The sad epic of Agriprocessors lurches toward closure with the vice president of the kosher slaughterhouse being found guilty of fraud --  just an appetizer of the feast that's being served up for this dude. From the NYT:

A federal jury on Thursday convicted the former manager of an Iowa kosher slaughterhouse, which was the site of a major immigration raid, on 86 of 91 financial fraud charges.

Jurors returned the verdict against the manager, Sholom Rubashkin, 50, on its second day of deliberations after the nearly monthlong trial.

Mr. Rubashkin faces a sentence that could total hundreds of years in prison and a second federal trial on 72 immigration charges. Read more...

Man, can Postville, Iowa, or its infamous kosher meat plant, Agriprocessors, stay out of the news? At all? Is this poor city capable of calm normalcy ever again?

Agriprocessors CEO Rubashkin Hit with 99 New Charges (Iowa Independent)

Rabbis Protest at Jail Where Rubashkin is Held (THOnline)

Dude. Check the sidebar about Rubashkin's brother at this link. Read more...

International Migrants Day Calls For Change:

Paramilitary raids and deportations have increased in record numbers. This year, two of the largest - and most brutal - raids in American history took place in Postville, IA,and Laurel, Miss. The vision of poor immigrant men and women being dragged away in handcuffs and ankle chains as if they were killers or terrorists will not be easily forgotten. Even more haunting were the faces of their terrified children crying for their parents. Read more...

Here are updates on a few different stories worth keeping your eye on:

* Canda confirms 15th case of Mad Cow in its recent outbreak.

* Former Agriprocessors workers learn English while awaiting court dates.

Besides living in a foreign land without much knowledge of English, Klinkenberg said her students still are reeling from the raid. Many did not see their spouses and children for months. Other families have yet to reunite. Many still wear government-issued ankle bracelets that track their movements. Read more...

Agriprocessors of Postville, Iowa is the nation's largest kosher beef producer. Or was, before it filed for bankruptcy and largely stopped major production roughly two weeks ago. (Hit "Agriprocessors" in the keywords at the bottom of this post if you want to read all Fair Food Fight articles on this subject.)

As a result of this blow to the market, kosher beef prices are climbing nationwide, the Cleveland Plains-Dealer is reporting this morning. More on the jump page.

UPDATE 11/14 9:30 PM:

Lots of heavy crap going down at Agriprocessors today -- so fast that I'm going to divert interested readers over to FailedMessiah, a superb blog that has been staying well ahead of mainstream media on this issue.

 But to summarize today's events:

* Owner/operator Rabbi Rabashkin was arrested again, this time on bank fraud (facing 52 yrs in the federal pen)

* Power and water was shut off to Agriprocessor's workers' homes

* Effected workers were being taken to a temporary shelter

* No paychecks were issued to workers today -- Agriprocessors plant officialy shut down

* State of Iowa intervening to reconnect power

More on the other side.

(Video below: For those who want background on how this issue began, check this out. From local eyewitness news last May...)