Japan Approves First Restart of a Nuclear Reactor in Four Years
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday approved a preliminary report saying Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari No. 3 reactor meets post-Fukushima safety rules, according to a live stream of the hearing. Hokkaido Electric's president said in March that he expected the unit to restart in 2027.
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NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Immigration crackdown, tariffs blamed by some for tourist slowdown in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — Tourism in Las Vegas is slumping this summer, with resorts and convention centers reporting fewer visitors compared to last year, especially from abroad, and some officials are blaming the Trump administration's tariffs and immigration policies for the decline. The city known for lavish shows, endless buffets and around-the-clock gambling welcomed just under 3.1 million tourists in June, an 11% drop compared to the same time in 2024. There were 13% fewer international travelers, and hotel occupancy fell by about 15%, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Mayor Shelley Berkley said tourism from Canada — Nevada's largest international market — has dried up from a torrent "to a drip." Same with Mexico. "We have a number of very high rollers that come in from Mexico that aren't so keen on coming in right now. And that seems to be the prevailing attitude internationally," Berkley told reporters earlier this month. Ted Pappageorge, head of the powerful Culinary Workers Union, called it the "Trump slump." He said visits from Southern California, home to a large Latino population, were also drying up because people are afraid of the administration's immigration crackdown. "If you if you tell the rest of the world they're not welcome, then they won't come," Pappageorge said. Canadian airline data shows fewer passengers from north of the border are arriving at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Air Canada saw its passenger numbers fall by 33% in June compared to the same time a year ago, while WestJet had a 31% drop. The low-cost carrier Flair reported a whopping 62% decline. Travel agents in Canada said there's been a significant downturn in clients wanting to visit the U.S. overall, and Las Vegas in particular. Wendy Hart, who books trips from Windsor, Ontario, said the reason was "politics, for sure." She speculated that it was a point of "national pride" that people were staying away from the U.S. after President Donald Trump said he wanted to make Canada the 51st state. "The tariffs are a big thing too. They seem to be contributing to the rising cost of everything," Hart said. At downtown's Circa Resort and Casino, international visits have dipped, especially from Canada and Japan, according to owner and CEO Derek Stevens. But the downturn comes after a post-COVID spike, Stevens said. And while hotel room bookings are slack, gaming numbers, especially for sports betting, are still strong, he said. "It's not as if the sky is falling," he said. Wealthier visitors are still coming, he said, and Circa has introduced cheaper package deals to lure those with less money to spend. "There have been many stories written about how the 'end is near' in Vegas," he said. "But Vegas continues to reinvent itself as a destination worth visiting." On AAA's annual top ten list of top Labor Day destinations, Las Vegas slipped this year to the last spot, from number six in 2024. Seattle and Orlando, Florida — home to Disneyworld — hold steady in the top two spots, with New York City moving up to third for 2025. Reports of declining tourism were news to Alison Ferry, who arrived from Donegal, Ireland, to find big crowds at casinos and the Vegas Strip. "It's very busy. It has been busy everywhere that we've gone. And really, really hot," Ferry said. She added that she doesn't pay much attention to U.S. politics. Just off the strip, there's been no slowdown at the Pinball Museum, which showcases games from the 1930s through today. Manager Jim Arnold said the two-decade-old attraction is recession-proof because it's one of the few places to offer free parking and free admission. "We've decided that our plan is just to ignore inflation and pretend it doesn't exist," Arnold said. "So you still take a quarter out of your pocket and put it in a game, and you don't pay a resort fee or a cancelation fee or any of that jazz." But Arnold said he's not surprised that overall tourism might be slowing because of skyrocketing prices at high-end restaurants and resorts, which "squeezes out the low end tourist." The mayor said the rising cost of food, hotel rooms and attractions also keeps visitors away. "People are feeling that they're getting nickeled and dimed, and they're not getting value for their dollar," Berkley said. She called on business owners to "see if we can't make it more affordable" for tourists. "And that's all we want. We want them to come and have good time, spend their money, go home," the mayor said. "Then come back in six months."
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Oklahoma rolls a out test for teacher applicants from California and New York
Oklahoma's far-right schools chief, Ryan Walters, has officially rolled out an Orwellian obstacle for teachers who come to his state from California and New York. Oklahoma is now requiring teacher applicants from those two blue states — and apparently no one else, for now — to prove they are worthy by passing what Walters has described as an 'America First' test in order to receive a teaching certificate. Conservative media company PragerU, which is not an actual university and whose founder has openly said he wants to 'indoctrinate' children, reportedly helped develop the multiple-choice test. Walters has said the policy is meant to root out 'woke indoctrinators' and suggested that teachers from New York and California may fail to adequately teach the role that Christianity played in the nation's development. 'You're not gonna lie to kids about the influences Christianity had on American history,' he told the New York Post on Friday, adding, 'We want you to teach history appropriately.' He also told the Post that the test is meant to ensure no one teaches 'radical woke gender theory that goes against biology and science.' Sample questions provided to the Post include 'Which chromosome pair indicates a woman?' and 'Why is freedom of religion important to America's identity?' Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, told USA Today the test is going to be a 'huge turnoff' for teachers and railed against Walters' ploy: Ryan Walters appears to be trying out for MAGA in chief, not educator in chief, because everything that he's doing is about the culture wars, not about the reading, writing and arithmetic. If he wants to be MAGA in chief then go be MAGA in chief. But let someone else be educator in chief and focus on other things people deserve, which is reading, literacy and wraparound services — and actual teachers who want to be in Oklahoma. Walters has tried to usher in an era of far-right and religious indoctrination for Oklahoma's public schools by doing things like promoting Bible-infused learning plans and leaning on schools to air a video of him praying for Donald Trump and attacking liberals. Meanwhile, Oklahoma's public education system for K-12 students ranks last among all states, according to a study by WalletHub. The state is also experiencing a teacher shortage. Given this reality, one might expect the state's schools chief to prioritize bringing in as many qualified teachers as possible. But Walters has other ideas — deeply political ones that seem likely to deter some quality teachers from even attempting to work in Oklahoma. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
New York Times
20 hours ago
- New York Times
Jules Witcover, Political Reporter and Columnist, Dies at 98
Jules Witcover, a storied shoe-leather political reporter and syndicated columnist who became a Washington institution covering presidential races and political affairs for more than 68 years in The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post and other newspapers and in a shelf of books, died on Saturday at his home in Washington. He was 98. The death was confirmed by his daughter Amy Witcover-Sandford. From the days of manual typewriters to the age of laptop computers, Mr. Witcover interpreted America's political scene as an analyst and eyewitness to history. He swapped tales with presidents; covered presidential campaigns, beginning in 1960; recorded the rise and fall of Richard M. Nixon; and was steps away when a gunman killed Senator Robert F. Kennedy in a Los Angeles hotel in 1968. Mr. Witcover's column, 'Politics Today,' written five days a week for years with Jack Germond, appeared in The Washington Star from 1977 to 1981, when The Star folded. It then ran in The Baltimore Sun and up to 140 other papers from 1981 to 2005, when it was terminated in a cutback, and was later syndicated three times a week by Tribune Media Services. Mr. Germond died in 2013, but Mr. Witcover continued writing it until he retired in 2022. Colleagues and critics called Mr. Witcover one of the nation's best political reporters — rivaling R.W. Apple Jr. of The New York Times and David Broder of The Washington Post — and an insider whose depth went beyond the current crop of public officials and candidates into the history and ethics of politics, and to speechwriters, publicists, lobbyists and others in behind-the-scenes supporting casts. He was featured in 'The Boys on the Bus,' Timothy Crouse's 1973 book about pack campaign journalism, the old road show of poker games, pounding typewriters and all-night boozing. He fit right in, but he was one of the heavyweights. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
