For the first time in its nearly nine-decade history, the United Auto Workers staged a strike today against all three of the major U.S. automakers. Thousands of union workers, whose contracts expired at midnight, walked off the job at factories run by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler (now owned by Stellantis).

So far, the work stoppage is targeted at just three facilities, with 12,700 workers, that are responsible for some of the automakers’ most profitable trucks. But if talks remain bogged down, the strike could expand to more of the union’s 150,000 members.

The union said it expected negotiations to resume tomorrow, but the sides appear far from a deal. The U.A.W. is demanding 40 percent wage increases over four years, in what they say would be a more equitable distribution of the companies’ profits. The automakers have offered roughly half that, insisting that costs from their shift to electric vehicles make it hard to raise wages.

The standoff has become a real-time test of President Biden’s economic agenda, which calls for better middle-class wages, more electric vehicles and support for unions. This afternoon, he dispatched two top aides to help resolve the contract talks, and sided with the workers. “Record corporate profits,” he said, “should be shared by record contracts for the U.A.W.”

An extended strike could become a headache for the broader economy. Car prices would likely increase and the Federal Reserve could face renewed pressure to keep inflation down.

It’s also an important moment for the labor market, where strikes in the U.S. this year are approaching heights rarely seen in recent decades. My colleague Neal Boudette said he expects the success or failure of the U.A.W. to affect future labor conflicts.

“The union has been shrinking over the decades and its members have been giving up things rather than getting things,” Neal said. “But that could change if they deliver. It could give a tailwind to other efforts to unionize.”

Biden is aiming to Trump-proof the federal work force

The White House proposed a new rule today designed to make it more challenging for a future president to fire career government workers and replace them with loyalists. The move came in response to an executive order that Donald Trump issued late in his presidency that would have enabled him to fire tens of thousands of federal workers.

Trump, who currently leads the field of Republican presidential candidates, has vowed to reinstate the executive order if he wins next year’s election. Legal experts said this week’s move by Biden may ultimately have little power to stop that.

Where is China’s defense minister?

Gen. Li Shangfu, China’s defense minister, has not been seen in public in more than two weeks, fueling speculation about further upheaval in the military after the abrupt removal, just six weeks ago, of two top commanders in charge of the country’s nuclear force.

The general’s absence has raised the possibility that he has been placed under investigation by the Chinese authorities. Either way, the sudden downfall of such high-ranking officials has exposed the pitfalls in a system dominated by a single leader, Xi Jinping, and has raised questions about Xi’s judgment; he had promoted the officials in question.

Hurricane Lee approaches New England

Parts of Massachusetts and Maine are expected to experience high winds and coastal flooding tonight and into the weekend as Hurricane Lee approaches Canada, where it is set to make landfall tomorrow. In inland areas in the U.S., the storm is likely to be similar to a typical nor’easter.

Actors seeking stability turn to directing

It’s not unusual for actors to muse about directing movies one day. But at this week’s Toronto Film Festival, there was a noticeable uptick: At least 10 films featured at the event were made by actor-turned-directors, including Chris Pine and Anna Kendrick. The shift, which comes at a time when actors and writers are striking, could reflect a desire for more stability and greater ownership of one’s work.

As for the film highlights of the festival, our critic Manohla Dargis wrote that they came from lifelong filmmakers, including Agnieszka Holland’s agonizing “Green Border,” about the migrant crisis, and Richard Linklater’s fizzy “Hit Man,” about a professor who inadvertently becomes a phony contract killer.

Prefer Television? Take our quiz to see how well you know this year’s TV lineup.

Post-pandemic fashion is finally taking shape

For much of the pandemic, comfort was the dominant trend: sweatpants, sneakers and leggings were everywhere. There were predictions that the Roaring ’20s would return in all their glittering glamour, but Covid’s resurgence and the war in Ukraine proved that thought premature.

Only now is a new style taking shape in the fashion world, our fashion critic Vanessa Friedman wrote. The trend: A hybrid look for a hybrid world. Friedman described it as connecting pragmatism to polish — in a good way.

It’s peak season for the rabbi whisperer

Football players have the Super Bowl. Actors have the Oscars. For rabbis, it’s Rosh Hashana, which begins tonight. The Jewish New Year is a time of reflection and celebration. But for clergy, who preach to pews swelled with once-a-year attendees, it is a high-pressure moment.

That’s why dozens of rabbis over the last several years have turned to Michele Lowe, who has emerged — to her surprise — as something like a college-essay coach for the rabbinate. This year, she is editing 33 sermons, at least one of which plans to use lessons from the movie “Barbie.”

Have a well-crafted weekend.