First Republic Bank failure; Hollywood writers prepare to strike; Sudan evacuations

Plus, how to clap back at the comments you get when people find out you don't want kids. [View this email online]( [NPR Up First Newsletter]( by Suzanne Nuyen May 1, 2023 Good morning, and happy first day of my favorite month of the year: [AAPI Heritage Month]( Here's what else we're following today. The FDIC has seized First Republic Bank, and JP Morgan Chase is [buying a significant portion of its deposits and assets](. It's the third U.S. bank failure this year, after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. [A worker cleans the outside of a First Republic bank in San Francisco.]( Justin Sullivan/Getty Images 🎧 On the Up First podcast this morning, NPR's David Gura says analysts he spoke to stressed that the circumstances around First Republic's bank failure are different from SVB's, and it's [unlikely to lead to the same volatility]( in the markets. He adds that it should be "business as usual" for First Republic customers, who are now automatically Chase customers. Fighting in Sudan has not stopped, despite agreement from the leaders of two warring factions to extend a cease-fire. [Some 1,000 Americans have already been evacuated]( and thousands more Americans and foreigners are still trying to flee the country. 🎧NPR’s Aya Batrawy is in the port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where many evacuees have ended up. She tells Up First that many are "[sleeping roughshod under tarps]( Sudanese individuals without other passports can't come to Saudi Arabia and must cross different borders. The International Red Cross brought eight tons of medical aid to Port Sudan, which Batrawy says is significant because "we just haven't seen aid agencies do much besides evacuate their own staff." Hollywood writers could be at picket lines tomorrow. The contract between the Writers Guild of America and major studios expires today at midnight. The Guild is prepared to strike if demands like better pay for streaming work are not met in the new three-year contract. 🎧 NPR’s culture correspondent Mandalit del Barco reports on Up First that many Hollywood writers are "[basically broke" between gigs](. Writers tell her they're being asked to work for free in "mini rooms," where they work alone on scripts that may or may not get greenlit, with no guarantee they'll be in the official writer's room even if the show does get picked up. Participate in Public Media Giving Days Today kicks off Public Media Giving Days! It's the perfect reason to share what #PublicMediaGives to YOU on social media. Your stories will help others discover the NPR Network, where they will experience the free, trustworthy news and programming that has made such a difference in your life. If you're already a supporter — or if you make the leap and [contribute for the first time today]( — we'd appreciate it if you shared that, too! #publicmediagives --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [Professor emerita Henrietta Mann (Cheyenne), a pioneer in Native American studies, stands in a field.]( Matika Wilbur Matika Wilbur, a photographer of Swinomish and Tulalip descent, was tired of seeing one-dimensional, insipid, degrading depictions of Native Americans in pop culture. So she sold everything in her apartment and headed out on the road to illustrate Native Americans' diversity and complexity by [photographing members of all of the then-562 federally-recognized U.S. tribes](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [A rectangular graphic is divided into quadrants, with a speech bubble in each quadrant depicting an intrusive comment people might say to someone who doesn't want children.]( Ana Galvañ for NPR A growing number of adults are deciding they don't want to have children, and everyone has an opinion about it. Angela L. Harris founded #NoBibsBurpsBottles, an online community for child-free Black women. She speaks with NPR's Life Kit about how to [discuss your decision to remain child-free]( with your family and partner and 🎧 suggests [clever ways to respond to the most common comments]( from "You'll die alone if you don't have kids" to "but all women want children!" --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ellie, an 11-year-old cockatoo, chats with a feathery friend over a video call. ]( Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University These parrots don't get Zoom fatigue. Researchers found that lonely parrots in captivity can [connect with other birds]( through video calls. In 1970, Alan Ayers was preparing for a skydiving competition and found himself thousands of feet in the air, dangling from a plane with his foot stuck in a seatbelt. The pilot saved him with a risky move and [became his unsung hero](. NPR listeners know how to stay optimistic! We asked you how you stay hopeful when things seem hopeless, and you [gave the best advice](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. 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 Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]