Rhetoric coming from North Korea reached new levels. Prompting the US to respond with a show of force. We’ll look at the real risk from North Korea, and their possible motivations.

Plus how the outrageous Monsanto Protection Act got signed into law, without any debate, an update to the situation in Cyprus

Then it’s a little good news, your feedback, and much much more.

On this week’s episode of, Unfilter.

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-- Show Notes --

Obama Signs Monsanto Protection Act

• Obama signs ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ written by Monsanto-sponsored senator

Pres. Obama inked his name to H.R. 933, a continuing
resolution spending bill approved in Congress days earlier. Buried 78 pages
within the bill exists a provision that grossly protects biotech
corporations such as the Missouri-based Monsanto Company from
litigation.

• What Is the So-Called ‘Monsanto Protection Act’? Is It Eeeeeevil?

Section 735 was an anonymous rider attached to the spending bill (the one everyone wanted signed really, really quickly) and received almost no consideration or attention before being signed into law.

• There is no Monsanto Protection Act – AgPro Weekly Articles – Ag Professional

The provision codifies existing USDA practices and elements of a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that lower courts should not automatically prohibit the planting of biotech crop varieties, or the harvest and sale of biotech crops already planted, when their commercial approval is revoked for procedural reasons.

“Section 735 of the Senate appropriations bill/ CR (continuing resolution) contains language to provide some predictability and assurance to farmers who plant biotech crops that have already been deregulated by USDA but are then subject to litigation by anti-biotech activists. The language in the CR was included in the House Agriculture Appropriations bill during the 112th Congress and has, therefore, been in the public domain for a number of months,” noted Richard Gupton, Agricultural Retailers Association, senior vice president of public policy and counsel.

Gregory Conko, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, issued a statement that is quite critical of the protesting activists trying to stir up consumers who aren’t knowledgeable about agriculture or production of biotech crops.

• Too little, too late: Misplaced outrage over Monsanto Protection Act?

What Obama signed into law was nothing new. Section 735 of H.R. 933 (the rider to the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act which has been dubbed, inaccurately, the Monsanto Protection Act) states that if companies (like Monsanto, yes) were to be involved in a lawsuit over a particular crop or practice, they would potentially be exempt from having to cease use of the crop or practice in question.

What this means in practical terms is that competitors cannot sue Monsanto frivolously and force them to face punitive action before the lawsuit is concluded. So instead of this happening, which would invariably lead to Monsanto tying the USDA up with millions of dollars in legal appeals, a seemingly logical solution to cut the red tape is introduced. It does not grant “immunity” because such claims are simply inaccurate – if a lawsuit concludes and the ruling is that the defendant, be it Monsanto or whomever, must cease their activities, then they must comply.

• Hungary Destroys All Monsanto GMO Maize Fields – Organic Connections

Almost 1000 acres of maize found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds have been destroyed throughout Hungary deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar said.

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• Media Reacts: The Easter Bunny’s Springless Steps – CONAN on TBS – YouTube

Local news anchors can’t help wonder if economic indicators are to blame for that poor rabbit’s lackluster step.

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The Real North Korea Threat

• Navy moves ship off coast of Korean Peninsula, White House looks to ‘reassure’ allies

The U.S. military has moved a Navy ship capable of intercepting missiles to waters off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, as threats from North Korea’s Kim Jong Un escalate and the White House signals it wants to head off any potential conflict by flexing America’s military might.

• North Korea: Nuclear weapons are “the nation’s life” – CBS News

North Korea’s nuclear weapons are a “treasure” not to be traded for “billions of dollars,” the statement said. They “are neither a political bargaining chip nor a thing for economic dealings to be presented to the place of dialogue or be put on the table of negotiations aimed at forcing (Pyongyang) to disarm itself,” it said.

North Korea’s “nuclear armed forces represent the nation’s life, which can never be abandoned as long as the imperialists and nuclear threats exist on earth,” the statement said.

• South Korea Gives Military Leeway to Answer North – NYTimes.com

“I consider the current North Korean threats very serious,” Ms. Park told the South’s generals. “If the North attempts any provocation against our people and country, you must respond strongly at the first contact with them without any political consideration.

Bank of Cyprus big depositors could lose up to 60%

• Bank of Cyprus big depositors could lose up to 60%

The central bank says 37.5% of holdings over 100,000 euros will become shares.

Up to 22.5% will go into a fund attracting no interest and may be subject to further write-offs.

The other 40% will attract interest – but this will not be paid unless the bank performs well.

Feedback from Florian

• A view of Cyprus from Greece

Judge Rules Drug Sniffer Dogs Unconstitutional Without A Warrant!

• Court: Drug dog sniff is unconstitutional search

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that police cannot bring drug-sniffing police dogs onto a suspect’s property to look for evidence without first getting a warrant for a search, a decision which may limit how investigators use dogs’ sensitive noses to search out drugs, explosives and other items hidden from human sight, sound and smell.

The high court split 5–4 on the decision to uphold the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling throwing out evidence seized in the search of Joelis Jardines’ Miami-area house. That search was based on an alert by Franky the drug dog from outside the closed front door.

Russia plans to build observatory, lab on Moon

• Lunar Resort: Russia plans to build observatory, lab on Moon – YouTube

We may soon be able to take a not so ‘grounded’ look at what’s going on in space. Russian scientists are planning to build a space observatory right on the moon’s surface, beginning with a robot research lab in the near future.

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