Never pass up a chance to sit down or relieve yourself. -old Apache saying

Friday, April 16, 2010

The Friday Wrap

It's Friday!  I'm sure glad I'm not flying to or from Europe today.  I hate sleeping in airports!

Gee, I wonder what Iceland did to incur the wrath of God?!  Come in, Pat Robertson!

It's time for the Friday Wrap of news stories covered by Care2 writers. Some of the topics this week are stranger than fiction. You can read a story how China plans to use giant perfume guns to cut down on odor or how violent video games are being introduced to kids to desensitize them. So grab a tall cup of coffee and enjoy all of the absurd and serious news that happened this week.


The Women's Rights channel published a lot of vital stories this week. Ximena Ramirez wrote about Kotex launching a new line of feminine hygiene products coinciding with their Declaration of Real Talk Campaign. In her story titled, It’s Called My Vagina Not My Va-Jay-Jay: U by Kotex Launches Campaign to Get Real About Women’s Vaginal Health, Ximena discusses how women need to change the way society talks about the female body.

Also in Women’s Rights Jessica Pieklo wrote a revealing story of our times called, Nebraska Politicians Know More Than Doctors When It Comes To Women’s Health. The story covers how Nebraska lawmakers have decided that they know more about reproductive medicine than Nebraska doctors!

And finally Jaime-Alexis Fowler covered this remarkable topic for Women's Rights: Is Maternal Death Declining Worldwide? She said, "The web is abuzz about a new study just released by The Lancet, indicating maternal mortality has taken a dramatic nosedive worldwide." Jamie wonders what this news will mean for maternal health advocates.

In our Human Rights channel, Steve Williams brought readers up-to-date about the Ugandan parliamentary panel's indication that Uganda's now infamous Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 is no longer a priority. In his story entitled, Uganda's 'Kill the Gays' Bill on the Backburner, Steve wonders if this signals the end of the bill or if there is still enough support for it to remain a threat?

In the Environment and Wildlife channel, Beth Buczysnki submitted a curious story called, China Takes Aim At Landfill Stench…With Giant Perfume Guns? More than 200 legal and illegal landfills have sprung up around Beijing to deal with the waste produced by its 17 million residents. The stench has become a big problem, so officials will install 100 high-pressure fragrance guns that will spray chemical fragrance into the air every minute.

The Political channel ran an intriguing story by Marc Seltzer entitled, Hate That Obama's Near The Middle? He says, "Frustrated with Obama? Deeper analysis of the President's policies suggests that he is balancing free market principles with social safety net goals. He is neither a Socialist nor following in the footsteps of the Bush administration."

Over in Health Care Policy Ann Pietrangelo wrote, One Year Later: Assessing the H1N1 Pandemic Response. Ann examines the world's reaction to the 2009 swine flu pandemic that had no shortage of controversy. She asks, "What went right? What went wrong?" And she questions how the world will handle future global health concerns.

Also in Health Care Policy Kristina Chew shared with readers, A New Theory About the 'Autism Epidemic.' The story shares the enlightening results of a recently published study in the American Journal of Sociology that suggests that social influences -- specifically, parents suspecting their child is on the autism spectrum based on their "proximity" to a child who has been diagnosed with an ASD-- have played a large role in what some call the "autism epidemic."

The Education channel ran a truly bizarre story called: Sex and Violence for Nine Year Olds. Judy Molland reported how some schools in the north of England are using images from violent video games including Grand Theft Auto and Itchy and Scratch in order to shock 9 to 11 year-old children out of being "desensitized" to on-screen violence.

Also from Education was a revealing story from Peaco Todd entitled, Is It (Ever) Okay to Bully the Bullies? In the aftermath of the death of Phoebe Prince, the high school student who hung herself after being relentlessly bullied, a number of cyber-vigilantes emerged, urging revenge against the bullies.

And finally on the Education channel is a contest called, Help Your Favorite School Win 20,000 in the America’s Favorite School Contest. Care2 has teamed up with GreatSchools.org to find out which is "America’s Favorite School." The winning school wins $20,000.

Over in Global Warming Nancy Roberts wrote a heated story: Rancor & Suspicion Cloud Climate Talks, but Work Continues. The latest round of "Climate Talks" among political leaders ended last week with an agreement to talk some more. There is mounting differences on how to handle issues for the good of the planet between rich and poor countries.

And as usual there was ample news to cover on the Animal Welfare channel. Heather Moore reported on a wonderful new development for homeless pets in Utah. The story titled, Utah Ends Mandatory Cat and Dog Pound Seizures, reported how the Governor of Utah has rescinded a mandate that cats and dogs taken into custody at municipal animal shelters be turned over to universities and other institutions for use in laboratory experiments.

Also on the Animal Welfare channel is a frustrating story by Sharon Seltzer titled, Don't Let U.S. Horse Slaughterhouses Return. Three years after the last horse slaughterhouse voluntarily closed in the U.S., several states have now passed legislation to have them return. These states look at it as a source of jobs and revenue. And a federal bill to protect horses from this fate has been held up on Washington.

And from all of the Care2 bloggers, thank you to Peaco Todd for designing the wonderful and very creative new Friday Wrap logo.

Read more: politics

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