Today's News and Commentary — May 30

The Los Angeles Times reports on the hardships faced by California’s farm workers as a result of that state’s ongoing drought.  Now in its third year, the drought is causing shortages of work across the state as farmers plant fewer crops. 

In a move that has drawn mixed reactions from human rights groups, a Cambodian court Friday convicted nearly two dozen labor activists for their role in anti-government protests, but granted them suspended sentences and released them, according to the Associated Press.  The 23 defendants had been in custody since their arrests in January.

Providing what the New York Times calls a “stark glance at how Silicon Valley remains a white man’s world,” Google released data Wednesday on the makeup of its workforce.  Of its technical employees, only 17 percent are women, while only 3 percent are black or Hispanic.  The Times indicates that such numbers are representative of a broader trend across the tech industry. 

The Wall Street Journal reports that strikes by public workers have caused major disruptions in several Brazilian cities during the leadup to the World Cup.  Facing high inflation, bus drivers, teachers, and other unionized groups are demanding higher pay from a government that has spent over $11 billion on preparations for the soccer tournament.