Failures and delays mark Biden’s $325M effort to disrupt meatpacking industry
Three years after the Biden administration launched a program to inject competition into the $200 billion U.S. meatpacking industry, the results are far from promising. One of the program’s recipients, Pure Prairie Poultry, declared bankruptcy and culled 1.3 million chickens in northern Iowa after the company couldn’t afford to feed them, despite receiving nearly $46 million in grants and loans from the USDA.
Pure Prairie, which had ambitions to market premium air-chilled chicken to supermarkets, was part of a broader government effort to reduce the power of industry giants like Tyson Foods, JBS and Cargill, which control 85% of U.S. beef processing.
The initiative was launched after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the supply chain, prompting some farmers to euthanize livestock when meatpacking plants shut down.
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Despite the infusion of funds, including a $6.9 million grant and a $38.7 million loan guarantee for Pure Prairie, the company’s financial struggles led to bankruptcy. The failure has raised serious concerns about the government’s oversight of taxpayer dollars and the viability of small meatpacking ventures.
Smaller meatpacking projects have faced significant challenges, including securing supply agreements, attracting customers and competing with established industry players. Industry analysts noted that the market conditions have been difficult, with rising costs and declining cattle herds complicating the viability of new packing plants.
While some projects are still underway, including a beef plant in Amarillo, Texas, delays are common, with timelines extending to 2027.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack defended the program, saying that it is still too early to assess its success.
However, the situation at Pure Prairie serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved in trying to disrupt an industry dominated by a few large companies.
With many projects still in the early stages, it remains unclear whether the administration’s plan will ultimately succeed in creating meaningful competition in the meatpacking industry.
Study: Tyson Foods dumped millions of pounds of pollutants into US waterways
Tyson Foods, the nation’s second-largest meat producer, reportedly discharged millions of pounds of toxic chemicals into American waterways over the last five years. In a report released Tuesday, April 30, by the Union of Concerned Scientists, researchers said that Tyson flushed 371 million pounds of pollutants into waterways from 2018-2022.
The pollutants dumped into American waterways include nitrogen, phosphorus, chloride, oil and cyanide. The release of these pollutants rendered waterways unsafe, endangered wildlife and poses health risks to people. Those risks range from respiratory issues to neurological damage and cancer.
The study found that Tyson dumped pollutants alongside 87 billion gallons of wastewater into American lakes and rivers. The waste also contained blood, bacteria and animal feces. This direct discharge has impacted sources of drinking water and recreational lakes.
Tyson’s pollution came from 41 slaughterhouses and plants that were spread across 17 states. Tyson released nearly half of the pollutants in Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri.
A separate analysis in 2016 revealed that Tyson Food was responsible for dumping more pollutants by volume into United States waters than companies like Exxon and Dow Chemical.
Tyson was able to discharge this water due to the fact that many meat-processing facilities are exempt from certain water pollution regulations.
Meat-processing plants are typically required to obtain permits specifying the limits and conditions for their wastewater discharges. The Environmental Protection Agency oversees the enforcement and collaborates with state environmental agencies to ensure compliance. However, the EPA admits that it lacks the resources to monitor every act of pollution by meat processing plants.
When violations occur, companies often settle legal challenges and make minimal changes to their operations. The EPA is now considering new regulations.
Tyson has yet to respond to the report. The North American Meat Institute, which represents large meat processors like Tyson, said meat and poultry companies spend significant resources to comply with EPA wastewater discharge limitations and guidelines.
The organization argued that more regulations could mean $1 billion in added costs and lead to potential layoffs.
“A limited number of consumers have reported they found small, pliable metal pieces in the product, and out of an abundance of caution, the company is recalling this product,” Tyson said in a release.
The USDA added that it is concerned consumers may have this product in freezers and urges anyone who purchased the affected nuggets not to eat them.
According to the USDA, there has been one minor oral injury reported. Tyson Foods said anyone who purchased the nuggets should cut the UPC and date code from the packaging, throw out the product, and contact the company.
Tyson Foods has recalled tens-of-thousands of pounds of chicken in the last decade. In 2019, Tyson recalled 36,000 pounds of chicken nuggets after a piece of equipment broke contaminating the food with rubber.
Polls: Trump leads Biden in most key swing states: The Morning Rundown, Nov. 6, 2023
With one year until the presidential election, voters in key swing states are sharing their views. And check your freezers — Tyson is recalling nearly 30,000 pounds of chicken nuggets. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, Nov. 6, 2023.
Polls: Trump leads Biden in 5 of 6 swing states one year before election
With one year to go until Americans head to the polls for the 2024 presidential election, a new survey is showing what voters in key battleground states are thinking.
A New York Times and Siena College poll show President Joe Biden trailing former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, in five swing states.
The polls were conducted over the last two weeks with over 3,600 registered voters surveyed. According to the results, Biden is behind Trump in five states by margins of four to 10%.
Arizona
Georgia
Michigan
Nevada
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin is the only state in the Times’ polls with Biden ahead of Trump by two percentage points.
If you combine the polling data from all six states, Trump leads Biden 48% to 44%.
Most voters polled said Biden’s policies have personally hurt them, and at least 60% of voters in each state said the nation was headed in the wrong direction. At least 47% of voters in each state said there was “not really any chance” they would support Biden, whereas at least 44% in each state said that about Trump.
The former president is set to take the stand today in his $250 million civil fraud trial in New York.
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Late last night, Nov. 5, Israel said it fully encircled Gaza City as it is carrying out a “significant operation” in Gaza with the Israeli army searches for senior Hamas commanders.
Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who, according to the Palestinian news agency, called for “an immediate halt” to the attacks in Gaza.
The United States has been urging Israel to allow “humanitarian pauses” in its response against Hamas for the terror attacks. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, Nov. 3, there would be no ceasefire until the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas are freed.
Following the trip to the West Bank, Blinken traveled to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, where he repeated America’s warning to Iran and its allies not to get involved in the conflict. U.S. forces in Iraq and other locations in the region have been facing a surge of attacks from militia groups aligned with Iran.
“To anyone who might seek to take advantage of the conflict in Gaza, to threaten our personnel, here or anywhere else in the region, don’t do it,” Blinken said. “I made it very clear that the attacks, the threats coming from the militia that are aligned with Iran are totally unacceptable, and we will take every necessary step to protect our people.”
On Sunday, Nov. 5, officials said the U.S. military shot down an attack drone that was targeting American troops near their base in Syria. After visiting Baghdad, the secretary of state traveled to Turkey.
Stanford student hit-and-run being investigated as a hate crime
According to a public safety statement from the university, the victim, Abdulwahab Omira, who is Arab Muslim, said he was walking to class on Friday afternoon, Nov. 3, when a white man driving a Toyota 4runner made eye contact with the student, accelerated and then struck him while shouting at the victim.
University police said Omira’s injuries were not life-threatening. From his hospital room over the weekend, the Stanford student released a statement denouncing hate.
“…grappling with a reality I had never imagined, I reflect on the importance of spreading love, kindness, and compassion in a world that seems to be steadily succumbing to hatred and prejudice. This ordeal has solidified my resolve to advocate for love, understanding, and inclusivity,” Omira said.
According to authorities, the girl’s mother notified police that her father had abducted her in a possible custody battle. The hostage situation ended peacefully, with authorities taking the man into custody after 18 hours of negotiations.
While no one was hurt during the stand-off, more than 100 flights were canceled, and several planes were rerouted, ultimately affecting the plans of thousands of travelers.
Tyson recalls nearly 30,000 pounds of dino chicken nuggets
The products were shipped to distributors in several states.
Tyson said it issued the recall after a few customers reported they found small “pliable” metal pieces in the chicken.
According to the USDA, there has been one minor oral injury reported. Tyson Foods said anyone who purchased the nuggets should cut the UPC and date code from the packaging, throw out the product and contact the company.
Mark Zuckerberg injured while training for MMA match
You may remember that proposed MMA fight between tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Though that match never came to be, Zuckerberg has been preparing for another one. However, his training took a turn last week, and the Meta CEO ended up in the hospital.
Zuckerberg recently posted a photo to his Instagram account showing him in a hospital bed with his left knee in bandages, revealing he is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during a martial arts sparring session.
This isn’t the first injury Zuckerberg sustained from his MMA training; last month, he posted a photo of himself sporting bruising on his face, with the caption “sparring got out of hand.”
Zuckerberg said he has been training for an MMA fight early next year, but as he recovers from surgery, he said that fight has been delayed “a bit,” but he’s looking forward to having the match once he’s back on his feet.
US fighter jet shoots down Turkish drone: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 6, 2023
The U.S. military shot down an aircraft belonging to a NATO ally in an act of self-defense. And we take a few steps in learning more about the history of humans in America. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
U.S. fighter jet shoots down Turkish drone in Syria
A United States fighter jet shot down an armed Turkish drone flying near American troops stationed in Syria on Thursday, Oct. 5, the first time the U.S. has brought down an aircraft of a fellow NATO member.
Pentagon press secretary, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder called the incident “regrettable” and said the U.S. troops went into bunkers for their safety.
“U.S. commanders assessed that the UAV, which was now less than half a kilometer from U.S. forces to be a potential threat and U.S. F-16 fighters subsequently shot down the UAV in self-defense at approximately 11:40 local time. It’s important to point out that no U.S. forces were injured during the incident. We have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. forces,” Ryder said.
U.S. officials say the F-16 shot down the drone after more than a dozen calls to Turkey military officials saying troops were on the ground and the U.S. military would take action if the drone did not leave the airspace.
Ryder said forces on the ground had seen drones doing airstrikes in the morning inside the area the U.S. declared a “restricted operating zone,” about a half mile from where troops were located.
About four hours later, a Turkish drone entered the zone again. After warnings went unanswered, Ryder said U.S. commanders on the ground took “quick action.”
A defense ministry official from Turkey said the drone did not belong to the Turkish armed forces.
America’s support of Kurdish forces in northern Syria has caused tension between Turkey and the U.S. Turkey views those forces as members of the militant Kurdish Workers Party.
This incident occurred on the same day a drone attack killed at least 80 people and injured 240 others during a military graduation in Syria. Syria’s military blamed insurgents for the attack but did not name any particular group.
Biden administration to restart deportation flights to Venezuela
As the number of migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border continues to climb, the Biden administration announced another step to discourage that from happening. On the Oct. 5 edition of The Morning Rundown, we reported the administration was waiving 26 federal laws to make way for the construction of a border wall in Texas. Now, the U.S. announced immigration authorities will restart deportations to Venezuela immediately.
An official with the Biden administration said they would resume flights back to Venezuela to “show how we are committed to imposing consequences on those who cross the border unlawfully.”
Officials have not said how many flights to Venezuela the administration would operate or how many migrants are expected to be flown back.
The U.S. is facing record levels of migration of Venezuelans as hundreds of thousands look to reach America amid poor economic conditions and food shortages in their country. Officials say Venezuela has agreed to accept its nationals back.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security extended Temporary Protected Status for 18 months for approximately 472,000 Venezuelans already living in the U.S. as of July 31.
Trump endorses Jordan to be next speaker of the House
With the House looking to vote on its next speaker in the upcoming days, the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 presidential election has voiced his opinion. Former President Donald Trump says he is backing Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
In a post on his Truth Social site Thursday night, Trump said Jordan has “my complete and total endorsement.” In January 2021, Trump awarded Jordan the Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor.
In his post, Trump spoke highly of Jordan’s college wrestling days and his degrees in law and education.
Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., announced their bids to fill the vacant seat after Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was removed in a historic vote this week.
Some Republicans have suggested Trump himself be nominated for speaker of the House. While the speaker does not have to be a member of Congress, a non-member choice would be another first for the House.
A vote for speaker is expected next week.
NYC subway shooter sentenced to life in prison
A gunman who went by the moniker “Prophet of Doom” in online videos was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for opening fire on a New York City subway. The April 2022 attack left 10 people injured, ranging in age from 16 to 60.
The suspect, 64-year-old Frank James, disguised as a construction worker, was able to walk away from the mass shooting scene which set off a citywide manhunt. James was eventually arrested after calling a police tip line to turn himself in.
Prior to sentencing, three of the victims spoke out in court, with one saying, “I have not been able to make sense of it.”
Lawyers for James sought a reduced sentence citing mental illness. James, who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges earlier this year said in court that he alone was responsible, while also criticizing the country’s mental health system.
The district court judge was not swayed and called James’ actions “pure evil.”
Chicken prices hit record highs just before holiday season
With Thanksgiving just over a month away, it’s common this time of the year to talk turkey, but today we’re talking chicken and the rising costs to buy it.
Chicken prices in grocery stores have hit record highs. While that’s good news for top producers like Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride, two companies who have dialed back their poultry production to improve earnings, it means more money coming out of the wallets of hungry shoppers. All at a time when consumers, weary of inflation, are turning away from pricier meats.
Beef consumption is forecast to be at its lowest level since 2018. Pork consumption is currently at its lowest since 2015.
The Department of Agriculture says U.S. consumption of chicken is expected to exceed 100 pounds per person this year for the first time ever.
Researchers provide new evidence of first signs of humans in America
American astronaut Neil Armstrong famously said the phrase ‘one small step for man’ as he stepped onto the moon in 1969. As for the actual first steps of man in the United States, that occurred much earlier, and new research is suggesting exactly when.
Footprints discovered at an ancient lakebed in White Sands National Park in New Mexico likely date back to somewhere between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago, according to research published Thursday in the journal ‘Science.’
The age of the footprints was first reported in 2021, but some researchers were not convinced. They debated the original dating method may not have been accurate. In this latest study, scientists used two new additional lines of evidence to support the date range.
The dates challenge what most have believed — that humans didn’t reach the Americas until about 15,000 years ago. Researchers are hoping these findings are a big step in learning more about how humans lived many, many years ago.
Tyson Foods will lay off 1,700 employees, close plants in AR, VA
Tyson Foods has announced plans to lay off nearly 1,700 employees. Tyson will be closing two chicken plants in May, one in Arkansas and one in Virginia.
In a statement, Tyson said it will be closing down the facilities and focusing on optimizing operations by utilizing full capacity at existing plants.
Tyson underperformed expectations last quarter. Its operating income was cut in half compared to one year ago.
Tyson is the latest food and beverage company to downsize to save costs. In recent months, Pepsi cut jobs. Plus, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods cut more than a fifth of their workforces. And spice giant McCormick and Coca-Cola are offering buyouts to employees in an effort to save money at a time of economic uncertainty.
Tyson Foods joins list of companies leaving Chicago in recent months
Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest meat producers, announced it would relocate about 1,000 corporate positions from the Chicago area and South Dakota to its headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas. The relocation, announced Wednesday, is set to begin early next year.
“The move will foster closer collaboration, enhance team member agility and enable faster decision making, positioning Tyson to win with its team members, customers and consumers,” Tyson said in a news release on the move. President and CEO Donnie King added “Bringing our talented corporate team members and businesses together under one roof unlocks greater opportunities to share perspectives and ideas, while also enabling us to act quickly to solve problems and provide the innovative products solutions that our customers deserve and value.”
Tyson Foods is the latest company to leave Chicago, followed by Boeing, Caterpillar and Citadel. Citadel openly blamed Chicago crime as one of the reasons for the company’s departure to Florida. Citadel CEO Ken Griffin said Chicago employees became crime victims and workers kept requesting to be relocated.
McDonald’s, which has its headquarters in Chicago, criticized the city for crime. CEO Chris Kempczinski recently said that crime is “seeping into every corner of our city.” The fast food giant has no plans on leaving Chicago, but still openly criticized the city’s flaws last month. He said it has been difficult recruiting employees and executives to McDonald’s locations in Chicago.
“We have violent crime that’s happening in our restaurants … we’re seeing homelessness issues in our restaurants. We’re having drug overdoses that are happening in our restaurants,” he said last month at the Economic Club of Chicago. “So we see in our restaurants, every single day, what’s happening in society at large.”
Tyson has had a rocky year because of inflation. Shares of Tyson are down about 25% for the year. Tyson said the city’s crime was not a factor in their decision to relocate.
