Nine years ago, a pair of freshly weaned British longhair kittens boarded a private plane in Virginia and flew to their new home in Europe. These kittens were no different than any other, except that they’d been created in a lab. They were clones: genetically identical to their predecessor, now sadly deceased.
It had taken seven months and cost $50,000, but that cat was one of the first pets to be commercially cloned in the United States. Since then, a couple thousand dog, cat, and horse clones have followed, and every year the waiting list grows longer. Of course it does. Haven’t you ever wished your pet could live, if not forever, then at least as long as you? Now it can, sort of.
WIRED spoke to a longtime customer service manager for the largest commercial pet cloning company. She guides pet owners through the entire process, from when they send in a piece of the old pet to when they meet—remeet?—the new one.
Half of our clients come to us after their pet has passed away. They’re mourning. They’re trying to figure out a way to cope with the grief, so they Google “What do you do when your pet passes?” That’s when they stumble across us, and I’m often the first person they talk to. There’s a lot of emotion. I’m happy to hold their hand through the process, because when a pet dies, especially if it’s sudden, many people are not thinking straight. Postmortem, things have to be done very quickly.
After a pet has passed, the cells are viable for about five days. The body has to be refrigerated, but not frozen, because freezing damages the cells. Typically we would want a piece of the ear from the deceased pet. The ear tissue is hardy; it works very well. People don’t want to think about their pet missing part of their ear, so that is sometimes a struggle.
Once the sample is at the lab, the first step is to grow cells in culture from the tissue, then freeze and store those cells. When everyone is ready to move forward with cloning, we transfer some of those cells to our cloning lab in upstate New York.
The cloning begins with making embryos from the cells. We take a donor egg, remove the nucleus, and insert one of the millions of cells that we’ve grown. There’s an electric stimulus that basically tricks the egg into thinking it’s been fertilized, but there’s no sperm. That’s the magic of cloning. It takes a lot of skill and good hand-eye coordination.
The lab will create several embryos, then they transfer those embryos into one of our surrogate dogs or cats, which are specifically bred to be great mothers. Within a few tries, we’ll have a puppy or a kitten. Sometimes more than one puppy or kitten, because when we transfer the embryos into the surrogate, it’s kind of like IVF—more than one might take. If two or three puppies are born, the client would get them all. On rare occasions we have a client who only wants one, so then we help place the extra. A lot of times it goes to an employee here. Almost every one of our employees has a cloned animal.
NEW YORK — A man who took in an orphaned squirrel and made it a social media star vowed Saturday that New York state’s decision to seize and euthanize the animal “won’t go unheard.”
“We will make a stance on how this government and New York state utilizes their resources,” Mark Longo said in a phone interview.
He declined to specify his possible next steps but said officials would hear from him soon about what happened to Peanut the squirrel and Fred, a rescued raccoon that was also confiscated and put down.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation took the animals Wednesday from Longo’s home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The agency said it had gotten complaints that wildlife was being kept illegally and potentially unsafely.
State law requires people to get a license if they wish to own a wild animal. Longo has said he was working to get Peanut — also known as P’Nut or PNUT — certified as an educational animal.
The DEC and the Chemung County Health Department said Friday that the squirrel and raccoon were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies after Peanut bit someone involved in the investigation.
Longo said Saturday that he didn’t see Peanut bite anyone during what he described as an hourslong, heavy-handed search. The authorities haven’t spoken with him since they left the property, he said.
“Honestly, this still kind of feels surreal, that the state that I live in actually targeted me and took two of the most beloved animals on this planet away, didn’t even quarantine them. They took them from my house and just killed them,” he said.
A request for comment was sent to the DEC on Saturday.
Longo said he started caring for Peanut after the animal’s mother was hit by a car in New York City seven years ago. Tens of thousands of users of Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms glimpsed the animal sporting tiny hats, doing tricks and nibbling on waffles clutched in his little paws.
Longo said Fred the raccoon was dropped off on his doorstep a few months ago. After helping the animal recover from injuries, Longo said, he and his wife were planning to release the creature into the woods.
___
Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed. Follow Julie Walker on X @jwalkreporter.
In our increasingly outraged America, even the lowly leaf is subject to controversy, with folks upset about the raking and the bagging and mad about the blowing and the scooping. But there is at least one place left in America where pure autumn joy can still be found. Steve Hartman goes “On the Road” to Freeport, Maine, where a family’s dogs are over the moon to simply be jumping in piles of leaves.
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TOKYO (AP) — Hello Kitty turns 50 on Friday. Befitting a pop icon at midlife, the bubble-headed, bow-wearing character’s fictional birthday has brought museum exhibits, a theme park spectacle and a national tour. And that’s just in Japan, her literal birthplace but not the one listed in her official biography.
Confused? Welcome to the party. If there’s one thing about Hello Kitty, it’s that she’s proven adaptable and as much a study in contrasts during her long career. She — and Kitty is a she, according to the company that owns her — may have been conceived as a vessel for the feelings of others, but some women see an empowering symbol in her mouthless face.
“Shrewd” is how Mika Nishimura, a design professor at Tokyo’s Meisei University, describes the way Hello Kitty conquered the worlds of commerce, fashion and entertainment. As a tabula rasa open to interpretation, the non-threatening creation was the perfect vehicle for making money, she said.
“American feminists have said she doesn’t say anything and acquiesces to everyone. But in Japan, we also see how she may appear happy if you’re happy, and sad if you’re feeling sad,” Nishimura told The Associated Press. “It’s a product strategy that’s sheer genius. By being so adaptable, Kitty gets all those collaborative deals.”
A visitor looks at giant Hello Kitty display at the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
The character’s semicentennial is evidence of that. Sanrio, the Japanese entertainment company that holds the rights to Hello Kitty’s name and image, kicked off the festivities a year ago with an animation account on TikTok, Roblox games and an avatar for the social networking app Zepeto.
There have been anniversary editions of merchandise ranging from pet collars, cosmetics and McDonald’s Happy Meals to Crocs and a Baccarat crystal figurine. A gold coin pendant with the image of Hello Kitty holding the number 50 is selling for about 120,000 yen ($800), while a Casio watch costs 18,700 yen ($120).
But first, more on the origin story.
Unlike Mickey Mouse and Snoopy, Hello Kitty didn’t start as a cartoon. A young Sanrio illustrator named Yuko Shimizu drew her in 1974 as a decoration for stationery, tote bags, cups and other small accessories. The design made its debut on a coin purse the next year and became an instant hit in Japan.
A visitor looks at Hello Kitty display at the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
As Hello Kitty’s commercial success expanded beyond Asia, so did her personal profile. By the late 1970s, Sanrio revealed the character’s name as Kitty White, her height as five apples tall and her birthplace as suburban London, where the company said she lived with her parents and twin sister Mimmy.
“The main theme of Hello Kitty is friendship. When I first created it, I made a family of which Kitty was a part. But then Hello Kitty started to appear in other settings as the character grew,” Shimizu told the BBC in June. “Sanrio put a lot of effort into building the brand into what it is today.”
At some point, Sanrio designated Kitty’s birthday as Nov. 1, the same as Shimizu’s. Her background was embellished with hobbies that included playing piano, reading and baking. Her TV appearances required co-stars, including a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty that made its debut 20 years ago.
But Hello Kitty’s 40th birthday brought an update that astonished fans. Sanrio clarified to a Los Angeles museum curator that Kitty, despite her feline features, was a little girl. A company spokesperson repeated the distinction this year, renewing debate online about the requirements for being considered human.
“She is supposed to be Kitty White and English. But this is part of the enigma: Who is Hello Kitty? We can’t figure it out. We don’t even know if she is a cat,” art historian Joyce S. Cheng, a University of Oregon associate professor, said. “There is an unresolved indeterminacy about her that is so amazing.”
Tourists from Britain pose with Hello Kitty decoration at the Tokyo National Museum where the exhibition “As I change, so does she” is held, marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Part of the confusion stems from a misunderstanding of “kawaii,” which is Japanese for “cute” but also connotes a lovable or adorable essence. Sanrio recruited Shimizu and other illustrators to create “kawaii” characters at a time when cute, girlish styles were popular in Japan. But the word is used often in Japanese society, and not only to describe babies and puppies.
An elderly man, something as innocuous as an umbrella, a subcompact car or a kitchen utensil, or even a horror movie monster can get labeled “kawaii.” By Western standards, the idea may seem embarrassingly frivolous. But it’s taken seriously in Japan, where the concept is linked with the most honorable instincts.
The complexity of “kawaii” may help explain Hello Kitty’s enduring appeal across generations and cultures, why Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne released a song titled “Hello Kitty” a decade ago, and why Britain’s King Charles wished Hello Kitty a happy 50th birthday when he hosted Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at Buckingham Palace in June.
Although Hello Kitty may seem to embody the self-sacrificing woman stereotype, it’s revealing that three women have served as the character’s chief designers at Sanrio. Yuko Yamaguchi, who has held the role since 1980, is credited with keeping the character both modern and timeless, giving Kitty black outfits or false eyelashes as trends dictated but never removing the bow from her left ear.
Hello Kitty waves as she appears to attend the opening ceremony of the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
“Hello Kitty, this cultural object, has something to tell us about the history of women in East Asia, and how East Asian women modernized themselves and became professional citizens in a modern society,” the University of Oregon’s Cheng said.
Sanrio has come up with hundreds of creatures, all adorable and cuddly, but none with the lasting power of Hello Kitty. Forget the understated wabi-sabi aesthetic historically associated with Japan. A chameleon-like cat-girl who reflects unabashed kitsch is the cultural ambassador of a consumer-crazed, happy-go-lucky nation.
“It’s the anti-wabi sabi, wanting to be as flashy and as bling-bling as possible, like Lady Gaga. In your face, but that’s actually part of the genius, too. It’s powerful,” Cheng said.
Leslie Bow, a professor of English and Asian American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that while many Asian and Asian American women see Hello Kitty as a symbol of defiance, the protective, caretaking instinct aroused by “kawaii” isn’t without power.
“We take care of our siblings, our babies, our pets, because we are in control. We control their actions. And so that is also the dark side of cute,” Bow said.
Sanrio has taken advantage of the character’s adaptability by allowing relatively unrestricted use of her image in return for a licensing fee.
A food vendor’s van is decorated with Hello Kitty images outside the National Museum during the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
A visitor wears boots featuring Hello Kitty at the National Museum during the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Visitors react to gigantic Hello Kitty slippers at the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Just about anything goes for the wee whiskered one, from a growing global empire of Sanrio-sanctioned Hello Kitty cafes to an “augmented reality” cellphone app that shows Kitty dancing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, London’s Big Ben and other tourist landmarks.
On the unsanctioned side, Hello Kitty even has shown up on guns and vibrators.
During a presentation earlier this year in Seoul, Hello Kitty designer Yamaguchi said one of her unfulfilled goals was finding a way “to develop a Hello Kitty for men to fall in love with as well.” But she’s still working on it.
“I am certain the day will come when men are no longer embarrassed to carry around Hello Kitty,” entertainment news site Content Asia quoted Yamaguchi as saying.
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Leff reported from London. Berenice Bautista in Mexico City contributed reporting.
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Dogs across Nepal were honored during the annual festival of “Kukur Puja” on Thursday, with offerings of flower garlands, treats and vermillion marks on their heads.
In Nepal, the second day of Tihar — also known as Diwali — is Kukur Puja, dedicated to canines. Pet owners and others perform rituals to honor both pets and stray dogs.
At the Armed Police Force canine center in Kathmandu, handlers celebrated their service dogs.
At least eight dogs were lined up for the ritual, and they later demonstrated skills like jumping through fire rings and following commands such as standing on their hind legs and fetching.
Nepal’s Armed Police Force get ready with their dog to worship at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshiped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Nepal’s Armed Police Force personnel worship their dogs at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshipped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A Nepal’s Armed Police Force dog sits decorated with a garland of flowers after being worshipped at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshipped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
“Today, we honor these dogs for their invaluable contributions, as they determinedly assist in keeping us safe, from detecting explosives to rescuing those in need during disaster events,” said Ram Narayan KC, deputy branch chief of the canine division.
In Hindu-majority Nepal, dogs are believed to be messengers of Yamraj, the god of death, and worshiping them is said to please him.
The five-day Tihar festival begins with worshipping crows, followed by dogs and then cows, which are considered sacred in Nepal.
The remaining two days include one honoring the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. On the last day sisters gather to pray for their brothers’ well being.
A Nepal’s Armed Police Force personnel worships the dog at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshiped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Nepal’s Armed Police Force get ready with their dog to display skills at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshiped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A Nepal’s Armed Police Force dog displays skills at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshipped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A Nepal’s Armed Police Force dog displays skills at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshipped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Nepal’s Armed Police Force get ready with their dog to displays skills at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshiped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A Nepal’s Armed Police Force dog displays skills at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshiped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A Nepal’s Armed Police Force member worships a dog at their kennel division during Kukkur Tihar festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Every year, dogs are worshipped to acknowledge their role in providing security during the second day of five days long Hindu festival Tihar. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Boysober is a surprising trend in the dating world – is it right for you?
It seems the “swearing off things” continues to be a trend. First came Movemeber in 2003 where guys didn’t shave and grew mustaches, then Dry January, then California Sober (where you stop drinking and just use marijuana) and now comes Boysober. What is it? It is a deliberate break from dating and focus on personal growth and self-discovery. A hard fact is if you aren’t happy and comfortable with yourself, it makes being in a relationship extra difficult. The term was coined by comedian Hope Woodard when she decided to take a break from various aspects of romantic pursuits. Since then, boys over is a rising trend, is it right for you?
Gen Z is struggling in the dating area. They are the generation to use dating apps the least. They are also struggling with flirting, a skill honed by trial and practice. This is leading to them having the most anxiety of any generation.
But for anyone, embracing the boysober can offer numerous personal advantages. It provides an opportunity for self-reflection and development. The goal is by focusing on oneself can boost confidence and self-worth and allow you to build better relationships. Taking a break can help individuals better understand what they truly want in a partner and what they might need to give. Comprise is a key part of all relationships. It can reduce stress and anxiety associated with dating pressures and boost self esteem.
To start Boysober, it is key to abstain from various aspects of romantic pursuits The core principles of going “boysober” include:
No dating apps
No dates
No exes
No situationships
No hookups
This trend is not about swearing off relationships forever, but rather about taking a purposeful pause from the often exhausting and sometimes toxic world of modern dating.
Several factors have contributed to the rise of the boysober movement. The leader is dating app fatigue. Many users, particularly women, report experiencing harassment, abuse, and disappointment on dating platforms. The constant swiping and superficial interactions have left many feeling burned out and disillusioned.
Additionally, younger generations, especially Gen Z, are reevaluating traditional notions of relationships and finding fulfillment in other aspects of life.
There’s a growing emphasis on prioritizing personal needs and goals over romantic pursuits. This shift reflects a desire for self-improvement and healing from past relationship traumas. If you are comfortable with yourself, it is easier to to be in the give and take in a relationship and grow together with someone.
Halloween is a great time of year for tricks and treats…but if a little marijuana is your treat, maybe you should watch true horror movies.
Halloween is here and the next week will be filled with parties, ghosts, and more. So why not add in some cannabis to the festivities? Almost half the population with celebrate in some way, even if it just enjoying all the candy! While alcohol has been a big player for parties and celebrations, cannabis is become more popular, especially with Gen Z and younger Millennials.
Older generations can remember the old myth of people giving out edibles to kids, and yet it was never proven or had an example. Especially with the cost of edibles now! But with the California Sober movement, more people are using vapes, gummies and old school joints. Here are fun ways to celebrate Halloween with marijuana.
The first is enjoy a little chill time with the following strains or an event with a few people to do a ghostly “strain tasting” evening. Here are perfect strains to go with your spooktacular high.
Blueberry Ghost OG
Zombie Kush
Jack the Ripper
Killer Queen
Ghost Train Haze
Set up a tasting station with descriptions of each strain’s effects and flavors.
The Shining
One of the most popular ways to enjoy marijuana during Halloween is through edibles. You can bake cannabis-infused cookies or brownies to fit the Halloween theme. For instance, using cookie cutters, create spooky shapes like ghosts and pumpkins. To make these treats, you’ll need to prepare cannabutter by decarboxylating your cannabis concentrate, then mixing it into your cookie dough.
Music, marijuana, and Halloween create a unique trifecta of cultural celebration, especially during the spooky season. Crafting a playlist that embodies this vibe can enhance gatherings, whether for a Halloween party or a chill evening alone or with friends. Include tracks evoking the eerie atmosphere of Halloween. Classic songs like “Thriller” by Michael Jackson and “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr. set the tone. Fold in some laid-back tunes that pair well with marijuana. Songs like “Because I Got High” by Afroman and “Hits from the Bong” by Cypress Hill resonate well with the cannabis culture and provide a relaxed listening experience. And mix in some upbeat tracks to keep the energy alive. Songs like “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell blend fun with a hint of spookiness.
Another idea is a pumpkin carving contest by turning mini gourds into smoking devices.
Carve out your pumpkin as usual
Drill a hole for the downstem
Insert downstem and attach bowl
Carve a mouthpiece on top
Load bowl and enjoy your festive pumpkin pipe
While integrating marijuana into Halloween festivities can be fun, safety should always be a priority. Ensure that all edibles are clearly labeled and stored out of reach of unsuspecting people and pets. Educate your guests about responsible consumption, particularly if they are unfamiliar with cannabis products. And make sure you don’t hit and drive.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating pets, repeating during a televised debate the type of inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric he has promoted throughout his campaigns.
There is no evidence that Haitian immigrants in an Ohio community are doing that, officials say. But during the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump specifically mentioned Springfield, Ohio, the town at the center of the claims, saying that immigrants were taking over the city.
“They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said.
Harris called Trump “extreme” and laughed after his comment. Debate moderators pointed out that city officials have said the claims are not true.
Trump’s comments echoed claims made by his campaign, including his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and other Republicans. The claims attracted attention this week when Vance posted on social media that his office has “received many inquiries” about Haitian migrants abducting pets. Vance acknowledged Tuesday it was possible “all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”
Officials have said there have been no credible or detailed reports about the claims, even as Trump and his allies use them to amplify racist stereotypes about Black and brown immigrants.
While president, Trump questioned why the U.S. would accept people from “s—-hole” countries such as Haiti and some in Africa. His 2024 campaign has focused heavily on illegal immigration, often referencing in his speeches crimes committed by migrants. He argues immigrants are responsible for driving up crime and drug abuse in the United States and taking resources from American citizens.
Here’s a closer look at how the false claims have spread.
How did this get started?
On Sept. 6, a post surfaced on X that shared what looked like a screengrab of a social media post apparently out of Springfield. The retweeted post talked about the person’s “neighbor’s daughter’s friend” seeing a cat hanging from a tree to be butchered and eaten, claiming without evidence that Haitians lived at the house. The accompanying photo showed a Black man carrying what appeared to be a Canada goose by its feet. That post continued to get shared on social media.
On Monday, Vance posted on X. “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?” he said. The next day, Vance posted again on X about Springfield, saying his office had received inquires from residents who said “their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants. It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”
Other Republicans shared similar posts. Among them was Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who posted a photo of kittens with a caption that said to vote for Trump “So Haitian immigrants don’t eat us.”
Hours before Trump’s debate with Harris, he posted two related photos on his social media site. One Truth Social post was a photo of Trump surrounded by cats and geese. Another featured armed cats wearing MAGA hats.
A billboard campaign launched by the Republican Party of Arizona at 12 sites in metropolitan Phoenix plays off the false rumors. The billboard image resembles a Chick-fil-A ad, portraying four kittens and urging people to “Vote Republican!” and “Eat Less Kittens.”
What to know about the 2024 Election
Chick-fil-A said the party didn’t reach out to the restaurant chain before running the ad, declining to comment further. In a statement, the state party said the ad humorously underscores the need for border security.
What do officials in Ohio say?
The office of the Springfield city manager, Bryan Heck, issued a statement knocking down the rumors.
“In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” Heck’s office said in an emailed statement.
Springfield police on Monday told the Springfield News-Sun that they had received no reports of stolen or eaten pets.
Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, held a news conference Tuesday to address the influx of Haitian immigrants to Springfield. He said he will send state troopers to Springfield to help local law enforcement deal with traffic issues and is earmarking $2.5 million over two years to provide more primary health care to immigrant families.
DeWine declined to address the allegations, deferring comment to local officials. But he repeatedly spoke in support of the people of Haiti, where his family has long operated a charity.
What do we know about a separate case 175 miles (281 km) away?
An entirely unrelated incident that occurred last month in Canton, Ohio, quickly and erroneously conflated into the discussion.
On Aug. 26, Canton police charged a 27-year-old woman with animal cruelty and disorderly conduct after she “did torture, kill, and eat a cat in a residential area in front (of) multiple people,” according to a police report.
But Allexis Ferrell is not Haitian. She was born in Ohio and graduated from Canton’s McKinley High School in 2015, according to public records and newspaper reports. Court records show she has been in and out of trouble with the law since at least 2017. Messages seeking comment were not returned by several attorneys who have represented her.
She is being held in Stark County jail pending a competency hearing next month, according to the prosecutor’s office.
What do advocates for Haitian immigrants say?
The posts create a false narrative and could be dangerous for Haitians in the United States, according to Guerline Jozef, founder and executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, a group that supports and advocates for immigrants of African descent
“We are always at the receiving end of all kind of barbaric, inhumane narratives and treatments, specifically when it comes to immigration,” Jozef said in a phone interview.
Her comments echoed White House national security spokesman John Kirby.
“There will be people that believe it, no matter how ludicrous and stupid it is,” Kirby said. “And they might act on that kind of information, and act on it in a way where somebody could get hurt. So it needs to stop.”
What is the broader context of Haitians in Ohio and the United States?
Springfield, a city of roughly 60,000, has seen its Haitian population grow in recent years. It’s impossible to give an exact number, according to the city, but it estimates Springfield’s entire county has an overall immigrant population of 15,000.
The city also says that the Haitian immigrants are in the country legally under a federal program that allows for them to remain in the country temporarily. Last month the Biden administration granted eligibility for temporary legal status to about 300,000 Haitians already in the United States because conditions in Haiti are considered unsafe for them to return. Haiti’s government has extended a state of emergency to the entire country due to endemic gang violence.
Another matter cropping up and raised by Trump in an email Monday is the August 2023 death of an 11-year-old boy after a vehicle driven by an immigrant from Haiti hit the boy’s school bus. After that, residents demanding answers about the immigrant community spoke out at city council meetings.
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Catalini reported from Trenton, New Jersey, and Shipkowski from Toms River, New Jersey.
Humans have been trying to talk to animals ever since we figured out how to form words. In modern times, we turn to technology for the solution—giving our dogs talking buttons to paw at, or trying to use artificial intelligence to help us understand whales.
The latest and perhaps most direct approach at human-animal communication is a voice-activated collar that gives your pet the power to talk back to you. Or at least, that’s the idea.
John McHale, a self-described “tech guy” based out of Austin, Texas, has a company called Personifi AI. The startup’s goal, as the name implies, is to create tech that will “personify everything,” as McHale puts it. The first step, for now, is pets.
The company’s collar has a speaker on it; talk to your pet (or, really, talk to the collar) and you’ll hear a prerecorded human voice responding to you, creating the illusion that your pet has a humanlike personality and the ability to speak English. The collar is just for cats and dogs now, but McHale hopes to get into wearable devices for other critters and, eventually, humans.
McHale got the idea for the talking collar after his dog, Roscoe, got bit by a rattlesnake. McHale didn’t realize what had happened at first, until hours later when Roscoe started seeming very unwell. Don’t worry, Roscoe lived and is doing just fine now, but he did have to spend 10 days in the animal hospital, a stay which presumably racked up a large veterinary bill. That harrowing close call stuck with McHale, and he wondered how things might have gone differently. Could he have helped Roscoe sooner if the dog had just been able to tell him what happened? Thus, the idea of Shazam was born.
Speak!
Oh yeah, the collar is called Shazam, though it has no relation to either the superhero movies or the very well known music discovery service of the same name. Shazam (for pets) has both a microphone and voice box inside, allowing it to hear your voice and respond with one of its own. The idea is to make owners feel like they’re having conversations with their pet when really, they’re talking to a chatbot on the collar.
“We start with states of being,” McHale says. “We measure all sorts of things about the human, about the pet, and about the world. And all those variables are essentially ongoing and changing and are inputs to what we call the cognitive cortex, which we build, which is based on machine learning and large data sets.”
That sort of world-building for your pet won’t come cheap. The collars start at $495 for cats and $595 for dogs. There are also subscription fees—$195 a year for the feline and “ultra” collars, or $295 a year for the BrainBoost service, which a rep for Shazam says is “what brings all of the truly sentient qualities such as empathy, reasoning, social awareness, and self awareness.” Both of those subscription fees are waived for the first year but will automatically renew after a year. Without the BrainBoost subscription, the band falls back to a generic voice and loses its dynamic qualities, so if you want the best experience, you have to keep paying the $295 yearly fee after the first (free) year ends.
FORT PIERCE — A dog was rescued Thursday morning from the rubble of a home hit by a tornado spurred by Hurricane Milton at a retirement community with some help from a CBS News Miami crew.
A resident found Lulu the Shih Tzu at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, a 55-and-older retirement community near Fort Pierce.
CBS News Miami reporter Morgan Rynor was on the scene while appearing live on “CBS Mornings” when the pet was found.
A neighbor who found the dog in the debris originally confused her with another pup in the retirement community named Benji, who actually was safe with its owners.
“I cannot believe I am starting this right now with some happy news,” Rynor said during the morning segment.
“He got Benji. He got Benji. Oh my goodness,” she continued, seconds after the neighbor found the dog.
Lulu had gone missing Wednesday night after tornadoes hit the community. On Thursday, the dog was taken to a veterinarian to be checked out and was treated for skin infections.
On Thursday, the dog was taken to a veterinarian to be checked out and was treated for skin infections.
CBS News Miami
Two people in the house died, the neighbor told CBS News Miami.
Victor Linero, who lives in Indian River County, later confirmed to CBS News Miami his grandfather, Alejandro Alonso, and the man’s girlfriend, Mary Grace Viramontez, were the owners of the 14-year-old dog. Linero will become the dog’s new owner.
Lulu’s owner Alejandro Alonso.
Victor Linero
Lulu has a dog sibling, a Rotweiller named Shiba, who also was in the home at the time. The family thought the other dog didn’t make it out but later Thursday they got a call Shiba was found alive.
After her report on “CBS Mornings,” Rynor said, “My photographer Brian [Shanahan] heard faint barking in the distance and right away our minds went to the worst.”
“We said, there’s no way that there is a dog in the huge pile of debris behind us,” she said.
“Even though we were about two minutes from our 7:30 [a.m.] live shot, we decided Benji was more important,” Rynor said.
“So we ran to the pile of debris,” she said. “We started searching and then one of the neighbors came over and the neighbor says ‘He knows Benji.’”
The neighbor started calling Benji’s name and Lulu seemed to recognize the voice.
He said 12 confirmed high-strength tornadoes tore through the area within 20 minutes.
More than 100 personnel, including from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, National Guard and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, were on the scene. Some went door-to-door in the community to conduct search and rescue operations.
They called off their search and rescue overnight because of bad weather conditions but resumed the search in the morning.
“Every possible thing we can do is being done to search the area. Check the residences and, if there is anyone inside the residences, we’re going to work through the storm to get them out,” Pearson said.
Dogs are naturally curious animals, notorious for exploring the world by way of their mouths. So if you’re a cannabis user, it’s possible – even likely – that one day your dog will sample your stash.
Take it from Dr. Kate Smith, medical director for Animal Urgent Care in Arvada, which gets calls about pets that have consumed pot almost every time she’s in the office.
Sometimes, the owners aren’t aware that’s what happened. They call and report the dog seems wobbly or out of it, like a human that’s had one too many drinks. Other times, there’s evidence like an empty edibles container or a ripped baggie.
Kristy Rosenberger swears by cannabidiol – more commonly known as CBD – not for herself, but for her dogs.
Rosenberger was first introduced to CBD more than a decade ago when searching for something to help her dog, Punkie, who was anxious and epileptic. When thunderstorms rolled through, the Yorkie would whimper and shake. Rosenberger was afraid her behavior might trigger a seizure.
Punkie’s neurologist recommended giving her CBD in combination with the dog’s seizure medication to sooth her symptoms. Rosenberger thought it couldn’t hurt to try, but was genuinely surprised when she noticed behavioral changes.
SAN FRANCISCO — Signs have been posted at Crissy Field on San Francisco’s northern waterfront warning people, especially pet owners, of coyotes in the area after the Golden Gate National Recreation Area received reports of several attacks on off-leash dogs.
Signs ask dog owners to make sure their pets are leashed. Despite the warnings, many here let their dogs roam free.
Gilles Dezeustre says he comes to the beach with his dogs Nona and Nigel three to four times a week. He’s heard about the coyote attacks and says he himself had a close encounter.
“One night I was waking this little guy off leash at night at Golden Gate Park. It’s a really bad idea. You just cannot do that anymore,” Dezeustre said.
He spotted a coyote nearby tracking his dog for several yards.
“I knew my dog was in immediate danger,” he said.
He immediately called his dog to come to him and scared the coyote away. His two small dogs are prime targets for the predators.
“They are sort of a snack for a coyote,” he said. “So I would have to be careful. Just be a little more careful.”
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s wildlife biologists believe one or more coyotes in the area have become used to off-leash dogs and are becoming more aggressive toward them.
The dog Lady has done her part to shoo coyotes away. Her owner didn’t want to be on camera but said Lady is the official coyote patrol dog at Crissy Field.
“She’ll smell them and she’ll start to go ‘Woof! Woof! Woof!’” Mike said. “She goes off but she won’t leave or move until I say ‘go.’”
The GGNRA is warning dog owners to be extra careful during early morning and at night to keep their pets safe. Dezeustre has noticed more coyotes than ever before at the park and he says vigilance is the key to coexisting with the animals.
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” he said. “I think it’s just us having to learn to live with them and just being more aware of the danger because they are dangerous.”
I recommend glass, ceramic, porcelain, or stainless steel tableware and wooden or stainless steel cooking utensils.
Melamine is used to make a variety of hard plastic “food contact items such as cups, plates, bowls, and utensils because they are dishwasher safe, inexpensive, and durable.” If that word sounds familiar, it may be because melamine has also been added illegally to protein products to game the system to make it appear that “food commodities” like pet food contain more protein than they actually do. By 2007, more than a thousand potentially contaminatedpet food products were recalled after “the chemical was found to be a contaminant in wheat gluten used in those products,” but not before it caused disease and death in pets throughout North America.
“It is presumed that melamine was intentionally added by suppliers in China to falsely elevate the measured protein content and, hence, the monetary value of these products.” The pet food scandal was just the writing on the wall. The following year, “melamine was discovered to be the cause of an outbreak of urinary tract stones and renal failure” (kidney stones and kidney failure), affecting hundreds of thousands of infants and young children throughout China. “Investigations revealed that the compound was added illegally to powdered milk and baby formulas to falsify protein content.”
As I discuss in my video Are Melamine Dishes and Polyamide Plastic Utensils Safe?, in the United States, you can find it in food packaging and sneaking its way into animal feed. However, those using melamine dishware can be exposed directly, as it migrates straight into the food upon exposure to heat. In fact, “cooking spoons and crockery made of melamine resin are not suited for microwaves and cooking,” according to food safety authorities. Okay, but what if you never cook with it, fry with it, or microwave it? What if you just use melamine to eat out of?
In “A Crossover Study of Noodle Soup Consumption in Melamine Bowls and Total Melamine Excretion in Urine,” researchers measured the amount of melamine flowing through the study subjects’ bodies compared to eating the same soup out of ceramic bowls. Their findings? “Melamine tableware may release large amounts of melamine when used to serve high-temperature foods”—and not even hot foods. “Melamine migration can be detectable from daily-use melamine-made tableware, even in the low temperatures,” like just warm water. Why do we care? Because the level of melamine you’re exposed to “is significantly associated with kidney function deterioration in patients with early-stage CKD,” chronic kidney disease, in which even relatively “low melamine levels may cause a rapid decline in kidney function.” So, I would suggest glass, ceramic, porcelain, or stainless steel tableware instead.
What about polyamide utensils, common black plastic spoons, spatulas, and the like? All sorts of different plastic materials are used in kitchen utensils. Polyamide is “typically used for turners [spatulas] or ladles due to their high heat and oil resistance.” “However, components of this plastic can migrate from the utensils into the food and consequently be ingested by consumers.” Out of 33 utensils tested, nearly 1 in 3 exceeded the upper safety limit. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment “recommends that consumers keep contact with food as brief as possible when using PA [polyamide] kitchen gadgets, especially at high temperatures,” such as above the temperature at which we may drink hot tea or coffee.
A different survey of black plastic kitchen utensils found about a third contaminated with flame retardant chemicals. Why? Because it may be made from plastic recycled from electronic equipment that was impregnated with the stuff. Then, should you dip the polyamide utensil into oil, the chemicals can trickle out, suggesting that using such “utensils for frying may lead to considerable dietary exposure.”
The black dye itself in some polyamide utensils can leach out, too. Eventually, with enough use, the levels drop, but it may take the equivalent of boiling the utensils for about a hundred hours before the dye leaking approaches safety levels. It’s probably just easier to use utensils that are wooden or stainless steel.
Automatic litter boxes vary depending on the brand and litter box type. Generally, they have sensors, either by motion or weight, to tell when a cat has entered or exited the litter box. Usually customizable and controlled via app on your phone, or on a more rudimentary timer system, the cleaning cycle will begin a short time after the cat has used the box. With the dome-shaped litter boxes, the cleaning will happen via a cycle where the litter spins and rotates around the spherical interior; the bigger soiled clumps will be deposited into the waste basket while the clean litter passes through the grates and gets recycled back into the litter box.
The Neakasa M1, for example, rotates backward and then forward (rather than a spin cycle) to sift the clumps from the clean litter, depositing the larger clumps into the waste basket. The Pet Zone Smart Scoop is the most rudimentary on our list, simply using a rake attachment to scoop the bigger clumps into a waste receptacle in the back.
WASHINGTON — Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance did not back away on Sunday from the false claims he and Donald Trump have been making that Haitians in an Ohio community are abducting and eating pets, even as the state’s GOP governor and other officials insist there is no evidence of such behavior.
Vance, an Ohio senator, said constituents in Springfield are bringing concerns to him and that at least 10 were “verifiable.” In a series of news show interviews, he said he was amplifying the claims as a way to draw attention to Democrat Kamala Harris’ immigration policies, which he said are lax, while adding, “Everybody who has dealt with a large influx of migration knows that sometimes there are cultural practices that seem very far out there to a lot of Americans.”
Local and state officials have said the claims are untrue, wrongly cast the city in a negative light and have brought unwanted and frightening negative attention since Trump mentioned it in the presidential debate last week, when he called out Springfield by name. For two days straight, bomb threats prompted the evacuation of schools and government buildings, with some emailed threats referencing an influx of migrants into the community.
But it wasn’t just Springfield officials who were refuting the claims. Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, said Sunday that “there’s a lot of garbage on the internet and, you know, this is a piece of garbage that was simply not true. There’s no evidence of this at all.”
He went on to say: “Let me tell you what we do know, though. What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal. They came to Springfield to work. Ohio is on the move, and Springfield has really made a great resurgence with a lot of companies coming in. These Haitians came in to work for these companies. What the companies tell us is that they are very good workers. They’re very happy to have them there. And, frankly, that’s helped the economy.”
Still, the narrative has dominated the Trump’s campaign messaging over the past week and is highlighting how some in the Republican Party are willing to embrace and amplify false claims as part of the inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric that Trump has promoted throughout his campaigns.
“Whatever some local mayor said about this case, I am hearing from dozens of constituents who are concerned about these issues,” Vance said.
He added: “I think it’s important to say we’re not mad at Haitian migrants wanting to have a better life. We’re angry at Kamala Harris for letting this happen to a small Ohio town, and thank God Donald Trump has called attention to it and would fight back against these policies if the American people.”
Roughly 15,000 immigrants have arrived in the past few years to the predominantly white, blue-collar city of about 60,000 just over an hour west of Columbus.
Springfield also says the Haitian immigrants are in the United States legally under a federal program that allows them to remain in the country temporarily. Last month the Biden administration granted eligibility for temporary legal status to about 300,000 Haitians already in the U.S., citing conditions in Haiti that are considered unsafe for them to return. Haiti’s government has extended a state of emergency to the entire country due to endemic gang violence.
Vance was asked in an interview whether he knew the claims were false.
“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Vance said, quickly clarifying that he “created the focus that allowed the media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by policies.”
Vance was on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation,” CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press,” while DeWine appeared on ”This Week” on ABC.
Police in Dayton, Ohio, have said there is no evidence that immigrants are eating pets, calling new allegations that emerged online on Saturday “irresponsible.”
The police statement was issued hours after a new video and article alleged African immigrants in Dayton were seen preparing to grill dead cats. The claim was shared by Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice presidential nominee, Donald Trump Jr., and others on X.
Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal said in a statement, “We stand by our immigrant community and there is no evidence to even remotely suggest that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in eating pets. Seeing politicians or other individuals use outlandish information to appeal to their constituents is disheartening.”
The new claim followed baseless allegations that Haitian immigrants were abducting and eating pets in Springfield, a city less than 30 miles from Dayton. Former President Donald Trump repeated the claim in Tuesday night’s debate, despite city officials saying there was no evidence of this happening.
On Saturday, Vance doubled down on the claims that immigrants were eating pets, sharing the new allegation on X.
“Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves,” Vance wrote. “Another ‘debunked’ story that turned out to have merit.”
Since Trump’s debate claims, there have been several bomb threats made against schools and hospitals in the Springfield area. On Saturday, Springfield’s Wittenberg University announced that it would be “taking extreme precautions” after receiving an on-campus shooting threat via email which “targeted Haitian members of our community.”
In response, the FBI told CBS News in a statement that it was “working in coordination with the Springfield Police Department and Wittenberg University to determine the credibility of recent threats, share information, and take appropriate investigative action.”
New claim
Christopher Rufo, a conservative writer and activist published the new claim on Substack and the allegations are based on a video originally posted to social media in August 2023.
CBS News confirmed the original video was first posted to social media in August 2023 by a man who lives in Dayton, Ohio. CBS News reached out to the man for comment but did not hear back on Saturday afternoon.
The video shows what appears to be animal carcasses on a grill. The man filming the footage alleges, without evidence, that they are cats.
“What is this they got on the grill?” the man says in the video. When two cats appear near the grill, the man jokes that the cats “better get missing — looks like his homey’s on the grill!”
Rufo said he spoke to the man who filmed the video, and the man believes the carcasses were cats. Rufo said he worked on the story with IM-1776, an online magazine, and one of their reporters visited the building where the incident was alleged to have happened. The reporter spoke to neighbors, who said that African immigrants lived in the building. Neighbors told the reporter they believed the people who owned the grill were also African immigrants, although the residents’ origin or identity wasn’t verified by CBS News.
The new allegation also prompted backlash and skepticism, with many users saying the carcasses look more like chickens. CBS News has reached out to veterinary experts for their opinion on what type of carcass is on the grill.
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr. also issued a statement, calling the claim “totally false and dangerously irresponsible of politicians aiming to sow division and fear.” Mims said there had been “absolutely zero reports of this type of activity.”
NEW YORK — It’s a practice that’s about as American as apple pie — accusing immigrant and minority communities of engaging in bizarre or disgusting behaviors when it comes to what and how they eat and drink, a kind of shorthand for saying they don’t belong.
The latest iteration came at Tuesday’s presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump spotlighted a false online tempest around the Haitian immigrant community of Springfield, Ohio. He repeated the groundless claim previously spread by his running mate, JD Vance, that the immigrants were stealing dogs and cats, the precious pets belonging to their American neighbors, and eating them. The furor got enough attention that officials had to step in to refute it, saying there was no credible evidence of any such thing.
But while it might be enough to turn your stomach, such food-based accusations are not new. Far from it.
Food-related scorn and insults were hurled at immigrant Chinese communities on the West Coast in the late 1800s as they started coming to the United States in larger numbers, and in later decades spread to other Asian and Pacific Islander communities like Thai or Vietnamese. As recently as last year, a Thai restaurant in California was hit with the stereotype, which caused such an outpouring of undeserved vitriol that the owner had to close and move to another location.
Behind it is the idea that “you’re engaging in something that is not just a matter of taste, but a violation of what it is to be human,” says Paul Freedman, a professor of history at Yale University. By tarring Chinese immigrants as those who would eat things Americans would refuse to, it made them the “other.”
Other communities, while not being accused of eating pets, have been criticized for the perceived strangeness of what they were cooking when they were new arrivals, such as Italians using too much garlic or Indians too much curry powder. Minority groups with a longer presence in the country were and are still not exempt from racist stereotypes — think derogatory references to Mexicans and beans or insulting African Americans with remarks about fried chicken and watermelon.
“There’s a slur for every almost every ethnicity based on some kind of food that they eat,” says Amy Bentley, professor of nutrition and food Studies at New York University. “And so that’s a very good way of disparaging people.”
That’s because food isn’t just sustenance. Embedded in human eating habits are some of the very building blocks of culture — things that make different peoples distinct and can be commandeered as fodder for ethnic hatred or political polemics.
“We need it to survive, but it’s also highly ritualized and highly symbolic. So the birthday cake, the anniversary, the things are commemorated and celebrated with food and drink,” Bentley says. “It’s just so highly integrated in all parts of our lives.”
And because “there’s specific variations of how humans do those rituals, how they eat, how they have shaped their cuisines, how they eat their food,” she adds, “It can be as a theme of commonality … or it can be a form of distinct division.”
It’s not just the what. Insults can come from the how as well — eating with hands or chopsticks instead of forks and knives, for example. It can be seen in class-based bias against poorer people who didn’t have the same access to elaborate table settings or couldn’t afford to eat the same way the rich did — and used different, perhaps unfamiliar ingredients out of necessity.
Such disparagement can extend directly into current events. During the Second Gulf War, for example, Americans angry at France’s opposition of the U.S. invasion of Iraq started calling french fries “freedom fries.” And a much-used insulting term in the United States for Germans during the first two world wars was “krauts” — a slam on a culture where sauerkraut was a traditional food.
“Just what was wrong with the way urban immigrants ate?” Donna R. Gabaccia wrote in her 1998 book, “We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans.” In reviewing attitudes of the early 20th century and its demands for “100% Americanism,” she noted that “sauerkraut became ‘victory cabbage’” and one account complained of an Italian family “still eating spaghetti, not yet assimilated.”
Such stereotypes have persisted despite the fact that the American palate has significantly expanded in recent decades, thanks in part to the influx of those immigrant communities, with grocery stories carrying a wealth of ingredients that would baffle previous generations. The rise of restaurant culture has introduced many diners to authentic examples of cuisines they might have needed a passport to access in other eras.
After all, Bentley says, “when immigrants migrate to a different country, they bring their foodways with them and maintain them as they can. … It’s so reminiscent of family, community, home. They’re just really material, multisensory manifestations of who we are.”
Haitian food is just one example of that. Communities like those found in New York City have added to the culinary landscape, using ingredients like goat, plantains and cassava.
So when Trump said that immigrants in Springfield — whom he called “the people that came in” — were eating dogs and cats and “the pets of the people that live there,” the echoes of his remarks played into not just food but culture itself.
And even though the American palate has broadened in recent decades, the persistence of food stereotypes — and outright insults, whether based in fact or completely made up — shows that just because Americans eat more broadly, it doesn’t mean that carries over into tolerance or nuance about other groups.
“It’s a fallacy to think that,” Freedman says. “It’s like the tourism fallacy that travel makes us more understanding of diversity. The best example right now is Mexican food. Lots and lots of people like Mexican food AND think that immigration needs to be stopped. There’s no link between enjoyment of a foreigner’s cuisine and that openness.”
