Today’s News Stories (July 4th), 2012

VICTORY! ACTA Suffers Final, Humiliating Defeat In European Parliament

Today at 12:56, the European Parliament decided whether ACTA would be ultimately rejected or whether it would drag on into uncertainty. In a crushing 478-to-39 vote, the Parliament decided to reject ACTA once and for all. This means that the deceptive treaty is now dead globally.

Full article here

Charles Carreon Drops Lawsuit Against The Oatmeal

The EFF reports that Charles Carreon has withdrawn his mad lawsuit against Matthew Inman, creator of The Oatmeal.

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First Vein Grown From Human Stem Cells Successfully Transplanted into a Young Girl

First came bladders. Then pulmonary arteries. Followed by urethras, arteriovenous shunts and tracheas. Now, in another first for the world of tissue-engineered body parts, Swedish surgeons have successfully transplanted a bioengineered vein into a 10-year-old girl suffering from portal vein obstruction.

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Physicists Have Found the Higgs Boson

At a meeting held at CERN this morning, scientists presented the latest results from the search for the long-sought Higgs particle. After 30 years of research and $9 billion of investment, they’ve changed the face of physics forever: they’ve found the Higgs boson.

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FDA Approves First Ever At-Home HIV Test

On Tuesday, the FDA approved OraQuick, the first ever fully-private, over-the-counter HIV test. The test, which relies on a mouth swab and delivers results in 20-40 minutes, should be available in some 30,000 stores by October, according to an executive at OraSure, the company that manufactures OraQuick.

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Double Amputee Pistorius Set to Run in Olympics

Oscar Pistorius was selected Wednesday to run in both the individual 400 meters and the 4x400 relay at the London Olympics, clearing the way for him to become the first amputee track athlete to compete at any games.

In a surprise last-minute decision, South Africa’s Olympic committee and national track federation said the double amputee can run in his individual event as well as the relay even though he did not meet the country’s qualifying criteria in the 400.

Full article here

No Evidence of Mermaids, says US Government

The question as to whether mermaids are real or not was recently put to rest as a U.S. scientific agency confirmed the sea creatures do not exist. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have confirmed that there is no evidence that the half-human, half-fish beings are a genuine living species.

Full article here

My Three Daddies: California Eyes Multiple Parenting Law

California, the battleground state for the arguments for and against same-sex marriage, is now considering an unconventional law that would allow children to be legally granted more than two parents.

The bill — SB1476 — would apply equally to men and women, and to homosexual or heterosexual relationships. Proposed by State Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, it has passed the Senate and awaits an Assembly vote.

Full article here

Insight: Florida Man Sees “Cruel” Face of U.S. Justice

Quartavious Davis is still shocked by what happened to him in federal court two months ago.

Davis was convicted of participating in a string of armed robberies in the Miami area in 2010. His accomplices testified against him, saying he carried a gun during their crimes and discharged it at a dog that chased them after one of their burglaries. But Davis was not convicted of hurting anyone physically, including the dog.

Full article here

Chinese Zombie Attack? Drunk Chinese Man Tries to Eat Women’s Face During “Cannibal” Assault

The summer’s “cannibal craze” has reportedly spread to China. A drunken bus driver in eastern China tried to chew off a woman’s face during an attack on Tuesday afternoon, according to Chinese media.

Full article here

(Source: youtube.com)

July 4, 2012

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