Hard Numbers: March shows solidarity for Israel, US Army overturns convictions of Black soldiers, US inflation cools, EU falls short on artillery shells for Ukraine, House passes funding bill
100,000: Tens of thousands flocked to the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Tuesday to show their solidarity with the Jewish state amid its push to eradicate Hamas in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terror attacks. Several Jewish groups helped organize the event to demand the release of Israeli hostages and to push back against a rising tide of antisemitism. Organizers anticipated a crowd of 100,000 demonstrators, but some estimates suggested the turnout may have been nearly triple that.
110: The US Army has overturned the convictions of 110 Black soldiers who were charged with murder, mutiny, and other crimes following a 1917 riot in Houston. Nineteen of the soldiers were executed, marking the largest mass execution of US soldiers by the Army. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth said it was determined that the soldiers “were wrongly treated because of their race and were not given fair trials.” The records of these soldiers will be corrected to characterize their service as honorable, the Army said.
3.2%: Inflation is chilling out, in welcome news to Americans and their wallets. The Consumer Price Index rose 3.2% in October compared to a year ago, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, down from the 3.7% year-over-year increase in September. Polling from the past year has repeatedly shown that inflation is the top concern for Americans, with many voters giving President Joe Biden low marks for his handling of the economy.
1 million: Germany on Tuesday said the EU is unlikely to hit a goal of providing Ukraine with 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition by March 2024. The announcement comes amid Kyiv’s continued push for more military aid for its ongoing war against Russian invaders. Meanwhile, there is dwindling support in the US for providing further assistance to Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky feels the pressure from his military’s stalling counteroffensive.
336: The GOP-led House on Tuesday passed a stopgap funding bill that would prevent a shutdown and fund the government into 2024. The bill passed 336 to 95, with 209 Democrats and 127 Republicans voting in favor. The measure, which is expected to pass in the Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden before the Friday shutdown deadline, would provide funding for some agencies until mid-January and others until Feb. 2.