Deaths and devastating injuries. A litany of labor violations. Drivers forced to urinate in their vans. Here is how Amazon’s gigantic, decentralized, next-day delivery network brought chaos, exploitation, and danger to communities across America.Valdimar Gray was delivering packages for Amazon at the height of the pre-Christmas rush when his three-ton van barreled into an 84-year-old grandmother, crushing her diaphragm, shattering several ribs, and fracturing her skull.“Oh my god!” screamed Gray as he leaped out of his van. It was a bright, clear afternoon on Dec. 22, 2016, and the...…Deaths and devastating injuries. A litany of labor violations. Drivers forced to urinate in their vans. Here is how Amazon’s gigantic, decentralized, next-day delivery network brought chaos, exploitation, and danger to communities across America.Valdimar Gray was delivering packages for Amazon at the height of the pre-Christmas rush when his three-ton van barreled into an 84-year-old grandmother, crushing her diaphragm, shattering several ribs, and fracturing her skull.“Oh my god!” screamed Gray as he leaped out of his van. It was a bright, clear afternoon on Dec. 22, 2016, and the...WW…

An alarming photo of a hallway crowded by mostly maskless students in a Georgia high school raises issues with reopening schools all around the country.Behind a viral photo of a in Georgia, a potentially dire situation is brewing. Students, teachers, and parents fear the Paulding County school’s rushed reopening plans may be spiraling out of control just two days after students — who said they were told they could face expulsion for remaining home — returned to class despite reports of positive cases among students and staff.North Paulding High School, about an hour outside Atlanta,...…An alarming photo of a hallway crowded by mostly maskless students in a Georgia high school raises issues with reopening schools all around the country.Behind a viral photo of a in Georgia, a potentially dire situation is brewing. Students, teachers, and parents fear the Paulding County school’s rushed reopening plans may be spiraling out of control just two days after students — who said they were told they could face expulsion for remaining home — returned to class despite reports of positive cases among students and staff.North Paulding High School, about an hour outside Atlanta,...WW…

In many states, Tuesday was the last recommended day by which to drop your ballot in a mailbox. From now, voters are being encouraged to leave them in official drop boxes or vote in-person.Today is exactly one week before Election Day on Nov. 3, which in many states means it is the by which the US Postal Service has recommended that voters put their ballots in the mail.As a result, everyone from former to is urging people not to vote by mail after today.That advice, however, can be somewhat confusing. In some states, such as , the deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot hasn’t even passed...…In many states, Tuesday was the last recommended day by which to drop your ballot in a mailbox. From now, voters are being encouraged to leave them in official drop boxes or vote in-person.Today is exactly one week before Election Day on Nov. 3, which in many states means it is the by which the US Postal Service has recommended that voters put their ballots in the mail.As a result, everyone from former to is urging people not to vote by mail after today.That advice, however, can be somewhat confusing. In some states, such as , the deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot hasn’t even passed...WW…

New documents and interviews reveal how time after time, the e-commerce giant put speed, profit, and explosive growth before public safety.This article is copublished with , a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for ProPublica’s newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published.As they prepared for last year’s holiday rush, managers at Amazon unveiled a plan to make the company’s sprawling delivery network the safest in the world.Amazon, which ships millions of packages a day to homes and businesses across the US, had seen a...…New documents and interviews reveal how time after time, the e-commerce giant put speed, profit, and explosive growth before public safety.This article is copublished with , a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for ProPublica’s newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published.As they prepared for last year’s holiday rush, managers at Amazon unveiled a plan to make the company’s sprawling delivery network the safest in the world.Amazon, which ships millions of packages a day to homes and businesses across the US, had seen a...WW…

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s wife — now Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Canada — held public office long before he ever did. And just like her husband, her small government approach to governance brought chaos and disarray.Prescription meds that never seem to arrive. Endlessly delayed Amazon packages. Mailboxes disappearing from street corners overnight. These have been the hallmarks of Louis DeJoy’s brief tenure atop the United States Postal Service.Years earlier, in North Carolina, people flooded into soup kitchens when their food stamps never came. Doctors treating the state’s...…Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s wife — now Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Canada — held public office long before he ever did. And just like her husband, her small government approach to governance brought chaos and disarray.Prescription meds that never seem to arrive. Endlessly delayed Amazon packages. Mailboxes disappearing from street corners overnight. These have been the hallmarks of Louis DeJoy’s brief tenure atop the United States Postal Service.Years earlier, in North Carolina, people flooded into soup kitchens when their food stamps never came. Doctors treating the state’s...WW…

The system is “definitely not working like it's supposed to,” one contact tracing expert told BuzzFeed News.As the nation’s capital reeled with news of one high-profile presidential after testing positive for COVID-19, officials in local health departments in several jurisdictions said the White House has complicated efforts to identify and contract trace anyone whom the president and his entourage may have exposed to the coronavirus during Contact tracing, which involves identifying people who have tested positive and working with them to help them quarantine and identify anyone else they...…The system is “definitely not working like it's supposed to,” one contact tracing expert told BuzzFeed News.As the nation’s capital reeled with news of one high-profile presidential after testing positive for COVID-19, officials in local health departments in several jurisdictions said the White House has complicated efforts to identify and contract trace anyone whom the president and his entourage may have exposed to the coronavirus during Contact tracing, which involves identifying people who have tested positive and working with them to help them quarantine and identify anyone else they...WW…

“Most parents have no idea how bad this is going to be.”This spring, a teacher in Dallas was invited to the high school graduation of the first class of students she had taught when she became a teacher a little over a decade ago — but the ceremony was canceled because of the pandemic. Now, just a couple months later, facing an uncertain plan for reopening schools, she’s applying for jobs in the private sector and considering quitting teaching altogether.“At this point, if anybody were to offer me something, I would rather do that than risk my health,” she said.Typically, the Dallas-based...…“Most parents have no idea how bad this is going to be.”This spring, a teacher in Dallas was invited to the high school graduation of the first class of students she had taught when she became a teacher a little over a decade ago — but the ceremony was canceled because of the pandemic. Now, just a couple months later, facing an uncertain plan for reopening schools, she’s applying for jobs in the private sector and considering quitting teaching altogether.“At this point, if anybody were to offer me something, I would rather do that than risk my health,” she said.Typically, the Dallas-based...WW…

As employees, labor activists, and lawmakers decry Amazon’s firing of employees involved in labor protests, the National Labor Relations Board is looking at the company’s record of targeting people over social distancing violationsThe journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus. To help keep this news free, and sign up for our newsletter, .Federal labor regulators have indicated they will be watching Amazon after workers in Chicago filed charges against the company alleging it retaliated against them for participating in...…As employees, labor activists, and lawmakers decry Amazon’s firing of employees involved in labor protests, the National Labor Relations Board is looking at the company’s record of targeting people over social distancing violationsThe journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus. To help keep this news free, and sign up for our newsletter, .Federal labor regulators have indicated they will be watching Amazon after workers in Chicago filed charges against the company alleging it retaliated against them for participating in...WW…

Republican Party officials have not said how many ballots were collected or how they were handled.California's Republican Party placed "unauthorized" ballot collection boxes at churches, local party offices, and candidate headquarters throughout the state, officials said Monday.Republican officials have not said how many boxes were placed, how many ballots were collected, or what they did with the ballots, as state officials said they are reviewing their legal actions to remove them."We are here to announce without equivocation that these drop boxes are not part of the county's official...…Republican Party officials have not said how many ballots were collected or how they were handled.California's Republican Party placed "unauthorized" ballot collection boxes at churches, local party offices, and candidate headquarters throughout the state, officials said Monday.Republican officials have not said how many boxes were placed, how many ballots were collected, or what they did with the ballots, as state officials said they are reviewing their legal actions to remove them."We are here to announce without equivocation that these drop boxes are not part of the county's official...WW…