Controversies

Big Food Companies Push to Label Genetically Modified Products as “Natural”

PepsiCo settled one such lawsuit in August over its use of the phrases “All Natural,” “All Natural Fruit” and “Non-GMO” on bottles of Naked Juices. The company said it would remove “All Natural” from the drinks’ packaging and pay consumers $9 million. However, PepsiCo will still use “non-GMO” on the juices, even though they are not certified as such. read more

Another Rough Day for Utah’s Marriage Laws: First Polygamy, Now Same-Sex

Less than a week after a Utah state judge struck down key portions of the state’s anti-polygamy law, a federal judge in Utah invalidated its anti-gay marriage ban, holding that the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process under the law forbid states from denying marriage rights to gays that it gives straights. read more

Law School Enrollment Drops to 38-Year Low; Employment Down to 1994 Level

Enrollment at law schools for 2013-2014 was 39,675 students, according to the American Bar Association. The last time there were fewer students studying law was 1975-1976, when enrollment was 39,038. The current enrollment total was 11% lower than last year’s mark of 44,481, and a 24% drop from just three years ago. ABA officials say the weak job market for lawyers has discouraged many students from pursuing the legal profession. read more

College Police Spreading Off-Campus

This expansion does not sit well with everyone. Some residents note that campus police officers don’t undergo the same amount of training as regular police, and yet, they’re patrolling city streets. Furthermore, private schools aren’t required under public records laws to release the same information as public institutions, which means a lack of accountability for certain campus police. read more

97% of All Chicken Breasts in U.S. Found to Contain Harmful Bacteria

Almost all chicken breasts tested by Consumer Reports—97%—tested positive for dangerous bacteria. The samples (300 of them) included chicken from organic and non-organic brands. The research also found that more than half of the samples contained fecal matter, and about 50% had at least one bacterium that’s resistant to three or more commonly prescribed antibiotics. read more

Congress Passes Bill to Reform Military Policy on Sexual Assault and Rape

The reforms would eliminate the statute of limitations for cases of sexual assault or rape; bar military commanders from overturning jury convictions in sexual assault and rape cases; criminalize any attempt to retaliate against people who report such crimes; require dishonorable discharges or dismissals of anyone convicted of such crimes; and provide civilian defense officials with more control over prosecutions. read more

U.S. Senator Demands the CIA Release its Secret Torture Study

Senator Mark Udall (D-Colorado) indicated that the classified CIA study may include critical assessments of the use of harsh interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to obtain information from detainees. He added that the undisclosed report could support the conclusions of the committee’s own study of the CIA torture program. read more

Philadelphia Homicides on Track for 46-Year Low

What is the reason for the improved homicide numbers? City officials credit reform of the court system that allows more cases to go to trial, as well as policies that combine “data-driven law enforcement and old-school, shoe-leather police work,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. It was also noted that fewer gunshot victims are dying in the city’s emergency rooms—only 20% succumbed to bullet wounds this year, compared to 28% in 2012. read more

Massive Chinese Hacking Attack on FEC Computers Exposes Deep Agency Dysfunction

Things took a turn for the truly ugly during the government shutdown in October, when Chinese hackers took advantage of federal employees being furloughed, leaving no one around at the FEC to mind its computer network. Indeed, every one of its 339 employees had been sent home. The cyber-attack—possibly the worst act of sabotage in its four-decade history—reportedly crippled the commission’s systems. read more

Federal Panel Says Yellowstone Grizzly Bears No Longer Need Protection

Six years ago, federal regulators tried to delist Yellowstone grizzlies, but a federal judge, Don Molloy, stopped the process after ruling that it was unclear from a scientific perspective how dependent grizzlies were on whitebark pine nuts as a food source. Whitebark pine trees in and around Yellowstone have been devastated by disease, which has killed nearly 75% of them. read more

FDA Demands Proof that Antibacterial Soaps are Effective

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shocked the soap industry this week when it demanded that manufacturers prove that antibacterial chemicals in their products are safe, or prepare to remove them. The decision comes after years of concerns by public health experts who warned that the chemicals may do more harm than good by negatively impacting human hormones and expanding the risk of drug-resistant infections. read more

Some Sheriffs across U.S. Refuse to Enforce Gun Control Laws

In Colorado, where lawmakers adopted several new gun bills in the wake of mass shootings in Aurora and in Newtown, Connecticut, many county sheriffs say they will not enforce them. In fact, all but seven of the 62 elected sheriffs in Colorado support a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the statutes. The new laws require background checks for private gun transfers and ban magazines of more than 15 rounds. read more

Connecticut’s New Law Ordering Labeling of GMO Foods not as Big a Deal as it Seems

The statute will lie dormant because of two key provisions: Four other states must enact similar legislation—and any combination of northeastern states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey) with a combined population of at least 20 million must adopt GMO labeling laws. read more

Drug Companies and Doctors Boost Profits Pitching Attention Deficit Disorder

Last year, sales of stimulant medication intended to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) reached $9 billion—a fivefold increase from a decade ago. Today, 15% of high school students have been diagnosed with ADHD, with about 3.5 million of them on some sort of drug marketed to treat the disorder. read more

U.S. Judge Reluctantly Says Mount Soledad Cross Must Come Down, but 24-Year-Old Case Isn’t Over

The cross has been around in one form or another 100 years and the target of litigation for the past 24 years. The first cross was erected in 1913, stolen and replaced in 1923, then burned to the ground by the Ku Klux Klan after a black family moved into the area. A new cross was erected in 1934 but was blown down by high winds in 1952. It was replaced in 1954 with a 29-foot cross on a 14-foot-high base that remains there to this day. read more

ATF Used Mentally Disabled and Felons to Run Storefront Stings

The stings were lauded by ATF in recent years for arresting violent criminals and making communities safer. But agency leaders left out stories like that of Aaron Key, whom ATF agents paid $150 to get a large tattoo of a squid on his neck to help promote their phony storefront operation at Squid’s Smoke Shop in Portland, Oregon. Key, who is mentally disabled, went along, got the tattoo, and later was arrested by ATF. read more