Axios PM

March 20, 2023
๐ธ Happy Monday โ and first day of spring (as of 5:24 p.m. ET).
- Today's PM โ edited by Kate Nocera โ is 588 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for the copy edit.
1 big thing: L.A. strike threat

A possible strike tomorrow by support workers for the Los Angeles Unified School District โ the second largest school district in the country โ could keep hundreds of thousands of students out of classrooms for days.
- The action is being organized by Local 99 of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents 30,000 bus drivers, teacher aides, campus security aides, special education assistants, custodians, gardeners and cafeteria workers, the L.A. Times reports.
๐ผ๏ธ The big picture: The pandemic brought a host of issues for education workers and teachers. Staffing shortages have led to burnout, and pay often hasn't kept up with inflation.
- A strong labor market โ and a rise in support for unions โ have pushed all kinds of workers to strike over the past year, particularly in the education sector, Axios Markets co-author Emily Peck reports.
Teacher strikes in Columbus, Ohio, and Minneapolis last year won educators key concessions like raises and better classroom conditions.
- The L.A. workers make an average of $25,000, according to the union. They're asking for a 30% raise.
Parents were caught off guard by the potential closures and many were scrambling to find child care, the L.A. Times adds.
- "Iโll have to stop working if theyโre going to stay home," parent Erika Aguilar, 35, told the paper.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said over the weekend the city would provide food for students, and w0uld open recreation centers.
- Superintendent Alberto Carvalho tweeted he would "continue to appeal to union leadership to return to negotiations" in an effort to avoid a strike.
2. ๐ CDs turn 40

The compact disc first hit U.S. stores 40 years ago this month โ in March 1983.
- For our younger PM readers who never had the pleasure of slicing their fingers open on the plastic packaging, the CD revolutionized the way music sounds, offering a sharper listening experience than vinyl or tapes, USA Today reports.
CD sales peaked in 2000, when *NSYNC was topping the charts with "No Strings Attached."
- Even with the ubiquity of streaming, people are still buying CDs. In 2021, CD sales increased for the first time since 2004.
3. Catch me up

- Above, Vladimir Putin welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Kremlin today, kicking off a three-day visit that's a major display of China's solidarity with Russia. Go deeper.
- ๐ Rupert Murdoch is engaged (again), the New York Post's Cindy Adams reports. This will be marriage No. 5 for Murdoch, who said he was nervous popping the question to Ann Lesley Smith, "but I knew this would be my last. It better be." Go deeper.
- ๐ฎ Netflix plans to launch 40 more video games before the end of 2023, as it aims to become a global force in gaming. Go deeper.
4. ๐ Your burning EV road trip Qs

Axios What's Next co-author Joann Muller and her husband, Bill Rapai, recently drove 2,500 miles โ Detroit to Florida and back โ in a Kia EV6 to test the limits of an electric car on a big American road trip.
- It turns out that a lot of people had questions about it.
1 million people tuned into Joann's Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) to find out everything from how much planning it took (a lot) to charging challenges:
- Many people don't realize the different levels of "fast-charging." Even the fastest chargers don't always deliver juice as fast as advertised.
Sign up for Axios PM

Get Mike Allenโs afternoon take on the most important news of the day