Daily Archives: June 3, 2022

Farmworkers near Fresno, Calif., pick paper trays of dried raisins off the ground and heap them onto a trailer in the final step of raisin harvest on Sept. 24, 2013. Gosia Wozniacka/AP hide caption

Farmworkers near Fresno, Calif., pick paper trays of dried raisins off the ground and heap them onto a trailer in the final step of raisin harvest on Sept. 24, 2013.

Federal reforms for farmworkers are in the works following a blockbuster human trafficking case out of Georgia late last year. That case highlighted loopholes for abuse in the federal visa program that provides workers to farms and meat processing plants.

In a letter sent to Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., earlier this month, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the department is preparing to take the first step toward creating a rule reforming the H-2A and H-2B nonimmigrant worker visas.

The letter comes alongside others sent to Ossoff throughout May from the Labor and State Departments in response to his questions about steps the federal government is taking to protect farm and food system workers.

Ossoff wrote to the agencies in March following the indictment of two dozen defendants in a multi-year human trafficking case in Georgia that found the defendants allegedly defrauded the government of over 70,000 H-2A visas forcing hundreds of workers to illegally work on Georgia onion farms. The case reignited advocates' push for increased labor protections among America's essential farmworkers.

In the Georgia case, dubbed Operation Blooming Onion, the working conditions were described as "modern day slavery" as workers faced wage theft and physical abuse and were illegally transported; two died due to heat exposure. According to an indictment, 24 farm labor contractors and recruiters allegedly demanded workers pay illegal fees, held their identification documents hostage, required physically demanding work for little or no pay and housed workers "in crowded, unsanitary, and degrading living conditions." According to the indictment, workers were threatened with deportation and violence while the defendants profited $200 million.

"The commitment that I have received to engage in new rulemaking suggests that in response to my inquiry they are planning to undertake reforms to protect the human rights of migrant farmworkers in the United States," Ossoff told NPR in an interview, adding he still wants to see what specific rulemaking the agency plans to make.

Currently, farmers and ranchers are able to resource the H-2A visa program if they need workers to perform seasonal or temporary agricultural labor so long as they can prove that they were not able to hire a domestic worker, among other requirements. While H-2B visas are considered "nonagricultural," nurseries, meatpacking and seafood processing plants use them across the country.

The demand for agricultural workforce visas has been steadily on the rise as producers face continued labor shortages, even before the pandemic. Most recently, the Labor Department noted the number of H-2A visas has more than tripled since 2012.

Employees with these kinds of agriculture labor visas make up a small portion of the overall agriculture labor force, nearly half which is estimated to be made up of undocumented workers, according to the Labor Department. But abuses still occur even through the legal federal program aimed at providing labor.

Over 70 percent of DOL investigations find workplace violations, with 30 percent of investigations finding employers have committed five or more violations, according to a report from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, which analyzed DOL data.

Though the case in Georgia is among the most extreme, since the start of the Biden administration, the DOL's Wage and Hour Division, one of the branches that investigates workplace abuses, has concluded 573 H-2A investigations, resulting in over $9 million in back wages for more than 10,000 workers. Additionally, the agency has assessed over $8.8 million in civil money penalties for H-2A violations, according to the DOL letter written to Ossoff by WHD Acting Administrator Jessica Looman.

According to Mayorkas in the letter, the proposed rulemaking process, which could still take years, would address some of the biggest issues brought to light in Operation Blooming Onion, such as workers being overcharged and issued illegal fees for visas and facing salary shortages.

In addition, Mayorkas said the department is looking for ways to improve oversight of the H-2A program and improve workers' participation in investigations. The move is also in line with President Joe Biden's campaign promises to strengthen protections for farmworkers, while waiting on Congress to move forward with immigration reform.

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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DHS tells Sen. Jon Ossoff it will reform the agricultural visa program. - NPR

THE BUZZ: A local prosecutor election in Californias 4th-largest city is among the most nationally consequential races on the ballot Tuesday.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin will soon receive the voters verdict on his progressive approach to pursuing criminal cases. If the polls are even somewhat accurate, San Franciscans are ready to oust their top elected law enforcement official less than three years after catapulting the former public defender and son of leftist radicals into office. It would mean a swift reversal for an electorate that not that long ago embraced Boudins message of a new course and defied the citys political establishment.

Three key points:

The anti-Boudin campaign has become a sort of Rorschach test for how San Franciscans and Americans interpret rising anxiety about crime. The recalls supporters see a reckless and incompetent prosecutor who has undermined public safety by prioritizing defendants, seeking lesser charges or avoiding jail time with pretrial diversion programs.

Boudin and his backers warn that entrenched interests are exploiting fear and spreading misinformation to throttle a burgeoning national movement away from harsh sentences and over-incarceration. Heres a deeper look at the context and the stakes in POLITICO's The Fifty.

BUENOS DAS, good Thursday morning. Assembly Democrats are scheduled to return to the floor this morning for the first time since Tuesdays grueling, six-hour speakership standoff. Meanwhile, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge will be in Los Angeles to survey the homelessness crisis. Fudge will be meeting with Rep. Karen Bass a high-profile convening just days before Bass stands in an L.A. mayoral election.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up [emailprotected] and [emailprotected] or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: It is my hope that people in California and across the United States utilize this report as an educational and organizing tool, as this interim report exceeds expectations in substantiating the claim for reparations for the African American/American Freedmen community on the municipal, state and federal level. Reparations Task Force Chair Kamilah Moore on an initial report.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Sen. @Scott_Wiener on the bigger context for Pride Month: Today marks the beginning of Pride Month. Particularly now with so many vicious political attacks against LGBTQ youth around the country California must be a beacon of hope. Pride is a celebration, but also a reminder: we must fight back.

WHERES GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

A message from The Nature Conservancy:

GOV. NEWSOM: CA Needs $1B to Protect Nature.

California is not mobilizing fast enough to protect itself from climate change. A $1 billion investment in the Nature-Based Solutions Budget Package is needed to protect people and nature from climate change. The May Revise funding is not enough -- $200 million more needs to be added with funding directed to the Wildlife Conservation Board and state conservancies. Thats a budget that will deliver results on the ground.

LION ON THE LOOSE Mountain lion found in high school classroom taken to Oakland Zoo, by KRON4s John Ferannini: A mountain lion that entered Pescadero High School on the Peninsula earlier on Wednesday morning has been safely removed and is being taken to the Oakland Zoo, according to a tweet from the San Mateo County Sheriff. KRON4 News spoke to the superintendent of the school district who said the cat, which has been described as a cub, likely entered the classroom before school started and there were no students in the classroom at the time.

Reparations could include tuition, housing grants, California task force says, by CalMatters Lil Kalish: Californias reparations task force released its first of two reports detailing the states history of slavery and racism and recommending ways the Legislature might begin a process of redress for Black Californians, including proposals to offer housing grants, free tuition and to raise the minimum wage.

SET FREE Hinckley to get full freedom 41 years after shooting Reagan, by the APs Jessica Gresko: John Hinckley Jr., who shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981, is no longer a danger to himself or others and will be freed from court oversight this month as planned, a federal judge said Wednesday, capping Hinckleys four-decade journey through the legal and mental health systems.

MONEY IN POLITICS Big-spending billionaires are upending politics. The Los Angeles mayor's race is the latest test, by POLITICOs Elena Schneider: That barrage of advertisements on TV sets, on phones and in mailboxes has put Caruso a real estate developer and a former civilian police commissioner whose father was a major Los Angeles-area car dealer in a strong, top-two position in the mayoral primary. His main rival is Democratic Rep. Karen Bass, a longtime congresswoman and state legislative leader who came into the national spotlight during President Joe Bidens 2020 running-mate search.

MORE ON CARUSO The Mall King Who Would Be L.A.s Mayor, by the New York Magazines Alissa Walker.

SWITCH TO RED This blue Central Valley Congressional seat could be GOPs easiest pickup in California, by Sacramento Bees Gillian Brassil: The Hispanic-majority voting-age district that holds Merced County and parts of Modesto and Turlock was formed through redistricting, the once-a-decade redrawing of legislative boundaries based on new census data. And while the race there one is of several in California that leans Democratic meaning the party has a small edge analysts say Republicans have reason to believe they can win.

MONEY MOVES L.A.s police union spending big on city elections, seeking to boost City Hall influence, by the Los Angeles Times David Zahniser: So far, the union has moved nearly $4 million into an independent campaign committee targeting the mayoral bid of Rep. Karen Bass. That committee is running TV ads criticizing Bass for accepting $95,000 in free USC tuition and highlighting her missed votes in Congress. The union has endorsed real estate developer Rick Caruso, a former police commissioner who has made public safety a centerpiece of his campaign.

AFTER 8 YEARS San Jose is Choosing a New Mayor, by KQEDs Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Carlos Cabrera-Lomel, Guy Marzorati, & Alan Montecillo: For the first time since 2014, the race for mayor in San Jose has no incumbent running, since Mayor Sam Liccardo is term-limited. On June 7, San Jose voters will decide between 7 candidates, ranging from current elected officials to complete outsiders. If no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the June primary, the top 2 finishers face a November runoff.

San Diego Race Will Decide New Leadership For Californias Deadliest Jail System, by Bolts Kelly Davis: The next sheriff will inherit dangerous jail conditions after the previous one resigned under a cloud of scandals.

BOUDIN RECALL Op-Ed: If criminal justice reform cant survive in San Francisco, can it survive anywhere?, by the LATimes Miriam Pawel: The recall attempt also illustrates a lesson with national ramifications about the limits of relying solely on reform prosecutors to enact change.

BUDGET PLAN California legislative leaders reach budget agreement, but don't budge on gas, by POLITICOs Lara Korte: With a record $300 billion on the table, leaders in the California Legislature on Wednesday announced a joint budget plan meant to ease the economic woes plaguing Californians and shore up the state's reserves against future economic downturns.

GOING ON STRIKE California fast-food workers plan statewide walkout, demand better workplace standards, by Sac Bees Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks: Announced Wednesday, SEIU organizers said the strikes are part of a rallying effort around Assembly Bill 257, which advocates say would create an unprecedented layer of protection for the states roughly 550,000 fast-food workers.

THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER The death of the American lawn?, by the LATimes Mel Mecon: With many Southern California communities now on limited watering schedules, the lush emerald green grasses, the summery smells of fresh lawn clippings, the cool blades squiggling between our toes all will give way to crispy, dusty lots of dying fescue.

HOW IT WORKS Explainer: How SF Hammers Out Its $27.8 Billion, Two-Year Budget, by SF Standards Mike Ege: The budget$27.8 billion spread over two yearsincludes funding for new police officers, new shelter resources for people experiencing homelessness, economic help for small businesses and families with children, and better pay for city workers and contractors.

CRIME IS UP Sacramento crime stats: Homicide, rape, robberies and gun violence all soared in 2021, by Sac Bees Michael McGough: Reported rapes increased by 31%, robberies by 27%, motor vehicle thefts by 26% and assaults by 16%, department spokesman Officer Chad Lewis said in the video.

A girl fled her war-torn homeland, but found more trauma in San Francisco, by SF Chronicles Heather Knight: The attack was shocking, but only to a degree, in a neighborhood with one of the citys highest assault rates. And it would ripple outward: In November, the episode would become one focus of a letter that Tenderloin families delivered to Mayor London Breed, pleading for help.

A message from The Nature Conservancy:

STUDENT DEBT RELIEF White House to announce widespread relief for former Corinthian Colleges students, by The Hills Hanna Trudo, Amie Parnes, & Alex Gangitano: The Biden administration is planning to administer widespread relief for former Corinthian Colleges students on Thursday, multiple sources told The Hill exclusively, a move that progressives see as inching towards their goal of broader student loan debt forgiveness.

SANDBERG STEPS DOWN How Sheryl Sandberg lost D.C., by POLITICOs Emily Birnbaum & Myah Ward: Sheryl Sandberg is leaving Facebook, and closing out a turbulent relationship with Washington where she both championed social causes and was partially blamed for the platforms role in election misinformation and last years Capitol Hill riots.

Elon Musk lines up growing list of investors to take over Twitter, by the Washington Posts Faiz Siddiqui, Elizabeth Dwoskin, Reed Albergotti, & Gerrit De Vynck: Backers include some of Silicon Valleys most prominent venture capitalists, successful entrepreneurs and small-time investors whove pooled their money together, according to people familiar with the deal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions, as well as documents describing the effort to attract investors. Some are forming special purpose vehicles, or syndicates, that aim to steer money to Musks bid through investing via larger firms directly connected to the deal.

MUSK MAKES IT CLEAR Elon Musk tells Tesla staff: return to office or leave, by Reuters Hyunjoo Jin and Tiyashi Datta: Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk has asked employees to return to the office or leave the company, according to an email sent to employees and seen by Reuters.

VERDICT REACHED Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Trial; Jury Sides With Amber Heard In One Counterclaim, by Deadlines Dominic Pattern & Ted Johnson: After less than three days of deliberation, the seven-person panel ruled that the Aquaman star defamed Depp in a late 2018 Washington Post op-ed. In the piece, Heard described herself as the public face of domestic abuse, more than two years after she accused Depp of physical abuse and obtained a restraining order against him.

COMING SOON Space shuttle Endeavour is getting its own grand museum in L.A., displayed in launch position, by the LATimes Rong-Gong Lin II & Andrew Campa.

TURN OF EVENTS A Bay Area bakery sold mochi muffins for years. Then came the cease-and-desist letter, by SF Chronicles Elena Kadvany.

Mothers sue CHP over wreck that killed their children after high-speed pursuit, by the LATimes Nathan Solis.

Airbnbs Chris Lehane Crooked Medias Jon Favreau Ben Zion Kogen

A message from The Nature Conservancy:

GOVERNOR: CA Needs $1B to Protect Nature.

The May Revise proposes an additional $68 million for nature-based solutions including biodiversity, but California needs a bigger down payment on climate resilience to get our state on track. A $1 billion investment is needed in the 2022 Nature-Based Solutions Budget Package to protect people and nature on our warming planet.

To ensure funds are spent efficiently and effectively, investments must be allocated to the Wildlife Conservation Board and state conservancies, which have a longstanding track record of effectively advancing protection and supporting the public use of natural resources.

Invest $1B in the Nature-Based Solutions Budget Package to protect our planet.

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento toSilicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this subscriber-only service offers, click here.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause youre promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: [emailprotected]

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Progressive prosecution goes on trial- POLITICO - POLITICO

GENEVA (30 May 2022) A group of UN human rights experts* have welcomed the adoption of the Durban Call to Action on the Elimination of Child Labor on 20 May 2022 by representatives of governments, workers and employers organizations, UN agencies, civil society and regional organizations attending the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in South Africa. They issue the following joint statement:

The Call emphasizes the need for urgent action because the COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts, along with food, humanitarian and climate change threaten to reverse years of progress against child labour. We echo the call for urgent measures to address this tragedy and remain deeply concerned that millions more children will be soon pushed into work, which can seriously jeopardize their physical and mental health. Child labour also produces a structural impact on the enjoyment of other human rights, including rights to adequate housing, education, right to the highest attainable standard of health, right to a healthy environment and often has its root causes in structural, racial and other forms of discrimination.

In 2020, the number of children in child labour around the world rose to 160 million, the first increase recorded in 20 years; today around 79 million children are engaged in hazardous work. Seventy percent of child labour is concentrated in the agriculture sector with an estimated 108 million children working on farms and plantations around the world, which can cause short-term and chronic adverse health effects. The same agricultural system that diminishes biodiversity and increases pollution harms children. Tens of millions of children are engaged in hazardous work, where they are often exposed to toxic chemicals, including highly hazardous pesticides. To this day, children working in agriculture continue to be exposed to hazardous pesticides that are banned in the country of export, resulting in abhorrent double standards and discrimination.

It is often the case that after exposure to toxic pesticides, the violation of a childs right to physical integrity from toxics cannot be undone. In this sense, agricultural workers are often neglected, and there is an urgent need for States and business to address the dramatic increase of child labour in the agricultural sector worldwide.

The Durban Call to Action includes 49 immediate and effective measures governments should take to end child labour with an emphasis on agriculture. Most crucially, this includes adopting an action plan to eliminate obstacles to the establishment, growth and pursuit of lawful activities of rural worker organisations to give agricultural workers a role in economic and social development.

The Call to Action further includes a commitment to reduce poverty and improve labour conditions of all people working in rural communities including peasants, fishers, forest dwellers, and pastoralists. It recommends ending their functional dependence on child labour, by securing adequate incomes through cooperatives, and representative organizations in line with relevant ILO instruments, reassessing piece-rate wage systems in agriculture; and recognizing the need to guarantee adequate minimum wages for agricultural workers, sufficient to meet their needs. Strengthening social protection is also key in eliminating child labour. It protects households from extreme poverty which could, otherwise, lead to taking children out of school and putting them to work.

While there may be a place for children exceptionally and occasionally helping on family-run farms, childrens place is in school. The Call to Action commits States to realize the right to education, by ensuring universal access to free, compulsory, quality, equitable and inclusive education and training. When prohibiting child labour, Governments must also ensure that the necessary conditions for learning are met, including adequate nutrition, water and sanitation, healthcare, books and uniforms provided free of charge. Poverty cannot be a reason that children are not in schools.

Governments must act rapidly, effectively, and continuously to improve working conditions on farms and plantations to provide decent employment and eliminate child labour. Business enterprises must have due diligence processes in place to ensure that there is no child labour across the supply chains and, where it is found, to hold all their subsidiaries, contractors, and sub-contractors accountable in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Governments must ensure that all actors involved in the use of child labour are held accountable.

Governments must promptly implement the instruments already in place. For instance, the ILO Convention on the Right of Association in Agriculture is key to eliminating child labour and achieving decent work for adults in agriculture. We encourage States to ratify, domesticate and implement international labour standards. We also strongly encourage governments to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas.

Finally, we hope to see a conference to follow-up on the Call to Action and the development of strategies for better international coordination and cooperation on eliminating all forms of child labour, especially in the agriculture sector.

ENDS

(*) The experts: Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food; Ian Fry, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change; David R. Boyd, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment; Koumba Boly Barry, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Clment Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; S. Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context; Felipe Gonzlez Morales, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; E. Tendayi Achiume, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; Marcos A. Orellana, Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes; Catherine S. Namakula, current Chair-Rapporteur, Barbara G. Reynolds, Vice-Chairperson, Dominique Day, Miriam Ekiudoko and Sushil Raj Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; Elbieta Karska (Chair-Rapporteur), Fernanda Hopenhaym (Vice Chairperson), Anita Ramasastry and Pichamon Yeophantong; Working Group on Business and Human Rights

The Independent Experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Councils independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

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UN experts urge action to address alarming increase of child labour in agriculture sector - OHCHR

Polls have suggested the Progressive Conservatives led by Doug Ford are poised to form a second majority government. Ford has campaigned largely on his partys promises to build Ontario highways and hospitals, and other measures hes touted as job-creators, and in recent days has held limited media availabilities.

The New Democrat and Liberal leaders have both been presenting themselves as the only alternative to Fords Tories and havent outright said they will work together in the event of a Progressive Conservative minority.

It could be the last election as NDP leader for Andrea Horwath, whos making a fourth run for the premiers office after her party made gains in 2018 to form the official Opposition in provincial parliament.

Her party has proposed speeding up pharmacare and dental care plans for Ontarians, hiring more nurses and teachers, covering mental health and birth control and raising the minimum wage to $20 in 2026.

The Liberals, meanwhile, are hoping to rebuild after a devastating defeat four years ago that saw their caucus reduced to just seven seats after spending more than a decade in government.

Leader Steven Del Duca, who lost his seat in 2018, is also facing an apparently tight race in his own riding of Vaughan-Woodbridge, though he says he intends to stick around as leader regardless of the result.

The Liberal platform includes plans to make COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory for school attendance, remove provincial HST on prepared foods under $20 and boost the minimum wage to $16 per hour by next year.

The Ontario Greens have proposed free mental health coverage, reaching net zero emissions by 2045 and protecting 30 per cent of Ontario lands and water by 2030.

That party led by Mike Schreiner is hoping to expand its caucus of one seat won by Schreiner in Guelph four years ago and has been eyeing a potential opening in Parry Sound-Muskoka.

Also this

Jurors are to resume deliberations today in the sexual assault trial of Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard.

The jury began deliberating Tuesday afternoon after receiving detailed instructions from the judge on the legal principles it should apply in weighing the evidence.

Hoggard, the lead singer of the band Hedley, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one of sexual interference, a charge that refers to the sexual touching of someone under 16.

Prosecutors allege he violently and repeatedly raped a teenage fan and a young Ottawa woman in separate incidents in the fall of 2016.

They also allege he groped the teen after a Hedley show in Toronto in April 2016, when she was 15.

The defence contends the complainants had consensual sex with Hoggard and lied about it later to cover up their embarrassment after being rejected.

What we are watching in the U.S.

FAIRFAX, Va. _ A jurys finding that both Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard, were defamed in a long-running public dispute capped a lurid six-week trial that also raised questions about whether the two actors can overcome tarnished reputations.

The verdict handed down Wednesday in Virginia found that Depp had been defamed by three statements in an op-ed written by Heard in which she said she was an abuse victim. The jury awarded him more than $10 million. But jurors also concluded that Heard was defamed by a lawyer for Depp who accused her of creating a detailed hoax surrounding the abuse allegations. She was awarded $2 million.

Depp had hoped the libel lawsuit would help restore his reputation. However, legal and entertainment experts said that both actors reputations have been damaged by ugly details about their brief marriage that came out during the televised trial watched by millions.

Both of them will work again, but I think it will be a while before a major studio will consider them `safe enough to bet on, said former entertainment lawyer Matthew Belloni, who writes about the business of Hollywood for the newsletter Puck. The personal baggage that was revealed in this trial was just too icky for a studio to want to deal with.

The case captivated viewers who watched gavel-to-gavel television coverage, including impassioned followers on social media who dissected the actors mannerisms, their wardrobe choices and their use of alcohol and drugs.

Both performers emerge with unclear prospects for their careers.

Depp, a three-time best actor Oscar nominee, was a bankable star until recent years, with credits including playing Capt. Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. However, he lost that role and was replaced in a Fantastic Beasts spinoff.

Heards acting career has been more modest, and her only two upcoming roles are in a small film and the upcoming Aquaman sequel due out next year.

Eric Rose, a crisis management and communications expert in Los Angeles, called the trial a classic murder-suicide, in terms of damage to both careers.

From a reputation-management perspective, there can be no winners, he said. Theyve bloodied each other up. It becomes more difficult now for studios to hire either actor because youre potentially alienating a large segment of your audience who may not like the fact that you have retained either Johnny or Amber for a specific project because feelings are so strong now.

What we are watching in the rest of the world

PARIS _ Across France, more than 300 people have reported being pricked out of the blue with needles at nightclubs or concerts in recent months. Doctors and multiple prosecutors are on the case, but no one knows whos doing it or why, and whether the victims have been injected with drugs _ or indeed any substance at all.

Club owners and police are trying to raise awareness, and a rapper even interrupted his recent show to warn concertgoers about the risk of surprise needle attacks.

Its not just France: Britains government is studying a spate of needle spiking there, and police in Belgium and the Netherlands are investigating scattered cases too.

People from Paris, Toulouse, Nantes, Nancy, Rennes, and other cities around France have reported being pricked with a needle without their knowledge or permission. The targeted individuals, who are mostly women, show visible marks of injection, often bruises, and report symptoms like feeling groggy.

Frances national police agency says 302 people have filed formal complaints about such needle pricks. Several police investigations are ongoing in different regions, but no suspect has been arrested yet, no needle has been found and the motive remains unclear.

No victims have reported sexual assault; one said he was robbed, in Grenoble in April, according to Le Monde newspaper. Two people tested positive for GHB, and they might have ingested the drug in a drink, according to an official with the national police agency. GHB, a powerful anesthetic used by predators seeking to sexually abuse or assault victims, can be detected in the urine only for 12 hours, the police official said.

In the U.K., Parliament issued a report in April on drink and needle spiking in pubs and nightclubs after a sudden surge in such incidents last year. It said police reported about 1,000 cases of needle injection across the country around October 2021, when droves of students returned to campuses after coronavirus restrictions eased.

A series of similar incidents involving people pricked with needles at nightclubs, a soccer game and during the Belgian Pride parade have been reported in neighbouring Belgium. Last month, the Brussels prosecutors office opened two investigations following complaints from women who said they were jabbed during the pride parade in downtown Brussels. Organizers of the march said in a statement they were informed of several cases and urged potential victims to get checked at hospitals.

On this day in 1917

Fighter pilot Billy Bishop became the first Canadian airman to win a Victoria Cross. The 23-year-old from Owen Sound, Ont., was honoured for a solo attack on a German airfield during the First World War. Bishop was credited with downing 72 German planes during the war.

In entertainment

TORONTO _ Vancouver-raised author Pik-Shuen Fung has won this years Amazon Canada First Novel Award.

Fung was awarded the $60,000 prize for Ghost Forest at a ceremony in Toronto on Wednesday.

The title from publisher Strange Light follows the story of an unnamed protagonist grappling with the death of her father.

Fung was born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, but she now lives in New York City.

Established in 1976, previous winners of the First Novel Award include Michael Ondaatje, W.P. Kinsella, Nino Ricci, David Bezmozgis, Andre Alexis and Madeleine Thien.

The prize is co-presented by Amazon and The Walrus.

The runners-up, who each receive $6,000, are:

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin, published by Atria

Probably Ruby by Lisa Bird-Wilson, published by Doubleday Canada

All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Isaac, published by Brindle & Glass

Avenue of Champions by Conor Kerr, published by Nightwood Editions

We, Jane by Aimee Wall, published by Book*hug Press

Did you see this?

OTTAWA _ Members of Parliament unanimously voted Wednesday to clamp down on modern slavery by backing a bill requiring Canadian companies to ensure they are not using forced labour or exploiting child workers overseas.

Labour Minister Seamus ORegan ensured government backing for the private members bill that would make Canadian firms and government departments scrutinize supply chains with the aim of protecting workers.

ORegan said the Liberals want the bill, introduced by a senator, to go to committee where it may be strengthened further with government amendments.

In a vote in the House of Commons at the bills second reading, it was backed unanimously by MPs, including the Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois, NDP and Greens.

Most private members bills _ introduced by individuals rather than the government _ do not receive ministerial backing, parliamentary time or proceed through all the parliamentary stages needed to become law.

The bill, tabled in the Senate by Sen. Julie Miville-Dechene, would make Canadian firms check that none of their products or components are made in sweatshops employing children or adults forced to work excessive hours for free or for paltry pay.

The senator has warned that a number of products sold in Canada, including coffee, cocoa and sugarcane, may be linked to child or forced labour. She has also warned about imports of products made in factories in the Xinjiang region of China where members of the Uyghur community have been forced to work.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2022.

The Canadian Press

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Ontario election day, waiting for Hoggard verdict : In The News for June 2 - EverythingGP