vox--2020-06-14--From coast to coast, protests against police brutality and racism are still going strong

Protests against police brutality and racism triggered by the police killing of George Floyd nearly three weeks ago continued over the weekend in towns and cities across the world — and even took on new momentum in some areas in response to the deaths of two more black men .
The continuation of widespread public demonstrations suggests the energy behind grassroots activists ’ demands for racial justice and societal change remains high amid dramatic shifts in public opinion toward a broadly embraced and more pronounced rejection of racism in American life .
In Atlanta , hundreds of protesters marched , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Wendy ’ s restaurant on Saturday after police shot and killed 27-year-old black man Rayshard Brooks by the restaurant ’ s drive-through the previous night .
On Saturday , in response to protests and demands from criminal justice advocates , Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned .
The police officer who killed Brooks has been fired , and a second officer involved in the incident has been placed on administrative duty .
In Palmdale , California , protesters demanded answers from authorities over the death of Robert Fuller , a 24-year-old black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tree in a park on Wednesday morning .
The local sheriff ’ s department has said initial results from a coroner ’ s investigation indicate suicide , but a full autopsy has not yet been released .
Fuller ’ s friends and family have pushed back against the suggestion the young man ’ s death was from suicide — as have many activists , like the protester who told LAist , “ If you can suggest suicide , I can suggest a lynching.
” In Philadelphia , hundreds of demonstrators marched through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many protesters called for defunding the police , and there was a minor stand-off with rifle-carrying counter-protesters around a statue of Christopher Columbus .
The counter-protesters claimed they were defending the statue from being pulled down — like those of slaveholders and members of the Confederacy , Columbus statues have been destroyed by protesters across the US .
Saturday , the standoff ended peacefully , with no shots fired , and the statue remaining on its pedestal .
In New Orleans , however , protesters successfully tore down a bust of slave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains of the monument into the Mississippi River .
In Clemson , South Carolina , members of the Clemson University football team led a march against police brutality and racism the day after university trustees voted to rename its honors college , which had been named after John C. Calhoun , a former vice president and a prominent defender of slavery in the years before the American Civil War .
Several protests swept Chicago , where demonstrators chanted “ Black Lives Matter ” and “ No Justice , No Peace.
” In Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party outside DC Mayor Muriel Bowser ’ s home and called for her to defund the police .
In Minneapolis , protesters marched toward police headquarters and gathered near the city ’ s NFL stadium , chanting and making suggestions for how the city council might accomplish its pledge of restructuring the city ’ s police force .
International protests in solidarity with US demonstrations — and seeking to drive conversations and changes with regard to their own countries ’ histories of racism — took place around the world , including in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zealand .
In Paris , police intervened to prevent a clash between anti-racist protesters and far-right activists carrying a banner decrying “ anti-white racism.
” The protests are reflecting — and propelling — changing attitudes Pollsters say the protests triggered by the death of George Floyd have had a tremendous impact on public opinion .
Data from Civiqs , an online research firm , showed that support for the Black Lives Matter movement surged in the first two weeks of protests , increasing nearly as much as it had risen over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anna North has reported , experts are most struck by the change in opinions and activist participation among white Americans : The change is coming “ at a speed that I don ’ t think we ’ ve seen before in American politics , ” said Dorian Warren , president of Community Change , a nonprofit that works with grassroots groups in low-income communities around the county .
And a lot of the shift is coming from white people .
Looking at changes in polling data over time , “ most black respondents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views , ” Duncan Gans , an analyst at the polling firm PerryUndem , told Vox .
“ Most of the change was among white respondents.
” For example , in 2016 , 77 percent of black Americans said that police were more likely to use force on black people .
That jumped to 87 percent this year .
But among white Americans , the change was much greater , from just 25 percent in 2016 to 49 percent in 2020 .
It ’ s not just polling .
White people are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways they haven ’ t always in the past , many say .
Organizers on the ground are pleasantly surprised by the sustained outpouring of support from people of all races , including people getting in touch for the first time asking how they can help , Warren said .
“ In some ways we ’ re seeing the vibrant renewal of civic engagement in our democracy.
” It ’ s unclear how long the protests will continue or when they may lose their potency in terms of shaping public opinion and inspiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for now there ’ s no denying that they matter — and that they have already led to some significant changes in opinion , and in proposed policy .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

Protests against police brutality and racism triggered by the police killing of George Floyd nearly three weeks ago continued over the weekend in towns and cities across the world — and even took on new momentum in some areas in response to the deaths of two more black men.
The continuation of widespread public demonstrations suggests the energy behind grassroots activists’ demands for racial justice and societal change remains high. Data from Civiqs, an online research firm, shows dramatic shifts in public opinion toward a more pronounced rejection of racism in American life.
In Atlanta, hundreds of protesters marched, blocked a highway, and set fire to a Wendy’s restaurant on Saturday after police shot and killed 27-year-old black man Rayshard Brooks by the restaurant’s drive-through the previous night. On Saturday, in response to protests and demands from criminal justice advocates, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned. The police officer who killed Brooks has been fired, and a second officer involved in the incident has been placed on administrative duty.
In Palmdale, California, protesters demanded answers from authorities over the death of Robert Fuller, a 24-year-old black man who was discovered dead hanging from a tree in a park on Wednesday morning. The local sheriff’s department has said initial results from a coroner’s investigation indicate suicide, but a full autopsy has not yet been released. Fuller’s friends and family have pushed back against the suggestion his death was from suicide — as have many activists, like the protester who told LAist, “If you can suggest suicide, I can suggest a lynching.”
In Philadelphia, hundreds of demonstrators marched through the streets for a 15th consecutive day. Many protesters called for defunding the police, and there was a minor standoff with rifle-carrying counterprotesters around a statue of Christopher Columbus. The counterprotesters claimed they were defending the statue from being pulled down — like those of slaveholders and members of the Confederacy, Columbus statues have been destroyed by protesters across the US. Saturday, the standoff ended peacefully, with no shots fired, and the statue remaining on its pedestal.
In New Orleans, however, protesters successfully tore down a bust of slave owner John McDonogh and threw the remains of the monument into the Mississippi River.
In Clemson, South Carolina, members of the Clemson University football team led a march against police brutality and racism the day after university trustees voted to rename its honors college, which had been named after John C. Calhoun, a former vice president and a prominent defender of slavery in the years before the American Civil War.
Several protests swept Chicago, where demonstrators chanted “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace.” In Washington, DC, protesters organized a block party outside DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s home and called for her to defund the police. In Minneapolis, protesters marched toward police headquarters and gathered near the city’s NFL stadium, chanting and making suggestions for how the city council might accomplish its pledge of restructuring the city’s police force.
International protests in solidarity with US demonstrations — and seeking to drive conversations and changes with regard to their own countries’ histories of racism — took place around the world, including in the UK, France, and New Zealand. In Paris, police intervened to prevent a clash between anti-racist protesters and far-right activists carrying a banner decrying “anti-white racism.”
The protests are reflecting — and propelling — changing attitudes
Pollsters say the protests triggered by the death of George Floyd have had a tremendous impact on public opinion.
Data from Civiqs showed that support for the Black Lives Matter movement surged in the first two weeks of protests, increasing nearly as much as it had risen over the past two years.
As Vox’s Anna North has reported, experts are most struck by the change in opinions and activist participation among white Americans:
The change is coming “at a speed that I don’t think we’ve seen before in American politics,” said Dorian Warren, president of Community Change, a nonprofit that works with grassroots groups in low-income communities around the county. And a lot of the shift is coming from white people. Looking at changes in polling data over time, “most black respondents in 2014 and now had pretty progressive views,” Duncan Gans, an analyst at the polling firm PerryUndem, told Vox. “Most of the change was among white respondents.” For example, in 2016, 77 percent of black Americans said that police were more likely to use force on black people. That jumped to 87 percent this year. But among white Americans, the change was much greater, from just 25 percent in 2016 to 49 percent in 2020. It’s not just polling. White people are also engaging in protests and other activism in ways they haven’t always in the past, many say. Organizers on the ground are pleasantly surprised by the sustained outpouring of support from people of all races, including people getting in touch for the first time asking how they can help, Warren said. “In some ways we’re seeing the vibrant renewal of civic engagement in our democracy.”
It’s unclear how long the protests will continue or when they may lose their potency in terms of shaping public opinion and inspiring new modes of anti-racist action. But for now, there’s no denying that they matter — and that they have already led to some significant changes in opinion and in proposed policy.


vox--2020-06-15--“I am very scared”: What it’s like for pregnant essential workers in the pandemic

Karigme Alpizar feels unsafe at work .
The management at the Los Angeles Wendy ’ s where she is a cashier has never had a meeting with employees to lay out guidelines for how to keep workers protected against Covid-19 .
The restaurant doesn ’ t enforce hand-washing protocols , she said — and because they ’ re understaffed , no one has the time to wash their hands anyway , with some of her coworkers going a whole shift without a rinse .
She has taken it upon herself to remind coworkers to wear gloves at all times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone stays 6 feet apart , she said .
Even customers aren ’ t asked to stay spaced out .
And until the end of March , no one was given a mask , so Alpizar sometimes used her own , although she had to make sure it was solid black to match her uniform .
“ They haven ’ t made it a priority , ” she said of management , speaking in Spanish through an interpreter .
Alpizar isn ’ t just worried about her own health .
She ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the impact Covid-19 might have on her babies .
“ Of course I ’ m scared , ” she said .
The potential exposure at work pushed Alpizar to file a complaint with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department in April .
“ I am afraid .
I am pregnant and I am very scared about getting sick right now because of that , but I need my job , ” she wrote .
She also staged a strike with her husband , who also works the restaurant , and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After the health department showed up in response to the complaint , she says management started providing hand sanitizer .
They have also put up a piece of clear plastic in front of the cash register .
A Wendy ’ s spokesperson noted that Alpizar ’ s location is a franchise , but said in an email to Vox , “ As a Wendy ’ s system , we believe that the safety and well-being of our team members and customers are a top priority.
” The spokesperson noted that the company has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has created materials to encourage social distancing .
It has also adopted “ brand standards ” that require employees to wear masks and gloves while working , and all restaurants are expected to supply them .
But Alpizar says she is “ still working under fear.
” She can ’ t afford to do anything else .
While she ’ s planning to take some time off once she gives birth , “ I ’ m working out of necessity ” right now , she said .
Her husband ’ s hours at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has to bring in as much income as she can .
“ We have to pay the rent , the bills .
And for that reason I continue to work.
” While many white-collar workers have been able to work from home to protect themselves from Covid-19 , essential employees have had to keep going to their jobs .
It ’ s potentially scary for any of them , but pregnant workers face the extra uncertainty of what exposure could mean not just for their own health , but that of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal landscape when it comes to whether they have the right to extra protection at work .
And as states reopen businesses and stay-at-home rules loosen , more workers are being called back to work , putting pregnant employees in a precarious position .
Pregnant people are at low risk of getting sick from the coronavirus but fear remains There is much that remains unclear about the novel coronavirus , including how it affects pregnant people and their babies .
“ Unfortunately , there is a lot we don ’ t know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University , said in an email to Vox .
“ We need more carefully conducted studies of pregnant women and their infants to understand more about the disease course in pregnancy , how best to protect pregnant women and their infants , and how to manage and treat pregnant women with Covid.
” The good news is that , from what is known , pregnant people don ’ t appear to be at any higher risk than others of contracting Covid-19 or having more severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean pregnant women can not have serious illness , ” said Emily Oster , an economist at Brown University who has written about pregnancy and Covid-19 .
“ But it ’ s mostly pretty mild or moderate.
” “ I am afraid .
I am pregnant and I am very scared about getting sick right now because of that , but I need my job.
” Some common pregnancy conditions , such as gestational diabetes or hypertension , may come with a higher risk of complications from Covid-19 , however , potentially putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk .
Many of these conditions are more common among black and Latinx women , who also make up a disproportionate share of low-wage essential workers .
There is also the worry that even if a pregnant person infected has only mild symptoms , they could pass the virus on to the fetus .
“ There is increasing evidence that Covid can be passed from mothers who are ill with Covid to their fetuses , ” Jamieson said .
“ Although the evidence is still suggestive and not definitive , I think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it is likely that this can occur.
” Still , in keeping with the overall data that indicates children are at lower risk of getting seriously sick from the virus , it appears that the infants of women who have it generally don ’ t contract Covid-19 themselves or have a mild illness .
Samantha Halseth , an intensive care unit nurse who is 13 weeks pregnant , considers herself lucky , even though she had been working in the Covid-19 unit at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento .
Her managers immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told them the news .
Meanwhile , her hospital hasn ’ t run into shortages of personal protective equipment , and it ’ s now also able to do rapid testing for Covid-19 , so she feels relatively well protected .
Still , she wasn ’ t expecting to get pregnant , so she didn ’ t find out until she was eight or nine weeks along , which meant “ I had technically cared for a Covid-19 patient before I even knew , ” she said .
And in some ways , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have tested positive for Covid-19 is a bit more reassuring because she knows they have it and she can protect herself accordingly .
In the unit Halseth works in now , however , nurses are only given surgical masks , not the more protective N95 or powered air-purifying respirators .
“ You do worry , ‘ Holy cow , what if they do come back positive , I was just in there with just a surgical mask , ” she said .
Halseth ’ s general outlook on life , though , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting wrapped up in fear , and at 29 , she ’ s young and healthy .
Before she got pregnant , she assumed that if she did get Covid , she had a good chance of being okay .
“ But obviously when you ’ re pregnant , it ’ s not just about you anymore , ” she said .
There are numerous health-related shifts people make when they find out they are pregnant — from small things like avoiding deli meats to making sure they don ’ t lift heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms with parenthood itself — to protect themselves and their babies .
There is “ almost this visceral desire to do everything you possibly can to make sure that you have a healthy pregnancy , ” noted Dina Bakst , co-founder and co-president of A Better Balance , a legal advocacy organization for women ’ s workplace rights .
But trying to ensure a healthy pregnancy is even more fraught in the midst of a pandemic .
“ We just need to respect the fact that the guidance is vague and pregnant workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Both Jamieson and Oster emphasize that pregnant people should take the same precautions as everyone else : wearing a mask , washing their hands , avoiding touching their faces , and reducing exposure to other people .
However , those things may not be easy to do for pregnant workers whose jobs require interacting with the public .
Pregnant workers are unsure if they have the right to the protections they need Sophia Lopez works in the kitchen of a McDonald ’ s in Oakland , California , and is six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit her area , “ nothing changed , ” she said , speaking Spanish through an interpreter .
Employees weren ’ t given protective equipment right away ; in early April , management started giving out masks , but they weren ’ t properly protective — some were simply dog diapers , she said .
Her coworkers were getting sick , but management wasn ’ t notifying everyone else .
“ At the beginning , I really didn ’ t want to go to work , ” she said .
But “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get paid , I need to survive.
” Her doctor told her that he didn ’ t think she should be working under those conditions , but if she had to keep going to work , she should take extra precautions .
But she hasn ’ t been able to make any changes other than wearing gloves and a mask .
She didn ’ t even bother asking management if there were ways to keep her more protected at work ; before the pandemic , when she asked to work earlier hours so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager responded by saying she could have her hours docked instead .
So she ’ s been on strike since May 25 along with 33 of her coworkers .
“ Our organization ’ s highest priority is to protect the health and well-being of our employees and customers , ” Michael Smith , McDonald ’ s owner/operator , said in an emailed statement .
The company , he said , is providing PPE and requiring employees to wear it at all times , and it has installed protective barriers in the restaurants as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the claim that workers were given dog diapers “ false.
” But Lopez is not the only pregnant worker concerned about workplace conditions in the pandemic .
“ Our work has just exploded , ” Bakst said .
“ The fear is through the roof.
” Calls to her organization ’ s legal hotline for women asking about their workplace rights have quadrupled .
“ A lot of what we ’ re doing is talking pregnant women through what their options are and informing them what the law provides so they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncertainty around the medical risks , navigating the legal landscape is also challenging .
Twenty-nine states have pregnant worker fairness acts , laws that require employers to give pregnant employees reasonable accommodations so that they can stay healthy while on the job .
Those workplace changes could include things like more protective equipment , temporarily changing work duties to something less exposed to the public , staggering work times so that commuting is less fraught , and even telecommuting , if possible .
But some workers are going to have a harder time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work than others .
It ’ s more challenging “ when the limitation in the ability to work and the nature of the job just really seem at odds with each other , ” said Emily Martin , vice president for workplace justice at the National Women ’ s Law Center .
“ If the request is , ‘ Can I have a job that doesn ’ t involve exposure to the public , ’ and the nature of the business is such that interacting with the public is the entire job , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out what is an accommodation that addresses that need.
” Outside of those 29 states , those who work for companies with 15 or more employees could be entitled to a modification under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act if they can prove that their employer has provided the same accommodation to a similar non-pregnant worker .
The challenge is that it ’ s up to the employee to identify a coworker who ’ s gotten the same accommodation they need .
Those who have pregnancy-related complications — anything from gestational diabetes to preeclampsia — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the Americans with Disabilities Act .
But federal agencies have offered little additional clarity .
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released pandemic guidance that included information about accommodations , but nothing specifically about how to handle pregnancy during Covid-19 .
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has similarly issued general guidance but not enforceable requirements .
This “ is a shortcoming , ” Martin said .
“ There could definitely be a productive role for federal agencies to play in setting out what are presumptions around what is safe and what is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to become more confusing as states allow businesses to open back up and employees are called back to work .
Susan , a pseudonym used because she fears retribution for sharing her story , has been easily doing her job for a public transportation company from home since mid-March .
“ I was actually told that … I was even more responsive at home , ” she noted , especially since she has made herself available on email before and after work hours .
“ I knew it was a privilege to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I didn ’ t want to take advantage of it.
” But she ’ s now 15 weeks pregnant , and she ’ s considered high-risk as a cancer survivor with endocrine issues .
So when her employer said the work-from-home program would be expiring except for those who have health-related issues , she spoke to her doctor , who recommended she keep working from home and gave her a note saying as much .
And yet the human resources department denied her request in an email on a Friday , telling her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following Monday .
“ They gave me no time to feel anything other than panic , ” she said .
The company later sent Susan a letter saying it doesn ’ t believe she has a high-risk pregnancy based on its own doctor ’ s recommendation , a doctor she ’ s never seen .
“ I don ’ t even think they could pick me out of a lineup , they don ’ t even know who I am , ” she said .
“ To be so confident to say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and put my unborn child at risk , that ’ s a really unsettling feeling.
” On top of that , Susan ’ s employer hasn ’ t instituted basic protocols like temperature checks and can ’ t ensure that staff will wear masks .
“ I have never , ever once said I don ’ t want to work .
I ’ ve said I ’ m fearful to report to work without measures put in place , ” she said .
“ They basically said that my health and safety are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t put me in a special category.
” She ’ s currently using some of her meager sick time while she fights for the ability to keep working from home .
“ There could definitely be a productive role for federal agencies to play in setting out what are presumptions around what is safe and what is not safe ” Bakst heard from a hair stylist in Washington state whose salon reopened .
Her doctor had told her that because she had a high-risk pregnancy , she shouldn ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told she had to return .
While salon employees wore masks , the customers didn ’ t have to .
“ She was really petrified , ” Bakst said .
The lack of medical certainty can also mean an uneven response from doctors , even though they are usually an important part of the process .
Without a doctor ’ s note specifying that a pregnant person needs to change the way she works , “ it ’ s certainly a harder situation , ” Martin said .
Employers are often within their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical professional .
“ We ’ re seeing women running into issues with their doctors , ” Bakst said .
One client ’ s doctor told her that if her employer was requiring her to go to work , then she had to do what she was told , even if she may have had the legal right to ask for an accommodation , Bakst said .
“ Because the evidence about Covid-19 is sort of fast-shifting , the individual medical professionals are making different assessments of risk , ” Martin said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get out of having to make accommodations .
Most laws that require employers to make changes to allow pregnant workers to stay in their jobs include an exemption for “ undue hardship ” on a business .
Bakst said she ’ s seeing more employers invoking this excuse , particularly given how devastated businesses have been under pandemic-imposed lockdowns .
With few employees coming to work and revenues underwater , they are arguing they can ’ t afford to give a pregnant worker different duties or let the worker stay home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue , ” Bakst said .
Low-income workers , like Alpizar and Lopez , tend to have less power at work to ask for the things they need to stay healthy .
“ The precautions that pregnant workers can and can ’ t take — it ’ s just really highlighted in this pandemic … who ’ s able to stay healthy and safe and who may not be able to.
” Once the strike is over , Alpizar will have to return to work and hope that she and her babies continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give birth , I ’ m going to keep going until I can ’ t , until my body doesn ’ t allow me , ” she said .
Reporting for this article was supported by a grant from the Economic Security Project .
Bryce Covert is an independent journalist writing about the economy .
She is a contributing op-ed writer at the New York Times and a contributing writer at the Nation .
Her writing has appeared in Time , the Washington Post , New York magazine , the New Republic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won a 2016 Exceptional Merit in Media Award from the National Women ’ s Political Caucus .
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 explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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 .

Karigme Alpizar feels unsafe at work. The management at the Los Angeles Wendy’s where she is a cashier has never had a meeting with employees to lay out guidelines for how to keep workers protected against Covid-19. The restaurant doesn’t enforce hand-washing protocols, she said — and because they’re understaffed, no one has the time to wash their hands anyway, with some of her coworkers going a whole shift without a rinse. She has taken it upon herself to remind coworkers to wear gloves at all times.
Management also doesn’t make sure everyone stays 6 feet apart, she said. Even customers aren’t asked to stay spaced out. And until the end of March, no one was given a mask, so Alpizar sometimes used her own, although she had to make sure it was solid black to match her uniform.
“They haven’t made it a priority,” she said of management, speaking in Spanish through an interpreter.
Alpizar isn’t just worried about her own health. She’s five months pregnant with twins and worries about the impact Covid-19 might have on her babies. “Of course I’m scared,” she said.
The potential exposure at work pushed Alpizar to file a complaint with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department in April. “I am afraid. I am pregnant and I am very scared about getting sick right now because of that, but I need my job,” she wrote.
She also staged a strike with her husband, who also works the restaurant, and two other coworkers to demand greater protections. After the health department showed up in response to the complaint, she says management started providing hand sanitizer. They have also put up a piece of clear plastic in front of the cash register.
A Wendy’s spokesperson noted that Alpizar’s location is a franchise, but said in an email to Vox, “As a Wendy’s system, we believe that the safety and well-being of our team members and customers are a top priority.” The spokesperson noted that the company has implemented training to enforce hygiene practices and has created materials to encourage social distancing. It has also adopted “brand standards” that require employees to wear masks and gloves while working, and all restaurants are expected to supply them.
But Alpizar says she is “still working under fear.”
She can’t afford to do anything else. While she’s planning to take some time off once she gives birth, “I’m working out of necessity” right now, she said. Her husband’s hours at Wendy’s were reduced, so she has to bring in as much income as she can. “We have to pay the rent, the bills. And for that reason I continue to work.”
While many white-collar workers have been able to work from home to protect themselves from Covid-19, essential employees have had to keep going to their jobs. It’s potentially scary for any of them, but pregnant workers face the extra uncertainty of what exposure could mean not just for their own health, but that of their babies. They also face an uneven legal landscape when it comes to whether they have the right to extra protection at work. And as states reopen businesses and stay-at-home rules loosen, more workers are being called back to work, putting pregnant employees in a precarious position.
Pregnant people are at low risk of getting sick from the coronavirus but fear remains
There is much that remains unclear about the novel coronavirus, including how it affects pregnant people and their babies. “Unfortunately, there is a lot we don’t know,” Denise J. Jamieson, chair of the department of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University, said in an email to Vox. “We need more carefully conducted studies of pregnant women and their infants to understand more about the disease course in pregnancy, how best to protect pregnant women and their infants, and how to manage and treat pregnant women with Covid.”
The good news is that, from what is known, pregnant people don’t appear to be at any higher risk than others of contracting Covid-19 or having more severe illness. “It doesn’t mean pregnant women cannot have serious illness,” said Emily Oster, an economist at Brown University who has written about pregnancy and Covid-19. “But it’s mostly pretty mild or moderate.”
“I am afraid. I am pregnant and I am very scared about getting sick right now because of that, but I need my job.”
Some common pregnancy conditions, such as gestational diabetes or hypertension, may come with a higher risk of complications from Covid-19, however, potentially putting those who develop those conditions at higher risk. Many of these conditions are more common among black and Latinx women, who also make up a disproportionate share of low-wage essential workers.
There is also the worry that even if a pregnant person infected has only mild symptoms, they could pass the virus on to the fetus. “There is increasing evidence that Covid can be passed from mothers who are ill with Covid to their fetuses,” Jamieson said. “Although the evidence is still suggestive and not definitive, I think that based on what we do know, that it is likely that this can occur.”
Still, in keeping with the overall data that indicates children are at lower risk of getting seriously sick from the virus, it appears that the infants of women who have it generally don’t contract Covid-19 themselves or have a mild illness.
Samantha Halseth, an intensive care unit nurse who is 13 weeks pregnant, considers herself lucky, even though she had been working in the Covid-19 unit at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento. Her managers immediately took her off that duty when she told them the news. Meanwhile, her hospital hasn’t run into shortages of personal protective equipment, and it’s now also able to do rapid testing for Covid-19, so she feels relatively well protected.
Still, she wasn’t expecting to get pregnant, so she didn’t find out until she was eight or nine weeks along, which meant “I had technically cared for a Covid-19 patient before I even knew,” she said. And in some ways, she said, working with people who have tested positive for Covid-19 is a bit more reassuring because she knows they have it and she can protect herself accordingly.
In the unit Halseth works in now, however, nurses are only given surgical masks, not the more protective N95 or powered air-purifying respirators. “You do worry, ‘Holy cow, what if they do come back positive, I was just in there with just a surgical mask,” she said.
Halseth’s general outlook on life, though, is that there’s not much use getting wrapped up in fear, and at 29, she’s young and healthy. Before she got pregnant, she assumed that if she did get Covid, she had a good chance of being okay. “But obviously when you’re pregnant, it’s not just about you anymore,” she said.
There are numerous health-related shifts people make when they find out they are pregnant — from small things like avoiding deli meats to making sure they don’t lift heavy objects at work to psychologically coming to terms with parenthood itself — to protect themselves and their babies. There is “almost this visceral desire to do everything you possibly can to make sure that you have a healthy pregnancy,” noted Dina Bakst, co-founder and co-president of A Better Balance, a legal advocacy organization for women’s workplace rights.
But trying to ensure a healthy pregnancy is even more fraught in the midst of a pandemic. “We just need to respect the fact that the guidance is vague and pregnant workers, many are scared,” Bakst said.
Both Jamieson and Oster emphasize that pregnant people should take the same precautions as everyone else: wearing a mask, washing their hands, avoiding touching their faces, and reducing exposure to other people. However, those things may not be easy to do for pregnant workers whose jobs require interacting with the public.
Pregnant workers are unsure if they have the right to the protections they need
Sophia Lopez works in the kitchen of a McDonald’s in Oakland, California, and is six months pregnant. When the virus first hit her area, “nothing changed,” she said, speaking Spanish through an interpreter. Employees weren’t given protective equipment right away; in early April, management started giving out masks, but they weren’t properly protective — some were simply dog diapers, she said. Her coworkers were getting sick, but management wasn’t notifying everyone else. “At the beginning, I really didn’t want to go to work,” she said. But “I decided to go because I need to get paid, I need to survive.”
Her doctor told her that he didn’t think she should be working under those conditions, but if she had to keep going to work, she should take extra precautions. But she hasn’t been able to make any changes other than wearing gloves and a mask. She didn’t even bother asking management if there were ways to keep her more protected at work; before the pandemic, when she asked to work earlier hours so she could get more rest, her manager responded by saying she could have her hours docked instead. So she’s been on strike since May 25 along with 33 of her coworkers.
“Our organization’s highest priority is to protect the health and well-being of our employees and customers,” Michael Smith, McDonald’s owner/operator, said in an emailed statement. The company, he said, is providing PPE and requiring employees to wear it at all times, and it has installed protective barriers in the restaurants as well as implemented temperature checks. He called the claim that workers were given dog diapers “false.”
But Lopez is not the only pregnant worker concerned about workplace conditions in the pandemic. “Our work has just exploded,” Bakst said. “The fear is through the roof.”
Calls to her organization’s legal hotline for women asking about their workplace rights have quadrupled. “A lot of what we’re doing is talking pregnant women through what their options are and informing them what the law provides so they can effectively self-advocate.”
On top of the uncertainty around the medical risks, navigating the legal landscape is also challenging. Twenty-nine states have pregnant worker fairness acts, laws that require employers to give pregnant employees reasonable accommodations so that they can stay healthy while on the job. Those workplace changes could include things like more protective equipment, temporarily changing work duties to something less exposed to the public, staggering work times so that commuting is less fraught, and even telecommuting, if possible.
But some workers are going to have a harder time finding a way to stay safe at work than others. It’s more challenging “when the limitation in the ability to work and the nature of the job just really seem at odds with each other,” said Emily Martin, vice president for workplace justice at the National Women’s Law Center. “If the request is, ‘Can I have a job that doesn’t involve exposure to the public,’ and the nature of the business is such that interacting with the public is the entire job, it can be more difficult to figure out what is an accommodation that addresses that need.”
Outside of those 29 states, those who work for companies with 15 or more employees could be entitled to a modification under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act if they can prove that their employer has provided the same accommodation to a similar non-pregnant worker. The challenge is that it’s up to the employee to identify a coworker who’s gotten the same accommodation they need. Those who have pregnancy-related complications — anything from gestational diabetes to preeclampsia — could also be entitled to an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
But federal agencies have offered little additional clarity. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released pandemic guidance that included information about accommodations, but nothing specifically about how to handle pregnancy during Covid-19. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has similarly issued general guidance but not enforceable requirements. This “is a shortcoming,” Martin said. “There could definitely be a productive role for federal agencies to play in setting out what are presumptions around what is safe and what is not safe.”
The murkiness is only going to become more confusing as states allow businesses to open back up and employees are called back to work.
Susan, a pseudonym used because she fears retribution for sharing her story, has been easily doing her job for a public transportation company from home since mid-March. “I was actually told that … I was even more responsive at home,” she noted, especially since she has made herself available on email before and after work hours. “I knew it was a privilege to be able to work from home and I didn’t want to take advantage of it.”
But she’s now 15 weeks pregnant, and she’s considered high-risk as a cancer survivor with endocrine issues. So when her employer said the work-from-home program would be expiring except for those who have health-related issues, she spoke to her doctor, who recommended she keep working from home and gave her a note saying as much. And yet the human resources department denied her request in an email on a Friday, telling her she had to report to work the following Monday. “They gave me no time to feel anything other than panic,” she said.
The company later sent Susan a letter saying it doesn’t believe she has a high-risk pregnancy based on its own doctor’s recommendation, a doctor she’s never seen. “I don’t even think they could pick me out of a lineup, they don’t even know who I am,” she said. “To be so confident to say that I’m not a high-risk pregnancy and put my unborn child at risk, that’s a really unsettling feeling.”
On top of that, Susan’s employer hasn’t instituted basic protocols like temperature checks and can’t ensure that staff will wear masks. “I have never, ever once said I don’t want to work. I’ve said I’m fearful to report to work without measures put in place,” she said. “They basically said that my health and safety are not important, and that being pregnant doesn’t put me in a special category.” She’s currently using some of her meager sick time while she fights for the ability to keep working from home.
“There could definitely be a productive role for federal agencies to play in setting out what are presumptions around what is safe and what is not safe”
Bakst heard from a hair stylist in Washington state whose salon reopened. Her doctor had told her that because she had a high-risk pregnancy, she shouldn’t be back at work, but she was told she had to return. While salon employees wore masks, the customers didn’t have to. “She was really petrified,” Bakst said.
The lack of medical certainty can also mean an uneven response from doctors, even though they are usually an important part of the process. Without a doctor’s note specifying that a pregnant person needs to change the way she works, “it’s certainly a harder situation,” Martin said. Employers are often within their legal rights to demand documentation from a medical professional.
“We’re seeing women running into issues with their doctors,” Bakst said. One client’s doctor told her that if her employer was requiring her to go to work, then she had to do what she was told, even if she may have had the legal right to ask for an accommodation, Bakst said.
“Because the evidence about Covid-19 is sort of fast-shifting, the individual medical professionals are making different assessments of risk,” Martin said.
Meanwhile, employers may find it easier to get out of having to make accommodations. Most laws that require employers to make changes to allow pregnant workers to stay in their jobs include an exemption for “undue hardship” on a business. Bakst said she’s seeing more employers invoking this excuse, particularly given how devastated businesses have been under pandemic-imposed lockdowns. With few employees coming to work and revenues underwater, they are arguing they can’t afford to give a pregnant worker different duties or let the worker stay home.
“It’s such a class issue,” Bakst said. Low-income workers, like Alpizar and Lopez, tend to have less power at work to ask for the things they need to stay healthy.
“The precautions that pregnant workers can and can’t take — it’s just really highlighted in this pandemic … who’s able to stay healthy and safe and who may not be able to.”
Once the strike is over, Alpizar will have to return to work and hope that she and her babies continue to remain healthy. “Until I give birth, I’m going to keep going until I can’t, until my body doesn’t allow me,” she said.
Reporting for this article was supported by a grant from the Economic Security Project.
Bryce Covert is an independent journalist writing about the economy. She is a contributing op-ed writer at the New York Times and a contributing writer at the Nation. Her writing has appeared in Time, the Washington Post, New York magazine, the New Republic, Slate, and others, and she won a 2016 Exceptional Merit in Media Award from the National Women’s Political Caucus.


vox--2020-06-15--Nursing homes are especially vulnerable to Covid-19. Here’s what it’s like to work in one.

The nursing home where Amanda works , in St. Louis , is currently Covid-19 free .
She fights to keep it that way every time she clocks in .
Amanda , who requested we only use her first name for professional reasons , is a receptionist , but like everyone else , she arrives at her job in full PPE and follows a rigorous disinfectant schedule .
She no longer checks friends and family into the facility to see residents ; instead , loved ones wave at each other through a window .
If visitors bring gifts , Amanda and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold to ensure that any lingering germs are dead before being delivered to their rightful doorstep .
But despite all of those precautions , Amanda describes her workweek as a deeply stressful experience .
Disaster can strike after a single slip-up .
The coronavirus first made American headlines in late February after an outbreak in a Seattle-area nursing home .
In the months since , more reports surfaced about how uniquely vulnerable care centers are during this pandemic .
On May 9 , the New York Times determined that one-third of confirmed US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of 28,100 .
Amanda has followed the coronavirus story since February and believes that her facility dodged a bullet .
The entire staff is especially demanding in their social distancing measures .
Amanda hardly ever goes to the grocery store and her four kids haven ’ t hung out with their friends in months .
The health of the people under her watch is just that delicate .
On May 4 , the state of Missouri lifted its stay-at-home order .
Restaurants and bars are operating at limited capacity , same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has only around 10,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus , but Amanda still feels like the government is leaving her behind .
The faster her city opens up , the more it will put her seniors at risk .
Read our conversation below .
When did things start to get weird at work ?
When did the pandemic become a reality ?
It was right about the time when they started saying things needed to shut down [ on April 3 ] .
But I stay up on the news , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my administrator , “ Do you want me to start making masks ?
” back then .
She said , “ What for ?
” Once they started recommending that our residents shouldn ’ t have visitors , that ’ s when things started to change .
There were so many people who were angry , but just as many who were like , “ Oh good , I ’ m glad you ’ re doing this.
” “ I was panicking in mid-February .
I asked my administrator , ‘ Do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ” The moment the coronavirus really started making headlines in America was after it started circulating in a care center in Washington .
What was your reaction to that news ?
How did it feel knowing that nursing homes , in particular , were vulnerable to this pandemic ?
We started having staff meetings where we were making sure everyone knew about the PPE and how to use it .
We talked about cleaning all the surfaces .
[ In February ] they were already telling us all the safety precautions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you ’ re not working , to not go places .
Get someone else to do the grocery shopping , things like that .
Our administrator was giving us great information , and I truly believe that ’ s why we haven ’ t had an outbreak in our facility .
You ’ re 42 , so you don ’ t fall into a high-risk demographic .
But your job puts you in contact with people that are every day .
Has that caused you to be more stringent with your social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your time outside more than other people around your age ?
Yes , I won ’ t let my kids see their friends .
A lot of people are letting their kids see other kids , but I nipped that in the bud right away .
My colleagues have done the same .
We also definitely wear the masks .
If I do shop , I try to get everything and anything we could possibly need .
How has that affected the culture in the facility ?
Is there a feeling of stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re in an extremely high-risk environment ?
Yes , we ’ ve had people that have quit because of this .
We ’ ve had people that have cried .
I ’ ve cried at work before , it ’ s just so stressful .
But we ’ ve had a lot of people gear up and help keep the morale going .
We have a great activities director who ’ s been trying to find things that we employees can do to entertain the residents .
They ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do special dress-up days and contests , and that ’ s countered the awful feeling of this pandemic .
How are the residents responding to all this ?
I believe in our rehab side there ’ s been some residents that are frustrated .
But we do allow the families to go to the window and knock and wave , and talk on the phone .
For the most part they ’ ve been accepting of the situation .
I know some of the residents don ’ t want to keep their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have to remind them .
But a lot of them have memory issues , they don ’ t remember why they ’ re wearing masks in the first place .
We ’ ve just been trying to keep the communication between the residents and the families as best we can .
Right now , most states in the US are opening up in some capacity .
I would imagine you would have an interesting take on that policy , given where you work .
What ’ s your reaction to that trend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ridiculous .
I understand that people need to make a living .
But if you sit and watch how germs spread , I mean , a bar is one of the worst places to be going to right now .
You talk louder when you ’ re drinking , you get closer when you ’ re drinking because the music is loud .
It ’ s just a spiral .
People might feel perfectly fine and don ’ t understand that they have the virus .
For Mother ’ s Day , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were putting them on a 24- to 72-hour hold , and not letting them touch them until they were clean .
If we ’ re still doing that , why are they opening bars ?
It doesn ’ t make sense to me .
Is there a feeling that right now nursing homes are not being thought about enough by state governments ?
“ I can ’ t sleep nowadays because I dream about being the cause of people dying ” I believe that our government hasn ’ t done anything .
Absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s happened has been some restrictions , but there ’ s no backup for it .
I really think that this administration has blood on its hands .
For them to act like coronavirus was nothing back in February , when clearly it was something .
Why don ’ t we have rapid testing in our facility right now ?
They should be in every hospital , every nursing home , and they should continue to produce them until they ’ re in schools and courthouses .
We should have rapid testing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president of the United States .
Personally , I ’ d feel so guilty if I got someone old and immunocompromised sick .
I would guess that you feel that pressure .
What ’ s that like ?
Does the guilt factor get in your head ?
Every second of the day .
I can ’ t sleep nowadays because I dream about being the cause of people dying .
That ’ s a horrifying thought for me .
I ’ ve written up my resignation several times .
But I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it because they need me there .
Those nurses don ’ t have a choice , they have to do it .
So I get back in there .
But every minute of the day , I ’ m terrified that I ’ m going to be the one .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

The nursing home where Amanda works, in St. Louis, is currently Covid-19 free. She fights to keep it that way every time she clocks in. Amanda, who requested we only use her first name for professional reasons, is a receptionist, but like everyone else, she arrives at her job in full PPE and follows a rigorous disinfectant schedule. She no longer checks friends and family into the facility to see residents; instead, loved ones wave at each other through a window. If visitors bring gifts, Amanda and her colleagues put them on a three-day hold to ensure that any lingering germs are dead before being delivered to their rightful doorstep. But despite all of those precautions, Amanda describes her workweek as a deeply stressful experience. Disaster can strike after a single slip-up.
The coronavirus first made American headlines in late February after an outbreak in a Seattle-area nursing home. In the months since, more reports surfaced about how uniquely vulnerable care centers are during this pandemic. On May 9, the New York Times determined that one-third of confirmed US Covid-19 deaths occurred in nursing homes — a total of 28,100. Amanda has followed the coronavirus story since February and believes that her facility dodged a bullet. The entire staff is especially demanding in their social distancing measures. Amanda hardly ever goes to the grocery store and her four kids haven’t hung out with their friends in months. The health of the people under her watch is just that delicate.
On May 4, the state of Missouri lifted its stay-at-home order. Restaurants and bars are operating at limited capacity, same with barbershops and nail salons. Missouri has only around 10,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but Amanda still feels like the government is leaving her behind. The faster her city opens up, the more it will put her seniors at risk. Read our conversation below.
When did things start to get weird at work? When did the pandemic become a reality?
It was right about the time when they started saying things needed to shut down [on April 3]. But I stay up on the news, and I was panicking in mid-February. I asked my administrator, “Do you want me to start making masks?” back then. She said, “What for?” Once they started recommending that our residents shouldn’t have visitors, that’s when things started to change. There were so many people who were angry, but just as many who were like, “Oh good, I’m glad you’re doing this.”
“I was panicking in mid-February. I asked my administrator, ‘Do you want me to start making masks?’”
The moment the coronavirus really started making headlines in America was after it started circulating in a care center in Washington. What was your reaction to that news? How did it feel knowing that nursing homes, in particular, were vulnerable to this pandemic?
We started having staff meetings where we were making sure everyone knew about the PPE and how to use it. We talked about cleaning all the surfaces. [In February] they were already telling us all the safety precautions. Then they started talking about how, when you’re not working, to not go places. Get someone else to do the grocery shopping, things like that. Our administrator was giving us great information, and I truly believe that’s why we haven’t had an outbreak in our facility.
You’re 42, so you don’t fall into a high-risk demographic. But your job puts you in contact with people that are every day. Has that caused you to be more stringent with your social distancing? Do you try to limit your time outside more than other people around your age?
Yes, I won’t let my kids see their friends. A lot of people are letting their kids see other kids, but I nipped that in the bud right away. My colleagues have done the same. We also definitely wear the masks. If I do shop, I try to get everything and anything we could possibly need.
How has that affected the culture in the facility? Is there a feeling of stress or paranoia, given the fact that you’re in an extremely high-risk environment?
Yes, we’ve had people that have quit because of this. We’ve had people that have cried. I’ve cried at work before, it’s just so stressful. But we’ve had a lot of people gear up and help keep the morale going. We have a great activities director who’s been trying to find things that we employees can do to entertain the residents. They’re not able to see their families, so we do special dress-up days and contests, and that’s countered the awful feeling of this pandemic.
How are the residents responding to all this?
I believe in our rehab side there’s been some residents that are frustrated. But we do allow the families to go to the window and knock and wave, and talk on the phone. For the most part they’ve been accepting of the situation. I know some of the residents don’t want to keep their masks on outside of their room. We have to remind them. But a lot of them have memory issues, they don’t remember why they’re wearing masks in the first place. We’ve just been trying to keep the communication between the residents and the families as best we can.
Right now, most states in the US are opening up in some capacity. I would imagine you would have an interesting take on that policy, given where you work. What’s your reaction to that trend?
I think it’s absolutely ridiculous. I understand that people need to make a living. But if you sit and watch how germs spread, I mean, a bar is one of the worst places to be going to right now. You talk louder when you’re drinking, you get closer when you’re drinking because the music is loud. It’s just a spiral. People might feel perfectly fine and don’t understand that they have the virus. For Mother’s Day, when families were bringing in presents, we were putting them on a 24- to 72-hour hold, and not letting them touch them until they were clean. If we’re still doing that, why are they opening bars? It doesn’t make sense to me.
Is there a feeling that right now nursing homes are not being thought about enough by state governments?
“I can’t sleep nowadays because I dream about being the cause of people dying”
I believe that our government hasn’t done anything. Absolutely nothing. The only thing that’s happened has been some restrictions, but there’s no backup for it. I really think that this administration has blood on its hands. For them to act like coronavirus was nothing back in February, when clearly it was something. Why don’t we have rapid testing in our facility right now? They should be in every hospital, every nursing home, and they should continue to produce them until they’re in schools and courthouses. We should have rapid testing for everyone right now, not just for the president of the United States.
Personally, I’d feel so guilty if I got someone old and immunocompromised sick. I would guess that you feel that pressure. What’s that like? Does the guilt factor get in your head?
Every second of the day. I can’t sleep nowadays because I dream about being the cause of people dying. That’s a horrifying thought for me. I’ve written up my resignation several times. But I don’t have the heart to do it because they need me there. Those nurses don’t have a choice, they have to do it. So I get back in there. But every minute of the day, I’m terrified that I’m going to be the one.


vox--2020-06-15--Former eBay employees allegedly used spiders and swingers to cyberstalk newsletter authors

In one of the strangest corporate scandal cases in recent memory , six former eBay workers allegedly waged an “ aggressive cyberstalking campaign ” against the two people behind an e-commerce newsletter that scrutinized the online auction site .
The former workers are accused of harassing the victims on Twitter , shipping them live invertebrates , and trying to install a GPS tracker in their car .
The Department of Justice announced on Monday that it charged six people who worked on eBay ’ s security and global intelligence teams — James Baugh , Brian Gilbert , David Harville , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Veronica Zea — with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with a witness .
Neither the victims nor the newsletter were named in the DOJ ’ s announcement .
The case may also offer some insight into why some of eBay ’ s top executives , including its former chief communications officer , departed the company last fall .
The “ three-part harassment campaign , ” as the DOJ described it , allegedly included sending the couple disturbing items including a pig mask , cockroaches , spiders , fly larvae , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a spouse ( both members of the couple were and remain alive ) .
There was also allegedly an attempt to send a pig fetus , but the supplier apparently figured out that something strange was going on and didn ’ t fulfill the order .
Parts two and three of the alleged campaign included sending disturbing Twitter messages and listing the couple ’ s Natick , Massachusetts , home as a destination for swingers , and then going to their home to try to put a GPS tracking device on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , the couple became aware that they were being surveilled and called the police .
District of Massachusetts US Attorney Andrew Lelling said in a press conference that the couple was “ emotionally and psychologically terrorized ” by the alleged actions .
If you ’ re wondering what the newsletter could have possibly said to engender such an extreme response from not one , not two , but at least six eBay workers ( five were employees , while Zea is described as a “ contractor ” ) , apparently some eBay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newsletter ’ s critical articles , as well as the anonymous comments underneath them .
The newsletter covers several e-commerce companies besides eBay , including Amazon and Etsy .
According to the DOJ , an August 2019 post about a lawsuit involving the company prompted two unnamed executives — who have not yet been charged — to allegedly suggest that the newsletter ’ s producers needed to be “ take [ n ] down.
” The FBI , which investigated the case along with the local police , issued a statement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the destructive potential of social media and the internet.
” Also notable about the alleged cyberstalking campaign is how many high-level eBay leaders are connected to it .
Baugh was eBay ’ s senior director of safety and security , and Harville was the director of global resiliency .
The company said in a statement that it “ terminated all involved employees , including the Company ’ s former Chief Communications Officer , in September 2019.
” While that employee is not named in the statement , Steve Wymer joined eBay as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is no longer with the company and has not been charged with anything .
Devin Wenig , who was then eBay ’ s CEO , was also investigated by the company , it said in the statement .
The investigation found that he had no knowledge of the campaign but did have some “ inappropriate ” communications .
Wenig left eBay in September 2019 , saying at the time that he “ was not on the same page as [ eBay ’ s ] new Board [ of Directors ] .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were a number of considerations leading to his departure from the company .
”

In one of the strangest corporate scandal cases in recent memory, six former eBay workers allegedly waged an “aggressive cyberstalking campaign” against the two people behind an e-commerce newsletter that scrutinized the online auction site. The former workers are accused of harassing the victims on Twitter, shipping them live invertebrates, and trying to install a GPS tracker in their car.
The Department of Justice announced on Monday that it charged six people who worked on eBay’s security and global intelligence teams — James Baugh, Brian Gilbert, David Harville, Stephanie Popp, Stephanie Stockwell, and Veronica Zea — with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with a witness. Neither the victims nor the newsletter were named in the DOJ’s announcement. The case may also offer some insight into why some of eBay’s top executives, including its former chief communications officer, departed the company last fall.
The “three-part harassment campaign,” as the DOJ described it, allegedly included sending the couple disturbing items including a pig mask, cockroaches, spiders, fly larvae, and a book about surviving the death of a spouse (both members of the couple were and remain alive). There was also allegedly an attempt to send a pig fetus, but the supplier apparently figured out that something strange was going on and didn’t fulfill the order.
Parts two and three of the alleged campaign included sending disturbing Twitter messages and listing the couple’s Natick, Massachusetts, home as a destination for swingers, and then going to their home to try to put a GPS tracking device on their car in August 2019. At this point, the couple became aware that they were being surveilled and called the police.
District of Massachusetts US Attorney Andrew Lelling said in a press conference that the couple was “emotionally and psychologically terrorized” by the alleged actions.
If you’re wondering what the newsletter could have possibly said to engender such an extreme response from not one, not two, but at least six eBay workers (five were employees, while Zea is described as a “contractor”), apparently some eBay executives took great exception to some of the newsletter’s critical articles, as well as the anonymous comments underneath them. The newsletter covers several e-commerce companies besides eBay, including Amazon and Etsy. According to the DOJ, an August 2019 post about a lawsuit involving the company prompted two unnamed executives — who have not yet been charged — to allegedly suggest that the newsletter’s producers needed to be “take[n] down.”
The FBI, which investigated the case along with the local police, issued a statement that said it was a “disturbing example of the destructive potential of social media and the internet.”
Also notable about the alleged cyberstalking campaign is how many high-level eBay leaders are connected to it. Baugh was eBay’s senior director of safety and security, and Harville was the director of global resiliency. The company said in a statement that it “terminated all involved employees, including the Company’s former Chief Communications Officer, in September 2019.” While that employee is not named in the statement, Steve Wymer joined eBay as its chief communications officer in January 2019. He is no longer with the company and has not been charged with anything. Devin Wenig, who was then eBay’s CEO, was also investigated by the company, it said in the statement. The investigation found that he had no knowledge of the campaign but did have some “inappropriate” communications. Wenig left eBay in September 2019, saying at the time that he “was not on the same page as [eBay’s] new Board [of Directors].” The company said Monday that “there were a number of considerations leading to his departure from the company.”


vox--2020-06-15--The 2021 Oscars are moving to April due to the pandemic. Should they?

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the elite organization of film industry professionals that votes on and hands out the Oscars — announced on June 15 that the 2021 ceremony would officially be moved to Sunday , April 25 .
The ceremony was previously scheduled for February 28 .
Since much about the Covid-19 pandemic remains unclear , from treatment and vaccine timelines to the safety of large gatherings in early 2021 , there ’ s no telling what form the ceremony will take — it could be held virtually , presented with a limited in-person audience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision is the first in a very long chain of dominoes .
The Academy also announced other changes .
The group had already decided this past April , after movie theaters had shuttered due to public health concerns , to temporarily allow movies released straight to streaming services to be eligible for the awards .
( This provision is temporary and will be lifted at a yet-to-be determined date ; the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , which gives out the Golden Globes , made a similar decision . )
This means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Da 5 Bloods , which premiered on Netflix on June 12 , are eligible ; in the past , nearly all films had to play in a theater in New York and Los Angeles for a minimum run of one week to qualify for consideration .
But in the June 15 announcement , the Academy also decided to extend the release window for all movies by about eight weeks .
Normally , films must be released by December 31 of the previous year to qualify for the Oscars .
But for the 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February 28 , 2021 , to qualify .
( Until the Academy decides to reinstitute the theatrical distribution restriction , those movies could be released on streaming platforms or in theaters , or , likely , some combination of both . )
Other pieces of the Oscar calendar have moved , based on these decisions .
Short lists of potential nominees in certain categories ( including Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature ) will be announced on February 9 — which , incidentally , is the one-year anniversary of the 2020 Oscars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s been a century and a half .
( Special committees draw up a “ shortlist ” in the documentary and international feature film categories , on which the broader membership votes to determine which five movies will advance to nominee status . )
Then , the nominations will be announced on March 15 , rather than in January .
The new dates for the 2021 Oscars are mostly good for the people who already benefit from the Oscars For the people who run arduous , expensive Oscar campaigns , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catastrophic for the usual awards cycle , which begins in May at the Cannes Film Festival ( first delayed , then canceled for this year ) and ends after a battery of fall festivals in Venice , Telluride , Toronto , and New York and a flurry of year-end releases designed to set films up for favor with Academy voters .
Filmmakers and actors whose films are in serious contention for awards spend the time between the December 31 deadline and the Oscars ( normally a period of about six to eight weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Q & As , and trying to get people to watch and , more importantly , cast votes for their film .
This year , however , everything is in a state of chaos .
The fall festivals are still planning to run , with various modifications ; the Telluride Film Festival , for instance , recently announced that the September festival will begin a day earlier to reduce crowding and spread out the events .
The organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival ( TIFF ) have talked about implementing social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Outdoor screenings have been discussed as part of some of the festivals , reducing the risk of virus transmission .
TIFF and festivals like Venice also plan to host official selections from the canceled Cannes Film Festival ( where last year ’ s Oscar winners Parasite and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered ) .
These festivals are important to the awards season largely because they can “ launch ” a movie ’ s campaign , much like a politician kicking off a political campaign with a showy event and announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance or a screenplay .
They get the ball rolling .
But the reduced and confusing festival circumstances for the fall make planning an Oscar campaign ( which can cost millions of dollars ) difficult — especially since nobody really knows whether those festivals will be allowed to go forward , particularly if there ’ s a resurgence of the virus .
( The SXSW Festival , which was slated for mid-March , was still talking about moving forward until it was effectively canceled by decree of the City of Austin just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of course , an effective treatment or vaccine could emerge , and some festivals could move forward as usual .
Nobody knows !
In 2020 , it feels like most anything could happen .
( And in 2021 , too ; should nothing else change , the 2021 Oscars will take place three full months after the conclusion of Sundance 2021 , and barely three weeks before everyone in the business migrates to the French Riviera so Cannes 2021 can begin .
My head is spinning , and I don ’ t even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for studios who plan and budget for those campaigns — and those who were planning to release awards contenders outside of the festival circuit ( such as last year ’ s 1917 ) — the Academy ’ s announcement has bought them some time and given them some breathing room to figure out what to do .
The delay and the extended eligibility window also means that some films that may in the past have waited until fall 2021 to release , with high hopes for awards glory in a ( possibly ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now may try to sneak in under the wire after all .
Studios that are considering releasing their films digitally may decide to wait it out a little longer and see if they can land a theatrical release slot while remaining in awards contention after all — something that high-budget movies , many of which show up in the award season , depend upon .
The move will also undoubtedly have a cascading effect on the rest of the awards-giving bodies , from guilds like the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which typically look to the Academy when formulating their own eligibility rules .
I ’ m a member of two voting bodies — the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics — and I ’ m expecting we ’ ll be having some discussions soon to determine whether we also will extend our eligibility windows .
( Indeed , within hours of the Academy ’ s announcement , the BAFTAs — the Oscars ’ British equivalent — were delayed until April 11 . )
The Academy shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any of this schedule shifting a good thing ?
That ’ s impossible to answer definitively .
The best we can say is that it could be a good thing for the movie business .
Or , in two months , it may turn out that we ’ re back to exactly where we started : film festivals are still up in the air , campaigns are impossible to plan , the Oscars will take place on a giant Zoom webinar in April , and the Academy will take a massive hit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health shifts , the delay , and sheer luck may buy the industry enough time to get back on its feet and figure out how to have a semi-normal awards season .
But as an industry observer and , more importantly , a critic , I find the Academy ’ s decision both frustrating and revealing .
I understand the desire to enable those who want their movies to show on the big screen to delay release until they can do so while still being eligible for this year ’ s awards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rush back to theaters , for public health reasons .
( Most Academy members , a sizable number of whom are older , watch the films via link or disc , anyway . )
I understand keenly the frustration of the hamster wheel that everyone finds themselves in right now : trying to move forward , to keep the thousands of people who earn a living in the industry employed as best they can , and to prepare for a recovery as soon as it ’ s possible , yet having no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On the other hand , the Academy ’ s decision move also exemplifies what people have long accused the Oscars , and Hollywood more broadly , of being : elitists who rig the system for the favored movies , the ones from known and celebrated directors and star talent , and ignore the rest .
Because there have been a lot of good movies already this year , and there could be more .
Spike Lee ’ s Da 5 Bloods would be in awards conversations in any year .
But a handful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way into the world , either through theatrical release earlier in the year or via digital distribution : The Assistant ; First Cow ; Never , Rarely , Sometimes , Always ; Shirley ; The Painter and the Thief ; and more .
In the absence of flashy blockbusters for people to talk about , I ’ ve been hearing from people who ’ ve watched films like The Platform and Crip Camp and The Vast of Night and been surprised in some cases by how much they loved them .
The closure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precarious as it is , has had the unintended and welcome side effect of spotlighting movies that otherwise would have gotten swallowed up in the din , or only played in a few cities .
If you haven ’ t heard of any of these movies above — well , that ’ s my point .
Frequently the movie chatter , to everyone except those on the inside of the industry , boils down to two categories : blockbusters and Oscar movies .
Occasionally an unconventional movie busts through to become a sensation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s either the built-in marketing of a franchise film that brings a movie to the average audience member ’ s attention , or it ’ s the imprimatur of the Oscars that tells you this movie is “ important ” in some way .
And so , in a perfect world , the best thing the Oscars can do is help people discover movies they otherwise might have missed .
By moving the eligibility window and effectively declaring that time has been extended and the year 2020 is now 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Academy is suggesting that some movies “ deserve ” a shot at this year ’ s Oscars rather than competing next year , and that the smaller films with less marketing capital and name recognition that have already come out this year so far , or might come out before the year ’ s end , simply don ’ t .
Yes , keeping the cutoff at December 31 would make for a very strange Oscars in 2021 , no matter when they took place .
You might find a slate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve never heard of ( many of whom , interestingly enough , are women ) , or performances in films that didn ’ t have much of a budget behind them .
But wouldn ’ t that be good , for a change ?
People are always talking about how to shake up the Oscars , to make them be more about the movies than the awards campaigns .
The Academy itself has recently announced sweeping changes in future years that will include a “ diversity requirement ” ( the details of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for potential nominees .
The strange movie ( and everything else ) year of 2020 could be just the kick in the pants that the Oscars need to seem alive , reflective of what ’ s truly happening in the industry , and relevant once again .
The extended eligibility window decision feels more motivated by profit and prestige than anything .
It suggests that the “ right ” movies need a way to get nominated , rather than just drawing from the pool of movies that actually come out in 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ deserve ” nominations , and thus should have the lines redrawn for them , would be a bold move for a famously risk-averse industry .
But maybe the courage to be bold would have been the silver lining in all of this pandemic mess .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the elite organization of film industry professionals that votes on and hands out the Oscars — announced on June 15 that the 2021 ceremony would officially be moved to Sunday, April 25. The ceremony was previously scheduled for February 28.
Since much about the Covid-19 pandemic remains unclear, from treatment and vaccine timelines to the safety of large gatherings in early 2021, there’s no telling what form the ceremony will take — it could be held virtually, presented with a limited in-person audience, or some other option. But the decision is the first in a very long chain of dominoes.
The Academy also announced other changes. The group had already decided this past April, after movie theaters had shuttered due to public health concerns, to temporarily allow movies released straight to streaming services to be eligible for the awards. (This provision is temporary and will be lifted at a yet-to-be determined date; the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which gives out the Golden Globes, made a similar decision.) This means that films such as Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, which premiered on Netflix on June 12, are eligible; in the past, nearly all films had to play in a theater in New York and Los Angeles for a minimum run of one week to qualify for consideration.
But in the June 15 announcement, the Academy also decided to extend the release window for all movies by about eight weeks. Normally, films must be released by December 31 of the previous year to qualify for the Oscars. But for the 2021 ceremony, films must be released by February 28, 2021, to qualify. (Until the Academy decides to reinstitute the theatrical distribution restriction, those movies could be released on streaming platforms or in theaters, or, likely, some combination of both.)
Other pieces of the Oscar calendar have moved, based on these decisions . Short lists of potential nominees in certain categories (including Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature) will be announced on February 9 — which, incidentally, is the one-year anniversary of the 2020 Oscars ceremony, even though it feels like it’s been a century and a half. (Special committees draw up a “shortlist” in the documentary and international feature film categories, on which the broader membership votes to determine which five movies will advance to nominee status.) Then, the nominations will be announced on March 15, rather than in January.
The new dates for the 2021 Oscars are mostly good for the people who already benefit from the Oscars
For the people who run arduous, expensive Oscar campaigns, this is likely good news. 2020 looks catastrophic for the usual awards cycle, which begins in May at the Cannes Film Festival (first delayed, then canceled for this year) and ends after a battery of fall festivals in Venice, Telluride, Toronto, and New York and a flurry of year-end releases designed to set films up for favor with Academy voters. Filmmakers and actors whose films are in serious contention for awards spend the time between the December 31 deadline and the Oscars (normally a period of about six to eight weeks) furiously shaking hands, attending luncheons and Q&As, and trying to get people to watch and, more importantly, cast votes for their film.
This year, however, everything is in a state of chaos. The fall festivals are still planning to run, with various modifications; the Telluride Film Festival, for instance, recently announced that the September festival will begin a day earlier to reduce crowding and spread out the events. The organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) have talked about implementing social distancing measures and reducing their film slate. Outdoor screenings have been discussed as part of some of the festivals, reducing the risk of virus transmission. TIFF and festivals like Venice also plan to host official selections from the canceled Cannes Film Festival (where last year’s Oscar winners Parasite and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered).
These festivals are important to the awards season largely because they can “launch” a movie’s campaign, much like a politician kicking off a political campaign with a showy event and announcement. They generate early buzz for a performance or a screenplay. They get the ball rolling.
But the reduced and confusing festival circumstances for the fall make planning an Oscar campaign (which can cost millions of dollars) difficult — especially since nobody really knows whether those festivals will be allowed to go forward, particularly if there’s a resurgence of the virus. (The SXSW Festival, which was slated for mid-March, was still talking about moving forward until it was effectively canceled by decree of the City of Austin just a week before its start date.)
Related How the coronavirus outbreak is roiling the film and entertainment industries
Of course, an effective treatment or vaccine could emerge, and some festivals could move forward as usual. Nobody knows! In 2020, it feels like most anything could happen. (And in 2021, too; should nothing else change, the 2021 Oscars will take place three full months after the conclusion of Sundance 2021, and barely three weeks before everyone in the business migrates to the French Riviera so Cannes 2021 can begin. My head is spinning, and I don’t even run a movie studio.)
So for studios who plan and budget for those campaigns — and those who were planning to release awards contenders outside of the festival circuit (such as last year’s 1917) — the Academy’s announcement has bought them some time and given them some breathing room to figure out what to do. The delay and the extended eligibility window also means that some films that may in the past have waited until fall 2021 to release, with high hopes for awards glory in a (possibly) more “normal” awards year, now may try to sneak in under the wire after all.
Studios that are considering releasing their films digitally may decide to wait it out a little longer and see if they can land a theatrical release slot while remaining in awards contention after all — something that high-budget movies, many of which show up in the award season, depend upon.
The move will also undoubtedly have a cascading effect on the rest of the awards-giving bodies, from guilds like the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild to critics’ groups, all of which typically look to the Academy when formulating their own eligibility rules. I’m a member of two voting bodies — the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics — and I’m expecting we’ll be having some discussions soon to determine whether we also will extend our eligibility windows. (Indeed, within hours of the Academy’s announcement, the BAFTAs — the Oscars’ British equivalent — were delayed until April 11.)
The Academy shouldn’t be reinventing the eligibility calendar
Is any of this schedule shifting a good thing? That’s impossible to answer definitively. The best we can say is that it could be a good thing for the movie business. Or, in two months, it may turn out that we’re back to exactly where we started: film festivals are still up in the air, campaigns are impossible to plan, the Oscars will take place on a giant Zoom webinar in April, and the Academy will take a massive hit to its income. Or some combination of public health shifts, the delay, and sheer luck may buy the industry enough time to get back on its feet and figure out how to have a semi-normal awards season.
But as an industry observer and, more importantly, a critic, I find the Academy’s decision both frustrating and revealing. I understand the desire to enable those who want their movies to show on the big screen to delay release until they can do so while still being eligible for this year’s awards. It makes sense to not encourage a rush back to theaters, for public health reasons. (Most Academy members, a sizable number of whom are older, watch the films via link or disc, anyway.)
I understand keenly the frustration of the hamster wheel that everyone finds themselves in right now: trying to move forward, to keep the thousands of people who earn a living in the industry employed as best they can, and to prepare for a recovery as soon as it’s possible, yet having no idea when that will be possible. On the other hand, the Academy’s decision also crystallizes what people have long accused the Oscars, and Hollywood more broadly, of being: elitists who rig the system for the favored movies, the ones from known and celebrated directors and star talent, and ignore the rest.
Because there have been a lot of good movies already this year, and there could be more. Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods would be in awards conversations in any year. But a handful of skillfully crafted indies have made their way into the world, either through theatrical release earlier in the year or via digital distribution: The Assistant; First Cow; Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always; Shirley; The Painter and the Thief; and more.
In the absence of flashy blockbusters for people to talk about, I’ve been hearing from people who’ve watched films like The Platform and Crip Camp and The Vast of Night and been surprised in some cases by how much they loved them. The closure of theaters, as frustrating and financially precarious as it is, has had the unintended and welcome side effect of spotlighting movies that otherwise would have gotten swallowed up in the din, or only played in a few cities.
If you haven’t heard of any of these movies above — well, that’s my point. Frequently the movie chatter, to everyone except those on the inside of the industry, boils down to two categories: blockbusters and Oscar movies. Occasionally an unconventional movie busts through to become a sensation, like Parasite. But in general, it’s either the built-in marketing of a franchise film that brings a movie to the average audience member’s attention, or it’s the imprimatur of the Oscars that tells you this movie is “important” in some way.
And so, in a perfect world, the best thing the Oscars can do is help people discover movies they otherwise might have missed.
By moving the eligibility window and effectively declaring that time has been extended and the year 2020 is now 14 months long (terrifying!), the Academy is suggesting that some movies “deserve” a shot at this year’s Oscars rather than competing next year, and that the smaller films with less marketing capital and name recognition that have already come out this year so far, or might come out before the year’s end, simply don’t.
Yes, keeping the cutoff at December 31 would make for a very strange Oscars in 2021, no matter when they took place. You might find a slate of Best Picture nominees directed by people you’ve never heard of (many of whom, interestingly enough, are women), or performances in films that didn’t have much of a budget behind them.
But wouldn’t that be good, for a change? People are always talking about how to shake up the Oscars, to make them be more about the movies than the awards campaigns. The Academy itself has recently announced sweeping changes in future years that will include a “diversity requirement” (the details of which are still being worked out) for potential nominees. The strange movie (and everything else) year of 2020 could be just the kick in the pants that the Oscars need to seem alive, reflective of what’s truly happening in the industry, and relevant once again.
The extended eligibility window decision feels more motivated by profit and prestige than anything. It suggests that the “right” movies need a way to get nominated, rather than just drawing from the pool of movies that actually come out in 2020.
Dispensing with the notion that some movies “deserve” nominations, and thus should have the lines redrawn for them, would be a bold move for a famously risk-averse industry. But maybe the courage to be bold would have been the silver lining in all of this pandemic mess.