Writers Guild Association strike ends with contract agreement
The Writers Guild of America and Hollywood studio executives reached a contract agreement Sept. 26, signaling the end of the nearly five-month-long strike, according to the Associated Press.
The deal includes increased royalties for streaming content and restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence, according to The New York Times.
“We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” said the WGA negotiating committee in a statement.
Guild writers are able to return to work Sept. 27 as writers begin the process of ratifying the contract. WGA encouraged members to join SAG-AFTRA picket lines in support of a strike that began July 15.
WGA’s strike began May 2, citing writers’ economic struggles amidst the rise of streaming, fewer job opportunities and low pay, as well as concerns surrounding artificial intelligence, according to CNN.
The deal drew approval from President Joe Biden, who expressed the sentiment in a press release.
“I applaud the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for reaching a tentative agreement that will allow writers to return to the important work of telling the stories of our nation, our world – and of all of us,” said Biden.
Potential government shutdown looms
Congress is days away from a government shutdown if the House doesn’t pass a stopgap bill.
Government funding is set to end Oct. 1 if the House isn’t able to pass the Senate’s stopgap bill, according to CNN. House Republicans are refusing a short-term funding extension.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill contains funding for Ukraine, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy doesn’t agree with combining that funding in this extension, according to The Boston Globe.
According to the New York Times, a number of far-right Republicans have threatened to remove McCarthy from his post if he brings the Senate bill to the House floor for a vote.
A government shutdown would disrupt millions of people’s lives and force them to work without pay during the duration of the shutdown. According to the Globe, a government shutdown in 2018 cost the economy about $11 billion.
On Sept. 26, McCarthy told the public he is doing everything he can to prevent a shutdown.
In New England alone, more than 60,000 employees will not receive paychecks during the shutdown, according to the Globe.
Biden joins UAW picket line
President Joe Biden joined striking members of the United Automobile Workers union Sept. 26 in Bellville, Michigan in front of a General Motors facility.
NBC News reported Biden’s trip to Michigan marks the first time a sitting president joined a picket line for workers demanding better wages. He encouraged union members to continue their fight and emphasized his support for the cause.
“You deserve what you’ve earned, and you’ve earned a hell of a lot more than you get paid now,” Biden said, according to the New York Times.
In Mansfield, workers at a Stellantis parts distribution facility joined the UAW strike Sept. 23, the Boston Globe reported. Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined workers on the picket line, holding a “UAW ON STRIKE” sign.
The union is asking for a 40 percent wage increase over four years, a reinstatement of pensions and shorter work hours, according to the Times. Workers across the country are striking plants and distribution centers owned by Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.
New Jersey senator Robert Menendez indicted in bribery scheme
New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez was charged with accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes Sept. 22, according to The New York Times.
The indictment outlines a series of bribes between Menendez and three New Jersey businessmen in the form of cash, gold, a luxury vehicle and mortgage payments, primarily in exchange for Menedez utilizing his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to increase assistance from the U.S. to Egypt.
Menendez also tampered with the criminal investigation of Jose Uribe, one of the New Jersey businessmen, in exchange for cash.
The indictment also charges Nadine Menendez, the senator’s wife, and the three businessmen, Fred Daibes, Wael Hana and Jose Uribe. Charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud have been assigned to all five defendants, with Menendezes also charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under the color of official right.
New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy was the first of several leaders to call for Menendez’s resignation.
“For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave. Since this investigation was leaked nearly a year ago, there has been an active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists,” Menendez said in a statement to the Associated Press.
