Tori Spelling Introduces Son Finn Davey




Celebrity Baby Blog





11/11/2012 at 08:00 PM ET



Tori Spelling Introduces Son Finn Davey
Michael Simon/Startraks


Meet Finn Davey McDermott!


Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott introduce their fourth child, posing inside the 10-week-old’s nursery in a set of recently released photos.


After a difficult pregnancy that included hospitalization and bedrest due to placenta previa, the actress delivered her son via c-section at 37 weeks.


“I would rub my belly and talk to Finn. I kept telling him, ‘We’re going to be fine’ and ‘I can’t wait to hold you,’” Spelling, 39, tells PEOPLE.


Now happy and healthy at home, Finn joins siblings Hattie, 13 months, Stella, 4, and Liam, 5½, as well as Jack, 14, McDermott’s son from a prior marriage.


Check back Monday, when PEOPLE.com will have an exclusive look at all of Finn’s nursery details.


Tori Spelling Introduces Son Finn Davey
Michael Simon/Startraks


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Food labels multiply, some confuse consumers

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Want to avoid pesticides and antibiotics in your produce, meat, and dairy foods? Prefer to pay more to make sure farm animals were treated humanely, farmworkers got their lunch breaks, bees or birds were protected by the farmer and that ranchers didn't kill predators?

Food labels claim to certify a wide array of sustainable practices. Hundreds of so-called eco-labels have cropped up in recent years, with more introduced every month — and consumers are willing to pay extra for products that feature them.

While eco-labels can play a vital role, experts say their rapid proliferation and lack of oversight or clear standards have confused both consumers and producers.

"Hundreds of eco labels exist on all kinds of products, and there is the potential for companies and producers to make false claims," said Shana Starobin, a food label expert at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment.

Eco-labels have multiplied in recent years in response to rising consumer demand for more information about products and increased attention to animal and farmworker welfare, personal health, and the effects of conventional farming on the environment.

"Credible labels can be very helpful in helping people get to what they want to get to and pay more for something they really care about," said Urvashi Rangan, director of consumer safety at Consumer Reports. "The labels are a way to bring the bottom up and force whole industries to improve their practices."

The problem, Rangan and other said, is that few standards, little oversight and a lot of misinformation exist for the growing array of labels.

Some labels, such as the USDA organic certification, have standards set by the federal government to which third party certifiers must adhere. Some involve non-government standards and third-party certification, and may include site visits from independent auditors who evaluate whether a given farm or company has earned the label.

But other labels have little or no standards, or are certified by unknown organizations or by self-interested industry groups. Many labels lack any oversight.

And the problem is global, because California's products get sold overseas and fruits and vegetables from Europe or Mexico with their own eco-labels make it onto U.S. plates.

The sheer number of labels and the lack of oversight create a credibility problem and risk rendering all labels meaningless and diluting demand for sustainably produced goods, Rangan said.

Daniel Mourad of Fresno, a young professional who likes to cook and often shops for groceries at Whole Foods, said he tends to be wary of judging products just by the labels — though sustainable practices are important to him.

"Labels have really confused the public. Some have good intentions, but I don't know if they're really helpful," Mourad said. "Organic may come from Chile, but what does it mean if it's coming from 6,000 miles away? Some local farmers may not be able to afford a label."

In California, voters this week rejected a ballot measure that would have required labels on foods containing genetically modified ingredients.

Farmers like Gena Nonini in Fresno County say labels distinguish them from the competition. Nonini's 100-acre Marian Farms, which grows grapes, almonds, citrus and vegetables, is certified biodynamic and organic, and her raisins are certified kosher.

"For me, the certification is one way of educating people," Nonini said. "It opens a venue to tell a story and to set yourself apart from other farmers out there."

But other farmers say they are reluctant to spend money on yet another certification process or to clutter their product with too much packaging and information.

"I think if we keep adding all these new labels, it tends to be a pile of confusion," said Tom Willey of TD Willey Farms in Madera, Calif. His 75-acre farm, which grows more than 40 different vegetable crops, carries USDA organic certification, but no other labels.

The proliferation of labels, Willey said, is a poor substitute for "people being intimate with the farmers who grow their food." Instead of seeking out more labels, he said, consumers should visit a farmers' market or a farm, and talk directly to the grower.

Since that's still impossible for many urbanites, Consumer Reports has developed a rating system, a database and a web site for evaluating environmental and food labels — one of several such guides that have popped up recently to help consumers.

The guides show that labels such as "natural" and "free range" carry little meaning, because they lack clear standards or a verification system.

Despite this, consumers are willing to pay more for "free range" eggs and poultry, and studies show they value "natural" over "organic," which is governed by lengthy federal regulations.

But some consumers and watchdog groups are becoming more vigilant.

In October, the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against Petaluma, Calif., organic egg producer of Judy's Eggs over "free range" claims. The company's packaging depicts a hen ranging on green grass, and the inside reads "these hens are raised in wide open spaces in Sonoma Valley..."

Aerial photos of the farm suggest the chickens actually live in factory-style sheds, according to the lawsuit. Judy and Steve Mahrt, owners of Petaluma Farms, said in a statement that the suit is "frivolous, unfair and untrue," but they did not comment on the specific allegations.

Meanwhile, new labels are popping up rapidly. The Food Justice label, certified via third party audits, guarantees a farm's commitment to fair living wages and adequate living and working conditions for farmworkers. And Wildlife Friendly, another third-party audited program, certifies farmers and ranchers who peacefully co-exist with wolves, coyotes, foxes and other predators.

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Follow Gosia Wozniacka at http://twitter.com/GosiaWozniacka

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Bethel AME Church in San Francisco rejects new pastor from L.A.









SAN FRANCISCO — In an unprecedented move, officials of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest black pulpit in the city, have rejected the troubled Los Angeles pastor assigned to lead its flock.

The Rev. John J. Hunter was recently transferred from First AME, one of the nation's most prominent black churches, after an eight-year tenure marred by a sexual harassment lawsuit, a federal tax investigation and the questionable use of church credit cards.

Hunter was slated to make his pastoral debut at Bethel AME this month, but church officials drafted an emergency resolution barring him from taking control. They said the assignment could "impair the legacy, reputation, relationships and goodwill" of the church in the community.





When Hunter, cloaked in his white pastor robe and carrying his Bible, showed up at the church Nov. 4 ready to preach, church officials said, they confronted him in the foyer and demanded that he produce the signed declaration from Bishop T. Larry Kirkland stating his new assignment.

Hunter did not have a copy of the declaration and church officials blocked him from taking the pulpit.

The rejection — unheard of in the AME denomination — pits the small, 650-member congregation against the executive orders of Kirkland and has many churchgoers questioning the ramifications of their protest.

Neither Hunter nor Kirkland could be reached Sunday for comment.

Church officials fear that Hunter's blemished reputation would upend a multimillion-dollar business deal in the works. Some say the deal, which officials declined to detail, would unravel if lenders learned of Hunter's questionable financial transactions.

"That's how much weight his reputation carries," said one senior church official who asked not to be identified for fear of punishment if Hunter were to be seated as pastor.

In 2008, Hunter acknowledged using First AME's credit cards for $122,000 in personal expenditures on items including suits, jewelry, vacations and auto supplies. A year later, the Internal Revenue Service said he owed more than $300,000 in back taxes. Hunter has said he repaid both debts.

Additionally, members worry that Bethel AME might lose the good reputation it earned under the leadership of its former pastor, the Rev. J. Edgar Boyd, who served the church for more than 20 years.

Boyd was promoted to take the helm of First AME, a church that boasts a membership of 19,000. There, he was welcomed with open arms.

For years, critics of Hunter complained that he was inaccessible, overspent on personal security and refused to live in the South L.A. community where he preached. They said the church's membership, tithing and its activist profile declined during Hunter's tenure.

Hunter was appointed in 2004 to lead First AME, which had been led by the Rev. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray, a legendary pastor who propelled the church into a civic, social and political powerhouse. It became a regular stop for Democratic political candidates over the years, including Bill Clinton, Al Gore and President Obama.

After Hunter's transfer to Bethel AME was announced Oct. 28, members worried about his past.

It took Hunter days to formally introduce himself to church officials, further exacerbating the congregation's concerns about the pastor.

By the time Hunter landed in San Francisco on Nov. 3, his fate with the church was sealed. A driver picked up Hunter and his young daughter, Jaden, at the airport. They were dropped off downtown, where more than a dozen church officials greeted them. Hunter was handed a copy of the resolution, stating that members had rejected his appointment and demanded that Kirkland create a conciliation committee to "review the charges, issues and concerns" raised, church officials said.

"You could've emailed or faxed this to me," a stunned Hunter responded, according to church officials. Hunter said he would not preach where he was not wanted. The next morning, church members said they stood on the steps of Bethel AME on Laguna Avenue an hour before the early morning service to block Hunter from entering. Hunter was not present when the service began at 8 a.m.

Thirty minutes later, Hunter and a bodyguard bypassed the lone guard who monitors the front entrance, church members said. Officials said that when they blocked Hunter from the pulpit, his demeanor shifted.

"He was loud and boisterous," said one member who declined to be identified because the issues surrounding Hunter's assignment had not been resolved. "Not the temperament of a pastor."

Congregants in the church held hands and prayed.

Hunter left and has had little contact since then with church members. When Kirkland learned about the confrontation, he flew to San Francisco to admonish the congregation for making judgments about Hunter.

"This could be looked at as an embarrassment," he told members.

But the congregation remains firm in its decision. On Sunday, members said they were ready to walk out if Hunter showed up. The presiding elder, the Rev. W. Bartalette Finney Sr., delivered the sermon for the roughly 100 people who turned out for two morning services. He urged members to focus on their spiritual relationship with God and not the problems of the church.

"Bethel, you have lost your first love," he said in a deep, throaty baritone. "You have lost your pastor. But you didn't lose Jesus."

angel.jennings@latimes.com





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