Which Group Was Behind an Elaborate Fake News Release?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Hook Line and Pinker
Activists with the group Code Pink say they pulled off a hoax Monday by issuing a fake press release in the name of the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, calling for a complete free ze on Israeli settlements.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Several major news outlets, including our show, used the statement. We later corrected AIPAC's position on the show as did NPR and ABC. C-SPAN and Al Jazeera fell for the gag as well.
Don't Have a Cow
Good news for earth-conscious carnivores. A new study says consuming less meat and milk will not reduce global warming and that the concept distracts from legitimate efforts to address climate change.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Blaming cows and pigs for climate change is scientifically inaccurate says air quality expert Frank Mitloehner. He says a 2006 United Nations report overstates the role livestock play in global warming.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree
A New Jersey town is barking mad. A local TV station reports a city ordinance in Piscataway about incessant dog barking between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. has been expanded to include barking around the clock.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Owners could be fined if their dog barks too much. Resident Anthony Brullo tells CBS 2 that dogs shouldn't be blamed because, "that's not fair at all... they're talking! Talking is their barking!"
Weapon of Choice
And finally, India's military has a hot new weapon against terrorism and it's really hot.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The military has decided to use the world's hottest chili to make tear-gas-like hand grenades that can immobilize suspects. R. B. Srivastava from the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization say they will use bhut jolokia, also called "ghost chili"— grown in the region because — "its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hide-outs."
— Fox News Channel's Lanna Britt contributed to this report.