I am a freelance writer living in Tennessee who has a deep passion for animal welfare, environmental, and other progressive causes.
Mississippi’s convicted animal abusers will now be treated with the condemnation and punishment they deserve. The state has toughened its standards and penalties for cruelty. Applaud this important reversal of fortune for vulnerable animals.
Amazon just helped ensure its facial recognition technology is not weaponized for racial profiling and wrongful imprisonment. The influential company will ban use of its often inaccurate tech by law enforcement in most cases. Thank business leaders for this step in the right direction.
A monument to racism and treason may soon fall in Virginia. The removal of the divisive Robert E. Lee statue, site of many protests against racial injustice, has been ordered by Governor Ralph Northam. Applaud the potential end of this endorsement of America at its worst.
Two African Americans, Breonna Taylor and David McAtee, died by deadly police force in Louisville in separate incidents. Their controversial killings and the police department responsible for both are now being investigated at the local and federal level. Applaud these needed steps in accountability and ultimate justice.
The federal government’s game of hide-and-seek with crucial Native American relief money is about to come to an end. Billions of dollars will soon reach some of the citizens hit hardest by COVID-19: tribal populations. Applaud the arrival of long-needed humanitarian and healthcare aid.
Ozone holes around the world are healing, closing dangerous gaps in environmental protection. Applaud these significant recoveries for Earth’s strongest shield against global warming.
Unrestrained oil production has slowly poisoned Earth for decades. Production of this destructive fossil fuel will now be slashed drastically. Applaud the decline of a prominent global polluter.
Science and medicine have once again rescued scores of living beings from a deadly fate. A promising vaccine spells the end of inhumane badger culling in Britain. Applaud the eradication of a government-mandated form of animal cruelty that has claimed over a million badgers.
A man accused of killing or starving dozens of cattle received his day in court and did not escape legal justice. He was found criminally responsible for multiple counts of animal cruelty. Applaud the prosecutors who never gave up on justice for these fallen victims of inexcusable negligence and abuse.
The state where one of the worst mass shootings in American history took place will now put long-blocked gun violence prevention measures into practice. This shows that Virginia will no longer value special interest paychecks over human lives. Applaud this landmark legislation.
Earth will not be exploited by another water, air, and land-polluting oil sands mine. In the process, one of Canada’s most dangerous environmental enemies faces a major, possibly fatal blow. Celebrate the end of a destructive era.
The state at the center of the last major American outbreak has shielded its youngest citizens from the “anti-vaxxer” threat with required vaccinations in public schools. This will mandate vaccinations that combat measles and other dangerous health conditions. Applaud the prioritization of children’s health over unproven, unscientific claims.
Ontario, once the site of urgent animal welfare lapses, has now become a benchmark in the fight against animal cruelty. New laws will bolster the apprehension and punishment of cruel offenders. Applaud this important win for animal welfare.
A ban on most flavored e-cigarettes will likely diminish the use of these harmful devices among youth and other vulnerable populations. This ban constitutes the first strong federal offense against an industry accused of enabling addiction and serious health problems. Applaud this needed protection for consumer health.
Fewer kids will spend the holidays separated from their families after a prison-like detention center’s closure. While this is just one of many immigrant detention centers across the country, it is a victory for immigrant rights and a step in the right direction. Applaud the decision that spared thousands of children the trauma and indignity of living like criminals.
A severely polluted UK city is leading the way in the fight against poisonous air pollution with a ban on diesel-powered motor vehicles. Applaud this important stand against pollutants that threaten the environment and public health.
Victims of animal cruelty will soon receive real justice following the passing of national safeguards for animal victims. In the process, the worst acts of animal cruelty will receive federal condemnation. Applaud an important cause that united all political leaders and will bring justice to these innocent victims.
A multi-acre park with over 160 trees has taken the place of multiple Dallas parking lots, paving the way for more green spaces and clean living. Countless communities will be better for this amazing achievement. Applaud the drive to clean and green urban landscapes.
Animal rights took two monumental steps forward in California. Now, the living beings most victimized by circuses and by the blood-money fur trade have new hope. Applaud these encouraging wins for abused and exploited animals.
A scared calf was allegedly cruelly butchered in public view. This poor animal’s accused killers must now face not only the court of public opinion but the court of law. Support just punishment for seemingly unremorseful accused animal abusers.
If monarch butterflies vanished, the world would not only lose a beautiful symbol of nature, it would forsake a vital tool in countless plants’ survival. Applaud an unlikely alliance that could help save monarchs and prevent a bleak outcome.
The modern era’s war on drugs does not unfold in the streets but in corporate boardrooms. Opiod drug manufacturers have profited at the expense of half a million American lives. Applaud the legal day of reckoning visited upon one prominent opioid kingpin.
The EPA chose lethal poison over the health and lives of animals the agency should be protecting. Now, unified public outrage has put these poisonous traps back where they belong: in the trash bin of bad ideas. Applaud the end of deadly deregulation that would have killed thousands of wildlife.
Our political leaders owe us the truth. Tax information shines an important spotlight on a candidate’s true motives and character. Commend California for requiring candidates for office release their tax returns.
Vehicle pollution just got dealt an important blow courtesy of California and four auto manufacturers. This partnership counters an imminent destructive rollback on clean air standards. Support these unlikely allies in their bid for environmental responsibility.
