Brain scans reveal fructose link to overeating

“People who consume fructose instead of sugar derived from cane or other natural sources feel less satisfied by their food and tend to consume more, according to research published Wednesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Stacked next to brain scans of individuals who consumed glucose, the results showed a clear divergence in areas of the brain regulating appetite and reward processing. It is the first scientific literature to directly link fructose consumption to obesity-causing behaviors. Similar research published in November found that use of high fructose corn syrup correlates to significantly higher rates of type 2 diabetes.” Continue reading

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Poland bans genetically modified maize and potatoes

“Poland on Wednesday imposed new bans on the cultivation of certain genetically modified strains of maize and potatoes, a day after an EU required green light for GM crops took effect. The centre-right government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk imposed farming bans on German BASF’s Amflora strain of potato and US firm Monsanto’s MON 810 maize or corn, according to a government statement Wednesday. The ban on specific strains essentially uses a legal loophole to circumvent the EU’s acceptance of such products.” Continue reading

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Pharma firms paid East German state to test drugs on population

“Major Western pharmaceutical companies carried out tests of medications in the 1980s on patients in communist East Germany, in some cases without the subjects’ knowledge.
A newspaper, which examined the documents, reported that more than 50 Western firms had contracts with East Germany’s Health Ministry to carry out a total of 165 medical tests between 1983 and 1989. In exchange, the communist authorities were paid up to 860,000 deutschmarks (around 430,000 euros today or $567,000), according to the report, at a time when East Germany was desperate for hard currency.” Continue reading

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ProPublica: Govt Now Runs the US Mortgage Marketplace

“The American home mortgage market has, for all practical purposes, become nationalized since the 2008 financial meltdown, according to an analysis by ProPublica, the non-profit investigative journalism project. The takeover, without which the housing market could barely function, has occurred against a backdrop of little planning or public discussion. In fact, nine out of every 10 new mortgages are now backed by the U.S. taxpayer, up from three in 10 in 2006. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the taxpayer-supported housing giants, alone guaranteed 69 percent of new mortgages in the first nine months of 2012.” Continue reading

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Policing in Prince George’s County, Maryland

“Other Maryland students were roughed up and badly injured by the police after the basketball game. At least three were knocked unconscious; two of them required medical care. Nine students (in addition to Mr. McKenna) received a total of $1.6 million in settlements from the county stemming from police violence. In the absence of video evidence in those cases, the officers who used Maryland students as punching bags faced no disciplinary consequences.” Continue reading

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Obtained ‘Compensation log’ illustrates human cost of Afghan war

“The killing of six members of a family, including a mother and her children, when a rocket overshot a target and hit the compound in which they were living are among the incidents in recent months for which the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has paid out compensation to Afghan civilians. The cases – contained in a log released by the MoD to the Guardian under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act – paint a picture of the ongoing human cost of the conflict ranging from many frequent payments for crop damage caused by operations through to more serious events involving civilians caught up in the war.” Continue reading

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Group warns military: Prepare now for risks of ‘mutant soldier’ future

“Researchers at California Polytechnic State University warn that the U.S. military is working to create and implement technologies that will give soldiers ‘mutant powers’ without fully thinking through the consequences. The report warns that ‘military human enhancements’ could pose a decided risk to enlisted personnel. The means used to produce the enhancements, including drugs, special nutrition, electroshock, gene therapy and robotic implants, are all only dimly understood. The consequences of utilizing these techniques with anything but exquisite care could be devastating.” Continue reading

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A Great Way to Ring in the New Year!

Happy New Year Michigan! We are ringing in the new year with a new look to our web site! We will still have some tweaking but we would like to know how YOU like the new look? Please feel free to leave your comments. Also we will be changing how we deliver our Newsletter. In …

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