News Wrap: Labor dispute shuts down two major Canadian freight railroads

In our news wrap Thursday, Canada’s freight trains came to a halt nationwide amid a labor dispute, the FDA approved new COVID vaccines, Gaza cease-fire talks resumed in Cairo, British tech magnate Mike Lynch’s body was recovered from the yacht that sank Monday, and the DOJ announced charges related to the 2022 deaths of 53 migrants in Texas, and severe heat engulfed parts of the Gulf Coast.

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Amna Nawaz: A Canadian rail official has told the Associated Press that one of the nation’s two major freight operators will end its lockout immediately to get trains moving again.

Geoff Bennett: For that and all the day’s other news, we turn now to our friend and colleague William Brangham, who’s in our Washington studio — William.

William Brangham: That’s right, Geoff and Amna.

It has been a dramatic day for Canada’s railroad industry, which plays a major role in trade with the United States. The reported end of
Canadian National Railroad’s lockout came just an hour after the nation’s labor minister ordered Canada’s two major rail operators into arbitration to settle a labor dispute.

Earlier today, trains across Canada had come to a screeching halt when management and unions had failed to reach a deal by last night’s deadline. Workers had been seeking better protections, saying long hours can cause dangerous fatigue.

Canada’s labor minister announced the arbitration order this afternoon, saying he hoped the action would reassure the country’s trading partners.

Steve MacKinnon, Canadian Labor Minister: Canada is a trading nation. Our government will do everything in its power to preserve the stability and certainty that our railways and entire economy are renowned for the world over.

William Brangham: According to an estimate by the Railway Association of Canada, half of Canada’s exports travel by rail.

U.S. regulators approve new COVID-19 vaccines today. The shots are designed to target the most recent strains of the virus, plus any variants that might arise this winter. Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses within days. The CDC has already recommended the shot for every one six months and older. This comes amid a summer wave of COVID cases across the country.

Turning to the Middle East, a U.S. official says talks have resumed in Cairo over a so-called bridge proposal that could lead to a cease-fire in Gaza. Today, Palestinian officials said at least 16 people were killed by airstrikes in the Gaza Strip overnight and through the morning, including small children.

This comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East amid concerns that Iran will launch a retaliatory strike against Israel. Iran blames Israel for the death last month of a Hamas leader in Tehran.

The Italian Coast Guard says the body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch was recovered today from the wreckage of the yacht that sank off the coast of Italy on Monday. The 59-year-old had been on holiday on the yacht, having just been acquitted of multiple fraud charges here in the U.S. Recovery crews have found six bodies so far. Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah, is still unaccounted for.

The Justice Department announced charges today against a Guatemalan man for his alleged role in the deaths of dozens of migrants inside a tractor trailer in Texas in 2022. Rigoberto Roman Miranda Orozco is charged with six counts of migrant smuggling resulting in death or serious bodily injury. He’s the first person arrested outside the country to face charges in connection to the incident when 53 migrants died in sweltering temperatures.

Authorities say they’re sending a message to other traffickers.

Jaime Esparza, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas: If you seek to profit off the backs of these migrants over — over their livelihood, we will pursue you. And we are going to make sure that justice is had.

William Brangham: Miranda Orozco, who rejects the charges against him, faces up to life in prison if convicted.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended lower ahead of a highly anticipated speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 177 points on the day. The Nasdaq dropped nearly 300 points, weighed down by some of the biggest names in the tech sector. The S&P 500 also ended lower, losing about 50 points.

And we have a unique passing of note. Australia’s Sphen the penguin has died. The male gentoo penguin was one half of a so-called penguin power couple with his male partner, Magic. Same-sex couples are not uncommon in the animal kingdom. They were together for six years, shared a nest, and even raised two foster chicks.

They became international icons, immortalized on floats, at Pride celebrations, and appearing in documentaries. Such penguin monogamy is also not limited to Sphen and magic. The majority of all penguin couples stick together for life, perhaps a lesson for us all. Sphen the penguin was 11 years old.