Current Event: Chipotle becomes first major restaurant chain to serve only GMO-free food

Mexican fast food chain Chipotle will now only serve non-GMO, or genetically modified, food and will not use GMO ingredients in any it serves. Chipotle had previously been the first fast food chain to disclose all GMO ingredients in their menu in 2013. Chipotle's co-CEO Steve Ells told the Times, "Just because food is served fast doesn't mean it has to be made with cheap raw ingredients highly processed with preservatives and fillers and stabilizers and artificial colors and flavors. Chipotle's pork and chicken will still be fed GMO food but have been successful in replacing GMO ingredients like soybean oil with sunflower oil. Foods made from GMO ingredients have not been scientifically proven to be unsafe however. Chipotle seems to be marketing their exclusion of GMO ingredients in order to cater to the population who are wary of eating genetically modified food and want to know what exactly is in the food they are eating.

Free Post: Cannabis extract may help curb seizures in epileptics

A small study has shown that a marijuana-derived compound called cannabidiol or CBD, can help reduce the frequency of seizures in people who suffer from epilepsy. This falls into the topic of medicinal benefits of marijuana, in which many medicinal benefits have been studied and proven. If cannabis can help treat epilepsy, then it can help treat many different types of conditions. Once again, it has been shown that cannabis is extremely useful and does not deserve the reputation it generates among those who feel it is dangerous and should be illegal. Cannabidiol is taken from extracts from cannabis and is non-pysoactive, which means that patients who have been administered it won't get high. Simple compounds derived from cannabis that won't get a patient high looks very useful and hopefully more compounds are made and studied to see whether they have beneficial effects.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/13/8405215/medical-marijuana-cannabidiol-epilepsy-seizure-treatment

Free Post: World's last male Northern White Rhino kept under armed guard in Kenya

Calling northern white rhinos "extremely endangered", is an understatement. There are only five remaining northern white rhinos left on the entire planet, and only one of them is male. So, if this male dies, then the remaining females will no longer be able to procreate, effectively causing the extinction of this species. Sudan, the last male, is now being kept under 24-hour armed guard at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. 24-hour armed guard. That's what it's come to in order due to protect endangered species from dying out because of careless humans. These rhinos had a population of 20,000 in 1960. 20,000 rhinos to 5 rhinos in only 45 years. In only 45 years, humans have hunted down a single species to the brink of extinction. Imagine the fate of the human race after most animals have gone extinct and the only species left to exterminate is us. We need to take steps to stop poaching, habitat destruction, overhunting, or else little by little, more and more species will join those that no longer walk the Earth.

Current Event: South Carolina Police Officer charged with murder of unarmed black man

North Charleston police officer Michael T. Slager was charged with murder after a video surfaced in which Slager fired 8 times at Walter Scott as he fled during an arrest. This is only the latest in incidents which have resulted in the deaths of unarmed people at the hands of police officers. Slager had been involved in a scuffle with Scott as he arrested him for a broken taillight on his car during a traffic stop during which Scott opted to flee. Slager caught up to Scott and then the two proceeded to scuffle during which something appeared to fall to the grass. After a brief struggle, Scott is shot 8 times by Slager in the back as he is about 15-20 feet away. Slager had claimed that Scott had taken his taser but a witness's video recording of the incident contradicts this in which he is shown to pick something up from the sight of his initial struggle with Scott and proceed to drop it near his body, possibly the taser that he had initially used to restrain Scott. After the shooting, Slager is shown to stand over Scott's lifeless body which was left handcuffed face-down on the grass. A second officer arrives on the scene putting on blue medical glove but does not perform CPR. A third officer later arrives with a medical kit but also does not perform CPR. Another unarmed man killed by an incompetent and trigger-happy police officer.  This seems to have become the trend in police stops of black men by white police officers.

Review: Game of Thrones

After watching Game of Thrones, it undoubtedly earns its reputation and almost universal acclaim that it has garnered from its audience over the course of its 4 seasons. Even if one hasn't read the book series that inspired the show, it can be a riveting experience. Game of Thrones forsakes usual TV show tropes in the sense that there is no fixed main character, no one hero who the entire show focuses on. There is a huge cast of many different characters, many of whom, albeit being considered to be part of the main cast, aren't protected from dying on screen. Many fans fear for their favorite character, as the show writer's ruthless tendencies are never predictable. Game of Thrones's fantasy setting makes it a great choice for people who love fantasy but its realism also should attract those who generally aren't interested in the fantasy genre. The world of Game of Thrones, created entirely by George R.R. Martin (the author of A Song of Ice and Fire book series, upon which the show is based off), is a vast and exciting world, one that closely mirrors our own. The show's characters are undeniably real, not simple one-dimension characters that are hard to relate to. Instead of being given stereotypical black and white labels such as "hero" or "villain", many characters have motivations that aren't clear, and can't easily considered to be a good guy or bad guy, as people like to put it. If you're the type of person who likes a show full of intrigue, mystery, and warfare, then Game of Thrones is your show. It will keep you at the edge of your seat and never fail to disappoint.