美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-12-12

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Police say Jerry Brown Jr. is one of them, he was the linebacker on the Dallas Cowboy's practice squad² who is killed in a car crash early Saturday morning. Brown was a passenger, police said the car he was in hit a curb³, flipped⁴ and caught on fire. Officiers believed that alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash. Cowboy's nose tackle Josh Brent was behind the wheel, he's been arrested on suspicion of intoxication⁵ manslaughter. Brent and Brown were teammates in college too, Brent pleaded guilty to a DUI charge in 2009 while he was in school. The charge he is facing now could lead to a 10,000-dollar fine and a potential prison sentence of 2-20 years.

 

Every month the U.S government reports on the national unemployment rate and the number of the jobs added or lost for November, 146,000 jobs added, unemployment at 7.7%. That's a drop from the month before and it's the lowest unemployment rate has been in nearly four years. These numbers can be a little tricky⁶, the unemployment rates only counts people actively⁷ looking for a job. Experts say that's the main reason the rate went down, is because some people just gave up and stopped looking. The big number to keep in mind, 12 million. That's how many Americans were counted as unemployed⁸ in November.

 

The state legislation in Michigan is getting ready to vote on a right to work law. A big part of this story has to do with labor⁹ unions. Right to work laws say the workers don't have to join unions or pay union dues. People who support these laws say they can make a state more attractive to businesses and can bring in more money for the state economy. Critics of the laws say they make unions weaker and can keep wages lower for workers. On this map, the states in blue have a right to work law. There are 23 of those including Indiana which just past its legislation this year. Poppy Harlow got the perspective from both sides of the debate over the possibility of a right work law in Michigan.

 

A labor representative told me this legislation is anti-worker, saying that it gives workers less of a voice. What do you say to that?

 

That's backward. This is about being pro-worker. Again, giving workers the choice, the freedom to choose, that's fundamental.

 

So governor Snyder's legislation is anti-worker, it's gonna end up, you know, being a devastating¹⁰ blow to middle class here.

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