Friday morning news: July 14, 2023

Actors on strike » Hollywood’s largest union is officially on strike.

The actors union SAG-AFTRA tried to negotiate new contracts for over a month but could not reach an agreement with production studios.

Union President Fran Drescher:

Drescher: I went in in earnest, thinking that we would be able to avert a strike, but we had no choice. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity.

Drescher says studios refuse to raise actor salaries and residuals to match the profits of the streaming video era.

Actors also want safeguards to protect against studios using artificial intelligence to replace them on screen.

Drescher: If we don't stand tall right now. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines and big business.

Film and TV writers have been on strike since May.

With actors walking out, too, production studios will come to a screeching halt.

White House Cocaine » Republicans are criticizing the Secret Service for closing its investigation into a stash of cocaine found at the White House without identifying a suspect.

Congresswoman Nancy Mace:

MACE: For me, it's just interesting that every time there's something strange going on with the President Biden or his family or his administration with the White House, no one can ever seem to find an answer.

Officials say they found no fingerprint or DNA evidence on a bag of cocaine left in the West Wing.

Surveillance footage did not help identify a specific suspect.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert:

BOEBERT : They are already looking to close this, sweep it under the rug, move away, on to the next Biden crime family scandal.

Authorities found the bag of drugs in a cubbyhole area where staff and guests store mobile phones.

Over-the-counter birth control » Drugmaker Perrigo is the first company to get FDA approval to sell a birth control pill without a prescription.

The FDA on Thursday approved the company’s request to sell Opill over-the-counter. It will be available in stores early next year.

Ibis Reproductive Health President Kelly Blanchard.

BLANCHARD: Opill is a progestin-only daily birth control pill. So like many people are familiar with, you take one pill every day.

The synthetic hormone progestin causes changes to a woman’s menstrual cycle and prevents most pregnancies from occurring. The drug was first approved by the FDA in 1973.

Before yesterday’s decision, some FDA scientists raised concerns that some women may need a doctor’s help to understand the instructions and risks associated with the drug.

The approval does not extend to any other birth control pills. Perrigo has not said how much the drug will cost.

U.S. data breach » The State Department is investigating a data breach by Chinese hackers.

Microsoft said the hackers accessed the employee email accounts of about two dozen organizations including the U.S. State and Commerce departments.

Officials say none of the hacked data was classified.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller:

Miller: We took immediate steps to secure our systems. I don't want to get into the details because it does remain under investigation.

Microsoft says the hack started in mid-May, and ran for about a month.

Miller was questioned about whether the hack was motivated by Secretary of State Tony Blinken’s recent visit to China.

Reporter off camera: You discovered this before or after the secretary's trip to Beijing?

Miller: I am not at liberty to say the exact date other than that it was last month.

Chinese Foreign Ministry says the U.S. is spreading disinformation and deflecting blame by not giving public details on the attacks.

Pittsburgh shooter » A jury has decided that a man who killed 11 people in a 2018 synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh is eligible for the death penalty. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: Jurors reached that decision in roughly two hours of deliberation.

The sentencing phase of the trial now centers on whether the shooter should receive the death penalty or life in prison. He was convicted last month on 63 criminal counts ranging from murder to hate crimes.

The government is seeking the death penalty for the shooter who spent six months planning his attack before storming into the Tree of Life synagogue and opening fire with an AR-15-style rifle.

His lawyers have said that his actions and motivations were influenced by severe mental illness.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Mass grave in Sudan » The United Nations is investigating a mass grave in Sudan where nearly 90 people were buried, including women and children.

Officials say the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed the people last month in Sudan’s West Darfur region.

U.N. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani:

SHAMDASANI: Local people were forced to dispose of the bodies in a mass grave, denying those killed a decent burial in one of the city’s cemeteries.

RSF paramilitary officials have denied any involvement in the killings, and said the group is not involved in the unrest in the region.

Some of the victims belong to the ethnic African Masalit tribe.

Ethnically fueled fighting has escalated alongside the ongoing conflict between the RSF and Sudan’s military.

Vermont Rains » Vermont officials have confirmed the first death from recent floods.

Officials said a 63-year-old man from Barre City drowned in his home.

More rains soaked the waterlogged state Thursday night.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott:

SCOTT: This is hard news for many and folks will want to think this is over. As soon as the weather breaks on Saturday, but it's critical that Vermonters understand that we need to remain vigilant and prepared. Do not be complacent.

Rainfall totals for Vermont are expected to be lower than they were earlier this week. Still, saturated soil and rivers running high in the Southern part of the state increase the risk of flooding. More rain is expected today.

I'm Kristen Flavin.

Straight ahead: Culture Friday with Katie McCoy. Plus, a new approach to singing the Psalms.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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