Giant Spider Rediscovered in England

The great fox spider, (Alopecosa cursor) known for its nighttime hunting ability, was rediscovered on an MOD site in Surrey after a twenty-seven year absence. It is two inches wide and rather attractive in a creepy way.[photo credit M. Waite]. A member of the wolf-spider family (Lycosidae) , it is equipped with eight eyes that give it 360 degree vision for chasing down prey. Like other arachnids in the family, it does not use a web for trapping its meals. Mike Waite for the Surrey Wildlife Trust walked the training site for two years before finding his quarry in his torch beam.  The spider likes open areas for hunting which it found on the site due to human disturbances that keep down shrubs and trees.  Waite found several males and one female in sandy patches of ground. President of the British Arachnid Society called the find, “the most exciting thing to happen in wildlife circles for quite some time”.

The great fox spider, discovered in England some 120 years ago, has only been seen a handful of times since then, despite its large size. They operate mostly at night, and their camouflage makes them difficult to spot.  In winter they hibernate in silk-lined burrows. Great fox spiders like warmer climates, and is more common on the mainland, particularly the sand dunes of Holland and Denmark. MOD sites are attractive to wildlife because they are protected from human habitation and large enough to support them. The heath land where the spider was rediscovered is managed by the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, recognized as nationally important for populations of rare birds, reptiles and invertibrates. Waite is now conducting nature walks in nearby areas to discover more great fox spiders.

credt: M. Waite

Malaysia Tiger Cubs Spotted in Camera Trap

There are only an estimated 200 Malaysian tigers remaining in the wild. This video from WWF is encouraging since it captures three sub-adult cubs and their mother inhabiting Belum-Temengor Forest Complex. This is evidence that tiger population can rebound if given enough habitat and protection. Snares set by poachers remain a serious threat to wildlife throughout Southeast Asia. Until the wildlife trade is eliminated or drastically curtailed these precious cubs face an uncertain future. WWF informs US that Belum-Temengor in Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia’s most important tiger landscapes, yet it experienced a 50% decline in tiger numbers from 2009-2018 largely due to widespread snaring. In 2017 and 2018, the anti-poaching team in Malaysia had deactivated snares around the same area, which is a hotspot for foreign poachers. Since then, there has been a drastic increase in the number of patrol teams and a sharper decline in the instances of snares. Persistence and vigilance is what is required so that conservationists and governments can meet their Tx2 pledges made in the Year of the Tiger, 2010.

credit: S. Kundu/WWF

Botswanna Blames Toxic Algae

The Botswanna government finally announced on Monday what it thinks caused the sudden mass mortality of 330 of its iconic elephants. Elephants died suddenly eariler this year in northwestern Botswanna exhibiting symptoms of poisoning. After investigation, the government said that the elephants probably drank water containing toxic blue-green algae from seaonal pans (ponds). Cyanobacterium are know to cause neurological disorders in animals. The unexplained mortality ceased after the pans dried up. Scavangers feeding on the elephant carcasses in the Serongo showed no signs of illness. The microorganism is thought to interfere with neurological signals eventually causing paralysis and death, primarily from respiratroy failure. Investigators ruled out human causation. Herders have posioned water to exterminate unwanted animals, including elephants, in the past. Botswanna has an estimated remaining population of 130,000 African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana) that attract thousands of tourist to the country every year. Governement officials promised to begin monitoring pans and proving tests to detect the presence of blue-green algae.

'Toontime: The Current Struggle Against Fascism

credit: B. Bramhall, NY Daily News; Wackydoodle sez: He prepaid his medical bills!

Does this description remind you of a current 'Merican fake preznint?

“[He]did not bring into the movement any ready-made program . . . [but] began with grievances and complaints. . . Sentimental formlessness, absence of disciplined thought, ignorance along with gaudy erudition . . [that] supplied him with the possibility of uniting all types of dissatisfaction . . . and of leading the mass in the direction in which it pushed him. In the mind of the agitator was preserved . . . whatever had met with approbation. His political thoughts were the fruits of oratorical acoustics. . . ."

That quote is Leon Trotsky describing A. Hitler. 'Killer' Trumpillini's favorite bedtime reading was Mein Kampf, says one of his former wives. So, VOTE as if your life depends on it, because this "hoax" can kill:

 

U.S. COVID-19 DEATHS (est.): 240,746* 

BC Idonwanna sez: Solidarity will bury Cofefe!....

 *The regime admits it is not going to control the pandemic, according to chief of staff, Mark Meadows. So much for public health and safety. In Trumpworld winning trumps everything."Just ask an asylum seeker or "Thus says the Lord, You shall not molest or oppress an alien. You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. If you ever wrong them, they will cry out to me, and I will surely hear their cry. My wrath will flare up"....Exodus 22:20-23.

Methane Gas Released in Arctic Ocean

The powerful greenhouse gas, methane, is being released at high rates in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of eastern Siberia. International scientists aboard the Russian research vessel R/V Akademik Keldysh in the Laptev Sea [photo credit: Marcus Rex], found high levels of methane in the water column down to a depth of 350 meters. A Swedish scientist on board told the UK Guardian, “At this moment, there is unlikely to be any major impact on global warming, but the point is that this process has now been triggered. This East Siberian slope methane hydrate system has been perturbed and the process will be ongoing.” The US Geological Survey listed destabilization of Arctic hydrates as one of the four most serious scenarios for catastrophic climate change.

Methane gas traps heat at a rate 80 times that of carbon dioxide over a twenty year period. Science estimates that 1400 gigatons of hydrates including methane are locked in submarine Arctic permafrost. Higher sea temperatures caused by incursion of warm Atlantic seawater will cause subsurface hydrates to be released to the atmosphere. Scientists involved in the research caution that their study results are preliminary and not yet published. The scale of the detected releases are not yet determined until their data is analyzed. At one location, they found methane concentrations at a level 400 times higher than an equilibrium condition. 

The chief scientist, Igor Semiletov, of the Russian Academy, said the findings are significantly larger than those determined before this research. "Potentially they can have serious climate consequences, but we need more study before we can confirm that.”, Semiletov said. It is the latest sign of warming in the Arctic where freeze up has yet to start, a date later than any other on record. This year's Siberian heat-wave saw temperatures 5C higher than average from January to June. Massive wildfires occurred throughout the region, melting permafrost and releasing carbon into the atmosphere in a vicious planet warming feedback loop. Craters and sinkholes pockmark previous stable ground in the tundra region. These are also occurring on the shallow seabed of the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea where methane bubbles are reaching the surface.

Indonesia's 'Jurassic Park'

When US Person visited the dragons of Komodo Island all he had to do was brave a choppy sea crossing from Lombok in an overloaded native cargo canoe. Now the Indonesian government is proposing charging tourists $1,000 for the privilege of seeing the 1700 survivors of an ancient race of giant lizards. The government wants to use the revenue to protect the species into the future, a laudable goal. Last year it dropped a controversial decision to close Komodo Island and relocate its 2200 human inhabitants in order to protect the species, Varanus komodoensis.

Indonesia also wants to establish a mass tourism resort on nearby Rinca Island, home to about 1,000 dragons. There are about a hundred more dragons on nearby islets. However, conservationists are concerned that the development of Rinca will affect the lizards adversely. A recent photo of a giant lizard facing a construction vehicle on Rinca went viral on social media. [photo, left] It may have been the first time in creation that the lizard confronted a mechanical invader. An official at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry assured the press that, "No Komodo dragons will become victims." He added that teams would go to the island to insure safety protocols were being observed.

Dragons grow up to three meters in length, possess sharp teeth, and a venomous bite. There are recorded human fatalities from encounters with dragons, including tourists. According to data from Komodo National Park spanning a 38-year period between 1974 and 2012, there were 24 reported attacks on humans, five of them fatal. In 2017 a Singaporean was bitten on his leg when he got too close to a feeding dragon. The incident took place outside of a safe zone identified by park rangers; the tourist was staying with locals. After the incident, the first in five years, he was whisked to a military hospital by speedboat for treatment.

Michigan Man to Serve Time for Killing Wildlife

In a rare event, a Michigan man convicted of killing wolves and bald eagles in Upper Peninsula of Michigan will serve ninety days in jail and permanently loose his hunting license. Kurt Duncan made a plea deal in the Chicasaw County court after pleading guilty to numerous wildlife crimes including killing 18 wolves and three bald eagles, both protected species. Duncan told the court the eagles killings were not intentional and that he was trapping coyotes when, "things got out of control". The head of Michigan's wildlife protection agency said Duncan's case was a historical precedent that he hoped would serve as a deterance to other poachers. He is required to pay $27,000 for the animals illegally taken and $9,240 in court fees and costs. The hunting ban applies in 48 states that are members of an interstate compact. All of the crimes he pleaded to are misdemeanors. The prosecutor in the case said lawmakers should consider stiffer penalties for wildlife crimes.

COTW: Net Conservative

Ok, so what if the Demos take the White House and the Senate? Every piece of major progressive legislation starting with the ACA will be subjected to Supreme Court review based on a 6-3 reactionary bias. Stacking the Court at the last minute is the least looser Repugnants in the Senate can do for their theistic capitalist ideology. The question becomes can the Court be reformed or is the Republic doomed to political musical chairs for its lifetime? 

This interesting chart posted at Lawyers, Guns and Money blog shows that the Court has been on the conservative side of the political spectrum for the last fifty years, despite some progressive legislation--affirmative action, environmental protection, gay rights, and reproductive rights--being passed in that time period. That has not stopped a conservative Court from hollowing out progressive precedents with subsequent decisions, e.g., the Voting Rights Act. This trend is the logical consequence of Marbury vs. Madison and In Re Dred Scott, widely considered the worst Supreme Court decision ever. Citizens United is a close second. The chart below tracks the various justices' opinions according to the ideological spectrum:

Two parameters stand out immediately. William O. Douglas was off the charts liberal. No justice has complied a liberal record close to his, but Rehnquist came close to off-setting him during the few years both served on the Court. Secondly, Chief Justice Roberts is close to the median jurist indicated by the yellow line. The yellow line is securely in the conservative zone, and the trend will be more pronounced with the certain confirmation of Judge Amy Barrett. How a Democratic Congress, without a constitutional amendment, can prevent the court tilting even farther right than it has been for the last fifty years is open to dispute. One circumstance is certain, reactionaries will use their super-majority on the Court to block legislation they deem "socialist" or immoral, starting with the Affordable Care Act.

The lone democratic socialist in Congress, Bernard Sanders, says he is against expanding the Supreme Court since it would be subjected to expansion at the cost of its institutional legitimacy every time one party gains ascendancy in the legislative and executive branches. That is a valid point, but what is the alternative? When the country needed the New Deal over the vociferous opposition of capitalists, FDR attempted to "pack" the Court. That attempt failed. (The chart shows the Court veering right in the later thirties.) The truth is that the Repugnants have assiduously installed fellow ideologues on all levels of the federal bench--in essence, packing--during the decades they were in power. Killer alone is responsible for over 200 such jurists. Joe Biden has promised a commission to study the issue of judicial reform because the judiciary is "out of wack".  In the Washington swamp, a commission study is tantamount to tabling an idea indeterminately. Judicial reform is badly needed; if it takes a constitutional amendment to limit Supreme Court members and their tenure, making it a more responsive institution, then that is the method we are stuck with under our 18th century constitutional system. Note however, that the number of justices is set by statute (28 USC 1) and has varied during the nation's history.

Meanwhile®, there are steps Congress can take to ameliorate this undemocratic situation without a constitutional amendment*. The idea of creating a judicial override vote by two-thirds majority in both houses appeals to US Person, aka the Khan, as the least disruptive of the current absolute power of judicial review residing in the Supreme Court. There is nothing in the Constitution about judicial constitutional review. See Article III. In an original eruption of judicial activism, the concept was essentially created by Chief Justice John Marshall in the 1803 Marbury decision, which as Judge Barrett pointed out, has become a "super-precedent", or an unquestioned part of our foundational legal structure. With a joint decree of constitutionality, Congress could override a judicial determination that a particular legislative act is unconstitutional in a way similar to overriding a presidential veto. The Supreme Court would then be required by law to consider the legislation constitutional in its subsequent judicial decisions.  

Believe in textualism?  Chew on the complete absence of judicial constitutional review in the original document.  Unless something is done to correct judicial minority rule, Mitch McConnell's "judge machine" will haunt US for decades. 

*Impeaching Clarence Thomas for perjury during his confirmation hearing and filing false annual financial disclosures could be a start [see chart above].  Fifteen federal judges have been impeached for perjury.  In a historical side note, FDR got his way with the Court eventually "packing" it the old-fashioned way, by attrition.

Oregon Posts a Bounty

The state of Oregon posted a $6,150 reward for information about recent wolf poaching in Baker County on or about September 24th. The crime occurred northwest of New Bridge in the Skull Creek drainage of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest on Forest Service Road 7741. Oregon State Patrol troopers recovered the carcass of a black wolf [photo] with a pink radio collar off the 125 spur road, about one mile east of Eagle Forks campground. The wolf shot was the breeding male of the Cornucopia Pack in eastern Baker County. If you have information concerning this incident, please contact the Oregon State Patrol or the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife.

With Friends Like This....

Don 'Killer' Trumpillini claimed he has done a lot for the environment in last night's debate. What is true amid his avalance of lies is that he has done a lot to degrade the environment by rolling back over a hundred environmental regulations and taking the US out of the Paris Climate Accord.. The latest effect of his extreme pro-extraction policy bias comes from another swamp--non-metaphorical--the Okeefenokee in Georgia. A mining company is set to dig without a federal permit next (within four miles) to the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge, the largest east of the Mississippi, thanks to the regimes relaxation of Clean Water Act permit regulations. Army Corps of Engineers, hardly a group of environmental activists, recently concluded that permitting the mining would drain most of the swamp, whcih is home to allegators, bald eagles, fish and other protected species. The company says no permit is required because "no federal waters will be affected". In January, as part of the regime's anti-environment protection program, the heads of EPA and the Corps agreed to narrow the definition of water bodies that require a federal clean water permit before extraction can begin.

“These [restrictive] decisions are being made across the country, and we’re only starting to see the consequences,” said Geoff Gisler, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center. “I think what we’ll see over the next several months, until this rule is thrown out or changes, is that we’re going to lose the streams and wetlands that we depend on.” The company, Twin Pines, originally submitted a permit application for mining titanium dioxide that would have covered 630 square miles near the Georgia-Florida state line. It withdrew that application and submitted one that covers less than half of the original request.  

The Corps agreed that under the new rules, Twin Pines would not need federal permission to start digging. The agency said in response to protests over the decision that wetlands are no longer under its jurisdiction.  All of the directly affected wetlands lie outside the Okefenokee’s boundaries. The Okefenokee Swamp is an ecological gem that draws 600,000 visitors a year to its flooded cypress forest and prairies. Twin Pines still needs permits from Georgia's environmental agency where it has five permits pending. The US Fish and Wildlife Service said in a letter to the Army Corps a year ago that there was “great uncertainty” surrounding how mining near the swamp’s edge might affect its ability to hold water, according to AP.

That was a real whopper!....

'Toontime: Welcome to the Herd, Cofefe!

credit: D. Cable

Behind in the polls, 'Crazy Uncle' Donald has hit the election self-destruct button: crying out "nobody wants me"--pathetically pleading for former supporters to "please like me"-- while attacking journalists, mail-in ballots, and debate officials.  People have already forgotten he was only the fourth 'preznit' in our checkered past to have been impeached for cause, but they are definitely tired of the unreal reality-TV show broadcast from the Very White House. Since his impeachment he has committed more impeachable offenses, if you consider the reckless disregard for human life and tax evasion crimes. Most criminal codes do. Something this one man wrecking crew needs more than anything else is to be called to account. Is Joe up to it, or will he get mired down needlessly defending Hunter? Stay tuned.

credit S. Sack

 

US COVID-19 DEATHS (est.): 234,757

Trump rallies?....nothing new under the sun

COTW: The Virus in Two Charts

This week's charts show the current status of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the US. Not surprisingly there is good news and bad news. The bad news first because forewarned is forearmed (usually):

credit: NYT

New cases are climbing, which reflects two factors--more testing and on set of colder weather. People spend more time inside provides more opportunities for transmission. Killer's in-your-face mass rallies are not helping, either. His approach is to blame Dr. Fauci, who's politics are suspicious.

Despite the rise in new cases, deaths from COVID-19 are holding steady. Medicine has developed some effective therapies during the anxious wait for a safe and effective vaccine. Remdesirvir, cortical-steroids, and anticlonal antibodies appear to be effective in combating disease symptoms, if Killer's immaculate recovery is any reliable indication. But these expensive and still experimental drugs are not widely available and may not be covered by private insurance.   Still, even with improved treatments and vulnerable populations taking effective precautions, 700 daily deaths from COVID-19 puts the nation on course for 300.000+ dead by the end of the year.  All part of making America great, again!

Purdue Pharma Cops a Plea

After killing thousands of Americans (an estimated 470,000) and addicting hundreds of thosands more, the pharmacuetical company that enriched the Sackler family will plead guilty to three federal felonies in deal with the US Justice Department. The company will pay $8 billion in damages, and Perdue Pharma will be dissolved. A successor company will be created as a public trust over which the Sacklers will have no control. The plea deal does not include any company executives or owners. Democratic state attorney generals, who have sued to recover some of the millions their states have spent on addiction treatment, say the deal falls short of justice because none of the Sacklers have been charged with a crime, and it is unlikely that Purdue will will ever fully pay its fines and penalties. 

AP reports Purdue will make a direct payment to the government of $225 million, which is part of a larger $2 billion criminal forfeiture. In addition to that forfeiture, Purdue also faces a $3.54 billion criminal fine, though that money probably will not be fully collected because it will be taken through a bankruptcy, which includes a large number of other creditors, including thousands of state and local governments. Purdue will also agree to $2.8 billion in damages to resolve its civil liability. In the agreed upon facts in the case, Purdue admits it impeded the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration by providing false information, violating federal anti-kickback laws by giving incentives to doctors, and using electronic medical records to influence prescription of pain medication. The deal does not hold any Sackler family members accountable for their company's criminal activity.

Some of the money recovered from Purdue will be used to treat patients addicted to the opiod drugs it manufactured.  Superseded in public attention by the pandemic, the opiod crisis in the US is getting worse after a one year drop in opiod deaths in 2018. The number of deaths attributed to opiod addiction is increasing, topping 50,000 in 2019. Ohio, an election battleground, is headed for its worst year of opiod fatalities. More residents died of overdoses in May than in any month in at least 14 years, according to preliminary statistics from the state health department. 

One of the presidential debate topics on Thursday is "American Families". Joe Biden's son has struggled with drug addiction.  Trumpillini had an older brother who died from alcohol addiction. Families are grieving in Ohio as a result of the opiod crisis. So the topic of the Purdue case settlement is clearly relevant. US Person suggests a question: should responsible Sackler family members face criminal prosecution?  Rude, but inquiring minds want to know.

Lorises Not Just Slow

To look at a slow loris, one would be prone to make an exclamation of adoration, but Javan slow lorises (Nycticebus javanicus) are also armed and dangerous. They have a venom which is rare for a primate, and they use it on each other in territorial and mating battles which is even rarer. Only five species are known to use venom intraspecifically, including the duckbill platypus. A study published in Current Biology reveals the use of venom in Javan lorises. A scientist at Oxford Brookes Univeristy, Anna Nekaris, and her colleagues studied the lorises using radio collars for eight years. The study showed that around 20% of the collarded lorises, both male and females, had fresh bite wounds. (33% females, 57% males) These wounds can be serious since their venom is necrotic and their sharp bite can penetrate skin and bone.

Lorises' teeth are grooved which allows venomous saliva to wick upward. Venom

credit: Little Fireface Project

is thereby infected into a bite wound, which can be quite deep since lorises bite hard, which poses a threat to humans. These characteristics make the slow loris a poor choice for a pet, nevertheless, slow lorises are sold in the Asian pet trade. [photo] Often their teeth are removed, but the venomous saliva in their mouth remains. Adding to their repulsive repertoire: they smell bad. The nine species of loris are listed as endangered or vulnerable.  The Javan slow loris is critically endangered, threatened both by the illegal pet trade as well as habitat loss.

A slow loris appears cuddly. Their looks are deceiving because the primate is very territorial and uses its teeth freely. In fights over mates, they can kill. They defend patches of gum trees, which provide a sticky resin that ls an excellent source of food. As primates, they are intelligent, and lead rich social lives in the wild. They form lasting bonds with their mates. In the forest, lorises live in family units where both parents and the older siblings care for the young, who spend as much as three years at home. Subjecting them to captivity, often alone, is psychologically stressful. Ms. Nekaris advises, "Get a gerbil", if you want a pet.

American Fascist

An historical characteristic of fascist regimes is the integration of state and business interests to further common policies. The same synthesis is occurring during the Killer's regime in a pernicious way. A new analysis of his tax records by the New York Times shows that while in office he has built a network of businesses who contribute to Trump, Inc. Sixty businesses with interests before his political regime have shoveled $12 million in the first two years of his misbegotten administration into Trump owned companies. During his campaign and inauguration, his Mar-a-Lago club boasted 100 new members. In 2016 alone, club initiation fees generated $6 million in revenue; the Times writes, "At Mar-a-Lago, members paid Mr. Trump to spend time at what was, ultimately, his home. During meals, people would line up at his table. Guests, even paying members, had a habit of thanking Mr. Trump for having them over."

The paper has identified more than twenty foreign officials, politicians or business groups from foreign countries who held events at Trump owned hotels or rented rooms there. The Times goes on, "More than 70 advocacy groups, businesses and foreign governments threw events at the properties that had previously been held elsewhere, or created new events that drove dollars into Mr. Trump’s businesses". Since taking office, Trump has spent more than 342 days--a  third of his entire presidency--at his private clubs and hotels, the Washington Post reports. How much the government has spent on his security and travel while at these places is unknown, but it is substantial if a $650 room rate charged the Secret Service is any indication. His blatant, unconstitutional self-dealing using the prestige of his public office is by a man who promised to put Americans first, and drain the swamp of Washington influence peddling. NOT: 'Killer' is the biggest monster in the swamp.

He is not using the straight arm salute now [photo above], but give him four more years and he will. The arrogance of a full-on fascist is already unmistakable:

We will grind you revolutionists down,

and we shall walk upon your faces.

The world is ours, we are its lords, 

and ours it shall remain--Jack London, Iron Heel

US Covd-19 Deaths (est.): 231,356*

 

*The regime has admitted following the seriously misguided and unqualified advice of "herd immunity". (Dr. Anthony Fauci: "total nonsense") This approach is dangerous and already rejected by two European countries because the policy would lead to more avoidable deaths and new cases of COVID19. US Person predicts that by the end of 2020, US death toll will exceed 300,000.

China Still Uses Pangolin Scales in Medicine

pangolin's defensive reflex

Despite banning the use of pangolin scales in traditional Chinese medicine, the scales, similar to human keratine (fingernails), are still being used in eight patent medicines on the China's official pharmacopoeia according to a Environmental Investigative Service (EIS), a London based NGO. Raw scales have been removed. Pangolin scales are being used as an ingredient by 56 companies, and an additional 165 have legal authority to do so says a report released by EIS. in June, China claimed it was banning the use of scales, which have no known medicinal application in Western medicine, along with protecting three pagolin species under threat of extinction from illegal trade-- Chinese (Manis pentadactyla), Sunda (M. javanica) and Indian (M. crassicaudata). As well as maintaining a legal use for pagolin scales, EIS believes that China's national health insurance covers these legal medicines that contain processed scales.

confiscated scales shipped to China

Chinese conservationists maintain China is making progress in stopping trading of pagolins for their scales. Eradication is foreseeable according to an environmental non-profit that helped obtain the ban on raw scales (yinpian). Companies that want to manufacture medicines using scales [photo right, courtesy TRAFFIC] must obtain them from government stockpiles, but this system lacks transparency with abundant opportunities to launder illegal scales sourced from throughout Africa and Asia. A recent report from a Washington DC NGO said the market in pangolin scales is growing at a rapid rate (400%). Between 2015 and 2019, 253 metric tons were confiscated.

More:  A pagolin story with a happy ending comes from South Africa.   In April conservation authorities rescued a Temminck’s pangolin, also known as a ground pangolin Smutsia temminckii, from the illegal wildlife trade.  Rescued pagolins are often dehydrated and starving since they do not eat or drink when captured due to extreme stress.  Ally also had another medical condition: she was pregnant.  Staff at Johannesburg Veterinarian Hospital had to be very careful not to stress Ally too much or she would miscarry.  

As soon as she gained enough weight and was healthy enough for release, they took her to the Limpopo Valley where she enjoyed more freedom, but was still carefully monitored.  Ally did not feel comfortable in her new home, so her caretakers too her to another location which she seemed to like better.  Her relocation team kept tabs on her via radio, camera traps and satellite tracker with minimal interference.  The teams gradual and sensitive release of Ally brought results.  In August she was no longer alone.  A hidden camera showed she had given birth to a tiny pup.  The birth by a rescued pagonlin is the first recorded.  Usually, when pangolins give birth in the trade or in captivity, even when they are in the hospital, they abandon the pup.; Look at this two minute video of Ally and her offspring.

Octopus Farming Unethical

Octopuses are now recognized by science as highly intelligent creatures that can suffer from stress in captivity. Researchers are calling for a ban on funding proposed octopus farming operations as unethical and ecologically dangerous. Until recently, octopus farming was not practicable from a profit standpoint. Octopus larvae eat mostly live prey and require precise salinity and temperature conditions to thrive. Advances in farming technology and the identification of species that are less selective in their food choices have made farming feasible. Several companies in Japn, Australia and Mexico have announced they will be ready to sell farmed octopuses in the internation market soon. 

giant N. Pacific octopus, courtesy UC Davis

That market is large. About 350,000 metric tons are sold each year to satisfy the demand for a culinary delicacy. Natural octopus fisheries are therefore in decline due to over-exploitation. This delicacy provided to well-fed human populations in advanced nations comes at a high ecological cost. Feeding farmed octopuses shellfish and fish will put an enormous strain on an already burdened marine food chain. 

There are about 300 hundred species of octopuses. Some of whom have been shown to use tools, respond to hunting signals from fish, and build shelters from available materials. Once an octopus solves a problem, it remembers the solution say researchers in a recent paper. Neuroscientists participating in the Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness singled out octopuses as an invertebrate capable of conscious experience, or sentient. Aquaculture systems are likely to be associated with high mortality rates and increased aggression, parasitic infection, and a host of digestive tract issues, as well as debilitating mental effects. Funding such damaging exploitation should not be encouraged or tolerated; instead, emphasis on sustainable harvesting by limiting catch size, using approved techniques, and generous habitat protection should be promoted.

Tiger Schlock

Finally, at last, one of the loonies associated with the obscene reality-TV miniseries, "Tiger King" has been indicted for wildlife trafficking and animal cruelty.  A Fredrick County, Virginia grand jury indicted Bhagavan 'Doc' Antle, [photo] owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, for trafficking lion cubs, conspiracy, and multiple misdemeanors for animal cruelty and violating the Endangered Species Act. 'Doc' was a character on the show appropriately titled “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” which featured the declassé antics of a convicted criminal and animal keeper Joseph Maldonado-Passage, born Joseph Schreibvogel, aka Joe Exotic. Mr. Exotic is currently serving twenty-two years in prison for attempting to kill a rival zoo keeper, and killing tigers.

In 2019, 119 animals were seized from a Virginia roadside zoo after a judge found Keith Wilson, owner of Wilson's Wildlife Animal Park in Winchester, Virginia, “cruelly treated, neglected, or deprived” the animals of adequate care. Wilson was indicted by the same jury that decided Mr. Antle's case. Wilson faces trial on 46 counts of animal cruelty in June. In view of the Sixth Extinction now decimating Earth's wild creatures, it is way past time animal cruelty is treated as a serious crime deserving time and resources to punish and prevent.

'Toontime: Superspreader

Wackydoodle sez: He's immune...or maybe Superman!

The count is now thirty-four, the number of VWH staff infected with SARS CoV-2. His sycophants either refuse or cannot answer the question of when was the last time Don 'Killer' Trumpillini tested negative. That is a standard question for contact tracing. Speculation now is that he may have been infectious as early as the super-spreader event in the Rose Garden on September 26th. Since he does not regularly wear a mask, he could easily have infected his closest staff personnel until he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Thursday, October 1st and taken to Walter Reed Medical Center where he received treatment not available to ordinary 'mericans. (the CEO of Regeneron maker of the monoclonal antibody drug administered to him is a family friend. Antibody treatments are notoriously expensive and not widely available.) Clearly, The erratic Killer's fitness for office while under the influence of a mind-altering drug is a legitimate concern for Congress and the citizens who are asked to retain him for another four years.

“They have taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy,” -- New England Journal of Medicine

US Covid-19 Deaths (est.): 223,000

Javan Rhinos Born in Wild

Last month, the 22nd, was World Rhino Day. The day brings recognition to the efforts to save Earth's two species of African rhinocerous and three Asian rhino species. All are endangered, none more so than the Sumatran (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). Only eighty of these ancient beasts still live in the wild including seven that live in the rhinoceros sanctuary of Way Kambas National Park on Sumatra. The pandemic has slowed conservation plans. A new sanctuary on Sumatra has been delayed as has a plan put together by WWF to capture a wild Bornean female for breeding. Rhinos on Borneo (Kalimantan) have been separated for thousands of years and are now geneticallty distinct, so breeding the two will provide much need genetic diversity. Unfortunately conservation can be highly political: Indonesia abruptly cut ties to World Wildlife Fund--Indonesia. Experts generally agree that bringing in surviving rhinos in from the wild to participate in captive breeding is the best hope to save the critically endangered animal.

Luther and mom courtesy Environment Ministry

World Rhino Day was marked by the welcomed birth of two Javan rhino calves in the wild. Camera traps caught the two calves and their mothers on video. Helen and Luther were born in the last place on Earth this species (Rhinoceros sondaicus) still exists, Ujung Kulon National Park, on the western tip of Java bringing the population to 74. Conservationists credit the births to stringent protection from poaching. There has been a recorded birth every year since 2012 according to the International Rhino Foundation. This population, the last on Earth, is growing, but vulnerable to natural disasters. The rhinos live in view of Anak Krakatau, the active volcano in the Sunda Straits. A 2018 eruption produced a tsunami that hit the park. Fortunately, the rhinos were inland when it struck, killing two park officials and about 400 other people along the coast. Although no rhino poaching has been reported in a while, illegal fishing is becoming a problem. A marine patrol launched in January 2020 has since apprehended 45 boats and 218 people illegally encroaching in the national park in the first six months of operations.

The Inauthentic Opposition

Perhaps Chuck Schumer does not read the New York Daily News, but he should because19 good ideas are there about how to stall the confirmation of a zealous, right-wing jurist to the Supreme Court. Instead of strategizing, the Senate Democrats are throwing up their hands and espousing their usual helplessness in the hands of a cruel, arch-villain Mitch McConnell. Once again, conservative Democrats are demonstrating they are the "inauthentic opposition". Worrying about the optics of dilatory tactics in these circumstance is Pollyannish. The public knows that McConnell's effort to slip the confirmation of Mrs. Barrett under the wire is unfair in the extreme. Polls show a large majority want the next President to appoint a replacement for 'notorious' RBG. Democrats are therefore justified in fighting fire with fire, even if it means packing the Court to achieve a more balanced institution.

With three Repugnants out of action due to their leader's dangerous mishandling of the pandemic, and the Democratic caucus likely to pick up another seat in Arizona's special election to replace John McCain, the party has a reasonable chance of thwarting McConnell's nefarious plan to jerk American jurisprudence to the right for at least a generation as a consolation prize for the possible loss of the White House and Senate. US Person thinks unwillingness to resist him is tantamount to collaboration, and condemns Americans to more years without significant political reform.

Appeals to a "sense of decency" are risible. Repugnants have left decency behind a long, long time ago. They see themselves as fighting for the survival of a plutocracy built on white supremacy and free market myth, in which anything goes. At the very least, Senator Schumer should insist that McConnell keep a quorum in Washington available for procedural votes and quorum calls. Senate rules require senators to vote in person. With only fifty effectives at hand, that might be difficult to muster.

If Democrats find a temporary numerical advantage, they could even attempt to undo McConnell's procedural change allowing confirmation of a justice by a simple majority vote. “Premature assertions of hopelessness are endemic to establishment Democratic politicians,” Segal and Teachout, authors of the 19 ways to stop a confirmation vote, write.  No account US Person agrees--waving your hands and complaining about tactics is not going to make the grade. Simply ask yourself this question, Chuck, what would Mitch do?

COTW: Beyond Words

Il Douche unmasked....

'Toontime: Potus Interuptus

credit J. Darkow, Columbia Missourian 

Breaking: Don 'Killer' Trumpillini is admitted to Walter Reed Hospital. At one point during his treatment for COVID-19 at the VWH, he was breathing with the help of supplemental oxygen. According to breaking reports from CNN, he was also treated with experimental antibody drugs, a corticosteroid, and an anti-viral, remdesivir--NOT hydroxyQ. He may have been diagnosed as early as Wednesday, but did not immediately isolate himself raising concerns that he may have infected others near him. Mr. Pence, stand by for the shade of LBJ aboard Air Force 1.

After treating the SARS CoV-2 virus like a bad case of flu--refusing to wear a mask in public, holding crowded press conferences without social distancing, and rallies in hot spots--the King of Debates may have been infected by the attractive aide Hope Hicks, who works in close proximity to the macho Don, and who tested positive for the virus before POTUS and FLOTUS. However, there are reports she was one of the few VWH insiders who wore a mask, and was chided for her simple precaution by the official death cult in Trumpworld®.  

So, perhaps the Republic can expect a brief respite while he recuperates. His overdue infection comes on top of his bullying, embarrassing and unprecedented performance art--you cannot reasonably call his verbal confrontation of Joe Biden a debate. Sponsors will need to do more than turn off his mike for two minutes so the other guy can speak. His attack dog style was learned at the feet of Roy Cohn, one of the most vicious lawyers ever to come out of New York City.

credit S. Sack, Star Tribune

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Wackydoodle sez: Don't ferget to thank-em for the virus too!

 

US COVID DEATHS (CDC est.) 224,000

Regime Supresses Polar Bear Study

In its ongoing and relentless program of ignoring or suppressing science in favor of extraction industries which support the regime, a study of polar bear denning behavior that has been ready for release for three months is delayed by the director of the US Geological Survey. The study covers a region of the southern Beaufort Sea and coast which has been opened up to oli and gas drilling. The study says that persistence of polar bears in the Arctic is threatened by the decline of sea ice due to climate change while providing opportunities for more fossil fuel exploration. The study also concludes that 34% of all polar bear denning sites are in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, also an area previously out of bounds to oil exploration, but recently opened to the oil industry. Federal officials are close to signing off on a drilling project in the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska. The US Fish and Wildlife is required to cite the USGS study in its decision on drilling impacts for bears. The former astronaut who is now head of USGS wants to know why his agency's study needs to be made public.

The answer to the former astronaut's question is obvious: he wants to avoid the negative public outcry against disturbing bears already under pressure from man's alteration of global climate patterns, and possible legal challenges to agency decision to go ahead with resource extraction in an area inhabited by polar bears trying to survive. Only 900 bears are estimated to survive in the southern Beaufort Sea, about five hundred seventy-three of which live in Alaska. Delaying release of the report, which has already been vetted by career scientists at the agency, is "unprecedented" according to one insider interviewed by the WaPo.  But this is not the first time Director Reilly has held up reports that mention climate change as a causative factor; his office held up a report that said California would suffer $150 billion in damage from rising sea levels and flooding caused by climate change.  

Reilly has questioned numerous research projections made by his agency as the lead federal bureau on climate issues, say former employees.  For example, he wanted his researchers to document each individual bear den in a featureless, snow covered landscape where den entrances are sometimes twelve inches across.  Researchers replied such an effort would be practically impossible over such a large area.  The study used estimates of bear density that are in line with other studies of the Beaufort Sea population, which has suffered steep declines due to lost of sea ice habitat used for hunting.[photo credit: WWF]