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The Department of Transportation says Delta has to let pit bulls fly

There's been an uptick in fake emotional support animals (ESAs), which has led some airlines to crack down on which animals can and can't fly. Remember that emotional support peacock?

But some restrictions on ESAs don't fly with the Department of Transportation (DOT), leading them to crack down on the crack down.

Delta says that there has been an 84 percent increase in animal incidents since 2016, thanks in part to the increase of ESAs on airplanes. Last year, Delta airlines banned pit bulls and pit bull-related dog breeds after two airline staff were bitten by the breed while boarding a flight from Atlanta to Tokyo.

"We must err on the side of safety. Most recently, two Delta employees were bit by a pit bull traveling as a support animal last week. We struggled with the decision to expand the ban to service animals, knowing that some customers have legitimate needs, but we have determined that untrained, pit bull-type dogs posing as both service and support animals are a potential safety risk," Delta told People regarding the new rule.

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A teenager got the perfect shot of 16 posed dachshunds because a friend bet he couldn’t

"Challenge accepted."

via Liam Beach / Facebook

Trying to get one dog to sit still and make eye contact with a camera for more than half a second is a low-key miracle. Lining up 16 dogs, on steps, and having them all stare at the camera simultaneously is the work of a God-like dog whisperer.

This miracle worker is Liam Beach, a 19-year-old animal management graduate from Cardiff, Wales. A friend of his dared him to attempt the shot and he accepted the challenge.

"My friend Catherine challenged me to try to get all of my lot sat on the stairs for a photo. She said, 'I bet you can't pull it off,' so I thought 'challenge accepted,'" he said, accoriding to Paws Planet.

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Permit denied for 'straight pride' parade in California

UPDATE: 8/14/19:

City officials in Modesto, California have denied a request from Don Grundmann, who wanted to organize a "straight pride parade. The proposed event generated a national controversy, which was only heightened after Grundmann "accidentally" admitted to having racist, nationalistic and, of course, homophobic views.

Modesto officials cited safety concerns surrounding the straight pride parade and noted that organizers, i.e. Grundmann, had not obtained the necessary insurance coverage for such an event.

"There's many, many new plans. Five at least, maybe 10," Grundmann said while appearing at City Hall on Tuesday to outline his backup plans. When pressed for specifics, he reportedly had ... nothing.

Technically, he can still re-apply to have the event held in a non-residential part of the city if he is able to obtain insurance coverage but local affiliate ABC7 said that is an unlikely scenario.

And if he does somehow get his straight pride parade up and running, Grundmann is likely to face a counterdemonstration far larger than his actual event.

"Our community is made up of every color of the rainbow and every marginalized community is in fear of them bringing violence," local opposition activist Chris Holland told CBS.


Original story begins below:

Perhaps you've heard of Don Grundmann, a California man who founded the National Straight Pride Coalition. The organization's goal is to defend "heterosexuality," "Caucasians," "Western Civilization," and, of course, promote "nationalism," according to his website. He's garnered attention for partnering with Modesto resident Mylinda Mason to hold a "Straight Pride" event later this month. At a meeting with the Modesto City Council Wednesday to defend his intentions, Grundmann revealed the truth about his organization, a "totally peaceful racist group," leaving the audience and council members in a fit of laughter.


Don Grundmann Gaffe “We’re a totally peaceful racist group” www.youtube.com

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Former Obama official 'connects the dots' between El Paso terrorists' letter and Trump's tweets

After back-to-back mass shootings this weekend, it has become nearly impossible to deny that our nation's current political climate is playing a role in catastrophic gun violence. While we can't create a direct line between President Trump and mass shootings, the anti-immigrant rhetoric he has co-opted from the political fringes has become integrated into our national dialogue and filtered down into the language used by those perpetrating gun violence on innocent victims.

For those who still don't see a direct correlation, this Twitter thread is impossible to ignore.

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An awkward conversation in a movie theater became a moment of change about race

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Author and Educator Joy Angela DeGruy recalls the time she went to go see he remake of King Kong with her friend Dennis. At one point she had to go to the bathroom and ran out of the theater, starting up a chat with a little boy in the lobby also going to the bathroom. What was the scariest part of the movie? DeGruy asks. "The black people," he answered.

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Slay Your Internet Trolls With This Artist’s Brilliant New Remedy: Spells

Get rid of the internet’s grossest pests with Molly Soda’s totally strange and spot-on spellbook.

Image via Newhive.com/Mollysoda

At some point in our lives, we all come into contact with an internet troll. Whether it’s that stranger from high school who can’t stop screaming about food stamp theft, or the patronizing friend who starts every sentence with “Well actually,” the internet is full of idiots with free time. That’s why the artist Molly Soda created a hilarious book of spells, designed—among other things—to help writers and Facebook posters everywhere defend themselves from internet hate. And while the science behind the troll spell has yet to be proven (not sure how “digging holes” will translate to “dying trolls”), her project was met with well-deserved internet tweets, favorites, and acclaim.

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