Nation

Designer Babies No Longer Sci-Fi?

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A fertility procedure developed to help screen embryos for genetic disease has been introduced as “cosmetic medicine” for parents looking to select a baby’s physical traits. The Wall Street Journal reports that a Los Angeles-based clinic has already received a handful of requests for their new service: selecting traits such as hair, eye, skin color and gender. The service is based on a technique called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD, in which a fertilized egg is examined in a lab to screen out certain characteristics, such as inherited diseases, and then implanted in the womb. Introduced in the 1990s for health purposes, many countries have banned PGD to select gender — yet a 2006 survey found that 40 percent of U.S. PGD clinics offered gender selection. –Lauren Riggs and Newsdesk.org staff
Source:
“A Baby, Please.

Environment

Wolves: Their Own Worst Enemy?

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Wolves may be in the crosshairs as the Alaska Board of Game debates predator control measures statewide — but a new report finds that the controversial carnivores may be their own worst enemy. A wolf cull is, for some, “a good thing,” notes the Anchorage Daily News; “for others, it is very bad.” Alaska’s aerial predator-control program, not to mention hunting and trapping by licensed citizens, claim about 1,250 wolves annually, reports the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. However, studies by wildlife biologists in Denali National Park show that “at least” 60 percent of dead wolves are killed, and sometimes cannibalized, by other wolves from rival packs. The National Park Service monitors the area’s 18 wolf packs with the help of radio collars placed on the alpha male and female pairs of each pack — the animals most likely to be killed in a territorial battle.

Nation

L.A. Targets Health Insurance Revocations

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The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office is investigating whether insurance companies have unfairly or illegally revoked the health-insurance policies of more than 8,000 Californians. California Lawyer Magazine reports that the practice may also threaten about 3 million middle-class Californians. In some cases, sick and dying patients lost their health insurance due to alleged “misstatements” made on already-approved applications. These include weight changes or the omission of prior conditions sometimes unrelated to a patient’s costly illness. Insurance companies said they are protecting their businesses against consumer fraud, and that their side of the story is not well publicized due to privacy laws for patients.

Environment

Health Fears for Navy Dolphins, Sea Lions

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The United States Navy plans to use dolphins and sea lions — which can detect underwater saboteurs at night — to protect submarines at a base near Seattle. The Los Angeles Times reports that animal activists are concerned that the Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins, which are unused to such cold water, will suffer in the Puget Sound. Dolphin biologist Toni Frohoff told the newspaper that some of the Atlantic dolphins were captured in the Caribbean and that “they don’t have the physiology to adapt” to 45-55 degree water. At one of two public hearings in Seattle, the Navy offered to heat the dolphins’ holding pens, but critics said the temperature fluctuations might compromise their health in the long run. The Navy has a total 78 dolphins, 27 sea lions and one beluga, all of which are highly trained and can physically help capture trespassers.

Economy

An Asian Tiger Comes (House) Hunting

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A group of Chinese tourists in America may go home with the ultimate souvenir: a house. The China Daily, published by China’s Communist Party, reports that more than 300 Chinese have signed up for a 10-day house-hunting trip organized by real estate Web site, Soufun.com. Potential homebuyers are capitalizing on low prices following the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis and the current global recession. The trip costs roughly 25,000 Yuan, or $3,500 and will target houses in the $400,000-$700,000 range, focusing on metropolitan areas with large numbers of ethnic Chinese in states such as California, Nevada and New York. Those interested include real estate professionals looking for cheap investment opportunities and parents of children studying in the United States.

Economy

Detroit's Got the Slow-Selling Hybrid Blues

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Automakers, already flirting with bankruptcy, find themselves in another bind when introducing hybrid and fuel-efficient models — consumers aren’t buying if they can afford the gas. The Detroit News reports that small car and hybrid sales surged last year but have since fallen about 2 and 12 percent, mirroring dropping gas prices. Lower gas prices hinder investment in smaller vehicles and more efficient technology — yet in order to meet new emission standards being considered by Congress, automakers will need to spend billions on green technology. Auto sales have hit a 27-year low, and companies are deciding whether to spend limited resources on electric, hybrid, and fuel cell technology that might not sell. By 2012, the North American hybrid market is only projected to increase to 5.3 percent.

Environment

Boy Scouts Logging Raises Questions

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The Boy Scouts of America, known for its dedication to conservation, faces scrutiny for the logging and commercial sales of land often donated for recreational purposes. A Hearst Newspapers investigation found that dozens of Boy Scout councils nationwide repeatedly logged in or near protected wildlife habitat, allegedly disregarding conservation and planning policies. At 99 years old and boasting 2.8 million members, the Boy Scouts is one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organizations. However, membership has fallen by 600,000 in a decade, and the Boy Scouts ban on gays and atheists in the ranks has further diminished funding. Public records indicate that many councils practice sustainable forestry that benefits local habitat — and Scout representatives say that trees are renewable and that logging is often used as a last resort to meet budget needs.

Democracy & Civics

Tribes Press Obama on Renewable Energy

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Claiming that they will bear a disproportionate burden due to global warming, a coalition of American Indian tribes is requesting the Obama administration to support tribally owned or operated renewable-energy projects. The group represents around 250 tribes and their affiliates, and also hopes the new administration will direct a bevy of green jobs to the native nations, according to Indian Country Today. At present, companies working with renewable energy technologies shy away from joint ventures with tribes because they lose tax credit privileges. Tribal representatives highlighted the energy potential of their lands, saying wind and solar projects could produce billions of kilowatts per year. They also said investments in renewable energy would yield more jobs per dollar than ongoing investments in fossil fuels.

Democracy & Civics

"Scraper Bikes" Give Kids a Lift

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Oakland, California, is not just the city with the fifth-highest crime rate in the country — it’s also home to the “scraper bike” movement, which according to Wiretap Magazine is giving young people an alternative to the violence plaguing their communities. Scraper bikes are tricked out with unique paint jobs, rims and spinners, and have been modified to resemble “scraper” cars of the late 1980s — American-made sedans decked out with stereo systems, huge rims and imaginative detailing. Tyrone Stevenson, known by friends as Baby Champ and generally acknowledged as the Scraper Bike King, and hopes to make Oakland a little less violent with each customized bike he creates. Scraper bikes came up from the Bay Area’s “hyphy” hip-hop subculture, and gained attention when Stevenson posted a video with his group Da Trunk Boiz on YouTube that highlighted the bikes. Stevenson made his first scraper bikes as a troubled 13-year-old, and now attends adult school and hopes to open a scraper bike shop where young people can learn the craft and meet positive role models.

Democracy & Civics

Strangers Embrace Kindness Club (Mostly)

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Kelsey Hertel, a high school senior and founder of her school’s Random Acts of Kindness Club, didn’t expect to be treated suspiciously by the targets of her kindness. The Register-Guard of Eugene, Oregon, reports that while Hertel and her group of more than 70 volunteers have successfully acted kindly in some public settings, they encountered resistance in others. In one instance, the group went into a local neighborhood to rake leaves for free. One woman told them to “do your random acts of kindness somewhere else,” while another thought they were burglars and called the police. At a local mall, security guards showed up to stop the club from handing out cards with positive messages and chocolate mints.