Amtrak cuts back service, suspect in deadly Seattle crash due in court: 5 things to know Monday

Editors, USA TODAY
·4 min read

Amtrak cuts back New York-Miami service

Amtrak is cutting back service between New York and Florida starting Monday, with more cuts expected Oct. 1. Amtrak's Silver Star and Silver Meteor will run from New York to Miami three and four days a week, respectively, instead of every day. In a message shared with employees this month, Amtrak said its other long-distance routes would also be cut back to three days a week. After achieving record ridership last year of 32.5 million passengers, Amtrak faces steep revenue losses in the coming year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The rail company projects only half the number of passengers will ride its trains in 2021 as did in 2019.

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Suspect in deadly crash that killed protester in Seattle due in court

The suspect in the deadly car crash in a Seattle highway that struck two people in a crowd protesting against police brutality faces a hearing Monday, according to court documents. Dawit Kelete, 27, of Seattle, was booked on two counts of vehicular assault and denied bail after his white Jaguar struck two women during a protest along a closed stretch of Interstate 5 in downtown Seattle, state police said. Summer Taylor, 24, of Seattle, died at Harborview Medical Center, while Diaz Love, 32, of Portland, Oregon, remained in critical condition with multiple injuries. The incident comes as Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests. Officials are still trying to determine the motive behind the crash.

Tributes paid to Nick Cordero after Broadway actor loses battle with coronavirus

Tributes were pouring in Monday for Nick Cordero, the Broadway actor who died Sunday at age 41 after a long struggle with the coronavirus. "God has another angel in heaven," his wife Amanda Kloots confirmed on Instagram Sunday. "My darling husband passed away this morning." Cordero was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in late March for what was initially thought to be pneumonia. A first coronavirus test came up negative, though a subsequent test was positive for COVID-19. Over the course of 13 weeks, Cordero faced a multitude of serious complications, including a leg amputation, infections in his lungs and the insertion of a temporary pacemaker. The Canadian-born actor earned a Tony Award nomination in 2014 for his role in "Bullets Over Broadway" and also starred in productions of "Rock of Ages," "Waitress" and "A Bronx Tale."

Japanese leaders agree to cooperate on coronavirus to safely hold Olympics

Tokyo’s governor and her political rival, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, agreed Monday to cooperate on handling the coronavirus outbreak to safely hold the Olympics next year. Gov. Yuriko Koike met with Abe a day after she won her second term representing the Japanese capital in an overwhelming election victory buoyed by public support for her handling of the pandemic despite a recent rise in infections in the capital region. Koike, who showed up in her work jacket with a Tokyo government logo on the back, said her most pressing task is to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus and asked for Abe’s support. “I will firmly overcome the pandemic with the help of the power of the government, and lead to the Olympics and Paralympics as a proof of our victory,” Koike said. The Tokyo Games are set to open on July 23, 2021.

Stock markets reopen after holiday weekend

The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will resume normal trading hours on Monday, after closing Friday in observance of Independence Day. Stocks ended the shortened trading week on a high note Thursday after the U.S. economy added jobs at a record pace in June. Major averages rallied to session highs in early trading after a report showed the job market continued to climb last month from the crater created by the coronavirus pandemic in the spring. U.S. employers added 4.8 million jobs to their payrolls in June, the second straight month of job growth. Even though the unemployment rate is still very high at 11.1%, last month’s improvement was much better than economists expected.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amtrak, Seattle crash, 5 things to know Monday