U.S. and world news for Oct. 7

Biden warns of nuclear risk: Speaking last night at a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fundraiser in New York City, President Biden said the risk of a nuclear conflict is the greatest today since the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Kennedy Administration in 1962. Biden said that when Russian President Vladimir Putin talks about using nuclear weapons he is not fooling around and needs to be taken seriously.

Federal pardons for marijuana possession: President Biden is going to pardon people who were convicted of federal charges for possessing small quantities of marijuana. He urged governors of the states to do the same for people convicted of state possession charges. The White House indicates about 5,000 federal pardons would be issued.

Proud Boys member pleads guilty: A member of the Proud Boys yesterday pleaded guilty to plotting with other members of the group to violently attempt to prevent the transfer of the presidency from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. He’s 43-year-old Jeremy Bertino who lives in North Carolina. Sentencing has been delayed pending his cooperation with investigators into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Death toll 36: Officials in Thailand put the death toll in yesterday’s attack on a daycare center at 36. The lone attacker used both a gun and a knife. Twenty-four of the victims were children.

Nobel Peace Prize awarded: The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to imprisoned rights activist Ales Bialiatski who is from Belarus, the Russian opposition organization Memorial and the Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties. An official of the prize committee denied that the selections were made to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Unemployment now 3.5%: Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in September, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.5%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality and in health care. Average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 10 cents, to $32.46 in September. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 5%.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons