With fewer than 400 individuals remaining on the planet, North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered. Originally decimated by commercial whalers, right whales began a slow recovery after passage of the Endangered Species Act in the 1970s. Now, sadly, they are once again on the decline as a result of human action—or inaction. Right whales move along the busy east coast of the United States and Canada, which places them quite literally in the path of danger.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

The fundamental purpose of our marquee advocacy training event, Taking Action for Animals Online, occurring on September 19 and 20, is to support greater political and social engagement by those who care about animals. COVID-19 hasn’t changed a thing in that regard, and TAFA 2020 features one of the strongest speaker and topic rosters in years, with nearly two dozen exciting sessions.

By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block

The U.S. House today approved many key animal protection reforms, including measures designed to rein in horse soring, combat wildlife trafficking and help enforce animal cruelty laws, as part of Congress's annual appropriations process. Members also prohibited the use of federal funds for implementing cruel hunting practices on public lands in Alaska, and rejected an attempt to ensure the import of endangered elephant and lion trophies into the United States can continue.

And justice for all: Remembering John Lewis

With the rest of the nation, we mourn the loss of Representative John Lewis, who died late Friday night after a brief illness. He was a man of deep conviction who dedicated his life to the ideals of social justice and the vision of a “beloved community” that would uphold the dignity and value of every human being. He was the youngest of more than a dozen speakers at the 1963 March on Washington, and the last survivor from that group. To the end, he was a champion of civil rights and human freedom with an unwavering optimism about the future of our nation.

At the HSLF, we’ve consistently pressed presidential contenders and others running for office to present their ideas and their records to us up front, so that we can evaluate their commitments and actions in support of animal protection, and if warranted, endorse their candidacies.

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