Kentucky Fried Cruelty: If KFC did to cats and dogs what it does to chickens, it'd face felony animal-cruelty charges, says KentuckyFriedCruelty.com, yet the chain refuses to change its ways. Now hip-hop impressario Russell Simmons of Def Jam Records, along with the Beastie Boys and rap pioneer Paul McCartney are threatening a boycott campaign if KFC doesn't improve what Simmons calls "grossly inhumane" slaughter practices. How KFC chickens meet their demise is gorier than 50-Cent lyrics: "Chickens have their sensitive beaks seared off with hot blades and are crammed into tiny cages with the decomposing remains of other birds. Hundreds of thousands are left to starve to death, and huge numbers die as a result of long journeys in extreme weather conditions.” (Such a boycott should target all brands owned by KFC's parent company, Yum--Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's, A&W. In a USAToday interview Yum Brands' CEO discusses KFC's plans for China and beyond.)

McJustice: The longest court battle in British history, dubbed McLibel, just ended in a blow to the world's biggest fast-food chain. Begun in 1994, the suit centers on activists who were sued for libel for distributing pamphlets outlining the health effects of McDonald's food back in 1986. Rather than shut up, the pair fought McDonald's for years, shedding unflattering light on McD's products and practices. They lost, eventually having to pay out 40,000 pounds. But in yesterday's McLibel Two finding, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the activists didn't have a fair trial the first time around, a huge victory. The Independent writes, "The determination of two activists has shaken a multinational, stirred a debate about food and health and prompted a review of British libel law. Because of the 'McLibel Two', the rich and powerful may no longer be able to go to court safe in the knowledge that everything is stacked in their favour." Full story here.