NPR News

Up first briefing: Actors on strike; OTC birth control; a White House cocaine mystery

NPR | By Suzanne Nuyen

Published July 14, 2023 at 8:02 AM EDT

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, left, and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, center, speak during a press conference announcing a strike on July, 13, 2023, in Los Angeles.

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Today's top stories

Hollywood is officially on pause as actors in the SAG-AFTRA union go on strike. They join writers from the Writers Guild of America, who have been striking since May. It's the first time they have been on strike together since 1960.

Striking union members aren't allowed to act, sing, dance, do stunts, promote their projects, and more. On Up First today, NPR's Mandalit del Barco says this means no red carpets, premieres, press junkets, award shows, as well as no new movies and TV shows.

Temperatures in Phoenix have reached at least 110 degrees every day this month. It's part of the heatwave that's been pummeling the Southern U.S., and it's expected to worsen over the weekend.

KJZZ's Katherine Davis-Young says her tap water comes out scalding hot, and overnight low temps in Phoenix haven't dipped below 85 for two weeks. She spoke with David Handula, the director of Phoenix's Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, who tells her about the "urban heat island effect:" Paved surfaces trap heat during the day and slowly release it at night, keeping temperatures high.

The World Health Organization has determined that the artificial sweetener aspartame could "possibly" cause cancer. The global health body clarified that occasional consumption shouldn't pose a risk for most people and did not change their recommended limit for daily aspartame intake. The FDA disagrees with WHO's classification, saying their scientists reviewed the same studies and determined they had inconsistent findings.

Millions of Americans may soon be able to get the birth control pill over the counter for the first time. The FDA approved Opill (norgestrel), a daily oral contraceptive, for use without a prescription yesterday in hopes of reducing barriers to access. Perrigo, the company that manufactures the pill, says it could be in stores as early as the first quarter of 2024 but has not released pricing information.

On Morning Edition, Michel Martin speaks to Angela Maske from Advocates for Youth. Maske testified before the FDA, asking them to make the pill available without age restriction. She says the decision is important in light of the growing number of abortion restrictions nationwide, adding that advocates have worked for decades to make birth control available over the counter.

Deep dive

Graduates attend Tennessee State University's commencement ceremony in Nashville on May 7, 2022. Under a new repayment plan, millions of student loan borrowers will see their monthly repayment amounts cut in half or more.

Even though the Supreme Court struck down President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, borrowers could have another option: the SAVE plan. But the new form of income-driven repayment isn't as straightforward as loan forgiveness. Here's what you need to know:

SAVE bases monthly payments on income and family size. Under it, a million more borrowers will qualify for $0 payments.

Student borrowers will federally held loans — including subsidized, unsubsidized, consolidated and PLUS graduate loans — can qualify.

The SAVE application will be available later this summer. Borrowers can apply for the REPAYE plan now to be automatically shifted to SAVE when it launches.

This plan will likely receive legal challenges, but experts say it's less vulnerable than the debt forgiveness plan.

Weekend picks

Critics share their summer reads to enjoy poolside.

Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

Books: With both Hollywood writers and actors on strike, there's never been a better summer to read. These are some that NPR critics are excited to read.

Games: If reading's not your thing, perhaps you can pick up gaming. We have a beginner's guide to the hobby.

Recipe: Or, you can spend time improving your kitchen skills. Icebox cake enthusiasts are devastated that Nabisco discontinued its chocolate wafers. Try this recipe for homemade wafers for your cake — you might like them even more.

Music: In Eye on the Bat, Palehound sings about their tour falling apart during the pandemic, followed by their romantic relationship ending. You can feel the songs in your gut.

Quiz: A lot has happened this week. Test how much of it you remember with our news quiz.

3 things to know before you go

A southern otter in Santa Cruz, Calif., catches a wave after stealing a surfer's board

Surfers beware: An aggressive sea otter is hassling California surfers and stealing their boards. At least she's cute!

Who left cocaine at the White House last week? The Secret Service still has no clue.

Decades later, Dorothy Tiernan still remembers a nurse manager's compassion for her father when he was dying of cancer. Her unsung hero inspired her to become a nurse too.

This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.