Society's ChildS


Fish

Fish fraud widespread in US: Report

Sushi
© Zenpix | Dreamstime
You might want to take a second look at that red snapper you ordered - it could be another fish entirely. Seafood is frequently mislabeled in supermarkets and other retailers, according to one of the largest studies to date.

The results, released today (Feb. 21) by the ocean conservation organization Oceana, found that one-third of 1,215 seafood samples purchased across 21 U.S. states were mislabeled. And 87 percent of the time, fish labeled as red snapper was something else entirely. Nearly 60 percent of the time, fish labeled as tuna was also another fish.

Several other studies, some by the same organization, have found frequently mislabeled fish in New York, but this is the largest study to date to look at the problem.

According to the report, 90 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported, and less than 1 percent of it is inspected for mislabeling or other fraud.

Pistol

Las Vegas strip shooting leaves 3 dead, strip closed

Image
© Dave Lawrence/FOX5Two of the vehicles involved in the deadly multi-vehicle wreck that resulted from a rolling gun battle at the Las Vegas Strip.
A rolling gun battle at the famed Las Vegas Strip led to a multi-vehicle wreck that resulted in the deaths of three people on Thursday. Las Vegas Metro police said the shooting happened just before 4:30 a.m. on Flamingo Road near Las Vegas Boulevard.

According to a Metro sergeant, drivers in a Maserati and a black sport-utility vehicle were exchanging gunfire, approaching the intersection.

The sports car was then struck by a taxi cab, police said. The taxi burst into flames, killing the driver and the passenger inside, police said.

Police also said the driver of the Maserati was killed as a result of the shooting.

The wreck also involved three more vehicles at the intersection, and four others were injured, including a passenger in the Maserati, police said. Those people were sent to University Medical Center, where three were discharged following the crash, police said.

There was no word on the condition of the fourth injured person.

Metro said a black Range Rover with black rims was the other vehicle involved in the shootout. The SUV fled the scene.

Question

Reborn baby doll: Silicone bundle of joy

Baby Dolls_1
© Rebecca Martinez
The photo above, taken by photographer Rebecca Martinez, is of a baby shower in St. Louis, with games and gifts you'd typically find in such gathering, with one big exception: the honored babies aren't real.

Black Magic

Horrific cult broken up in Northern Mexico

Cult
© Glenn E. Malone/Flickr
A sect named Defenders of Christ that was broken up in Mexico last month forced women to participate in orgies, discouraged baths and made people eat raw animal organs, the wife of a cult leader said Tuesday.

Mexican immigration authorities raided the sex-driven sect's house in the northern state of Nuevo Laredo on January 25, rounding up 14 foreigners, including its Spanish leader Ignacio Gonzalez de Arriba, and 10 Mexicans.

Gonzalez de Arriba saw himself as the reincarnation of Christ and used the Internet to recruit adherents, offering classes on "bio-programming," alternative health care, psychic powers and sexuality, according to the Victim Support Network, which helps people who flee sects.

"They broke you down, making you even doubt your own name," Blanca Castro, who was married to a Venezuelan leader of the Defenders of Christ, told a news conference.

"They made me eat raw animal organs. And you know what? When you're starving you'll eat anything," the Mexican woman said, adding that sect leaders told followers that hygiene was a waste of time.

Comet 2

Meteorite fragment hunters drive prices to stratospheric amounts

Image
But, with one small piece costing up to £6,500, how can buyers tell whether they are getting the genuine article?

Professional meteorite hunters were quickly on the scene last week after a large space rock entered the atmosphere over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk and exploded. Demand from international collectors is such that a tiny fragment of the meteorite could fetch hundreds of dollars. Reports have already surfaced on Russian websites of pieces being offered for sale for as much as £6,500.

But how do you tell that what you are buying is a genuine meteorite and not, say, a piece of painted concrete?

"The first thing to look for is the 'fusion crust'," says Dr Natalie Starkey, a cosmochemist at the Open University who specialises in the study of meteorites. "Think of what the crust on baked bread looks like. The exterior of the meteorite will be shiny, smooth and black. The heat generated by entering our atmosphere causes the rock's exterior to melt like glass. This appearance is a good indicator that it's a meteorite, but, sadly, it isn't definitive. Ultimately, it will need forensic examination by an expert."

Mr. Potato

Fetus is 'the largest organ in a body' says Republican representative

Image
A Republican state representative in Alabama says that her bill to force new restrictions on abortion clinics is necessary because the fetus is "the largest organ in a body."

In a recent interview, state Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin explained why she was sponsoring House Bill 57 - The Women's Health and Safety Act - which would "require clinics to follow ambulatory clinic building codes and make it a felony - punishable by up to 10 years in prison - for a nurse, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant to dispense abortion-inducing medications," according to the Montgomery Advertiser.

"When a physician removes a child from a woman, that is the largest organ in a body," the lawmaker declared. "That's a big thing. That's a big surgery. You don't have any other organs in your body that are bigger than that."

In fact, the largest internal organ in the body is the liver, weighing 3.5 pound on average. The body's largest external organ is the skin. A fetus weighs about 0.6 pounds at 20 weeks.

"My liver, heart, and skin are all very excited that we are now giving organs personhood rights, although the latter is slightly upset about losing out on its 'largest organ in the human body' rep," Jezebel's Katie J.M. Baker wrote on Monday.

People

Effects of bullying last into adulthood, study finds

Image
Victims of bullying at school, and bullies themselves, are more likely to experience psychiatric problems in childhood, studies have shown. Now researchers have found that elevated risk of psychiatric trouble extends into adulthood, sometimes even a decade after the intimidation has ended.

The new study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday, is the most comprehensive effort to date to establish the long-term consequences of childhood bullying, experts said.

"It documents the elevated risk across a wide range of mental health outcomes and over a long period of time," said Catherine Bradshaw, an expert on bullying and a deputy director of the Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence at Johns Hopkins University, which was not involved in the study.

"The experience of bullying in childhood can have profound effects on mental health in adulthood, particularly among youths involved in bullying as both a perpetuator and a victim," she added.

Penis Pump

Former Republican senator reveals secret child with another senator's daughter

Image
Typical politician: Former Sen. Pete Domenici
(R-NM) admitted on Tuesday to fathering a child with Michelle Laxalt, the daughter of former Nevada Gov. and Sen. Paul Laxalt (R) after what she called "one night's mistake" more than 30 years ago.

According to Talking Points Memo, Domenici and Laxalt gave separate statements to the Albuquerque Journal revealing the existence of their son, Nevada attorney Adam Paul Laxalt.

"I have apologized as best as I can to my wife, and we have worked together to strengthen our relationship," Domenici said in his statement. "I deeply regret this and am very sorry for my behavior. I hope New Mexicans will view that my accomplishments for my beloved state outweigh my personal transgression."

Domenici served six terms in the Senate, from 1973 until 2009.

According to her autobiography statement on Politico's "The Arena," Michelle Laxalt worked as a lobbyist, and was named one of the "top 50 lobbyists in D.C." by The Washingtonian in 1993 and 1998. Her most recent lobbyings were made in 2010, on behalf of the American Gaming Association, and three companies connected to American financier T. Boone Pickens: BP Capital, Clean Energy Fuels and Mesa Wind and Mesa Water. It is unclear whether she ever lobbied Domenici.

People

Belgium considers euthanasia for minors

Image
Belgian legislators opened a debate Wednesday on whether to amend a decade-old law on euthanasia to cover minors, being told by experts that it was already taking place in practice without any set guidelines.

Currently, the law applies to those over 18 but one expert told the upper house of parliament that it was clear that euthanasia was being carried out on younger people, the Belga news agency reported.

"We all know it," said Dominique Biarent, head of intensive care at Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital in Brussels.

Faced with this reality, "doctors need a legal framework," Biarent was quoted as saying by Belga.

Another expert, Professor Chris Van Geet of Leuven University, said the proposed changes pose "an enormous ethical problem."

The changes to the law, which would also include sufferers of Alzheimer's disease, were submitted to parliament in December and it is likely to be several months before any decision is taken on them.

Arrow Down

Is your local police department using pictures of pregnant women and children for target practice?

Boy with Gun_1
© Law Enforcement Targets, Inc
What if I told you police in your town could desensitize themselves to the idea of shooting a (armed) child, pregnant woman, or young mother, for just a couple of bucks?

The "No More Hesitation" series from Law Enforcement Targets Inc. offers exactly that. For less than 99 cents per target, police can shoot at real-life images "designed to give officers the experience of dealing with deadly force shooting scenarios with subjects that are not the norm during training."