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Young Eco-Activists Prevail in First-of-Its-Kind Climate Change Trial in Montana (Maria)
The authors write, “Young environmental activists scored what experts described as a ground-breaking legal victory Monday when a Montana judge said state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by allowing fossil fuel development. The ruling in this first-of-its-kind trial in the US adds to a small number of legal decisions around the world that have established a government duty to protect citizens from climate change. If it stands, the ruling could set an important legal precedent.”
Investors Are Calling Maui Wildfire Victims to Buy Their Hawaii Land (DonkeyHotey)
From Newsweek: “Victims of the Maui wildfires are reportedly being contacted by investors and realtors attempting to buy their land in Hawaii amid the disaster that has destroyed parts of the island. … The claims made on social media come as the wildfires on the Hawaiian island continue to rage, resulting in mass evacuations, injuries to residents, and damaged homes and other buildings. Officials in Maui County said in an update on Sunday night that the Maui Police Department had confirmed 96 fatalities across the island.”
Secretive Federal Agency’s Days of Killing Pets With Poison Bombs May Finally Be Ending (Laura)
The author writes, “Across the American West lies an untold number of potent chemical weapons, tucked away and waiting to go off. There could be one on your favorite hiking trail, or on the loop where you walk your dog, or in the woods where your kids play. Packed with sodium cyanide, these spring-loaded devices blast clouds of poison gas five feet into the air. Once inhaled, the lethal toxins mount a multidirectional attack on your cardiovascular, pulmonary, and central nervous system. Death can come in a matter of minutes. The weapons, known as M-44s, are placed by an under-the-radar federal agency called Wildlife Services.”
Idaho’s Teacher of the Year Winner Leaving State Following Right-Wing Harassment (Reader Jim)
From Truthout: “Last year’s Idaho Teacher of the Year winner was harassed so frequently by right-wing parents and community members that she has decided to leave the state to pursue a different career. The news comes as harassment of teachers is becoming alarmingly commonplace in school districts across the country, with far right conservatives waging aggressive attacks on schools, teachers, and administrators whose lessons and policies don’t align with Christian nationalist ideology. Karen Lauritzen, a fourth-grade teacher with over two decades of experience, was named the 2023 Idaho Teacher of the Year last September by a GOP-run office … As a result of the award, Lauritzen became the target of unwanted scrutiny from far right parents in the district and conservative activists in the state.”
Illinois to Be the First State to Protect Child Influencers (Sean)
The author writes, “Illinois is soon to be the first state in the nation to provide legal protection for children whose parents make money posting videos of them on social media channels, thanks to the work of a high school student from Normal, Illinois. According to the new legislation, parents will be legally required to set aside a portion of the revenue generated by any monetized online video content featuring a child under the age of 16 into a trust that they will be able to access once they turn 18. If parents fail to do so, the child will have a right of action to sue for compensation under the Illinois Child Labor Law.”
How the Real Estate Industry Engineered American Segregation (Al)
From Bloomberg: “In March, a court in the Northern District of Illinois allowed a class-action lawsuit to move forward against the National Association of Realtors, the trade organization that is single largest federal lobbying spender in the US. The organization, along with seven major real estate companies that serve as its co-defendants in Moehrl et al., could be hit with $13 billion to $40 billion in damages. … The terrible irony of this lawsuit is that its potential benefactors will not be the class most harmed by the NAR’s actions, but white homeowners — a group that has historically reaped the rewards of the segregated and unequal housing market that the trade group helped systemically create.”
These Turtles Nearly Went Extinct in WA. Now Some Live in a Secret Pond. (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Nearly a year they wait, munching on crickets, mealworms, and small chunks of fish to pass the time. But Friday morning, their time came. At a small pond in the Lakewood, Washington, area — the precise location of which must be kept secret to protect the endangered species — state and local officials released 31 northwestern pond turtles back into the wild. For the briefest moment the turtles floated in the water, one at a time, before diving under the surface. Adult turtles, released years earlier, basked in the late morning sun farther out in the pond, lining up on floating logs. The hope, [said a] zookeeper for the Woodland Park Zoo, is that by raising the turtles in captivity they’ll be strong enough to survive in the wild.”
