5 things to know for Nov. 22: Colorado shooting, Rail strike, Twitter, Voting,

CNN
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Disney is saying goodbye to Bob and hello to, well … a different Bob. The company ousted CEO Bob Chapek, and is bringing former CEO Bob Iger back to the helm. It’s quite the media shakeup. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

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Officials are investigating whether the shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs was a bias-motivated crime. Hate crimes in Colorado are referred to as “bias-motivated,” according to the county’s district attorney. The 22-year-old suspected shooter is still hospitalized after being taken down by two club patrons. He is also reportedly not speaking to investigators. Richard Fierro, one of the two who subdued the shooter, is a former Army major who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said the violence and trauma experienced during the shooting was like that of a war zone. Members of the bar’s staff, a mother and a first-time patron are among the five victims killed in the attack. 

The US could face a crippling national freight rail strike soon after rank-and-file members of the nation’s largest rail union rejected a tentative labor deal with freight railroads. There are 12 unions that represent various types of rail workers in the US, and this particular union represents the industry’s conductors. All 12 unions have now made decisions on new contracts, with a total of four unions voting against their contracts. Now, the dissenting unions will remain on the job until at least early next month as negotiations continue to stave off a strike. If even a single union decides to strike, the others will honor picket lines, shutting down the railroads. If the strike were to continue for some time, it would be devastating for American supply chains and consumer costs. (About 30% of US freight moves by rail.) If things get really bad, Congress could intervene.

US railroads ‘confident’ they will reach deals with all unions to avoid strike

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CNN

Laid-off employees at Twitter’s Africa headquarters are now accusing the company of discrimination and intimidation. The team, which is based in Accra, Ghana, has hired a lawyer and sent a letter demanding Twitter comply with the West African nation’s labor laws. Those laws indicate they should be provided with additional severance pay and other relevant benefits, in line with what Twitter employees in other regions will receive after massive layoffs at the company earlier this month. Several of the employees also moved to Ghana for the job, and are now demanding assistance with repatriation. Meanwhile, Elon Musk says Twitter is “holding off” restarting its paid verification plan after the initial rollout resulted in a swarm of accounts impersonating brands and public figures.

The results of the midterm elections are still reverberating through several states. In Georgia, voters are preparing for a December Senate runoff between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker. An appeals court has ruled the state can offer early voting the Saturday after Thanksgiving, rejecting a plea from state election officials who say that particular early voting date violates state law because it follows a shortened holiday week. State Democrats are hailing the decision as a win for voters. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to Texas state legislative maps that critics say intentionally dilute minority voting power and result in an illegal racial gerrymander.

People detained by Iranian security forces during the country’s ongoing protests have told CNN in harrowing detail about multiple instances of sexual assault and intimidation while in custody. In recent weeks, social media videos have emerged allegedly showing Iranian security forces sexually assaulting female demonstrators on the streets. Reports of sexual violence against activists in prisons have also surfaced. CNN’s reporting corroborated these accounts and uncovered many more. In some of the cases, the assault was filmed and used to blackmail the protesters into silence, according to sources who spoke to the victims. Read the victims’ stories here. As unrest continues in the country, members of Iran’s soccer team remained silent as the Iranian national anthem played at the World Cup before their match against England Monday. The gesture appeared to show solidarity with protesters back home.