Episode 227: Meatpacking Plants and the Defense of Production Act

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss meatpacking plants and the Defense Production Act.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• President Trump has used the Defense Production Act to order meatpacking plants to stay open, even as these factories have become hotspots for coronavirus infection. Niki commented on how Upton Sinclair’s classic novel, The Jungle, exposed the horrible working conditions of meatpackers in the early 20th Natalia referred to Joshua Specht’s book Red Meat Republic and Samuel Moyn’s review of the book for The New Republic. This Atlantic article on Americans’ changing eating habits also informed our discussion.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Stephanie McNeal’s Buzzfeed article, “The Fitness Industry Is in a Crisis.”
• Neil commented on the recent controversy over Christian influencer Rachel Hollis, as detailed in Stephanie McNeal’s Buzzfeed article, “Rachel Hollis Has Apologized After Posting a Maya Angelou Quote without Attribution.”
• Niki talked about the various meanings attached to May Day.