On Tuesday, May 2, 12:01 a.m. PST, the Writers Guild of America kicked off hot labor summer by striking after talks between the guild and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which bargains on behalf of the nine largest studios, failed to reach a contract. The strike, which largely shuttered work on American movies, TV dramas and sitcoms, and late-night talk shows, was followed by another walkout by actors on July 14, effectively shutting down Hollywood for months. USA TODAY photographer Robert Hanashiro covered the picket lines for the duration of the Hollywood strikes. "Living in Southern California, everyone knows someone that works in ‘the biz,’" said Hanashiro. "Picket lines jammed the sidewalks and streets around the studios in SoCal, and I decided to first hang out at Disney in Burbank. Through all the chanting and car horns blaring, I wanted to tie together the picketers with an icon of Hollywood. And what better symbol than Mickey Mouse above the entrance to the Disney lot?“

Across the pond, Britain's King Charles III was officially crowned after taking oath as the British monarch during the coronation on May 6. His wife, Queen Consort Camilla, was also crowned at the coronation. The ceremony marked a formal confirmation of the role as head of state for Charles, who has been monarch from the moment his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on Sept. 8, 2022.

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