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Vancouver Sun
7 days ago
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
New York billionaire prepared to fund B.C. ostrich farm's legal battle against forced cull
A New York billionaire is intent on saving hundreds of B.C. ostriches from being slaughtered based on an order from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), believing they are crucial to medical research into immunity and treatment of viruses. Red Apple Group founder, John Catsimatidis, told the Daily Mail earlier this month he is 'outraged' at what is happening and that he is prepared to fund Universal Ostrich Farm's ongoing legal battle. Last December, the CFIA ordered the farm's flock of 400 birds be culled. It also fined the farm's owners after 69 birds died on the farm from avian flu in December and January. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The farm took its dispute with government officials to the Federal Court last spring. The court upheld the CFIA's cull order , deeming it necessary in the ongoing battle against avian flu. The farm then appealed to the Federal of Appeal, which in July reserved its decision until a later date. However, it issued a stay of the cull while it reviews the lower court's decision. The farm says it will take its fight to the Supreme Court of Canada if necessary. The farm had also asked for an order permitting it to conduct diagnostic tests on the birds and to suspend any directives from the food inspection agency prohibiting such tests, but the FCA judge denied both requests without explanation. Meanwhile, it set up a website aimed at rallying support, while also asking for donations to its legal fund. Supporters surrounded the farm as a human shield at one point, following the lower court decision. Despite these efforts, however, euthanizing infected flocks is widely recognized as the best defence against the spread of avian flu. The nine-foot tall birds, which are native to Africa, became a passion project for Catsimatidis after he heard about Katie Pasitney, the daughter of the farm's owners and her campaign to save the animals. Catsimatidis recruited Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of U.S. Medicare and Medicaid, as well as Robert Kennedy Jr., U.S. health secretary, to help with his mission. The battle over the birds began in mid-December when 69 ostriches are believed to have died from the H5N1 virus, or bird flu. Pasitney insists someone made an anonymous call to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency claiming that the birds had avian flu. After the deaths, CFIA officials visited the farm and tested two dead birds. After the results came back positive for the H5N1, the farm was put under quarantine. Then the CFIA ordered a cull of the entire herd, part of its efforts to 'stamp out' the disease, which has led to more than eight million birds being infected in B.C. Pasitney argues more of the birds should be tested before moving ahead with an outright cull. She says there have been no more deaths and says the farm continues to do business. 'When we asked them (CFIA) to test our healthy animals they denied us that right. We have been fighting with them for seven months,' she said. Pasitney is thankful for Catsimatidis's efforts. 'We developed a relationship over saving animals,' she said. 'If I didn't have this strength and support and his voice I don't know if we would still be here.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
7 days ago
- Health
- Edmonton Journal
New York billionaire prepared to fund B.C. ostrich farm's legal battle against forced cull
A New York billionaire is intent on saving hundreds of B.C. ostriches from being slaughtered based on an order from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), believing they are crucial to medical research into immunity and treatment of viruses. Article content Red Apple Group founder, John Catsimatidis, told the Daily Mail earlier this month he is 'outraged' at what is happening and that he is prepared to fund Universal Ostrich Farm's ongoing legal battle. Article content Article content Article content Last December, the CFIA ordered the farm's flock of 400 birds be culled. It also fined the farm's owners after 69 birds died on the farm from avian flu in December and January. Article content Article content The farm took its dispute with government officials to the Federal Court last spring. The court upheld the CFIA's cull order, deeming it necessary in the ongoing battle against avian flu. Article content The farm then appealed to the Federal of Appeal, which in July reserved its decision until a later date. However, it issued a stay of the cull while it reviews the lower court's decision. Article content The farm had also asked for an order permitting it to conduct diagnostic tests on the birds and to suspend any directives from the food inspection agency prohibiting such tests, but the FCA judge denied both requests without explanation. Article content Article content Article content The nine-foot tall birds, which are native to Africa, became a passion project for Catsimatidis after he heard about Katie Pasitney, the daughter of the farm's owners and her campaign to save the animals. Article content Catsimatidis recruited Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of U.S. Medicare and Medicaid, as well as Robert Kennedy Jr., U.S. health secretary, to help with his mission. Article content The battle over the birds began in mid-December when 69 ostriches are believed to have died from the H5N1 virus, or bird flu. Pasitney insists someone made an anonymous call to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency claiming that the birds had avian flu.
New York Post
23-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Corporate leaders rolled over to Zohran Mamdani's rise when they should have tried to stop him
The calls began literally the minute The Post ran a headline Monday morning that Zohran Mamdani, the noxiously anti-Israel, socialist, lucky sperm kid, somehow found himself polling ahead of Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic Primary for mayor. 'That poll can't be right, or is it?' was the question I kept getting from some top business types, both those located here and others who have major operations in the city. They may not be crazy about Cuomo (his sharp elbows as governor still sting), but they fear that a loon many times worse than incompetent comrade Bill de Blasio is on the verge of running Gotham. Advertisement Yes, I explained, Mamdami might win, and if he does, you only have yourself to blame. The simple fact is that the city's business community (with some exceptions) is the most politically neutered class of people I have ever met. They occupy the Wall Street c-suites, they own real estate empires and a lot more so they have money — tons of it. They should have power since they have lobbyists and campaign cash to spread around and influence politicians. Advertisement And yet they have done nothing as the Democratic Party moves so far to the left that the epicenter of finance and free markets could be on the verge of a Trotskyite takeover. There are exceptions. New York-based Hedge fund titan Bill Ackman is a true patriot for standing up to the leftward drift of his former party, voting for President Trump and using social media to address all things woke. Advertisement The great entrepreneur and businessman, John Catsimatidis, is a true New Yorker, having made his fortune here, and he never hesitates to speak his mind. He owns Red Apple Group, the holding company for WABC, where non woke, free thinking flourishes (full disclosure: I'm a regular guest). I asked John why he's such an anomaly. His response was what you might expect from a self-made man born in Greece and spent his youth working at the family grocery store in West Harlem: 'These guys never learned to be tough. We raised a lot of people in the last 20 years that tiptoe through the tulips.' I then asked Kathryn Wylde, president of the city's largest business group, the Partnership of New York City, why John is such an anomaly and most of her members are so weak in repelling the likes of Mamdani. Advertisement She says if you run a business you have a lot to lose taking on the freaks in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Trumpism is ascendant for now but certainly not on a state level. If Mamdani wins, he is mayor and there is a fairly large regulatory apparatus he controls. Better to acquiesce and hope for the best. She also claimed it would be counterproductive — business opposition fuels Mamdani supporters. But here was an alternative for the business bros. Why didn't every major bank and real estate firm in this city, through ad spends and social media postings, point out the obvious downsides of this guy's loony policies — socializing grocery stores, $30 minimum wage, taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgery, decriminalizing nearly every crime, globalizing the Intifada — and explain what they would mean for average people in this city and the country. As in more job losses, higher taxes, crime, and disorder. Who knows, they might just change things around here instead of acting like lambs to the slaughterhouse.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rockland's lone local radio station WRCR AM sold to NYC media group
Rockland's lone local radio station is being sold to a New York City media conglomerate that owns the talk radio station 77 WABC. As a result, the channel for WRCR AM 1700 will broadcast programming from WABC hosts until a new format is introduced, according to the pending new ownership, Red Apple Group. "Yes, for the time being, the station will simulcast WABC and plans to have local programming serving the community," said Emily Panklow, the general counsel for the Manhattan-based Red Apple. The Red Apple Group is buying WRCR from Alexander Broadcasting, Inc. One of the corporation's co-owners is Dr. Alexander Medakovich, a physician and president of WRCR Radio. The Red Apple owner is billionaire John Catsimatidis, a media maven who also owns real estate and other businesses, such as supermarkets. Catsimatidis also has dabbled in politics, running for office in New York City and supporting candidates like President Donald Trump and the Cuomos. Local radio's history in Rockland: Rockland: What's the future of local radio? While Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby host an hourly show, WABC is known for its conservative commentators, focusing on national, New York City, and international issues. The station's hosts include Curtis Silwa, Mark Levin, Roger Stone, Bill O'Reilly, Brian Kilmeade, Sid Rosenberg, and Dominic Carter of Rockland. WRCR and its predecessors' formats focused on local issues and news for more than 50 years in Rockland, offering weekly radio time to elected officials and local activists. WRCR reported on staples like sports and weather, along with reports on finance, real estate, and county history. One of WRCR's predecessors was WRKL AM 910, which was bought out in 1999 and became a Polish-interest and Polish-language station. WRCR, which had been broadcasting from the Palisades Credit Union Park in Ramapo, switched to an Internet-only format in November 2016. By February 2017, the station revisited its past with the return of Stony Point's Steve Possell's morning show. Possell has since retired. Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@ Twitter: @lohudlegal Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rockland NY lone local radio station WRCR AM sold to NYC media group
