I wasn’t as proactive as I thought I would be, and I’m pretty sure I missed a couple posted during the first of September, so apologies there. Otherwise, here was last month’s Newsbytes.

For historical purposes, a collection of links and other tidbits posted to Newsbytes in August.

U.S. Representative Don Young of Alaska has refused an award from the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund after being recognized this week with 145 other members of Congress, according to a press release from his office.

"HSUS are hypocrites, plain and simple, and I will not join them by accepting this award," said Rep. Young, explaining his refusal. "Local animal shelters and humane societies do excellent work by caring for neglected and homeless animals, and through their spaying and neutering programs. This organization, however, has absolutely nothing to do with animal welfare. Instead they prey on the emotions of big-hearted Americans."

He elaborated on his reasons on the floor of the House:

I've been a hunter all my life. And they're against hunting. And that bothered me.

Humane Society COO and HSLF president Michael Markarian said that while HSUS "[disagrees] with [Rep. Young's] views on most animal welfare policies," they "also believe in giving credit where credit is due and recognizing positive actions."

The repopulation of grey wolves in Montana and Idaho led to their removal from the Endangered Species List in 2008, concerning many conservationists. But last August a U.S. federal judge ruled this kind of subdivision of populations illegal.

Now Michael Brune of the Sierra Club says lawmakers seek to withdraw this protection through a budget amendment. [tip: Ezno]

Larry, a four-year-old tabby cat, become the newest Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office this Tuesday. His duty is to suppress the rats that have been sighted in Downing Street in recent weeks.

Previously, Larry lived as a stray and was recruited from Battersea Dogs and Cats' home. Larry was recommended as the mouser as he showed "a high chase-drive and hunting instinct". Although an official spokesman described him as 'easygoing', Larry proceeded to scratch reporters who tried to do a story on him.

The first Chief Mouser was Treasury Bill in 1924. The position has been held by a number of cats over the years, although the position has been vacant since Sybil left it in 2008.

CNN photojournalist Giaco Riggs took a few pictures of a Red Fox in pursuit of squirrels on Capitol Hill last Friday.

"It just showed up and was hunting a squirrel," Riggs was quoted by CNN as saying. "When he showed up, all the other squirrels ran away. When the fox went away, all the squirrels came back."

Police know drug users, dealers, and traffickers use elaborate methods of protecting and concealing their illegal goods, but this one is a first in Canada: thirteen black bears, found by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at a marijuana plantation in Christina Lake, British Columbia (near the US-Canada border).

The bears were apparently trained to guard two fields of marijuana plants and fed to become docile and trainable, defending the hidden plantation containing over 2300 plants.  The closest past parallel was police finding a two-meter (six-foot) crocodile at a grow-op in 2003.

Read more at WDIV-DT - ClickOnDetroit.com and The Windsor Star.

An embroidery of the front door of 10 Downing Street

Politics is always in the air. You cannot avoid even though at times you wish the whole thing would go away. Look at the American election – after all, it is impossible not to. Months and months of coverage, much of it pointless and reporting rumours. All of these stories about Barack Obama being a secret Muslim, an elitist, a socialist, not to mention the “Terrorist fist-bump” and “Not being black because this father was white”. At least we British only limit general elections to a few weeks.

But what about politics in connection with the furry fandom?

A federal court has overturned the Bush administration's attempt to circumvent the Endangered Species Act by selectively removing protection for gray wolves in three states of the upper Midwest.

You can read more about the ruling here.

Trickster

From Defenders of Wildlife Denlines Newsletter

On March 16, the Senate voted by a razor-thin margin, 51-49, to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling by sneaking a measure into the budget bill.
However, the fight to protect the refuge is NOT over – and we urgently need your support today to protect this pristine wilderness from the devastation of oil drilling.

Our goal is to raise $50,000 in the next 72 hours to underwrite a campaign to persuade at
least two senators to change their votes. On behalf of the polar bears, wolves, caribou, arctic foxes and other wildlife – can you donate?

This came from the Defenders of Wildlife newsletter at Defenders.org

Unlike wolves in the continental US, Alaska wolves are not protected by the Endangered Species Act. Some people hunt Alaska wolves solely to increase the number of prey species that can also be hunted, which helps tourism.

Alaska as a whole has voted twice to ban the mass-killing of wolves via aerial shooting, where hunters divebomb packs of wolves, chase them until they tire, and shoot them from the air. But last June the governor of Alaska signed a bill to allow it anyway. The practice is about to be expanded to cover a larger area, and may soon include bears as well.

You may visit this link to learn more about the degree to which politicians and hunters are playing god with the ecosystem of Alaska, and what can be done about it.

Trickster

The legislation, SB 89 by Sen. Dede Alpert, D-San Diego, would have granted amnesty under limited conditions to ferrets already in California. A $75 license fee would have been dedicated to a study of whether ferrets pose any danger.

You can find more here.

- WhiteFire

For Immediate Release Contact: Dan Shaw
Email dan@danandcuddles.com
Friday, February 27, 2004

Dan Shaw who lives in Ellsworth is seeking the Democratic nomination for Representative to the Legislature from House District 38. House District 38 includes Ellsworth, Otis, and Trenton.

“Representing the people of District 38 would be a great honor and a privilege,” said Mr. Shaw. “Serving in the legislature is about improving the quality of life for Maine citizens. I am running for the legislature because of my commitment to dealing with issues that matter most to Maine families-access to affordable health care, taking care of our children and our elderly, access to affordable higher education, and sound economic development which includes good jobs. I want to introduce my real-life experiences to the legislature,” said Shaw.

Dan Shaw is well known to area children and adults as the owner of Cuddles, the world’s first guide horse. Dan, who has retinitis pigmentosa, a disease of the eyes affecting his vision, acquired Cuddles three years ago as a substitute for a guide dog. Since then his story has been recounted to Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Walters, and Connie Chung to name only a few.

Dan, 47, is a book writer, carpenter, and a landscaper. He is married to Ann Shaw who is employed at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth.

Dan and Cuddles can be visited at their Website: www.danandcuddles.com

Dan is a Maine Clean Election candidate and will accept no campaign funds from special interest political action committees (PACs).

Repentent Republicans vote for Gay Penguin in 2004!

True, this nonaligned, amphibious alternative to conventional choices for President may be incapable of abstract thought. Then again, his inability to sign documents would ensure an absence of policies such as job outsourcing, the Iraq War, and a constitutional amendment defining marriage. See Gay Penguin's public stances on these and many other issues in this cleverly done satirical piece.

"Gay Penguin 2004. Because he's not Bush."

Trickster

Granted, it's not badgers.

But still... God help us.

This selection is from the same people who brought us "Viking Kittens" and at least a dozen other singing animal animations, both original and from popular music.

Trickster