CSU PULLS OUT OF BARBARIC SPAY STUDY Decision by renowned veterinary school is on the right side of history
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – In a stunning decision siding with America’s wild horses and burros, Colorado State University has opted to back out of a barbaric study intended to rip the ovaries out of wild mares.
“We are grateful that Colorado State has opted out of this cruel and inhumane study,” said Ginger Kathrens, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation and Humane Advocate on BLM’s National Wild Horse & Burro Advisory Board. “This decision by CSU sends a signal that reputable centers of learning reject atrocious management proposals and stand for the humane treatment of our wild horses and burros.”
The study, planned for the Warm Springs Herd Management Area in Oregon, was a joint effort between CSU, the Bureau of Land Management, and the United States Geological Survey. Those organizations were planning to study the “feasibility and on-range behavioral outcomes” associated with performing a procedure called “ovariectomy via colpotomy.” The proposed action involved a veterinarian performing the procedure in what BLM calls the “semi-sterile” environment of Burns Corrals. The mares would then be turned back out onto the range after very little post-operative observation.
The ovariectomy procedure is so dangerous for the animal that many veterinarians will not even perform it in a sterile environment.
“Had the study pressed forward, it would have spelled death for the wild mares of Warm Springs,” Kathrens said. “The post-operative bleeding and death rates associated with this procedure are very high. It’s a procedure used as a last resort by reputable veterinarians. We could not fathom how such a highly-regarded veterinary school would be involved with such a thing.”
While there is no word yet on whether or not the study will proceed, a portion of the proposal involved a veterinarian from CSU performing the procedure.
“It is difficult to see how the study can continue now, but we will remain vigilant to ensure we do everything in our power to stop it if need be,” Kathrens said. “Any kind of proposal involving this invasive and dangerous procedure is no way to humanely manage our wild horse and burro herds. We are glad that CSU agrees.”
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The Cloud Foundation is a 501(c)3 based in Colorado Springs, Colorado dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on public lands in the American West.
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uge Win for DoD Workers as Congress Ends Per Diem Travel Cuts
AFGE applauds reversal of policy that harmed military, civilians
WASHINGTON – After years of lobbying by the American Federation of Government Employees and other worker allies, Congress has reversed a three-year-old policy that resulted in out-of-pocket losses to military service members and Defense civilian workers who travel long-term for work.
Section 603 of the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which has passed the House and Senate and is awaiting President Trump’s signature, overturns a 2014 Department of Defense policy that reduced per diem reimbursements for military and civilian workers who travel longer than 30 days at a time for work.
“Being away from home for months at a time is hard enough without forcing employees to pay out-of-pocket for legitimate travel expenses that should be covered by their employer,” said Don Hale, chairman of AFGE’s Defense Conference (DEFCON), which oversees the nearly 300,000 DoD civilians represented by AFGE worldwide.
“This was a misguided attempt by the Pentagon to find cost savings at the expense of employees – mostly mid-level civilian employees outside of D.C. who frequently travel for work. We thank Congress for doing the right thing and reversing these harmful and unfair cuts,” Hale said.
AFGE especially thanks the lawmakers whose legislation to repeal the per diem policy was folded into the final NDAA: Reps. Derek Kilmer of Washington and Walter Jones of North Carolina, and Sens. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Mike Rounds of South Dakota.
The policy, which went into effect in November 2014, cut the per diem allowance for DoD employees required to travel for work between 30 and 180 days down to 75 percent of the nationally established per diem rates for travel. For employees on work travel longer than 180 days, the per diem reimbursement rate was reduced to 55 percent.
“For nearly three years, DoD has been shortchanging our service members and civilian employees by taking money out of their pockets for legitimate travel expenses that the agency should have been covering,” AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. “Our members fought hard to overturn this policy, and this victory shows what we can accomplish when we fight for what’s right and never give up.”
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The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 700,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Co
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HOPESFALL
Premieres New Video
"Bradley Fighting Vehicle"
via NPR
New Album Arbiter
Available for Purchase Here
Streaming on Spotify & Apple Music
"...with its thoughtful fusion of Hum-inspired space-rock
and metallic textures, Hopesfall was always meant to
break out of those basements." - NPR
"Much like the album as a whole, ['H.A. Wallace Space Academy']
ebbs and flows with the larger-than-life riffs and brooding melodies
that Hopesfall fans grew to love..." - Loudwire
"With Arbiter, they pen a collection that rattles and hums through a series of peaks and
valleys, ultimately offering a thoughtful transmission that is exactly what fans have
been tuned into and craving for years." - Cryptic Rock
August 9, 2018 - Charlotte, NC - Melodic hardcore legends Hopesfall have shared a brand new music video for their song "Bradley Fighting Vehicle," premiering now exclusively on NPR. The band filmed the video while in New York City for two special sold out shows at the legendary Saint Vitus, capturing the thrill and excitement surrounding Hopesfall's long-awaited return to the stage.
"Our first shows back were more gratifying than than we could've imagined. It felt right to make some noise again. We played two great venues that provided a high energy and intimate atmosphere. It's the way Hopesfall shows were meant to be. Nothing matches the energy of a hardcore show and that's what it felt like," shares Jay Forrest. "I was shocked that the crowd was singing along to our new songs. The response to our new album has been overwhelmingly positive. We're very grateful for all the opportunities we've had to make music and play some shows."
"Bradley Fighting Vehicle" comes from Hopesfall's latest album Arbiter, which was was released on July 13th via Graphic Nature / Equal Vision Records, and secured the #1 spot on the Top New Artist Albums Chart, as well as #13 Independent, #14 Top Rock, #17 Internet, #32 Digital, and #41 Top Current Albums. The album has been heralded online and in print by Loudwire, Alternative Press, Metal Injection, New Noise Magazine, and more. It is now available for streaming via Spotify and Apple Music, and purchased online at hopesfall.lnk.to/arbiter.
Hopesfall formed in 1998. Over the next decade, the band would undergo numerous line-up changes but always drew from the same core group of lifelong friends to source new members. The bond between the group was so strong that even after disbanding in 2008, guitarists Joshua Brigham and Dustin Nadler and drummer Adam Morgan continued to get together on Wednesday nights to work on new music despite having no plans to release it. It was during these jam sessions that the music that would eventually find its way onto Arbiter first began to take shape.
In 2012, Brigham and Morgan visited frontman, Jay Forrest, in Chicago culminating in the decision that Forrest would add vocals to the demos. The lineup for the band's reformation would then be cemented in August of 2015 when bassist, Chad Waldrup, joined the group to see Hum and Failure. Still, the idea of putting out new music as Hopesfall wasn't part of the plan. With the lineup complete, the band brought their demos to another trusted collaborator - producer Mike Watts (Glassjaw, Dillinger Escape Plan, O'Brother) whom they had worked with on two previous releases, Magnetic North and A Types. It was Watts who brought the demos to Dan Sandshaw and Will Putney of Graphic Nature / Equal Vision Records where the idea of releasing it as a Hopesfall record was finally discussed. A testament to the band's hard-earned legacy, the famed label immediately jumped on the opportunity to release the project.
Arbiter has a decidedly unique bend to it, but Brigham points out that it is built off of the same principles as Hopesfall's previous catalog - "big riffs and dark melodies." Forrest adds that the driving message of Arbiter remains the same as well: "Hopes fall. Tragedies happen. But that doesn't mean you should give up or not stay the course."
Arbiter is out now via Graphic Nature / Equal Vision Records. It is at once a reminder of why Hopesfall has become so influential and a beacon of its continued evolution.
For More Information, please visit:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HopesfallOfficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/hopesfall
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hopesfall
Arbiter Tracklisting:
1. Faint Object Camera
2. H.A. Wallace Space Academy
3. Bradley Fighting Vehicle
4. C.S. Lucky-One
5. Catapult
6. Tunguska
7. Aphelion
8. Drowning Potential
9. To Bloom
10. Indignation and the Rise of the Arbiter
