A tentative agreement has been reached between Hollywood studios and the currently striking Writers Guild of America, signaling a potential end to the work stoppage. And samples collected from an asteroid which took seven years to obtain have arrived on Earth, holding possible clues about the origins of our solar system. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Sept. 25, 2023.

Hollywood writers’ strike nears end, autoworkers strike continues

The Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing thousands of Hollywood writers, announced it has reached a tentative agreement with major Hollywood studios, signaling the potential end to a strike that has disrupted the entertainment industry for more than five months. This development offers a glimmer of hope for the resumption of scripted content production in Hollywood, which had been at a standstill since May.

“We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” the WGA said in a message to its members. “To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then. But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing.”

The strike, which commenced 146 days ago, has had a significant impact on the entertainment landscape. Late-night talk shows were put on hold, TV shows and movies faced production delays, and the ripple effects extended throughout the industry. Warner Brothers estimated that the strike likely cost them approximately $500 million in earnings.

Meanwhile, in a separate labor dispute, an ongoing strike among autoworkers has raised concerns in the automotive industry. The United Autoworkers Union, which represents workers at several assembly plants, appears prepared to remain on strike for an extended period.

Internal emails obtained by CNN indicate that the union’s communication director expressed the belief that a months-long strike could “damage reputations” of the automakers and lead to “production line chaos.” The strike originally affected just three assembly plants, but on Friday the union moved to expand the work stoppage to 38 parts and distribution centers across 20 states amid ongoing negotiations.

Calls for Sen. Menendez’s resignation grow amid bribery charges

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has found himself under increasing pressure to resign following his recent indictment on bribery charges, announced last Friday. The calls for his resignation are coming from within his own party, reflecting the serious nature of the allegations against him.

Prominent Democrats, including Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have publicly called on Menendez to step down from his position in the wake of the indictment. Furthermore, fellow party members in his home state of New Jersey, including Gov. Phil Murphy, have also urged him to resign. In response to the indictment, Menendez took the step of resigning from his role as the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.

“Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty,” Menendez said in a statement Friday. “I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success I’ve had for the past five decades. This is the same record of success these very same leaders have lauded all along.”

While some influential Democrats have not gone as far as explicitly demanding Menendez’s resignation, they have acknowledged the gravity of the charges against him. The indictment alleges that the senator and his wife accepted bribes that ultimately benefited the Egyptian government. The charges include conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit extortion, and they stem from the discovery of nearly half a million dollars in cash inside the senator’s home.

Deadly SUV-train collision sparks concerns over railroad safety

A collision between an SUV and a train near Tampa, Florida, resulting in the loss of six lives, has reignited concerns over the safety of railroad crossings without adequate signals. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, has raised questions about the need for enhanced safety measures at such intersections.

The crash unfolded when an SUV carrying seven people, including three children, attempted to cross the railroad tracks in front of an oncoming train. The force of the collision was so severe that it caused the SUV to flip multiple times, resulting in what authorities described as a “violent impact.”

“For unknown and undetermined reasons, the driver slowly crossed the tracks directly in the train’s path,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office said in a statement on Sunday. “Five rear passengers were ejected from the [SUV] as it rotated and rolled to final rest.”

Eyewitnesses reported that the train conductor had sounded the horn and activated flashing lights in an attempt to alert the SUV’s driver. Additionally, footage from cameras on the train indicated that the SUV had proceeded through a stop sign at the crossing. Despite the train’s efforts to brake, it was still traveling at a speed of 55 miles per hour at the time of impact.

Recent poll finds Trump holds 10 percentage point lead over Biden

According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Sunday poll, former President Donald Trump currently holds a 10 percentage point lead over President Joe Biden in a hypothetical matchup. However, the poll’s authors have cautioned against drawing significant conclusions from this data, emphasizing that other surveys have shown the two candidates in a much tighter race.

The Washington Post has said that this particular poll may be an “outlier,” noting that other recent polls have depicted a much more competitive race between Biden and Trump. This includes a CBS News poll conducted earlier this month which showed the two presidential hopefuls separated by just one percentage point.

In addition to exploring potential election scenarios, the poll also assessed the two candidates approval ratings. According to the findings, Biden’s approval rating currently stands at 37 percent, a five-point drop from February, while 56 percent of respondents expressed their disapproval of his performance.

Comparatively, when asked to retrospectively evaluate Trump’s presidency, the poll revealed that 48 percent of respondents approved of his presidency, with 49 percent expressing disapproval. That 48 percent approval rating represents a ten-point increase from when Trump left office in 2021 and is higher than his approval ratings during much of his White House tenure.

Former President Jimmy Carter makes surprise public appearance

Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, made a surprise visit to their hometown in Georgia, appearing before the crowd at the annual Plains Peanut Festival. This comes seven months after the former president entered hospice care at home and amid his wife’s recent dementia diagnosis.

During the visit, the couple greeted and waved to the gathered crowd as they drove through their hometown. The Carters, who have been married for 77 years, hold the distinction of being the nation’s longest-married presidential couple. Meanwhile, the nation’s 39th president is set to celebrate his 99th birthday next week.

NASA project may uncover clues about solar system origins

NASA completed a historic mission on Sunday when a return capsule safely landed on Earth, carrying with it newly collected asteroid samples that have the potential to unlock secrets about the formation of our solar system. The mission, which spanned seven years and covered a remarkable distance of 4 billion miles in space.

“Congratulations to the OSIRIS-REx team on a picture-perfect mission – the first American asteroid sample return in history – which will deepen our understanding of the origin of our solar system and its formation. Not to mention, Bennu is a potentially hazardous asteroid, and what we learn from the sample will help us better understand the types of asteroids that could come our way,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

The capsule’s cargo of asteroid samples originates from the celestial body known as Bennu, and scientists estimate that these samples are approximately 4.5 billion years old.