Tag Archives: Block
Suit filed to block deer shoot in Washington park
WASHINGTON |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Animal rights activists filed a lawsuit on Thursday to try to stop a plan to cull deer in a Washington park, saying it would create a “killing field” in the heart of the U.S. capital.
The deer population in Rock Creek Park has soared in recent years, creating a threat to plant life, and the National Park Service said in May that it would launch a program to trim numbers to 15 to 20 per square mile (six to eight per square km), from 67 (26) recorded in a 2009 census.
Residents and activists filed suit in a U.S. District Court charging that the planned cull in the 12-mile-long (19-km-long) park would create a “killing field” in the heart of Washington.
The NPS plans to use sharpshooters or reproductive controls to cut deer numbers. Shooting would be carried out mostly at night in the winter and autumn and the meat donated to food banks.
The suit by five area residents, including economist Jeremy Rifkin, and the In Defense of Animals advocacy group said the NPS would be violating its statutory obligations to conserve wildlife and allow visitors to enjoy the park.
The suit said that if the cull went ahead it would be the first time the killing of wildlife had been allowed in the park since it was created in the 19th century.
China’s Ai Weiwei bemoans block on his “Gangnam” parody
Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (front) dances with his friends as they make a cover version of music video of ”Gangnam Style” by South Korean singer Psy at the courtyard of Ai’s studio in Beijing, October 24, 2012. Picture taken October 24, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Courtesy of Ai Weiwei/Handout
Road Block – Several States Push For “Stoned Driving” Limits
Attempts to established “stoned driving” limits in California, Colorado, Washington and elsewhere threaten to target all marijuana users, even those wholly unimpaired.
With marijuana legalization initiatives on the ballot in several states this November, lawmakers across the country have begun pushing a new legislative strategy for targeting cannabis users, one with the potential to strip every one of them of their ability to legally operate a motor vehicle, even if …More
Medical Marijuana Industry Moves to Block U.S. Crackdown
Federal officials say that many medical marijuana operations are covers for large-scale illegal sales.
NYT > Marijuana and Medical Marijuana
Busy NYC Starbucks block sockets to free up seats (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Some busy Starbucks coffee shops in New York City have started blocking electrical outlets to discourage laptop users from hogging space, and to free up seats for other customers.
“Customers are asking (for it) …. They just purchased a latte and a pastry and there is nowhere to sit down in some of these really high-volume stores,” said Starbucks spokesman Alan Hilowitz.
He said the decision is made on a case-by-case basis by individual stores, and to his knowledge is limited to some cafes in New York City.
“If this is what the store needs to do to support the business, then they’re allowed to make the decision to do that,” Hilowitz said. “It really is all about the balance.”
Starbucks offers free Wi-Fi access to all of its customers. While inviting customers to linger can result in repeat purchases, it also can have unintended consequences.
Seating is scarce in some cafes frequented by students, freelancer workers and other computer users who sometimes stay for hours.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Richard Chang)
