT)
4. Stanford University (CA)
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Liberal Arts Colleges
1. Amherst College (MA)
2. Williams College (MA)
3. Pomona College (CA)
4. Wellesley College (MA)
5. Soka University of America (CA)

Visit here for the full list.

Precipitation from weakened Hurricane Norbert swept over the desert Southwest, producing record rainfall in Phoenix and flash flooding across Southern California on Monday, the Weather Channel reports. The National Weather Service (NWS) measured a new record of 2.99 inches of rain by early-morning in Phoenix. Phoenix’s rainfall average is 2.71 inches for the entire summer rainy season. The last time Phoenix received this much rain was during 1933 when the city recorded 2.91 inches.

Interstates 10 and 17 in West Phoenix and Tucson resembled small lakes, due to heavy thunderstorms and rainfall brought by Norbert. Many drivers weren’t able to see the flooding during the early morning hours until it was too late. They scrambled to escape their flooded cars, seeking refuge on top of SUVs or made it safely to dry ground. One Tucson woman died after her car was swept about two blocks by rushing water about 10 feet deep and became trapped against a bridge, said Tucson Fire Department spokesman Barrett Baker.

Dozens of motorists who were able to stop their cars before reaching flooded sections of the interstates told the Associated Press that they attempted to rescue stuck drivers. Joseph Friend assisted in helping a stranded motorist on the top of her car, after abandoning his pickup truck after a big wave washed over it.

“She was asking for help and nobody went out there, so I went out there and helped her out,” Friend said. “I was already soaked anyway. ”

Norbert weakened to a Category 1 hurricane late Saturday night before being declared a tropical depression on Monday, but not before causing damage to more than 1,000 homes and forcing hundreds to flee to higher ground in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The NWS issued flash flood, high surf, and strong rip current warnings across the San Diego valley through Monday evening.