Notable Hollywood writers reach a deal
The leadership of the Writers Guild of America is expected to vote today on a contract deal with major studios that could end one of Hollywood’s longest labor disputes and move the industry closer to a restart.
After 146 days of strikes, the guild got most of what it wanted, including increases in compensation for streaming content, concessions from studios on minimum staffing levels for television shows and guarantees that artificial intelligence technology will not infringe on credits and compensation writers.
If the contract agreement reached Sunday night is approved by the guild’s leadership, the guild’s 11,000 writers will vote to ratify it. Late-night and daytime talk shows could return.
But much of Hollywood will remain silent: Tens of thousands of actors are still on strike and no talks were planned, although a deal with screenwriters could speed up those negotiations. In addition, more than 100,000 employees behind the scenes (directors, camera operators and many others) will remain unemployed.
Ukraine says it has killed the head of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet
The Ukrainian military said yesterday that it had killed the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, along with 33 other officers, in a rocket attack last week. If confirmed, the losses would be among the most damaging to the Russian Navy since the sinking of the fleet’s flagship last year.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow’s Defense Ministry and Ukraine’s claims could not be independently verified. The commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, is one of the highest-ranking officers in the Moscow Navy.
Ukraine’s special operations forces said the rocket attack hit the fleet’s headquarters in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on Friday while officers were holding a meeting.
Other developments in the war
Bangladesh is facing a deadly dengue outbreak
The dengue fever outbreak is the most serious in the country’s history, authorities said, with infections from the mosquito-borne virus spreading rapidly from rural areas and straining the already overwhelmed hospital system in the capital Dhaka.
Yesterday, authorities said they had recorded 909 dengue-related deaths this year through Sunday, compared with 281 in all of 2022.
Loaded with debt it couldn’t repay, Greece nearly broke out of the eurozone a decade ago. Today it is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe. Tourists are flocking to the country and credit rating agencies have upgraded their debt assessments, opening the door to major foreign investors.
The climate-defying crops in your future
Plant breeders in the US are working on several new crops that could change the way we eat in a rapidly warming world.
Cherries usually need a month of cool weather to grow well, but a new variety can handle the heat. Cauliflower is extremely vulnerable to direct sunlight, but new varieties basically have a built-in sunscreen. Don’t worry, you can’t taste it.
Melons are usually a thirsty crop, but two new versions have been developed to cope with drought. Potatoes, which one researcher said face an “existential threat,” could soon be able to cope with extreme heat and flooding. There is even a new, climate-friendly avocado.