Monsanto offering toxic seeds to Haiti.

From Truth Out:

"A fabulous Easter gift," commented Monsanto Director of Development Initiatives Elizabeth Vancil. Nearly 60,000 seed sacks of hybrid corn seeds and other vegetable seeds were donated to post-earthquake Haiti by Monsanto. In observance of World Environment Day, June 4, 2010, roughly 10,000 rural Haitian farmers gathered in Papaye to march seven kilometers to Hinche in celebration of this gift. Upon arrival, these rewarded farmers took their collective Easter baskets of more than 400 tons of vegetable seeds and burned them all.[i] "Long live the native maize seed!" they chanted in unison. "Monsanto's GMO [genetically modified organism] & hybrid seed violate peasant agriculture!"

According to Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, coordinator of the Papay Peasant Movement (MPP), "there is presently a shortage of seed in Haiti because many rural families used their maize seed to feed refugees."[ii] Like any benevolent disaster capitalist corporation, Monsanto extended a hand in a time of crisis to the 65 percent of the population that survives off of subsistence agriculture. But not just any hand was extended in this time of great need, rather: a fistful of seeds. The extended fist was full of corn seeds, one of Haiti's staple crops, treated with the fungicide Maxim XO. With similar benevolence, not just any tomato seeds were donated to the agrarian peasants, but tomato seeds treated with Thiram, a chemical so toxic the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ruled it too toxic to sell for home garden use, further mandating that any agricultural worker planting these seeds must wear special protective clothing.[iii] Happy Easter! Monsanto's web site's official explanation for this toxic donation is that "fungicidal seed treatments are often applied to seeds prior to planting to protect them from fungal diseases that arise in the soil and hamper the plant's ability to germinate and grow. The treatments also provide protection against diseases the seed might pick up in transfer between countries."[iv] However, according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet, "repeated exposure [to Thiram] can affect the kidneys, liver and thyroid gland. High or repeated exposure may damage the nerves."[v] Why would Monsanto be so eager to donate seeds that could potentially compromise the health of so many famished people?

"The Haitian government is using the earthquake to sell the country to the multinationals!" stated Jean-Baptiste. Welcome to the new earthquake.

"[It's] a very strong attack on small agriculture, on farmers, on biodiversity, on Creole seeds ... and on what is left of our environment in Haiti." - Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, executive director of the Peasant Movement of Papay.

Former spy operates own private CIA.

Interesting article.

Duane R. Clarridge parted company with the Central Intelligence Agency more than two decades ago, but from poolside at his home near San Diego, he still runs a network of spies.

Over the past two years, he has fielded operatives in the mountains of Pakistan and the desert badlands of Afghanistan. Since the United States military cut off his funding in May, he has relied on like-minded private donors to pay his agents to continue gathering information about militant fighters, Taliban leaders and the secrets of Kabul’s ruling class.

Hatching schemes that are something of a cross between a Graham Greene novel and Mad Magazine’s “Spy vs. Spy,” Mr. Clarridge has sought to discredit Ahmed Wali Karzai, the Kandahar power broker who has long been on the C.I.A. payroll, and planned to set spies on his half brother, the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, in hopes of collecting beard trimmings or other DNA samples that might prove Mr. Clarridge’s suspicions that the Afghan leader was a heroin addict, associates say.

Mr. Clarridge, 78, who was indicted on charges of lying to Congress in the Iran-contra scandal and later pardoned, is described by those who have worked with him as driven by the conviction that Washington is bloated with bureaucrats and lawyers who impede American troops in fighting adversaries and that leaders are overly reliant on mercurial allies.

His dispatches — an amalgam of fact, rumor, analysis and uncorroborated reports — have been sent to military officials who, until last spring at least, found some credible enough to be used in planning strikes against militants in Afghanistan. They are also fed to conservative commentators, including Oliver L. North, a compatriot from the Iran-contra days and now a Fox News analyst, and Brad Thor, an author of military thrillers and a frequent guest of Glenn Beck.

For all of the can-you-top-this qualities to Mr. Clarridge’s operation, it is a startling demonstration of how private citizens can exploit the chaos of combat zones and rivalries inside the American government to carry out their own agenda.

It also shows how the outsourcing of military and intelligence operations has spawned legally murky clandestine operations that can be at cross-purposes with America’s foreign policy goals. Despite Mr. Clarridge’s keen interest in undermining Afghanistan’s ruling family, President Obama’s administration appears resigned to working with President Karzai and his half brother, who is widely suspected of having ties to drug traffickers.

Japan tests urinal games.

The last time I pissed on Sega, it was on a terrible Sonic the Hedgehog game. Item!

Japanese entertainment company Sega has taken Japanese toilets to an entirely new level by installing urine-controlled games in Tokyo urinals.

Four types of "Toylets" games are available to be played during a test period ending this month in four male bathrooms in pubs and game arcades.

The project is aimed at drawing attention to digital advertisements.

Each urinal is fitted with a pressure sensor and a small digital LCD display that is placed at eye level.

Digital advertisements are shown after the games.

One of the games included is "Graffiti Eraser," in which a user tries to aim at the pressure sensor in the urinal to erase virtual graffiti on the display.

The game "Mannekin Pis" measures the volume of the user's stream.

Another game known as "The North Wind and The Sun and Me" uses the strength of a urine stream to determine the extent to which a virtual girl's skirt gets blown up by a digital wind.

"Splashing Battle!" puts two users against each other in terms of stream strength.

Players who are proud of their high scores are able to download them onto a flash drive.

Full-time foreign visitors to Japan are often baffled by the complexity of Japanese high-tech toilets. Some of the high-tech toilets feature computerized control panels, usually with Japanese language instructions as well as pictograms.

The "Toylets" will be available at limited locations until January 31.

A Sega spokesman said in a statement that they have "no concrete plans to make them into actual products."

Coozer-Bits.

D'oh: Bird-watcher spots his stolen car.

Lame: Supreme Court justice fails to report wife's $680K income from conservative think tanks.

Yipes: Chemical caused nerve damage to military base workers.

Lame: Scalia, Thomas may have had conflicts of interest in landmark case that now allows corporations to sway elections.

WTF: Police refuse to charge drunk teen who terrorized family.

Duh: Facebook blamed for marriage breakups as cheaters are caught online.

Malaysia navy foils pirate attack, saves hostages.

From BBC News:

Malaysia says its navy commandos have foiled an attempted hijacking of a ship in the Gulf of Aden, rescuing 23 crew and capturing seven Somali pirates.

It says the commandos injured three pirates during a gun battle on board the Malaysian-flagged MT Bung Laurel chemical tanker on Friday.

The navy was alerted by a distress signal from the vessel's crew.

Kuala Lumpur is now considering whether the pirates should face trial in Malaysia.

"We will determine what we should do, whether we are going to bring them here to be tried or take any other appropriate action," Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said.

He also said he was "proud of our navy, which acted with full efficiency and demonstrated courage".

The Malaysian Royal Navy said an attack helicopter was also involved in the rescue operation about 555km (300 miles) east off the coast of Oman.

No-one among the commandos or the crew was injured.

Military mentors quit over new Pentagon rules for pay disclosure.

Incredible that they would rather put our country at risk than disclose their possible conflicts of interest with private defense companies. From Army Times:

Seven retired admirals and generals hired by the military as consultants will end their advisory roles rather than comply with new regulations requiring them to divulge outside income to avoid a conflict of interest.

The former officers are among 158 Pentagon retirees known as “senior mentors” who have been identified stories as getting as much as $440 an hour to offer advice on war plans and weapons systems.

A USA Today investigation found that 80 percent of the mentors had financial ties to defense contractors that they were not required to reveal to the public.

The Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have used the services of about 30 senior mentors. Most of the other mentors advise Pentagon departments that do not fall under the main service branches.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said that seven senior mentors declined this month to file financial disclosure forms and bowed out of the mentors program because they said the requirement is too intrusive.

“We don’t think the requirements are onerous,” Whitman said. “These are appropriate salary caps as well as necessary transparency.”

Busty porn star dies after breast enlargement surgery.

From News.com.au:

A busty Big Brother star who got viewers in a lather when she soaped up other housemates' boobs has died after a breast enlargement op went wrong.

Porn star Sexy Cora - real name Carolin Berger - died yesterday afternoon following a massive brain haemorrhage, reports the UK Sun.

She had been in a coma for nine days at a clinic in Hamburg, Germany, after the op to boost her boobs to a 34G.

Her family were called to the hospital last week where they were told that Cora had been without oxygen during the procedure for 15 minutes and was in a "serious condition."

Cora died on Thursday at the Hamburg University Hospital, leading to an investigation into the plastic surgery clinic where she received the operation.

Husband Tim said: "The brain damage was too great. Her blood pressure dropped steadily, physiological functions gave out - then she went to sleep quietly.

German police are investigating the 54-year-old anesthesiologist and the 49-year-old surgeon who performed the operation on suspicion of negligent homicide.

Stern magazine said Sexy Cora's death also raised serious questions for the TV executives who seek out wannabe stars prepared to go under the knife for their art, saying the case "casts a harsh light on the trash industry."

It added: "How far are the stars of reality TV prepared to go in order to gain attention for themselves and their bodies? What dangers are they taking on?"

Cora recevied a Best Amateur 2010 award at the Venus erotic industry trade fair.

The tattooed porn star shook up the German version of Big Brother when she stripped off in the showers and sprayed soap suds all over other female contestants.

Megadeth saves boy from wolves.

Talk about using a sub woofer. Item!

A 13-year-old Norwegian boy scared off a pack of wolves - by playing them heavy metal group Megadeath on his mobile phone.

Walter Acre was walking home from school in Rakkestad when he found himself encircled by the four snarling beasts, reports website Zvuki.ru.

Just as they seemed set to attack, the petrified youngster pulled out his phone and cranked out a song by Megadeth.

Walter had previously been told not to run away from wolves but to face them and attempt to scare them away.

And sure enough, the tactic worked as the sound of heavy metal music sent the animals scattering in confusion.

The website reports that Walter made it home safely, using one final blast of music to see off a stray wolf that was prowling close to his front porch.

Communism takes over Monopoly.

Something tells me I can still be the thimble... From Orange:

A communist version of the ultimate capitalist game - Monopoly - has been made in Poland.

Instead of buying streets, houses and hotels, players will get a list of 10 essential items like bread and loo paper and have to travel around the board joining queues to get into state-owned shops.

And instead of Chance and Community Chest, players can draw wild cards that get them sent to the front because of a Communist Party connection or see a shop closed down for "decadence."

The game - called Queue and created by the country's National Remembrance Institute - is designed to show schoolchildren what life was like under the old Soviet era.

"The game not only makes players understand shopping in Poland under communism," said the game's creator Karol Madaj.

"It also teaches them what queueing is like - something people seem to have forgotten."

MSNBC drops Olbermann.

From AdWeek:

Just days after Comcast was given the green light to take a majority stake in NBC Universal, MSNBC and Countdown host Keith Olbermann are parting ways.

The news network's biggest draw, Olbermann on Friday night abruptly announced that his time at MSNBC had come to an end. While he offered no insight into why he was leaving his post, Olbermann thanked viewers for supporting his "anti-establishment" show.

"There were many occasions, particularly in the last two-and-a-half years, where all that surrounded the show was just too much for me," Olbermann told viewers before signing off. "But your support and loyalty...required that I keep going."

In a statement issued by MSNBC, network president Phil Griffin confirmed that tonight's program would be Olbermann's last, before going on to wish the commentator well in his future endeavors.

Beginning Monday, the 10 p.m. show The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell will move into Olbermann's 8 p.m. time slot. Ed Schultz' program will jump to 10 p.m., and The Rachel Maddow Show will remain in its regular 9 p.m. slot.

Olbermann still had nearly two years remaining on his contract, as both sides had come to terms on a four-year, $30 million extension in November 2008. Per terms of his buy-out, Olbermann is prohibited from accepting a full-time post at a rival network for the near term.

New Alabama governor wants all constituents to be born again.

From the Daily Mail:

The newly-inaugurated governor of Alabama caused controversy at a church meeting with an evangelical speech declaring that people who had 'not accepted Jesus as their saviour' are not his brothers and sisters.

Speaking to the congregation at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church just moments after his official inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Robert Bentley made comments which were later described by The Anti-Defamation League as 'shocking'.

Bentley told the crowd in Birmingham that he considered anyone who believed in Jesus to be his brothers and sisters regardless of color, but anyone who isn't a Christian doesn't have that same relationship to him.

He said: 'Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother.

'If the Holy Spirit lives in you that makes you my brothers and sisters.

'Anyone who has not accepted Jesus, I want to be your brothers and sisters, too.'

He made the speech in Birmingham, Alabama, the home of Martin Luther King's campaign for civil rights with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1963.

The Anti-Defamation League, which fights discrimination against Jewish people, said it sounded as if Bentley was using the office of governor to advocate for Christian conversion.

'If he does so, he is dancing dangerously close to a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids government from promoting the establishment of any religion,' said Bill Nigut, the ADL's regional director.

'His comments are not only offensive, but also raise serious questions as to whether non-Christians can expect to receive equal treatment during his tenure as governor.'

Ashfaq Taufique, president of the Birmingham Islamic Society, said he wasn't sure how Bentley's remarks were intended.

'Does it mean that those who according to him are not saved are less important than those who are saved?' said Taufique.

'Does he want those of us who do not belong to the Christian faith to adopt his faith?

'That should be toned down. That's not what we need.

'If he means that, I hope he changes it. We don't want evangelical politicians. They can be whatever in their private life.'

Bjork protests energy deal with karaoke marathon.

From Grist.org (Thanks Jen K!):

Björk is staging a three-day karaoke marathon -- but not for fun, y'alls. It's a protest against a Canadian energy firm taking over an Icelandic one, which Björk says amounts to a sell-off of her country's natural resources. (Oh snarf!)

This account from Agence France-Presse reads like a Saturday Night Live sketch:

The captain of the Icelandic handball team, a 70-year-old environmental campaigner, and an Icelandic pop star and gay icon were among those who karaoked on Thursday.

The comedian-turned-mayor of Iceland's capital Reykjavik, Jon Gnarr, also took part in the event with the other half of his former comedy duo.

Wow. (Who knew "karaoked" was even a verb?)

Canadian company Magma Energy will soon have a 98.5 percent stake in HS Orka, the Icelandic company that produces about a 10th of the country's electricity. And Magma would be entitled to use geothermal energy fields for the next 65 years. That is, unless you fly to Reykjavik right now and put in your bid for "It's Oh So Quiet." (Singing continues 'til Saturday night.) Icelanders are pissed because they don't want their energy sources sold off; plus, the political party behind the deal contributed to Iceland's major economic collapse in late 2008.

Björk hopes the karaoke-fest will get 35,000 people (about 11 percent of Iceland's population) to sign a petition urging the overturn of the Orka sale. She has roughly 28,000 signatures so far. Iceland Review quotes a press release inviting all manner of mystical people to sing: "Elves, hidden people, sportspeople, hobby musicians and professionals ... everyone who cares for Iceland, come and join forces and perform a powerful ode to the nature of Iceland. Let's bring our natural resources back to us with song."

Björk has karaoked several songs so far, including a cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart." (Video)

Coozer-Bits.

Yipes: Hezbollah forces collapse of Lebanese government.

Travel: 41 places to go in 2011.

Creepy: Belgians urged not to shave.

Sad: Corruption raised Haiti's death toll.

Sad: 170 killed in landslides near Rio.

Man shot in head sneezes out bullet and lives.

From BBC:

Darco Sangermano, 28, had been taken to hospital in Naples for emergency treatment after being hit by a stray bullet during New Year's Eve celebrations.

The bullet passed behind his right eye and lodged in his nostril, but miraculously did no serious damage.

He is expected to make a full recovery, doctors say.

Mr Sangermano had spent New Year's Eve with his girlfriend in Naples.

As the city sky exploded in a traditional celebration of fireworks, firecrackers - and the occasional high-spirited blast of firearms - he was wandering the streets when a stray .22 calibre bullet struck him on the side of the head, behind his right eye.

Bleeding heavily, he was rushed to hospital.

But while he was waiting for doctors he sneezed - and the bullet popped out of his right nostril.

Doctors say it had been slowed down when it hit his skull - which almost certainly saved his sight, as well as his life.

Mr Sangermano is expected to undergo laser surgery on his right eye's damaged retina.

1 in 3 NYC supermarkets will rip you off.

Ridiculous (but not surprising). From NY Post. Thanks Jen K!

Supermarkets socked with $380,000 in fines five months ago for violating city regulations haven't learned their lesson: A new blitz by Department of Consumer Affairs inspectors found the compliance rate actually went down from 48 to 33 percent after the penalties were issued, officials said yesterday.

More shockingly, Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz said that based on the experience of its inspectors, New Yorkers can expect to get ripped off one of out every three times they pass through the supermarket check-out counter.

"The industry is really thumbing its nose at New York City consumers," declared a furious Mintz.

In a sweep over the last four months, inspectors visited 408 supermarkets -- 83 of them twice -- and issued almost 750 new violations totaling $310,000 for infractions that included inaccurate checkout scanners, no prices on individual items, taxing merchandise that's not taxable and not having produce scales available to customers.

Inspectors have now issued $690,000 in fines since August.

But, as Mintz put it, "The real story is the overcharging."

He said his inspectors would typically pick 25 or 50 items off supermarket shelves -- about 20 percent on sale -- and run them through the register.

In nearly a third of the cases, Mintz said, inspectors were overbilled for at least one item -- a rate he described as "appalling."

Overall, only 33 percent of city supermarkets are in compliance with all city regulations.

During a previous sweep in August, the compliance rate was 48 percent -- a record low at the time.

Asked if supermarkets were deliberately cheating their customers, Mintz said: "I can't answer that. In all my interactions with the heads of supermarkets and the heads of the supermarket industry, the one thing I never heard from any of them is acknowledgement they have a problem and are working to fix it. I think that speaks volumes."

Industry officials questioned the city's methodology, claiming Consumer Affairs has refused to share the raw numbers.

"All we want to do is see the information," said John Rogers, president of the Food Industry Alliance representing 800 markets here.

"We have no reason to believe -- and we believe it's an overstatement -- to say one out of three customers are being overcharged. We believe that's not the case at all."

Pat Brodhagen, the group's vice president, said that if an inspector bought 25 items at three locations and was overcharged for only one item, that one-in-75 instance would meet the national industry standard of a 98 percent accuracy rate.

"It's still a violation and needs to be corrected," Brodhagen said. "It's hard to achieve 100 percent. Most stores give the item away for free if the price is wrong."

Mintz attacked that reasoning as a "diversionary tactic," pointing out that his agency encountered the rip-offs by sampling just 25 to 50 items from shelves usually lined with 30,000 to 40,000 products.

Mintz argued that, if anything, the latest findings understate the extent of the overcharging problem.

Mintz also said industry representatives don't have to look far for the data they're demanding since the violations are in the hands of their members.

Coffee spill causes terror panic, diverts flights.

From CNN:

A United Airlines flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany, was diverted to Toronto this week after the pilot dumped a cup of coffee on the plane's communication's equipment. The unwanted liquid triggered a series of emergency codes, including one for a hijacking, according to Transport Canada, the agency that regulates transportation in Canada.

"With the help of their company dispatch staff, the flight crew was confirmed the problem to be a NAV(navigation)/communication issue and not a valid code 7500 (for a hijacking or unlawful interference)," Transport Canada said on its website.

Flight 940 initially was going to return to Chicago, but then diverted to Pearson International Airport in Toronto where it landed without incident around 10 p.m. Monday.

United had little to say about the coffee spill that led to the diversion, and did not acknowledge that the caffeinated beverage had anything to do with it.

"Our review of the communications issue encountered on flight 940 continues, so it's too soon to comment on any particulars that led to the captain's decision to divert," United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said late Tuesday. "But important to note the crew did maintain contact with controllers, and the decision to divert to Toronto was the captain's."

The Boeing 777 had 255 passengers and crew aboard. United retrieved them from Toronto and took them back to Chicago where they were put on another plane to Frankfurt Tuesday afternoon.

Tourists in Rome to face new tax.

From CNN:

A new tax on tourists to the Eternal City is causing controversy, with hotels expressing fears it could hurt their business and scare tourists away.

As of January 1, nonresidents of Rome must pay the extra charge when staying at a hotel or visiting any tourist site, such as a museum, that charges admission.

Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno introduced the tax law last year after the Italian government of Silvio Berlusconi cut funding to Italian cities, including Rome, as part of austerity measures.

The new tax will cost 3 euros ($4) per person per night for four- and five-star hotels and 2 euros ($2.70) for lower categories. Small children are exempt.

The tax will also see an extra 1 euro ($1.35) charged at the city's museums and other tourist attractions.

The new law applies not only to foreign tourists, but also to Italian tourists and business travelers who are not Rome residents.

Rome had a similar tourist tax law in the past but it abolished it 20 years ago.

The city of Rome says the tax will generate around 200,000 euros (nearly $268,000) a day, for a rough total of 80 million euros ($107.2 million) a year. It has said it hopes to invest the money in improving its cultural heritage and other city infrastructure without taxing its citizens.

Rome gets about 30 million tourists per year.

Meat products to get nutritional info.

From WebMD:

Important nutritional facts aimed at helping consumers know more about what they’re eating will be required on labels of 40 of the most popular cuts of meat and poultry under a new rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The rule, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2012, requires nutritional labels on the meat and poultry packages to list the number of calories, grams of total fat, and saturated fat.

In addition, says a news release from the USDA, products will be required to list a lean percentage statement on labels, such as “76% lean,” and also the cut’s fat percentage, making it easier for consumers to understand the amounts of lean protein and fat in the packages they are considering buying.

The USDA says food panels will give consumers the information they need to determine the nutrient content of the cuts of meat and poultry they see in stores, helping them develop a healthy diet to meet individual or family needs.

“More and more, busy American families want nutrition information that they can quickly and easily understand,” Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack says in a news release. “We need to do all we can to provide nutrition labels that will help consumers make informed choices.”

He says the USDA will “work hard to provide the dietary guidelines for Americans every five years,” and that the new rule will give consumers informational guides.

Major cuts of raw, single-ingredient meat and poultry products include whole or boneless chicken breasts and other pieces of chicken, and beef whole cuts such as tenderloin steak or brisket, according to the USDA. Examples of chopped meat and poultry products include ground turkey and hamburger.

Ground Zero workers win Mega Millions.

From the NY Daily News:

Hardworking Ground Zero hardhats struck gold on Christmas Eve, hitting a $250,000 lottery jackpot.

The 18 workers on the transit hub at the World Trade Center site were winners of the Mega Millions drawing that night by picking five of six numbers.

"It's a great way to start off the new year," said foreman Patrick Hickey, 44, of Westbury, L.I. "We are all ecstatic."

The guys - who work for a number of different trade unions - have been running a workplace pool for a year-and-a-half, each tossing $5 into a pot once a week.

Until Dec. 24, they hadn't won a dime, but that night, they almost walked off with a $168 million bonanza.

Using the automatic Quick Pick option, they correctly had the numbers 15, 16, 27, 40 and 52, but 18 for the Mega Ball - which was two digits off from the winning number 16.

"I can't even think about that," said carpenter John Kennedy, 47, of Richmond Hill, Queens, who purchased the $90 block of tickets at a newsstand in the shadow of the fast-rising Freedom Tower.

"This was still pretty amazing," he said. "It's a great little Christmas present."

The pool later swelled to $380 million, the second-largest jackpot in U.S. history. It was won by two people in Tuesday's drawing - one in Washington State and the other in Idaho.

University of Texas accused of mutilating animals.

Disturbing if true. From here.

GALVESTON — Dogs, monkeys, sheep and mice were neglected and denied veterinary care and pain relief after being burned, cut open and mutilated in medical experiments at the University of Texas Medical Branch, an unnamed whistle-blower alleges, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Based on the whistle-blower’s statements, Norfolk, Va.-based PETA filed a complaint alleging violations of the Animal Welfare Act with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is charged with enforcing that law.

Medical branch officials declined Wednesday to address specific allegations, but issued this statement:

“As a leading research institution committed to advancing the treatment and prevention of illness and injury, UTMB strives to adhere to the highest ethical standards and to follow all federal, state and campus regulations in every aspect of its research enterprise,” according to the statement.

“Our animal facilities are regularly inspected and approved by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the institution’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.”

Citing fear of retaliation, PETA officials declined to divulge the identity of the whistle-blower, who presumably is or was a medical branch employee.

Among other things, the group said a researcher subjected sheep, pigs and mice to third-degree burns on up to 40 percent of their bodies using a Bunsen burner or a scorching-hot metal rod and forced animals to inhale smoke.

Several sheep and a pig in one laboratory suffered “serious injuries — including a broken leg and an unknown trauma that caused a sheep’s intestines to penetrate her chest cavity and required euthanasia — because husbandry staff forced the animals to jump over gates instead of using ramps to remove them from enclosures,” according to the complaint the animal rights organization filed with federal regulators.

The whistle-blower also contends that medical branch faculty members cut open dogs and surgically implanted tubes into their colons for research on irritable bowel syndrome. The whistle-blower asserts that the researchers did not provide anesthesia to the animals, PETA said.

One dog died during surgery; another suffered in pain following surgery when staff didn’t provide painkillers, PETA said, citing the whistle-blower.

Federal animal welfare regulations require that research facilities establish and maintain programs for adequate veterinary care.

“Being burned and cut open in experiments is upsetting enough, but if animals are also being denied basic care and pain relief, UTMB must answer to the law,” Kathy Guillermo, PETA vice president, said.

The organization is calling for the Department of Agriculture to investigate and hold the medical branch accountable if allegations of animal abuse are borne out, Guillermo said.

Medical branch researchers long have experimented with animals. Of them, 97 percent are rodents, primarily rats, 3 percent are sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs and dogs, medical branch officials told The Daily News in 2005.

In 2009, the medical branch faced criticism by The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine for using dogs in trauma training courses. The group, which claims 7,000 medical doctor members, has for years tried to persuade the medical branch and other university medical schools and programs to replace live animals with lifelike human models.

In an interview about the trauma training courses, medical branch spokesman Raul Reyes said the island campus attempted to use as few animals as possible: “All surgery is performed under general anesthesia administered by a certified veterinary anesthesiologist, so they feel no pain.”