Feds say SC peach farm pressured workers to make political donations
The Labor Department says it is working to pay over $130,000 in wages recovered from a South Carolina peach farm. The agency says Titan Farms illegally deducted money from migrant workers’ paychecks by charging cleaning fees and soliciting political donations.
The Labor Department did not say what the donations related to but did say the total deductions brought employees’ paychecks below the required minimum wage.
Titan Farms participates in the H-2A visa program, which allows it to hire seasonal migrant workers from other countries. The program requires companies to pay at least $11.13 an hour when factoring in benefits and fees.
A company spokesperson told two local newspapers in South Carolina that the company did not require donations from employees or deduct such money from their wages. The company also denied any wrongdoing related to the cleaning fees that the Labor Department alleges it collected.
Affected workers who the Labor Department hasn’t located yet can check their status on the agency’s database at DOL.gov.
Nearly a quarter of all freshwater species facing extinction risk: Study
A new study reveals nearly a quarter of the world’s freshwater species are at risk of extinction. The research, published Wednesday, Jan. 8, in the journal Nature, analyzes more than 23,000 species of fish, crabs, dragonflies and other creatures.
According to the study’s co-author, “Most species don’t face just one threat, but multiple factors acting together,” underscoring the complexity of the situation.
This is the first global study focusing on the risks facing animals living in rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and bogs. Although freshwater ecosystems make up only 1% of Earth’s surface, they are home to 10% of its animal species.
Data from the study reveals decapods, such as crabs and shrimp, are among the most vulnerable. 30% of these species face extinction.
Freshwater fish are also at significant risk, with 26% of species threatened. Additionally, 16% of dragonfly-related species face similar dangers.
Experts point to a combination of factors, including pollution, invasive species, climate change, and the construction of dams, as some of the leading threats to the ecosystems.
The study shows that 54% of the species analyzed are impacted by global pollution, with agricultural pesticides seeping into waterways and increasing harm to already vulnerable groups.
The authors warn without immediate action to address these threats, the situation will continue to deteriorate, putting even more species at risk.
The study also reports that at least 90 freshwater animal species have already been driven to extinction.
Arkansas Gov. Sanders calls for a ban on buying junk food with SNAP
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is calling for a ban on buying junk food with food stamps. Sanders sent a letter to the incoming Health and Agriculture departments, asking for a waiver to reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program –– also known as SNAP.
The program allows low-income families to buy a large variety of foods. However, Sanders cites a study from the Department of Agriculture that shows almost 23% of a SNAP household’s grocery bill is spent on unhealthier foods like candy, snacks, desserts and soda.
“Unfortunately, this nutrition assistance program is undermining the health of millions of Americans, on the taxpayer’s dime, by encouraging families to eat highly processed, unhealthy junk food,” Sanders wrote in the letter.
Sanders went on to say, “Given the relationship between junk food and poor health, our federal food assistance policies are fueling obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and a wide range of chronic health conditions across America.”
Sanders also mentioned a study by Stanford University that found taking away sugary drinks and soda from SNAP would prevent obesity in 141,000 children and Type 2 diabetes in 240,000 adults.
Debate over junk food and food stamps
The conversation around restricting SNAP purchases has been debated for years. People who support it say the program should more closely align with its original goal of improving nutrition amongst low-income families.
Meanwhile, people against the restrictions say it would be too complicated to categorize foods as “healthy” and “unhealthy.”
“Make America Healthy Again”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is lined up to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services, is likely to be receptive to Sanders’ proposal.
He recently introduced his “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which is focused on increasing access to healthier food. He is also vowing to crack down on food dyes and pesticides.
UNESCO gives sake special status as Japan seeks to expand global market
Sake has been associated with Japanese culture for centuries. UNESCO internationally recognized the smooth rice wine on its “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” list on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
The special designation is something Japan has been hoping for. The Japanese government pursued the designation by UNESCO amid domestic issues such as declining consumption and a need for more skilled artisans in the craft of sake brewing.
Japan reportedly wanted to make the iconic rice-based alcoholic beverage more popular globally. Now may be the time to promote the cultural drink as tourists flock to Japan in record numbers spurred by post-pandemic travel.
The increase in travel has led to an overtourism problem. It has forced the country to move to protect cultural sites by charging visitors higher fees. Locals have complained about rude tourists. Tourists noted issues as well.
A recent survey revealed more than 30% of foreign visitors said they experienced problems linked to overtourism, and more than 60% of tourists acknowledged they would pay higher prices. The higher costs would help ease congestion and protect natural and cultural resources within the country.
H5N1 mutation may make it easier for virus to latch to human cells: Study
Scientists are warning the bird flu virus may be able to more easily spread to human cells than previously thought. Researchers with Scripps Research Institute found it may take just a single mutation for this version of H5N1 to become capable of latching onto human cells.
In a study published on Thursday, Dec. 5, scientists noted that the virus could attach to people’s cells through proteins in a way much simpler than previously known.
A professor of infectious disease at Vanderbilt University called the findings “sobering” but points out the mutation has not yet been observed by other researchers despite repeated efforts. The authors of the study believe despite the lack of peer evidence that the mutation is likely already occurring in the current strain of bird flu.
The research comes as nearly 60 Americans have reportedly tested positive for H5N1. Although there is yet to be a confirmed case of human-to-human transmission.
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, the virus has spread to more than 700 dairy herds across the United States with California at the epicenter with around 500 infected herds.
Health officials are urging farm workers to wear protective equipment because most human bird flu cases have been people working directly with livestock. The Golden State also issued a statewide voluntary recall of raw milk on Tuesday, Dec. 3, after discovering bird flu contamination in retail samples of Raw Farm raw milk.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns against drinking raw milk because of bird flu and other illnesses associated with its consumption.
Calif issues statewide recall of raw milk after H5N1 found in retail samples
The latest hotspot for the bird flu in the United States, California, announced on Tuesday, Dec. 3, that it is expanding a recall of raw milk products to cover the entire state. The voluntary recall comes after recent tests reportedly detected H5N1 in two more samples from the nation’s largest raw milk dairy, Raw Farm, based out of Fresno, California.
The California Health Department says the products include all milk and cream from Raw Farm. The company’s owner estimates the company produces 70,000 gallons of milk weekly from more than 1,700 cows.
California health officials say they put the company’s operation under quarantine. They’ve also halted any distribution of all of its products, including cheeses and butter, made on or after Nov. 27.
Last month, the state issued two voluntary batch-specific recalls for raw milk produced by Raw Farm. The recall came after bird flu was discovered at the company’s bottling and retail sites.
The California Health Department urges anyone working with raw milk or potentially infected cows to wear protective gear.
The Golden State is the epicenter of the avian flu. California has reportedly 31 of the nation’s 57 confirmed cases of bird flu. The state is also home to 500 of the United States’ more than 700 infected dairy herds.
So far, no human cases have been linked to raw milk consumption in California. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that people avoid drinking raw milk due to the risk of bird flu and other illnesses associated with its consumption.
Health officials also warn pet owners not to feed their animals Raw Farm products, citing cases of cats on farms with infected cows developing brain damage and some dying after drinking contaminated raw milk.
The FDA maintains that pasteurized milk is still safe to drink as it says the pasteurization process kills the virus.
Labor Department fines Iowa meat plant cleaners for violating child labor law
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a $171,000 fine to a cleaning company that employed children to do “dangerous” work on an overnight shift at an Iowa meat plant. The company Qvest, Inc., had 11 children working to clean machines at the plant run by Seaboard Triumph Foods.
The children had to use corrosive chemicals to clean sharp equipment including head splitters, jaw pullers and neck clippers, according to a Labor Department investigation. The department says the violations occurred between at least September 2019 and September 2023.
It’s the second time this year the Labor Department has issued a fine to a cleaning company working in the same Iowa plant.
In May, Fayette Janitorial Service had to pay nearly $650,000 for employing nine children in violation of labor laws. Some of the children Fayette hired were the ones previously employed by Qvest.
“These findings illustrate Seaboard Triumph Foods’ history of children working illegally in their Sioux City facility since at least September 2019,” Labor Department Wage and Hour Midwest Regional Administrator Michael Lazzeri said. “Despite changing sanitation contractors, children continued to work in dangerous occupations at this facility.”
The Labor Department says it has concluded over 700 investigations affecting more than 4,000 children this year. The department has issued over $15 million in fines, an 89% increase over last year.
Cargill also confirmed the move on Monday, Dec. 2, to CNN, that it plans to let go of an estimated 8,000 employees as a result of falling profits.
The trading giant says workforce cuts will take place this year as it streamlines its organizational structure after missing its internal earnings goals. The move is reportedly part of Cargill’s 2030 strategy.
The corporation maintains “impacts to our operations and frontline teams will be kept to a minimum” as the business continues delivering products to customers.
Cargill distributes grains, meats and other agricultural products around the globe. The company reportedly has more than 160,000 workers.
Cargill pulled in record profits during the COVID-19 pandemic, as inflation and conflicts around the world drove up the price of farm products.
With an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as inflation slows, the company’s profits reportedly fell to $2.4 billion in the fiscal year ending in May 2024, which is less than half of the record $6.7 billion the company made from 2021 to 2022, and its lowest profit since 2016.
Adding to troubles, Cargill has reportedly invested heavily in one of the largest beef processors in North America as the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports the number of cattle across the United States is down.
Mexico’s president refutes Trump’s claim she promised to close the border
President-elect Donald Trump said Mexico has agreed to stem the tide of migrants flowing into the United States, but Mexico’s president is now saying that’s not quite accurate. And Amazon workers are using Black Friday to make a statement about their labor situation. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.
Mexico’s president refutes Trump’s claim she promised to close the border
As President-elect Donald Trump gets ready to return to office, he’s already making moves to follow through on some of his biggest campaign promises. After announcing this week his plans to impose tariffs on goods from China, Canada and Mexico, he turned his attention to another hot-button issue: immigration.
It’s a bit of a case of “he said, she said” after Trump had a call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday, Nov. 27. President-elect Trump posted on his Truth Social platform after the call saying Sheinbaum agreed to stop migration into the U.S. through Mexico, “effectively closing our southern border.”
Sheinbaum appeared to contradict Trump in a post of her own on X, saying in part, “Mexico’s position is not to close borders…”
She did, however, lay out Mexico’s “comprehensive strategy” for addressing the migration issue. In a separate post on X, Sheinbaum said during the call, she told President-elect Trump, “No caravans are arriving at the border because they are being attended to in Mexico.”
En nuestra conversación con el presidente Trump, le expuse la estrategia integral que ha seguido México para atender el fenómeno migratorio, respetando los derechos humanos. Gracias a ello se atiende a las personas migrantes y a las caravanas previo a que lleguen a la frontera.…
The two leaders also talked about how they’re addressing the U.S. fentanyl crisis.
The call was scheduled after Trump unveiled plans to slap 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico to the U.S. as part of the effort to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. through Mexico.
Not only would that impact the prices of avocados and agave — both very popular in the U.S. — Mexico’s economy secretary said Wednesday 88% of all North American pickup trucks come from Mexico. Sheinbaum then suggested Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own.
“I hope he rethinks it,” Biden said. “I think it’s a counterproductive thing to do. You know, one of the things you’ve heard me say before is that we are – we have an unusual situation in America. We’re surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and two allies: Mexico and Canada. The last thing we need to do is begin to screw up those relationships.”
Economists forecast Trump’s planned tariffs would increase prices for American shoppers, costing the average U.S. household about $2,600 per year, according to an estimate from the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Israel and Hezbollah both claim ceasefire violations
Barely three days into a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, both sides are claiming violations.
Yesterday, Hezbollah had a precision-guided missile manufacturing site—today, they don’t.
Hezbollah’s largest precision-guided missiles manufacturing site, 1.4km wide and 70m underground, was struck and dismantled by IAF fighter jets yesterday.
Lebanese authorities also said two people, who were trying to return to southern Lebanon, were shot and wounded by Israeli forces. Lebanon’s health ministry said they were civilians, but the IDF claimed they were suspected of violating terms of the truce.
The agreement, brokered by the United States and France, includes an initial two-month ceasefire during which Hezbollah militants will withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border.
Thousands of Amazon workers to strike from Black Friday to Cyber Monday
Amazon workers in more than 20 countries, including the U.S., are on strike on some of the busiest pre-Christmas shopping days across the world. It started on Black Friday, Nov. 29, a day for bargain hunters to score some of the biggest discounts from stores across the country as holiday shopping kicks into high gear.
Organizers told the United Nations the so-called “days of resistance” are to hold Amazon accountable for alleged labor abuses, as well as “environmental degradation and threats to democracy.” According to ABC News, the strike could delay holiday deliveries.
The organizers said this is their fifth year of labor action against Amazon during the beginning of the holiday shopping season.
In a statement, Amazon said the group that organized the strikes is being “intentionally misleading” and promoting a “false narrative.” Management said the company offers great pay and benefits.
Canada sues Google over control of online ads
Canada’s antitrust watchdog said it is suing Google over alleged anti-competitive conduct in the company’s online advertising business. They’re calling for Google to sell off two of its ad tech services and pay a penalty.
The Competition Bureau said it’s necessary because an investigation into Google found the company “unlawfully” tied together its ad tech tools to maintain its dominant market position. Google insists the online advertising market is a highly competitive sector and is fighting the allegations.
This comes just a week after the U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal judge to force Google to sell its Chrome web browser, saying it continues to crush the competition through its dominant search engine.
America facing a live Christmas tree shortage again
As millions of Americans get ready to begin their search for the perfect Christmas tree, growers are having historic challenges getting them to sale lots, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The day after Thanksgiving is usually the biggest day for live tree sales, but since Thanksgiving came so late this year, it’s a very short selling season. On top of that, a nationwide shortage is expected thanks to severe weather across the country this year, such as a northeastern drought and North Carolina floods caused by Hurricane Helene. North Carolina is the second-biggest supplier of Christmas trees in the country.
Shoppers bought roughly 21.6 million real Christmas trees in the U.S. last year, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. The Department of Agriculture said the number of trees harvested in the U.S. has declined 30% since 2002, while the American population has grown 16% over the same period.
Alaska native air drops Thanksgiving turkeys to families in remote areas
In the most remote parts of Alaska a Thanksgiving turkey is hard to come by. So, one woman made sure families in roadless parts of the state had their holiday feast.
Pilot Esther Keim calls it “Alaska Turkey Bomb.” She flies in a small plane to off-the-grid homes and air drops frozen turkeys for families to enjoy for Thanksgiving.
Keim said it’s a tribute to a family friend who did the same thing for her family when she was growing up.
She started the tradition in 2022 after somebody that she knew told her they did not have much of a holiday dinner — and no turkey at all. Since then, she has delivered 30 to 40 turkeys every year to families living in remote areas of Alaska.
California health officials warn bird flu detected in batch of raw milk
Health officials raised concerns about the presence of bird flu in raw milk. California officials warned on Sunday, Nov. 24, that a batch of raw milks sold in the state tested positive for the virus.
State officials said that they found H5N1 in whole raw milk from “Raw Farm” with a “best by” date of Nov. 27, 2024.
There have been no reported illnesses linked to the specific product. Nationwide, there are not yet any known cases of humans contracting bird flu through drinking raw milk.
Still, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned against drinking raw milk because it does not undergo a pasteurization process that kills bacteria and viruses.
California’s health department maintains that pasteurized milk remains safe to drink.
Most U.S. bird flu cases in people have been discovered in farmworkers who worked directly with infected animals.