Monthly Archives: July 2020

First Thing: could the pandemic turn red states into swing states? – The Guardian

Posted: July 9, 2020 at 3:44 pm

Good morning. The mayors of Houston and Austin have warned that hospitals in the two Texas cities are in danger of being overwhelmed by coronavirus patients in the coming weeks, even as Donald Trump continues to play down the exponential increase in Covid-19 cases across multiple US states.

Two months ago, Americas most severe outbreaks were in Democratic-led regions such as New York. But the countrys coronavirus map is very different now, and badly-hit states such as Texas, Florida, Arizona and Georgia which all voted for Trump in 2016 look set to be 2020 election battlegrounds amid the pandemic, as Joan E Greve reports.

Speaking at the White House over the weekend, Trump said his administrations Covid-19 strategy was moving along well and claimed, without evidence, that 99% of cases of the disease which has now killed almost 130,000 Americans were totally harmless. But, as Adrienne Matei writes, even mild cases of Covid-19 can lead to long-term health problems:

Emerging medical research as well as anecdotal evidence from recovery support groups suggest that many survivors of mild Covid-19 are not so lucky. They experience lasting side-effects, and doctors are still trying to understand the ramifications.

Trump spent the 4 July weekend stoking Americas cultural divisions, dismissing the threat of the coronavirus pandemic, and playing golf at one of his own private properties. But as he ramps up the belligerent rhetoric for his re-election campaign, there are fresh rumblings of dissent from within the Republican party.

Several anti-Trump groups have sprung up within the wider GOP. Some are openly supporting Joe Biden, reports Daniel Strauss, and almost all are better organised than the so-called Never Trump movement of 2016. Meanwhile, the presidents former national security adviser John Bolton has called into question Trumps claim never to have been briefed on the Russian bounties controversy, telling CBS that was just not the way the system works.

The coronavirus pandemic has struck the oldest generation most severely, but the impact of the economic fallout will likely be felt most deeply by young people particularly the so-called generation Z: those born between 1997 and 2012. Lauren Aratani spoke to several young Americans about entering the economy just as it goes into freefall.

Tom Hanks on surviving coronavirus

Back in March, Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, became, he tells Hadley Freeman, the celebrity canaries in the coalmine of all things Covid-19. But now hes recovered and promoting his new film, albeit via Zoom. Im not one who wakes up in the morning wondering if Im going to see the end of the day or not.

Choosing to be childfree

RO Kwon never felt the urge to have children. With the world on the brink of environmental collapse, she writes, many women have joined her in choosing to be childfree. Two childfree Guardian editors introduce a new series on opting out of parenting, while Kristin Brownell says she refuses to pass on her addiction gene.

Why we need sharks

They get a bad rap from Hollywood, but the monstrous villains of the ocean are in fact a majestic, diverse bunch who help to bring balance to the underwater ecosystem. Helen Scales explains why sharks matter to humanity.

Trump nominated William Perry Pendley, a conservative activist with close links to anti-government forces, to oversee Americas public lands. His elevation, argues Cas Mudde, is a reminder that the true far-right threat to US democracy does not come from neo-Nazis.

It is this coalition of disaffected, illiberal and self-interested forces that holds Trump and the Republican leadership together and which is slowly but steadily dismantling the federal government from within.

The Dodge Charger from the TV show Dukes of Hazzard, named after General Lee and emblazoned with the Confederate flag, will not be removed from display at the Volo Auto Museum near Chicago amid the national debate over Confederate monuments. The museums director said its collection also includes Nazi artefacts: If were going to get complaints about the General Lee being here, weve got much worse items over in our military building.

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‘The Big Bang Theory’: Why Was Bernadette Really Reluctant to Have Children? – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Posted: at 3:44 pm

The Big Bang Theorywas among one of the most successful television series of all time. For 12 seasons,fans became invested in the lives of Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter, RajKoothrappali, and Howard Wolowitz, as well as the ladies who eventually joined theirgroup. There is one major plothole that fans cant let go of, thoughBernadetteRostenkowskis explanation for why she dislikes children changed during theseries.

When Bernadetteand Howard first discuss having children, she mentions that she doesnt likechildren. The news is surprising to both fans and Howard alike. She goes on toexplain her reasoning for wanting to be childfree. The story makes a lot ofsense and left fans with more information about Bernadettes upbringing thanthey ever had before.

RELATED: TheBig Bang Theory: Was Raj and Howards Relationship Perfect or Weird?

ScreenRant notes that Howards love interest originally suggested that her hatredfor children stemmed from a childhood spent caring for other kids. She toldHoward that during her formative years, her mother ran an illegal daycare outof the familys basement to make ends meet. According to the story, Bernadettewas tasked with helping to keep the operation organized.

Later in the series, Bernadettementions that she isnt open to the idea of children simply because she wasforced to watch her younger brothers and sisters while her mother worked. Whileit is known that Bernadette has five brothers and sisters, they are never seen,and only one brother is named. Bernadettes younger brother, Joey Rostenkowskiis mentioned in Season 5, Episode 12, but is never mentioned again.

So, from what Bernadette says, her mother worked outside ofthe home and left all of the siblings under the care of Bernadette. If Bernadettewas really the oldest of all of her siblings, fans theorize, at least one ofthem would have still been living at home when she met Howard. That, however,did not seem to be the case.

Fans were quick to notice the inconsistency in Bernadettesstory. It seems implausible that her mother worked full-time and ran an illegaldaycare in the familys basement. The full-time job her mother had is nevermentioned, although fans are aware that Bernadettes father was a retiredpolice officer. Simply put, the inconsistencies in Bernadettes story is likejust that, an inconsistency. Unfortunately for fans of televisions how conspiracytheories, there is likely not a more elaborate reason behind Bernadettes twodifferent stories.

RELATED: BigBang Theory Fans Were Quick to Point out this Plot Hole in Young Sheldon

Several popular shows have had significant inconsistenciesin their storylines. Television shows ranging from Friends to GilmoreGirls have had serious plotholes in their storylines. For example, Friendsfans have noticed that RachelGreen and Monica Gellers apartment number makes absolutely no sense. GilmoreGirls fans point out that Lane Kims ability to buy tons of music withoutany money is a serious plot hole. Bernadettes lack of interest in children andthe reason for it isnt even the only plothole in The Big Bang Theory.

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'The Big Bang Theory': Why Was Bernadette Really Reluctant to Have Children? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

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Coronavirus Is Killing the Working Mother – Rolling Stone

Posted: at 3:44 pm

In Deb Perelmans recent New York Times op-ed, In the COVID-19 Economy, You Can Have a Kid or a Job. You Cant Have Both, she details the impossibility of parenting small children during the COVID-19 epidemic, writing, We are not burned out because life is hard this year. We are burned out because we are being rolled over by the wheels of an economy that has bafflingly declared working parents inessential.

Perelmans piece went viral, causing you cant have both to trend on Twitter and receiving a prized retweet from the totem of working parenthood, Hillary Clinton. But as a working parent and as a journalist, I couldnt help but feel that while it articulated much of what I had been seething about throughout the crisis, it also buried the lede. Yes, fathers and mothers are having a difficult time right now; yes, our culture instructing parents to perform at full capacity in their jobs while simultaneously playing Nanny McPhee to their children is a ridiculously extravagant ask.

But it isnt really thateveryonein the COVID-19 economy cant have a kid and a job at the same time. Its that mothers, specifically, cannot. It is mothers, not fathers, who have historically shouldered the vast majority of the childcare burden, and continue to do so during the pandemic, according to one oneNew York Timessurvey; it is women, not men, for whom the Secretary General of the United Nations warned, across every sphere, from health to the economy, security to social protection, the impacts of COVID-19 are exacerbated. And as Perelmans piece notes, it is mothers, not fathers, who have historically bowed out of the workforce when their domestic responsibilities increase, thus making it more difficult for them to ever return. It is women, not men, who will take pay cuts and buyouts, who will go from full-time to part-time to no-time, who have spent years accumulating degrees and tasteful outfits and dog-eared paperbacks of Girl Boss, ascending this pile of corporate feminist ephemera to get a boost up the ladder, only to fall rung by greased-up rung. It is women who will learn firsthand what their jaded first-wave feminist forebears have warned them for years: that not only is having it all a sham, but that even attempting to have a little bit of both will invariably result in quietly flaming out.

In many respects, this is an unprecedented historical moment, says Stephanie Coontz, director of research and public education for the Council on Contemporary Families. Although mothers have been expected to juggle domestic labor with work for much of history, they were reliant on their communities for instance, grandparents or neighbors to assume some of the childcare when they were too busy. There was this integrated community of work, education, instruction, and exchange that was very hard work, but it wasnt this isolated work, she says. While weepy, coronavirus-themed Facebook commercials may try to convince us that social media and virtual interaction can supplant the loss of this network, they dont have the actual physical coordination and the interdependence that parents really need, she says. In other words, the COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in an era where parents, particularly women, are expected to achieve a perfect balance between work and childcare, and for basically the first time in human history, theyre expected to do it on their own.

Unsurprisingly, many experts have predicted that this doesnt bode super well for women. A report from the United Nations has warned that the precarious economic situation could roll back many of the advances feminism has made over the past few decades, with layoffs hitting women disproportionately or forcing women with small children to bow out of the workforce. We could have an entire generation of women who are hurt [economically], Betsey Stevenson, a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan, told the New York Times.

Its worth noting, as Perelman does, that compared to many low-income women and women in service industries, middle-class working mothers who have the luxury of working from home are in a position of extraordinary privilege. While there is little hard data on the subject, low-income mothers will also be hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic: If youre making less money in a relationship and men make more, whats happening is women are staying at home to cover for childcare and these are often low-income women, says Ellen Kossek, a professor of management atPurdue University Krannert School of Management and author of a forthcoming study on the subject. It is proof of how broken the system is that even the best-case scenario (as Perelman and myself embody as happily employed middle-class remote workers), feels so daunting as to be unmanageable.

Truth be told, these prognostications are not anything new. Virtually any working mother has a horror story about feeling pushed out of the workplace pre-COVID-19, even those who come from a relative position of privilege, becausethe demands of the American workplace are totally antithetical to the demands of the home. You are forced to take a 30% pay cut as you watch your male partner get raise after raise and promotion after promotion, spending the remainder of your career trying in vain to catch up. You are encouraged to exclusively breastfeed your child for the first year of their life, which no one tells you is almost impossible to do if youre chained to a desk for eight hours a day. And you are forced to apologetically duck out at 5:15, trying to avoid the gaze of your superiors, gazing wistfully at your childfree cohorts as they go off to sip Moscow mules and network at happy hours.

Under the best circumstances, being a working parent feels like being an unwanted guest at the worlds most tedious party, and what COVID-19 has done is essentially kick working mothers out of the room altogether. In this sense, it has succeeded where previous efforts to limit womens ascendancy in the workplace the absence of paid leave, rampant pregnancy discrimination, and loopholes that ensure some employers dont have to institute lactation rooms, just to name a few have failed: in a scenario so perfect its almost as if some misogynistic sorcerer conjured it in a dungeon, a global pandemic may well be the impetus for booting working mothers from the workplace altogether.

This is already kind of starting to happen. Over the past few months, policy makers have engineered what they no doubt view as ingenious ways to return children back to school, all of which have been met with widespread ire from parents on social media. Fairfax County in Virginia will be spearheading a part-time policy where students can choose between four days of remote learning or two days of on-campus learning, while Gov. Cuomo has suggested that the 2020-2021 school year could be entirely remote. Employers have also done their part in instituting policies that are wildly ignorant of, if not downright hostile to, the lived realities of working parents, with Florida State University instituting a policy for remote employees banning them from caring for children while working. [FSU IS] acting like they gave us this privilege towatch our children while we worked when thats literally what I had to do, one professor complained. (FSUwalked back on this policy following backlash on social media, sending an email to staff saying, We want to be clear our policy does allow employees to work from home while caring for children.)

That the needs of parents were not taken into account during the development of these policies is apparent; that the needs of working mothers in particular were not considered, doubly so. In the absence of these discussions, the onus has been on parents themselves, not employers or policy-makers or the media. Theres a stigma right now that you cant say Im not available because Im helping my kid with my homework from 2-3, and you have to empower people to do that especially during the pandemic, says Kossek. Though she says managers should lead these conversations, the reality is that they so frequently fall on employees that its clear women arent just expected to seamlessly perform childcare and household and work duties simultaneously, theyre also expected to start the conversation about why such expectations are unfair.

Therein lies the crux of the issue: although much valuable discussion has been devoted to how COVID-19 has exposed the disparities in class, gender, and income, the parenting issue intersects with all three of those things, yet receives relatively little attention. Why isnt anyone talking about this? Why are we not hearing a primal scream so deafening that no plodding policy can be implemented without addressing the people buried by it?, Perelman writes in her essay. While there are likely plenty of reasons the relative unclickiness of the importance of paid parental leave among them the truth is that parenting issues are so often considered as tantamount with womens issues that theyve been rendered marginalized in the discourse, almost to the degree that theyre ignored altogether.

There are some who are optimistic about the long-term changes that COVID-19 may bring in terms of gender dynamics and parenting. In the long run we know that when men learn to actually get hands-on experience with the kind of work they were able to ignore for so long, they do do better, says Coontz, citing studies that show how men who take paternity leave end up assuming more of the burden of household labor. Now that men have been forced to pick up some of the childcare burden, becoming more intimately acquainted with its accompanying gifts and travails, I think there may be some possibilities for forward progress after this, she says.

But such progress is dependent on how we, as a society, respond to this crisis, by which she means implementing family-friendly policies such as paid leave, decreasing the wage gap, and providing universal health care. Sometimes there comes a crack in time, Koontz says, quoting a line from a poem by Stephen Vincent Benet. This is a real crack in time that exposes where the roads have been blocked, where theyve been overgrown, where new things need to be built. Theyre terribly painful, these cracks in time, but they can lead to change. But that assumes that everyone, from policymakers to media figures, sees these roadblocks as roadblocks to begin with, and until more people let loose with that primal scream calling for massive change, then these cracks in time will likely be left ignored.

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Example sentences with, and the definition and usage of …

Posted: at 3:42 pm

Q: I agree with human euthanasia. It is to make people or animals die without pain. In japan, only passive euthanasia which is based on the indication of clear intention of the patient is allowed. But I think active euthanasia should be also allowed because there are many cases in which the patient suffers serious pain and there is no way to avoid death or relieve pain.There have been a lot of patients and their family who asked for euthanasia so far. Thus, I agree with human euthanasia. does this sound natural?

A:Looks good so far. I just wanted to make some minor corrections to help the flow and fix some grammar mistakes:I agree with human euthanasia. It allows people or animals to die without pain. In Japan, only passive euthanasia - which is based on the indication of clear intention of the patient - is allowed. But I think active euthanasia should also be allowed because there are many cases where patients either suffer severe pain without the opportunity for relief or face death. Many patients and their families have pleaded for euthanasia. Thus, I agree with human euthanasia.

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Monica Doumit: The love that’s just too much trouble – The Catholic Weekly

Posted: at 3:42 pm

Reading Time: 3 minutes

We have known for a long time that those who describe themselves as pro-choice when it comes to abortion are in fact deeply anti-choice. While they wax lyrical about the right to choose, they do nothing to provide support for those women who want to keep their baby, either during or after pregnancy.

If they were authentically and consistently pro-choice, then the same people men and women who hold placards at pro-abortion rallies would also be volunteering for pregnancy counselling services or donating to providers of the same, but it doesnt routinely happen, if at all.

Similarly, the MPs who last year stood up in NSW Parliament and claimed that their pro-abortion vote was about a womans right to choose should be just as vocal and heartfelt in their pleas for the provision of services for families. But there has been no evidence of that.

The irony of the self-proclaimed pro-choicers is that they are thoroughly anti-choice.

This is true at the start of life and it is also true at the end of life.

Those who push for euthanasia and assisted suicide to be made legal describe their campaign as being one about end-of-life choices, but they also are completely disinterested in advocating for, or providing choice to, those who are nearing the end of life.

Instead, and just like the abortion advocates, they frame their campaign in terms of choice to make it more palatable to the public and the politicians.

In particular, those who argue for assisted suicide and euthanasia will say that its legalisation is not about diminishing the quality of or access to palliative care. Instead, they argue, it is an option for people for whom palliative care does not work, and who would be left to die in agony.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Australia has some of the highest quality palliative care in the world, and those who offer it say that for the two per cent of patients for whom it does not work, palliative sedation is offered so that they are not in any pain or distress as they reach the end of their lives.

All they really need is the resources to educate more doctors and patients about it, and to ensure it is affordable for everyone.

But euthanasia and assisted suicide advocates are not interested in that type of choice.

Remember that when Victoria conducted its inquiry into end-of-life choices, 30 of the 49 recommendations that the committee made related to the improvement of palliative care, and only one had to do with the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Palliative Care Victoria requested an additional $65 million in annual funding in order to meet the requirements, but they were given nothing.

The government instead put all its attention on pushing euthanasia laws through parliament, and it wasnt till after they were accepted that palliative care funding was considered.

Even then, the amount given was minimal. At a commitment of $62 million over a five-year period, the government was offering less than 20 per cent of what Palliative Care Victoria had told them was needed.

And its not like Victorian palliative care services didnt need the help.

Statistics released just last week by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that Victoria has been woefully below the national average for Medicare-subsidised palliative care services since the time euthanasia was legalised.

In Australia, an average of 58 people in every 100,000 receive Medicare-subsidised palliative care visits, either in their home or in the hospital.

Despite being one of Australias most populated states, in Victoria, these Medicare-subsidised visits are available to only 41.6 people per 100,000.

This isnt because fewer people are using the same amount of services.

Victoria is also below the national average in relation to the number of services provided.

Around the country, states average 316.4 Medicare -subsidised palliative care visits per 100,000 people; in Victoria, this number is 234.6.

While it might be cynical to suggest that the lethal cocktail provided for assisted suicide is a lot cheaper than providing quality palliative care, it is also true. If Victoria was serious about providing end-of-life choices, then the number of Medicare-subsidised palliative care services it provides to its citizens should be the highest in Australia.

Unfortunately, there is about as much chance of that as there is a pro-abortionist offering pregnancy support.

Related articles:

Experts back KPMG report on palliative careFederal grant for Sydney palliative expertsMonica Doumit: From bad to worse on euthanasia

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Rep. Afendoulis: The Issue of Life – gophouse.org

Posted: at 3:42 pm

By Rep. Lynn Afendoulis

I was blessed to become a mother in two ways: by giving birth to a daughter and by adopting a son, thanks to a woman who chose to give him life. The beauty of their lives is front and center for me when I hear people advocating for abortion.

Last year, I sponsored bills with Rep. Pam Hornberger to end the practice of dismemberment abortion. (Yes, it also has sanitized names D&E, for example but to get a child out of the womb after the first trimester, its limbs are ripped off and its skull crushed. Abortion advocates accuse me of being sensational, but I dont know what other words to use to describe the procedure. Thats how its done; those are the facts. The childs body is dismembered).

The governor has said she will veto this legislation because she and others say it is a womens healthcare issue. That argument is tiresome and ludicrous abortion is the opposite of healthcare. The children who grow in our wombs arent tumors to be excised; they arent scar tissue or infections or weaknesses to cure through a medical procedure. They are living, feeding, feeling humans on one end of the life spectrum who deserve as much care, love and attention as the elderly on the other end or as the infirmed and dying throughout. But because these children are out of sight as are the horrors of their deaths people argue for killing them and justify it by calling it healthcare.

I remember when I was about eight years old and a robins egg fell out of a tree. I took the baby bird home still half in its shell and tried to help it, but it died within the hour. If I had simply picked it up and ripped off its wings and watched it die, Im sure (I hope) someone would have rebuked me or gotten me help. I mean, what would you think of a child who tortured a living thing?

And if you dont think abortion advocates are trying to make abortion as acceptable as getting your ears pierced, go to Shoutyourabortion.com. The home page says, Abortion is normal. Our stories are ours to tell. This is not a debate. Wrong. It IS a debate, and more it is a fight for life; a battle for the very essence of what it means to be human, and especially what it means to be a woman. And when leaders dont see that when they kowtow to political pressure or to the easy answer that makes them popular instead of right they lose their humanity, set a horrendous example for young women, and deny life for those who might have been a governor or doctor or a great parent.

I am not an unenlightened member of the flat-earth society who doesnt give serious thought to serious issues. I am not strait-laced or unbending. I simply love and value life my own and others, born and unborn, healthy and sick. I will advocate against euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide as much as I will against abortion because life is life. And yes to those who will ask that includes George Floyds life. His life had as much merit as mine on this earth and he never should have died in that manner at the hands of a man who looked like he was watching a parade as he cruelly and needlessly snuffed out the life of a man who was made in Gods image.

Life is life. It is to be celebrated, nurtured, cared for even the tiniest among us. Abortion is unnatural. It is the opposite of healthcare. And we women from the highest office of the state to the homes in our neighborhoods need to do what we are meant to do: nurture and protect life.

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Cats Protection accused of unnecessarily putting cats to sleep – Mirror Online

Posted: at 3:42 pm

In an emotional Facebook post, Natalie Dodds asked: Does this kitten look like she needs to be euthanised?

Natalie told how she had resigned as a volunteer at Cats Protection because the giant charity wanted the kitten called Penny put to sleep.

There are other volunteers across the country who say that they too have walked out over what some call its kill policy.

Natalie, a former foster carer at the charity's branch in Telford, Shropshire, says that she took in little Penny after Cats Protection officials recommended that it be put down rather than have an operation for a chest deformity.

From the outset, Cats Protection did not wish to treat Penny, not even with flea or worm treatment, as her operation would cost more than the 500 limit per cat, and as such she was destined to die, she said.

So her fianc Ryan adopted Penny, refusing the offer of a refund if he returned her, telling the charity: Never did I believe that a kitten would need rescuing from the very organisation that was supposed to protect her.

An operation proved a complete success.

Penny is still thriving and loving her life, she is now ten months old and has already lived seven months longer than Cats Protection would have allowed, said Natalie.

I could not accept that Penny required euthanasia when there was treatment options available to her.

Following Pennys adoption, I made the decision to formally resign.

I pride myself on always putting animal welfare first and could not continue to be associated with this organisation.

Natalie states that the charity is particularly inclined to euthanise cats with two viruses usually known by the initials FIV and FeLV, especially if they are wild.

Cats Protection will snap test for FIV and FeLV all cats but if a feral has a positive result, they will not have secondary bloods tests done - its euthanasia immediately.

Others make the same allegation, including Sue Phillips who volunteered for the Atherton and Wigan branch of Cats Protection in Lancashire for 21 years until being told by email that she was no longer wanted.

Matters came to a head when branch members met national officials who wanted a cat called Simba, who had FIV, put to sleep.

Volunteers at the meeting challenged this due to having previous success with ill or unwell FIV cats, said Sue.

The two officials repeated on several occasions that FIV cats that were ill should be put to sleep, full stop.

The fosterer was following the agreed treatment plan with the vet but the committee was told that the fosterer should overrule the vet and euthanise the cat.

You save a cat's life and wait for someone in head office to criticise by saying it was against policy, but they never say well done for saving cat's life.

She particularly recalls another cat, called Zorro, describing agreeing to transfer him to an adoption centre on the advice of her superiors as one of the worst decisions of her life.

"After all the time and effort that I had taken with Zorro he was put to sleep within three weeks of going to the shelter. They didn't even discuss it with me first. He should not have been put to sleep."

Zara Oldfield is from the Torbay and Teignbridge branch.

She states: I was told at a welfare course run by Cats Protection in January that from April any cat with FeLV was to be euthanised, along with all kittens of a mother who tests positive for FeLV.

Any cat with FIV was to be assessed and if there were any other issues, be it physical or behavioural, they were to be euthanised.

The tests are not necessarily accurate but they don't carry out further more expensive tests to check that the diagnosis is correct.

Jacky Goodman was co-ordinator of Stockport Cats Protection, working there for more than 30 years until being sacked over free-roaming cats near the pens.

A manager said this loose colony of cats had to go, I said they're not going anywhere, she explained.

The majority had health issues, it would have been hard to re-home them and most would have been put to sleep.

I wasn't going to allow that, I stuck by what I thought was right for those cats.

They also said we were spending too much per cat.

I would not deliberately break rules but if I thought I was doing right for the cats and had the support of the vets then I broke the limit frequently. I was a square peg in a round hole.

Carole Barnes had worked at the Stockport branch for 11 years but was sacked for a "conflict of interests" when she also volunteered to help Jacky set up a new group, Stopford Cat Rescue. "We now have a thriving little independent registered charity," she said.

Kim Leadbitter resigned from the Wharfe Valley branch in North Yorkshire, admitting that she smuggled animals away from Cats Protection to save them.

She states that she would take FIV cats to independent rescue groups under the radar, rather than see them put to sleep by Cats Protection.

FIV is not a death sentence, cats with it don't need putting to sleep, she insisted, adding that the branch was criticised for over-spending.

Our branch had plenty of funds and was allowed to re-open after being put 'on hold' but we were told that we had to get permission for any spending over 50.

Some of these people have no compassion for the animals they are meant to look after.

A former volunteer for the Harrogate branch, also in North Yorks, said: There is a kill policy for FIV cats, domestic and feral.

I was told that we were not to take in any more farm kittens as 'who knows what germs they may bring in'.

There was no way that I could work for an organisation that had no care for feral cats.

Naomi Reynolds, a volunteer at the Wrexham branch, said she left after a kitten called Pickford was put to sleep.

He had some health issues but a lady had been found willing to pay the adoption fee and subsequent treatment, but euthanasia was still carried out.

Pickford was dead and so was my belief in Cats Protection, said Naomi.

Iain MacIver helped at the Lewis and Harris branch in Scotland, which has now being closed down.

The fact that over 100 ferals had been neutered and endless kittens saved the previous year was I felt being frowned upon, he said.

We had done too much and were costing too much, helping cats seemed unimportant.

He rescued an emaciated and traumatised cat named Zandt, and then adopted him rather than obey instructions to release him where he was found saying he would have died.

He is now the most adorable loving cuddly pet, no thanks to Cats Protection.

A meeting with senior supervisors went so badly that the then branch coordinator and treasurer resigned the same night.

The cat pens were at the coordinator's house, who said they could still be used, but Cats Protection rejected the offer.

So we approached kitten season 2019 with no pens, said Iain.

As the summer progressed call after call came in for cats and kittens needing help, all to be told there was nothing we could do.

They closed our branch in December, I believe that was always their intention.

By this time Iain had already resigned, having been reprimanded for taking in kittens at his own expense.

So Cats Protection not caring has resulted in us now owning 20 cats. We are basically running an unfunded cat sanctuary because of their lack of care. It's a life changing situation.

Don't get me wrong, no one forced us to do this and we adore and spoil each and every one of them, but we did it because we care and Cats Protection didn't.

Another former volunteer at the same branch said: We received new laptops, mobile phones and a printer when all we really wanted was cat pens so we could help more animals.

A former volunteer for the Harrogate branch in North Yorkshire said: There is a kill policy for all FIV cats, domestic and feral.

The policy was to only take in younger cats as older cats would tie up the pens for too long. The owners were encouraged to make the 'right decision' and have the cats put to sleep.

I was told that we were not to take in any more farm kittens as 'who knows what germs they may bring in'.

There was no way that I could work for an organisation that had no care for feral cats.

Last October 14 members at the Fareham branch in Hampshire resigned in protest over Cats Protection policies, and a few days ago the whole branch at Mere and Gillingham in Dorset left.

In a public statement the members said the final straw was a claim by head office that the branch had enough resources when in fact they had to buy food and litter out of their own pockets, saying: We feel we have been treated appallingly.

Cats Protection said in a statement: As a charity that values the hard work and dedication of its volunteers, its very upsetting for all concerned when there are disagreements.

We dont take their resignation lightly and sadly none of the complaints are news to us as theyve been subject to lengthy consultations over the past few months.

Unfortunately, however, human emotion can often cloud judgement of what is best for animals and, as cat welfare experts, our job is to ensure we do what is in cats best interests who are masters at hiding pain and distress.

Euthanasia is only ever considered where a cats illness or injury means a comfortable life free of suffering is not possible.

Sadly cats with FeLV (also known as feline leukemia) fall into this category as they will rapidly succumb to a distressing, incurable and fatal disease, as well as the risk that they present to the wider at population in spreading the virus.

Income: 73million.

Wages bill: 27million.

Cats rehomed: 41,000.

Number of staff paid more than 60,000: 17.

Rehoming cats bill: 26million

Number of shops: 131.

Branches closed/merged: 17.

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Animal Foundation to hold Empty the Shelters event – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted: at 3:42 pm

In the market for a furry family addition? The Animal Foundation is participating in the upcoming Empty the Shelters event with waived adoption fees for cats and dogs 6 months and older.

From Friday through Sunday, the local shelter will be among 160 shelters nationwide taking part in the event sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation.

Animals under 6 months are not included in the promotion but will be available. A $10 licensing fee may apply to any adoption.

All animals included in the Empty the Shelters event will be microchipped and spayed/neutered to prevent further pet homelessness.

The Empty the Shelters event will be by appointment only to adhere to COVID-19 regulations. Adoptions manager Brenda Arceo recommends that people looking to adopt check the shelters website to find the animal they are interested in before making an appointment.

Phones open at 9 a.m. to begin scheduling the days appointments for pet meet-and-greets from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the shelter, 655 N. Mojave Road.

The 30-minute meet-and-greets at the shelter are with one specific animal at a time and can be made the day of the event. People that live in the home should come to meet the animal and make a family decision, Arceo said.

Masks are required, and its recommended that people who are not part of the household do not come along, in order to minimize exposure to staff and other visitors.

The shelter offers a foster-to-adopt program to adequately pair the pet to the home. This allows a two-week trial adoption for people who may not be entirely confident about adopting.

During the July Fourth weekend, the busiest of the year, the shelter took in 287 runaway pets, and so far, over 40 have been reunited with their owners. Arceo said only 22 percent of lost pets were claimed last year. After 72 hours and multiple attempts to reach the owner, lost pets become eligible to be readopted.

If they have a microchip, were going to make three attempts to call the owner. Sometimes it can take longer than the 72 hours to give them a chance, spokeswoman Kelsey Pizzi said. Because we do want to reunite them, it just doesnt always happen.

The organization accepts monetary donations to care for the animals needs from food to surgeries. Its 2020 goal is to reach zero euthanasia for healthy and treatable animals at the shelter.

Since Empty the Shelters began in 2016, more than 37,000 pets have been adopted nationwide. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, two nationwide Empty the Shelter events have resulted in the adoption of 6,231 pets.

Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the number of runaway pets the shelter took in during the July Fourth weekend.

Contact Jannelle Calderon at jcalderon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @NewsyJan on Twitter.

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Goatie the goat died with a stomach full of rope, plastic and parasites – Stuff.co.nz

Posted: at 3:42 pm

Mark Taylor/Stuff

A goat owned by Sanson woman Yvette Doorey was in such bad shape it had to be euthanised (file photo).

A woman who neglected a goat will get to keep her three dogs, despite the goat suffering so badly it had to be euthanised.

Yvette Doorey's neglect of Goatie the goat was a bad case of its kind, Judge Lance Rowe said in the Palmerston North District Court on Thursday.

Doorey was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and ordered to pay $844 in costs.

Although she was banned from owning or controlling livestock for three years, she will be able to keep her three pet dogs.

READ MORE:* 'Goatie' the goat euthanised after owner's ill-treatment* Judge tells man with record of booze-fuelled offending to kick the grog* Whale found dead with 100kg of trash in its stomach

Her neglect of Goatie was discovered by the SPCA after it was tipped off about a goat with no water and shelter in Sanson in August.

Goatie was found chained to a trailer, reluctant to stand due to its poor condition.

Goaties individual vertebrae were easily seen through its skin, all four hooves were overgrown and there were obvious signs of dehydration.

A vet decided euthanasia was the best option. An autopsy found a severe parasite infestation and signs of liver disease.

Goaties stomach had no food in it, but the autopsy showed 40 centimetres of knotted rope, a 15cm x 44cm sheet of yellow plastic and another foreign object in its rumen.

Defence lawyer Richard Bedford said it was not a case of deliberate mistreatment by Doorey.

STUFF

A goat that provided companionship for a cow that was too depressed to eat went missing in December.

Goatie was previously wild and being cared for by Dooreys mother, who Doorey believed had drenched the goat.

The mother had seen Goatie try to eat foreign objects even when there was plenty of grass, Bedford said.

Doorey had no prior experience caring for goats, so thought Goaties condition was normal.

Her three dogs were well cared for and provided security, Bedford said.

Doorey, a solo mother with three children, had felt awkward in her neighbourhood since the neglect became public knowledge after a previous court appearance.

The judge said Goaties distress would have been obvious to anyone who looked.

This is a bad case of neglect.

Animals had no choice about the care they received, so people had an obligation to treat them well, the judge said.

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Life-and-death issues that could cost Premier election – Whitsunday Times

Posted: at 3:42 pm

WITH Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk riding high in the popularity stakes, there's a strong belief - particularly in Labor circles - she is home and hosed at the October 31 poll.

It's a conclusion easily reached, because the perception is that the Premier has handled the coronavirus crisis well, protecting most Queenslanders from its deadly ravages.

But the jury is out on how voters will judge Labor's cautious approach to the economic recovery, after Ms Palaszczuk resisted attempts for weeks to open the borders, despite advice from Canberra that it was safe.

Ms Palaszczuk's likability and her "steady as she goes'' approach will stand Labor in good stead, although integrity scandals, high youth crime, poor economic performance - even before COVID-19 - and a child safety crisis will not help.

Before Labor strategists get too carried away and start stockpiling the Moet for the celebratory drinks on poll night, there are a couple of factors to consider before October 31.

Those closest to God go to church - and like those who fish, they vote.

Many were not happy when they saw thousands of people marching in the streets with no repercussions and they were stopped from going to Sunday Mass.

They are also upset with the Government's pro-abortion laws and the fact Labor has not ruled out voluntary assisted dying reforms, better known as euthanasia.

If you think the Christian vote doesn't influence the outcome of elections, take a look at the federal Brisbane seat of Longman.

Few people gave the Coalition any hope of winning the Brisbane seat of Longman at last year's federal poll.

Ten months before the May 2019 federal poll, the Labor Party had won the Longman by-election after incumbent Susan Lamb became embroiled in the so-called parliamentary eligibility crisis.

Lamb retained the seat after LNP candidate Trevor Ruthenberg was outed for claiming to have been the recipient of the Australian Service Medal, a distinction higher than what he had actually received, the Australian Defence Medal.

"If I screwed up then I screwed up and all I can do is apologise,'' he told The Courier-Mail's Steven Wardill, who broke the story.

And while the medal controversy did the LNP candidate no favours, there were other factors at play.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday. Picture: Attila Csaszar

The Longman by-election was a major test for then Labor leader Bill Shorten.

As such, the Labor Party threw everything at the election, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on campaigning and advertising.

Had Labor lost, Shorten would have had to walk the plank.

Far-left agitators Get Up! doorknocked the electorate and honed in on a controversial healthcare policy of the then Turnbull government.

But there was another factor that is often underestimated in the Longman by-election post-mortem.

It was the Christian vote, more specifically the Catholic vote.

At the time, the Turnbull government was being attacked by the Catholic Church for its independent schools funding policy, which they said threatened the viability of their educational offerings.

On that Super Saturday of by-elections, Catholic and Anglican priests told parishioners to vote for any party other than the Coalition.

They did - in droves.

Mr Turnbull changed that education funding anomaly and after being dumped as leader, it was Prime Minister Scott Morrison who reaped the benefits of the Catholics returning to the conservative fold.

With Shorten's politics of envy, a terrible, complacent Labor campaign and Morrison fighting for his political life, the LNP's Terry Young won Longman at the general election. Labor strategists had put Longman in the column that said "certain win''. The arrogance and hubris that was the hallmark of the 2019 campaign had not factored in the Longman peculiarities.

The lesson from Longman was clear: Don't underestimate the Christian vote, because it votes as a bloc.

On October 31, they'll be voting for the LNP.

The pro-life movement - Cherish Life - is about to let Queensland voters know about Labor's strong pro-abortion stance.

It has drawn up a hit list of 14 Labor seats - and one held by the Greens - which they say are vulnerable on October 31.

They include Townsville, Whitsunday, Gaven, Mundingburra, Mansfield, Maiwar, Barron River, Redlands, Keppel, Cairns, Springwood, Redcliffe, Pine Rivers, Mount Ommaney and Thuringowa.

All seats are held by margins of up to 5 per cent.

Cherish Life will also mount campaigns to retain five LNP seats that it sees as crucial to an LNP win.

Cherish Life says, based on number-crunching from previous elections, it can influence a seat by anything up to 3.5 per cent.

It says many swinging voters are appalled that the new pro-abortion legislation, passed in State Parliament in 2018, allows babies to be aborted with the approval of two doctors right up to birth, or full term.

Women do not need any medical approval up to 22 weeks to have an abortion.

The Australian Family Association has opposed so-called voluntary-assisted-dying reforms.

It has written to a state parliamentary inquiry on aged care, end-of-life and palliative care and voluntary assisted dying suggesting funding for palliative care be substantially increased "so that all terminally ill patients can receive the end-of-life care to which they are entitled''.

Under current law, doctor-assisted suicide and euthanasia are criminal offences in Queensland.

It would be safe to assume that anybody who opposes abortion and euthanasia in Queensland will not vote Labor.

There is no doubt that billionaire Clive Palmer's advertising blitzkrieg against Bill Shorten hurt Labor at the last federal election.

He spent $68 million to unsuccessfully elect Palmer United Party people, but in real terms what he did was amplify and reaffirm the notion that Shorten was dodgy - he says one thing in St Kilda and another thing in Clermont. Palmer is gearing up for a similar campaign against Ms Palaszczuk.

After all, current LNP president Dave Hutchinson is controversially close to Palmer - some say too close.

Then there's One Nation and the Katter Party, formidable forces, particularly in the regions. Their preferences will help the conservatives and if there's a hung parliament, expect Katter and Hanson to side with the LNP to form government.

This contest is far from over. It will go the full distance. Expect a split decision by the judges.

Cherish Life protesters rally outside Brisbanes Parliament House in 2018 to protest the late-term abortion Bill.

Originally published as Life-and-death issues that could cost Premier election

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