Greetings!
Exciting news to report- we just got word that yet another town in the US passed a resolution against genetic engineering via their town meeting. Leverett Massachusetts is the 44th town to take a stance against genetic engineering. This is the first town in Massachusetts- outside of Boston, which passed a city resolution in 2000- to use local-level, grassroots approach to passing resolutions against GE. After 28 towns in Vermont successfully passed resolutions two months ago, it seems that there is major potential for these kind of local level approaches to spread rapidly.

In the news, we've seen stories coming from the UK, directly asserting that the safety testing of GE products has been insufficient. Despite Nature's retraction of the story on the contamination of Mexican corn, there have been numerous articles in the mainstream press which have acknowledged that gene transfer is a reality of GE products. Along side of this, there have been several large reports about the pressure academic researchers are facing from various corporations. Not an ideal situation, but at least stories of how researchers are being influenced in controlled by corporations are making it to the papers.

In the US, cloning has once again made the front pages, forcing the US government to make a weak stand on one of the flash points of biotechnology. Of course, while the press focuses on questions surrounding cloning, they (as usual) overlook all of the very real and significant impacts that biotechnology is already having on communities around the world.

The following are articles that were posted to neRAGE.org You too can post, read, search, and comment on some of the latest developments in the world of biotechnology.

U.S. Media Opinion Pages Present Biased View of Biotech (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/30/1847050

Schmeiser must pay court costs (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/30/0244971

UK: GM crops decision may cause rural conflict (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/30/0125853

GM safety tests 'flawed' (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/30/9946781

'Frankenfish' spawn controversy (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/30/9563869

Anti-GM scientists are facing widespread assaults on their credibility (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/30/8223635

Third Intergovernmental Conference on the Cartagena Protocol (Biotech Policy)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/30/7985554

Activists want Mexican crackdown on genetic corn (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/30/7852459

"Worst ever" Contamination of Mexican Landraces (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/30/7748547

RAGE fights for farmers (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/24/8435154

Farmers fear U.S. not taking food security seriously (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/24/7590290

Corn Study Spurs Debate over Corporate Meddling in Academia (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/24/7532576

UC Department Torn Over Corn Research (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/24/7373440

Aimin' at the public's stomach (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/24/7117386

Mexico corn contamination is real and massive (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/24/7052269

GM ACTIVISTS CALL FOR BAN TO PROTECT POOR FARMERS (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/24/6981102

Activists and farmers challenge GMO test-site (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/18/4362745

Are We Facing Another StarLink Situation (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/18/4241281

Brazil Battles GMOs (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/18/4129709

FDA Says Monsanto Canola Doesn't Appear to Pose Risks (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/18/3992483

Unapproved Canola Seed May Be on Farms, Makers Say (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/18/3928682

Monsanto seeks delay in lawsuit (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/18/3801610

Monsanto's Genetic Pollution (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/17/1046740

Biotech Protesters Mobilize Across North America (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/15/2902342

The Five Gene Giants are Becoming Four: DuPont and Monsanto - "Living in Sinergy"? (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/10/6235387

China to Draft Laws on Bio-safety (Biotech Policy)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/09/7278059

Doubt and Shock Greet Cloning Pregnancy Report (Human Genetics)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/09/7155728

Scientist claims vendetta over GM research (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/09/6892200

From Golden Rice to Anti-Viral Tomatoes -- Good Health or Good Marketing? (Background)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/09/6413701

Nature retraction aside, transgenic corn contamination in Mexico still a fact (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/09/5818356

Syngenta's power over rice genome: What might it mean? (Patent Issues)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/09/5535427

Pressure On EU to Ban GM Crops (Biotech Policy)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/08/6023138

Monsanto Plans 5% Work-Force Reduction, Reiterates Earnings Outlook (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/08/5268467

Two Madison Citizens Cited in Labeling Action (Action News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/05/9064688

Across U.S., local governments fight large-scale corporate farms (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/03/6657913

Farmers Are Deeply Wary About Genetically Engineered Crops (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/04/01/7719352

US Government: Biotech Crops Making a Surge (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/03/29/2751604

Attempt to Discredit Adult Stem Cells (Human Genetics)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/03/25/1010201

GM CROPS BOUND TO 'ESCAPE', SAYS EU (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/03/25/0900820

US: Labeling for GMO-free on hold (Biotech Policy)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/03/25/0653624

Genetic Pollution: Starlink Corn Invades Mexico (News)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/03/23/7138555

Biohazards: The Next Generation? (Background)
 http://www.neRAGE.org/phpweblog/stories.php?story=02/03/20/1083111