News Wrap: House Democrats elect Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as new leader

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• Judy Woodruff:

  Congress is moving swiftly tonight to head off a nationwide railroad strike. The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to impose a compromise settlement on freight railroads and a dozen labor unions. A separate vote today also approved more paid sick leave for rail workers.

  The measures now head to the Senate. And we will get into the details after the news summary.

  House Democrats today elected New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries as their new leader. He will be the first Black lawmaker to head a major political party in Congress. Jeffries said he will cooperate when he can with Republicans, who will control the House come January.

• Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY):

  We look forward to finding opportunities to partner with the other side of the aisle and work with them, whenever possible. But we will also push back against extremism whenever necessary.

• Judy Woodruff:

  House Democrats also elected Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California to their other top leadership positions.

  The Islamic State group says that its latest leader has died. Today's announcement said Abu al-Hasan al-Hashmi al-Qurayshi was killed in battle recently. The U.S. military said that the Free Syrian Army carried out the operation. The group opposes Islamist radicals and the Syrian government.

  Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin has passed away. State media report that he died today in Shanghai of leukemia and organ failure. Jiang took over as Communist Party leader just before the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing were crushed in 1989. His 10 years as president saw rapid economic growth. Jiang Zemin was 96 years old.

  Security forces in the South China — South China city of Guangzhou moved today to stop new protests over strict COVID policies. Amateur video showed riot police carrying shields and patrolling streets while protesters toppled a COVID testing tent.

  Meanwhile, rally-goers in Japan and elsewhere showed support for the demonstrators. This woman from Shanghai turned out in Tokyo.

• Tong, Shanghai Protester (through translator):

  This is the first time, actually, I have seen that Chinese people really stand out in public, saying we don't — we don't like the communist government, we hate Xi Jinping, we don't like these policies. This is the first time I have seen.

• Judy Woodruff:

  Also today, China's ruling Communist Party warned of a crackdown on what it called hostile forces.

  In Iran, Kurdish protesters celebrated the national team's loss to the U.S. yesterday at soccer's World Cup. In social media video shot overnight, cars honked in support and people chanted "Death to the dictator." That was a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The protests began after a Kurdish woman died in police custody in September.

  Back in this country, President Biden pledged $135 million to relocate Native American villages affected by rising sea levels and other climate threats. Later, the president attended the lighting of the National Christmas Tree. The tradition is marking is 100th anniversary this year.

  Another longtime tradition, the French baguette, has joined the U.N.'s worldwide cultural heritage list. Today's announcement recognizes the baguette, even as artisanal bakeries in France are in decline. The time-honored brad dates back to at least 1839.

  On Wall Street, stocks jumped out to the Federal Reserve chairman, Jerome Powell, talked of slowing the pace of interest rate hikes. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 737 points, 2 percent, to close at 34589. The Nasdaq rose 484 points. That's nearly 4.5 percent. The S&P 500 was up 3 percent.

  And Fleetwood Mac singer, songwriter and keyboardist Christine McVie has died after an undisclosed illness. The group rose to fame in the 1970s and '80s and was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. McVie was featured on hits like "Everywhere," performed here for a 25th anniversary concert in 1997.

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• Judy Woodruff:

  Christine McVie was 79 years old.

  Still to come on the "NewsHour": the White House campaigns to increase COVID boosters among the elderly; despite being disproportionately incarcerated, LGBTQ Americans find there's little help upon their release; plus much more.