Hollywood writers strike; debt ceiling deadline; SCOTUS ethics hearing

Plus, how the World Wide Web changed our lives 30 years ago. [View this email online]( [NPR Up First Newsletter]( by Suzanne Nuyen May 2, 2023 Good morning. Fashion's biggest night took place on the steps of the Met yesterday. [Catch up on the Met Gala's best looks now]( if you slept through it like I did. Hollywood writers are officially on strike against major studios like Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Disney. Negotiators could not agree on a new contract before the old one expired at midnight this morning. The Writers Guild of America says [picketing will begin this afternoon](. [Writers Guild of America's Members walked the picket line in 2007.]( Spencer Platt/Getty Images 🎧 NPR's Mandalit del Barco says actors, directors and behind-the-scenes workers whose unions support the WGA could join the picket line. This morning, she tells the Up First podcast that "studios have reportedly been [stockpiling scripts for months]( to prepare. But the strike's effects might be seen tonight on late-night talk shows or this weekend on SNL. The federal government could run out of money to pay its bills as early as June 1 if lawmakers don't raise the debt ceiling, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. House Republicans are demanding spending cuts and policy changes to authorize the debt ceiling increase. Still, [Democrats won't negotiate]( and say the government's credit shouldn't be used as a bargaining chip. President Biden has invited House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other top lawmakers the White House next week. 🎧 On Up First, NPR’s Scott Horsley says, "The last thing the economy needs right now is a [totally avoidable government default]( The economy's [growth has slowed]( and prices are still high due to inflation. ➡️ Why do we have a debt limit? Here's [everything you need to know](. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing today on Supreme Court Ethics — without the justices. Justice Clarence Thomas [has been scrutinized]( for failing to disclose two decades of luxury gifts from a wealthy Republican donor. Chief Justice John Roberts declined to testify, citing "[separation of powers concerns]( and the importance of preserving Judicial independence." 🎧 NPR's Nina Totenberg thinks "we're at a bit of a tipping point." On Up First, she says the court "just can't perceive the idea that [times have changed]( and people don't just trust them." Totenberg notes that other government agencies have "some form of independent investigator," and the court will continue to be scrutinized until it tries to do something similar. Nearly one-third of nurses say they're likely to quit their job for another profession because of COVID-19, and the nursing shortage could continue for years, according to a [new survey from AMN Healthcare](. Nursing unions say they've warned of the crisis since before the pandemic. Nurses reported higher stress levels, burnout and less time for breaks or lunch breaks, which could have a negative impact on patient care. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [Two women walk past each other in opposite directions. The one on the left is facing the camera and wearing a long white jacket. The one on the left has her back facing the camera and is wearing a salmon-colored shirt.]( Jeff Haynes/AFP via Getty Images Studies show that the workplace imposes a "weight penalty" on women seen as overweight or obese. It's an [unfair bias that men don't seem to face](. 👩 Multiple studies show that larger women tend to earn less, and the penalty increases as they age. But some studies found that white men seen as overweight actually earned more. 👩 A Harvard study found that while race, sexual orientation and skin tone biases decreased between 2007-2016, weight bias worsened. 👩 As women climb higher in the ranks, weight bias only gets worse. One study found that overweight female executives could see up to a 16% wage penalty. --------------------------------------------------------------- [An image showing what the first web page looked like.]( Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images The world as we knew it changed 30 years ago this week when the World Wide Web launched into the public domain. Before, the Internet was entirely text-based and wasn't accessible to most people. But Tim Berners-Lee's invention allowed any computer to talk to each other and let anyone make a web page with photos, videos and more. 🎧 Listen and reflect on how the World Wide Web has changed our [communication, work, learning and privacy](. Or, [read the story here](. (these hyperlinks work because of the World Wide Web!) --------------------------------------------------------------- [A woman points at a banana taped to the wall with grey duct tape.]( Cindy Ord/Getty Images South Korean student Noh Huyn-soo ate artist's Maurizio Cattelan's $120,000 [banana-taped-to-a-wall]( artwork, to everyone's shock. Why did he do it? [He claims he was hungry](. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks power forward, was praised for his [contemplative perspective on job performance and growth]( after a reporter asked him if he considered his latest season a "failure." Hope Carrasquilla, a Florida principal who was asked to resign in March after students at her school were shown a picture of Michelangelo's David statue, was [welcomed in Italy to see it in person](. She says it was "magnificent." --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. 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