AP tells story of sick coal miners fighting the Trump administration on the rollback of health protections

By Margie Mason, Carolyn Kaster

Earlier this year, West Virginia-based reporter Margie Mason set out to show how the Trump administration’s dismantling of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health was impacting blue-collar workers. Mason cut through a complicated web of lawsuits, administration promises and congressional vows by focusing on the simple and powerful story of coal miners—many of whom supported President Donald Trump’s reelection—who have suffered through uncertainty as the administration delayed a federal rule to limit deadly silica dust exposure.

Partnering with photographer Carolyn Kaster, the team profiled a respiratory therapist who treats miners in need of lung transplants and captured powerful images of miners protesting in Washington. As a coal miner’s granddaughter herself, Mason brought a nuanced lens to the story, focusing on the miners’ resilience, pride and determination.