QUICK HITS

1 US-Chinese military talks resume after long break:

For the first time in nearly two years, U.S. and Chinese defense officials met this week in Hawaii to discuss unsafe and aggressive ship and aircraft incidents between the two militaries in the Pacific region, restarting a dialogue that Beijing ended in a dispute involving Taiwan. Military-to-military contact had stalled in August 2022, when Beijing suspended all such communication after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the selfgoverning island China claims as its own.

2 NYC settles suit over removal of head coverings in mug shots:

New York City has agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by two Muslim women who were forced to remove their head coverings to be photographed after they were arrested. The classaction lawsuit was filed in 2018 by Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz, two Muslim women who said they felt exposed when they were forced to remove their hijabs after they were arrested in separate 2017 incidents. The settlement was filed Friday and requires approval by a federal judge.

Walmart settles lawsuit over 3 weighted groceries:

If you purchased some weighted groceries or bagged fruit at Walmart in recent years, you may be eligible for a cash payment from a class action settlement with the retailer. The class action lawsuit alleges that Walmart shoppers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico who purchased certain sold-byweight meat and seafood as well as select citrus sold in bulk bags paid more than the lowest price advertised in stores. Walmart has denied any wrongdoing — but it agreed to pay $45 million to settle the litigation.

Officials investigating plane 4 engine fire in Texas:

Federal officials are investigating a reported engine fire that forced a Southwest Airlines plane to cancel takeoff and return to the gate at the Lubbock, Texas, airport on Thursday. Southwest said Friday that pilots “received an indication of a possible engine issue,”and the Boeing 737 taxied back to the terminal at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport. The flight was headed to Las Vegas with 154 passengers and crew of six on board, Southwest said.

5 Apple lets go of workers in California:

Apple is laying off more than 600 workers in California, marking the company’s first big wave of post-pandemic job cuts amid a broader wave of tech industry consolidation. The iPhone maker notified 614 workers in multiple offices on March 28 that they were losing their jobs. Apple had been a notable holdout even as many other tech companies slashed their workforces over the past two years.