Political polarization in the U.S. feels like it is at an all-time high, and it’s hard to find a single politician that both sides of the aisle can agree is absolutely purr-fect. And that designation may become even harder to come by, as sad news just broke that Stubbs, the (honorary) cat mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, has passed away.

Stubbs had been mayor of Talkeetna, population 876, since he was a kitten, and garnered quite the following on the internet. A few years ago, news that the beloved mayor was attacked by a dog made it into the local media, and Stubbs regularly was featured on high-brow political lists like “Five of the nation’s most accomplished animal mayors.”

Sad news from Talkeetna, Stubbs the Cat, unofficial mayor has passed away. https://t.co/jbg03v7p7a pic.twitter.com/Ww2e8ZNsi2

— KTUU.com (@Ch2KTUU) July 23, 2017

Stubbs’ human family released a statement about his passing, explaining that the publicity at the end of his life was overwhelming:

In 2017, Stubbs did a couple TV shows and more than a handful of interviews, but was not fond of the camera and all the people; it had gotten to be too much for him. He made it to the store a handful of times this summer and was completely bombarded by people passing him back and forth to take selfies.

However, there is some good news. Stubbs’ family believes one of their new kittens, Denali, may be able to make a mayoral run as well.

And of course, Stubbs isn’t the only political pet in the spotlight these days. In Washington D.C., an intense contest is underway to determine the cutest dogs on the hill. At the federal level, Vice President Mike Pence recently welcomed a new puppy named Harley into his family. And of course, there are other animals looking to take on Stubbs’ mantle as actual political leaders in their hometowns. For example, two towns in Kentucky recently “elected” pit bull mayors. And a dog has recently launched a mayoral bid in Durham, North Carolina. He uses Twitter to connect with his followers:

Howdy! My name is Obie! What’s your name? I am a dog! Are you a dog? I’m running for Mayor of Durham NC! Vote for me or just pet me.

— Obie For Mayor (@ObieForMayor) June 30, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post RIP Stubbs: Cat Mayor Dies at 20 appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

There’s Nothing Fiercer Than a Girl and Her Dog

Ehlena Fry was born with cerebral palsy and when she was five years old her doctor recommended she get a service dog to help her become more independent. But when Ehlena brought Wonder to school, she and her family were told that the dog was “unnecessary,” and officials wouldn’t allow Ehlena to enter school premises with her very necessary service dog.

Ehlena, Wonder, their family and their lawyers fighting for children with disabilities at the Supreme Court today pic.twitter.com/DCu14yJoKH

— ACLU National (@ACLU) October 31, 2016

On Monday, Ehlena, several lawyers from the ACLU, and Wonder hit up the Supreme Court to sue their former school district under the American with Disabilities Act and other federal laws. The school district, which is backed by the National School Boards Association, argues that such lawsuits could cost school districts millions if they go through. Ehlena is now 12 years old and in middle school and Wonder is now retired with a pet’s life.

“He helped her bridge that gap,” Ehlena’s mother observes. “Working with him helped her to learn how to not need him as much.”

A decision is expected next summer.

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: November 2, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

It’s a relatively accepted “no no” for an adult to leave a child locked in a parked car in the scorching heat while they grab a latte, chat with a friend, take a yoga class, or basically do anything that doesn’t involve supervising their child. This type of abandonment is so taboo that states have even implemented laws allowing good samaritans to go full on Jazmine Sullivan and “bust the windows out ya car” to rescue trapped overheating kids. Unfortunately one Georgia man learned that these laws don’t extend to pets after he decided to save a panting pooch and was rewarded with handcuffs.

According to a story from USA Today, Michael Hammons, a Desert Storm veteran, used his wife’s wheelchair leg to smash the window of a parked car after hearing from bystanders that there was a dog inside in distress. Hammons told USA Today,

I’ve got PTSD, and I’ve seen enough death and destruction, and I didn’t want anything else to happen if I could prevent it.

One woman who witnessed the rescue claimed to reporters that “if it is 80 degrees outside, within 30 minutes, it will be 114 degrees inside a vehicle, even with the windows cracked.” Bystanders had reportedly already phoned 911 before and were waiting for police to arrive, but for Hammons there was no time to lose. Understandably so, as who wouldn’t want to save this face?

Man saves dog in hot car, but gets arrested http://t.co/us6hgullNh pic.twitter.com/SSwImry7js

— WBIR Channel 10 (@wbir) May 12, 2015

Police were forced to take action after the owner of both the dog and car came out of the store pissed and demanded police arrest him. Oconee County Chief Deputy Lee Weems told USA Today,

We would not have made those charges on our own. The deputies on scene say the owner of the car and of the dog was very insistent that he be charged with criminal trespassing.

The dog’s owner claimed that she had only been gone five minutes, even though witnesses said it was actually much longer. Regardless of how long her errand actually was, the decision to leave her dog susceptible to heat stroke in 80 degree weather wasn’t a bright decision on her part. Since there was no surveillance video proof of her alleged lengthy abandonment, deputies were only able to issue her a citation. Interestingly enough, USA Today reports that Georgia state law does allow for an individual to break a window to save a child in a hot or cold car, just not a pet.

As we approach summer and hotter temps, there will undoubtedly be more cases of naive people leaving young kids and pets being locked in hot cars, so if you’re considering your own rescue attempt consider what happened to Michael Hammons first, and maybe consider waiting for the police.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Man Saves Dog From Hot Car, Gets Arrested appeared first on Law Street.

Sometimes the news, especially when it’s about politics, can get us all down. But recently I’ve been seeing a few news stories that have lifted my spirits. Lately, some small towns have started to elect dogs and cats as mayors.

Most recently, there’s Duke, a 7-year-old dog who was just elected the mayor of Cormorant, Minnesota. He’s going to have a lot of responsibilities, given that the town he presides over has 12 people. Luckily he has a great salary–kibble and treats provided by a local pet store. I’ve heard rumors that items on his agenda will include outlawing the postman, and importing more frisbees. But I’d have to say that Duke’s best qualification is that he is incredibly adorable and fluffy–just check out a video of Cormorant’s new mayor below:

One of the most famous animal leaders in the United States is the prolific Mayor Stubbs, who has run Talkeetna, Alaska since 1997. Here is Mayor Stubbs conducting an important meeting with a constituent.

Thanks, t-dawg!

Stubbs has been the mayor since he was just a kitten, defeating some of his less-qualified human candidates early in life. He was a write-in candidate, and has been very successful in reelection bids. Stubbs’ leadership has been very well received by the roughly 900 townspeople of Talkeetna, Alaska. They especially appreciate his paws-off approach when it comes to business. He also has increased tourism visits to Talkeetna just by being himself–everyone wants to come see the most prolific cat mayor in the United States.

Another more recent four-legged mayoral victory came from the town of Divide, Colorado. The leadership structure in general there is actually quite wild–the mayor is a dog named Pa Kettle, the Vice Mayor is a wolf named Kenyi, and the viceroy is a cat named Buster. To be fair, their leadership is less official than those of Duke or Stubbs, because they were elected on fundraiser driven by the local animal shelter. But since Divide doesn’t have a human mayor, I assume they’ll be consulting Pa Kettle on many important matters.

Of course, not every animal has quite as much success when running for elected office. Einstein, a beautiful shepherd mix, is running for mayor of Oakland, California. He has a very well developed platform that contains good proposals for both his human and animal friends. Unfortunately, due to horribly discriminatory laws, Einstein will not be on the ballot this year.

From what I can tell, there’s two reasons why these animals are getting involved in politics. The first is because let’s be honest, they’re super cute. Small towns often have other institutions in place to deal with day-to-day leadership, and a mayor is just a figurehead. Why shouldn’t the figurehead be fluffy, easy to work with, and boost tourism?

However there’s also another reason that some of our towns may be turning to electing dogs, cats, and other critters. It’s a pretty unsubtle comment on the state of politics in the United States. Einstein, the little guy running for Oakland mayor, is running on behalf of the Occupy Oakland movement. In a time when Congress has an approval rating of 13 percent, the state of our politics is pretty depressing. Why not change it up–at least dogs won’t try to impeach the President, fail to pass any bills, or anything of the sort. So next time that American politics have got you down, google “mayor dog.” I predict that we may see a gubernatorial bid from Duke soon.

—

Anneliese Mahoney (@AMahoney8672) is Lead Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [geckoam via Flickr]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Animal Mayors on the Rise: A Solution to America’s Political Woes? appeared first on Law Street.