Google workers say their contracts prevent them from reporting illegal activity, discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and wage theft
Tyler Sonnemaker

TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images

Google contractors alleged in a lawsuit that they were required to sign illegal nondisclosure agreements that prevented them from whistleblowing and violated their free speech rights.

According to a California court's discussion of the legal proceedings, the workers claimed Google's rules barred them from reporting "violations of state and federal law," "unsafe or discriminatory working conditions," and "wage and hour violations."

The workers, some of whom were employed via the staffing agency Adecco, claimed they couldn't even write "novels" or "reassure their parents they are making enough money to pay their bills."

Google's contract workers have increasingly raised issues over how they're treated compared to full-time employees.

Google contractors have alleged in a lawsuit that they're required to sign illegal nondisclosure agreements that violate their rights of "competition, whistleblowing, and freedom of speech" under California law.

In the lawsuit, which a California appellate court discussed in a ruling last week, the workers accused Google and Adecco, the staffing agency through which some of them were employed, of violating their legal rights to discuss a range of workplace issues.

Google and Adecco did not respond to requests for comment.

"Google's confidentiality rules prevent employees from disclosing violations of state and federal law, either within Google to their managers or outside Google to private attorneys or government officials," they alleged, according to the court, including "disclosing information about unsafe or discriminatory working conditions, or about wage and hour violations."


"They are forbidden even to write a novel about working in Silicon Valley or to reassure their parents they are making enough money to pay their bills, matters untethered to any legitimate need for confidentiality," the court said of the workers.

The contracts also allegedly barred employees from talking about the "skills, knowledge, and experience they obtained at Google." In practice, that meant they couldn't discuss those skills or their pay at Google when negotiating a job offer with a competitor, or even recommend coworkers who might be open to a job offer, according to the document.

Google has faced growing scrutiny over its treatment of temporary, vendor, and contract-based workers — or TVCs, as Google calls them — who aren't guaranteed the same pay, benefits, and labor law protections as Google's full-time employees.

Those concerns — raised by both TVCs and full-time workers who are increasingly standing in solidarity with them — range from unequal pay to second-class treatment at work to failing to adequately protect them during the pandemic and even active shooter situations.

An actual clown on the PRESIDENTIAL debate: 'I hope we can set the record straight on what clowns actually are, and they are not Donald Trump'
Juliana Kaplan
Sep 30, 2020, 
 

The word "clown" ended up playing a big role in the debate. sturti/Getty Images

At Tuesday's night presidential debate, Democratic nominee Joe Biden called President Donald Trump a 'clown.'

Business Insider spoke with Tim Cunningham, a clown and emergency nurse, about the usage of the term in the debate.

Cunningham said he laughed when he heard the term used, but that Trump does not exhibit the virtuosity of a clown.


Tim Cunningham decided to watch the presidential debate while on vacation.

Tuning in from a rural cabin in North Carolina, Cunningham felt he should fulfill his "obligation as a citizen" and listened as Democratic nominee Joe Biden called President Donald Trump a "clown."

One undecided voter — who said he voted for Trump in 2016 — was asked by CNN post-debate whether it was appropriate: "Is it great that Joe called him a clown? No, but when the shoe fits. When the clown shoe fits."

It was a clownish moment that reverberated around the world, but for Cunningham there was particular personal resonance. That's because he's a clown.


"When I heard it, I laughed out loud," Cunningham told Business Insider. "I'm fully behind what Biden is trying to do. We need to replace this person as soon as possible — this person being the current person who calls himself president."

Cunningham began studying to be a clown in 2000, and began working with a nonprofit clowning organization in 2003. After working as a hospital clown, he was inspired to go back to school and become an emergency nurse.

Today, he works as a nurse admin in Georgia, where he's been working with nurses and caregivers to help weather the COVID crisis.

For Cunningham — who stressed that his opinions are his alone — Biden referring to Trump as a clown is a nuanced issue. He stressed the artistry that goes into clowning, saying that clowns are ultimately "virtuosos."




"The clown is capable of making that virtuosic act look easy, and in making it look easy, they also open themselves up to vulnerability and failure. And that's where the clown is beautiful, because we see an artist doing this incredible feat, and then every now and then they have a hiccup and they fail," he said. "And it's that moment of failure that we laugh. And then they bounce back up. They're truly resilient, and they guide us through a performance, and they connect with us."

While a clown may be virtuosic, that's not necessarily true of who the "c-word" was lobbed at last night. Does the clown shoe fit?

"The person who calls himself president is clearly not a virtuoso," Cunningham said.

And that gets at the paradox of calling Trump a clown, according to Cunningham. While he may not exhibit the traits that Cunningham identifies as intrinsic to a clown, the usage of the term against him instead reflects where societal standards lie.

"It's concerning that Trump has lowered the standards of human decency so much — lowered the standards of what it means to hold the office of president, to be one of the most powerful people in the world — he's lowered it so much that the response from otherwise highly intelligent, compassionate people is to denigrate him by calling him a clown."

Cunningham said that ultimately he's both "offended" and "honored" by Trump being termed a "clown."

And looking towards the future, he said that, like a clown, he maintains a sense of optimism — and hopes for a future where, instead of bouncing back, we can bounce forward.

But there is one thing he wants to clear up:

"I hope we can set the record straight on what clowns actually are, and they are not Donald Trump."

NWT

Dominion starts cutting jobs at Ekati, offers no severance

Diamond Mines this week told some employees of its Ekati mine they have no job to return to, if or when the mine reopens following its closure at the start of the pandemic.

Published: September 30, 2020 OLLIE WILLIAMS CABINRADIO.CA

An aerial view of the Ekati diamond mine. Photo: Dominion Diamond Mines

Ekati, one of three active diamond mines in the Northwest Territories, has been in care-and-maintenance mode since March for health and safety reasons. The other mines, Rio Tinto-operated Diavik and De Beers’ Gahcho Kué, have remained operational.

This week, multiple Ekati workers told Cabin Radio they had received notices confirming their employment was being terminated with immediate effect – and with no prospect of any severance pay.

The employees were among 391 Ekati staff who had already been furloughed (placed on temporary unpaid leave) for months.

It’s unclear how many workers have had their employment terminated by Dominion this week. Two of the people affected each said they believed well over a dozen colleagues had been let go, but Dominion did not provide a figure when asked by Cabin Radio.

In a statement by email, the company said: “Our management team has worked tirelessly to avoid having to separate anyone from the company, including by cutting expenses, furloughing employees while still paying benefits, and modifying our operations to run as efficiently as possible.

“While this was an incredibly difficult decision, we simply cannot responsibly stay fully staffed while the Ekati diamond mine remains on care and maintenance.

“All employees are being treated fairly and with respect, consistent with Dominion’s values.”

Dominion has been in creditor protection for the better part of half a year, stating its inability to sell diamonds during the pandemic had caused a cashflow crisis.

Creditor protection is a legal mechanism allowing Dominion to avoid paying some of its debts while it restructures or finds a buyer.

Earlier this month, Dominion said its parent – the Washington group of companies – would buy “substantially all” of its assets related to the Ekati mine, ending the creditor protection process. However, that sale is not expected to be finalized until November.

There is still no firm date for Ekati to reopen.

Dominion on Wednesday said a “global shutdown of diamond sales” during the pandemic was one reason for its financial pain and the decision to terminate some staff’s contracts.

However, other diamond mine operators in the NWT have stated they were able to find ways to sell diamonds despite the impact of Covid-19, while Dominion itself recently told an Alberta court it had resumed sales worth tens of millions of dollars.

One terminated employee who asked about severance pay this week was told by Dominion’s human resources department that the terms of creditor protection meant no severance could be issued, in an email seen by Cabin Radio.

Employment standards

Dominion’s decision to terminate some contracts appears to run contrary to the provisions of a letter issued by the NWT government in July.

On July 20, a territorial employment standards officer gave permission for Dominion to extend the furlough period for hundreds of staff to an anticipated total of 211 days, up to October 31, 2020.

That permission was required in order to comply with the NWT’s Employment Standards Act.

In a letter to Dominion – copied to affected employees and seen by Cabin Radio – the NWT government says it is granting the extension of the furlough period “based on our understanding that all employees affected by the temporary layoffs will be recalled within the 211 day period.”

Asked if its actions complied with that letter, Dominion did not respond.

The NWT’s Department of Education, Culture, and Employment – which governs employment standards in the territory – acknowledged a Wednesday request for comment from Cabin Radio and said it was working on a response.

‘Better days are ahead’

Letters received by affected Ekati staff say they are being “terminated without cause … due to the continuing adverse impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Dominion told staff facing termination it had been “forced to undertake a company-wide strategic review and restructuring of operations.”

Its letter continued: “It is as a result of this process that we have made the difficult decision to terminate your employment with the company.”

On announcing the sale of Dominion’s Ekati assets to the Washington group – an announcement made two weeks ago – Dominion and Washington said the company would keep “substantially all” of its employees.

On the day that sale was announced, Dominion interim chief executive Pat Merrin told employees in an all-staff email: “I am confident that we are on the right path forward and better days are ahead.”

This week’s terminations instead suggest the company has not reached financial stability – despite the agreed sale – and call into question the likelihood of Ekati’s operations resuming this calendar year, as had been forecast by mine managers.

It is understood none of those affected by the recent terminations are unionized employees. At least one was said to be a member of senior management at the mine.

“A lot of us have placed our faith in the company,” one terminated staff member said by email on Wednesday.

“We are not in a good place right now.”

YORKSHIRE, UK

This moorland at Ilkley is rich with relics from the prehistoric period
The moody sky captured in this photograph of the Cowper’s Cross as rain comes in on moorland around Ilkley is apt for a week that has seen summer turn to autumn.
By Laura Reid
Monday, 28th September 2020

Rain approaches the Cowper' Cross on Ilkley Moor. Picture: Bruce Rollinson. Technical details: Nikon D4 24mm lens, 1/500 SEC, f/6.3, ISO 400

Dating back several centuries, the cross itself is said to have been the site of a medieval trading post and it is thought, by some, to perhaps have been a Christianised monolith.

It sits in moorland between Ilkley and Keighley, an area which is particularly rich with relics from the prehistoric period.

Public heritage body Historic England describes Rombalds Moor, for example - which includes Ilkley Moor - as having numerous rock carvings across its boulders and outcrops, as well as burial monuments, stone circles and a range of enclosed settlements.

When it comes to carved rocks, the Badger Stone is among the most well-known in the area, featuring decorative rings and grooves.

Though little is known about the exact meaning of such designs, across the country they have been interpreted as sacred or religious symbols.

According to the Friends of Ilkley Moor, there are more than 400 known cup and ring style stone carvings on Rombalds Moor, thought to be a form of prehistoric art.

“The stones were carved during the Neolithic-Bronze Age period around 4,000 years ago,” the group says.

Another highlight from the Bronze Age is the moorland’s stone circle known as the Twelve Apostles.

Historic England says such circles had “considerable ritual importance” for the societies that used them.

In some cases, they provided a focus for burials and in other cases, they were thought to have a calendrical function, marking the passage of both time and seasons.

The rolling landscape and prehistoric activity makes the moorland popular year-round with walkers - moody autumn skies or not.

The Friends of Ilkley Moor list a number of heritage routes to try on their website.


This stone circle near Ilkley is Yorkshire's answer to Stonehenge

Stonehenge is perhaps the world’s most famous prehistoric monument, attracting more than a million visitors each year.

By Laura Reid
Monday, 6th April 2020

A colourful sky over the Twelve Apostles stone circle. Photo: Bruce Rollinson. Technical details: Nikon D4, 17-35mm Nikkor lens, 800th sec @f8, iso 320.

But it is not the only stone circle to be found in England. In fact, around 250 have been identified across the country including the one pictured here on the Rombalds moorland around Ilkley.

The circle, known as the Twelve Apostles, is believed to date back to the Bronze Age, around 2000BC.

Indeed, according to the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service, descriptions from the 19th century suggest the circle may have actually once been made up of as many as 20 stones.

Today, the Twelve Apostles is categorised as a ‘scheduled monument’, meaning it is an archaeological site of national importance to be preserved for future generations.

In fact, all surviving examples of stone circles in England are considered worthy of protection – and Historic England explains how they can provide an insight into prehistoric activity.

“We do not fully understand the uses for the which these monuments were originally constructed,” reads its listing on the Twelve Apostles.

“But it is clear that they had considerable ritual importance for the societies that used them.

“In many instances excavation has indicated that they provided a focus for burials and the rituals that accompanied interment of the dead.

“Some stone circles appear to have had a calendrical function, helping mark the passage of time and seasons, this being indicated by careful alignment of stones to mark important solar or lunar events such as sunrise or sunset at midwinter or midsummer.”

Given its air of mystery and its offering of a glimpse into history from many centuries ago, it is perhaps not surprising that the prehistoric site, accessible by moorland walking routes, is one of West Yorkshire’s most visited.

Picture Post: When Ilkley Moor became an alien landing site
As the sun sets on another autumn day in Yorkshire, this view across Ilkley Moor looks more like a painting than a photograph.
By The Newsroom
Monday, 13th October 2014
 

PIC: Glen Minkin

Part of Rombalds Moor, which stretches from Ilkely to Keighley, the area is best known as providing the inspiration for the Yorkshire ‘anthem’ On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at, but it’s not its only claim to fame.

The moor boasts the second highest concentration of ancient carved stones in Europe. Believed to date from the late Neolithic or the Bronze Age, the most famous, which bears swastika-shaped pattern, can be found at Woodhouse Crag at the northern edge of the moor . Elsewhere, there is also a small stone
circle known as The Twelve Apostles.

The area has changed little over the centuries, but almost 3o years ago Ikley Moor found itself at the centre of an alien investigation.

On the morning of December 1, 1987, retired policeman Philip Spencer was walking across the moor heading for his father-in-law’s home. He’d taken his camera in the hope of catching some images of the early morning light. In fact the photographs he took that day would end up in the world’s press.

Using a compass to navigate through the fog, Spencer said he came across a strange looking being. Hurriedly taking a picture of the creature when it ran away, he decided to follow it and claimed to have caught a glimpse of a craft with a domed top rising up from the moor and disappearing into the sky.

Spencer said he imagined the whole incident had taken no longer than a few minutes, but when he reached his destination the village clock was an hour ahead of time with many UFO experts believing that he had in fact been victim of an alien abduction.

The photographs Spencer took, although slightly blurred, appeared to show a 4ft alien creature. Analysis of the images concluded the figure hadn’t been superimposed and it bore no resemblance to any native wildlife.

Spencer made no money out of the photographs and the incident is regularly cited as one of the UK’s most persuasive UFO sightings.

Technical details: Nikon D3, 70-200mm lens, 500th sec@ F11, ISO rating 1000
Picture: Glen Minkin
Words: Sarah Freeman

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/

Prehistoric Spanish Massacre Rewrites the History of War in Europe

1 OCTOBER, 2020 - 00:00 ED WHELAN

A study of victims of a Spanish prehistoric massacre is providing researchers with new insights into the evolution of warfare. Archaeologists have found evidence of a sacked settlement and the brutal slaughter of most of its inhabitants, including women and children. The Spanish prehistoric massacre evidence changes the view that large-scale warfare was introduced into Iron Age Europe by Rome.

La Hoya was a very important Iron Age town in what is now the Basque Country in northern Spain . Because of its location, in the Ebro River valley, La Hoya flourished, and archaeologists have found evidence that it had streets, large buildings and defensive walls . Based on archaeological evidence, the site was ruled by a warrior aristocracy , who engaged in long-distance trade. It is believed that the “site was within territory controlled by the Berones,” a war-like Celtic people, reports Antiquity. Then one day about 2300 or 2200 years ago the town was attacked, and it was wiped off the face of the earth. This single Spanish prehistoric massacre completely rewrites the timeline of warfare in Europe, taking the spotlight off the Romans.



Aerial view of La Hoya, site of the Spanish prehistoric massacre. (A. Llanos / Antiquity Publications Ltd )

The Brutality Of The La Hoya Prehistoric Spanish Massacre

La Hoya was first unearthed in the 1950s and it was only systematically investigated in the 1970s. A recent study led by Teresa Fernández-Crespo of Oxford University and her colleagues examined some 13 remains found in the settlement, which clearly showed signs that they had been burned between 300 and 150 BC. The individuals had been burnt where they had fallen and the researchers wrote in Antiquity that the “deposition of skeletal material is inconsistent with funerary cremation.” These people had been left in the street and burned possibly when the settlement was set on fire.



Burned bones found at the Spanish prehistoric massacre site. ( Antiquity Publications Ltd )

The research team used osteological methods and pathological tests to understand how the deceased had died. These revealed some grizzly finds and evidence that the deceased had all met brutal deaths. The researchers noted that one male skeleton found under a collapsed house had injuries that “may be tentatively interpreted as sharp force traumas resulting from an attack with a bladed weapon.”




A map of where the victims were found at La Hoya, along with photos of some of them. (A. Llanos, modified by J. Ordoño / Antiquity Publications Ltd )
Missing Heads At The La Hoya Site: Trophies Of War?

At the Spanish prehistoric massacre site, the skull of a male was missing from its skeleton, which may indicate the victim was decapitated. “The fact that no skull was found may be tentatively seen as evidence for headhunting practices,” states the report. It was quite common in ancient times for the head of slain enemies to be taken as trophies. Furthermore, a male and a female teenager had their arms cut off with weapons. In the instance of the female adolescent, it appears that she lived for a period after the amputation.



Some massacre injuries did not kill the victims immediately, and they survived for some time after the attack. ( Antiquity Publications Ltd )

The researchers wrote in Antiquity that much is unknown about “the case of La Hoya, including the identity of the attackers and any previous history of violence involving this community.” Moreover, the osteological and pathological results indicate that the dead were the victims of a planned and merciless attack. The research team reports that the evidence “support the hypothesis of a surprise attack, resulting in the indiscriminate and brutal killing of helpless or unresisting people, including adult males and females, as well as children.”




Amputated right hands, still with their bracelets (left side). And the rib of an individual showing a stab wound (T. Fernández-Crespo / Antiquity Publications Ltd )
Early War And Conflict Wiped Out Entire Communities

Previously the skeletons of animals were found in the street, left where they had been killed. It appears that the site was abandoned after the massacre. The original inhabitants were either all killed, enslaved or may have been re-settled in a neighboring center. Researchers believe that the attack may have been carried out by a rival community for control of the strategic settlement. According to the Antiquity press statement , “La Hoya allows us to reflect on the nature and causes of violent conflict in the past as well as today.”

The level of destruction and brutality at the site is shocking. This site is one of the few that provides evidence for large-scale, organized warfare in the Iron Age . The press release noted that “Sites like La Hoya remind us that warfare in the past, as well as the present, affected not just those directly involved, but entire communities.”


Iron Age artifacts recovered from the Spanish prehistoric massacre site at La Hoya, Spain. ( Antiquity Publications Ltd )

La Hoya Massacre Says Roman Did Not Invent Large-Scale War

In the past, many historians believed that for much of the Iron Age, that warfare was little more than raiding and feuding. Dr Fernández-Crespo stated that “The new analysis of the human skeletal remains from La Hoya reminds us very forcefully that the prehistoric past was not always the peaceful place it is sometimes made out to be.” Based on the findings from the Spanish prehistoric massacre site at La Hoya, Iron Age warfare appears to have been more brutal and organized than previously believed.

It was previously thought that large-scale and total warfare was introduced into Iberia by the Carthaginians and, especially, the Romans. The Roman legions were feared for their brutality and ruthlessness, and there is ample archaeological evidence for the slaughter of civilians and prisoners by Rome’s armies. The La Hoya evidence shows that “that large-scale, politically motivated violence in Iberia was not necessarily introduced by the Romans,” the research team argued in Antiquity.

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The Devastating and Diabolical Ancient Origins of Biological Warfare

This is important as it shows that while Iron Age Iberian communities were not centralized states, like Carthage and Athens, they were capable of waging brutal wars of annihilation. Antiquity reports that La Hoya “presents early evidence of organized, large-scale violence, and provides a unique snapshot of protohistoric warfare.” The latest research indicates that prehistoric societies were not as peaceful as once portrayed and that organized warfare that aimed at total destruction existed before the Romans. This in turn has important implications for the evolution and history of warfare.

The study will be published tomorrow in Antiquity, D.O.I. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2020.161

Top image: Scenes of killing and devastation at the La Hoya Iron Age Spanish prehistoric massacre site in Laguardia, Basque Country, northern Spain. Source: A. Llanos / Antiquity Publications Ltd

By Ed Whelan

Prince George can keep prehistoric shark tooth, Malta makes a u-turn

Prince George can keep prehistoric shark tooth, Malta makes a u-turn

Malta, making a rapid U-turn, over a prehistoric shark tooth that was given as a present to Britain’s Prince George by naturalist Sir David Attenborough, has said that Prince George was welcome to keep a fossilised shark tooth.

According to a report by Reuters, the 23-million-year-old fossil was discovered by Attenborough in Malta when he was holidaying on the Mediterranean island in the 1960s.

The veteran naturalist gave it to George, 7, at the weekend.

Earlier, Malta’s Culture Minister Jose Herrera said on Monday he would “set the ball rolling” in retrieving the tooth, but the plan rapidly ran aground.

“It is not (our) intention to pursue this matter any further,” a ministry spokesman said, without giving any explanation for the abrupt change of heart.

Herrera’s move on Monday had raised some negative comments on social media, with critics pointing out that fossilised teeth of megalodon sharks can be bought for less than 50 euros.

Prince George: Malta wants its prehistoric shark tooth back

The 7-year-old future king received a 23 million-year-old fossilized tooth, found in the former British colony, from famed environmentalist Sir David Attenborough.

Princess Charlotte, waves as she arrives for her first day at school, with her brother Prince George and her parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at Thomas’s Battersea in London. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday September 5, 2019. See PA story ROYAL Charlotte. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

By MARTHA ROSS | mross@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: September 28, 2020 at 10:27 a.m. | UPDATED: September 28, 2020 at 2:40 p.m.

Prince George, the 7-year-old future king of the United Kingdom, is having to learn a difficult lesson about what happens when he and other members of the royal family are gifted rare objects that have to be repatriated to their countries of origin.

George is at the center of a diplomatic fuss after beloved British environmentalist Sir David Attenborough gave him a prehistoric shark tooth he said he found while on a family vacation to Malta more than 50 years ago, the Guardian reported.

Sir David Attenborough was a guest at Kensington Palace where he & the Duke of Cambridge watched Attenborough’s latest film: “A Life On Our Planet”
He 0resented Prince George with a 23 million year old shark tooth. pic.twitter.com/JnumPEGSKz
— Robert Jobson (@theroyaleditor) September 26, 2020

Officials in Malta, a former British colony, want to investigate whether the son of Prince William and Kate Middleton should return the historic artifact to the island nation so that it can be displayed in a museum there, the Times of Malta reported. The Maltese culture minister, Jose Herrera, has pledged to investigate the provenance of the fossilized tooth, which is believed to be about 23 million years old.

“There are some artifacts that are important to Maltese natural heritage, which ended up abroad and deserve to be retrieved,” Herrera told the Times of Malta.

The fuss over the tooth began after Kensington Palace posted cute photos over the weekend, showing a delighted George with his new gift. Attenborough made the kind gesture to the young prince while visiting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for a private viewing of his new environmental documentary, “A Life on Our Planet.”

The tooth was found embedded in yellow limestone and is believed to have once belonged to an extinct species of giant shark that could grow up to 52 feet long, the Times of Malta reported. Under the laws of Malta, fossils are considered to be objects of “geological importance,” and their excavation or removal from the country is forbidden, the Times said.

George’s royal family has long been called on to return famous items that came into their possession through plunder by explorers and soldiers or acquired through colonization, the Guardian reported.

One of those items is the Koh-i-noor diamond, which is part of the crown jewels and has been on display in the Tower of London, the Guardian also reported. The diamond, valued at more than $100 million, was possibly mined in India, belonged to the Peacock Throne of the Mughal emperors and changed hands several times before it ended up in the possession of Queen Victoria in 1849. Queen Elizabeth II’s mother wore the diamond at the coronations of both her daughter and her husband, George VI.

COMMENTARY
Put animals on the agenda in the upcoming B.C. election


by V. Victoria Shroff on October 1st, 2020 


B.C. prides itself on being "super, natural", thanks in large part to our animals. Animals matter more than tourism slogans; they also matter in the upcoming election.

Though they can't vote, animals should have a voice in the upcoming B.C. provincial election. As an animal-law lawyer and adjunct professor of animal law, I believe that wild- and domestic-animal issues should be on the political agenda because making the lives of companion animals better and ensuring dedicated laws for wildlife and habitat is essential for everyone.

During the last federal election, I wrote in the Georgia Straight: "If you were a Canadian animal, who would you vote for in the federal election?" B.C.'s official bird is the blue-and-black Steller's jay (Cyanacitta stelleri). If the cheeky Stellar's jays could vote in the upcoming election, I am quite certain that they'd flock toward a pro-animal party.

Steller's jay.WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/RUBY FENG

My questions on behalf of the Stellar's jay and other B.C. animals are as follows: NDP, Green, and Liberal candidates, will you please let citizens know how animals matter to your party during this election? Will they be accounted for in provincial laws to make their lives better? How will those laws be enforced?

It would be useful to see where the parties vying for election stand in relation to animal issues. Climate change and housing are keystone issues, but what about keystone animals and wildlife protection?

When I refer to animals, I don't mean only cats and dogs but also B.C.'s "super, natural" wildlife. It's antiquated, but, legally speaking, animals are classified as property. Under the Constitution, laws relating to personal property, including animals, are the jurisdiction of provincial legislatures.

How we treat animals is a yardstick for how we're doing as a province, and a country. Covid-19 has proven that the sociopolitical health of humans is intertwined with animals. My career as an animal lawyer spanning more than 20 years has made it clear to me that vulnerable animals need a voice, even if they can't vote.

Political parties could outline what their policies are when it comes to our animals so voters will be able to cast their ballots knowing where parties stand in relation to conservation, dangerous-dog legislation, euthanasia, use of force against or the killing of animals, hunting, and access to justice involving animals.

These and many more issues are within the provincial purview and important to the electorate, not just to animal lovers.

Animal issues should be nonpartisan. I have seen every party do something helpful. In the early days of Covid-19, I wrote to Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general of B.C., on behalf of animals. I requested that his ministry please consider the needs of animals when determining essential services, and I was heartened to see the decision to keep pet stores, veterinary clinics, and shelters open, thereby showing understanding and willingness to protect animals and backing it with political will.

A provincial prohibition on barbaric leghold and body-gripping traps is sorely needed. At a recent animal-law presentation for a B.C. rescue group where we discussed banning leghold traps (which cause lingering deaths for raccoons and other animals), Green Party MP Elizabeth May attended with a provincial representative, demonstrating the Greens' commitment to animal issues. And not long ago, the Liberal's highlighted the need to rethink provincial plans for a hunt/cull of moose calves and their mothers as part of a scheme involving wolves and endangered caribou.

It would be good to see parties at all levels of government cooperating on a range of animal issues, from species at risk to pets in housing (the list is long). An example of much-needed change would be a provincial ban on retail sales of animals at pet stores and online. If the province could do that, it would help shut down cruel puppy and kitten mills, the unethical suppliers that churn out animals for pet stores as if they were mere commodities.

We should also have emergency-preparedness legislation that specifically includes animal protection in our provincial laws. Many animal-law issues—including transportation of animals, animal destruction, animals used in research, farmed animals, breeding, hunting, and cruelty—interface with federal and municipal laws, so there is scope for multilevel nonpartisan collaboration.

It's also imperative to have UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) principles—which would include prior and informed consent of Indigenous people on whose territories large projects are planned—and pan-Indigenous views of animals and the environment honoured.

There are numerous ways to make a pawsitive impact if politicians decide to make animal welfare and protection an election issue. On election night, B.C. can celebrate—but not with fireworks, please, because they're bad for animals.

Whichever party tops the polls, I want it to be a win for animals too.

V. Victoria Shroff is credited as one of the first and longest serving animal-law lawyers in Canada. She has been practising animal law for more than 20 years in downtown Vancouver at Shroff and Associates. She's also an adjunct professor of animal law at UBC's Allard School of Law (erstwhile) and teaches animal law at Capilano University.

https://www.straight.com/news/victoria-shroff-put-animals-on-agenda-in-upcoming-bc-election

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Letter From Trump Praising Trump Added to Food Aid Recipients' Boxes

WITHOUT MENTIONING THE CUTS TO THE 'FOOD STAMP' PROGRAM FUNDING

Stephen A. Crockett Jr.
Filed to:FAMILIES TO FARMERS FOOD BOX PROGRAM


Content of a food box is seen during a tour at the distribution center of Coastal Sunbelt Produce May 15, 2020 in Laurel, Maryland. Photo: Alex Wong (Getty Images)

In the latest episode of “Make sure everyone knows that I did this for them,” the Department of Agriculture (surely at President Trump’s behest) is demanding that letters from the president be included in millions of food assistance boxes.

According to Politico, the Families to Farmers Food Box Program, which delivers surplus goods normally intended for restaurants to families in need, are now forced to add these trash-ass propaganda letters, which are a thinly veiled attempt to boost the president’s image in an election year.

“In my 30 years of doing this work, I’ve never seen something this egregious,” Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Food Banks, told Politico. “These are federally purchased boxes.”

Remember when the president of people who believe the Proud Boys are actually just grown Boy Scouts demanded that his name be put on the stimulus checks because he wanted to make sure that America knew he did this for them? At this point, Trump is the uncle who buys you some fake Yeezys with glowing soles and then tells everyone to come into the room and turn off the lights so they can look at your soles.

“Yeezys!” he will proclaim, proudly. “I got them for a steal!”

“Feezys,” your brother will say.

Republican Porn Hub, aka Fox News, first reported the masturbatory practices of the presidential letter being included in some boxes back in July. “On Wednesday the White House posted a campaign-style video on Twitter touting the food boxes with remarks Trump made in North Carolina in August before a crowd of a few hundred people,” the Hill reports.


The letter, which is written in both English and Spanish says, “As President, safeguarding the health and well-being of our citizens is one of my highest priorities. As part of our response to coronavirus, I prioritized sending nutritious food from our farmers to families in need throughout America.”

If this motherfucker doesn’t shut his anus-shaped mouth with all this bullshit. He can’t be serious, can he? How is this not the most fascist regime that has ever fascist-ed?

Some lawmakers believe that this could be a violation of the Hatch Act because everything this administration does is a violation of the Hatch Act.

“Using a federal relief program to distribute a self-promoting letter from the President to American families just three months before the presidential election is inappropriate and a violation of federal law,” a group of 49 House Democrats, led by Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio, wrote in an Aug. 14 letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Hill reports.

“A public health crisis is not an opportunity for the administration to promote its own political interests. Likewise, a federal food assistance program should not be used as a tool for the President to exploit taxpayer dollars for his re-election campaign,” ho!

The Agriculture Department, of course, pushed back, claiming “politics has played zero role in the Farmers to Families food box program — it is purely about helping farmers and distributors get food to Americans in need during this unprecedented time.”

Then why include a letter from the president talking about how good the “Feezys” he got you look when the lights are off and how he got them for a steal?!

Stephen A. Crockett Jr. Senior Editor @ The Root, boxes outside my weight class, when they go low, you go lower.

"You will be proud of us": Romanian villagers re-elect dead mayor by landslide

Reuters•September 28, 2020



Funeral wreaths near the grave of late mayor Ion Aliman, in Deveselu

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romanian villagers have re-elected their mayor by a landslide even though he died two weeks ago from COVID-19 complications, saying he had done a good job and deserved his posthumous victory.

A video shared on social media showed dozens of villagers visiting the grave of Ion Aliman, a Social Democrat, to light candles after voting had ended in Sunday's local elections.

"It is your victory," one man can be heard saying. "Know that you will be proud of us. Rest in peace."

Aliman won his third term as mayor of Deveselu, a village of around 3,000 people in southern Romania, with 64% of the vote, electoral bureau data showed on Monday.


"He was a real mayor to us," one unnamed woman who wore a surgical mask told private television station ProTV in Deveselu. "He took the side of the village, respected all the laws. I don't think we will see a mayor like him again."

Aliman, a former navy officer who would have turned 57 on Monday, died on Sept. 17 in a hospital in Bucharest. His name was already on the printed voting ballots and could not be removed, officials said. A new election will be held.

In 2008, a village in eastern Romania also knowingly re-elected their mayor who had died just after voting began.

Despite Aliman's victory, his Social Democrat Party lost key cities and county councils across Romania on Sunday to the centrist minority Liberal government and USR-Plus, an alliance of two centre-right groupings.

Romania has reported 123,944 COVID-19 infections since late February, with 4,748 deaths, the highest fatality rate in the European Union's eastern wing.




(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Tow company sold vehicles of Texas military members while they were on duty, feds say

Chacour Koop,
Miami Herald•September 28, 2020

A Dallas towing company is accused of selling vehicles owned by members of the military while they served, federal officials say.

A lawsuit filed Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice says United Tows unlawfully auctioned five vehicles owned by service members, including an airman who had told the business he was in basic training before his car was sold. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, tow companies must obtain a court order to sell vehicles owned by military members.

“When members of our military answer the call to serve our country, they should be able to do so without having to worry that their vehicles or property will be auctioned off while they are on duty,” Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband said in a news release.

In the case of the Air Force member, he received permission to park his Toyota Corolla at a Tae Kwon Do studio where he taught classes while away at basic training in San Antonio, according to the lawsuit. With no apartment or family in the area, he didn’t have anywhere else to park the car. He also stored personal belonging in the vehicle, including a laptop, gym bag and personal documents.


United Tows is accused of towing the car in September 2017. After learning through a friend that his car was towed, the airman called the company to explain he was unable to collect the vehicle during basic training, but the owner didn’t believe he was in the military, the lawsuit says.

The friend went to retrieve the laptop, but it was missing and the gym bag was cut open, the lawsuit says.

The vehicle was auctioned without a court order after the airman was ordered immediately from basic training to another military base, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit says the tow company unlawfully auctioned four other vehicles owned by members of the Air Force, Army and Coast Guard between 2014 and 2019.

“The men and women who serve in the armed forces make immense personal sacrifices to keep our country safe,” U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas said in the news release. “This lawsuit is a powerful reminder that we will aggressively hold those institutions and businesses accountable who are required to comply with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Our military deserves no less.”