Railroad crisis averted

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·5 min read
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Just a day before rail workers planned to strike, companies and labor unions reached an agreement. Sent by Florida's governor, about 50 migrants unexpectedly showed up by plane to Martha's Vineyard. And Roger Federer announced his retirement from tennis.

👋 It's Thursday! Laura Davis here. And today is the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month. Read more about it here! Now, let's get to the news.

But first: New images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope pierce through thick layers of stardust and gas, revealing the most detailed look yet into the heart of the Orion Nebula. Check them out.

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'Big win for America': Labor deal averts major rail strike

After 20 straight hours of negotiations, President Joe Biden said Thursday that freight railway companies and workers had reached a tentative agreement that would avert a shutdown that could have paralyzed the economy. Biden celebrated the deal alongside union leaders and rail executives at the White House, calling it a “big win for America” and for both sides of the labor dispute. He said rail workers will receive better pay, improved working conditions and a “peace of mind” over health insurance, while companies will strengthen their ability to recruit and retain workers. See the terms of the deal here.

President Joe Biden speaks about a tentative railway labor agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House on Sept. 15, 2022, in Washington. From left, Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Biden, Celeste Drake, Made in America Director at the Office of Management and Budget, and National Economic Council director Brian Deese.

When third-party travel plans go sideways

If you're like me, checking third-party booking sites is my tried-and-true method when planning any type of travel. Third-party sites like Expedia, Priceline and Kiwi.com are one-stop shops, offering package deals on flights, car rentals and accommodations. However, when travel plans go awry, it can be confusing and stressful to figure out who is responsible for resolving the issue: the hotel (or airline, or car rental company) or the booking site. First things first: Stay calm. Next: Read this for a look at what to do.

What everyone's talking about

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A royal outpouring of grief: Mourners lined up Thursday to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who is lying in state in Westminster Hall – with people waiting at least nine hours to do so. The queue snaked across a bridge and along the south bank of the River Thames beyond Tower Bridge. But people said they didn’t mind the wait. Read more.

Members of the public stand in line, adjacent to Tower Bridge, to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to file past her coffin to pay their respects.
Members of the public stand in line, adjacent to Tower Bridge, to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to file past her coffin to pay their respects.

Florida gov: 50 people flown to Massachusetts are 'illegal immigrants'

Taking locals by surprise, two planes landed on Massachusetts' Martha's Vineyard that appeared to be carrying Venezuelan nationals sent there by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who claims undocumented immigrants belong in progressive states. The immigrants, thought to be from Venezuela, were flown by a chartered aircraft from Florida, Texas or both, local officials said. A spokesperson for DeSantis said late Thursday that the people on the planes are "illegal immigrants." The group of 50 people – men, women and children – said they had been put on a plane with only a brochure from the island's service center. Why did DeSantis do this? Keep reading.

A woman, who is part of a group of immigrants that had just arrived, holds a child as they are fed outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Wednesday Sept. 14, 2022, in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha's Vineyard. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday flew two planes of immigrants to Martha's Vineyard, escalating a tactic by Republican governors to draw attention to what they consider to be the Biden administration's failed border policies.

🥳 Lordy, lordy, USA TODAY is 40!

In 1982, USA TODAY introduced a brash new way to deliver the news – short, to the point, lots of color. Did that mark an inflection point for an industry that rejected us? Or did it, as some smartly think, serve as a template for the internet? Either way, what became apparent as we flipped through 480 months of news since the first edition in 1982, writes former executive editor David Colton, was how often USA TODAY made a difference. We've got 40 moments, chosen by dozens of current and former staffers, when USA TODAY made a difference to our readers, our nation or to our staff. Check out our 40 most meaningful moments here.

Real quick

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Roger Federer announces he will retire from tennis

Roger Federer, who became the first man to win 20 Grand Slam titles in tennis, announced Thursday that he is retiring from competition after a multiyear struggle with knee injuries. Federer, 41, had hoped to come back for one final goodbye in 2023 but said next week’s Laver Cup in London will be his final event. Though Federer will not finish his career as the player with the most Grand Slam titles – Rafael Nadal has 22 and Novak Djokovic passed him with his 21st at Wimbledon this year – his popularity and influence on the sport goes beyond just numbers. Read more about Federer's illustrious career here.

Switzerland's Roger Federer plays a return to Britain's Cameron Norrie during the men's singles third round match on day six of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 3, 2021.
Switzerland's Roger Federer plays a return to Britain's Cameron Norrie during the men's singles third round match on day six of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 3, 2021.

A break from the news

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Railroad union strike, migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard, USA TODAY anniversary, Roger Federer. Thursday's news.