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The Wall Street Journal posted a story yesterday that revealed Trump’s ongoing interest in buying the country of Greenland, which seems to have captured the real-estate developer’s imagination, according to people within the White House. Aides confirmed that Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in buying the Danish territory between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans with varying levels of seriousness. Greenland is also the largest island in the world after Australia, which is defined as a continent, and given Trump’s obsession with “huge” things, we all should have seen this coming.

According to reports, Trump has asked advisers in passing conversations and at dinners whether the U.S. can actually buy Greenland and seemed incredibly interested when anyone has discussed the resources, geopolitical importance and strategic location. Trump has even asked White House counsel to look into the idea according to two WSJ sources.

Naturally, the first response was to mock the impractical arrogance of a man who is only interested in personal deals that somehow benefit him. Discussions ensued about whether this could even be done practically or legally. Given the level of increased spending by the federal government since Trump and other Republicans took office and the inability to pay for the needs we already have, it seemed like a good idea to laugh it off as another attempt for Trump to create more golf courses. Considering the rustic charm of Greenland, which seems frozen in time (pun intended), I’m not sure TRUMP spelled out across it in gold letters is really a good look.

Bette Midler@BetteMidler

Trump wants to buy #Greenland? Let’s make him find it on a map first.

August 16th 2019

3,985 Retweets29,996 Likes

But the history in these types of land acquisitions is rich and it’s been done before. In 1867, President Andrew Johnson bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, which works out to less than two cents an acre. The Alaska purchase comprised 586,412 square miles and was championed by William Henry Seward, Johnson’s expansionist secretary of state. Given that Sarah Palin hails from Alaska, I would argue it may just be the type of bargain that looks good on paper only. The jury’s still out.

It also wouldn’t be the first time the U.S. has tried to buy Greenland. President Truman directed U.S. officials to offer Denmark $100 million in gold bars for the world’s largest island in 1946. The plan was kept secret until 1991 when a Danish newspaper found classified documents confirming the details of the offer. Jock Hickerson, a State Department Official in 1946 wrote a memo that detailed the quest for Greenland stating that “practically every member” of the planning and strategy committee agreed that the United States should try to buy Greenland. Hickerson reported that the Joint Chiefs of Staff believed that the territory was “completely worthless to Denmark” and “indispensable to the safety of the United States.” But after the idea was floated at a December 1946 meeting with the Danish Foreign Minister, the response seemed to be one of shock and insult.

It’s easy to make fun of Donald Trump and any crazy idea he might have. But, the bigger issue here is not as much about how we have already tried this and failed or even how insulting Trump’s hubris is in the face of all the costs America is facing that we can’t afford now. The truth, when you see past Trump’s continued focus in real estate ventures despite his abysmal performance throughout his lifetime, is that this plan made by the Trump Administration proves that Republicans know that Climate Change is real and altering the landscape of the world at a rapid pace. They are just only interested in profiting from it.

(View of the effects of climate change on Greenland's massive ice sheets, now melting much faster than previously thought.)

Greenland has been the largest source of sea level rise globally due to melting ice. Sea ice is receding at an alarming rate due to global warming and the Arctic is now quickly emerging as a potential new sea route for trade vessels and warships as a result. This fact has not been lost on those intent on making money from the environmental changes. Take the following quote from Trump’s Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo in May:

“Steady reductions in sea ice are opening new passageways and new opportunities for trade. This could potentially slash the time it takes to travel between Asia and the West by as much as 20 days. Arctic sea lanes could [become] the 21st century Suez and Panama Canals.”

This new desire to buy Greenland reflects that Trump and his Republican advisors see monetary opportunity in new access to the Arctic. To be able to see the business opportunity in the first place means you have to be able to see what caused that opportunity. Trump and the GOP know full well that climate change is occurring and will drastically change the topography of the world. They are all aligning themselves now to profit from it with further deregulation that will actually speed up the process. Republican leaders are only selling the premise that it’s a hoax to the fools who will believe it to open the door for their own monetary gain. The risk for future generations seems to fly out the window when the possibility for riches within their own lifetimes exists.

But obviously, Greenland is not for sale but it turns out the Danes have an excellent sense of humor:

“As we have stated, Greenland is not for sale. We have noted, however, that during the Trump regime, pretty much everything in the United States, including its government, has most definitely been for sale. Denmark would be interested in purchasing the United States in its entirety, with the exception of its government.” — Spokesperson for the Danish government on Friday  

Well done, Denmark. Well done.

If you like this piece and you want to help promote independent journalism from a female perspective, please support my work by clicking the button below to sign up for a free subscription. 

Amee Vanderpool writes the “Shero” Newsletter and is an attorney, contributor to Playboy Magazine, analyst for BBC radio and Director of The Inanna Project. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.

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Law enforcement officials confirmed that the F.B.I. initiated a search of Jeffrey Epstein's private island home off the coast of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Monday. The 72-acre island was purchased by Epstein in 1998 for $7.95 million and has the nickname “Pedophile Island.” Below is drone video footage of the raid where both F.B.I agents and N.Y.P.D. officers can be seen in various locations on the property. The search was led by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and agents searched for evidence related to the wealthy financier's past sex-trafficking crimes. The search came two days after Epstein was found unresponsive in his Manhattan jail cell and federal authorities have confirmed the continued investigation into Epstein, intensifying inquiries into his crimes and the circumstances around his death. 

Many are questioning why the search of his island property, where so many alleged sex crimes took place took so long to initiate given the formal allegations made by several victims long ago. Officials have not specified exactly why the search was delayed, but given that other property searches were conducted in New York and Palm Beach pursuant to the recent criminal charges against Epstein, it’s very likely that there were jurisdictional issues that kept authorities from executing a warrant in this instance. The subsequent death of Epstein would have eliminated certain obstacles in terms of a search on the island property due to the fact that he is no longer alive to contest it procedurally.

Suspicious Suicide

The investigation into the apparent suicide of Jeffrey Epstein also continues and we now have more answers regarding the protocols that were and were not followed leading up to his death. Officials confirmed that the unit of the federal prison where Epstein was housed in Manhattan was properly staffed on the night of his death. They have also confirmed a 30-minute mandate exists for checking on inmates at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC). No official word has been released on whether this time check protocol was actually followed and given the reports of severe understaffing it does not seem likely. There is also confirmation that Epstein's cellmate was released Friday and not replaced, which violates federal protocol for that section of MCC. In response to the failure to replace his cellmate in accordance with policy, an official confirmed that they simply “don’t know yet” why protocol was not followed.

(Jeffrey Epstein photographed after his arrest, in the MCC facility where he died.)

Just days before Epstein’s death, thousands of documents that gave graphic details of his alleged sexual abuse from a previous civil suit had been unsealed and released to the public. Those documents also implicated many other co-conspirators and abusers, naming several prominent men. Epstein had met with his lawyers Friday evening and at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, guards found him dead while doing morning rounds. It has been reported and officials have confirmed that he died from an apparent hanging. He was believed to have killed himself the night before, sometime between his meeting with his attorneys and when he was found the next morning.

Several questions about the failure to implement proper protocols still remain. Epstein had attempted to commit suicide only 11 days before, when he was found in a fetal position on his cell floor with neck injuries. Union officials confirm that MCC is currently down 38 correction officers, with workers doing mandatory and voluntary overtime to try to cover shifts and some officers pulling double and even triple shifts. Additionally, regular staff and case managers are being pulled in to do correction officer work and there are sometimes not enough people to adequately man surveillance cameras.

"I have not seen anything like this [understaffing]. It is ludicrous. They are running these prisons with practically no staffing." — union official on MCC understaffing

The city’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson, announced on Sunday night that her office had conducted an autopsy of Epstein, but that she was declining to release a determination about the cause of death at this time. A city official confirmed that the medical examiner is confident that the cause of death will be suicide by hanging but there is more information needed yet to complete a full investigation. It was also confirmed that a private pathologist was hired by Epstein’s lawyers to observe the autopsy examination conducted by Sampson.

Amee Vanderpool@girlsreallyrule

Here is AG Barr trying to rehabilitate a smidgen of credibility given the Epstein ties to Trump and the ferocity with which he tries to protect POTUS: “We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a thorough investigation."

August 13th 2019

54 Retweets181 Likes

The investigation is expected to focus on the events that occurred between Epstein’s first suicide attempt two weeks ago and the final events on Saturday morning. If all the proper camera footage is recovered, investigators should be able to provide the limited details of when the last check on Epstein actually occurred and who went in and out of his cell. But it will be difficult to know exactly what happened in Epstein’s cell leading up to his death given he was alone and there are no cameras in the actual cells of the specific unit in question. The idea that an inmate who had tried to commit suicide only a few days earlier was not even being monitored by camera in his cell is alarming.

As the investigation continues, the F.B.I. has reiterated its ongoing commitment to continuing to investigate any allegations against Epstein and has urged any other victims to come forward. Although the criminal case against Epstein will cease, victims will be able to file a civil complaint to pursue monetary damages from his estate. The procedural ramifications for others who may be charged in the future are complicated and will need to be assessed as each issues arises and charges are initiated. Much like the criminal case against Epstein, the investigation into his death will involve many law enforcement entities, will be incredibly complex and likely be ongoing for a while. It doesn’t help that the events leading up to his alleged suicide and some of the motivations of those investigating that suicide are enshrouded in suspicion.

Update: On Tuesday, August 13th, 2019, two staff members disclosed to the MCC warden that they had falsified the logs after falling asleep for several hours and failing to check on Epstein every 30 minutes, per protocol. There have been no details about whether Epstein was checked on after they realized their mistake or whether the staff members can confirm if Epstein was alive or dead after the incident.

Those disclosures came as the two employees were placed on administrative leave and the warden of the jail, the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, was temporarily reassigned, pending the outcome of the investigation into Mr. Epstein’s death, the Justice Department announced.

Second Update: Newly released details confirm that Jeffrey Epstein sustained multiple breaks in his neck bones, including the hyoid bone, which in men is near the Adam’s apple. Forensic experts confirm that a break of this kind can occur in those who hang themselves, particularly if they are older, but they are more common in victims of homicide by strangulation. The office of New York City’s chief medical examiner, Barbara Sampson, completed an autopsy of Epstein’s body Sunday but has still not confirmed a cause of death.

Third Update: On Friday, August 16th, the New York City medical examiner’s office officially confirmed that the cause of death for Epstein was suicide by hanging. Epstein appeared to have tied a bedsheet to the top of a set of bunk beds, then knelt toward the floor with enough force that he broke several bones in his neck, according to officials.

If you like this piece and you want to help promote independent journalism from a female perspective, please support my work by clicking the button below to sign up for a free subscription. 

Amee Vanderpool writes the “Shero” Newsletter and is an attorney, contributor to Playboy Magazine, analyst for BBC radio and Director of The Inanna Project. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.

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Here’s a catch-up of the major events of the week of August 5, 2019. You can check in with a minimal time commitment, read about the big stuff and stay in the know before we’re on to the next. This week we had more Chinese retaliation in the Trump Trade War, Presidential visits in towns that really didn’t want him, the largest immigration raid in at least a decade, a huge release of unsealed documents in the Epstein case and the shocking suicide of Jeffrey Epstein in a Manhattan jail. Let’s dig right in.

(the image above is Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Jeffrey Epstein accuser, holding an image of herself at the age of 16-the age she alleged she was abused.)

Stocks Plunge and China Counters Back in the Trade War

Stocks dropped sharply on Monday as the escalation of the trade war between the United States and China sparked a market sell off worldwide. The Dow lost 766 points for the day, although it had tumbled as steeply as 900 points by the afternoon. In addition to the instability produced by the ongoing trade war between China and the U.S., the Chinese government devalued it’s currency, the yuan, to fall below its 7-to-1 ratio with the US dollar for the first time in a decade.

The weak yuan ignited fear on Wall Street of a currency war and there was increased concern that the United States would respond with even higher tariffs all of which would prolong the standoff with China and potentially weaken the global economy. Trump then took to Twitter to once again to accuse China of currency manipulation, claiming the latest move by the Chinese with yuan devaluation was a "major violation." The U.S. Treasury Department quickly backed Trump up, and formally designated China as currency manipulator, a historic move that no White House had exercised since the Clinton administration.

“Now we have a trade situation that is going off the rails as the side effects multiply due to the ramping up of the use of tariffs and we are only further apart from any resolution with the Chinese. The policy of using tariffs as a tool to address our legitimate beefs with the Chinese has failed miserably.” — Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer Bleakley Advisory Group

China also confirmed reports that it was pulling out of U.S. agriculture as as a retaliatory response in the ongoing trade war on Monday. A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Chinese companies have responded to Trump’s new 10% tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese goods by ceasing to purchasing U.S. agricultural products. China is one of the largest buyers of U.S. agriculture and it’s possible that Beijing may stop importing agricultural products completely in response to Trump’s new tariffs. Given that Trump bragged about securing large quantities of agricultural purchases when he met with President Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in June, this complete reversal has left U.S. farmers even more vulnerable.

Trump visits Dayton and El Paso

Trump set off Wednesday morning to visit victims and first responders in Dayton and El Paso. Trump’s team attempted to carefully craft an image of the President that combated all of the insincerity of his previous messaging, but it didn’t work. Trump took questions on the White House lawn from reporters Wednesday morning on his way to Dayton and began to immediately blame politicians on the other side of the aisle, including Dayton’s own mayor, who he accused of “trying to make political points.” When asked if his rhetoric was in any way to blame for the violence that had occurred over the weekend, Trump told reporters “my rhetoric brings people together.”

Amee Vanderpool@girlsreallyrule

Trump goes after the Mayor of Dayton to the press before boarding Marine One to go visit and pay her city "condolences."

August 7th 2019

92 Retweets151 Likes

Once Trump visited the hospitals in both locations, traveling press was not allowed access. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham told reporters that “It wasn’t about a photo-op for the president and the first lady,” and then his team put out a generously edited campaign video of the entire event. A surviving infant, whose parents had both been killed to protect him, was brought back to the hospital after being discharged just for a photo-op for Trump and the First Lady. The Trump Campaign had also incurred nearly half a million dollars in charges from their last visit to El Paso. Adding insult to injury, the fees were from a rally in February where he laughed at a supporter yelling about shooting immigrants and he continued with more of his hateful rhetoric. You can read more about the day here in “Amid Backlash, Trump Heads to El Paso and Dayton.”

Ice Arrests

While Trump was visiting victims in Dayton and El Paso, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) executed multiple federal criminal search warrants at seven agricultural processing plants across Mississippi. This was the largest ICE raid to occur in a decade and the arrests of 680 Hispanic workers took place while Trump was in Dayton and just hours before arriving in El Paso.

Matt Albence, the interim director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, confirmed that the investigation had been ongoing for the last year, which makes the timing of the arrests seem coordinated with the President’s visit to a border town where he was supposedly giving condolences to victims. What made the situation even more horrific were the traumatized children suddenly left without parents and nowhere to go. Some children arrived home from school to find themselves locked out of their homes. You can read more about that here in, “ICE Arrests in Mississippi Leave Children Devastated.”

CBS News@CBSNews

Little girl sobs for her father after he was taken during the Mississippi ICE raids. She pleads for him to be let go: "I need my dad." cbsn.ws/2M8xpsJ

August 8th 2019

25,511 Retweets54,982 Likes

The timing of the arrests could also be viewed as suspect given the recent huge settlement Hispanic workers had gotten from Koch Foods after eight years of litigation. The raids on Hispanic workers at the Morton, Mississippi Koch plant could be seen as retaliation against the workers for filing a discrimination suit. You can read more about that here in, “ICE Arrests at Koch After Hispanic Workers Get Huge Settlement.”

Jeffrey Epstein Doc Releases (Warning this is explicit)

On Friday, a federal court unsealed documents from a lawsuit by Virginia Roberts Guiffre, one of Epstein’s accusers, against his alleged girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. More than 2,000 pages of documents were unsealed and provide some salacious details on the allegations made against Epstein and some of the world’s most famous and powerful men.

Giuffre testified that she was recruited by Maxwell while working at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort at the age of 16 as a spa attendant. With no experience, Maxwell assured her that she would be trained and well paid as a masseuse. She also testified that “massage” and “model” were code words for “sex.” Giuffre also testified that even though she was told by Maxwell that she would be trained at Epstein’s residence as a masseuse, “on the very first meeting that I had with him . . . she instructed me to take off my clothes and to give oral sex to Jeffrey Epstein.”

Maxwell and Epstein soon trafficked her and to powerful men for sex. Giuffre alleged that Maxwell specifically instructed her to have sex with former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Britain’s Prince Andrew, wealthy financier Glenn Dubin, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, modeling scout Jean-Luc Brunel, and scientist Marvin Minsky.

“Just outside the locker room, sitting where the other girl who works there usually sits. I was reading a book on massage therapy. … She noticed I was reading the massage book. And I started to have chitchat with her just about, you know, the body and the anatomy and how I was interested in it. And she told me that she knew somebody that was looking for a traveling masseuse. ... If the guy likes you then, you know, it will work out for you. You’ll travel. You’ll make good money.” — Virginia Giuffre, answering a deposition question about when she was first approached by Ghislaine Maxwell

Giuffre also claimed Maxwell and Epstein directed her to have sex with other various influential men including “another prince,” a "foreign president," a well-known prime minister" and the owner of a “large hotel chain.” Giuffre’s ex-boyfriend, Tony Figueroa, also confirmed that Giuffre had told him that she participated in threesomes with Maxwell and Epstein and that Maxwell also asked Figueroa to find girls for Epstein.

Giuffre also testified in her 2016 deposition that she had sex with former Epstein attorney, Alan Dershowitz, six times in various locations. Dershowitz denies this and has accused Giuffre of making up these sexual encounters at the encouragement of others to help sell her story. He claims that an email from a publisher reminding her not to forget his name in her list of perpetrators shows that she was pushed into fabricating an accusation against him. It’s worth noting that Giuffre is currently suing Alan Dershowitz for defamation and alleges that Dershowitz knowingly made false assertions that she committed perjury by accusing him. 

The unsealed documents also contained the deposition of Johanna Sjoberg, who was employed as Epstein’s personal assistant after being recruited by Maxwell. Sjoberg testified that Maxwell had recruited her to be “a legitimate assistant” by answering phones for Jeffrey Epstein but was soon asked her to perform sexual massages for Epstein and then punished when she didn’t cause Epstein to orgasm. In addition to detailing some of Epstein’s sexual proclivities, Sjoberg confirmed some of Giuffre’s allegations against Prince Andrew. She testified that when they were all at Epstein’s New York City mansion that she sat on Prince Andrew’s lap with Giuffre sitting next to him. The prince then touched Sjoberg’s breast and used a puppet to touch Giuffre’s breast to indicate what he would do to her.

“He explained to me that, in his opinion, he needed to have three orgasms a day. It was biological, like eating.” — Johanna Sjoberg in her deposition testimony

Epstein’s former Palm Beach house manager, Juan Alessi, also testified that he witnessed “probably over 100” girls come to Epstein’s home over a 10 year period that were referred to as masseuses. He also recounted his duties for Epstein that included cleaning up the rooms where sex had taken place and detailing all of Epstein’s sex toys and gear. Alessi also claimed in a 2016 sworn affidavit that a massage “was like a treat” that Epstein provided his guests.

Epstein Suicide

On Saturday morning, Jeffrey Epstein apparently killed himself in his Manhattan jail cell where officials say he hanged himself. Epstein had previously been placed on suicide watch after a July 23 failed suicide attempt and received psychiatric evaluation. According to a source familiar with his detention, Epstein was removed from suicide watch on July 29 and returned to the special housing unit, which is in a segregated area of the prison with extra security.

Authorities have yet to explain exactly why Epstein was taken off of suicide watch and the F.B.I. has confirmed that it has initiated an investigation. Additionally, the Inspector General has also announced that it will open an investigation into Epstein’s death. Given that the Justice Department oversees the Inspector General and that the DOJ is headed by William Barr, it will be hard to trust the veracity of any investigation by the DOJ in this case. For more background on the Epstein arrest and charges and the events surrounding his case see, “Jeffrey Epstein Arrested by FBI and Charged in SDNY” and “Alex Acosta Needs to Resign Over Mishandling of Epstein Case” and “Acosta Tries to Defend Himself by Blaming the Victims.”

If you like this piece and you want to help promote independent journalism from a female perspective, please support my work by clicking the button below to sign up for a free subscription. 

Amee Vanderpool writes the “Shero” Newsletter and is an attorney, contributor to Playboy Magazine, analyst for BBC radio and Director of The Inanna Project. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.

The raids on Hispanic workers at the Morton, Mississippi Koch plant could be seen as retaliation for workers filing suit against the company for discrimination. Hispanic workers at the Koch Mississippi plant had just concluded a legal fight with the poultry supplier last year who was attempting to obtain citizenship status of the plaintiffs through the Discovery Process. The raids occured on Wednesday and Matt Albence, the interim director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, confirmed that the investigation had been ongoing for the last year. This means the investigation likely started around the time the lawsuits had concluded and a settlement had been reached.

One case was brought by 11 workers at the plant and the second was brought on behalf of workers by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC suit alleged that Koch had subjected Hispanic employees and female employees to a hostile work environment that involved disparate treatment based on their race/national origin and sex, and then retaliated against those who who engaged in protected activity.

In their complaint, workers claimed that supervisors touched and/or made sexually suggestive comments to female Hispanic employees, hit Hispanic employees and charged many of them money for normal everyday activities at work — such as using bathrooms, taking leave or requesting job transfers. Additionally, Hispanic employees also alleged that they were subject to retaliation for any complaints about this abusive behavior in the form of termination or other inappropriate punishments.

“We are pleased the EEOC and the plaintiffs have cooperated to resolve this litigation. Koch Foods is committed to continuing to provide a work environment where each person is treated with dignity as we implement the consent decree in this matter." — Bobby Elrod, Director of Human Resources for Koch Foods

The three-year consent decree was entered by Judge Daniel P. Jordan III on August 1, 2018 and provided for $3,750,000 in monetary relief for the victims. In addition, Koch Foods agreed to take specified actions designed to prevent future discrimination, including implementing new policies and practices designed to prevent discrimination based on race, sex or national origin; providing anti-discrimination training to employees; creating a 24-hour hotline for reporting discrimination complaints in English and Spanish; and posting policies and anti-discrimination notices in its workplace in English and Spanish.

After the case was settled, Koch foods issued a statement re-iterating their arguments they had submitted to the court — that the plaintiffs had fabricated their allegations in a coordinated effort to obtain work authorizations through U visas that are available to victims who assist in government investigations. Koch also stated that it had only sought to hire authorized workers, but was attempting to obtain discovery on the U visa information, which would have provided citizenship details on the plaintiffs when the case was settled.

In addition to the case brought by Hispanic workers against Koch, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated the Koch plant in Mississippi after learning two workers suffered injuries in the spring of 2016. In March of that same year, a 42-year-old man suffered a laceration to his right finger after his glove got caught in a conveyor. In April, a 23-year-old gizzard chiller operator had two fingers on her right hand broken while attempting to unjam a piece of machinery. In September of 2016, OSHA issued $88,632 in proposed penalties for “nine serious safety violations” that resulted in “severe worker injuries.”

"Our clients were very brave in making the choice to speak out. We are pleased that after eight years of litigation, our clients and Koch Foods were able to resolve this matter, including implementation of practices that will hopefully prevent the types of abuses alleged in this case from happening in the future. This was important to our clients from the beginning.” — Caitlin Berberich, attorney representing some of the workers

In another federal agency investigation against Koch Foods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reviewed allegations that the company had used its market power to intentionally harm black farmer businesses in Mississippi between 2010 and 2015. The investigation yielded “evidence of unjust discrimination” by Koch Foods against black farmers in Mississippi, but according to the Washington Post, Koch Foods had still not been penalized as of June 2019.

Koch Foods is a privately held business that makes chicken products under its own brand and through private labels for Walmart and Burger King. The company has headquarters near Chicago and has no relation to the multinational Koch Industries. It employs nearly 13,000 in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Illinois and Ohio. Its Morton, Mississippi plant produces more than 700,000 tons of poultry feed each year. Forbes estimates that its owner, Joseph Grendys, is worth $3.3 billion.

Consider the ramifications for Hispanic workers in the Koch plant and other plants across the nation if this was, in fact retaliatory behavior by Koch to punish workers for suing them. Workers would be silenced for fear of being deported, not just terminated or punished. It makes Hispanic and female workers much more vulnerable to the attacks alleged in the complaint. Considering the company’s history of regulatory abuses detailed above and the timing of the events that culminated in the raid on Wednesday, it is possible that the employees at Koch were ultimately deported as punishment for daring to sue their employer.

If you like this piece and you want to help promote independent journalism from a female perspective, please support my work by clicking the button below to sign up for a free subscription. 

Amee Vanderpool writes the “Shero” Newsletter and is an attorney, contributor to Playboy Magazine, analyst for BBC radio and Director of The Inanna Project. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.