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aljazeera--2019-02-04--Jury to begin deliberations in trial of drug lord El Chapo
| 2019-02-04T00:00:00 |
aljazeera
|
Jury to begin deliberations in trial of drug lord 'El Chapo'
|
After nearly three months of testimony about a vast drug-smuggling conspiracy steeped in violence, a jury is due to begin deliberations on Monday at the US trial of the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. A federal judge in Brooklyn is set to give instructions to jurors in the morning before asking them to begin deciding the verdict for 61-year-old Guzman, who faces life in prison. Throughout the months-long trial, the jury has heard more than 200 hours of testimony about Guzman's rise to power as the head of the Sinaloa cartel. Prosecutors say he is responsible for smuggling at least 200 tonnes of cocaine into the US and a wave of killings in turf wars with other cartels. The 11-week trial, which featured testimony from more than 50 witnesses, offered the public an unprecedented look into the inner workings of the cartel, named after the state in northwest Mexico where Guzman was born in a poor mountain village. Prosecutors said he trafficked tonnes of cocaine, heroin, cannabis and methamphetamine into the US over more than two decades, consolidating his power in Mexico through murders and wars with rival cartels. The defence has argued that Chapo was set up as a "fall guy" by Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a drug kingpin from Sinaloa who remains at large. The most detailed evidence against Guzman came from more than a dozen former associates who struck deals to cooperate with US prosecutors. Through them, jurors heard how the Sinaloa cartel gained power amid the shifting allegiances of the Mexican drug trade in the 1990s, eventually coming to control almost the entire Pacific coast of Mexico. They heard how Guzman made a name for himself in the 1980s as "El Rapido", the speedy one, by building cross-border tunnels that allowed him to move cocaine from Mexico into the US faster than anyone else. Despite his ties to government officials, Guzman often lived on the run. Imprisoned in 1993, he escaped in 2001 hidden in a laundry cart and spent the following years hiding in the mountains of Sinaloa, guarded by a private army. He was seized and imprisoned again in 2014, but pulled off his best-known escape the following year when he disappeared into a tunnel dug into his prison cell. He was finally captured again in January 2016 after a shoot-out in Sinaloa and extradited to the US on January 19, 2017. The jury to decide his fate comprises seven women and five men. Their names have not been disclosed for security reasons. At least three jurors are immigrants, three are Spanish speakers and several have ties to law enforcement. Almost all of them had heard of Guzman before the trial began, but said they could be impartial. The only exception was a woman from Ethiopia who said she had "no clue" who he was.
| null |
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/jury-deliberations-trial-drug-lord-el-chapo-190204151744666.html
|
2019-02-04 15:39:29+00:00
| 1,549,312,769 | 1,567,549,692 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,363 |
activistpost--2019-08-23--Cities Unveil Unethical Homeless Reporting While LA Pushes Anti-Homeless Law
| 2019-08-23T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Cities Unveil Unethical Homeless Reporting, While LA Pushes Anti-Homeless Law
|
The cities of San Francisco and Seattle are testing a new way to report homeless encampments or “tent cities” via dialing 311 or using an app. Meanwhile, LA lawmakers are pushing to ban homeless people from parks, schools, and other designated areas, LA Times reported. Residents of Seattle can now report homeless encampments quickly and remotely, providing citizens the ability to send a report directly to a corresponding city department with the “Find It, Fix It” app, Smart Cities Dive reported. The app enables citizens the ability to “alert the city to public problems with a message including a location and description. Users submit issues by category, such as illegal dumping, potholes, dead animals, and “other inquiries,” allowing residents to report encampments,” a city spokeswoman Cyndi Wilder told Smart Cities Dive in an email interview. There’s one problem conflating homelessness into those issues as the author writes for Smart Cities Dive, “people aren’t potholes.” Activist Post has previously reported that Nevada app developers, BitFocus Inc, were working with government to give homeless people a tap on the shoulder of Big Brother, tracking their every move in San Francisco using the ONE System, a scary and worrying prospect. “The idea is simple: Collect and sort information associated with the homeless to more effectively assess risk factors, determine those most in need, and get those people into available shelters and transitional housing. But the reality is more complicated. Five months after its introduction, ONE System has helped get only 70 people off the streets as it contends with the same challenges that have plagued past efforts—as well as new ones, including persuading the city’s most at-risk population to sign on to a program with echoes of Big Brother,” writes Bloomberg. According to Bloomberg, ONE System collects data from 15 city and state agencies. Then homeless persons are asked 17 questions that can help evaluate their individual situation, including their time spent on the street, health, and overall vulnerability. This information combined with a record of the places in the city that a person frequents is used to create a database that acts as a digital profile for caseworkers. The caseworkers helping homeless people get back on their feet would then use this data to aid them in assisting the homeless community to obtain help with their health and housing needs. Caseworkers then must persuade the homeless to join a monitoring system. Participants in ONE System must sign medical records privacy protection forms and other legal forms. Further, to get into a permanent housing program, app users need to pass a background check, which can take 45 days and requires an identification card, a hardship since most homeless people don’t have a phone or an ID card. Meanwhile, if you try to feed the homeless as a citizen you face fines and even jail time, as Activist Post has reported consistently on the increasingly worrying trend. App developers trying to offer the homeless a way to find free food worldwide, Chef90, were sued for their efforts to help homeless people. Chef90 allowed anyone to coordinate food drops and locations and was designed to allow small amounts of food, clothing, or blankets to be distributed to those in need. Example: Post Item = I have 4 apples View Items = Users with Chef-90 pick up the 4 apples and Distributes them to children in need on their way to work. Chef-90 uses GPS to find items close to users to easy distribute food or other items. Everyone can do a small part to help someone in need. “This app gives users the tools to achieve that goal,” the app description read according to APKPure (who keeps a downloadable copy of all apps on the Google Play Store.) The app Chef90 was available on both Google Play and Apple Stores named after the famous chef, 90-year-old Arnold Abbott, who sought to go above and beyond to feed the homeless. For his good deeds, Abbott found himself facing up to two months in jail and hundreds of dollars in fines after laws that restrict public feeding of the homeless went into effect in Fort Lauderdale in 2014, Reuters reported. However, like Abbott, developers of Chef90 quickly found themselves in legal trouble with cease and desist orders, and sued. The developers were then forced to take down the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play store, according to a developer who worked on the app and wishes to remain anonymous. Another problem is the laws being pushed in cities like Los Angeles that punish homelessness by barring the homeless from sleeping on public spaces. Los Angeles City Council’s homelessness and poverty committee has noticed the trend of criminalizing homelessness, and as result are working to change the law in order to align L.A.’s municipal code with a 2018 federal court ruling that limits how cities can enforce anti-camping and anti-loitering laws. In that case, Martin V. Boise, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a Boise law that outlawed sleeping in any public space. But the proposed changes made by the Los Angeles City Council’s homelessness and poverty committee aren’t designed to help those who need it and include outrageous bans on sitting, sleeping or lying in a number of designated public places. Which critics like Peggy Lee Kennedy, an advocate for the homeless from Venice argue are “inhumane,” as LAist reported. A federal court also ruled in the Boise case that “as long as there is no option of sleeping indoors, the government cannot criminalize indigent, homeless people for sleeping outdoors, on public property.” The court also opined that “even where shelter is unavailable, an ordinance prohibiting sitting, lying, or sleeping outside at particular times or in particular locations might well be constitutionally permissible.” In her opinion on that case, the Judge Marsha S. Berzon wrote: A list of proposed changes in LA are below: The reader should know that the previous law prohibited homeless from sitting or sleeping on any sidewalks at all. This new law is supposed to be a means to bridge the gap, but appears to actually designate ordinances to make legalese more clear for the public that homelessness will be punished.
|
Aaron
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/cities-unveil-unethical-homeless-reporting-while-la-pushes-anti-homeless-law.html
|
2019-08-23 14:13:25+00:00
| 1,566,584,005 | 1,567,533,553 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,384 |
activistpost--2019-08-24--The Politicization of Justice
| 2019-08-24T00:00:00 |
activistpost
|
The Politicization of Justice
|
The American criminal justice system has long been a sharp painful thorn in the nation’s consciousness as if to remind us of a major flaw in the American way of life. Mostly, that awareness has focused on the inequities of prosecution and sentencing between the privileged upper class elites and the have-nots of the blue collar underclass and our nation’s minorities. Since 2016 the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has had an increased national presence initially as it related to the discredited Russiagate collusion campaign and now, as long-standing corruption within the DOJ and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) surfaces, the status quo can no longer be tolerated. Only those with a childlike innocence would be surprised by the sudden, untimely death of Jeffrey Epstein while incarcerated in the US Federal prison system. Attorney General Bob Barr described himself as ‘appalled’ that the planet’s most politically connected trafficker of adolescent female flesh had ‘suicided’ out. Epstein was also reported to be a valuable Mossad asset who used his unique position to blackmail a multitude of unsuspecting elite schmucks. If Barr brings the same level of incredulity to the ongoing systemic investigations of the effort to disrupt the 2016 presidential campaign and to unseat a sitting US President, we might as well roll up the last copy of the Constitution and use it for kindling. Despite a history of prejudicial bias and unethical conduct that is incompatible with a free, open and democratic society, injustice including one’s demise at the hands of the American criminal justice system is nothing new. Whether Epstein was mortally wounded or is sunning himself on an Israeli beach leads to the same conclusion: it can no longer be denied that corruption of the nation’s law enforcement system is widespread (i.e. civil asset forfeiture) as its top officials and many of its privileged Federal judges are implicated. While a Grand Jury Inquiry into 9/11 has been stalled by the US Attorney at the US Southern District since April, 2018, it is anticipated that the DOJ Inspector General’s report on FISA Court abuses will detail systemic criminal behavior at the highest levels of government perhaps reaching into the Obama White House. Which brings us to the presidential campaign of Sen. Kamala Harris as walking – talking proof of why, as a prosecutor, she should be ineligible for election to any position of public trust. There is little reason to believe that Harris is an aberration but rather the product of an odious infection that Alex Kozinski, Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals described as “an epidemic of prosecutorial misconduct.” Considering its hallowed beginnings with the Judiciary Act of 1789 which established the Supreme Court, created the nation’s Federal Court system including the first US Attorneys and US Marshals and the first Circuit and District Courts, the nation’s law enforcement and judicial institutions are deeply embedded in the Constitutional roots of the Country. The Act also created the office of the Attorney General. In particular, a Federal Prosecutor is an omnipotent, most powerful person in any legal proceeding and armed with an unlimited pot of taxpayer funds. With high profile prosecutions as plum assignments, many prosecutors cannot resist the grandstanding and opportunity for fame and glory. They are in total control of the Grand Jury process with unfettered discretion to run roughshod over any defendant. Losing sight of the fact that they are officers of the Court, they are untouchable as they possess a legal immunity from their own criminal misconduct. There is an outstanding opportunity for the American public to better understand the level of corruption at the DOJ with a Must Read of Sidney Powell’s Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the US Department of Justice. Powell’s book reads like a political exposé, leaving the reader profoundly disturbed and stunned by the level of unimpeded corruption in the absence of any checks and balances. Reading more like a fast-paced crime novel with one tragic suicide and one suspected murder, all the indictments were based on fabricated criminal allegations, a unanimous Supreme Court reversal, repeated Constitutional violations of withholding evidence (i.e. Brady Rule) as well as wrongful imprisonments – all conducted by the highest levels of the country’s criminal justice system involving two US District Court Judges and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. All defendants were initially found guilty only to have their convictions reversed on appeal with one still guilty of perjury/obstruction and concluding with the politically-inspired prosecutorial promotions to increased positions of power and influence within the DOJ or the revolving door to some of the nation’s million dollar law firms. The following summaries of the three cases outlined in Powell’s book do not do justice to the complexity and divergence from the Rule of Law as so effectively detailed in Licensed to Lie: In March, 2002 with the GW Bush Administration in office, the DOJ began their investigation into the Enron collapse by indicting Arthur Andersen, the country’s leading accounting firm since 1913. The entire company of AA was indicted rather than any single individuals responsible. As the auditor representing Enron along with 2,300 other publicly traded companies, the immediate impact of the indictment forced Andersen to close its doors leaving its 85,000 worldwide employees unemployed. One Enron witness who refused to testify and plead guilty was put in solitary confinement for months until he wilted and agreed to testify per DOJ’s instructions. District Court Judge Melinda Harmon was cooperative of the government’s case amending jury instructions to lessen the prosecution burden to prove their case. The jury found the company guilty with the conviction affirmed by the Fifth Circuit. In 2005, the Supreme Court found that AA had committed no criminal conduct and . In September, 2003, four Merrill Lynch executives were indicted under an ‘honest services’ charge for conspiring to defraud Enron of its CFO services even though no fraud was committed. Defense Council Powell could find no precedent for making the honest services claim a federal criminal offense . The basis for the allegation was a five-minute telephone conversation on December 23 regarding Enron’s guarantee to Merrill that they would buy back some Nigerian barges. The Task Force assured Defense Counsel’s repeated requests that no Brady evidence existed. “Cooperative” prosecution witnesses included Enron’s CFO Barry Fastow who was criminal master-mind of multiple mega million dollar thefts as compared to the four Merrill defendants who took no money and received no benefits. Fastow served less than five years in prison. As the jury returned a guilty verdict, District Judge Ewing Werlien denied all defense motions as the Task Force requested incarceration forcing the defendants to report to prison that day. The Task Force had requested a 24-year sentence although each received 3-4 years Always at issue was whether the DOJ prosecutors abided by the Brady Rule which constitutionally requires the prosecution to provide the defense with all exculpatory evidence that might benefit the defense. Six years later, as one of the four defendants was still in appeals court, the Task Force accidentally revealed their withholding of evidence from Defense Council that would have exonerated the Merrill Four six years earlier. In July of 2008, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was indicted by a federal grand jury for failure to report gifts related to a home renovation and was found guilty on October 27th. Less than a week later, Stevens, a forty-year member of the US Senate, lost his re-election bid which changed the balance of power in the Senate as Barack Obama was elected President and the Democrats assumed control of the Senate. Soon after, in a rare display of ethical and moral fortitude, an FBI whistleblower revealed that the Task Force attorneys had withheld exculpatory evidence from the Stevens defense, again violating the Brady Rule. Newly appointed Attorney General Eric Holder was forced to dismiss the charges against Stevens with District Judge Emmett Sullivan overturning the Stevens conviction and ultimately appointed a special investigator to review the DOJ’s behavior. The Schuelke Report targeted mid-level FBI attorneys while vindicating its top supervisors. The suggestion that the Stevens’ indictment was ideologically driven remains a possibility. It remains an imponderable curiosity as to how an incestuous group-think led to these stunning levels of abuse of political power. Why would some of the highest ranking officials within the DOJ seemingly consciously destroy the Constitutional presumption of innocence; that is, that any citizen is innocent until proven guilty – even as the concept has been a political football since the 2016 election. On Federal matters, the burden is always on the government to prove their case “beyond a reasonable doubt” and yet, the government never met that burden in all three of the cases cited above. It is as if there was deliberate intent to devastate the reputation and integrity of the country’s leading law enforcement agencies thereby destroying its ability to ever again function as a credible advocate on behalf of the Bill of Rights. The term ‘prosecutorial misconduct’ does not adequately sum up the damage done to the thousands of lives affected in the three cases; livelihoods ruined, financial instability and physical well-being destroyed due to an improper, excessive display of the politicization of justice. What is equally astounding is that for the DOJ to have failed in all three cases with prosecutorial misconduct, the unanimous Supreme Court reversal and repudiation of the Department’s legal prowess, any one of these cases were sufficient to merit a Congressional oversight hearing including what disciplinary action had been taken. In addition, while Powell’s book should have been a NY Times best seller, that once authoritative “newspaper of record” refused to ‘review’ the book just as the NY Post backed off a story when the DOJ refused to make comment and book distributors have been less than cooperative. And lastly, given the multiple Brady Rule violations, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced the “Fairness in Disclosure of Evidence Act of 2012″ which failed to attract more than four co-sponsors. Renee Parsons has been a member of the ACLU’s Florida State Board of Directors and president of the ACLU Treasure Coast Chapter. She has been an elected public official in Colorado, an environmental lobbyist with Friends of the Earth and staff member of the US House of Representatives in Washington DC. She can be found on Twitter @reneedove31 Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/the-politicization-of-justice.html
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2019-08-24 16:08:50+00:00
| 1,566,677,330 | 1,567,533,471 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,394 |
activistpost--2019-08-25--Utility Company AEP Sues FCC Over Rules to Speed Up 5G and Fiber Installation
| 2019-08-25T00:00:00 |
activistpost
|
Utility Company, AEP, Sues FCC Over Rules to Speed Up 5G and Fiber Installation
|
Activist Post reports regularly about the many individuals and organizations who are opposed to the forced widespread installation of 5G technology. Utility companies are among them and they have warned the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) that allowing more 5G spectrums for unlicensed and untested WiFi applications will interfere with their already problematic and combustible smart meters and grids. Equally scary, the Telecom Industry has admitted they have no scientific evidence that 5G is even safe. AEP has now decided to sue the FCC about their rush to install 5G: Recently the FCC announced new rules that would help speed up the rollout of 5G. Now the American Electric Power Service Corporation has sued the FCC with the hopes to block the new rules in order to get a court review of the changes the FCC has made. These new rules would allow fiber and small 5G cells to be placed on existing utility poles far faster than under the old rules. These new rules also set limits on how long it utilizes can take to review requests to add equipment to poles and limits what can be charged. Now with the updated FCC rules groups will be required to approve or deny deployment of new small wireless facilities within 90 days, or just 60 days if added to existing equipment. In the past, it often took months to approve new changes to current poles. The FCC also argued that companies were making new compers pay to correct violations that already existed on the pole if they wanted to add new equipment to the pole the new FCC rules put an end to this. As you would expect this has upset some utilities and the American Electric Power Service Corporation has sued to stop these new rules as they request the Judge for a review of the FCC order. The FCC says these new rules are important for the nation as part of the growth of high-speed internet and 5G. In the FCC response to the lawsuit it said: Profit outside the rigged system! Protect yourself from tyranny and economic collapse. Learn to live free and spread peace! - Trends & Strategies for Maximum Freedom “After further consideration and in light of the national importance of a speedy rollout of 5G services,” the Commission amended its rules “to allow new attachers to invoke the self-help remedy for work above the communications space, including the installation of wireless 5G small cells, when utilities and existing attachers have not met make-ready work deadlines.” You can read the FCC’s full reply to the lawsuit HERE. Tens of millions of “Smart” Meters have already been installed in the U.S. and around the world so it’s likely that they are already on your home and throughout your community unless you are fortunate enough to have been able to “opt out.” In addition to causing fires and explosions, they have been making people sick from their RF emissions. A documentary was produced about them – Take Back Your Power – and it is free to watch online. 5G is already operating in some communities and people and their pets becoming sick from exposure (see 1, 2, 3). AEP also isn’t the only one to sue the FCC about 5G (see 1, 2).
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/utility-company-aep-sues-fcc-over-rules-to-speed-up-5g-and-fiber-installation.html
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2019-08-25 23:30:01+00:00
| 1,566,790,201 | 1,567,533,411 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,444 |
activistpost--2019-08-30--How Does This Keep Happening Cop Guilty of Raping 5yo Girl Gets NO JAIL
| 2019-08-30T00:00:00 |
activistpost
|
How Does This Keep Happening? Cop Guilty of Raping 5yo Girl Gets NO JAIL
|
Honolulu, HI — For years, the Free Thought Project has been reporting on case after case of police officers caught raping, molesting, and abusing their victims. All too often, these officers are let off with little to no punishment. Many of these officers were caught sexually abusing children only to be let loose in society after flexing their blue privilege. In the instance below, that is exactly what happened as a Honolulu cop will avoid any time behind bars despite multiple child sexual assault charges. Disgraced Honolulu officer Teddy O. Van Lerberghe, 45, flexed his blue privilege when he reached a plea deal with prosecutors guaranteeing he will not go to jail. This plea deal was based on the victim’s desire not to see her abuser locked up. This is likely due to the fact that the victim is a family member. As the Star Advertiser points out, Deputy Prosecutor Loren Haugen said in state court Tuesday that he offered fired Honolulu police officer Teddy Van Lerberghe a plea deal in the sexual assault case against him involving a victim who was 5 years old when the sexual assaults started because that’s what the victim wanted. “There was one aspect that she did deem quite important. And that by pleading to the charges, Teddy Van Lerberghe could never, ever again be a police officer or become a police officer in this state or any state,” Haugen said. Circuit Judge Rowena Somerville said she approved the deal only after she received assurances that the victim and the victim’s family agreed with it, the Star Advertiser reported. “The court doesn’t take these matters lightly. These are serious offenses,” she said. Clearly that is a lie, however. For the repeated rape of a small child, Somerville sentenced Van Lerberghe, 45, to just five years of probation for four counts of second-degree sexual assault and three counts of third-degree sexual assault. He will not see one single day behind bars. Disgusting indeed. While the wishes of the victim should certainly be honored, in certain instances—like child rape—those wishes should only go so far. To keep a child rapist free because a former victim who likely has deep psychological scars wants him to be free, is probably not the best course of action. This is akin to saying the five-year-old girl consented. According to court documents, in 2017, Van Lerberghe was indicted on multiple counts of first- and third-degree sexual assault. According to the indictment, the abuse took place for years on a victim as young five-years-old. Four of the charges were Class A felonies carrying mandatory 20-year prison terms. Van Lerberghe initially pleaded not guilty, but he changed his plea to no contest in May after reaching a disgustingly lenient deal with prosecutors. As Hawaii News Now points out, felony sex assault charges usually carry long prison terms, but that is not the case with Van Lerberghe. Despite facing over 100 years behind bars for all the charges, the seven major felony charges he faced were reduced to four Class B felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison and three Class C felonies punishable by up to five years in prison. Even though the lesser charges all carried multiple years behind bars, prosecutors still let him off, essentially scot free. Van Lerberghe will also have to register as a sex offender for life — something he’s probably not too worried about considering he just escaped decades behind bars for raping a child. The Free Thought Project found a profile on Facebook which appears to belong to Van Lerberghe. It shows that he has two small children, raising the question of whether or not they were the victims. Terrible indeed. Unfortunately, officer-involved sexual misconduct is an all too common reality, and the majority of it happens to children. In one study over a single 2010 sample, the officers associated with reports of serious sexual misconduct, 51% (180) were involved with reports that involved minors and 49% (174) involved adults. As Van Lerberghe’s case illustrates, perhaps the most sickening aspect associated with the high rate of sexual assault among officers is the lack of punishment they receive. TFTP has compiled a short list of cops just like Van Lerberghe who all essentially escaped accountability for preying on society’s most vulnerable. Below are a few of these horrific cases in which cops were convicted of sexual abuse and let off with a slap on the wrist. In 2015, a former Manatee County Sheriff’s Lieutenant was sentenced for his sadistic and sickening acts against three children. Officer Dale Couch was arrested after children told authorities what he had done to them — violently sexually abused them. He was charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under age 12, and a third charge of lewd and lascivious molestation against a 12-year-old child. Instead of being locked in a cage for the rest of his life, like Van Lerberghe, Couch flexed his blue privilege and was given 12 months probation — no jail time. Just before Couch’s trial, we reported on the police officer who was caught with multiple hard drives full of child porn. All the charges were dropped. The Free Thought Project also reported on the case of officer Christopher Allen Carson who orally forced himself onto a sleeping 7th grader and was only given a 30-day sentence. And the list goes on. Former state trooper, 36-year-old Samuel H. McHenry II, responded to a traffic accident in December 2016, and, instead of helping the victim, he threatened to take her to jail because he saw an empty pill bottle and a nasal spray bottle in her vehicle, neither of which are illegal. He then restrained the woman and threw her in the back of the cop car, drove her to a secluded area and raped her. He then left her at a closed store, away from her car, and sped off. McHenry pleaded guilty to the charges and was given a measly 180-day sentence, 180 days of which he would never have to spend in jail, thanks to his blue-privileged status. In November of 2013, John Van Trump was accused of sexually assaulting a girl younger than six years old. Since the girl was younger than six, his charge was considered a super crime. The details of Trump’s crimes were so heinous that they were not released publicly. We only know that Trump sexually assaulted the daughter of his former girlfriend on multiple occasions. At the time of the alleged crimes, she was 5.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/08/how-does-this-keep-happening-cop-guilty-of-raping-5yo-girl-gets-no-jail.html
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2019-08-30 15:15:30+00:00
| 1,567,192,530 | 1,569,416,906 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,468 |
activistpost--2019-09-01--After Admitting to Felony Sex Crimes Deputy Gets No Jail Wont Register as Sex Offender
| 2019-09-01T00:00:00 |
activistpost
|
After Admitting to Felony Sex Crimes, Deputy Gets No Jail, Won’t Register as Sex Offender
|
A Contra Costa County cop who had sex with inmates will not have to face jail time nor will he have to register as a sex offender following what some are calling a sweetheart deal he and his lawyers made with prosecutors. Patrick Morseman, 28, was allowed to avoid jail time even though he pleaded guilty to four counts of “sexual activity with a confined, consenting adult.” He admitted to having oral and vaginal intercourse with two women detained at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond on or about March 31, 2018 but claims the sex was consensual, even desired by the two female inmates with which he consummated his sex acts. Both women referred to in court as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 admitted to flirting with Morseman and passing him a jailhouse love note indicating their desire to have sex with the officer. But at least one of the women’s lawyers claims what Moresman did amounts to rape. Dean Aynechi and his client sued the Sheriff’s office, settling out of court and was quoted as saying the sex acts could hardly be consensual but amounted to “rape” instead. According to KTVU, the former cop only had to serve two days in jail before his trial and conviction but now must serve out the rest of his sentence being electronically monitored for six months and spend the next three years on felony probation. Court reporters confirm Morseman was smiling when he received the verdict. He reportedly is now being allowed to leave California and serve out the remainder of his sentence in Nebraska where he is relocating his residence. Morseman will also not be forced to register as a sex offender under the current penal code of California. It is unclear if he will be allowed to become a police officer in Nebraska. Since he is relocating he is now identified as a “gypsy cop” by police accountability activists who claim officers like Morseman will continue to re-offend simply by pulling up roots and moving somewhere else. The sex-offending cop now joins the throngs of officers who use their blue privilege to take advantage of women while in custody. Whether or not the sex is consensual is of no consequence. The fact remains judges often side with law enforcement when cops are charged with sex crimes involving inmates. Case in point, the cop in Hawaii who admitted to raping a five-year-old girl and was just sentenced to probation—no jail. A judge ruled last month 200 women in Lincoln, IL did not have their civil rights violated when the female inmates were forced to bend over and spread their anal and vaginal cavities for inspection. The sexual organ inspection was unnecessary and was unprovoked, and described as part of a training exercise for new recruits. [Plaintiffs] were required to stand naked, nearly shoulder to shoulder with 8-10 other inmates in a room where they could be seen by others not conducting the searches, including male officers. Menstruating inmates had to remove their tampons and sanitary pads in front of others, were not given replacements, and many got blood on their bodies and clothing and blood on the floor. The naked inmates had to stand barefoot on a floor dirty with menstrual blood and raise their breasts, lift their hair, turn around, bend over, spread their buttocks and vaginas, and cough.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/after-admitting-to-felony-sex-crimes-deputy-gets-no-jail-wont-register-as-sex-offender.html
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2019-09-01 15:26:15+00:00
| 1,567,365,975 | 1,569,331,673 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,501 |
activistpost--2019-09-04--Groped by the TSA MeToo And FINALLY We Can Sue
| 2019-09-04T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Groped by the TSA? #MeToo And FINALLY We Can Sue
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Last Friday, a US federal appeals court sided with the people – finally. The court ruled that travelers can sue the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers for “abusive conduct.” This is great news for those of us who are absolutely fed up with the rampant invasive and humiliating screenings at the hands of TSA agents. You know what? Let us call those “screenings” what they often are: Sexual assaults, under the guise of “security.” Anyway, back to the story… In a 9-4 decision, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said Transportation Security Administration screeners were “investigative or law enforcement officers” for purposes of searching passengers, waiving the government’s usual immunity from lawsuits. Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro said the “intimate physical nature” of airport screenings brought them within the ambit of law enforcement, allowing travelers to pursue some civil claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act for intentional wrongdoing. He downplayed concern that the decision would open the floodgates to litigation, saying that in 2015 fewer than 200 people, out of more than 700 million screened, filed complaints that might trigger the waiver. (source) The judges rejected the government’s argument that airport screening is different from a search because airline passengers consent to it. They said it’s indeed a search – noting that screeners can search a passenger’s entire body, including sensitive areas. It is a win for people like Nadine Pellegrino, who with her husband sued the TSA for false arrest, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution over an incident that occurred in 2006 at Philadelphia International Airport, Reuters reports: Pellegrino, then 57, had objected to the invasiveness of a random screening prior to her scheduled boarding of a US Airways flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was accused of striking a TSA officer. She was eventually jailed for about 18 hours and charged with assault, making terroristic threats and other crimes, which she denied. Pellegrino was acquitted at a March 2008 trial. “If you think you are a victim of intentional misconduct by TSA agents, you can now have your day in court,” her lawyer Paul Thompson said in an interview. “Nadine never gave up, and it is a real tribute to her courage.” (source) Here’s more on Pelligrino’s case, from Courthouse News Service: After she was randomly selected for additional screening, Pellegrino says Transportation Security Administration officers at brought her bags to a private room because she requested discretion. Once the search, concluded, however, Pellegrino allegedly informed the officers that she planned to report them to her supervisor for excessive conduct. She says they went through her cellphone, counted her coins and currency, smelled each and every one of her cosmetics, and otherwise damaged her property during the ham-fisted search. It was while Pellegrino was cleaning up the mess of her belongings, she says, that the officers then accused her of striking them. Federal prosecutors in turn brought 10 criminal counts against Pellegrino, only to abandon the case when TSA could not provide any surveillance video of the incident. As for the officers’ testimony, one failed to appear in court and the other was unable to keep the story straight. (source) Pellegrino and her husband asked the TSA for $951,200 in damages. When their claim was rejected, they sued the TSA and three TSA employees. Hopefully, the court’s decision stands. It’s about time we hold people and agencies accountable and responsible for their actions – even those in positions of “authority” like police and other government agents. It is crucial to retaining the shreds of freedom that remain and perhaps gaining back some lost liberties. Go to any airport in this country and you’ll see how well our government is dealing with the terrible danger you’re in. TSA staffers are wanding 90-year-old ladies in wheelchairs, and burrowing through their suitcases. Toddlers are on the no-fly list. Lipsticks are confiscated. And it’s all done with the highest seriousness. It’s a show of protection and it stirs the fear pot, giving us over and over an image of being in grave personal peril, needing Big Brother to make sure we’re safe. – Ann Medlock, Home of the Brave Here are some particularly disturbing examples of TSA “screenings” made under the guise of security. I share Daisy’s views on this issue (and pretty much everything liberty-related):
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/groped-by-the-tsa-metoo-and-finally-we-can-sue.html
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2019-09-04 14:15:30+00:00
| 1,567,620,930 | 1,569,331,363 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,502 |
activistpost--2019-09-04--Lawyer For Epsteins Madam Says Hundreds Of Names Contained In Upcoming Records Dump
| 2019-09-04T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Lawyer For Epstein’s “Madam” Says “Hundreds Of Names” Contained In Upcoming Records Dump
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An attorney for Jeffrey Epstein confidant (and alleged groomer) Ghislaine Maxwell told a judge on Wednesday that there are “hundreds” of people named in what is expected to be approximately 2,000 pages of documents ordered unsealed by the federal appeals court in New York, according to Bloomberg. The lawyer, Jeffrey Pagliuca, told U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska Wednesday that the materials also include an address book with about 1,000 names. Preska is considering how to carry out a ruling by the federal appeals court in New York that she must consider unsealing some of the documents. There was no detail at the hearing as to the identity of the people are named in the documents, and they may include women who say they are victims of Epstein, his friends and others. –Bloomberg According to court filings, Maxwell was said to have hired, supervised and fired household staff, while directing the visits of dozens of “massage therapists” to Epstein’s residence, according to the Journal. In depositions taken in 2009 and 2010 as part of civil lawsuits against Mr. Epstein, household employees said Ms. . Several said Ms. Maxwell hired, supervised, and fired household staff, while directing the visits of dozens of “massage therapists”—typically young women. Juan Alessi, who said in one of the depositions that he served as the Palm Beach house manager from around 1992 through 2002, described a basket of sex toys in Ms. Maxwell’s bathroom closet . He said he would find them around when he cleaned up after visits from the young women. –WSJ The document release stems from a 2015 defamation lawsuit in New York brought by Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre against Maxwell. Giuffre says Maxwell helped Epstein traffic herself and other underage girls to sex parties at the billionaire pedophile’s many residences. Maxwell has denied any wrongdoing and called Giuffre a liar. The case was settled in 2017 and the records were sealed – however appeals by the Miami Herald, Harvard Law professor (and former Epstein pal) Alan Dershowitz and right-wing blogger Mike Cernovich were successful. In August, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has ordered the partial release of Epstein documents, which revealed that Giuffre said that President Trump was a “good friend of Jeffrey’s,” but that Trump ‘didn’t partake in any sex with any of us,” adding “Donald Trump never flirted with me.” Epstein was found dead in federal lockup last month after his arrest on child sex-trafficking charges. While the case was dismissed against Epstein, Judge Preska must now consider how to release the sealed records – and from the looks of it, the possibility remains that they may not be released at all. This article was sourced from ZeroHedge.com Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/lawyer-for-epsteins-madam-says-hundreds-of-names-contained-in-upcoming-records-dump.html
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2019-09-04 15:24:17+00:00
| 1,567,625,057 | 1,569,331,363 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,517 |
activistpost--2019-09-05--US Government Blacklisting System is Unconstitutional Judge
| 2019-09-05T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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US Government Blacklisting System is Unconstitutional: Judge
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In an opinion issued late today in Alexandria, VA, US District Court Judge Anthony Trenga has upheld the complaint by 23 victims of US government blacklisting that the system pursuant to which the government has designated them as “suspected terrorists” on the basis of secret algorithms applied to secret datasets, without notice or an opportunity to contest any allegedly “derogatory” information, does not provide those who are stigmatized, and whose stigmatized status is broadcast to tens of thousands of law enforcement and other government agencies and private entities around the world, with the procedural due process required by the US Constitution. This decision is one of the most fundamental victories for the rule of law since 9/11. According to today’s opinion, it is undisputed that the DHS and FBI define anyone who has been arrested or charged with an offense related to terrorism as a “known” terrorist, even if they have been acquitted of that charge. In other words, the DHS and FBI think that what is “known” is what they believe, not what judges or juries have found the facts to be. That presumption that by definition their secret judgements are more reliable than judicial fact-finding pretty much sums up why this decision is correct, why it is so important, and why it should be upheld if, as seems a near certainty, the government appeals. None of the plaintiffs have even been arrested, much less convicted, for any criminal offense, terrorist or otherwise. The plaintiffs include, among others, several infants whom the government has apparently blacklisted as “suspected terrorists”. But even though the government will neither confirm nor deny that anyone is or is not, or has or has not been, included in the “Terrorist Screening Database” (TSDB), the court found that the plaintiffs have demonstrated sufficient basis for their belief that they have been blacklisted. The “No-Fly List” is only a subset of the TSDB, and not being allowed to fly is only a subset of the consequences of blacklisting detailed in the plaintiffs’ submissions to the court and the government’s admissions during discovery and depositions. The TSDB is used as the basis for a plethora of decisions, as the plaintiffs have experienced, from whether to have them arrested at gunpoint when they try to cross land borders to whether to interrogate them for hours about their religious beliefs, seize their electronic devices for copying and forensic analysis of the data stored on them, or deny them public or private-sector jobs. The government’s use of secret criteria, secret datasets, and guilt by association as the basis for secret decisions — communicated to tens of thousands of other decision-makers, but not to those who have been blacklisted — resembles the worst of McCarthyism, just with “terrorist sympathizer” or (literal) “fellow traveler” substituted for “Communist sympathizer” or (ideological) “fellow traveler”. Judge Trenga found that inclusion on the TSDB deprives those who are blacklisted of their liberty interest in freedom of movement, both internationally and domestically; that the government stigmatizes them by distributing the blacklist to many other entities; that the secret, standardless, and non-adversarial (i.e. one-sided) decision-making process is inherently likely to result in errors; and that all of this is unconstitutional: We congratulate the plaintiffs for risking retaliation to challenge the government’s supposedly anti-terrorist, and in practice anti-Muslim, witch-hunting program, and attorneys Gadeir Abbas, Lena Masri, and the rest of CAIR’s legal team for their legal leadership. Judge Trenga has ordered the parties to submit additional briefs over the next six weeks with respect to what he should order to be done to redress the violations of the plaintiffs’ Constitutional rights that he has found to have occurred and to be ongoing. We think the answer is clear: the way to provide procedural due process, when the government wants to restrict someone’s movements or other lawful activities, is for the government to apply to a judge for an injunction or restraining order. No new laws or procedures are needed. Courts have procedures for considering requests for orders restricting movement, and act on them every day in domestic violence and other cases. But the government has never tried to use existing laws to request a no-fly injunction or other restraining orders against a “suspected terrorist”, preferring to substitute the infallible clairvoyance of the pre-cogs in the Terrorist Screening Center for the fallibility of judges and juries using established adversarial fact-finding procedures. Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/us-government-blacklisting-system-is-unconstitutional-judge.html
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2019-09-05 15:15:44+00:00
| 1,567,710,944 | 1,569,331,162 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,536 |
activistpost--2019-09-07--Seattle Lawyer Lowers the Bar
| 2019-09-07T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Seattle Lawyer Lowers the Bar
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Seattle, WA – August 5th, 2019 was only one court day after the tragic suicide of the 38-year-old head attorney for a Seattle-based veteran’s advocacy group that had actively worked to remove former U.S. Attorney for the Western District Annette Hayes. Yet at 9:05 a.m. in room w-325 of Seattle’s King County Courthouse, Seattle evictions attorney Evan Loeffler stood in front of the judge’s bench, face-to-face with King County, WA Court Commissioner Henry Judson demanding the court refuse to postpone the case even one hour. In doing so, Evan Loeffler demanded the court deny the right to counsel for key members of a veterans advocacy group Loeffler is alleged to be illegally trying to evict, according to extensive documents in the court record. If Loeffler appeared to display an attitude of invincibility, it may have resulted from Melinda and Evan Loeffler’s lucrative career evicting thousands of unrepresented people – including defenseless veterans, widows, orphans, the disabled and terminally ill. The Loefflers are expected to gain national infamy within the legal profession for their efforts to fight postponing the case due to the suicide, according to the Seattle-based veterans advocacy group with a national mandate who refer to Loeffler’s action as an historic benchmark in legal practice. “We researched the issue of an attorney dying in the middle of a case, and we couldn’t find a single example of any party objecting to a postponement. Not one, ever. Based on our research, what the Loefflers tried to do appears to be unprecedented in the history of the legal profession in the United States,” said a paralegal for the veterans group. “We are working with several veterans’ groups and several national media channels to expose what would seem to be among the lowest points in the history of the practice of law.” Although the Loefflers have an ethical duty to make a good faith effort to resolve the property title dispute for the benefit of the Loeffler’s client, the veterans group emphatically state that the Loefflers have been unwilling to even discuss any manner of settlement, and appear to have acted contrary to their clients’, the Kangs, interest in violation of the practice rules of the Washington State Bar Association – at a cost to the Kangs estimated by the veterans group in excess of $50,000 and rising. One fact that does not appear in the court record is if the Loefflers have explained to their clients, the Kangs, the Loefflers’ past differences with a key member of the veterans group. In 2014, Evan Loeffler’s personal client, William “Luke” Lukoskie, the self-proclaimed tofu tycoon based on Vashon Island, WA illegally nearly doubled the rent of a terminal cancer patient for having a live-in caregiver, which is rent-exempt under law. Lukoskie then threatened to shoot her professionally trained service dog, according to multiple legal declarations in the 2014 King County, WA court record. With full access to all of these facts, Evan Loeffler agreed to evict the cancer patient contrary to his legal rights. The family member who had fought the eviction – one of the same veterans advocates the Loefflers are now alleged to be illegally attempting to evict – made clear in the court record evidence of Lukoskies’ predatory practices, including consistently renting his several properties to vulnerable women whom he then harassed and surveilled, sexual harassment of employees, opioid use, human trafficking, FDA violations at Lukoskies’ tofu manufacturing plant, tax evasion, and other criminal activity. Regardless of the law or the facts presented in the court record, Evan Loeffler aggressively litigated against the dying cancer patient and his family who died within days of the eviction. According to witnesses, Loeffler was allegedly hysterical about both the evidence entered into the court record about his widely reviled client Lukoskie, and the several law enforcement investigations of Lukoskie that followed. According to allegations of the veterans group, the Loeffler’s ongoing eviction efforts are at their clients’, the Kangs, expense, who may now be paying a potentially run-on bill for the Loefflers’ personal revenge. It is unclear if the Loefflers have disclosed this conflict to their clients, the Kangs, who have not been available for comment. “Evan Loeffler’s actions are in serious violation of the practice rules of the Washington State Bar and uniquely unprofessional. We intend to hold he and the staff of his law firm accountable and are organizing a national effort within the veteran’s community to call for a boycott of his client’s businesses as well as the organizations Loeffler’s affiliated with. We are coordinating efforts to disbar him and his staff attorneys involved in illegal conduct,” said one of the paralegals for the veterans group. “We ask that anyone with a business or social relationship with Melinda and Evan Loeffler please consider the actions against of the Loefflers’ law firm against veteran advocates, vulnerable people, and their practices. We are asking anyone with knowledge of any of the Loefflers’ or their law firm’s illegal or unethical practices to contact us. They may remain anonymous if they prefer.” Regardless of their daily contributions to Seattle’s homeless crisis, the Loefflers would like you to know what great folks they are. On their law firm’s website, Evan Loeffler boasts of his Porsche, his fashion guidelines, and his sailing hobby. Ironically, Evan and Melinda Loeffler, who make a fortune evicting the defenseless, appear to want you to believe they are advocates for the homeless. According to the dedicated web page for the self-defined philanthropists on Social Venture Partners/SVP, Melinda Loeffler is on the Community Outreach Committee for the nonprofit Washington Multi-Family Housing Association (WMFHA), and Evan is a member of the WMFHA Government Affairs Committee, involved in lobbying efforts to make eviction laws more aggressive. And he’s a Seafair Clown. Evan Loeffler’s clowning extends to his humor articles, depending on one’s definition of humor. Posted on his law firm’s website, topics include his opinion that his abuse of a child was amusing; a description of his apparently obsessive-compulsive collections practices; his opinion of law enforcement officers as “donut engorged;” and references to his own clients as “morons,” “retards,” and “imbeciles.” Notwithstanding the fact that many of his own clients are gay, Loeffler’s humor articles include both direct and thinly veiled homophobic references. Perhaps most telling about the direction of Evan Loeffler’s moral compass, and the philosophical and psychological foundation of the Loefflers’ allegedly intoxicated abuse of power emboldened by decades of regularly litigating unopposed against thousands of vulnerable people from whom they make a killing evicting, may be found in Evan Loeffler’s own description of his experience hunting: Evan Loeffler’s humor would unlikely be a surprise to the distraught and defenseless victims of the Loefflers’ eviction practices that make them homeless. Loeffler just pulls the trigger. Nor is his humor a surprise to housing advocate attorneys who regularly see Loeffler in court. The references “sadistic,” and “arrogant” were used consistently, as well as “the most abrasive [and/or] unprofessional attorney [they] have encountered in [their] careers.” Insiders testify that the entire Loeffler law firm is alleged to act strictly at the direction of Loeffler in lockstep with his ethical and moral example, potentially exposing clients and his own legal staff to significant liability. Melinda and Evan Loeffler’s eviction practice is not limited to the thousands of people they evict through their Seattle, WA law firm supported by staffers Jeana K. Poloni, Brant M. Olson and Carinne E. Jaeger in addition to Melinda and Evan Loeffler. The Loefflers also broadcast their eviction tactics to Washington State’s legal profession through “how-to” online seminars with Lorman Education Services, in addition to live presentations and publications in affiliation with the King County and Washington State Bar Associations. Contrary to their public relations efforts and apparent attempts to purchase social capital, Melinda and Evan Loeffler’s actions may provide more clarity as to their contributions to society. The Loefflers are alleged to have illegally and repeatedly attacked members of the Seattle veterans group, misrepresented key facts of the case, and ignored federal laws, according to allegations by members of the veterans group in court documents. The late attorney for the veterans group who committed suicide was one of the occupants of the disputed property whom the Loefflers were trying to evict. As mentioned, the following court day after the suicide the Loefflers immediately attempted to demand the court deny any delay of the hearing and thus deny legal representation to the rest of the veteran advocates. The Loefflers continue to attempt to illegally evict the remainder of the veteran advocates to this day according to current court records. Members of the veterans group are now actively seeking the disbarment of Loeffler and his legal staff – multiple complaints are being filed with the Washington State Bar Association. In addition, separate legal actions are being brought against the Loefflers and their client Kang for damages resulting from Loeffler’s practice violations and misrepresentations alleged by members of the veteran’s group in the court filings, according to their representatives. Loeffler’s clients in the disputed property occupied by the veterans group are Rajinder S. Kang and his husband. Based in Canada, the Kangs appear to be somewhat less transparent in their practices than the Loefflers. Raj Kang works in customer service as a truck rental clerk at Ryder’s Oakville, Ontario branch near Toronto. On the surface, Mr. Kang appears to have transformed his job with the Ryder Truck Rental office into the purchase of several million dollars of Seattle-area properties – personally, not through a business. Exactly what role if any the Loefflers and their legal staff may have played in the flow of millions of mysterious dollars flowing over the border from Canada is yet unclear. More clear is the fact that Loeffler & Co are aggressively working to facilitate the Kangs’ business interests, together with the Kangs’ Renton, WA-based realtor, Phillip Rodocker of John L. Scott who has aided the Kangs in the purchase of several properties in the Seattle area. As the causes of homelessness are being endlessly discussed around the greater Seattle area with countless white papers being circulated, committee meetings about committee meetings, and endless hand-wringing, Melinda and Evan Loeffler will be driving their Porsche all the way to the bank and sailing off into the sunset as one of the state’s greatest profiteers of homelessness. As unfortunate as the Loefflers’ actions against the veterans advocates are in this ongoing case, the big questions now being asked are: why are King County courts allowing the Loefflers’ extensively documented alleged illegal actions and defiance of federal law to go unchecked, how many innocent, defenseless people have Melinda and Evan Loeffler, together with their staff attorneys, stripped of their legal rights and made homeless, and most of all, why do the Washington State Bar Association’s Hearing Officers allow these people to continue to practice law? Also called into question are Loeffler’s affiliations – why are the King County, WA, Washington State, and American Bars publishing Loeffler’s materials? How credible are the attorney ratings by AVVO and Martindale-Hubbard? What is the basis for Washington Law and Politics Magazine’s “Washington Super lawyer” designation, as well as Seattle Metropolitan Magazine’s “Top 100 Lawyers rating?” Exactly what have they reviewed or checked? Evan Loeffler may be a Seafair Clown, but when it comes to adding to Seattle’s legions of homeless – regardless of the methods, it appears – Melinda and Evan Loeffler are not clowning around. For their part, the Director of the veterans group’s only comment is the same quote that may be found on their website: “The limits of tyrants are defined by the endurance of those whom they attempt to oppress.” If you want to join them in their efforts to endure, they may be reached by email at [email protected], or through their website. This is the first installment in a year-long investigative series titled “Your Courts, Their Fraud:” Next in the Series – Part Two: King County, WA Commissioner Henry Judson’s invisible role in homelessness and guardianship/probate fraud. Top image: Melinda and Evan Loeffler at their Seattle Eviction Law Practice
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/seattle-lawyer-lowers-the-bar.html
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2019-09-07 15:10:21+00:00
| 1,567,883,421 | 1,569,330,854 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,574 |
activistpost--2019-09-11--The Official 911 Explanation is The Greatest Coincidence Theory Ever
| 2019-09-11T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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The Official 9/11 Explanation is The Greatest “Coincidence Theory” Ever
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On September 11, 2001 I was completing my last year of training as an Anesthesiologist at the University of Pennsylvania. That morning I, like many of us, sat transfixed for hours watching the continuous television coverage of the events that were unfolding in New York and Washington D.C. I was scheduled to work the night shift. When I arrived at the hospital most of the doctors and nurses who had worked during the day were still at their posts. The hospital had instituted an emergency plan of operation, expecting a possible mass casualty situation if and when hospitals in the New York City area became overwhelmed. It turned out that not a single injured person was brought to Philadelphia for medical attention that night. Tragically, very few in the buildings managed to escape with their lives once the buildings fell. Nearly three thousand innocent people perished in the sudden and unexpected collapse of the Twin Towers. Some of these were first-responders in uniform or street clothes who rushed towards the buildings after they were struck by planes, fully expecting to lead those inside to safety. A great many of these heroes suffered the same fate as those who were trapped inside. These courageous men and women, many of whom were police officers and firefighters, knew and accepted the dangers inherent in their commitment to public service and safety. What they did not know was that steel skyscrapers that are largely undamaged with only isolated fires could instantaneously suffer a rapid and global collapse, not just once but three times on the same day. It is understandable that they were caught off guard because such an event has never happened before or since. Two thousand, seven hundred and forty nine people died in the collapse of the Twin Towers. Only three hundred whole bodies were recovered. Despite a painstaking search lasting months, no others were found intact in the rubble. However human tissue, in the form of bone fragments measuring less than a centimeter were found upon neighboring rooftops hundreds of feet way. One victim’s body, we had learned months later, was broken into over 200 separate pieces: NY Times: Medical Examiner’s challenge Our bodies can be fragile, but is it reasonable that falling building material can do these things? At the time I gave it little thought. Now, after seventeen years of clinical practice where I have personally seen what happens to a human body when exposed to bullets, trucks, chainsaws, wood-chippers, falling debris, industrial presses and chemical explosions, I have begun to wonder. My life changed one evening in 2017 when my wife showed me a thirty-second video clip on YouTube. After watching it several times I felt, in the deepest of ways, that I had swallowed the “red pill”, the one offered to Neo at the beginning of the movie The Matrix. I include this often used reference here because Morpheus, before giving Neo the pill, wisely made him understand that he was only offering the truth and nothing more. With that sentiment, I offer it here : I didn’t recognize the building but I soon learned that it was another skyscraper that fell to the ground on September 11, 2001. That was building 7, a 47-story steel structured building in the World Trade Center complex. I only became aware of its destruction sixteen years after 9/11. I have since learned that most Americans still do not know that three buildings, not two, were destroyed in Manhattan that day. What was initially puzzling to me was not only the manner in which Building 7 fell but that it was not hit by a plane. The official explanation states that Building 7 came down, in under seven seconds, from the failure of just one of eighty columns on the twelfth floor. It didn’t seem possible that a steel structure could collapse that quickly, completely and symmetrically from the failure of a single column. On the other hand, it seemed just as improbable that the official explanation could be so wrong. Wasn’t it all explained in the 9/11 Commission Report? Wasn’t there something on public TV that proved the official explanation? What was initially puzzling very quickly became deeply disturbing. These words are offered to those who have some curiosity about why a growing number of people continue to maintain that the destruction of the three skyscrapers in the World Trade Center in NY on September 11, 2001 were due to controlled demolition events and not just plane collisions and office fires. Much has been written about this. Most of what appears in print or on digital sources has not been written by structural engineers or architects but by journalists or non-professional citizens who have endeavored, to the best of their ability, to present what “others” have discovered. Sadly, as is the case with any potentially divisive issue, there are those who seek to spread unverified data and use dubious lines of reasoning to solidify a biased position. This is happening on both sides of the argument, and it is having serious repercussions. How can anyone know who or what to believe these days? The growing inaccessibility of the truth is extinguishing our collective curiosity and in its place is growing a sense of resignation when it comes to knowing such things as “facts”. When it is unclear which way to proceed, it is only natural to make assumptions and take the path of least resistance and go along with what we are being told. I have a background in Electrical Engineering and Medicine. I do not claim to be an authority on how buildings are to be constructed or razed. However I do believe that anyone with an open mind and some basic understanding of how the physical world reliably reacts to common forces of nature can easily discern fact from fiction and likelihood from implausibility. I have spoken to scores of people from all walks of life about this topic. I have found that between an open mind and a basic understanding of the physical world, the former is more important and, it seems, more rare. At this time we live in a society where people who either believe (or even consider believing) in an alternative theory of events are labeled “conspiracy theorists”. This is unfortunate because it carries the connotation that if a person believes that the official narrative of ANY event is inaccurate or falsified then they, by definition, believe that ALL official narratives are inaccurate and designed for a hidden, ulterior motive. Because some “conspiracy theories” are particularly absurd and in some cases offensive, credibility is quickly lost among those who hear of an alternative explanation, even if the explanation is cogent, dispassionate and supported by scientific consensus. This is very dangerous. By heaping all “conspiracy theories” into the same pile it is very easy to miss the signal in the noise. In order to approach the vast topic that is 9/11 it is best to first take a moment to acknowledge that everyone has biases. Biases are prejudgements that arise from putting the cart in front of the horse. In other words, if a piece of evidence is offered, it will often not be considered objectively if its veracity implies something highly improbable. After all, how is a reasonable person supposed to accept something that leads to an unreasonable conclusion? This is how bias arises in a quick but untrained mind. In order to avoid this misstep it is imperative to first establish what is unreasonable and what is impossible. The purpose of this piece is not to dictate what is impossible, nor is it to explain what other people (“experts”) claim to be impossible. The purpose is to accurately describe what is required of the conventional explanation of the events of 9/11 in order for it to be true. What may seem impossible to one person may be possible to another. Ultimately, we make our own choices about what we believe is possible. All the pictures and video footage from space will not be able to convince “flat-earthers” that we live on a planet that is spherical because the idea that the ground they walk on is not flat would be impossible from their point of view. To them, it is more likely that the evidence has been forged. If a person cannot entertain the possibility that they may be wrong there is no room for their view to evolve. Those who maintain that the World Trade Center Buildings 1 (the North Tower), 2 (the South Tower) and 7 (the 47-story skyscraper one hundred yards from the North Tower) were demolished from explosive demolition events (as well as planes with regard to the North and South Tower) had to first acknowledge that the likelihood of this possibility was extremely small, but not impossible. The implications of such a theory are disturbing and far-reaching. It would imply that the event had been planned, months or possibly years in advance by individuals that had access not only to advanced explosives but to the buildings themselves. It would also imply that there were far more than 19 terrorists involved. The most disturbing implication is that news sources that we rely upon have been grossly inaccurate in reporting the facts or were complicit in hiding a horrible lie. This possibility would shake the very foundation of our idea of freedom. Before dismissing this possibility immediately it is worthwhile to weigh what is being risked by considering it objectively and what is at risk by not. I did. This is why I did not dismiss it at the outset. This also why I found it absolutely necessary to trust no one other than myself and why I personally believe others should too. We who believe that explosives were used on 9/11 are very aware that many regard our position not only as flippant but destructive, unpatriotic and disrespectful of those who suffered or lost their lives from the aftermath of this event. I am able to understand that. If you feel that way are you able to understand why a person who is completely convinced that the established position is wrong is doing the most patriotic thing they can by trying to respectfully explain their position? Both sides are fighting to preserve our freedom and honor those that lost far more than we, yet having a fair and open exchange of ideas is nearly impossible these days. I and many who share my view are endeavoring to change this. At the outset of my research into these events I acknowledged that the possibility of this version of events was extremely unlikely but not impossible. If you believe that this scenario is impossible at the outset I suggest that you read no further. On the other hand, if you are able to regard it as an extremely unlikely yet possible scenario, I invite you to read on and make up your own mind. Many claims have been made about what did and did not happen that day. There is a considerable amount of eyewitness testimony from citizens and first-responders that directly challenge the official narrative. There are also independent organizations of pilots, firefighters, architects and structural engineers that publicly state that the official narrative is inaccurate or inconsistent with the laws of nature. If you are aware of these organizations you may find them to be believable and trustworthy. But why should you? Because I cannot absolutely verify that these organizations and witnesses are truthful or knowledgeable I will exclude their opinions and only rely on information that has appeared on mainstream media or in the “official” explanation of the events of that day, the 9/11 Commission Report and the extensive supporting technical discussion provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Before we explore any inconsistencies of the official explanation it is important to clarify what the “official” explanation states. The 9/11 Commission was organized by the Bush Administration in response to the pressure placed upon it by the families of the 9/11 victims and the concerned public to explain why and how the buildings came down. The 9/11 events also represented the three biggest structural failures in modern history. Because this also directly impacts public safety, the 9/11 Commission tasked the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), a branch of the Department of Commerce, to perform a technical investigation into the cause and mechanism of the failures. NIST is a body of engineers, scientists and applied mathematicians that are responsible for establishing and enforcing standards for industry in the interest of public safety. NIST was responsible for explaining why and how the Twin Towers and World Trade Center Building 7 were destroyed on September 11, 2001. It is their report which stands as the “official” explanation that I will be examining. Few have actually read the thousands of pages of the body of the report and the numerous technical attachments provided by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). Most people believe that NIST explains how those three buildings came down. It does not. Instead it attempts to explain how those three buildings could have come down from plane strikes and (or in the case of Bldg 7, only) office fires. This may seem like a minor technicality but it is in fact a major oversight. The investigation presupposes that the planes and/or fires were the only cause and disregards the possibility of other causes. Every possibility was not considered. In fact, only one was. Prior to September 11, 2001 a steel-framed building has never collapsed from any event except a planned demolition. Why didn’t the official explanation explore this possibility as well? For some people this may seem like an inflammatory attack on the official report. After all, millions of people watched the planes hit the buildings on TV. Why should any other explanation be entertained? To a scientist, or any organization interested in due diligence (e.g. NIST), it is grossly negligent to not explore all conceivable possibilities before arriving at any conclusion. Even an eleventh grade chemistry student must address other possibilities that may explain the results of their experiment in their lab report. Putting all geopolitical ideology aside, we must agree that a diligent, scientific approach to understanding the structural failures of these massive buildings is required for the interest of public safety alone. On 9/11 our world suffered the three biggest structural failures in the history of modern skyscraper design and yet only one hypothesis was ever considered. There are two ways to disprove NIST’s hypothesis. One way is to prove an alternative one is absolutely true. I believe that the alternative explanation, controlled demolition, has been proven, but ultimately it requires that some faith be placed in the opinion or findings of someone else. For this reason I exclude any discussion of it here. The other way to disprove the official explanation is to find any assumptions they made to prove their version of events and demonstrate these assumptions to be false. Recall that NIST did not explain how and why the buildings fell, they attempted to explain how the Twin Towers might have fallen from plane strikes and office fires. Is there anything required of their explanation that is impossible? Each of the Twin Towers was 110 stories, about 1300 feet tall. At the end of the collapse of each one there was a pile of rubble and steel on the ground that was on average 1-2 stories tall. In other words, the pile of debris from a 110-story building made from hundreds of thousands of tons of steel and concrete, its contents of office furniture, electrical generators, HVAC components and plumbing was reduced to a pile 2% of its height. Proportionally, if a ten-story building falling upon itself did the same thing it would leave a pile about 2 feet high. The question is, what happened to all the building material and its contents? George Pataki, then Governor of NY was struggling with the same question soon after he visited Ground Zero a few days after 9/11. Here he is on CNN: The Governor was mystified at the absence of concrete at the base of the building. He plainly states that lower Manhattan was covered with 1-3 inches of pulverized concrete dust. There were hardly any blocks of concrete to be found. We can understand how any structure can fall; even a steel structure can be brought down if key components of its structural integrity were compromised. The building would presumably lean to one side or another and come crashing down upon adjoining buildings leaving enormous piles of twisted girders and material everywhere. That is not what happened to the Twin Towers. They fell straight down leaving relatively little material at their base. Imagine a wrecking ball knocking a building apart. Swinging a wrecking ball back and forth until a building is leveled takes a lot of energy. How much energy would be required to not just knock the Twin Towers down but to crush all the concrete in the buildings to dust? NIST’s explanation proposes that no added energy was needed to bring the buildings down and pulverize the concrete and dismember its steel. They posit that gravity alone caused each twin tower not just to fall but to crush itself. We can all imagine a building falling down, but crushing itself entirely? It would be impossible to construct a building that could pulverize all of its concrete and rip apart all of its steel from its own weight. How could such a structure stand to begin with? The Twin Towers had been standing for thirty years. Of course something could knock them over, but why would we accept that on that particular day they were heavy enough to pulverize the very concrete they were made of into billowing clouds of dust that spread over lower Manhattan? If you are not careful your mind will rationalize that this could indeed happen because the buildings were “extremely heavy”. NIST in fact refers to “the enormous weight” of the top portions of the buildings crushing the bottom portions through a collapse sequence that was “inevitable” once the supporting columns and lateral trusses were weakened. NIST, however, suspiciously omits any discussion of the behavior of the building during the collapse in their discussion. The top portions of the building were indeed “heavy” but heavy compared to what? By suggesting that their weight was enough to crush the bottom portions of the building within a few seconds how then can one explain why the building could stand in the first place? The vast majority of the steel skeleton of the building was undamaged from the plane strikes. Why would it break apart suddenly and uniformly from a weight it was designed to hold indefinitely? Consider a different situation. Imagine a very tall stack of bricks. There is a limit to how many bricks can be stacked one atop another because at some point the weight on the bottom brick will be enough to crush it. In engineering terms, the compressive strength of the brick on the bottom will be exceeded if the stack is too tall. Let us say that the bricks are stacked as high as they possibly could be without crushing the bottom brick. We then strike the stack near its top hard enough to damage some of the bricks or even displace them out of the stack. We can all imagine the bricks ending up in a pile on the ground. Why would we predict that they would all end up crushed into a pile of dust? If the bottom brick was able to withstand all of the weight upon it before we destabilized the stack, why would the entire stack, including the ones at the top, be pulverized by its own weight? That would be impossible. NIST does not address this conundrum directly but simply states that it must be possible because that is what we “observed”. This is a reasonable conclusion only if no other explanations are entertained. In fact, even if we choose to ignore other possible mechanisms of collapse this theory requires another impossibility to work. In order for the top portion of the building to crush the lower it must be stronger than the lower portion. Take a simpler example involving bricks again. Let us say that you needed to crush a single brick into dust. The only tool that you have available is a pickaxe. Would it work? Maybe. But what if the pickaxe itself was made of brick too? Every time you struck the brick hard enough to make it crumble the axe would necessarily break apart as well. In physics this is described by Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which dictates that objects acting upon each other must be subject to equal and opposite forces from each other. By proposing that the upper portion of the building (approximately 14 floors in the North Tower for example) could completely crush the lower portion (96 floors) while remaining intact we are introducing another impossibility. The upper and lower portions of the building were made of the same building materials! In fact, the upper portions of the building were lighter and less sturdy than the lower portions because they were designed to hold up less weight. If the upper portion was in fact crushing the lower portion why isn’t it getting crushed itself? Newton’s Third Law dictates that whatever force the upper portion is imparting upon the lower must be imparted to the upper portion as well. Getting the top to drive itself through a more heavily designed structure by dismembering and pulverizing it on its way down while remaining intact itself is impossible. Calculations have been made about how much energy it would take to pulverize all of the concrete in the buildings and it turns out that it is more than twice as much as the gravitational potential energy of the standing building. In other words, even if all the energy of the falling building was converted into crushing the concrete and dismembering its steel frame there would still be a large deficit of energy. For the purposes of this discussion, forget about the calculations. I have seen them and believe them to be accurate but why should you agree with me? Let us say that the weight of the building could pulverize itself. That is already impossible as was mentioned above. But, if we suspend rationality and continue with NIST’s logic yet another impossibility arises. If the concrete is being pulverized, energy is being expended. The only source of energy in the official explanation is the kinetic energy of the upper part of the buildings. Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by a body in motion, in this case, the upper part of the building which was put in motion by gravity. If the kinetic energy is being used to pulverize the concrete, the fall of the building should have been slowed. Both Twin Towers fell at approximately 6.3 meters per second squared, or approximately two-thirds the acceleration of gravity. If that doesn’t make sense to you, look at any collapse video. The top of the building is accelerating towards the ground at more than 64% of free-fall. If you were to have jumped off the top of the tower as it began to fall you would have hit the ground just two seconds before the top of the building did. You would have barely beaten hundreds of thousands of tons of reinforced steel and concrete designed to do one thing: remain standing while supporting the structure above it. The towers, like all modern buildings, were built to exacting standards which demanded three to five times the strength to hold up the building. This is an extremely large safety tolerance, yet we watched them crumble to the ground under their own weight. It would have been impossible for such an over-designed structure to come down that fast through itself from nothing but gravity. Each tower took about 12 seconds to fall. On average, 9 floors per second are being destroyed. I am not denying the buildings came down quickly. They did. We have ample, undisputed footage of both collapses. But are we observing buildings crush themselves or are we actually watching buildings fall because the very material they are supported by is being destroyed by another source of energy? Is it possible to know? It is. The buildings are falling at rates that dictate that the concrete and steel are putting up a fraction of the resistance they were designed to provide. Yet the materials, by virtue of their dismemberment (steel frame) and pulverization (concrete) are behaving as though they are meeting extreme force. Materials do not get destroyed unless they are meeting extreme force. We must conclude that the integrity of the materials must have been or were being compromised at the time of collapse. There was not any “crushing” going on. We have been in fact watching buildings falling because the very materials holding them up are being synchronously pulverized and ripped apart by a source of energy not acknowledged by NIST but clearly present. You cannot “see” energy, you can only infer its existence by the behavior of the system you are examining. The behavior of the buildings as they fell prove that there was another massive source of energy at work. Collapses with the rapidity that we witnessed, leaving only pulverized concrete and dismembered steel, would have been impossible from gravity alone. It took three months to put the fires out at the World Trade Center. Here is the CNN news report which documented that: It is well reported that the FDNY flooded Ground Zero with millions of gallons of water, completely submerging the basement fires. Ground Zero was covered with water for months. Fire can only exist if an oxygen source is present. The media reported that the fires continued to burn because of heat from the friction of the fall. That is impossible. I am not suggesting the fires were not burning for three months I am only pointing out the basic truth that the only way fires can burn underwater is through a chemical reaction that has an oxygen molecule as a reactant. Heat itself does not provide oxygen for a fire to burn. There must have been an oxygen source in or on the material that was burning. It is well documented that hundreds of four- and eight-ton steel frame members were thrown 600 feet away from each of the Twin Towers at speeds clocked by physicists of 80 mph. Gravity works in only one direction. If the only force acting on the building was straight down it is impossible for structural members to be thrown perpendicular to the force. This necessitates the presence of an explosive, or expulsive, force perpendicular to the force of gravity. Finally, there is the problem with building 7, the building referenced earlier. It was a modern steel structured skyscraper 47 stories high that suffered isolated fires on several floors. It was not hit by a plane. Watch the collapse again: Even today many Americans do not know that a third building was destroyed on 9/11. It occurred about seven hours after the second twin tower was destroyed. Building 7 fell in under 7 seconds. The building fell uniformly through the path of (what should have been the) greatest resistance into its own footprint. Unlike the Twin Towers, this building fell at freefall. If you were standing on its rooftop when it started to collapse you would have hit the ground at the same time if you jumped off the building. This means that not one of the 80 columns in the building gave any resistance to the fall. Once again, if the structure put up no resistance to the fall, why did the columns get crushed? NIST took seven years to come up with their analysis of the fall of Building 7. They used computer simulations to attempt prove their theory that it was caused by the failure of a single column from isolated fires that lead to the type of collapse we witnessed. No matter how much they tweaked their model, they could not get it to fall in the way we observe in the video. Their conclusion: The entire building suffered a complete and sudden collapse from a single column (Column 79 on the 12th floor) that failed as a result of normal office fires. An isolated column failure cannot cause a steel building to fall at free-fall acceleration – or symmetrically. That is impossible. Using their own computer model, NIST has effectively disproven their own hypothesis. If a new, four hundred foot wide, 47-story building can fall at the speed of gravity through its own supporting columns from the failure of a single column on just one floor, why do demolition teams need to painstakingly set up hundreds of explosive charges on multiple floors to demolish old buildings? NIST spent seven years trying to explain what happened and couldn’t. Why didn’t they look for another explanation after they proved themselves wrong? What exactly was their mandate? In the previous section are listed five impossibilities that NIST would require you to believe could happen in order for their explanations of the destruction of these buildings to suffice. Perhaps I am wrong about what is possible and what isn’t. At this moment, however, I cannot accept that buildings can pulverize the concrete and dismember the steel that they are constructed from, or that gravity can throw things laterally or that fires can burn underwater without a source of oxygen or that a steel skyscraper can collapse symmetrically from isolated office fires at freefall acceleration. If that were not enough, one must still contend with the numerous inconsistencies and incredible coincidences that the 9/11 Commission and NIST insist upon. I have chosen the following five to demonstrate. United Airlines flight 93 was the fourth plane that was hijacked that morning. It never struck a building like the other three. It crashed into a grassy field in rural Pennsylvania. The official report states that much of the plane and its passengers vaporized on impact. I cannot say that this is impossible, I can only say that this has never happened before. Unless a plane ends up at the bottom of an ocean, plane crashes leave debris fields and passenger remains that can be analyzed. Very little was found at the site, yet this plane crashed into a field on American soil on a sunny Tuesday morning. The coroner claims that only bits and fragments of human remains were found. There was no fuselage or luggage. However, two Saudi Passports managed to escape unharmed. This is “improbable”. This story brings up another glaring inconsistency with the official explanation. Two planes can tear through steel and concrete yet this one vaporizes when striking dirt? The 9/11 Commission report states that over a dozen cellular phone calls were made from passengers in both of the planes that struck the Twin Towers. Time logs indicate that the calls were made while the planes were in flight. The recordings of the passengers can be heard. The passengers clearly state the planes have been hijacked. They sound distracted but calm. Several of the calls lasted more than a minute. Is it possible that the hijackers would have permitted those calls? Absolutely. It is also possible that the calls were made quietly without their knowledge. The problem with the story is that some of these calls were made on personal cellular phones while in flight. This is nearly impossible today, eighteen years later. The idea that this could have been possible in 2001 is difficult to accept. Cell phone towers are designed to detect and transmit signals laterally, not upward. Even if a connection could have been made momentarily the tower would have had to immediately hand the signal over to another station rapidly due to the speed of the plane. There were no breaks in coverage on the recordings. As of this year, 2019, I have not been able to get consistent cellular phone coverage on a plane flying at more than a few thousand feet of altitude. What does this mean? One cannot definitively know; one can only conjecture. I only offer it as another glaring inconsistency of the official explanation. What would be the benefit of including this in the official report? It is customary for NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command) to deploy fighter jets when an airline hijacking is in progress. No fighter pilot ever made visual contact with any of the planes that were hijacked on 9/11. There have been some explanations for this including the fact that the airliners’ transponders were turned off by the hijackers and couldn’t be tracked. What is not as generally known is that very few fighters were scrambled that morning. Most of our Air Defense system was engaged in flight exercises over the Midwest and Canada that very morning. Operation Vigilant Guardian (among others) was a live exercise involving fighter squadrons and military bases that was conducted on the morning of September 11, 2001. The terrorists happened to have picked the very morning that most of our assets were unavailable to protect even the most defended building on Earth, the Pentagon. How are we to know that these exercises actually took place? Here we have a link to then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld and General Richard Meyers (Joint Chiefs of staff Chairman) answering questions about this exercise. At approximately 7 minutes into the clip General Meyers confirms that in fact four exercises involving our air defenses were happening while the hijacked planes headed to their targets. Moreover he reveals to us that the exercises were designed to simulate hijacked planes being used as weapons to fly into buildings: Is it possible that the terrorists knew about this opening in our air defenses? Yes. Is it possible that they just got extremely lucky with the timing? Yes. Neither of these possibilities can be deemed impossible. It is the improbability of this “coincidence” that is striking. NIST does not explain definitively how either of the Twin Towers fell so quickly. They propose a possible explanation involving trusses weakened by jet fuel and office fires that eventually sagged and gave way allowing the concrete floors they supported to fall but more importantly causing the peripheral columns to bend inward allowing the upper sections of the building to fall upon the lower. The calculations which should describe the tensile strength of the columns and estimated weight of the building that would allow such a collapse to progress are not given. Instead NIST references a research paper that was written just 48 hours after 9/11 by an engineering professor (Zdenek P. Bažant) from Northwestern University and his graduate student. You can read their paper here: “Why did the World Trade Center collapse? A simple analysis” In this paper the two authors propose a mechanism that they believe could explain a progressive collapse. If you choose to examine it you will find it to be a technical paper and largely uninterpretable unless you are a mechanical engineer. However, there are a few points that the curious among us will find unmistakably puzzling. First is that on page 4 the authors state: This assumption should strike you as mysterious. The author is assuming that when the top of the building began to collapse all of the columns on the damaged floors failed completely and synchronously. Why would they make that assumption and what does it matter? It has a direct bearing on what would happen next. The authors are trying to prove their hypothesis that the top of the building had attained enough downward velocity at the beginning of the collapse sequence that a progressive collapse was inevitable. Whether or not this is true cannot be known by you or I without trusting another’s opinion, but does it make sense that every column (287 in all) would suddenly give way at precisely the same time and offer no resistance? The other glaring inaccuracy that can be readily interpreted by the lay reader is the estimate of the weight of the upper portion of the building. The weight used in the paper: “…mass of the upper part (of North Tower) ≈ 58·106 kg”, is exaggerated by nearly a factor of two. But how are you or I to know what the actual weight of the upper portions of the buildings were or what the column strength actually was? I admit that we the public, cannot know without trusting another source. However shouldn’t we expect that NIST would, at the very least, demand that those crucial values be consistent with their own? They didn’t. In fact, the paper NIST references doubles the weight of the upper portion of the building and reduces the column strength by a factor of three compared to their own estimates! In other words, if you use NIST’s own estimate of the weight and strength of the building in the model they reference, a progressive and complete collapse would be impossible. NIST did not verify this professor’s calculations but merely stated that because another party claims it to be possible it must be so. As astonishing as it seems, this is as far as NIST goes to address the incredible mystery we all witnessed when the Twin Towers unexpectedly fell to the ground. This glaring omission was initially the source of skepticism in the scientific community. Later an article in the magazine Popular Mechanics was published to explain a possible collapse sequence. A similar explanation appeared in a documentary on NOVA. Neither the Popular Mechanics article nor the documentary reflect NIST’s official explanation. The Popular Mechanics article and the NOVA documentary both attribute the collapse to “pancaking” floors, falling one upon another. They both suggest how one floor falling upon another could hypothetically cause a chain reaction, yet neither addresses how the central and peripheral columns, the steel skeleton that held the floors and building up could have been destroyed. These simplistic explanations also fail to explain how concrete floors can create a “pancaking” collapse while at the same time be blown out of the building in massive dust clouds. Many of us picture of a stack of floors falling upon a single floor high up in the tower, dismantling it from its supporting trusses and slowly speeding up as each successive floor adds to the momentum of the falling mass. Once the first floor goes, we have been told, the rest is history because now the falling weight is even larger. However, it is clear from every video of the destruction of the two towers that all the concrete is blowing out in huge clouds as the top of the building is descending. We also have the physical evidence of pulverized concrete blanketing lower Manhattan. If all the material is being blown outwardly, what then is doing the crushing? These popularly cited explanations are markedly incomplete and do not actually reflect the official explanation, yet they live on in people’s minds as an adequate representation of what happened. NIST and the research paper above explain that the collapse of each twin tower was initiated on the floors that were struck by the planes. The columns on these floors failed, they hypothesize, because the weight of the upper portion of the building exceeded their strength when the lateral trusses that connected the peripheral and central columns sagged from the heat of the office fires burning on those floors. The upper portion dropped on to the lower and the rest is history. NIST claims that the upper portion, having fell the height of a single floor had enough momentum to sequentially overcome the next 95 floors of reinforced steel and concrete. As mentioned earlier, NIST did not consider whether this was mathematically possible. It must have been, they state, because the building fell to the ground and thus, they say, the details are not relevant or within the scope of their analysis. A closer examination, for those interested, is given in the paper by Dr. Bazant. Perhaps this seems reasonable to you, but is it scientific? It is not. Dr. Bazant’s explanation, when examined more rigorously, requires a number of highly improbable events to have occurred. First, his model requires that every single column on the floors damaged by the plane collisions failed completely, simultaneously and synchronously in order for a collapse to be initiated. Additionally, his model ignores the energy required to bend, buckle and twist the columns as the upper portion began to “fall” upon the lower. NIST, by supporting Dr. Bazant’s model, chooses to assume that these columns effectively vanished. This is the only way enough momentum from the falling sections might have been delivered to the lower sections to initiate a potential collapse. Recall as well that Bazant uses an estimated weight of the building that is twice what NIST calculates. It is very clear from all of the footage of the towers burning before the collapse that the fires were not equally distributed across the damaged floors. There were 240 peripheral and 47 central columns in each twin tower. Does it seem reasonable that every single column on that floor would suddenly fail at precisely the same instant without offering an ounce of resistance? The improbabilities continue to mount as the collapse progresses. In his model, the upper section of each building falls through and annihilates each floor below successively. As it does so, all 287 columns on each floor had to have failed at precisely the same instant in exactly the same way. This is the only way the buildings could have fallen straight down. This happened 80 times in a row in the South Tower and 95 times in a row in the North tower. In his model, once the upper sections of each building bulldozed their way down unaffected, they then crush themselves when they hit the ground. This is the official explanation. Interestingly one could look at this entirely differently. Having every single support column fail simultaneously, some suggest, may actually be something common. We would know this, they say, because it happened twice on the same day (tower 2 followed by tower 1). I think it points in exactly the other direction. The fact that something that unlikely happened twice essentially assures us that some other mechanism was in play in both instances. Much debate has taken place over the temperature of jet fuel and the melting point of steel. It is true that the melting point of steel is significantly higher than the temperature of burning jet fuel (2500 F vs 1500 F). However, supporters of the conventional story maintain that over time, the heat would have weakened the steel to the point of collapse. It is difficult to prove they are wrong. This is often central to the argument of many “debunkers”. It has been demonstrated that given enough time, steel weakens near the temperatures of burning jet fuel. However, even if the strength of the steel had been compromised, steel does not fail from heat in the way that Dr. Bazant requires. As steel gets hot and begins to approach its melting point it will begin to bend and distort gradually from the load it is bearing. It does not snap apart instantaneously like a pencil. It is also difficult to believe that so much of the fuel would have remain ignited for so long. It is obvious that most of the fuel exploded when the plane struck the building. Huge fireballs erupted which burned a great deal of the fuel at the moment of each plane collision. NIST themselves confirm that most of the fuel erupted at impact and that the fuel that had entered the building had burned completely in the first ten minutes. Does it seem likely to conclude that those massive structures would have entirely collapsed from a ten-minute burn? Even if much of the fuel did not ignite immediately but found its way inside the Twin Towers how hot could it have been? Video clearly demonstrates that the smoke billowing from the fires was black, indicating that they were oxygen starved (and thus cooler) for most of the time they were burning. NIST’s explanation requires the temperature around the supporting columns be at or near 1500 degrees where the plane hit in order for the steel trusses to sag and a collapse sequence to begin. If that were the case, how can we explain the unfortunate people in the building that appeared at the periphery on the very floors that were hit waving and exhorting others to help them? If it were 1500 degrees on those floors they would have been incapacitated in a few seconds. The columns on these specific floors were required at some point to catastrophically and instantaneously buckle for the collapse to be initiated. It is highly improbable that the steel was as hot as NIST states. Perhaps these points don’t make you reconsider the official story. I cannot look away. If there were no other way to explain these impossibilities I would shrug my shoulders and go with the official explanation. The difficulty is that there is a simple alternative explanation for all of these impossibilities and inexplicable observations. Controlled demolition involves rigging a building with charges designed to first cut the supporting columns so that other charges, when detonated, will destabilize the structure. This is precisely how steel framed buildings are demolished. If timed correctly, the building can be blown up from the top down (Twin Towers) or bottom up (Building 7). The collapse will be very fast and sudden. If it is demolished from the bottom up the building will fall at or near the acceleration of gravity (building 7). Depending upon the energy density of the explosive used, concrete will indeed be pulverized and so too can large fragments be thrown laterally. One explosive that is being suggested as the one that could have been used is nano-thermite. Nano-thermite is a variant of a well-known chemical combination known as thermate (essentially elemental Aluminum and Iron Oxide). When heat is added to these reactants, the oxide molecule leaves the Iron and bonds with Aluminum releasing a great deal of energy in the form of heat. Within a few seconds this reaction produces temperatures that exceed 4000 degrees F, easily enough to melt and cut steel. This reaction is impervious to water because the oxygen is provided in the Iron Oxide reactant. It would explain why metal continued to burn for three months despite being doused with water continuously. Three independent teams have confirmed the presence of nano-thermite in thin red flakes that were found in and near ground zero. How do we know that this material was really found? We cannot know, we must trust another party, yet this would explain what the conventional narrative cannot. By dismissing independent researchers that claim to have found proof of explosive material we are, by default, trusting NIST and their opinion that searching for such evidence was unnecessary. However if we accept that material was actually found we arrive at an explanation of what we are observing : a massive source of unexplained energy, lateral expulsion of materials, pulverized concrete, dismembered steel, chemical reactions that took months to complete and a coherent model of what happened that day. The following is a video of the collapse of the North Tower, WTC 1, the first tower that was hit and the second to collapse. It is in slow motion. It is narrated by David Chandler, a professor of physics. You can choose to dismiss his narrative comments. I cannot vouch for him. He may not be an unbiased investigator but examine the details of what is in front of our eyes: Does this seem like a building collapsing under its own weight to you? If it does, how should it look like if it were instead being blown to bits from explosives? If you aren’t sure how that should look close your eyes for a moment and use your imagination and then look at the sequence again. Large building components are being thrown outwardly leaving debris in a circle 1200 feet in diameter around its base. Is this building falling down or blowing up? If this footage doesn’t bring up any questions for you I invite you to look again closely and focus on the corner of the building closest to the camera. You can easily see that this corner column with surrounding concrete is crumbling as the “wave of collapse” passes down the building. That column was undamaged from the 96th floor (where the plane hit) all the way to the base of the building. Keep your eyes on the corner column as the wave passes through it. What forces are acting upon it? There are no fires burning near that column. It was not supporting any more weight than it had been for the past 30 years. In fact, because the upper portion of the building was falling at ⅔ the rate of gravity all the columns in the lower part of the building would necessarily be holding up only ⅓ the weight they had been previously. Why then is this (and all the other columns) getting crushed? Interestingly, the NIST addressed the possibility of a controlled demolition in just one paragraph of thousands of pages of technical explanations and discussion. They decided not to investigate that possibility because, they claimed, no explosions were ever witnessed. Yet there are numerous accounts from first responders unequivocally stating that they witnessed explosions in the buildings. In fact 156 firefighters reported that they heard or witnessed explosions in the Twin Towers prior to their collapse. If you don’t believe their accounts we still have the mainstream media on that day reporting that explosions were occurring before the buildings fell: If explosions were taking place in the buildings before the collapses, they must be considered to be causative factors in their destruction. Despite the eyewitness testimony and extensive mainstream media coverage of explosions in the buildings NIST believed it was unnecessary to examine the remaining steel or the ubiquitous dust for explosive residues. Was It Negligence or Something More? Why didn’t they? Did they have some incentive to not look? If so, what could it have been? Let us say that they did decide to examine the debris for explosive material. What if they ended up finding some? Why couldn’t they simply conclude that the terrorists rigged the building? What would be the danger in that? After all it wouldn’t be the first time a terrorist organization attempted to blow up the World Trade Center with explosives. Everything would have still played out the same way, right? Not exactly. It would have led to the conclusion that security in the three buildings was so shoddy that this happened under their watch. It would have taken demolition experts months to set this up. It would be hard not to accuse the WTC security of being in cahoots with the terrorists. Suddenly things would start to point to a “conspiracy”. If evidence of explosives were found they would also have to explain why the terrorists needed to fly planes into the buildings if the buildings could have been detonated at anytime. That would be extremely difficult. This is why some refute the possibility of a controlled demolition. If terrorists rigged the buildings with explosives, why would they sacrifice themselves by flying planes into them when they could have just pushed a button? It is a compelling argument, but what assumptions are we making when using it? When we dismiss the idea of controlled demolitions because planes were flown into the buildings we are assuming that whoever orchestrated this wouldn’t care if their identity would be revealed. Terrorists wouldn’t care if planes or bombs were involved. They would only want to be given full credit for the atrocity. It would be illogical for them to fly planes into the buildings when they could have detonated the buildings at anytime. If evidence of explosives were found it would necessarily point to a conspiracy because planes were flown into the buildings too. Hijacking a plane on a given morning is one thing. Rigging explosives up and down three Manhattan skyscrapers is a feat far more involved. The plane collisions would have been immediately identified for what they really were: red herrings. Terrorists would not need both bombs and planes, only conspirators would. Once that is established, attention would come to the sheer complexity of the effort required to bring three separate buildings straight down, synchronizing the charges so that the demolition will appear to be a gravitational collapse and not simply the detonation of explosives. This kind of endeavor would require more than 19 terrorists armed with box cutters. The magnitude of the possible conspiracy would begin to emerge. The forces behind such an act would clearly wield influence beyond what we consider possible in a free society. Entertaining such a thing is uncomfortable. It is no surprise that many wish to look no further. But do the governmental agencies that are entrusted with public safety have that luxury too? Perhaps they have been unwillingly doing someone else’s bidding all along. There is no proof of any of this as reported in any mainstream media source. It is a hypothesis that would explain all the impossibilities that exist. It would also allow us to dispense with the absurd collapse sequence proposed and not require the fires to have been burning so hot. How Could This Have Been Orchestrated? Putting speculation about dark, hidden forces aside let us return to the practical aspects of how this could have been accomplished. The engineers that designed the Twin Towers insist that in order for the buildings to fall, the central columns had to have been compromised, not the peripheral columns that the planes struck. Indeed, if you closely examine the initiation of collapse in the North Tower, it is perceptible that the massive antenna on the roof begins to shift and fall simultaneously with the rest of the building. This slow motion video captures this at approximately seven seconds from the start: The antenna is directly supported by the central columns. There is no video that captured the extent of the damage inside the tower but it is clear that the plane, which is essentially a hollow tube of aluminum and fiberglass, had to first go through concrete and reinforced steel 14 inches thick. It is possible that a plane’s fuselage can severely damage concrete and steel columns if the energy of the collision was high enough. It would be impossible, however, for the plane to remain intact after encountering the peripheral columns. Again, this is Newton’s Third Law of Motion. If the steel on the outside of the building was destroyed, so too was the plane. There would have been little left to damage the more sturdy central columns. How could anyone have accessed the central columns of the Twin Towers for months, setting up the explosives? It seems preposterous that buildings of that size could have been rigged for demolition, even if there were enough conspirators involved. How could it have been secretly arranged in buildings that house tens of thousands of employees and visitors every day? Surely somebody must have seen something. How could this have been accomplished under the public’s nose? It seems impossible. Then we have this interesting piece of information: Twin tower elevator renovation This is a cover from Elevator World, a publication about elevator technology. In the spring of 2001 they reported that all of the elevators in both Twin Towers underwent a major renovation over a period of several months. The elevator renovation has been confirmed by people who were working in the Twin Towers before 9/11. The elevator shafts are surrounded by the central columns. There is no proof that the elevator renovation in both buildings was a cover for the rigging of the central columns, but is it possible? The controlled demolition hypothesis only attempts to explain the observed physical behavior of the buildings on that day. No perpetrators can be identified. No motive can be known. If conspirators set up the demolition who then was flying the planes? Science will never be able to answer these very salient questions. On the other hand, the 9/11 Commission and NIST, the authors of the “official” explanation, do not even attempt to explain how basic laws of physics can be violated yet they were able to establish the identity of the perpetrators and what their motives were before the third building even fell to the ground. Nonetheless, it is their explanation that has continued to dominate the narrative for the last eighteen years. Rather than reflexively labeling the controlled demolition theory as a crazy idea held by “9/11 Deniers” so that it can be conveniently packaged as a “Conspiracy Theory” and dismissed on moral and intellectual grounds, it is more apt to focus on all the absurdities of the official explanation. Hundreds of thousands of tons of steel breaking apart in seconds synchronously? Fires burning in Manhattan for three months? Four massive military exercises occurring on the same morning as the attack? A fourth plane vaporizes yet a passport is found intact at the crash site? The official explanation is the greatest “Coincidence Theory” ever conceived. The most important next step is to pause and consider what has been offered here. Ultimately, each must decide what is true for themselves. Even if one chooses to instead defer to others’ opinions, that is a decision made individually. Truth is a function of how deeply and how objectively one looks. I would urge everyone to not only look for what must be true but also for their own biases. In our personal search for the truth we are well advised to examine what our motivations are. For many, the possibility that we have been misled and duped into supporting costly wars that have indelibly changed the political landscape of the planet seems too ghastly to entertain. Why look further if it leads to such conclusions? This is indeed a delicate matter and requires a certain presence of mind to look beyond knee-jerk reactions. The controlled demolition of the buildings in Manhattan on 9/11 does not dishonor the brave first responders, the innocent people who lost their lives that day or the hundreds of thousands that have died and suffered in the eighteen years since. In fact it may shed light on the possibility of a profound truth about humanity. Instead of a world where no-fly-zones and walls separate good from evil perhaps we live on a much different planet. A planet where the vast majority of its inhabitants are actually peace-loving and cooperative, but have been taught to be afraid and angry by the tiniest fraction of us who would benefit from such a climate of antimony and adversity. Is it possible that this has been the case all along? Was 9/11 actually a “glitch in the matrix” and not the proof of terror around the corner that we have been told? How many more years will pass before we are ready to acknowledge that we may have always been a peaceful people? We may never absolutely know who was ultimately responsible and why they felt it necessary to not just damage the buildings but to dismember them and spread their remains over all of lower Manhattan while sacrificing and endangering thousands of innocent lives. At this time the only blame that can be justly placed is that upon the 9/11 Commission and NIST. Their explanation violates basic laws of physics and principles of engineering. Furthermore, by refusing to examine all possible explanations they have been grossly negligent in their task as scientists and as servants of the public. The next steps forward surely must include a diligent investigation of why NIST failed so spectacularly as an entrusted agent of public safety. Although I am an Electrical Engineer and a practicing Anesthesiologist, I consider myself to be primarily an Epistemologist. In other words, I am most interested in how we, as individuals, know what we know. It doesn’t require much inquiry to see that most of us adopt narratives largely from what we have been told. Conscious Media, or the dissemination of information devoid of bias so that it may be considered openly and objectively is therefore vitally important to any society that is interested in the compassionate pursuit of truth. I offer my perspective as a physician and engineer in the hope that it potentiates Collective Evolution’s mission to responsibly explore relevant topics and events in a manner that encourages curiosity and engagement. This article was sourced from Collective Evolution. Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/the-official-9-11-explanation-is-the-greatest-coincidence-theory-ever.html
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2019-09-11 17:15:01+00:00
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activistpost--2019-09-18--Prozac Maker Paid Millions To Secure Favorable Verdict In Mass Shooting Lawsuit
| 2019-09-18T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Prozac Maker Paid Millions To Secure Favorable Verdict In Mass Shooting Lawsuit
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Everybody should know by now that pharmaceutical companies tend to be extremely unethical, and that they have a very tight stranglehold over government health regulatory agencies like the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). According to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., pharmaceutical companies have more lobbyists in Washington D.C. than there are congressmen and senators combined. They are even more powerful than big oil and gas, so you can just imagine the power they exercise over politicians and our federal health regulatory agencies. It’s also important to point out the revolving door that exists between big pharma and federal health regulatory agencies. Julie Gerberding, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association ‘Woman of the Year,’ is a prime example of someone who has gone through the revolving door between government regulatory agencies and the corporations they are supposed to be regulating. She was once the Director of the CDC before moving over to an executive position at Merck. This is no secret, multiple scientists from within these organizations, like the CDC, have even “blown the whistle.” A group called the CDC Scientists Preserving Integrity, Diligence and Ethics in Research, or CDC SPIDER, put a list of complaints in a letter to the CDC Chief of Staff and provided a copy of the letter to the public watchdog organization U.S. Right to Know (USRTK). There are so many examples of pharmaceutical fraud, it’s truly unbelievable how they are able to operate. One of the latest examples comes from the drugmaker that produces Prozac. This is an antidepressant that Joseph Wesbeker’s victims claimed was responsible for his shooting rampage 30 years ago at Standard Gravure. The maker of the drug quietly paid $20 mllion to help “ensure a verdict exonerating the drug company.” The company is called Eli Lilly, and they hid the payment for more than two decades, all the while defying a Louisville judge who fought to reveal it because he said it influenced the jury’s verdict. Apparently, Wesbecker started to take Prozac about a month before his killing spree that killed eight and wounded 12 in the print shop attached to the Courier Journal. All but one of the victims sued Eli Lilly. Here is another example of fraud I wrote about a few years ago with regards to antidepressants. Again, it involved pharmaceutical companies that were not disclosing all information regarding the results of their drug trials. Researchers looked at documents from 70 different double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) and found that the full extent of serious harm in clinical study reports went unreported. These are the reports sent to major health authorities like the U.S. FDA. Again, you can read more about that here and access the study. Prozac is still heavily prescribed today, which is concerning. In fact, antidepressants in general are concerning. Millions believe depression is caused by ‘serotonin deficiency,’ but where is the science in support of this theory? In fact, a meta-analysis of over 14,000 patients and Dr. Insel, head of the NIMH, had this to say: To understand what an imbalance is, we must know what balance looks like, and neuroscience has not yet characterized the optimal brain state, nor figured out how to even assess it. Read more here: Depression: It’s Not Your Serotonin In fact, a lot of mass shootings actually have something in common–a lot of these shooters have been prescribed these dangerous drugs. Are we missing something here with regards to this type of ‘medication?’ Why would big pharma go to such lengths to conceal something if they knew it could play a factor in such dangerous and psychopathic behavior? After all, these drugs are indeed designed to alter the behavior of individuals.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/prozac-maker-paid-millions-to-secure-favorable-verdict-in-mass-shooting-lawsuit.html
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2019-09-18 15:03:54+00:00
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activistpost--2019-09-18--State Takes Child from Parents Forces Him to Take Chemo for Treating Cancer With Cannabis
| 2019-09-18T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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State Takes Child from Parents, Forces Him to Take Chemo for Treating Cancer With Cannabis
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Parents of a 4-year-old Florida boy had their child taken away last month because they sought to treat his cancer in a holistic manner. A judge ruled the couple had placed their son in harm’s way after ceasing chemotherapy treatments for his leukemia. Taylor Bland-Ball and Joshua McAdams had their parental rights taken away from them following the couple’s decision to seek a second opinion out of state. That decision led to the parents giving their son CBD and THC oil along with traditional chemotherapy treatments. Bland-Ball responded to the judges decision outside the Florida courtroom. She said, “we’re disappointed with the fact that they are moving forward with chemotherapy considering all the side effects that were brought up in court today, including death.” It turns out, she’s right. A landmark study published in the United Kingdom detailed just how deadly chemotherapy can be, even within 30 days after its initial use. As TFTP reported, the chemotherapy often turned out to be deadlier than the patients’ cancers. In fact, some hospitals had a higher mortality rate than those in other cities, leading the researchers to question why such mortality discrepancies with chemotherapy existed. Bland-ball and McAdams wanted to do more for their child and include cannabis as an alternative to chemotherapy and radiation, the universal standard treatments for cancer. It’s unclear precisely which cannabis medicine they wanted to give their son. Currently, the only FDA approved cannabis-based medicine is produced by GW Pharmaceuticals whose researchers are attacking some of the world’s deadliest cancers such as glioblastoma, a brain cancer which is almost always fatal and of which chemotherapy and radiation have little to no effect. GW Pharmaceuticals’ 1:1 THC/CBD medicine was used in conjunction with a traditional chemotheraphy. The test results, according to GW Pharm hold promise. According to one of their recent studies conducted in the United Kingdom: Patients given cannabis lived nearly twice as long as those who were not given cannabis as an alternative treatment. But the choice to give cannabis to Bland-Ball and McAdams’ child was taken from the parents and given to the State of Florida which has usurped not only the parents’ wishes but the current research being conducted using cannabis in conjunction with standard chemotherapy. Florida has now ordered the son to be given chemotherapy completely against the parents’ wishes. In addition to being used to help kill cancer cells, cannabis also helps to mitigate nausea and pain while taking chemotherapy. Unfortunately, Bland-Ball and McAdams’ child will now have to take his chances with chemotherapy and wonder whether or not it will even work. With legal decisions being made by the state one must logically ask the serious question as to whether or not a day is coming when all decisions about one’s health can be taken away from the citizenry? As an example of humans losing rights to states, take for example the subject of vaccinations in the State of New York. As TFTP has reported, parents are no longer allowed to even decide when, if, or which vaccines will be given to their children, making such universal declarations akin to 1984, George Orwell’s work on a dystopian future where people give up all rights to the government. The forced vaccination program may be eerily reminiscent of Nazi Germany with the government controlling all procreation/birthing/parenting/child-rearing decisions.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/state-takes-child-from-parents-forces-him-to-take-chemo-for-treating-cancer-with-cannabis.html
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2019-09-18 15:08:16+00:00
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activistpost--2019-09-19--Applause as Federal Court Blocks Unconstitutional South Dakota Law That Would Hit Pipeline Protest
| 2019-09-19T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Applause as Federal Court Blocks “Unconstitutional” South Dakota Law That Would Hit Pipeline Protesters With Up to 25 Years in Prison
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Environmentalists celebrated Wednesday after a federal court temporarily blocked enforcement of a recently enacted South Dakota law that aims to hit pipeline protesters with fines and up to 25 years in prison. Legal experts and green groups have decried the law, officially titled the Riot Boosting Act, as a flagrant violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution that was obviously targeted at Keystone XL opponents. “The so-called ‘Riot Boosting’ Act was clearly intended to suppress constitutionally-protected, peaceful protests of the Keystone XL pipeline,” said Stephen Pevar, senior staff attorney with the ACLU, which filed suit to stop the law from taking effect. “We’re glad the court recognized that these vague and overbroad laws threaten the First Amendment rights of South Dakotans on every side of the issue.” South Dakota is one of several Republican-controlled states to pass legislation in recent months to criminalize pipeline protests. In June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed in to law a measure that would hit pipeline protesters with up to a decade in prison. As Common Dreams reported in June, the Trump administration is also looking to punish anti-pipeline demonstrations at the federal level. In his ruling on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol wrote: “Imagine that if these riot boosting statutes were applied to the protests that took place in Birmingham, Alabama, what might be the result? Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference could have been liable under an identical riot boosting law.” Dallas Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network applauded the court’s decision as “a good step in protecting our right to organize, educate, and promote a sustainable future for all generations of life.” “As Dakota,” said Goldtooth, “it is our duty to protect the land and water, and speaking up on behalf of these sacred elements is essential to that endeavor.” Our work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. Feel free to republish and share widely. Jake Johnson is a staff writer for Common Dreams. Follow him on Twitter: @johnsonjakep Top image and credit: Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines protest President Donald Trump’s executive orders advancing their construction, at Lafayette Park next to the White House in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 24, 2017. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/applause-as-federal-court-blocks-unconstitutional-south-dakota-law-that-would-hit-pipeline-protesters-with-up-to-25-years-in-prison.html
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2019-09-19 16:40:14+00:00
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activistpost--2019-09-20--Cops Mistake Fellow Cop for Protester Beat Him Like Rodney King Smash His Camera Lawsuit
| 2019-09-20T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Cops Mistake Fellow Cop for Protester, Beat Him “Like Rodney King”, Smash His Camera — Lawsuit
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St. Louis, MO — In December 2011, St. Louis Police Officer Jason Stockley violated department policy when he grabbed his personal AK-47, premeditated, and then murdered Anthony Lamar Smith. The planning of the murder and the actual murder were captured on the officer’s dashcam. In spite of the overwhelming amount of evidence against him, a St. Louis judge in 2017 found Stockley not guilty of first-degree murder in the 2011 shooting death of Smith. Months of protests ensued immediately. During the protests, undercover police officers were placed throughout the crowd in order to catch people who were attempting to instigate violence or destroy property. Police violence was so over the top, that four officers allegedly grabbed one of their own, a 22-year veteran of the department who was working undercover. Now, that officer, detective Luther Hall, filed a lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court alleging that his colleagues slammed him down twice and then beat him with batons. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Hall’s suit says one officer who participated in the beating, Joseph Marcantano, has since been promoted to sergeant, showing that “misconduct is not only protected but rewarded by the City and Department.” After the initial incident, officers Dustin Boone, Bailey Colletta, Randy Hays and Christopher Myers all faced federal charges of civil rights violation, obstruction of justice and lying to federal investigators. So far, Colletta has pleaded guilty to one federal charge and has admitted to lying to the FBI and a grand jury about the nature of Hall’s arrest, while the other three officers have pleaded not guilty and are set to head to trial later this year. The officers are accused of attacking their fellow officer without reason, throwing him to the ground, savagely beating him—causing serious bodily injury—and then destroying his camera. Hall described his beating by these for cops as a “free for all” and told other cops at the department that he was beaten “like Rodney King,” according to court documents released earlier this year. As TFTP reported at the time, during the protests, angry citizens took to the streets en masse. They were met by hundreds of police officers in riot gear, who were armed with military grade weaponry and technology. During the protests, story after story surfaced of officers using unnecessary force, beating protesters and making false arrests. This was in spite of the fact that the protests ran relatively smoothly and were far less violent than the ones in 2014 in Ferguson after the killing of Mike Brown. Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, police officers were seen on video carrying out extremely disturbing acts. One such act involved trampling an elderly woman. Another act involved police chanting “whose streets? Our streets!” as they surrounded protesters—otherwise known as ‘kettling’— and began a brutal assault with pepper spray and police batons. Hall was also one of these stories; however, his story was suppressed because the officers who beat him covered up what happened and lied to investigators. Hall was not violent during the protests and merely carrying a Nikon camera attempting to photograph the protests when police approached. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: At an intersection, police SUVs pulled up and a female officer ordered Hall to get to the ground. As he was getting to his knees, Hall was picked up twice and slammed to the ground, face first, Boehlje wrote. His nose and lip were already bleeding when he was repeatedly kicked and hit with closed fists and sticks, Boehlje wrote. Hall’s hands were in front of him on the ground, and although officers were telling him to put his hands behind his back, they were also standing on his arms, Boehlje wrote. “Hall described it as a ‘free for all,’” the affidavit says. Hall’s cellphone screen had been shattered from what Hall thought was a baton. After he was handcuffed, he watched as an officer took out his Nikon battery and threw the camera to the ground, breaking it, Boehlje wrote. The affidavit suggests there may be video of at least part of the incident, as Hall’s cellphone was “actively recording” as he surrendered. During the arrest, Hall did not want to blow his cover so he did not inform police he was undercover until he got back to headquarters. He told someone at headquarters that that officers “beat the (expletive) out of him like Rodney King.” When investigators seized the cellphones of the officers, they found texts of them discussing the beating, essentially admitting to all of it. Before the officers were dispatched to the protest, they stated their “disdain” for the protesters and expressed “excitement about using unjustified force against them and going undetected while doing so.” After the beating, Hays told Boone in regards to one of the officers smashing Hall’s camera and beating him that “the ass whooping can be explained. The camera thing can’t and we weren’t a part of that.” Boone then replies to Hays saying that Hall “could’ve announced himself any time. And he wasn’t complying. The camera thing is just ignorant, nothing we all haven’t done and if it was a protester it wouldn’t be a problem at all.”
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/cops-mistake-fellow-cop-for-protester-beat-him-like-rodney-king-smash-his-camera-lawsuit.html
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2019-09-20 17:05:25+00:00
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activistpost--2019-09-23--Watch as Cops Record Themselves Making Up Fake Charges to Kidnap Innocent Man Steal His Car
| 2019-09-23T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Watch as Cops Record Themselves Making Up Fake Charges to Kidnap Innocent Man, Steal His Car
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Jasper, GA — If you still have any doubt that police are here just for your protection, the following video should be enough to convince you otherwise. An entirely innocent man, Charles A. Spradlin had committed no crime, had harmed no one, and was on his own property when two Georgia State Troopers illegally stopped him, kidnapped him, and stole his vehicle. The gross violation of rights was captured on video as the two troopers discussed the various ways to accomplish their illegal goals. The trooper’s conduct is now the subject of a federal lawsuit. This infuriatingly corrupt incident unfolded on March 26, 2016 when Spradlin got a call from his neighbor — whose son happened to be killed by police — letting him know that officers had set up a checkpoint near his home. According to the lawsuit, Spradlin then got in his car, drove to the end of his driveway and parked on a hill to see where the checkpoint was. When he didn’t see it, he turned around and drove back to his home. Spradlin would never make it back to his house, however, because Georgia State Trooper TFC Jonathan Salcedo pulled him over, kidnapped him and stole his car. As the video shows, Salcedo admits that he pulled over Spradlin because he saw him turn around. It is not illegal to turn around. And, according to the lawsuit, Spradlin turned into an adjacent driveway, used his turn signal and obeyed all traffic laws. But this was irrelevant to this tyrant. Salcedo immediately began to berate Spradlin, accusing him of violating a law that the trooper had just made up: turning around before a checkpoint. Spradlin told the trooper why he drove to the end of his driveway — to get a view of the police checkpoint — but the trooper couldn’t have cared less. He was going to make sure he turned this man’s day into a living hell. As the video shows, Spradlin confirmed to the trooper that he had a driver’s license and asked for the basis of Officer Salcedo’s stop. According to the lawsuit, officer Salcedo became visibly agitated and told Spradlin to turn around and put his hands behind his back.” Spradlin was then handcuffed and locked in the backseat of the cruiser. The officers then proceeded to illegally search the man’s vehicle. It wasn’t the search that was most infuriating, however. It was the troopers discussing what they could charge this innocent man with. “Looks like his tires are worn, that’s our P.C. (probable cause) right there,” one trooper says. Worn tires are not probable cause for a stop and even if it was, this trooper had no way of seeing worn tires while the vehicle was in motion. The officers then call their supervisor and ask him for permission to continue to violate this man’s rights. As the video shows, they were clueless of the law and were scrambling for a reason to kidnap this man. “Let’s check his window tint,” the cop said, continuing to fish for something to find on Spradlin. The cops then illegally proceeded to search Spradlin’s vehicle, without his consent and against their supervisor’s orders. When asked by Spradlin why they were searching his vehicle, they claimed it was an “inventory” and not a “search.” As the officers continue their illegal detainment, they turn off their recording devices in what was was likely an illegal conversation to figure out how to kidnap an innocent man and steal his car. When the mics turn back on, Spradlin is told his vehicle is being impounded and he is being arrested. Police then stole Spradlin’s car and kidnapped him, falsely charging him with failure to display license, obstruction of justice, and having unsafe tires. It took two days for Spradlin to get his car back after he had to make bail and pay a $200 impound fee. Three weeks later, according to the lawsuit, during a preliminary hearing on April 14, 2016, a judge dismissed the obstruction of justice charge because there was “not in fact evidence to sustain that a reasonable person would believe that a crime was committed.” He also dismissed the unsafe tire charge because there was “never any testimony that [the tires] were below 2/32 of an inch.” The prosecution later dropped the failure to display license charge. Spradlin is now suing Salcedo for violations of his Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Amendment rights and he will likely win as the judge has already dismissed Salcedo’s claim for immunity.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/watch-as-cops-record-themselves-making-up-fake-charges-to-kidnap-innocent-man-steal-his-car.html
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2019-09-23 00:04:54+00:00
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activistpost--2019-10-01--FCC Keeps Losing Court Cases but 5G is Still Being Installed In US Communities Probably Even Yo
| 2019-10-01T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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FCC Keeps Losing Court Cases, but 5G is Still Being Installed In U.S. Communities — Probably Even Yours
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is supposed protect the public by regulating the Telecom Industry. It is NOT a health or environmental agency even though its decisions affect public health and the environment. Unfortunately, employees have a long history of not protecting the public and the “Race for 5G” has made this more dangerous (see 1, 2, 3, 4). The Telecom Industry has provided NO scientific evidence that 5G is safe. Many experts say it isn’t (see 1, 2, 3) and for a variety of reasons. Businesses, communities, and organizations have filed lawsuits against the FCC because of forced 4G and 5G small cell installation (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). There have been lawsuits filed against the FCC for other unscrupulous actions as well. Thanks to Scientists 4 Wired Tech for highlighting the FCC’s court losing streak: Federal judges yesterday issued a stinging rebuke to the Federal Communications Commission, saying the agency’s justification for eliminating media-ownership limits “would receive a failing grade in any introductory statistics class.” The FCC’s 2017 decision to eliminate newspaper/broadcast and television/radio cross-ownership rules could allow more media mergers. But the FCC order was vacated in a 2-1 vote by a panel of judges at the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Judges wrote that the FCC “did not adequately consider the effect its sweeping rule changes will have on ownership of broadcast media by women and racial minorities.” Ajit Pai submits plan to allow more media consolidation The FCC’s 2017 order had to consider instructions from previous Third Circuit decisions that went against the commission. But the FCC did not comply with the court’s instructions, the judges’ ruling said. The “most glaring” problem in the FCC analysis is that it “cited no evidence whatsoever regarding gender diversity,” the judges wrote. The FCC claimed in a court filing that “no data on female ownership was available” yet also “purport[ed] to have complied with our instructions to consider both racial and gender diversity, repeatedly framing its conclusion in terms that encompass both areas,” judges wrote. The FCC’s failure to seriously address the impact on female ownership would be “enough to justify remand” on its own, judges said. But the FCC also failed to properly examine the evidence on minority ownership, they said. The FCC’s analysis of evidence on ownership by racial minorities “is so insubstantial that it would receive a failing grade in any introductory statistics class,” the judges’ ruling said. The FCC mistake goes back to a 2016 decision issued when Tom Wheeler was chairman. The 2016 decision made only minor changes to the cross-ownership rules, but the evidence cited in that decision would later be used by Chairman Ajit Pai to eliminate the rules entirely in 2017, judges wrote.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/fcc-keeps-losing-court-cases-but-5g-is-still-being-installed-in-u-s-communities-probably-even-yours.html
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2019-10-01 01:04:24+00:00
| 1,569,906,264 | 1,570,221,805 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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5,747 |
activistpost--2019-10-01--Police Officer Amber Guyger Found Guilty of Murder for Killing Botham Jean Facing Life in Prison
| 2019-10-01T00:00:00 |
activistpost
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Police Officer Amber Guyger Found Guilty of Murder for Killing Botham Jean, Facing Life in Prison
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Dallas, TX — Moments ago, former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was found guilty of murder for shooting and killing Botham Jean in his own apartment. She now faces a maximum of life in prison. This verdict is certainly a win for police accountability and definitely not predictable as police officers — even while off duty — are all too often acquitted for hurting or killing innocent people. The deliberations started on Monday and were expected to last through the middle of the week. However, Tuesday morning, the jury came back with a unanimous verdict of guilty. The reason so many people thought she would walk free is that from the start, Guyger has been given special privilege. After she admitted to walking into the wrong apartment and killing the innocent Botham Jean, it took several days for police to even bring charges against her. In fact, it would be revealed during the trial that two days after she killed Jean, Guyger was texting her fling talking about various sexual fantasies and how drunk they were going to get. It was as if she knew she was going to get her blue privilege right from the get-go. However, that privilege seems to have run out. Her blue privilege ran out despite the fact that the judge said the jury could consider that Guyger killed Jean under the state’s Castle Doctrine. Under the Castle Doctrine in Texas, residents are justified in killing intruders in their own home if they fill threatened. The only problem with this defense is that Guyger was not in her own home. Nevertheless, the Texas Ranger investigation “reasonably concluded” that Guyger could’ve perceived Jean as a threat because she believed she was in her own home. Seriously. Luckily, the jury did not buy the police union’s defense and this killer cop will get the justice she deserves. As TFTP previously reported, Guyger was off duty but still in uniform when she entered Jean’s apartment and shot him in cold blood. She claims she accidentally went into the wrong apartment and thought she saw an intruder. However, the attorney for the Jean family — after listening to the 911 recording — pointed out how fast she shot Jean after entering, claiming she didn’t have time to even question the “intruder.” “There was nothing in that video or the recording where she ever indicated she thought Botham was trying to harm her,” the family’s civil attorney Daryl Washington said. “She was very fast to shoot without asking very many questions.” “I always hesitate to say things are racial, but I think what happened is she saw an African-American male and she responded and she shot him,” Washington said. As NBC reports, prosecutors said Jean was watching television and eating ice cream in his living room when Guyger burst inside, likely scaring him. The trajectory of the bullet showed that he was either getting up from his couch or cowering when Guyger fired her service weapon, they added. The “investigation” into the killing of Botham Jean was skewed from the start with police spinning the story in Guyger’s favor. “Guyger entered the building and walked down the fourth-floor hallway to what she thought was her apartment,” the arrest warrant stated. “She inserted a unique door key, with an electronic chip, into the door keyhole. The door, which was slightly ajar prior to Guyger’s arrival, fully opened under the force of the key insertion.” “Guyger drew her firearm, gave verbal commands that were ignored by … Jean,” according to the warrant. “Guyger fired her handgun two times striking [Jean] in the torso. Guyger entered the apartment, immediately called 911, requesting police and EMS, and provided first aid to … Jean. “Due to the interior darkness of the apartment, Guyger turned on the interior lights while on the phone with 911. Upon being asked where she was located by emergency dispatchers, Guyger returned to the front door to observe the address and discovered she was at the wrong apartment,” according to the arrest warrant. Given all the details in the arrest warrant about what transpired on the 911 call, it seems that if the department was interested in transparency, that they would have immediately released the recordings. However, the department and the city seemingly could not have cared less about being transparent and the recordings had to be released by media, not police. The Dallas Morning News reported in October that the city claimed that they can’t release the 911 calls because it would ruin their investigation. However, many departments across the country quickly release 911 call recordings soon after they are made and this doesn’t seem to hinder their investigation at all.
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Activist Post
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https://www.activistpost.com/2019/10/police-officer-amber-guyger-found-guilty-of-murder-for-killing-botham-jean-facing-life-in-prison.html
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2019-10-01 23:00:19+00:00
| 1,569,985,219 | 1,570,221,805 |
crime, law and justice
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judiciary
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229,405 |
globalresearch--2019-05-21--A China Food Crisis More Dangerous than Trade War The African Swine Fever ASF Outbreak
| 2019-05-21T00:00:00 |
globalresearch
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A China Food Crisis More Dangerous than Trade War? The African Swine Fever (ASF) Outbreak
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China faces a threat to its agriculture that could do far more damage to her political stability and economy than the escalating USA tariff war. In recent months cases of deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) among the pig population of the world’s largest pig producer have forced drastic killing off of the pig population since cases were first detected last August. On top of that, more recently, Chinese grain producers have been hit by what can only be called a plague of a dangerous pest called “Fall Armyworms”, that devastates corn, rice and other grain crops. The combination hitting China as its leaders are in the midst of an escalating major trade war with the United States, could affect the world geopolitical map in ways few can imagine. Officially, the Chinese government appears to be responding with clear determination to take necessary measures to eradicate the deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak. Beijing authorities claim that more than 1 million pigs to date have been killed. However, that has not prevented the pig contamination from spreading to all provinces of China and even beyond. In the Chinese diet today pork is the main source of protein. China has the world’s largest pig population, over half, or close to 700 million swine. The problem is that African Swine Fever is highly deadly, almost 100% lethal to pigs, (though not, according to evidence, to humans). The disease is highly infectious which is why entire herds must be immediately destroyed and there is no medical cure known for it. The virus can exist on surfaces or in meat for days, even weeks. In an April report the US Department of Agriculture predicted that China will have to kill 134 million pigs, equal to the entire US pig production. That would be the worst drop recorded since the USDA began monitoring in the mid-1970’s. An April, 2019 research report by the Rabobank in Holland, a major world agriculture lender, estimates that actual ASF kills in China are significantly higher than the reported 1 million. They estimate that since initial outbreak in August 2018, deadly ASF has infected between 150 to 200 million of China’s pig population, some 100 times worse than the official numbers and has spread to every province in mainland China. The report states, That is far more than official data suggest and, if true, will have drastic effect on not only animal prices, but could devastate millions of small China farmers unable to survive the losses. Accurate data are lacking as the Chinese pig production is dominated by small farmers where health security measures are more lax and contagion more likely. Unfortunately, in a clear effort to calm the situation, the China Ministry of Agriculture issued a statement this January that there was no “ASF epidemic,” and that the government was taking adequate measures to bring the situation under control, this, though the disease had then spread to 24 mainland provinces. The suspicious timing of the reassuring statement was two weeks before the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, the time of the largest pig consumption of the year. Ironically this year is also the Year of the Pig in China. The deadly pig disease has also spread to neighboring Vietnam, a major pig producer where Rabobank expects at least 10% of the herd will be destroyed, and to Cambodia. As well it has spread to Hong Kong and to Taiwan and Mongolia. The problem is that the risk of reinfection is large and experts estimate that under best of conditions, it will take China years to rebuild its pig herds. At the same time as China’s pig production is in its worst crisis in decades, its grain crops are being hit by another devastating plague that is every bit as difficult to combat, spread of what is called the “Fall Armyworm,” the common name for the larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda species of moth. According to a recent report, prepared for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the devastating pest, first discovered in Yunnan Province January 29, entering from Myanmar, may have already spread to a range of southern Chinese provinces including Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan and Hainan. The USDA estimates that the Fall Armyworm, which can travel an astonishing 100 kilometers in a single night, will spread across all of the country’s grain-producing area in the coming few months. A typical Fall Armyworm moth will travel 500 kilometers in its lifespan, laying 1,000 to 1,500 eggs in total. The eggs hatch into larvae within a few days. Chinese agriculture exports report that the worm has spread much faster than they expected. The worm is extremely difficult to eradicate. The USDA notes that, China is the world’s second largest corn producer after the USA, forecast to produce 257 million tons of corn in 2018-19, according to the USDA. In the past three years, the Fall Armyworm, endemic to North America, has caused extensive economic damage across Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. In just two years the Fall Armyworm colonized three-quarters of Africa, according to British-based Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI). Meanwhile in response to US trade tariffs put in place by the Trump administration, Beijing has restricted purchase of American soybeans, making domestic soy and other grain crops increasingly important for Chinese agriculture. And poor weather conditions have impacted Chinese production of soybeans and corn due to droughts and unusually cold weather. The double blows from African Swine Fever and the Fall Armyworm, combined with the latest escalation of US tariffs on Chinese imports, amid signs that China’s overall economy is slowing significantly, create a potentially dangerous situation whereby hundreds of thousands of Chinese small farmers are likely economically ruined and Chinese domestic food price inflation rises sharply. That is definitely what China does not need at this point. Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. F. William Engdahl is strategic risk consultant and lecturer, he holds a degree in politics from Princeton University and is a best-selling author on oil and geopolitics, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook” where this article was originally published. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research. This skilfully researched book focuses on how a small socio-political American elite seeks to establish control over the very basis of human survival: the provision of our daily bread. “Control the food and you control the people.” This is no ordinary book about the perils of GMO. Engdahl takes the reader inside the corridors of power, into the backrooms of the science labs, behind closed doors in the corporate boardrooms. The author cogently reveals a diabolical world of profit-driven political intrigue, government corruption and coercion, where genetic manipulation and the patenting of life forms are used to gain worldwide control over food production. If the book often reads as a crime story, that should come as no surprise. For that is what it is.
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F. William Engdahl
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https://www.globalresearch.ca/china-food-crisis-more-dangerous-than-trade-war/5677967
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2019-05-21 10:42:39+00:00
| 1,558,449,759 | 1,567,540,254 |
health
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non-human diseases
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376,542 |
newyorkpost--2019-05-31--Seoul North Korea confirms African swine fever outbreak
| 2019-05-31T00:00:00 |
newyorkpost
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Seoul: North Korea confirms African swine fever outbreak
|
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is scrambling to prevent the spread of the highly contagious African swine fever on its pig industry after North Korea confirmed an outbreak at a farm near its border with China. South Korea’s agriculture ministry on Friday said North Korea reported to the World Organization for Animal Health that 77 of the 99 pigs at a farm in Jagang province died of the disease and other 22 pigs were culled. The outbreak in North Korea comes after the disease in past months ravaged farms in China, where more than a million pigs have been reportedly culled, and also spread to Vietnam, Cambodia and Mongolia. Seoul is stepping up quarantine measures in border areas while also seeking to cooperate with the North to stem the spread of the fever.
|
Associated Press
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https://nypost.com/2019/05/31/seoul-north-korea-confirms-african-swine-fever-outbreak/
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2019-05-31 07:53:53+00:00
| 1,559,303,633 | 1,567,539,600 |
health
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non-human diseases
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380,738 |
newyorkpost--2019-10-31--About a quarter of the world’s pigs could die of African swine fever: official
| 2019-10-31T00:00:00 |
newyorkpost
|
About a quarter of the world’s pigs could die of African swine fever: official
|
It’s really going to be hog heaven. About a quarter of the world’s pigs are expected to die of African swine fever — a complex disease that is “the biggest threat to any commercial livestock of our generation,” an official said Thursday. African swine fever — which is fatal to hogs but harmless for humans — has already wiped out pig herds in many Asian countries, Dr. Mark Schipp, president of the World Organization for Animal Health, said at a press conference in Sydney. The disease’s spread to countries including China — which has half the world’s pig population — has sparked a worldwide crisis, according to Schipp, who is also Australia’s chief veterinary officer. Mongolia, the Korean Peninsula, Southeast Asia and East Timor have also faced African swine fever outbreaks. “I don’t think the species will be lost, but it’s the biggest threat to the commercial raising of pigs we’ve ever seen,” Schipp said. Chinese authorities have destroyed about 1.2 million pigs since August 2018 in an effort to contain the disease. As a result, the price of pork has doubled from last year in the country — which produces and consumes two-thirds of the meat worldwide. China’s attempts to buy pork abroad — coupled with smaller outbreaks in other countries — have driven up global prices, according to Schipp. “There are some shortages in some countries, and there’s been some substitutions using other sources of protein, which is driving up the prices of other proteins,” Schipp said. Although steps have been made toward developing a vaccine, Schipp said it’s difficult because the virus is large and has a complex 3D structure — which scientists just last week were able to unravel. The disease is spread by contact among pigs — through contaminated fodder and ticks. The epidemic could also lead to a global shortage of heparin, an anti-blood clotting drug with an active ingredient derived from pig intestines, the official said. “Most of it is sourced from China, which has been badly hit,” Schipp said. Schipp noted that China is working hard to battle the disease — which he thinks may also change the way pigs are raised there. “In China, previously they had a lot of backyard piggeries,” he said. “They’re seeing this as an opportunity to take a big step forward and move to large scale commercial piggeries. The challenge will be to other countries without the infrastructure or capital reserves to scale up in those ways.”
|
Amanda Woods
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https://nypost.com/2019/10/31/about-a-quarter-of-the-worlds-pigs-could-die-of-african-swine-fever-official/
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Thu, 31 Oct 2019 11:04:07 -0400
| 1,572,534,247 | 1,572,536,836 |
health
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non-human diseases
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495,902 |
sottnet--2019-01-28--Denmark hopes 43-mile fence along German frontier will save its bacon prevent African swine fever
| 2019-01-28T00:00:00 |
sottnet
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Denmark hopes 43-mile fence along German frontier will save its bacon, prevent African swine fever
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Denmark began constructing a 43-mile fence along its border with Germany on Monday - but the new barrier is not the latest bulwark in Fortress Europe's defenses against migrants.The metal fence, which will be only five feet high, is intended to keep out wild boar.Denmark and Germany are both members of the Schengen Area, and there are no border formalities between the two countries. But the right to border-free travel does not extend to wild boar.The Danish government says it is building the fence to prevent African swine fever ever crossing the border and decimating the country's bacon industry.It has started construction on the 30.4m krone (£3.5m) fence despite the fact there are no reported cases of the disease in Germany."It is an insurance policy against African swine fever. You also insure your house against fire, although it will probably never burn," Mogens Dall, chairman of the Danish agricultural association LandboSyd, told Jyllands Posten newspaper.The Danish government fears an outbreak could have devastating consequences for the country's pork industry. Denmark is the only EU country where there are more pigs than humans, and currently exports around €4bn (£3.5bn) of pork a year.Mr Dall said.France is planning its own fence against wild boar on its border with Belgium, and boar that stray across are being culled.But the Danish fence has proved controversial across the border in Germany, where it has come under attack from regional politicians and animal rights activists."We have considerable doubts about the usefulness or necessity of a fence," Jan Philipp Albrecht, regional environment minister for the German state of Schleswig-Holstein said, adding that the disease is mainly spread by humans who have handled infected livestock."They can run fast at 35 kilometers per hour. They'll find a hole in a few minutes," Bo Øksnebjerg of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), told Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag newspaper.
| null |
https://www.sott.net/article/405964-Denmark-hopes-43-mile-fence-along-German-frontier-will-save-its-bacon-prevent-African-swine-fever
|
2019-01-28 18:44:19+00:00
| 1,548,719,059 | 1,567,550,614 |
health
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non-human diseases
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509,046 |
sottnet--2019-12-02--China's African Swine Fever is now a global threat
| 2019-12-02T00:00:00 |
sottnet
|
China's African Swine Fever is now a global threat
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The worst outbreak of fatal African Swine Fever disease ever has devastated the world's largest pig population, that of China, over the past months.. The political and human impact could be far worse than imagined as a de facto pandemic disease situation spreads. Globalization of agribusiness is not helping matters.On August 3, 2018 a case of African Swine Fever (ASF) was confirmed in China's Liaoning Province. Since then despite various measures to contain the deadly disease it has spread across China where as of November, 2019There is no known treatment to cure it. It can be spread by direct contact with an infected pig, body fluids, contact with equipment or clothing and via certain tick species.The China Agriculture Ministry issued a report in August that the size of China's live pig herd had declined by a very precise 38.7% from August 2018. Industry sources suspect underreporting and put the actual number at more like 50%. In any event it is huge, and has impacted the politically sensitive measure of China food price inflation over the past year.Most pigs in China are raised by small-scale farmers who face ruin now. According to reports inside China this has led many desperate small farmers to try to hide the presence of ASF in their herds, to slaughter and sell, to avoid financial ruin.The disease is especially dangerous. According to experts it's hard to kill. One report notes,Even more alarming are reports that disposal of infected China pig carcasses is not safe. Rather than treating the infected dead pigs as biohazard and burying them far from the farm site the proper way burning them and treat the site as hazardous waste for a year or more, covering the site with lime, it has been documented that often small farmers bury the pigs next to the barn with no burning. That risks renewed outbreak of the disease China had the world's largest pig population at the beginning of 2018 with a population that was 440 million strong, out of a global population estimated at 769 million pigs. Now it could be down half of that, a major shock to world meat protein supplies.The speed of the spread of the disease across all China has clearly overtaxed the system there. However despite assurances, the spread has not been contained inside China.The ASF disease is spreading outside China as well. The Wall Street Journal noted, "In recent months, customs officials in Japan, Taiwan and Australia have found infected meat in other food products carried by tourists. And." The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that all provinces in Vietnam have reported ASF outbreaks and that more than 5,880,000 pigs have been culled since the first case was discovered in February.From China the ASF disease has also spread to. From there contagious pigs have crossed the buffer zone tonecessitating severe measures from South Korea, according to Ahn Chan-il, leader of World Institute for North Korea Studies and a former North Korean service member According to the FAO, as of November 21. And wild boars carrying the disease have been detected at the border region in Russia with Mongolia. In several instances ASF virus gene was detected in pork products confiscated at Incheon Airport in Seoul South Korea brought by passengers from Shenyang City, China, an indication of how difficult containment is.Isolated cases have also been detected in EU countries includingwhich are acting swiftly to contain spread. It has also been documented inMost recently, cases of the ASF have been detected innot far from the German border. In early November African Swine Fever was found in 20 wild boar in Poland's western Lubusz province near the Oder River, some 80 kilometers east of Germany, the European Union's biggest hog producer.An alarming case was discovered over several weeks in March of a Chinese ship container at a port inwhere Federal agents seized 1 million pounds of pork smuggled from China, the largest-ever U.S. seizure of agricultural products. The pork was hidden in containers of ramen noodles and laundry detergent. Authorities took it to determine if it was contaminated with ASF.There are many unanswered questions at this point about African Swine Fever pandemic spread.In October, according to a new report by Henry Kamens, seven dead wild boar washed ashore in Denmark, a major pig producer country, and were disposed of without even being tested for ASF.
| null |
https://www.sott.net/article/425035-Chinas-African-Swine-Fever-is-now-a-global-threat
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Mon, 02 Dec 2019 23:46:46 +0000
| 1,575,348,406 | 1,575,333,493 |
health
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non-human diseases
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548,022 |
sputnik--2019-11-04--African Swine Fever Outbreaks in China Causing Hikes in European Meat Prices - Company
| 2019-11-04T00:00:00 |
sputnik
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African Swine Fever Outbreaks in China Causing Hikes in European Meat Prices - Company
|
African swine fever (ASF) is caused by a virus of the same name, which is not dangerous to humans but leads to the death of domestic pigs, as well as other pig family species, within days of being infected. In October, China reported one new outbreak of ASF, in Guangxi Province, while South Korea reported 12 new outbreaks, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The majority of new outbreaks in October were reported in Europe, where over 250 ASF cases in both swine and wild boar were registered. There are currently over 9,400 ongoing African swine fever outbreaks in the world, according to OIE. No vaccine has been developed for the disease. Bloomberg analysts suggested that by fattening up animals to enormous proportions, producers hope to eliminate the consequences of an outbreak of ASF.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/world/201911041077216968-african-swine-fever-outbreaks-in-china-causing-hikes-in-european-meat-prices---company/
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Mon, 04 Nov 2019 01:20:39 +0300
| 1,572,848,439 | 1,572,883,513 |
health
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non-human diseases
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709,929 |
theguardianuk--2019-09-09--Philippines culls 7000 pigs in outbreak of African swine fever
| 2019-09-09T00:00:00 |
theguardianuk
|
Philippines culls 7,000 pigs in outbreak of African swine fever
|
The Philippines has reported its first cases of African swine fever, becoming the latest country hit by the disease that has killed pigs from Slovakia to China, pushing up pork prices worldwide. The virus is not harmful to humans but causes haemorrhagic fever in pigs that almost always ends in death. There is no antidote or vaccine and the only known method to prevent the disease from spreading is a mass cull of affected livestock. Infected pigs were found in two towns near the Philippine capital, Manila, and authorities have culled more than 7,000 pigs within a one-kilometre (0.6-mile) radius, said the agriculture minister, William Dar. He said the country was not facing an epidemic and urged Filipinos to continue eating pork, which is a critical market and accounts for 60% of meat consumption in the Philippines. The Asian country is the world’s eighth biggest pork producer by volume and its swine industry is estimated at 260bn pesos (£4bn), according to the agriculture department. Dar said 14 of 20 samples sent to a UK laboratory tested positive for African swine fever, but it would take a week to confirm how virulent the strain is. The virus was first recorded in Rodriguez town, six miles east of Manila. Other undisclosed areas are being closely monitored for possible infection, he added. “We have never been in an epidemic, just to highlight that. We are responding to the increased number of deaths of pigs,” Dar said. Authorities suspect the swine fever cases stemmed from backyard hog raisers who feed pigs “swill”, leftover food scraps from hotels and restaurants. The ministry added the virus could also be traced to smuggled frozen meat and returning overseas Filipino workers who brought back infected meat products. In May, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization said pork prices had risen by up to 50% both in China and on the Chicago futures exchange.
|
Agence France-Presse in Manila
|
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/09/philippines-confirms-first-swine-fever-cases
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2019-09-09 07:21:49+00:00
| 1,568,028,109 | 1,569,330,702 |
health
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non-human diseases
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810,041 |
themoscowtimes--2019-08-21--Russia Reports New Case of African Swine Fever in Its Far East
| 2019-08-21T00:00:00 |
themoscowtimes
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Russia Reports New Case of African Swine Fever in Its Far East
|
Russia has detected new cases of African swine fever (AFS) in the Amur region near its border with China, local authorities said on Wednesday. ASF-infected pigs were found at two private farms in the village of Volkovo near Blagoveshchensk, the local administration said on its website. The ASF virus is a highly contagious fever among pigs, but it is not dangerous to humans.
| null |
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/08/21/russia-reports-new-case-of-african-swine-fever-in-its-far-east-a66957
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2019-08-21 08:53:26+00:00
| 1,566,392,006 | 1,567,533,899 |
health
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non-human diseases
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810,678 |
themoscowtimes--2019-11-04--Is China Exporting African Swine Fever to Russia?
| 2019-11-04T00:00:00 |
themoscowtimes
|
Is China Exporting African Swine Fever to Russia?
|
More than a year after African swine fever began ravaging hogs in China, the virus may be escaping along the same route it’s believed to have entered — via Russia. While the swine contagion has been present in Russia for 12 years, it’s only been spreading actively in the country’s Far East for the past few months. Authorities have reported almost 60 outbreaks in wild and domestic pigs, most within a few miles of the border with China. Infected wild boar may be playing a role in cross-border spread, said Dirk Pfeiffer, a professor of veterinary medicine and life sciences at City University of Hong Kong. “Wild boar are very likely to now also be infected in northern China,” Pfeiffer said. While the Far East accounts for less than 2% of Russia’s swine herd, the virus’s persistence in wayward, wild animals may frustrate attempts to control the disease on both sides of the border. In China, African swine fever has reduced the nation’s pig herd by almost half, causing record-high pork prices and a shakeup of its $118 billion industry. Experience in Europe with African swine fever has shown that once the disease becomes established in wild pigs, it’s “extremely difficult to control it in both wild and domestic pigs, especially when the wild population is dense and swine production is characterized as extensive, semi-intensive or ‘backyard’,” said Andriy Rozstalnyy, an animal health officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome. “Smuggling of infected pork products, backyard pig-farming, and semi-subsistence hunting could play an important role” in the spread of the virus, Rozstalnyy said in an email. Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s biosecurity watchdog, called for stronger measures to protect the region’s backyard pigs in August, about a month before the virus was found in sausage meat that a Chinese citizen had tried to smuggle across the checkpoint at Zabaykalsk, opposite the Chinese border town of Manzhouli. The illegal transport of goods, the movement of tourists, and the migration of wild boar all pose disease risks, Rosselkhoznadzor said in an Aug. 5 statement. Additionally, the virus could spread in live pigs, contaminated meat products and crops, it said. “The current unfavorable African swine fever situation in the People’s Republic of China leads to a high risk of infection in the border regions of the Russian Federation and neighboring countries,” Rosselkhoznadzor said.
| null |
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/11/04/is-china-exporting-african-swine-fever-to-russia-a68022
|
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 08:10:00 +0100
| 1,572,873,000 | 1,572,882,670 |
health
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non-human diseases
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953,851 |
thesun--2019-04-10--Price of British bacon butty to rocket because pigs in China are being wiped out by African Swine Fe
| 2019-04-10T00:00:00 |
thesun
|
Price of British bacon butty to rocket because pigs in China are being wiped out by African Swine Fever
|
BRITAIN’S bacon butties are under threat due to a shortage of pigs and the prospect of higher prices. Fears come after African Swine Fever led to nearly 20 per cent of China’s pigs being wiped out. This has sent prices soaring by 37 per cent and experts reckon it is only “a matter of time” before the surge hits Europe. The disease outbreak is a huge blow as China produces half the world’s pork. Analysts at Peel Hunt told The Times: “This is enormous and is almost certainly an underestimate. This is resulting in increasing pig prices in China — up 37 per cent in March — as well as a sharp increase in imports, which will result in higher pig prices elsewhere.” China has imposed travel restrictions on its livestock but the deadly disease has already spread across the country. It can be passed on by live or dead pigs, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health. There is no vaccine and transmission can also occur via contaminated animal feed. The virus can survive several months in processed meat and several years in frozen carcasses. In its current form it cannot affect humans — but there are fears that future mutations could be harmful.
|
Vicky Lytaki
|
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8829297/british-bacon-butty-price-rocket-swine-fever/
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2019-04-10 00:14:34+00:00
| 1,554,869,674 | 1,567,543,319 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
994,882 |
thetelegraph--2019-01-08--Chinese New Year celebrations could further spread deadly African swine fever outbreak
| 2019-01-08T00:00:00 |
thetelegraph
|
Chinese New Year celebrations could further spread deadly African swine fever outbreak
|
Increased consumption of pork during China's upcoming New Year festivities could lead to fresh outbreaks of African swine fever, a viral disease that can wipe out whole herds of animals, an expert in veterinary medicine has warned. China has been fighting the highly contagious disease since August last year, with around 100 farms reporting outbreaks and at least 200,000 pigs culled. Last week a modern mega-farm, with some 73,000 pigs, reported an outbreak of the fever - the largest farm to date to be infected. Chinese New Year, which takes place on February 5, will see an increase in the consumption of pork - the country's most popular meat - as people celebrate with family feasts. Dirk Pfeiffer, professor of veterinary medicine at City University of Hong Kong, described China as the "Himalayas of pigs" as the country keeps between 50 and 60 per cent of the world's pig population. “With Chinese New Year coming up, there will be more demand and more trade in pork and it’s likely that there will be an increase in outbreaks.
|
Sarah Newey
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/08/chinese-new-year-celebrations-could-spread-deadly-african-swine/
|
2019-01-08 13:49:36+00:00
| 1,546,973,376 | 1,567,553,439 |
health
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non-human diseases
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1,113,137 |
yna--2019-10-11--(LEAD) S. Korea to tighten measures to prevent spread of African swine fever
| 2019-10-11T00:00:00 |
yna
|
(LEAD) S. Korea to tighten measures to prevent spread of African swine fever
|
The pigs will be slaughtered and released in the market for consumption after being inspected. Pigs that are not purchased will be culled as well.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191011004151320§ion=news&input=rss
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20191011182025
| 1,570,842,331 | 1,570,842,331 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
1,113,157 |
yna--2019-10-12--(LEAD) 2 wild boars found dead with traces of African swine fever
| 2019-10-12T00:00:00 |
yna
|
(LEAD) 2 wild boars found dead with traces of African swine fever
|
Additionally, the ministry is currently purchasing pigs from other farms outside of that range in selected towns -- Paju, Gimpo, and Yeoncheon -- to be slaughtered and inspected before their meat is released to the market. Pigs that are not purchased will also eventually be culled.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191012001251320§ion=news&input=rss
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20191012110023
| 1,570,889,457 | 1,570,889,457 |
health
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non-human diseases
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1,113,262 |
yna--2019-10-16--(2nd LD) 7th case of African swine fever in wild boar found near inter-Korean border
| 2019-10-16T00:00:00 |
yna
|
(2nd LD) 7th case of African swine fever in wild boar found near inter-Korean border
|
The government has strengthened efforts to disinfect farms and transport vehicles and ordered several rounds of a 48-hour standstill on all pig farms, slaughterhouses and feed factories across the country to prevent the spread of the disease. There are around 6,300 pig farms raising more than 11 million pigs in South Korea and pig farming accounts for 40 percent of the total livestock industry.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191016005952320§ion=news&input=rss
|
20191016221023
| 1,571,235,106 | 1,571,235,106 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
1,113,291 |
yna--2019-10-17--9th case of African swine fever found in wild boar near inter-Korean border
| 2019-10-17T00:00:00 |
yna
|
9th case of African swine fever found in wild boar near inter-Korean border
|
The virus is not harmful to humans but causes hemorrhagic fever in pigs that is almost always fatal. There is no antidote or vaccine and the only known way to prevent the disease from spreading is a mass cull of affected livestock.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191017009200320§ion=news&input=rss
|
20191017181850
| 1,571,350,730 | 1,571,321,729 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
1,113,328 |
yna--2019-10-19--(LEAD) Pork prices in S. Korea on wane amid African swine fever outbreak
| 2019-10-19T00:00:00 |
yna
|
(LEAD) Pork prices in S. Korea on wane amid African swine fever outbreak
|
The virus is not harmful to humans but causes hemorrhagic fever in pigs that is almost always fatal. There is no antidote or vaccine, and the only known way to prevent the disease from spreading is a mass culling of affected livestock.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191018004651320§ion=news&input=rss
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20191019144731
| 1,571,510,851 | 1,571,468,710 |
health
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non-human diseases
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1,113,376 |
yna--2019-11-01--S. Korea confirms 19th wild boar infected with African swine fever
| 2019-11-01T00:00:00 |
yna
|
S. Korea confirms 19th wild boar infected with African swine fever
|
It is still unclear how the virus traveled into South Korea, but so far, all reported cases here have occurred in areas bordering the North.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191101012500325§ion=news&input=rss
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20191101223939
| 1,572,662,379 | 1,572,651,601 |
health
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non-human diseases
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1,114,093 |
yna--2019-11-30--S. Korea confirms 33rd wild boar infected with African swine fever
| 2019-11-30T00:00:00 |
yna
|
S. Korea confirms 33rd wild boar infected with African swine fever
|
The animal disease does not affect humans but is deadly to pigs. There is currently no vaccine nor cure for the disease.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191130002500320§ion=news&input=rss
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20191130174940
| 1,575,154,180 | 1,575,141,225 |
health
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non-human diseases
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1,114,403 |
yna--2019-12-11--Two more African swine fever cases confirmed in wild boars
| 2019-12-11T00:00:00 |
yna
|
Two more African swine fever cases confirmed in wild boars
|
A total of 43 cases have been confirmed across the country, including 12 cases in Yeoncheon. More cases are expected to be found in the area as it is highly vulnerable to infection, an official from the institute said.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191211010200325§ion=news&input=rss
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20191211194450
| 1,576,111,490 | 1,576,068,939 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
1,114,732 |
yna--2019-12-22--S. Korea confirms 2 more wild boars infected with African swine fever
| 2019-12-22T00:00:00 |
yna
|
S. Korea confirms 2 more wild boars infected with African swine fever
|
The confirmation came just days after the wild boar carcasses were found by officials in the western border town of Paju, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research, which is affiliated with the environment ministry.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191222002400320§ion=news&input=rss
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20191222195617
| 1,577,062,577 | 1,577,018,502 |
health
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non-human diseases
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1,114,795 |
yna--2019-12-24--S. Korea confirms 51st wild boar infected with African swine fever
| 2019-12-24T00:00:00 |
yna
|
S. Korea confirms 51st wild boar infected with African swine fever
|
Since the last outbreak was reported in early October, additional cases have not been confirmed at local farms. But wild boars continue to be found dead with the disease, mostly along the inter-Korea border.
| null |
http://yna.kr/AEN20191224009100325§ion=news&input=rss
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20191224184158
| 1,577,230,918 | 1,577,191,803 |
health
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non-human diseases
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552,657 |
sputnik--2019-12-11--UK Government Says Restriction Zone Created in Suffolk After Bird Flu Confirmed at Local Farm
| 2019-12-11T00:00:00 |
sputnik
|
UK Government Says Restriction Zone Created in Suffolk After Bird Flu Confirmed at Local Farm
|
According to Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss, a total of 27,000 chickens at the affected farm will be culled. The low pathogenic type of avian influenza viruses does not usually pose a serious health risk to people, but consumers are advised to thoroughly cook poultry and eggs to protect themselves.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201912111077537932-uk-government-says-restriction-zone-created-in-suffolk-after-bird-flu-confirmed-at-local-farm/
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Wed, 11 Dec 2019 06:31:03 +0300
| 1,576,063,863 | 1,576,068,523 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
629,811 |
thedailymirror--2019-04-03--Anti-vaxxers are refusing to vaccinate pets over fears they will become autistic
| 2019-04-03T00:00:00 |
thedailymirror
|
Anti-vaxxers are refusing to vaccinate pets over fears they will become autistic
|
As well as skipping their own vaccinations, a worrying number of pet owners are reportedly refusing to get their animals vaccinated as they're worried their furry friend may become autistic as a result. This trend is thought to be due to a rise in 'anti-vax' materials and messages being spread online. Because of this, The RSPCA have issued a warning to all pet owners, urging them not to forgo vaccines which could ultimately save the lives of their beloved cats and dogs. Caroline Allen, Veterinary Director for RSPCA, says the rise in 'anti-vax' material is "concern" as it may lead to a spread of diseases in pets. She told the Sun Online: "There does seem to be an increasing amount of 'anti-vax' material online, this is not supported by a genuine evidence base. "There is a real concern that we will see an increase in the frequency of these serious and preventable diseases, with resulting animal suffering, if the number of vaccinated animals falls." UK figures show that over the last few years the number of animals being vaccinated has dropped, with the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) revealing that a quarter of dog owners haven't had their puppies vaccinated. This means roughly 2.2 million dogs in the UK are currently susceptible to a number of diseases, which is particularly worrying given that our pooches spend a lot of time outside, around spreading agents such as mud and faeces. And it's not only in the UK that pets are being exposed to horrible diseases such as parvovirus and distemper - vets in the US also say a number of pet owners are skipping vaccines. One of the main reasons people are refusing to vaccinate their animals is because of a supposed link between the vaccinations and autism in pets. Last year Good Morning Britain shared a post on Twitter , suggesting their could be a link between the two, sending social media users into a frenzy. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) were forced to share a statement denying that the two are connected. In a post on their website, Gudrun Ravetz, Senior Vice President of the BVA, said: "There is currently no reliable scientific evidence to indicate autism in dogs or a link between vaccination and autism. "Vaccinations save lives and are an important tool in keeping our pets healthy. All medicines have potential side effects but in the cast of vaccines, these are rare ad the benefits of vaccination in protecting against disease far outweigh the potential for an adverse reaction." Despite this, it seems many pet owners are still skeptical about the possible side effects. Pet owners in the UK are not legally required to vaccinate their pets, but most animal welfare organisations strongly recommend it. Animals that travel abroad from the UK must have had a rabies vaccination.
|
Courtney Pochin
|
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/anti-vaxxers-refusing-vaccinate-pets-14228651
|
2019-04-03 09:56:52+00:00
| 1,554,299,812 | 1,567,544,205 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
940,556 |
thesun--2019-02-24--Anti-vaxxers are refusing to get their pets vaccinated over fears they will become autistic
| 2019-02-24T00:00:00 |
thesun
|
‘Anti-vaxxers’ are refusing to get their pets vaccinated over fears they will become autistic
|
PET owners are reportedly refusing to get their animals vaccinated over fears they will become autistic as the amount of "anti-fax" material booms online. The RSPCA have issued a stark warning that the boom in online material is driving pet owners to skip potentially life saving vaccines for their cats and dogs. Figures from the UK show recent years have seen a massive dip in the number of pets vaccinated, and the British Veterinary Association has even been forced to deny dogs can get autism. The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) charity say a quarter of dog owners now say their pet hasn't had any vaccines when they're puppies - equating to 2.2 million dogs being left open to horrible diseases. RSPCA veterinary director Caroline Allen told the Sun Online: "There does seem to be an increasing amount of 'anti-vax' material online, this is not supported by a genuine evidence base. "There is real concern that we will see an increase in the frequency of these serious and preventable diseases, with resulting animal suffering, if the number of vaccinated animals falls. US vets also say pet owners are increasingly skipping vaccines for the likes of parvovirus, adenovirus and distemper because of it. Experts say the trend is seriously worry given dogs and cats spend more time outdoors, and around potential spreading agents like mud and faeces. Animal welfare charity Blue Cross says two of the vaccines commonly skipped - parvovirus, a virus that attacks cells in a dog’s intestines, and distemper, which is basically canine to measles - can both be fatal to dogs. He said: “Over the last 10 or 15 years, there has been an increase in mostly unfounded concerns about vaccine safety for people. “That, I think, has raised people’s awareness and level of concern about vaccinations for their pets.” There is no medical evidence to suggest a link between vaccinations and autism, whether with humans or with animals. Vaccines are not legally required for pets in the UK, although most animal welfare groups recommend it. Rabies vaccines are required for any UK pet being taken overseas. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
|
Geraden Cann
|
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8498261/anti-vaxxers-refusing-pets-vaccinated-autistic/
|
2019-02-24 15:13:15+00:00
| 1,551,039,195 | 1,567,547,494 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
126,850 |
dailyheraldchicago--2019-05-15--Chicago-area police warn of zombie raccoons with distemper
| 2019-05-15T00:00:00 |
dailyheraldchicago
|
Chicago-area police warn of 'zombie raccoons' with distemper
|
RIVERSIDE, Ill. -- The warning about "zombie raccoons" may sound like something out of a bad television show, but the police department in the Chicago suburb of Riverside says they're very real and very dangerous to the family dog. The critters are called zombies because those carrying the distemper virus often stagger on their hind legs and bare their teeth. The police department says if they bite dogs they can transmit the serious disease that can cause respiratory and gastrointestinal problems and affect the nervous system. The department issued its warning after fielding calls about raccoons acting oddly and says anyone who sees such an animal should call police. Chief Tom Weitzel tells the Chicago Tribune that officers will put the animals down and public works crews will dispose of their carcasses.
| null |
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190515/chicago-area-police-warn-of-zombie-raccoons-with-distemper
|
2019-05-15 10:52:11+00:00
| 1,557,931,931 | 1,567,540,651 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
644,931 |
thedailyrecord--2019-02-19--Abandoned puppy in Glasgow found to have deadly parvovirus
| 2019-02-19T00:00:00 |
thedailyrecord
|
Abandoned puppy in Glasgow found to have deadly parvovirus
|
An abandoned puppy found in Glasgow has tested positive for parvovirus. The spaniel was found alongside another sick spaniel on Banner Road in Knightswood on Saturday. A wounded pomeranian pup was found the next day in Knightswood Park. The Scottish SPCA said all three puppies were covered in fleas and lice and in “a poor state”. One of the pups was found to have parvovirus, a highly contagious disease that can cause death in dogs. Scottish SPCA inspector Gillian Dick said: “We are appealing for information after two spaniel pups were found on Banner Road in Knightswood on Saturday and a pomeranian pup was found the following day in Knightswood Park. “All of the puppies were in a very poor state. They were covered in fleas and lice. They are very thin, weak and lethargic and they all had diarrhoea. The pomeranian puppy also has a wound on his side. They are currently receiving round the clock veterinary care. “One of the spaniel pups has tested positive for Parvovirus. This is a highly contagious disease that can cause death in dogs. “The symptoms can include blood in stool, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, depression and fever and in the most severe cases it can be fatal. “We would urge anyone in the area to be vigilant and anyone who may have found other pups to contact the Scottish SPCA as soon as possible. “If anyone in the area can give us any information on who may have abandoned any of these puppies, we would urge you to call our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.” Abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. The SSPCA warn that anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.
|
Nina Glencross
|
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/abandoned-puppy-glasgow-found-deadly-14020677
|
2019-02-19 14:10:23+00:00
| 1,550,603,423 | 1,567,548,032 |
health
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non-human diseases
|
285,128 |
latimes--2019-12-18--The puppy was cute and expensive. And then it died
| 2019-12-18T00:00:00 |
latimes
|
The puppy was cute and expensive. And then it died
|
The Loy family realized pretty quickly that something was wrong with their new puppy, a red-brown bundle of fluff they christened Penny. But they could not have imagined how much trouble they were in for when they drove into the parking lot of a Tijuana’s Tacos restaurant in Pomona to take possession of a 9-to 12-week-old miniature goldendoodle. They’d found Penny online and fallen in love. They’d shelled out $1,200 cash in March 2018, for what they thought was a pure-bred designer dog, healthy, happy and hypoallergenic. Half the money came from then-10-year-old Manuel, who earned it sweeping floors in his father’s barbershop. It cleaned out his entire savings. They eventually found out that the sellers belonged to a Phelan family whose matriarch had been the target of an FBI sting, pleaded guilty in 2011 to a federal fraud charge and sentenced to 41 months in prison for selling sick and abused horses over the internet. But first the Loys had their hearts broken. Penny, it turned out, wasn’t a girl. They renamed the puppy Bear and rolled with it. But he also wasn’t a goldendoodle — half golden retriever, half poodle. Instead, a veterinarian told the family, Bear was, maybe, a Maltipoo -- equal parts Maltese and toy poodle. His fur wasn’t red-brown either; the dye began to wash off during his first bath in the Loy’s La Habra home. All that was bad enough, but it got worse. Bear was only about four weeks old — way too young to have been taken from his mother. And he was very, very sick. Jessica Loy is one of nine people who filed suit against the Kenney family Monday, charging that Trina and Rick Kenney and their children Elijah and Jezriel allegedly operated what the lawsuit described as “one of the worst animal peddling operations in the country — the sale of sick and diseased puppies over the internet.” The families ended up spending thousands of dollars — on the animals, on veterinary bills, on sanitizing their homes after the dogs were diagnosed with parvovirus or distemper, on replacing furniture fouled by ailing pets who vomited or had diarrhea. Some paid to put their dying puppies down to end their suffering. Then, they covered the cost of cremation. Of the seven puppies named in the suit — Bear, Winnie, Teddy, Ruffles, Charlie, Stella and Sicily — none were healthy. They weren’t vaccinated, though the Kenneys supplied records of the dogs’ alleged immunizations, according to the lawsuit. They also weren’t goldendoodles or labradoodles as the Kenneys allegedly claimed in ads on Craigslist, Recycler.com and other internet sites. Four were not the sex promised. Ruffles was surrendered to his veterinarian by his new owner, Ramtin Mehrvijeh, because Mehrvijeh couldn’t afford to save the puppy’s life. Treatment for parvovirus would have cost $6,000, according to the lawsuit, money the West Hollywood man just didn’t have. Three of the dogs died. The Kenneys could not be reached for comment. The Times called 19 telephone numbers listed in various public records as belonging to family members. Most were disconnected, not accepting calls, or were not answered. No messages were responded to. “We want them to refund the money and get out of town,” said Gary Praglin, a Santa Monica-based attorney who is representing the families. “Don’t sell any more dogs. Stop hurting people. Yes, Bear died. But first, he suffered. As the Loys — Jessica; husband Anthony; their daughters Mariah and Isabella; his daughter Lali; and her son Manuel Aguilar — waited in the Tijuana’s Tacos parking lot, they say they saw a man they now know is Elijah Kenney drive up in a brand new white Mercedes Benz. As he got out of the car and approached them, Loy said, he was holding two red-brown puppies in his arms, a male and a female. “We agreed on a girl,” Loy said. “They were so little. He said he only accepted cash. He gave us what appeared to be some kind of shot record. We knew nothing about puppies. We trusted him. On the way back to the freeway, less than 15 minutes later, the dog had diarrhea. Right away we texted them, ‘Is the puppy OK?’” The response was comforting, Loy recounted: “Puppies, when they first leave their mothers, become homesick. It’s normal. Take her home. If there are problems, let me know.” Back home in La Habra, the puppy still known as Penny wouldn’t eat or drink and kept vomiting. The next day, she continued to throw up and have diarrhea. Loy asked Manuel and Lali if they wanted to give Penny a bath. They took the tiny animal to the kitchen sink, got some dog soap and started to scrub. “It was a reddish-bronze color all over our hands,” Manuel said. “It was kind of weird.” When they took Penny to the vet the first time, they found out she was a he. The vet gave the newly named Bear fluids and suggested the family contact the sellers and get a different dog. “They told us, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry. If you have medical bills, we’ll be happy to help’,” Loy said. “The second night was really bad. The dog wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t drink, had diarrhea, was vomiting, wasn’t playing, was falling, walking, collapsing.” The second veterinarian visit involved tests and antibiotics and more fluids. Bear was diagnosed with parvovirus, a highly contagious disease that is often fatal if left untreated. The vet told the family they could try taking Bear to an animal hospital, but it would cost at least $3,000. Loy said the vet added: “ ‘I can’t guarantee the dog’s going to live’.” Anthony Loy texted the sellers: “Hey, the dog has parvo.” They texted back, Loy said: “ ‘You’re lying. Show us proof’.” Bear could barely breathe. He couldn’t walk in a straight line. He yelped in pain when he lay on his back. The vet recommended that the family have him euthanized. They agreed. First, though, the children said goodbye. “I didn’t really want to look at him that much,” said Manuel, who is now 11. “It made me sad. I touched his stomach. It was so hard for him to breathe. I was crying.” When the family contacted the Kenneys, they were harassed and brushed off, according to the lawsuit and texts Loy has kept. In one exchange, a woman Loy identified as Trina Kenney texted: “find me :) I’ll defend myself You never ended up buying a dog from us.” The Kenneys are not strangers to local officials. In April 2018, representatives of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino Valley Humane Society, Rancho Cucamonga Animal Control and San Bernardino County Animal Control inspected the Kenney’s Phelan property. They had a search warrant. According to the complaint, “Dogs at the location were over density, however animal control took all the dogs at the time of inspection, so there was no longer a violation.” News reports said officials were investigating a breeding and sales operation and had confiscated 32 dogs, including 17 puppies, that needed veterinary care. It is unclear whether anything came of the investigation. No charges have been filed. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Randy Stanley said law enforcement agents went along and helped serve the search warrant because the Humane Society did not have sufficient manpower. “They did have some dogs there,” Stanley said. “It was a fairly nice residence. I never got into the animal cruelty part of the investigation.” Representatives of the San Bernardino Valley Humane Society and San Bernardino County Animal Control did not respond to requests for comment. On Monday, when the lawsuit was filed, Loy said the family has no plans to get another puppy, that the last year or so has been too painful. She’s glad, she said, that others have come forward, that “someone is trying to help us and we’re not alone.” Manuel, though, still has questions. If he could, he said, he’d ask the Kenneys, “Why would you do this to a person? Why would you do this to a dog? It’s pretty messed up.” That’s what he wants to know, he said. “Just why.”
|
Maria L. La Ganga
|
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-18/puppy-mill-kenney-family-lawsuit
|
Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:00:17 -0500
| 1,576,666,817 | 1,576,672,285 |
health
|
non-human diseases
|
593,179 |
thedailybeast--2019-04-18--The Anti-Vax Movement Is Now Infecting the Pet World
| 2019-04-18T00:00:00 |
thedailybeast
|
The Anti-Vax Movement Is Now Infecting the Pet World
|
She cites her three pets as examples: Her cat Doeno has a twitch, her dog Max had a painful eruption, and her other dog Min is now afraid to go up and down stairs. “He’s just created all these kinds of fears,” Medynski said of Min’s inability to use the stairs. “Is it the rabies? I don’t know. But is that what rabies can do? Yeah, it can.” Medynski is one of a growing number of anti-vaxxers whose beliefs are influencing their pets. The debunked claim that the MMR vaccine causes autism in children is influencing pet owners, too—even though autism spectrum disorder doesn’t occur in dogs and cats. “In my lectures around the country and outside of the country, we’re getting a lot of feedback from practitioners that their clients are challenging the need to do vaccination,” Richard Ford, an emeritus professor of medicine at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and co-author of the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccination Guidelines and Vaccination Guidelines for the American Association of Feline Practitioners, told The Daily Beast. One of the biggest indicators of this trend is the number of clients who request an antibody titer—a blood test that measures the concentration of antibodies in the blood—for their dog or cat to help determine if they are protected from a specific disease. Ford said he has surveyed over 3,000 veterinarians and asked, “What is the number one reason that you would do a titer instead of giving the vaccine?” “Interestingly, 98% say the owner requested it,” he said, noting that the market is growing for the test. “It’s actually driven by the client, not the veterinary professional. It’s because of clients concerned about over-vaccination.” Ford said adverse reactions are rare—he estimated less than 1% based on past studies and observation. As a precaution, Ford recommends spacing out vaccinations by 3-4 weeks in small dogs (adults weighing less than 20 pounds). The reason is that excipients—inactive ingredients such as proteins that are present in vaccines—can cause reactions. Those excipients are not the actual immunizing antigens. In those cases, Ford recommends core vaccines like rabies be administered first. Still, veterinarians and now pet owners email him frequently with the question, “Why don’t we just reduce the volume of the vaccine for these small dogs?” “It’s time, not volume, that seems to decrease the reaction rates,” he asserted. “The fact is, if the dog is truly allergic to a protein in the vaccine, putting half of it down the drain isn’t going to make a difference. They’re still going to be hypersensitive to the proteins that are in it… and the risk is doing that may not immunize the dog. With rabies, it is illegal to do that in law. You don’t want to be messing with the volume of the vaccine.” One of the driving forces behind the movement to change rabies vaccination laws did just that. In 2017, the Connecticut State Board of Veterinary Medicine ordered a 25-year license probation for John Robb, a veterinarian who was giving partial doses of rabies vaccines to smaller dogs, which is illegal. He can no longer administer rabies vaccinations. Now Robb is an outspoken proponent of titer testing in lieu of rabies vaccinations. Connecticut State Representative Fred Camillo told The Daily Beast he introduced legislation that would have made it legal for veterinarians to perform titers instead of rabies vaccinations (depending on the results) after speaking with Robb. HB 5659 was defeated in 2017. A similar bill was defeated in New Hampshire earlier this year; Robb testified in favor of it as well. Robb told The Daily Beast, “We all know that a titer indicates immunity”—but that is a point of contention in the veterinary community. The Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control by the National Association of Public Health Veterinarians states that “Rabies virus antibody titers are indicative of a response to vaccine or infection. Titers do not directly correlate with protection because other immunologic factors also play a role in preventing rabies and our abilities to measure and interpret those other factors are not well-developed. Therefore, evidence of circulating rabies virus antibodies in animals should not be used as a substitute for current vaccination in managing rabies exposures or determining the need for booster vaccination.” That doesn’t temper Robb’s vitriol toward current rabies laws. While he can no longer administer rabies vaccines, he does have a business in which clients can submit blood draws from their pets. After sending it to a lab for titer testing, he sells rabies immunity certificates to pet owners, who must sign a “clarifying statement” that it is not a legal document. “I’m not trying to fool people to go in and think they can license their dog with it,” he told The Daily Beast. “But it’s a true document and they can use it as they wish. I do 15 certificates a month, maybe 20. I’m pushing the change.” Medynski said that her anti-vax views for her pets began with Robb, and that his work inspired her to start her anti-rabies activism by starting an online petition to support a state bill to loosen rabies laws. Though the proposed New Hampshire bill was soundly defeated, she vows the fight isn't over. “We’re not giving up. No. There’s no reason for it [administering rabies boosters]. It’s causing injury, doing it.” Medynski went so far as to claim that veterinarians were profiting because “It’s all about money.” Veterinarians, however, disagree. Heather Loenser, a senior veterinary officer for the American Animal Hospital Association, emphasized in an email to The Daily Beast that rabies vaccination recommendations are centered on public safety and the health of the pet—not fiscal gain. “I do not know of a veterinary hospital that relies on rabies vaccines to maintain their financial profits,” she said. “Veterinarians often volunteer their time to immunize pets at local low-cost, state/municipal sponsored rabies clinics to support public health in their local area. Others will travel throughout the world to protect pets and people in impoverished areas.” She noted that rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease, and that according to the CDC, nearly 60,000 people die each year from rabies around the world, with over half of the deaths occurring in children, typically in areas where vaccinating stray and pet dogs is not done routinely. “We have a reservoir of rabies in the wildlife population, so our unvaccinated pets are only one bite away from contracting it in their own backyard,” she cautioned. “In our veterinary oath, in addition to protecting animal health and public welfare, we swear that we will use our scientific knowledge and skills to ‘promote public health.’ Rabies vaccination falls squarely into that category.” Ultimately, the issue boils down to whether clients trust their veterinary team. Barbara Hjermstad, hospital manager at Riverview Animal Hospital in Durango, Colo., said the practice hasn’t seen much pushback about vaccines, though about once every six months, someone will request a titer. She noted that vaccines cost $26-$30 while titers cost $175, so vaccines are “not a money maker.” Hjermstad feels it’s particularly important to vaccinate pets since they can’t speak. They can’t tell us if they’ve been in contact with a rabid racoon while hiking, or feces infected with parvovirus. “You can’t control what animals do as much as you can children,” she said. “That’s even more reason to keep them vaccinated, you know?”
| null |
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailybeast/articles/~3/3Bqsu5jmgIk/the-anti-vax-movement-is-now-infecting-cats-and-dogs
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2019-04-18 09:24:21+00:00
| 1,555,593,861 | 1,567,542,491 |
health
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non-human diseases
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802,354 |
themanchestereveningnews--2019-06-29--Grace is autistic and always wanted a puppy - the one her family got died hours after they brought i
| 2019-06-29T00:00:00 |
themanchestereveningnews
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Grace is autistic and always wanted a puppy - the one her family got died hours after they brought it home
|
A family have been heartbroken by the death of their new puppy – who collapsed and died hours after they bought him from a pet shop. Distraught dad James Cohen said his family had been ‘torn apart’ after losing two-month-old Prince so soon. James and his partner Jayne Howe bought the border collie for £475 from Dogs4Us in Salford. The pup was a gift for Jayne’s daughter Grace, aged eight, but the whole family quickly fell in love with him. Soon after they got Prince back to their Chorlton home, however, it became clear he was poorly. He was lethargic and had no appetite, then went dizzy and collapsed. Eventually, James decided to take him to an out-of-hours vet. But at 6am the next morning he got the call that Prince had died. Dogs4Us have offered to refund the £475 for the puppy but have refused to pay the family’s £350 vet bill and £130 cremation costs. They say they invited James to bring the dog back to them to be seen by their vet 'straightaway - saying 'there may well have been a different outcome' if he had. James, 30, said the family were left ‘distraught’ by Prince’s death. “We’re really cut up about it,” he added. “Grace is autistic and always wanted a puppy. It was like a nuclear bomb going off when she found out Prince had died. She is very emotional. She was screaming and crying and boarded herself up in her room. “I loved Prince. I thought he was stunning. I was crying my eyes out in the vets when he was just lying there. “Jayne didn’t even want a dog but she fell in love with him and is now very angry. She’s done as much crying as anyone, if not more.” James described how he and Jayne took Grace to Dogs4Us, on Agecroft Road, Pendlebury, on a Saturday afternoon just to have a look around. But they immediately fell for Prince and his mischievous nature so put a deposit down for him. They picked him up the following Monday evening but noticed he seemed less playful than the previous visit. James said: “As soon as I got him home I wasn’t particularly happy. He didn’t seem energetic. He just wanted to lie there on my lap. But we put it down to it being later on in the evening and him being a baby and probably tired.” On the Tuesday morning, Prince again seemed listless, doing just one little bark. James and Jayne went to work, leaving the puppy with Jayne’s son Matthew, 17. By lunchtime, when James came home, Prince had vomited twice and passed a stool with a large, dead worm in it. The dog had not eaten or drunk anything then became dizzy and collapsed on the floor. James claims he rang Dogs4Us to raise his concerns but was reassured it was ‘normal puppy behaviour’ and advised to try giving the puppy some sugar in his water. He claims the pet shop said he could bring Prince to their vet if he wanted but the dog probably wouldn’t be seen until the next day. However Dogs4Us claim they told James to bring the puppy to them straight away and their vet would treat him free of charge. James went back to work on the Tuesday afternoon, checking in with Matthew every couple of hours to see how Prince was doing. By the evening, Prince seemed lifeless and barely breathing so James decided to take him to Ashleigh Veterinary Centre in Chorlton, where the puppy died the next morning. Prince had spent a little over 24 hours at the family’s home. The vet was unable to confirm the cause of death without an autopsy, but James was told it could possibly have been parvovirus – a highly contagious and serious disease for dogs – although the signs were not typical. The vet added roundworm could have brought on the sudden death. James said he had insurance for Prince but, because he’d only had him a day, he was not able to claim for the vet bill and cremation costs. “We were left in the situation where we had to pay the bills for our new puppy to die,” he said. James contacted Dogs4Us, requesting £955 – a refund for Prince, plus the cost of the vet bill and cremation fees. He has sought legal advice since their refusal. “We’re not asking for compensation,” James said. “If we were, we’d be asking for a hell of a lot more. We just want what we think is fair.” James’ partner Jayne signed an agreement with Dogs4Us which said the pet shop would not ‘become involved in any vet fees whatsoever incurred’ by the buyer after delivery of the animal. However, James believes this agreement is void because he believes Prince’s health when they bought him meant he was not fit for sale. A spokesman for Dogs4Us said: “On the day of sale the puppy appeared to be in good health and happy. “The following day Mr Cohen telephoned our premises in the morning to say the puppy was unwell, lethargic and not eating. “We advised him to return the puppy to us straight away and our vet would treat him free of charge. “Had Mr Cohen returned the puppy to us in the morning as we advised then there may well have been a different outcome.” The spokesman pointed to the agreement Jayne had signed and added the rest of the litter were fine, showing no signs of ill health. He added: “When you are dealing with livestock so young and susceptible then on the very rare occasion something may go wrong which is beyond our control. Sadly this is the case here. “We have advised Mr Cohen that a full refund for the puppy is on the way but we will not fund his vet fees.” In 2017, the M.E.N. reported how three puppies died within days of being bought from Dogs4Us. All had contracted parvovirus. At that time Salford council, which has given Dogs4Us its licence to sell animals, said it had no concerns about the pet shop. In response to questions about Prince’s death, a town hall spokeswoman said: “We last inspected Dogs4Us in January this year under the new animal welfare legislation and were satisfied they were compliant. “The last complaint where there was evidence from a vet that a puppy bought from Dogs4Us had died of parvovirus was in 2018. “We checked the company’s infection and disease control measures and vaccination records and were satisfied that no other puppies in the litter or animals at Dogs4Us had the disease. The case was therefore closed.” She added: “We are sorry to hear about the death of Prince.”
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[email protected] (Dan Thompson, Chris Osuh)
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https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/grace-autistic-always-wanted-puppy-16490967
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2019-06-29 17:49:17+00:00
| 1,561,844,957 | 1,567,537,594 |
health
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508,539 |
sottnet--2019-11-20--A mysterious disease is striking American beech trees
| 2019-11-20T00:00:00 |
sottnet
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A mysterious disease is striking American beech trees
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A mysterious disease is starting to kill American beeches, one of eastern North America's most important trees, and has spread rapidly from the Great Lakes to New England. But scientists disagree about what is causing the ailment, dubbed beech leaf disease.Regardless of their views, researchers say the outbreak deserves attention.says Lynn Carta, a plant disease specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Beltsville, Maryland.American beech (Fagus grandifolia), whose smooth gray trunks can resemble giant elephant legs, can grow to almost 40 meters tall.in southern New England and in New York state — and the single most common tree in Washington, D.C.when, in 2012, biologist John Pogacnik of Lake Metroparks, which manages natural areas in Ohio's Lake County, spotted trees with leaves that were shriveled and had black stripes. By 2018, foresters had documented beeches with similar symptoms in 24 counties in eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and New York, and Canada's Ontario province. Small trees with shriveled leaves were starting to die; on larger beeches, the symptoms crept up the tree toward leaves in the canopy. Worried foresters began to pry loose research funding from USDA and other agencies, and organized a meeting to discuss the disease in May 2018 in Parma, Ohio.There, plant pathologist David McCann, of the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg, said. He sent Carta samples of the worms, which can be up to 2 millimeters long. Carta identified the worm as a subspecies of Litylenchus crenatae,. The find was eye-opening, Carta says, becauseNext, Carta, together with biologist David Burke of the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio, and others, sought to verify Koch's postulates — pathology's gold standard for verifying a putative cause of a disease. The researchers took nematodes from diseased trees, pipetted them onto the buds of young, healthy trees in a greenhouse, then waited for symptoms to appear and reisolated the nematode from the affected leaves. The results of the experiment, which Carta presented at a conference in July and which have been accepted for publication in the journal Forest Pathology, indicate that "nematodes are causing beech leaf disease," Burke says. "We feel like we've closed Koch's postulates."Enrico Bonello, a plant pathologist at Ohio State University in Columbus, is skeptical. He and a graduate student, Carrie Ewing, have ground up leaves from diseased and healthy looking beeches and then extracted fragments of DNA and RNA.But Bonello says the finding, which he plans to present at an upcoming conference, "raises questions" about the role of nematodes.Whatever its cause, beech leaf disease is getting around. Connecticut officials last month announced detections in Greenwich, Stamford, and New Canaan, on New York City's doorstep.USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the agency responsible for dealing with invasive tree killers, is helping study the disease. But it has held off on taking action to limit the disease until it knows more about the cause and how it spreads.The beech's plight has dismayed forest experts, who are already reeling fromsays Robert Marra, a forest pathologist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. "What's going to be left in forests?"The beech may face additional threats. Earlier this year, U.S. Forest Service researchers announced they had found an undescribed beetle on stressed European beech trees in a New York City cemetery. The scientists are now studying whether the insect also has a taste for American beech.
| null |
https://www.sott.net/article/424279-A-mysterious-disease-is-striking-American-beech-trees
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Wed, 20 Nov 2019 12:22:11 +0000
| 1,574,270,531 | 1,574,253,134 |
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sottnet--2019-03-24--Turns out we didnt understand viruses Plant virus distributes genes into separate cells - all work
| 2019-03-24T00:00:00 |
sottnet
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Turns out we didn't understand viruses: Plant virus distributes genes into separate cells - all work together
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FBNSV needs all of its components, but it doesn't need them in the same place. It is a truth universally acknowledged among virologists that a single virus, carrying a full set of genes, must be in want of a cell. A virus is just a collection of genes packaged into a capsule. It infiltrates and hijacks a living cell to make extra copies of itself. Those daughter viruses then bust out of their ailing host, and each finds a new cell to infect. Rinse, and repeat. This is how all viruses, from Ebola to influenza, are meant to work.But Stéphane Blanc and his colleagues at the University of Montpellier have shown that one virus breaks all the rules.Faba bean necrotic stunt virus, or FBNSV for short, infects legumes, and is spread through the bites of aphids.And, as Blanc's team has now shown Indeed, this virus never seems to fully come together., its existence spread between capsules and split among different host cells."This is truly a revolutionary result in virology," says Siobain Duffy of Rutgers University, who wasn't involved in the study. "Once again, viruses prove that they've had the evolutionary time to try just about every reproductive strategy, even ones that are hard for scientists to imagine."FBNSV is one of several "multipartite viruses" that split their genes among different capsules. These oddballs were first discovered in the 1940s, and though, they're still rather obscure. Blanc thinks that's because they almost always infect plants and fungi, and only two have been found in animals - one in a moth and one in a mosquito . "I lecture on several virology courses, and even people in Ph.D. programs haven't heard of them," he laments. "They're everywhere, but because they're mainly on plants, no one cares."These viruses, even to virologists who knew about them.Everyone assumed that they could only reproduce if all the segments infected the same host cell. But the risk of losing a piece, and so dooming the others, skyrockets as the number of pieces goes up. In 2012, two researchers calculated that the odds of successfully getting every segment in the same cell become too low with anything more than three or four segments.Its mere existence suggests "that something must be wrong in the conceptual framework of virology."Perhaps, he realized, these viruses don't actually need to unite their segments in the same host cell. "If theory was saying that this is impossible, maybe the viruses just don't do it," he says. "And once we had this stupid idea, testing it was very easy."His colleagues Anne Sicard and Elodie Pirolles labeled pairs of FBNSV's genes with molecules that glowed in different colors - red for one segment, for example, and green for another. Then, they simply looked down a microscope to see whether the colors overlapped in the same cells.When the team first saw that, "we were jumping and running around the lab," Blanc says. "But we were also scared about it being a [mistake]. We took six years to verify it."For example, they showed that the levels of one segment aren't tied to the levels of another, as you would expect if they were replicating in the same host cell. Instead, in any one infected plant, the different segments seem to accumulate at different rates.But that discovery raised another problem.One makes the proteins that copy the virus's DNA once it gets inside its hosts. Another creates the proteins that form the virus's capsules. See the problem? If these segments end up in different cells, the DNA-copying one shouldn't be able to make capsules, the capsule-making gene shouldn't be able to copy itself, and both of them would be stuck.That doesn't happen, the team discovered, because the virus's genes might be stuck in neighboring cells,. The capsule-making protein can get into a cell with the DNA-copying gene, and cover it. The DNA-making protein can get into a cell with the capsule-making gene, and copy it. Think of the eight segments as factories in different cities, shipping assembly robots to one another so that each site can manufacture its own separate product. It is within this expansive trade network that the distributed virus truly exists., but many scientists have found that plant proteins can voyage between cells , even over long distances from root to shoot. Some researchers who study multipartite viruses have even suggested that they could make use of these botanical highways. But Blanc's team has now found clear and unambiguous evidence that they do. Perhaps, he says, "this is why multipartite viruses don't exist so much in animals. Maybe it's harder for our proteins to travel between cells.""The work is very important ... and very carefully done," says Marilyn Roossinck of Pennsylvania State University. For decades, she has been studying a different multipartite virus that affects cucumbers, and though she has seen some of the patterns that Blanc's team did, "these were never published, as their significance wasn't clear," she says.," adds Rodrigo Almeida of the University of California at Berkeley, who studies plant diseases. "I am not aware of any similar example in biology, where genetic information appears to be split among host cells."The closest example I can think of exists in cicadas. These noisy insects rely on a bacterium called Hodgkinia , which lives inside their cells and provides them with nutrients. But this one bacterium has fractured into several daughter species, each of which contains just a few of Hodgkinia's full set of genes. None of these partial microbes can survive on its own;. But these daughter species are all still locked within the same cell, so they're not truly distributed as the virus is. They are also problematic:. Hodgkinia's fragmented existence is a looming disaster - "a slow-motion extinction event," according to John McCutcheon, who described it.By contrast, multipartite viruses are clearly very successful, so their bizarre distributed existence must have some benefit. And Blanc thinks he knows what that might be.His team has shown that when FBNSV infects a plant, the frequency of each segment is very predictable. Some of them are common and others are rare, but, at least within a given species of plant. If the virus infects a different plant species, those proportions change - to a different, but still predictable, pattern. Blanc calls these " genome formulas " - ratios of genes that FBNSV uses for different hosts.The virus's use of these formulas reminds Blanc of the ways in which animals and other complex organisms adapt to different environments by tweaking the numbers of important genes . In very rough terms, the more copies you have, the more effectively that gene can do its thing. But viruses are tiny entities, whose capsules only have room for small genomes. There's not enough space for them to just wantonly double their gene counts.Multipartite viruses don't have to. If they want to emphasize the use of a certain gene, they just need to get the segment carrying it into more host cells. "This lifestyle allows the virus to adjust its gene copy number without mutating," Blanc says.These discoveries could also change our understanding of other more traditional viruses. Influenza's genome is split into eight segments, and unlike FBNSV, all of these are packaged into the same capsule. Researchers typically assume that every capsule contains the full octet, but in 2013, Christopher Brooke of the University of Illinois showed that 90 percent of them are missing at least one segment. Influenza virus "exists primarily as a swarm of complementation-dependent, semi-infectious virions," Brooke wrote.Three years later, a different team showed that the same is true for the virus behind Rift Valley fever : Only a minority contain all three of the virus's gene segments, and most are missing one. "Perhaps the boundary between these viruses and the multipartite ones isn't so clear," Blanc says.Many viruses also produce capsules called " defective interfering particles ," which ... well, the clue's in the name. They're defective because, for some reason, they've lost part of their full genome. They're interfering because, though they're defective, their parent viruses will still make copies of them, flooding the total pool of capsules with noninfective deadbeats. "These things have been known for a century, and they've long been considered as junk," Blanc says. "But they are very efficiently maintained in any viral infection. Maybe they can profit from the system we have identified."
| null |
https://www.sott.net/article/409766-Turns-out-we-didnt-understand-viruses-Plant-virus-distributes-genes-into-separate-cells-all-work-together
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2019-03-24 18:57:15+00:00
| 1,553,468,235 | 1,567,545,065 |
health
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549,087 |
sputnik--2019-11-12--Bait and Neutralise: Scientists Come Up with New Method to Identify Plant Pests
| 2019-11-12T00:00:00 |
sputnik
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Bait and Neutralise: Scientists Come Up with New Method to Identify Plant Pests
|
Scientists from 19 countries have taken part in developing methodological approaches. Sentinel plantations have been recommended to be created in regions and countries that actively export woody plants and plant products. According to her, sentinel plantations are able to attract local insect pests that can change their food preferences and switch to "guests", the plants that are not resistant to the "new" pests. The simplest examples of the second type of sentinel plantations are botanical gardens and arboretums. They host a wide range of introduced (unusual for a particular territory) species of woody plants, and they can also serve as targets for local pests. The authors of the study have developed universal protocols describing all the steps – from searching for harmful arthropod species (insects, herbivorous ticks, etc.) and phytopathogens (pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, which are pathogens of plant diseases), to establishing taxa using morphological and molecular genetic methods. These approaches will help to effectively identify the types of pests switching from local plants to those that have been introduced into the environment as "targets". The research was carried out as part of the European Union's COST Action FP1401 Global Warning: Global Plantation Network as a System for the Early Detection of Alien Pests on Woody Plants. Russian participation was partially supported by grants from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/science/201911121077294758-bait-and-neutralise-scientists-come-up-with-new-method-to-identify-plant-pests/
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Tue, 12 Nov 2019 18:45:00 +0300
| 1,573,602,300 | 1,573,649,293 |
health
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non-human diseases
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643,112 |
thedailyrecord--2019-01-21--Illegal flytipping blamed for infection and destruction of trees at West Lothian wood
| 2019-01-21T00:00:00 |
thedailyrecord
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Illegal flytipping blamed for infection and destruction of trees at West Lothian wood
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Illegal flytipping of garden waste may have spread an infection responsible for the destruction of trees at a popular Livingston wood. As the trees at Dedridge face the chop in the coming weeks, Woodland Trust Scotland is pleading for an end to flytipping, which is sadly very common in Livingston. “It is heartbreaking that we have to lose much-loved big old trees like this,” explained Woodland Trust Scotland’s site manager Jean Frame. “We would appeal to residents to make the flytipping habit history in 2019. “Woodland adds so much to the character of the community it would be tragic to lose more of it because of such selfishness.” Meanwhile trees at a second Livingston wood, at Eliburn are also being felled as they have caught an infection currently spreading across the country. However this instance is not thought to be related to flytipping. Beech and sycamore trees at Williamston Wood in Dedridge are dead or dying from Phytophthora cambivora and 10 have already been felled. A further 15 need to come down. The trees pose a risk to public safety as they may drop limbs as they die. The condition is also known to undermine root systems so infected trees can be at risk of toppling completely. They have to be felled to avoid risk to the public in what is a busy area. This is the first time this infection has been found in Livingston. However it is likely to be present on individual trees not yet identified. Woodland Trust has asked Forest Research to investigate due to the large number of trees affected at Williamston Wood. Jean continued: “Once we have felled the trees we will replant with native shrub and small tree species that are not susceptible to P. cambivora, including willow, hazel and hawthorn. “Sadly garden waste is a big problem in Livingston with large amounts of plant cuttings, grass and soil being dumped in our woods each year. “This provides an ideal way for disease to move from one site to another. We implore people not to dump garden waste in the woods. “If you see people dumping garden waste in our woods you can report it to the police on 101 or through Dumb Dumpers.” In Eliburn a tree was also was tested by Forestry Commission Scotland and found to be infected by Phytophthora ramorum which is a notifiable plant disease in the UK and the commission is legally required to control the disease to stop its spread further. Phytophthora ramorum infects a wide range of trees and other plants often leading to their death. Once present in the soil both these strains of Phytophthora can be picked up on people’s shoes, bikes, pet’s paws and fur, car tyres and wheel arches. Staying on paths and away from wet muddy ground can stop contamination. Implementing good hygiene measures by cleaning shoes and pets after walking in areas with a history of the infection is one of the best ways to reduce the spread. A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We work closely with the Woodland Trust, with shared goals for the protection of our natural environment. “Fly-tipping, including garden waste, is both illegal and dangerous, and those responsible can be fined up to £200. We would encourage anyone who spots any in West Lothian to report it to us via www.westlothian.gov.uk/report “Unfortunately it is necessary to remove trees when they become diseased to protect others and prevent infection spreading. "We will be following the same procedures to remove the diseased trees on West Lothian Council land in Dedridge and Eliburn.”
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Debbie Hall
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https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/illegal-flytipping-blamed-infection-destruction-13887470
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2019-01-21 16:57:00+00:00
| 1,548,107,820 | 1,567,551,531 |
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759,348 |
theindependent--2019-05-06--Ash dieback Deadly tree fungus could cost UK 15bn researchers say
| 2019-05-06T00:00:00 |
theindependent
|
Ash dieback: Deadly tree fungus could cost UK £15bn, researchers say
|
A tree fungus that is having a “devastating impact” on Britain’s native flora could cost the country £15bn, research has found. Ash dieback, first found in the UK in 2012, is expected to kill 95-99 per cent of Britain’s ash trees and scientists have said it is not possible to cure or halt. Researchers “shocked” by the results estimate the disease could cost the UK £7bn within the next decade, citing the expense of clearing dead and dying trees and lost benefits such as carbon sequestration and water and air purification. The total cost is 50 times larger than Britain’s annual live plants trade, which is the main route for invasive plant diseases to enter the country, according to the study carried out by Oxford University, Fera Science, the Sylva Foundation and the Woodland Trust. “Nobody has estimated the total cost of a tree disease before, and we were quite shocked at the magnitude of the cost to society,” said Dr Louise Hill, researcher at the University of Oxford’s Department of Plant Sciences. The suspected figure would equal one-third more than the reported cost of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001, which saw mass culling of livestock. “When ash dieback first entered the country, no one could have fully predicted the devastating impact it would have on our native habitats,” explained co-author and senior conservation advisor for the Woodland Trust Dr Nick Atkinson. “The numbers of invasive tree pests and diseases are increasing rapidly, and this is mostly driven by human activities, such as trade in live plants and climate change,” said Dr Hill. Landowners are already spending thousands of pounds as a result of the disease, according to the BBC. While removing the millions of ash trees which line Britain’s roads and urban areas will cost billions of pounds, the trees’ lost ecological benefits account for the majority of the £15bn estimate. The researchers suggest a nationwide replanting scheme could help to replace these lost benefits and reduce the overall cost by £2.5m. They also advocate tightening controls on the plant trade to halt the flow of new diseases. “To see how this has also affected our economy speaks volumes for how important tree health is, and that it needs to be taken very seriously,” said Dr Atkinson. “It is clear that to avoid further economic and ecological impacts, we need to invest more in plant biosecurity measures. This includes better detection, interception and prevention of other pests and diseases entering the country. “We need to learn from past mistakes and make sure our countryside avoids yet another blow.”
|
Andy Gregory
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https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/ash-dieback-deadly-tree-fungus-cost-uk-15-billion-oxford-university-a8901491.html
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2019-05-06 14:01:00+00:00
| 1,557,165,660 | 1,567,541,033 |
health
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non-human diseases
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1,005,533 |
thetelegraph--2019-04-22--BBC criticised for encouraging gardeners to plant foreign trees that could spread disease
| 2019-04-22T00:00:00 |
thetelegraph
|
BBC criticised for encouraging gardeners to plant foreign trees that could spread disease
|
A government horticulturalist has criticised BBC gardening shows for encouraging viewers to plant foreign species that risk spreading disease. She said star presenters like Monty Don should not be encouraging gardeners to grow olives because they are a high risk for importing deadly plant disease Xylella fastidiosa. Speaking at a biosecurity event at Tendercare Nurseries in Uxbridge, west London, last week Prof Spence said: "Gardening trends can drive biosecurity behaviour. "I like to watch Gardeners' World on a Friday night and to listen to Gardeners' Question Time, but I occasionally have a bit of a rage at them and take to Twitter when I think they're not providing the best advice, particularly when a listener - somebody in the audience - says 'I've just brought back X from my holidays. What should I do with it?'
|
Jamie Johnson
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/22/government-horticulturalist-criticises-bbc-encouraging-gardeners/
|
2019-04-22 18:02:10+00:00
| 1,555,970,530 | 1,567,542,141 |
health
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non-human diseases
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1,028,495 |
thetorontostar--2019-08-26--Banana industry on alert after disease arrives in Colombia
| 2019-08-26T00:00:00 |
thetorontostar
|
Banana industry on alert after disease arrives in Colombia
|
LA GUAJIRA, Colombia - It might not be obvious at the supermarket, but the banana industry is fighting to protect the most popular variety of the fruit from a destructive fungus. A disease that ravages banana crops has made its long-dreaded arrival in Latin America, the biggest exporter of the crop. That’s reigniting worries about the global market’s dependence on a single type of banana, the Cavendish, which is known for its durability in shipping. For years, scientists have said big banana companies like Chiquita and Dole would eventually need to find new banana varieties as the disease spread in countries in Asia and elsewhere. Then this month, the fungus was confirmed in Colombia, one of the top exporters in Latin America, prompting officials in the country to declare a state of emergency. Banana industry watchers say it’s more proof the Cavendish’s days are numbered, but that there’s still plenty of time to find alternatives. “I don’t think it’s going to impact the availability of the Cavenidsh in supermarkets anytime soon,” said Randy Ploetz, a retired scientist from the University of Florida who studied tropical plant diseases. While all sorts of bananas are grown around the world for domestic consumption, the ones shipped to places including the United States and the European Union are mostly Cavendishes. It may seem odd that the world banana market would hitch its fortunes to a single variety, but mass producing just one kind is a way to keep costs down, which also helps make bananas so widely available. Bananas are also hard to breed, and finding varieties suited to global commerce isn’t easy. In addition to being productive, Cavendish plants yield bananas that can survive the trip from warm climates to far-flung supermarkets, without ripening too quickly. Still, history has shown the risks of relying on a single banana variety. Not that long ago, the world market was ruled by another banana, the Gros Michel, aka the Big Mike. Experts say it was even easier to ship than the Cavendish, and sweeter (though others contend it tasted similar). Either way, the Gros Michel was ravaged by the 1950s by an earlier strain of the disease now stalking the Cavendish. This time, there’s no obvious backup banana waiting in the wings to take over. In Asian countries hit by the Tropical Race 4 disease, coping strategies have included planting less susceptible Cavendish varieties or moving to uninfected farmland, according to Ploetz. But those varieties aren’t as productive and still eventually succumb to the fungus, which can survive in soil for decades. Growers will also eventually run out of uninfected land. In Colombia, special measures being taken to stop the disease from spreading include sanitary controls at the entrance to plantations and roadblocks where trucks travelling between banana farms and ports are disinfected by government workers in scrubs and rubber boots. The fungus travels on small particles of soil that can stick to truck tires, farm equipment or workers’ shoes. And in Colombia, farmers fear that thieves who sneak into plantations to steal bananas could accidentally spread the disease. Some farms in Colombia are only lightly guarded and are separated from interstate roads by small fences. The situation has prompted police and Colombia’s military to step up presence around banana plantations since the disease was detected. “We are trying to make people understand that stealing bananas nowadays can have greater repercussions,” said Francisco Zuniga, the president of Asbama, a Colombian banana farmers association. So far, the fungus has been detected on six farms in Colombia. All are located in La Guajira, a province near the border with Venezuela. Officials say the affected area is still small at 490 acres (200 hectares), and is not making a dent on the country’s exports. But there are concerns that the arrival of the disease will change Colombia’s banana industry forever, forcing farms and the government to spend more on sanitary measures. In La Guajira, officials have uprooted plants where the fungus has been detected and covered the soil with black plastic sheets that raise the temperatures to levels that could stop the disease from spreading. Healthy plants within a 60 foot (20 metre) radius of the affected areas are also killed with chemicals as a preventive measure. “We will continue to work towards stopping this disease from spreading to the rest of Colombia,” Agriculture Minister Andres Valencia told The Associated Press during a visit to La Guajira. “But eventually we have to make the transition to other varieties of banana that will resist this disease.” Gert Kema, a plant scientist who studies bananas, also said the industry needs to diversify. He said there are many types of tomatoes and peppers, and that bananas should be no different. “We have collectively accepted that we have just one banana,” Kema said. Banana diversity means higher costs, however, and it’s not clear that people would be willing to pay more for the fruit. Another challenge is that the fungus is lethal to a wide array of bananas. That’s also a problem for places where starchier, cooked bananas are a food staple, including some countries in Africa and Latin America. But even with the disease’s appearance in Colombia, banana companies say there’s no need to panic. Whether the solution is a new breed or a genetically modified banana, the new option will likely look and taste a lot like the Cavendish. For now, government and industry officials say they’re taking security measures to contain the fungus wherever it appears. “We can significantly slow the spread and have decades more of the Cavendish,” said Caoimhe Buckley, a spokeswoman for Fyffes, a major banana exporter based in Ireland. Associated Press writer Manuel Rueda reported this story in La Guajira and AP Food & Health Writer Candice Choi reported from New York. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
|
Manuel Rueda And Candice Choi - The Associated Press
|
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/americas/2019/08/26/banana-industry-on-alert-after-disease-arrives-in-colombia.html
|
2019-08-26 04:05:46+00:00
| 1,566,806,746 | 1,567,533,392 |
health
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non-human diseases
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567,691 |
tass--2019-07-19--Spraying insecticides on fields causes death of 80000 bee colonies in 25 Russian regions
| 2019-07-19T00:00:00 |
tass
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Spraying insecticides on fields causes death of 80,000 bee colonies in 25 Russian regions
|
VORONEZH, July 19. /TASS/. Spraying insecticides on agricultural fields caused the death of about 80,000 bee colonies in 25 regions of Russia, the damage of beekeepers exceeded 2 bln rubles ($31.7 mln), acting director of the Federal Scientific Center of Beekeeping, Anna Brandorf told TASS. "In 25 regions of Russia, about 80,000 bee colonies were killed <...>. This happened at apiaries, which are located near the [agricultural] fields treated with insecticides. Another 20% of bee colonies will add to these losses in the spring, as toxic substances fell into the nests, and the bee families that survived are very weak now, and it is possible that they will also die later. They also brought nectar from the fields to the nests, which can also contain insecticides, so the queen bee may not survive on such food," the expert said. According to her, there are about 3.5 million bee colonies in Russia and their mass death was recorded in May-June in all regions of central Russia, in the south of the country, in the republics of Udmurtia, Tatarstan and Mari El and in the Altai Territory. "This year had an early spring, the flowering dates shifted a little and plant pests came out earlier. This year there are three generations of pests versus two generations [last year] — therefore, farmers had to use more insecticides," Brandorf explained. According to her, a beekeeper suffered a loss of more than 26,000 rubles ($412) from the death of each bee colony. "The bee farm costs about 9,000 rubles ($142), but it could bring, on average, 40 kg of honey at 400 rubles ($6) per 1 kg, as well as pollen, wax and propolis which is about 1,000 rubles more. Thus, the beekeepers lost not just the bee colony they will have to buy, but they have not received enough products they could sell — overall, the losses stand at more than 2 bln rubles ($31 mln), " she added. "The death of bees will affect the volume of honey collected this year — it will fall several-fold and will be replaced with counterfeit <...> The consumer may not notice this, because there are manufacturers of honey products, and if they become more active now, the cost of natural honey will not grow much. <...> After all, the consumer does not know much about the difference between 'natural honey' and 'blueberry honey' or 'currant honey,' although the latter may not even contain any honey," she noted. In May-June, in the regions of the Central Federal District, a massive death of bees was recorded after agricultural fields treatment. Regional departments of Russia's consumer rights watchdog began to look into the situation. They studied more than 100 samples of dead bees provided by apiary owners from Voronezh, Kursk, Belgorod, Tambov and Lipetsk regions. Experts concluded that the reason for the mass death of bees was poisoning with plant protection products, namely insecticides. According to experts, production, storage, sale and use of pesticides and agrochemicals in Russia in recent years is almost uncontrolled.
| null |
https://tass.com/economy/1069527
|
2019-07-19 18:22:32+00:00
| 1,563,574,952 | 1,567,536,389 |
health
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non-human diseases
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163,455 |
eveningstandard--2019-02-07--Equine flu outbreak and horse racing What are the symptoms How does it affect horses
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
eveningstandard
|
Equine flu outbreak and horse racing: What are the symptoms? How does it affect horses?
|
All race meetings at racecourses across the UK have been cancelled until Wednesday 13 February following an outbreak of equine flu. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed that they were aware of three positive tests of the virus from vaccinated horses. Trainer Donald McCain announced that the infected horses came from his Cheshire stables. On Thursday, a total of four British meetings were cancelled in Doncaster, Huntington, Ffos Las and Chelmsford. The BHA said: “This precautionary approach is intended to ensure we put the health of the horse population and control of the virus first, and avoid any unnecessary risk that might come from returning to racing to quickly. "We appreciate the impact that this may have on he sport commercially, but disease control in order to mitigate the risk of further disruption to the sport - and safeguard the health and welfare of our horses - must be a priority." Infected horses need to be incubated for days, but full recovery can take weeks or even months. This is not the first time the highly infectious virus has caused concern in the horse racing community. Since the start of the year, there have been several outbreaks of equine flu in Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Suffolk, Yorkshire and Essex. Here’s what you need to know about equine flue and the possible impact it could have on racing: Equine flu is a highly infectious disease that affects horses, mules and donkeys, caused by strains of the Influenza A virus. It affects the lower and upper respiratory tract of horses and is mainly contracted through inhalation of the virus from ill animals. An infected horse can show signs of high temperature, harsh cough, nasal discharge and redness around the eyes. Equine flu is not usually fatal. However, infected horses can be at increased risk of contracting complications such as pneumonia, causing the debility of horses and possibly resulting in death. To prevent the spread of the virus, it’s advised infected horses do not attend shows and are carefully monitored on a secure site while the outbreak is ongoing. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, whilst a few people that come in contact with infected horses develop antibodies to influenza viruses, no humans exposed to the virus have become ill. The BHA confirmed that all races will be cancelled until Wednesday 13 February, after which the situation will be reassessed. Races affected include the 'Super Saturday' at Newbury Racecourse, scheduled to take place on Saturday 9 February. The race has now been abandoned and organisers have informed fans that all-pre purchased tickets for the event will be refunded within 14 days.
|
Georgia Chambers
|
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/equine-flu-outbreak-horse-racing-a4060071.html
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2019-02-07 11:48:00+00:00
| 1,549,558,080 | 1,567,549,298 |
health
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non-human diseases
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163,477 |
eveningstandard--2019-02-07--Horseracing cancelled across Britain due to outbreak of equine flu
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
eveningstandard
|
Horseracing cancelled across Britain due to outbreak of equine flu
|
Race meetings at all British racecourses have been cancelled on Thursday due to an outbreak of equine flu. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) made the decision on Wednesday evening after the Animal Health Trust confirmed three positives tests from vaccinated horses in an active racing yard. The horses from the infected yard had raced earlier in the day at Ayr and Ludlow, potentially exposing other horses across the country and in Ireland to the disease. The BHA said in a statement that the identification of the virus in vaccinated horses presented a "cause for significant concern". It added: "The action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease. "The BHA has worked quickly to identify which yards could have potentially been exposed today and identify the further actions required. "The BHA is presently communicating with yards potentially exposed to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted to avoid possible further spread of the disease. "The full extent of potential exposure is unknown and we are working quickly to understand as much as we can to assist our decision-making." The action to cancel Thursday's races was taken with unanimous support of the BHA's industry veterinary committee and will affect meetings at Huntingdon, Doncaster, Ffos Las and Chelmsford. Equine influenza is a highly infectious disease of horses, mules and donkeys. Symptoms in non-immune animals include high fever, coughing and nasal discharge.
|
Standard sport
|
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/horseracing-cancelled-across-britain-due-to-outbreak-of-equine-flu-a4059926.html
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2019-02-07 09:27:16+00:00
| 1,549,549,636 | 1,567,549,299 |
health
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non-human diseases
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625,231 |
thedailymirror--2019-02-06--Thursdays horse racing meetings in UK cancelled due to equine flu
| 2019-02-06T00:00:00 |
thedailymirror
|
Thursday's horse racing meetings in UK cancelled due to equine flu
|
All meetings across the UK on Thursday have been cancelled due to an outbreak of equine flu. Three horses, who had been vacinated against the dsease, tested positive having raced on Wednesday. The British Horseracing Authority has cancelled Thursday's meetings at Huntingdon, Doncaster, Ffos Las and Chelmsford in response. A statement read: "The BHA, with unanimous support of the BHA’s industry veterinary committee, has taken the decision to cancel racing at all British racecourses on Thursday February, 7. "This is following the BHA being informed this evening by the Animal Health Trust of three confirmed Equine Influenza positives from vaccinated horses in an active racing yard. "Horses from the infected yard have raced on Wednesday at Ayr and Ludlow, potentially exposing a significant number of horses from yards across the country and in Ireland. "The fact that the cases have been identified in vaccinated horses presents a cause for significant concern over welfare and the potential spread of the disease and the action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease. "The BHA has worked quickly to identify which yards could have potentially been exposed today and identify the further actions required. The BHA is presently communicating with yards potentially exposed to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted to avoid possible further spread of the disease. "The full extent of potential exposure is unknown and we are working quickly to understand as much as we can to assist our decision making. "The BHA is working closely with the Animal Health Trust and will issue a further update tomorrow. We recommend that any trainer who has concerns about the health status of any of their horses should contact their veterinarian."
|
Martin Domin
|
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/breaking-thursdays-horse-racing-meetings-13964094
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2019-02-06 23:35:37+00:00
| 1,549,514,137 | 1,567,549,464 |
health
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non-human diseases
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644,261 |
thedailyrecord--2019-02-07--Scots bookmaker warns of potentially catastrophic impact facing industry in wake of horse flu outb
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
thedailyrecord
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Scots bookmaker warns of "potentially catastrophic" impact facing industry in wake of horse flu outbreak
|
A leading Scots bookie has warned her industry faces "potentially catastrophic implications" in light of an equine flu outbreak. Julie Williams, daughter of the legendary 'Fearless Freddie,' warned firms could be left tackling their "worst nightmare". It comes as racing across Britain has been halted in the wake of three horses testing positive for the disease. Authorities admit the outbreak, which involves already vaccinated animals, is "cause for significant concern". It is unclear when action will be able to resume. Julie, who runs her family dynasty in Cumnock and Auchinleck, said: "The first concern must always be for the welfare of the horses and the BHA are to be applauded for acting so quickly. "Hopefully the actions they have taken will stop any serious spread of the disease. "Longer term, there could be potentially catastrophic implications for the industry. "Punters coming in our shops today are petrified about what this means. "The last time racing was cancelled for this sort of thing was 1981...so people are understandably concerned." Julie, who expects her own turnover to top £1 million at the Cheltenham Festival in five weeks, hopes a speedy resolution can replace the fear coursing through the industry. She said: "The big betting companies are already talking about closing down shops in their thousands - and I believe them when they say that. "So it goes without saying that any kind of prolonged break from action could be devastating. "It's the worst nightmare for everyone involved." It follows the confirmation that the yard at the centre of the crisis sent a runner to Ayr yesterday. Three horses, understood to be in the care of Cheshire-based Donald McCain, have all tested positive for the outbreak. The British Horse Racing Authority confirmed the affected stable had runners at both Ayr and Ludlow on Wednesday. "The full extent of potential exposure is unknown and we are working quickly to understand as much as we can to assist our decision making," they added. Tests are now underway on the affected yard's runners who travelled to Ayr and Ludlow amid fears they may also be infected. And with the disease being highly contagious, there are concerns other horses at both tracks may have caught the bug. Irish trainer, Gordon Elliot, was among those to be represented at Ayr yesterday, racking up a hat trick on the card. His string are among those now undergoing tests. A spokesman for Ayr Racecourse said: “We were informed by the BHA this morning that three vaccinated horses in an active racing yard tested positive for Equine Influenza. “Horses from the yard raced at both Ayr and Ludlow yesterday although they were not among those who tested positive. “In the UK horses are widely vaccinated. Like other stakeholders, Ayr will continue to work closely with the BHA on this matter.”
|
Stuart Wilson
|
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/scots-bookmaker-warns-potentially-catastrophic-13965398
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2019-02-07 13:01:34+00:00
| 1,549,562,494 | 1,567,549,338 |
health
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non-human diseases
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663,794 |
thedenverpost--2019-07-06--Two horses in Weld County test positive for vesicular stomatitis first known 2019 cases in the stat
| 2019-07-06T00:00:00 |
thedenverpost
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Two horses in Weld County test positive for vesicular stomatitis; first known 2019 cases in the state
|
Two horses in Weld County have tested positive for vesicular stomatitis, a virus that can make eating and drinking painful, and the equines have been quarantined. Colorado is the third state in the country this year to confirm cases of vesicular stomatitis, according to a state Department of Agriculture news release. Cases have also been diagnosed in Kinney and Tom Green counties, Texas, and in Sandoval County, N.M. On Wednesday the National Veterinary Services Laboratory reported positive test results on samples submitted from two Weld County horses at different locations. “Vesicular stomatitis can be painful for animals and costly to their owners,” said Keith Roehr, state veterinarian, in the release. “The virus typically causes oral blisters and sores that can be painful, causing difficulty in eating and drinking.” The animals are being monitored daily and will remain under quarantine for at least two weeks from the onset of lesions. There are no USDA-approved vaccines for vesicular stomatitis. The viral disease is transmitted by insects — black flies, sand flies and biting midges. In a herd, it can spread from horse to horse. Humans can become infected when handling sick animals, but it’s rare. To avoid exposure, people should take personal protective measures when handling affected animals.
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Kieran Nicholson
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https://www.denverpost.com/2019/07/05/horses-weld-county-vesicular-stomatitis/
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2019-07-06 02:56:14+00:00
| 1,562,396,174 | 1,567,536,614 |
health
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non-human diseases
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663,992 |
thedenverpost--2019-07-27--Virus making horses ill spreads to 11 Colorado counties Larimer hit hardest
| 2019-07-27T00:00:00 |
thedenverpost
|
Virus making horses ill spreads to 11 Colorado counties; Larimer hit hardest
|
A virus making horses ill in Colorado has been found in 11 counties; Larimer County is the hardest-hit area, with 70 confirmed cases of vesicular stomatitis. Other counties are Adams, Archuleta, Boulder, Broomfield, Delta, La Plata, Mesa, Montezuma, Morgan and Weld, according to a Colorado Department of Agriculture news release. Vesicular stomatitis can make eating and drinking painful for the horses, and they and other animals that may be stricken are quarantined. One bovine case in Boulder County has been confirmed. “We understand that the VSV outbreak and quarantines are impacting the ability for people to bring their horses and livestock to fairs and shows,” said Dr. Keith Roehr, Colorado State veterinarian, in the release. “The quarantines and hold orders must be followed, however, for the health and protection of all equine and livestock in Colorado.” Boulder County has logged 40 confirmed cases, and Weld County 29 cases, state officials said. The other counties had lower numbers as of Friday. The first case of vesicular stomatitis in Colorado this year was reported July 3 in Weld County. There are no USDA-approved vaccines for the virus, which likely is spread by insects. The viral disease primarily affects horses and cattle, but swine, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas can become ill as well. Black flies, sand flies and biting midges likely transmit the disease. Humans may become infected when handling affected animals, but it’s rare, the news release said.
|
Kieran Nicholson
|
https://www.denverpost.com/2019/07/26/virus-making-horses-ill-spreads-to-11-colorado-counties-larimer-hit-hardest/
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2019-07-27 00:49:25+00:00
| 1,564,202,965 | 1,567,535,585 |
health
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non-human diseases
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688,972 |
theguardianuk--2019-02-07--Equine flu crisis biggest shutdown since foot and mouth hits horse racing
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
theguardianuk
|
Equine flu crisis: biggest shutdown since foot and mouth hits horse racing
|
All race meetings in Britain have been cancelled until next Wednesday at the earliest while the sport’s governing body awaits test results from more than 100 stables that could have been exposed to equine influenza. Donald McCain’s yard in Cheshire, where three cases of equine influenza in vaccinated horses were confirmed on Wednesday evening, sent a single runner to meetings in Ayr and Ludlow earlier that day, potentially exposing many more horses to the disease. The cancellations, ordered by the British Horseracing Authority, will cost the industry tens of millions of pounds and is the biggest loss of fixtures for reasons other than freezing weather since the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001 when even the Cheltenham Festival was lost. It leaves trainers on tenterhooks with next month’s renewal of the most important meeting of the year on the horizon. All four meetings scheduled in Britain on Thursday were abandoned following news of the positive tests, and in all at least 23 meetings will be lost as a result of the outbreak. These include the Betfair Hurdle card at Newbury on Saturday, one of the most valuable meetings of the National Hunt season. Equine influenza is endemic in Britain’s horse population, but vaccination against the disease is mandatory for thoroughbreds and most other breeds that are used competitively, such as eventers. As a result, outbreaks are extremely rare, but the fact that all three of the horses affected at McCain’s stable had been vaccinated prompted immediate concern that a new strain of the disease could spread rapidly through the racing industry. Equine influenza causes similar symptoms in horses to those suffered by humans; including fever, nasal discharge and a harsh, dry cough. It is rarely fatal, though it can lead to complications including pneumonia and some horses can take several weeks, or even months, to recover fully from an infection. As a result, an epidemic has the potential to cause massive disruption to a country’s racing programme or even shut it down altogether. An outbreak in New South Wales in 2007 resulted in the closure of Sydney’s racetracks from late August until early December, although this was in an unvaccinated racehorse population. McCain also sent a runner to Wolverhampton’s meeting on Monday evening and all horses in the stables that competed on the card will be tested for equine influenza, along with all runners at the meetings at Ludlow and Ayr on Wednesday. This includes several from stables in Ireland, including five from the yard of Gordon Elliott, one of Ireland’s most successful trainers. Those five horses were diverted to an isolation stable 20 miles from Elliott’s County Meath base when they returned home after competing at Ayr. Since the incubation period for equine influenza can be up to 72 hours, samples will be taken on Friday from horses that raced at Ayr and Ludlow and sent to the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket for analysis. The BHA said on Thursday evening that its veterinary team “has been in contact with more than 50 trainers and veterinarians to allow it to make an informed assessment of the risk of equine influenza spreading”. The BHA added: “While no further positive tests have been received, at least three more days are required before it will be possible to make a decision about whether it is safe to resume racing. The disease can take up to three days before symptoms are visible, meaning it will take until Sunday at the earliest before the BHA can gather all the information required. “This approach will allow samples to be collected and assessed by the Animal Health Trust in order that a fully informed decision can be made on Monday. This may then allow declarations to take place on Tuesday in time for racing on Wednesday.” McCain, who saddled Ballabriggs to win the Grand National in 2011 and has more than 100 horses in his stable, said “the BHA were contacted immediately” once the positive result for equine influenza had been confirmed and that he is “liaising closely with them about biosecurity and management of all the horses at Bankhouse”. McCain said: “We are scrupulous about observing the health status of horses in our care and taking the necessary steps to treat any condition that may affect them. It follows we would never race any horses that we could have known were infected. “Over the last two months, all potential runners have been scoped and their blood checked within 36 hours of their races to ensure that only healthy horses compete for the yard. “When new horses arrive at our yard we try as much as possible to keep them separate, but at this stage cannot know if the infection came from recent arrivals or from horses returning from racing. We have three confirmed cases and this morning have taken blood and swabs from all the others for testing.” ITV Racing, which had been due to cover both Newbury’s valuable meeting and significant races at Warwick this weekend, said it will instead show five races from Naas in Ireland. Ireland’s Horseracing Regulatory Board said racing will continue in the country “at present” but that runners from Britain will not be permitted to run in Ireland until further notice.
|
Greg Wood
|
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/feb/07/equine-flu-crisis-biggest-shutdown-foot-and-mouth-hits-horse-racing
|
2019-02-07 23:31:00+00:00
| 1,549,600,260 | 1,567,549,348 |
health
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non-human diseases
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688,994 |
theguardianuk--2019-02-07--Horse races cancelled across Britain after equine flu outbreak
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
theguardianuk
|
Horse races cancelled across Britain after equine flu outbreak
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British horse racing was plunged into a sudden crisis on Wednesday night as it emerged that three horses in an active yard, believed to be that of Donald McCain, have tested positive for equine influenza, despite having been vaccinated against it. All four scheduled meetings in Britain on Thursday were summarily cancelled as the British Horseracing Authority moved hastily to try to contain the outbreak. It is not immediately clear when racing will be able to resume. Alarmingly, the BHA confirmed that the affected stable had runners at Ayr and Ludlow on Wednesday, where they were in close proximity to dozens of other horses from many racing stables. McCain is the only trainer who had runners at both meetings, suggesting that his stable, in Cheshire, is the one referred to by the BHA. Other trainers who had runners at Ayr or Ludlow include Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Gordon Elliott, who sent runners to Ayr from his base in Ireland. “It’s extremely worrying,” said Peter Scudamore, partner to Lucinda Russell, who had runners at Ayr. “I’ve never known anything like this in all my time in racing.” An outbreak of the highly contagious respiratory disease caused turmoil in Australian racing in 2007, when all horse movements were banned nationwide for 72 hours, a ban that continued in some areas for longer. Sydney’s spring racing carnival was cancelled and it was months before the outbreak was contained and normal horse-related activities resumed. Equine influenza is not usually fatal to healthy adult horses but is dangerous for young foals, mares in foal or horses who were already ill. BHA advice is that it can be transmitted by air “over reasonable distances”, or be passed from horse to horse by people who come into contact with them. The BHA issued a statement shortly after 11pm, saying it had acted with the unanimous support of its industry veterinary committee, following confirmation of the positive tests by the Animal Health Trust. “The fact that the cases have been identified in vaccinated horses presents a cause for significant concern over welfare,” it said. “The full extent of potential exposure is unknown and we are working quickly to understand as much as we can to assist our decision making.” A further statement is expected on Thursday. The ruling body said it had been in touch with trainers who had runners at Ayr and Ludlow “to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted to avoid possible further spread of the disease”. Explaining the gravity of the situation, the BHA described equine flu as “the most potentially damaging of the respiratory viruses that occur in UK equines. Disease symptoms in non–immune animals include high fever, coughing and nasal discharge. “The outbreak at the infected yard follows the identification of a number of equine influenza cases across Europe and the UK, including several in vaccinated horses. Following the recent outbreaks, guidance was sent to trainers to inform them that all horses which have not had a vaccination against equine influenza within the last six months should receive a booster vaccination, and that trainers should be extra-vigilant with biosecurity.”
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Chris Cook
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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/feb/07/horse-races-cancelled-britain-equine-flu
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2019-02-07 01:03:26+00:00
| 1,549,519,406 | 1,567,549,347 |
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745,860 |
theindependent--2019-02-07--Horse racing today cancelled after outbreak of equine flu
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
theindependent
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Horse racing today cancelled after outbreak of equine flu
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Race meetings at all British racecourses have been cancelled on Thursday due to an outbreak of equine flu. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) made the decision on Wednesday evening after the Animal Health Trust confirmed three positives tests from vaccinated horses in an active racing yard. The horses from the infected yard had raced earlier in the day at Ayr and Ludlow, potentially exposing other horses across the country and in Ireland to the disease. The BHA said in a statement that the identification of the virus in vaccinated horses presented a "cause for significant concern". It added: "The action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease. "The BHA has worked quickly to identify which yards could have potentially been exposed today and identify the further actions required. "The BHA is presently communicating with yards potentially exposed to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted to avoid possible further spread of the disease. "The full extent of potential exposure is unknown and we are working quickly to understand as much as we can to assist our decision-making." The action to cancel Thursday's races was taken with unanimous support of the BHA's industry veterinary committee and will affect meetings at Huntingdon, Doncaster, Ffos Las and Chelmsford. Equine influenza is a highly infectious disease of horses, mules and donkeys. Symptoms in non-immune animals include high fever, coughing and nasal discharge. Keep up to date with all the latest news with expert comment and analysis from our award-winning writers
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Sports Staff
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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing/horse-racing-results-tips-today-news-cards-cancelled-a8767011.html
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2019-02-07 07:17:00+00:00
| 1,549,541,820 | 1,567,549,310 |
health
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non-human diseases
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745,861 |
theindependent--2019-02-07--Horse racing wonapost return until Wednesday at the earliest BHA announces
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
theindependent
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Horse racing won't return until Wednesday at the earliest, BHA announces
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The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has said racing will not resume in Britain until Wednesday 13 February at the earliest after an outbreak of equine flu was confirmed. A statement from BHA read: "The BHA’s veterinary team has today been in contact with more than 50 trainers and veterinarians to allow it to make an informed assessment of the risk of equine influenza spreading. "Whilst no further positive tests have been received, at least three more days are required before it will be possible to make a decision about whether it is safe to resume racing. "The disease can take up to three days before symptoms are visible, meaning it will take until Sunday at the earliest before the BHA can gather all the information required. This approach will allow samples to be collected and assessed by the Animal Health Trust in order that a fully informed decision can be made on Monday. "This may then allow declarations to take place on Tuesday in time for racing on Wednesday, with 24 hour declarations for all fixtures on this day, should racing be able to resume. Declarations for Thursday would revert to the usual procedures." The BHA made the decision to cancel all Thursday's cards on Wednesday night after the Animal Health Trust confirmed three positive tests from vaccinated horses in an active racing yard. In an initial statement, the BHA reported horses from the infected yard raced on Wednesday at Ayr and Ludlow, adding identification of the virus in vaccinated animals presented a "cause for significant concern". Donald McCain's yard was the only one represented at both tracks. Thursday's cancellations come less than five weeks before the start of this year's Cheltenham Festival - the annual highlight of the National Hunt calendar - while Wolverhampton, due to host an all-weather Flat card on Saturday, has announced the course will not do so. Inevitably, until the situation becomes clearer, for thousands of racing followers - and of course those directly involved in the industry - there will be uncomfortable echoes of the foot-and-mouth crises of 1967 and 2001. On each occasion, the racing calendar was affected for two months - and in 2001, the Cheltenham Festival was abandoned. In the immediate future on this occasion, a packed weekend of Cheltenham trials and other big races is scheduled at Newbury, Warwick, Musselburgh and in Ireland. The governing body's statement added: "The BHA is presently communicating with yards potentially exposed to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted to avoid possible further spread of the disease. "The full extent of potential exposure is unknown, and we are working quickly to understand as much as we can to assist our decision-making." The action to cancel Thursday's races was taken with unanimous support of the BHA's industry veterinary committee - affecting meetings at Huntingdon, Doncaster, Ffos Las and Chelmsford. Wolverhampton then issued an update via Twitter, announcing this weekend's card will not take place. It read: "Following today's announcement by the BHA Saturday's meeting is cancelled - we will be working with BHA and Animal Health Trust to make sure that our racecourses take every measure to maintain high levels of biosecurity." Racing was, however, set to go ahead in Ireland at Thurles on Thursday. An update on the track's official Twitter account read: "Racing goes ahead as planned here today. First race off at 1:15." Equine influenza is a highly infectious disease of horses, mules and donkeys. Symptoms in non-immune animals include high fever, coughing and nasal discharge. Keep up to date with all the latest news with expert comment and analysis from our award-winning writers
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Sports Staff
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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing/horseracing-latest-return-date-equine-flu-bha-a8768291.html
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2019-02-07 16:19:00+00:00
| 1,549,574,340 | 1,567,549,309 |
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935,651 |
thesun--2019-02-07--Cheltenham Festival officially under threat as all racing cancelled for six days due to mutant hor
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Cheltenham Festival officially under threat as all racing cancelled for six days due to ‘mutant’ horse flu outbreak
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CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL is officially under threat after all British horse racing was cancelled until February 13 at the earliest due to an outbreak of 'mutant' horse flu. British Horseracing Authority chief Nick Rust told the BBC that at this stage he cannot "definitively" say that jump racing's showpiece event - due to be held from Tuesday, March 12 to March 15 - will go ahead. The BHA immediately cancelled all four meetings on Thursday following three confirmed cases in horses which had been vaccinated. Announcing the latest round of postponements, the BHA explained they needed time to check on the status of quarantined animals with over 100 yards affected. The organisation released a statement, which read: "Whilst no further positive tests have been received, at least three more days are required before it will be possible to make a decision about whether it is safe to resume racing. "The disease can take up to three days before symptoms are visible, meaning it will take until Sunday at the earliest before the BHA can gather all the information required. "We are grateful to trainers and veterinarians for the rapid flow of information and feedback we have received today. "Because of this, we have been able to make an informed decision earlier than we expected and before we have any test results back from horses from the affected yards that travelled to the three meetings. "Trainers support a precautionary approach and we thank them for the collaborative manner in which they have worked with us to address this unfolding situation." This week's outbreak is the first time the disease has forced the abandonment of a race meeting in Britain since 1981 - although the Foot and Mouth crisis hit Cheltenham in 2001, costing the industry £150million. The racecourse released a statement this afternoon, insisting: "We are working with the BHA on this matter and hope that the early actions of the BHA will ensure that this outbreak of Equine Influenza can be contained. "We look forward to racing resuming as soon as possible, and hope that this will be well in advance of The Festival in five weeks’ time." Eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore, partner of Lucinda Russell, who had runners at Ayr, added: “It’s extremely worrying. “I’ve never known anything like this in all my time in racing.” In 2007, an equine flu outbreak in Australia took six months to lock down and devastated the racing industry with over 200 meetings affected. Action at Chelmsford, Doncaster, Ffos Las and Huntingdon were the Thursday cancellations and 'Super Saturday' at Newbury - which was set to include last year's Gold Cup winner Native River - is a major loss. Bettingexpert.com estimates the Thursday cancellations alone could end up costing £20m. Racing continues in Ireland but British horses are banned from competing. Over 100 yards have been placed in lockdown by the BHA, with the likes of Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Jonjo O'Neill all affected. The organisation said: "Trainers whose horses may have come into contact with affected horses will be contacted on Thursday and will need to quarantine all horses in the yard. "This means that these horses must have no contact with any other equines until restrictions are lifted. "This is likely to be until samples have been taken from horses and negative test results received." AP McCoy has opened up on the potential impact of the outbreak - recalling the Foot and Mouth nightmare 18 years ago. The 20-time Champion Jockey told Thursday’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast: “I can remember it well in 2001 when we lost it to Foot and Mouth. “Losing something as huge as the Cheltenham Festival has a huge impact on the sport. “But hopefully it won’t go on that long, hopefully they would have got hold of this pretty quick and get it sorted out as soon as possible.” Cheltenham is due to take place on March 12, with the Grand National on April 6, and talkSPORT’s racing correspondent Lee McKenzie admits a cancellation is a possibility. The nightmare scenario could lead to over £200million in loses, plus a £15million hit for the local Gloucestershire economy. McKenzie said: “Luckily the Cheltenham Festival is still five weeks away, so there is a bit of time to get something into the place and, who knows, it may blow over rather quickly. “But at the moment you have to say that there is a possibility that could be the case. “I remember back in 2001 when there was an incident of foot and mouth and the horse racing with severely affected by that and that did indeed end up with the postponement of the Cheltenham Festival. This is something different, though." Because equine flu is so infectious, all precautions must be taken to stop the disease spreading. The three horses that tested positive for the flu on Wednesday came from a yard that had runners at Ludlow and Ayr, putting more horses at risk. It is run by Donald McCain Jr, son of Red Rum's trainer Ginger. It read: “I have been aware of the recent news about equine influenza outbreaks in France and Ireland, and over the last couple of days, I have been concerned about the health status of a small number of horses in the yard. "Their welfare is at the front of our minds so at my request our veterinary surgeon examined them regularly and we have followed his advice on testing & treatment. "It was by following this protocol the positive results for equine flu came to light Wednesday evening" McCain was to have had two runners yesterday: Raise A Spark, who was fourth at Ayr, and Dry Lightening, who was pulled up at Ludlow. Trainer Gordon Elliott had five runners at Ayr yesterday. He told the Racing Post: "We didn't take them back to the yard. "They are in isolation in a yard 10 or 15 miles away from our own that has no racehorses in it. "The authorities have to take every precaution, which is understandable. "We've been told it's a million-to one chance that it will impact our runners, but we're not going to take any chances. We'll leave them in quarantine as long as we have to. "If the three horses from the affected yard that were racing on Wednesday test negative, well then it will be a big sigh of relief for everyone. "If they come back positive, well then anyone else who brought horses back to their yard, more so English trainers as they might not have got the notification on time, then it's a concern." Unlike the case in Australia, the horses had been vaccinated but the virus that causes the flu can mutate and make the precaution ineffective. Brant Dunshea, the BHA's chief regulatory officer, told Sky Sports Racing: "It's highly contagious and an infected horse can shed virus on to a human on their skin, clothing or equipment and it can be transmitted that way but it doesn't affect humans. "We're still trying to understand what particular strain of equine influenza this is. "The fact it has appeared in a vaccinated population does cause us some concern so we're working quickly to understand what's happening. It's not a racing issue it's a horse health issue." The disease can affect the upper and lower respiratory tract of horses and is similar to human flu. It can be transmitted between species but does not affect people. Once the virus has been inhaled it can cause a very sore throat and nasty cough. It is not usually fatal for horses, although foals are at risk of death if they are infected. A Bettingexpert.com spokesperson said: “Equine welfare is the absolute priority for the industry and is a non-negotiable aspect of the sport. "Any disruption to race meetings – of any size – is always going to be financially damaging however and should the Cheltenham Festival get cancelled this year, it could be the most costly racing postponement of all time not just for bookies but businesses big and small in the area too.”
|
jgordon
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/horseracing/8377634/cheltenham-festival-under-threat-racing-cancelled-horse-flu-outbreak/
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2019-02-07 19:16:27+00:00
| 1,549,584,987 | 1,567,549,332 |
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thetelegraph--2019-02-06--British Horseracing Authority cancels all UK races after outbreak of equine flu
| 2019-02-06T00:00:00 |
thetelegraph
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British Horseracing Authority cancels all UK races after outbreak of equine flu
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All four of Thursday’s race meetings have been cancelled because of an outbreak of equine flu. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), with unanimous support of its industry veterinary committee, took the dramatic decision last Wednesday night after being informed by the Animal Health Trust of three confirmed influenza positives from vaccinated horses in an active racing yard. Horses from the infected yard raced on Wednesday at Ayr and Ludlow, potentially exposing a significant number of horses from yards across the country and in Ireland. The fact that the cases have been identified in vaccinated horses presents was, said the BHA, “a cause for significant concern over welfare and the potential spread of the disease and the action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease”. The BHA said the full extent of the problem was not yet known but it has worked quickly to identify which yards could have potentially been exposed. The BHA is communicating with yards potentially exposed to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted. Meanwhile, leading Australian trainer Darren Weir, 48, who won the 2015 Melbourne Cup with the Michelle Payne-ridden Prince Of Penzance, has been disqualified for four years after electing not to contest charges of possession of devices used to deliver electric shocks to horses. The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board found him guilty of three charges of possessing an electric or electronic apparatus capable of affecting the performance of a horse, and one charge of conduct prejudicial to the image, interests or welfare of racing. The disqualification will come into effect immediately.
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Telegraph Sport
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2019/02/06/british-horseracing-authority-cancels-uk-races-afteroutbreak/
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2019-02-06 23:55:36+00:00
| 1,549,515,336 | 1,567,549,443 |
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998,607 |
thetelegraph--2019-02-07--Horse owners urged to get their animals tested for flu as experts say outbreak worst for racing sin
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
thetelegraph
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Horse owners urged to get their animals tested for flu, as experts say outbreak worst for racing since foot and mouth
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Horse owners have been urged to get their animals vaccinated against equine flu as soon as possible after an outbreak caused British racing to be cancelled until at least Wednesday. Race industry insiders told The Telegraph that this is the worst outbreak of horse disease since foot and mouth, with racing yards on lockdown after three confirmed cases. It is thought that more horses at race yards are likely to be infected with the disease, which takes 48 hours to incubate, and three days for tests to come back. Veterinarians worked around the clock on Thursday testing thoroughbreds for equine influenza - but results will not come back until Sunday evening at the earliest. A source added that the outbreak is likely to cause a much more serious issue for non-racing horses, which are mostly not vaccinated and do not have the same protections against the disease. The Animal Health Trust has already identified seven cases in domestically-owned horses in a month in Yorkshire, Essex, Suffolk, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. The British Equestrian Foundation has warned all horse and pony owners to check their animals for signs of the illness and keep all infected animals in quarantine. A spokesperson said: "It is crucial for all horse and pony owners to be vigilant and follow recommended guidelines on how to detect and prevent the spread of this infectious disease.
|
Helena Horton
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/07/horse-owners-urged-get-animals-tested-flu-experts-say-outbreak/
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2019-02-07 16:45:12+00:00
| 1,549,575,912 | 1,567,549,318 |
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503,480 |
sottnet--2019-07-19--Plant viruses may be essential for maintaining biodiversity and helping plants adapt to their enviro
| 2019-07-19T00:00:00 |
sottnet
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Plant viruses may be essential for maintaining biodiversity and helping plants adapt to their environment
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The community of viruses is staggeringly vast. Occupying every conceivable biological niche, from searing undersea vents to frigid tundra, these enigmatic invaders, hovering between inert matter and life, circumnavigate the globe in the hundreds of trillions. They are the most abundant life forms on earth.Viruses are justly feared as ingenious pathogens, causing diseases in everything they invade, including virtually all bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. Recent advances in the field of virology, however, suggest thatWe now know that humans contain roughly 100,000 pieces of viral DNA elements, which make up around 8 percent of our genome. Speculation on the role of these ancient viral fragments ranges from protection against disease to increasing the risk of cancer or other serious illnesses, though researchers acknowledge they have barely scratched the surface of this enigmaA new review article appearing in the journal Nature Reviews Microbiology highlights the evolution and ecology of plant viruses. Arvind Varsani, a researcher at ASU's Biodesign Institute joins an international team to explore many details of viral dynamics. They describe the subtle interplay between three components of the viral infection process, the virus itself, the plant cell hosts infected by the virus and the vectors that act as go-betweens — an intricate system evolving over some 450 million years. All three elements are embedded within wider relations of the surrounding ecosystem.," Varsani says. ". We have a section where we review mutualism and symbiosis and also how some of the symbiotic relationships are being uncoupled."In 1892, Dmitry Ivanovsky, a Russian botanist, conducted a simple experiment that would have momentous implications for science and medicine. He collected sap from a diseased tobacco plant, fed the substance through very fine pores and showed that this filtered fluid could infect a healthy tobacco plant. The filtering ensured that whatever the disease-causing entity was, it was tinier than a bacterium. A Dutch plant specialist and microbiologist Martinus Beijerinck dubbed the mysterious pathogenic substance a virus, though its true form — invisible to light microscopy — only appeared in 1931, with the invention of the electron microscope. A rod-shaped plant invader, known as tobacco mosaic virus, had revealed itself — the first virus on record. Since this time, thousands of distinct species have been identified, yet they represent a tiny fraction of the viral universe, most of which remains unexplored."The way I look at viruses now is from a philosophical angle," Varsani says. "They are a dynamic entity and they have multiple lifestyles, ranging from basic, where the virus is fully reliant on the host for replication, to some cases where it's only partly reliant on the host." Because some viruses can evolve so rapidly, trading and acquiring new genetic elements, their genomes can become chimeric or even fragmented, making their proper classification a serious challenge for the field of virology.From the standpoint of ecology, plant viruses are particularly important for a number of reasons. Plants make up over 80 percent of the biomass on earth, exerting a greater impact on the planet's diverse ecosystems than viruses infecting other kingdoms of life. Plant viruses have obvious importance for food crops and ornamental plants, and a range of viruses are responsible for an estimated $60 billion in crop losses worldwide each year.To capture the astonishing richness of the planet's viral universe, researchers have gone beyond early methods of pinpointing individual virus particles and analyzing them. Techniques of metaviromics are used to probe environments for the full panoply of viruses they contain. The method, which relies on piecing together multiple DNA or RNA genomes from environmental samples, has been recently used to identify vast numbers of previously undocumented viruses. In the case of plant viruses, these viral fragments are often extracted from the insect vectors that ferry the viruses from plant to plant.Metaviromic sequencing is a particularly powerful technique for investigating viral communities. Unlike cellular life, which has a single, common origin,. While common protein motifs have been observed in viral capsids, these are likely the result of convergent evolution or horizontal gene transfer, rather than inherited elements.The strategy of metaviromics is particularly useful for teasing out mutualistic relationships between plants, vectors and viruses and their changing relationships over time. As so much research since the inception of virology has been focused on viruses as disease-causing agents in humans and plants, the nature and degree of mutualistic interactions between viruses, vectors and hosts is most likely underrepresented.The authors speculate that virusesby limiting the growth of genetically homogeneous plants, including crops. New studies of viral ecology seek to understand the extent and importance of both pathogenic and mutualistic interactions. An all-important link in the chain of infection is the behavior of particular insect vectors and their modes of viral transmission, though numerous other factors come into play, including nutrients, water resources, heat and cold stress, and adverse soil conditions.Vectors play an outsized role in the world of plant viruses.It is believed that the mode of viral transmission plays a role in the virus' effect on its host. If the virus is transmitted via seeds or pollen, the virus should limit its harmful effect on the reproductive success of the host plant, perhaps even conveying an adaptive advantage over uninfected plants.The viral passage from parent to daughter plant is known as vertical transmission. By contrast, horizontal viral transmission occurs when insect vectors transit the virus from plant to plant. Such vector-borne assaults can be more merciless to the infected plant and only need ensure their continued spread to a suitable number of healthy plants for the virus to be successful.Many kinds of vectors can transmit plant viruses, including arachnids, fungi, nematodes, and some protists, though more than 70 percent of known plant viruses are transmitted by insects, most from the biological order Hemiptera, which includes cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers and shield bugs.Insects of this kind can make use of mouthparts constructed for piercing and extracting sap or plant cell material. Insect transmission of plant viruses can occur through excretion of virus particles in saliva following feeding on an infected plant. Alternately, the plant virus can become permanently incorporated into the insect's salivary glands, allowing the vector to transmit the virus to new plants throughout the insect's lifetime.Intriguingly, a number of insect-transmitted plant viruses may have evolved mechanisms to influence vector behavior, making infected plants more attractive to sap-feeding insects or ensuring that infected plants produce chemicals that promote insect behaviors that help facilitate transmission.Plant viruses display considerable ingenuity in their strategies, which are highly dependent on their given environment. Some are generalists, invading multiple species, while other viruses are specialists that favour a narrow range of plant hosts. This selectivity may develop with time, through a process known as adaptive radiation. This typically occurs when a virus faces a heterogeneous habitat and becomes adaptively specialized to exploit particular ecological resources while becoming maladapted to exploit others. Such specialization acts to limit competition between different viral lineages or species. Alternatively, generalist viruses infect multiple plant hosts but must compete for these resources with other viruses. This situation tends to result in a viral population of low diversity dominated by the most acutely adapted viral genotypes.While researchers agree that viruses lack a single common ancestor,. Three common hypotheses compete for dominance as an explanatory framework, though they are not mutually exclusive. Perhaps viruses evolved from free-living cells, as the devolution or regressive hypothesis states. They could also have originated from RNA and DNA molecules that somehow escaped from living cells. Alternatively, viruses may have once existed as self-replicating entities that evolved alongside cells, eventually losing their independent status.Ongoing metaviromic research of viral diversity is helping to uncover foundational relationships among viruses and pinpoint common origins among many plant, fungal and arthropod viruses. Of particular concern for the future are the ways in which human-caused disruptions to ecosystems across the planet, which are occurring at rates unprecedented in earth's history, are reforming virus, vector and host relationships.The effects of these disruptions may be to foster emergent viruses with heightened abilities to cause disease in their hosts. As ecological communities become more tightly interwoven through changes in human land use, existing interaction networks that have acted over evolutionary time to stabilize host relations with native vectors and viruses can suddenly shift. Any lethal entity entering this kind of disrupted ecosystem is much likelier to rapidly spread through the population and aggressively sweep through different organisms. The future health and sustainability of both human and plant populations will benefit from an improved understanding of the many subtle interrelationships governing the most ubiquitous viruses — those colonizing plants.
| null |
https://www.sott.net/article/417025-Plant-viruses-may-be-essential-for-maintaining-biodiversity-and-helping-plants-adapt-to-their-environment
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2019-07-19 19:50:23+00:00
| 1,563,580,223 | 1,567,536,451 |
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541,232 |
sputnik--2019-08-15--Measles-Like Virus Leads to Dolphin Deaths Along Tuscany Coast
| 2019-08-15T00:00:00 |
sputnik
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Measles-Like Virus Leads to Dolphin Deaths Along Tuscany Coast
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The Tuscan regional authority confirmed Tuesday that dolphin autopsies conducted by researchers at the University of Siena and the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lazio and Tuscany found the dolphins were infected by the virus cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV). According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three genetically distinct strains of the virus have been characterized: dolphin morbillivirus (DMV), pilot whale morbillivirus (PWMV) and porpoise morbillivirus (PMV). Symptoms of the infection include pneumonia, damage to the immune system and encephalitis, otherwise known as inflammation of the brain. The disease can be contracted through the “inhalation of aerosolized particles containing the virus,” a 2014 briefing by Access Science states. Marine animals can also be infected directly through contact with other infected animals. “The virus can enter a dolphin through its eyes, mouth, urogenital tract, or skin wounds, in addition to the respiratory tract. The lungs and brain of infected dolphins are the major organs of the body that are affected. Infected dolphins appear thin and display numerous skin lesions. They are stressed by breathing difficulties, which are often related to pneumonia, and act abnormally. Moreover, these dolphins become prone to other illnesses because the morbillivirus infection weakens their immune systems,” according to accessscience.com. "We are powerless in the face of this virus," Federica Fratoni, environment commissioner for the Tuscany region, said in a Tuesday statement. "But we could do a lot about another problem highlighted by the analysis of tissues and organs taken during the autopsies," she added, also noting that high levels of chemical compounds such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), were also found during the dolphin autopsies. Such chemicals are used in insecticides and are present in the Mediterranean Sea, according to Tuscan regional authorities. "These products can have an immunosuppressive effect and therefore may have contributed to the spread of the disease and its effects," Fratoni explained.
| null |
https://sputniknews.com/environment/201908151076560551-measles-like-virus-leads-to-dolphin-deaths-along-tuscany-coast/
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2019-08-15 20:57:23+00:00
| 1,565,917,043 | 1,567,534,164 |
health
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774,857 |
theindependent--2019-11-09--'Potentially devastating': Melting Arctic sea ice causing deadly virus to spread in marine
| 2019-11-09T00:00:00 |
theindependent
|
'Potentially devastating': Melting Arctic sea ice causing deadly virus to spread in marine mammals, scientists find
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Climate change could be to blame for spikes in a deadly virus among otters, seals and sea lions around the Arctic, a new study has suggested. Phocine distemper virus (PDV) has been common in the northern Atlantic ocean for decades but as a result of melting Arctic sea ice it has now appeared among marine mammals in the northern Pacific ocean too. The 15-year study which tracked the animals via satellite found PDV, which can kill some species, was most common in years when so much Arctic ice melted it became possible for mammals to move freely from the Atlantic to Pacific regions. Steadily rising global temperatures due to climate change have meant more and more sea ice is melting around the Arctic, opening up sea lanes which for thousands of years have been impassable. Between 1979 and 2018, Arctic sea ice declined on average 12.8 per cent each decade, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). “These sea ice changes in September are likely unprecedented for at least 1,000 years,” the IPCC said in a report published in September. The scientists said a severe spike in PDV in 2003 and 2004 among marine mammals in the northern Pacific was connected to a record ice melt in August 2002. Testing showed about 30 per cent of Stellar sea lions in the northern Pacific Ocean were infected with the disease, which had previously been mostly confined to Atlantic populations. PDV did not peak again in the Pacific until 2009, which was also just one year after widespread melting in 2008 which created open water passage routes. “The loss of sea ice is leading marine wildlife to seek and forage in new habitats and removing that physical barrier, allowing for new pathways for them to move,” one of the study’s authors Dr Tracey Goldstein, from the University of California, Davis, told the BBC. “As animals move and come in contact with other species, they carry opportunities to introduce and transmit new infectious disease, with potentially devastating impacts.” Symptoms of PDV include laboured breathing, fevers and attacks on the nervous system. It was first identified in the late 1980s after unprecedented epidemics swept through populations of seals and sea lions, beginning with landlocked seals in Lake Baikal in Siberia. This first outbreak killed about 18,000 harbour seals in the North and Baltic Seas. Another epidemic in 2002 in the North Sea is believed to have wiped out more than half of the seal population in the region.
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Tim Wyatt
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/arctic-sea-ice-virus-melt-seal-sea-lion-otter-study-pdv-a9196301.html
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Sat, 09 Nov 2019 12:13:00 GMT
| 1,573,319,580 | 1,573,303,421 |
health
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non-human diseases
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922,846 |
thesun--2019-01-06--Britains entire rabbit population is at risk from a virus which can kill within 24 hours
| 2019-01-06T00:00:00 |
thesun
|
Britain’s entire rabbit population is at risk from a virus which can kill within 24 hours
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BRITAIN’S entire pet rabbit population is at risk from a deadly virus which can kill without warning in hours. The disease – new to the UK and spreading rapidly – is being blamed for a huge decline in the number of wild rabbits. But experts warn the estimated one million bunnies kept as pets are now at risk from RVHD2, the latest strain of Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic disease which came here from Europe. It is fatal, has few obvious symptoms and once an animal is infected there is no cure. Dr Diana Bell, a rabbit disease expert at the University of East Anglia, said: “Rabbits may be at an all-time low. When did you last see a roadkill rabbit? You don’t any more — they simply aren’t around like they used to be.” Vets are advising rabbit owners to get their pets vaccinated as soon as possible as the disease spreads to all parts of the UK. Infected pets will die within 24 hours despite showing few symptoms, according to experts. Ian Clarke, a vet from Worcester, added: “This disease is very dangerous, and owners should be alerted on the outbreak. “Rabbits can catch RVHD2 and be dead within 24 hours — there is no cure and that is why a vaccine is essential. “The disease is new and spreading across the country. Symptoms can include low appetite, lethargy, spasms and sudden death. “We are aware no vaccine is 100 per cent effective, but it is certainly a lot safer than not having it done. “Pet owners should be aware of this fatal disease and I would recommend them taking their pet to a vet immediately. "A rabbit can be vaccinated 30 days after being born.” Research from the veterinary charity, the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, showed 49 per cent of rabbits across the country have received a primary course of vaccinations when young, meaning almost half a million rabbits could be at risk from a variety of potentially fatal diseases. Dr Richard Saunders, one of the UK’s leading rabbit experts, said: “Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic disease 1 and 2 kill a high proportion of the rabbits infected, often so quickly that there is no warning before finding them dead. “These diseases can be prevented by vaccination and it is absolutely vital to do this even if there haven’t been any outbreaks of these diseases in your area yet. "These diseases can spread rapidly and by the time there is an outbreak in your area and your rabbits aren’t vaccinated it may be too late.” GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]
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Michael HAYES
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8129981/britains-entire-rabbit-population-is-at-risk-from-a-virus-which-can-kill-within-24-hours/
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2019-01-06 02:16:35+00:00
| 1,546,758,995 | 1,567,553,727 |
health
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non-human diseases
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649,879 |
thedailyrecord--2019-06-25--Callous puppy farmers sold sickly and diseased dogs which died within days
| 2019-06-25T00:00:00 |
thedailyrecord
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Callous puppy farmers sold sickly and diseased dogs which died within days
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Two members of a "callous" puppy farming gang have been jailed for selling dogs they fraudulently claimed were bred in a family environment, when they were actually "sickly and diseased", with some dying within days of being sold. Norwich Crown Court heard that the puppies were advertised for sale as being healthy, socialised and treated for worms and fleas. But when police raided one of their premises in 2017 they found dogs in cages, some in "pitch-dark sheds with no access to light" and others "in a caravan at temperatures of up to 30C", prosecutor Hazel Stevens said. "They were being bred in a commercial environment, not in a family home as advertised," she added. Michael Rushmer, 27, of Thurlton, Norfolk, his sister Zoe Rushmer, 26, of no fixed address, and her partner Jacob Murphy, 27, of Norton Subcourse, all admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between June 1, 2016 and June 18, 2018. Michael Rushmer admitted continuing the offending while on bail for the offence, pleading guilty to a further count of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between July 15, 2018, and March 16, 2019. Michael Rushmer and Murphy were both jailed for three years and six months. Zoe Rushmer was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work. Judge Andrew Shaw told the mother-of-four: "It's your children and only your children that have spared you from going to prison." All three defendants were also disqualified from "owning, keeping or otherwise dealing with dogs for life", and they cannot appeal against this ruling for at least 10 years. He said the fraud, which began "at least as early as 2015", "strikes at the very heart of this nation's love for its pets, dogs in particular". "A family's decision to buy a puppy is not one that is ever taken lightly," he said, adding that "to sell people sickly and diseased dogs, so poorly that many do not survive, is about as callous and meanspirited a fraud as I have come across for some time". He described Murphy as the "ringleader", Michael Rushmer as "his deputy if not his equal" and Zoe Rushmer as "the legitimate face of your brother's and partner's criminal enterprise" who "even lent her own children to the affair as part of her efforts to lend a veneer of respectability" to what they were doing. Ms Stevens said that the dogs had an average price of £675 and the gang made £300,000 from the fraud, though they claimed it was nearer £150,000. She said: "When visiting, buyers were often met by a female and there were often children present, giving the impression of a family they (the puppies) were supposed to be part of." Statements were taken from 31 purchasers who described how their puppies "looked lifeless and ill", and some died within days of getting home after they were diagnosed with parvovirus, a highly contagious disease. One buyer was told by the sellers that their puppy died "due to their negligence" and were refused help with their £2,000 vet bill, Ms Stevens said. "These defendants exploited the emotional vulnerability of potential purchasers, especially those who attended with children to see the potential new member of their family," she said. She added: "This fraudulent activity succeeds as the people who want to buy these small-type breeds, or cross-breeds, want to do something for their family, and because once they see the dog they want to rescue it or buy it. "Once they've fallen in love with the puppy, regardless of the circumstances nine times out of 10 they buy the puppy, even if they think something is going on." She described it as a "sophisticated offence" which required "significant planning", with defendants using false names and addresses and multiple SIM cards so different phone numbers could be used in adverts. Barrister Andrew Oliver said in mitigation that Michael Rushmer took over the business from his late father, started to use cocaine and made the "foolish decision" to buy dogs from travellers, which introduced parvovirus to the farm. Zoe Rushmer was remorseful and Jacob Murphy was trying to fund his drug habit, the court heard. Michael Rushmer also admitted 10 animal welfare offences, and operating a pet shop and breeding establishment without a licence. Zoe Rushmer admitted four animal welfare offences and Murphy admitted three. Jean Boyes, 67, also admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between June 1, 2016 and June 18, 2018, but the court heard her role was limited to taking a litter of seven puppies to be inoculated on a single occasion. Boyes, whose given address is The Street, Bramerton, but the court heard was now living in a car, was given a two-year conditional discharge. RSPCA inspector Amy Pellegrini, lead investigator, described the farm as a "puppy factory". She added: "The way the adverts were worded suggested to prospective purchasers that these were litters of home-bred puppies in good health and were well-socialised. "The reality, sadly, was far from it and the sellers were running a commercial, unlicensed puppy farm on an industrial scale."
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[email protected] (Sam Russell)
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https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/callous-puppy-farmers-sold-sickly-17247613
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2019-06-25 16:40:23+00:00
| 1,561,495,223 | 1,567,538,189 |
health
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non-human diseases
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754,170 |
theindependent--2019-04-03--How British farmers were left aposstaring into the abyssapos after the foot-and-mouth export ban
| 2019-04-03T00:00:00 |
theindependent
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How British farmers were left 'staring into the abyss' after the foot-and-mouth export ban
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British exports of meat, livestock and milk were banned by the government and the European Union yesterday as the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease for 20 years plunged the farming industry into yet another crisis. The blanket prohibition, similar in scale to the BSE export ban, could have catastrophic consequences for British farmers, who export nearly £600m worth of beef, lamb and pork annually, both alive and as meat. The ban, which took effect immediately and will be reviewed at the end of the month by the European Commission’s standing veterinary committee, led the president of the National Farmers’ Union, Ben Gill, to declare: “It is like staring into the abyss. On top of all the problems we have had to surmount in the last few years, the impact is unthinkable.” The effects of the ban will clearly depend on the source of the outbreak being quickly found and closely contained, by slaughter of all potentially affected animals. Nick Brown, the agriculture minister, said extra resources were being deployed to act swiftly and firmly against the outbreak, spotted on Monday at an abattoir and neighbouring farm in Essex. “We are faced with what is potentially a very serious situation,” Mr Brown said. “We have to bear down on the source and check every single movement in and out of the area where this has been identified, and to slaughter the infected animals and destroy the carcasses.” The next two days would be crucial for judging the seriousness of the outbreak he said. All farmers who had no choice but to slaughter livestock affected by the disease would be compensated at the full market value for each animal, Mr Brown said. He admitted, however, that he was unable to predict how long the ban on exports would be in place. “I cannot promise that these measures will not be prolonged,” he said. “But we have to do whatever we have to do. It’s an EU ban but we’ve been party to the discussions.” Where did it come from? Read part two here Mr Gill said British farmers would do whatever it took to stop the disease from turning into the disastrously widespread outbreak of 1967, in which nearly half a million animals had to be destroyed. “It is in the interests of the whole of the British livestock industry that the spread of this disease is halted – there is simply no alternative,” Mr Gill said. “The sooner the outbreak is controlled, the sooner any restrictions can be lifted and that has to be our main priority now.” The export ban was imposed in Brussels at the end of a day in which scientists from the Ministry of Agriculture had made strenuous efforts to trace the origin of the outbreak at the Cheale Meats abattoir in Little Warley, near Brentwood, and the adjoining farm, both owned by Mr Paul Cheale. The disease, which does not threaten human health but is debilitating in all cloven-hoofed livestock, was found in a group of pigs which had been sent to the abattoir for slaughter from two farms in Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight. All three farms, as well as two more suppliers of the abattoir in Stroud, Gloucestershire, and Selby, North Yorkshire, were quarantined, placed under investigation and ringed by five-mile zones in which animal movement was prohibited. The government’s chief veterinary officer, Jim Scudamore, said that suppliers to the Essex premises were from all over the UK, including Northern Ireland, the north of England and Scotland, although there were no foreign animals involved. Officials were trying to trace “a lot of vehicle movements, a lot of animal movements and a lot of movements by people”, he said. “We are going to have to visit a lot of farms. Although foot-and-mouth can be passed from farm to farm through the air, government scientists were looking at the more likely possibility that animals had caught the disease from one of the transporters used to make deliveries to the Essex abattoir. Mr Gill said: “I simply cannot stress how important it is that every farmer in Britain with livestock is vigilant to the symptoms of this disease” We must work together to ensure that this outbreak does not become like the nightmare outbreak of the 1960s.” The incubation period for foot-and-mouth is three to 14 days, he said, although the particular strain of virus identified seemed to be showing symptoms a lot faster. The Food Standards Agency said foot-and-mouth posed no threat to food safety and that the export ban was aimed at stamping out the spread of foot-and-mouth. This article first appeared in The Independent on 22 February 2001
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Michael McCarthy, Nigel Morris, Stephen Castle
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/foot-and-mouth-disease-outbreak-2001-eu-exports-banned-a8806301.html
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2019-04-03 17:37:38+00:00
| 1,554,327,458 | 1,567,544,154 |
health
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non-human diseases
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990,232 |
thesun--2019-12-10--Bird flu outbreak at Suffolk farm as 27,000 chickens to be slaughtered
| 2019-12-10T00:00:00 |
thesun
|
Bird flu outbreak at Suffolk farm as 27,000 chickens to be slaughtered
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THOUSANDS of chickens are set to be slaughtered after a bird flu outbreak was detected at a farm in Suffolk. All 27,000 birds at the commercial farm will be culled after a number were found to have the H5 strain of avian flu, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said on Tuesday. The strain has been identified as "low pathogenic avian flu". Public Health England has said the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency has said food safety is not at risk. A one-kilometre exclusion zone has been set up around the farm to limit the risk of the disease spreading. Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: "Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises. "We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease spread associated with this strain to control and eliminate it." The virus, which is also known as avian flu, is a type of influenza that mainly affects birds but can sometimes pose a threat to humans. While there are many different strains of bird flu, only two of them have caused serious concerns for humans over the past few decades. This does not include H5N6, which has hit the UK. Different strains of bird flu can spread to people when they have direct contact with the infection. This can occur when humans touch dead or alive contaminated birds, their droppings or secretions from their eyes. The NHS explains that “close and prolonged contact with an infected bird is generally required for the infection to spread to humans.” Last year, The World Health Organisation confirmed that 840 people had been infected by the H6N1 virus worldwide by May 2015 and 447 of the cases were fatal. Despite these alarming statistics, as it stands, there have been no reported cases of bird flu in humans in the UK. Symptoms of bird flu include high temperature, aching muscles, headache, respiratory problems, diarrhoea and vomiting, abdominal pain, chest pain and nose and gum bleeding. Dr Gavin Dabrera, public health consultant at Public Health England, added: "Avian flu (often called bird flu) is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public's health is very low. "As a precaution, we are offering public health advice and antivirals to those who had contact with the affected birds, as is standard practice." A detailed investigation is under way to determine the most likely source of the outbreak. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours
|
Nika Shakhnazarova
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10525528/bird-fly-outbreak-suffolk-farm-chickens/
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Tue, 10 Dec 2019 23:21:13 +0000
| 1,576,038,073 | 1,576,023,920 |
health
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non-human diseases
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754,327 |
theindependent--2019-04-03--Where did foot-and-mouth disease come from
| 2019-04-03T00:00:00 |
theindependent
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Where did foot-and-mouth disease come from?
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Paul Cheale, a pig breeder and abattoir owner, woke up to a farmer’s worst nightmare yesterday when he found his Essex property at the centre of Britain’s first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease for 20 years. His Cheale Meats Abattoir at Little Warley, near Brentwood, was doubly surrounded – by the yellow-and-black isolation tape of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and by TV crews and journalists wanting to know what had happened. Mr Cheale looked shaken and could not keep the tremor out of his voice when he emerged to give his version of events. “We are devastated,” he said. “It is a real tragedy – the farming industry has been through BSE and swine fever and now we are faced with this.” The disease was found on Monday in pigs which had been awaiting slaughter at his abattoir, after being brought from farms in Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight. It has also been found on neighbouring Old England farm, which Mr Cheale owns. The area is at the edge of Greater London, on the featureless south Essex flatlands, but the abattoir takes animals from all over the country. “On Monday we slaughtered 722 pigs, as is normal,” Mr Cheale said. “But we have a vet here all the time, and it was noticed that some animals were not quite right. We stopped the slaughter because we suspected it was swine vesicular disease – the symptoms are exactly the same as foot-and-mouth. “Now as far as we know it’s definitely foot-and-mouth, and all of the stock and all of the meat will be destroyed. Yesterday we slaughtered the remainder of the animals – 284 pigs and two cattle.” The stench of infected farms was only the beginning ... read part three He now faces an intensive cleaning operation, involving the sterilisation of his premises, before he can even think about operating again, and yesterday he was trying to work out what it will mean to him financially – as this morning the whole UK farming industry will be doing. “It’s obviously going to be expensive – it’s going to cost tens of thousands of pounds,” he said. “We are talking about hundreds of tons of meat being destroyed. “We do get compensation, but we don’t get compensation for loss of production. The key question is – where did it all come from? It obviously came from an animal somewhere, but we don’t know where.” Exclusion zones and checks are now operating around the two farms which supplied Cheale Meats. “So far there have been no confirmed cases of the disease here,” said Andrew Fidler, joint owner of Faringford Farm on the Isle of Wight. “The vets have been here looking at the animals, checking them out. “We sent a load of pigs to this abattoir along with another farm on Friday. They were kept over the weekend and slaughtered on Monday when it was discovered that they were infected. It seems likely that our pigs were infected by pigs that had already been at the abattoir. “The last few days have been OK apart from the fact that we cannot leave the farm. The kids are on holiday so they are not worried. The important thing is that it is sorted out.” The anxiety the outbreak has provoked in Essex was evident with a neighbouring farmer, Scott Norris, who has 1,000 young pigs in a rearing unit just over a mile away – well within the five-mile no movement zone that has been established around the abattoir. “We’ve not seen any problems as yet, and if it’s able to be nipped in the bud and doesn’t spread, it will all be over very quickly,” Mr Norris said. “But it will be of great concern if it spreads … We have had such a poor economic time with problems here and imports coming into our traditional markets, and disease problems have simply added to it.” The pig industry is worried because it suffered more severely than any other sector in the financial crisis that hit British agriculture between 1998 and 2000. Global overproduction sent pig prices tumbling just when British pig producers faced higher costs because of new, stringent animal welfare legislation which has not yet been brought in by EU competitors. It is believed that most British pig farmers made a loss in 1999. Then last year the industry was hit by an outbreak of classical swine fever in East Anglia, which, although contained, is estimated by the National Pig Association (NPA) to have cost it between £80m and £100m. “The new outbreak is hugely worrying for the pig industry,” said Ann Petersson, the NPA policy director. “We are still trying to pick ourselves up after the swine fever outbreak.” This article first appeared in The Independent on 22 February 2001
|
Michael McCarthy
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/foot-and-mouth-disease-outbreak-paul-cheale-meats-a8806521.html
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2019-04-03 17:37:38+00:00
| 1,554,327,458 | 1,567,544,157 |
health
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non-human diseases
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1,031,964 |
thevaccinereaction--2019-10-16--USDA Pressured to Create Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank
| 2019-10-16T00:00:00 |
thevaccinereaction
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USDA Pressured to Create Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank
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Representatives from the National Pork Producers Council, the National Milk Producers Federation, the National Corn Growers Association and Iowa State University have urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to quickly establish a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine bank.1 FMD is a contagious viral disease. The virus causes illness in cows, pigs, sheep, goats, deer, and other animals with divided hooves. It does not affect horses, dogs or cats. FMD is not a public health or food safety threat.2 These groups have expressed concerns that the USDA does not have enough vaccines available to avoid adverse economic consequences should an outbreak occur in the future. It has been 90 years since the United States has had an FMD outbreak.3 Researchers at University of Iowa have estimated that an outbreak would result in $128 billion in losses for the beef and pork sectors, $44 billion to corn farmers, $25 billion to soybean farmers and job losses of more than 1.5 million over ten years.4 The groups said they recognize that the USDA has taken some measures to create a vaccine bank; however, the groups are calling for the USDA to use funding included in the 2018 Farm Bill to purchase the volume of vaccines required to effectively contain and eliminate an FMD outbreak.1 James Roth, MD, a professor in the department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said: The U.S. vaccine bank is our best insurance policy to respond to an FMD outbreak in the United States. As with most insurance policies, we hope to never use it, but it’s paramount that we have fast access to enough vaccine if we ever need it. The funding provided in the 2018 Farm Bill provides a good start toward building up a more robust FMD vaccine stockpile to help protect American agriculture.”1 According to the National Hog Farmer, even when the U.S develops a vaccine bank, pre-vaccinating livestock prior to any outbreak is not an option. Dr. Roth explains that if a country declares itself free internationally of FMD but have vaccinated for it, then as outlined in international animal health rules, there would still be many hoops to jump through to export product. He says that, “Countries that would import your product want to see a lot of data to prove that that virus is not circulating in a low level, so you have to do very extensive diagnostic testing to prove that even though you’re vaccinating, there is no virus infecting the herds.”3 Dr. Roth adds that there is an even more pragmatic argument against pre-vaccinating. It is not logistically or financially practical: “There’s 23 different strains. We’d have to use 23 different vaccines to cover all possible strains in the world.”3
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Marco Caceres
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https://thevaccinereaction.org/2019/10/usda-pressured-to-create-foot-and-mouth-disease-vaccine-bank/
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Wed, 16 Oct 2019 20:47:28 +0000
| 1,571,273,248 | 1,571,313,907 |
health
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non-human diseases
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58,222 |
birminghammail--2019-03-15--Furious calls to BAN racing as three Cheltenham Festival 2019 horses tragically die
| 2019-03-15T00:00:00 |
birminghammail
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Furious calls to BAN racing as three Cheltenham Festival 2019 horses tragically die
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There are furious calls to BAN horse racing after three horses died at Cheltenham Festival 2019. The three horses have tragically died at the four-day racing extravaganza, with two dying today, Gold Cup Day. Invitation Only became the second horse to die after a fall in the big race today (March 15). Invitation Only's death followed a fatal injury to pre-race favourite Sir Erec in the final race of Gold Cup day. The horse was being ridden by Mark Walsh in the Triumph Hurdle when it appeared to suffer a broken leg after going over a jump and was put down as a result of fatal injuries. Former champion jockey Sir AP McCoy paid tribute to the horse after the incident, telling ITV Racing: "I'm absolutely heartbroken for Sir Erec. That is the toughest thing about this sport." Chris Luffingham, Director of Campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: "Cheltenham Festival 2019 has proven a disaster with Invitation Only becoming the third horse killed on the racecourse this week – and the 91 horse to die at Cheltenham Racecourse since 2008. "This comes after the British Horseracing Authority implemented so-called safety improvements to the lethal course. "“Hundreds of horses are seriously injured and killed on British racecourses each year – and for nothing more than a flutter. "If footballers were shot following injuries on the pitch, there would be an exodus of people from the sport – so why not the same when horses are needlessly killed at the hands of the racing industry? “We’re also calling for a ban on national hunt racing because of the terrible injuries sustained by horses and for everyone who cares about animal welfare to simply stay away from racecourses across Britain.”
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Aidan McCartney, James Rodger
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https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/other-sport/furious-calls-ban-racing-three-15981875
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2019-03-15 16:49:37+00:00
| 1,552,682,977 | 1,567,546,067 |
health
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non-human diseases
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163,453 |
eveningstandard--2019-02-07--Equine flu outbreak 2019 Horse racing cancellations could cost stakeholders millions if it lasts lo
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
eveningstandard
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Equine flu outbreak 2019: Horse racing cancellations could cost stakeholders millions if it lasts longer than a week
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The cost of the Equine flu outbreak for horse racing stakeholders could run into "tens of millions" if it extends beyond next Wednesday. All horse racing in Britain will be postponed until Wednesday February 13 at the earliest after the outbreak in a huge blow for the sport. Racing across the country was abandoned on Thursday morning after three horses at Donald McCain’s yard in Cheshire tested positive for the virus. Racing in Ireland continued but British horses were banned from competing. A spokesman for Betfair has warned the impact of cancellations could be very costly for stakeholders. He said if the cancellations extend beyond Wednesday, the costs could run into tens of millions. The spokesman for the betting website said: “‘While the projected hiatus of racing until Wednesday will have a detrimental effect on the industry, it would not be profound but a prolonged period of cancellations would obviously have a negative impact on all stakeholders, the cost of which could run into the tens of millions’’ The BHA says it will take a decision next Monday as to whether racing can resume on Wednesday. This decision, however, will mean this weekend’s Betfair Super Saturday meet at Newbury, which includes two Grade 2 races and the £155,000 Betafir Hurdle, will not take place. Thursday's fixtures at Huntingdon, Doncaster, Ffos and Chelsford City have also all been cancelled. There are fears the eagerly anticipated Cheltenham Festival, which is due to take place on March 12, could be cancelled because of the outbreak. The racing event, one of the most looked forward to events of the year, is due to take place across four days and attracts scores of visitors. The British Horseracing Authority said: "This precautionary approach is intended to ensure we put the health of the horse population and control of the virus first, and avoid any unnecessary risk that might come from returning to racing too quickly. "We appreciate the impact that this may have on the sport commercially, but disease control in order to mitigate the risk of further disruption to the sport -- and safeguard the health and welfare of our horses -- must be a priority."
|
Olivia Tobin, Malik Ouzia
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https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/equine-flu-outbreak-2019-horse-racing-cancellations-could-cost-industry-millions-if-it-lasts-longer-a4060896.html
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2019-02-07 20:26:00+00:00
| 1,549,589,160 | 1,567,549,297 |
health
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non-human diseases
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163,754 |
eveningstandard--2019-02-08--Three more horses diagnosed with equine flu as crisis worsens amid racing ban
| 2019-02-08T00:00:00 |
eveningstandard
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Three more horses diagnosed with equine flu as crisis worsens amid racing ban
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Three further horses from the yard of Donald McCain have tested positive for equine flu, including Raise A Spark, who ran at Ayr on Wednesday, the British Horseracing Authority has announced. A "separate suspicious case" - not yet confirmed as a positive sample - has been identified at another yard. Raise A Spark finished last of four in an extended two-mile handicap chase won by Gordon Elliott's Veinard. Three positives were already known from the McCain stable. Of the additional three cases, Raise A Spark is the only one to have run this week. In a statement on Friday afternoon, the BHA said: "The test on this runner relates to a sample taken the following day, and the horse showed no clinical symptoms on raceday. "It was in anticipation of this risk that the decision was taken by the BHA to restrict movement of horses on a precautionary basis at the yards of 120 other trainers who competed at these fixtures, and to suspend racing until Wednesday at the earliest. "This action was taken to mitigate the impact of any of the runners which competed at these fixtures being found to be infected by the virus. "Testing of horses at the 120 yards which have been put on hold is continuing on an ongoing basis. No further positive samples have been reported as yet." But the statement added: "However, a separate suspicious case - which has not yet been confirmed as a positive sample - has been identified at another yard. "No links have been identified between this yard and the original yard. "This yard had runners at the fixtures at Newcastle on February 5 and Wolverhampton on February 6, and as such the BHA has taken the further precautionary steps of placing all 54 yards of trainers who also had runners at these fixtures on hold and initiating testing of horses from these yards." The BHA said it was working closely with the Animal Health Trust "in order to manage the logistical challenge of providing sufficient swabs and handling the volume of tests being sent through the facility, considering that testing of a total of 174 yards is now taking place". It added: "It will not be possible to test every horse from every yard before the end of the weekend, but we will work with trainers to identify any priority or risk horses and ensure that they are tested. "This will all form part of the picture that is built in order to assist the decisions that will be made on Monday."
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JOE KRISHNAN
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https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/other-sports/three-more-horses-diagnosed-with-equine-flu-as-crisis-worsens-amid-racing-ban-a4061666.html
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2019-02-08 14:54:00+00:00
| 1,549,655,640 | 1,567,549,174 |
health
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non-human diseases
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164,053 |
eveningstandard--2019-02-11--Equine flu outbreak 2019 British horse racing given green light to return on Wednesday after suspen
| 2019-02-11T00:00:00 |
eveningstandard
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Equine flu outbreak 2019: British horse racing given green light to return on Wednesday after suspension
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Racing across the UK has been given the all clear to resume on Wednesday following a six-day suspension due to an outbreak of equine influenza. The British Horseracing Authority have confirmed that racing will return after being halted last Thursday when three horses from trainer Donald McCain's yard tested positive for the virus. Three further cases were confirmed at the end of last week, but the BHA said on Sunday that all of the tests on hundreds of horses carried out over the weekend had come back negative. On lifting the suspension, a statement from the BHA said: "After consultation with its veterinary committee, and based on the latest tests conducted by the Animal Health Trust, the BHA’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Brant Dunshea, tonight confirmed that racing could resume, but only with strict biosecurity controls in place. "This decision to return racing in a controlled, risk-managed manner was unanimously supported by the industry veterinary committee." Regulatory Officer Dunshea said: “Our approach since hearing about the first positive results last Wednesday has been based on accumulating as much information as we could as quickly as possible so we could properly understand the risks of this virulent strain of flu spreading to more horses. That would be harmful to them and damaging to any trainers’ yards that became infected. “It has also been our intention to ensure that we avoid an issue that could result in a longterm disruption to racing with the risk of many of our major events being unduly impacted. “After analysis of thousands of samples, and no further positive tests on Monday, we still only have two confirmed sites of infection. We have put robust containment measures in place around both." The news will come as a relief to those across the sport, with the Cheltenham Festival now only a month away and experts warning that continued suspension could cost the industry millions. More immediately, the decision to lift the ban means a host of key meetings, including Ascot Chase Day and the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park, will be able to go ahead this weekend. Last weekend, several major fixtures were missed, including Super Saturday at Newbury, where 2018 Gold Cup winner Native River was due to run in the Denman Chase.
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Malik Ouzia
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https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/equine-flu-outbreak-2019-british-horse-racing-given-green-light-to-return-on-wednesday-after-a4062721.html
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2019-02-11 23:55:00+00:00
| 1,549,947,300 | 1,567,548,892 |
health
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non-human diseases
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625,325 |
thedailymirror--2019-02-07--Trainer at centre of horse racings equine flu drama hits back at critics
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
thedailymirror
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Trainer at centre of horse racing's equine flu drama hits back at critics
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Donald McCain has spent his life accustomed to the spotlight. His late father, Ginger, was famous around the world as the man who trained the great Red Rum to a record three Grand National triumphs in the 1970s. And McCain Jnr continued the family business by claiming victory in the same race when he saddled Ballabriggs to glory in 2011. But the attention that came his way on Thursday, when he was revealed as the man in the eye of the equine flu storm was something new and unwelcome. He immediately mounted a sterling defence of his reputation after it emerged three horses at his Bankhouse stables in Cheshire were carrying the highly contagious virus. News of the positive tests sent racing into meltdown as it was feared McCain’s Raise A Spark and Dry Lightening, who contested races at Ayr and Ludlow on Wednesday, could also be infected. On social media, where the crisis drew comparisons with the foot-and-mouth epidemic that claimed the 2001 Cheltenham Festival, McCain was accused of a cavalier attitude to equine health. But the 48-year-old, who took over from his legendary father in 2006, insisted: “We are scrupulous about observing the health status of horses in our care and taking the necessary steps to treat any condition that may affect them. “It follows we would never race any horses that we could have known were infected. “I’ve been aware of the recent news about equine influenza outbreaks in France and Ireland, and over the last couple of days I’ve been concerned about the health status of a small number of horses in the yard. “Their welfare is at the front of our minds, so at my request, our veterinary surgeon has examined them regularly and we have followed his advice on testing and treatment. It was by following this protocol that the positive results for equine flu came to light yesterday evening.” McCain’s swift action drew praise from the British Horseracing Authority, whose Director of Equine Health and Welfare David Sykes, said: “We would like to thank Donald McCain for his cooperation in this matter, and for the responsible manner in which he has dealt with this issue. He has acted professionally with the interests of the racing industry and the health of his horses as his priority.” A total of 115 stables who have fielded runners against McCain-trained horses over the past week are now in lockdown – pending the results of swab tests for equine flu – with racing suspended until Wednesday at the earliest. British-based horses have also been banned from competing in Ireland – the Warren Greatrex-saddled mare La Bague Au Roi was in winning action at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival on Sunday – until further notice by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board and Horse Racing Ireland. “As an interim precaution, the IHRB and HRI have decided runners from Britain will not be permitted to run in Ireland in an effort to reduce the risk of further spread of the disease via horse movement,” read a joint-statement. But fears equine flu could have been taken back to Ireland by runners sent to Ayr on Wednesday by Gordon Elliott were allayed by the County Meath handler. “The horses we ran at Ayr yesterday never came back to our yard and instead went to a non-racing isolation yard about 25 minutes away from where we are based,” Elliott revealed. “We’ve been told the chances of this affecting our runners from yesterday is very remote but we can’t take any chances whatsoever and those horses that went to Ayr will be quarantined as long as they have to be.” The Betfair ambassador added: “Hopefully everything will get back to normal in Britain as quickly as possible, but from our point of view it’s business as usual.”
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David Yates
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https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/trainer-centre-horseracings-equine-flu-13968266
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2019-02-07 20:33:20+00:00
| 1,549,589,600 | 1,567,549,341 |
health
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non-human diseases
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690,680 |
theguardianuk--2019-02-18--Talking Horses Skelton has fingers crossed as vaccinated runners return
| 2019-02-18T00:00:00 |
theguardianuk
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Talking Horses: Skelton has fingers crossed as vaccinated runners return
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After a weekend of flu-affected action, jump racing will return to something like a level playing field this week and Dan Skelton is one of many trainers hoping his horses will be able to run to their best despite an unscheduled round of vaccinations. The new rule requiring runners to have had a recent vaccination came in last Monday night, since when the normally prolific Skelton has had just five runners, but it will be a different story this week; lots of his horses got their jabs and will be eligible to run from Tuesday. The Warwickshire trainer told me of his concern that some of those vaccinated last week, at his yard and at many others, may not run to form right away. “You are going to get horses this week and possibly the week after that seem OK at home but don’t run as well as expected. Some are going to feel no different and some are going to feel a bit down and you can’t tell until you get to the business end of a race. “It’s the owners I feel sorry for. They expect the horses to be in tip-top form at this time of year and rightly so, and they normally are but we’ve been forced to do something outside of the normal and we just don’t know how that’s going to work. This has been thrust upon us and we’ve just got to get on with it.” Skelton does not expect that this round of vaccinations will affect performances at the Cheltenham Festival in a month’s time. “The effects, even if they are negative, don’t last much beyond a fortnight. Cheltenham, you’ll have a level playing field by then.” But this week’s prep runs might be a different story. “The ones I want to run this week and on Saturday, I feel very strongly that I want to run, to find out which race they go for [at Cheltenham]. They might need another run, especially the novices. We have had to give them the flu vaccs, we’re doing everything we can to mitigate any negatives and just hope they don’t have a short-term negative effect. But it’s a flip of a coin, as to individual horses. We’ve just got to do everything we can to make sure they’re as well as they can be. “I’ve got Tokay Dokey in the Dovecote [at Kempton on Saturday], Protektorat in the Adonis, I’ve got a few in the handicaps that are en route to Cheltenham and we need to know what trips they’re going. I’ve got a couple to go up to Newcastle, one for the Eider, hopefully. I’d have been competing last week in all those big races, like a lot of us that weren’t there. Hopefully it’s all behind us, that’s the main thing to say now.” Turning to Monday’s action, I like 10-1 about Pearl Swan (3.50) in the Surrey National at Lingfield. You might remember him from the Triumph Hurdle seven years ago, when he was making a charge from the back before capsizing at the last. He’s with Peter Bowen these days and, having been highly tried in two runs over fences last year, has come back down to his last winning mark of two years ago. There was a bit to like about his reappearance run last month and this could be the time to catch him. Sue Smith could have a good day at Carlisle, thanks at least in part to Absolutely Dylan (3.00), who was having his fourth quick run when mildly disappointing at Newcastle before Christmas. His progress could resume in this race, which lacks depth. He’s 5-2. One firm briefly went 7-1 about the nap, Camile (5.00) at Newcastle, but she was pretty soon down to a general 5-2. Formerly with Joseph O’Brien, she is having her second run for Iain Jardine, having won over hurdles on her debut for him. She may have been a mite lucky that day but it would be a surprise if she doesn’t prove ahead of her lowly Flat rating.
|
Chris Cook
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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/feb/18/talking-horses-skelton-has-fingers-crossed-as-vaccinated-horses-return
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2019-02-18 10:34:58+00:00
| 1,550,504,098 | 1,567,548,170 |
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746,922 |
theindependent--2019-02-12--New vaccination rules enabled racing to resume after flu outbreak says British Horseracing Authorit
| 2019-02-12T00:00:00 |
theindependent
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New vaccination rules enabled racing to resume after flu outbreak, says British Horseracing Authority
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Racing could have been postponed for a “further period of at least a week” had stringent new vaccination requirements not been imposed, the British Horseracing Authority has said. It was a condition of racing resuming following the enforced six-day shutdown due to equine flu that in order for a horse to fulfil an entry, it must have had the relevant vaccination within six months of the race in question. Any horse having a new vaccination cannot run for seven days. That has led to a raft of complaints from some trainers, while others are not as badly affected. Announcing additional opportunities for trainers needing to prepare horses for the upcoming spring festivals, the BHA said in a statement: “The BHA has today announced that it intends to schedule additional alternative races to assist trainers in their preparation for upcoming major festivals for horses that may miss out on essential prep or qualifying runs in the coming 10 days owing to the new vaccination requirements. “The additional opportunities will be scheduled on or around the weekend of February 23, in order that horses which require vaccinations over the coming days will be eligible to run. Like all other British races, they will only be available to horses who have been vaccinated within the last six months. “It was agreed that, if racing was to return, there should be stringent biosecurity measures put in place to protect the welfare of the breed and reduce the chance of further disruption. “The sport is taking a measured risk by returning to racing this quickly, and for that risk to be deemed manageable then it was necessary that protective measures should be put in place. “This includes the fact that horses that have not been vaccinated in the last six months should not be allowed to run. Put simply – without this we would not be racing. It could open the sport up to an unacceptable level of risk. “The science is unequivocal that vaccines help reduce the effect and spread of equine influenza. This was a view that was stated by Dr Richard Newton – the Animal Health Trust’s world-leading expert in this field – and supported unanimously by the experts on the veterinary committee.” The statement went on: “Trainers had been advised on January 25 that, due to the concerning situation in Europe where outbreaks have occurred in vaccinated horses, and an unprecedented number of cases in unvaccinated non-thoroughbreds in Britain, all horses which have not had a vaccination against equine influenza within the last six months should receive a booster vaccination. “We appreciate that the six-day mandatory stand down period following vaccination, which is a welfare measure on behalf of the horse, will mean that some horses who were not subsequently vaccinated will not be able to run for a short period. “However, to ensure a level playing field it would have been necessary to cancel all racing for a further period of at least a week.” It added: “The BHA is committed to the return to racing whilst minimising the risk of equine influenza spreading further within the sport, causing further disruption. This is our main priority. “We recognised in making the decision last night that some participants could be disadvantaged and we are doing what we can to mitigate that without compromising the management of the outbreak.” Keep up to date with all the latest news with expert comment and analysis from our award-winning writers
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Sports Staff
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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/racing/horse-racing-equine-flu-crisis-outbreak-vaccination-rules-schedule-meetings-a8775846.html
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2019-02-12 16:00:00+00:00
| 1,550,005,200 | 1,567,548,775 |
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935,676 |
thesun--2019-02-07--Donald McCain confirms the horses tested positive from equine flu came from his yard
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Donald McCain confirms the horses tested positive from equine flu came from his yard
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TRAINER Donald McCain has released a statement confirming the horses who tested positive for equine flu came from his training base, Bankhouse. McCain released the statement through the National Trainers Federation stating that he followed all rules and guidelines and made the BHA aware of the positive tests straight away. The statement read: "I have been aware of the recent news about Equine Influenza outbreaks in France and Ireland, and over the last couple of days, I have been concerned about the health status of a small number of horses in the yard. "Their welfare is at the front of our minds, so at my request, our veterinary surgeon has examined them regularly and we have followed his advice on testing and treatment. "It was by following this protocol that the positive results for equine flu came to light yesterday evening. "The BHA were contacted immediately and we are liaising closely with them about biosecurity and management of all the horses at Bankhouse. "Bankhouse follows all the available advice on disease control and all our horses are fully inoculated. "We are scrupulous about observing the health status of horses in our care and taking the necessary steps to treat any condition that may affect them. "It follows we would never race any horses that we could have known were infected. Over the last 2 months, all potential runners have been scoped and their blood checked within 36 hours of their races to ensure that only healthy horses compete for the yard. "When new horses arrive at our yard we, as much as possible, try to keep them separate but at this stage cannot know if the infection came from recent arrivals or from horses returning from racing. We have 3 confirmed cases and this morning have taken blood and swabs from all the others for testing."
|
hfuller
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/horseracing/8376703/donald-mccain-confirms-horses-tested-positive-equine-flu/
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2019-02-07 14:51:01+00:00
| 1,549,569,061 | 1,567,549,328 |
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935,696 |
thesun--2019-02-07--Equine flu outbreak results in ALL UK horse race meetings being cancelled on Thursday over fears of
| 2019-02-07T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Equine flu outbreak results in ALL UK horse race meetings being cancelled on Thursday over fears of infection
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AN OUTBREAK of equine flu has resulted in ALL race meetings in the UK being cancelled today. The British Horseracing Authority, the sport’s governing body, announced the shock move late last night. Three cases of the disease were found to have come from an “infected yard” which had runners at Ayr and Ludlow yesterday. Meetings at Huntingdon, which was set to host Supreme Novices Hurdle favourite Angels Breath in the Sidney Banks, as well as Doncaster, Ffos Las and Chelmsford have now been scrapped. The BHA described the “highly infectious” disease as “the most potentially damaging of the respiratory viruses”. They say it can be "transmitted indirectly, including via people", adding "there are no known consequences for humans associated with exposure to the disease." Since January 2, cases have been reported in Essex, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Suffolk - but all unvaccinated animals. An outbreak of equine flu in Australia in 2007 spread so quickly it paralysed the country’s horse industry, with 1,000 cases a week being reported. But it is the first time that an outbreak of disease has caused meetings to be scrapped since 2011 when Cheltenham Festival was cancelled due to foot and mouth. Sky Racing presenter Tim Carroll tweeted: "Just reading that these horses raced at Ludlow and Ayr today. "From my experience in Australia, where its was first detected in 1 horse at Centennial Park opposite Randwick racetrack, this potentially is a disaster, I really hope I'm wrong and we don't suffer the same fate." The BHA, whose chief executive is Nick Rust, said in a statement: “The outbreak at the infected yard follows the identification of a number of equine influenza cases across Europe and the UK, including several in vaccinated horses. "Horses from the infected yard have raced today at Ayr and Ludlow, potentially exposing a significant number of horses from yards across the country and in Ireland. "The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), with unanimous support of the BHA’s industry veterinary committee, has taken the decision to cancel racing at all British racecourses on Thursday 7 February 2019. "This is following the BHA being informed this evening by the Animal Health Trust of three confirmed Equine Influenza positives from vaccinated horses in an active racing yard. "The fact that the cases have been identified in vaccinated horses presents a cause for significant concern over welfare and the potential spread of the disease and the action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease. "The BHA has worked quickly to identify which yards could have potentially been exposed today and identify the further actions required. "The BHA is presently communicating with yards potentially exposed to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted to avoid possible further spread of the disease."
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tgannon
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/8371846/equine-flu-horse-race-meetings-cancelled/
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2019-02-07 00:29:54+00:00
| 1,549,517,394 | 1,567,549,332 |
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936,654 |
thesun--2019-02-10--Equine flu latest Reasons to rejoice as NO positive samples are found among nearly 1500 horses
| 2019-02-10T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Equine flu latest: Reasons to rejoice as NO positive samples are found among nearly 1,500 horses
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THERE was good news for racing fans on Sunday as the BHA revealed no more new cases of equine flu have been discovered. Among nearly 1,500 samples taken, not a single one has returned positive. Speaking on Racing TV this morning, BHA director of equine health and welfare David Sykes said: "I can happily report that we’ve not had any other positive tests except for the horses in the Donald McCain stable, so presently all tests have returned negative up until when I was in contact with the laboratory last night at 9.30pm. "The Animal Health Trust in the last three days has done as many flu swabs as they would do in a year. "They have been working from 8am to nine at night, Saturday and Sunday, to process all of these samples. "We’re looking at somewhere around 1,500 samples being all negative so far. The BHA this afternoon confirmed the news in a press release, stating: "The latest update that has been provided to the BHA confirms that no further positive cases have been identified from the testing carried out yesterday. "Owing to the volume of testing being carried out the AHT have not been able to provide a precise figure as to the number of tests carried out, but they are of the view that the numbers processed will be roughly equivalent to the 720 which were processed the previous day." Despite trainer Rebecca Menzies initially voicing fears that three of her horses in County Durham may have contracted the virus, their tests also came back negative. The release went on: "Amongst the samples that have been tested are those of the remaining 27 horses from the yard of Rebecca Menzies. "All horses in this yard have now tested negative, though the yard will remain under close surveillance and further testing will be carried out." The news means that the only horses currently to have picked up the strain are from Donald McCain's stable in Cheshire. With racing having been cancelled for four days, the likelihood of the sport returning will not be decided until tomorrow. The BHA went on: "A pragmatic and evidence-led approach is being adopted in order to enable the BHA to make decisions on Monday as to whether racing can return on Wednesday 13 February. "A prioritisation plan for testing is being adopted, which is based on the proximity of horses to a positive test, or to a yard returning a positive test. Swabs will continue to be collected and tested from other horses, but some are being fast tracked. "Separately, a specific plan is being formed as to what the clearance process will be for individual yards to return to racing. "This process will remain ongoing through today and tomorrow with a view to sufficient evidence being gathered to make a decision on Monday evening as to whether racing can return on Wednesday. "We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding that as much evidence as possible must be gathered prior to making a decision as to when racing can safely return. "Should racing be given the go ahead to return on Wednesday then declarations for all races would take place on Tuesday." In a separate statement this afternoon, David Sykes confirmed the news: “The data is encouraging and provides a further indication that the precautionary safety measures have helped to contain the spread of disease. "However, the picture is still developing and it remains the case that we will make an evidence-based decision about the situation on Monday." Charlie Appleby, whose Godolphin yard is one of the biggest in the country, told the Racing Post: "We tested 101 horses on Thursday, including the two that ran at Wolverhampton last Monday, and the results have come back clear. "We are looking forward to getting back to normal tomorrow and we are lucky at Moulton Paddocks that we have our own facilities. "The two horses involved will be tested again tomorrow and hopefully the results will be known later in the day." Racing has now been cancelled for four straight days in the UK, with only Naas and Punchestown flying the flag for fans in Ireland. But with this latest news, it now looks increasingly likely the BHA will be able to uphold their estimate that the sport can return sooner rather than later.
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Thomas Bull
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/horseracing/8395837/equine-flu-latest-no-positive-samples-1500-horses/
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2019-02-10 17:24:31+00:00
| 1,549,837,471 | 1,567,549,017 |
health
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936,940 |
thesun--2019-02-11--Equine flu latest Four more horses diagnosed with flu as Simon Crisford yard becomes second stable
| 2019-02-11T00:00:00 |
thesun
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Equine flu latest: Four more horses diagnosed with flu as Simon Crisford yard becomes second stable hit by virus
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THE prospects of racing resuming in the next few days were dealt a massive blow when four more horses tested positive for equine flu. There must now be a real chance the shutdown – due an outbreak of the highly-contagious virus – will be extended. The BHA are set to announce this evening whether Wednesday’s four meetings can go ahead after six blank days. Worryingly, the latest positive tests came from horses based in Newmarket – the country’s biggest training centre. They are all from Simon Crisford’s stables. The former boss of Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation is a Flat trainer. His last British runner was Sajanjil – only fourth when an odds-on favourite – at Newcastle on Tuesday. A statement from the BHA read: “No non-urgent journeys should be made to this yard – including by the media – and anyone who wishes to travel to the yard is advised to first contact the trainer’s office. “This yard is one of the 174 which has been required to undergo testing due to the fact that runners from the stable competed at the fixture at Newcastle on 5 February, which had been identified as a potential risk fixture. At the moment the affected horses are all contained within this yard. “The Newmarket community – including licensed trainers, veterinary surgeries, farriers, racing school and all other relevant bodies – are being advised to continue to show increased vigilance in biosecurity.” There had been encouraging signs over the weekend when around 1,500 samples taken from horses potentially at risk of infection had come back clear. The latest positive tests come from horses in stables 170 miles from the original outbreak at Donald McCain’s Cheshire yard. With the Cheltenham Festival just four weeks ago it was the news everyone in racing was dreading.
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Thomas Bull
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/horseracing/8400202/equine-flu-latest-four-horses-diagnosed-simon-crisford-second-stable-virus/
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2019-02-11 08:16:11+00:00
| 1,549,890,971 | 1,567,548,918 |
health
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57,533 |
birminghammail--2019-02-25--TV star launches attack on Crufts for treating pets as circus animals
| 2019-02-25T00:00:00 |
birminghammail
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TV star launches attack on Crufts for treating pets as circus animals
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Actor and activist Peter Egan has slammed the Crufts dog show for treating pets like circus animals. The animal rights campaigner and star of Downton Abbey has attacked the selective breeding enforced on competition dogs, and damage to animals in the search for perfect specimens. Egan has also criticised the pageant format which he sees as harmful to women and children who also compete to fit a physical ideal. He has branded children's beauty pageants abusive, and the adult competitions degrading to women. The actor believes that Crufts perpetuates pure breeding, which leads to harmful genetic conditions, with the dog's health secondary to its appearance. Writing in Radio Time magazine, Egan said: "We are so used to seeing these shows and it is so traditional that we don't even stop to consider whether it is right or not. "How long are we going to continue to use our pets as circus animals? "For me, the problem with Crufts is that it offers the pursuit of physical perfection in a way that is damaging, and one that I would compare to child beauty pageants and beauty contests. "Beauty contests, in my opinion, do a disservice to women, while child beauty pageants are literally a rejection of childhood and a form of parental abuse that does emotional as well as physical damage to the child. "In my view it's the same with Crufts. "The dogs suffer the physical degenerative decay that inbreeding creates in order to achieve the perfect specimen imposed on the poor participants. "If Crufts were a trade fair for the best and latest model in the car industry it would fail at every turn." The Crufts dog show is held each year in Birmingham, with fierce competition from owners to secure the Best In Show award. The full piece by Egan can be read in the new issue of Radio Times magazine.
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David Bentley
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https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/crufts-savaged-treating-pets-circus-15885871
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2019-02-25 17:51:19+00:00
| 1,551,135,079 | 1,567,547,343 |
human interest
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animal
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63,656 |
birminghammail--2019-06-26--Mystery as nine pets allegedly vanish while in the care of dog-sitter
| 2019-06-26T00:00:00 |
birminghammail
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Mystery as 'nine' pets allegedly vanish while in the care of dog-sitter
|
Police have launched an investigation after 'a number' of dogs allegedly disappeared - while in the care of a pet-sitter. The pooches with Birmingham owners - including three pugs, a jug (pug and Jack Russell cross) and a French bulldog - all reportedly vanished while being walked at Hopwas Woods, Tamworth , on Sunday (June 23). Now the distraught owners are appealing for help to track down their missing pets, with one even offering a 'substantial' reward. The exact number of missing dogs is unclear, but there are claims up to NINE pets could be missing, many from Sutton Coldfield. The animals had been left with the dog-sitter, but the owners allege that when they returned to fetch their pets they were told they had all 'disappeared'. They have since contacted West Midlands Police , who confirmed they are investigating the claims. James Egan left his beloved 18-month-old French bulldog Jack with the dog-sitter for the very first time, while he took a weekend break with wife Liz. But on Sunday, just hours before they were due to collect their pet, James was told his pet had disappeared. He claims the dog-sitter alleged they had been walking the dog in Hopwas Woods, Tamworth, when there was 'a loud bang' - and the animal ran off. Jack hasn't been seen since. James, from Kingstanding, said he returned to the woods with the dog sitter to search for the missing pooch, but they could find no sign of him. "It was the first time we had left Jack," James told BirminghamLive. "The dog sitter had been recommended to us by other dog owners who I had met while walking Jack. "I didn't like the thought of leaving him at a kennel, so we went with the dog sitter who would look after him in their own home. "We thought he would be safer and the dog walker seemed very professional. "We were due to fetch Jack on Monday but on Sunday I had a phone call from the dog sitter to say he had been lost. "The walker claimed they had been walking their own dog, along with ours, in Hopwas Woods. They said there had been a loud bang which spooked the dogs and they had run off. "I was sympathetic at first as the walker was really upset but then something didn't sit right." James said he soon learned of other dog owners who had been told their pets had been lost, in exactly the same way at the same location - by the same dog sitter. "It was unreal. Within a few hours we'd heard of another eight dogs who had all been 'lost' by the same person, over the same weekend and all from the same place," he added. "All us owners came together and reported it to the police on Tuesday (June 25). "But we've no idea where the dogs are or what has happened to them, we're at our wits' end." Becky Parsons, who lives in Erdington, also claims her two dogs, Maggie and Pablo, have not been returned by the dog sitter. She has used the services of the dog sitter on two previous occasions - without any concerns - but she returned home from holiday on Monday and was unable to get in touch with her. She said the sitter was "vague" about what had happened. One dog is a black pug, aged eight, he is going grey and has a white patch across his chest. Second is a pug crossed with a Jack Russell, aged six, tan coloured and wearing a red and white checked frilly collar. She said: "I have had the dogs since they were puppies. I am devastated, they are my world. "I have had a lot of family bereavement recently and the dogs have been my comfort. I can't explain how it feels." And another owner is calling for the return of her pugs, Ralph and Charlie. In an emotive post on Facebook, the owner wrote: "I am offering a reward for anyone who can get my boys back - no questions asked. "Charlie is poorly, he is half blind in each eye and his vision is blurry, he can only hear out of one ear and suffers skin allergies that he needs medication for. He also suffers with overgrowth in his nails that he is due an operation for. "Charlie is such a happy little guy - he can be very greedy but loves a tickle on his belly. Ralph is my baby, my sidekick, my comfort through all the bad times i've had. "Whoever has them, please do the right thing and in the meantime, please look after them." West Midlands Police have confirmed they are investigating and enquiries are 'ongoing'. "West Midlands Police is aware a number of dogs have gone missing while under the care of a dog sitter based in the Birmingham area," a West Midlands Police spokeswoman said. "Enquiries are ongoing to understand what has happened to the dogs and whether any criminal offences have taken place. "Anyone with information can contact West Midlands Police via Live Chat at www.west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight, or all 101 anytime. "Please quote log number 1100 and 1106 of 26/06/19."
|
[email protected] (Charlotte Paxton)
|
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/mystery-nine-pets-allegedly-vanish-16491644
|
2019-06-26 17:08:31+00:00
| 1,561,583,311 | 1,567,537,969 |
human interest
|
animal
|
67,328 |
birminghammail--2019-10-17--Sainsbury's stops selling fireworks amid concerns for pets and elderly
| 2019-10-17T00:00:00 |
birminghammail
|
Sainsbury's stops selling fireworks amid concerns for pets and elderly
|
Sainsbury's has banned the sale of fireworks from all of its 2,300 stores. The move from the supermarket giant comes amid fears for the welfare of pets and the elderly. Sainsbury's announced it will no longer stock fireworks due to health and safety fears as the UK heads towards Bonfire Night. The retail giant - with stores across Birmingham and throughout the Midlands - traditionally stocked fireworks ahead of Bonfire Night on November 5. But animal welfare charities have called for a blanket ban on sales. Replying to a social media user on Twitter today, the supermarket giant confirmed the move. Sainsbury's replied to one customer, who was shopping a north west London branch of the supermarket, saying: "Hey Sally, thanks! We won't be selling fireworks in any of our stores this year. Hope this helps!" The customer had tweeted the chain asking: "@sainsburys Have to say well done & thank you. Been informed local branch #Stanmore won't be selling fireworks this year due 2 the distress it causes our pets & wildlife. Any other stores doing this? Can't thank you enough as my dog is beside herself with fear at these times." The customer added: "Please note @asda @morrisons @Tesco @waitrose. Sainsburys aren't selling fireworks in any stores this year as it causes so much stress in pets, wildlife & kids. Please think about doing the same. #Diwali2019 doesn't have 2b celebrate with fireworks, it's a festival of light!"
|
[email protected] (James Rodger)
|
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/sainsburys-stops-selling-fireworks-amid-17100526
|
Thu, 17 Oct 2019 12:29:54 +0000
| 1,571,329,794 | 1,571,318,593 |
human interest
|
animal
|
126,686 |
dailybeast--2019-12-25--Is It Ethical to Keep Pets and Other Animals?
| 2019-12-25T00:00:00 |
dailybeast
|
Is It Ethical to Keep Pets and Other Animals?
|
New York City’s comprehensive new code for animal welfare restricts when horse-drawn carriages can operate and bans the sale of the fatty liver of a force-fed duck, foie gras. Washington state just adopted a new law that will enhance the life of egg-laying chickens, requiring that they live in an environment with “enrichments” like scratch areas, perches, nest boxes and areas to take the dust baths chickens so enjoy. These bills, both passed this year, are part of an ongoing effort to codify the rights of animals, an area of the law I have studied and written about for 30 years. My next book, which will be published in 2020, develops a group of seven legal rights that I believe an ethical society should adopt to protect animals. Freedom from cruelty of course makes the list. U.S. law has required this since New York first passed an anti-animal cruelty law in 1867. Today, all U.S. states have laws that prohibit the infliction of unnecessary pain and suffering. Modern law also protects the physical well-being of animals in human care by requiring they receive food, water and often veterinary care. But a full life requires more than basic survival, so I propose some new rights for animals in my book. Perhaps most importantly, I argue that animals need a “right of place”—that is, access to sufficient physical space to live a natural life. To be comfortable, content and to find their place in a social hierarchy, animals require space. Conversely, if an animal has too little space, then its home becomes a jail, a stressor, a frustrating moment that continues indefinitely. On the Right of Place Living on a farm with five different species, including chickens and dogs, has convinced me of an animal’s right to place, too. This space has two components. First, there’s its size—is it big enough to suit an animal’s needs? Second, there’s the content of that space—what’s inside that space that the animal can make use of? Different animals have different space needs. Consider, for example, a Great Pyrenees dog—a breed genetically predisposed to guarding. For over a decade, my family’s farm has been watched over by five of these large, amazing dogs. When on guard, the Great Pyrenees have the regal look of white lion. On a given day on our farm, they will independently wander over 30 fenced acres. Without fences, I am sure these dogs could patrol an even greater range, but letting the Great Pyrenees wander her maximum range is usually not desirable. Natural and human-made hazards pose a risk to the uncontained dog, and the dog might pose a risk to others. An optimum option for the Great Pyrenees is several acres of fenced-in land, which allows the dog to investigate its natural features while guarding against intruders. If that same amount of land were paved in concrete and surrounded by a brick wall, it wouldn’t suffice. To exercise her natural capabilities, the Great Pyrenees needs trees that provide shade, plants to sniff, perhaps a place to dig and things to watch. Nor would confinement in a city apartment give this animal the room or features she needs to exercise her instincts. Pigs are at least as complex an animal as dogs, studies show. Ideally they would live in open fields of many acres with other pigs. Instead, many are kept in the cement and iron confinement of industrial agriculture, in stalls the size of their physical body. The vast majority of commercial chickens, too, lack the space in which to live natural lives. For their entire useful life, egg-laying chickens are often kept in battery cages that holds six hens in a four-square-foot space. As the free-range movement has brought to light, it is possible to give egg-laying chickens a better life without significantly increasing cost. Chickens don’t actually require much space. Some of the chickens on my farm have total free range and yet seldom wander more than 100 yards from the barn where they are fed and go to roost at night. But, as Washington state lawmakers recently acknowledged, chickens do need a space that meets their needs. Washington’s quietly created bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee in May, effectively guarantees a chicken’s right of place. So what about your pet, you ask? Are you respecting its right of place? It all depends on the pet. Our family has had a number of poodles, and we’ve found that young standard poodles, being a smart and high-energy dog, will want the opportunity to run like the wind and be challenged mentally. An elderly miniature poodle, however, may be content in an apartment with daily walks. House cats, meanwhile, are often thought to be satisfied with apartment life, as long as they have places to climb, hide, perch and scratch. But a confined habitat may actually cripple some felines’ instinct to hunt. Behavioral scientists haven’t studied cats enough to fully understand their needs. Frankly, people don’t yet know how yet to satisfy every individual animal’s right of place. We need more information from science. Nor is it clear, beyond the most egregious cases, when the law should intervene to ensure that pet owners are meeting their animals’ needs. This, I contend, is the next frontier of animal rights law. People bring these animals into existence. So I believe people owe them a dignified life, a right of place on this Earth. David Favre is a Professor of Law at Michigan State University College of Law, Michigan State University and the author of the forthcoming book, Rethinking the Future of Animal Law, (Edward Elgar Publications, 2020).
|
The Conversation
|
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thedailybeast/articles/~3/GJV7LudbBLw/is-it-ethical-to-keep-pets-and-other-animals
|
Wed, 25 Dec 2019 09:36:10 GMT
| 1,577,284,570 | 1,577,275,466 |
human interest
|
animal
|
164,712 |
eveningstandard--2019-02-14--Tesla introduces Dog Mode to keep pets comfortable while they are left in the car
| 2019-02-14T00:00:00 |
eveningstandard
|
Tesla introduces Dog Mode to keep pets comfortable while they are left in the car
|
Tesla has released a new animal friendly update to their US cars that prioritises the comfort of pets. The company announced today that it will be rolling out Dog Mode, which keeps the car cool and comfortable even when it is turned off. When the owner is out of the car, the jumbo display centre will show a message for passersby that they will be returning soon, preventing Good Samaritans from breaking in. In its release notes, Tesla, owned by Elon Musk, said: "Keep your dog comfortable in your car while letting people passing by know they don’t need to worry with Dog Mode. “In addition to keeping the climate control on, the touchscreen will display the current cabin temperature. “Dog Mode will stay on after you leave your car. If your battery reaches less than 20 percent charge, you will receive a notification on your mobile app.” The company warned pet owners to make sure local laws were checked for any restrictions on leaving pets unattended in a car before using Dog Mode. Dog Mode was released at the same time as Sentry Mode, which enables the car to essentially guard itself by using its exterior cameras to monitor movement nearby and identify potential threats. The new updates are being rolled out to Model 3 cars in the United States from Thursday, to be followed by Model S and Model X vehicles built after August 2017.
|
Bonnie Christian
|
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/tesla-introduces-dog-mode-to-keep-pets-comfortable-while-car-is-off-a4067131.html
|
2019-02-14 15:09:24+00:00
| 1,550,174,964 | 1,567,548,509 |
human interest
|
animal
|
180,303 |
eveningstandard--2019-07-24--Treat your pets with this weekaposs Aldi aposSpecial Buysapos
| 2019-07-24T00:00:00 |
eveningstandard
|
Treat your pets with this week's Aldi 'Special Buys'
|
The renowned middle aisle of Aldi is concentrating on something a little bit different this week and it means your four-legged friends will have some treats to look forward to. Launching in store on Thursday, July 25 and available online now, the new pet essentials range will ensure the furriest members of your home look and feel fabulous. Head down down to your local shop if you want a bargain — once items sell out, they won't be coming back in stock. The selection ranges from practical products such as cute polka dot food bowls, priced at £3.99 each, to fun playtime accessories like cuddly jungle-themed plush toys, priced at £4,99. Keep your dog's boredom at bay — and distract them from chewing your chair legs — with these cool puzzles, priced at £6.99 each. Make sure your pet gets a good night's rest on this cosy bed, with various sizes starting from £7.99 each. Feline friends are well provided for too, with a special cat bed available, priced at £8.99 each. Finally, keep your home free of mud, fur and spillages with a washable pet feeding mat. Available in four different designs in navy and grey, each mat is priced at £3.99. Scroll through our gallery above to see what to put in your basket next time you visit the store...
|
Sophie Warner
|
https://www.standard.co.uk/homesandproperty/aldi-special-buys-this-weeks-pets-offers-are-perfect-for-treating-your-fourlegged-furry-friend-a4197351.html
|
2019-07-24 10:19:00+00:00
| 1,563,977,940 | 1,567,535,942 |
human interest
|
animal
|
188,867 |
eveningstandard--2019-11-12--Best pet advent calendars for Christmas 2019: The adorable advent calendars for dogs, cats and all y
| 2019-11-12T00:00:00 |
eveningstandard
|
Best pet advent calendars for Christmas 2019: The adorable advent calendars for dogs, cats and all your precious pets at home
|
Christmas is a time for family, and that includes non-human members too. If you’re thinking about getting your cat, dog or other pet to join in the festive fun with an advent calendar all of their own, there are myriad options that cater for animals. Countdown to Christmas with your critters and share the excitement in checking off every day until December 25 with a fabulous treat. See our favourites below Keep your pup entertained throughout cold December days with this hand drawn calendar which depicts a fun Panto scene. Inside each window you’ll find a selection of organic treats including bone-shaped biscuits and nibbles to enjoy before bedtime. If you have a cat, they also deserve to join in the Christmas fun too! Get them in the spirit with a similar calendar which has 24 ‘theatre’ windows, each crammed with natural treats. Expect chicken and turkey treats given a festive lift with cranberries. An advent calendar fashioned into a Christmas wreath wins extra brownie points - even more so when you consider this design is made up exclusively of treats for your dog! There are 24 biscuits, dental sticks and bones individually tied to the wreath with raffia string to make it easier to detach every December day until the 25th. You can even personalise this wreath further by adding a festive ribbon. £23.50 | Not On The High Street | If you’re looking to give your pet a thrill that won’t break the bank, this might just be the one. Containing gourmet goodies made with real meal, fruit and veg, the 24 windows will ensure your pooch is thoroughly spoiled by Christmas day. Just ensure you’re home to take delivery as past reviewers have returned home to find their packages ripped open by overexcited pets. Cat version available here for £2.50. When it comes to your pets we know it’s not a case of naughty or nice – you’d forgive them anything. Treat them to this advent calendar filled with delicious tasty treats that will get their tails wagging fast enough to power Santa’s sleigh. Spread the joy from as little as a few quid with this calendar filled with treats for small pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, gerbils and mice. There are 24 doors behind which small nibbles are waiting to help your creature join in the excitement of being one day closer to Christmas. Spoil your pooch with a selection of luxury treats as you both tick off the days to December 25. Behind each window is a special oven baked treat shaped like a bone, paw print or heart that will have their tails thumping with excitement. Order online and collect for free in store, or spend more than £39 and have it delivered for free. With fun festive packaging depicting a snowy village scene, this advent calendar for dogs will let you four-legged friend join in on the Christmas fun. There are 24 windows hiding delicious nuggets of specially created food. Treat your furry pal to a treat every day until Christmas with this grain-free advent calendar, available at pet superstore Pets at Home. This is suitable for dogs aged six months and up. Let's be honest, they've been a very good boy this year and definitely deserve a treat. Let them chew on a delicious, dog-friendly carob chocolate treat every December morning until the 25th. Shop all Fred & Ginger festive dog treats and accessories at John Lewis Filled with 24 treats to get your pup in a Christmas frame of mind, this fun calendar will donate 50p from its sale to All Dogs Matter charity. There are two flavours to keep them healthy; Baked Turkey with Slippery Elm and Mini dental bones for strong teeth, and both, we're told, are absolutely scrumptious. Keep well out of reach of your dog to avoid them looking like the over-indulged pooch on the front of the box. Not exactly an advent calendar, but a box full of surprises all the same, this festive box for dogs from Fetch contains 9 treats for them to play with and devour. We love this calendar for the adorable picture of the bulldog on the front, but if your pooch isn't as impressed, they will be by the contents of this 24-window calendar. They can expect a daily treat of a carob-based treat, the healthy and safe alternative to chocolate. With lovingly made organic treats, royal warrant holder Lily’s Kitchen is our top pick. Everything from the exterior illustration to the 24 treats nestled inside has been designed to help you pet join in the sheer excitement and fun of Christmas. ESBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
|
Abha Shah
|
https://www.standard.co.uk/shopping/esbest/christmas/advent-calendars/best-pet-advent-calendars-for-christmas-2019-a4253266.html
|
Tue, 12 Nov 2019 11:25:50 GMT
| 1,573,575,950 | 1,573,562,074 |
human interest
|
animal
|
207,988 |
fortune--2019-12-16--Americans Will Spend $75 Billion on Their Pets This Year
| 2019-12-16T00:00:00 |
fortune
|
Americans Will Spend $75 Billion on Their Pets This Year
|
A New Study Shows the Damage Just 3 Years of Vaping Could Do to Your Lungs
|
Chris Morris
|
https://fortune.com/2019/12/16/pet-spending-2019-americans/
|
Mon, 16 Dec 2019 16:27:17 +0000
| 1,576,531,637 | 1,576,541,171 |
human interest
|
animal
|
336,896 |
naturalnews--2019-09-01--Natural remedies Pets help relieve anxiety in children
| 2019-09-01T00:00:00 |
naturalnews
|
Natural remedies: Pets help relieve anxiety in children
|
(Natural News) Families that keep dogs as pets often enjoy the company of these adorable and loyal animals. According to a study published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, dogs used in pet therapy can also help relieve situational anxiety among hospitalized children. Pet therapy refers to the guided interaction between an individual, a trained animal, and the animal’s handler. This type of therapy aims to help someone recover from or cope with a physical or mental condition. Pet therapy is also known as animal-assisted therapy (AAT). While cats and dogs are often used in pet therapy, other animals like fish, guinea pigs, and horses can also be used. The type of animal chosen usually depends on the therapeutic goals of an individual’s treatment plan. The success of pet therapy relies on the pre-existing human-animal bond. Simply interacting with a friendly pet can help ease several physical and mental issues. Pet therapy offers many benefits, such as: Pet therapy is often recommended for: Defined objectives are an essential part of pet therapy, and a patient’s progress is recorded and tracked at structured sessions. The goals of a pet therapy program often include improving assisted or independent movement, motor skills, and joint movement. It can also increase someone’s self-esteem and verbal communication. Pet therapy helps develop an individual’s social skills. Data from a study conducted by a nurse research team at Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center revealed that pet therapy visits can significantly reduce anxiety in hospitalized children. Dr. Katherine Hinic, the lead author of the study, explained that hospitalization can be very stressful for both children and their families. Once the children are taken out of familiar surroundings, they may experience fear, loneliness, pain, or worry. (Related: Dogs as college therapists are on the rise in North America; study finds they help stressed out students feel better.) Hinic noted that while there has been limited research on how pet therapy affects hospitalized children, their findings suggest that pet therapy visits are an effective complementary therapy. The researchers reported that the therapy dogs used in the study helped decrease anxiety in children while they were undergoing hospital treatment. For the study, the researchers observed 93 young participants aged six to 17. They compared the children’s anxiety before and after the intervention. The researchers separated the children into two groups: The first group was visited by a therapy dog, its handler, and a research assistant, while the second group was visited only by a research assistant who instructed the volunteers to complete a puzzle. Both groups were similar to each other and did not differ in key demographic factors or baseline anxiety levels. The researchers used the State-Trait Anxiety Scale for Children (STAIC) S-Anxiety Scale to measure the children’s anxiety levels before and after the visit. They also asked the children’s parents to complete a brief background questionnaire. The researchers reported that situational anxiety decreased significantly in both groups. However, the researchers found that children in the pet therapy group experienced a significantly greater decrease in anxiety. Their parents also reported high levels of satisfaction with the pet therapy program. Peggy Grow, the program manager of Soothing Paws Pet Therapy Program, collaborated with the researchers for the study. Grow coordinated the volunteer dog handler teams who gave the children and their families a remarkable pet therapy experience. If your children require long-term hospitalization, consider pet therapy to prevent anxiety.
|
Zoey Sky
|
http://www.naturalnews.com/2019-09-01-pets-help-relieve-anxiety-in-children.html
|
2019-09-01 20:58:19+00:00
| 1,567,385,899 | 1,569,331,686 |
human interest
|
animal
|
372,701 |
newyorkpost--2019-03-21--Man brings steer to Petco in test of all leashed pets are welcome policy
| 2019-03-21T00:00:00 |
newyorkpost
|
Man brings steer to Petco in test of ‘all leashed pets are welcome’ policy
|
Don’t have a cow, man — unless it’s at Petco. A man and woman from Texas couldn’t help but laugh as they recently walked their leashed steer into a Houston-area Petco to really see if “all leashed pets are welcome” at the store. To Shelly Lumpkin and Oliver Browning’s surprise, the African Watusi was welcomed “with open arms,” Browning wrote on his Facebook page on Monday. “The staff members here are always super friendly and courteous to us. We really enjoy coming to this location…our favorite Petco BY FAR!!” The post has since earned more than 400,000 views. Oliver is owned and trained by Browning for rodeos and other shows, and although it’s not clear exactly how much he weighs, African Watusi bulls can reach 1,600 pounds, according to the Livestock Conservancy. Oliver has his own Facebook page, which is updated regularly.
|
Fox News
|
https://nypost.com/2019/03/20/man-brings-steer-to-petco-in-test-of-all-leashed-pets-are-welcome-policy/
|
2019-03-21 02:58:54+00:00
| 1,553,151,534 | 1,567,545,404 |
human interest
|
animal
|
382,118 |
newyorkpost--2019-12-14--Adoring crowds pounce on celebrity pets at PetCon in NYC
| 2019-12-14T00:00:00 |
newyorkpost
|
Adoring crowds pounce on celebrity pets at PetCon in NYC
|
The Coachella for Pets hit New York City on Saturday as celebrity canines, cats and their fur loving fans packed the Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th Street for PetCon 2019. The event, which promised, “an action-packed event of insightful panels, fun activations and can’t miss meet and greets with your favorite celebrity pets,” featured panels like “Pets: Family or Property,” “Shifting the perception of Pitbulls” and “Helping Animals Through the Legislative Process” for the adoring crowds. In attendance was Dogs of Instagram (4.5M followers), Tuna Melts my Heart (2M followers), Harlow and Sage (1.7M followers), Crusoe The Dachshund (730K followers), Mango Brown (556K followers), Gone to the Snow Dogs (221K followers), Marley Mutts (167K followers), and hundreds of beloved Instagram and YouTube celebrity cats and dogs. The event was launched by Loni Edwards, founder of the pet talent agency The Dog Agency to take advantage of the booming influencer and pet product industry. In 2018, Americans spent more than $72 billion on products on their pets and a recent nationwide study by SpotOn Virtual Smart Fence found that 98 percent of dog owners consider their dogs to be members of the family. Edwards was also the owner of Chloe the Mini Frenchie (171K followers) – who died in 2017 due to “medical malpractice.” According to a release for PetCon, “In the wake of her death, Loni learned that under law, pets are considered property. They do not even hold the same legal status of ‘persons’ like businesses in the U.S. do.” Since then, Edwards has partnered closely with Animal Defense Legal Fund, to earn pets the legal status of “persons.” Attendees and non-attendees alike are asked to donate to the fund.
|
Paula Froelich
|
https://nypost.com/2019/12/14/adoring-crowds-pounce-on-celebrity-pets-at-petcon-in-nyc/
|
Sat, 14 Dec 2019 16:54:58 -0500
| 1,576,360,498 | 1,576,368,915 |
human interest
|
animal
|
382,119 |
newyorkpost--2019-12-14--American families spent estimated $75 billion on pets in 2019: report
| 2019-12-14T00:00:00 |
newyorkpost
|
American families spent estimated $75 billion on pets in 2019: report
|
Hannah Rountree was volunteering at the Saving Grace Pet Adoption...
|
Mickey Meece
|
https://nypost.com/2019/12/14/american-families-spent-estimated-75-billion-on-pets-in-2019-report/
|
Sat, 14 Dec 2019 23:27:56 -0500
| 1,576,384,076 | 1,576,412,016 |
human interest
|
animal
|
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