The 29 States Where You Can Still Be Fired For Being Gay

Tim Cook came out as gay in an essay in Businessweek on Thursday. He said that the unequal treatment LGBT employees face all over the country was a critical factor in his decision.

"I’ve had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people’s differences," Cook wrote. "Not everyone is so lucky."

Indeed, there is no federal law protecting LGBT workers against discrimination based on their sexual orientation. And while some states and cities have passed their own protections, there are still 29 states where you can actually be fired for being gay, leaving more than half of all total workers vulnerable to employment discrimination.

Most Americans incorrectly think that this problem has already been solved. A 2013 HuffPost/YouGov poll found that 69 percent of Americans think that firing people for being gay is illegal.

A proposed federal law called the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would provide protections for all LGBT Americans working for employers with at least 15 employees. It's been introduced in nearly every Congress since 1994, but has never passed.

Apple's home state of California has some of the most robust anti-discrimination laws in the country, and the company itself is an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights.

"If hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy," Cook wrote in his essay.

What's Behind Dear Kate's No-Underwear Yoga Pants

Lingerie company Dear Kate's new no-underwear yoga pants make a lot of promises: No panty lines. No bunching. No riding up. No camel toe. No stressing about comfort. And they'll make your butt look great.

If they can deliver all that, the new pants, which have a thick, absorbent lining around the crotch, may be able to shove their way into the busy market for yoga gear. That's the plan, at least, for Dear Kate founder Julie Sygiel, whose company is making its first foray away from undergarments.

"We surveyed our customers and said, 'Hey what do you want to see from us next,'" Sygiel, who studied chemical engineering at Brown University, told the Huffington Post in an interview. "Yoga wear was by far the winner."

She may have caught on to something.

Most women wear a thong or other kind of panties with their yoga pants. But around 17 percent of women wear nothing at all underneath their pants when they work out, according to Dear Kate's market research. A survey conducted by Groupon earlier this year found that about 25 percent of women go commando while practicing yoga.

Alexandra Seijo, who teaches yoga at Equinox and Pure Yoga in New York City, said she doesn't usually wear underwear while practicing, and will definitely check our Dear Kate's new pants. She wants to be focused on what's happening internally when she's doing yoga, so something that would keep her mind from getting distracted would be a plus, she said.

"Sometimes we do get caught up in the external, when the purpose of yoga is to go within," Seijo told HuffPost. "The last thing you want to worry about is tugging, pulling, pinching, having any kind of clothing malfunction because you want to be fully immersed in the practice."

Still, no-underwear yoga pants have their limits. Some may have issues trusting the concept of shunning their underwear, especially after Lululemon's see-through yoga pant debacle in 2013. And they need to be washed after each use without an undergarment.

Dear Kate started as an underwear company, but decided to expand into yoga-wear. (Photo courtesy Dear Kate)

Founded in 2012, Dear Kate has raised $1.2 million thus far from private investors, selling a selection of undergarments that present an alternative to "period panties." They have extra lining and are made of materials that wick moisture, release stains and resist leaks. They're also aimed at women who have bladder issues after pregnancy.

Now, Dear Kate is trying to grab a piece of the growing market for yoga gear. Global sales of so-called "activewear" climbed 7 percent and surpassed $33 billion in the 12 months ending in June, according to data from market research firm NPD Group. Athletic wear companies, fast-fashion emporiums and even some haute couture labels are trying to claim their slice of the yoga pie. Meanwhile, smaller yoga apparel makers are battling each other, vying to be the next Lululemon.

The regular, full-length yoga pant from Dear Kate costs $118. Lululemon charges between $82 and $128 for most of its yoga pants, while many similar styles from rival Athleta run from $64 to $98.

While items like no-underwear running shorts have been around for a long time, Sygiel is hoping that her more versatile yoga product will set it apart. And the stretchy pants aren't just for yoga -- women use them for many athletics, from pilates to running and biking.

Sygiel's yoga pants, made at a factory in Queens, New York, are getting attention even before they become available to the public. A 30-day Kickstarter campaign for the pants attracted more than $150,000 in funding. Though Sygiel declined to share precise sales numbers, she said that in 2014, the company expects to triple its revenue total from the year prior.

Dear Kate's pants are expected to launch in mid-November, but are available for pre-order now.

Dear Kate's no-underwear yoga pants have a thick, moisture-wicking lining. (Photo courtesy Dear Kate)

Poultry Processor Discouraged Injured Workers From Seeing Doctors, Feds Find

WASHINGTON -- One of the nation's leading poultry processors exposed its line workers to painful musculoskeletal injuries and discouraged them from reporting those injuries to doctors, an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found on Wednesday.

Wayne Farms, which bills itself as the fifth-largest poultry producer in the U.S., was issued 11 safety citations for hazards allegedly found at its plant in Jack, Alabama, nine of which were deemed "serious." The proposed fines for the citations top $100,000, which may be low for other regulatory agencies, but is quite stiff for OSHA, which is the federal government's workplace safety regulator. The company, which is based in Georgia, will have the option to appeal.

Significantly, OSHA decided to use what's known as the general duty clause in order to cite the company for hazards. Workplace safety law states that employers have a "general duty" to protect workers from harmful situations, though regulators usually rely on more specific standards to levy fines.

It's been more than a decade since OSHA used the general duty clause to cite a poultry plant for ergonomic hazards. Poultry workers, many of whom are immigrants, are generally low-paid and vulnerable to repetitive-motion injuries, particularly carpal tunnel syndrome. The case against Wayne Farms may indicate a new aggressiveness on the part of OSHA when it comes to policing the industry.

"The citations issued by OSHA are landmark," Celeste Monforton, an occupational health and safety expert, said in an email to The Huffington Post. "It's a breath of fresh air to finally see the Labor Department taking a tough stand against ergonomic hazards. The fact that it did so tells me the situation for workers was egregious."

In a statement, OSHA officials said that the hazards at the plant led to "serious injuries" for workers that went unreported to doctors as well as occupational safety officials. Inspectors also found that workers at the plant were forced to see the company nurse repeatedly before they were referred to an independent doctor.

"Wayne Farms effectively concealed the extent to which these poultry plant workers were suffering work-related injuries and illnesses," Joseph Roesler, OSHA’s area director in Mobile, Alabama, said in a statement. "And as a result, it reported an artificially lower injury and illness rate."

In a statement through a spokesperson, Wayne Farms said it was contesting several of the citations "while also investigating the circumstances surrounding the allegations." The company said some of the citations were in "vague, general terms that are hard to address or investigate."

"[O]thers specifically called out problem areas the company has either already addressed or that were in fact not violations of any specific regulation or safety protocol," the statement read.

Wayne Farms does business under the brand names of Wayne Farms, Dutch Quality House and Platinum Harvest. According to its website, the company processes 2.5 billion pounds of poultry each year at its 11 plants.

With the help of lawyers from the Southern Poverty Law Center, Wayne Farms workers filed a complaint against the company with OSHA earlier this year.

The Center for Progressive Reform, an advocacy group that pushes for stronger workplace safety standards, said the fine proposed for Wayne Farms "shows OSHA's commitment to addressing the widespread hazards that poultry workers face."

This post has been updated with comment from Wayne Farms.

The Economy Is Still The Biggest Issue For The Voters

WASHINGTON -- For all the talk about ISIS and Ebola, and all the political firestorms over the Affordable Care Act, most voters this year remain focused on the economy.

In a new HuffPost/YouGov poll of likely voters, 56 percent named the economy as one of the two issues most important to them. Health care, named by 35 percent, was a clear but relatively distant second choice, followed by immigration, "how things work in Washington" and foreign policy/terrorism. Three more topics -- social/women's issues, the environment and gun policies -- barely broke into the double digits.

Priorities diverged sharply between those supporting a Democratic candidate for Congress and those backing a Republican. While both groups overwhelmingly named the economy as a top issue, the Republican voters picked immigration and foreign policy as the second and third most important issues, with health care in fourth place. The Democratic voters, in contrast, rated health care nearly as important as the economy, with how things work in Washington, social issues and the environment following behind.

Voters under 30 were far more likely than their older counterparts to be concerned about the environment: 29 percent cited it as a top issue, compared to 10 percent or fewer in every other age group. Those with household incomes under $40,000 were considerably more likely to worry about health care than those with higher incomes. Women were slightly more likely than men to mention both health care and social issues.

Other findings from the poll:

Most voters agree on which issues dominate ad campaigns.
About two-thirds of voters remember seeing the economy and health care mentioned in political ads or campaign mailers. Around half also say they've seen immigration, social issues and how things work in Washington mentioned.

Analysis from Kantar Media/CMAG earlier this month found similar results, with both Democratic and Republican TV advertising in congressional races dominated by economic issues, like jobs or the budget, and health care. Environment and energy topics came in third.

But there's a partisan divide over each party's priorities.
Asked which two topics GOP candidates had discussed the most, voters again named the economy and health care. Very few thought that Republicans had spent much time on the environment, gun policies or social issues.

Supporters of the two parties, however, had different ideas on which of the top two issues the GOP had highlighted more. Over half of the likely Republican voters said the Republican Party was more focused on the economy, compared to 37 percent who said health care. The likely Democratic voters saw the GOP as paying about equal attention to both issues.

The Democratic Party, in contrast, was seen as focusing on social/women's issues: 43 percent of voters said that topic was among the Democrats' top concerns. Just 26 percent named the economy, and 23 percent identified health care.

The perception that Democrats have leaned heavily on social/women's issues was especially prevalent among groups that may not have been the intended targets of the message. Fifty percent of male voters and 51 percent of likely Republican voters said Democrats were focused on social issues, compared to just 35 percent of female voters and 36 percent of likely Democratic voters.

President Barack Obama isn't on the ballot, but he's still on voters' minds.
Nearly seven in 10 voters said they consider their congressional choice this year to be a referendum on President Obama and his policies, with many giving him a thumbs down. Forty-seven percent said they'll be voting against Obama, 22 percent said they'll be voting to support him, and 29 percent said he won't be a factor in their choice.

The likely Republican voters were nearly unanimous, with 86 percent saying they're against the president. The likely Democratic voters, though, were roughly evenly split between saying they'll vote to support Obama and saying he won't play a factor.

The HuffPost/YouGov poll was conducted Oct. 28-30 among 802 U.S. likely voters using a sample selected from YouGov's opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population. Factors considered include age, race, gender, education, employment, income, marital status, number of children, voter registration, time and location of Internet access, interest in politics, religion and church attendance.

The Huffington Post has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov's nationally representative opinion polling. Data from all HuffPost/YouGov polls can be found here.

What's Behind Dear Kate's No-Underwear Yoga Pants

Lingerie company Dear Kate's new no-underwear yoga pants make a lot of promises: No panty lines. No bunching. No riding up. No camel toe. No stressing about comfort. And they'll make your butt look great.

If they can deliver all that, the new pants, which have a thick, absorbent lining around the crotch, may be able to shove their way into the busy market for yoga gear. That's the plan, at least, for Dear Kate founder Julie Sygiel, whose company is making its first foray away from undergarments.

"We surveyed our customers and said, 'Hey what do you want to see from us next,'" Sygiel, who studied chemical engineering at Brown University, told the Huffington Post in an interview. "Yoga wear was by far the winner."

She may have caught on to something.

Most women wear a thong or other kind of panties with their yoga pants. But around 17 percent of women wear nothing at all underneath their pants when they work out, according to Dear Kate's market research. A survey conducted by Groupon earlier this year found that about 25 percent of women go commando while practicing yoga.

Alexandra Seijo, who teaches yoga at Equinox and Pure Yoga in New York City, said she doesn't usually wear underwear while practicing, and will definitely check our Dear Kate's new pants. She wants to be focused on what's happening internally when she's doing yoga, so something that would keep her mind from getting distracted would be a plus, she said.

"Sometimes we do get caught up in the external, when the purpose of yoga is to go within," Seijo told HuffPost. "The last thing you want to worry about is tugging, pulling, pinching, having any kind of clothing malfunction because you want to be fully immersed in the practice."

Still, no-underwear yoga pants have their limits. Some may have issues trusting the concept of shunning their underwear, especially after Lululemon's see-through yoga pant debacle in 2013. And they need to be washed after each use without an undergarment.

Dear Kate started as an underwear company, but decided to expand into yoga-wear. (Photo courtesy Dear Kate)

Founded in 2012, Dear Kate has raised $1.2 million thus far from private investors, selling a selection of undergarments that present an alternative to "period panties." They have extra lining and are made of materials that wick moisture, release stains and resist leaks. They're also aimed at women who have bladder issues after pregnancy.

Now, Dear Kate is trying to grab a piece of the growing market for yoga gear. Global sales of so-called "activewear" climbed 7 percent and surpassed $33 billion in the 12 months ending in June, according to data from market research firm NPD Group. Athletic wear companies, fast-fashion emporiums and even some haute couture labels are trying to claim their slice of the yoga pie. Meanwhile, smaller yoga apparel makers are battling each other, vying to be the next Lululemon.

The regular, full-length yoga pant from Dear Kate costs $118. Lululemon charges between $82 and $128 for most of its yoga pants, while many similar styles from rival Athleta run from $64 to $98.

While items like no-underwear running shorts have been around for a long time, Sygiel is hoping that her more versatile yoga product will set it apart. And the stretchy pants aren't just for yoga -- women use them for many athletics, from pilates to running and biking.

Sygiel's yoga pants, made at a factory in Queens, New York, are getting attention even before they become available to the public. A 30-day Kickstarter campaign for the pants attracted more than $150,000 in funding. Though Sygiel declined to share precise sales numbers, she said that in 2014, the company expects to triple its revenue total from the year prior.

Dear Kate's pants are expected to launch in mid-November, but are available for pre-order now.

Dear Kate's no-underwear yoga pants have a thick, moisture-wicking lining. (Photo courtesy Dear Kate)

All Your Favorite Halloween Candy Is Made By Only 10 Corporations

Arguably the best part of trick-or-treating as a kid was when you got home, dumped your take on the floor and evaluated the night's haul. Maybe you sorted it by which type was your favorite -- Hershey's over here, Reese's over there, sad, unwanted lollipops and Now and Laters thrown in the discard pile. Maybe you did it by color if you were an artistic type, or by flavor profile if you were a blossoming foodie.

Most kids probably don't sort their Halloween candy according to which company owns the brand, because most kids don't know or care where their treats come from. But if they, or an adult who cares a lot about candy conglomerates, were to do so, here's what it would look like:

Who knew Smarties and Tootsie Rolls had their own companies?

Unsurprisingly, American chocolate giants Hershey and Mars distribute much of the chocolate sold in the U.S. (and chocolate is America's favorite Halloween treat, according to a 2013 survey by the National Confectioners Association):

Note: The Huffington Post defined "Halloween candy" by going to Manhattan locations of CVS, Duane Reade and Walgreens and seeing what was being sold in the Halloween aisle. This is most likely not a comprehensive list of everything everyone considers "Halloween candy."

U.S. Consumers Sue Takata Over Airbags; Class-Action Status Sought For Larger Payout

(Adds detail on lawsuit)

Oct 27 (Reuters) - Takata Corp, the Japanese company whose potentially defective airbags have led to the recall of millions of vehicles, was sued on Monday by consumers who claimed Takata and several car manufacturers defrauded them by concealing crucial information.

The lawsuit, filed with a U.S. District Court in Florida, is believed to be the first in the United States to seek class-action status on behalf of consumers nationwide.

If that status is granted, it could subject Takata to a larger payout in a trial or settlement than if vehicle owners were forced to sue individually.

The federal lawsuit is at least the third filed against Takata in the last week over alleged airbag defects. The other lawsuits were brought on behalf of individual owners.

A Takata representative in the U.S. could not immediately be reached.

The lawsuit also names car manufacturers as defendants, including Toyota and Honda. Representatives for those companies in the U.S. also could not immediately be reached.

U.S. safety regulators are investigating whether Takata airbag inflators made from 2000 to 2007 were improperly sealed or subject to other defects.

At least four deaths and dozens of injuries have been linked to faulty Takata airbags, and their potential to rupture and spray metal shrapnel at vehicle occupants.

Takata "had a duty to disclose these safety issues because they consistently marketed their vehicles as reliable and safe," the lawsuit said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has urged owners of an estimated 7.8 million Chrysler, Ford , General Motors, BMW, Honda, Mazda , Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Fuji Heavy's Subaru and Toyota vehicles to replace their airbags

The case in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida is Craig Dunn et al vs. Takata Corporation et al, 14-cv-24009. (Reporting by Dan Levine in San Francisco and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Ken Wills and Kenneth Maxwell)