Featured Stories
Senate Majority PAC and Majority Forward Post Best Fundraising Quarter of the Cycle
WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Senate Majority PAC, an organization that works to elect Democratic senators who are committed to an economy that provides opportunity and security for America's working families and who stand up to protect the rights of all Americans, issued the following news release on July 10, 2026:
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Senate Majority PAC and Majority Forward Post Best Fundraising Quarter of the Cycle
Senate Majority PAC and its affiliated nonprofit, Majority Forward, announced today their best second-quarter fundraising ever, pushing their cycle-to-date total to the highest amount the groups have
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Senate Majority PAC, an organization that works to elect Democratic senators who are committed to an economy that provides opportunity and security for America's working families and who stand up to protect the rights of all Americans, issued the following news release on July 10, 2026:
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Senate Majority PAC and Majority Forward Post Best Fundraising Quarter of the Cycle
Senate Majority PAC and its affiliated nonprofit, Majority Forward, announced today their best second-quarter fundraising ever, pushing their cycle-to-date total to the highest amount the groups haveraised at this point in any past election cycle.
Senate Majority PAC and Majority Forward raised a combined $147 million in the second quarter of 2026 - the best second-quarter fundraising haul in history. This brings their combined cycle-to-date total to $326 million today. Senate Majority PAC ended the quarter with $126 million in cash on hand, the highest cash on hand the organization has reported at this point in a cycle.
Senate Majority PAC has already announced significant television and digital buys for the fall campaign period in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Ohio.
"These numbers speak for themselves - Democratic donors and grassroots supporters are stepping up like never before to make sure Senate Democrats have the resources they need to win in November," said Senate Majority PAC Spokesperson Lauren French. "This is our best second quarter ever, our strongest cycle-to-date fundraising total ever, and the most cash we've ever had in the bank at this point in a cycle. We are building the resources to compete and win up and down the map."
Majority Forward and Duty and Honor, a second affiliated nonprofit, have already run ads in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio throughout 2025 and 2026.
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Original text here: https://senatemajority.com/news/senate-majority-pac-and-majority-forward-post-best-fundraising-quarter-of-the-cycle/
[Category: Political]
K-9's Hot Car Death Prompts PETA Plea to Junction City Police: Replace Dogs With Technology
NORFOLK, Virginia, July 11 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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K-9's Hot Car Death Prompts PETA Plea to Junction City Police: Replace Dogs With Technology
Junction City, Kan. - Following the death of Vethos, a K-9 who died after he was reportedly left unattended in a hot patrol vehicle on Monday, PETA sent a letter today to Junction City Police Chief Kirt Nichols, urging him to help protect other dogs by phasing out the use of K-9s. In the letter, PETA encourages the department to prevent future tragedies by replacing K-9s with state-of-the-art
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NORFOLK, Virginia, July 11 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued the following news release:
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K-9's Hot Car Death Prompts PETA Plea to Junction City Police: Replace Dogs With Technology
Junction City, Kan. - Following the death of Vethos, a K-9 who died after he was reportedly left unattended in a hot patrol vehicle on Monday, PETA sent a letter today to Junction City Police Chief Kirt Nichols, urging him to help protect other dogs by phasing out the use of K-9s. In the letter, PETA encourages the department to prevent future tragedies by replacing K-9s with state-of-the-artpolicing technology, such as tactical robots, drones, and portable mass spectrometers.
According to the Junction City Police Department, Vethos, a Belgian Malinois, was found unresponsive in a patrol vehicle, and preliminary findings indicate he died of heat exposure. According to weather reports, the temperature in Junction City reached about 90 degrees on Monday, which means the vehicle's interior could have reached 109 degrees in just 10 minutes. His death is being investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and Vethos's handler is on administrative leave pending the outcome.
"Vethos surely panicked as he couldn't escape the heat and his organs shut down," says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "K-9s deaths skyrocket every summer as dogs are left in hot cars and subjected to situations considered far too dangerous for human officers, and PETA is urging the Junction City Police Department to phase out its K-9 program and adopt innovative technology that helps police, protects the community, and keeps dogs safe."
Vethos's death is part of an ongoing epidemic affecting K-9s: Hot patrol cars are among the top causes of death for dogs used by police departments; many sustain fatal injuries in the field, and some even suffer abuse from their own handlers. PETA is calling on law enforcement agencies nationwide to end these preventable tragedies by retiring K-9 programs in favor of advanced technology.
PETA--whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to abuse in any way"--points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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PETA's letter to Nichols follows.
July 10, 2026
Kirt Nichols
Chief of Police
Via e-mail
Dear Chief Nichols:
I hope this message finds you well. I'm writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) regarding the tragic death of K-9 Vethos in a hot patrol vehicle. Please accept our condolences during this difficult time.
We understand that his death is currently under investigation, and we hope that your agency will take all warranted internal disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. We strongly recommend implementing and enforcing standard operating procedures that prevent animals from being left unattended in vehicles. Given that no technology or procedure is guaranteed to protect dogs, we also urge you to phase out the use of dogs altogether.
Will you please plan now to use state-of-the-art technology, such as tactical robots, drones, or portable mass spectrometers, which enhance safety and operational efficiency without risking anyone's life, once your current K-9s have been retired? Your department may be able to secure grant funding for new technology through the Kansas Governor's Grants Program, the DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. You might also find private or equipment-specific grant funding opportunities through PoliceGrantsHelp.com.
Thank you for your consideration and for all that you do to keep your community safe.
Most respectfully,
Allison Fandl
Manager of Special Projects
Cruelty Investigations Department | PETA
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Original text here: https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/k-9s-hot-car-death-prompts-peta-plea-to-junction-city-police-replace-dogs-with-technology/
[Category: Animals]
FFRF Action Fund: Pagan Army Veteran Named This Week's 'Secularist' for Speaking Out Against DOD Discrimination
MADISON, Wisconsin, July 11 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on July 10, 2026:
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Pagan Army veteran named this week's 'Secularist' for speaking out against DoD discrimination
The FFRF Action Fund names Eric Peisel, an Army veteran and practicing pagan, as its "Secularist of the Week" for sharing his service experiences in the wake of the Defense Department's gutting of 180 religious identification
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, July 11 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on July 10, 2026:
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Pagan Army veteran named this week's 'Secularist' for speaking out against DoD discrimination
The FFRF Action Fund names Eric Peisel, an Army veteran and practicing pagan, as its "Secularist of the Week" for sharing his service experiences in the wake of the Defense Department's gutting of 180 religious identificationcategories from its list of recognized faiths or viewpoints for service members. Christian denominations account for the vast majority of the remaining religion categories. "Atheist" and a number of minority religious faiths were removed from the official list.
Peisel shared the letters he sent to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on social media and encouraged others to send their own.
"I am writing to express my profound concern regarding recent Department of Defense actions affecting the recognition and accommodation of religious faiths within the United States Armed Forces," Peisel's letter to the House Armed Services Committee reads. "For generations, our military has drawn strength from Americans of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and traditions."
Peisel continued: "The Armed Forces have long recognized that service to one's country should never require the surrender of one's sincerely held religious beliefs. The expansion of religious accommodation policies over the past several decades has been a reflection of our nation's commitment to both military readiness and the constitutional principle of religious liberty."
Peisel asserts that the Defense Department's actions "send a message to thousands of service members that their beliefs are less worthy of respect, protection, or accommodation than those of others."
"The First Amendment does not guarantee religious freedom only to those whose beliefs are popular, familiar, or approved of by those in positions of authority," Peisel writes.
Peisel urges Congress to take action against the Defense Department's Christian nationalism: "I am equally concerned that Congress has not exercised stronger oversight regarding this matter. The House Armed Services Committee exists in part to ensure that Department of Defense policies remain consistent with the law, constitutional principles, and the values our military is sworn to defend. When policies emerge that appear to marginalize some religions or elevate others, congressional oversight is not merely appropriate; it is necessary."
"I respectfully urge the Committee to examine these policy changes, seek transparency regarding their justification and implementation, and ensure that the rights of all service members are protected equally. Religious liberty is not a privilege granted by military leadership; it is a constitutional right that belongs to every American, including those who wear the uniform."
Peisel noted that the strength of our military has never depended on religious conformity but on the willingness of Americans to serve together in a common cause.
Read Peisel's full letters here (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CLkN4yFL3/).
Peisel poignantly shared his experience as a pagan servicemember. In a post sharing an article covering the Defense Department's news, Peisel wrote, "After almost half a lifetime in service to my country, I am ashamed of watching it fall into the hands of people who stand in opposition to every value our military taught me over the 25 years I served in it."
Peisel joined the U.S. Army in 1987 and, when filling out information for his dog tags, submitted "Pagan" as his religious preference, even though "Pagan" was not an option in the list of choices officially recognized by the military. Peisel detailed the discrimination he faced following that decision, such as being pressured and threatened to change his written religious preference to an "approved religion." When he refused, the mistreatment only worsened and approximately a week later, his unit received new dog tags. His dog tags now said "No Rel Pref."
After refusing to wear his dog tags until they were corrected, Peisel endured weeks of discrimination and abuse. Peisel even spoke to a military chaplain "who talked to me about being confused and that I just needed time to learn to 'accept the love of Jesus.'"
Amid the mistreatment, Peisel included a letter to his congressman in correspondence with his mother and asked her to forward it. This led to a congressional inquiry into Peisel's Basic Training company and resulted in Peisel finally receiving a set of dog tags with "Pagan" on them.
About the Defense Department's news, Peisel wrote: "The people pushing these changes today may tell us that they are only removing unnecessary labels and unused categories. But marginalized faiths do not disappear when recognition is removed. They simply lose protection. They lose visibility. They lose representation. And once that happens, it becomes much easier to force capitulation through peer pressure, neglect, and discrimination, because marginalization itself becomes the weapon."
Read Peisel's full story here (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1YPySLpN5M/).
The FFRF Action Fund warmly thanks Peisel for sharing his experience as a pagan service member. It is more important than ever to elevate these stories, and the FFRF Action Fund firmly encourages others experiencing similar discrimination to speak out. Congress must take action against this affront to religious liberty for all service members, including the many who identify as atheists.
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FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/pagan-army-veteran-named-this-weeks-secularist-for-speaking-out-against-dod-discrimination/
[Category: Sociological]
Earthjustice: Trump Administration Eliminates Habitat Protections for Vulnerable Wildlife
SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 11 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on July 10, 2026:
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Trump Administration Eliminates Habitat Protections for Vulnerable Wildlife
Unprecedented rulemaking suggests habitat destruction does not "harm" wildlife protected under Endangered Species Act
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Washington, D.C. -- The Trump administration today finalized a rulemaking that could open the door to widespread destruction of habitat for endangered wildlife. The rule reverses a 50-year understanding that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) protects endangered wildlife from habitat destruction.
The
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 11 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on July 10, 2026:
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Trump Administration Eliminates Habitat Protections for Vulnerable Wildlife
Unprecedented rulemaking suggests habitat destruction does not "harm" wildlife protected under Endangered Species Act
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Washington, D.C. -- The Trump administration today finalized a rulemaking that could open the door to widespread destruction of habitat for endangered wildlife. The rule reverses a 50-year understanding that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) protects endangered wildlife from habitat destruction.
Therule repealed a regulatory definition of "harm" that included "habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering." The Trump administration's repeal of this definition clearly aims to open the floodgates to industrial actions that will destroy vital habitat -- even though the repeal violates the statute itself.
Earthjustice attorney Kristen Boyles issued the following response:
"For the first time ever, a presidential administration now claims that species protected by the Endangered Species Act shouldn't be safe from habitat modification that destroys where they live, raise their young, or search for food. Let's be clear: there is no support for the Trump administration's rule -- no scientific support, no legal support, no public support. We will see the Trump administration in court."
Background
Key to the decades-long success of the ESA has been its prohibition on destroying a forest, beach, river, or wetland that an endangered species relies on for survival.
In 1995, the Supreme Court upheld the "harm" definition's inclusion of habitat destruction. As the ruling explained, that definition was supported by the ordinary meaning of "harm," the purpose of the ESA, and multiple indications of congressional intent.
In response to the Trump administration's proposed rulemaking last April, hundreds of thousands of Americans submitted public comments opposing the elimination of habitat protections. U.S. Senators, tribes, scientists, legal experts, and environmental groups also opposed the rule.
The Trump administration has sought to erode the ESA in other ways as well, including with an unprecedented Endangered Species Committee meeting and vote granting a full exemption from the law for the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico, a decision that has the potential to wipe out two dozen marine species including whales and sea turtles.
This spring, a federal court struck down earlier Trump attacks on the ESA during his first administration, when the administration first tried to gut the bedrock environmental law through regulatory changes.
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About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
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Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/trump-administration-eliminates-habitat-protections-for-vulnerable-wildlife
[Category: Environment]
CAIR-Chicago, CAIR National Condemn Indiana Lt. Gov's Anti-Muslim Rhetoric, Christian Supremacist Claims, False Claims About Constitution
WASHINGTON, July 11 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on July 10, 2026:
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CAIR-Chicago, CAIR National Condemn Indiana Lt. Gov's Anti-Muslim Rhetoric, Christian Supremacist Claims, False Claims About Constitution
The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) and CAIR, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith's latest anti-Muslim remarks, in which he falsely described the Islamic call to prayer (adhan) as "words of death and destruction,"
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 11 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on July 10, 2026:
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CAIR-Chicago, CAIR National Condemn Indiana Lt. Gov's Anti-Muslim Rhetoric, Christian Supremacist Claims, False Claims About Constitution
The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) and CAIR, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith's latest anti-Muslim remarks, in which he falsely described the Islamic call to prayer (adhan) as "words of death and destruction,"claimed the United States is a "Christian nation," and incorrectly asserted that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Christianity takes precedence over all other religions.
SEE: Indiana's Lt. Gov. says Muslims shouldn't be allowed to have "public calls to prayer" (https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/indianas-lt-gov-says-muslims-shouldnt)
During a recent interview, Beckwith stated, "We're not going to let you put these words of death and destruction throughout the city streets..."
He also claimed, "We are a Christian nation," and falsely asserted that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled America's Christian heritage gives Christianity precedence over all other faiths.
In a statement, CAIR-Chicago Communications Director Hafsa Haider said:
"Lieutenant Governor Beckwith is once again exploiting his public office to spread anti-Muslim fearmongering and constitutional misinformation. The adhan is a peaceful call to prayer recited by Muslims around the world for more than fourteen centuries. To portray it as a call to 'death and destruction' is not only offensive--it is a malicious falsehood that demonizes an entire faith and the millions of Americans who practice it.
"His assertion that Christianity enjoys constitutional precedence over every other religion is equally false. The Constitution guarantees religious liberty for every American, not government preference for one faith over another. No Supreme Court decision has declared the United States a 'Christian nation' or held that Christianity takes legal precedence over any other religion. Public officials should be defending the constitutional rights of all Americans--not promoting religious hierarchy or vilifying minority faith communities."
This is not the first time Beckwith has made inflammatory remarks targeting Islam and Muslims. In May, he declared, "I hate Islam. It's a demonic death cult," and suggested Americans need "permission to hate again."
At the time, CAIR and CAIR-Chicago condemned those remarks and invited Beckwith to visit an Indiana mosque and engage with his Muslim constituents rather than spread dangerous stereotypes about their faith.
Beckwith's latest remarks also fundamentally misrepresent constitutional law. While the Supreme Court's decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District addressed a public school football coach's personal religious expression, it did not declare the United States a "Christian nation" or establish Christianity as the nation's preferred religion. The First Amendment prohibits the establishment of religion while protecting the free exercise of religion for all Americans.
CAIR-Chicago urges elected officials to reject religious bigotry, uphold the Constitution's guarantee of equal religious liberty, and refrain from rhetoric that stigmatizes religious minorities or undermines the freedoms they are sworn to protect.
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CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-chicago-cair-national-condemn-indiana-lt-govs-anti-muslim-rhetoric-christian-supremacist-claims-false-claims-about-constitution/
[Category: Sociological]
Appalachian Voices: Learn More About the Hazards of Coal Ash and TVA's Plans at July 30 Community Meeting
BOONE, North Carolina, July 11 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release on July 9, 2026:
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Learn more about the hazards of coal ash and TVA's plans at July 30 community meeting
The Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices are co-hosting a community meeting in Kingston, Tennessee, on July 30 to discuss the Tennessee Valley Authority's plans to manage and store the massive amounts of hazardous coal ash it is responsible for.
Residents can learn more about the hazards of unsafe coal ash storage, the best storage solution options and how they can let state regulators know their concerns
... Show Full Article
BOONE, North Carolina, July 11 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release on July 9, 2026:
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Learn more about the hazards of coal ash and TVA's plans at July 30 community meeting
The Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices are co-hosting a community meeting in Kingston, Tennessee, on July 30 to discuss the Tennessee Valley Authority's plans to manage and store the massive amounts of hazardous coal ash it is responsible for.
Residents can learn more about the hazards of unsafe coal ash storage, the best storage solution options and how they can let state regulators know their concernsabout TVA's unsafe plans as part of the utility's Corrective Action/Risk Assessment process.
The community meeting is on Thursday, July 30, from 6-8 p.m. at the Kingston Community Center, 201 Patten Ferry Road, Kingston, Tennessee.
TVA's Cumberland, Johnsonville and Kingston coal plants are home to massive coal ash ponds. Coal ash is the toxic substance left after burning coal to generate electricity. Coal ash contains arsenic, mercury, lead and other dangerous pollutants linked to serious health problems like cancer, heart disease and respiratory illness.
Coal ash has been stored in unlined dumps at these plants, with heavy metals and chemicals leaching into groundwater near all of TVA's coal ash ponds. This can spread to surrounding waterways used for recreation, fishing and downstream drinking water.
TVA's current proposal mostly involves leaving coal ash in place and covering it with a cap rather than fully removing it from vulnerable areas. Communities across the country are pushing utilities to move coal ash out of unlined pits and into lined, dry storage areas away from water resources.
At the July 30 meeting, residents will learn how to advocate for TVA to develop better, safer long-term plans for its coal ash.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will begin accepting public comments on July 16 for TVA's Corrective Action/Risk Assessment Plan, or CARA Plan, for handling coal ash at the Kingston Fossil Plant -- which was the site of the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history when more than a billion gallons of coal ash were released after a dike at one of its storage ponds failed.
TDEC is also hosting a public hearing on the Kingston CARA plan on Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Kingston Community Center. An open house at 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, will precede the 6:30 p.m. public hearing.
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Original text here: https://appvoices.org/2026/07/09/tva-cara-community-meeting/
[Category: Sociological]
Alec Baldwin & Mark Ruffalo Join Ban Trophy Hunting Campaign
SAN RAFAEL, California, July 11 [Category: Animals] (TNSxrep) -- In Defense of Animals posted the following news:
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Alec Baldwin & Mark Ruffalo Join Ban Trophy Hunting Campaign
Hollywood stars and leading conservationists have joined forces to demand a global ban on trophy hunting after a new report claimed Americans are importing more wildlife trophies than the rest of the world combined.
The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting says the United States is by far the world's biggest importer of hunting trophies, with 18,249 recorded imports from protected species, accounting for 57 percent of
... Show Full Article
SAN RAFAEL, California, July 11 [Category: Animals] (TNSxrep) -- In Defense of Animals posted the following news:
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Alec Baldwin & Mark Ruffalo Join Ban Trophy Hunting Campaign
Hollywood stars and leading conservationists have joined forces to demand a global ban on trophy hunting after a new report claimed Americans are importing more wildlife trophies than the rest of the world combined.
The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting says the United States is by far the world's biggest importer of hunting trophies, with 18,249 recorded imports from protected species, accounting for 57 percent ofthe global trade.
The findings have prompted a new international push for an Abolition Declaration, backed by major names including Alec Baldwin, Mark Ruffalo, Priscilla Presley, Edie Falco, Bill Maher, Kim Basinger, Daryl Hannah, Isabella Rossellini, James Cromwell, Alicia Silverstone and Alyssa Milano.
The campaign was inspired by the late Dr. Jane Goodall, who called trophy hunting "unconscionable" shortly before her death and urged world leaders to act.
Speaking at an event marking the tenth anniversary of the killing of Cecil the lion, Dr. Goodall said: "How on earth have we allowed this to continue for so long? Trophy hunting is unconscionable. It inflicts pain and suffering on animals for no other reason other than to boast of some ephemeral 'prowess'. There is no material human need met by it."
The new report says American hunters are driving demand for trophies from some of the world's most iconic animals, including bears, giraffes, elephants, lions, leopards, monkeys and baboons.
It says the US is the leading importer of giraffe trophies, the top market for baboon and monkey trophies, and accounts for the majority of black bear trophies.
Alec Baldwin said: "I am proud to support The Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting and to sign the Abolition Declaration. Trophy hunting belongs to another era.
"It sends the message that the lives of magnificent wild animals can be reduced to a photograph, a mounted head, or a personal goal.
"At a time when wildlife populations are declining across the globe, we should be investing in conservation, habitat protection and peaceful coexistence with nature.
"I hope this declaration helps build momentum for a future where respect for wildlife triumphs over cruelty and vanity."
The report also turns the spotlight on Safari Club International, the US-based organisation described by campaigners as the world's largest trophy hunting group.
According to the campaign, SCI has handed out around 20,000 awards to hunters, with some prizes requiring members to kill large numbers of animals across different species, continents and methods.
Seven of the world's top 12 award-winning trophy hunters named in the report are American. They include George Harms, said to have killed 1,027 animals; Ben Seegmiller, with 913; Leon Munyan, with 866; and Larry Higgins, with 852.
Campaigners say the awards system turns wildlife killing into a competitive pursuit, with animals measured by skull size, tusks, horns and other body parts.
The most commonly imported trophies listed in the report were bears, making up 22.3 percent of the trade, followed by monkeys and baboons at 9.8 percent, elephants at 9.1 percent, giraffes at 6.3 percent and lions at 4.7 percent.
Dr Zara Bending, Resident Expert on Wildlife Crime and International Law at the Jane Goodall Institute Global, said: "Dr Jane Goodall DBE was a longstanding supporter of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting. We at the Institute are committed to continuing that legacy in her name.
"As Dr Goodall said: 'Trophy hunting is not only cruel but it is having a negative effect on endangered and threatened wildlife. Each one of these animals is an individual, with a personality, a mind, and emotions.'"
Professor Fred Bercovitch, former Executive Director of Save the Giraffes, said: "Trophy hunting is an abomination masquerading as a means of conservation.
"CITES has found that trophy hunters have killed thousands of individuals that belong to species threatened with extinction. Killing animals whose numbers are declining is antithetical to conservation."
Dr Ian Redmond, a leading conservation scientist, said: "At a time when the number of wild animals has declined across the world, it is madness to allow tens of thousands of them to be killed for trophies.
"Trophy hunting is cruel and unethical, and does evolutionary damage to the species affected. Many of the targets are keystone species in globally important ecosystems."
Priscilla Presley said the world had waited too long for action since the killing of Cecil the lion by American dentist Walter Palmer in Zimbabwe in 2015.
She said: "Ten years ago, the world learnt about the horrifying killing of Cecil the lion by an American dentist, Walter Palmer.
"Today it is learning about the terrifying scale of killing, even of endangered animals, that continues with the tacit blessing of governments.
"Policymakers have had ten years since Cecil was killed to act. Now they have no more excuses."
Campaigners say trophy hunting is already rejected by the overwhelming majority of the public in the US and Europe, despite hunters continuing to import thousands of body parts each year.
They argue that wildlife watching, photographic safaris and community-led conservation provide far greater long-term benefits than allowing wealthy foreign hunters to shoot threatened animals.
Former Botswana President Ian Khama, who banned trophy hunting while in office, said: "With the decline of wildlife worldwide, and many species approaching extinction, how can there be justification in trophy hunting?"
Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, said the United States now had a moral responsibility to lead the world away from the trade.
He said: "America is the engine room of the global trophy hunting industry. The vast majority of people do not want endangered animals killed for heads, skins, tusks and bragging rights.
"This is not conservation. It is cruelty dressed up as sport.
"Dr Jane Goodall understood that every animal is an individual. This declaration is about honoring that legacy and building a future where wild animals are protected, not turned into prizes."
Fleur Dawes, Communications Director, In Defense of Animals, added, "Americans overwhelmingly reject trophy hunting, yet our tax dollars and import systems still facilitate it. We've seen the grief of elephant families torn apart, the orphaned cubs left behind after a lion is shot, wildlife communities that take generations to build and seconds to destroy.
"The age of treating sentient animals as collectibles must end, and the United States has both the power and the obligation to end it. The Abolition Declaration represents exactly the kind of moral clarity we need from policymakers. You cannot claim to respect wildlife and simultaneously issue permits to ship their skulls home as luggage."
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Original text here: https://www.idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/latest-news/media-release-alec-baldwin-and-mark-ruffalo-join-ban-trophy-hunting-campaign/
