Wendy's Owner Gives Big to Trump While Refusing Farmworkers' Demands

Thursday, April 4, 2019 Forget corporate, commercial news -- help Truthout report on the issues that matter to you! [Donate Now →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Wendy's Owner Gives Big to Trump While Refusing Farmworkers' Demands]( Derek Seidman, Truthout The Fair Food Program has succeeded in offering humane working conditions and wages for workers in Florida's tomato industry through partnerships with major retail food companies. But that program is being threatened by the Wall Street billionaire behind Wendy's fast food chain, who has donated thousands to Trump but will not pay an extra penny for a pound of tomatoes to ensure living wages for tomato pickers. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [McConnell Goes Nuclear to Help Trump Pack the Courts With Extremists]( Mike Ludwig, Truthout On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell invoked the "nuclear option," which allows a simple majority to confirm presidential nominees to lifetime appointments with just two hours of debate. Civil rights groups warn that this would help Republicans conceal the controversial records of many Trump nominees, allowing conservatives to circumvent Congress and push an agenda that most voters don't support. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Militarization of Johns Hopkins Exposes a Nationwide Trend]( Corey Payne and Steph Saxton, Truthout Students at Johns Hopkins are currently occupying the university administration building on campus, demanding an immediate end to the university’s push for an armed private police force and its contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The transformations that they're fighting are just one example of a much larger trend toward the militarization of universities across the country. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [From Pre-K On, U.S. Schools Privilege the Already Privileged]( Eisa Ulen, Truthout While the recent college admissions scandal aroused widespread public disdain for practices like large-donation-based admissions, less attention has been given to the greater problem of school funding policies that disadvantage low-income communities as early as pre-K. In fact, current public policies reflect a harsh but centuries-old truth: Children in the U.S. are not valued equally. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Democrats Formally Demand Trump's Tax Returns]( Jake Johnson, Common Dreams Under significant pressure from progressive advocacy groups, Democratic Rep. Richard Neal on Wednesday formally requested President Trump's tax returns -- setting the stage for what many expect to be a lengthy legal battle. In a letter to the IRS, Neal requested six years of Trump's personal and business tax returns, and set a compliance deadline of April 10. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [After Mueller, Donald Trump's "Political Warfare" Enters a Dangerous New Phase]( Chauncey Devega, Salon Trump's vindication in the Mueller investigation is far from complete. The actual findings of the 400-page report have not been made public. The president's legal troubles have not ended either. Nonetheless, Trump and his allies are screaming exoneration and are now crafting a campaign of revenge against many targets. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Lack of Federal Action Forces States to Deal With Contaminated Water]( Kristina Marusic, Environmental Health News A class of chemicals known as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are increasingly found in water supplies throughout the United States. Despite the widespread contamination and mounting evidence that PFAS are harming people's health, the Environmental Protection Agency has yet to regulate these compounds. This has left states on their own to protect residents. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [When It Comes to Abortion Access, All Eyes Should Be on Florida]( Robin Marty, Care2 Florida, which has long demanded that minors either notify their parents prior to an abortion or seek out a judicial bypass instead, is considering changing that law to require that minors actually get parental permission. Florida's parental consent bill could be the end of any abortion access in the South. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [France's Yellow Vest Revolt Against Macron and Elites Reaches 20 Weeks]( Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh, Democracy Now! Yellow vest protesters took to the streets of Paris on Saturday for the twentieth straight week of anti-government demonstrations, in spite of the French authorities' crackdown on the movement. The protesters have called out French President Emmanuel Macron's pro-business economic policies, demanding fair wages for working- and middle-class citizens, and heavier taxation on the wealthy. [Watch the Video and Read the Transcript →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Why Is the Fed Paying So Much Interest to Banks?]( Ellen Brown, The Web of Debt Blog U.S. taxpayers are paying $36 billion a year to private banks for the privilege of parking their excess reserves at the Federal Reserve, one of the most secure banks in the world. Our financial institutions have become dangerously interconnected and vulnerable to sudden runs. Postal banking offers a safe alternative. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In Case You Missed It --------------------------------------------------------------- [Behind Bars, Co-Pays Are a Barrier to Basic Health Care]( Victoria Law, Truthout In 41 states, people in jails and prisons are charged co-pays for medical visits. These fees often put medical care out of reach for prisoners -- who have to choose between buying basic necessities and seeking medical care -- and lead to worsened health, mass outbreaks and preventable deaths. A bill under consideration in California would end co-pays, bringing relief to tens of thousands of Californians behind bars. [Read the Article →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [U.S. Capitalism Was Born in the Destruction of the Commons]( Laura Flanders, Truthout It's said that European capitalism came out of the destruction of feudalism, but U.S. capitalism was born in the destruction of the commons. Lately, there's been a resurgence of interest in rebuilding the commons in the U.S., according to authors Silvia Federici and Peter Linebaugh. The process of "commoning" goes beyond mere redistribution and reorganization, they say -- it involves building a ground of resistance, from Standing Rock to the 2018 midterms. [Watch the Video and Read the Interview →]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Like what you're reading? Support Truthout's independent news and analysis by making an automatic monthly donation. [Donate Now →]( Connect With Us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Donate]( Truthout is a reader-supported, nonprofit organization; donations are tax-deductible. Truthout is a proud member of the Newspaper Guild/CWA, Local 36047. Please add messenger@truthout.org to ensure you receive our messages. [Subscribe]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](