Vox brings back the District Digest; a helpful guide to news from the D.C. area. This week we have mixed news on unemployment rates, the visit of Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi, and a little recap of the Nationals game.

Unemployment Rate Drops

The District’s unemployment rate fell to 8.8 percent in August from 8.9 percent in July, according to a Labor department report released Friday. Unemployment levels rose from 7.0 percent to 7.1 percent in Maryland, and Virginia’s remained at 5.9 percent.

Although the unemployment rate here fell, the District experienced “the largest percentage decrease in total nonfarm employment of any jurisdiction in the country, down 1.5 percent,” according to the Washington Post. Job seekers suspending their searches led to the drop in the unemployment.

The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 percent in August from 8.3 percent in July.

Aung San Suu Kyi visits D.C., speaks at Newseum

After receiving the Congressional Gold Medal from President Obama, Aung San Suu Kyi, a Burmese activist and proponent for democracy in the area, spoke to high school and college students at the Newseum in an interactive question and answer session.

This is her first visit to the U.S. since being released from an almost continuous 15-year house arrest and is touring the country to “pass the torch” of peace and activism to a younger generation and educate students about the struggle for democracy in Burma. She hopes to inspire others to uncover the root cause of political oppression and fight it with nonviolence.

Suu Kyi also addressed topics such as the Arab Spring, saying that violence is not a legitimate way to support human rights, and the arrest of a Russian punk rock group, who she believes should be released as soon as possible.

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Remember how five Georgetown Law Center grads went on NPR‘s “All Things Considered” last summer to commiserate about their employment opportunities? We guess they didn’t know about GULC’s post-grad funding program.

As initially reported by Above the Law, graduates who worked full-time at public interest organizations for three months were eligible for $4,000 stipends from GULC. In late October, students learned that the program was recently extended for three more months. According to an email sent to students by GULC’s Office of Career Services, qualifying students will be able to receive another $4,000.

“[A] requirement of the funding is that you continue to seek full-time employment,” read the email.

However, Above the Law notes that the funding program has not run smoothly; one tipster alleged that his stipend, which was smaller than he expected due to tax processing, arrived months late.

A GULC official responded to the claims, arguing, “The amount of taxes withheld varied significantly based on the student’s particular situation and in some cases, no taxes were withheld.”

If this fail proof tactic didn’t work, there’s always litigation!

If you’re one of the many jobless recent grads out there, Monroe College alumna Trina Thompson may have found the perfect solution for you: sue your college’s career center for failing to find you gainful employment!

Thompson, who graduated from the New York school in April with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, recently filed a lawsuit against her alma mater alleging that their Office of Career Advancement did not help her find a job. She’s suing them for $72,000—the cost of tuition plus $2,000 for the emotional stress of her job search.

Thompson—who had a 2.7 grade point average—also alleges that the College’s Office of Career Advancement treats students with higher GPAs preferentially.

According to CNN, Monroe College had this to say about the lawsuit:

While it is clear that no college, especially in this economy, can guarantee employment, Monroe College remains committed to working with all its students, including Ms. Thompson, who graduated only three months ago, to prepare them for careers and to support them during their job search.