Good morning. It's Saturday, May 17, and in this weekend edition, we're covering closed rails in New Jersey, a setback for a sweeping policy package, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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Garden State Transit Strike |
Locomotive engineers at New Jersey Transit went on strike early yesterday after negotiations between the union and officials from the state-run commuter service failed to reach an agreement on an updated wage and benefit package. The work stoppage affected an estimated 350,000 passengers who travel between Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York City each day.
The walkout by about 450 engineers from the nation's third-largest commuter rail system is the first statewide transit strike in New Jersey in more than 40 years. The central issue revolves around a yearslong dispute over wages in a contract ostensibly meant to cover workers from July 2020 to June 2028, with union members arguing the proposed salary hikes aren't comparable to their peers at the nearby Long Island Rail Road. Transit officials claim meeting the union demands would spur wage increase requests from 14 other associated labor unions and cost $684M between now and 2030, requiring significant fare hikes.
It is unclear when a deal will be struck—a 1983 strike lasted about a month—though rails are expected to be shut down at least through this weekend. |
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House GOP mega-bill stalls in committee.
A sweeping tax and domestic policy bill favored by President Donald Trump failed to pass the House Budget Committee after five Republicans voted against the measure. Known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," the package has been criticized by fiscal hawks as too costly and by moderates for its cuts to Medicaid. It is expected to be reconsidered next week.
Two of the largest US cable companies to merge.
Charter Communications and Cox Communications—the first- and eighth-largest cable providers in the US by subscribers—announced a merger in a deal consisting of $21.9B in equity and $12.6B in debt.
New York Knicks advance to conference finals.
The Knicks dominated the Boston Celtics, 119-81, to advance to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. New York had four starters score more than 20 points, while guard Josh Hart turned in a triple-double. They'll face the Indiana Pacers Wednesday (8 pm ET, TNT).
Pharma giant Novo Nordisk ousts CEO.
The Danish firm, maker of GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, has lost ground to competitor Eli Lilly in the antiobesity market over the past two years. Shares of the company have fallen more than 50% since mid-2024 amid increased competition.
Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 93 people.
The Israeli military said an estimated 150 militant targets were struck across the territory, while Gazan officials said hundreds of additional people were wounded. The strikes come as President Donald Trump wraps up a Middle East trip that did not include a stop in Israel. See updates on the war here.
Salman Rushdie attacker sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Hadi Matar, 27, stabbed and blinded the famous author in his right eye during a public lecture in Chautauqua, New York, in 2022. Rushdie has lived under a call for his assassination issued by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini over his 1988 novel "The Satanic Verses" for three decades. |
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Staten Island bodega owner gives neighborhood students food as a reward for good grades. (More)
Louisiana mother donates kidney to daughter—and they graduate from nursing school together two years later. (More)
Buford the Pyrenees showered with gifts after rescuing 2-year-old boy lost in the desert. (More)
British 5-year-old draws 99 animals for famed naturalist David Attenborough in honor of his 99th birthday. (More)
A 90-year-old English woman saves more than 10,000 animals at her rescue sanctuary over five decades. (More) |
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In partnership with Infinity Fuel |
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Today, we're sharing a story from reader Jason M. in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
"My dear friend of 30 years recently lost his mother. I decided to take him to lunch to reminisce about her and help him through his grief. We went to a local brew pub and after we ordered beers for ourselves, I ordered a vodka tonic, his mom’s regular cocktail, and placed it on the table between us. We went on to have great conversation, tears and laughter for the next hour and a half."
"At one point my friend excused himself to go to the restroom and the bartender came over to the table to ask if everything was ok with the drink since it obviously wasn’t touched. I explained its purpose and he nodded in understanding. When the bill came, the bartender had not charged for the cocktail. It was very thoughtful of him and I was touched by his kindness."
What act(s) of kindness did you experience this week? Tell us here. |
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🎤 Exciting news! We've been hard at work exploring a potential 1440 podcast series unpacking fascinating questions about the world around us. If you're a podcast listener and interested in providing feedback to help us improve our offering, let us know here! |
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