GMO Crops Accelerate Herbicide and Insecticide Use While Mainstream Media Gets It Wrong

‘Michael Specter’s recent articles bashing Vandana Shiva and the labeling of genetically engineered foods in the New Yorker (Seeds of Doubt and The Problem with G.M.O. Labels) are the latest high-profile pro-GMO articles that fail to engage with the fundamental critique of genetically engineered food crops in U.S. today. Rather than reduce pesticide inputs, GMOs are causing them to skyrocket in amount and toxicity.
Setting the record straight, Dr. Ramon J. Seidler, Ph.D., former Senior Scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has recently published a well-researched article documenting the devastating facts, Pesticide Use on Genetically Engineered Crops, in Environmental Working Group’s online AgMag. Dr. Seidler’s article cites and links recent scientific literature and media reports, and should be required reading for all journalists covering GMOs, as well as for citizens generally to understand why their right to know if food is genetically engineered is so important. The short discussion below summarizes the major points of his five-page article.’
Read more: GMO Crops Accelerate Herbicide and Insecticide Use While Mainstream Media Gets It Wrong

Louisiana Parish Claims Incarcerated 14-Year-Old Consented to be Raped by a Corrections Officer

‘A Louisiana parish is arguing that it should not be held liable for the rape of a 14-year-old girl in a juvenile detention center because the victim “consented” to be sexually assaulted by a 40-year-old corrections officer at the facility.
The victim, now 20, filed a civil lawsuit against her assailant, former guard Angelo Vickers, as well as Terrebonne Parish.
The age of consent in Louisiana is 17, but court documents allege that “Vickers could not have engaged in sexual relations within the walls of the detention center with [the victim] without cooperation from her. Vickers did not use force, violence or intimidation when engaging in sexual relations.”’
Read more: Louisiana Parish Claims Incarcerated 14-Year-Old Consented to be Raped by a Corrections Officer

Doctors accuse parents of ‘medical child abuse’ for seeking second opinion

‘Parents all across the country are quickly learning that they have far fewer rights than previously believed, especially when it comes to making decisions about medical treatment for their children. A growing trend is for hospitals and doctors to falsely accuse parents of “medical child abuse” when they question a diagnosis or ask for a second opinion, in some cases using this accusation as an excuse to steal children away from their families and place them into state custody.’
Read more: Doctors accuse parents of 'medical child abuse' for seeking second opinion

Monsanto’s ‘zombie wheat’ case reveals serious legal vulnerabilities in business model

‘Monsanto’s business model is falling apart right in front of their own face, because the biotech firm blatantly disrespects the property rights of farmers, contaminating their fields with unauthorized genetically modified seeds. These unapproved GMO seeds inevitably cross-contaminate farmers’ fields, effectively destroying their yields.
That’s exactly what happened in Oregon last year when some unauthorized “zombie wheat” from the Monsanto Company went from the lab and intermixed with a farmer’s natural wheat. The debacle disrupted wheat exports as Japan and South Korea blocked shipments. A contingency of farmers have joined forces and sued Monsanto.’
Read more: Monsanto's 'zombie wheat' case reveals serious legal vulnerabilities in business model

When False Flags Don’t Fly

Scottish Police Investigate Referendum Fraud After ‘Hundreds of Uncounted Yes Votes’ Found

‘Scottish police are investigating a case of electoral fraud in last month’s independence referendum after a video emerged online today of a man claiming to have found a bag of “hundreds” of voting ballots marked ‘Yes’ in a bin in Glasgow.
“Surely this is electoral fraud,” the man, who calls himself John Son of David exclaims in a video posted online, after claiming he was directed to the bag by an anonymous phone call he had received the night before.
“People that have gone out of their way, they’re spending their time going to a voting station and their vote hasn’t even been counted,” he added.’
Read more: Scottish Police Investigate Referendum Fraud After 'Hundreds of Uncounted Yes Votes' Found

Mexico mass grave discovered after student protesters go missing

‘A mass grave has been found on the outskirts of Iguala, in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, where 43 students went missing on September 27 following a protest to support the rights of rural teachers.
Authorities are conducting forensic examinations of “up to 20” charred remains discovered on Saturday in an effort to determine if they are the remains of the students, Guerrero Attorney General Inaky Blanco told reporters in Iguala on Saturday.’
Read more: Mexico mass grave discovered after student protesters go missing