Sentient Media
Sentient Media
Articles from Sentient Media
sentientmedia.orgRepublicans’ New Farm Bill Takes Aim at Animal Welfare and Pesticide Regulations
House Republicans finally released their newest farm bill proposal, only for an East Coast blizzard to delay plans to start debating it. The House is now set to debate the bill beginning March 3.
Hawai’i Coral Reefs Lose Chance at Legal Personhood
Can a coral reef be a person? It might sound absurd, but over the last 20 years, ecosystems around the world have been granted legal personhood, giving them stronger legal protections than existing regulations offer.
Do Trucker Log Loopholes Put Animals at Risk?
In August 2025, an undercover investigator recorded videos of three livestock truck operators appearing to admit to falsifying their logbooks while visiting truck stops across the Midwest.
California’s Avian Flu Safety Rules Are Strong — Their Enforcement Isn’t.
It’s not unusual for cows to be sick, but this time it was different: the cows appeared restless and tired, sometimes with swollen, purple-colored udders and nasal discharge. They’d lose interest in eating, withering away. A virus had been silently spreading through U.S.
In the Global South, Activists Are Challenging Factory Farms in Court
As industrial agriculture expands in Brazil, India, Mexico and Zimbabwe, cases framed around pollution and health — plus working with agencies to enforce the law — succeed more than arguments centered
Bird Flu Cases Are Surging in 2026. What Does It Mean?
Bird flu is back with a vengeance, after subsiding temporarily in the summer and fall. Millions of birds have been exposed to the avian flu virus since the beginning of January alone.
American Horses Are Still Being Slaughtered for Meat
Nearly two decades ago, the United States effectively shut down domestic horse slaughter operations with a change to federal funding rules. The North American horse-meat industry has since declined, but it’s not gone entirely.
If We Let Coral Reef Fish Populations Bounce Back From Overfishing, They Could Feed 1.4 Million More People
Restoring fish populations in coral reefs would boost coastal food supply, feeding up to 1.4 million more people, particularly in developing countries, according to new research. The greatest benefits would be seen in areas that are struggling with malnutrition.
Sales of Antibiotics for Farm Animals Jumped 16%, FDA Data Shows
A rising number of antibiotic drugs that are essential for human health are now being sold for use in farm animals, data released by the Food and Drug Administration shows.
Cows Can Use Tools. Are We Underestimating How Smart They Are?
A cow named Veronika has made headlines around the world after researchers confirmed for the first time that cows are capable of using tools based on observations of her behavior. But Veronika is likely not the only cow whose capacities might surprise us if we only looked a little closer.
People Can Give Cows Tuberculosis, But We Rarely Look For It
A cough, followed by a blood-stained handkerchief, is etched into popular culture as a signal of impending death. The killer is tuberculosis, and it has been at the heart of human tragedy as the world’s deadliest infectious disease in recorded history.
Bird Flu Virus Might Resist Fever, Study in Mice Finds
Running a temperature helps humans protect themselves from infections, but research testing avian flu viruses in mice suggests these strains share a trait with those that caused some of the world’s worst pandemics: the ability to resist a fever.
More Than 71% of Americans Oppose Common Factory Farming Practices
Nearly all livestock in the United States is raised in industrial facilities , where animals are often kept in cramped, harsh conditions.
Police Bodycams Reveal Pattern of Deference to Meat Industry
State troopers cited concerns about animal rights activists as justification for blocking journalists from livestock crash sites.
Could the Fight Against Animal Testing Help Farm Animals? Some Advocates Are Shifting Tactics
To win over conservative lawmakers, some animal rights advocates are stressing spending cuts in their pitch.
Could the U.S. Switch to Regenerative Chicken? Only if Americans Ate This Much Less
Going from 100 lbs of chicken each year to 63 would be quite the change.
In Rural Pennsylvania, a Free-Range Chicken Farm and Solar Project Is Not What It Seems
At a township hearing, a developer revealed the 350,000 chickens would be kept mostly separate from the solar panels and probably “don’t go outside much.”
How JBS — the World’s Largest Meat Company — Avoids Paying Taxes
By utilizing intercompany loans and dividends, and a network of shell companies based in Luxembourg, JBS has been able to dodge paying taxes where it conducts business.
Trump Is Suing to Overturn Prop 12 and Other Animal Welfare Laws
The administration says animal welfare laws in California are raising egg prices nationwide.
Fourth of July Fireworks Can Terrify Animals, but There Are Alternatives
Fireworks displays have long been associated with celebratory moments. But Fourth of July fireworks have an impact on animals, including pets, wildlife and farm animals.
Here's What It Takes to Produce Slaughter-Free Milk
At Gita Valley dairy, the cows are never slaughtered and the milk costs $18 a gallon.
New York Bill Aims to Ban New Mega-Dairies
In New York, the country’s fifth largest milk-producing state , lawmakers are taking aim at the rapid growth of massive dairy farms, in what environmentalists say is a crucial first step to addressing environmental and social impacts from these industrial facilities.
An Animal Rights Activist Rescued Four Sick Chickens From a Slaughterhouse. Now She’s Facing Five Years in Prison.
How ‘open rescue’ prosecutions reveal larger systemic issues.
How Cattle Ranching Destroys Earth’s Food Webs
Beef production has steadily been rising over the last half-century. Unfortunately, so has the environmental destruction that it causes.
Fact-Check: Backyard Chickens Aren’t Safe From Bird Flu
As egg prices continue to skyrocket across the United States, some consumers are looking for alternative ways to secure affordable eggs, including turning to their backyard. Raising backyard chickens isn’t as simple as it sounds.
Republicans’ New Farm Bill Takes Aim at Animal Welfare and Pesticide Regulations
House Republicans finally released their newest farm bill proposal, only for an East Coast blizzard to delay plans to start debating it. The House is now set to debate the bill beginning March 3.
Hawai’i Coral Reefs Lose Chance at Legal Personhood
Can a coral reef be a person? It might sound absurd, but over the last 20 years, ecosystems around the world have been granted legal personhood, giving them stronger legal protections than existing regulations offer.
Do Trucker Log Loopholes Put Animals at Risk?
In August 2025, an undercover investigator recorded videos of three livestock truck operators appearing to admit to falsifying their logbooks while visiting truck stops across the Midwest.
California’s Avian Flu Safety Rules Are Strong — Their Enforcement Isn’t.
It’s not unusual for cows to be sick, but this time it was different: the cows appeared restless and tired, sometimes with swollen, purple-colored udders and nasal discharge. They’d lose interest in eating, withering away. A virus had been silently spreading through U.S.
In the Global South, Activists Are Challenging Factory Farms in Court
As industrial agriculture expands in Brazil, India, Mexico and Zimbabwe, cases framed around pollution and health — plus working with agencies to enforce the law — succeed more than arguments centered
Bird Flu Cases Are Surging in 2026. What Does It Mean?
Bird flu is back with a vengeance, after subsiding temporarily in the summer and fall. Millions of birds have been exposed to the avian flu virus since the beginning of January alone.
American Horses Are Still Being Slaughtered for Meat
Nearly two decades ago, the United States effectively shut down domestic horse slaughter operations with a change to federal funding rules. The North American horse-meat industry has since declined, but it’s not gone entirely.
If We Let Coral Reef Fish Populations Bounce Back From Overfishing, They Could Feed 1.4 Million More People
Restoring fish populations in coral reefs would boost coastal food supply, feeding up to 1.4 million more people, particularly in developing countries, according to new research. The greatest benefits would be seen in areas that are struggling with malnutrition.
Sales of Antibiotics for Farm Animals Jumped 16%, FDA Data Shows
A rising number of antibiotic drugs that are essential for human health are now being sold for use in farm animals, data released by the Food and Drug Administration shows.
Cows Can Use Tools. Are We Underestimating How Smart They Are?
A cow named Veronika has made headlines around the world after researchers confirmed for the first time that cows are capable of using tools based on observations of her behavior. But Veronika is likely not the only cow whose capacities might surprise us if we only looked a little closer.
People Can Give Cows Tuberculosis, But We Rarely Look For It
A cough, followed by a blood-stained handkerchief, is etched into popular culture as a signal of impending death. The killer is tuberculosis, and it has been at the heart of human tragedy as the world’s deadliest infectious disease in recorded history.
Bird Flu Virus Might Resist Fever, Study in Mice Finds
Running a temperature helps humans protect themselves from infections, but research testing avian flu viruses in mice suggests these strains share a trait with those that caused some of the world’s worst pandemics: the ability to resist a fever.
More Than 71% of Americans Oppose Common Factory Farming Practices
Nearly all livestock in the United States is raised in industrial facilities , where animals are often kept in cramped, harsh conditions.
Police Bodycams Reveal Pattern of Deference to Meat Industry
State troopers cited concerns about animal rights activists as justification for blocking journalists from livestock crash sites.
Could the Fight Against Animal Testing Help Farm Animals? Some Advocates Are Shifting Tactics
To win over conservative lawmakers, some animal rights advocates are stressing spending cuts in their pitch.
Could the U.S. Switch to Regenerative Chicken? Only if Americans Ate This Much Less
Going from 100 lbs of chicken each year to 63 would be quite the change.
In Rural Pennsylvania, a Free-Range Chicken Farm and Solar Project Is Not What It Seems
At a township hearing, a developer revealed the 350,000 chickens would be kept mostly separate from the solar panels and probably “don’t go outside much.”
How JBS — the World’s Largest Meat Company — Avoids Paying Taxes
By utilizing intercompany loans and dividends, and a network of shell companies based in Luxembourg, JBS has been able to dodge paying taxes where it conducts business.
Trump Is Suing to Overturn Prop 12 and Other Animal Welfare Laws
The administration says animal welfare laws in California are raising egg prices nationwide.
Fourth of July Fireworks Can Terrify Animals, but There Are Alternatives
Fireworks displays have long been associated with celebratory moments. But Fourth of July fireworks have an impact on animals, including pets, wildlife and farm animals.
Here's What It Takes to Produce Slaughter-Free Milk
At Gita Valley dairy, the cows are never slaughtered and the milk costs $18 a gallon.
New York Bill Aims to Ban New Mega-Dairies
In New York, the country’s fifth largest milk-producing state , lawmakers are taking aim at the rapid growth of massive dairy farms, in what environmentalists say is a crucial first step to addressing environmental and social impacts from these industrial facilities.
An Animal Rights Activist Rescued Four Sick Chickens From a Slaughterhouse. Now She’s Facing Five Years in Prison.
How ‘open rescue’ prosecutions reveal larger systemic issues.
How Cattle Ranching Destroys Earth’s Food Webs
Beef production has steadily been rising over the last half-century. Unfortunately, so has the environmental destruction that it causes.
Fact-Check: Backyard Chickens Aren’t Safe From Bird Flu
As egg prices continue to skyrocket across the United States, some consumers are looking for alternative ways to secure affordable eggs, including turning to their backyard. Raising backyard chickens isn’t as simple as it sounds.
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