Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images The NewsGuild of New York announced Wednesday that it has reached a tentative deal with The New York Times on behalf of the Times Tech Guild. The tentative three-year contract would be the first for the guild, which was initially formed in 2021. The tentative deal follows a strike that kicked off the day before the US presidential election in November and lasted for just over a week. During the strike, the guild asked people not to play NYT games like Wordle and Connections and made a page dedicated to strike-themed versions of games to play instead. In its press release, the NewsGuild says that the site saw “more than a half million page views and more than 320,000 active users.” The guild will vote to ratify the contract on December 19th. Here are some of the highlights of the contract, from the NewsGuild’s press release: Enhanced job security with ‘just cause’ protections Guaranteed wage increases for the first time of up to 8.25% (plus additional base rate discretionary compensation) that prioritize the largest wage increases for the lowest paid members over the life of the contract Additional compensation for on-call work Important protections that lock in guardrails on additional variable compensation (including stocks and bonuses) Improved protections for workers on visas Language guaranteeing flexible hybrid work schedules Process and transparency protections related to career growth, performance reviews and other workplace issues “We’re pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with the Tech Guild,” NYT spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha says in a statement to The Verge. Update, December 11th: Added NYT statement.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google is rolling out two new updates to its unknown tracker alerts feature that should make it easier for Android device owners to detect unfamiliar trackers, the company announced on Wednesday. Introduced in July 2023, the safety feature automatically sends notifications if an unwanted Bluetooth tracker is traveling with you. The first update lets Android phone owners temporarily stop sending location updates to the Find My Device network if an unknown compatible tracker is detected. Google will pause these updates for up to 24 hours, so your location will no longer be visible to whoever could be monitoring your location via the tag. Second, anybody who receives an unknown tracker alert will be able to locate the unwanted Find My Device-compatible tracker using the “Find Nearby” feature. Once you’ve found it, Google will also offer instructions for how to physically disable the tag. Over the years, Bluetooth trackers have been increasingly misused. Domestic abusers and stalkers have, for example, used it to keep tabs on victims, with one class action lawsuit claiming AirTag stalking had contributed to “multiple murders.” In response, Apple and Google have made various efforts to combat stalking, including an announcement earlier this year indicating support for a new industry specification, Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers, that works on both iOS and Android.

The U.S. government posted a $367 billion budget deficit for November, up 17% from a year earlier, as calendar adjustments for benefit payments boosted outlays by some $80 billion compared to the same month in 2023, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.

Amnesty International lashed out at FIFA for awarding Saudi Arabia the organization of the 2034 men's soccer World Cup, saying the move would put lives at risk amid criticism of the country's human rights record on Wednesday.

A Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors will remain temporarily blocked, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, after justices agreed with a lower court judge who found the law is likely unconstitutional.

A New Jersey lawmaker called for a limited state of emergency to be declared due to mysterious drone clusters recently being reported.

As Republicans prepare to take over the White House, as well as both chambers of Congress, officials in Washington, D.C., are divided over a strategy to confront President-elect Donald Trump with a "resistance" mindset or find ways to work with him.

San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez said she won't follow a law passed by county supervisors prohibiting the sheriff's department from working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

U.S. — Fast-food chain McDonald's has officially surpassed the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the number of shooters apprehended in 2024.

NEWARK, NJ — A pressing mystery that had puzzled government officials and the general public alike was solved today, as the mysterious drones seen buzzing through New Jersey skies were revealed to be Iranian after closer inspection.