There's a record number of job openings, Uber eyes $120 billion IPO, and more top news

The news professionals are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments.

The U.S. has more than 7 million job openings — the most since records began in 2000. The Labor Department says the figure, from August, means that available jobs outnumber jobless workers who are actively seeking work by almost 100,000 — the most ever. In fact, unfilled jobs never exceeded unemployed workers before March of this year, underscoring the tightness of the American labor market. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Uber has been valued as high as $120 billion for an initial public offering that could take place early next year. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley gave the ride-hailing company the valuation proposals last month, reports The Wall Street Journal, nearly doubling Uber’s valuation from two months ago. Lyft, Uber's biggest competitor in the U.S., is also expected to go public in the first half of 2019 with a valuation predicted to top the previously reported $15.1 billion. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission over fraud allegations has been approved by a judge. In addition to stepping down as chairman for at least three years, Musk must pay a $20 million fine to the SEC. The agreement was reached in September, when the agency sued Musk over a Twitter post claiming he'd secured funding to take the electric-car company private. Musk will remain Tesla’s chief executive. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Walmart lowered its profit target for the year, as the world’s largest retailer absorbed its biggest acquisition ever in Flipkart, the Indian e-commerce site. The $16 billion purchase will also result in just 10 store openings next year. Walmart expects online sales to ramp 35% higher this year, while it sees same-store sales growing between 2.5% and 3%. ? Here’s what people are saying.

After decades of increasing tuition, universities are going the other way — either by flattening costs or bringing them right down. The combination of fewer students applying for college and more grants being out given means that higher education is not as expensive as it used to be. Yet, according to the College Board, the “sticker price,” or the actual price of college, continues to rise — it's just fewer students are paying it. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Also: A federal judge has ordered that the Department of Education immediately begin to comply with an Obama-era rule that grants automatic loan forgiveness to defrauded students who attended schools that were closed while they were enrolled. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: Ditch your mobile devices when at home with your family, writes USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Dean, Willow Bay.

“I'm adamant about not bringing my phone to the dinner table. I’ve also been known to bring out a festive red basket during holiday get togethers and ask everyone to deposit their phones.”

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

— Carmel Melouney and Jessica Hartogs