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Today's top story
Thousands of dockworkers have called off the strike that shut down East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. The International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance ended the three-day standoff with over six years. The union had wanted a 77% increase over six years. Both parties agreed to extend the existing contract until Jan. 15, 2025, so they can continue negotiations.
- 馃带 The biggest sticking point in the ongoing negotiations is now automation, NPR鈥檚 Andrea Hsu tells Up First. The union , not machines, will handle the task of moving shipping containers. In general, they鈥檙e opposed to any technology that eliminates the need for union labor. Union President Harold Daggett says that even partially automated equipment poses a threat, as it could lead to job losses. For now, the U.S. has avoided an economic crisis, and it will take some days for things to go back to normal, Hsu says.
Three former Memphis police officers received a mixed verdict in the high-profile police brutality case related to Tyre Nichols鈥� fatal beating. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were found not guilty of depriving Nichols of his civil rights, resulting in death. This was the harshest charge they faced, and a guilty verdict could have resulted in life in prison. The officers were and witness tampering. Haley was also found guilty of depriving Nichols of his civil rights and deliberate indifference resulting in serious bodily injury.
- 馃带 NPR鈥檚 Debbie Elliott says Nichols鈥� family is calling this a victory, especially considering how difficult it can be to secure convictions in police brutality cases. 鈥淭o see those officers held accountable for what they did and put our family through did give us hope for the future that maybe this won鈥檛 ever happen to another family,鈥� Nichols鈥� sister Keyana Dixon said. Activists hope an ongoing civil rights investigation by the Justice Department will . Legal proceedings continue as the ex-officers face trial on state murder charges. The Nichols鈥� family has filed a wrongful death suit against the city of Memphis.
As the election looms one month away, all eyes are on who will win the presidency. But some of the most consequential and controversial issues 鈥� including abortion, schools, guns, taxes and healthcare 鈥� will be decided by the state lawmakers on your ballot. These legislators' significant power is amplified by a divided and gridlocked Congress. Twenty legislatures have Republican supermajorities which allows them to override governor vetoes. NPR is examining state legislatures where partisan control hangs in the balance. These states could experience significant changes in the upcoming election. See .
Picture show
In less than three days, four to five months-worth of rain drenched western North Carolina as the remnants of Hurricane Helene tore across the southeast U.S. Dozens of people were killed and entire towns were flooded. Many of the hardest-hit communities are rural with less than 1,000 residents. Marshall, N.C., was built along railroad tracks on the banks of the French Broad River.
- 馃摲 See photos of residents .
Weekend picks
Check out what is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
馃嵖惭辞惫颈别蝉: Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola with NPR鈥檚 Mandalit del Barco about , a film he鈥檚 worked on since the 1980s. It pits the visionary architect Cesar Catilina against Franklyn Cicero, the Mayor of New Rome, in a society plagued with greed and political division.
馃摵 TV: Netflix鈥檚 new series , starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, doesn鈥檛 only offer rom-com banter. It also has some pretty deep questions about faith and compatibility.
馃摎 Books: SNL star Kate McKinnon says her first book, , is part of her 鈥減rivate mission to give a wink and a nod鈥� to young people who might feel 鈥渄ifferent鈥� like she did growing up.
馃幍 Music: Rapper Future hit #1 this week on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the third time in the last six months with his latest album .
馃幁 Theater: The acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe show, , features five actors who compete to win over the audience during a 90-minute performance. Audience members are given a device to anonymously vote in different rounds and answer questions about their age, income, and the qualities they value in a leader.
鉂换耻颈锄: They debated, wrote memoirs, got inaugurated and turned 100. What else did political people do? Put your knowledge to the test and see if you .
3 things to know before you go
- The U.K. has become the first major economy to quit coal power, a primary contributor to global warming. It鈥檚 a milestone for the country that was the .
- Rust is scheduled to debut at a film festival in Poland, three years after the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The screening .
- Country music star Garth Brooks faces accusations of rape and sexual assault. The woman who filed the lawsuit yesterday alleges she was and was raped in 2019 while working as his makeup artist.
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