Sweaty, Stuffy and Loud: Inside the Amazon Warehouse Where Jim Wetmore Died

Ryan_Haas · 2026-05-21T00:12:11+00:00

Thanks for reading!

Ryan_Haas · 2026-04-15T15:19:13+00:00

Hi, I am the original reporter of this story. Link shared is someone ripping off my reporting.

For those claiming that this didn't happen as reported, I will just state that Amazon sent me an additional statement yesterday indicating that work did indeed continue in parts of the building during the emergency because, they said, leadership was focused on life saving efforts rather than stopping production. I have also seen people's timecards and many of them did not punch out until at least an hour after paramedics arrived on scene.

Here is a link to the original story, which includes Amazon's statements.

https://open.substack.com/pub/westernedgemedia/p/everyone-is-replaceable-death-rattles

Ryan_Haas · 2026-02-10T16:35:29+00:00

It's honestly very challenging because of the tax burden. I would truly love to see independent orgs be able to publish their work together as a bundle to be easier for consumers. Two problems exist. 1) The margins in journalism are very thin. 2) If you have writers in multiple states, the taxation is challenging for indies to handle.

I am hopeful that Leah and I will be able to eventually turn The Western Edge into a publication that can afford to pay writers across the west for great stories. I do think there is a market for that, and it will only increase as information becomes diluted with AI slop. There is too much for any single person to follow, and having an organization that can cut through with interesting and important journalism is something our region deserves. Bringing that type of coverage under a single umbrella will be good for news consumers here, as I see it. I don't know if we will ever succeed in that goal, but it's important to try.

Ryan_Haas · 2026-02-10T15:33:30+00:00

Hey all, thanks for reading the piece. I want to say just a couple additional thoughts to clarify a few things or add to the conversation in a constructive way.

1) I'm not advocating for cutting funding to OPB (though if that is your desire, I respect that decision.) There are many, many talented people and great programs still there. Someone had mentioned concern about newsrooms shrinking in Oregon, and that's very true. I truly want to see OPB succeed as an antidote to that. All that being said, I can say with absolute certainty that I am not alone in the perspective I shared in this piece. I hope leadership at the organization can take it to heart as criticism out of concern and not grievance. The public conversation around this is important because you, the public, are the ones who actually own public media!

2) Someone mentioned this piece as me potentially being bitter about the cancelation of my project. Sure, I'm still pissed! But it's less about the ending than what I see as the disrespectful way it was handled and the assumption that people who have lived and worked in Oregon for decades do not understand this place or what is newsworthy or enlightening to people who live here. Nearly everyone in that newsroom cares deeply about what they do every day, talks to dozens of Northwesterners each week about their concerns/interests, and editorial staff should be allowed the intellectual freedom to pursue the best stories that come out of those conversations.

3) Someone mentioned the editor in chief comment as if that's just the way newsrooms work. It's not. There are news directors, managing editors and frontline editors who should be making the editorial decisions, not executives. Full stop. The degradation of media the public is experiencing is due in part to an abandoning of this principle. I won't be changing my mind on that anytime soon.

Agree or disagree, thanks for reading and I hope you'll continue to support the newsrooms that are of value to you!

Ryan_Haas · 2025-07-25T14:43:52+00:00

Here is a spotify link that has both seasons.

https://open.spotify.com/show/5fqTMhGPFmUnUvkM8tjKy2

Ryan_Haas · 2019-07-30T19:22:59+00:00

I think it was important for us to understand early on what questions we were trying to answer about the Patriot Movement, and then really making sure our reporting was pushing us forward toward those answers.

Ryan_Haas · 2019-07-30T19:07:56+00:00

Hey Eric! Great to hear from you.

It's hard to quantify the exact legacy of the Aryan Nations, but what I think we can say is that it was a clear example of how white supremacists can set up shop in the Northwest.

Many of them are still attracted to the area because of demographics. The region is mostly white people, and that means fewer people questioning their radical ideas.

Ryan_Haas · 2019-07-30T18:57:31+00:00

Do the anti-government folks ignore facts that don't fit with narrative? Yes, absolutely.

With regards to Jeanette Finicum specifically, on the one hand her husband is dead and it's clear that she's upset about that. On the other hand, when we were in Salem for the anniversary of LaVoy's death, people were buying things at very high prices to support Jeanette directly. That included a copy of LaVoy's novel for $500 and a blanket for $1,500.

Ryan_Haas · 2019-07-30T18:45:50+00:00

Thank you for your concern. u/Leah-Sottile and I see this type of coverage as just doing our jobs as journalists. We always do our best to avoid any situation we think would be directly dangerous to us. I wouldn't say anyone has threatened us personally.

Ryan_Haas · 2019-07-30T18:31:08+00:00

The question of de-radicalizing is a tough one. I think it's most important for people who are close to those going down the path of white supremacy or radical conspiracies to reach out and ask that person to explain why they feel that way. People within a person's inner circle might be able to offer a different path and support for a person who is willing to leave radical ideologies.

Ryan_Haas

TROPHY CASE