Broadway strike averted:Â With the actors union SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild on strike against Hollywood studios and producers, a union of stagehands, makeup artists, and wardrobe people reached agreement today with Broadway producers, averting a strike that would have shut down Broadway. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) says contract negotiations with The Broadway League, which represents the industry, and Disney Theatrical Productions have resulted in a new agreement. IATSE represents about 1,500 workers.
Jackpot ticket:Â Someone hit the jackpot at a mini mart in Los Angeles. The winning ticket in last night’s Powerball lottery worth about $1.08 billion was sold at the Las Palmas Mini Mart. Last night’s was the sixth largest U.S. jackpot in history. The odds of wining were 292.2 million to one. Powerball tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Code of ethics:Â The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected today to approve legislation that would establish a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. Republicans have opposed the proposed legislation and are expected to vote against it, but Democrats hold the majority on the committee. The legislation was proposed after it was discovered that Supreme Court Justices Thomas and Alito failed to disclose gifts and other benefits they had received from billionaires, some of whom had business before the court.
Tornado hits NC:Â A tornado hit Nash County in North Carolina causing heavy damage to a Pfizer pharmaceutical plant that produces about 25% of all sterile injectable medications used in U.S. hospitals. At least 16 people were injured. The EF-3 tornado was on the ground for about 15 minutes. In Kentucky, the governor has declared an emergency because of flooding due to heavy rain.
Texas infant deaths:Â CNN reported today that infant deaths in Texas have increased 11.5% since Texas put its strict anti-abortion law into effect in 2021. Infant deaths attributed to genetic and birth defects rose 21.6%. CNN found that there were more than 2,200 infant deaths in Texas last year.
Trump has Israeli national treasures:Â Classified U.S. government documents apparently aren’t the only things Donald Trump squirreled away at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. An Israeli news site reports Israel has been trying to get Trump to return priceless Israeli antiquities that the Israelis had loaned to the White House in 2019 for an exhibition. They were supposed to have been returned to Israel when the exhibition was over. The items discovered at Mar-a-Lago are from Israel’s collection of national treasures.
