The Brief

A Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial on Friday after jurors said for a third time that they could not reach a unanimous verdict, and the state's highest court denied an emergency appeal from her defense attorney to avert the outcome. The jury had deliberated for seven days over whether the former nurse was criminally responsible for killing her three young children.

Clancy is expected to remain at a mental health facility while prosecutors and her defense weigh next steps, including whether to retry the case.

U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August, a stronger-than-expected rebound driven by gains in education and in leisure and hospitality. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%.

The surprisingly strong hiring puts renewed focus on inflation as policymakers weigh the report ahead of upcoming decisions on interest rates. President Trump called for an interest rate cut following the report, even as the stronger-than-expected data fueled expectations the Federal Reserve could instead raise rates.

A federal judge on Friday extended her order blocking the U.S. Postal Service from implementing President Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting, putting another obstacle in the administration's path as states begin sending out mail ballots for the midterms. The Justice Department has separately asked the Supreme Court to lift the block.

Election officials have warned the requirement would be difficult or impossible to meet in time; one California official said scanning individual ballots statewide would take roughly 43 years based on the Postal Service's own estimates.

Diesel reached a record $5.85 a gallon Friday, surpassing its previous peak of $5.81 set in June 2022, pushing up transportation costs for a wide range of goods as the six-month war with Iran disrupts the world's flow of fuel.

Gasoline prices have also climbed heading into the Labor Day travel rush, with airfare up roughly 20% from a year ago.

The Trump administration plans to break ground within two weeks on a 250-foot arch just beyond the gates of Arlington National Cemetery, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, with excavation work set to begin without approval from a key federal review body.

Veterans who sued to stop the project argue it would disrupt historic sightlines meant to symbolize the nation's reconciliation after the Civil War. Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, of the veterans group VoteVets, called the plan a "sacrilege."

The Trump administration is pushing a rule that would end tax-exempt status for private colleges and schools that provide targeted help to students based on race, broadly aimed at ending policies that benefit students because of race in admissions, scholarships and facilities.

Wesleyan University President Michael Roth called the proposal "extraordinary overreach," warning it could frighten schools away from programs the administration considers race-based.