Season 6 Ep. 4 | Crime Junkie - Manhattan DA policy on not prosecuting some crimes, Farmer's Using VR Headsets to Trick Cows & more

In this session Myra, Desi & Mojo discuss a farmer from Turkey who said he is simulating green pastures on virtual reality headsets to reduce the cows' stress in an attempt to have them produce more milk. İzzet Koçak said his family has been in the agriculture industry for three generations and that he cares for more than 180 cows. In addition to having his cows wear VR headsets, Koçak also has the cows listen to classical music in order to keep their stress levels lowered. They also talk about newly sworn-in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has instructed his staff to halt prosecutions for a handful of low-level offenses, to only seek bail in certain cases, and to never seek life sentences for any crime. Bragg said the office will stop prosecuting people for theft of services, trespassing (unless it accompanies a stalking charge), aggravated unlicensed operation, routine traffic violations not accompanied by felony charges, obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, and prostitution. The crew will also get into how the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine boosts antibodies five-fold a week after the shot is administered, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday, citing preliminary findings of an Israeli study. "A week into the fourth dose, we know to a higher degree of certainty that the fourth dose is safe," Bennett said at Sheba Medical Center, which is giving second booster shots in a trial among its staff amid a nationwide surge in Omicron variant infections. Israel has played a leading role in studying the effects of COVID-19 vaccines, as the fastest country to roll out two-dose inoculations to a wide population a year ago and one of the first to give third shots as boosters. It is now administering fourth doses to people over 60, health workers, and immunocompromised patients. They also discuss the largest lab-grown steak yet produced has been unveiled by the Israeli company MeaTech 3D, weighing in at nearly 4oz (110 grams). The steak is composed of real muscle and fat cells, derived from tissue samples taken from a cow. Living bovine stem cells were incorporated into “bio-inks” that were then placed in the company’s 3D printer to produce the steak. It was then matured in an incubator, in which the stem cells differentiated into fat and muscle cells. Companies across the world are racing to produce cell-cultured meat, arguing that creating meat without raising and slaughtering livestock is better for the environment, animal welfare, and potentially health. Let us know your thoughts below and make sure to like comment & subscribe to the channel & newsletter for upcoming episodes.