More than 1.4 million Europeans have called on the European Commission to ban keeping farmed animals in cages - arguing the practice is cruel and unnecessary.

Australian pineapple, Danish trout, and Midwestern U.S. corn farmers are not often lumped together under the same agricultural umbrella. But they and many others who raise crops and animals face a common problem: excess nitrogen in drainage water. Whether it flows out to the Great Barrier Reef or the Gulf of Mexico, the nutrient contributes to harmful algal blooms that starve fish and other organisms of oxygen.

Following is a recap of major news at Hachette Book Group for the week of April 15-19, 2019: HBG Community Service Day: we had our second annual Community Service Day on Wednesday, and close to 600 HBG employees volunteered in a wide variety of activities – preparing food in community kitchens, delivering hot meals to homebound seniors, reading with children, repainting rooms in community centers, gardening in green spaces, caring for animals in rescue shelters, assisting with literacy and mental health awareness projects, creating handmade cards for hospitalized children, and much more. Bestseller news:  James Patterson’s The Fall of Crazy House (JIMMY Patterson) debuts at #4 on the New York Times YA Hardcover list. Also, debuting on the NYT lists are William W. Li’s Eat to Beat Disease (GCP) at #10 on the Advice, How-To, & Misc., and Miracle at St. Andrews by James Patterson & Peter de Jonge (LB) at #13 on the Print HC Fiction list. HBG’s distribution clients have a #1 bestseller with Jeff Kinney’s new addition to the Diary of the Wimpy Kid franchise, Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid (Abrams) at the top of the Middle Grade Hardcover list. And David Sax’s The Revenge of the Analog (PublicAffairs) makes a surprise appearance at #1 on the Washington Post bestseller list this week. LA Times Book Prize: Beth Macy’s Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America (LB) has won the 2018  for Science & Technology. Ondaatje Prize shortlist: Adam Weymouth’s Kings of the Yukon (LB) has been named to the Royal Society of Literature’s 2019  shortlist. The £10,000 prize is awarded annually to a book of the highest literary merit – fiction, non-fiction, or poetry – which best evokes the spirit of a place. The winner will be announced May 13. Major launch: Ali Benjamin’s highly anticipated The Next Great Paulie Fink (LBYR) went on sale this week with an interview on NPR’s Here & Now, coverage to come in The Denver Post, New York Times, People, and the Wall Street Journal, and a two-week national tour.

Getting kids interested in national parks can be a challenge—and so is keeping them entertained once you get there! Here are a few tips for helping your family make the most of its time in the great outdoors: 1. Can’t get your kids off their phones? Encourage them to take photos for a family album that focuses on the variety of detail on trails. Put each child in charge of a certain thing: plants, rocks, tree bark, animals, water, etc. 2. Get your younger kids involved in Junior Ranger programs! Some parks have programs for older kids, too. 3. Prepare kids for the elements with appropriate layers of clothing, footwear, mittens, and hats. Don’t forget sunscreen and bug spray, too! 4. Check your park’s specific NPS site before you leave home—you’ll find special kid-friendly programs and activities under “kids.” 5. Play trail games like “I Spy” to keep kids engaged along the way. 6. Choose shorter trails for young kids with attractions as destinations: lakes, boulders to play on, driftwood on beaches. 7. Check out the program: 4th graders can visit all national parks for free! 8. Prevent meltdowns by having snacks and water handy, even on short hikes or adventures. For more tips for exploring the national parks with your family, pick up: [hbg-title isbn="9781640492790" summary="They’ve been dubbed America’s best idea for a reason: get inspired, get outdoors, and discover the wild beauty of the United States with Moon USA National Parks."] [hbg-post heading="What to read next:" id="684728,672906,669869" /] Pin it for Later

An outbreak of vomiting among dogs has been traced back to a type of animal coronavirus by researchers. Vets across the country began reporting cases of acute onset prolific vomiting in 2019/20.

Three decades-old antibiotics administered together can block a type of pain triggered by nerve damage in an animal model, researchers report. The finding could offer an alternative to opioid-based painkillers, addictive prescription medications that are responsible for an epidemic of abuse in the US.

A newly-designed 3D-printed Biomesh effectively minimized postsurgical complications of hernia repair in an animal model.

Polish animal welfare officers responding to a call discover the creature is in fact a pastry.

The small intestine is ground zero for survival of animals. It is responsible for absorbing the nutrients crucial to life and it wards off toxic chemicals and life-threatening bacteria. Researchers report the critical role played by the gut's immune system in these key processes. The immune system, they found, not only defends against pathogens but regulates which nutrients are taken in.