Xander Vento’s family: “We in some way hope our son’s life serves as an inspiration.”
By NBC News staff
The parents of Xander Vento, a little boy who was forced under the water while saving another child at a neighborhood pool in Fort Worth, Texas, earlier this week, say they are taking their son off life support.
Cris and Misty Vento released the following statement Thursday:
“We’ve made the extremely difficult decision to remove our precious son Xander from life support. We send heartfelt thanks to all of you who kept our family in your thoughts and prayers; we’re appreciative of your love and support.
We in some way hope our son’s life serves as an inspiration. He was the angel in the pool who sacrificed himself to save another. And now he continues to give as an organ donor. We were blessed to have such a kind and caring boy as Xander who set an example for all of us and even now he will be saving lives by giving of himself.”
Xander, 4, held a struggling 3-year-old girl above the water, and after becoming exhausted, slipped below the water’s surface, the Associated Press reported. He was found at the bottom of the pool. After Xander was pulled from the water, rescuers did get a pulse from him, the Dallas Morning News reported, but he was unable to breathe on his own before they loaded him into a helicopter.
Xander was hospitalized at Cook Children’s Medical center, where he fell into a coma. He had been on life support since Monday.
Adults were present at the pool during the incident, including an off-duty nurse who helped rescue the children, according to the Dallas Morning News. It wasn’t clear where the adults were when the incident happened.
The 3-year-old girl, whose name has not been released, apparently swallowed water but never lost consciousness.
A fund has been established in Xander’s name to help the family with medical expenses. Anyone wishing to contribute can do so online at https://www.wepay.com/donations/145080.
In the midst of one of the worst droughts to hit our state in recent history, the Democrat leadership in the Senate made the incredibly poor decision to leave Washington for the August work period before taking up a critical disaster relief package that would have helped farmers, ranchers and families across Missouri — leaving our nation’s producers with greater uncertainty while trying to recover from extreme weather conditions.
This drought has taken a devastating toll on agriculture, which is a key economic driver in Missouri and nationwide. Agriculture supports some 16 million jobs across America, and Missouri has the second highest number of farms of any state and is the second highest state for cow-calf operations .
While agriculture is a business of significant risk, farmers and ranchers have worked hard to learn and develop methods to manage this risk. This includes investing in technologies to defend against drought and disease in order to produce more with less.
The families who own and run these farms and ranches represent less than 2 percent of America’s population, but they raise enough food and fiber to feed the nation and a lot of the rest of the world.
Unfortunately, some circumstances cannot be planned for, nor can they be managed without help. This is the worst and widest reaching drought to grip the United States in decades, and it isn’t over.
At the end of July, all of Missouri’s counties were designated a state of “severe” to “exceptional” drought — representing the worst level of drought possible. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently added 218 counties from 12 drought-stricken states to its list of natural disaster areas, bringing the overall total to 1,584 counties in 32 states — more than half of all the counties nationwide.
According to the USDA’s crop report, half of the nation’s corn crop is now in rated in the worst condition, of “poor” to “very poor,” with Missouri topping the list as one of the hardest hit states. Meanwhile, approximately 73 percent of the domestic cattle inventory nationwide is located in an area that has been impacted by this drought, and 59 percent of America’s and 99 percent of Missouri’s pasture and rangeland is in “poor” to “very poor” condition, compared to 38 percent a year ago.
I’ve talked to many livestock producers who are being forced to decide whether to continue to feed their livestock or liquidate their herds. For the few that have been able to put up hay, they are already taking it back out of the barn to feed — well before the normal feeding time in the winter months.
Undoubtedly, the best solution to assist our farmers and ranchers would be for Congress to pass a long-term Farm Bill that includes funding for these disaster programs — a solution that I have repeatedly called for, and one that I will continue to call for when Congress returns in September. I voted for the Senate bill, and the House will take up a long-term bill as soon as possible.
Without these key disaster relief programs, farm families are left with few options to make it through this drought. The decision made by the Senate majority to leave Washington before passing much-needed disaster assistance is shameful and irresponsible. The House and Senate left Washington without adjourning, and the Senate could still figure out how to pass the bill and respond to this disaster now.
Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. This op. ed. was first published in the Springfield News-Leader.
The Justice Department’s lead internal investigator is finalizing his much-anticipated report on Operation Fast and Furious, which lawmakers and whistleblowers alike hope will bring final answers and accountability over the botched gun-running probe.
And while whistleblowers who spoke to Fox News predict an “all-encompassing” and “accurate and fair” account in the report, some believe Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s account may ultimately become political Play-Doh, with each side shaping it to their liking or pounding it as unreliable.
Republicans have also questioned the impartiality of Horowitz, who works inside Attorney General Eric Holder’s Justice Department, and say they “would prefer” to have someone with no connection to top department officials.
The report, expected to be released within weeks, will come just months after Holder was found in contempt of Congress, mostly along party lines, for withholding documents from a congressional inquiry on Fast and Furious, in what has become the biggest law enforcement controversy of President Obama’s first term.
Horowitz declined to be interviewed by Fox News in advance of the release. But two of the initial whistleblowers interviewed by investigators said the report could contain some surprises.
“The public’s perception is going to be probably vastly different than what comes out in the (inspector general’s) report,” Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent Larry Alt told Fox News. Alt said he hopes the report “puts into writing” who is ultimately responsible for the program.
A recent report from Republican lawmakers conducting their own investigation casts much of the blame on the former head of ATF’s Phoenix office and four ATF officials in Washington. A second report is also underway, and will focus on the alleged culpability of Holder and top Justice Department officials.
But Alt said the first report didn’t “truly explore” the impact of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix on the case. Another whistleblower, Peter Forcelli, agreed.
While ATF deserves a “hammering” for Fast and Furious, federal prosecutors were “at least as culpable” for, among other things, telling ATF agents they didn’t have enough evidence to stop cars or otherwise seize weapons. “That’s what I hope the (inspector general’s) report will spell out,” he said.
Alt and Forcelli said they hoped the inspector general “sheds light” on whether there was a high-level plan to let guns slip into Mexico, as many have alleged, or whether what started as a smaller investigation just got out of control.
“I don’t believe that the intent was, ‘Hey, let’s just let all these guns flow down there,’” Forcelli told Fox News. “I know people speculate that that was a plan and part of how to work this case,” he said, but flooding Mexico with guns to “put pieces of the puzzle together” was not “a planned ‘tactic.’”
Alt used to agree, believing until last year that Fast and Furious was “a poorly managed investigation that spun out of control.” But he has since become convinced “the intent was to have (guns) go to Mexico and follow them down there.”
Alt cited a January 2010 “briefing paper,” in which the ATF said its strategy was “to allow the transfer of firearms” to continue, so gun traffickers could be identified. Alt hadn’t seen the memo until it was uncovered by Republican staffers, who argued it proves guns were meant “to walk permanently.”
But the briefing paper was silent on that issue, and Alt said he doesn’t “have anything (to) dispute” that the original plan may have envisioned seizing firearms before they crossed the border. Either way, Alt and Forcelli said a “perfect storm” of factors let guns get away.
The operation, launched in late 2009, aimed to take down a Mexican gun-smuggling organization. The plan enlisted the cooperation of local gun dealers, who would keep ATF informed about sales to suspected “straw buyers,” who use their clean criminal records to buy weapons for others.
Nearly 2,000 weapons were purchased over the course of several months. Some of the high-powered weapons were eventually discovered at crime scenes in Mexico and the United States, including the December 2010 murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
“In practice, they walked guns,” even if that wasn’t ATF’s intent, Forcelli said. “In practice, they allowed illegally trafficked firearms to flood into Mexico.”
Now it’s up to Horowitz’s report to detail exactly what happened and who knew about it.
Forcelli, who was an agent in ATF Phoenix but not part of the group conducting Fast and Furious, was interviewed repeatedly by Horowitz’s office.
He said investigators asked him about past problems with the U.S. attorney’s office, his “interpretation” of prosecutors’ decisions, management problems within ATF, and Fast and Furious more generally.
Republican lawmakers say the Justice Department is stonewalling their investigation, and Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., recently told Fox News the “burden’s going to be high” for Horowitz to prove his independence. Horowitz has a long-standing relationship with Criminal Division head Lanny Breuer, who has admitted he learned two years ago about “gun-walking” in a Bush-era investigation but never asked whether similar investigations might still exist.
Forcelli said Horowitz is “not a political guy,” saying his investigators “seemed to really just be interested in getting to the truth.”
“I think we have a fairly clear picture from Congress, but I don’t think that Congress can say definitively because I think Congress does not have the (benefit) of all the evidence,” Alt said. “The (inspector general) has all the evidence.”
As anti-government forces look to carve out a stronghold in the northern part of the country, U.S. policymakers are not ruling out establishing a series of no-fly zones to protect those rebel enclaves.
“United States government always looks at situations and looks at what types of scenarios might unfold, and then, accordingly, looks at what types of contingency plans might be available to deal with certain circumstances,” White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan said on Tuesday on the possibility of creating no-fly zones in northern Syria.
Brennan’s comments come as rebel fighters looking to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad are slowly gaining ground in the north, concentrating their forces in the city of Aleppo.
However, government troops loyal to the Assad regime have been mercilessly hammering rebel positions inside Aleppo over the past few weeks, zeroing in on anti-Assad forces with attack helicopters and fighter jets.
The fierce fighting in Aleppo and across Syria has only heightened calls for military action against the Assad regime. Using American and allied airpower to set up no-fly zones have long been championed by some members of Congress, led by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).
McCain, Lieberman and others have claimed the United States and the international community must take action to help oust Assad from power in the same way American and coalition forces supported rebel forces in Libya last March.
However, on Tuesday, Brennan noted there were stark differences between the circumstances surrounding the Libyan operation and proposed action in Syria.
Administration officials have been “quite busy making sure that we’re able to do everything possible that’s going to advance the interests of peace in Syria and not, again, do anything that’s going to contribute to more violence,” Brennan said.
That said, President Obama has authorized the CIA and other government agencies to provide support for the Syrian rebels, according to a classified presidential finding granting intelligence support to rebels that was leaked to the media earlier this month.
The finding could pave the way for U.S. participation in a covert command center along the Turkey-Syria border to facilitate communications and intelligence support to Syrian rebels.
The command center would be under the control of Ankara and its allies and located 60 miles from the Syrian border, near the U.S. Air Force base in Incirlik, according to recent news reports.
Brennan did not comment on the presidential finding or other actions, covert or otherwise, being taken by the United States in Syria. But he did note that high-level conversations continue to take place on both sides of the Potomac on what the next steps to take in the country.
“Various options that are being talked about … are things that the United States government has been looking at very carefully, trying to understand the implications, trying to understand the advantages and disadvantages of this,” Brennan said.
When asked if leveraging American airpower to set up no-fly zones in northern Syria was a non-starter, Brennan replied: “I don’t recall the president ever saying that anything was off the table.”
GOP applauds new DOJ whistleblower protection position
By Jordy Yager
The Hill
Republican lawmakers are lauding the appointment of an ombudsman for the Justice Department’s inspector general to tamp down on retaliation against whistleblowers and ensure allegations of waste or abuse are dealt with speedily.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said their joint investigation of the DOJ’s failed gun-tracking operation “Fast and Furious” directly led to the need for the whistleblower ombudsman position, which IG Michael Horowitz created on Wednesday.
Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was first told by a whistleblower about the controversial “gun walking” tactics in Fast and Furious, which oversaw the sale of about 2,000 weapons to straw buyers for Mexican drug cartels in a botched attempt to dismantle their gun-trafficking routes. Hundreds of the weapons were lost.
“In light of Operation Fast and Furious, this position is especially necessary at the Justice Department,” Grassley said in a statement.
“Without whistleblowers, mismanagement, abuse and wrongdoing would go undetected. This effort is an important first step and, to be effective, the ombudsman needs to appreciate these realities and stand up to intense pressure from agencies to discredit whistleblowers.”
Grassley and Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, have backed legislation that would expand the protections given to whistleblowers and create an ombudsman role to educate agency employees about their rights.
The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), passed the upper chamber in May. And while the House has yet to take action on the measure, Issa said the move by Horowitz to appoint Robert Storch as ombudsman will create a new level of trust in the department.
“The creation of this new position by the inspector general is a clear and positive response to the difficulties ATF Fast and Furious whistleblowers encountered,” Issa said in a statement. “The ombudsperson should give DOJ employees greater confidence to come forward when they see wrongdoing or abuse.”
Storch’s new responsibilities will include making sure whistleblower complaints are addressed promptly by the IG, keeping whistleblowers up to speed about the IG’s progress in investigating any allegations they raise, monitoring retaliation claims and educating agency employees about their whistleblower protection rights.
“Whistleblowers play a critical role in uncovering waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement,” Horowitz said in a statement. “This new position will enable the to continue its leadership as a strong and independent voice within the Department of Justice on whistleblower issues.”
Grassley said he plans to ask for regular updates about how the new position is affecting whistleblowers in the DOJ.
One of the most anticipated reports from the inspector general’s office is its investigation of Fast and Furious, which could provide a new depth of understanding about who is responsible for allowing agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to let guns “walk” into the hands of known criminals with no plan to get them back.
A majority of Americans hold a positive view of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), according to a new Gallup poll released Wednesday.
The survey showed 54 percent of 1,014 adults who were polled saying TSA was doing either an “excellent” or a “good” job handling airport security. Thirty percent of the poll’s respondents said the agency was doing an “only fair” job, and 12 percent said TSA’s performance was “poor.”
The findings come after lawmakers questioned the performance of TSA employees in the days before Congress left Washington for its traditional August recess.
“The majority of Americans do not support the government’s current approach, and when they hear that the people at TSA that are supposed to enforce and ensure their security are engaged in gross misconduct, it only makes matters worse,” House Transportation Security subcommittee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said during a hearing last week.
“Stealing from checked luggage; accepting bribes from drug smugglers; sleeping or drinking while on duty. This kind of criminal behavior and negligence has contributed significantly to TSA’s shattered public image,” Rogers continued.
The Gallup poll found just 41 percent of Americans think TSA is either effective or extremely effective in preventing terrorists from hijacking American airplanes, however.
Forty-four percent said the agency was only “somewhat effective” at preventing terrorism, while 13 percent said TSA was either “not too effective” or “not effective at all.”
The poll found that about 50 percent of Americans reported having flown on an airplane in the past year. Respondents who had flown more than three times gave a 56 percent “excellent” or “good” rating, while 52 percent of people who had not flown at all rated the agency favorably.
Gallup said the findings showed “[T]he American public gives the TSA a generally good report card, with a slight majority rating its overall job performance in positive terms.
“The fact that Americans who fly have a slightly more positive opinion of the agency than those who haven’t flown recently suggests that experience with the TSA at airports does not detract from this image and may enhance it,” the polling agency said. “Opinions about the effectiveness of the TSA are mixed, although most Americans and U.S. air travelers say the procedures are at least somewhat effective at preventing terrorism.”
The daily headlines are getting more mind-boggling by the day. One thing they all have in common, besides being a complete affront to the senses and spirit;
They’re all f**ing backwards.
They’re complete reversals of not only previously established facts, but what your heart and even common sense are telling you. These ongoing, in your face, assumptive and arrogant lies against humanity are almost beyond comprehension.
What is most appalling is the brash magnitude of the barrage. We’re being played for idiots.
Know what’s more freaky? They know if they repeat it often enough and don’t back down they’ll succeed. The masses will open their mouths and swallow it.
The Lies of Omission Are Some of the Worst
I feel like I’m running around a trauma ward sometimes telling the patients “Don’t go to sleep! Don’t go to sleep!” like doctors tell shocked trauma victims so they can know their full symptoms and keep some sort of conscious control over them while they assess their situation.
Only in this case it’s a media drug overdose that is leading to mental and spiritual paralysis.
And while the barrage of poisonous information has become more overwhelming, what’s even more nefarious is what is NOT mentioned, giving the listener or viewer a distinct message that either something does not exist, or at the least that it’s not worth addressing.
This is at the root of the most heinous crimes against humanity ever perpetrated. They may allow a moment of questioning in the media to give you the impression it’s been discussed somewhere by somebody, but then it’s lights out for any further discussion. Period.
And how do you know that? The subject never comes up again.
And if it does?
If it’s important enough like cornerstone false flags 9/11, 7/7 or Oklahoma City and the like, they’re hooted down as outright crackpot conspiracy talk.
End of discussion.
How you like dem shackles?
Gut Reversal: Elephants in the Room that Apparently Cannot be Discussed Anymore..
Try these topics:
A. WTF with this Unlimited War Agenda?
We’re now engaged in an unlimited, indefinite, undefined and unwinnable worldwide war. And now it’s anywhere we’re told it needs to be.
Is there a protest? Not a peep. Even the liberals are all over it. Why? The agenda is socio-fascist globalization, if you haven’t noticed. War is what’s breaking down the walls of the worldwide hive of national sovereignty, the family structure, cultural ties, etc.
What a nuisance….to them.
B. What the Hell is Patriotism?
Does anyone stop anymore to assess this idiotic, obscene campaign into country after country that is deemed “terrorist” and unfit to rule itself? Yet young men and women are fed military patriotism and, hence, allegiance to such a vicious agenda, like sugar laden pancakes at a church breakfast all day long, from sports events, advertisements and phony political posturing like pulling a bull by the nose ring.
C. Absolute Dystopian Government.
Politicians are not expected to tell the truth yet people keep playing the game. Corporations and banks clearly run the government yet to say so is not allowed, except for an occasional wrist slapping to keep the hordes mollified. Solutions proposed are always within the existing corrupt system which assures they’ll do nothing but perpetrate the crime.
D. Banking bailouts for our Continued Prosperity…What?
Everything financial is off limits because us plebians are so ignorant. Total financial smoke and mirrors while the world waits in complete dependency for “them” to sort it out – foxes organizing the hen house again. As long as they can finance what’s going on they’re happy campers. Those with independent money (non Rothschild central banks) like Libya and Iran?
Targets. Now you know why they’re after them.
….and all reinforced by what?
E. The Fear of Everything – So called monsters running rogue nations, and terrorists that morph into anything from crazed gunmen to now your patriotic neighbors. Expect more of this, folks. Then there are epidemics and exotic new diseases that just “appear” out of nowhere. What about the pending economic crash, the drought bringing food shortages, and global warming all caused by wicked evil CO2 emitting mankind?
Be afraid, be very afraid. “And we’ll have to tax you more to fix it, by the way.”
All Staged….A to Z. And What if the World Woke up to that Fact?
It’s all staged, people. Never forget that. The financial crash didn’t “have to happen”. It was engineered. People at the top don’t want you empowered with wealth or influence. The middle class is their abject enemy. The war on terror was completely staged, with the end result of a hegemonist push into the mideast for more power and control as their clear desire.
These insane bastards are licking their chops for WW3 for further conquest, believe it or not.
They’re even screwing with not only our food, air and water, but our weather! What more do you want to convince you?
These Bastards Play for Keeps.
That’s just the obviously neglected stuff in the media. Let’s look at some of the recent incriminating truth reversal evidence:
–Gun ownership has suddenly become an innate sin following these staged, timely shootings.
–Muslims are the implied wild card rebel race while Zionism rules congress.
–Sunshine is bad for you, unless you slather yourself with their chemicals, while vitamins are the whacko’s regimen.
–Banned pesticides and herbicides have been re-introduced by international agencies to keep us earth exploiters “well fed”.
–Surveilled survivalist “extremists” live off the land while home gardeners are arrested. And don’t dare gather your own rainwater or you’ll go to jail!
–And hey–contrary to earlier scientific data, vaccines are now good for all pregnant moms too!
etc. etc. The list goes on and on.
You buying all this? I didn’t think so, but just look at the barrage!
Hot Humans Must be Exterminated
As you can see WE apparently are guilty on every count. After all, humans are bad…they’re the scourge on the earth–way too many, their carbon footprint is killing the planet and we should feel guilty for being alive.
Facetious of course. Their argument is a total fabrication from hell by manipulative maniacs who think we’ll swallow all this swill.
I’m as sick of it as are you.
Watch closely. The world today is being duped, flipped, clipped, dipped and chipped.
Don’t you be.
Just be true. And stand tall, in any and every way you are called.
Yet another study has concluded that feeding animals GMOs results in higher rates of infant mortality and causes fertility problems. Russian biologist Alexey V. Surov and other researchers fed Campbell hamsters (which have fast reproduction rates) Monsanto GM soy for two years. It should be noted that hamsters do not evolutionarily eat soy—just as cows fed Monsanto corn are actually ruminants and would not naturally eat corn.
“Originally, everything went smoothly,” Surov told broadcasting service The Voice of Russia. Surov and the researchers fed the same diet to three generations of the hamsters, and that’s when they noticed things going awry.
GMO Causes Fertility Problems, Slow Growth, Hair Growth in Mouths
“We noticed quite a serious effect when we selected new pairs from their cubs and continued to feed them as before. These pairs’ growth rate was slower and reached their sexual maturity slowly.” By the third generation, the hamsters were infertile.
Many animals on the GM diet even displayed rare, strange pathologies like hair growing in recessed pouches inside their mouths. “Some of these pouches contained single hairs,” said Surov in Doklady Biological Sciences, “others, thick bundles of colorless or pigmented hairs reaching as high as the chewing surface of the teeth. Sometimes, the tooth row was surrounded with a regular brush of hair bundles on both sides. The hairs grew vertically and had sharp ends, often covered with lumps of mucous.” Surov and other authors concluded that because rates of hairy mouths occurred more frequently in third-generation GM-fed animals, the condition may have resulted of the GM feed. Surov says contaminants and herbicide residue (like Roundup) could be to blame as well.
Other Victims of GMOs
Other than fertility problems, the GMO phenomenon has been noticed elsewhere—even in our own United States. Farmers using GM feed have reported infertile pigs and cows. Other incidents involving GMOs include:
Overall, GM sounds like a sweet deal only for Monsanto (and our own FDA and USDA, repeatedly found in bed with them). It remains a bad deal for us, the consumers.
Rescue workers evacuate residents from a flooded home in Manila, Philippines, on Aug. 8, after torrential rains inundated most of the capital. More than 800,000 people in and around the city battled deadly floods as more rain fell with neck-deep waters trapping slum dwellers and the wealthy elite on rooftops.
Grigory Dukor / Reuters
Weighty problem
Germany’s Matthias Steiner is injured Aug. 7 as he drops a 432-pound barbell during the men’s +150kg Group A snatch weightlifting competition at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The defending Olympic champion was sore and bruised but escaped serious injury, team doctors said.
Jerome Delay / AP
Waiting for aid
Internally displaced Congolese children shelter from the rain under plastic sheets Aug. 8 as they await aid in Kibati, north of Goma, eastern Congo. Drenching rain punctuated by frightening bursts of thunder and forked lightning add to the misery of some of the 280,000 refugees from Congo’s eastern rebellion. Their plight was highlighted by a visit from the U.N. humanitarian chief Baroness Valerie Amos.
Narendra Shrestha / EPA
Religiously devoted
Kumari Samita Bajracharya, 10, sits on her traditional religious chair while waiting for devotees Aug. 3 at the Buddhist monastery Ratnakar Bihar in Lalitpur, Nepal. The Kumari (living goddess) was worshipped by devotees before the beginning of a procession held as part of the Gai Jatra (Cow festival), dedicated to family members who recently passed away.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
Surf’s up
Surfers keep cool at Rockaway Beach in the Queens borough of New York City on Aug. 4. The past year through June 2012 the continental U. S. has been the hottest since modern record keeping started in 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA also reports the 10 warmest years since 1895 have occurred since 2000. A weather expert at the agency suggested climate change has a role in the high temperatures.
Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman via AP
Where there is smoke…
A home burns during a large wildfire Aug. 3 in Luther, Okla. The blaze whipped by gusty, southerly winds swept through rural woodlands north and south of Oklahoma City and burned several homes as firefighters struggled to contain it in 113-degree heat.
Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Proud papa
Silver medalist Nick Dempsey of Great Britain celebrates with his children Thomas-Flynn, left, and Oscar following the Men’s RS:X Sailing on Day 11 of the London 2012 Olympic Games in Weymouth, England.
Fire officials said a Wednesday morning earthquake was to blame for explosion at an Ontario home that injured a man in his 70s.
The 11:40 a.m. blast blew the windows out of the two-story home and adjacent garage, located in the 400 block of West Carlton Street, and sparked a small fire inside, according to the Ontario Fire Department. A garage door also was blown off, landing in a neighboring yard.
Firefighters doused the blaze within about 10 minutes as paramedics treated the injured man on scene, officials said. He was later taken to an area hospital for an evaluation.
A fire inspector later determined that an earthquake Wednesday morning caused some items in the garage to fall, opening a gas valve in the process, officials said. The garage filled with natural gas and, ignited by the water heater, ultimately exploded.
The incident caused an estimated $200,000 in damage.
A series of more than 30 small-to-moderate earthquakes have rattled Southern California since Tuesday night, beginning with a magnitude 4.5 quake reported near Yorba Linda. Another 4.5 quake rumbled the area about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday; the smaller temblors were reported in between.
No significant damage was reported during the quakes themselves.
While earthquakes today were often less destructive because of improved building codes, more people were affected because cities were larger. File image. AFP
IT’S only a matter of time before a huge earthquake strikes a major city and results in a death toll “unprecedented in human history”.
Well-known Scottish scientist Iain Stewart delivered that grim prediction yesterday in Brisbane during an address to a global geology conference.
Professor Stewart, a geologist and academic who has gained fame for multiple BBC television series on the planet, said the risk of disaster has grown because a growing number of mega-cities are built on or near major earthquake faults.
Large settlements since antiquity have been based on these fault lines because they also help provide water and are usually located near flat plains ideally suited for growing crops.
This “fatal attraction” to dangerous areas was “actually a good thing”, because historically the trade-off was worth it since earthquakes were rare and most cities were not that large, he said.
While earthquakes today were often less destructive because of improved building codes, more people were affected because cities were larger, Prof Stewart told delegates at the 34th International Geological Congress.
Despite the danger of such hazards, people were still drawn to earthquake-prone California and the US gulf states, which were routinely hit by hurricanes.
Although it might seem that the number of natural disasters around the world is increasing, there are simply more people living in harm’s way, and that fact creates the illusion. “We create the template that brings these disasters,” Prof Stewart said.
Similarly, people want to live only 20m from the beach, even in regions liable to be struck by tsunamis. Even after properties have been destroyed, many owners vow to rebuild.
Further research was needed to understand why people continued to have such a high threshold for living in danger zones and why they often chose to ignore the science that could save their lives, he said.
Location of the larrger recent earthquakes under Sotarà
The summit of Sotarà volcano on an INGEOMINAS photo from Oct 2011
Current seismic signal (SOSO station) late on 8 aug
The recent increase in seismic activity under Sotarà volcano promted INGEOMINAS to raise the alert level from yellow (unrest) to orange (eruption warning) yesterday afternoon.
The increase had been detected on June 24, 2012 and since that date, 6891 earthquakes have been recorded, i.e. an average of 150 quakes per day. Most of them (5177) are of very small magnitude, but the remaining 1714 quakes were of significant energy (local magnitudes 0.1-2.2) and concentrated in an area between 0.1 and 5 km northeast of the volcanic summit at depths between 2 and 6 km.
None of these events were felt by inhabitants of the communities surrounding the volcano Sotará.
The deformation network shows a possible inflation process towards the northeast sector of the volcano, which correlates with the epicentral zone of seismicity reported and suggest that magma is rising there, and might (or might not) lead to an eruption in a near to medium future.
During the month of July geochemical surveys showed no significant changes in temperatures of hot springs in the area.
INGEOMINAS stresses that this activity does not pose any immediate danger to the communities aroud the volcano. However, it should be said as well that this could change quickly.
Flashes of lightning have been reported coming from White Island as the volcano continues to erupt since Sunday.
White Island, which lies 48 kilometers off the Bay of Plenty coast, was raised to a Volcanic Alert Level 2 after a surveillance camera captured a small eruption from its crater last week.
Whakatane Police said they received a number of calls reporting lightning of different colours since just after 7pm.
GNS visited the island, which is New Zealand’s most active cone volcano, this morning and confirmed it was still erupting with a 300 metre plume of ash spewing from the crater.
GNS scientist Michael Rosenberg said volcanic lightning is quite common and is a result of ash generating static electricity.
There were also reports this afternoon of ash falling on Papamoa, which is on the coast near Tauranga.
“It is extremely fine, but it’s visible on cars,” said Carol Congalton.
GNS scientist Brad Scott said “A relatively new vent seems to have formed at the back of the crater lake and it’s a very open vent and volcanic ash has been emitted from that.”
The Aviation Colour Code remains at orange, meaning the volcano is “exhibiting heightened unrest”.
The volcano’s first ash eruption since 2001 poses the highest level of risk for visitors to the island, GNS said, but it is not a threat to the mainland.
GNS advises visitors to take a high level of caution, with possible health risks including ash and acid gas exposure, respiratory issues, and skin and eye sensitivity to acid gases.
Scientists said the eruption could last a few days or weeks, or like the last one, which erupted for 25 years.
The recent increase in seismic activity under Sotarà volcano promted INGEOMINAS to raise the alert level from yellow (unrest) to orange (eruption warning) yesterday afternoon. The increase had been detected on June 24, 2012 and since that date, 6891 earthquakes have been recorded, i.e. an average of 150 quakes per day. Most of them (5177) are of very small magnitude, but the remaining 1714 quakes were of significant energy (local magnitudes 0.1-2.2) and concentrated in an area between 0.1 and 5 km northeast of the volcanic summit at depths between 2 and 6 km. None of these events were felt by inhabitants of the communities surrounding the volcano Sotará. The deformation network shows a possible inflation process towards the northeast sector of the volcano, which correlates with the epicentral zone of seismicity reported and suggest that magma is rising there, and might (or might not) lead to an eruption in a near to medium future. During the month of July geochemical surveys showed no significant changes in temperatures of hot springs in the area. INGEOMINAS stresses that this activity does not pose any immediate danger to the communities aroud the volcano. However, it should be said as well that this could change quickly.
Several record-high temperatures for the day were set Wednesday as Southern California continued to sizzle in a summer heat wave that could become even hotter in the coming days. Woodland Hills peaked at 107 degrees, breaking by 1 degree a record that was set in 1982, the National Weather Service said. Records were also set in Riverside County. Ramona hit 101 degrees. That broke a record of 99 set in 1998, forecasters said. Th desert community of Thermal hit 115 degrees, which beat a record of 114 recorded in 2004. Triple-digit temperatures were also recorded in places such as Palmdale, which topped out at 107 degrees, and Elsinore, where the high was 111 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Downtown Los Angeles at USC was 89 degrees. Forecasters said Thursday and Friday could be the hottest days. The heat could couple with monsoonal moisture, sparking thunderstorms in mountain and valley areas.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Forecasters say there’s no relief in sight and Southern California’s heat wave is expected to continue through this week, with temperatures peaking Thursday and Friday.
The National Weather Service says Woodland Hills topped its 1982 record of 106 on Wednesday, when the mercury reached 107.
On Monday, the San Fernando Valley hotspot tied its record temperature of 108 degrees that was set in 1997.
Southern California Edison is ramping up the number of crews available to respond to possible power outages as sweltering temperatures send electricity use climbing.
The company is urging conservation and saying that high electricity use _ particularly from air conditioners _ is straining distribution equipment, but no power outages have been reported.
Showers and thunderstorms are tearing through the Carolinas Thursday. Heavy rain and strong winds are responsible for knocking down several trees. According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, a tree fell on Interstate 85 northbound in Greenville County at the 54 mile marker. All lanes were blocked and traffic backed up for several miles. Numerous trees fell along the Pelham Road corridor, including one that fell on a man home in the Brookfield sub-division. Another tree crashed through a small fence at Christ The King Lutheran Church. Several trees knocked down powerlines along Rolling Green Circle in Greenville County. 7 On Your Side has received several other reports of trees and flooding blocking roadways. Firefighters say a home in Tryon caught fire after being struck by lightning. Thousands are without power according to Duke Energy.
A man slides down a hill after a rare snowfall in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012. Temperatures dropped to below freezing Tuesday morning as snow flurries blew through South Africa’s commercial hub Johannesburg, dusting the city in white as residents poured into the streets to watch the snowflakes fall. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
JOHANNESBURG — People slowly came outside despite the cold wind Tuesday across South Africa, pointed their mobile phone cameras to the sky and opened their mouths to taste a rare snowfall that fell on much of the country.
The snow began Tuesday morning, part of an extreme cold snap now biting into a nation still in its winter months. By mid-afternoon, officials recorded snowfall across most of South Africa. However, forecasters acknowledged snow remains so unusual that they typically aren’t prepared to provide details about snowfall in the nation.
The snow closed some roads and at least one high-altitude pass. The snowfall also closed several border posts in the country.
As the snow fell, workers at offices in Johannesburg rushed outside. Some twirled and danced as the flakes fell. One man rushed to the top of a snow-covered hill and slid down, using a cardboard box as an improvised toboggan. Despite the cold and the snow, beggars who line traffic lights in the city continued to ask passing motorists for cash.
The snow grew heavier in the afternoon in Johannesburg, covering rooftops and slicking roads. Snowflakes are a rare commodity in Johannesburg, even during winter. South African Weather Service records show it has snowed in Johannesburg on only 22 other days in the last 103 years. The last snow fell there in June 2007.
In Pretoria, the country’s capital, flurries filled the sky during a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. It was the first snowfall there since 1968, the weather service said.
A Forest Service campground has been closed, and residents of two homes were warned about increased danger as a forest fire grew in southern Lake County near the Nevada border. The word went out late Wednesday to evacuate the Dog Lake Campground, where there are an estimated 20 campsites. Residents of two privately owned residences within the Fremont-Winema National Forest were warned of potential dangers. The structure in greatest jeopardy was a fire lookout tower, which had gotten a protective wrapping, Forest Service spokeswoman Lisa Swinney said Thursday. The Barry Point fire area had grown to about 3 square miles. The daily fire report said it had a high potential to spread. At midday, Swinney said, there was no accurate containment estimate. Lightning that started over the weekend set off dozens of fires in Oregon, some of which grew to significant size or complexity. As with the Barry Point fire, just north of Nevada, many were along the state’s borders. Southwest of Medford, along the Oregon-California border, the Forest Service said crews were struggling to get a hold on a complex of small fires centered on the Red Buttes Wilderness area. It said the fire was spreading in “extremely steep and heavily forested terrain,” on about half a square mile of terrain _ about 340 acres. Video shot from the air showed standing dead trees, or “snags,” from the last big fire in the area, in 1987. The Forest Service said more firefighters were being pressed into service. To the east, a large fire from Nevada crept north into Harney County. The fire area totaled nearly 200 square miles, and its potential for growth was rated as extreme. Along the Idaho border in the far eastern part of the state, firefighters said they had established containment lines around an 8-square-mile fire south of Vale. In Central Oregon, a 2-square-mile fire near Sisters that briefly threatened a subdivision earlier in the week was expected to be contained Thursday. A disintegrating tire on a tanker headed for the Lakeview-area fire caused concern Wednesday at the Medford airport. The DC-7 tanker took off with a load of retardant. Workers noticed pieces of the tire on the runway, and a pilot on another tanker saw the tire was damaged but still inflated. After dropping its load of retardant, the tanker returned to Medford and landed safely, as firefighters kept watch.
Three hotels in Kardamena resort on the Greek island of Kos in the Aegean Sea have been evacuated due to a wildfire. The visitors were evacuated after smoke from the nearby fires reached the hotels and started bothering the holidaymakers. The tourists waited for some time on the beach, while the Greek firefighters were battling the flames with the help of two firefighting aircraft. Strong fires were registered in several districts in Greece. In Arcadia on the island of Peloponnesus the fire spread on an area of a few kilometers. In addition, forest fires were registered close to Corinth, west of Athens, and in Athos, in the north of the country. Firefighters from several districts are battling the fire close to Corinth. The flames are raging near the national motorway. In Athos the fire broke out not far away from the Hilandar Monastery.
Tropical Storm Ernesto crossed the coast of the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, sending wind gusts and showers across the state of Veracruz, home to some of Mexico’s busiest ports and oil installations. The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, made landfall in the early afternoon close to the port city of Coatzacoalcos. Ernesto was heading west over southern Mexico at a speed of about 10 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 5 p.m. EDT advisory. Mexico’s government downgraded a hurricane warning for the coast of Veracruz to a tropical storm warning. The hurricane center said it expects further weakening as Ernesto moves over mountainous terrain in the next day or two. However, torrential rain and flooding was expected in Veracruz and authorities reported three deaths. Officials from state-run oil company Pemex said there were no reports of disruptions to facilities in the region, which include the Minatitlan refinery, producing 185,000 barrels of crude per day. The eye of the storm passed the oilfields of Cantarell and Ku Maloob Zaap, which account for just over half of Mexico’s oil production of about 2.5 million bpd.Coatzacoalcos is home to one of Mexico’s key oil exporting ports, which has been closed since Wednesday along with Cayo Arcas and Dos Bocas. Almost all of Mexico’s crude oil exports, which totaled 1.425 million bpd in June, are shipped to refineries on the Gulf Coast of the United States from the three ports. Authorities in Veracruz said they were preparing emergency shelters, if needed, in the flood-prone and densely populated state. The small Mina-Coatza airport, between Minatitlan and Coatzacoalcos, was closed on Thursday and waves of 13-20 feet were reported along the coast. Ernesto is forecast to plow through Veracruz state and into central Mexico on Friday as a tropical depression. The storm previously made landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan coast late on Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane, the lowest on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, before being downgraded to a tropical storm on Wednesday. Two people drowned and about 100 houses were damaged as the storm swept through the swampy state of Tabasco toward the Gulf of Mexico, according to local officials. One person died in Coatzacoalcos after falling while working on home repairs, an official from the local Red Cross unit said. The storm spared major tourist areas on the peninsula from a direct hit and landed in sparsely populated low-lying jungle, near the port town of Mahahual, 40 miles north of Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo state. Ernesto passed well south of the major tourist resort of Cancun, which saw only heavy rains. About 2,500 people were evacuated from Chetumal up the coast to Tulum in an area known for its scuba diving and ecotourism attractions. Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches, and possibly 15 inches in some areas, was expected in the states of Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla and northern Oaxaca through Friday, the center said.
A gym provides temporary accommodation for dozens of people in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Wednesday as Typhoon Haikui bears down. [Photo: China Daily/ Zhang Di]
Typhoon Haikui left 4 people dead and forced more than 2.14 million people to be relocated by 4 p.m. Thursday in east China’s Shanghai municipality and Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, according to statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
In Shanghai, the typhoon has left 2 dead and affected 361,000 people, the ministry said, adding that 50 houses were destroyed and 700 others damaged.
In Jiangsu province, Haikui left one person dead and affected 662,000 people, and it destroyed 600 houses and damaged 2,400 others.
The typhoon also affected more than 7 million people in Zhejiang province, with 1.55 million people relocated, and it left one person dead and forced 163,000 others to be evacuated in Anhui province, the ministry said.
Officials and experts have been sent to rainstorm-battered Anhui province in east China to aid in local relief efforts, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Thursday.
Haikui is the third typhoon to wallop China’s eastern coast in a week, after storms Saola and Damrey hit the region over the weekend.
Ten cities and municipalities in Metro Manila and six provinces in Luzon have been placed under a state of calamity due to massive flooding caused by four days of non-stop monsoon rains. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that areas in Metro Manila that have been placed under a state of calamity were Marikina, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa, San Juan, Pasig, Pasay, Caloocan and Pateros. In Central Luzon, the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales and Bulacan as well as Laguna and Palawan provinces in Southern Luzon have also been placed under a state of calamity. Quezon City, which has the most number of families affected by floods, has yet to make a calamity declaration. There are a total of 72,468 people affected by flooding in the city and majority of them or a total of 72,264 are staying in 57 evacuation centers. Quezon City and Marikina City have been hit by greater volume of torrential rains since Sunday night. A massive evacuation has been ordered in Marikina City due to the overflowing of the Marikina River. A total of 246,808 people have been affected in 17 areas in Metro Manila. The other regions affected by the monsoon rains were Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Western Visayas. The NDRRMC said that a total of 454,093 families or nearly two million people in Metro Manila and the five other regions are affected by floods caused by the monsoon rains. It has also confirmed 19 fatalities, nine of which died in a landslide in Quezon City and eight died from drowning. Flooding in Quezon City and other areas in Luzon were expected to continue due to the overflowing of major dams including La Mesa, Angat and San Roque. The water reserve in Ipo, Ambuklao and Binga dams are near spilling levels.
The first case of deadly Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever has been confirmed from a private hospital in Karachi, whose lab analysis confirmed that the patient was suffering from the viral disease, officials said on Thursday. The Sindh Dengue Surveillance Cell officials confirmed that the patient, whose name was not disclosed, was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi with symptoms of Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever. His test from another private hospital confirmed that he was suffering from the disease. Sources in the provincial health department said the patient’s name was Jumma Khan, whose age was between 40 and 45 years and he belongs to Karachi. He was being treated at a local private hospital after testing positive for the Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic fever. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), CCHF is a severe disease in humans, with a high mortality rate. Fortunately, human illness occurs rarely, although animal infection may be more common. The WHO says the disease has been prevalent in Pakistan, especially in the Balochistan province, since 2000 and over last two years, caused the deaths of several people.
Biohazard name:
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF)
Biohazard level:
4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.:
Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
It’s a stretch of road where not much has changed, at least in Willard Hebbe’s lifetime. “A few bicyclists out here,” said Hebbe. “They like to come out here and ride, but it’s just a country road out here.” It’s a road Hebbe knows well, which is why what he drove by Thursday stood out. “I saw a truck in the driveway, kind of strange and unusual,” said Hebbe. Strange because, the fence usually hiding it from view was ripped right out of the ground. “After awhile we had two or three fire trucks and an ambulance and a tow truck,” Hebbe added. That’s when Hebbe’s daughter Kristin started taking pictures, capturing much more than a wrecked truck. The driver’s off road ride finally ended when the truck slammed into the corner of a nearby house ending one accident and starting another. “Evidently there was a swarm of bees in the house and the bees attacked the guy getting out of the truck,” explained Hebbe. The swarm stung not only the driver, but several others, including the homeowner who tried to pull him to safety. The attack makes five in the past week for Travis County. They started last Friday with two attacks near Koenig and Lamar. Another swarm struck north Austin off Croslin Street. The worst was Wednesday in Plugerville, when bees stung a man more than 300 times. Thursday’s swarm wasn’t even the biggest. A bee wrangler said the hive was just a few years old. “I don’t know what’s up with all these bees,” smiled Hebbe. “I don’t think these are related to those bees, but don’t really know for sure.” What Hebbe does know, he’ll be keeping an eye out for all things that buzz. Travis County EMS says the driver of that truck was taken to Seton Williamson Hospital. The man is expected to make a full recovery.
Biohazard name:
Bees attack
Biohazard level:
0/4 —
Biohazard desc.:
This does not included biological hazard category.
A deadly disease that hasn’t been seen in Colorado for 31-years has been found in the northeast part of state. The Colorado Department of Agriculture is currently investigating an anthrax case in Logan County; one deceased cow is confirmed to have been infected with the disease, approximately 50 dead cattle are suspected to have been exposed. One location has tested positive and adjacent ranchers are being notified. No cattle left the location prior to the quarantine. No cattle entered the food chain. “The risk is minimal outside the affected ranch. We believe, at this point, that anthrax is confined to that specific premises,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Keith Roehr. “Colorado has not had an anthrax case in 31 years but anthrax outbreaks are not uncommon in the Western United States. We are dedicated to providing the necessary response to ensure that the investigation works quickly to limit the spread of this disease.” The premises has been quarantined and people, cattle, and equipment that may have come into contact with anthrax are being monitored during this investigation. “Our focus is on the potential for human exposure,” said Dr. Tony Cappello, district public health administrator for the Northeast Colorado Health Department.”We are currently conducting our own public health investigation and contacting individuals that have been involved with the livestock. Anthrax is not spread from person to person and exposure is limited only to those who had contact with the affected cattle or the immediate area.” Anthrax can develop naturally in soil; the spores can become active in association with periods of marked climatic or ecologic change such as heavy rainfall, flooding or drought which can then expose the anthrax spores to grazing livestock. Outbreaks of anthrax are commonly associated with neutral or alkaline soils. In these areas the spores apparently revert to the vegetative form and multiply to infectious levels so that cattle, horses, mules, sheep and goats may readily become infected when grazing such areas. Anthrax is a serious disease because it can cause the rapid loss of a large number of animals in a very short time. Often, animals are found dead with no illness detected. Appropriate carcass disposal is being used to prevent further soil contamination. Producers should consult their veterinarians and vaccinate their livestock, if deemed appropriate. Humans or animals can become infected by coming in contact with infected animals, soil or water. Anthrax infection can be treated with antibiotics, especially if caught in the early stages.
Biohazard name:
Anthrax (cow)
Biohazard level:
4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.:
Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
A Chinese cargo vessel crashed into a docking facility in the Incheon harbor on Wednesday, causing an oil spill, the South Korean Coast Guard said. About 600 liters of bunker C fuel oil have spilled into waters off Incheon on the west coast when the 40,000-ton ship struck the docking facility at about 9:20 p.m. and a big hole was torn in the right side, they said on Thursday. The spill has been contained around the port area and no casualties have been reported, they added. “The spill is expected to not spread as the harbor is situated in an inner area that is less affected by tidal currents,” an official said. The Coast Guard said it has deployed nine ships and helicopters, and set up a floating fence to keep oil from dispersing. Meanwhile, the officials will question the Chinese sailors to determine the exact cause of the accident.
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Yet another study has concluded that feeding animals GMOs results in higher rates of infant mortality and causes fertility problems. Russian biologist Alexey V. Surov and other researchers fed Campbell hamsters (which have fast reproduction rates) Monsanto GM soy for two years. It should be noted that hamsters do not evolutionarily eat soy—just as cows fed Monsanto corn are actually ruminants and would not naturally eat corn.
