| Vegan News Archive |
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Soy Products May Gain Entry into Public School System from December 1999 Yet Another Beluga Fatality at the Shedd Aquarium from December 1999 140 Arrested in "Fur Free Christmas" Protests. from December 1999 Julia Hill Ends Two Year Treesit from December 1999 Genetically Engineered Foods Banned at Monsanto's Staff Restaurant from December 1999 Study Links "Mad Cow" Disease to Meat Protein. from December 1999 Ag Waste Poisoning Gulf of Mexico. "Dead Zone" Growing from December 1999 Animal Defense League Kicks Off "Fur Free Christmas" from December 1999 Farmers to Monsanto: See You in Court! from December 1999 1000 Protest FDA Biotech Hearings in Oakland from December 1999 Meat Processor Sues USDA After Being Shut Down for Salmonella Contamination from November 1999 Seattle Police Chief Resigns Amid WTO Controversy from November 1999 Monsanto Bribes Parishoners to Hold Pro-Frankenfood Placards from November 1999 Chicago's Largest Furrier Goes Belly Up on Fur-Free Friday from November 1999 Streets Become Violent As Ten Of Thousands Protest WTO Conference in Seattle from November 1999 Farm Groups Warn: Say 'No' to Biotechnology! from November 1999 Activists Rally to Force Public Debate on Biotech Issue from November 1999 Farmers to Shy Away from Frankenfoods from November 1999 FDA Finally Ready To Hear Public Opinion On Biotech Foods from November 1999 Finally, Tofu Gets a Little Respect from October, 1999 ADA Comes Down on High Protein, Low-Carb Diets from October, 1999 Study Conclusive: Obesity Shortens Lifespan from October, 1999 Insurance Companies Embrace Ornish Heart Program from October, 1999 Stories from 3rd Quarter of 1999 Stories from 2nd Quarter of 1999 |
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Remember the school lunch lines of yore? You stand in a long, noisy line of your peers, pushing your tray down the rack, while older women in hair nets plopped sloppy joes and spaghetti with meat sauce on plates for you? Well, the face of the school cafeteria you remember may be about to have a face-lift. The USDA, concerned about children consuming too much fat in the federally subsidized school lunch program, want to allow schools and day care centers to serve tofu, veggie burgers and other soy products that are much lower in fat than traditional animal-based foods. Currently there are restrictions on how much soy can be included in school lunch program meals, and it can only be utilized as an additive in proportions of less than 30 percent. The recent proposal by the USDA would drop those restrictions. Although the proposed soy inclusion has been met with predictable resistance from meat producers, schools have been positive about it because it will allow them to comply with government limits on fat content, something that was difficult with the traditional hamburgers and pizzas. Although the animal foods industry is using scare tactics to try to dissuade the USDA and influence the public, such as claiming that children wouldn't get enough protein, zinc or iron through a vegetarian meal plan, USDA officials are holding firm to the belief that if children eat balanced meals, they will get their nutritional needs met without a problem. "It's time has come," said Shirley Watkins, USDA's undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services. "I think people are more receptive than they would have been five or ten years ago." Watkins said that the department is likely to make a final decision on the proposal by mid-February. For the booming soy-foods industry, admittance into the school cafeterias nationwide would mean vast distribution and a golden opportunity to expose children to the bountiful varieties of delicious, healthy soy-based meals. One potential caveat some experts have raised is the belief that allowing a higher soy content will make it easier for schools to keep meat on their menus. Also, nutritionists say that it's likely that soy will be used to simply blend into the standard meat-based dishes, like tacos and hamburgers. "There is every reason to believe the proposed rule will perpetuate the role of meat and poultry in the school lunch programs, not threaten it," said Carol Tucker Foreman, director of the Consumer Federation of America's Food Policy Institute. Please take a few moments to send a message to the USDA, encouraging their proposal to allow soy foods into the school lunch program. Make certain to mention that the adoption of a more plant-based diet will produce healthier children and happier parents. Also worth mentioning is your support of entirely meatless meal options within the school lunch program.
Yet Another Beluga Fatality at the Shedd Aquarium Immiayuk, the 14-year-old female beluga wrenched from her home in the southern Hudson Bay region in 1989, died at Chicago's John G. Shedd Aquarium of unknown causes on December 17 after a day of listlessness and refusing to eat. Immiayuk gave birth in August to Kayavak, a calf that is now orphaned and must now be abruptly, prematurely weaned. This recent death brings the total of deceased whales and dolphins held captive at the Shedd Aquarium to eight. Always quick to offer a rationale, Shedd officials launched into their predictable defense, saying that whales in the wild and in captivity die at about the same age, and that they are uncertain as to why they can't ensure that the animals living at the Shedd would live to an optimal age. Also predictably, Shedd officials offered the empty justification that the more they study animals in captivity, the more they can help those in the wild. What no one has been able to answer is why belugas in the wild, who face pollution, severe weather conditions, hunters, and predation don't seem to have any shorter of a lifespan than those in captivity. Everything in confinement is highly monitored, like the animal's physical condition, food intake, and quality of water. In other words, the factors that kill belugas in the wild don't apply to those in captivity, so, despite what the Shedd contends, whatever knowledge they gain wouldn't be of benefit to wild populations. This leads to the next question, which is why don't those in confinement live longer, and, more important, what exactly are they dying of? Officials at the Shedd Aquarium, like most who benefit from the oppression of animals, like to profess to higher purposes to justify their exploitative industry. They say that they are motivated by a desire to educate, and that institutions like theirs lay a foundation of interest in conservation and protection in visitors, especially children. First of all, if education is the motivational force that drives them, why have they not conducted thorough reserach into the impact of a visit to the Shedd on school-aged visitors? Also, what can a visitor, especially a impressionable, young one, learn from seeing huge, magnificent creatures living in concrete tanks thousands of miles from home, denied nearly all natural instincts? That exploitation and oppression are okay, as long as it's sanctioned by an institution dedicated to Education. "...If the Shedd is truly concerned about these animals, they should be out saving their habitat, learning how to preserve the species in the wild," said Kelly Mazeski of Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK). For all their talk about education and conservation, the bottom line remains the same: the Shedd Aquarium is motivated by funds generated by visitors. When a gorgeous creature like Immiayuk dies, it amounts to nothing more than bad P.R. until the next exploited animal is born or captured.
Members of several animal rights groups and their allies staged civil disobedience lockdowns in front of department stores in three American cities this past weekend, leading to scores of arrests and accusations of police violence. In San Francisco 52 people were arrested on Saturday after staging a sit-in in front of the entrance of the Neiman Marcus Department store. 25 more were arrested at the same location on Sunday, as well as four other protesters who blocked an intersection. Many of those arrested allege that they were beaten by police while in custody. About 100 protesters called for a boycott of Neiman Marcus until the store agrees to stop selling fur. San Francisco's chapter of the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) organized the event. In New York about 40 activists from local chapters of Animal Defense League (ADL) were arrested after they barricaded Macy's Department Store in Herald Square. And 20 protesters and passersby were arrested in front of the Neiman Marcus store in Chicago (including this reporter, who was videotaping the event for Vegan Street's Vegan News), after seven ADL activists staged a lockdown which blocked the main entrance for about a half hour. Police acted swiftly, arresting anyone holding a megaphone, a camera, or even a placard. One activist was arrested while talking to a newspaper reporter. The mother of one of the locked-down activists was knocked to the ground by police and then arrested for urging the police not to hurt her daughter. A Swedish tourist was arrested for venturing too close to the scene. She was later released after her interpreter showed up with a reporter. Two activists were injured by police. Simultaneous protests occured in several other American cities including Washington D.C. and Minneapolis, but no arrests were reported in those cities. Both CAFT and ADL are continuing protests against the major department stores throughout the winter. Fur sales have been declining steadily for more than a decade since animal rights activists and other compassionate people from around the world have drawn attention to the barbaric treatment of animals by fur ranchers and trappers. Several furriers have gone out of business in recent years, including Evans Furs, which was once Chicago's largest. Most of the remaining stores are selling furs for a fraction of the typical retail price. With the fur stores hurting, the activists have turned their attention to major department stores such as Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Bloomingdale's and others which have managed to retain prestige despite refusing to discontinue their fur salons. As many as fifty animals live short, tortured lives on fur farms before being killed to make a single fur coat.
Julia "Butterfly" Hill, who spent 738 days in an ancient tree she named Luna, rappelled down from her tiny platform 180 feet above ground on December 18 after her long and very public battle with the logging corporation that wanted to cut her beloved redwood down. More than two years after she felt a spiritual calling to protect Luna and raise public awareness of the decimation of our ancient forests, Ms. Hill and Pacific Lumber Co., the logging giant that owns the tree where she lived, have reached an agreement. The agreement preserves Luna and a 200-foot buffer strip around her in exchange for a $50,000 payment to Pacific Lumber from Hill and her supporters. Pacific Lumber has said that the money will be donated to Humboldt State University for forestry studies. Ms. Hill also pledged to never trespass on Pacific Lumber lands, but she will be allowed to visit Luna if she gives 48 hours' notice to the company. The initial demand that would bar Julia from speaking negatively about Pacific Lumber was withdrawn. Not only did Julia Hill show uncommon, tremendous courage and resolve, but so did the supporters upon whom she depended for her necessities. She was visited twice a week by her support crew of five men who hauled up her vegetarian food, stove fuel, mail and cell phone batteries and hauled away her waste. While Julia was in Luna, she primarily communicated to the ground-dwelling population via her cell phone, and she was interviewed hundreds of times for documentaries, television, radio, newspaper and cable. The entire time, she remained articulate, composed, tireless and compassionate, making it clear that her devotion to Luna was guided by a love for nature. Julia, who is the daughter of a preacher, said to Glen Martin of the San Francisco Chronicle, "I asked God to use me as a vessel, so I guess you should be careful what you ask for... My hope is that people can learn to feel their connection to the magnificence of creation." Standing at the base of Luna after she descended, she said, "I understand all of us are governed by different values. To some people I'm a dirty tree-hugging hippie. But I don't understand how someone can take a chain saw to something like (Luna). Anyone who wants to cut a tree like this should spend two years in it first." Congratulations to the remarkable Julia Hill and crew. You are truly an inspiration to us all. visit Julia Hill's website - LunaTree.org photo by Eric Slomanson/Zuma
Breaking News...Genetically Engineered Foods Banned at Monsanto's Staff Restaurant While executives and PR flacks from Monsanto are working furiously to convince people that the genetically engineered (GE) ingredients they've been sneaking into our food supply are both healthy and desirable, staffers in one of their British offices are now dining GE-free. British newspapers have reported that the catering firm Granada Food Services, which runs the restaurant at Monsanto's office in High Wycombe in southeast England, had decided to ban genetically modified ingredients from all its outlets. "In response to concern raised by our customers over the use of GM foods and to comply with government legislation, we have taken the decision to remove, as far as practicable, GM soya and maize from all food products served in our restaurant," Granada's quality systems director Mike Batchelor was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph. Monsanto's director of corporate affairs Tony Combes denied the move was an embarrassment for the company.
Study Links "Mad Cow" Disease to Meat Protein. Suggests "Hundreds of Thousands of British Consumers Might Eventually Die" According to new research made public this week, there is new evidence that an infectious protein, called a prion, that causes Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in cows is linked to new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (nvCJD), a fatal brain disease that afflicts humans. CJD is known to have killed 51 people in Europe. The study, which appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also suggested that the infectious disease can spread more easily between species than previously believed. "These findings argue unequivocally that BSE and the new variant CJD are the same strain of prion," said Dr. Stephan DeArmond, a senior author of the study and a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. Early this decade, about 175,000 British cattle died of BSE. In later years, some people in Great Britain died of a chronic brain-wasting disease, thought as early as 1996 to have some connection to what the cows had died from. The European Union banned the sale of British beef until last August and France still bans the import of this product. Government officials in Britain banned the sale of bone-in beef in 1997 and lifted than ban last Thursday. Despite the suggestion that nvCJD and BSE were linked, many experts questioned the connection and contended that a valid scientific link was lacking. The new study from San Francisco, however, seems to have removed any lingering doubt. "This lends new credence to the idea that the new variant CJD is a direct result of consuming products from animals with BSE. It is something the European community should be concerned about," said Dr. Donald Price, a neurological expert at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. As if this information weren't upsetting enough, there is the very real threat that hundreds of thousands of British consumers might eventually die of nvCJD, which has no known cure. The disease has such a long incubation period in humans that the scale of the epidemic will not be known for years. British government officials declined comment Monday, saying that they had not yet read the new study. Liam Donaldson, a British professor, told the BBC, "The exposure is a historical one. And so it's very unfortunate but we're just going to have to wait and see what the eventual size of the outcome is."
Ag Waste Poisoning Gulf of Mexico. "Dead Zone" Growing Researchers at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium have said that the "dead zone" that is formed in the Gulf of Mexico by pollutants from the Mississippi River is bigger than ever this year. The zone, which covered an estimated 7,728 square miles when measured in July, is an area too overrun with pollution to support any marine life. The zone is 700 square miles larger than its previous maximum size in 1995. Nitrogen from agricultural runoff is the main cause of the pollution flowing in from the Mississippi. The nitrogen causes an over-abundance of algae in the spring and summer; when these algae die, they sink to the bottom and decompose, using up oxygen in the process. As a result, all life in the area must relocate or die. This is yet another example of how unsustainable our current system of agriculture is, and how complicit we all are if we don't take steps to reduce wasteful, polluting products for our diets.
They have diligently been on the job since July. Every Saturday afternoon, a colorful group of young demonstrators has taken position in front of the arched entrance to the posh Neiman Marcus store on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, hoisted banners and placards, chanted through megaphones and held out petitions, all in the name of pressuring Neiman Marcus to discontinue their fur salon. They operate with a level of precision and discipline many would have thought impossible from a group where the oldest members are barely out of their teens. And in the process, they have breathed new life into Chicago's animal rights community. Collectively, they are known as the recently formed Chicago chapter of Animal Defense League (ADL), and they are about to have their biggest weekend yet. "Fur Free Christmas", a week-long series of demonstrations, vigils, consumer education, and civil disobedience begins at 4pm on Friday, December 17, with a 24 hour vigil in front of the Neiman Marcus store on the corner of Michigan and Superior. To test their tenacity, the weather has begun the first winter cold snap, but ADL has prepared for this moment for months, so they are ready. At least two dozen activists will brave the chill for the duration, and many others will join in for at least a part of the time. On Sunday, December 19, starting at noon, ADL is planning their largest demonstration to date. As many as several hundred anti-fur demonstrators will crowd the sidewalk in front of Neiman Marcus, urging the throngs of Christmas shoppers to boycott the store until they quit selling fur. Activists from all over the region's animal rights community will be there, including Vegan Street, which will also be present for at least part of the vigil. We strongly encourage our web visitors to join in as well. Some may question why so much attention is focused against an industry that appears to be rapidly dying on its own. We've seen very few fur coats this year, and most Chicago fur stores are either desperately offering their product at drastically reduced prices, or have given up completely and shut their doors forever. But a premature feeling of victory once brought the anti-fur movement into a state of relaxed complacency, and the furriers struck back with a massive marketing and promotional blitz that caught the anti-fur movement off guard and temporarily brought fur coats back into the spotlight. Was that the industry's last gasp, or will the first winter cold snap revitalize the fur industry once again? One thing is certain: the young activists at Chicago ADL aren't about to get complacent anytime soon.
Farmers to Monsanto: See You in Court! In the public debate about genetically engineered foods, we usually hear from one of three groups of people: industry flacks, scientists and consumers. One group that is little heard from or ignored altogether is farmers. Yet, of all the groups, they are the most critical and often the most abused. Farmers are essential to this debate and their position is complex: unless they are organic farmers, and only a small fraction are, they have likely been tempted by the lure of the biotech industry. A lot of farmers are just hanging on financially, so when a seed salesperson tells them that genetically altered seeds can increase their yields and reduce their labor, it can be difficult to resist. When the seed salesperson turns up the pressure, though, and says that in addition to all this, farmer Smith down the road just bought bioengineered corn and how are they going to compete with him during the harvest, it can be darn near impossible to resist. As a result, more than 60% of all soybeans and a third of all corn grown in the U.S. is genetically altered, and until very recently, those numbers were expected to grow substantially in 2000. Now, faced with a boycott of genetically engineered products by the European Union and rapidly escalating consumer resistance both at home and abroad, American farmers are anxious over next year's crops, and more than a few are beginning to feel that they have been exploited. On Tuesday, December 14, a group of six farmers and prominent pure foods activist Jeremy Rifkin filed a class-action lawsuit against Monsanto, alleging that they conspired with other biotechnology companies such as DuPont to fix prices and force farmers into using genetically engineered seed. They also maintain that there is "substantial uncertainty" as to whether crops are safe, and that Monsanto pushed the biotech crops to market without appropriate environmental and health testing. The six farmers, who are based out of Indiana, Iowa and France, and Rifkin have recruited a team of nine law firms, and intend to steer the debate toward what they see as the "corporate abuse of power" by the biotech companies that developed genetically altered crops. Although the six farmers are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, it was filed on behalf of all farmers who have bought genetically engineered seed, and it was developed by the National Farm Coalition.
Public Resistance to Frankenfoods Grows as 1000 Protest Near FDA Hearings in Oakland. OAKLAND, CA 12/13/99. In the largest anti-biotech protest in the U.S. to date, more than 1000 activists and ordinary citizens crowded the plaza near the Federal Building that held the final of three public hearings on genetically engineered (GE) foods sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As in the protest outside the first hearing in Chicago, a group of children dressed as Monarch butterflies to remind people of the potential havoc that genetically engineered Bt corn could force on those delicate creatures. This time, the twenty or so children, all from the Rocky Mountain Participation Nursery school, sang a variation of a classic Pete Seeger song "Where Have All the Monarchs Gone?". A large contingent of police stood warily by, anxiously trying to avoid the tension encountered by their counterparts in Seattle. But it was soon apparent that the crowd, while passionate and boisterous, was interested only in a peaceful demonstration of first amendment rights. Soon the excess police officers drifted off to other tasks. FrankenTony the Tiger, a Greenpeace mascot created to draw attention to the genetically engineered ingredients in children's breakfast cereals manufactured by Kellogg's and others, entertained the crowd in his third hearing protest appearance, after visiting Chicago on November 18 and Washington, DC on November 30. He was joined by Greenpeace's Charles Margulis, who was accompanied by representatives of more than two dozen other groups to hand out samples of genetically engineered products which they encouraged demonstrators to mail back to the manufacturers with a note saying "we don't want GE foods!". Other speakers included California state senator Tom Hayden, who drew cheers when he announced that he will introduce legislation in January to require strict labeling and disclosure of genetically altered foods in California, and Andrew Kimbrell, an attorney with the anti-biotech group International Center for Technology Assessment in Washington, DC., which sued the FDA last February to block use of biotech-designed crops. Noticeably absent from the festivities was a contingent of Baptist parishioners similar to the ones bribed by Monsanto's clever public relations agency, Burson Marsteller, to carry pro-biotech signs at the FDA's second hearing in Washington DC. Monsanto and Burson Marsteller are both frantically trying to contain the negative PR generated when the New York Times outed them on that stunt. There were a few pro-biotech protesters drawn from the science departments of various University of California campuses. The biotech industry is furiously launching a desperate multi-million dollar public relations campaign to protect their investments. In recent weeks, they have spent more than $676,000 on lawmakers and political parties, according to Business Week magazine. One food industry source says a "company or constituent contacted every lawmaker to educate them" about labeling's cost. The Oakland protest also drew attention to the issue of mandatory labeling of GE foods, an issue which is being debated now at the highest levels of government. Philip La Rocca, the president of the California Certified Organic Farmers, compared the labeling of GE foods, which biotech industry insiders consider the equivalent of marking each product with a skull and crossbones, to the labeling of organic foods, which the producers have fought so hard to require. "We can trace that crop back to the plot of ground it was grown on," La Rocca said. "If (the biotech developers) are so proud of genetically engineered food, why don't they want it labeled? There's something wrong with this picture." Now that the most public parts of the FDA's comment period have passed, the time has come for all concerned consumers to get involved. The FDA is welcoming comments form the public until January 15, 2000, and most insiders believe that an extension will be posted. Vegan Street urges you to become involved on this issue. The best way to reach the FDA is... We also encourage you to take advantage of the wealth of information and resources available to you via the World Wide Web. Some of the best of the best include The Campaign for Food Safety, The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods, Citizens for Health, Greenpeace USA, Sustain: the Environmental Information Group, and, of course, the electronic pages of yours truly, the Vegan News section of Vegan Street.
In an infuriating, but altogether believable scenario, a federal judge in Dallas has upheld a lawsuit filed by beef manufacturer, forcing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow the company, Supreme Beef, which has failed salmonella contamination tests three times over eight months, to continue selling their product. Supreme Beef supplies up to 45 percent of the ground beef used in the national school lunch program, and it also supplies beef to Wal-Mart. On Tuesday, November 30, the USDA had withdrawn its inspectors from the Supreme Beef Processors plant in Dallas, effectively making it illegal to sell beef in interstate commerce. The same day, Supreme Beef filed a lawsuit and Federal Judge A. Joe Fish, agreed that withdrawing the inspectors could cause irreparable harm to the company, and he issued a temporary restraining order instructing the department to return inspectors to the plant, pending a December 10 hearing. In it's lawsuit against the USDA, Supreme Beef contends that the government has no authority to regulate salmonella, claiming that, "because salmonella is not an adulterant and because salmonella is destroyed during normal cooking, the presence of salmonella is not a public safety issue." Food safety experts say that the outcome of this case could affect whether the USDA is forced to return to methods like the "poke-and-sniff" system that was used during the beginning of the century, a time when meat was not inspected for bacteria. Carol Forest Tuckerman, director of the Food Policy Institute of the Consumer Federation of America said, "If the company wins this case, we'll go back to a system where inspectors look for bumps and bruises that have no relationship to the bacteria that make people sick." According to Supreme Beef's own documents, included in its lawsuit against the USDA, as many as 20 percent of the samples in three sets of tests contained salmonella. Salmonella is a disease-causing bacteria that can result in mild to severe gastrointestinal distress, or, with immune-compromised individuals, even death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently estimated that there more than a million cases of food-borne salmonella poisoning a year and 556 deaths. Also on November 30, the Agricultural Marketing Service, which operates the school lunch program, canceled its contract with Supreme Beef on November 30 because the company's beef did not meet the Agriculture Department's minimum standards. Despite all this, Supreme Beef is still legally selling their product to other outlets across the country. The moral of the story? Perhaps in this litigious country of ours, the financial health of a corporation is more of a priority than the physical health of American consumers. What else could one infer from Judge Fish's ruling? Meanwhile, Vegan Street would like to take a moment to say that even when a hamburger isn't crawling with salmonella, E.coli and a host of other invisible creepy-crawlies, it still ain't safe.
 "Perhaps Firing Rubber Bullets and Tear Gas into a Street Filled
With Non-Violent Protesters Wasn't The Best Way to Gain Crowd
Control and Public Sympathy." Seattle Police Chief Resigns.
Oh boy, things are tough in Seattle these days. First, it's clear that the grunge and flannel thing is more than a little passé. Second, it's hard to find a decent cup of coffee for under $5. Third, there's mayhem in the Emerald City's clean streets, with police lobbing concussion grenades, rubber bullets, tear gas, and pepper spray into the assembled masses of peaceful protesters; helicopters looming overhead and thousands of fancy cameras capturing the whole debacle on film and videotape. Amid accusations, recriminations, and widespread criticism, Norm Stamper, the Seattle police chief, announced on Tuesday that he would resign from office. Stamper's getting it from all sides: protesters are angry that they were gassed and shot at -- who can blame them? -- when they were engaging in non-violent civil disobedience while a small group of anarchists and local looters was allowed to vandalize and destroy property undeterred a block away. Merchants are angry because of the $3 million in damages and an estimated $17 million in lost holiday sales. Even some police officers are angry, saying that their department was unprepared and they had to work as much as 20 hours on the police line without food or other support. As of Tuesday, at least two civil-rights groups, the NAACP and the ACLU are calling for investigations. It's likely that there will be many, many lawsuits filed in the coming months. Oh, well -- on the bright side, the footage of the police-state created at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago was starting to look a little weathered. Now we'll have something new to look at.
Poor, poor Monsanto. Nobody wants to play with it anymore. Monsanto is becoming more and more like that bratty, rude kid we all grew up with who nobody wanted to spend time with, so his mother would have to bribe potential playmates with offers of toys and candy. Monsanto, despite its multi-million dollar campaign to fight anyone who dares to besmirch its name, definitely has cooties. A humorous, almost pitiable, story reaches us from Washington, D.C. via the New York Times. Apparently when the FDA held its 2nd round of hearings on genetic engineering in our nation's capital last week, 100 members of a Baptist church were courted by the biotech giant and sent out to counter the dozens of pure food activists assembled. They waved signs of regurgitated industry spin, like, "Biotech Saves Children's Lives," and "Biotech Equals Jobs." Although a spokesman at Burson-Marsteller, the hugely powerful public relations firm representing biotech interests denied it, there was talk that the pro-biotech demonstrators were paid $25 to assemble on behalf of Monsanto and others. The whole thing is fraught with weirdness. Larry DeNeal, who helped organize the protest by the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church, conceded that a few protesters were given $25 because they brought their own lunch and transportation to the rally, as opposed to those who received lunch and transportation paid for by the biotech industry. Hmmm... I can't remember the last time a chartered bus and free lunch were in the budget for a rally I attended. Poor, poor Monsanto. Well, at least it's got DuPont, Novartis AG, and Archer Daniels Midland to keep it company. Filing for bankruptcy's going to be a lot less lonely with these guys around.
A noisy crowd marched down that great street State Street in Chicago, pausing long enough in front of the flagship store of the once mighty Evans furs, to deliver a eulogy for the animals who lost their lives for Evans' greed. At one point during a rousing speech by Animal Rights Mobilization president Kay Seivers, she shouted through a loudspeaker, "Look at the signs in the window: 60% off! A healthy store doesn't sell its products for sixty percent off! Evans is fighting a losing battle!"
The city of Seattle has declared a state of public emergency Tuesday evening after thousands of protesters forced a delay of the long-awaited conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), by chaining themselves together to block intersections and the entrances to several major hotels. Police in riot gear reacted by firing pepper spray,tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets into the mostly nonviolent crowd. As the day wore on, the situation became increasingly tense until Seattle mayor Paul Schell went on television to declare state of emergency, enlisting National Guard troops and imposing a 7pm curfew. Washington's governor declared that he would mobilize 200 National Guard troops in Seattle beginning Wednesday morning. The protesters are an extremely diverse lot, representing environmental groups, animal rights groups, labor unions, food safety activists, and human rights organizations, among others. All are concerned that the WTO, which was assembled to help break down trade barriers between nations, has concentrated on helping the profit margins of the giant multinational corporations at the expense of the rest of the world. They believe that the WTO promotes third-world sweatshops, large scale deforestation and mining, the escalation of the demise of many endangered species and ecosystems, the rise of factory farms and other industrialized agricultural techniques such as genetic engineering in third world countries, and the loss of thousands of working-class jobs as greedy corporations move operations to cheaper locales. Pacts written by the WTO often have the power to overrule laws by member nations that protect health, human rights, and the environment. WTO members also allegedly settle disputes between nations with groups of trade lawyers meeting behind closed doors and no opportunity for outside groups to contribute to the process or even appeal the results. The massive protest kept UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other delegates stranded in their hotel rooms. The entire downtown area was set in traffic gridlock as activists liked arms and lay down across several major intersections. Eventually, enough WTO delegates managed to arrive to hold the initial plenary session, though it is unclear how much work was actually accomplished. The demonstrations were mostly peaceful and even festive, though at one point, several activists in black masks and ninja-like clothing caused vandalism to a McDonald's restaurant, a Starbucks coffee shop, and several other stores representative of corporate arrogance, though they were vigorously shouted down by the other protesters before fleeing into the crowd. Up and down the West Coast, dock workers shut down cargo movement in solidarity with the anti-WTO protests. 9,600 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse union went on strike at more than three dozen ports in California, Oregon, and Washington. In another sympathetic action, in London, thousands of anti-WTO protesters clashed with riot police. President Clinton, who is scheduled to speak to the WTO delegates Wednesday, appeared to understand the consequences of the days events. "I strongly, strongly believe that we should open the process up to all those people who are now demonstrating on the outside," he said. "They ought to be a part of it. And I think we should strengthen the role and the interest of labor and the environment in our trade negotiations." Perhaps the day's events will serve as a wake up call to all the people who have quietly stood by as the multinational corporations strengthen their grip on the world's economy. In the meantime, the "Battle in Seattle" heated up again at sunrise on Wednesday, as soon as the curfew was lifted. Stay tuned. This page: Rueters photo by Andy Clark Index: AP photo by Peter Dejong
Farm Groups Warn: Say 'No' to Biotechnology! As reported in the November 23 edition of the Washington Post, more than 30 U.S. farm organizations have issued a warning to their members that genetically engineered crops were unpopular with consumers, and that farmers would be risking their financial security if they continued to plant them. Additionally, the groups, which included the National Family Farm Coalition and the American Corn Growers Association, warned members that insufficient testing of genetically modified seeds could make farmers exposed to "massive liability" in regard to environmental effects, such as genetic drift, the spreading of biologically modified pollens. The coalition also requested that biotech companies promote the sale of conventional seeds until an independent study of the environmental, health and economic impacts of genetically altered seeds is conducted. Of primary concern among farmers is the marketability of products that have been created through biotechnology. Gary Goldberg, head of the American Corn Growers Association, said, "Export markets in Europe and Asia are saying 'no' to foods produced from genetically engineered crops [and] farmers know they have to respond to consumer demand if they are to survive. Right now, farmers may decide it is best for them to say 'no' to GMO seed." Rodney Skalbeck, a Sacred Heart, MN., farmer who has been planting gene-altered seeds for two years, said, "There's no problem, except how are you going to sell them? They haven't told us the truth about what's really happening. Are we going to lose the European market? Are we going to have a market here?" Clearly the agrichemical corporations like Monsanto, DuPont, and Novartis have impacted more than just consumers with their arrogant insistence on unloading genetically engineered products on our grocery shelves without so much as a label. Farmers, many of whom are barely making financial ends meet due to the corporatization of agriculture, are struggling and very nervous. Pure food activists have done tremendous work lately at informing the public about the issues behind genetic engineering, and it's likely if we continue at the rate we've been going, that there will be a huge backlash in the U.S. against these plants and products. Ultimately, though, the wealthy executives at the agrichemical giants will likely walk away from this public relations fiasco unscathed, or at least receive a nice "retirement" package. Will the independent farmers fare as well when the smoke clears? It's unlikely.
Activists Rally to Force Public Debate on Biotech Issue.
The Frankenfoods debate has now gone public, but the battle is just beginning. Friends of the Earth and the Organic Consumers Association are planning a rally for the second hearing, scheduled to be held on October 30 in Washington D.C. This one will also involve some exciting street theatre including a bus-sized FDA Cafe with waiters serving Frankenfoods in HazMat suits.We'll have more info about that one as soon as we can. In the meantime, you can learn more by calling Marnie at the Organic Consumers Association at 202-483-1851.The third public hearing will be held in Oakland, California, on December 13. As of this writing, we have not received information about the nature of the protest there, but we are expecting it to build on the first two events. The FDA has also instituted a public comment period during which time they are inviting consumers to offer their opinions of genetically-engineered foods. We strongly urge you to take a few moments and send them a letter. For a base, you may wish to look at the text of John Beske's comment to the FDA. It gives a good vegetarian argument against genetic engineering. Please address your letter to Commissioner Jane Henney, Docket No. 99N-4282, FDA Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville MD 20852. It's important to note that the comment period is scheduled to end January 15. We're pushing for an extension, but we can't count on one. So send a letter soon. You can also send it by e-mail to the FDA through their website at http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets See related story: A Vegetarian Inside the FDA's "Public Forum" See related story: Why Vegetarians Should Care About Genetic Engineering all photos: Karen A. Peters
Farmers to Shy Away from Frankenfoods On the heels of the disastrous FDA public meeting in Chicago comes a story from the Wall Street Journal that many farmers who once were enthusiastic about genetically engineered crops are becoming nervous about the lack of consumer support, and are returning to conventional seeds. For the biotechnology industry, which has invested billions of dollars in creating genetically engineered crops, this is very distressing news. The reporter followed Edward T. Shonsey, president of the U.S. seeds division of Novartis AG, a European-based biotech and pharmaceutical giant, as he did damage control, trying to convince farmers not to lose faith in a product many consumers do not trust and refuse to buy. Novartis is using radio advertisements, town meetings and combine-cab confabs aimed at easing the fears of nervous farmers. Monsanto and DuPont are doing the same. Unfortunately for biotech executives, it's not working. Leon Corzine, a farmer and seed dealer from Assumption, IL., said, "The handwriting is on the wall. We see a big rollback next spring." To add weight to farmers and producers concerns, last week a bipartisan group of 20 members of Congress introduced legislation requiring the labeling of all genetically engineered food. Organizations supporting the bill include the Organic Consumers Association, Citizens for Health, the Natural Law Party and the Union of Concerned Scientists. The bill will be assigned to House committees for review in January 2000. Understanding the apprehension most consumers would feel about purchasing a product with such a label, it is fairly certain that food companies would rather remove any genetically modified ingredients than carry a label advertising the presence of such ingredients. Needless to say, the bill is expected to face fierce opposition from the biotech industry. As long as we refuse to buy genetically altered products, refuse to vote for people who would rather corrupt our food supply than stand up to big business, and educate everyone we can about the issue, though, we're going to win this thing.
The FDA claims to be ready to hear you now. For the last seven years, the Food and Drug Administration has quietly let the giant biotechnology spend tens of millions of dollars buying politicians and "experts", intimidating the media by threatening to pull advertising dollars, and using a myriad of sophisticated techniques to silence debate. Now, finally, after several published scientific studies have shown that genetically engineered foods have the potential to pose a serious threat to both human health and the environment, and after the European Union has essentially banned the import of biotech foods, the FDA is finally listening to the critics of genetic engineering. At least up to a point. Without any fanfare, the FDA has opened a 90 day public comment period during which time consumers can voice their opinions regarding genetically engineered food. The fact that the comment period has begun shortly before Thanksgiving is telling. The time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day is the busiest time of the year for most people and therefore the most difficult time for grassroots groups to encourage people to write the government. The biotech companies, of course, are also invited to participate, and they have earmarked millions of dollars to mobilize their own forces, including sophisticated greenwashing support from the great mother of all ethically-challenged public relations agencies, Burson Marsteller see related media story. If you wish to comment to the FDA, and we encourage you to do so, please send an e-mail to xxxxx. Be sure to include the words Docket # xxxxx in your document. The FDA has also agreed to hold three town meeting-style public meetings over the next few weeks. The first of these is in Chicago on Thursday, November 18, followed by a meeting in Washington DC on December 1, and San Francisco on December 13. Vegan Street has become active in the Chicago event (after all, genetic engineering is a vegetarian issue when the genes of animals get implanted into plants). The Chicago meeting is taking place on the third floor of the Federal Building at 77 West Jackson Street, from 9am to 6pm. The Chicago meeting itself is turning out to be a farce, with only slightly more than a hundred people invited to sit in the actual room and speak (and many of them paid flacks of the biotech industry), and the rest of the hundreds who applied for permission to speak shunted off to a room in a hotel more than a mile away, where they can silently watch the debate via closed-circuit television. Come Voice Your Criticism of Genetic Engineering The critics of genetic engineering, led by the Chicago based organization Sustain: the Environmental Information Group, are organizing a massive protest rally in the Federal Plaza directly below the proceedings. The rally will include representatives of a wide cross section of people: consumer groups, environmental groups, religious groups, parents groups, health groups, vegetarian groups, and many others who simply feel the time has come for government to put the health and safety of its people ahead of the interest of well-heeled and highly influential biochemical companies. The rally will begin at 11:30 am at the Federal Plaza at Dearborn and Adams around the giant Calder sculpture. There will be speakers representing the various groups, and elaborate street theater including a group of twenty children dressed up like Monarch butterflies, fluttering toward a giant ear of Bt corn and dying in the presence of its self-contained pesticide (Bt corn contains its own pesticide and has spread to milkweed, the sole source of food for Monarch caterpillars. Bt has been shown to kill and impede the development of these butterflies.) After the protest, Greenpeace has promised a vegan, biotech-free lunch for the protesters at a nearby location. The coalition is expecting at least hundreds of participants. We encourage anyone who can possibly attend the Chicago event to please come. Also, activists in the Washington, DC or San Francisco area, should be alert to similar events in those cities. If we organize all the millions of people who are opposed to genetic engineering, there is no way the government can ignore us. See related story: Why Vegetarians Should Care About Genetic Engineering
In the October 19 business section of the Chicago Tribune, there was a long, glowing article about the myriad benefits of soy food, from much-publicized health advantages to the smart business sense of investing in natural food companies that manufacture soy products. The booming health foods industry now accounts for at least $14 billion a year in sales, and a lot of that comes from the purchase of soy-based products, like soy milk, burgers, and hot dogs. Now that the Food and Drug Administration appears poised to allow food labels extoll the health benefits of soy, the demand for soy foods is likely to explode. The labels, which are expected to say that soy protein may reduce cholesterol and in turn, lower the risk of heart disease, will be similar to those the agency has already approved for products containing fiber and oat bran. In anticipation of a deluge of interest, several large food companies have made it abundantly clear that they want a piece of the action. Earlier this month, cereal giant Kellogg purchased Worthington Foods, Inc., the leading manufacturer of vegetarian foods, many of which contain soy. Also, Dean Foods recently bought a stake in White Wave Inc., manufacturer of tofu and my personal favorite soy milk, Silk. (What impact this will have on the purity of the product and the company remains to be seen). John Erdman, professor of food science and nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said that soy products are rich in isoflavones (plant hormones) that have been linked to several health benefits. Not only has a considerable amount of research shown that soy protein can lower cholesterol, but new research has found it can reduce breast cancer rates, diminish menopausal hot flashes, and lower the risk of osteoporosis. Clare Hasler, director of the Functional Foods for Health program at the University of Illinois and a participant in the 1998 petition that urged the FDA to approve the soy health claim said, "Soy has some truly unique compounds that are not found anywhere else. It is really a unique source of these isoflavones. It can be marketed as a major dietary nutrient: a complete protein with all the essential amino acids." So the next time that guy in the office makes fun of you for eating tofu for lunch, just smile to yourself. You were way in front of the pack.
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, health professionals are becoming increasingly worried about the popularity of fad diets that recommend consuming large quantities of animal proteins and avoiding complex carbohydrates. Kathleen Zelman, a registered dietitian and American Dietetic Associtian spokeswoman, says that such diets, like the one espoused by Dr. Robert Atkins, increase cholesterol levels, as well as possibly contribute to kidney damage and the depletion of calcium from the bones. Ms. Zelman also said that such diets, which advocate severely limiting the intake of carbohydrates, starve the body of necessary nutrients and cause an artificial metabolic state. The initial weight loss occurs because without carbohydrates, the body burns fats and protein for fuel. As soon as carbohydrates are reintroduced into the diet, which is necessary, the weight returns. Diet plans like Atkins' "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution", which is currently the best-selling mass market paperback in the country, are insideous because they tell individuals that they can lose weight without changing their lifestyles. "Part of the reason for the resurgence is that Americans are getting fatter and there's a greater desperation than there's ever been," Ms. Zelman said. Her advice? "Realize it's a short-term fix. Ultimately, you will have to face reality of weight management." The ADA maintains that despite what the latest fad diets claim, the only way to lose weight is through a healthy, well-balanced diet and exercise. By the way, the conservative ADA has acknowledged for years that it is possible to be healthy on a plant-based diet. To read their position paper, click here.
In the largest study ever done on the link between obesity and mortality, the American Cancer Society has proven that overweight or obese people have a higher risk of premature death than those of an average or light weight. The study, which was conducted on 1 million Americans, found an especially obvious connection between excess weight and a higher incidence of death from heart disease or cancer. JoAnn Manson, a Harvard University endocrinologist and preventative-health specialist said: "The evidence is now compelling and irrefutable. Obesity is probably the second-leading preventable cause of death in the United States after cigarette smoking, so it is a very serious problem." Incidentally, the Chicago Tribune is publishing a series of reports on childhood obesity. As reported by Bob Condor in "The Fat Fact: Increasing Numbers of Kids Are Weighed Down by Obesity", 4.7 million American children are classified as obese or overweight, double the number since 1970. One in five American children is overweight by medical standards, and one in ten would be considered "morbidly obese" if he or she were an adult. The potential health problems faced by these children include respiratory disturbances during sleep, overstressed hip joints and the frightening possibility of developing Type 2 diabetes, a disease that once only affected adults. In addition to the health risks, an overweight child is often burdened with teasing and cruelty from his or her classmates. This can lead to depression and a diminished self-esteem, which often triggers a response in the child to eat for emotional comfort. Doctors and nutritionists believe that American children are bigger than ever for a variety of reasons: there is more food consumed outside the home - one in three meals, compared to one in six 20 years ago - and quite often this is convenience food which is high in calories and fat; a higher consumption in the home of processed, high fat and sugary snack foods; and a decrease in physical activity; and reliance on cars for all transportation. Obviously the reasons for the preponderance of overweight children in the U.S. has no simple explanation. At this time, though, we'd like to issue a challenge to Ken Barun, President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities, who has said that the promise of his organization is "to continue seeking solutions for the problems facing children and families today - to provide comfort and care to those who need us the most": how would you like to take a stab at it?
Insurance Compnaies Embrace Ornish Heart Program Two years after beginning the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease, the results are in: the more than 200 people with advanced coronary disease who participated in the program he designed are able to resume normal lives free of pain, discomfort and the fear of bypass surgery. Across the board, the participants have dropped in weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure; additionally, none has suffered another heart attack or stroke. They were able to exercise without gasping for breath or experiencing chest pain; one participant was even able to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, an adventure most recovering heart patients would never imagine as a possibility. While Dr. Ornish's remarkable results with his low-fat vegetarian diet have been well-documented and publicized, the perhaps most interesting aspect of this story is the fact that the program was offered to members of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield as a viable alternative to expensive surgeries. As noted by Anna Silberman, vice president at Highmark, initiating Dr. Ornish's program not only reinforces their commitment to providing quality care that enriches the health and lives of members, but it almost makes sound business sense: bypass surgery averages $46,000 per person, and angioplasty averages $31,000 per person; Highmark estimates that cost savings are about $16,186 per participant, or $3.3 million total. The program, which is free to qualified members of all Highmark Health insurance products, is a 12-week regime that includes aerobic exercise, stress management, group support and a low-fat vegetarian meal plan. The Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease is targeted primarily at people who are contemplating bypass surgery or angioplasty but are willing to try an alternative; individuals who have previously experienced one or more heart procedures and want to minimize the chance of it recurring; and people with significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as strong hereditary tendencies, high serum cholesterol levels, high blood pressure or diabetes. The insurance company estimates that up to 80 percent of its Ornish participants would have needed surgery in the next five years if they hadn't joined the program. In addition to this, on October 1, Medicare announced that it will pay for up to 1,800 elderly Americans with severe heart disease to try Dr. Ornish's program. Medicare will study the patients to see if the program is successful in reversing cardiovascular disease and if some of the $6 billion spent on heart surgery for the elderly can be reduced. Is a reduction in insurance rates for vegetarians far off? Perhaps not.
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No one in the crowd knew at the time, however, how soon the battle
would end. Fox News Chicago reported that when Evans Furs closed
their doors at the end of that day, those doors were closed for
good -- what a fitting end to Fur Free Friday. Evans quietly declared
bankruptcy, and shipped all their remaining animal skins to a
suburban warehouse, where, allegedly, they await the sale to a
furrier from Denmark. Customers who arrived over the next few
days to pick up their pelts were met by a locked door and the
phone number of a hotline that, when dialed, yielded only an unanswered
ring. Chicago's premier furrier had met with a pathetic and undignified
end. How fitting once again. Meanwhile, the noisy crowd marched
to the next destination.
Maybe it's the thinning of the ozone, maybe it's just plain good
luck, but for the past several years Chicago's been having remarkably
mild Novembers, so as we gathered once again for the annual march
against the fur trade, there was nary a fox, beaver, or mink coat
in sight. It's not just the unseasonably warm autumn, though;
Chicago's furriers have been going out of business with an amazing
frequency -- even a huge, blustery snowstorm through December
and January couldn't help the pelt purveyors get their numbers
up. Across the country, in fact, the fur industry seems to have
been on a financial collision course for the past few years.
Several hundred anti-fur activists gathered and walked the two
and a half miles through Chicago's downtown shopping district,
receiving cheers and jeers alike as we made our way down the crowded
sidewalk. Just as we did last year, we assembled a ragtag drum
corps to add rhythm and vibrancy to our chants, and we stopped
at each remaining furrier on our path, pausing in a moment of
silence for the millions of animals that fall victim to the fur
trade each year. After a rousing finale on the steps of Chicago's
famous Water Tower, many of us joined forces to join members of
Chicago's dynamic new chapter of the Animal Defense League in
a special friday edition of their weekly protests in front of
Neiman-Marcus.
Oh, by the way... In response to those who muttered comments they
thought were original and brave when in fact they were predictable
and cowardly: no, my shoes aren't leather. And to your second
charge, thank you, but I'm in no need of a life seeing as I have
quite a rich and wonderful one already. Can the person who makes
inane and false allegations while thinking that they are dispensing
biting social criticism say the same thing? 
WTO Conference Turns Nasty
Essentially there was about a week and a half to put the event
together. The Food and Drug Administration announced that after
seven years of forcing genetically engineered foods down America's
throat without any safety testing or labeling, they would finally
allow for a public comment period in the form of three "public
forums" in three cities over a period of a little more than three
weeks.The first of three events would be held Chicago on November
18, ostensibly to hear what consumers had to say about biotech
foods. After it became clear that the forum itself was in reality
a thinly veiled public relations event for Monsanto and their
cronys, several groups formed an alliance and built a rally that
would greet the biotech industry as it descended upon our fair
city. Greenpeace USA had already been actively engaged in the
issue, and was planning to send a delegation to Chicago after
a stopover in Battle Creek Michigan to introduce "FrankenTony,"
a genetically-modified version of a popular breakfast cereal character,
to stunned officials at Kellogg's.Seperately, Sustain: the Environmental
Group began to organize a rally with speeches by leading voices
in the anti-biotech movement, and an elaborate street theater
presentation. Sustain tapped the local chapter of Art & Revolution
to help build the costumes, and a small group of artisans including
Vegan Street's John Beske and Marla Rose worked feverishly to
get everything built in time. The three groups conspired together
to make the rally an event that the FDA would not soon forget.
First, there were the butterflies. When scientists reported that
Monarch butterflies die or become deformed in laboratories through
exposure to milkweed dusted with the pollen of genetically engineered
Bt corn (milkweed is the primary source of nutrition for the caterpillars
of Monarchs, and it typically grows in close proximity to cornfields),
we knew that we had an image to work with. We built 15 sets of
butterfly wings and antennae for a group of young children to
wear, as well as a nine-foot ear of Bt corn, complete with skull
and crossbones, for a pure foods activist to wear.
Next we built a tomato-fish puppet, referring to the already doomed
Flavr Savr tomato, that was spliced with flounder genes to better
withstand the cold. Like all genetically modified products, it
was not labeled as such. We also had a “Mad Scientist” brandishing
a 5 1/2 foot long syringe, whose job was to inject Bovine Growth
Hormone into a life-size papier-maché cow with a grotesquely enlarged
udder, and a 10 foot tall Frankenfoods Monster. All these costumes
and props were put on display when a chilling but all-too imaginable
fable about the hazards of genetically engineered foods, was read
it's author, Vegan Street’s John Beske. In the fable's climax,
the child/butterflies fluttered in a circle around the toxic corn
until they fell to the ground and died, overpowered by the corn's
built-in Bt pesticide.
The image was startling and stark, and it helped us make our position
against genetic engineering into the pages of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Time magazine, and scores of other newspapers and magazines around
the world. We were featured on local news programs across the
country, as well as CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, CNN Evening
News, and Morning Edition on National Public Radio. 
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