John McCracken covers the industrial agriculture meat industry for Investigate Midwest.
Mónica Cordero is a Report for America corps member and part of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk team.

Rural America
Meatpacking Plants Disproportionately Pollute Poor, Non-White Communities
Postville, Iowa has long dealt with the fallout from Agri Star Meat and Poultry, the town’s largest employer—and the same is true in many towns near meatpacking plants.
John McCracken and Mónica Cordero
Announcing In These Times’ New Agreement with the National Writers Union
Freelance contributors are essential to the quality and success of In These Times and independent media, and this agreement is one way to demonstrate their value to our publication and our commitment to transparency.
For more information about the National Writers Union, visit nwu.org.
Read the full agreement, which reaffirms a floor for the rates of our freelance editorial content, as well as our current rates (which are higher) and submissions guidelines below.