Thursday briefing: Railroad strike deal; student loan relief ruling; Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie; Spotify Wrapped; and more

(Jordan Robertson for The Washington Post)

1

Congress is moving to head off a potentially devastating railroad strike.

• What to know: The House sent two bills to the Senate yesterday — one that would force through a controversial deal with freight companies and another that included paid sick days, a big sticking point.
• What’s next? The Senate’s timing is less predictable, but without a deal, unions could strike as early as Dec. 9.
• Why this matters: A strike would have huge consequences, affecting food and energy supplies, train travel and even drinking water.

2

An appeals court kept the student loan forgiveness program on pause.

• What to know: Yesterday’s ruling is the latest legal setback for President Biden’s plan, which would forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loans for millions of people.
• What now? The court still needs to issue a full ruling on the issue, and the Biden administration has already asked the Supreme Court to weigh in.

3

Gas prices could drop below $3 a gallon by Christmas.

• What to know: Filling up now is as cheap as it was in February, just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Why is this happening? It’s not necessarily a good sign. Demand for gas is falling as countries prepare for an economic downturn, among other factors.
• What else? The U.S. central bank may slow its interest rate hikes, starting this month, because of signs that inflation is slowing down.

4

Iran is trying harder to kill and kidnap people around the world.

• Who is being targeted? Government officials, journalists and activists, including dissidents who’ve fled Iran.
• Why? The regime is dealing with an uprising at home and wants to silence criticism abroad. It’s also seeking revenge for the killing of a military commander.

5

Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Christine McVie died yesterday.

• How we’ll remember her: As a writer on some of the rock band’s biggest hits, like “Don’t Stop” and “Everywhere,” which she brought to life with co-vocalist Stevie Nicks.
• McVie was 79 and died after a short illness, her family said. Fleetwood Mac hit superstardom in the 1970s and 80s, and their 1977 album “Rumours” sold over 40 million copies.

6

The British royal family is caught in another racism controversy.

• What happened? Prince William’s godmother badgered a Black British guest at Buckingham Palace with questions like, “Where are you really from?” She resigned her honorary palace role yesterday.
• The big picture: The royal family has run into accusations of racism before, including with their treatment of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

7

Spotify Wrapped season is upon us.

• What to know: The streaming service’s annual review of your listening history lets you find out — and share — just how many minutes you spent jamming to that one song.
• Who’s on top? Bad Bunny, one of Latin music’s most recognized voices, was the most streamed global artist for the third year in a row. His music had 18.5 billion streams this year.

And now … speaking of Spotify Wrapped, The Post created its own fun version. Plus, try this workout if you’ve been sitting a lot this week.

John Taylor contributed to this briefing.

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