In an important decision for both environmentalists and free speech advocates, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has overturned the conviction of Robert J. Stevens of Virginia who was convicted of selling videos (including so-called “crush videos”) showing dogfighting and other acts of animal cruelty. Stevens, who not surprisingly lives in a place called of Pittsville, had been sentenced to three years in prison.
Category: Environment
U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy has stopped the controversial hunt for gray wolves in Montana, granting a preliminary injunction restoring the wolves to the endangered list. Given the need to show a likelihood to prevail on the merits, it is an important ruling for environmentalists. The planned hunt was endorsed by the ironically named Ed Bangs, a federal biologist who declared the decision to delist wolves as “a very biologically sound package.” Obviously, a neutral federal judge disagreed with Bangs’ view.
Kentucky pastor, Gregory James Coots, 36, is in jail this week after wildlife officers found dozens of snakes in his possession. He was one of 10 people arrested in the sweep. Coots is the head of Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro — a snake handling sect that recently came under investigation with the death of a woman bitten by one of the venomous snakes.
Continue reading “Laying Hands On Religious Snake Handlers: Police Arrest Pastor of Fundamentalist Church”
It appears that after destroying their own environment and poisoning their own food system, the Chinese government has been reduced to luring tourists with actual paper tigers. Chinese “netizens” on the Internet showed that a recent picture of a South China Tiger was actually a poster propped up in the forest. A farmer, Zhou Zhenglong, has now been charged criminally and some officials fired. Yet, it is not the first faked nature scene to come out of the Chinese government.
New York may be looking at another tort case that explores the inherent value of a pet versus the value of the pain of its loss. Robert Machin was walking his Boston terrier Ginger in the Bronx when a street sweeper swerved to avoid a speed bump and sucked in the small dog.
Continue reading “New York Street Street Sweeper Kills Boston Terrier”
Before 9-11, the rationale for expanded oil drilling was sustainable energy for an expanding economy. Then, after 9-11, it became an anti-terrorism measure. Most recently, Cheney rose the alarm that we had to start drilling because the Chinese are coming. He insisted that Chinese were drilling under contracts with Cuba 60 miles of the Florida coast. He has now admitted that that is false and his office explained that his source was George Will. I thought that was the Vice President and the President’s reigning energy expert. Yet, he gets his industry intelligence from columnists?
Continue reading “Cheney Admits that His Warning of Chinese Oil Drilling Was Wrong”
The Marine Corps has announced that David Motari — the Marine Lance Corporal made infamous by his video tossing a puppy off a cliff in Iraq — will be expelled from the Corps. Another Marine involved in the incident — Marine, Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion — will receive nonjudicial punishment.
Continue reading “Semper Fido: David Motari Expelled From Marine Corps Over Puppy Tossing Video”
A Texas couple is suing the city of Denton, Texas for $206,000 for negligently euthanizing their dog. Shawn Snider and Beth Bayless-Snider are seeking recovery for loss of future breeding opportunities and emotional pain and suffering for the loss of their 3-year-old black Labrador, Amicus.
Continue reading “Family Seeks $206,000 Against Shelter for Mistakingly Euthanizing Dog”
Alaskans are going to court to challenge the listing of polar bears — unwilling to allow actions to protect endangered polar bears if it would threaten oil and gas revenues. The Alaskan politicians have a long and uninterrupted record of being the most hostile anti-environmentalists in government. Gov. Sarah Palin has joined this infamous line — once again making her government as mere extension of the oil industry. Given the recent corruption tapes showing Alaskan legislators promising to “sell [their] souls to the devil”, it appears that the fireside sale continues. Continue reading “Alaska to Challenge Listing of Polar Bear as Endangered Species”
The EPA has spent roughly $15 million to measure the pollution caused largely by cow farts and burps. I truly want to meet the researchers who got this assignment. Nevertheless, it turns out that California and Wisconsin are massive contributors to cow-based emissions. While Ronald Reagan may have identified trees as a major source of pollution, the report below reveals the dark untold story of those cute dairy cows that you see on the cartons of Ben and Jerry Ice Cream. Continue reading “EPA Issues “Fart Chart”: Bovine Flatulence Measured State-by-State”
Former judge Richard McLean and attorney Edith Stevens appear to have had an eye on some land of neighbors Don and Susie Kirlin for some time. They got their wish when another judge, District Judge James C. Klein ruled that a mysterious path that appeared on the property gave them possession of 34 percent of the Kirlins’ lot on Hardscrabble Drive. Continue reading “A Judge Runs Through It: Family Loses Land by Adverse Possession to Colorado Judge”
Nico Marquardt is 13 years old but he was still apparently smarter than NASA in calculating the chances of a killer asteroid colliding with Earth. Germany’s own Jimmy Neutron not only corrected NASA’s math on the collision of the Apophis asteroid, but it turns out a lot more likely than we thought. Continue reading “Jaime Neutron: 13-Year-Old Kid Corrects NASA’s Calculation on Earth Destroying Asteroid Hit”
Given our collection of Lions and Tigers, it was inevitable that we would add a bear “oh no,” as the song goes. This video of a bear using a tree to scratch in the woods is priceless.
Continue reading “Bear Necessities”
As part of our expanding library of big cats at play and prowl, consider this new water danger. These pictures of a white tiger under water challenges your usual list of “things to fear in the water.”
Continue reading “Aqua Tiger: Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back Into The Water . . .”
A North Dakota town is facing a health crisis over its playground and other states are concerned over their roads. The city elders used a common gravel in the area for base material, only to learn that it is composed of erionite that can cause lung cancer. Continue reading “Toxic Roads and Turkish Cancer”