Snapler

March 12, 2010

Mad Cow Disease Case Hidden For Weeks By Canadian and U.S. Agencies

Produced by HuffPost's Citizen Reporting Team

On February 25, 2010, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a recent case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as Mad Cow Disease, in a 72 month-old cow.

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March 10, 2010

Salt Ban For Restaurants? Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Kill Salt

Filed under: News, Original Content — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — David Weiner @ 6:48 pm
One Brooklyn lawmaker wants to take some flavor out of your food.

Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) has proposed a bill that "prohibits the use of salt by restaurants in the preparation of food by restaurants."

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March 9, 2010

Food, Shelter, Disease Research Most Important For Giving, Poll Shows

A new poll conducted by PARADE suggests what many in the nonprofit world have suspected: that the economic recession has made Americans more inclined to give and be involved in their communities, especially as it relates to helping the needy. It's also likely to benefit future generations, as 90% of American parents say they teach their children the importance of activism.

One of the most telling aspects of the poll is how it analyzes the causes Americans care about. Over 1,000 were asked how they would donate $100,000 to various causes. Applicants supported "food and shelter for the needy" the most, with "research to cure disease" coming in at a close second. Disaster relief, animal welfare and youth programs were third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

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Survival Seed Bank Uses Apocalypse To Advertise ‘Crisis Gardens’ On Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck's dwindling list of advertisers got a healthy boost Monday from Survival Seed Bank, a new advertiser peddling seeds to grow "crisis gardens."

Survival Seed Bank markets itself as sort of food insurance should the American government and market collapse. In the Survival Seed Bank commercial that aired Monday, a pitchman sits before a TV showing scenes of breadlines and soup kitchens from the Great Depression and asks "Are you worried about the economy? Are you ever worried that the politicians and the bankers are going to bring the whole thing crashing down? If so, pay close attention, because in an economic meltdown, non-hybrid seeds could become more valuable than even silver and gold. Afterall, securing a source of food for your family is the single most important thing you can do."

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March 7, 2010

Aftershocks: psuedo-Tsunamis and food insecurity in Hawai’i

A couple of my young and highly talented friends were winding down in the wee hours after their snapping GO LIVE! REAL FOOD performance in Waikiki when they got the news of the Chilean earthquake. They 'stood fixated on the flat screens, drinks in hand' as real time images of Chilean destruction were quickly followed by an official tsunami warning and a barrage of historic Hawaiian newsreel footage documenting the devastating tidal wave that hit Hilo back in 1947. After ordering an evacuation of coastal areas, the government advised people to stock up on a weeks worth of food. This is when hip-hop artists Jennifer Johns, Erwin Thomas and Lynnete Kaid learned a sobering fact:

There are only 3-5 days of food reserves available on the island. The land of lush tropical forests, sparkling waterfalls and deep, rich volcanic soils imports over 85% of its food. It is materially impossible for everyone to "stock up" on a week's food in Hawai'i.

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82nd Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball Preview

Curves and comfort food are the theme of this year's annual post-Oscar bash, the Governors Ball. The look for the night is "Streamline Moderne" with designs inspired by the 1930s, featuring soft architectural curves, says the event's producer Cheryl Cecchetto.

"Art Deco doesn't speak to me because it ends, it turns, it's harsh, but Streamline Moderne always did. So I went back to the 30s and I did my homework and I thought, 'Oh my God, wouldn't it be great to incorporate nothing but curves in a ball room,'" said Cecchetto.

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March 5, 2010

World Vision Warns Haiti’s Rural Communities Risk Chronic Food, Water Shortage as Burden to Care for Displaced Grows

Port-au-Prince, HAITI, March 2, 2010 - World Vision warns Haiti's rural communities are at risk for chronic food and water shortages as the burden to care for the displaced grows. Families in these communities are struggling to cope with the influx of people seeking refuge from the destruction in the capital city. The aid agency is concerned that these communities are at risk of increased chronic food and water shortages and lack of adequate shelter as the rainy season approaches, burdens that could lead to more displacement and deeper poverty as resources are rapidly depleted.

"Haiti's rural communities were already struggling to make ends meet before the earthquake," said Jean-Claude Mukadi, the relief response manager for World Vision in Haiti. "Now, as people continue to arrive in these communities, joining the hundreds of thousands who have already fled, they are all looking for food, water, and shelter. It's critical that efforts are put into place to help the families who were already living in these areas as well as those who are displaced from their homes."

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Between a Crocodile and a Snake

For Riya, life in the refugee camps in Bangladesh isn't much better than Burma. Her shelter rests on the side of a hill pieced together with scraps of tarp and chunks of mud, and she only has access to water for one hour a day. Since being born, her son has been inflicted with numerous illnesses. He suffers from continuous bouts of diarrhea, his belly is distended from malnourishment, his scrotum enlarged, and his thighs and lower belly covered in red pustules. Riya scrounges for food from relatives, collects and sells firewood from the local forest, and begs for money outside the camp just to avoid hunger. Under these conditions, she cannot seek medical care for her son because of the constant need to find food to avoid starvation. Riya shares the common sentiment in the refugee camp that the choice between living in Burma or fleeing to refugee camps in Bangladesh, is "like a choice between a crocodile and a snake."

For many Rohingya refugees, like Riya, they sought sanctuary in Bangladesh after being subject to state-sponsored persecution in Burma. Many have experienced property seizures, forced labor, military conscription, and have been prohibited from practicing their faith, or freely traveling, marrying or having children without permission from Burmese authorities. The Rohingya are an ethnic, Muslim minority from Burma who have no legal recourse and no protection from human rights violations. This is because of a 1982 law denying the Rohingya citizenship in their country of origin. This lack of nationality is the root of their persecution in Burma and the reason why the Rohingya cannot return home.

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World Vision Delivers Food, Supplies to Outlying Areas Devastated by Chile Quake, Tsunamis

March 4, 2010, Concepcion, Chile -- World Vision staff began distributing food and relief supplies yesterday in towns hard-hit by Saturday's 8.8 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunamis.

Following assessments Tuesday, staff from the Christian humanitarian organization distributed water, food, blankets, diapers and other infant items in the town of Dichato, located about 40 miles north of Concepcion. The town was devastated by the dual disasters.

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Haitian Small Businesses Hurting: Is Aid To Blame?

In the wake of the devastating earthquake that shook Haiti in January, international aid has been pouring into the island. Aid efforts organized by the United Nations, the U.S. and other countries have brought food, water and other supplies to earthquake survivors in need. While the nature of the disaster required that immediate response, now, almost two months later, the aid strategy hasn't changed. What cost does this type of aid have on Haitian business owners trying to get back on their feet after the earthquake?

The Wall Street Journal reports that small business owners aren't able to sell their products when competing with free foreign aid. With these local businesses not able to turn a profit, they aren't able to rehire their employees, leaving Haitian workers without a vital source of income that could help their families rebuild their homes.

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