Every week, “The Patriot” scours the web to bring you headlines from around the world. Please note that no original reporting is involved. We welcome your comments at the bottom of the page.
Irvine, California – Taco Bell launched an ad campaign in response to a lawsuit claiming that the chain’s taco filling cannot legally be labeled as beef. The class-action lawsuit was filed last week in a California federal court. The suit claims that the filling in Taco Bell’s tacos and burritos contains “binders and extenders” and fails to meet the requirements necessary to be called beef by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, a law firm in Alabama, filed the lawsuit. The firm claims that it tested the product and found that the product contains less than 35 percent beef. As a part of the new campaign to combat the claim, Taco Bell placed full page ads in several national newspapers that read “Thank you for suing us. Here’s the truth about our seasoned beef.” Taco Bell says its seasoned beef contains 88 percent USDA-inspected beef, water, spices, and a mixture of oats, starches, and other ingredients that boost “the quality of the product.”
Read more at msnbc.com.
Soquel, California – Commercial artist Clay Butler developed and will soon sell a line of sodas laced with THC, a psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana. “Canna cola” will sell in 12-ounce bottles and will contain 35 to 65 milligrams of THC. The line will feature flavors such as lemon-lime, orange, and grape. A flavor similar to that of Dr. Pepper will also be sold, named “Doc Weed.” Butler, who says he’s never smoked marijuana in his life, started the project because of the branding aspect. “I thought about creating national branding for something that is fragmented and local,” Butler told AOL News. The sodas will begin to sell in February in Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries.
Read more at aolnews.com.
Albany, New York – New York state senator Karl Kruger wants to ban the use of electronic devices by pedestrians in New York. The law would make it illegal to use an iPod, talk on the phone, or send text messages while crossing the street. Kruger said the proposed law was brought about because of multiple accidents involving distracted pedestrians. Violators of the law would pay a $100 fine.
Read more at switched.com.
Collin Hoofnagle is the News Editor for “The Patriot” and jcpatriot.com.