Deadly exotic Newcastle outbreaks were all but ignored even before U.S. President Donald Trump furloughed most of the government personnel who could have responded RIVERSIDE, California–– Pleading for urgent attention to the recent spread of exotic Newcastle disease from southern California cockfighting flocks to commercial egg barns, Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) moderator […]
HSUS election picks are too few to stop the Trump juggernaut
Humane Society Legislative Fund fails to endorse enough Democratic challengers to slow anti-animal Republican momentum in the U.S. House & Senate WASHINGTON D.C.––If voters who care about animals follow the recommendations of the Humane Society Legislative Fund arm of the Humane Society of the U.S. at the polls on election day, November 6, 2018, […]
Vaquita: Trump’s Trojan Horse in war on Endangered Species Act?
Beware of trade judges bearing gifts! WASHINGTON D.C.––Will U.S. President Donald Trump use the highly endangered vaquita porpoise as the Trojan Horse for his efforts to strip “critical habitat” protections from the Endangered Species Act? Protecting the vaquita as directed on July 26, 2018 by U.S. Court of International Trade judge Gary S. Katzmann would […]
Big win over the “big lick” walking horse industry in 2018 federal budget
“Big lickers” kicked, but Congress kicked back WASHINGTON D.C.––Winning increasingly often against initially steep odds, BillyGoBoy and friends opposed to soring horses to make them step higher appear likely to enjoy the last horse laugh over the walking horse show industry. Walking horse shows have been infamously dominated for decades by trainers who––defying the […]
South Sudan bans hunting; follows Kenya, with Chinese support
Kenya banned hunting in 1977 JUBA, South Sudan––Emulating one of the longtime keys to economic success in neighboring Kenya, the seven-year-old nation of South Sudan on March 6, 2018 “banned all forms of wildlife hunting, including commercial trade in wildlife trophies,” the Xinhua news agency reported. The specific mention of “wildlife trophies” by the […]
Trump words had no teeth: elephant & lion trophy imports resume
Under current rules, Walter Palmer might have imported Cecil’s head with little fuss WASHINGTON D.C.–– In 20-20 hindsight, the November 19, 2017 Twitter message by U.S. President Donald Trump hinting that he might protect African elephants and lions from trophy hunting by executive order looks more like camouflage than a decision. Twittering that trophy […]
Winning for coyotes & beaver, lawyers turn to the missing lynx
Cases signal that wildlife killing methods may be restrained under the Trump administration, but critical habitat will go unprotected BOISE, Idaho––Winning a settlement against U.S. government agencies on behalf of furbearing wildlife for the fifth time in six months, Center for Biological Diversity attorney Collette Adkins and co-plaintiffs WildEarth Guardians, the Humane Society of […]
Tweeting hunting is “horror show,” Trump pledges elephant verdict “next week”
Allies urged Trump to spare the emblem of the Republican Party WASHINGTON D.C.–– “Big-game trophy decision will be announced next week,” announced U.S. President Donald Trump via Twitter on November 19, 2017, meaning the week after Thanksgiving, “but will be very hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way […]
Trump stalls elephant & lion trophy imports after meal of shark fin soup
Appointees had put elephants & lions back on trophy hit list WASHINGTON D.C.––Tweeting “Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts,” U.S. President Donald Trump on November 17, 2017 unexpectedly suspended U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services decisions –– trumpeted by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and praised by both […]
Tangling with crabbers on behalf of whales, sea turtles––and crabs themselves
Lawsuit seeks to save them all SAN FRANCISCO, California––Saying “Dungeness crab dinners shouldn’t come with a side of whale,” Center for Biological Diversity attorney Kristen Monsell on October 3, 2017 sued the California Department of Fish & Wildlife for allegedly failing to protect whales and sea turtles from entanglements in crabbing gear. From a vegan […]