buzzfeed--2020-07-06--Atlanta Mayor (And Possible Joe Biden VP Pick) Keisha Lance Bottoms Has Tested Positive For COVID-19

BuzzFeed News has reporters around the world bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
Bottoms , who is seen as a top contender to be Joe Biden 's running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket , tweeted that she had no symptoms when she tested positive .
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Monday she has tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , as Georgia fights an uptick in cases of the virus .
Bottoms told MSNBC 's Joy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 , despite the fact that they had been taken precautions and both tested negative two weeks ago .
`` It leaves me for a loss of words because I think it really speaks to how contagious this virus is , '' Bottoms told MSNBC .
`` And we 've taken all of the precautions that you can possibly take .
We wear a mask .
We 're very thoughtful about washing our hands .
I have no idea when and where we were exposed . ''
She said her husband 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seasonal allergies were the only indications that they should both get tested again .
`` This is just a lesson for everyone that you have to take every single symptom seriously , '' Bottoms said on MSNBC .
The mayor spoke at a press conference Sunday , following the shooting death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in Atlanta on Saturday , where she pleaded for an end to gun violence .
Bottoms told MSNBC that she had reached out to Turner 's parents to let them know of her diagnosis , and said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next two weeks .

Bottoms told MSNBC's Joy Reid that her husband also tested positive for COVID-19, despite the fact that they had been taken precautions and both tested negative two weeks ago.
"It leaves me for a loss of words because I think it really speaks to how contagious this virus is," Bottoms told MSNBC. "And we've taken all of the precautions that you can possibly take. We wear a mask. We're very thoughtful about washing our hands. I have no idea when and where we were exposed."
She said her husband's fatigue and her own slight cough and seasonal allergies were the only indications that they should both get tested again.
"This is just a lesson for everyone that you have to take every single symptom seriously," Bottoms said on MSNBC.
The mayor spoke at a press conference Sunday, following the shooting death of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in Atlanta on Saturday, where she pleaded for an end to gun violence. Bottoms told MSNBC that she had reached out to Turner's parents to let them know of her diagnosis, and said she would be quarantining at home for the next two weeks.


buzzfeed--2020-07-06--Bubba Wallace Called Out "Hate" From Trump After He Accused The NASCAR Driver Of A Noose "Hoax"

`` Love should come naturally as people are taught to hate .
Even when it 's hate from the POTUS , '' Wallace , the only Black full-time driver on NASCAR 's top circuit , tweeted .
Bubba Wallace called out `` hate from the POTUS '' on Monday after President Donald Trump falsely claimed that an earlier incident involving a noose found in the NASCAR driver 's stall was a `` hoax '' and demanded that he apologize .
`` Love should come naturally as people are taught to hate .
Even when it 's hate from the POTUS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full-time driver on NASCAR 's top circuit , tweeted Monday .
After Wallace successfully led efforts to have the Confederate flag banned at all NASCAR events , the rope was discovered in his garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama in June .
The FBI later determined that the noose had been in the garage since at least October , months before Wallace occupied it , and that the driver was not the target of a hate crime .
But investigators did not classify the incident as a hoax , nor did they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
Wallace told CNN 's Don Lemon following the investigation that he was not the one who had reported the noose — and in fact he had n't seen it himself — but was alerted to its discovery by NASCAR President Steve Phelps .
NASCAR officials said they launched an investigation into the garage door pull rope being `` fashioned like a noose '' prior to informing Wallace of its discovery .
Wallace maintained that the intention behind the tying of the rope was clear , whether or not the noose was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been racing all my life .
We ’ ve raced out of hundreds of garages that never had garage pulls like that , '' he told CNN .
`` Whether tied in 2019 or whenever , it was a noose .
It was n't directed at me , but somebody tied a noose .
It was— It is a noose . ''
At the White House press briefing Monday , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany falsely claimed that Wallace had n't acknowledged that the incident was not determined to be a hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to why Wallace should apologize for a hate crime investigation he did not initiate .
The press secretary also made a reference to actor Jussie Smollett , who was charged with filing a false police report claiming he had been beaten in January 2019 by two men who yelled MAGA chants .
McEnany said Trump was not `` making a judgment one way or another '' in regards to NASCAR banning the Confederate flag .
She accused a reporter of `` focusing on one word at the very bottom of a tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of context . ''
In a statement Monday , NASCAR commended Wallace 's `` courage and leadership '' and vowed continued support for the driver .

Wallace told CNN's Don Lemon following the investigation that he was not the one who had reported the noose — and in fact he hadn't seen it himself — but was alerted to its discovery by NASCAR President Steve Phelps.
NASCAR officials said they launched an investigation into the garage door pull rope being "fashioned like a noose" prior to informing Wallace of its discovery.
Wallace maintained that the intention behind the tying of the rope was clear, whether or not the noose was targeted at him specifically.
"I’ve been racing all my life. We’ve raced out of hundreds of garages that never had garage pulls like that," he told CNN. "Whether tied in 2019 or whenever, it was a noose. It wasn't directed at me, but somebody tied a noose. It was— It is a noose."


buzzfeed--2020-07-06--More Than Three Years After The Standing Rock Protests, A Judge Ordered The Dakota Access Pipeline T

More Than Three Years After The Standing Rock Protests, A Judge Ordered The Dakota Access Pipeline To Shut Down

Members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their supporters opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline confront bulldozers in an effort to make them stop working on the pipeline , Sept. 3 , 2016 .
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Washington on Monday ordered a complete shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline after finding the US government violated federal environmental law , a major defeat for the Trump administration and the company that built the pipeline three years after it became operational .
The ruling is a long-awaited win for Native American tribes that have fought the pipeline in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost when they tried to stop it from going online in the summer of 2017 .
They ’ ve argued that the pipeline could cause serious environmental harm to Lake Oahe , a large lake that spans the border of North and South Dakota .
The Obama administration had paused the project in 2016 — thousands of Native Americans and other protesters held large demonstrations at the site near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation — but the Trump administration reversed course and allowed construction to proceed .
US District Judge James Boasberg wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have significant economic consequences , there was no other option until the US Army Corps of Engineers completed a full Environmental Impact Statement given the “ seriousness ” of the agency ’ s violation and the potential environmental harm the pipeline posed while it carried oil in the meantime .
“ The Court does not reach its decision with blithe disregard for the lives it will affect .
It readily acknowledges that , even with the currently low demand for oil , shutting down the pipeline will cause significant disruption to DAPL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and potentially other states , ” Boasberg wrote .
“ Yet , given the seriousness of the Corps ’ [ National Environmental Policy Act ] error , the impossibility of a simple fix , the fact that Dakota Access did assume much of its economic risk knowingly , and the potential harm each day the pipeline operates , the Court is forced to conclude that the flow of oil must cease.
” Boasberg gave the pipeline company 30 days to empty the pipeline and shut it down by Aug. 5 .
The Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit .
“ Today is a historic day for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the many people who have supported us in the fight against the pipeline , ” Mike Faith , chair of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe , said in a statement .
“ This pipeline should have never been built here .
We told them that from the beginning.
” A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment .
Energy Transfer Partners , the parent company of the pipeline project , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pursue an expedited appeal before the DC Circuit if Boasberg refused to delay his order , and were `` confident that once the law and full record are fully considered Dakota Access Pipeline will not be shut down and that oil will continue to flow . ''
`` The economic implications of the Judge ’ s order are too big to ignore and we will do all we can to ensure its continued operation , '' the company stated .
`` This was an ill-thought-out decision by the Court that should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruling came several months after Boasberg issued a decision in March finding the US Army Corps of Engineers had violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it gave the pipeline company permission to build under Lake Oahe .
The Army Corps conducted what ’ s known as an Environmental Assessment , and determined that a more in-depth Environmental Impact Statement wasn ’ t required .
Boasberg concluded at the time that the Army Corps was wrong .
Under the National Environmental Policy Act , the government isn ’ t always required to complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a particular project , but the law lays out factors that can trigger a requirement to do one .
One is if the effect of a project on the environment is “ likely to be highly controversial.
” It ’ s a factor that turns on how much dispute there is about the “ size , nature , or effect ” of an action by the federal government .
Boasberg found that when it came to the Dakota Access Pipeline project , the Army Corps had failed to resolve the controversy over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it approved the construction plan .
Recognizing that ordering a full shutdown was an extraordinary move , Boasberg in March gave both sides more time to argue over what he should do .
The judge noted in Monday ’ s decision that the pipeline ’ s owners raised significant concerns about the financial cost and potential job losses that would come with shutting down the pipeline now — the company submitted declarations saying it could lose $ 643 million over the rest of 2020 and another $ 1.4 billion in 2021 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submitted briefs to the court opposing a shutdown , argued there would be ripple effects on other industries that relied on oil coming through the pipeline , as opposed to by rail or other transportation routes .
The tribes , meanwhile , responded that the pipeline company ’ s prediction of economic problems were “ wildly exaggerated ” given that oil prices had already gone down because of economic instability during the coronavirus pandemic .
Boasberg wrote that it was clear the shutdown would have economic consequences , and that he did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but ultimately it didn ’ t “ tip the scales ” in favor of letting the pipeline continue to operate while the Army Corps did its full environmental review .
A complete shutdown would give the Army Corps incentive to stick to its estimated timeline of 13 months to complete the review , the judge wrote , and he found that siding with the pipeline company now would undermine the purpose of the environmental policy law .
“ When it comes to NEPA , it is better to ask for permission than forgiveness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider environmental consequences later , NEPA ’ s action-forcing purpose loses its bite , ” Boasberg wrote .
Leading up to the pipeline going operational in June 2017 , Boasberg had denied requests by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other Native American tribes for injunctions based on arguments that the pipeline plan violated the tribes ’ religious freedom and historic preservation laws .
The tribes continued to press the case even after the pipeline began carrying oil .
Once the agency finishes the Environmental Impact Statement , the litigation could stretch on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate challenge to the outcome of that study .
The judge noted that an Environmental Impact Statement is “ a separate regulatory beast ” and that the final product could be subject to its own round of court review .

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Washington on Monday ordered a complete shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline after finding the US government violated federal environmental law, a major defeat for the Trump administration and the company that built the pipeline three years after it became operational.
The ruling is a long-awaited win for Native American tribes that have fought the pipeline in court for years, and who had lost when they tried to stop it from going online in the summer of 2017. They’ve argued that the pipeline could cause serious environmental harm to Lake Oahe, a large lake that spans the border of North and South Dakota.
The Obama administration had paused the project in 2016 — thousands of Native Americans and other protesters held large demonstrations at the site near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation — but the Trump administration reversed course and allowed construction to proceed.
US District Judge James Boasberg wrote Monday that even though a shutdown likely would have significant economic consequences, there was no other option until the US Army Corps of Engineers completed a full Environmental Impact Statement given the “seriousness” of the agency’s violation and the potential environmental harm the pipeline posed while it carried oil in the meantime.
“The Court does not reach its decision with blithe disregard for the lives it will affect. It readily acknowledges that, even with the currently low demand for oil, shutting down the pipeline will cause significant disruption to DAPL, the North Dakota oil industry, and potentially other states,” Boasberg wrote. “Yet, given the seriousness of the Corps’ [National Environmental Policy Act] error, the impossibility of a simple fix, the fact that Dakota Access did assume much of its economic risk knowingly, and the potential harm each day the pipeline operates, the Court is forced to conclude that the flow of oil must cease.”
Boasberg gave the pipeline company 30 days to empty the pipeline and shut it down by Aug. 5. The Trump administration could appeal Boasberg’s decision to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.
“Today is a historic day for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the many people who have supported us in the fight against the pipeline,” Mike Faith, chair of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said in a statement. “This pipeline should have never been built here. We told them that from the beginning.”
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. Energy Transfer Partners, the parent company of the pipeline project, said in a statement that they planned to pursue an expedited appeal before the DC Circuit if Boasberg refused to delay his order, and were "confident that once the law and full record are fully considered Dakota Access Pipeline will not be shut down and that oil will continue to flow."
"The economic implications of the Judge’s order are too big to ignore and we will do all we can to ensure its continued operation," the company stated. "This was an ill-thought-out decision by the Court that should be quickly remedied."
Monday’s ruling came several months after Boasberg issued a decision in March finding the US Army Corps of Engineers had violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it gave the pipeline company permission to build under Lake Oahe. The Army Corps conducted what’s known as an Environmental Assessment, and determined that a more in-depth Environmental Impact Statement wasn’t required.
Boasberg concluded at the time that the Army Corps was wrong. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, the government isn’t always required to complete an Environmental Impact Statement before granting permits for a particular project, but the law lays out factors that can trigger a requirement to do one. One is if the effect of a project on the environment is “likely to be highly controversial.” It’s a factor that turns on how much dispute there is about the “size, nature, or effect” of an action by the federal government.
Boasberg found that when it came to the Dakota Access Pipeline project, the Army Corps had failed to resolve the controversy over the environmental effects of the pipeline when it approved the construction plan.
Recognizing that ordering a full shutdown was an extraordinary move, Boasberg in March gave both sides more time to argue over what he should do.
The judge noted in Monday’s decision that the pipeline’s owners raised significant concerns about the financial cost and potential job losses that would come with shutting down the pipeline now — the company submitted declarations saying it could lose $643 million over the rest of 2020 and another $1.4 billion in 2021. The company, along with other groups that submitted briefs to the court opposing a shutdown, argued there would be ripple effects on other industries that relied on oil coming through the pipeline, as opposed to by rail or other transportation routes.
The tribes, meanwhile, responded that the pipeline company’s prediction of economic problems were “wildly exaggerated” given that oil prices had already gone down because of economic instability during the coronavirus pandemic.
Boasberg wrote that it was clear the shutdown would have economic consequences, and that he did not take the issue “lightly,” but ultimately it didn’t “tip the scales” in favor of letting the pipeline continue to operate while the Army Corps did its full environmental review. A complete shutdown would give the Army Corps incentive to stick to its estimated timeline of 13 months to complete the review, the judge wrote, and he found that siding with the pipeline company now would undermine the purpose of the environmental policy law.
“When it comes to NEPA, it is better to ask for permission than forgiveness: if you can build first and consider environmental consequences later, NEPA’s action-forcing purpose loses its bite,” Boasberg wrote.
Leading up to the pipeline going operational in June 2017, Boasberg had denied requests by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other Native American tribes for injunctions based on arguments that the pipeline plan violated the tribes’ religious freedom and historic preservation laws.
The tribes continued to press the case even after the pipeline began carrying oil. Once the agency finishes the Environmental Impact Statement, the litigation could stretch on if the tribes decided to lodge a separate challenge to the outcome of that study. The judge noted that an Environmental Impact Statement is “a separate regulatory beast” and that the final product could be subject to its own round of court review.


buzzfeed--2020-07-06--Here's What Trump's Visit To Mount Rushmore Looked Like

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive onstage during an Independence Day event at Mount Rushmore in Keystone , South Dakota , July 3 .
President Donald Trump stopped by the Black Hills of South Dakota for a 4th of July celebration at Mount Rushmore on Friday , but was met by protesters , who were initially relegated to a `` free speech zone , '' but eventually blocked the road for about four hours in a demonstration of solidarity of Indigenous rights and the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement .
Demonstrators created a blockade to the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road and removing the tires , photographer Micah Garen of Four Corners Media told BuzzFeed News .
Protesters then formed a line as they faced off with local police , sheriff 's deputies , and the National Guard , who were armed with riot gear .
“ Protesters were organized and determined to hold the line , peacefully on their end , '' Four Corners Media photographer Marie-Hélène Carleton told BuzzFeed News .
`` They were getting a lot of negative jeers from Trump supporters , things like 'Go home , go back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t think they understood the irony . ''
Several protesters and members of the media were pepper-sprayed at close range by sheriff 's deputies , including Garen , he told BuzzFeed News .
`` They saw the camera .
They were targeting journalists , everyone , '' Garen said .
`` It didn ’ t matter . ''
Garen and Carleton credit the fact that the protest remained relatively peaceful to members of the Lakota tribe , specifically young women who were demonstrating by singing , burning sage sticks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesting .
`` There were a lot of young Indigenous women on the frontlines of it all , '' Carleton said .
`` They were very thoughtful and very vocal . ''
Eventually , authorities gave protesters a 30-minute warning to disperse or face being arrested , with most people choosing to leave , Garen said .
Unlike protesters , many attendees of Trump 's event did not wear a mask , despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , which the president only briefly mentioned in a speech marked by divisive remarks .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 91 , that Jesus will protect us against pestilence , '' Carleton said .
`` There was a lot of religiosity around the discussion of the virus .
Every single Trump supporter we talked to did not believe the virus was a danger . ''

President Donald Trump stopped by the Black Hills of South Dakota for a 4th of July celebration at Mount Rushmore on Friday, but was met by protesters, who were initially relegated to a "free speech zone," but eventually blocked the road for about four hours in a demonstration of solidarity of Indigenous rights and the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement.
Demonstrators created a blockade to the president's event by parking vans across the road and removing the tires, photographer Micah Garen of Four Corners Media told BuzzFeed News. Protesters then formed a line as they faced off with local police, sheriff's deputies, and the National Guard, who were armed with riot gear.
“Protesters were organized and determined to hold the line, peacefully on their end," Four Corners Media photographer Marie-Hélène Carleton told BuzzFeed News. "They were getting a lot of negative jeers from Trump supporters, things like 'Go home, go back to where you came from.' I don’t think they understood the irony."
Several protesters and members of the media were pepper-sprayed at close range by sheriff's deputies, including Garen, he told BuzzFeed News.
"They saw the camera. They were targeting journalists, everyone," Garen said. "It didn’t matter."
Garen and Carleton credit the fact that the protest remained relatively peaceful to members of the Lakota tribe, specifically young women who were demonstrating by singing, burning sage sticks, and using megaphones to call for peaceful protesting.
"There were a lot of young Indigenous women on the frontlines of it all," Carleton said. "They were very thoughtful and very vocal."
Eventually, authorities gave protesters a 30-minute warning to disperse or face being arrested, with most people choosing to leave, Garen said.
Unlike protesters, many attendees of Trump's event did not wear a mask, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which the president only briefly mentioned in a speech marked by divisive remarks.
"One woman we spoke with quoted Psalm 91, that Jesus will protect us against pestilence," Carleton said. "There was a lot of religiosity around the discussion of the virus. Every single Trump supporter we talked to did not believe the virus was a danger."


buzzfeed--2020-07-06--How A 4th Of July Meal Exposes The Coronavirus Risk For Thousands Of US Food Workers

Hundreds of workers may have contracted COVID-19 to get you the food on your plate this 4th of July .
Some may have even died .
A BuzzFeed News investigation exposes the cost of your BBQ .
After months of stress , Americans have been looking forward to the pre–COVID-19 pleasures of a ( socially distanced ) 4th of July .
How about a cookout ?
It 's a traditional , low-key summer celebration — but amid the nation 's growing outbreak , even a simple home-cooked meal comes at an exorbitant price .
A BuzzFeed News investigation reveals the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation ’ s inadequate response to it — has infected , sickened , and even killed workers up and down the nation 's food supply chains as they work to keep our refrigerators full .
Take a typical summer feast : tangy ribs , a side of creamy pasta salad , and a slice of freshly baked apple pie .
If you shop at a Walmart Supercenter , in , say , Massachusetts , the apples you ’ d buy would have been picked by workers in Washington state ’ s Yakima @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor camp with few protections in place .
The fruit would then be sorted into boxes in an Allan Bros. packhouse , which for weeks failed to follow federal COVID-19 safety guidelines — even after employees started falling ill .
The ribs would have been sliced and packed by employees at a pork processing plant — like the Tyson Foods facility in Indiana that stayed open for weeks , even as the virus spread through its staff .
The pasta would have been stacked by grocery clerks whose employer was slow to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got sick , and to inform the local health department and customers of the growing outbreak .
From those three workplaces alone — the Allan Bros. packhouse in Yakima Valley , the Tyson plant in Indiana , and the Walmart in Massachusetts — around 1,100 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 , and at least four have died , according to a BuzzFeed News investigation based on government documents , company memos , and interviews with around 50 workers , managers , local officials , and labor advocates .
Worried about putting themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans have turned to home cooking as a safer , more ethical option .
But what may seem safer for consumers can still be deadly for the low-paid , often immigrant workers who make up America ’ s sprawling food supply chains .
Across the country , from fields to packhouses to slaughterhouses to grocery stores , companies failed to require masks , build protective barriers , or arrange testing until after outbreaks had spread through the workforce .
Some workers in the chain still do not get sick pay , forcing them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missing out on paychecks — between feeding your family or protecting their own .
“ I 'd just like to see them keep us safe , ” Dennis Medbourn , a worker at the Tyson plant in Logansport , Indiana , where three coworkers he knew have died from COVID-19 complications , told BuzzFeed News .
“ We ’ re working a lot of hours , too , to try to make up for the meat shortage.
” One grocery worker , Yok Yen Lee , a door greeter at the Walmart in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work up until days before she died from COVID-19 .
“ She was really hardworking , ” her daughter , Elaine Eklund , told BuzzFeed News .
“ She absolutely loved that job .
She wanted to do that job for her whole life.
” The paths through which food reaches Americans ’ plates originate on farms and in factories in small cities and rural towns before making their way across the 50 states .
The networks are intricately interrelated , which means that the people who live in those areas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the friends and relatives they come into contact with , shoulder a disproportionate share of the risk to keep the nation fed .
An apple picker at a FirstFruits Farms orchard in Yakima Valley appears to have caught the virus from her husband who worked at a Tyson beef plant in the area , according to Erik Nicholson , vice president of United Farm Workers .
FirstFruits didn ’ t respond to a detailed request for comment .
Are you still working during the coronavirus pandemic ?
We 'd love to hear your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buzzfeed.com or via one of our tip line channels .
Since the start of the pandemic , around 29,000 workers at grocery stores , meatpacking plants , and other food processing facilities have been infected nationwide , and at least 225 have died , according to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union .
This is almost certainly an undercount : Many companies have declined to order widespread testing , even at workplaces where employees are falling ill. As a result , the full scope of infections among frontline food workers may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic is making very clear is that some of our most underpaid , marginalized , and exploited workers are , in fact , our most essential , ” said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , who co-sponsored a bill with other Senate colleagues in June to provide protections for the country ’ s agricultural workers .
“ Every plate of food reflects a disturbing reality : Food-supply workers — from farmworkers to grocery store clerks — are risking their lives every day to keep us fed , often in unsafe conditions , and far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 30 , Angelina Lara felt an itch in her throat .
For seven months , she ’ d worked as a fruit packer for Allan Bros. , one of at least 18 produce companies in Yakima Valley , a fertile agricultural zone that rolls east across central Washington from the mighty Cascade mountain range .
Lara , 48 , grew up in Southern California but moved to the city of Yakima in 2005 , following relatives who had come for the jobs at the valley ’ s plentiful packhouses .
Around a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in agriculture , more than the next two industries combined .
Apples are one of the main businesses in town , and the fruit is at the center of the Yakima city seal .
Central Washington accounts for 60 % of the nation ’ s apple production .
Over the years , Lara worked at numerous packhouses , including a previous stint at Allan Bros. She returned to the company last year for a job that paid $ 13.50 an hour , more than the $ 12 minimum wage she made previously .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the foothills of Mount Rainier , Lara and her fellow day shift employees washed and sorted apples , which are packed and shipped year-round in the region .
Around 300 workers clock in for the day shift , standing along a brisk conveyor belt about 2 feet apart , sorting apples , like the organic Fuji variety sold at Walmarts across the country , and separating out fruit that ’ s been spoiled or infested with worms .
( The night shift handles seasonal fruit , such as cherries . )
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lara said , and “ it ’ s impossible to be 6 feet apart because at times the line moves so fast that you need somebody to help you with all the apples.
” As COVID-19 was spreading across the state and the country in March and April , Allan Bros. added plexiglass barriers to the office area where management and administrators worked .
“ But the same was not put in the warehouse , ” said Shauri Tello , who moved from Mexico to Yakima when she was 15 and began working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduated high school at age 18 , two years ago .
The company hadn ’ t yet begun providing workers with masks , so some workers brought their own from home , according to four employees and a memo from health officials who inspected the site on May 8 .
Lara didn ’ t immediately assume the itch in her throat meant she ’ d caught the coronavirus .
At the time , she didn ’ t know if anyone at work had been infected , she said .
Still , she stayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a precaution .
Within 24 hours , she had developed a fever .
Then she began to have trouble breathing .
Lara has asthma , but this was worse than any asthma attack she had ever had .
“ I was home alone , so I started panicking , ” she said .
At the hospital , she said , she paid for the COVID-19 test herself — $ 152 — and it came back positive .
Lara informed Allan Bros. that , under doctor ’ s orders , she would stay home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and another worker who tested positive said that company officials told them that their leave would be unpaid .
She asked her supervisor to “ let [ her ] coworkers know so they can take precautions , ” Lara said .
“ They never did it .
Nobody even knew I was sick.
” Three of her coworkers corroborated that claim , saying that management didn ’ t tell them about any cases at the plant in April and early May .
In an emailed statement in response to questions , Allan Bros. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until May but declined to specify when it began doing so .
Today , Yakima County has the highest rate of per capita COVID-19 cases in the Pacific Northwest — about 1 for every 34 people .
In central Washington — as in other areas such as California ’ s Imperial and San Joaquin valleys — the agricultural industry is experiencing a reckoning ; the methods for packing produce and housing migrant workers that have been maximized for efficiency have created the ideal conditions for the spread of a devastating virus .
Sixty-nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ North District ” housing facility , Williams stated .
They slept on bunk beds in rooms shared with as many as three others .
They also shared a kitchen , a laundry room , and several bathrooms .
In the mornings , they piled into vans that carried 14 of them at a time to the orchards .
The company began implementing new procedures to protect workers from COVID-19 as early as March 13 , after a worker at a different Stemilt housing facility tested positive .
In a memo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and common areas across the company would be sanitized every night and throughout the day .
While the three North District workers were awaiting their test results in mid April , three others at the camp began showing similar symptoms .
Ultimately , all six tested positive , according to Williams ’ statement .
Over the next few days , Stemilt coordinated with local health officials to begin testing all the workers from the North District camp , as well as the eight local crew leaders who worked with them .
All the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 69 guest workers tested positive .
When Stemilt conducted another round of testing on April 22 , nine more workers tested positive .
Most of the cases were asymptomatic .
No one was hospitalized .
The state ’ s Employment Security Department said it expects 27,000 H-2A jobs in 2020 .
Stemilt declined to comment for this story .
Stemilt was the exception — not in terms of its explosion of cases , but because it looked for them at all .
Though local officials in nearby Yakima County offered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplaces , only one fruit company , Columbia Reach Pack , had taken them up on it by late May , according to local health department documents .
At most fruit companies in the region , workers only got tested if they showed symptoms or were exposed to a confirmed case , and then called health authorities .
Still , by the third week of May , more than 300 fruit workers in the region had tested positive , and health officials identified outbreaks — a workplace infection rate of at least 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 18 produce companies .
Allan Bros. , where Lara worked , was one of the companies that declined to test its workers .
Danielle Vincent , a spokesperson for Allan Bros. , denied that the county offered to test all its workers — though other companies confirmed the offer , and government documents show that local health officials were “ Awaiting Response ” from Allan Bros. on an inquiry about whether the company “ Want [ s ] Employee Testing.
” Though 19 of 515 employees at its packhouse had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not schedule widespread testing , according to local health department records .
Workers had to decide whether to risk going to work and getting sick , or staying home and not getting paid .
“ The fear of every worker that I know is that they may come down with the virus .
And if they don ’ t work , they don ’ t get paid — and if they don ’ t get paid , they don ’ t eat , ” said Erik Nicholson , national vice president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power disparities between farmworkers , some of whom are undocumented , and their employers , noted Beth Lyon , a law professor and founder of Cornell University 's Farmworker Legal Assistance Clinic .
And while the country has deemed them “ essential ” during a pandemic , most farmworkers can be fired at will , making many hesitant to advocate for safety measures .
This is particularly true of guest workers , whose visas are directly tied to their employer .
“ If they speak up for health protections like masks or social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only their livelihood but also their housing ” and their permission to be in the United States , Lyon told BuzzFeed News .
Local officials and farm owners attribute some of their slow reactions to the pandemic to the lack of direction at the federal level .
That ’ s led the industry to “ take care of itself ” said Butler , the Chelan–Douglas Health District officer .
“ The difficulty we ’ ve had was that there was absolutely no guidance on what was the right way to house H-2A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gilbert , who leads Gilbert Orchards , said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's changing position on masks left his company in a conundrum .
In March — as the country ’ s top public health agency told citizens not to use masks and to save them for healthcare professionals — orchard and packhouse operators donated a few thousand N95 masks they had gathered for fire season to local hospitals .
Weeks later , when the CDC changed its guidance , those businesses were left scrambling , facing stiff competition and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the world competed for mask shipments .
Gilbert , whose operation includes 4,000 acres of orchards and 1,200 workers during peak season , noted that apples are a “ labor-intensive business ” with small margins .
As a result of social distancing measures , the packhouse could only prepare 10,000 boxes of apples per shift from late March to the end of May , rather than the typical 12,000 .
“ Keeping people apart means that people can ’ t hand off things in a process , ” he told BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process down.
” He added that protective equipment and hazard pay add a further squeeze on Gilbert Orchards ’ economics .
“ COVID has fundamentally changed how we do business.
” Yet he didn ’ t see the need to allow health officials to test all his employees .
Gilbert Orchards — where at least 26 of the 350 or so employees in the packhouse , shipping , and administrative departments have been diagnosed — declined Yakima County ’ s offer to arrange testing at the facility and instead suggested its workers take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials had set up around the valley .
Gilbert said part of his reasoning was fear of upsetting his employees .
“ I turned down their offer to bring in a National Guard unit to quarantine our facility while they escorted people to and from testing tents , ” he told BuzzFeed News .
“ I felt that requiring that of all employees would have been potentially traumatic.
” If guest workers are among the most vulnerable employees in the produce industry , workers who live year-round in central Washington are only slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said , threw her family into a precarious financial position .
Her husband , who works at the same warehouse , and her two sons , who work as nursing assistants , tested negative but stayed home as a precaution in case they subsequently caught the virus from her .
The household of four went without a paycheck for two weeks .
Lara qualified for unemployment insurance because she ’ d been diagnosed , and her husband and sons may be eligible for family leave benefits — but whatever government money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come soon enough to meet the bills coming due .
The family burned through years ’ worth of savings in a matter of days , she said .
Back at Allan Bros. , meanwhile , workers in the packhouse said the company still hadn ’ t distributed masks , and as the cases mounted , many were growing angry .
On May 7 , dozens of Allan Bros. workers went on strike over conditions they said were unsafe ; in the days that followed , around 500 workers from six other fruit companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine ended , she took a spot in the line of workers holding signs by the road , chanting through colorful cloth masks .
Local lawyers and union representatives estimated that the labor action was one of the largest they ’ d seen among agriculture workers in Yakima , reminiscent of the marches César Chávez attended in the county in the 1980s .
Nearly every day , at each of the seven strike locations , the workers encountered local white residents driving by , shouting at them to get back to work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participated in the strikes .
She recalled those drivers saying things like “ If you don ’ t like it , get out.
” On another occasion , a man shouted out his car window that he was going to “ come back and shoot you all , ” according to a Yakima County Sheriff ’ s Office incident report and written witness statements .
When deputies later caught him returning to the scene , he told them that Allan Bros. “ treats those people very well and they should not be protesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The man was arrested and charged with malicious harassment .
The backlash against the striking workers reflected a long-standing resistance to Yakima ’ s growing Latinx population for some .
Latinx residents accounted for 15 % of the city ’ s population in 1980 , 30 % in 2000 , and 50 % in 2018 .
Still , no Latinx candidate had been elected to office in the city until 2015 , after a federal judge ruled that the city ’ s previous system of at-large council seats violated the Voting Rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the county ’ s residents cast their ballots for Donald Trump .
Three weeks into the strike , Lara finally went back to work .
Allan Bros. had installed protective barriers in the packhouse , offered a $ 1-an-hour pay raise , and started providing masks , according to Lara and three coworkers .
Though she has been cleared of infection , she still has trouble breathing and sleeps sitting up most nights .
She said her doctor told her it might be months before she feels normal again .
She considers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her coworkers , 60-year-old David Cruz , got sick a few days after she did .
His wife and daughter tested positive too , Lara said .
He had worked at the plant for 12 years , most recently putting together boxes on the upper level of the warehouse .
When Lara saw him on breaks , he was “ always positive , getting along with everybody , ” she said .
On one of the last days of work before the pandemic hit , Cruz told Lara about his plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time in years .
“ He was very happy he was going to see her , ” Lara recalled .
“ He was planning for June or July.
” He died on May 31 .
His coworkers collected $ 4,000 to give to his wife .
The mood at the packhouse has been somber since .
Outbreaks were beginning to pop up at meatpacking plants around the country .
Tyson had instituted temperature checks at Logansport but hadn ’ t yet installed plexiglass barriers or distributed any protective equipment — even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Junction , Iowa , had closed on April 6 , leaving the company all the more reliant on its other five hog slaughterhouses .
“ That ’ s when everybody was thinking , Man , why don ’ t they close our plant ?
” said Medbourn .
“ You ’ d hear people coughing and stuff .
People weren ’ t showing up for work more than usual.
” Tyson declined to comment on whether its Logansport plant increased production during that period , but a spokesperson , Liz Cronston , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which we determine to operate in our facilities is dependent on ensuring team member safety.
” The company has maintained that its response to the pandemic was swifter than most .
Cronston noted that Tyson began seeking masks for workers even before the CDC recommended their use , and it was one of the first companies to proactively test all employees for COVID-19 .
“ If we learned a team member had tested positive for the virus , we notified co-workers who had been in close contact , ” she said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection of our team members and their communities.
” The ergonomic monitor tried to maintain a few feet of distance when he checked on workers — but the long , open-tiered plant was loud with the whirring of electric saws , the rumble of conveyor belts , and the echoing clangs of metal .
He sometimes had to lean in close to talk and hear , he said .
He interacted with around 200 workers each day .
Tyson began requiring employees to wear masks in mid-April .
On April 23 , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tyson organized COVID-19 testing for all 2,200 of its workers in Logansport .
The monitor and others on his shift filed into a big white tent in the parking lot , “ all pushed together to get out from the rain ” as nurses swabbed their noses , he said .
A few days later , he got a call informing him of his result : He had COVID-19 — one of 890 Tyson workers to test positive by the end of April in Logansport , a staggering 40 % of the plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , the monitor showed no symptoms at the time of diagnosis , although he did recall feeling unusually tired the previous week .
He shuddered at the thought that he may have infected the people he saw every day .
“ I wouldn ’ t have suspected if I didn ’ t get tested , ” he said .
“ I was really freaked out .
Just , like , wow .
It spread out really , really quick.
” Tyson closed its Logansport plant for two weeks starting on April 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had outbreaks of at least 200 cases , and five have temporarily closed .
At one point , four of the country ’ s five largest known outbreaks in meatpacking plants were at Tyson sites .
To date , around 8,500 Tyson workers have tested positive , more than the company ’ s three biggest industry competitors combined , according to data compiled by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting .
But Tyson ’ s standing at the top of this list isn ’ t necessarily because its plants are more dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the company has been more committed to determining how many of its employees have been infected , even though revealing those numbers almost guarantees a plant ’ s closure .
The other big meat companies — JBS , Smithfield Foods , and Cargill — haven ’ t conducted comprehensive testing at most facilities , even as meat processing plants became widely known as incubators for the virus .
“ We believe it ’ s imperative that we share our experience addressing this pandemic because safety is not a point of competitive advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s spokesperson .
“ Results from these tests have allowed us to find team members who have the virus but don ’ t have symptoms and would not otherwise have been identified.
” For Tyson , JBS , Smithfield , and Cargill , closing a plant sends a ripple effect across both ends of the supply line .
The four companies produce around 85 % of the meat sold in the US , churning out pork , beef , and poultry in massive facilities staffed by the thousands of employees needed to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production into a few dozen mega-plants has led to lower prices but has also left the system vulnerable to major disruption , adding further pressure on workers to help keep the plants going .
Tyson is the largest buyer for many farmers around the country and one of the largest suppliers for many groceries , including Walmart .
A plant closure can lead to lost wages for livestock sellers at the start of the chain and barren meat shelves for consumers at the end .
“ Our plants must remain operational , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ad in the Washington Post and New York Times in late April , noting the company ’ s “ responsibility to feed our country.
” The Trump administration codified that idea into law with its April 28 executive order granting meatpacking corporations immunity from legal liability for sick workers .
As Tyson got ready to reopen the Logansport plant , it notified employees through an automated text service that starting May 6 , “ If eligible to work , you will be required to work all scheduled hours in order to receive the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 30 “ daily show up bonus ” for all shifts through the end of May , another text stated .
A May 8 text told employees that if they had been “ symptom free for the last 72 hours without the use of any medication you can report to Tyson ” — though the message didn ’ t include CDC ’ s additional recommendation that those diagnosed should only stop isolating at least 10 days from the onset of symptoms .
One worker , a loin cutter in the cold side , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t feel symptoms until 12 days after he tested positive , just as his two weeks of paid quarantine time was ending , leaving him temporarily without a paycheck as he applied for short-term disability to cover additional time off .
Tyson maintains that its policy has been clear : “ Any team member who has tested positive will remain on sick leave until they ’ ve satisfied official health requirements for return to work , ” Cronston said .
But some Logansport workers vented their frustrations on a private Facebook group called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the company ’ s plan to reopen even while nearly half of its workforce was under quarantine .
They also shared health updates ; on May 5 , a group member wrote in both English and Spanish that someone from the slaughter side had died from the virus .
In fact , at least three workers at the Logansport plant have died of the coronavirus , according to local health officials and a union steward at the plant .
Tyson officials refused to confirm the number of workers who died .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss of any team member , ” Cronston said .
“ We don ’ t have a number to share.
” Tyson also declined to provide an update on the number of confirmed cases at the plant since the 890 reported in April , but local health officials estimated that “ over 1,000 ” of the plant ’ s workers have tested positive .
Cass County , where Logansport is located , has nearly triple the rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people compared to the rate of the next highest Indiana county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility is one of the area ’ s largest employers .
Tyson was “ absolutely the hot spot ” for COVID-19 in the county , said Serenity Alter , the administrator for the Cass County Health Department .
The Tyson plant reopened on May 6 .
The company ramped up production as quickly as its workers could return , accelerating from half-capacity to nearly full capacity within two weeks .
It provided face shields , built plexiglass barriers in the cafeteria , and expanded its cleaning staff .
“ All you can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wash your hands , ” a Tyson senior manager in Texas said of the risk that meatpacking workers face during the pandemic .
“ I got ta assume most of the people in our facility have been around or interacted with someone who was positive.
” Yok Yen Lee , a 69-year-old door greeter at the Quincy store , was so fearful of contracting the coronavirus that she used most of her accumulated paid time off in March and early April when case numbers in the US began to skyrocket , her daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shortly after Lee returned to work in mid-April , she began to feel sick but assumed she ’ d caught a cold from spending her eight-hour shift standing outside in near-freezing temperatures .
On April 11 , the Quincy Health Department contacted Walmart to inform the store that one of Lee ’ s coworkers had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Although Walmart had waived its normal attendance policy in March , Lee continued to clock in , afraid of losing her job if she took more days off , Eklund said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began requiring employees to wear masks on April 17 .
But one current Quincy checkout employee , who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their job , said management told employees in April that masks weren ’ t necessary .
Sometimes there would be 500 people in the store and no social distancing in the employee back rooms , according to the employee .
“ It was like corona was a myth , ” they said .
A Walmart spokesperson declined to comment on these specific allegations .
Lee had worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after emigrating from China in the 1980s and working a series of retail jobs .
Colleagues described her as a joyous woman who doled out hugs and danced spontaneously but also showed a tough side when it came to dealing with rude customers .
Lee told at least one colleague , the checkout employee , that she had a slight cough .
She had attempted to apply for extended leave , but found the process , which was managed by a third-party administrator , exceedingly complicated as she primarily spoke Cantonese , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee didn ’ t feel well at work and went home early .
The next day , she had a fever and couldn ’ t get out of bed .
Paramedics , with the help of a maintenance worker , cut the lock to her door and rushed her to a hospital , where she was intubated .
Her request for extended leave from Walmart was approved on April 28 , as she lay bedridden in the ICU , Eklund recalled .
She would have turned 70 last week .
Instead , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 22 Walmart employees killed by COVID-19 nationwide , according to United for Respect , a labor advocacy group .
Lee left behind a daughter and two grandchildren , including one who was born in December .
“ She never even got a real family picture with her grandson , ” Eklund said .
“ We were starting to become a complete family .
We weren ’ t prepared to lose her this suddenly.
” Only after Lee died did the Quincy Walmart close its doors .
It soon emerged that 33 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Worcester Walmart became one of the largest clusters in the state , with 82 employees ultimately diagnosed with COVID-19 .
It was also one of the largest outbreaks at any grocery retailer in the country .
By the time the store posted on Facebook about the daylong cleaning in late April , local officials were investigating the situation .
Public health inspectors obtained an internal company list showing that nearly two dozen employees had tested positive for the coronavirus before the store closed , 20 within a one-week time period , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told BuzzFeed News .
They also reviewed a photo of a sign instructing staffers to work their scheduled shifts during that April 30 cleaning : They were expected to help “ clean , sanitize and stock ” the store alongside a third-party cleaning service so it would be ready to open the next morning .
The city of Worcester issued a cease-and-desist order that day , “ forcing the store to close immediately , ” Bird said .
It was the first time any US Walmart was closed by the government .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 5 , after the company agreed to test all of the store ’ s nearly 400 employees .
The outbreaks in the Quincy and Worcester Walmarts were caused by “ dangerous working conditions ” present at other branches , as well , according to a complaint recently filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by United for Respect , which surveyed stores nationwide .
The complaint claimed that Walmart didn ’ t provide sufficient paid sick leave to its employees , “ thereby pressuring people to go to work even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus.
” The complaint also alleged that Walmart didn ’ t enforce social distancing and had failed to quickly close stores for cleaning and disinfecting after employees were exposed or diagnosed — as was the case in Worcester and Quincy — allowing the virus to spread further among employees and the public .
All these failures violated state and federal guidance for employers , the complaint alleged .
“ Communities across the country have suffered from coronavirus cases , and with more than 1.5 million associates in the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ located within 10 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population , Walmart is not immune to the impact of COVID-19 , ” said Phillip Keene , a Walmart spokesperson .
The corporation has worked “ to find an appropriate balance between supporting our associates and serving our customers ” during the pandemic , he said , by following deep cleaning , sanitizing , and social distancing protocols guided by the CDC .
Associates are given health screenings and temperature checks prior to their shifts , for example , and employees who appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walmart has instructed managers since March to inform associates when one of their coworkers falls ill , Keene said .
There are no laws mandating that retailers report coronavirus cases , leaving it up to stores to decide how best to handle outbreaks .
In May , a delegation of state lawmakers led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon , demanding more information about how the retail giant would make changes to prevent future outbreaks and protect workers .
In its response , Walmart deflected responsibility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track the source of anyone ’ s infection.
” “ Walmart ’ s response is unacceptable , ” Warren said in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
“ Nearly 100 Walmart workers in Massachusetts got sick with coronavirus and one died due to an outbreak at the store but the company refused to answer questions on what happened and what changes it is making to keep our residents safe at work.
” One recent afternoon in June , as protesters filled streets across the country , a line of masked shoppers stretched outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity to around 20 % below its usual level .
Shelves were stocked with pasta again , apples were piled into abundant mounds , and pork ribs lay beside long rows of fresh meat .
Fruit farms , meatpacking plants , and grocery stores were open for business in every corner of America .
The food supply chains kept on humming .
●

Outbreaks were beginning to pop up at meatpacking plants around the country. Tyson had instituted temperature checks at Logansport but hadn’t yet installed plexiglass barriers or distributed any protective equipment — even though another Tyson pork plant, in Columbus Junction, Iowa, had closed on April 6, leaving the company all the more reliant on its other five hog slaughterhouses.
“That’s when everybody was thinking, Man, why don’t they close our plant?” said Medbourn. “You’d hear people coughing and stuff. People weren’t showing up for work more than usual.”
Tyson declined to comment on whether its Logansport plant increased production during that period, but a spokesperson, Liz Cronston, said, “The level of production at which we determine to operate in our facilities is dependent on ensuring team member safety.”
The company has maintained that its response to the pandemic was swifter than most. Cronston noted that Tyson began seeking masks for workers even before the CDC recommended their use, and it was one of the first companies to proactively test all employees for COVID-19. “If we learned a team member had tested positive for the virus, we notified co-workers who had been in close contact,” she said. “Our priority and focus have been the protection of our team members and their communities.”
The ergonomic monitor tried to maintain a few feet of distance when he checked on workers — but the long, open-tiered plant was loud with the whirring of electric saws, the rumble of conveyor belts, and the echoing clangs of metal. He sometimes had to lean in close to talk and hear, he said. He interacted with around 200 workers each day. Tyson began requiring employees to wear masks in mid-April.
On April 23, with rising case numbers at several facilities, Tyson organized COVID-19 testing for all 2,200 of its workers in Logansport.
The monitor and others on his shift filed into a big white tent in the parking lot, “all pushed together to get out from the rain” as nurses swabbed their noses, he said.
A few days later, he got a call informing him of his result: He had COVID-19 — one of 890 Tyson workers to test positive by the end of April in Logansport, a staggering 40% of the plant’s workforce. Like most of them, the monitor showed no symptoms at the time of diagnosis, although he did recall feeling unusually tired the previous week. He shuddered at the thought that he may have infected the people he saw every day.
“I wouldn’t have suspected if I didn’t get tested,” he said. “I was really freaked out. Just, like, wow. It spread out really, really quick.”
Tyson closed its Logansport plant for two weeks starting on April 25. All six of its pork plants have had outbreaks of at least 200 cases, and five have temporarily closed. At one point, four of the country’s five largest known outbreaks in meatpacking plants were at Tyson sites. To date, around 8,500 Tyson workers have tested positive, more than the company’s three biggest industry competitors combined, according to data compiled by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting.
But Tyson’s standing at the top of this list isn’t necessarily because its plants are more dangerous than those of its rivals, but because the company has been more committed to determining how many of its employees have been infected, even though revealing those numbers almost guarantees a plant’s closure. The other big meat companies — JBS, Smithfield Foods, and Cargill — haven’t conducted comprehensive testing at most facilities, even as meat processing plants became widely known as incubators for the virus.
“We believe it’s imperative that we share our experience addressing this pandemic because safety is not a point of competitive advantage,” said Cronston, Tyson’s spokesperson. “Results from these tests have allowed us to find team members who have the virus but don’t have symptoms and would not otherwise have been identified.”
For Tyson, JBS, Smithfield, and Cargill, closing a plant sends a ripple effect across both ends of the supply line. The four companies produce around 85% of the meat sold in the US, churning out pork, beef, and poultry in massive facilities staffed by the thousands of employees needed to reach output goals. The concentration of meat production into a few dozen mega-plants has led to lower prices but has also left the system vulnerable to major disruption, adding further pressure on workers to help keep the plants going.
Tyson is the largest buyer for many farmers around the country and one of the largest suppliers for many groceries, including Walmart. A plant closure can lead to lost wages for livestock sellers at the start of the chain and barren meat shelves for consumers at the end. “Our plants must remain operational,” CEO John Tyson wrote in a full-page ad in the Washington Post and New York Times in late April, noting the company’s “responsibility to feed our country.” The Trump administration codified that idea into law with its April 28 executive order granting meatpacking corporations immunity from legal liability for sick workers.
As Tyson got ready to reopen the Logansport plant, it notified employees through an automated text service that starting May 6, “If eligible to work, you will be required to work all scheduled hours in order to receive the guarantee pay.” Workers would receive a $30 “daily show up bonus” for all shifts through the end of May, another text stated. A May 8 text told employees that if they had been “symptom free for the last 72 hours without the use of any medication you can report to Tyson” — though the message didn’t include CDC’s additional recommendation that those diagnosed should only stop isolating at least 10 days from the onset of symptoms. One worker, a loin cutter in the cold side, told BuzzFeed News that he didn’t feel symptoms until 12 days after he tested positive, just as his two weeks of paid quarantine time was ending, leaving him temporarily without a paycheck as he applied for short-term disability to cover additional time off.


buzzfeed--2020-07-07--The US Is Considering Banning TikTok, Mike Pompeo Told Fox News

Indians hold placards urging people to remove Chinese apps in New Delhi on June 30 , 2020 .
TikTok has denied sharing information on users in India with the Chinese government after being banned in India last week .
The United States is considering banning TikTok and other apps from China over national security concerns , secretary of state Mike Pompeo told Fox News ’ Laura Ingraham in an interview on Monday .
“ You should know we ’ re taking this very seriously , we ’ re certainly looking at it , ” said Pompeo in response to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would consider banning Chinese social media apps days after India — TikTok ’ s largest market outside China — banned nearly 60 Chinese apps including TikTok , following border clashes with the country .
“ With respect to Chinese apps on people ’ s cellphones , I can assure you the United States will get this one right too , Laura , ” Pompeo said .
“ I don ’ t want to get out in front of the President but it ’ s something we ’ re looking at.
” When asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phones , Pompeo said : “ Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.
” In response to Pompeo 's comments , a TikTok spokesperson told BuzzFeed News : “ TikTok is led by an American CEO , with hundreds of employees and key leaders across safety , security , product , and public policy here in the U.S. We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users .
We have never provided user data to the Chinese government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked.
” Pompeo ’ s comments come at a time when tensions between the United States in the areas of trade , technology , and national security among others , are escalating .
Last week , the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) declared Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE as threats to national security and banned networks in the US from using federal funds to purchase equipment from them .
After India banned 59 Chinese apps last week , Pompeo said that the United States welcomed the move to ban mobile apps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CCP ’ s surveillance state.
” TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance — one of the world ’ s most valuable companies — which was worth $ 100 billion in May , according to Business Insider .
Over the last few years , the app has exploded in popularity with teens and young millennials in countries like India and the United States , clocking up more than two billion downloads earlier this year .
It ’ s the first Chinese app that has successfully caught on in any significant way outside its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popularity and its links with China have drawn scrutiny from around the world .
Last year , US lawmakers expressed concern about the company ’ s censorship of users who criticized the Chinese government , and about whether the app sent the private data of Americans back to China .
To gain trust with Washington , TikTok hired Kevin Mayer , a former Disney executive in the US , to be the company ’ s CEO last year , and has said that it operates separately from ByteDance .
The company stores the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on servers in Virginia and Singapore , the New York Times reported last year .

The United States is considering banning TikTok and other apps from China over national security concerns, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham in an interview on Monday.
“You should know we’re taking this very seriously. We’re certainly looking at it,” said Pompeo in response to a question from Ingraham about whether the US would think about banning Chinese social media apps days after India — TikTok’s largest market outside China — banned nearly 60 Chinese apps including TikTok, following border clashes with the country.
“With respect to Chinese apps on people’s cellphones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too, Laura,” Pompeo said. “I don’t want to get out in front of the president, but it’s something we’re looking at.”
When asked whether Americans should download TikTok on their phones, Pompeo said: “Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.”
In response to Pompeo's comments, a TikTok spokesperson told BuzzFeed News: “TikTok is led by an American CEO, with hundreds of employees and key leaders across safety, security, product, and public policy here in the U.S. We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users. We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked.”
Pompeo’s comments come at a time when tensions between the United States in the areas of trade, technology, and national security among others, are escalating. Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE as threats to national security and banned networks in the US from using federal funds to purchase equipment from them.
After India banned 59 Chinese apps last week, Pompeo said the United States welcomed the move to ban mobile apps “that can serve as appendages of the CCP’s surveillance state.”
TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance — one of the world’s most valuable companies — which was worth $100 billion in May, according to Business Insider. Over the last few years, the app has exploded in popularity with teens and young millennials in countries like India and the United States, clocking up more than 2 billion downloads earlier this year. It’s the first Chinese app that has successfully caught on in any significant way outside its home country.
But TikTok’s popularity and its links with China have drawn scrutiny from around the world. Last year, US lawmakers expressed concern about the company’s censorship of users who criticized the Chinese government and about whether the app sent the private data of Americans back to China.
To gain trust with Washington, TikTok hired Kevin Mayer, a former Disney executive in the US, to be the company’s CEO last year, and has said it operates separately from ByteDance. The company stores the data of American users “exclusively” on servers in Virginia and Singapore, the New York Times reported last year.


buzzfeed--2020-07-07--Tom Hanks Opened Up About His "Crippling" Coronavirus Symptoms And Urged People To Take The Pandemic

Tom Hanks Opened Up About His "Crippling" Coronavirus Symptoms And Urged People To Take The Pandemic Seriously

Tom said that his team of doctors were mostly concerned with making sure their symptoms did n't get any worse @ @ @ @ @ going to be in trouble '' :

Tom said that his team of doctors were mostly concerned with making sure their symptoms didn't get any worse, or they "were going to be in trouble":


buzzfeed--2020-07-07--A Man Shared A Shocking Photo Of What COVID-19 Did To Him After Six Weeks In A Hospital

`` I wanted to show it can happen to anyone .
It does n't matter if you 're young or old , have preexisting conditions or not .
It can affect you . ''
As he sat in his bed in a Boston hospital 's coronavirus ward , Mike Schultz chatted with one of his favorite nurses about his treatment of being sedated and intubated .
`` I thought only a week had gone by , '' he told BuzzFeed News .
That 's when she let him know he had n't been in the ward for one week — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I was so weak .
This was one of the most frustrating parts , '' he recalled .
`` I couldn ’ t hold my cellphone ; it was so heavy .
I couldn ’ t type , because my hands shook so much . ''
The 43-year-old nurse from San Francisco had no underlying health conditions .
He normally worked out six or seven times a week .
He weighed about 190 pounds .
When he spoke with BuzzFeed News on Tuesday , weeks after he 'd been able to start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 140 pounds .
His lung capacity is only now starting to slowly come back .
Last week , Schultz shared a photo of the toll COVID-19 had taken on his body to his 30,000 Instagram followers .
The picture on the left was taken about a month before he first got sick .
He took the photo on the right in a recovery ward .
It exhausted him to stand up from the bed for a few minutes to take the picture , he said .
`` I knew what I thought going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I didn ’ t think it was as serious as it was until after things started happening , '' he said .
`` I thought I was young enough for it not to affect me , and I know a lot of people think that .
`` I wanted to show it can happen to anyone .
It does n't matter if you 're young or old , have preexisting conditions or not .
It can affect you . ''
Schultz went to the hospital on March 16 .
Two days earlier , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in San Francisco to see his boyfriend , 29-year-old DJ Josh Hebblethwaite .
He was a little under the weather but did not have a fever .
The week before , the pair had gone to Miami Beach for Winter Party Festival , a circuit party that Hebblethwaite was working at and which drew thousands of people to the area for a week of events .
Schultz posted pictures of himself smiling with friends and declared on Instagram he 'd had a great time .
But as they danced , the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also present .
`` We knew it was out there , '' said Schultz .
`` There were no real restrictions in place , though .
No lockdowns .
We just thought , Well , we got ta wash our hands more and be wary of touching our face . ''
At least 38 people who attended Winter Party subsequently became sick .
Three men died .
Within two days of Schultz arriving in Boston , he and Hebblethwaite began feeling seriously ill. Schultz 's fever spiked to 103 , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filling with liquid .
They raced to a hospital .
`` They took him right in and did n't let me stay to say goodbye , '' Hebblethwaite said .
On his first day there , Schultz was given oxygen through his nose , then via a full face mask , and then doctors started sedating him .
`` One of the doctors said early on I was probably going to be intubated , and it freaked me out , '' he said .
Within four days , he was taken to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become Schultz 's medical proxy just in case .
`` There was no one else around , and I would be the one to make decisions for him , '' Hebblethwaite said .
`` It was definitely scary . ''
Schultz ended up being intubated for four and a half weeks , and Hebblethwaite could not visit him due to hospital protocols designed to prevent infection .
Instead , he called every four hours or so for updates and to ask the nurses to let Schultz know he was loved .
`` About @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nice enough to FaceTime with him , '' he said .
`` It was pretty much like he was in a coma .
It was definitely scary .
But I was so happy to see him at that point . ''
As he continues his recovery , Schultz said both he and Hebblethwaite have received some backlash online for their attendance at the Winter Party .
Some even said Schultz deserved to get sick , but he is choosing to focus on the outpouring of support he 's received since posting his photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said , `` but it does n't bother me that much , because I ’ ve gotten so much positive feedback . ''
He has also been thinking about the food he ordered at McDonald 's when he was finally released from the hospital : two double cheeseburgers , small fries , and a strawberry shake .
`` It did taste different .
I think lost some of my taste , '' he said , `` but it was good . ''

As he sat in his bed in a Boston hospital's coronavirus ward, Mike Schultz chatted with one of his favorite nurses about his treatment of being sedated and intubated.
"I thought only a week had gone by," he told BuzzFeed News.
That's when she let him know he hadn't been in the ward for one week — he'd been there for six.
"I was so weak. This was one of the most frustrating parts," he recalled. "I couldn’t hold my cellphone; it was so heavy. I couldn’t type, because my hands shook so much."
The 43-year-old nurse from San Francisco had no underlying health conditions. He normally worked out six or seven times a week. He weighed about 190 pounds. When he spoke with BuzzFeed News on Tuesday, weeks after he'd been able to start eating foods again, he weighed just 140 pounds. His lung capacity is only now starting to slowly come back.
Last week, Schultz shared a photo of the toll COVID-19 had taken on his body to his 30,000 Instagram followers. The picture on the left was taken about a month before he first got sick. He took the photo on the right in a recovery ward. It exhausted him to stand up from the bed for a few minutes to take the picture, he said.


buzzfeed--2020-07-08--Trump’s Consumer Watchdog Just Allowed Payday Lenders To Give Loans To People Who Can’t Afford Them

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a final rule Tuesday that makes it easier for payday lenders to give out high-interest loans to people who may not be able to repay them .
The CFPB rule undoes an Obama-era requirement that payday lenders must first assess whether someone taking out a loan can actually afford to repay it .
Essentially , it would have put the same onus on payday lenders that banks have for giving out long-term loans like mortgages .
Democrats and consumer advocates have accused the Trump administration of gutting protections for the most vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic crisis .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the rule makes a mockery of the CFPB ’ s mission to protect consumers and gives the industry free rein to trap vulnerable communities in cycles of debt .
Short-term payday loans regularly come with interest rates that top 300 % ; depending on state laws , they can top 500 % or even 600 % .
Lenders often allow people to roll over their loans by paying a fee to delay repayment .
This is called “ loan churn , ” and it is how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt .
The CFPB ’ s own analysis in 2014 found that 80 % of payday loans were either rolled over or followed by another short-term loan within two weeks .
Interest fees regularly surpass the original principal on the loan .
“ The consequences could be devastating , ” said Matt Litt , consumer campaign director at US PIRG , the federation of state public interest research groups .
“ If you ’ re already having trouble as it is , taking out a payday loan could make a bad situation worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after loan and spiraling into a debt trap because you couldn ’ t afford the first one.
” The CFPB did not respond to a request for comment .
In a press release , the agency 's director , Kathleen Kraninger , said the move was made to provide consumers with more access to capital .
“ Our actions today ensure that consumers have access to credit from a competitive marketplace , have the best information to make informed financial decisions , and retain key protections without hindering that access , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to pay '' requirement was developed late in the Obama administration and finalized in October 2017 .
But the very next month , the Trump administration appointed Mick Mulvaney as acting director , and he announced that implementation would be delayed .
The administration later began the process of getting rid of the requirement altogether .
In 2019 , the Washington Post published leaked audio of payday lenders discussing the need to raise large sums of money for Trump ’ s reelection campaign to gain favor with the administration .
Ironically , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weaken the CFPB could end up being used to undo the president 's policies .
The bureau was created after the 2008 financial crisis and designed to be independent of the president .
Its directors would be confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms and could not be fired by the president without cause .
The Trump administration argued in court that this is unconstitutional .
Just last week , the Supreme Court agreed and ruled the president can fire a CFPB director at will .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden strongly hinted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kraninger .

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a final rule Tuesday that makes it easier for payday lenders to give out high-interest loans to people who may not be able to repay them.
The CFPB rule undoes an Obama-era requirement that payday lenders must first assess whether someone taking out a loan can actually afford to repay it. Essentially, it would have put the same onus on payday lenders that banks have for giving out long-term loans like mortgages.
Democrats and consumer advocates have accused the Trump administration of gutting protections for the most vulnerable consumers in the midst of a pandemic-induced economic crisis.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the rule makes a mockery of the CFPB’s mission to protect consumers and gives the industry free rein to trap vulnerable communities in cycles of debt.
Short-term payday loans regularly come with interest rates that top 300%; depending on state laws, they can top 500% or even 600%. Lenders often allow people to roll over their loans by paying a fee to delay repayment.
This is called “loan churn,” and it is how a two-week loan can balloon into long-term debt. The CFPB’s own analysis in 2014 found that 80% of payday loans were either rolled over or followed by another short-term loan within two weeks. Interest fees regularly surpass the original principal on the loan.
“The consequences could be devastating,” said Mike Litt, consumer campaign director at US PIRG, the federation of state public interest research groups. “If you’re already having trouble as it is, taking out a payday loan could make a bad situation worse where you’re taking out loan after loan and spiraling into a debt trap because you couldn’t afford the first one.”
The CFPB did not respond to a request for comment. In a press release, the agency's director, Kathleen Kraninger, said the move was made to provide consumers with more access to capital.
“Our actions today ensure that consumers have access to credit from a competitive marketplace, have the best information to make informed financial decisions, and retain key protections without hindering that access,” she said in the statement.
The "ability to pay" requirement was developed late in the Obama administration and finalized in October 2017. But the very next month, the Trump administration appointed Mick Mulvaney as acting director, and he announced that implementation would be delayed. The administration later began the process of getting rid of the requirement altogether.
In 2019, the Washington Post published leaked audio of payday lenders discussing the need to raise large sums of money for Trump’s reelection campaign to gain favor with the administration.
Ironically, some moves by the Trump administration to weaken the CFPB could end up being used to undo the president's policies.
The bureau was created after the 2008 financial crisis and designed to be independent of the president. Its directors would be confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms and could not be fired by the president without cause. The Trump administration argued in court that this is unconstitutional. Just last week, the Supreme Court agreed and ruled the president can fire a CFPB director at will.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden strongly hinted in a tweet that he will fire Kraninger.


buzzfeed--2020-07-07--The Trump Campaign Isn't Selling Face Masks, So Etsy Sellers Are Stepping In To Meet The Demand

Donald Trump won ’ t wear a mask , even as coronavirus cases rise .
But mask-makers are selling loads of masks brandishing his name .
WASHINGTON — Face-covering sales have skyrocketed on Etsy , and some of the most popular styles celebrate a man who won ’ t wear a mask .
Sellers told BuzzFeed News that masks bearing President Donald Trump ’ s name , idioms , and face are a hit .
The president has been criticized for not wearing a mask or advocating Americans wear them in the face of a pandemic that has killed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the president ’ s rallies maskless , so it ’ s not clear if the growing number of sales for Trump masks represent a detour from the administration ’ s foggy disposition on wearing masks or an intentional nod to his presidency .
“ I ’ ve only had my Trump masks for a month and they took off and are our top seller , ” said Leanne Soto , an Etsy seller in Loudoun County , Virginia .
“ I didn ’ t know if they ’ d sell well or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has shipped to every state except Alaska and Vermont , including bulk orders to Iowa and parts of Virginia .
Days before the president ’ s June rally in Tulsa , she noticed a “ huge surge ” in sales .
And then last weekend just after Trump spoke at Mount Rushmore — where he claimed to more than 7,000 largely maskless supporters that there was a “ merciless campaign to wipe out our history ” — it happened again .
“ I ’ m like , ‘ What the heck is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling [ a mask ] every five and 10 minutes , ” Soto said .
The Trump campaign does not currently offer masks for purchase on their site , which boasts everything from branded T-shirts to tree ornaments .
In May , Brad Parscale , Trump ’ s campaign manager , teased a neoprene mask would be “ coming soon , ” but it never happened , as the president has continued to disregard mask use .
The campaign 's production gap is giving some of Trump ’ s most ardent supporters an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hughes-Klucken and her mother , Nancy Moore , of Loganville , Georgia , started making masks in March but were initially just focused on providing them to the senior members of their family who were more likely to die from the coronavirus .
When Moore lost her job because of the economic downturn , the family turned their altruism into a profit-gaining venture by selling masks online .
“ My motto is God , family , country , and Trump , ” Hughes-Klucken told BuzzFeed News when asked what prompted her to start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my mom to go over there and see if she can embroider ‘ Trump.
’ And hot dog !
” The mother–daughter team ( with some help from other family members ) has sold more than 1,100 masks since April .
Some sellers expressed concerns about selling Trump swag .
Soto said she has sold 1,000 Trump masks to one buyer in Iowa but refused to say who made the purchase .
She usually reserves her Trump merch for eBay and Etsy , while her website features more animal , plaid , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sell through my website as I will get brutally smashed to pieces by a lot of customers , ” she said , adding , “ Sad.
” Etsy encouraged sellers to produce face masks in the early days of the pandemic and bolstered mask sales to $ 122 million with 2.7 million masks .
And with coronavirus cases surging in much of the country , it ’ s unlikely sales will slow anytime soon .
One Las Vegas jersey manufacturer transitioned his business to neck-breaker face coverings and is selling a design @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their faces with Trump ’ s face .
Hannon Deutsch of Boca Raton pivoted from his custom apparel business UniqueBusinessPromos.com in April and has sold more than 1,500 Trump masks on Etsy .
Some of the sales , he said , came with an explainer .
“ I kept getting multiple responses that people were just buying the Trump masks because it ’ s the only way they can get their grandparents or parents to actually wear the masks , ” Deutsch told BuzzFeed News .
Deutsch , 39 , said he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump “ does or says something , it just seems like it riles up the troops , so to speak.
” New state legislation and governors ’ executive orders have also dictated the peaks in masks sales .
“ When the Virginia governor mandated masks , every single order started flowing in from Virginia , ” said Deutsch , adding , “ and they were all Trump masks.
” The popularity of the Trump masks has shocked longtime sellers who ’ ve been active on the site for years .
Lynn , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name not be used for fear of retaliation against her business , said it ’ s now normal to see individual buyers purchase multiple masks .
“ I ’ ve got a couple of Etsy shops and sell more generic designs on my other shops , ” Lynn said .
“ There ’ s definitely more traffic for the Trump masks.
” Lynn said she has sold 810 Trump-themed masks since May 6 , nearly three times the amount of other face coverings .
“ I ’ ve got some fun pop culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some real generic ones , ” she said .
“ But the ones that have sold the best are , for sure , the Trump designs.
” Even more surprising to Lynn are the cities from where her orders are coming , including Los Angeles and New York City .
“ I ’ m like , wow , you ’ re pretty brave , ” she said .

“My motto is God, family, country, and Trump,” Hughes-Klucken told BuzzFeed News when asked what prompted her to start making Trump masks. “I told my mom to go over there and see if she can embroider ‘Trump.’ And hot dog!” The mother–daughter team (with some help from other family members) has sold more than 1,100 masks since April.
Some sellers expressed concerns about selling Trump swag. Soto said she has sold 1,000 Trump masks to one buyer in Iowa but refused to say who made the purchase. She usually reserves her Trump merch for eBay and Etsy, while her website features more animal, plaid, and floral prints.
“I sadly cannot sell through my website as I will get brutally smashed to pieces by a lot of customers,” she said, adding, “Sad.”
Etsy encouraged sellers to produce face masks in the early days of the pandemic and bolstered mask sales to $122 million with 2.7 million masks. And with coronavirus cases surging in much of the country, it’s unlikely sales will slow anytime soon.
One Las Vegas jersey manufacturer transitioned his business to neck-breaker face coverings and is selling a design that lets buyers mask the bottom of their faces with Trump’s face.
Hannon Deutsch of Boca Raton pivoted from his custom apparel business UniqueBusinessPromos.com in April and has sold more than 1,500 Trump masks on Etsy. Some of the sales, he said, came with an explainer.
“I kept getting multiple responses that people were just buying the Trump masks because it’s the only way they can get their grandparents or parents to actually wear the masks,” Deutsch told BuzzFeed News.
Deutsch, 39, said he’s seen consistent sales, but after Trump “does or says something, it just seems like it riles up the troops, so to speak.”
New state legislation and governors’ executive orders have also dictated the peaks in masks sales. “When the Virginia governor mandated masks, every single order started flowing in from Virginia,” said Deutsch, adding, “and they were all Trump masks.”
The popularity of the Trump masks has shocked longtime sellers who’ve been active on the site for years. Lynn, a Wisconsin-based seller who asked that her full name not be used for fear of retaliation against her business, said it’s now normal to see individual buyers purchase multiple masks.
“I’ve got a couple of Etsy shops and sell more generic designs on my other shops,” Lynn said. “There’s definitely more traffic for the Trump masks.”
Lynn said she has sold 810 Trump-themed masks since May 6, nearly three times the amount of other face coverings.
“I’ve got some fun pop culture ones, I’ve got just some real generic ones,” she said. “But the ones that have sold the best are, for sure, the Trump designs.”
Even more surprising to Lynn are the cities from where her orders are coming, including Los Angeles and New York City.
“I’m like, wow, you’re pretty brave,” she said.