Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died Tuesday after “a struggle with a sudden, fast-spreading infection,” according to The Seattle Times (Center bias).

The Infection: Dean was 45 years old, and according to the Times, “had been in good health and was noted for having a healthy lifestyle.” He spent two weeks in critical condition, in which he developed pneumonia and a “serious bacterial infection.” A post from Dean’s mother said a CT scan revealed he had suffered a stroke.

The Details: Dean previously filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration alleging “serious and gross misconduct by senior quality management of the 737 production line” at Spirit. He also gave a deposition in a Spirit shareholder lawsuit and filed a complaint with federal officials after Spirit fired him in April 2023, claiming unfair termination.

For Context: Dean is the second Boeing whistleblower to die in what media outlets have framed as suspicious circumstances this year. In March, former Boeing employee turned whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in a hotel parking lot on the day he was scheduled to meet with lawyers as part of a deposition he’d been giving in a case against Boeing. Officials ruled Barnett’s death a suicide, though the investigation is still ongoing. According to the Times, Dean and Barnett were represented by the same South Carolina law firm.

How The Media Covered It: Coverage was largely based on The Seattle Times’ reporting and included context on Barnett’s death.

How the Media Covered It: The New York Times (Lean Left bias) noted that the charges “cast instant doubt on the party’s chances of holding a district.” The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal (Center bias) both noted that Cuellar is one of the more conservative members of the Democratic Party. Coverage from Fox News (Right bias) did not note this.

For Context: Trump is on trial in New York, where prosecutors allege he falsified business records in order to conceal hush-money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. Daniels claims she was paid hush-money to prevent her from speaking publicly about an affair she had with Trump years prior. Trump denies having an affair with Daniels and pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of fraud.

Details: Prosecutors argue that the Trump campaign paid hush-money to Daniels following the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape, in which Trump speaks about his fame allowing him to advance on women. The release of the tape, prosecutors argue, led the Trump team to pay Daniels and another woman, Karen McDougal, with whom Trump also allegedly had an affair.

Key Quotes: During her testimony, Hicks said the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape was a “damaging development,” adding, “There was consensus amongst us all that the tape was damaging and this was a crisis.” Hicks also testified that Trump was “responsible” for the campaign’s media strategy, stating, “He knew what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it, and we were all just following his lead.”

How the Media Covered It: Newsweek (Center bias) focused coverage around a moment in which Hicks cried. Axios (Lean Left bias) characterized Hicks as one of Trump’s “closest aides.”