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BossFeed Briefing from Working Washington


We are Working Washington

BossFeed Briefing for January 15, 2018. Last Monday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos became the wealthiest person ever assessed by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Last Tuesday, the Equal Pay Opportunity Act was heard in a State House committee, and last Wednesday it was heard in the State Senate. Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Early this morning a top official in the state Department of Licensing resigned under pressure after it was discovered his agency was sharing information with federal immigration authorities. Saturday is the one year anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration as president.

Make you grimace 

Grimace + Trump
Tag line from this 2002 TV ad: “Together Grimace, we could own this town”

Three things to know this week:

facepalm A Subway owner in Seattle, who has already become notorious for his serial bellyaching about workers’ rights,posted a sign blaming the lack of a $5 footlong that day on essentially every step forward for workers since 2010 — while also promising a coupon was on the way. He then claimed that a Subway rep called him to say that “life would get very ugly” if he failed to take down the sign.

fries A Trump appointee to the National Labor Relations Board is apparently likely to withdraw a court case which could have set a new precedent that McDonald’s is in fact responsible for what happens at McDonald’s locations. A different Trump appointee recently changed the rules so that states may require people to find work in order to receive healthcare through Medicaid.

homes More than a million homes in the United States are currently vacant. Three quarters of those vacant homes are owned by investors.

 

Two things to ask:

angry face Did they misunderstand the meaning of “no means no”?The Equal Pay Opportunity Act advanced out of the Washington State House Labor Committee last week. While a majority voted yes, three members of the committee said no — putting themselves on the record in opposition to progress on gender equality and pay transparency.

calendar So who forgot to check the PR calendar? On Thursday, Walmart announced plans to maybe raise pay to as much as $11/hour across the country, which apparently they thought sounded pretty high even though it would still leave pay rates in most of the nation below the current Washington State minimum wage. Hours later the company stomped on their own reputation-burnishing effortby announcing the sudden closure of several dozen Sam’s Club stores, displacing hundreds of workers with little notice.

 

And one thing that’s worth a closer look:

lotus position An increasing number of corporations are launching “mindfulness” programs for executives and employees — at exactly the same time as employment itself grows more precarious. As Laura Marsh traces the history of this development in Dissentmagazine, Monsanto was among the first to go big on mindfulness when they were struggling with poor morale and a worse corporate reputation during the first big debates over their efforts to genetically engineer seeds to boost use of the company’s herbicides. While of course there’s nothing objectionable about the practice of cultivating a mindful approach to life, it’s curious, Marsh points out, how frequently these mindfulness initiatives are imposed due to a CEO’s personal awakening, and happen right around the same time as a wave of layoffs and belt-tightening. Which raises the question of what it means for a corporation to encourage mental resilience in uncertain times… when that uncertainty was caused by the corporation itself.

 

Read this far?

tophat Consider yourself briefed, boss.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Sign The Petition: Reject Thomas Farr! Brandi Collins-Dexter, Color Of Change


Thomas Farr has spent decades attacking our right to vote

Tell the Senate to reject his nomination! 

TAKE ACTION!

Thomas Farr’s nomination to the federal bench is once again going before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a vote1. It has been revealed in the time since his initial hearing that he lied about his role in suppressing Black voter freedom under Jesse Helms2. The Senate Judiciary Committee must uphold its commitment to oversight of the federal judiciary and reject the nomination of Thomas Farr. Sign our original petition below and send a direct message to the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee compelling them to reject the nomination of a man who has been revealed to have lied under oath.

Until justice is real,

Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Jade, Evan, Corina, Chad, Sareya, Angela and the rest of the Color Of Change team

  1. “Trump cites judicial emergencies in renewing nomination of Farr for NC court seat.” The News & Observer, 5 January 2018. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/14351?t=4&akid=8886%2E1174326%2EKtBoub
  2. “Did Former Helms Lawyer Thomas Farr Lie to the Senate Judiciary Committee? It Sure Looks That Way.” Indy Week, 15 November 2017. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/14352?t=6&akid=8886%2E1174326%2EKtBoub

Thomas Farr has been North Carolina’s chief defender of voting laws that a federal court said: “target African Americans with almost surgical precision.”His nomination for the longest judicial vacancy in the nation comes at the expense of two highly-qualified African-American female judges who were blocked from even receiving a Committee hearing. Farr’s history of mistreatment of North Carolina’s African-American voters makes him ill-suited to preside over a region with a sizeable Black population. Despite Farr’s history, and the availability of qualified nominees who reflect the state; the two Senators from North Carolina have ignored the community and thrown their support behind a man dedicated to suppressing the Black vote.

Thomas Farr is the last person who should be given the power to adjudicate voting laws in North Carolina.

Farr’s nomination fits into a larger pattern that sees placing ultra-conservative federal judges on the bench as one of the few areas that the Trump Administration is productive. In the absence of legislative success, the Trump Administration has done everything they can to roll back our rights with executive orders and nominations. We must work to make sure that the rights of Black voters are protected by the judiciary — and placing Thomas Farr would be a decidedly terrible setback for democracy in North Carolina.

Join us in demanding that Thomas Farr gets rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee

President Trump is rewarding Thomas A. Farr, North Carolina’s chief defender of voter suppression, with a plum federal judgeship. The U.S. Senate’s Judiciary Committee will vote on his nomination very soon. It is imperative that we let them know Thomas Farr is unacceptable for the federal bench!

Join me in making sure that Thomas Farr isn’t given the power of the federal bench.

Sign the petition.

Until justice is real,

Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Jade, Evan, Corina, Chad, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

~ FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

FDA/USDA ~Jan 2018 Alerts & Safety pg2


  • Rico Brand of Salt Lake City, Utah is recalling Tofu Breakfast Burrito, because it may contain undeclared Soy. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to Soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.Product was distributed in the state of Utah.  The distribution of the Tofu Breakfast Burrito is specifically in these counties, Cache County, Weber County, Salt Lake County, and Utah County  where the product was distributed to grocery stores.

    The Tofu Breakfast Burrito is a twelve ounce burrito wrapped in white paper.  The label contains green, yellow around the border, and orange as the labels center color. Rico Brand logo printed on the top portion of the label. The Julien date is located on the back of the burrito with these two dates: 2687 and 0028.

    No illnesses have been reported to date.

    The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the product “Tofu Breakfast Burrito” containing Soybean was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of Soybean. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company’s packaging processes.

    Consumers who have purchased Rico Brand’s Tofu Breakfast Burrito are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Rico Brand at 1-801-433-0615 MST Monday to Friday or E-mail Rico Brand at info@ricobrand.com.

     

  • Hom/Ade Foods, Inc is voluntarily recalling Mary B’s® brand biscuits due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The problem was discovered in a product sampling conducted by an outside co-packer, who manufactured the product. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.The Mary B’s products affected are frozen bagged biscuits with the UPC codes listed below. All “Best If Used By” dates BEFORE September 23, 2018 and with the letter “M” immediately after the date are included in the recall. The code may be found on the back of the bag, lower right corner. No other code dates are affected.Products were distributed to AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV and sold in retail stores. Although these products are not ready-to-eat items and have baking instructions which, if followed, will reduce consumer risk, there remains some risk that the mishandling of this product prior to or without adequate baking may cause illness.There has been no illness to date associated with these products. Hom/Ade Foods Inc. has voluntarily recalled all affected products and is working with the FDA and supplier to fix the problem. Consumers are urged to return affected products to the place of purchase for a full refund. Customers or consumers with questions may call Hom/Ade Foods Inc. at 1-855-562-7773, Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time.
  • Fieldbrook Foods Corporation is clarifying that the previously announced voluntary recall of all orange cream bars and chocolate coated vanilla ice cream bars that were produced in 2017 on the company’s Hoyer 1 Line at its Dunkirk, NY plant (plant code 362677) also includes 28,751 cases of Raspberry Cream Bars that were included with Orange Cream Bars in ALDI seasonal split-case purchases. The split-cases were shipped between March and August 2017. These products are being recalled due to the possibility that they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only shortterm symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.The Hoyer 1 Line in Dunkirk, NY is the only production line and the only Fieldbrook Foods plant (of 3) involved in this recall notice.The recalled orange cream bars, raspberry cream bars, and chocolate coated vanilla ice cream bars were sold at the following merchants under the indicated brands:
  • Hom/Ade Foods, Inc is voluntarily recalling Mary B’s® brand biscuits due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The problem was discovered in a product sampling conducted by an outside co-packer, who manufactured the product. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.The Mary B’s products affected are frozen bagged biscuits with the UPC codes listed below. All “Best If Used By” dates BEFORE September 23, 2018 and with the letter “M” immediately after the date are included in the recall. The code may be found on the back of the bag, lower right corner. No other code dates are affected.Products were distributed to AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV and sold in retail stores. Although these products are not ready-to-eat items and have baking instructions which, if followed, will reduce consumer risk, there remains some risk that the mishandling of this product prior to or without adequate baking may cause illness.There has been no illness to date associated with these products. Hom/Ade Foods Inc. has voluntarily recalled all affected products and is working with the FDA and supplier to fix the problem. Consumers are urged to return affected products to the place of purchase for a full refund. Customers or consumers with questions may call Hom/Ade Foods Inc. at 1-855-562-7773, Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time.
  • update Fieldbrook Foods Corporation has issued a voluntary recall of all orange cream bars and chocolate coated vanilla ice cream bars that were produced in 2017 on the company’s Hoyer 1 Line at its Dunkirk, NY plant (plant code 362677). This is the only production line and the only Fieldbrook Foods plant (of 3) involved in this recall notice. Both products are being recalled due to the possibility that they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short- term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.The recalled orange cream bars, chocolate coated vanilla ice cream bars, and variety packs that include chocolate coated vanilla ice cream bars were sold at the following merchants under the indicated brands:
  •  Updated information is now available. A list of retail consignees has been posted for recall 001-2018, Hempler Foods Group, LLC Recalls Pepperoni Products due to Possible Extraneous Material Contamination (Jan 4, 2018).
  • Fieldbrook Foods Corporation of Dunkirk NY has issued a voluntary recall of 20 cases of the Tops brand of Orange Cream Bars and 320 cases of the Meijer Purple Cow brand Orange Cream Bars due to the possibility that the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Consumers who have purchased Tops Orange Cream Bars or Meijer Purple Cow Orange Cream Bars are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1 800/333-0805 x2270. The recalled Top’s Orange Cream Bars were sold in Tops retail stores located in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Vermont.  The product comes in a 12 ct retail box (pictures attached).  The product has a production date of December 18, 2017 and a “best by” date of December 18, 2018.
  • 129-2017, Piller’s Fine Foods Recalls Ready-To-Eat Salami and Speck Products due to Possible Salmonella Adulteration (Dec 16, 2017)
  • Crescent City Meats  Recalls Ready-To-Eat Tasso Ham Products due to UnderprocessingCrescent City Meats, a Metairie, La., establishment, is recalling approximately 430 pounds of Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Tasso Cajun Spicy Ham products because the RTE product may be underprocessed.

  • Reports of E. coli Outbreak Investigations from 2017| E.coli | CDC

    https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2017-outbreaks.html

    Ecoli Outbreak Investigations from 2017

  • Hempler Foods Group, LLC Recalls Pepperoni Products due to Possible Extraneous Material Contamination Hempler Foods Group, LLC, a Ferndale, Wash. establishment, is recalling approximately 4,068 pounds of pepperoni sticks products that may be contaminated with extraneous material, specifically metal.

 

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

FERC rejected Trump’s Dirty Power Plan


FERC blocked the Trump administration’s Dirty Power Plan to bail out coal.

We spoke out and it worked.

This week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) unanimously rejected Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s proposal to bail out old, expensive coal power plants at the expense of the climate and our health.

Thanks to the thousands of people who submitted public comments, the Trump administration’s Dirty Power Plan took a major hit.

Share our victory and spread the word that we stopped Trump’s Dirty Power Plan in its tracks.

FERC blocked the Trump administration’s Dirty Power Plan to bail out coal. Share this win.

This important victory proves that together we have power. We demonstrated that a single voice can multiply into a movement.

Despite this win, our fight is not over. At every opportunity, the Trump administration will side with corporate polluters over the the health and well-being of the American people. But this week, our voices prevailed.

Act now: Share our graphic on social media and keep up the fight for a cleaner, healthier future.

Thank you,

Udai Rohatgi
Vice President, Policy
NextGen America

P.S. Want to do more to fight back against the Trump administration’s assault on climate? Submit a comment against EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s plan to scrap the Clean Power Plan before the deadline on January 16.

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