LA Teachers Back To Work; Supreme Court Gun Case; Black Lung Investigation

Plus, colleges in Maryland are offering tuition relief to furloughed workers. [NPR] by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [Teachers and supporters rally on Monday, Jan. 14, the first day of the teachers strike in Los Angeles. The school district and the union have come to a deal after almost two years of negotiations.]( Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Here’s what we’re following today. The Los Angeles teachers’ strike has ended, and educators will return to classes today. A “vast supermajority” of teachers voted to approve a new contract with the city’s school district, [ending a six-day walkout](. The deal includes a 6 percent wage increase, a nurse in every school, more counselors and librarians, and smaller class sizes. The strike was costly: The school system lost between $10 million and $15 million each day because pupils stayed home. Meanwhile, Denver teachers could soon begin [the city's first teacher strike in almost 25 years](. It’s day 33 of the partial federal government shutdown, and votes on two bills are expected in the Senate Thursday to try to end the partial government shutdown. While [both are expected to fail]( one reflects President Trump's latest proposal to give temporary protections to some immigrants, including DACA recipients, in exchange for the more than $5 billion the president wants for a border wall. The other reopens the federal government through Feb. 8, without border-wall funding. Arizona police have arrested a nurse suspected of impregnating an incapacitated woman. Police say Nathan Sutherland, 36, worked at the Hacienda HealthCare facility in Phoenix as a licensed practical nurse. He has been charged with [sexual assault and vulnerable adult abuse](. Police in upstate New York say they disrupted a bomb plot against a Muslim community. They arrested three men and a 16-year-old on weapons and conspiracy charges. [The target was in Islamberg]( a rural enclave near the Catskill Mountains that has been the target of conspiracy theories and a prior foiled attack plan. Mexico reported its highest homicide rate in 2018. The number of open homicide cases continued to climb month after month, making the past 12 months the deadliest on record — [an average of 91 deaths per day](. More Americans are concerned about global warming, according to a new U.S. government report. The proportion of Americans who said global warming is ["personally important"]( to them jumped from 63 percent to 72 percent last year. And more than half of those questioned said that global warming will harm their families. The Supreme Court will take up the first gun rights case in nearly a decade. Depending on how narrowly or broadly the court rules, it has a majority now to affect [gun rights and restrictions]( in a dramatic way. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily Good Colleges in Maryland are offering tuition relief to furloughed workers. [Reanna Robinson, a 22-year-old from Washington, D.C., has been balancing life as a student and mother during the month-long government shutdown.]( Jeffrey Pierre/NPR Going without pay is challenging. Try adding a tuition bill. A few colleges in Maryland have enacted a temporary policy that [alleviates the financial strain]( on furloughed students and students who are dependents of furloughed workers. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listen 544 days in Iran's Evin Prison. After being accused of being a spy, Washington Post Tehran Bureau Chief Jason Rezaian was held for two and a half years in one of Iran's most notorious prisons. Throughout it all, he never considered giving up on writing and reporting. Rezaian talked to Terry Gross about his imprisonment and release, and his memoir Prisoner. (Listening time, 7:19) [▶ LISTEN]( --------------------------------------------------------------- History Lesson Remembering Hawks Nest Tunnel. [A drilling crew poses for the above photo in 1931. To create the Hawks Nest Tunnel, workers had to drill through nearly pure sandstone, which kicks up toxic silica dust. Workers in the photo are not wearing respirators — a requirement later mandated by Congress after hundreds of men died from exposure to silica in the tunnel.]( Courtesy of Elkem Metals Collection, West Virginia State Archives Nearly 90 years ago, thousands died in what many consider the worst industrial accident in the U.S.: [the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster](. It’s a long-forgotten example of the occupational dangers of silica dust — and the government's response to death on its doorstep. --------------------------------------------------------------- Investigations: Black Lung “I figured it was going to be a horrible death, and it probably will be.” [Respiratory therapist Deena Neace checks James Muncy’s blood pressure and pulse during a therapy session at the New Beginnings Pulmonary Rehab Clinic in South Williamson, Ky. Muncy is one of thousands of coal miners across Appalachia who are dying of advanced black lung.]( Matthew Hatcher for NPR Over the past year, NPR and the PBS program Frontline have interviewed [dozens of Appalachian coal miners with advanced black lung disease](. The interviews were part of an investigation that found federal regulators, despite mounting evidence and a stream of dire warnings, failed to protect coal miners. Here, in their own words, is what they said about grappling with a disease that is drastically changing their lives, their communities and their families. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Mariano Rivera says handling the pressure of being a closer wasn't easy. ]( Patrick McDermott/Getty Images - Mariano Rivera, [the New York Yankees' great closing pitcher]( is the first player to be unanimously selected for the MLB's Hall of Fame. - “The NFL Bleaux It”: One New Orleans Saints fan took out several billboards around Atlanta to vent his anger at the league over [a controversial no-call]( that cost his team a trip to the Super Bowl. - Tokyo's notoriously crowded metro system is trying to ease the morning commute with [free soba noodles and tempura](. - Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, humorist and author [Russell Baker]( has died. The former “Masterpiece Theatre” host was 93. --------------------------------------------------------------- ✏️ What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [dailynewsletter@npr.org](mailto:dailynewsletter@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) 📬 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. 📧 Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to our Daily News emails. | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 [NPR]