Trump Facing 20 Years? Biden Admin Violating Federal Law Over Child Labor Imports, Is #ToxicWork the Next #MeToo? Ecuador Descends into Anarchy
Plus, an MLB player suspended for alleged relationship with a minor, 100+ sexual predators arrested in L.A.
Hey, welcome to The Five, a publication about the stories that matter.
One disclosure before we dive in. I’ve previously done work for Mars Brand’s Royal Canine dog food line. I portray Mars Brands in a very negative light, so there’s no bias that I can identify, but I always want to be forthright with any info that could shape a story.
If you’re new around here, check back on Friday for Culture & Commentary. For now, let’s dive into the hard news.
[one]
President Trump was hit with another round of criminal charges this morning, which…are a bit confusing.
RICO Charges: Trump, along with his co-defendants, were charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute that prohibits racketeering, alleging Trump and his co-conspirators “constituted a criminal organization” engaged in a criminal enterprise through their acts to try and overturn the 2020 election.
The RICO statute makes it illegal to participate in such a criminal enterprise or conspire to do so, and is punishable by a fine and/or between five and 20 years in prison.
Trump is also facing various charges in New York, Florida…and an additional case in Georgia.
Because the RICO charges are at the state level, another Republican couldn’t pardon Trump after winning election, nor goes Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
As to whether or not a conviction is likely…I’ll leave to other outlets to speculate. I often comment on criminal cases, utilizing the experience I built up as a reporter in Cook County, IL…but Constitutional Law is a topic I’m not qualified to cover.
[two]
You might want to put that candy bar down…
Child welfare advocates filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday asking a judge to force the Biden administration to block imports of cocoa harvested by children in West Africa that can end up in America's most popular chocolate desserts and candies.
The lawsuit, brought by International Rights Advocates, seeks to have the federal government enforce a 1930s era federal law that requires the government to ban products created by child labor from entering the U.S.
The nonprofit group says it filed the suit because Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security have ignored extensive evidence documenting children cultivating cocoa destined for well-known U.S. candy makers, including Hershey, Mars, Nestle and Cargill.
The major chocolate companies pledged to end their reliance on child labor to harvest their cocoa by 2005. Now they say they will eliminate the worst forms of child labor in their supply chains by 2025.
Back in my youth, one thing I sided with the Democratic party on was their focus on the rights of children working hard labor to supply the U.S. with cheap crap. Apparently that cause was abandoned for intersectionality/wokeness.
To be fair, Republicans, overall, have tended to ignore the issue.
If you would like to stop purchasing products from these companies…it’s a big list.
But, in my opinion, it’s better than eating junk food produced by kids at wages just above slave labor.
[three]
Ecuador, a country I have visited twice, has fallen into near anarchy as drug cartels move to take over the entire nation…and kill anyone who stands in the way.
The unprecedented violence shaking Ecuador has claimed the life of another political leader, bringing the number of politics-related killings in the last four weeks to three, including that of a presidential candidate.
The fatal shooting of Pedro Briones a organiser for Citizen Revolution, the party of the former president Rafael Correa, was confirmed by Luisa González, the frontrunner in Sunday’s special presidential election and a member of the same party.
“Ecuador is experiencing its bloodiest era,” González tweeted. “A heartfelt hug to the family of colleague Pedro Briones, fallen by the hands of violence.”
The killing of Briones, who was a political leader in a rural area of San Mateo de Esmeraldas, came less than a week after the assassination in broad daylight of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, an outspoken critic of organised crime and corruption.
Thousands of people have been killed in Ecuador over the past three years as the country has transformed into a major drug trafficking hub with cartel-aided local gangs battling for control of the streets, prisons and drug routes. Crime and violence have dominated the discussions around Sunday’s election.
[four]
A pro baseball player is facing serious charges…after he was allegedly outed for sex crimes against a minor…after the relationship was brought to light on social media.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic are investigating Tampa Bay Rays All-Star shortstop Wander Franco for an alleged relationship with a minor, according to a statement Monday from the office of the attorney general in his native country.
The Rays, meanwhile, placed the 22-year-old on the restricted list, a move that will sideline Franco for at least six games while MLB investigates social media posts involving the player.
The investigations follow reported social media posts suggesting Franco was in a relationship with a minor. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the reported posts. Asked about Franco’s alleged relationship with the minor, the media office of the attorney general in the Dominican Republic said in a statement “there are investigations regarding that matter.”
A sizeable portion of the media elite continue to treat the increase in sex crimes against children as a conspiracy theory, despite the fact that the numbers say otherwise. Just last week, 100 sexual predators were arrested in Los Angeles alone.
[five]
Pop star Lizzo facing a lawsuit for kidnapping and sexual harassment of her staff (see coverage in The Five) has stayed in the headlines for over a week, and is starting to pick up steam under the hashtag #ToxicWork, which could follow a similar path to the #MeToo movement, which uncovered massive sexual harrassment, in Hollywood as well as other industries.
According to employees, there’s a lot more toxic work out there than employers are willing to acknowledge or accept.
The APA's 2023 Work in America Survey revealed that 77% of employees were experiencing work-related stress, and 57% reported experiencing related negative impacts, such as emotional exhaustion, lack of motivation, irritability or anger with customers or coworkers, and a desire to quit.
While employers often have good intentions when it comes to the well-being of their workforce, there is still a large disconnect when it comes to their understanding of how employees are really faring. Fifty-five percent of respondents said their employer believes the workplace is much more mentally healthy than it is, and 43% believe that if they told their employer about a mental health condition, it would impact them negatively.
We’ll keep an eye on this trend, to see where it goes.
Until the next one,
-sth