vox--2020-05-19--The police shooting of Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was killed in her apartment, explained

Breonna Taylor ’ s mother was worried about her daughter getting coronavirus .
An EMT who wanted to be a nurse , the 26-year-old Taylor was an essential worker providing health care as the pandemic worsened earlier this year .
Her mother , Tamika Palmer , told her , “ make sure you wash your hands , ” Palmer recalled to the 19th , a nonprofit newsroom that partnered with the Washington Post for the story .
She didn ’ t think Taylor would be at risk in her own home .
But late at night on March 13 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her Louisville , Kentucky , apartment .
The officers were investigating two people suspected of selling drugs , neither of whom was Taylor , according to USA Today .
The Louisville Metro Police Department declined to comment on the case to the 19th , citing an ongoing investigation .
Taylor ’ s family members , who are alleging excessive force and gross negligence in her death , filed suit on April 27 against the three officers involved in the shooting .
They — and others — are also asking why it has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public attention .
The fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery , an unarmed black man killed while jogging , has sparked national outrage after his family released a video of his death last week .
His case also went months with only a limited investigation ; it wasn ’ t until the video went viral that the two white men involved with shooting were arrested .
Thousands of Americans went running to commemorate what would have been Arbery ’ s 26th birthday in early May , publicizing their action with the hashtag # IRunWithMaud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death deserves the same kind of widespread attention .
Taylor ’ s family has retained Ben Crump , an attorney also working with Arbery ’ s family , to represent them in the case .
“ If you ran for Ahmaud , you need to stand for Bre , ” Crump told the 19th .
Police came looking for a drug suspect .
Breonna Taylor ended up dead instead .
On the night of March 13 , Louisville police had a warrant to enter Taylor ’ s apartment because they believed that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs or money or receiving packages at her home , according to USA Today .
However , according to the suit filed by Taylor ’ s family , the man police were searching for , Jamarcus Glover , did not live in her apartment complex and had already been detained by the time officers showed up .
Taylor had dated Glover two years ago , according to another family attorney , Sam Aguiar , and did not maintain an active friendship with him .
Police said that the officers knocked on the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the officers neither knocked nor identified themselves , according to the family ’ s lawsuit .
It was later uncovered that the police had been granted a no-knock warrant by a judge , which allowed them to enter Taylor ’ s apartment without announcing themselves .
They also weren ’ t wearing body cams .
When police arrived , Taylor ’ s boyfriend , Kenneth Walker , says he woke up and believed someone was trying to break into the apartment .
He fired a shot , hitting an officer in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 rounds into the apartment .
Taylor was hit eight times and died at the scene , USA Today reported .
Walker was arrested and charged with attempted murder of a police officer .
Police found no drugs in the apartment , and both Taylor and Walker have no criminal history .
Meanwhile , one of the officers who raided Taylor ’ s apartment was already facing an ongoing federal lawsuit at the time of her death .
In October 2019 , Kendrick Wilson sued Officer Brett Hankison , accusing him of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs on them , ” according to USA Today .
Wilson alleges that Hankison targeted him and arrested him three times in a two-year period .
He also alleges the existence of body-cam footage in which Hankison jokes about “ planting dope ” on him , according to USA Today .
Taylor ’ s family and activists around the country want to bring attention to her death “ I want justice for her , ” Palmer , Taylor ’ s mother , told the 19th .
“ I want them to say her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breonna should be dead at all.
” On May 14 , Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear asked Attorney General Daniel Cameron to “ carefully review the results of the initial investigation to ensure justice is done.
” Shortly after , Cameron announced he was asked to serve as a special prosecutor and will “ take appropriate action ” if necessary .
The three officers involved in the shooting remain on administrative reassignment .
Community members are asking for more , however .
A group of Louisville ministers is calling for a federal investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointment of a civilian review board to oversee the Louisville police department , according to the Louisville Courier-Journal .
Meanwhile , Keisha Dorsey , a Louisville City Council member , is calling for the dismissal of the charges against Walker .
Crump , the Taylor family ’ s attorney , argues that the killings of black women have tended to receive less media attention than the deaths of black men .
“ They ’ re killing our sisters just like they ’ re killing our brothers , but for whatever reason , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention that we have given to Trayvon Martin , Michael Brown , Stephon Clark , Terence Crutcher , Alton Sterling , Philando Castile , Eric Garner , Laquan McDonald , ” he told the 19th .
“ Breonna ’ s name should be known by everybody in America who said those other names , because she was in her own home , doing absolutely nothing wrong.
” As Errin Haines notes at the 19th , black women have been targets of police violence in America just as black men have .
In 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the hashtag # SayHerName to draw attention to women who had lost their lives , including Gabriella Nevarez , Michelle Cusseaux , and Alexia Christian , as Jenée Desmond-Harris reported for Vox at the time .
The death of Sandra Bland in jail after she was arrested during a traffic stop also drew national attention to the impact of police brutality and racism on black women ’ s lives .
Now Taylor ’ s family wants the country to know about her case , too .
Her sister , Ju ’ Niyah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor with the hashtag # JusticeforBre , according to the 19th .
In recent days , many others have followed suit .
Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) has also linked Taylor ’ s case with Arbery ’ s , calling on the Justice Department to investigate both deaths .
Arbery “ was a young man , 25 years old , taking a jog and was cut down in life , ” Harris said .
Meanwhile , Taylor “ had a dream of becoming a nurse , and she ’ s sitting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police.
” “ That ’ s not justice , what has happened for those two young people , ” Harris said .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

Editor’s note: On September 23, a Jefferson County grand jury announced that it would indict former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison on three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor. The two other officers who fired shots that night — Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove — were not indicted. The piece below was last updated on July 13.
It has been more than 100 days since Breonna Taylor was killed by police in her own home in Louisville, Kentucky. Thousands of protesters have chanted her name across the country, demanding justice for the EMT, who would have turned 27 on June 5.
As the country is reckoning with its history of racist police violence, many advocates want to know why charges still haven’t been filed against the officers who shot her dead. Meanwhile, those who want to abolish the carceral state are rethinking what justice in the Taylor case should actually look like.
Most advocates agree that another Black woman is dead because of a lack of police accountability — and something needs to change.
On March 13, three officers with a no-knock warrant entered Taylor’s apartment looking for two people suspected of selling drugs, neither of whom was Taylor. The officers fired more than 20 rounds into the apartment, hitting Taylor at least eight times.
After months of investigation, the Louisville Police Department (LMPD) fired officer Brett Hankison on June 23; the other two officers remain on administrative assignment. A special Kentucky prosecutor is leading an investigation into both the shooting and the department’s handling of the shooting to determine whether to charge the three officers who fired their weapons; the FBI is leading its own investigation. On June 29, the Louisville Metro Council also announced a resolution to investigate the actions of Mayor Greg Fischer and his administration surrounding Taylor’s death. The council hopes to create greater transparency around who made what decisions in the Taylor case, according to a news release.
Taylor’s death took place amid a slate of high-profile killings of unarmed Black people — it was just three weeks after Ahmaud Arbery was killed by white vigilantes while jogging and about 10 weeks before the fatal arrest of George Floyd. The suspects involved in Arbery’s case were arrested and charged two weeks after video of the incident went viral. The four officers involved in the killing of George Floyd were fired four days after Floyd’s death, with the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck charged with murder.
By contrast, not much has happened in Taylor’s case.
In the meantime, Taylor’s family, alleging excessive force and gross negligence in her death, filed a lawsuit on April 27 against the officers involved in the shooting. In a court filing submitted on July 5, the family alleges that Taylor received no emergency medical aid as she lay dying. The document also claims that the raid on Taylor’s apartment was part of the mayor’s scheme to clear out a block in the neighborhood for redevelopment.
“I want justice for her,” Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, told the 19th in May. “I want them to say her name. There’s no reason Breonna should be dead at all.”
Police came looking for a drug suspect. Breonna Taylor ended up dead instead.
On the night of March 13, Louisville police had a warrant to enter Taylor’s apartment because they believed that a suspect in a narcotics investigation was storing drugs or money or receiving packages at her home, according to USA Today.
However, according to the suit filed by Taylor’s family, the man police were searching for, Jamarcus Glover, did not live in her apartment complex and had already been detained by the time officers showed up. Taylor had dated Glover two years ago, according to a family attorney, and did not maintain an active friendship with him.
Police said that the three officers knocked on the door to announce themselves. But multiple neighbors say the officers neither knocked nor identified themselves, according to the family’s lawsuit. It was later uncovered that the police had been granted a no-knock warrant by a judge, which allowed them to enter Taylor’s apartment without announcing themselves. They also weren’t wearing body cams.
When police arrived, Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, 27, says he woke up and believed someone was trying to break into the apartment. There was banging on the door, he says, but police never announced themselves. He reached for his licensed handgun after he and Taylor asked who it was and got no response, NBC reported. He fired one shot, hitting an officer in the leg.
Police then fired more than 20 rounds into the apartment. Taylor died at the scene. Walker was arrested and charged with attempted murder of a police officer and aggravated assault.
Police found no drugs in the apartment, and both Taylor and Walker have no criminal history.
On May 22, Kentucky prosecutors announced that they had dismissed all charges against Walker, who said he fired a shot in self-defense when he believed he and Taylor were under attack.
On June 11, police released an incident report for the night Taylor was killed, but it was largely blank. Though Taylor was fatally shot, the four-page report listed her injuries as “none.” The report also stated there was no forced entry, though witnesses say the police used a battering ram to enter the apartment, according to CBS News.
The Taylor family’s 31-page July 5 court filing adds two new (and since contested) allegations to the narrative: that Taylor received no medical aid as she lay dying and that the nighttime raid was part of Mayor Fischer’s plan to redevelop a city block in western Louisville.
Taylor’s family said there is no evidence that suggests that Taylor was given medical attention in the six minutes between when she was shot and when she died. However, the coroner who performed Taylor’s autopsy said that her injuries from the shooting were so extreme that she would’ve died in “less than a minute” and that the recorded time of death on the report is “an estimate.”
The family’s filing also alleges that police went after Glover because of political pressure from the mayor’s office due to a redevelopment project valued at more than $30 million, according to the New York Times. Glover was reportedly using a row of abandoned houses to sell drugs in the area that needed to be cleared for development.
“People needed to be removed and homes needed to be vacated so that a high-dollar, legacy-creating real estate development could move forward,” attorneys for the family wrote in the court filing. The city has called the allegations “outrageous.”
Meanwhile, it came to light that the officer who shot Taylor, Hankison, had a history of misconduct allegations. He was already facing an ongoing federal lawsuit at the time of Taylor’s death in which Kendrick Wilson accused Hankison of “harassing suspects with unnecessary arrests and planting drugs on them,” according to USA Today. Wilson alleges that Hankison targeted him and arrested him three times in a two-year period.
After Taylor’s death, claims of sexual assault surfaced, too, with at least two women coming forward in early June to allege that Hankison assaulted them. In both allegations, which are similar to one another, Hankison offered the women rides home after they had been drinking at local bars. In one case, Hankison allegedly followed the woman into her home and assaulted her while she was unconscious. In the other case, Hankison reportedly made sexual advances toward the woman while she sat in his unmarked car, including rubbing her thighs and kissing her face.
On June 23, he was fired. LMPD posted Hankison’s termination letter on Twitter, which stated Hankison “displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life when you wantonly and blindly fired ten (10) rounds into the apartment of Breonna Taylor…” The letter also stated Hankison violated the department’s protocol on use of deadly force when he shot through a patio door and window that was covered. This prevented him from determining whether there was an immediate threat or innocent people present; some of the bullets even traveled to a neighbor’s apartment where three people were endangered, according to the letter. Hankison has appealed his termination.
The other two officers who fired rounds that night, John Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, remain on the force and have been placed on administrative reassignment. The case is still under independent investigation with Kentucky’s Attorney General, Daniel Cameron, who has said he will not provide additional details or a timeline for the investigation.
Protests are ongoing, and calls for justice in the investigation continue
In May, Benjamin Crump, the Taylor family’s attorney, argued that the killings of Black women have tended to receive less media attention than the deaths of Black men.
“They’re killing our sisters just like they’re killing our brothers, but for whatever reason, we have not given our sisters the same attention that we have given to Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Stephon Clark, Terence Crutcher, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald,” he told the 19th. “Breonna’s name should be known by everybody in America who said those other names, because she was in her own home, doing absolutely nothing wrong.”
Protests where the crowds chant, “Say her name, Breonna Taylor,” have attempted to reverse the lack of attention. In 2015, activists around the country demonstrated and used the hashtag #SayHerName to draw attention to women who had lost their lives, including Gabriella Nevarez, Michelle Cusseaux, and Alexia Christian, as Jenée Desmond-Harris reported for Vox at the time. The death of Sandra Bland in jail after she was arrested during a traffic stop also drew national attention to the impact of police brutality and racism on Black women’s lives.
Around the country, activists organized marches and signed petitions on Taylor’s June 5 birthday, saying she should’ve been alive to see the day. In Louisville, protesters have gathered in Breonna Taylor’s name to protest police brutality in a number of demonstrations since May. After a protest-imposed curfew on May 31, law enforcement shot and killed David McAtee, 53, a local restaurant owner. Following his death, Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad was fired, though it is still unclear exactly who shot McAtee, Vox’s Anna North reported.
While there have been other changes in the police department since Taylor’s death — on June 11 the Louisville Metro Council voted unanimously to ban no-knock warrants — advocates, activists, and celebrities are asking why the three officers involved in Taylor’s killing haven’t been arrested. On June 14, Beyoncé wrote an open letter to Kentucky’s attorney general, demanding that criminal charges be brought against the three officers to “show the value of a Black woman’s life.” She also asked that the office bring greater transparency to the investigation.
At a June 18 press conference, Cameron — the first Black attorney general in Kentucky and a former legal counsel for Sen. Mitch McConnell — emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, without giving any specific details.
“To all those involved in this case, you have my commitment that our office is undertaking a thorough and fair investigation,” he said. “This is also a commitment that I’m making to the Louisville community, which has suffered tremendously in the days since March 13.”
Cameron was also the first Republican attorney general elected in the state, according to the New York Times, on a platform that backed Trump and some of the president’s signature efforts, like building a border wall. He has criticized some of protesters’ demands, including the call to defund the police.
“Radical rhetoric and calls to ‘defund the police’ threaten public safety and only serve to divide us further, rather than bringing us together,” he said in a press release on June 24.
Wake Forest Law professor Ronald Wright, who specializes in the work of criminal prosecutors, told Vox that Cameron’s comments regarding defunding the police are worth watching because they are relevant to how Cameron handles the case. “If he starts to sound like an advocate for law enforcement, voicing broad support for police officers and defending them in general terms, that would make me wonder if he can evaluate charges fairly in this case,” Wright said. “It is tough to convince the public that you will hold the police accountable for their wrongdoing if you never find anything to criticize in their work.”
Why there haven’t been arrests in the case so far
Wright told Vox in May that in officer-involved shooting cases like Taylor’s, the length of time the prosecutor takes to bring forth charges should not necessarily be the issue. Rather, people should question and examine what the prosecutor does during their investigation.
“I don’t really fault prosecutors for taking their time, gathering the facts, being thorough. The timing doesn’t really bother me as much as the amount of effort. If what you’re doing is you’re not doing anything and you’re stalling, and you don’t really intend to press the case as hard as you would press any shooting in your district, then that’s a problem,” Wright told Vox.
Since these cases are especially difficult to win at trial, Wright pointed out, prosecutors must take the time to build a really strong case. “The delay could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on whether they are putting in the effort into building a great case,” he said.
In the high-profile Baltimore police custody death of Freddie Gray, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby arrested the three officers involved just days after Gray’s death and charged them with offenses including second-degree “depraved heart” murder and manslaughter. All three officers in the case were acquitted. “It may have been that it would have been better to go a little slower and get more evidence for charges after some delay,” Wright told Vox.
Many advocates, however, point to the speed at which arrests came in the Arbery and Floyd cases — and the fact that years-long delays in Eric Garner’s case still didn’t lead to justice. Garner died in July 2014 after NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo placed him in a banned chokehold. One day before the five-year anniversary of Garner’s death in July 2019, federal prosecutors announced they would not bring charges against Pantaleo. The NYPD fired Pantaleo in August 2019, more than five years after Garner’s death.
And in the three cases above there were videos of the incidents. Wright said that even with footage, cases against police officers are difficult to prosecute. Videos do represent extra proof — a form of evidence Taylor’s case lacks.
The influence of police unions, which have come under criticism from activists and protesters during the unrest, may also contribute to delays. As Vox’s Dylan Matthews reported, police unions have become engrossed in preventing the discipline of officers who kill unarmed Black people:
In local cases, this attitude has translated to a defense of officers who kill or wound innocent civilians. The Louisville Metro Police Department [had first] been limited to just announcing its “intention” to fire Brett Hankison, a detective who shot his gun 10 times during the raid that killed Breonna Taylor, rather than actually firing him outright. This limitation is largely because of the city’s contract with the police union, which gives Hankison multiple opportunities to appeal. He is first allowed a “pretermination hearing” with counsel, and then, once terminated, an appeal to the police merit board, of which Hankison himself is a member.
In May, the Louisville police union also demanded an apology from Louisville council member Jessica Green, who called Taylor’s boyfriend a hero after he was charged with shooting Mattingly the night Taylor was killed. “Calling someone that shot an on-duty police officer, in the performance of official duties, a hero is a slap in the face,” said Ryan Nichols, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 614. Green said she would not apologize.
But Wright said that Hankison’s firing does offer a clue to how a criminal case could swing. That the LMPD found that he showed “extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “wantonly and blindly” fired 10 rounds into the apartment means there’s a chance for a conviction if a jury were to find the same conclusion. “If a jury in a criminal trial were to reach the same conclusions after hearing the facts, they could properly convict him of a lesser version of homicide,” Wright told Vox.
At the recent press conference, Cameron refused to discuss any potential roadblocks, stating that “an investigation of this magnitude, when done correctly, requires time and patience.” He added, “To those across the country we have heard from with cards, emails, and letters, and calls, who are asking us to complete the investigation as soon as possible — we hear you and we are working around the clock to follow the law to the truth.”
Defunding the Louisville police and its ties to justice for Taylor
Amid a growing call to “defund” or “abolish the police,” there are others advocating for justice who view the calls to arrest officers as taking away from the larger goal of dismantling the system.
According to anti-criminalization organizer Mariame Kaba, director of the anti youth incarceration grassroots organization Project NIA, celebrating charges for officers signals our dependence on a criminal justice system that was created to uphold white supremacy. “To transform a death-making system, our expectations have to be much higher,” she wrote last month in the New York Times. “Celebrating charges is like celebrating bread crumbs. ... I understand why people do it, but I think according great significance to charges misses the point and it also freezes people in place. It has the effect of demobilizing collective action.”
Kaba explained that justice is not just closing down police departments but making them obsolete. “The surest way of reducing police violence is to reduce the power of the police, by cutting budgets and the number of officers,” she wrote.
But on June 25, the Louisville Metro Council approved a budget that wouldn’t even begin to defund LMPD. The new spending plan will merely “require police to put the money toward recruiting a more diverse force, additional training and exploring co-responder models that could send behavioral health professionals on calls with officers,” according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Funding will also be directed to a civilian review board that will oversee LMPD, following the 24-1 vote. Black Lives Matter demanded that more money be shifted to community services.
Today Metro Council votes on the 20-21 Budget. 49% is allocated to @lmpd and corrections. Demand better for our communities! When we say #defundpolice there is a clear vision of what is possible. give money directly to community https://t.co/WXPhjFxHYU #DefendBlackLife pic.twitter.com/RlWwVb2b4W — BLM Louisville (@BLMLouisville) June 25, 2020
On the same day the budget was approved, a crowd of more than 500 demonstrators, including activists, community members, and celebrities, gathered on the steps of the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort for a #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor rally, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Activist Tamika Mallory emphasized the need to keep calling for justice and accountability in Taylor’s case. “I’m sure we all understand that Breonna Taylor is everywhere,” she said. “The issue of Black women being killed and our voices being too low is a problem.”


vox--2020-05-19--Is the customer always right if they refuse to wear a mask?

At the Starbucks where she works , Elizabeth and her coworkers are doing everything they can to protect against the coronavirus .
They take their temperatures at the beginning of every shift , wash their hands every 30 minutes , wear masks at all times , and do their best to stay 6 feet apart from each other while preparing lattes and frappuccinos .
But they can ’ t control their customers .
“ Among ourselves , we feel safe , ” Elizabeth said about herself and her coworkers .
“ But we don ’ t know if the customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the other workers interviewed for this story asked to be referred to by pseudonyms to protect them against retaliation from their employers . )
“ Among ourselves , we feel safe .
But we don ’ t know if the customers are washing their hands.
” Now considered essential personnel , workers at big-box stores , coffee shops , and fast food chains have been asked to take on additional responsibilities to keep customers safe .
They ’ re finding that even when their managers follow all the new safety procedures to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re serving may not take them seriously at all .
While chains and retailers might talk a big game about safety at the corporate level , everyone ’ s welfare ultimately boils down to customer and employee behavior at any given store .
In lieu of issuing any national standards to protect workers from the virus , the federal government has instead asked companies to regulate themselves .
As the New York Times reported in April , the Occupational Safety and Health Administration told retail employers to “ consider restricting the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ consider providing alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
” But those are recommendations , not requirements .
While some states and cities have implemented regulations of their own , such as requiring everyone to wear masks while out in public , many others haven ’ t .
Experts say this patchwork of enforcement has left front-line workers — not just doctors , nurses , and EMTs , but also retail and foodservice employees — particularly vulnerable , especially as some states start to ease back restrictions .
“ I think the issue here is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big non-union corporations like Amazon or Walmart to decide what is a sufficient level of safety precautions for their workers , ” said John Logan , the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University .
“ Because to be perfectly honest , I think experience shows that they can not be trusted to prioritize the safety of their workers and even the safety of their customers over their own profits.
” Workers say customer behavior that was once innocuous now feels dangerous .
The United Food and Commercial Workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s really needed is for state and local governments to “ establish these uniform safety standards.
” But customers and brands have a role as well , especially in places where the government refuses to act .
“ For as long as this pandemic endures , companies must implement and enforce store safety measures , ” they write via email , “ And customers must be encouraged to shop smart.
” As Marc Perrone , president of the UFCW told CNN , “ careless customers ” are “ probably the biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas , who works at a Target in Texas , said customers get close to each other and to workers in the store , even though the chain has emphasized its pick-up and delivery services .
“ We have these stickers on our shirt that Target gave us that say , ‘ Please maintain a 6-foot distance , ’ ” he said .
“ I still have a lot of people coming up , tapping me on the shoulder , getting real close when they ’ re trying to show me what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I still have a lot of people coming up , tapping me on the shoulder ” At first , most customers wore masks .
But after Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning cities and counties from banning people who don ’ t wear masks , “ mask usage by [ customers ] decreased , ” Thomas said .
( A Target spokesperson told The Goods that it ’ s following all local ordinances regarding mask use .
In cities and states where masks aren ’ t mandatory , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear them anyway but won ’ t be turned away if they aren ’ t . )
Employees still wear masks , to protect both each other and the customers , but the masks don ’ t keep them from getting sick themselves .
If customers interacting with employees don ’ t wear masks , they ’ re still protected because the employees are wearing them ; employee safety , meanwhile , is left in the hands of those customers .
Mike Van Dyke , an occupational health professor at the Colorado School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers should be “ respectful ” by wearing masks and “ maintaining distance as much as possible ” while shopping .
“ It gets hard in terms of different places across the country , ” he said .
“ Some places have required mask ordinances in place and some places don ’ t. ” In many cases , workers are being asked to put their health on the line for just a few dollars an hour above their base pay , if that .
Some don ’ t feel like they have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 85 percent of its locations in early May , workers are getting paid $ 3 an hour above their usual base wage .
A Starbucks spokesperson told The Goods that employees who don ’ t feel comfortable returning to work can take one month of unpaid leave ; those who live with first responders , have tested positive for coronavirus or are exhibiting symptoms , or have school-aged children at home will keep receiving catastrophe pay .
Starbucks has emphasized contactless orders through the app since reopening , but the spokesperson said some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cards .
Less than a week after Elizabeth was back on the job , Starbucks told employees that it would be setting up a register by the door for customers , “ making the ‘ no-contact ’ if mobile orders redundant because we will once again be interacting with cash and cards , which are known to be filthy , ” Elizabeth said .
“ This is in reaction to customers complaining about the setup , which is very frustrating to my fellow [ baristas ] and I , because it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ourselves at risk just so they don ’ t have to make their own coffee.
” Elizabeth said some of her coworkers decided to take the unpaid leave , something she and many others can ’ t afford to do .
Jeff , a barista who works at an Arizona Starbucks , said a month-long leave of absence isn ’ t feasible for him or for his other coworkers who live paycheck to paycheck .
Workers at other chains aren ’ t receiving hazard pay at all .
Daniel , who works at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he ’ s still being paid his usual $ 12.50 an hour rate .
Despite this , the fast food giant is treating him and other workers as essential .
In a March letter to customers detailing the chain ’ s new safety protocols , Taco Bell CEO Mark King said franchisees and employees “ have an obligation to do something to help stop this from spreading.
” All employees , King said , would be required to wear a mask and gloves ; there would be contactless temperature checks at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would make “ every effort to ensure hand sanitizer is always available in the restaurants for team members and customers.
” But Daniel said not all of these policies have gone into effect .
When I asked him about the contactless temperature checks , he thought I was referring to food thermometers , not to contactless thermometers for employees .
“ We don ’ t have that , ” he said .
“ Not even close.
” Despite the procedures , Daniel said , customers continued to operate as if it was business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of [ customers ] weren ’ t wearing masks , weren ’ t wearing gloves when they gave me their card , ” he said .
“ I saw a few coughing into their shirts — I was looking at them through the drive-thru window.
” He didn ’ t feel safe coming to work , but he also couldn ’ t afford not to .
The morning before a recent shift , though , he woke up with no sense of taste or smell and immediately called in sick .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fourth employee at his location to test positive for the coronavirus .
He doesn ’ t know if he got it from a coworker or a customer .
He doesn ’ t know how his coworkers got it , either , and he isn ’ t receiving paid sick leave , even though it ’ s likely he got the virus on the job .
( Taco Bell said the company is “ constantly evolving and improving our protocols to ensure that our team members continue to work in safe environments ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are receiving sick leave . )
“ It gives me nausea to think about that , to think about who I could ’ ve gotten it from , in retrospect , ” he said , “ because there were so many people who were throwing caution to the wind thinking this doesn ’ t apply to them.
” Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

At the Starbucks where she works, Elizabeth and her coworkers are doing everything they can to protect against the coronavirus. They take their temperatures at the beginning of every shift, wash their hands every 30 minutes, wear masks at all times, and do their best to stay 6 feet apart from each other while preparing lattes and frappuccinos. But they can’t control their customers.
“Among ourselves, we feel safe,” Elizabeth said about herself and her coworkers. “But we don’t know if the customers are washing their hands.” (Elizabeth and the other workers interviewed for this story asked to be referred to by pseudonyms to protect them against retaliation from their employers.)
“Among ourselves, we feel safe. But we don’t know if the customers are washing their hands.”
Now considered essential personnel, workers at big-box stores, coffee shops, and fast food chains have been asked to take on additional responsibilities to keep customers safe. They’re finding that even when their managers follow all the new safety procedures to the letter, the people they’re serving may not take them seriously at all. While chains and retailers might talk a big game about safety at the corporate level, everyone’s welfare ultimately boils down to customer and employee behavior at any given store.
In lieu of issuing any national standards to protect workers from the virus, the federal government has instead asked companies to regulate themselves. As the New York Times reported in April, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration told retail employers to “consider restricting the number of customers allowed inside the facility” and to “consider providing alcohol-based hand sanitizers.” But those are recommendations, not requirements.
While some states and cities have implemented regulations of their own, such as requiring everyone to wear masks while out in public, many others haven’t. Experts say this patchwork of enforcement has left front-line workers — not just doctors, nurses, and EMTs, but also retail and foodservice employees — particularly vulnerable, especially as some states start to ease back restrictions.
“I think the issue here is that we shouldn’t be allowing big non-union corporations like Amazon or Walmart to decide what is a sufficient level of safety precautions for their workers,” said John Logan, the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. “Because to be perfectly honest, I think experience shows that they cannot be trusted to prioritize the safety of their workers and even the safety of their customers over their own profits.”
Workers say customer behavior that was once innocuous now feels dangerous. The United Food and Commercial Workers’ Union (UFCW) stresses that what’s really needed is for state and local governments to “establish these uniform safety standards.” But customers and brands have a role as well, especially in places where the government refuses to act. “For as long as this pandemic endures, companies must implement and enforce store safety measures,” they write via email, “And customers must be encouraged to shop smart.” As Marc Perrone, president of the UFCW told CNN, “careless customers” are “probably the biggest threat” to workers right now.
Thomas, who works at a Target in Texas, said customers get close to each other and to workers in the store, even though the chain has emphasized its pick-up and delivery services. “We have these stickers on our shirt that Target gave us that say, ‘Please maintain a 6-foot distance,’” he said. “I still have a lot of people coming up, tapping me on the shoulder, getting real close when they’re trying to show me what they’re trying to buy.”
“I still have a lot of people coming up, tapping me on the shoulder”
At first, most customers wore masks. But after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning cities and counties from banning people who don’t wear masks, “mask usage by [customers] decreased,” Thomas said. (A Target spokesperson told The Goods that it’s following all local ordinances regarding mask use. In cities and states where masks aren’t mandatory, the spokesperson said, customers are encouraged to wear them anyway but won’t be turned away if they aren’t.)
Employees still wear masks, to protect both each other and the customers, but the masks don’t keep them from getting sick themselves. If customers interacting with employees don’t wear masks, they’re still protected because the employees are wearing them; employee safety, meanwhile, is left in the hands of those customers.
Mike Van Dyke, an occupational health professor at the Colorado School of Public Health, told The Goods customers should be “respectful” by wearing masks and “maintaining distance as much as possible” while shopping. “It gets hard in terms of different places across the country,” he said. “Some places have required mask ordinances in place and some places don’t.”
In many cases, workers are being asked to put their health on the line for just a few dollars an hour above their base pay, if that. Some don’t feel like they have a choice.
At Starbucks, which reopened 85 percent of its locations in early May, workers are getting paid $3 an hour above their usual base wage. A Starbucks spokesperson told The Goods that employees who don’t feel comfortable returning to work can take one month of unpaid leave; those who live with first responders, have tested positive for coronavirus or are exhibiting symptoms, or have school-aged children at home will keep receiving catastrophe pay.
Starbucks has emphasized contactless orders through the app since reopening, but the spokesperson said some locations continue to accept cash and credit cards.
Less than a week after Elizabeth was back on the job, Starbucks told employees that it would be setting up a register by the door for customers, “making the ‘no-contact’ if mobile orders redundant because we will once again be interacting with cash and cards, which are known to be filthy,” Elizabeth said. “This is in reaction to customers complaining about the setup, which is very frustrating to my fellow [baristas] and I, because it’s apparently not enough for us to put ourselves at risk just so they don’t have to make their own coffee.”
Elizabeth said some of her coworkers decided to take the unpaid leave, something she and many others can’t afford to do. Jeff, a barista who works at an Arizona Starbucks, said a month-long leave of absence isn’t feasible for him or for his other coworkers who live paycheck to paycheck.
Workers at other chains aren’t receiving hazard pay at all. Daniel, who works at a Taco Bell in the Midwest, said he’s still being paid his usual $12.50 an hour rate.
Despite this, the fast food giant is treating him and other workers as essential. In a March letter to customers detailing the chain’s new safety protocols, Taco Bell CEO Mark King said franchisees and employees “have an obligation to do something to help stop this from spreading.” All employees, King said, would be required to wear a mask and gloves; there would be contactless temperature checks at the beginning of every shift; the brand would make “every effort to ensure hand sanitizer is always available in the restaurants for team members and customers.”
But Daniel said not all of these policies have gone into effect. When I asked him about the contactless temperature checks, he thought I was referring to food thermometers, not to contactless thermometers for employees. “We don’t have that,” he said. “Not even close.”
Despite the procedures, Daniel said, customers continued to operate as if it was business as usual. “An alarming amount of [customers] weren’t wearing masks, weren’t wearing gloves when they gave me their card,” he said. “I saw a few coughing into their shirts — I was looking at them through the drive-thru window.” He didn’t feel safe coming to work, but he also couldn’t afford not to.
The morning before a recent shift, though, he woke up with no sense of taste or smell and immediately called in sick. He has since learned that he’s the fourth employee at his location to test positive for the coronavirus. He doesn’t know if he got it from a coworker or a customer. He doesn’t know how his coworkers got it, either, and he isn’t receiving paid sick leave, even though it’s likely he got the virus on the job. (Taco Bell said the company is “constantly evolving and improving our protocols to ensure that our team members continue to work in safe environments” but did not comment on whether its employees are receiving sick leave.)
“It gives me nausea to think about that, to think about who I could’ve gotten it from, in retrospect,” he said, “because there were so many people who were throwing caution to the wind thinking this doesn’t apply to them.”


vox--2020-05-19--Trump threatens to permanently cut WHO funding if it doesn’t reform in 30 days

President Donald Trump has taken a step toward following through on his weeks-long threat to permanently cut funding to the World Health Organization unless it implements reforms that weaken China ’ s influence .
On Monday , Trump sent a letter to WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus outlining the US ’ s grievances about the WHO ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and warning , “ If the WHO does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days , I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the WHO permanent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization of “ repeated missteps , ” including not pushing China to allow international inspectors into the country as the coronavirus outbreak grew ; falsely asserting in January that “ Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission ” of Covid-19 ; and early on failing to declare the coronavirus a pandemic due to pressure from Chinese authorities .
Trump argues that these and other perceived transgressions are evidence that the global body is too cozy with Beijing .
The “ only way forward for the [ WHO ] is if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Trump wrote in the letter , adding that the US and the WHO are in talks about how to do just that .
When asked what specific changes the administration wants to see the WHO take , the State Department referred me to the White House .
The White House didn ’ t return a request for comment .
According to the letter , the WHO has 30 days to reform in a way Trump approves of or it risks losing nearly $ 900 million in US contributions every two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receives from any nation .
Trump had already frozen about $ 400 million of that money last month while his administration reviewed its WHO pledges .
While it ’ s true the WHO made some egregious mistakes , it ’ s also clear that the Trump administration failed to seriously plan for a possible outbreak in the US once it knew of the disease .
On January 3 , for example , Chinese health authorities told the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO about a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to indicate that had the WHO conveyed the right information , the US would have acted differently in responding to the outbreak , ” said Yanzhong Huang , a global health expert at the Council on Foreign Relations .
But “ the president has seldom paid heed to any WHO advice.
” “ Whatever the WHO knew , the US knew , ” he added .
Some believe Trump ’ s ire toward the WHO is merely an effort to deflect blame for his administration ’ s poor coronavirus response .
Even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain Trump ’ s gambit will actually pay off .
In fact , it might backfire on him — and the world .
The major problems with Trump ’ s WHO threat Experts I spoke to cited three main reasons the idea of completely defunding the WHO is a bad idea .
First , China gave less than 10 percent of the money America did to the WHO last year .
If any leader was in a position to push the global body to reform before the coronavirus hit , it was Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand that condemning WHO malfeasance , some of which is no doubt real , also indicts the US for neglecting its influence at the organization , ” said David Bosco , an expert on international organizations at Indiana University .
“ How did it not use that massive leverage in a more timely way ?
” Kelley Lee , the research chair in global health governance at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia , told Vox ’ s Jen Kirby last month that one way the WHO could reform is if countries give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of a global health response and give the institution more authority .
That would help take politics out of the equation and make the next pandemic strategy a more technocratic one .
Further , Washington ’ s withdrawal from the WHO would leave a massive financial vacuum that Beijing would surely be happy to fill .
“ If the promised cuts were enacted , China would become even more prominent as a WHO funder , and its influence would grow , ” Bosco told me .
That ’ s already happening : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s decision-making body , Chinese President Xi Jinping promised $ 2 billion over two years to boost the world ’ s coronavirus response , on top of the millions in WHO funding China had previously pledged .
And there ’ s a bigger concern outside of just US-China relations : A weakened WHO will struggle to combat not just Covid-19 but also future pandemics .
The organization has more than 150 field offices worldwide , and its staff helps track new illnesses and coordinate the global response for it .
The body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treat the sick directly .
Instead , it basically serves as the world ’ s disease intelligence aggregator and assists countries with their own strategies .
With less money coming in from the US , though , it ’ s likely the WHO will struggle to fund those intelligence-gathering and assistance processes , meaning the world could be more blind to the next pandemic and less capable to defeat it .
That , in turn , would make everyone on Earth less safe — and perhaps even require the US to spend more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , then , Trump may have identified the issue — the WHO fumbled its initial coronavirus response partly because of China — but missed the treatment .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

President Donald Trump has taken a step toward following through on his weeks-long threat to permanently cut funding to the World Health Organization unless it implements reforms that weaken China’s influence.
On Monday, Trump sent a letter to WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus outlining the US’s grievances about the WHO’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and warning, “If the WHO does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the WHO permanent and reconsider our membership.”
Trump accused the organization of “repeated missteps,” including not pushing China to allow international inspectors into the country as the coronavirus outbreak grew; falsely asserting in January that “Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission” of Covid-19; and early on failing to declare the coronavirus a pandemic due to pressure from Chinese authorities.
This is the letter sent to Dr. Tedros of the World Health Organization. It is self-explanatory! pic.twitter.com/pF2kzPUpDv — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2020
Trump argues that these and other perceived transgressions are evidence that the global body is too cozy with Beijing. The “only way forward for the [WHO] is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,” Trump wrote in the letter, adding that the US and the WHO are in talks about how to do just that.
When asked what specific changes the administration wants to see the WHO take, the State Department referred me to the White House. The White House didn’t return a request for comment.
According to the letter, the WHO has 30 days to reform in a way Trump approves of or it risks losing nearly $900 million in US contributions every two years, by far the most the body receives from any nation. Trump had already frozen about $400 million of that money last month while his administration reviewed its WHO pledges.
While it’s true the WHO made some egregious mistakes, it’s also clear that the Trump administration failed to seriously plan for a possible outbreak in the US once it knew of the disease. On January 3, for example, Chinese health authorities told the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO about a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan.
Trump’s “letter seems to indicate that had the WHO conveyed the right information, the US would have acted differently in responding to the outbreak,” said Yanzhong Huang, a global health expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. But “the president has seldom paid heed to any WHO advice.”
“Whatever the WHO knew, the US knew,” he added.
Some believe Trump’s ire toward the WHO is merely an effort to deflect blame for his administration’s poor coronavirus response. Even if it is, it’s not certain Trump’s gambit will actually pay off. In fact, it might backfire on him — and the world.
The major problems with Trump’s WHO threat
Experts I spoke to cited three main reasons the idea of completely defunding the WHO is a bad idea.
First, China gave less than 10 percent of the money America did to the WHO last year. If any leader was in a position to push the global body to reform before the coronavirus hit, it was Trump.
The administration “seems not to understand that condemning WHO malfeasance, some of which is no doubt real, also indicts the US for neglecting its influence at the organization,” said David Bosco, an expert on international organizations at Indiana University. “How did it not use that massive leverage in a more timely way?”
Kelley Lee, the research chair in global health governance at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, told Vox’s Jen Kirby last month that one way the WHO could reform is if countries give up a little of their sovereignty in terms of a global health response and give the institution more authority. That would help take politics out of the equation and make the next pandemic strategy a more technocratic one.
Further, Washington’s withdrawal from the WHO would leave a massive financial vacuum that Beijing would surely be happy to fill. “If the promised cuts were enacted, China would become even more prominent as a WHO funder, and its influence would grow,” Bosco told me.
That’s already happening: During a Monday meeting of the WHO’s decision-making body, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised $2 billion over two years to boost the world’s coronavirus response, on top of the millions in WHO funding China had previously pledged.
And there’s a bigger concern outside of just US-China relations: A weakened WHO will struggle to combat not just Covid-19 but also future pandemics. The organization has more than 150 field offices worldwide, and its staff helps track new illnesses and coordinate the global response for it. The body doesn’t actually send people to treat the sick directly. Instead, it basically serves as the world’s disease intelligence aggregator and assists countries with their own strategies.
With less money coming in from the US, though, it’s likely the WHO will struggle to fund those intelligence-gathering and assistance processes, meaning the world could be more blind to the next pandemic and less capable to defeat it. That, in turn, would make everyone on Earth less safe — and perhaps even require the US to spend more money down the line.
In this case, then, Trump may have identified the issue — the WHO fumbled its initial coronavirus response partly because of China — but missed the treatment.