Why BU's commencement speaker got booed

Also: The tech industry in Mass. is course-correcting; Hull's "highly unusual situation" [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 22, 2023 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 62. Good Morning Boston, Celtics fans weren't the only ones [booing this weekend](. Let's get right to the news: - David Zaslav, the CEO of the media conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery, returned to his alma mater Boston University on Sunday to deliver the commencement address for this year's graduating class. But as WBUR's Walter Wuthmann reports, Zaslav's speech was [met with pickets and protests in support of TV and film writers]( who launched the industry's [first strike in 15 years earlier this month](. - Who is he? Zaslav took over in 2021 as CEO of the newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio is part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which was unable to reach a deal with the Writers Guild of America on a new contract. Zaslav also got his law degree at BU in the 1980s. - What was the protest about? Amid a streaming-fueled boom in content, writers have been pushing for better pay, ["residual" money]( from streaming, and [safeguards around the use of artificial intelligence](. They say studios can afford it, pointing to the big salaries made by executives like Zaslav, who earned [nearly $40 million last year]( — and nearly $250 million the year before. "That would cover most of what we're asking for — pay your writers fairly," Anya Epstein, a New-York based TV writer and producer who traveled to Boston for the protest, told Wuthmann. - While [nearly 200 protesters]( picketed on Commonwealth Avenue Zaslav's speech itself was interrupted by boos and chants of "pay your writers" from graduating BU students. [Watch the video here](. (There was even [a plane dragging a "pay your writers" sign]( - Go deeper: You may remember the last writer's strike in 2007. From mini rooms to streaming, [here's how this one is different](. - What's next: We're in the midst of college graduation season — with more big names coming to Boston this week. The [list of local commencement speakers]( includes two U.S. senators, two high-profile journalists and — last but not least — Tom Hanks. - "A highly unusual situation": Officials in Hull are [asking the courts for more specific advice]( on handling their elections after a fire on election day last Monday blocked some residents from getting to the town's only voting place. Due to the disruption, the town let about 80 people vote between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. after polls closed, but a judge later rejected their request to let those votes be counted. - The judge suggested the town hold a new election instead, but did not order one. As a result, Hull Town Clerk Lori West says they need more guidance on how to handle the situation. - The short-term solution: West says incumbents will remain in office until it's solved. - Not loving that dirty water: Officials are advising people and their pets to avoid contact with [Alewife Brook and parts of Mystic River]( in Cambridge, Somerville and Medford until at least tomorrow. Cambridge health officials say the city was forced to release sewage and storm-water runoff into the river on Sunday in order to prevent sewage from backing up into people's homes. - Activities that should be avoided for now include swimming, paddle boarding, boating and fishing. - The Boston City Council is resuming its work this week to sign off on a new redistricting map after a federal judge [blocked the city from using a previous map]( created by councilors. WBUR's Amy Sokolow reports that the council will now work off [a map proposed by Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune]( as a baseline for the discussion. - Louijeune — who chairs the committee spearheading the process — says that alternative proposals [from Mayor Michelle Wu]( and [Councilor Michael Flaherty]( include too many changes from the previous map to work through on their urgent timeline. - Time is of the essence. According to Wu's office, the council needs to approve a new map by May 30 (that's next Tuesday) in order to avoid delaying this year's elections. P.S.— Taylor Swift wrapped up her three-concert (and [at-times rain-soaked]( swing through Massachusetts last night. If you're still buzzing from the show or can't get "Lavender Haze" out of your head, check out Swift's [2019 half-hour NPR Tiny Desk concert](. It's a little smaller venue than Gillette, but cool and unique watch nonetheless. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [With layoffs and higher interest rates, the tech industry in Mass. is course-correcting]( Despite layoffs in the tech sector, many Massachusetts companies are still hiring. But insiders say higher interest rates could bring challenges, especially for startups. [Read more.]( [With layoffs and higher interest rates, the tech industry in Mass. is course-correcting]( Despite layoffs in the tech sector, many Massachusetts companies are still hiring. But insiders say higher interest rates could bring challenges, especially for startups. [Read more.]( [Biden and McCarthy gear up for the next round of debt ceiling talks]( The two leaders are having an in-person meeting Monday after a "productive" phone call on Sunday about the debt ceiling. The U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills as early as June 1. [Read more.]( [Biden and McCarthy gear up for the next round of debt ceiling talks]( The two leaders are having an in-person meeting Monday after a "productive" phone call on Sunday about the debt ceiling. The U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills as early as June 1. [Read more.]( [US Border Patrol agrees not to set up checkpoints in New Hampshire town]( The U.S. Border Patrol has agreed not to set up interior checkpoints in a northern New Hampshire town before Jan. 1, 2025. [Read more.]( [US Border Patrol agrees not to set up checkpoints in New Hampshire town]( The U.S. Border Patrol has agreed not to set up interior checkpoints in a northern New Hampshire town before Jan. 1, 2025. [Read more.]( [The latest workers calling for a better quality of life: airline pilots]( In ongoing contract negotiations, pilots at major airlines are pushing for changes in scheduling, to allow for more time at home and fewer missed birthdays and other celebrations. [Read more.]( [The latest workers calling for a better quality of life: airline pilots]( In ongoing contract negotiations, pilots at major airlines are pushing for changes in scheduling, to allow for more time at home and fewer missed birthdays and other celebrations. [Read more.]( [Judge orders Jack Teixeira, Mass. Air National Guardsman accused of intelligence leak, held without bail]( Jack Teixeira, 21, has been in custody since he was arrested by federal agents on April 13 at his home in Dighton. He is facing multiple charges under the Espionage Act and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. [Read more.]( [Judge orders Jack Teixeira, Mass. Air National Guardsman accused of intelligence leak, held without bail]( Jack Teixeira, 21, has been in custody since he was arrested by federal agents on April 13 at his home in Dighton. He is facing multiple charges under the Espionage Act and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Thanks to some deep sea mappers, we have a full scan of the one of the most famous shipwrecks in history: the Titanic. With the scan, the digital mapping company was able to put together a full,["highly accurate photorealistic 3D model" of the sunken goliath.]( - ICYMI: Rachael Rollins [officially resigned from her post as the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts on Friday]( after federal investigators released the [results of two probes]( describing allegations of several ethics violations and lapses. Mayor Michelle Wu will be on Radio Boston this morning at 11 a.m. to discuss that situation and more. - Siddhu Pachipala is a senior at The Woodlands College Park High School in Texas, and was concerned about teen suicide. So he decided to do something about it: he built [an app that uses artificial intelligence to help detect early warning signs]( of suicide in teens.  What We're Reading 📚 - The Essential Magic of Jacques Pépin ([Food & Wine]( - 2024 (sort of) runs on Dunkin’ ([Politico]( - Sixteen years later, ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force’ creators open up about 2007′s Mooninite panic ([The Boston Globe](  Food For Thought [Our bodies respond differently to food. A new study aims to find out how]( The NIH will track the diets and lifestyles of 10,000 people to see how genetics, biology and the microbiome impact people's health. The study will use AI to tailor individual diet advice. [Read more.]( [Our bodies respond differently to food. A new study aims to find out how]( The NIH will track the diets and lifestyles of 10,000 people to see how genetics, biology and the microbiome impact people's health. The study will use AI to tailor individual diet advice. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [discusses the fallout from Rachael Rollins' resignation](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: He just [wanted a nibble](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.