Meanwhile. . .

This year proved to be one of the busiest for strikes in recent years. In October, for example, there were 4.5 million days of idleness because of work stoppages nationwide, the most of any month in four decades, according to preliminary data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The end of the United Auto Workers’ strike helped November’s jobs report, with roughly 30,000 jobs added back to payrolls. The unemployment rate edged lower to 3.7%, near historic lows. Those stoppages and the threat of other strikes put major pressure on a wide range of industries.

Federal convictions for weapons convictions for FY 2023 ended with another record year, even exceeding predictions from earlier. The latest available data from the Justice Department show that federal prosecutors obtained 1,082 convictions in September. The 12-month total was 9,460 covering October 2022 through September 2023. 

At 17, Peter Park became the youngest person to pass California’s bar exam, and now he’s officially a practicing attorney.

The city of Albuquerque is permanently eliminating public bus fares, becoming the largest U.S. city to embrace this critical step toward racial and economic equity. A coalition headed by Together for Brothers — a community organizing and power-building group led by and for young men of color — made the victory possible.

Five cities are among the many paving the way toward electric powered public transit for all. 

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