News Wrap: Dozens of shipwrecked migrants drown off Greece

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• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Shipwrecks off the Greek islands claimed more migrant lives today, 31 in all, most of them children. That made 50 dead in three days, as the weather worsens in the Aegean Sea.

  The deadliest incident today was near the island of Kalymnos, where 19 people drowned trying to cross from Turkey. Disturbing scenes were repeated on Lesbos, where more bodies washed ashore, including several babies and other children. Volunteers helped remove them for burials.

  Meanwhile, in Athens, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras blasted Europe for its handling of the crisis.

• ALEXIS TSIPRAS, Prime Minister, Greece (through interpreter):

  I want to say that, as a member of the European leadership, I feel shame, shame both for the inability of Europe to deal effectively with this human drama, but also for the quality of discussion.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  In addition to the dead, the Greek coast guard said that it rescued nearly 600 people in the last 24 hours. Many of the migrants and refugees have fled Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

  President Obama says he's ready to sign a two-year federal budget deal that won approval in the U.S. Senate early today. It passed 64 to 35, in spite of conservative opposition, and just in time to avert a federal default next week. The package includes $80 billion in new spending. It also prevents a cut in Social Security disability benefits and a major hike in Medicare premiums.

  In the presidential campaign, Democrat Hillary Clinton worked to consolidate support among black voters in a swing across the South. In Atlanta, she vowed to end disparities between crack and powder cocaine prison sentences, and called for other reforms.

• HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, Democratic Presidential Candidate:

  As president, I will work with Congress to pass legislation to ban racial profiling by federal, state, and local law enforcement.

  (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

• HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON:

  It is wrong, it is demeaning, and it doesn't keep us safe or help solve crime. It's time for us to put that practice behind us.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Clinton also won a key endorsement from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

  Also today, the Republican National Committee suspended its partnership with NBC News for a presidential primary debate in February. GOP candidates complained that CNBC moderators asked off-topic or — quote — "gotcha questions" during this week's face-off in Colorado.

  The last British detainee at Guantanamo Bay has returned home after being held for nearly 14 years. Shaker Aamer is a Saudi national who was married to a British woman. He arrived back in Britain on a private plane, hours after being released from the U.S. military prison in Cuba. He was suspected of links to al-Qaida, but never charged. With Aamer's departure, 112 detainees remain at Guantanamo.

  New research is out that shows breast cancer no longer strikes black women less often than whites. A study published this week found the two races are now diagnosed at the same rate. That could be linked to stepped-up screenings and higher obesity rates in black populations. At the same time, African-American women are still more likely to die of the disease. The study appears in "C.A.," a cancer journal for clinicians.

  Stocks fell on Wall Street today, but managed to post their best monthly gain in four years. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 92 points, to close at 17663. The Nasdaq fell more than 20 points, and the S&P 500 dropped 10. For the week, the indexes were all up less than a percent.