vox--2020-08-18--Fewer inspectors, more deaths: The Trump administration rolls back workplace safety inspections

Evju was at work , serving soft drinks to guests at Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom park that morning , and couldn ’ t answer .
It wasn ’ t until lunchtime that she saw the text message .
“ This is Chaplain Glen and I ’ m trying to get ahold of you .
It ’ s an emergency , please call me back.
” The 40-year-old mother of six couldn ’ t imagine what it was all about .
She would learn , soon enough , that her partner of 13 years , Shawn Knowles , had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t survive , the chaplain told Evju on the phone .
“ I just lost it , ” she said , sobbing as she remembered the conversation .
“ I was screaming and crying and screaming .
I couldn ’ t even speak.
” Knowles worked at a countertop factory and had arrived early that day .
He was cleaning out the drainage ditch that collects granite dust from a 28,000-pound marble-cutting machine .
As he hosed down the ditch , he stepped into the path of the machine ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ switch tools .
The area wasn ’ t roped off , investigators said afterward ; nothing kept workers from taking the wrong step .
No one saw what happened next , according to police , but one of Knowles ’ s coworkers , Brady Claiborne , found him lying in the drainage ditch around 8:40 am , his arm bloody and twisted into an “ unnatural position.
” Claiborne yelled for someone to call 911 .
Two coworkers rushed over .
Together , they lifted Knowles out of the ditch and turned on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ambulance arrived .
He was still breathing .
Less than an hour later , on his way to the hospital , Knowles died .
He was 44 .
“ It destroyed us .
It really did , ” Evju said .
His death was so distressing that she couldn ’ t work for a month and almost lost their home when she fell behind on the mortgage payments .
One of their six children tried to kill themselves .
Their 11-year-old son still has dreams that his father is alive .
Knowles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that led to a death or “ catastrophe ” — defined by the US Department of Labor as hospitalizations of three or more workers — and triggered an investigation by safety inspectors at the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration during the first three and a half years of Donald Trump ’ s presidency , according to the agency ’ s enforcement data .
In 2019 , OSHA ’ s safety inspectors conducted 962 investigations into fatal or catastrophic workplace incidents — the highest number since the agency began publishing the data in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , the Trump administration has scaled back OSHA inspections , which research has shown to lower injury rates .
The agency conducted slightly fewer safety inspections during the first three years of Trump ’ s presidency than during a comparable period at the end of President Barack Obama ’ s second term , even though the labor force grew by 16 percent , according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of the agency ’ s inspection data .
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic , OSHA has been cutting back even more , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when Trump declared the coronavirus a national emergency .
That ’ s a drop of about two-thirds compared to the same period last year .
The slowdown in inspections could prove dangerous for millions of workers : A Public Integrity analysis shows the vast majority of deaths and catastrophes have occurred at workplaces that weren ’ t inspected by OSHA .
A case in point is Majestic Marble & Granite , the countertop factory where Knowles worked .
Before the 2018 accident , it had never been inspected by OSHA , records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hazardous industry .
Under federal law , the agency doesn ’ t need to visit every workplace — an impossibility given that it has never had more than 1,500 inspectors to cover millions of workplaces — but under Trump , scrutiny is even less likely .
The lax scrutiny comes as Trump continues to trim the regulatory powers of federal agencies .
Under his watch , the Labor Department has systematically weakened rules meant to protect workers ’ pay , retirement , and safety .
The department , for example , scaled back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of workers .
It also tried to change pay rules to let employers pocket workers ’ tips — a move later undone by Congress .
The department also has been slow to hire and replace inspectors at OSHA ; their number fell from 952 in 2016 to 862 in January , the lowest number of inspectors in the agency ’ s history , according to the National Employment Law Project .
Staffing has since gone down to 761 inspectors , according to the Labor Department .
Debbie Berkowitz , who served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the administration is “ starving ” the agency of the staff it needs to keep workers safe .
“ This will have lasting consequences , ” said Berkowitz , now NELP ’ s director of safety and health .
“ It ’ s undermining the effectiveness of the agency.
” The human cost of less regulation There was a time when deaths and maimings at workplaces were common .
During the Industrial Revolution , factories sprang up in the Northeast , and working conditions there were brutal .
Fires , explosions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died , and employers had no legal obligation to protect them .
In 1860 , a cotton factory in Lawrence , Massachusetts , collapsed and killed about 145 workers .
That led the state to pass the nation ’ s first law requiring factory safety inspections .
New Jersey , New York , and a handful of other states followed .
It wasn ’ t until the progressive New Deal era that the federal government got involved .
In 1934 , Frances Perkins , the first labor secretary , opened an agency to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws .
Then , under pressure from labor unions , Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 .
It required all private companies — for the first time — to provide workers with a safe and healthy work environment .
OSHA was created to enforce the law .
While it doesn ’ t inspect every workplace , OSHA is the primary agency to enforce workplace safety laws in 29 states .
( The other 21 states have their own enforcement programs that must comply with federal law . )
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics say workplaces across the country remain dangerous , triggering an annual average of about 880 fatal or catastrophic investigations from 2012 to 2019 .
The death toll is “ outrageously high , ” says Marcy Goldstein-Gelb , co-executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health , an advocacy group .
“ With all the technology we have , those rates should be going down much more dramatically.
” One reason for the high number of deaths and catastrophes is that the workforce was growing before the pandemic hit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of getting hurt .
But Goldstein and other workplace safety experts believe more workers are dying because OSHA inspections have grown rarer .
During the first three years under Trump , OSHA conducted about 81,000 safety inspections — a 4.7 percent decrease from about 85,000 conducted during the last three years of Obama ’ s presidency , according to a Public Integrity analysis of the agency ’ s inspection data .
“ Unless someone dies at a workplace or there ’ s some significant accident , [ the employer ] is very unlikely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former OSHA official under Obama , who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press at his new job .
But Congress hasn ’ t cut OSHA ’ s enforcement budget ; instead , it has given the agency slightly more funding than the administration has asked for .
It earmarked $ 576.8 million for fiscal year 2020 — $ 19.3 million more than requested .
Former OSHA officials say the decrease in inspectors has more to do with the federal hiring freeze imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the office .
Dozens of inspectors left their jobs in the months following his inauguration , and the Labor Department has been slow to replace them .
OSHA “ has done a poor job filling the vacancies , ” said Rebecca Reindel , safety and health director for the AFL-CIO labor federation .
Filling vacancies is the first step to rebuilding the agency , a task a future administration would likely have to take on , Reindel said .
She also would like to see OSHA hire more employees to update safety standards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ramping up criminal prosecutions of negligent employers is also critical , she added .
“ Going after those especially bad actors sends a strong message , ” Reindel said .
What happens when OSHA stays away After Knowles ’ s death , OSHA cited Majestic Marble & Granite for not putting up guardrails around the drainage ditch and not blocking off the area around the stone-cutting machine while it was on .
Inspectors said the robotic arm likely pushed Knowles and pinned him against a steel I-beam nearby , crushing his arm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OSHA citations and paid a fine of $ 12,199 — down from a proposed penalty of $ 18,564 — in May 2019 .
Evju was furious when she found out .
“ I couldn ’ t believe they felt like that ’ s what his life was worth — not even close , ” she said .
Majestic Marble & Granite is just a few miles south of downtown Orlando , on a busy street lined with auto body shops and personal storage units .
The building has a showroom up front and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s where employees design , cut , and polish the countertops .
The owner of the company , Scott Hanes , declined to talk about what happened on December 6 , 2018 .
“ I can ’ t comment on that , ” Hanes said in the parking lot one February afternoon .
“ I need to protect my business.
” At the end of the workday , employees ambled toward their cars , wearing grease-stained , neon yellow T-shirts .
They , too , didn ’ t want to talk .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t , ” said one man as he got into his pickup truck .
“ That brings up some really bad memories of trying to save someone ’ s life and not being able to.
” Another man said he gave a statement to police and didn ’ t want to discuss it further .
Majestic Marble & Granite did not have a history of safety complaints or violations , according to OSHA .
That ’ s probably why the agency never visited the business — it often takes a worker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OSHA to investigate .
But the agency randomly inspects companies in dangerous industries , and the stone fabrication industry was part of its high-hazard safety enforcement program until the administration ended it , shortly after Trump took office .
It ’ s more likely that OSHA would have inspected Majestic Marble & Granite if Trump hadn ’ t abolished the program .
( The administration reinstated a weaker version of it earlier this year . )
The White House declined to comment on Public Integrity ’ s findings and referred questions to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labor Department spokesperson , said the number of inspections began to rise again in fiscal year 2019 and was on pace to rise even higher in 2020 until the pandemic hit .
“ OSHA is working around the clock to protect America ’ s workers , especially during the pandemic , ” Sweeney wrote in a statement .
But that ’ s cold comfort for Evju .
“ I feel like if [ OSHA ] had actually investigated the company to make sure that it was safe , then my husband would still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justin Harrington ’ s story is similar to Knowles ’ s .
Harrington had been looking forward to a career in construction .
The 27-year-old New Englander knew how to handle a forklift and wanted to get a special license to drive boom trucks and bucket trucks .
He never got the chance .
On January 18 , 2018 , Harrington died while driving an excavator in Gloucester , Massachusetts .
He was digging out the foundation of a house to renovate the basement .
None of his coworkers had arrived yet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The owner of the contracting company , Michael MacEachern , found him pinned against a steel beam and called the police .
Harrington didn ’ t make it .
“ I ’ ll never forget that day , ” said his mother , Rena Harrington .
MacEachern did not respond to a request for comment .
After Harrington ’ s death , OSHA sent an inspector to the work site and cited the company , Stoneworks , for not properly training employees to recognize and avoid hazards .
Stoneworks settled the case for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Granite , the agency had never inspected the company until Harrington died , records show .
Since January 2013 , OSHA has conducted more than 6,800 investigations into workplaces that had a fatal or catastrophic incident .
The vast majority of them — about 91 percent — had not been inspected in the previous 10 years , according to a Public Integrity analysis of the agency ’ s enforcement data .
Research shows that OSHA inspections have a significant impact on safety .
In 2012 , for example , researchers at Harvard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that companies subject to the agency ’ s random inspections showed a 9.4 percent decrease in injury rates compared with uninspected ones .
They also found no evidence of any added cost to inspected companies from complying with regulations .
In 2010 , researchers with the RAND Corporation analyzed workers ’ compensation data in Pennsylvania and found that OSHA inspections were linked to a sharp decline in reported injuries at medium-size companies .
Inspections that led to citations with penalties played a role in reducing injuries by an average of 19 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years following each inspection .
“ Inspections work , ” said Reindel of the AFL-CIO .
“ If an employer thinks they won ’ t get inspected , they will take fewer steps to protect workers.
” Waiting for something to shift It ’ s been 19 months since Evju got the news about Knowles , and she still cries about it every day — in the shower , on her way to work in her Buick .
“ It doesn ’ t get any easier , ” she said .
On her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evju lies on the couch , too exhausted and sad to do anything .
Sometimes she musters the energy to clean her house .
The family lives in a trailer park called Rock Springs , where she and Knowles bought a three-bedroom mobile home in 2017 .
During a recent visit by a Public Integrity reporter , her home looked tidy but worn .
Her daughter ’ s dolls were piled up in a corner .
Three goldfish swam in circles .
Evju pointed to a cluster of golf-ball-size rips in the beige @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had anxiously chewed through the fabric after Knowles died .
“ He ’ s still grieving , ” Evju said as Smoke napped in an open crate in the living room .
The old Staffordshire Terrier is just one reminder of the life that Evju once had .
There are many , including the small whiteboard where Knowles wrote her a note in blue marker — something he often did .
“ Hay Baby I love U !
!
For Ever.
” Evju cracked a smile , remembering how he always misspelled “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
Without two incomes , Evju works extra hours and sometimes doesn ’ t return home until 1 am .
She feels like she ’ s barely hanging on to her job because she often needs to take unpaid time off when a child is ill. “ I ’ m the only one who can take care of my kids , so if we ’ re out sick for a week I can ’ t go to work , ” said Evju , who was furloughed from her $ 14-an-hour job at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get modest workers ’ compensation payments related to Knowles ’ s accident , but the $ 60 a week can only go so far .
She relies on food stamps , and her children are on Medicaid .
Evju can ’ t afford the premiums for her health insurance , so she has none .
The older children are pitching in .
Fifteen-year-old Braden has taken up “ house mom ” duties .
He helps watch the younger kids , cooks dinner for them , and often puts them to bed .
Seventeen-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with flexible hours , which allows her to work part time at a nursing home .
She helps pay the bills .
Some days , Evju convinces herself she can be happy again .
Most of the time , she ’ s angry .
Angry that Knowles ’ s company never contacted her to offer condolences .
Angry that OSHA had never inspected it until the accident .
Reminders of that December morning are everywhere .
“ There can be a certain smell or some small thing that brings everything back , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a ton of bricks , ” Evju said .
“ And everything comes flooding back , like I just got that phone call .
”

ORLANDO, Florida — Elizabeth Evju’s cellphone was ringing nonstop on December 6, 2018.
Evju was at work, serving soft drinks to guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park that morning, and couldn’t answer. It wasn’t until lunchtime that she saw the text message.
“This is Chaplain Glen and I’m trying to get ahold of you. It’s an emergency, please call me back.”
The 40-year-old mother of six couldn’t imagine what it was all about. She would learn, soon enough, that her partner of 13 years, Shawn Knowles, had been crushed in a work accident.
Knowles didn’t survive, the chaplain told Evju on the phone. “I just lost it,” she said, sobbing as she remembered the conversation. “I was screaming and crying and screaming. I couldn’t even speak.”
Knowles worked at a countertop factory and had arrived early that day. He was cleaning out the drainage ditch that collects granite dust from a 28,000-pound marble-cutting machine. As he hosed down the ditch, he stepped into the path of the machine’s robotic arm before it circled back to switch tools.
The area wasn’t roped off, investigators said afterward; nothing kept workers from taking the wrong step.
No one saw what happened next, according to police, but one of Knowles’s coworkers, Brady Claiborne, found him lying in the drainage ditch around 8:40 am, his arm bloody and twisted into an “unnatural position.” Claiborne yelled for someone to call 911. Two coworkers rushed over. Together, they lifted Knowles out of the ditch and turned on a heater to keep him warm until an ambulance arrived. He was still breathing.
Less than an hour later, on his way to the hospital, Knowles died. He was 44.
“It destroyed us. It really did,” Evju said. His death was so distressing that she couldn’t work for a month and almost lost their home when she fell behind on the mortgage payments. One of their six children tried to kill themselves. Their 11-year-old son still has dreams that his father is alive.
Knowles’s accident was one of 3,203 that led to a death or “catastrophe” — defined by the US Department of Labor as hospitalizations of three or more workers — and triggered an investigation by safety inspectors at the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration during the first three and a half years of Donald Trump’s presidency, according to the agency’s enforcement data.
In 2019, OSHA’s safety inspectors conducted 962 investigations into fatal or catastrophic workplace incidents — the highest number since the agency began publishing the data in 2011.
As these incidents mount, however, the Trump administration has scaled back OSHA inspections, which research has shown to lower injury rates. The agency conducted slightly fewer safety inspections during the first three years of Trump’s presidency than during a comparable period at the end of President Barack Obama’s second term, even though the labor force grew by 16 percent, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of the agency’s inspection data.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, OSHA has been cutting back even more, conducting only 5,127 inspections since March 13, when Trump declared the coronavirus a national emergency. That’s a drop of about two-thirds compared to the same period last year.
The slowdown in inspections could prove dangerous for millions of workers: A Public Integrity analysis shows the vast majority of deaths and catastrophes have occurred at workplaces that weren’t inspected by OSHA.
A case in point is Majestic Marble & Granite, the countertop factory where Knowles worked. Before the 2018 accident, it had never been inspected by OSHA, records show, despite being part of a hazardous industry. Under federal law, the agency doesn’t need to visit every workplace — an impossibility given that it has never had more than 1,500 inspectors to cover millions of workplaces — but under Trump, scrutiny is even less likely.
The lax scrutiny comes as Trump continues to trim the regulatory powers of federal agencies. Under his watch, the Labor Department has systematically weakened rules meant to protect workers’ pay, retirement, and safety. The department, for example, scaled back a rule to extend overtime pay for millions of workers. It also tried to change pay rules to let employers pocket workers’ tips — a move later undone by Congress.
The department also has been slow to hire and replace inspectors at OSHA; their number fell from 952 in 2016 to 862 in January, the lowest number of inspectors in the agency’s history, according to the National Employment Law Project.
Staffing has since gone down to 761 inspectors, according to the Labor Department.
Debbie Berkowitz, who served as an OSHA policy adviser under Obama, said the administration is “starving” the agency of the staff it needs to keep workers safe.
“This will have lasting consequences,” said Berkowitz, now NELP’s director of safety and health. “It’s undermining the effectiveness of the agency.”
The human cost of less regulation
There was a time when deaths and maimings at workplaces were common. During the Industrial Revolution, factories sprang up in the Northeast, and working conditions there were brutal. Fires, explosions, and equipment malfunctions were frequent. Workers died, and employers had no legal obligation to protect them.
In 1860, a cotton factory in Lawrence, Massachusetts, collapsed and killed about 145 workers. That led the state to pass the nation’s first law requiring factory safety inspections. New Jersey, New York, and a handful of other states followed.
This series was made possible through a collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity, a DC-based nonprofit newsroom. Get updates on their work. You can also support Vox with a financial contribution. Learn more.
It wasn’t until the progressive New Deal era that the federal government got involved. In 1934, Frances Perkins, the first labor secretary, opened an agency to help states craft and improve workplace safety laws.
Then, under pressure from labor unions, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. It required all private companies — for the first time — to provide workers with a safe and healthy work environment. OSHA was created to enforce the law.
While it doesn’t inspect every workplace, OSHA is the primary agency to enforce workplace safety laws in 29 states. (The other 21 states have their own enforcement programs that must comply with federal law.)
Still, even with OSHA in place, critics say workplaces across the country remain dangerous, triggering an annual average of about 880 fatal or catastrophic investigations from 2012 to 2019.
The death toll is “outrageously high,” says Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, co-executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, an advocacy group. “With all the technology we have, those rates should be going down much more dramatically.”
One reason for the high number of deaths and catastrophes is that the workforce was growing before the pandemic hit, so there were more workers at risk of getting hurt.
But Goldstein and other workplace safety experts believe more workers are dying because OSHA inspections have grown rarer.
During the first three years under Trump, OSHA conducted about 81,000 safety inspections — a 4.7 percent decrease from about 85,000 conducted during the last three years of Obama’s presidency, according to a Public Integrity analysis of the agency’s inspection data.
“Unless someone dies at a workplace or there’s some significant accident, [the employer] is very unlikely to be inspected now,” said a former OSHA official under Obama, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press at his new job.
But Congress hasn’t cut OSHA’s enforcement budget; instead, it has given the agency slightly more funding than the administration has asked for. It earmarked $576.8 million for fiscal year 2020 — $19.3 million more than requested.
Former OSHA officials say the decrease in inspectors has more to do with the federal hiring freeze imposed during Trump’s first year in the office. Dozens of inspectors left their jobs in the months following his inauguration, and the Labor Department has been slow to replace them.
OSHA “has done a poor job filling the vacancies,” said Rebecca Reindel, safety and health director for the AFL-CIO labor federation.
Filling vacancies is the first step to rebuilding the agency, a task a future administration would likely have to take on, Reindel said. She also would like to see OSHA hire more employees to update safety standards — a process that can take years. Ramping up criminal prosecutions of negligent employers is also critical, she added.
“Going after those especially bad actors sends a strong message,” Reindel said.
What happens when OSHA stays away
After Knowles’s death, OSHA cited Majestic Marble & Granite for not putting up guardrails around the drainage ditch and not blocking off the area around the stone-cutting machine while it was on.
Inspectors said the robotic arm likely pushed Knowles and pinned him against a steel I-beam nearby, crushing his arm and torso. The company settled two OSHA citations and paid a fine of $12,199 — down from a proposed penalty of $18,564 — in May 2019.
Evju was furious when she found out. “I couldn’t believe they felt like that’s what his life was worth — not even close,” she said.
Majestic Marble & Granite is just a few miles south of downtown Orlando, on a busy street lined with auto body shops and personal storage units. The building has a showroom up front and a workshop out back. That’s where employees design, cut, and polish the countertops.
The owner of the company, Scott Hanes, declined to talk about what happened on December 6, 2018.
“I can’t comment on that,” Hanes said in the parking lot one February afternoon. “I need to protect my business.”
At the end of the workday, employees ambled toward their cars, wearing grease-stained, neon yellow T-shirts. They, too, didn’t want to talk.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t,” said one man as he got into his pickup truck. “That brings up some really bad memories of trying to save someone’s life and not being able to.”
Another man said he gave a statement to police and didn’t want to discuss it further.
Majestic Marble & Granite did not have a history of safety complaints or violations, according to OSHA. That’s probably why the agency never visited the business — it often takes a worker to file a complaint or die for OSHA to investigate. But the agency randomly inspects companies in dangerous industries, and the stone fabrication industry was part of its high-hazard safety enforcement program until the administration ended it, shortly after Trump took office. It’s more likely that OSHA would have inspected Majestic Marble & Granite if Trump hadn’t abolished the program. (The administration reinstated a weaker version of it earlier this year.)
The White House declined to comment on Public Integrity’s findings and referred questions to the Labor Department.
Megan Sweeney, a Labor Department spokesperson, said the number of inspections began to rise again in fiscal year 2019 and was on pace to rise even higher in 2020 until the pandemic hit.
“OSHA is working around the clock to protect America’s workers, especially during the pandemic,” Sweeney wrote in a statement.
But that’s cold comfort for Evju. “I feel like if [OSHA] had actually investigated the company to make sure that it was safe, then my husband would still be here,” she said.
Justin Harrington’s story is similar to Knowles’s. Harrington had been looking forward to a career in construction. The 27-year-old New Englander knew how to handle a forklift and wanted to get a special license to drive boom trucks and bucket trucks. He never got the chance.
On January 18, 2018, Harrington died while driving an excavator in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He was digging out the foundation of a house to renovate the basement. None of his coworkers had arrived yet, so no one saw what happened. The owner of the contracting company, Michael MacEachern, found him pinned against a steel beam and called the police.
Harrington didn’t make it. “I’ll never forget that day,” said his mother, Rena Harrington.
MacEachern did not respond to a request for comment.
After Harrington’s death, OSHA sent an inspector to the work site and cited the company, Stoneworks, for not properly training employees to recognize and avoid hazards. Stoneworks settled the case for $3,492. As with Majestic Marble & Granite, the agency had never inspected the company until Harrington died, records show.
Since January 2013, OSHA has conducted more than 6,800 investigations into workplaces that had a fatal or catastrophic incident. The vast majority of them — about 91 percent — had not been inspected in the previous 10 years, according to a Public Integrity analysis of the agency’s enforcement data.
Research shows that OSHA inspections have a significant impact on safety. In 2012, for example, researchers at Harvard University and the University of California Berkeley found that companies subject to the agency’s random inspections showed a 9.4 percent decrease in injury rates compared with uninspected ones. They also found no evidence of any added cost to inspected companies from complying with regulations.
In 2010, researchers with the RAND Corporation analyzed workers’ compensation data in Pennsylvania and found that OSHA inspections were linked to a sharp decline in reported injuries at medium-size companies. Inspections that led to citations with penalties played a role in reducing injuries by an average of 19 to 24 percent each year for the two years following each inspection.
“Inspections work,” said Reindel of the AFL-CIO. “If an employer thinks they won’t get inspected, they will take fewer steps to protect workers.”
Waiting for something to shift
It’s been 19 months since Evju got the news about Knowles, and she still cries about it every day — in the shower, on her way to work in her Buick. “It doesn’t get any easier,” she said.
On her days off — Wednesdays and Thursdays — Evju lies on the couch, too exhausted and sad to do anything. Sometimes she musters the energy to clean her house. The family lives in a trailer park called Rock Springs, where she and Knowles bought a three-bedroom mobile home in 2017.
During a recent visit by a Public Integrity reporter, her home looked tidy but worn. Her daughter’s dolls were piled up in a corner. Three goldfish swam in circles. Evju pointed to a cluster of golf-ball-size rips in the beige carpet. Their dog, Smoke, had anxiously chewed through the fabric after Knowles died.
“He’s still grieving,” Evju said as Smoke napped in an open crate in the living room. The old Staffordshire Terrier is just one reminder of the life that Evju once had. There are many, including the small whiteboard where Knowles wrote her a note in blue marker — something he often did. “Hay Baby I love U!! For Ever.” Evju cracked a smile, remembering how he always misspelled “hey.”
Things are hard financially as well. Without two incomes, Evju works extra hours and sometimes doesn’t return home until 1 am. She feels like she’s barely hanging on to her job because she often needs to take unpaid time off when a child is ill.
“I’m the only one who can take care of my kids, so if we’re out sick for a week I can’t go to work,” said Evju, who was furloughed from her $14-an-hour job at Disney during the pandemic.
Evju does get modest workers’ compensation payments related to Knowles’s accident, but the $60 a week can only go so far. She relies on food stamps, and her children are on Medicaid. Evju can’t afford the premiums for her health insurance, so she has none.
The older children are pitching in. Fifteen-year-old Braden has taken up “house mom” duties. He helps watch the younger kids, cooks dinner for them, and often puts them to bed. Seventeen-year-old Emily goes to a special high school with flexible hours, which allows her to work part time at a nursing home. She helps pay the bills.
Some days, Evju convinces herself she can be happy again. Most of the time, she’s angry. Angry that Knowles’s company never contacted her to offer condolences. Angry that OSHA had never inspected it until the accident. Reminders of that December morning are everywhere.
“There can be a certain smell or some small thing that brings everything back, like I just got hit in the gut with a ton of bricks,” Evju said. “And everything comes flooding back, like I just got that phone call.”


vox--2020-08-18--3 key Florida House races to watch during Tuesday’s primaries

As the pandemic continues to rage in Florida , voters will choose nominees for Congress and the state legislature during Tuesday ’ s primaries .
A Republican member of Congress is facing a tough primary campaign in the 15th District as he comes under fire for alleged campaign finance law violations .
And a crowded field is jockeying for the chance to replace two House Republicans who announced they wouldn ’ t seek reelection this year : Rep. Ted Yoho , who represents the Third District , and Rep. Francis Rooney , who represents the 19th District .
The pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s Democratic presidential primary in March , turnout was at its lowest since 2004 , with less than a third of registered voters casting their ballot .
That might be because there were neither statewide races nor a competitive GOP presidential primary on the ballot in March , but it could also be a sign of what is to come in Tuesday ’ s primaries and the general election this fall .
President Donald Trump has recently encouraged Florida voters to submit mail-in ballots , also known as absentee ballots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s despite his repeated claim that the practice , which has existed since the Civil War but has become more widespread amid the pandemic , will lead to rampant election fraud .
( Numerous studies have found that mail-in voting fraud is actually quite rare . )
Early voting began on August 8 and polls will close at 7 pm on August 18 .
In the March primaries , about half of Florida voters participated in early or mail-in voting .
Vox will be covering the results live , with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are seeking to unseat an incumbent Republican currently under criminal investigation for alleged campaign finance law violations in Florida ’ s 15th Congressional District , which encompasses Tampa and has historically leaned red .
Rep. Ross Spano , a former state representative and practicing lawyer for over two decades , was accused of accepting $ 180,000 in undisclosed campaign loans from two friends in 2018 when he was first elected to Congress .
He remains under investigation by the Department of Justice and the Florida Bar .
He has acknowledged that he made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but defended that they were “ completely inadvertent and unintentional.
” Spano , a Trump loyalist , has been endorsed by many prominent Republicans , including fellow Floridian Sen. Marco Rubio , House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , and Minority Whip Steve Scalise .
Still , he ’ s facing a tough primary challenge from Scott Franklin , the Lakeland City Commissioner endorsed by Rep. Matt Gaetz , another Florida Republican .
And even if he claims victory in Tuesday ’ s primaries , Spano could face a strong opponent in Democratic state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Navy in Iraq .
Yoho , who was first elected to Congress in 2012 , announced in December that he wouldn ’ t run for reelection in the solidly Republican Third District , which encompasses north-central Florida , including Ocala .
“ Our Nation is the best on the planet and as time passes , new ideas need to be instilled to preserve the Republic we ’ ve been blessed with , ” Yoho said in a Facebook post at the time .
Yoho was one of only four members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in February that was later blocked in the Senate , arguing that it constituted an “ overreach of the federal government ” because hate crimes fall under the jurisdiction of states .
He also faced scrutiny in July following a heated exchange concerning crime and policing issues with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , a Democrat from New York , in which a reporter for The Hill overheard him use a sexist slur .
( He has publicly apologized for the tone of the conversation but denies using the slur . )
As Yoho steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP candidates is vying to take his place .
His own former deputy chief of staff Kat Cammack , a Trump loyalist , is currently leading the pack in notable endorsements and individual fundraising contributions .
Judson Sapp , a railroad CEO , and James St. George , a surgeon , have the richest campaigns in the race — albeit ones that were over half self-funded , according to July financial disclosures .
Democrats have put forth business owners Adam Christensen and Tom Wells and healthcare IT professional Phillip Dodd — but whoever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go on to be the safely red district ’ s next representative .
Rooney , a two-term member of Congress and the US ambassador to the Vatican under President George W. Bush , announced in October that he wouldn ’ t seek reelection .
He told Fox News at the time that he hoped to serve as a model for term limits after accomplishing what he set out to do in Congress : obtain funding for projects in the Florida Everglades and passing legislation to ban offshore drilling .
His seat in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one of nine Republican contenders : Darren Dione Aquino , the CEO of an organization that advocates for the disabled ; fast food mogul and US Marine Casey Askar ; urologist William Figlesthaler ; police officer Daniel Kowal ; lawyer Christy McLaughlin ; native Floridian and former Minnesota state representative Dan Severson ; Florida House members Byron Donalds and Dane Eagle ; and Fort Meyers mayor Randy Henderson .
It has been a contentious primary that has drawn a significant amount of outside funding from groups including the Club for Growth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV and radio ads backing Donalds , and a related super PAC called Conservative Outsider PAC , which has spent almost $ 460,000 on media bashing Eagle .
Askar has raised the most funds by far with a campaign war chest of almost $ 3.7 million , but polling suggests that it will nevertheless be a tight race between him , Donalds , Figlesthaler , and Eagle .
The 26th , 27th , and 16th Districts will be battlegrounds come November Democrats are defending seats in the 26th and 27th Districts in two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unseat a seven-term Republican incumbent in the 16th District .
If Democrats pick up a seat in Florida , they will have a majority in the state ’ s congressional delegation for the first time since 1989 .
The 26th District ’ s incumbent Democrat , Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell , will likely face off with the mayor of Florida ’ s Miami-Dade County , Carlos Gimenez , if he wins Tuesday ’ s GOP primary as expected .
And in the 27th District , Rep. Donna Shalala , a Democrat who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as secretary of Health and Human Services in the Clinton administration , is defending her seat in the predominantly Hispanic District 27 , which includes Miami .
Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan is facing down the latest Democratic effort to unseat him in the 16th District , but with a $ 1.6 million campaign coffer , he remains in a strong position relative to his main challenger , Margaret Good , who is part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ’ s “ Red to Blue ” program that supports Democratic candidates trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become our 20,000th supporter ?
When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions , we weren ’ t sure how it would go .
Today , we ’ re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in .
The reason is both lovely and surprising : Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it , too .
We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more important than today , during a public health crisis , racial justice protests , a recession , and a presidential election .
But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive , and advertising alone won ’ t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will help keep Vox free for all .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

As the pandemic continues to rage in Florida, voters will choose nominees for Congress and the state legislature during Tuesday’s primaries.
A Republican member of Congress is facing a tough primary campaign in the 15th District as he comes under fire for alleged campaign finance law violations. And a crowded field is jockeying for the chance to replace two House Republicans who announced they wouldn’t seek reelection this year: Rep. Ted Yoho, who represents the Third District, and Rep. Francis Rooney, who represents the 19th District.
The pandemic may well hurt turnout. During the state’s Democratic presidential primary in March, turnout was at its lowest since 2004, with less than a third of registered voters casting their ballot. That might be because there were neither statewide races nor a competitive GOP presidential primary on the ballot in March, but it could also be a sign of what is to come in Tuesday’s primaries and the general election this fall.
President Donald Trump has recently encouraged Florida voters to submit mail-in ballots, also known as absentee ballots, as an alternative to in-person voting. That’s despite his repeated claim that the practice, which has existed since the Civil War but has become more widespread amid the pandemic, will lead to rampant election fraud. (Numerous studies have found that mail-in voting fraud is actually quite rare.)
Early voting began on August 8 and polls will close at 7 pm on August 18. In the March primaries, about half of Florida voters participated in early or mail-in voting.
Vox will be covering the results live, with our partners at Decision Desk HQ.
The 15th District
Democrats are seeking to unseat an incumbent Republican currently under criminal investigation for alleged campaign finance law violations in Florida’s 15th Congressional District, which encompasses Tampa and has historically leaned red.
Rep. Ross Spano, a former state representative and practicing lawyer for over two decades, was accused of accepting $180,000 in undisclosed campaign loans from two friends in 2018 when he was first elected to Congress. He remains under investigation by the Department of Justice and the Florida Bar. He has acknowledged that he made mistakes with regard to the loans, but defended that they were “completely inadvertent and unintentional.”
Spano, a Trump loyalist, has been endorsed by many prominent Republicans, including fellow Floridian Sen. Marco Rubio, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Minority Whip Steve Scalise. Still, he’s facing a tough primary challenge from Scott Franklin, the Lakeland City Commissioner endorsed by Rep. Matt Gaetz, another Florida Republican.
And even if he claims victory in Tuesday’s primaries, Spano could face a strong opponent in Democratic state Rep. Adam Hattersley, who served in the Navy in Iraq.
The Third District
Yoho, who was first elected to Congress in 2012, announced in December that he wouldn’t run for reelection in the solidly Republican Third District, which encompasses north-central Florida, including Ocala.
“Our Nation is the best on the planet and as time passes, new ideas need to be instilled to preserve the Republic we’ve been blessed with,” Yoho said in a Facebook post at the time.
Yoho was one of only four members of the House to vote against an anti-lynching bill in February that was later blocked in the Senate, arguing that it constituted an “overreach of the federal government” because hate crimes fall under the jurisdiction of states. He also faced scrutiny in July following a heated exchange concerning crime and policing issues with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, in which a reporter for The Hill overheard him use a sexist slur. (He has publicly apologized for the tone of the conversation but denies using the slur.)
As Yoho steps down, a crowded field of 10 GOP candidates is vying to take his place. His own former deputy chief of staff Kat Cammack, a Trump loyalist, is currently leading the pack in notable endorsements and individual fundraising contributions. Judson Sapp, a railroad CEO, and James St. George, a surgeon, have the richest campaigns in the race — albeit ones that were over half self-funded, according to July financial disclosures.
Democrats have put forth business owners Adam Christensen and Tom Wells and healthcare IT professional Phillip Dodd — but whoever wins the GOP primary Tuesday will likely go on to be the safely red district’s next representative.
The 19th District
Rooney, a two-term member of Congress and the US ambassador to the Vatican under President George W. Bush, announced in October that he wouldn’t seek reelection. He told Fox News at the time that he hoped to serve as a model for term limits after accomplishing what he set out to do in Congress: obtain funding for projects in the Florida Everglades and passing legislation to ban offshore drilling.
His seat in the deep red 19th District will likely go to one of nine Republican contenders: Darren Dione Aquino, the CEO of an organization that advocates for the disabled; fast food mogul and US Marine Casey Askar; urologist William Figlesthaler; police officer Daniel Kowal; lawyer Christy McLaughlin; native Floridian and former Minnesota state representative Dan Severson; Florida House members Byron Donalds and Dane Eagle; and Fort Meyers mayor Randy Henderson.
It has been a contentious primary that has drawn a significant amount of outside funding from groups including the Club for Growth, which has spent $2.5 million on TV and radio ads backing Donalds, and a related super PAC called Conservative Outsider PAC, which has spent almost $460,000 on media bashing Eagle. Askar has raised the most funds by far with a campaign war chest of almost $3.7 million, but polling suggests that it will nevertheless be a tight race between him, Donalds, Figlesthaler, and Eagle.
The 26th, 27th, and 16th Districts will be battlegrounds come November
Democrats are defending seats in the 26th and 27th Districts in two high-spending races, as well as trying to unseat a seven-term Republican incumbent in the 16th District. If Democrats pick up a seat in Florida, they will have a majority in the state’s congressional delegation for the first time since 1989.
The 26th District’s incumbent Democrat, Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, will likely face off with the mayor of Florida’s Miami-Dade County, Carlos Gimenez, if he wins Tuesday’s GOP primary as expected. And in the 27th District, Rep. Donna Shalala, a Democrat who was first elected to Congress in 2018 and served as secretary of Health and Human Services in the Clinton administration, is defending her seat in the predominantly Hispanic District 27, which includes Miami.
Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan is facing down the latest Democratic effort to unseat him in the 16th District, but with a $1.6 million campaign coffer, he remains in a strong position relative to his main challenger, Margaret Good, who is part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program that supports Democratic candidates trying to flip GOP-held districts.
Will you become our 20,000th supporter? When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions, we weren’t sure how it would go. Today, we’re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in. The reason is both lovely and surprising: Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it, too. We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy. That’s never been more important than today, during a public health crisis, racial justice protests, a recession, and a presidential election. But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive, and advertising alone won’t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will help keep Vox free for all. Contribute today from as little as $3.


vox--2020-08-18--The Democratic National Convention’s speaker lineup and how to watch

The Democratic National Convention has gone fully virtual this year .
Rather than days of full programming , the convention will be condensed into two hours of televised speeches spread out from Monday , August 17 , to Thursday , August 20 .
Former Vice President Joe Biden is set to accept his party ’ s nomination on Thursday night from his home in Delaware , rather than the original planned location of Milwaukee , Wisconsin .
Fears about the Covid-19 outbreak and the potential to spread the virus even with a severely reduced crowd caused the Democratic National Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Starting at 9 Eastern each night , the Democratic convention will be broadcast on all major television networks , social media sites like Facebook , Twitter , and YouTube , and streaming services like Apple TV and Roku .
The convention will also be streamed live from the DNC ’ s website .
The DNC lineup features big Democratic names including former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama , Sen. Bernie Sanders , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , and Sens .
Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren .
Monday , the convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio Gov .
John Kasich , who delivered an appeal to his fellow Republicans to support Biden for president .
The week will culminate with Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris accepting their nominations to be president and vice president .
The lineup has not been without controversy .
Ocasio-Cortez has been slotted just one minute to deliver remarks on Tuesday .
Many progressives have criticized the decision — she is one of the highest-profile members of the Democratic Party and among its brightest young stars , and she is a compelling speaker .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her too high a profile would allow Republicans to paint Biden as a “ vessel ” of the left .
The New York Congress member responded by tweeting out a poem by Benjamin E. Mays , “ I have only just a minute , ” which the late Rep. Elijah Cummings recited in his first speech to Congress in 1996 .
There has also been outcry that former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro , the only Latino candidate in the 2020 primary field , won ’ t deliver an address during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang was left off the list of speakers , but the entrepreneur said he has since been added .
Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has been given a slot as well .
Some progressives have expressed dismay at the DNC ’ s apparent prioritization of figures like Bloomberg and Kasich over Castro and Ocasio-Cortez .
But the show goes on .
These bigger names are giving speeches Monday through Thursday , alongside American business owners , teachers , factory workers , and front-line health care workers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this year ’ s Democratic National Convention ( which is still subject to change ) .
There will be a slate of speakers each night , including former presidents and sitting US senators , governors , and US representatives .
The themes for each day ( and links to our coverage ) : Here ’ s the list of speakers to come , broken out by day .
The second night of the convention has the theme of “ Leadership Matters , ” with a 17 speaker keynote address focused on highlighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country.
” Full run-of-show is listed below , with descriptions from the Democratic National Convention ’ s media guidance .
• Keynote address featuring : Former Georgia House of Representative Minority Leader Stacey Abrams , state Senator Raumesh Akbari ( D-TN ) , Rep. Colin Allred ( D-TX ) , Rep. Brendan Boyle ( D-PA ) , state Senator Yvanna Cancela ( D-NV ) , former State Rep. Kathleen Clyde ( D-OH ) , Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried , Long Beach , California Mayor Robert Garcia , state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kimpson ( D-SC ) , Rep. Conor Lamb ( D-PA ) , state Rep. Mari Manoogian ( D-MI ) , state Rep. Victoria Neave ( D-TX ) , Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez , state Rep. Sam Park ( D-GA ) , state Rep. Denny Ruprecht ( D-NH ) , and Birmingham , Alabama Mayor Randall Woodfin • Remarks by former acting attorney general of the United States Sally Yates • Remarks by former US ambassador Caroline Kennedy and Jack Schlossberg , grandson of President John F. Kennedy • Remarks by former President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carter • Nominating Speeches for Sen. Bernie Sanders by former United Auto Workers President Bob King and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) • Nominating Speeches for former Vice President Joe Biden by Sen. Chris Coons ( D-DE ) and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester ( D-DE ) • A “ Roll Call Across America , ” during which Biden will receive the presidential nomination from “ voters , delegates , parents , teachers , small business owners , activists and leaders ” from all states and territories .
• A conversation between Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ importance of the Affordable Care Act — and the importance of healthcare access in general .
• Remarks by former Secretary of State John Kerry • Remarks by Dr. Jill Biden , former second lady of the United States • Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , the 2016 Democratic nominee for president • Former Vice President Joe Biden accepts the Democratic nomination for president Why the DNC is virtual this year In previous years , the national party convention would be a moment for unity and celebration .
But amid a once-in-a-century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 163,000 American lives and counting , Democrats are hoping their virtual convention sends a larger message about how their nominee plans to govern in a time of national crisis .
With an absence of federal leadership from President Donald Trump , the Biden campaign and national Democrats are portraying themselves as the party of responsibility .
“ I ’ ve wanted to set an example as to how we should respond individually to this crisis , ” Biden said at a recent virtual fundraiser , speaking about the virtual convention .
“ From @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve made it clear .
... Science matters.
” Democrats have known for months that the coronavirus meant the normal throng of thousands of cheering delegates was out of the question .
A recent public health order from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett would have limited the convention ’ s in-person capacity to 250 people , but coronavirus cases in Wisconsin are also still on the rise , and interstate travel comes with risk .
Even with stringent safety measures like mandatory masks and daily temperature checks already in place , some Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still potentially spread Covid-19 .
After Trump ’ s June rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , coronavirus cases in that city surged , and former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain died of Covid-19 .
Democrats didn ’ t want to risk any new cases emerging from their national convention .
“ From the very beginning of this pandemic , we put the health and safety of the American people first , ” DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement .
“ We followed the science , listened to doctors and public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our plans in order to protect lives .
That ’ s the kind of steady and responsible leadership America deserves .
And that ’ s the leadership Joe Biden will bring to the White House.
” Democrats want one message to dominate their convention : Where Trump has failed , Biden will lead America out of its current crisis .
“ People care about one thing : They care about being safe , ” former Virginia Gov .
Terry McAuliffe told Vox .
“ It ’ s a totally different dynamic ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that convention.
” Will you become our 20,000th supporter ?
When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions , we weren ’ t sure how it would go .
Today , we ’ re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in .
The reason is both lovely and surprising : Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it , too .
We have always believed that explanatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s never been more important than today , during a public health crisis , racial justice protests , a recession , and a presidential election .
But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive , and advertising alone won ’ t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will help keep Vox free for all .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

The Democratic National Convention has gone fully virtual this year.
Rather than days of full programming, the convention has been condensed into two hours of televised speeches a day spread out from Monday, August 17, to Thursday, August 20. Former Vice President Joe Biden is set to accept his party’s nomination on Thursday night from his home in Delaware, rather than the original planned location of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Fears about the Covid-19 outbreak and the potential to spread the virus even with a severely reduced crowd caused the Democratic National Committee to scrap its in-person Milwaukee convention.
Starting at 9 Eastern each night, the Democratic convention has been broadcast on all major television networks, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and streaming services such as Apple TV and Roku. The convention will also be streamed live from the DNC’s website.
In its first three nights, the DNC lineup featured big Democratic names including former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren. Monday, the convention also featured former Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who delivered an appeal to his fellow Republicans to support Biden for president. The week will culminate with Biden accepting his nomination to be president on Thursday, one day after Sen. Kamala Harris accepted her vice presidential nomination.
The lineup has not been without controversy. Ocasio-Cortez was given just one minute of speaking time on Tuesday; she served as one of the officials symbolically nominating Sanders, who crossed the delegate threshold for nomination to the ticket.
Many progressives criticized the decision — Ocasio-Cortez is one of the highest-profile members of the Democratic Party and among its brightest young stars, and she is a compelling speaker. But Politico reported moderate Democrats worried giving her too high a profile would allow Republicans to paint Biden as a “vessel” of the left.
The New York Congress member responded by tweeting out a poem by Benjamin E. Mays, “I have only just a minute,” which the late Rep. Elijah Cummings recited in his first speech to Congress in 1996, and ultimately used her limited time to make a compact case for sweeping progressive reforms.
“I only have a minute.
Sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, I did not choose it,
But I know that I must use it.
Give account if I abuse it.
Suffer, if I lose it.
Only a tiny little minute,
But eternity is in it.”
- Dr. Benjamin E. Mays
(and recited by Elijah Cummings) https://t.co/ul9CE7NriV — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 12, 2020
There has also been outcry that former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, the only Latino candidate in the 2020 primary field, was not invited to deliver an address during the event. Initially, former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang was left off the list of speakers, but the entrepreneur said he has since been added — Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has been given a slot as well. Both are expected to speak Thursday evening. Throughout the proceedings, some progressives have expressed dismay at the DNC’s apparent prioritization of figures like Bloomberg and Kasich over Castro and Ocasio-Cortez.
But the show goes on, with these bigger names giving speeches Monday through Thursday, alongside American business owners, teachers, factory workers, and front-line health care workers.
Here’s the lineup of speakers at this year’s Democratic National Convention (which is still subject to change).
The DNC speaker schedule and lineup
There will be a slate of speakers each night, including former presidents and sitting US senators, governors, and US representatives. The themes for each day (and links to our coverage):
Here’s the list of Thursday night’s speakers:
The fourth and final night of the 2020 convention has the theme of “America’s Promise,” and will feature former Vice President Joe Biden officially accepting the nomination for president. Full run-of-show is listed below, with descriptions from the Democratic National Convention’s media guidance.
“This Time Next Year:” A short presentation from a diverse group of Americans on how they imagine their lives one year into a Biden presidency
Remarks by Andrew Yang, American businessman
Introduction by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, American actress
Pledge of Allegiance, led by Rep. Cedric Richmond Jr. (D-LA)
National anthem, performed by the Chicks
Invocation by Sister Simone Campbell, American Roman Catholic religious sister
Remarks by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
Remarks by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
A tribute to John Lewis directed by Dawn Porter, director of the film John Lewis: Good Trouble
Performance by John Legend, American singer-songwriter, and Common, American rapper, actor, and writer
Remarks by Jon Meacham, American writer and author
Remarks by Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM)
Remarks by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
Remarks by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
“You Built America”: A conversation between Biden and a panel of union workers from around the US
Remarks by former Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Vivek Murthy
Remarks by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
A presentation on Biden’s plan for supporting military families
Remarks by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
A video tribute to Biden’s late son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden
Remarks by former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
“United We Stand:” A presentation on Biden’s candidacy from his Democratic primary rivals, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and businessman Andrew Yang
Remarks by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
A short film on the Biden family, focused on Biden’s grandchildren
Remarks by Biden’s daughter and son, Ashley Biden and Hunter Biden
A brief video biography of Biden
Remarks and acceptance speech by Joe Biden
Why the DNC is virtual this year
In previous years, the national party convention would be a moment for unity and celebration. But amid a once-in-a-century pandemic that’s claimed more than 163,000 American lives and counting, Democrats are hoping their virtual convention sends a larger message about how their nominee plans to govern in a time of national crisis.
With an absence of federal leadership from President Donald Trump, the Biden campaign and national Democrats are portraying themselves as the party of responsibility.
“I’ve wanted to set an example as to how we should respond individually to this crisis,” Biden said at a recent virtual fundraiser, speaking about the virtual convention. “From the start of the process, we’ve made it clear. ... Science matters.”
Democrats have known for months that the coronavirus meant the normal throng of thousands of cheering delegates was out of the question. A recent public health order from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett would have limited the convention’s in-person capacity to 250 people, but coronavirus cases in Wisconsin are also still on the rise, and interstate travel comes with risk.
Even with stringent safety measures like mandatory masks and daily temperature checks already in place, some Democrats feared even the sparsest indoors convention could still potentially spread Covid-19. After Trump’s June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, coronavirus cases in that city surged, and former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain died of Covid-19. Democrats didn’t want to risk any new cases emerging from their national convention.
“From the very beginning of this pandemic, we put the health and safety of the American people first,” DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement. “We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives. That’s the kind of steady and responsible leadership America deserves. And that’s the leadership Joe Biden will bring to the White House.”
Democrats wanted one message to dominate their convention: Where Trump has failed, Biden will lead America out of its current crisis.
“People care about one thing: They care about being safe,” former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe told Vox. “It’s a totally different dynamic; we have one message to come out of that convention.”
Will you become our 20,000th supporter? When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions, we weren’t sure how it would go. Today, we’re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in. The reason is both lovely and surprising: Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it, too. We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy. That’s never been more important than today, during a public health crisis, racial justice protests, a recession, and a presidential election. But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive, and advertising alone won’t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will help keep Vox free for all. Contribute today from as little as $3.


vox--2020-08-18--Postmaster general hits pause on USPS changes until after election amid public outcry

The United States Postal Service will pause its cost-cutting policies after the recent moves sparked controversy and intensified fears that such measures might undermine the US elections this November .
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Tuesday in a statement that “ to avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail , I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded.
” DeJoy ’ s announcement comes as changes to USPS ’ s operations faced increasing pressure from lawmakers , particularly Democrats , and voting-rights groups and the public , which are happening against the backdrop of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in voting .
As Recode ’ s Adam Clark Estes reported , those budget-slashing policies included limiting overtime , reducing the number of mail trucks , and decommissioning sorting machines , all of which had the potential effect of slowing mail and deliveries of everything from packages to prescription drugs .
DeJoy and the USPS have defended these changes , saying they ’ re necessary to keep the Postal Service sustainable in the long term .
The Postal Service has for years faced serious financial problems , but those problems have been exacerbated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump continues to attack mail-in voting , some have accused DeJoy — a Trump ally who took on the postmaster job in June — of purposefully disrupting postal service at the president ’ s behest in such a way that threatens to disenfranchise some Americans , especially as election officials anticipate an influx of vote-by-mail because of the pandemic .
The USPS had already warned 46 states that it might not be able to deliver ballots to election officials in time to be counted , which these slashes to service could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his stated longer-term goals but said he would delay the reforms in response to public concerns about the November elections .
“ I believe significant reforms are essential to that objective , and work toward those reforms will commence after the election , ” DeJoy said in his statement .
“ In the meantime , there are some long-standing operational initiatives — efforts that predate my arrival at the Postal Service — that have been raised as areas of concern as the nation prepares to hold an election in the midst of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specify exactly which initiatives he was referring to do , but he did offer reassurances .
He said retail hours at post offices will remain the same ; mail processing facilities will remain open ; overtime will continue to be approved ; and “ mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes will remain where they are.
” It is not clear whether the blue boxes removed or mail processing equipment already in the process of being decommissioned will be brought back online .
( Vox reached out to the USPS for clarification and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) DeJoy said that , effective October 1 , the USPS will “ engage standby resources , ” as necessary , to satisfy an increase in demand .
He also said that he is expanding a task force on election mail and will bring in postal unions and management to help coordinate with state and local election officials .
DeJoy is still expected to testify before a Senate committee on Friday and a House committee next week .
House Democrats are also returning early from recess to pass an emergency bill that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver the Post Office a $ 25 billion infusion in cash .
Some state attorneys general have also initiated lawsuits to block the changes at the agency .
“ The very fact that he felt he had to issue it is a testament to the enormous blowback he ’ s getting , ” Rep. Gerald E. Connolly ( D-VA ) , a member of the House Oversight Committee , told the Washington Post .
But , he pointed out , there are still many outstanding questions about what this pause means — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be prepared for these 2020 elections .
DeJoy ’ s reassurances are necessary .
But Trump isn ’ t helping the situation .
The Postal Service was in bad financial shape before the coronavirus .
The pandemic — and the prospect of having millions more Americans voting by mail — has only made its issues more salient .
Fixing the USPS will require real reform and restructuring , though Democrats and Republicans differ greatly on what needs to be done and how to do it .
First , though , the Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elections , but also for everything else Americans count on it for .
“ If you think of the analogy of a house , it needs to be remodeled , ” Arthur B. Sackler , manager of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service , whose members include not only Amazon and eBay but also catalog and greeting card companies , told Recode .
“ And , at the same time , this house you ’ re remodeling , the roof is on fire .
So you ’ ve got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can remodel.
” And there is one person who has been adding fuel to that particular fire : Donald Trump .
The Postal Service has always been a target for the president , though his previous complaints tended to be about Amazon and packages .
Lately , however , he has been fixated on mail-in voting .
The president , lagging in the polls , has relentlessly tried to cast the very common practice as somehow rife with voter fraud — never mind that he and his wife , Melania , look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots themselves .
Trump and many Republican allies seem to believe that anything that increases access to voting would favor Democrats , including a surge in mail-in voting .
But , at least when it comes to mail-in voting , the evidence on that is a bit more complicated and doesn ’ t factor in the unprecedented circumstances of voting in a pandemic .
Experts say allegations of widespread fraud are unfounded , and instances of electoral fraud in general are vanishingly rare .
Still , states can employ simple policies to further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
That said , such policies often require delivering states more resources , which Trump and Republicans have also been reluctant to give .
That includes money for the Post Office .
“ They want three and a half billion dollars for something that ’ ll turn out to be fraudulent , that ’ s election money basically , ” Trump said last week .
“ They want three and a half billion dollars for the mail-in votes .
Universal mail-in ballots .
They want $ 25 billion , billion , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that money in order to make the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots , ” Trump tried to tone down his criticism later , saying Monday that he ’ s encouraged officials to “ speed up ” the mail , though he has not yet embraced any clear policies on what that might look like .
DeJoy in his statement Tuesday sought to reassure people that the Post Office is prepared to handle even an increased volume of election mail in November .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is our number one priority between now and election day .
The 630,000 dedicated women and men of the Postal Service are committed , ready and proud to meet this sacred duty , ” DeJoy said .
But Trump ’ s campaign against voting by mail — which 31 million Americans , Democrats as well as Republicans , did in 2018 — may have already increased suspicion of the mail-in voting process .
And it runs the risk of turning mail-in voting into a partisan issue , which may make it even more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to be prepared for Election Day .
Will you become our 20,000th supporter ?
When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions , we weren ’ t sure how it would go .
Today , we ’ re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in .
The reason is both lovely and surprising : Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it , too .
We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a functioning democracy .
That ’ s never been more important than today , during a public health crisis , racial justice protests , a recession , and a presidential election .
But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive , and advertising alone won ’ t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will help keep Vox free for all .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

The United States Postal Service will pause its cost-cutting policies after the recent moves sparked controversy and intensified fears that such measures might undermine the US elections this November.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Tuesday in a statement that “to avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded.”
DeJoy’s announcement comes as changes to USPS’s operations faced increasing pressure from lawmakers, particularly Democrats, and voting-rights groups and the public, which are happening against the backdrop of President Donald Trump waging a campaign against mail-in voting.
As Recode’s Adam Clark Estes reported, those budget-slashing policies included limiting overtime, reducing the number of mail trucks, and decommissioning sorting machines, all of which had the potential effect of slowing mail and deliveries of everything from packages to prescription drugs. DeJoy and the USPS have defended these changes, saying they’re necessary to keep the Postal Service sustainable in the long term. The Postal Service has for years faced serious financial problems, but those problems have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
But as President Donald Trump continues to attack mail-in voting, some have accused DeJoy — a Trump ally who took on the postmaster job in June — of purposefully disrupting postal service at the president’s behest in such a way that threatens to disenfranchise some Americans, especially as election officials anticipate an influx of vote-by-mail because of the pandemic. The USPS had already warned 46 states that it might not be able to deliver ballots to election officials in time to be counted, which these slashes to service could make even worse.
DeJoy stood by his stated longer-term goals but said he would delay the reforms in response to public concerns about the November elections. “I believe significant reforms are essential to that objective, and work toward those reforms will commence after the election,” DeJoy said in his statement. “In the meantime, there are some long-standing operational initiatives — efforts that predate my arrival at the Postal Service — that have been raised as areas of concern as the nation prepares to hold an election in the midst of a devastating pandemic.”
DeJoy didn’t specify exactly which initiatives he was referring to do, but he did offer reassurances. He said retail hours at post offices will remain the same; mail processing facilities will remain open; overtime will continue to be approved; and “mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes will remain where they are.” It is not clear whether the blue boxes removed or mail processing equipment already in the process of being decommissioned will be brought back online. (Vox reached out to the USPS for clarification and will update if we hear back.)
DeJoy said that, effective October 1, the USPS will “engage standby resources,” as necessary, to satisfy an increase in demand. He also said that he is expanding a task force on election mail and will bring in postal unions and management to help coordinate with state and local election officials.
DeJoy is still expected to testify before a Senate committee on Friday and a House committee next week. House Democrats are also returning early from recess to pass an emergency bill that would put any operational changes on hold and deliver the Post Office a $25 billion infusion in cash. Some state attorneys general have also initiated lawsuits to block the changes at the agency.
“The very fact that he felt he had to issue it is a testament to the enormous blowback he’s getting,” Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), a member of the House Oversight Committee, told the Washington Post. But, he pointed out, there are still many outstanding questions about what this pause means — and what the Post Office is actually doing to be prepared for these 2020 elections.
DeJoy’s reassurances are necessary. But Trump isn’t helping the situation.
The Postal Service was in bad financial shape before the coronavirus. The pandemic — and the prospect of having millions more Americans voting by mail — has only made its issues more salient. Fixing the USPS will require real reform and restructuring, though Democrats and Republicans differ greatly on what needs to be done and how to do it. First, though, the Post Office has to simply work — for the elections, but also for everything else Americans count on it for.
“If you think of the analogy of a house, it needs to be remodeled,” Arthur B. Sackler, manager of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, whose members include not only Amazon and eBay but also catalog and greeting card companies, told Recode. “And, at the same time, this house you’re remodeling, the roof is on fire. So you’ve got to put the fire out first before you can remodel.”
And there is one person who has been adding fuel to that particular fire: Donald Trump. The Postal Service has always been a target for the president, though his previous complaints tended to be about Amazon and packages.
Lately, however, he has been fixated on mail-in voting. The president, lagging in the polls, has relentlessly tried to cast the very common practice as somehow rife with voter fraud — never mind that he and his wife, Melania, look like they’re going vote via mail-in ballots themselves. Trump and many Republican allies seem to believe that anything that increases access to voting would favor Democrats, including a surge in mail-in voting. But, at least when it comes to mail-in voting, the evidence on that is a bit more complicated and doesn’t factor in the unprecedented circumstances of voting in a pandemic.
Experts say allegations of widespread fraud are unfounded, and instances of electoral fraud in general are vanishingly rare. Still, states can employ simple policies to further increase the security and integrity of the vote. That said, such policies often require delivering states more resources, which Trump and Republicans have also been reluctant to give.
That includes money for the Post Office. “They want three and a half billion dollars for something that’ll turn out to be fraudulent, that’s election money basically,” Trump said last week. “They want three and a half billion dollars for the mail-in votes. Universal mail-in ballots. They want $25 billion, billion, for the Post Office. Now they need that money in order to make the Post Office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,”
Trump tried to tone down his criticism later, saying Monday that he’s encouraged officials to “speed up” the mail, though he has not yet embraced any clear policies on what that might look like.
DeJoy in his statement Tuesday sought to reassure people that the Post Office is prepared to handle even an increased volume of election mail in November. “The American public should know that this is our number one priority between now and election day. The 630,000 dedicated women and men of the Postal Service are committed, ready and proud to meet this sacred duty,” DeJoy said.
But Trump’s campaign against voting by mail — which 31 million Americans, Democrats as well as Republicans, did in 2018 — may have already increased suspicion of the mail-in voting process. And it runs the risk of turning mail-in voting into a partisan issue, which may make it even more difficult for states, and the USPS, to be prepared for Election Day.
Will you become our 20,000th supporter? When the economy took a downturn in the spring and we started asking readers for financial contributions, we weren’t sure how it would go. Today, we’re humbled to say that nearly 20,000 people have chipped in. The reason is both lovely and surprising: Readers told us that they contribute both because they value explanation and because they value that other people can access it, too. We have always believed that explanatory journalism is vital for a functioning democracy. That’s never been more important than today, during a public health crisis, racial justice protests, a recession, and a presidential election. But our distinctive explanatory journalism is expensive, and advertising alone won’t let us keep creating it at the quality and volume this moment requires. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will help keep Vox free for all. Contribute today from as little as $3.