Fighting for workers’ rights – and to stay in this country

The workers at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado went on strike and won a new contract with better pay and benefits. Many of those workers are immigrants from countries that the Trump administration has stripped of their Temporary Protected Status visas. FERN senior editor Ted Genoways returns to his reporting on Tchelly Moise, a Haitian immigrant who helped lead the strike at one of the largest meatpacking plants in the country. This episode is courtesy of KCRW’s “Good Food.”

GOP rising star Kat Cammack drops by to talk with Theodore and Helena about the future of the farm bill, her perspective on SNAP fraud and errors, why some government regulation is BS, how MAHA and MAGA can make nice, and more. This is a rollicking, in-depth conversation about serious issues in the American food system, providing deep insight into how a working legislator thinks about policy. Experience Forked Live! We're coming to Brooklyn on 11/4 with special guest Tom Colicchio! Buy tickets now!

As the fight for Congress grows more tense, the difference between victory for Red or Blue may hinge on the MAHA movement. Are its members satisfied with what the GOP and Donald Trump have done for them? Do they feel betrayed by everything that hasn’t gone their way? RFK Jr. may still be their charismatic leader, but he’s not on the ballot. Theodore Ross sits down with three great FERN reporters — Jill Filipovic, Jane Black, and Teresa Cotsirilos — to get their take on where the movement is headed and which party benefits now that food politics is driving the debate. This interview is part of FERN’s special series, “MAHA and the Midterms,” in partnership with Mother Jones and Politico.

There was a Mitch McConnell sighting in the Senate last week, which could mean a proof of life for Mitch McConnell ... but probably not for the farm bill. Helena and Theodore both think Congress is basically cooked. Meanwhile, RFK Jr.'s speech at the Children’s Health Defense Conference in D.C. showed everyone he is still very, very antivax, and that the movement has a “strong and steadfast friend in the White House." Bonus content: Mamdani food porn and a $60 loaf of rye in Manhattan.

Forked is back for a third season, and the premiere episode is all about BEEF. The cattle ranchers are beefing with the president about importing tariff-free beef from other countries. The president is beefing with the Big Four meat processors, who he blames for high prices. Trump says he’s going to make it easier for ranchers to process their own meat, and that Americans will be better able to know where their beef is coming from. But since he needs Congress to do all that, it has Theodore and Helena wondering: Where’s the beef in Trump’s newest executive order? Plus: White House wolf content, an upcoming Forked live taping in Brooklyn — and more!

The grassroots activist and MAHA leader Kelly Ryerson, known as Glyphosate Girl, has been an influential voice on agricultural issues for years. But with the Trump administration siding with Big Ag at the Supreme Court, it’s an open question where Ryerson and MAHA’s political home will be in the future. Helena and Theodore talk to Ryerson about these and other issues. Bonus: Why does the U.S. send so much ice cream to Saudi Arabia?

Some parts of the media have pronounced MAHA DOA PDA. But maybe they’re just FOI? Helena and Theodore discuss. They also tackle the staggering, stunning, Holy Guacamole adoption of GLP-1s by Americans, and the rise – and risks – of compounded weight loss drugs and direct-to-consumer pharma. Finally, a good vibe: a pool full of pickles for a proper purpose!

A signature goal of the MAHA-backed USDA was to stop SNAP recipients from using their benefits to purchase sugary foods. They were on their way to achieving that – granting waivers in nearly half the country – until a federal judge struck it down in five states. It’s a potentially precedent-setting move that may ultimately end up at the Supreme Court. Theodore and Helena get into the consequences of the federal ruling for SNAP beneficiaries, government regulators, politicians, and the MAHA movement. Also: RFK Jr. said the Trump Administration is solving the American obesity problem – but it’s probably the GLP-1s. Bonus: European soccer fans love American junk food!

America’s meat supply is produced largely by vulnerable immigrant workers, many of whom have been targeted by the Trump Administration. But a group of workers in Colorado voted to strike against conditions in the JBS flagship plant – risking the loss of their jobs and potentially being deported. FERN staffer Ted Genoways gives an in-depth interview with Tom Philpott about his reporting on the union workers who led the largest meatpacking strike in forty years. This episode comes courtesy of the Unconfined podcast.

This episode dives deep into the impact the MAHA movement has been having on the midterm elections. Zach Lahn was the first statewide candidate endorsed by MAHA Action, the movement’s largest political action committee. Donald Trump supported the other candidate, Rob Sand. Lahn won. That doesn’t mean Trump’s influence is on the wane. But it does mean MAHA issues are moving votes. Also in this episode: Did we get DOGE’d on New World screwworm fly?