Nelson Mandela died Thursday at the age of 95 after a series of illnesses, South African President Jacob Zuma said. Mandela was a beloved figure in South African history who was released from prison after 27 years, negotiated the end of apartheid and became the country’s first black president. Mandela leaves behind his wife, Graca Machel, and daughters Makaziwe, Zindzi and Zenani. Read full story here.

The United States economic statistics released Thursday show the economy is growing, corporate profits are rising and layoffs are at the lowest level in six years. Unemployment stayed high at 7.3 percent, but from July through September, the economy grew at a 3.6 percent annual rate. Analysts said, though, that the growth since the end of the recession has been uneven, and most of the growth reported Thursday was from increases in businesses’ stockpiles, and this quarter’s growth is expected to slow.

B Fast-food workers’ protests Thursday were organized in 100 cities across the U.S. related to trying to get higher wages for employees. The Service Employees International Union has been trying to raise awareness for a year about fast-food workers’ conditions and the economic disparities they face. Many protesters Thursday gathered outside restaurants, but most did not interfere with customers getting food. Read full story here.

An Ohio judge Thursday delayed the hearings originally scheduled Friday for six Steubenville School District workers related to the investigation of a 16-year-old girl’s rape by two football players in the district. Wintry weather caused the postponement of the hearings, which are rescheduled for Dec. 13. A grand jury indicted five workers for lying, obstructing justice and tampering with evidence; a sixth employee was indicted for unrelated theft and receiving stolen property charges uncovered in the investigation.