Ayyyyy, so proud of my friend and work bestie @leahsottile.bsky.social for winning the Oregon Book Award for Blazing Eye Sees All!

Go buy a copy in celebration!

Leah Sottile stands at a podium reading a speech accepting the Oregon Book Award for General Nonfiction for her book Blazing Eye Sees All. The book cover is projected on a screen behind her.

Well here’s some news: Blazing Eye Sees All won the Oregon Book Award for nonfiction last night. A win for journalism, a win for never giving up.

bookshop.org/p/books/blaz...

Terrible. It was always my dream to write for you. So sorry this has happened and can’t wait for your next book!

Unpacking a Death at Amazon A man died April 6 at an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Oregon. Our reporting on the facility continues.

Staff at an Oregon Amazon facility have continued to come forward since our reporting last week on a death there to describe what they say are challenging and sometimes dangerous working conditions.

We take you inside our reporting in this episode of Notes from the Edge.

Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas on deconstructing ‘true crime’ in podcasting and journalism - Nieman Storyboard The team behind ‘Hush’ discuss the ethics of narrative journalism and creating a serialized podcast that's sensitive to victims and families

"What you realize pretty quickly in the show is that we directly interrogate what true crime is." @leahsottile.bsky.social and @ryanjhaas.bsky.social

niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/22/l...

#podcasts #storytelling #journalism

Infowars’ endless afterlife The Onion may finally boot Alex Jones from his studio, but years of damage have already been done.

NEW: How exactly has Alex Jones avoided paying the Sandy Hook families a single dime of what he owes? I wrote about it here, and spoke to Chris Mattei, an attorney for some of the families, and Lenny Pozner, the father of the youngest child who died at Sandy Hook: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

What a bombing in Nevada reveals about the nation’s appetite for violence - High Country News There is no definition of domestic terrorism. And the reason why is complicated.

While studies showed that violent crime rates went down nationwide in 2025, experts found political violence sharply increased.

LDS Church sues ‘Mormon Stories’ podcast host, saying branding is causing confusion about affiliation The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is suing “Mormon Stories” host John Dehlin, alleging trademark infringement and saying the podcast’s branding could confuse listeners into thinking it’s affiliated with the faith.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is suing “Mormon Stories” host John Dehlin, alleging trademark infringement and saying the podcast’s branding could confuse listeners into thinking it’s affiliated with the faith.

Two Minutes Past Nine Podcasts Podcast · Twenty-five years on from the largest domestic terror incident in American history, journalist Leah Sottile investigates the legacy of the Oklahoma City Bombing.

Trying to understand men like McVeigh has taken up an inordinate amount of my career. I made a whole podcast about it: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

What a bombing in Nevada reveals about the nation’s appetite for violence - High Country News There is no definition of domestic terrorism. And the reason why is complicated.

It’s the 31st anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people. It should disturb everyone that the ideas and rhetoric that motivated Timothy McVeigh have mainstreamed. I grapple with that reality here:

www.hcn.org/issues/58-4/...

On my first trip to the Midwest, midway through Terry Tempest Williams‘ talk about her definition of “glorians,” a tornado siren goes off. Glorian?

Given the news about masculinity and violence this week, this story I put out earlier feels sadly more relevant.

‘Everyone is Replaceable’: Death Rattles Oregon Amazon Facility A worker died at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse last week. Employees were told to look away.

Amazon has reached out to The Western Edge with an additional statement. The company acknowledged work continued after a 46-year-old man died at an Oregon distribution center on April 6. Amazon says staff were too focused on life-saving efforts to stop work across the building.

Idaho and the Federal Push to Draft Local Police YouTube video by Western Edge

What happened when the White House came to deep red Idaho and asked police to essentially become ICE officers?

Those police said, "Aw, hell nah."

This week's "Notes from the Edge" interview is with ace Spokesman-Review reporter @alexdugganreports.bsky.social.

Idaho and the Federal Push to Draft Local Police YouTube video by Western Edge

I sat down with @alexdugganreports.bsky.social last week to talk about the ways Idaho police officers have pushed back on White House efforts to recruit them into immigration enforcement. A fascinating rift between MAGA and local LE.

Put @thewesternedge.bsky.social's reporting against any media outlet in our region over the past two months. We're just starting and I can't wait to share the great reporting we have coming over the next two months.

If you can't subscribe, consider a donation toward our next records request. 🙏

My main question is if there is any kind of walking tour of the locations from John Williams' book Stoner?

Hey Missourians, I'll be in your state this weekend at Unbound Book Festival in Columbia on a panel called "Woo Woo Cthulhu" with novelists Olivia Muenter and Joshua Wheeler talking about all things New Age. Come on out!

www.unboundbookfestival.com/panels-2026

The man who died at Amazon was 46.

A statement from Amazon on Tuesday, April 14 about the death of an employee on April 6. The company said it kept operations running in parts of the building while it focused on trying to save the man's life.

Amazon has sent an updated statement following @thewesternedge.bsky.social's reporting yesterday. They acknowledge work continued in parts of the building, but say that was because people were busy trying to save the man who died. (1/3)

‘Everyone is Replaceable’: Death Rattles Oregon Amazon Facility A worker died at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse last week. Employees were told to look away.

Last week, a worker one of Amazon's Portland area facilities died on the warehouse floor. Employees were told to look away and keep working.

A new story by @ryanjhaas.bsky.social for @thewesternedge.bsky.social - reporting this news first.

www.thewesternedge.media/p/everyone-i...

‘Everyone is Replaceable’: Death Rattles Oregon Amazon Facility A worker died at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse last week. Employees were told to look away.

A worker died at an Amazon warehouse in Oregon last week.

For more than an hour, workers were instructed to continue working as the man lay dead.

One worker wanted to help, but a manager told them to “Just turn around and not look. Let’s get back to work," according to @thewesternedge.bsky.social.

One observation I have is that no other Portland media has picked up on this story? When you think about where you invest your subscriber dollars, think about if you see coverage of everyday people like you reflected back at you.

We have updated this story with 911 tape from the incident.

Even Gwar thinks you should get a paid subscription to @thewesternedge.bsky.social!

Thank you!

Excited about the work @ryanjhaas.bsky.social and @leahsottile.bsky.social are doing at their new PNW indie media org @thewesternedge.bsky.social. Follow them and support them!

‘Everyone is Replaceable’: Death Rattles Oregon Amazon Facility A worker died at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse last week. Employees were told to look away.

For more than a week, Amazon has managed to keep a death at its Troutdale, Oregon, facility out of public view.

Workers I spoke to are pissed.

‘Everyone is Replaceable’: Death Rattles Oregon Amazon Facility A worker died at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse last week. Employees were told to look away.

Workers at an Amazon fulfillment center in Troutdale, Oregon, said they were told to keep working as a colleague lay dying on the floor.

“Just turn around and not look. Let’s get back to work,” Sam recalled the manager saying.

‘Everyone is Replaceable’: Death Rattles Oregon Amazon Facility A worker died at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse last week. Employees were told to look away.

Last week, a worker one of Amazon's Portland area facilities died on the warehouse floor. Employees were told to look away and keep working.

A new story by @ryanjhaas.bsky.social for @thewesternedge.bsky.social - reporting this news first.

www.thewesternedge.media/p/everyone-i...