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Austrian Police Say Man Locked Up Daughter for 24 years

The New York Times reports that a 73-year-old Austrian man kept his daughter locked in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children with her, three of whom never emerged into daylight from their prison until now.

Click here to read the whole story. 

PETA Offers $1 Million Reward to First to Make In Vitro Meat

PETA has come up with a fascinating proposition: They are offering $1 million to the first scientist who produces meat in the laboratory without killing animals -- i.e. using animal stem cells that would be placed in a medium to grow and reproduce, mimicking flesh that could be cooked and eaten. Read more here.

Scientists around the world are researching or seeking the funds to research ways to produce meat in the laboratory—without killing any animals. In vitro meat production would use animal stem cells that would be placed in a medium to grow and reproduce. The result would mimic flesh and could be cooked and eaten. Some promising steps have been made toward this technology, but we're still several years away from having in vitro meat be available to the general public.

PETA is now stepping in and offering a $1 million reward to the first scientist to produce and bring to market in vitro meat.

Why is PETA supporting this new technology? More than 40 billion chickens, fish, pigs, and cows are killed every year for food in the United States in horrific ways. Chickens are drugged to grow so large they often become crippled, mother pigs are confined to metal cages so small they can't move, and fish are hacked apart while still conscious—all to feed America's meat addiction. In vitro meat would spare animals from this suffering. In addition, in vitro meat would dramatically reduce the devastating effects the meat industry has on the environment.

Of course, humans don't need to eat meat at all—vegetarians are less likely to get heart disease, diabetes, or various types of cancer or become obese than meat-eaters are—and a terrific array of vegetarian mock meats already exist. But as many people continue to refuse to kick their meat addictions, PETA is willing to help them gain access to flesh that doesn't cause suffering and death.

Contest Details

PETA is offering a $1 million prize to the contest participant able to make the first in vitro chicken meat and sell it to the public by June 30, 2012. The contestant must do both of the following:

• Produce an in vitro chicken-meat product that has a taste and texture indistinguishable from real chicken flesh to non-meat-eaters and meat-eaters alike.
• Manufacture the approved product in large enough quantities to be sold commercially, and successfully sell it at a competitive price in at least 10 states.

Judging of taste and texture will be performed by a panel of 10 PETA judges, who will sample the in vitro chicken prepared using a fried "chicken" recipe from VegCooking.com. The in vitro chicken must get a score of at least 80 when evaluated in order to win the prize. Click here to read the complete contest rules, or e-mail to enter.

In the meantime, check out VegCooking.com for delicious, healthy mock-meat recommendations and thousands of tasty, animal-friendly recipes.

Hey! That’s my bra!

Katerina Plew, a mom of four from New York, is suing Victoria's Secret for stealing her idea for a bra. Nine years ago, Katerina came up with the idea for a bra that had fabric loops along the top of the cups and backs so that straps can be arranged in different ways to hide them. She even secured a patent on the design in 2004.

Katerina said she set up a meeting with Victoria's Secret executives to discuss her design and even e-mailed them a sketch of her bra. She said Victoria's Secret canceled her meeting at the very last minute.

Cut to last year, when Katerina came across the mega-retailer's "newest" bra - the 100 Way Strapless Convertible model - in a store. "That's my bra. They made my bra," she said she recalled thinking, before bursting into tears. "The young girl at the register...thought I was a loon."

She is seeking unspecified damages, and an order to stop Victoria's Secret from infringing on her patent.

Parents Turn Teen Son Over to Police

18-year old Ryan Schallenberger was arrested over the weekend after his parents turned him into police for allegedly plotting a Columbine-like attack at his high school.  His parents phoned authorities after a large amount of ammonium nitrate was delivered to their home. Police also say the parents found a disturbing journal that detailed his plans for a suicide attack and included maps of the school.

Schallenberger was one of the top students at his high school and had not caused any serious problems before his arrest, principal Scott Radkin said.

Do you think the Schallenberger's did the right thing? What would you do in this case -- turn your child over to the cops or seek counseling for him first?  

National agency finds plastic bottles unsafe

The National Toxicity Program, a segment of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, today issued a statement that BPA (bisphenol A), a chemical found in food and drink packaging, may be tied to early puberty, prostate cancer and breast cancer. Based on these findings, the agency asked the FDA to reconsider its statement that BPA is safe to use in products.

The chemical is used in up to 95% of baby bottles as well as in the lining of cans of infant formula, pacifiers, toys and teethers.

The statement said: "There is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants and children at current human exposures." The findings expressed concern about exposure in these populations, "based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females."

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