Three things for March 12
1. Officials seize goats from the home of environmental activist
In Hartford, Connecticut, dozens of goats were confiscated from an environmental activist’s home due to an overwhelming number of complaints.
According to the Associated Press, “State and local officials said they executed a search and seizure warrant Wednesday at the the home of Nancy Burton, the founder of the Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone, a watchdog group that has been critical of the Millstone nuclear power complex in Waterford, Connecticut, for the past two decades.”
Officials said the warrant was approved after several complaints and surveillance, which revealed animal welfare concerns.
Nancy Burton told AP News that 65 goats were taken, and none were in poor health.
“Burton accused officials of taking the goats, not because of neglect, but to stop her testing of goat milk for radioactive materials linked to nuclear power plants. She also said she has been trying to find animal sanctuaries to take most of her goats, and state officials are aware of those efforts,” reports AP News.
The goats were taken to the Agriculture Department’s rescue and rehabilitation facility and are waiting to be evaluated by a veterinarian.
2. The Weeknd boycotts the Grammys
The 63rd annual Grammy Awards will air on Sunday night. Many artists such as Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Dua Lipa and BTS will perform live. However, the music industry is facing accusations of racial bias, according to the New York Times.
“The industry is waging a war for the soul of the Grammys, after years of accusations of bias against women and Black artists, and complaints about an opaque voting system that critics say are unfair and out of touch,” reports The New York Times.
The main controversy surrounds how artists are chosen to be nominated for a Grammy. The Weeknd has chart records and played a Super Bowl halftime show, yet no Grammy nomination.
“The role of anonymous expert committees, which review initial nomination choices by the thousands of music professionals who make up the voting membership of the Recording Academy, the nonprofit group behind the awards, and — for 61 of the Grammys’ 84 categories — have the final say about who makes the cut,” reports the New York Times.
The committees are supposed to operate like a check-and-balance step to preserve the integrity of the award process. Due to the secret committees, the Weeknd said he will no longer submit his music to the Grammys.
“The conflict with the Weeknd goes to the heart of concerns that the Grammys’ voting procedure is flawed. It also illustrates the fulcrum that the Grammys are supposed to represent between art and commerce: Its purpose is to recognize the work that its members — artists, producers and songwriters — value most highly, but the academy inevitably faces pressure to reward success,” reports the New York Times.
3. Japan commemorates 10 years since tsunami hit
On Thursday, March 11, Japan fell quiet at 2:46 p.m. to mark the minute that an earthquake began 10 years ago, setting off a tsunami and nuclear crisis that devastated the country’s northeast coast in a disaster.
According to AP News, one survivor said he fears people are beginning to forget the event.
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake, one of the strongest earthquakes on record, struck Japan on March 11 of 2011. The quake triggered a tsunami that destroyed towns, caused nuclear meltdowns and took more than 19,000 lives.
“Ten years on, more than 40,000 people are still unable to return home, and areas near the wrecked plant are still off-limits due to contamination from the initial radiation fallout. Many in Japan have said that the country’s intense focus on physically rebuilding has at times ignored other healing that needed to be done,” reports AP News.
This is the final year the Japanese government will organize a national commemoration for the disaster.
