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Trump defends ad, says MAGA Inc. will cover cost instead of taxpayers
Trump defended a federally funded ad as patriotic but said Monday that MAGA Inc. would cover the cost after complaints from critics.
Portland removes 100-foot buffer between entertainment businesses
In 2007, Portland implemented an ordinance that regulated the location and density of businesses with both liquor licenses and entertainment licenses in the downtown and waterfront zones. In response to business owner complaints, the council removed this buffer on Monday.
Growing threat to free speech: Bogus copyright claims are making political stories disappear
Google’s removal of stories underscores mounting concern that federal copyright law is being used by people relying on automated, AI-driven and anonymous complaints to file fraudulent takedown notices, all in the name of suppressing headline news.
Documents: Years of noncompliance, complaints at Kalamazoo-area mental health hospital
Kalamazoo Behavioral Health Hospital, a 64-bed psychiatric facility southwest of the city, opened its doors in late 2024. Two years later, it may be forced to shut down after dozens of patients were hospitalized due to injuries sustained at the facility.
Lilac Hills apartments inspected, no immediate health or safety hazards found
The City of Kalamazoo has completed an inspection of the Lilac Hills apartment complex following complaints from residents about living conditions.
New Jersey’s lieutenant governor resigns after sexual harassment and ethics complaints
Gov. Mikie Sherrill had given Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell until Friday to bring an end to a scandal that threatened to be a drag on her fledgling administration.
New wave of healthcare fraud enforcement
In past years, federal and state authorities typically initiated healthcare fraud investigations based on whistleblower complaints and audits. While that still occurs, the model is changing. Federal enforcement agencies are increasingly using sophisticated data analytics, artificial intelligence, and coordinated investigative efforts to identify potential fraud. The Department of Justice (DOJ),…
Apple says it will flag AI requests for Mac data after Meta's Muse draws complaints
Apple said on Friday that it plans to change its Mac operating system to make it more obvious when AI agents ask to access all of the data on Macs.
Is the Prince estate finally listening to fan complaints?
MINNEAPOLIS — Is the Prince estate finally listening to complaints from hardcore fans? On Oct. 9, the estate and NPG Records released the “Calabama EP” as a follow-up to the
Controversial Salem window art policy paused after complaints from business owners
Fraudulent business checks tied to Enid daycare lead to arrests of two employees
The Enid Police Department has arrested two daycare employees on complaints of fraud and embezzlement involved with fraudulent business checks.According to EPD,
US Commander Says Mental Health a Priority Aboard USS Lincoln
A top US military commander said mental health is a valid concern after meeting crew deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln, where conditions aboard the aircraft carrier have led to complaints during its long deployment in the Iran war.
Control Resonant Launch Patch Will Address Its Biggest Combat Complaints
The game's biggest pre-launch criticism will already by smoothed over when players jump in today. - Game Informer
Trump defends ad, says MAGA Inc. will cover cost instead of taxpayers
Trump defended a federally funded ad as patriotic but said Monday that MAGA Inc. would cover the cost after complaints from critics.
St. Clair County defers decision on investigating health director facing workplace complaints
PORT HURON — A St. Clair County Board of Commissioners committee decided on Thursday night to table a decision to launch an independent investigation into the county medical director, Dr. Remington Nevin — an investigation that public health nurses in the county have been requesting for months. Nevin is facing complaints of a toxic workplace, including […]
Growing threat to free speech: Bogus copyright claims making political stories disappear
In what media experts are calling a threat to free speech, bogus copyright complaints have led to the scrubbing of dozens of stories about a congressional candidate from Google search results.
Sony Institutes Harassment Policy Following PS5 Disc Controversy
PlayStation has been receiving an uptick in online complaints after announcing it would stop manufacturing discs in 2028
Elon Musk won't face election bribery charges in Wisconsin
The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission in July referred two complaints to the Brown County district attorney’s office for possible charges.
Political turmoil, lower pay yield small candidate pool for HTA’s top job
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has attracted about 60 applicants in its search for a new president and CEO, a significantly smaller candidate pool than past searches as the agency tries to recruit a leader after years of political turmoil and uncertainty about its future.
Dad shares ‘complaints’ about his toddler’s restaurant business and it’s too adorable
"It's a very clean establishment, but whewww let me tell you about this owner."
Grand Rapids moves to lock in Acrisure Amphitheater’s noise ordinance exemption
The upcoming Grand Rapids city commission vote follows numerous complaints about noise from Acrisure Amphitheater.
‘Ozempic face’ and hair loss: what evidence is there for weight-loss drug side-effects?
Research into GLP-1 medications is not always robust but complaints such as digestive problems are well known
The Daily Mauling: 10/26/26
Kansas Jayhawks News The LJW talks about KU’s exhibition loss to Duke, with a focus on Bill Self’s small ball lineups UNLV coach Josh Pastner is whining about having to play Trey Kaufman-Renn when the Rebels visit Lawrence. Interesting complaints for a guy who went out and got AJ Storr this offseason SI also brings […]
Pierre Hintze Berated Halo Teams and Dismissed Work-Life Concerns, Sources Claim, as Xbox Leadership Stayed Silent
Sources allege Halo Studios head Pierre Hintze berated teams and dismissed work-life concerns, and HR failed to address complaints.
Letters to the Editor: Not all patients have complaints about UCLA Health’s quality of care
'I am a retiree relying on Medicare. I am getting the best medical care of my life through UCLA Health,' writes an L.A. Times reader.
Sports quiz of the week: records, hazards, complaints and boring events
Have you followed the big stories in football, cricket, motor racing, tennis, cycling, golf, athletics and American football?
U.S. regulator faulted nine big banks for debanking customers over politics and religion
The OCC reviewed nearly 100,000 complaints and 420,000 pages of documents from JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and seven other lenders
Browns’ Todd Monken Dismisses Heat Complaints With Blunt ‘Blessing’ Message
Todd Monken has a hard job ahead of the 2026 NFL season. He has to lead the Cleveland Browns, a team that had a very poor 2025 campaign. There is a lot of expectations on both him and the team for the coming games. Despite this being his first head coaching role in the league, […] The post Browns’ Todd Monken Dismisses Heat Complaints With Blunt ‘Blessing’ Message appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
Did Griswold play politics on Marx complaint?
Victor Marx won the Republican gubernatorial nomination last month by fewer than 2,500 votes. Thirty-nine days earlier, Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s Elections Division found campaign finance complaints against Marx legally sufficient to pursue. Marx, it now alleges, accepted at least $78,000 above Colorado’s donation limits. But it didn’t investigate until weeks after he’d won. […]
Plastic business in Endicott cited for DEC violations, faces thousands in fines
Resident complaints led to a DEC evaluation of the facility and surrounding area
Political Pulse: NMDOJ demands answers from PNM on billing complaints, Google considers data center in New Mexico, & lawmakers weigh gas tax hike
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) –This week on the New Mexico Political Pulse, the New Mexico Department of Justice sent a letter to PNM, calling for an explanation following customer compla…
Xcel's faulty billing has residents, businesses and cities fired up
Xcel Energy’s billing practices are causing financial and logistical headaches for Minnesota residents, businesses and even municipalities, according to complaints filed with the state utility regulator this year.
Apple’s Foldable iPhone Duo Draws Early Complaints of the Screen Cracking
The iPhone Duo, one of Apple Inc.’s biggest new products in years, is drawing a growing number of complaints from customers who say the foldable display cracked after just hours or days of use.
State reverses one-third of health insurer decisions
When an insurer denies a patient's claim, Connecticut residents can fight the decision. Data from the Connecticut Insurance Department identifies insurers and types of claims that are the target of complaints. In 2025, Connecticut policyholders filed over 5,000 complaints with state regulators.
Orange County School Board candidate Diana Moore faced parent and colleague complaints, suspensions as teacher
Her co-workers call her confrontational and combative. Moore says she's just asking questions.
Minors account for half of complaints against 'academy-style' entertainment agencies
A total of 366 dispute resolution requests involving 'academy-type' entertainment agencies, those that train their clients, provide auditions or even guarantee certain opportunities for a cost, were filed between 2023 and June this year.
Complaints against town attorney a flashpoint in Clifton Park politics
Town attorney Kevin Dailey said two complaints have been filed against him.
Ryan calls complaints against former BPS superintendent 'disturbing'
Ryan said the school board needs to build trust with the community through transparency and thoroughly investigate each claim against the administration.
Glenn Fogel runs the world’s largest online travel business. He still personally reads customer complaints because ‘you gotta get that sh*t right’
The travel industry, like every sector, is experimenting with the best use cases for AI. Fogel is working towards a world where tourism becomes an intelligence system in its own right
iPhone 18 Pro Owners Complain of Speaker Crackling or Popping
Some iPhone 18 Pro owners have noticed an unusual crackling sound coming from the speaker of the device, leading to complaints on the MacRumors forums and Reddit. Users have called it a crackle, a faint tick or pop, or random clicking. Many say the problem is with the earpiece speaker, and both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max appear to be affected.
The First Test of Bar Harbor's New Entertainment Rules.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Bar Harbor Historical Society. BAR HARBOR—The Finback Alehouse was the first real test of the town’s new special amusement permit process, July 7 while eight other permits sailed through the process last week. The permit allows music in places where liquor is served. The town’s ordinance which was recently tweaked for a new process allows for the regulation of noise and hours of activity. The only discussion at the July Town Council meeting was about the Finback Alehouse on Cottage Street, in the heart of Bar Harbor’s downtown district. The Finback’s distinctive design—a front wall that is like a garage door that can be opened and closed—was a key to that discussion. The restaurant, which often hosts live bands, singers, and karaoke, at night, has had one substantiated noise complaint this season, which is documented on its application. According to Bar Harbor Police Chief David Kerns, most complaints about noise happen after 10 p.m., and if the Finback had two more violations within a year, they’d have to stop having music. One town councilor said that he’d have no problem reissuing the permit if the door was down. The permit passed through the process with no conditions. Vice Chair Earl Brechlin moved the motion with two time changes for two holiday weekend dates. It passed unanimously. The council asked the Finback why they’d chosen an indoor license with a wall that can be opened to the street. Dale Stockburger, representing the Finback, said he’d applied for an indoor permit rather than an outdoor structure or partial structure (which is usually applied to tents or pavilions). The restaurant has traditionally had an indoor license. Stockburger said that whether the door is open or closed is immaterial because he now stands outside with a decibel reader to make sure that the music isn’t too loud. OTHER SPECIAL AMUSEMENT PERMITS New Councilor Deborah Vickers worried that she had potential conflicts of interests on two other renewals due to the location of her employee housing. Vickers co-owns the Black Friar Inn. They have employee housing directly behind the Finback, which is also 300 yards from the Bar Harbor Inn, she explained. The Bar Harbor Inn also had a permit up for renewal. The councilors unanimously voted she did not have a conflict of interest. The councilors approved permits at The Bluenose Inn, 90 Eden St, Class A; Acadia Hotel Downtown, 20 Mount Desert St, Class A and C; the Bar Harbor Inn, 8 Newport Dr, Class A, B, C and D; C-Ray Lobster, 882 State Hwy 3, Class D; Holiday Inn Bar Harbor Regency, 123 Eden Street, Class B; Finback Alehouse, 30 Cottage St, Class B; Project Social, 278 Main St, Class C and D; Bar Harbor Beer Works, 119 Main St, Class B and D; and Mainely Meat BBQ Dreamwood Hill, 369 State Hwy 3, Class D. That process is laid out in the Special Amusement Ordinance of the Bar Harbor Town Code which is Chapter 14 of the town code. Special amusement permits have class codes. These are the meanings: Number - how many musicians are allowed by the permit. Class A - Indoor non-amplified entertainment. Class B - Indoor amplified entertainment or dancing. Class C - Outdoor non-amplified entertainment. Class D - Outdoor amplified entertainment. RESIDENCE LICENSES RENEWED AND A TAXI LICENSE The councilors also renewed the licenses for three specific sorts of residences that require that yearly renewal per the town code. The employee living quarters at Atlantic Oceanside Hotel, 119 Eden St and another at 278 Main Street were renewed. The shared accommodations license renewal at 39 Kebo Street also occurred. These are annual renewals. Bernard Taxi Services’ license was also renewed. This license had been added to the agenda at the meeting. Bar Harbor Update on Leaf and Grass Clipping Disposal BAR HARBOR — Bar Harbor residents will still have a place to throw away their leaf and grass clippings this summer. The town’s agreement with EMR in Southwest Harbor for disposing of those items will continue through November 30. The agreement, according to a town press release, will continue “while the Town continues evaluating long term composting solutions and the required state permitting process.” As of July 1, residents bringing their grass and leaves across the island to the facility in Southwest Harbor will have to fill out a property registration card. Each property can throw out up to 85 pounds of the grass and leaves. “Any disposal exceeding the 85 pound allowance during this period will be the responsibility of the property owner at the applicable disposal rate,” the press release explains. LINKS TO LEARN MORE Watch the meeting Meeting agenda QUICK NOTE: We’d released the Bar Harbor Leaf information as a brief, but wanted to make sure that people saw it, so we’ve included it here, too. HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other. We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going. If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship. It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now. Thank you so much for being here. Founding member information can be found here. Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you. Subscribe Share Bar Harbor Story Share Leave a comment
Gov. Braun appoints new public access counselor after complaints mount
Former Bartholomew County Circuit Court Magistrate Judge Brittney Long has been named Indiana’s public access counselor, replacing attorney Jennifer Ruby, whose 18-month tenure in that job was marked by long
Atletico hit back at Mourinho over referee complaints
Atletico Madrid hit back at Jose Mourinho after he complained about the refereeing in the Madrid derby.
Should we always blame voters for low civic participation in elections?
This year, like every election cycle, we hear the same complaints — enough citizens don’t vote. Voter turnout is too low. People are disengaged. Citizens are shirking their civic responsibility. If only voters cared more, democracy would work better. Fair enough. But perhaps it is time to ask another question: What about the candidate’s responsibility? […]
The problem with Katie Zacharia calling herself a lawyer
Two watchdog groups filed complaints with the California bar, asking it to investigate whether she violated the law by calling herself a lawyer.
Skin care business remains open as police investigate suspected financial crimes
JH Mountain Glow has generated complaints of fraud over years, Chamber says.
New commission works to untangle challenges at health licensing boards
After state audits reported inadequate response times by some health licensing boards to complaints about licensees, and other boards behind on healthcare facility inspections, lawmakers set up a new commission to address the issues causing those oversight issues.
FDA alerts patients after multiple complaints at West Coast imaging center
“Some clinical image quality deficiencies were severe,” the agency said, adding that the center is now required to submit an “extensive corrective action plan to the ACR.”
Judge rules Washington health inspectors can enter ICE facility facing 3,500+ complaints, gov announces
A federal judge in Washington ruled in favor of the state on Thursday, ruling that state health inspectors can enter a Tacoma immigration facility.
WA can inspect Tacoma immigration detention center, judge rules
The Northwest's largest ICE processing center in Tacoma has received over 3,500 complaints and prevented health inspections from the state.
Microsoft is cracking down on Windows 11 bloatware ads, forces LG to pull McAfee popup
LG has agreed to disable the McAfee popup in its Monitor App Installer, Microsoft's Pavan Davuluri confirms, after weeks of user complaints.
OMMA director pushes back on marijuana business complaints
Oklahoma's OMMA is pushing back on claims of slow licensing approvals and strict enforcement in the state's medical marijuana industry.
Framework responds to complaints that BIOS update bricks Ryzen 7040 laptops
Framework says it's replacing some out-of-warranty AMD mainboards.
NI Politics: Complaints to Stormont watchdog increase for second year
A total of 161 complaints were made to the Assembly Commissioner for Standards in 2025-26, compared to 149 in the previous year.
Kokua Line: Why can’t new business register with state?
Question: Can you check what is going on with the slow approval times at the State of Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Office? Historically, if you paid the expedited review fee, your registration documents for a new entity would be approved within a week or sooner. Now, even paying the expedited review fee, I have been patiently waiting for months. My filing to form a new business submitted in June still has not been approved. Without the state’s approval, I cannot open a bank account, sign a lease, hire employees, or start my business. This has resulted in damages due to the delays. My emails to the DCCA have not been responded to. I heard that there is an issue with a new vendor of their supposed updated system, but forming a new business or other business registration tasks seem to have come to a standstill. I heard that they are working on May submissions now. I cannot believe that this unacceptable delay has not been publicized, complaints from the public more prevalent, and the elected officials not having been told by their constituents to immediately address this problem.
Public health survey documents the stench in Boyle Heights
Amid growing complaints from neighbors, the L.A. County Department of Public Health conducted a door-to-door outreach survey in the neighborhood surrounding the warehouse.
Healthcare access dominates complaints from CT's incarcerated
Health services accounted for a third of the nearly 2,000 complaints received by the Correction Ombuds regarding the conditions in CT prisons.
Young men report more ‘sextortion’ than any other age group, Australia’s online safety watchdog says
In six months last year, more than 2,000 such complaints were made to eSafety
Despite complaints about other sports, the NFL has become the most predictable league in America
Over 13 seasons, 58% of Super Bowl participants had the NFL's best regular season record, making the playoffs far more predictable than other sports.
7 Brew Coffee in Roseville draws traffic complaints from nearby businesses and residents
Roseville business owners and residents are raising concerns about traffic congestion around a 7 Brew Coffee location on Gratiot near 12 Mile Road
Health dept. nurses ask again for investigation into Dr. Nevin
St. Clair County commissioners will revisit a request for a third-party Health Department investigation in October after corporate counsel reviews complaints.
Vincent D'Onofrio Shuts Down God Of War Laufey Gooner Complaints: 'Buddy Got Bodied By Kingpin'
The Daredevil costar has no time for unhinged gamer conspiracies
Sony vows to press on with discless plans, saying "digitalization is progressing" across all media despite heavy protest from players
Sony has heard your complaints, but it's done little to move the needle when it comes to PlayStation physical media and discs.
Blanche says in Senate confirmation hearing he's 'restoring trust' in DOJ
Blanche is moving Wednesday to address complaints from Democrats that he has politically weaponized the law enforcement institution
‘Nefarious activity’ complaints lead to massage business rules change in Farmington
FARMINGTON -- The city has changed its rules for massage businesses in the wake of complaints made to the Police Department of inappropriate behavior taking place at such businesses.
Dennis rejects hearing on Foley's as neighbors demand action
Dennis Licensing Board decides against holding a public hearing when faced with neighborhood complaints of noise and nuisance at Backyard by Foley's.
Downtown Astoria business owner: 'I just want my mail'
Over the course of the last few months, people have begun to stop in, send emails and call The Astorian with complaints of not being able to receive mail. In […]
California lawmakers kill wildfire bill after utility complaints
Legislation that would have helped wildfire victims receive compensation more quickly, but that utilities said didn’t do enough to reduce their financial risks, died in Sacramento after the Assembly declined to vote on it.
The Federal Agency That’s Supposed to Protect Consumers Just Made Another Business-Friendly Move
Debt collection. Credit reporting. Payday loans. Consumer complaints to a federal database used to help reveal issues and bring accountability. Then the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau stopped publishing the narratives.
‘Really unbelievable’: Pooler business owner says mail arrives once a week behind post office
‘Really unbelievable’: A Pooler business owner says mail behind the post office may arrive just once a week, sparking complaints about delays.
WEC finds probable cause that Elon Musk broke state election bribery law
After voting 5-1 in a closed session on July 9, WEC referred the two complaints to the Brown County District Attorney David Lasee.
European Commission backs out of conference after surprise Taiwanese participation
Senior MEP Pina Picerno linked the move to complaints from China
Colorado cannabis vape recall expands as health complaints rise
Three health and safety notices since Sept. 25 have pulled Craft THC vapes from more than 700 Colorado retailers.
Vote posters glued to buildings leave Virginia business owners with cleanup bill
Large posters urging people to vote were glued to Henrico and Richmond buildings, prompting vandalism complaints and a police investigation.
Stockton ethics commission, political consultant registry headed for broader council review
Proposed reforms would require campaign consultants to disclose their clients and establish an independent body to investigate ethics complaints, but questions remain about costs and oversight.
Glenn Fogel runs the world’s largest online travel business. He still personally reads customer complaints because ‘you gotta get that sh*t right’
The travel industry, like every sector, is experimenting with the best use cases for AI. Fogel is working towards a world where tourism becomes an intelligence system in its own right
5️⃣ stories of the day: Atleti's complaints, Mbappé's step back..
Club football is on pause to make way for the national teams, but this weekend brought so much news that Tuesday is red-hot.So we’re going to run through the five stories you can’t miss to kick of...
‘GTA 6’ Publisher Dismisses Digital Replacing Discs Controversy
'Grand Theft Auto 6' will only be sold digitally, and now Take Two is dismissing complaints about that, saying its business is already digital.
BBC axes ‘iconic’ Ski Sunday winter sports show after nearly 50 years on TV
Ski Sunday is being axed amid complaints that the BBC’s sports coverage continues to go downhill
Health and safety complaints trigger state investigation at NKY long-term care facility
After a sexual assault allegation & a wrongful death lawsuit, an independent care facility is now under a state investigation.
Olympic Council of Asia President wants to keep politics out of Asian Games
The buildup to the Aichi-Nagoya Games has been overshadowed by complaints from national team delegations over organizational issues.
Presidents Cup TV viewership surges despite fan complaints
Despite complaints about television coverage, viewership for the 2026 Presidents Cup opening round surged by 88 percent.
Sun Prairie considers new massage business regulations after police receive complaints
Sun Prairie leaders are considering new regulations for massage establishments following complaints to police about activity at certain businesses.
AI giants learn the hard truth of the modern internet
Anthropic's distillation complaints expose an awkward question: does AI's fair use argument cut both ways?
Highland Health Systems; Albany Gastroenterology Consultants Settle Data Breach Lawsuits
Settlements have received preliminary approval to resolve class action data breach complaints against Highland Health Systems and Albany Gastroenterology Settlements have received preliminary approval to resolve class action data breach complaints against Albany Gastroenterology Consultants and Highland Health Systems stemming from breaches of patient data.
Judge sides with WA, will permit health inspections at Tacoma detention facility
The state’s move to permit inspections was partly prompted by more than 3,500 complaints from detainees regarding conditions at the facility, which describe a pattern of alleged neglect and unsanitary environments.
The Seattle Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft over copyright infringement
The lawsuit joins a growing list of copyright complaints against OpenAI and other AI companies, including suits from publishers, authors and musicians.
City deal sets protest limits outside downtown Kroger amid small business complaints
The Literacy Crisis Reaches Dog-Bear Science
“New analysis of more than 300 bear encounters suggests our canine companions often increase odds of conflict and rarely serve as early warning systems many recreationists assume,” reads a subhead in Mountain Journal. The thing is, that study reaches no such conclusion. But you have to read beyond the abstract to understand that. Mountain Journal is not alone. Let’s look at a brief list of takeaways published elsewhere just to establish that none of them seem to know how to read science. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Here’s CBC: “A new peer-reviewed study, The Canine Conundrum: Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country?, dug into conflicts similar to what the video depicts, by analyzing 326 reported human-bear conflicts from 1901 to 2023 involving dogs.” “The study found 54 per cent of conflicts were started by dogs. In the encounters researchers included in the study, five people and 56 dogs were killed, and 170 people were injured.” “Lana Ciarniello, an independent researcher who co-authored the study, said researchers found when a person goes hiking with at least one other person, the odds of a negative bear encounter decrease by 50 per cent.” “However, when a dog is involved, the chances of a negative bear encounter increase because ‘a dog really adds a chaotic factor into the mix of recreation,’ said Ciarniello.” Again, the study finds no data supporting that conclusion. “Hiking with your pet dog may make you feel safer in bear country—but a hiker’s recent encounter and a new study prove that the numbers don’t add up,” writes Backpacker, which is now part of Outside. The numbers don’t add up to support this take. There’s plenty more examples, but all are equally dumb, so I’ll stop there. How did so many people get this so wrong? Three reasons: 1) the study is published behind a paywall, with only the abstract freely available. 2) the methodology sets out to create work relevant to a hyper-specific audience, not the public. And 3) the dataset studied is almost absurdly limited and doesn’t bear (get it?!) comparison to wider information. Let’s work through all three. The Problem is Money I understand the irony, since I’m writing about this on a subscription-model newsletter, but information wants to be free. The study is published by The Wildlife Society and costs $16 to access. Reprinting it is specifically prohibited by the terms of use, so I can only share snippets and my conclusions with you here. Having worked as a journalist for 24 years, I can report with some authority that journalists are both lazy and cheap. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that much of the material you’re seeing written about this study is drawn from the freely-available abstract (above) only, and not a deep dive into its methodology or data. And that’s a problem, because abstracts are where researchers are able to break from their numbers and editorialize their opinions about conclusions. So what’s getting reported isn’t based on numbers, it’s based on an opinion designed for a specific audience, not the general public. Hell yeah ladies, kick that bear’s ass. The Methodology is Designed to Support a Predetermined Conclusion One of the biggest issues with the science that everyone likes to cite about bear spray’s efficacy is that no one understands that study was designed for a specific audience, looking for a specific answer. And since that audience is not the public, and our safety was not the question being asked, its conclusion is rendered irrelevant to our needs. Yes, I’m talking about Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska, which was created by Tom Smith and Stephen Herrero, two of the same scientists who put together this dog-bear conflict analysis. In the spray study, the purpose was to present relevant agencies with the information they needed to issue their field workers with bear spray. As such, incidents where people were unable to access the spray or similarly failed to get it deployed in time were excluded from the results, and only incidents they deemed successful were included. Could a ranger roll down their vehicle’s window and scare a bear away from a dumpster by spraying it? Turns out the answer was yes, and that was good enough for the purposes of that study. The sample size of actual bear attacks—the thing you and I would want bear spray to provide a solution to, was too small to draw conclusions from, and didn’t indicate success in that role. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? has similar limitations. “Insights provided here are intended to help wildlife managers create effective guidelines regarding the presence of domestic dogs in bear habitat,” is explained clearly by the study’s text. To conduct the study, Smith and Herrero went looking for publicly available reports of dog-bear conflicts: “All incidents included in our analysis involved at least one bear, one dog, and one person who was at immediate risk of injury (e.g., not in a protective structure such as a cabin or vehicle), injured, or killed,” explains the report’s methodology. Why is that a problem? “We recognize that data used in this study are biased in that people generally only report adverse interactions with bears, not benign ones. Consequently, we assume that for the most part, people and their dogs pass through bear country without incident.” As was the problem with the bear spray study, people are drawing conclusions here from a study that was never intended to be relevant to the general public. The Smith-Herrero database famously excludes Alaska’s Defense of Life and Property records, which are elsewhere considered the largest and most authoritative source on human-bear conflict. The Dataset is Absurdly Limited A 2009 study conducted by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that each year there are at least 43,000 documented complaints of human-bear conflict across North America. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? Examined those reports for years ranging from 1901 to 2023, and only managed to find 326 such incidents that met the criteria explained above. Let’s do some quick math, poorly. 43,000 incidents x 122 years = 5,246,000 total incidents of documented human-bear conflict. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their criteria for dog+human+bear+risk or occurrence of injury. That means there’s a 0.006 percent chance that the study’s conclusion—that dogs make bear encounters more dangerous—even gets a chance of occurring. And remember, that’s only in documented conflicts. There’s no way to know how many people across North America run into a bear in any given year without any conflict, but it’s probably safe to assume that the total number is well in excess of 43,000. And, dig deeper into the study and you can find further restrictions that skew its conclusions even more. “While the people involved in these incidents did not report the level of training their dogs had received, it is our assumption that most were untrained companion dogs as opposed to well-trained bear dogs, such as Karelians and livestock guardian breeds that have proven to be significant aids in bear country,” the study’s methodology explains. And that’s a problem, because an ongoing study here in Montana is finding that the simple presence of a Kangal like our youngest dog Teddy can reduce visits to private property from grizzly bears by 87.8 percent. In addition to being a badass, Teddy is also a companion animal. And in my admittedly limited sample size of the three dogs currently present in our living room, she’s no more effective than her mutt brothers. Plenty of people own a dog capable of deterring bears, even if they didn’t set out to own a bear dog. The real purpose of this study appears to be a recommendation that leashes are mandated and recreationists pursue training in their deterrent of choice. But that doesn’t make for sensational headlines. Are There Any Real Takeaways Here? Let’s throw some numbers around, just to try and get our hands around what the larger picture might look like for bears and dogs here. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 42.6 percent of American households own a dog. The Canadian Animal Health Institute says roughly 35 percent of households in Canuckistan own a dog. In an attempt to create the worst possible result for dogs, let’s run with that 35 percent number. And given that outdoorsy and rural people are more likely to both own a dog, and have bear encounters, let’s just make a giant assumption and apply that number to those 43,000 conflicts documented annually. If 35 percent of 43,000 human-bear encounters involve a dog, then we can assume that at least 15,050 dog-bear conflicts are occurring annually in North America. 15,050 x 122 = 1,836,100. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their human, dog, chance or occurrence of injury criteria across 122 years. And only 170 documented human injuries. So, with all the obvious caveats about these numbers in no way describing reality beyond narrow study parameters, what they actually found is that your risk of injury if your dog tangles with a bear is only 0.009 percent. I’ll take those odds next time I’m hiking my dogs in bear country. Top photo: “Superintendent Horace Albright, eating pancakes with bears, at Lake Lodge, Yellowstone National Park.” NPS. A journalist with more than two decades of experience working around the world, Wes Siler is here to cut through the outrage and disinformation to bring you the factual, insightful, actionable reporting you need to understand what’s going on. Upgrading to a paid subscription supports this reporting, and buys personal access to Wes, who will help you save money on gear, plan outdoor adventures, and prepare for real life, and who promises he’s less salty in real life than he sometimes comes across as on the Internet. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. 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