Meatpacking companies dismissed years of pandemic warnings from the government, documents show. Now, nearly every one of the government’s predictions have come true.
In documents from 2006 unearthed by reporters Michael Grabell and Bernice Yeung, government officials warned meatpackers to prepare for a pandemic and predicted workers would be out en masse, either from fear, caring for sick family members or getting sick themselves. When COVID-19 hit, they weren’t ready.
“It was an unmitigated disaster for food processors, and it didn’t have to be,” said John Hoffman, who developed emergency planning for the food and agriculture sector at the Department of Homeland Security during the George W. Bush administration.
The Post Office and the Pandemic Election
Members of Congress and state election officials, not to mention voters themselves, have grown increasingly concerned that the USPS will fail at a critical moment.
ProPublica reporters Jessica Huseman, Maryam Jameel and Ryan McCarthy have been reporting deeply on both the USPS and the election. So we asked them what was going on. Here’s what you need to know.
How The U.S.’s Largest Police Department Avoids Accountability
NYPD has been systematically undermining investigations into police abuse by withholding evidence.
It has stopped sharing a wide variety of paper records and has been redacting the names of potential witnesses from others without explanation.
It allowed officers to refuse to be interviewed by investigators for two months this year.
It often doesn’t turn over body-worn camera footage.
About That Border Wall
Remember the privately funded border wall that was already at risk of falling down if not fixed?
Federal prosecutors indicted Brian Kolfage; board member Steve Bannon, the former adviser to President Donald Trump; and two others involved in the nonprofit raising money for the wall, charging that they looted the charity for personal gain. Bannon pleaded not guilty in federal court on Thursday.
More than $350,000 was allegedly routed to Kolfage, which he spent on, among other things, home renovations, a triple-engined outboard boat and a luxury SUV.
Before I let you go, I want to see if you can help with our coverage of education. We want to make sure the conversation about opening schools is grounded in facts. If you are a student, teacher, parent or administrator, please reach out. Your privacy is important to us. Respond here!
Have a happy Saturday,
Yours,
— Karim Doumar
Assistant editor, audience
WHAT ELSE WE PUBLISHED THIS WEEK
Cellphone Data Shows How Las Vegas Is “Gambling With Lives” Across the Country
Las Vegas casinos, open for months now, are a likely hotbed for the spread of COVID-19. For many reasons, contact tracing has proved next to impossible as tourists return to homes across the U.S.
by Marshall Allen
Erased From the Trump Administration’s Draft of a Key Foreign Aid Policy: Any Mention of LGBT People
USAID’s gender policy guides its priorities worldwide. A new version of that policy put forward by the Trump administration omits any mention of transgender people, and adopts a conservative framing of human rights.
by Yeganeh Torbati
For Election Administrators, Death Threats Have Become Part of the Job
In a polarized society, the bureaucrats who operate the machinery of democracy are taking flak from all sides. More than 20 have resigned or retired since March 1, thinning their ranks at a time when they are most needed.
by Jessica Huseman
Burial Site Found on a Property Tied to Obama, Causing Tension With Native Hawaiians
After Native Hawaiian remains were found on the multimillion-dollar oceanfront lot being developed by the chair of the Obama Foundation, a state official decided to relocate the remains. Kamuela Kala‘i is speaking up for her ancestors.
by Sophie Cocke, Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Near Misses at UNC Chapel Hill’s High-Security Lab Illustrate Risk of Accidents With Coronaviruses
Reports indicate UNC researchers were potentially exposed to lab-created coronaviruses in several incidents since 2015. These incidents highlight the risks even in the most secure and respected research facilities.
by Alison Young and Jessica Blake for ProPublica
Here Are Six Accidents UNC Researchers Had With Lab-Created Coronaviruses
There have been mouse bites and spills and other mishaps during experiments involving genetically altered coronaviruses at a high-security lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
by Alison Young and Jessica Blake for ProPublica
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