"arnold schwarzenegger" news and stories

Some big news hit the hen house on Tuesday. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed bill A.B. 1437 into law, which states that all whole eggs must come from birds that can "fully extend their limbs, lie down and spread their wings without touching each other or the sides of their enclosure," as the Humane Society of the United States describes it. In other words, when the law goes into full effect in 2015, the Golden State will be effectively cage free.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of HSUS, wrote in the Huffington Post that the new law will likely have an impact far beyond the California state line -- this being the eighth largest economy in the world, what happens in California rarely stays in California. "With 40 million consumers . . . it would be hard to overestimate the potential of this bill to change the way laying hens are treated throughout the United States," Pacelle pointed out.

So how much of a lifestyle change is this for hens? Let's define our terms. Cage free does not equal free range. According to the HSUS, cage-free hens are still confined by the thousands, indoors, and may still be debeaked and force-molted. Even so, life in battery cages is arguably worse, as the hens literally can not turn around or spread their wings -- ever.

Remember when the biggest beverage controversy to hit the lunchroom was chocolate vs. plain milk? These days, vending machines packed full of soda, sports drinks and sugary juice are the target: A new California bill banning sugar-sweetened sports drinks in middle schools and high schools passed last week. But some officials think the measure robs kids of choice.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sponsored the measure -- childhood obesity is one of his pet projects, and he succeeded in banning sodas from all California schools in 2007. Sports drinks were also banned in grade schools, but they remained an exception for older kids, hiding behind a guise of health and hydration.

But the neon-hued drinks are really just glorified sugar water with added salt, and they pack a lot of calories into that 20-oz bottle. For example, regular Gatorade has 50 calories and 14 grams of sugar per 8 oz serving. But really -- who drinks a cup of Gatorade? Nobody. Guzzling the whole bottle on a hot afternoon -- a more likely scenario -- means kids are actually getting about 125 calories and 35 grams of sugar. Drinking a 32-oz Powerade delivers 280 calories, 220 milligrams of sodium and 76 grams of sugar.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will terminate the low price of Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck if a proposed wine tax gets the go-ahead.

The Governator wants to raise the tax on wine in the Golden State to 29.6 cents per 750 milliliter bottle, up from its current 4 cent tax, in a move that's angered the state's wine industry and Fred Franzia, the founder of Bronco Wine Company, the winery that produces Two Buck Chuck under the Charles Shaw label.

"It's a poke in the eye with a sharp stick to Charles Shaw and the whole wine industry," Franzia said.

Did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger, current governor of California and former action adventure hero, has an apple named after him? These apples are grown in his home country Austria, in the Styria region and are purported to be delightful and have fantastic flavor. Apparently, they are also "lovingly tended by skilled and dedicated apple farmers in small to medium sized orchards, far away from the methods of mass-production."

The website devoted to the Arnold apple even has a blog written from the point of view of an Arnold apple. Arnold says, "Why waiting, why bringing me home in a flabby bag? Enjoy me in a moment, do it in public! Get the experience to have an apple as a strong and healthy alternative to refreshments like burger or chocolate bars!"

I do believe that says it all.

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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has crushed a bill that would have made Zinfandel the historic wine of California.

His reason for terminating the measure? The state produces so many top-notch varietals that he says it would be unfair to single one out for special treatment.

Carole Migden, the bill's sponsor had wanted to make Zinfandel California's state wine, but shifted gears after an outcry from the state's vintners. While the governator may have a point, the fruity wine does have a rich history. The grape was first planted in California in the 1820s and some vines are still bearing fruit after more than 100 years.

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