Axios

The owner and operator of a cargo ship that caused a Baltimore bridge collapse in March has agreed to pay nearly $102 million to settle a civil lawsuit with the Department of Justice, the DOJ announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse killed six construction workers and snarled shipping and traffic in one of the busiest ports in the U.S., blocking full access to the Port of Baltimore's main shipping channel until June.

Workers rejected Boeing's latest contract offer last night, meaning that a crippling strike will continue on, pushing back the timeline for when the company can even start to plot a recovery.

Why it matters: With potentially $100 million lost every day of the stoppage, the clock is ticking on the company's deteriorating balance sheet.

Los Angeles County's top prosecutor recommended Thursday the resentencing of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers who were convicted of killing their parents in 1989.

Why it matters: The move could free the brothers, whose case has gained new attention in recent weeks, from their life sentences. The final decision rests with a judge.

Amy Hufft joined Klaviyo as vice president of brand and communications earlier this year to help the marketing software company scale globally.

Why it matters: Klaviyo went public in 2023 and since then has been working to build its brand awareness beyond the B2B audience.

There's an enthusiasm gap between senior executives and the general workforce when it comes to incorporating AI into the workplace, according to a new report from stakeholder solutions firm Penta.

Why it matters: The communication industry is trying to be a first-mover when it comes to integrating AI into the work, but the lack of training is leaving younger workers behind.

It was "widespread knowledge" within the WWE that a ringside announcer was sexually exploiting underage "Ring Boys," a new lawsuit alleges, accusing Vince McMahon and the WWE of failing to stop the abuse.

The big picture: The pro wrestling mogul and the WWE have for years faced accusations of maintaining and facilitating a "rampant culture of sexual abuse" at the company — one that attorneys allege involved the exploitation of boys as young as 12.

Stripe's planned acquisition of Bridge is not its first time spending big dollars on a deal. In 2021, Stripe paid $850 million to $900 million to snap up TaxJar, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It's a rare glimpse into how the company, which has never disclosed the price of its acquisitions, uses M&A for expansion.

Russia helped propagate disinformation about Hurricanes Helene and Milton in order to deepen political divisions in the U.S. and undermine America's support for Ukraine, according to a new analysis.

Why it matters: The findings underscore Russia's ability to manipulate political discourse in the U.S. The study noted that Kremlin-backed actors appear to be stepping up their efforts in the final stretch of the U.S. presidential race.

The fiscal chaos that hawks warn will eventually play out in America is already underway in France.

Why it matters: The revolt over fiscal deficits has come for France. A financial market freakout is pushing the government to take steps to rein in spending, a task complicated by political factions that campaigned on expensive promises.

It's likely the election winner won't be known the night of Nov. 5. It may not even be clear the morning after. Or the day after.

• But that doesn't mean the eventual results were rigged, manipulated or wrong.

Why it matters: Sluggish vote counts could fuel distrust in the election, spark protests and paralyze governance.

Here's what's new on Paramount+, Netflix, Apple TV+, Hulu, Max, Disney+ and Prime Video.

What we're watching: A new season of "Lioness," the last season of "What We Do In The Shadows" and a psychological thriller starring Billy Crystal.

Some areas have an especially high concentration of potential Halloween trick-or-treaters, per an Axios analysis of census data.

The big picture: Five-to-14-year-olds — prime trick-or-treating age — make up about 12.5% of the U.S. population.

An uptick in newspaper closures this year has left more than half of the nation's 3,143 counties — or 55 million people — with just one or no local news sources where they live.

Why it matters: The rapid rise of digital local news sites isn't enough to offset the dramatic rate of newspaper closures.

A growing number of American sports teams have embraced retro technology — the antenna — to broadcast games to cord-cutting local fans.

Why it matters: Teams are making big bets on old-school free airwaves to increase the size of their audience and help replace a failing system of regional sports networks on cable television.

The Los Angeles Times' editorials editor resigned Wednesday after the newspaper's plans to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election were blocked by billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, the Columbia Journalism Review first reported.

The big picture: "Of course it matters that the largest newspaper in the state ... declined to endorse in a race this important," wrote Mariel Garza in her resignation letter, published by the CJR, which noted Trump's campaign called the LA Times' decision the "latest blow" for Harris.

Boeing workers will remain on strike after 64% of union members voted against ratifying a new contract, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced Wednesday night.

Why it matters: The strike that involves thousands of striking machinists has lasted for six weeks and crippled Boeing's production in a year when the aerospace giant was grappling with a battered reputation stemming from quality and safety issues.

Elon Musk and other Tesla executives avoided all talk of this year's U.S. presidential election on a call with Wall Street analysts on Wednesday afternoon.

Why it matters: Investors have grown increasingly worried that the CEO's highly public political engagement is taking a toll on Tesla sales.