Chinese Cows Produce ‘Human’ Milk

Cows produce milk with the properties of human breast milk, telenovelas turn serious, a new HIV vaccine is set to go into trials and Arizona passes a new race-based law … this time about abortion. These discoveries and more after the jump.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

The links below open in a new window. Newer ones are on top.

Cows That Produce “Human” Milk Scientists in China have genetically modified dairy cows to produce milk that has the same properties as human breast milk.

Slut Shame: Attacking Women for Their Sex Lives On Jan. 26, Loren Feldman wrote an open letter to media personality Julia Allison’s father, alleging to her expertise at oral sex and her promiscuity. The post, which has since been removed, is a prime example of the ease with which the accusation of being a slut is still hurled at women as a way to shame and degrade them.

Video Games As Art? With an Upcoming Smithsonian Exhibit, Pong Equals Picasso Chris Melissinos is curating the “Art of Video Games” exhibit, scheduled to open next year at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

How the Telenovela Is Beating the Networks Two new telenovelas, both from Telemundo Studios, turn the genre on its head. La Reina del Sur (“Queen of the South”) is about a narco-trafficker and RPM Miami explores the underground world of drag racing.

The GOP Path to Prosperity Our budget cuts $6.2 trillion in spending from the president’s budget over the next 10 years and puts the nation on track to pay off our national debt.

A Perfect Storm in Undergraduate Education College teacher Thomas H. Benton speculates on why students (and, to a lesser extent, their parents) are not making choices that support educational success. What could they possibly be thinking?

Arianna: Beyond Left and Right [Of Course] Arianna Huffington discusses her next move in this interview by The New York Times.

U.S. Traffic Deaths at Lowest Point in 60 Years U.S. highway deaths have hit their lowest point in over 60 years, reports AP.

HIV Vaccine to Start Trials Within a Year A team of researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico say they could begin human trials of a new HIV vaccine within a year.

Arizona Passes Controversial Abortion Law Arizona became the first state in the country to officially outlaw abortions based on the suspected gender or race of the fetus.