RSN: Paul Krugman | Inflation and the Power of Narrative

 

 

31 January 22

Switching to Emergency Mode on Donations

We are not seeing a strong final burst this month and we truly need one. This is the final day of the month and rather than help people are ignoring donations entirely. Get in here and help folks.

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Marc Ash
Founder, Reader Supported News

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31 January 22

Live on the homepage now!
Reader Supported News

NEED A FEW HEROES THIS MORNING — We have an opportunity to finish this fundraiser. But we have to push with all we have, now. We need a few donors to step up. Be the one.
Marc Ash • Founder, Reader Supported News

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Paul Krugman | Inflation and the Power of Narrative
Paul Krugman, The New York Times
Krugman writes: "Let's talk about the long view of wages and prices."
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Ahmaud Arbery's Mom 'Devastated' Over Plea Deal for His Killers
Melissa Alonso, CNN
Alonso writes: "Federal prosecutors have reached plea agreements with Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, on hate crime charges they faced in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, court documents show."
READ MORE

Who Has More Influence on Supreme Court: Clarence Thomas or His Activist Wife?
Ed Pilkington, Guardian UK
Pilkington writes: "Clarence Thomas, the hardline conservative supreme court justice, is facing calls for his recusal in the case over race-based affirmative action in college admissions that the court agreed to hear this week."
READ MORE

Primarying Kyrsten Sinema Won't Stop Her in Time
Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone
Crosbie writes: "The obstructionist senator from Arizona is going to face a stiff primary challenge in a few years, but the damage is already done."
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Ireland Calls for Justice on 50th Anniversary of 'Bloody Sunday'
Clodagh Kilcoyne, Reuters
Kilcoyne writes: "Ireland on Sunday called on Britain to ensure justice for the families of 13 peaceful protesters shot dead by its soldiers on 'Bloody Sunday' in 1972 as thousands marked the 50th anniversary of one of the defining days of the Northern Ireland conflict."
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'We Pray for Rain': Ethiopia Faces Catastrophic Hunger as Cattle Perish in Severe Drought
Mulugeta Ayene and Lizzy Davies, Guardian UK
Excerpt: "Animal carcasses litter the land in areas where the rains have failed, as millions go without enough food and water in a country already grappling with civil war."
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Prosecutors Silence Evidence of Cruel Factory Farm Practices in Animal Rights Cases
Natasha Lennard, The Intercept
Lennard writes: "The government wants to keep juries from seeing gruesome evidence of animals in distress - the very reason activists are going into farms."
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Inside Foster Farms Slaughterhouse in Livingston, CA. Undercover video exposed torture and neglect in factory farm

 

Inside Foster Farms Slaughterhouse in Livingston, CA.

The poultry company Foster Farms states that its policy is "​​to raise chickens free from hunger, discomfort, pain, cages, and distress." 

But behind the scenes, their slaughterhouses are a totally different story. The torture, neglect, and horrors that the animals in these facilities face is nearly indescribable, but the animal rights group Direction Action Everywhere (DxE) went undercover to catch hours and hours of footage of the nightmares. 

Sign the petition demanding that Foster Farms lose their humane certified status; they must be forced to clean up their act, or lose customers who are unknowingly buying their torture meat!

The footage that DxE obtained was from inside Foster Farms Livingston, California slaughterhouse and is available on YouTube, but discretion should absolutely be taken before watching -- there is a reason animal welfare advocates are up in arms about what happens in it. 

Live but "unviable" chickens are thrown into piles of dead ones, where they slowly die -- crushed, suffocating, or drowning under dead bodies, blood, and excrement. Chickens bound for slaughter and consumption try to flee, falling off of the table where they will be shackled by their feet and hung upside down. They fall into the piles of their dead and dying peers, and employees snatch them back up without inspecting them to make sure they are not the dead or sick below. 

There is a reason employees go so quickly, cruelly, and clumsily through this process -- they are expected to hang nearly one chicken every three seconds, crammed into tight quarters with other employees doing the same. These breakneck speeds and crowded conditions actually led to a massive COVID-19 outbreak among slaughterhouse employees earlier in the pandemic. Foster Farms clearly doesn't care about any living being, animal or human.

After the chickens are hung, alive and terrified, upside down, the conveyor belt takes them to electrifying water tubs that they will be submerged in and stunned unconscious by -- but the video shows that many are left conscious, able to squirm their heads above the surface, destined to be sliced open while totally awake and fully feeling. Still more chickens that are conscious wriggle away from the automated neck-slicer meant to kill them, meaning they are grabbed by employees and slit open by hand. If this sounds traumatic, or watching the video is upsetting, imagine going through this ordeal in real life.

This isn't the first time Foster Farms has been accused of animal cruelty -- in 2015, undercover footage showed their chickens being thrown, scalded alive, and undergoing many other abuses. And yet the American Humane Association (AHA) has allowed Foster Farms to remain certified with them, giving the illusion of animal welfare where there clearly is none!

The American Humane Association (AHA)'s claims it is trying to make it possible for consumers to choose cruelty-free animal products. But by allowing Foster Farms to remain AHA certified, they are deceiving consumers. Demand the AHA remove Foster Farm's certification at once, and start the chain of action that would actually increase animal welfare in factory farming!

Video showing man slam cat to ground sparks new outrage over animal abuse in Cleveland: I-Team

 

CLEVELAND (WJW) — The FOX 8 I-Team has uncovered video in Cleveland sparking outrage after what happened to a cat.

And, we’ve found this comes with a push for more punishment under a law to protect pets, a law named after legendary FOX 8 weather anchor Dick Goddard.

Video from a security camera shows a cat run across the street near West 105 and Almira. Then, you see a man pick up the cat and start to carry it. But, moments later, the man raises his arm and slams the cat to the ground.

The incident happened last Friday, and the cat died. The I-Team went to see the man in the video.

We reminded him, the video shows him picking up the cat, then spiking it like a football. He responded with “No….” He added, “…to get it off my hand, I went like this (making a shaking motion with his hand).”

He told us, someone had thrown the cat from the window of a passing car, and it was already hurting.

But, now the Animal Protective League is investigating.

We told the man he could face charges. He paused for a few seconds, then he reacted with, “Charges for what? I didn’t do anything.”

Again, this comes to light in the middle of a new push to beef up Goddard’s Law. Ohio lawmakers are now considering tougher penalties for animal abuse. Investigators would be able to go to  court and file more serious felony charges. Those charges would carry punishment with a little more prison time.

State Senator Kenny Yuko told us, just weeks ago, lawmakers held a hearing on it.

Sharon Harvey, President of the Cleveland Animal Protective League, said, “I was actually down at the Statehouse and gave proponent testimony.”

She added, “So, this bill would redefine these particular, egregious acts of knowing, intentional cruelty towards an animal. And, would make it a violent crime.”

And there’s no shortage of serious cases. The APL is also investigating shots fired at a pet dog in Gilmore Park near West 130th Street and Puritas.

Police video shows a woman telling officers, “I heard all the shots. I called my boyfriend. I said, ‘Call the cops.’ I heard all the shots.”

The APL is trying to identify a suspect in that case, and investigators need tips.

Back to the cat case, we also asked the man in the video, “Why not call the APL, or animal control, or call a vet?” He didn’t immediately answer that directly.

We aren’t identifying him since he has not been charged. But, the neighborhood turned to the I-Team about this incident demanding justice.

LINK

He slammed a cat to the ground and killed it, then claimed he did nothing wrong

Footage from a security camera in Cleveland, Ohio recently revealed an alarming case of animal cruelty. In it, a man can be seen catching a defenseless cat in his arms, raising it above his head, and smashing it down onto the ground, "spiking it like a football." This physical trauma was so horrific that the poor cat died, but this man has yet to answer for the cruelty.

"I didn't do anything." That's exactly what this man said when reporters suggested he may face charges for animal cruelty. If he is allowed to get away with this act, that terrifying sentiment will be affirmed, and he could very well go on to hurt more animals. The Cleveland Animal Protective League must live up to its name and not allow that to happen.

Let's encourage them to use the very clear video evidence they have, conduct a thorough investigation, and charge this man with animal cruelty — add your name to the petition!

The Care2 Petitions Team

Animal Angels - HORSE SLAUGHTER

 

 

The cruelty of horse slaughter exposed by Animal Angels

 

This documentary exposes the dirty secrets of the horse slaughter industry through the tragic story of Platinum Ticket. This successful grey Thoroughbred racehorse was discovered in a kill pen at the Knoxville Livestock Auction barely alive with a bullet in his head. The film tells the story of how he got there: From winning purses at the racetrack to winning ribbons in the jumper show ring – until his fortunes suddenly changed. Like tens of thousands of American horses each year, he became trapped in the horse slaughter pipeline – a long, cruel road leading to a brutal death in the slaughterhouses of Mexico and Canada.

NO HORSE DESERVES SUCH CRUELTY AND INDIFFERENCE

The story I'm about to tell you is hard to hear, but it does have a promising ending. When I arrived at a New Mexico horse auction run by notorious "kill buyer" Dennis Chavez, I spotted them almost immediately: Four emaciated horses, lying flat on the ground and barely clinging to life. As another investigator and I got closer, I realized one horse was severely bleeding — a coyote had gotten into the pen overnight and torn apart his hip. I wish I could say it's the first time I've seen something like this, but it happens over and over again. This is why Animals' Angels needs your help now to investigate, document, and expose animal abusers so we can hold them accountable.

HELP US EXPOSE ALL THE ABUSERS We found four horses trampled to death in one of Leroy Baker's slaughter transports. Our investigation led to Baker being fined $177,000. I immediately found the livestock inspector, who euthanized these clearly suffering horses. We then sent our documentation to the New Mexico authorities and ... all hell broke loose. The whole system turned its force against us, including the pro-slaughter industry and even the FBI! But thanks to our viral video documenting the condition these horses were in, animal advocates like you learned the truth and were on our side. Because of our investigation — and the support of friends like you — every animal held at an auction house in New Mexico must now have paperwork, which creates an undeniable paper trail and holds auctioneers accountable for how they treat animals. We have proven that factual documentation and reporting as well as public pressure can stop animal abuse. But there are so many more horses, farm animals, and puppy mill dogs waiting for us to uncover their stories so they can be spared. Please make a donation today for all the animals who are still counting on us. When others look away, we bear witness to animals' pain and work tirelessly to improve their lives. With gratitude, Sonja Meadows President P.S. We have made a commitment to keep fighting until all horses are safe and the slaughter of horses is banned for good. If you love and value them as much as we do, we need you on board with us today. Please donate to help Animals' Angels end cruelty against horses and all animals. As the world continued to battle the pandemic in the closing months of 2020, Animals’ Angels continued its mission to advocate for animals and expose abusers by conducting an extensive months-long undercover investigation into the Kalona Auction in Iowa. Widely considered a dumping ground where the local Amish and Mennonite communities dispose of their used-up horses in exchange for new ones, the monthly Kalona horse sale is one of the largest providers of slaughter horses in the US, usually selling more slaughter horses than riding or work horses. The auction caters to many of North America’s most notorious kill buyers, including Boots Stanley, Bouvry Exports, Scott Kurtenbach, George Baker and Keith Tongen. Each auction sells between 300 to 500 horses, with Stanley and Kurtenbach & Bouvry buying the bulk of the slaughter horses. The Kalona sale is also the only auction that uses a hydraulic gate to separate horses moving to the auction ring. As our investigators recently witnessed again firsthand, this is a cruel and chaotic process that inflicts unnecessary suffering on the innocent animals at the sale.  Months of Horror at the Kalona Sale During Animals’ Angels recent investigation into the Kalona horse sale, our team observed auctions from August through November, and were horrified by the findings. A few of the heartbreaking observations are listed below: In August, our team observed a draft mare go down multiple times in the pen, only to be forced back up again and again until she was sold, at which time the distressed animal went down yet again. At the same auction, investigators saw a horse covered with dozens of whip marks, and witnessed a horse being kicked in the face by another horse with full force in an agitated pen. In September, kill buyer Boots Stanley paid $50 for a horse (tag #695) with severe lacerations on his face which appeared to have been caused by an ingrown halter being ripped off prior to the sale. In October, Boots Stanley purchased a dappled grey draft horse who struggled through the auction ring due to a left leg that had swollen to three times its normal size. During the same sale, a Belgian draft horse died suddenly in the loose horse pen, indicating the horse had already been in dire condition when brought in, and a white donkey was mercilessly moved through the auction ring, even though the injured animal was unable to put any weight on his right foot. In November, Stanley was once again buying blind, sick, and injured animals at the auction. Some of these horses later appear on his online broker program pages for hundreds of dollars, even though he paid as little as $50 for many of the animals. During each monthly sale at Kalona, Animals’ Angels investigators documented consistently cruel and neglectful behavior: The auction used a heavy hydraulic gate to block the entrance of the auction ring. Terrified horses were forced through a narrow chute while the auction workers hit the panicked animals relentlessly on the face and sides. One worker even went so far to strike a horse across the face with his wooden cane. Many horses were in extremely poor condition, including emaciated horses and horses with curled up or severely cracked hooves, rain rot, swollen legs, or fresh wounds from being kicked or injured during transport. Some of these horses were in such poor condition that it was obvious they should not have been accepted for sale. Large draft horses were kept in pens with low ceilings, causing the poor animals to hit their heads on the overhead beams. On several occasions, stallions were put in the same pen with mares, causing unnecessary fighting and kicking. The auction’s lack of diligence and care extended to the attendees as well. Despite a raging pandemic, the sale did not require or encourage the wearing of masks, thus putting the public at risk.  Shameful Lack of Concern by Auction Veterinarian Kim Van Driel After witnessing the abuse and suffering of the horses at the auction, our team was appalled to see auction veterinarian Kim Van Driel, owner of New Hampton Vet Clinic, demonstrate a disturbing level of disregard for animal welfare, showing no sign of concern, care, or compassion for these sick and injured horses. Van Driel was focused only on drawing blood for Coggins testing, while her husband Justin, who is a veterinary assistant at his wife’s clinic, could be overheard cursing and yelling at the horses while using a whip to move them around the pen.  Kill Buyers Shamelessly Exploit Well-Meaning Individuals Our investigation of the Kalona auction once again exposed the terrible treatment and conditions inflicted on the horses trusted to the auction’s care. It also served as a painful reminder why no one should ever purchase a horse from a kill buyer, since it only perpetuates the inhumane treatment of animals and enables the abuse to continue. This unhappy truth is clearly demonstrated by the Stanley brothers, who have grown their business exponentially over the last decade by selling horses at inflated prices to well-meaning individuals who hope to save an animal from slaughter. Unfortunately, the profit gained from these manipulative transactions has allowed the Stanley brothers to thrive. The cycle of abuse and slaughter will only end when the profits dry up and the kill-buyers can no longer make a living off the suffering of these poor animals. Advocating For Change The ongoing plight of the horses at the Kalona auction was hard to witness, but Animals’ Angels remains committed to holding the Kalona auction accountable, along with its employees, attendees, and auction veterinarian. And, since many of the horses from this sale end up at a Canadian slaughter plant, the evidence will be used to continue to urge European authorities to impose a complete ban on horse meat imported from Canada. As large scale kill buyers like Boots Stanley continue to load their slaughter trucks with innocent horses, Animals’ Angels will continue to expose the ugly truth about the Kalona auction and their kill buyer clientele. We will work tirelessly to inform and warn unsuspecting buyers, making it our mission to discourage anyone from ever purchasing a horse from a kill buyer. Change can happen if we convince enough people to stop supporting the kill buyers and end their greedy reign of abuse and slaughter. Become an Advocate for the Animals Today We encourage you to share the important information in this newsletter with as many people as you can in order to spread awareness of the tragic fate of the horses at the Kalona auction. And we invite you to join us in our mission to bring meaningful change to the lives of innocent animals. Through advocacy, awareness, and compassion we can make a difference together. Will you join us in advocating for the animals today? Your tax-free donation will be used to support future investigations and will enable us to continue our work on behalf of the animals who so badly need our help.