“Being vegetarian does not mean compromising on traditional foods, like wings and ribs, during special events such as the Super Bowl. Veggie Brothers offers a variety of traditional finger foods that are perfect for game day.” read more >>

“Compassion in World Farming’s colleagues in South Africa have had an amazing success. After intense lobbying of the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO), the organisation’s Chief Executive has agreed to phase out the use of sow stalls – the narrow concrete-floored stalls in which breeding sows spend their 16 week pregnancies, unable even to turn round.” source >>

“In an open letter sent to Greg Creed, President of Taco Bell, Mercy For Animals’ Executive Director, Nathan Runkle, asks: Why not ‘Think Outside the Bun’ and switch to a healthy and delicious vegan meat substitute and cash in on the growing demand for meatless meal options?” more here >>

Sam Simon, co-creator of The Simpsons, “started a charity called The Sam Simon Foundation, which offers to spay and neuter pets for free, and offers pro bono operations on sick dogs. They also feature an “Assistance Dogs Program,” which rescues dogs from shelters and being euthanized to train them as hearing dogs for the blind and deaf, or place them in retirement homes as pets for the elderly.” details >>

Take a look at the vegan recipe for Roasted Yellow Beet Salad with Warm Maple Mustard Dressing here >>

New veg restaurant: “Imagine grabbing a vegetarian take-out lunch that’s, of course, super healthy and tastes amazing. No, it’s not Chinese or a salad at any of the mainstream fast-food franchises. It could be some chilli sin carne, which is red and black beans in a juicy tomato sauce served with crispy garlic bread or roasted vegetable panini, which is flame-roasted sweet red pepper and zucchini topped with red onion, black olives and mushrooms, toasted to perfection on a wholewheat baguette.” learn more >>

“Stein Mart, a nationwide department store with more than 260 retail locations, was selling a mislabeled fur-trimmed sweater that lab testing revealed to be raccoon dog.” But HSUS stepped in and “Within hours, Stein Mart made the decision to go fur-free.” read the story here >>

Got more veg news to share? Please tell us about it in the comments below!

the [Environmental Protection Agency] has settled a lawsuit from the National Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and Waterkeeper Alliance by agreeing to tougher regulation of factory farms:

Animal waste, bacteria and parasites from chickens, pigs and cows drain into streams and rivers, posing a threat to human health.

Although not a carbon issue, this does set a good precedent for EPA involvement in regulating emissions from livestock operations. It’s common knowledge at this point that meat production is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases

The E.P.A. has agreed to propose a rule that will require concentrated animal feeding operations [aka CAFOs] to report detailed data to the agency every five years, including information on type and capacity of manure storage facilities, quantity of manure generated, available land acreage to apply manure and how excess manure is disposed of.

source: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/05/farming_as_an_environmental_is.html

“McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants have been named in lawsuits for selling grilled chicken that contains PhIP, a potentially cancer-causing chemical.”

But wait, there’s more…

First, the poll results:

Next, more quotes from the article:

“Burger King settled the first suit and agreed to post warnings in its California restaurants”

and

“McDonald’s fell 59 cents to $58.33 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading at 4:15 p.m. Burger King rose 17 cents to $18.18.”

source: NYDailyNews

“A Southern California meatpacking plant that supplied beef to the nation’s school lunch program slaughtered stumbling, potentially contaminated cows for four years before undercover video of animal abuse prompted a massive beef recall, federal court filings say.

“The amended complaint filed late last month in U.S. District Court in Riverside is part of an ongoing civil lawsuit filed by The Humane Society of the United States against the Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co.

“The U.S. Department of Justice intervened in the case with the new complaint after months of additional research and interviews that uncovered the startling new allegations against the now-defunct packing plant. Among them, the company failed to disclose that one of its partners had two felony convictions related to illegal industry practices.” [...]

“Officials with the Humane Society said the government’s filing marked the first time the Justice Department had intervened in a federal false claims case involving the mistreatment of farm animals.

“The lawsuit ‘not only confirms everything that our investigation found, but suggests that it was even more widespread than we had documented,’ said Jonathan Lovvorn, the Humane Society’s chief counsel. ‘We’re concerned by what they uncovered — but not surprised.’ (source: AP via Marcus. Emphasis added.)

Here’s what these kinds of stories tell me:

• We can’t count on the USDA or other parts of the government to regulate animal industries.
• The legal system is a long process that takes years and years. If you want to get involved in law or politics, you better think in terms of long-term strategy, not impulsive reactions.
• The HSUS isn’t so bad. Whatever Gary Francione and others claim about the HSUS being welfarist, etc. … it’s just not important. What’s important is that someone is shutting these corrupt, cruel slaughterhouses down.
• Undercover investigations play a crucial role in changing laws and opinions regarding animal issues.
• The old expression was “the pen is mightier than the sword,” but the new one might be “the camera is mightier than the fire bomb.”