Thomas Frank on human trafficking

Frank -- who wrote "What's the Matter with Kansas?" -- devotes his Wall Street Journal column to the recent allegations of human trafficking here in Kansas City.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Joe White!

Massive human-trafficking ring operated from KC, OP, Mission, feds allege

Mark Morris has big news about an indictment accusing 12 people of running a human-trafficking ring, one with national reach, from Kansas City. Here's the indictment itself, all 90 pages.

Here's how it allegedly worked: The ring brought hundreds of foreign workers to the United States, then housed them in apartments operated by the ring. The employees worked for cleaning services, hotels and construction crews in 14 states.

The workers were badly underpaid, AND they were overcharged for housing, the feds allege. They had to keep working for the companies because they couldn't afford to pay their way out. So if this is true, it's probably not an exaggeration to call them "modern-day slaves."