Carl Icahn Is a Valuable Ally for Pregnant Pigs

Proponents of animal rights don’t tend to see Wall Street corporate raiders as natural allies. But in their struggles to influence some of America’s biggest companies, they’ve gained a collaborator who might actually help make some progress: Carl Icahn, the takeover-artist-turned-activist-investor who made his name dismantling the airline TWA.

Lately, Icahn has been spending a lot of time talking about pigs. In late February, he announced a plan to nominate two candidates to the McDonald’s Corp. board of directors — part of a broader effort to put pressure on the company, which he says has failed to fulfill a 2012 promise to eliminate restrictive gestation crates for pregnant sows within 10 years. The company insists it’s honoring its commitment.