President Biden announced progress in negotiations regarding the ongoing port workers' strike that has affected dockyards from Texas to Maine. However, when asked for specifics, he stated, \"we'll find out soon.\" Approximately 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen's Association initiated the strike earlier this week, demanding a pay increase and a prohibition on the automation of cranes, gates, and loading trucks. Currently, there are no scheduled talks between the union and port operators.

In the retail sector, major companies are ramping up hiring in anticipation of the holiday shopping season. Amazon plans to hire 250,000 employees, maintaining the same hiring level as last year, which includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions. Target is also set to add 100,000 holiday staff, while Bath and Body Works plans similar hiring numbers. In contrast, Macy's will reduce its workforce, bringing on about 6,000 fewer employees compared to the previous year.

On Wall Street, major markets faced challenges ahead of the upcoming monthly jobs report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 200 points, while the Nasdaq experienced a slight decline of about 6 points. The S&P 500 also ended the day slightly lower.

In sports news, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever has been named the WNBA's rookie of the year, receiving 66 out of 67 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Clark averaged over 19 points and more than 8 assists per game this season, setting rookie records for points and three-pointers while leading her team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The news hour will also cover a jury's conviction of police officers for witness tampering in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, the rising rates of autism diagnoses among Somali American children, and a documentary highlighting the competitive world of high school mariachi.