News Wrap: Labor report shows economy added 199,000 jobs, unemployment drops to 3.7%

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• Geoff Bennett:

  In the day's other headlines: The latest jobs report out today shows the U.S. economy is still holding its own without sliding into recession.

  The Labor Department reported employers added a net 199,000 employees in November, helped by the end of the autoworkers and actors strikes. The unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent, down from 3.9 percent in October. Unemployment has now been under 4 percent for nearly two years, the longest stretch since the late 1960s.

  A federal appeals court largely upheld a gag order on former President Trump today in his 2020 election interference case. The ruling backed a ban on attacking court staff and potential witnesses. It said "incendiary comments pose a significant and imminent threat to the criminal trial process in this case."

  The court did allow criticism of Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought the case. Mr. Trump could still appeal to the Supreme Court.

  A pregnant woman in Kentucky is challenging the states near-total ban on abortions. The woman, identified only as Jane Doe, filed suit today, arguing the ban violates the state constitution. The state Supreme Court had already barred doctors from suing on behalf of patients. And the American Civil Liberties Union says this suit meets that standard.

  Amber Duke, Executive Director, ACLU of Kentucky: Jane Doe has courageously stepped forward as a directly impacted pregnant Kentuckian to challenge these abortion bans and try to restore abortion access in the commonwealth.

• Geoff Bennett:

  The Kentucky suit comes one day after a Texas judge allowed an abortion for a woman whose pregnancy could endanger her life.

  The long-running court case over separating migrant families at the border to deter immigration is finally ending. A federal judge in San Diego formally banned the practice today for eight years under a settlement involving migrant families. Some 5,000 children were separated from their parents under then-President Trump. He has not ruled out reinstating the policy if he is reelected.

  In Michigan, a teenager was sentenced to life in prison without parole today for killing four students in a school shooting. The gunman was 15 when he carried out the attack at Oxford High School in 2021. Today's sentencing followed hours of statements by survivors and family members, including the father of a boy who was killed.

  Buck Myre, Father of Shooting Victim: We want you to spend the rest of your life rotting in your cell. What you stole from us is not replaceable. But what we won't let you steal from us is a life of normalcy, and we will find a way to get there through forgiveness and through putting good into this world.

• Geoff Bennett:

  The gunman's parents face trial for involuntary manslaughter for allegedly neglecting his mental health and making a gun accessible.

  An American jailed in Russia, Paul Whelan, made an anguished appeal today for U.S. officials to win his release. The former U.S. Marine has been held for five years and is serving a 16-year sentence for espionage. In a statement, he again denied spying and said — quote — "My parents are quite elderly, and I have given up hope of seeing them again. The Russians have ruined my life."

  The U.S. State Department said this week that Moscow rejected a proposed deal that would free Whelan and American journalist Evan Gershkovich.

  Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed today that he will run for another term, a decision that was long expected. He's already been in power for nearly 25 years. Today's announcement came at a Moscow ceremony where Ukraine war veterans praised Putin and urged him to run again. The Kremlin claimed it was all spontaneous.

• Vladimir Putin, Russian President (through interpreter):

  I will not hide the fact that at different times I had different thoughts. Now, you are right. This is a time the decision need to be made. I will run for the post of president of the Russian Federation.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Putin is now 71. Over the years, he has supported amendments to the Russian Constitution that could let him stay in power into his mid-80s.

  People suffering from sickle cell disease may have new hope. The FDA today approved two gene therapies for the painful inherited blood disorder. Most sickle cell victims are Black, and the U.S. has an estimated 100,000 cases. The gene therapies are designed for those 12 and over with severe forms of the disease.

  On Wall Street, stocks moved higher after the November jobs report. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 130 points to close near 36248. The Nasdaq rose 64 points. The S&P 500 added 18.

  And the countdown to reopening France's famed Notre Dame Cathedral one year from now has begun. The roof and spire were badly damaged by a fire in 2019. Today, in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron climbed scaffolding to check out the progress. He called it a wonderful image of hope for all of France.

  And after and actor Ryan O'Neal has died. His career took off with the TV serial "Peyton Place" back in the 1960s. He went on to gain major stardom in the 1970 romance film "Love Story" and later played opposite his daughter Tatum O'Neal in "Paper Moon." Ryan O'Neal was 82.