Month: September 2022

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An LGBTQ+ rights group pulls out of having a representative throw the first pitch at the Arkansas Travelers game Thursday night as part of its ‘Out Days’ event.

A spokesperson for Central Arkansas Pride said they originally planned for a drag queen to throw out the first pitch tonight, but they pulled out after learning it would need to be another member of the LGBTQ+ community instead.

“We picked someone that we felt represented the values ​​of our community and was a good role model,” said Zack Baker, Executive Director of Central Arkansas Pride.

Baker said the night was originally supposed to be part of the organization’s annual ‘Out Days’ event.

“The Travs said they didn’t feel this was the right time for us to do that to which we

Jenna Johnson-Hall should have been getting ready for a long-awaited trip to see her partner and meet her partner’s family. Instead, she spent much of Thursday waiting to find out if she would be able to take the trip at all.

Like Amtrak customers across the country, her long-distance train was canceled Wednesday as Amtrak braced for a possible freight rail strike over working conditions, pay, and other benefits like paid sick leave.

The strike was averted with a tentative union deal, but Johnson-Hall and others were still elements of what was next for them.

“Amtrak is working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures,” Amtrak, which was not involved with the freight negotiations, told USA TODAY.

Live updates:Biden calls tentative labor deal a ‘big win for America’ as railroad strike is averted

What are the railroad unions asking

The Japanese government is walking back years of harsh travel restrictions as the yen collapses in value due to a stagnant economy and weak trade.

Japan will allow all travelers with at least three COVID-19 vaccine injections or a negative test result to enter the country without the need for a visa.

Japan until recently has all but completely rejected foreigners seeking entry or re-entry into the country.

The dramatic reversal was announced as the Japanese government struggles to keep the yen from further collapse.

BIDEN TO HIT CHINA WITH BROADER CURBS ON US CHIP AND TOOL EXPORTS

A person wearing a protective mask walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan’s Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm, Sept. 9, 2022, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko/AP Newsroom)

The yen fell to a 24-year low point last week, its value plummeting to

“Amtrak is working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures,” Amtrak said in a statement Thursday morning.

The deal between railroad unions and management was announced just after 5 am ET Thursday in a statement from the White House.

While negotiations did not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce, passenger rail service was adjusted on routes that could have been affected by the dispute.

By Wednesday, Amtrak had announced the suspension of all long-distance Amtrak trains starting Thursday. And later Wednesday evening, Amtrak added that some state-supported trains — such as those in Virginia — would not run starting on Thursday evening.

More details are expected soon on whether the dispute’s resolution will alter those cancellations.

Here’s