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Scientists cook world’s first lab-grown, in-vitro hamburger

“The in-vitro burger, cultured from cattle stem cells, will be fried in a pan and tasted by two volunteers. The burger is the result of years of research by Dutch scientist Mark Post, a vascular biologist at the University of Maastricht, who is working to show how meat grown in petri dishes might one day be a true alternative to meat from livestock. The meat in the burger has been made by knitting together around 20,000 strands of protein that has been cultured from cattle stem cells in Post’s lab. The tissue is grown by placing the cells in a ring, like a donut, around a hub of nutrient gel, Post explained.” Continue reading →

The Best Way to Profit From Private-Equity Crowdfunding

“Instagram and Tumblr are just a couple of examples of young companies that were acquired for hundreds of millions, even billions, of dollars, making their earliest investors fantastically rich. Now, thanks to a vocal group of citizens, ordinary citizens will be able to invest a small and affordable amount of money in a company they believe in and in exchange receive an ownership stake. This revolutionary change is called equity crowdfunding, and hundreds of websites called ‘funding portals’ — sites like CircleUp and RockThePost, to name two — are popping up to help match startup companies with potential investors like you.” Continue reading →

86 Congressional signers demand an end to the FDA’s ban on gay blood donors

“Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and a group of 86 other signatories from Congress sent a letter on Thursday to call for an end to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s ban on blood donors who are ‘men who have had sex with other men (MSM), at any time since 1977,’ a policy the FDA has had in place since the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis in 1992. The American Medical Association, widely regarded as the most mainstream medical organization in the country, recently joined the chorus of those who oppose the FDA’s ban on gay and bisexual blood donors.” Continue reading →

State Department ends ban on visas for same sex spouses of American citizens

“U.S. officials paved the way on Friday for same-sex spouses to visit or live in the United States, announcing the State Department will give equal treatment to visa applications of gays and lesbians who want to travel with their partner. Secretary of State John Kerry said the shift will allow the department to start processing requests from married gay couples the same way it handles those from heterosexual spouses. The move would help U.S. citizens live and travel with their same-sex spouse in the United State as well as allow married couples from other countries to visit the United States.” Continue reading →

Did cops need to kill a 95-year-old veteran with a Taser, riot shield and shotgun?

“When John Wrana was a young man, fit and strong and fighting in World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps, did he ever think he’d end this way? Just a few weeks shy of his 96th birthday, in need of a walker to move about, cops coming through the door of his retirement home with a Taser and a shotgun. The old man, described by a family member as ‘wobbly’ on his feet, had refused medical attention. The paramedics were called. They brought in the Park Forest police.First they tased him, but that didn’t work. So they fired a shotgun, hitting him in the stomach with a bean-bag round. Wrana was struck with such force that he bled to death internally.” Continue reading →

The Washington Post sold to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

“The Washington Post Co said it has sold its flagship newspaper to Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. The purchase price is $250 million, subject to normal working capital adjustments, payable at closing later this year.” Continue reading →

Private Investor and Trader Joe Lewis Not Backing Bitcoin Ventures, Contra WSJ

“Noted private investor and trader Joe Lewis is not backing any Bitcoin ventures, as previously reported today. ‘I have no investments whatsoever in any Bitcoin ventures,’ said Lewis. A story widely reported in several publications inaccurately stated that Lewis is supporting the virtual currency through Phoenix Fund, a fund with no affiliation to Lewis or Tavistock Group. ‘Unfortunately, many immature investments and investors would like the association of private investors like Joe Lewis. They bring instant credibility,’ said Douglas McMahon, senior managing director of Tavistock Group, a private investment organization founded by Lewis.” Continue reading →

Why bitcoins are 60% more expensive in Argentina than the US

“The country’s citizens, faced with an annual inflation rate of around 25%, are turning their backs on their national currency. Official figures put the annual rate of inflation at around 10%, but private economists estimate it to be more than double this. In February 2011, the government started issuing fines of up to 500,000 pesos ($123,442) to economists and consulting firms that refuted the official figures. To access dollars legally in Argentina, buyers have to make a request through the central bank and AFIP (the tax revenue office), which check how much the buyer is requesting and what it is for.” Continue reading →