Schools in National Lunch Program Reject Pink Slime
Summary: The USDA announced that the majority of states in the National School Lunch Program have opted to purchase ground beef without the filler commonly referred to as "pink slime." GAP's Food Integrity Campaign points out that the three sole states choosing to order the product so far are the same beef-producing states whose governors helped defend pink slime after a media uproar.
Los Angeles Times: USDA Plans to Let Chicken Plants Run Faster with Fewer Inspectors
Summary: More detailed coverage of the threat to worker and food safety posed by USDA's plan to transfer poultry inspection from federal employees to the companies themselves (expanding a pilot program known as HIMP). The article highlights the government's competing interests of budget-cutting and protecting public health.
Key Quote: "It's this perfect storm that allows USDA to lax up on the amount of scrutiny they give these plants," said Amanda Hitt, director of the Food Integrity Campaign for the Government Accountability Project, a watchdog group. "It's beyond safety. It's an integrity issue."
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Workers in test plants reported being unable to stop dirty and potentially diseased carcasses from moving through their plants, according to the Government Accountability Project, a group that assists whistle-blowers.
Brisbane Times (Australia): Support Grows for Corruption Informants
Summary: According to a new poll, a majority of Australians support protections for whistleblowers and their right to go to the media. This result adds to recent calls for the government to introduce its promised whistleblower protection legislation.
How Many Innocent Deaths Are Acceptable to Kill a Terrorist?
Summary: GAP’s Jesselyn Radack discusses the recent news of the drone strike that killed al Qaeda’s #2 operative and argues that we should examine how many civilian deaths we are willing to cause in the name of the war on terror.
Winston-Salem Journal (NC): Whistleblowers May Get More Protection Against Retaliation
Summary: A state senator in North Carolina plans to introduce a bill that would offer better protections for whistleblowers who reveal potential fraud or misconduct in the state’s health insurance system.
The Republican Journal (ME): “Tweeter,” a New Social Game
Summary: This commentator argues that whistleblowing is important, especially when it comes to keeping government transparent. In particular, he mentions NSA whistleblower and GAP client Thomas Drake, who was the first (of six) intelligence whistleblower to be prosecuted under the Espionage Act.
Hannah Johnson is Communications Associate for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leading whistleblower proteciton and advocacy organization.
