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☆ Epsom Derby: Police make 19 arrests as animal rights protesters plan to disrupt one of UK's most prestigious horse races
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Jockey Club, which runs the Epsom racecourse, won a High Court injunction last month to stop animal rights protesters from disrupting the event. Animal Rising, an animal rights group, had planned to demonstrate at the Derby, calling on “as many animal lovers as possible to peacefully descend on Epsom” in a post on Twitter. The Jockey Club said it had offered Animal Rising an area near the entrance to protest. Animal Rising had said that it would protest at the event. According to animal rights organization PETA UK, 36 horses have died at the festival since 2010.

Persons: ”, Victoria Jones Organizations: CNN — Police, Epsom Derby, Epsom, Derby, Twitter, Surrey Police, CNN, Victoria Jones / Press Association, AP, Office, ” CNN, Home Office, National, PETA, Animal, British Horseracing Authority, Kentucky Derby Locations: Surrey, England, Epsom, “, Wales, Aintree, Liverpool, United Kingdom, United States, Churchill Downs

☆ Protester runs onto track as 31 arrested over Epsom Derby disruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last month, protest group Animal Rising issued a call for volunteers to help disrupt the event by entering the track. "One man was arrested after he ran onto the racetrack after a race had started. He was quickly removed by event security and police officers, meaning the race was not disrupted," Surrey Police said in a statement. Animal Rising shared a video of the protester being detained on Twitter, claiming that the individual was a supporter of the group. Last year's Epsom Derby was delayed after six protesters from Animal Rising, then named Animal Rebellion, entered the course and had to be removed by the police.

Persons: Peter Cziborra, Clive Davies, Aadi Nair, Giles Elgood, Christina Fincher Organizations: Epsom Derby, Police, Saturday's Epsom Derby, Surrey Police, Twitter, Scottish, Thomson Locations: Epsom, Racecourse, Britain, Nashik, India

☆ Horse racing: Churchill Downs to suspend racing amid safety review
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 2 (Reuters) - Churchill Downs on Friday said it would suspend racing as it conducts a "top-to-bottom" safety review following the death of 12 horses at the famed Kentucky track in the past month. Investigations by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission have yet to identify a reason for the spike in equine fatalities, which overshadowed last month's Kentucky Derby. read moreHISA's track surface expert submitted his review of the racing surface at Churchill Downs earlier on Friday and found there were "no primary areas for concern" and that it was consistent with previous years. "If the track surface was the singular cause of the rash of horse deaths at Churchill Downs, changing the racing venue might make sense," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. "We renew our request that Churchill Downs suspend its racing schedule until there is a proper forensic analysis of the horse deaths and a comprehensive plan to remediate future deaths.

Persons: Wayne Pacelle, Churchill, Rory Carroll, Ken Ferris Organizations: Safety Authority, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Kentucky Derby, Animal Wellness, Thomson Locations: Churchill, Kentucky, Ellis, Henderson , Kentucky, Churchill Downs, Los Angeles

☆ Jaguar Land Rover's VC arm backed a $2 million round in plant-based leather startup Uncaged Innovations after seeing this 11-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Biotech startup Uncaged is mimicking the characteristics of traditional leather but using plants. Uncaged just nabbed $2 million from Jaguar Land Rover's investment arm using this pitch deck. A startup creating animal- and plastic-free leather just netted $2 million in a pre-seed round that was backed by Jaguar Land Rover's investment arm InMotion Ventures. US biotech company Uncaged Innovations, founded in 2020, mimics the characteristics of skin proteins with plants. Uncaged Innovations is taking a "two-pronged approach" by serving the fashion and automobile industries.

Persons: Stephanie Downs, Xiaokun Wang, Johns Hopkins, Tesla, Downs, VegInvest, Alwyn Capital Organizations: Biotech, Land, Jaguar Land, InMotion Ventures, Uncaged Innovations, Downs, Brands Locations: York

☆ Aubrey Plaza's satirical ad for 'wood milk' violated federal law, a new complaint says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The spot used USDA funds to disparage plant-based milk, per a complaint filed with the USDA. The ad, which was created using funding from a US Department of Agriculture program to promote dairy milk, features Plaza talking up "Wood Milk," a milk alternative made from trees. Right now, the Food and Drug Administration is seeking public comments on proposed labeling guidelines for plant-based milk. While just 15% of all milk sold in the US in 2022 was plant-based, the category is growing faster than cow's milk: Plant-based milk sales grew 8% to $2.8 billion in 2022, according to the Plant Based Foods Association. Plant-based milk companies have engaged in ad stunts of their own.

Persons: Aubrey Plaza, —, Silk Organizations: USDA, Service, US Department of Agriculture, Committee, Responsible Medicine, Food and Drug Administration, Plaza, Based Foods

In 2017, with Mr. Connors’ help, Mr. Maichle started his own company, Precision Compliance Consulting. ‘Boss Man’Mr. Connors, Mr. Lewis and Mr. Maichle were all active in college conservative politics in Wisconsin about 15 years ago, when Mr. Connors was the leader of campus Republicans at Marquette University. Of that, about $102,000 went to Campaign Now, the firm started by Mr. Connors, and another $112,000 to companies where Mr. Connors, Mr. Maichle or Mr. Lewis was either the owner or a partner, tax records show. Most of the money — more than $4.4 million — went to fund-raising companies via tens of thousands of small payments. Most of the money — more than $4.4 million — went to fund-raising companies via tens of thousands of small payments.

CNN —Mage won the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday. “It took me a little while to get there, to finally get it.” The victory was the first at the Kentucky Derby for Castellano in 16 attempts. Albert Cesare/USA Today/ReutersPrior to the Kentucky Derby, Mage only had one victory in three career starts. He’s the second horse to die today at the track, making it an appalling seven deaths in advance of the Kentucky Derby. They should play ‘Taps’ at the Derby instead of ‘My Old Kentucky Home.’”Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the location of Churchill Downs.

Unlike the chubby, fluffy image of her younger self, 22-year-old Ya Ya has appeared skinny in recent photos, with her black and white coat missing clumps of fur. But Le Le died suddenly of heart disease in early February, further fueling suspicions of mistreatment. Throughout the past weeks, Ya Ya regularly appeared as a top trending topic on Weibo, each time attracting hundreds of millions of views. Allegations of mistreatmentWhen Ya Ya and Le Le arrived at Memphis in 2003, it was a huge deal for the city. A petition by Panda Voices to bring Ya Ya and Le Le back to China on change.org has garnered 193,000 signatures.

☆ Climate change activists protest at Berlin Formula E race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, April 23 (Reuters) - Climate change activists delayed the start of an all-electric Formula E race at Berlin's Tempelhof airport circuit on Sunday after they climbed fences and sat in front of cars lined up on the starting grid. Letzte Generation (Last Generation) posted video on Twitter of white T-shirted supporters scaling the wire fence before being carried away by security. A Formula E spokesperson said the protest was "unrelated to the event". read moreBritain's Grand National horse race was delayed by animal rights protesters, with 118 people arrested read more . Twenty five people were also arrested at Saturday's Scottish Grand National.

☆ Children cat-killing contest axed following backlash in New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A contest planned for children in New Zealand to hunt and kill feral cats as part of a drive to protect native species has been axed following backlash from the public and animal rights groups. In neighboring Australia, authorities say feral cats threaten the survival of more than 100 native species. Feral cats are blamed for killing millions of birds, reptiles, frogs and mammals, every day, prompting authorities to arrange regular culls. The New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was “both pleased and relieved” that the cat-killing contest for children had been removed. Blackie, who has studied feral cats for two decades, said numbers had exploded in the last decade, and in some areas where pests were tracked by camera, feral cats outnumbered other species like possums.

☆ Contest for Children to Hunt Feral Cats Is Scrapped in New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A hunting contest in rural New Zealand where children were to compete to kill the greatest number of feral cats for a cash prize has been canceled after a backlash from animal rights organizations. New Zealand, an island nation, has aggressively tried to control invasive species from overwhelming its native wildlife. But culling feral cats remains divisive, and the planned hunt inflamed debate about the morality of the practice and how children should be taught about invasive species management. While New Zealanders broadly agree that feral cats need to be controlled, he said, “the issue is that it kind of touches on all these broader ethical issues: Should kids be the one killing cats? The cat-culling event was new this year, and it was open to children under the age of 14, with the winner receiving 250 New Zealand dollars, or about $155, according to Facebook posts by the North Canterbury Hunting Competition.

☆ Environmental group to help guard London Marathon amid protest fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion have agreed to help guard the London Marathon from disruption by protesters, event director Hugh Brasher said on Wednesday. Organisers of Sunday's race are stepping up security to avoid protests after recent disruptions at the Grand National horse race and World Snooker Championship. A Just Stop Oil protestor halted the World Snooker Championship on Monday after he climbed on to a table and scattered a bag of orange powder paint over the green cloth playing surface. "(Extinction Rebellion) will be uniquely asking all their participants to help guard the London Marathon. Brasher said he was hoping to meet Just Stop Oil representatives in the next 24 hours.

☆ Just Stop Oil protester disrupts World Snooker Championship
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A protester disrupted the World Snooker Championship on Monday by climbing onto the table and throwing a bag of orange powder paint over the playing surface. Video footage shows the man – who was wearing a ‘Just Stop Oil’ t-shirt – running from the crowd and leaping onto the table during the game between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry. “It’s scary, actually.”The World Snooker Tour, who organizes the tournament, tweeted on Monday: “This is the Crucible. The show will go on.”In addition to sporting events, Just Stop Oil activists have targeted art galleries. The World Snooker Championship is being played at the iconic Crucible Theater in Sheffield, UK, and is now the latest high-profile sporting event to be disrupted by activists.

☆ Horse racing-BHA analysing horse deaths at Grand National, condemns protesters
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hill Sixteen was the third horse to die at this year's three-day festival after a heavy fall at the first fence of Saturday's National. Two other horses, Recite A Prayer and Cape Gentleman, were assessed by veterinary staff on the course. The start of the National, one of the highest-profile events in Britain's sporting calendar, was delayed for around 15 minutes after the protesters made their way on to the course. The protesters say the race is cruel to horses, with many having died over the daunting fences down the years. "The Grand National is and always will be an iconic sporting event and the actions of a small number of people will do nothing to diminish its huge and enduring international appeal."

☆ Protesters delay UK's Grand National horse race, 118 arrested
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 15 (Reuters) - The start of the annual Grand National horse race was briefly delayed on Saturday after a large group of animal rights protesters forced their way into the Aintree grounds to disrupt one of the highest-profile sporting events in Britain. Police said they had arrested 118 people on suspicion of offences including criminal damage and causing public nuisance after protesters sought to scale the perimeter fence and access the track to prevent the 40 horses from starting the race. Officers were seen pinning some protesters in pink tops to the ground while others were pulled from ladders. "Just after 5pm a large number of protesters attempted to gain entry to the course," Assistant Chief Constable Paul White said. Animal rights protesters say the Grand National exploits animals for entertainment and can lead to the death of horses.

[1/2] African elephant Noor Jahan, 17, who is unwell, rests on a sand pile, at a zoo in Karachi, Pakistan April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYKARACHI, Pakistan, April 14 (Reuters) - Noor Jehan, an elephant in Pakistan's Karachi Zoo, is critically ill after the 17-year-old fell in a pond on Thursday in a small enclosure. Right after the fall Four Paws, a global animal welfare organization, recommended lifting Noor Jehan with a crane, ropes and belts. The veterinarian from Egypt had then given Noor Jehan a strong chance of survival. Khalid Hashmi was removed as director of Karachi Zoo on April 8 over complaints of negligence.

☆ Grand National: Animal rights group threatens iconic horse race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —It’s watched by more than 500 million people from 140 different countries, but the Grand National remains one of the most controversial horse races in the world. However, animal rights groups claim the race represents the “broken relationship” between humans and nature due to the potential dangers the horses face. “This April we are launching the biggest campaign to protect animals and the climate this country has ever seen,” Animal Rising added. “Already over 500 people are signed up for training to take peaceful action this summer.”The Grand National race is part of a three day festival at Aintree Racecourse every year. Animal Rising says the report won’t stop them from finishing their mission of raising awareness of what they claim are unethical practices.

☆ Charles Rivers recommends against PETA's proposal for transparency on lab monkeys
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 31 (Reuters) - The board of Charles River Laboratories (CRL.N) has unanimously recommended against a shareholder proposal requiring transparency on its import practices of lab monkeys, according to a regulatory filing by the U.S. contract research organization firm. PETA's proposal also demands information on whether the monkeys are caught in the wild or bred in captivity. Charles River shareholders will vote on PETA and other proposals from the board at the company's annual meeting on May 9. According to government estimates, 95% of the 92,430 monkeys brought into the U.S. between 2019 and 2021 were long-tailed macaques. While Charles River's board recommended against PETA's proposal, it said the company will include information on how its "imports are purpose-bred in accordance with applicable laws" in its 2024 annual report, the filing on Thursday showed.

☆ Florida aquarium to release orca after more than 50 years in captivity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A killer whale jumps out of the water in the sea near Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan, July 1, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonMarch 30 (Reuters) - A Florida aquarium has reached a deal with animal welfare advocates to release Lolita, a 5,000-pound (2,268 kg) killer whale held in captivity for more than half a century, officials said on Thursday. The plan to return Lolita to her natural habitat requires federal approval, according to the newspaper. The Seaquarium's previous owner, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc (SEAS.N), phased out killer whale shows in 2016. Killer whales are highly social mammals that have no natural predators and can up to 80 years.

☆ Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat in drive to protect home products
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It does not apply to products made or sold elsewhere in the European Union, in Turkey or in the European Economic Area (EEA). The nationalist administration of Giorgia Meloni has pledged to shield Italy's food from technological innovations seen as harmful, and renamed the agriculture ministry the "ministry for agriculture and food sovereignty". Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, one of Meloni's closest allies, says laboratory products endanger the traditional link between agriculture and food. The ban on "cell-based" meat is not the only initiative the right-wing government in Rome has put in place to block non-conventional food from being served on Italian tables. Agricultural lobby Coldiretti on Tuesday praised the government's move against "synthetic food", saying the ban was needed to safeguard home production "from the attacks of multinational companies".

☆ Can the U.S. See the Truth About China?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk Can the U.S. See the Truth About China? To see China solely as trying to displace the United States is only going to stoke more fears. The Chinese people believe that a substantially weakened Russia might not be in the interest of China, because if there were the sense that the United States needed to seek out an opponent, China would be next. And then also, the United States thinks that China wants to displace it. The industrial espionage stems from a lack of appreciation from the start of intellectual property, and the United States, by pushing China to do more intellectual-property protection, is actually good for China.

☆ Starbucks shareholders to vote on proposals for labor probe, succession planning
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shareholder votes aren't binding, so the board can reject proposals even if a majority of investors vote in favor. More than 190 company-owned Starbucks locations have voted to unionize under Starbucks Workers United, according to National Labor Relations Board data as of Friday. Members of a recently formed union of Starbucks workers hold a rally to celebrate the first anniversary of their founding, December 9, 2022 in New York City. Apple, unlike Starbucks, agreed to perform the assessment without waiting for a shareholder vote. But Trillium has more than two decades of experience putting shareholder proposals before Starbucks' board.

☆ Chinese media is claiming an Instagram post shows the US military stealing aid for earthquake victims in Syria. It's a bogus conspiracy theory.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese state media promoted a conspiracy theory about the US stealing aid for earthquake victims. The false claims were based on US soldiers helping to distribute humanitarian aid in Turkey. That writing, the article states, is "exactly the same" as the writing on the aid "that China sent to earthquake victims in Syria." "The Americans are not only stealing oil from Syria," one user wrote, "but also humanitarian aid." A US soldier helps distribute aid to earthquake victims in Turkey.

☆ A Spanish firm wants to kill one million octopuses a year using 'ice slurry' baths at first-ever factory farm
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A proposed commercial octopus farm is sparking outrage among experts and animal rights campaigners. The farm would slaughter roughly one million octopuses each year by submerging them in icy water. In a report released Thursday, the activist group said that Nueva Pescanova intends to slaughter around one million octopuses each year by submerging them in a freezing "ice slurry." In particular, it said, the slaughter of the octopuses "involves proper handling that avoids any pain or suffering to the animal." "To kill them with ice would be a slow death," Dr. Peter Tse, who studies octopus cognition at Dartmouth, told the BBC.

☆ Nike to drop use of kangaroo skins for its shoes in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 14 (Reuters) - Nike said it will stop using kangaroo skins for its shoes this year, weeks after a similar step from German rival Puma, which would end a highly controversial practice that has drawn ire from consumers and animal rights activists. Sportswear giant Nike Inc (NKE.N) in a statement issued on Monday said it would debut a new line of Tiempo football boots, called the Tiempo Legend Elite, with a proprietary synthetic material that replaces the use of kangaroo leather. The Tiempo Premier line of football boots, which is set to launch this summer, will also forego kangaroo skin, Nike said. The decision from Nike and Puma (PUMG.DE) to end the use of kangaroo skin in their football boots comes as a big win for animal welfare activists, who have for long urged companies to drop unethical practices involving animal cruelty. The group has spearheaded the "Kangaroos Are Not Shoes" campaign, which it announced in 2020, and has been key behind introducing legislation banning the import and sale of kangaroo products.

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