Nothing in the Rollins/Kennedy announcement supports plant-based diet, notes Harvard critic WASHINGTON, D.C.––Brooke Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services, on August 24, 2026 announced what they claimed were, “Sweeping new efforts to strengthen school meals by connecting more American farmers with local schools, […]
Dog & pony show: wild horses to slaughter, pit bulls to Miranda’s Rescue
Myth that “We can save them all” without contracepting problematic populations both dumps dead dogs in ditches & feeds wild horses to the meat trade FORTUNA, California; POTEAU, Oklahoma & WAUSEON, Ohio––One might observe that the Miranda’s Rescue saga playing since April 2026 in northern California and the Bureau of Land Management equines-sold-to-slaughter horse opera […]
California state senators grovel before cockfighters’ “cultural” defense”
California Association for the Preservation of Gamefowl argues that 90% of game fowl breeders are Latino. So are 89% of 90 recent cockfighting-related murder victims. SACRAMENTO, California––California state assembly member Chris Rogers, a Democrat from Ukiah, might have imagined his anti-cockfighting bill, AB 928, would easily clear the state senate appropriations committee on August 3, […]
The parakeets of Creekside Birds: up guano creek west of Paden, Oklahoma
From official indifference after PETA report, one might imagine Creekside Birds to be a cockpit PADEN, Oklahoma––There is not much of a creek near Creekside Birds LLC, on U.S. Highway 62 west of Paden, Oklahoma. Though the Creekside Birds address is in Paden, Okfuskee County, human population 419, the metal-clad parakeet breeding barn is actually […]
Showdown day at the Not Okay Corral comes to Congress
The “Save Our Bacon Act” a.k.a. the “SOB Act,” and the FIGHT Act head a long list of Farm Bill 2026 showdown items WASHINGTON D.C.––Thursday, August 6, 2026 is mark-up and amendment day, for reconciliation of the Senate and House of Representatives versions 2026 Farm Bill. That makes August 6, 2026 the showdown day at […]
Where do the Democratic Socialists of America stand on animal issues?
Activist, author, & Slaughter-Free America blogger Jon Hochschartner looks for answers ANIMALS 24-7 preface: Founded in 1982, but emerging only recently as a leading political influence on the U.S. national scene, the Democratic Socialists of America campaign in primary elections and caucus in elected office as Democrats. Yet, drawing distinct lines between themselves and traditional […]
Jaripeo Baile rodeo participants don’t know a downed bull from a piñata
The mayhem at the rented home of the California Rodeo Salinas was not bull-riding, steer-tailing, or even bullfighting as done by the rules SALINAS, California––If the Jaripeo Baile held on August 1, 2026 at the Salinas Sports Complex in Salinas, California had been an authentic exhibition of Mexican culture, the participants who kicked and […]
The guru Dr. Jeff, sacred cows, the laws of God & the laws of humans
Four books for summer reading with summer half over Reviewed by Merritt Clifton ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Beyond The Boundaries: The Life & Times of Dr. Jeff The Rocky Mountain Vet by Melinda Grohol 186 pages, paperback. 2026. https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Boundaries-Times-Rocky-Mountain/dp/B0FHN8T5BG “My name is Jeff Young,” opened Jeffrey Young, DVM, on July 24, 2017, in what became the most popular […]
“Thou Shalt Not Kill Animals” initiative petition drive fails in Oregon
Was “Thou Shalt Not Kill Animals” initiative petition effort worth $300,000? Did it help at all? SALEM, Oregon––The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office on July 24, 2026 announced that Initiative Petition 28, described by Oregon Capital Chronicle editor Julia Shumway as “an effort led by Portland-based vegan advocates to dramatically expand the state’s animal cruelty […]
Cockfighters, dog & cat meat breeders play the violin for lost lives
Cruel hypocrisy masquerades as concern for exploited dogs, cats, & gamefowl SEOUL; HANOI; CROSS PLAINS, Texas; BENNETT, Colorado––One need not have spent much time personally investigating Southeast Asian dog and cat meat markets, or U.S. cockpits, or even just viewing the wealth of undercover and drone video of such operations gathered in recent years […]