*By Max Godnick*
It's been one year to the day since The New York Times published its [Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html) detailing allegations of sexual harassment against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
And in that time, the #MeToo movement that sprang from those claims has become much more than a hashtag. Its influence has stretched into nearly every industry ー and it's even inspired the creation of another cause, Time's Up.
That organization was [launched](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/movies/times-up-hollywood-women-sexual-harassment.html) by over 300 powerful women in entertainment who called for equal pay, anti-harassment legislation, and the creation of a multi-million dollar legal defense fund.
"There's never been an effort like this before," Sharyn Tejani, the director of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, said Friday in an interview on Cheddar.
Tejani credits the Weinstein allegations with creating necessary momentum and shifting international focus to harassment in the workplace. The accusations also allowed Time's Up to grow as powerful as it is today.
"I've been doing civil rights work and women's rights work for 20 years," she said. "If you had told me at any point in that time that we would have an organization like this one that's focused on low-wage workers and focused on sex harassment, I would have told you that's simply impossible."
The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund is focused on four key missions: matching victims of sexual discrimination in the workplace with attorneys, funding cases, helping victims find public relations and media assistance, and educating workers about their rights.
Since its founding, the fund has fielded requests from 3,557 workers from all 50 states. It has amassed a network of 782 attorneys and has committed to funding 51 cases so far.
Tejani described some of the cases Time's Up has taken on, including one of a 15-year-old McDonald's employee who was harassed while working her first-ever job and that of a retail worker whose sexual harassment increased after she became pregnant.
"They're heart-rending, and they're so important," Tejani said of her clients' stories.
Despite its founding under the stewardship of Hollywood A-listers like Reese Witherspoon and Salma Hayek, the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund is focused on fighting for the rights of a much less celebrated sector of the workforce: low-wage workers.
Tejani said that the demographic is uniquely vulnerable to harassment, which can cause depression, PTSD, and lead to a fear of going to work.
The few who do come forward are often punished by their employers ー losing shifts, having their pay cut, being pushed off projects, or simply getting fired.
"We're really pleased that we're reaching the people that we hoped we'd be reaching," Tejani said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-times-up-legal-defense-fund-looks-back-at-one-year-of-metoo).
The recent crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border isn't that different from the injustices committed against the transgender community, says actress and transgender rights activist Angelica Ross. "We, as a country and as a global society, have lost touch with our humanity," she tells Cheddar.
Mike Corbat, head of the fourth biggest bank in the U.S. with $1.84 trillion in assets, said that, while many of the current trade agreements in place need to be updated to reflect the modern economy, it's 'unfortunate' that progress from other policies, like tax reform, could be hampered by the threat of trade wars.
Employees of big tech companies hold their leaders to a high moral standard and force them to speak out, says Dana Wollman, executive editor at Endgadget. Microsoft staff recently protested against letting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been criticized for its treatment of migrant children at the border, use the company's Azure cloud technology.
The president said he will sign an executive order as soon as Wednesday to prohibit officials from separating children and parents at the southern border, after days of standing by the zero tolerance policy. His changed stance may stem from national backlash in the political and private sectors, says Jack Crowe, news writer at the National Review.
President Trump on Tuesday again deflected blame for tearing apart families at the U.S. border and suggested deporting entire family units, and Republicans scrambled to come up with a legislative fix for the crisis.
The former president of Mexico, a long-time advocate of legalizing cannabis globally, joined the board of the cannabis culture company. Adam Levine, CEO of High Times, said his addition will lend support to its efforts.
Markets opened sharply lower on Tuesday after President Trump directed his administration to identify an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that could be hit with taxes, upping the ante in the potential U.S.-China trade war. Trump's announcement comes in response to China's threats to retaliate against an original round of tariffs, targeting $50 billion worth of U.S. imports.
Suraj Patel, a former Obama campaign staffer, is trying to boost voter turnout in New York's 12th District by collaborating with coffee carts, taking workout classes with voters, and engaging with people on the streets. He's running to unseat 25-year incumbent Rep. Carolyn Maloney in the Democratic primary next week.
The president on Monday said the U.S. "will not be a migrant camp," responding to concern over families being separated at the southern border. Trump also blamed the situation on the Democrats because he realizes that the emotional images of children at processing centers are "unspinably bad right now," says Republican strategist Rick Wilson.
Google is investing $550 million in Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com. Now, JD.com products will be featured on Google's shopping service. JD.com is China's second largest e-commerce company, just behind Alibaba.
Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was arrested on Monday in Germany. Authorities detained him for fear that he would interfere with the ongoing investigation into Volkswagen over its emissions testing scandal. Volkswagen is the parent company of Audi.
Pressure is mounting on President Trump to end the zero-tolerance immigration policy that's separating children and parents at the border. Mike Allen, executive editor at Axios, weighs in on the controversy.
