ban

President Donald Trump talks with reporters n the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, before signing an executive order on the Keystone XL pipeline. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Power to the people.

It appears that voters in Sonoma County, California, have banned genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by a margin of 56-44%, unofficial results show. In 2005, Sonoma County voters shot down a similar measure by 5%. The ban reflects changing attitudes about the biotech industry, and its impact on the environment and human health. [1]
Source: SocialMediaFeed.me
Sonoma joins five other California counties that have already passed GMO bans: Mendocino, Marin, Trinity, Humboldt, and Santa Cruz.

The press release is no longer available on his website.

On October 12, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said in a notice to be published in the Federal Register that it has formally withdrawn plans to ban kratom, an herb used by many as a natural medicine.
In August, the DEA outlined plans to classify mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, two active compounds in kratom, as Schedule I substances, alongside heroin, LSD, and (inexplicably) marijuana.

In a stunning reversal, the DEA has withdrawn its proposal to ban kratom.

In what is believed to be a first, a Swedish scientist has attempted to edit DNA in healthy human embryos. [1]
Developmental biologist Fredrik Lanner is the first known researcher to conduct the experiment, which has long been considered taboo due to safety and ethical concerns.

The U.K. government pledged on September 3 to phase out plastic microbeads in cosmetics by the end of 2017. We’re expected to know which products will be covered by the ban in the coming days. [1]

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has recently stated that the herbal supplement kratom will be taken off of the market. It’s being taken off because the organization now classifies 2 of its major ingredients as Schedule I substances, so now the supplement is bunched with harder drugs like ecstasy, heroin, and LSD. And although this move is welcome by some, many are furious over the decision, claiming that kratom has actually saved their lives. [1]

On September 2, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned most antibacterial soaps and body washes currently on store shelves, saying the products pose health risks, and don’t work any better than regular soap. [1]