You’re Banned From Blocking Trump’s Face On Your National Park Pass—But There’s A Work-Around

These designers found a clever way to keep the president’s mug off their America the Beautiful entry passes.

The 2026 national park pass features a portrait of Donald Trump’s face, and the Department of the Interior (DOI) has threatened to penalize anyone who tries to cover it up. Now, park lovers are inventing their own clever work-arounds to remove the president’s visage from their passes.

For over two decades, the annual America the Beautiful park pass design has featured photography of nature, animals, and scenery across the United States. But when the DOI revealed the 2026 pass in November, something was glaringly different. Rather than a cascading waterfall or towering redwoods, the pass included a portrait of George Washington, framed side by side with Trump’s mug-shot-inspired headshot.

The response to the pass design was swift. Many cardholders took to the internet to show themselves covering Trump’s face with stickers as a form of protest. But mere weeks later, per an internal email obtained by SFGate, the DOI updated its “Void if Altered” policy in a transparent effort to discourage pass holders from covering Trump’s face.

Whereas the policy previously stated that passes could be voided only if the signature section of the card was altered, it now overtly flags stickers and other coverings as alterations that could invalidate the pass. According to a policy document shared with The Washington Post, staff who come across altered passes are instructed to ask that stickers or coverings be removed. If that’s not possible, they’re permitted to either charge the guest with the regular entrance fee or give them the option to buy a brand-new pass.

While the Trump administration is acting quickly to redesign the National Park Service in Trump’s literal image, national parkgoers are quicker. In the days since the pass policy was altered in early January, multiple designers have stepped up with clever work-arounds that conceal the president’s glowering face without running afoul of the restrictions. The simplest solution is a card sleeve that covers Trump’s face most of the time, but can be easily removed when the card is shown at park entrances.

How small designers are fighting back against the DOI

Katie Weber and her husband, Chris, started their Michigan-based apparel brand Dirt Roads Project in March 2025. The company, Weber says, was her way to make a difference after feeling “overwhelmed by everything happening in our country.” So part of each purchase gives back to the preservation of parks and nature, including through collaborations with nonprofits like the Michigan Animal Rescue League, Alliance for the Great Lakes, and Reef Relief.

When Weber saw the park pass design for 2026, she immediately decided to create something that would cover Trump’s face.

“I was incredibly frustrated and wanted to be able to bring the parks front and center instead of showing someone who is honestly trying to dismantle our parks,” Weber says. “That night, I started going through all of our photography from past hiking trips, chose a handful that I loved, and created the design.”

Her final selections, which run for just $6 each, feature photos taken at eight prominent national parks, including Zion in Utah, Haleakalā in Maui, and Yosemite in California. After they launched for preorder around Thanksgiving, Weber says, interest in the stickers has been “growing rapidly.”

Weber specifically engineered the stickers to avoid covering any pertinent information on the cards, including the signature section, holographic strip, and barcode. But in the wake of the DOI’s new sticker ban, she adapted the design to guarantee that users won’t be penalized. Instead of adding the sticker directly to their passes, customers can now purchase a $2 plastic card sleeve from Dirt Roads Project to keep their cards completely unaltered while still obscuring the president’s face.

After the DOI’s new regulations emerged, Weber says Dirt Roads Project has seen “skyrocketing” demand, bringing in over $6,000 from the stickers alone in the first weeks of January. “To me, that shows that this small form of protest is being seen, and that people’s frustration is being heard,” she says.

Other small businesses are similarly using their art to fight back. Mitchell Bowen is a graphic designer who runs a poster company called Recollection Project, pulling inspiration from 1930s illustrations to create posters of national parks and other travel destinations. He designed a $12 card sleeve with one of his illustrations for Grand Teton National Park, featuring two American bison in front of a mountain vista. Interest has been so high, Bowen says, that he’s had to pause new orders to focus on fulfilling his backlog.

“Trump’s crassest, most ego-driven action yet”

Both Weber’s and Bowen’s nature-centric designs call back to the history of the national park pass’s design, which has, by federal law, featured the winning photo of the National Park Foundation’s annual public lands photo contest since 2004. In fact, the DOI and the National Park Service are currently facing a lawsuit from the conservation group Center for Biological Diversity for failing to follow that federal design stipulation on the 2026 card.

In a statement on the lawsuit released on December 10, Kierán Suckling, the center’s executive director, wrote that the new pass design was “Trump’s crassest, most ego-driven action yet.”

“It’s disgusting of Trump to politicize America’s most sacred refuge by pasting his face over the national parks in the same way he slaps his corporate name on buildings, restaurants, and golf courses,” he continued. “The national parks are not a personal branding opportunity. They’re the pride and joy of the American people.”

https://www.fastcompany.com/user/gsnelling

New Airport Plans In The Houston-Galveston Area Abruptly Thrown Out For Good After Officials Make $19.7 Million Decision

Earlier this month, local lawmakers officially closed the book on a decades-long push to bring more flights to a major travel hub.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council in Texas voted to sell roughly 1,400 acres of land to Waller County after decades of planning to build a third airport.

The land was first purchased by the City of Houston in 1986 for $5.7 million, equivalent to about $16.9 million today, according to the Houston Chronicle.

At the time, the massive tract was intended for a proposed Westside Airport, which would be a general aviation reliever facility used for private planes, business jets, and flight training.

The idea has been floated by federal, state, and regional planners since the 1970s as a way to reduce traffic at airports like George Bush Intercontinental.

Planning records from the Houston Galveston Area Council and the Federal Aviation Administration once pointed to the Katy Prairie as the ideal site for a new airport that could ease traffic at Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports.

Instead of runways and terminals, Waller County officials now have very different plans.

County Judge Trey Duhon said the land will be used largely for parks, flood control, and conservation efforts.

Roughly 600 acres are already protected under a conservation easement.

“We’ll be operating within that, which is fine,” Duhon said, noting the county can still pursue projects such as regional detention systems even with development restrictions in place.

“There’s a large portion where we can’t do much development-wise, but we can use it for detention basins or lakes to help with drainage,” he added.

“That area really needs it.”

The property could also become a cornerstone of Waller County’s first-ever county park system.

“We do not have any county parks at this moment, but with the growth we know is coming, it is important,” Duhon said.

“We hope to make this available for people to enjoy the Katy Prairie, to fish, picnic, maybe even horseback ride.”

The land’s aviation roots stretch back nearly half a century.

Westside Airport Plan Timeline
1980’s – Houston officials propose a major new airport on the Katy Prairie, sparking early backlash..

1988 – Federal wildlife officials warn the site poses serious bird strike risks..

Late 1980’s – Waller County disputes the findings, but the FAA orders a full environmental review.

Late 1980’s/Early 1990’s – Oil downturn slows aviation growth and weakens airport demand forecasts..

1990’s – Environmental concerns and local opposition stall the “Katy Prairie Airport.”.

1998 – Mayor Lee Brown formally ends the airport plan, citing sufficient capacity at existing airports.

2000’s – The land sits unused as the project fades..

2010’s – Efforts to revive the airport resurface but fail to gain traction..

December 2025 – Houston sells the land for $19.7 million, officially scrapping the airport for good..

In the 1980s, city aviation leaders and landowners imagined a sprawling airport with parallel runways, sophisticated landing systems and hundreds of hangars.

Some even compared the vision to Hobby Airport.

But the proposal quickly ran into fierce resistance from Katy-area residents, private airport operators, and environmental advocates.

By the late 1990s, Houston Airport System officials determined the city’s existing airports had enough long-term capacity.

In 1998, then-Mayor Lee Brown formally pulled the plug on the Westside Airport idea, recommending the land be used for wetlands mitigation or sold off if it was no longer needed.

Now, with the sale finalized, the long-dormant airport plan has officially been grounded for good.

Foreigners With Health Conditions May Be Denied Visas Under New Trump Administration Guidance

Medical conditions that may lead to denial include diabetes and obesity.

Foreigners seeking visas to live in the U.S. might be rejected if they have certain medical conditions, including diabetes or obesity, under a Thursday directive from the Trump administration.

The guidance, issued in a cable the State Department sent to embassy and consular officials and examined by KFF Health News, directs visa officers to deem applicants ineligible to enter the U.S. for several new reasons, including age or the likelihood they might rely on public benefits. The guidance says that such people could become a "public charge" -- a potential drain on U.S. resources -- because of their health issues or age.

While assessing the health of potential immigrants has been part of the visa application process for years, including screening for communicable diseases like tuberculosis and obtaining vaccine history, experts said the new guidelines greatly expand the list of medical conditions to be considered and give visa officers more power to make decisions about immigration based on an applicant's health status.

The directive is part of the Trump administration's divisive and aggressive campaign to deport immigrants living without authorization in the U.S. and dissuade others from immigrating into the country. The White House's crusade to push out immigrants has included daily mass arrests, bans on refugees from certain countries and plans to severely restrict the total number permitted into the U.S.

The new guidelines mandate that immigrants' health be a focus in the application process. The guidance applies to nearly all visa applicants but is likely to be used only in cases in which people seek to permanently reside in the U.S., said Charles Wheeler, a senior attorney for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, a nonprofit legal aid group.

"You must consider an applicant's health," the cable reads. "Certain medical conditions -- including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions -- can require hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of care."

About 10% of the world's population has diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases are also common; they are the globe's leading killer.

The cable also encourages visa officers to consider other conditions, like obesity, which it notes can cause asthma, sleep apnea and high blood pressure, in their assessment of whether an immigrant could become a public charge and therefore should be denied entry into the U.S.

"All of these can require expensive, long-term care," the cable reads. Spokespeople for the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the cable.

Visa officers were also directed to determine if applicants have the means to pay for medical treatment without help from the U.S. government.

"Does the applicant have adequate financial resources to cover the costs of such care over his entire expected lifespan without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutionalization at government expense?" the cable reads.

The cable's language appears at odds with the Foreign Affairs Manual, the State Department's own handbook, which says that visa officers cannot reject an application based on "what if" scenarios, Wheeler said.

The guidance directs visa officers to develop "their own thoughts about what could lead to some sort of medical emergency or sort of medical costs in the future," he said. "That's troubling because they're not medically trained, they have no experience in this area and they shouldn't be making projections based on their own personal knowledge or bias."

The guidance also directs visa officers to consider the health of family members, including children or older parents.

"Do any of the dependents have disabilities, chronic medical conditions, or other special needs and require care such that the applicant cannot maintain employment?" the cable asks.

Immigrants already undergo a medical exam by a physician who's been approved by a U.S. embassy.

They are screened for communicable diseases, like tuberculosis, and asked to fill out a form that asks them to disclose any history of drug or alcohol use, mental health conditions or violence. They're also required to have a number of vaccinations to guard against infectious diseases like measles, polio, and hepatitis B.

But the new guidance goes further, emphasizing that chronic diseases should be considered, said Sophia Genovese, an immigration lawyer at Georgetown University. She also noted that the language of the directive encourages visa officers and the doctors who examine people seeking to immigrate to speculate on the cost of applicants' medical care and their ability to get employment in the U.S., considering their medical history.

"Taking into consideration one's diabetic history or heart health history -- that's quite expansive," Genovese said. "There is a degree of this assessment already, just not quite expansive as opining over, 'What if someone goes into diabetic shock?' If this change is going to happen immediately, that's obviously going to cause a myriad of issues when people are going into their consular interviews."

https://abcnews.go.com/author/Amanda_Seitz

Philadelphia To Throw "Once-In-A-Generation" Monthslong Celebration For U.S. Navy And Marines' 250th Birthday

Philadelphia is throwing a "once-in-a-generation" celebration to mark the 250th birthdays of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

Starting in early October, both sides of the Delaware River will host events, attracting hundreds of thousands of people, including active-duty service members, veterans and tourists.

The parade of ships will kick off everything on Oct. 9.

About a dozen vessels and Navy ships will make their way down the Delaware and dock at four locations, some on the New Jersey side of the river and others on the Pennsylvania side.

Throughout the October celebrations, free ship tours will be offered to the public.

The celebration marks a full-circle moment. Philadelphia was the birthplace of both the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps.

"We're not just commemorating history," Mayor Cherelle Parker said. "We're creating it, in essence, from daily tours of naval ships along the Delaware River to the nationally televised concert, a patriotic parade, and the thrilling Blue Angel flyovers. This will be a once-in-a-generation celebration."

"We want our nation's citizens to get to know their sea services and that this event is an opportunity for us to celebrate the history," U.S. Fleet Forces Vice Admiral John Gumbleton said, "the heritage and the legacy of the mighty warships and service members who sailed proudly at sea in times of peace, in times of uncertainty and when called upon in times of war."

Then, from Nov. 7-11, the celebrations continue with a focus on the U.S. Marine Corps' 250th anniversary.

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/search/author/nikki-dementri/

Spirit Airlines Rivals United And Frontier Add New Routes

As Spirit Airlines continues grappling with significant financial woes, rival carriers are swooping into key markets. (Photo by Brandon Bell) Getty Images

On Thursday, United announced it was expanding its winter schedule with new flights beginning in January to 15 cities, including service between Houston and Atlanta, Baltimore, Guatemala City, Las Vegas, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando, San Pedro Sula, Honduras and San Salvador; between Chicago and Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Orlando; between Newark and Chattanooga, Tennessee, Columbia, South Carolina, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando; and between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Also on Thursday, Frontier Airlines announced it will launch 22 new routes across the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America beginning in November and December. The additions include new service from Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago and other hubs in the U.S., and new international routes to destinations in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and more. Last week, Frontier announced 20 new routes for this winter, including new routes from Fort Lauderdale to Detroit, Houston, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as new service from Houston to New Orleans, Honduras and Guatemala.

Spirit Airlines has not been profitable since 2019. Last November, the ultra-low-cost carrier became the first major U.S. airline to file for Chapter 11 since American Airlines 13 years ago. The airline exited bankruptcy in March, only to seek Chapter 11 protection again last week. “Since emerging from our previous restructuring, which was targeted exclusively on reducing Spirit’s funded debt and raising equity capital, it has become clear that there is much more work to be done and many more tools are available to best position Spirit for the future,” Spirit CEO Dave Davis said in a news release. Earlier in August, the no-frills budget carrier warned it may not survive beyond a year in its quarterly filing, weeks after announcing it would furlough hundreds of pilots.

In May and June of this year, Spirit drastically cut capacity by approximately 1 million seats—a decrease of roughly 24% compared to the same period last year. In October, Spirit will end service in 12 markets: Albuquerque, N.M.; Birmingham, Ala.; Boise, Idaho; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Columbia, S.C.; Macon, Ga.; Oakland, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Sacramento, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Diego, Calif. and San Jose, Calif.

Looking ahead to the fourth-quarter of 2025, Frontier overlaps with Spirit on 39% of its capacity, more than any other airline, followed by JetBlue Airways (35%), Southwest Airlines (28%), American Airlines (26%) and Delta Air Lines (25%), according to Syth’s note to investors. Some rivals may also purchase aircraft from the beleaguered budget carrier. “Notably, unless Spirit is acquired, there will be a period of time for aircraft to be transferred to other airlines,” Syth wrote.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/

This Southern Destination Just Became North America’s First National Park City

Chattanooga—once considered the dirtiest city in the USA—is the third place in the world to receive this designation, joining London and Adelaide, Australia.

Lookout Mountain offers views of Chattanooga and the winding Tennessee River Photo by Christopher P/Shutterstock

Just over 50 years ago, in 1969, Chattanooga, Tennessee, was labeled the most polluted city in the United States. At that time, unregulated industrial emissions had degraded air quality so much that drivers often had to use headlights during the day. But that environmental crisis spurred a community-driven initiative that revitalized the downtown and riverfront areas, transforming former industrial sites into public spaces like parks and trails. Now, the community has claimed a brand-new title: the first National Park City in the United States.

This distinction is granted by the U.K.-based National Park City Foundation, a grassroots effort aiming to make cities more environmentally friendly that is inspired by the “long-term and large-scale vision of national parks,” per the organization’s website. (To clarify, this is not part of the U.S. National Park System, which includes national parks, national monuments, national preserves, and more.) The designation means Chattanooga is one of the cities leading the charge on what the future of urban life could look like—greener, healthier, and more connected to nature.

“Here in Chattanooga, we’ve used the National Park City movement to encourage folks to think about Chattanooga as a city in a park rather than a city with some parks in it,” Chattanooga mayor Tim Kelly said in a video announcing the designation. “The outdoors is our competitive advantage. It’s at the heart of our story of revitalization, and it’s core to our identity. We’ve always known how special Chattanooga’s connection to the outdoors is, and now it’ll be recognized around the world.”

It’s now the third National Park City in the world—London became the first in 2019, and Adelaide, Australia, was named the second in 2021. To earn the title, Chattanooga had to submit a comprehensive digital portfolio explaining how it met the 23 criteria, including detailing its environmental stewardship efforts and sustainable agriculture practices.

According to the National Park City Foundation, whose members traveled to Chattanooga earlier this year to verify the application and approved the bid a month later, the city’s campaign was grounded in its “legacy of change” from one of the most polluted cities in the nation to an outdoor destination.

In a news release after the designation’s announcement, Alison Barnes, trustee of the National Park City Foundation, said the status “introduces a new chapter for a city with a long history of revitalization and renewal through connecting its unique landscape and the history of its people.”

Take a trip to Chattanooga

There’s plenty to see and experience in Tennessee’s fourth largest city. Here’s a quick guide.

What to do

Visitors keen on experiencing Chattanooga’s outdoor opportunities can hike the bluff trails at Stringer’s Ridge for skyline views or head up Lookout Mountain for the jaw-dropper combo of Sunset Rock, Point Park, and Ruby Falls. The Tennessee Riverwalk runs 13 miles from St. Elmo to Chickamauga Dam, making it nice for cyclists, runners, or for a lazy stroll with coffee in hand. Paddleboarders can cruise the calm downtown stretch of the Tennessee River, while adrenaline-chasers have the option of heading to the Ocoee River for whitewater rafting. And if you just want to relax in the sun, Coolidge Park has a carousel, splash pad, and the kind of riverfront lawn made for picnics.

Where to eat

After a day exploring Chattanooga’s scenic landscapes, check out the city’s vibrant culinary scene. For a taste of the South, Public House is a local favorite for dishes like buttermilk fried chicken and shrimp and grits, while Ernest Chinese offers modern Sichuan dishes. When it comes to drinks, No Hard Feelings is a chic spot downtown known for its creative cocktails, like a pistachio Mai Tai.

Where to stay

The Edwin Hotel, Autograph Collection, is a newer, dog-friendly option downtown with an impressive art collection. Suites have marble bathrooms, spacious living areas, and views of the Tennessee River. There’s also a rooftop pool, spa, and a patio bar called the Whiskey Thief.

https://www.afar.com/authors/bailey-berg

WestJet Announces Major Europe, U.S. And Canada Expansion

WestJet on 18NOV announced its full summer schedule for 2025, including new, non-stop service between St. John’s and Paris CDG and welcoming back Halifax-Paris and St. John’s-Dublin flights.

As well, WestJet will enhance its existing transatlantic connectivity by starting its service between Halifax and both Edinburgh and Dublin one month earlier than 2024, while increasing St. John's previous service to London Gatwick from three-times weekly to four-times weekly.

Growing its global hub's transpacific service, WestJet also will maintain its daily service to Tokyo this summer, while increasing Calgary's capacity serving Incheon, Korea.

Route Frequency Start date End date Summer service change

Transatlantic

St. John's - Paris 1x weekly May 18 October 19

New route

St. John's - Dublin 2x weekly May 22 October 23

Returning route

St. John's - London (Gatwick) 4x weekly April 28 October 25

Increase frequency

Halifax - Paris 4x weekly May 16 October 25

Returning route

Halifax - Edinburgh 3x weekly May 15 October 14

Service extension

Halifax - Dublin 4x weekly May 20 October 13

Service extension

Transpacific

Calgary - Incheon 4x weekly March 31 October 19

The airline also will boost service from YYZ to Aruba, Kingston and Tampa by 33%, and from Pearson to FLL by 20%.

New U.S. and Domestic Flights

WestJet also is adding service to three new U.S. cities; Raleigh/Durham, Salt Lake City and Anchorage, and adding direct flights between Calgary and both Sydney, N.S. and Sudbury.

WestJet said it’s growing transborder service by 11% this summer, operating to 29 airports with more than 900 weekly departures, and continuing to enhance its connectivity from across Canada to Delta Air Line's major U.S. hubs. Through WestJet's longstanding partnership with Delta, guests connecting through Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Salt Lake City and Seattle will gain access to a vast network of U.S. destinations on a single purchased ticket with check-in for all flights at first departure, baggage tagged to their final destination and lounge access for select guests.

WestJet’s summer 2025 schedule features 10% growth network wide and domestic growth of 12%. As the airline introduces two new domestic and three new transborder destinations, along with 11 new routes across its network, WestJet is actively pursuing its strategy to improve air travel accessibility and affordability across Canada, officials said.

"WestJet's expanded summer schedule reflects our continued commitment to connecting Canadians by increasing our domestic and international capacity. In Canada alone we are growing capacity by 12%, operating to 41 airports with over 3,000 weekly departures," said John Weatherill, WestJet Group, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer. "Offering more options for business and leisure travel, we're excited to see our guests' stories take off this summer as we ensure Canadians have affordable and reliable access to visit the people and destinations they love."

This summer, WestJet will deliver double-digit increases in total seat capacity across 10 major Canadian airports:

Calgary 11%

Edmonton 23%

Kelowna 15%

Montreal 31%

Ottawa 36%

Regina 23%

Saskatoon 19%

Vancouver 12%

Victoria 18%

Winnipeg 19%

WestJet will welcome two new domestic destinations to its network this summer with direct and exclusive service to Calgary. These new domestic routes enhance opportunities for Canadians to explore the country along with increased access to connect onwards to WestJet's vast network of global destinations, through its global hub in Calgary.

Sudbury, Ontario: Bringing two-times weekly service to the largest metropolitan area in Canada currently without WestJet operations, the airline is opening a highly-anticipated gateway for Northern Ontario communities to connect to Western Canada for business and leisure getaways this summer.

Sydney, Nova Scotia: In alignment with WestJet's strategy, the airline continues to strengthen its seamless connectivity between Atlantic and Western Canada, with the addition of two-times weekly service between Sydney and Calgary.

Anchorage, Alaska: Launching two-times weekly service between Calgary and Anchorage, Canadians connecting via the airline's hub, will gain coveted seasonal access to Alaska's incredible recreational landscapes and popular cruise opportunities.

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina: Providing three-times weekly access between Calgary and one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities, WestJet will give Western Canadians seamless access to a thriving business hub, home to leading companies in healthcare, education and technology.

Salt Lake City, Utah: In addition to providing non-stop access to Utah's scenic landscapes, WestJet's new five-times weekly service between Edmonton and Salt Lake City will be monumental for business and leisure travellers.

In addition, WestJet will significantly grow Western Canada's summer connectivity to Florida, introducing four new routes to the sunshine state including a first-ever YVR-TPA flight.

WestJet also will extend between Winnipeg and Orlando to year round. In addition, Winnipeg-Nashville service will return for the full six-month summer season in 2025.

The acquisition of nine leased Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, along with Swoop and Sunwing planes, allows the airline to bolster its strategic fleet growth, while managing delays for direct-from-factory aircraft, airline officials said. Updating and refreshing the interior cabins of all of these aircraft will be prioritized as part of the airline's existing fleet reconfiguration plans, to ensure a consistent experience for guests across its operation as soon as possible. WestJet also has announced a series of measures aimed at making travel this coming winter a much better experience.

The Biden Administration Is Poised To Allow Israeli Citizens To Travel To The US Without A US Visa

The Biden administration is poised to admit Israel this week into an exclusive club that will allow its citizens to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa despite Washington's ongoing concerns about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinian Americans.

U.S. officials say an announcement of Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program is planned for late in the week, just before the end of the federal budget year on Saturday, which is the deadline for Israel’s admission without having to requalify for eligibility next year.

The Department of Homeland Security administers the program, which currently allows citizens of 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for three months without visas.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is set to make the announcement Thursday, shortly after receiving a recommendation from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel be admitted, according to five officials familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been publicly announced.

Blinken’s recommendation is expected to be delivered no later than Tuesday, the officials said, and the final announcement will come just eight days after President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. The leaders did not raise the issue in their brief remarks to reporters at that meeting but it has been a subject of intense negotiation and debate for months.

Israel’s admission into the program has been a priority for successive Israeli leaders and will be a major accomplishment for Netanyahu, who has sparred frequently with the Biden administration over Iran, the Palestinian conflict and most recently a proposed remake of Israel’s judicial system that critics say will make the country less democratic.

Netanyahu’s far-right government has drawn repeated U.S. criticism over its treatment of Palestinians, including its aggressive construction of West Bank settlements, its opposition to Palestinian statehood and incendiary anti-Palestinian comments by senior Cabinet ministers.

The U.S. move will give a welcome boost at home to Netanyahu. He has faced months of mass protests against his judicial plan and is likely to come under criticism from the Palestinians, who say the U.S. should not be rewarding the Israeli government at a time when peace efforts are at a standstill.

Israel met two of the three most critical criteria over the past two years — a low percentage of visa application rejections and a low visa overstay rate — to join the U.S. program. It had struggled to meet the third, which is a requirement for reciprocity that means all U.S. citizens, including Palestinian Americans, must be treated equally when traveling to or through Israel.

Claiming national security reasons, Israel has long had separate entry requirements and screening processes for Palestinian Americans. Many complained that the procedures were onerous and discriminatory. Americans with Palestinian residency documents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were largely barred from using Israel’s international airport. Instead, like other Palestinians, they were forced to travel through either Jordan or Egypt to reach their destinations.

In recent months, Israel has moved to adjust its entry requirements for Palestinian Americans, including allowing them to fly in and out of Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and going directly to the West Bank and Israel proper, according to the officials. Israel also has pledged to ease movement for Palestinian Americans traveling in and out of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

New regulations took effect earlier this month to codify the changes, although concerns remain and the Homeland Security Department intends to stress in its announcement that it will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that Israel complies, according to the officials. Failure to comply could result in Israel’s suspension from the program, the officials said.

Under the waiver program, Israelis will be able to travel to the U.S. for business or leisure purposes for up to 90 days without a visa simply by registering with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/author/matthew-lee

Discover Puerto Rico Celebrates Five Years Of Unprecedented Tourism Growth

On the heels of a record-breaking year in travel and tourism for Puerto Rico, Discover Puerto Rico, the Island's official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) reflects on a groundbreaking five years of continued growth for Puerto Rico's tourism economy, following a powerful brand evolution for the Island that has placed data-backed strategies at the forefront of award-winning marketing efforts.

Since its inception in July 2018, Discover Puerto Rico has effectively created and implemented multi-channel marketing tactics and campaigns designed for the progression of the destination and DMO, to help advance its mission of bringing prosperity to Puerto Rico by positioning the Island as a premier destination for leisure, business, and event travel. From being named among Fast Company's "World's Most Innovative Companies" in 2023 to winning three Emmy Awards for its series "Sounds like Puerto Rico," and hosting superstar Jimmy Fallon on-Island for a show taping, the DMO has excelled in both its creativity and execution in its mission.

"Despite facing some of the most extreme challenges in recent history, including natural weather events and the COVID-19 pandemic, our team led the travel inspiration that resulted in record-breaking numbers through strategic practices alongside local stakeholders, that drove travelers to the Island when we needed it most," said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. "I'm beyond proud of our accomplishments and look forward to continuing our visitation growth and further solidifying our standing as a best-in-class Destination Marketing Organization."

Following a data-driven and agile approach to marketing, Discover Puerto Rico has propelled economic prosperity for the people of Puerto Rico through the tourism sector and elevated the Island on a global scale, including global marketing in Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Colombia, among others in addition to the U.S. In recent years, the Island has reported peaks in incoming travelers, record revenues and more local tourism employees than ever. Highlight statistics include:

Approximately $8.7 billion in revenue was generated by travel and tourism through June 2023, a 63% increase from 2018 highs. (Tourism Economics) More than 5.6 million passengers arrived at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in the last fiscal year, an 8% increase over FY 21-22. (Aerostar) The Island now employs the most individuals in travel and tourism related jobs ever, over 93,600, a 22% increase over the previous high in 2019. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector in Puerto Rico has increased by 12.8% compared to pre-pandemic levels, while employment numbers in the U.S. remain 4% below when considering the same period. (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Breakthrough creative campaigns that elevate Puerto Rico's culture and diverse tourism offerings, paired with targeted media relations and thought leadership efforts, and award-winning content through owned channels, have driven massive results for the destination and the DMO. Among the most successful Discover Puerto Rico-led tactics, campaigns and more that led to these numbers include:

"Live Boricua" - Launched in May 2022, this innovative brand campaign is the manifestation of Discover Puerto Rico's focus on elevating local culture while underscoring values-based marketing. Live Boricua emphasizes diverse people and culture, with a distinction no other destination can claim: the word "Boricua," or a person born in Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican descent. The campaign's insights, creative and assets showcase the Puerto Rican way of life – and were developed by Boricuas. The campaign encourages travelers to embrace the spirit, passion and cultural uniqueness of the Island's people. Live Boricua has generated over 515 million in media impressions from earned media tactics and nearly 1.5 million pageviews driven by paid media, with over 483,000 of those visitors engaging with multiple pages on the site. The campaign undergoes constant reviews to enhance content, messaging and stay true to the local spirit of the Boricua community, informed by locals themselves.

"Sunshine to Spare" - Discover Puerto Rico partnered with the Pantone Color Institute to create a first-of-its-kind color inspired by the hue of Puerto Rican sunlight, based on findings by Puerto Rican physicist, Hector J. Jimenez. The new color – Puerto Rico Sunshine – has taken on a life of its own, with collaborations alongside notable entities like ECOS Paint and designer Christian Cowan. It has also sparked an unprecedented pride in the local Boricua community, with a multitude of small businesses creating unique products – from jewelry to popsicles – inspired by the color sold, now through the Sunshine Shop on the Discover Puerto Rico website. Travelers can also partake in the new Sunshine Route – a curated map that showcases how visitors can experience Puerto Rico Sunshine via a road trip to destinations across the Island, exploring both activities and products as part of the program. To date, this multifaceted campaign has garnered 1 billion impressions.

Elevating DMO and Island Talent into New Spaces – The DMO has made strides in giving a platform to both on-Island talent and DMO executives. Among these, Discover Puerto Rico partnered with leading Chef, Mario Pagan and local rum brands at Food & Wine festivals in Aspen and Austin with the goal of highlighting what it means to Live Boricua and promoting Puerto Rico's strong gastronomy and rum culture. Additionally, Brad Dean (CEO) and Leah Chandler (CMO) represented the DMO in leading conferences across industries, including South by Southwest, BrandSmart 2023 and the Reuters Strategic Marketing Conference, speaking on Discover Puerto Rico's unique values-based marketing approach, a testament to the DMO's best-in-class standing.

Standout efforts in meetings and events further promote Puerto Rico as a leading destination in the MICE space. Discover Puerto Rico's enhanced promotional efforts on the mainland have led to record breaking group numbers and a strong roster of events hosted on-Island, including the first ever Spanish countdown of Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve for two consecutive years, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Backlash, the Women in Travel Summit as well as the leading Hispanic award-show Premios Juventud. The DMO has set the stage for upcoming events including the Society of American Travel Writers' (SATW) annual conference and the International Gay Lesbian Travel Summit (IGLTA) Global Convention.

The DMO remains focused on strategies that safeguard the destination in the future. From a robust Crisis Communication Playbook to an additional tool that creates strategies to implement in light of economic turmoil, the Economic Playbook, preparedness measures outside of the proactive marketing efforts to attract travelers are prevalent and further demonstrate this DMO's holistic approach.

With its evolved and solidified brand positioning five years in the making, the DMO will continue to build on recent successes, promoting Puerto Rico on a global scale through a values-based marketing approach that continues to elevate the Boricua experience, the Island's growing infrastructure and the value propositions that make the destination an exceptional option for visitors.

About Discover Puerto Rico:

Discover Puerto Rico is a private, not-for-profit Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) whose mission is to make Puerto Rico visible to the world as a premier travel destination. The DMO brings prosperity to the people of Puerto Rico by collaboratively promoting the Island's diversity and uniqueness for leisure and business travel, and events. It is responsible for all global marketing, sales, and promotion of the destination and works collaboratively with key local governmental and non-governmental players throughout Puerto Rico's visitor economy and the community at large, to empower economic growth. To discover all the beauty the Island has to offer, visit DiscoverPuertoRico.com. 

Travelore News: The United States Becomes The 194th Member State Of UNESCO

Paris, 11 July 2023 - The United States officially accepted the Constitution of the United Nations Education, Culture and Science (UNESCO) on 10th July. From now on, it becomes, once more, a full member of UNESCO, which has 194 Member States.

"The return of the United States to UNESCO is complete: it has officially become a Member State of our Organization once again," Director-General Audrey Azoulay announced today. "This is excellent news for UNESCO. The momentum we have regained in recent years will now continue to grow. Our initiatives will be stronger throughout the world", she added.

On Sunday, the Secretary of State of the United States of America called the Director-General of UNESCO to inform her that he had just signed the United States’ Document of Acceptance to the UNESCO Constitution. The document still needed to be formally deposited with the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the depositary of UNESCO's Constitution. This has now been done.

With the filing of this document, the United States became the 194th Member State of UNESCO. "This is a historic moment. Our Organization is once again moving towards universality. I also want to share this victory for UNESCO with the entire United Nations family, because it is excellent news for multilateralism as a whole. If we want to meet the challenges of our century, there can only be a collective response", underscored Audrey Azoulay.

More resources for UNESCO’s Initiatives

At the beginning of June, the United States announced its intention to rejoin UNESCO to Audrey Azoulay, praising the way in which the Organization had succeeded in modernizing itself in recent years. Among the reasons for their return, they highlighted the launch of new initiatives to tackle contemporary challenges (including a global ethical framework for artificial intelligence and ocean protection programmes), the implementation of management reforms that have made the Organization more efficient, and the mediation efforts that have eased internal political tensions, particularly over the Middle East.

"This is not only an excellent track record, but also a roadmap for the future," opined Audrey Azoulay. "The return of the United States, and the additional resources that go with that, will help us to provide even better support for everyone around the world: pupils and students, researchers, academics, artists, educators, journalists - all those on whom our daily work is focused. UNESCO will also have more resources for its two strategic priorities, Africa and gender equality.”

More People From India Are Traveling Abroad, Particularly To The US

People from India have been traveling abroad more, and the United States is trying to accommodate the new tourism boom by opening two new consulates in the South Asian country.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been at the White House this week in what has been billed as a turning point for bilateral relations. Modi had plans to meet on Friday with numerous executives seeking to invest more in India as the U.S. pushes to process more visas.

In 2022, India became for the first time Asia’s highest source of international travelers, according to tourism consultancy IPK International. International travelers from India in 2022 exceeded those of China, South Korea, and Japan, the company said.

The U.S. tourism sector has taken note. "New markets like India may offset (other countries) and help us grow in the long run," said Geoff Freeman, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.

The United States will open two new consulates in India in the cities of Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, according to a joint statement from President Joe Biden and Modi.

The leaders directed officials to identify additional mechanisms to facilitate travel for business, tourism, and professional and technical exchanges between the two countries, according to the statement.

For the first five months of 2023, travel from India to the United States has exceeded pre-pandemic volumes, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce National Travel and Tourism Office. Other Asian countries are lagging, particularly China, where travelers have been slow to return to the United States post-pandemic.

India last year ranked third among overseas travelers visiting the United States, up from eighth in 2019. Those figures do not include cross-border visitors from Canada and Mexico. Executives said the activity reflects trends similar to those that emerged several years ago in China.

“When you think about the power of the Chinese(international) traveler (due to) that rising middle class and wealth creation there, India is going through the same evolution too," IHG Hotels and Resorts CEO Keith Barr said at a hospitality conference this month.

U.S. embassies and consulates in India have issued 44% more non-immigrant visas in 2023 than in the same period in 2019 and are on course to process over one million visas this year, a State Department spokesperson said.

"Our consular teams have been making a huge push to process as many visa applications as possible in India," said the spokesperson. "This is a top priority for our government."

The outlook for the rest of the year looks promising. Flight bookings from India to the United States for the last quarter of 2023 are 26% higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to ForwardKeys, a travel data firm.

The primary bottleneck for travelers has been waiting to get a first-time visitor visas. Wait times were 337 days in early April down from 669 days in mid-March, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

Air India recently launched non-stop service from Mumbai to New York and San Francisco and from Bengaluru to San Francisco.

"The number of people of Indian origin who have settled down in the U.S. have been increasing day-by-day for studies or employment. So the demands of their parents, in-laws and families to go has also been increasing,” said Rajiv Mehra, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators.

Reuters, Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; additional reporting by Indranil Sarkar in Bangalore, Aditi Shah in New Delhi and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio and Angus MacSwan

Travelore Update: Hawaii Lawmakers Fail To Pass Annual Park Fee For Tourists

Hawaii lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have made tourists help pay for the protection of the state’s forests and wildlife even though the idea has widespread public and political support.

Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House and Senate did not resolve their differences over the measure’s details in time for a deadline at the end of this year’s legislative session, which concludes Thursday.

The measure would have required tourists to pay for a yearlong license or pass to visit state parks and trails. Revenue would have paid for the maintenance and protection of parks, coral reefs, forests and wildlife such as dolphins.

About 10 million visitors come to Hawaii each year, while the state’s population numbers just 1.5 million. Many travelers like to hike in the state’s forests, snorkel over its coral reefs and view wildlife, all of which stress the environment.

A bill that passed in the Senate would have set the license fee for tourists at $50, but the House deleted the dollar amount. During the past week, lawmakers discussed appropriating $360,000 for five full-time state employees to implement the plan but failed to reach a final agreement.

Testimony overwhelmingly favored a bill. The governor and House and Senate leaders backed the concept. A 2022 public opinion survey conducted by the Hawaii Tourism Authority showed broad support for charging visitors to access state parks and trails.

Democratic state Sen. Chris Lee said the bulk of the discussion at the Legislature had to do with how to have visitors pay for upkeep, improvements and protection of parks and natural resources but not whether to do so.

“I don’t think the bill failed to pass on the merits of the legislation and of the idea that we ought to be leveraging visitors to pay for these things,” Lee said. “I think it was more the question of how and when.”

He expects the bill to come up for consideration again next year and for lawmakers to come together to pass it. He said there’s an appetite for steps that will reduce the effects of tourism on the environment and cut costs for residents.

A spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Josh Green said his administration views the bill’s failure as an opportunity to have a more comprehensive discussion on managing tourism.

“With all the feedback we’ve received from this year’s legislation, we are optimistic that we can develop a detailed bill for the next session that will ensure a more sustainable future for our keiki,” said Makana McClellan, using the Hawaiian word for children.

Carissa Cabrera, project manager for the Hawaii Green Fee, a coalition of nonprofit groups supporting a fee, said the bill got farther this session than previous iterations have in the past and had more support than ever before.
“Just because the bill has died, the idea is not dead,” she said.

By AUDREY McAVOY

Massive Winter Storm Brings Snow, Strong Winds, Frigid Cold, Thousands Of Flights Cancelled.

Brutal winter weather bringing snow, dangerous gusts of wind and bitter cold settled over much of the northern U.S. on Wednesday, shutting down roadways, closing schools and businesses and prompting dire warnings for people to stay home.

The massive storm with blizzard-like conditions to the north were part of a wild weather day across the U.S. Wind gusts, combined with snow and rain, forced closure of a long stretch of interstate highway in the Southwest. Meanwhile, many places in the mid-Atlantic down to Florida are expected to see record high temperatures — in some cases up to 40 degrees above normal.

Many schools throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin were called off for Wednesday, ahead of the storm. Offices closed, and so did the Minnesota Legislature. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem shut down state executive branch offices in several parts of the state, and employees were working remotely.

In Wyoming, virtually every road was impacted, and many were closed. Officials warned they may stay that way for days.

“Please change travel plans if your are coming towards Wyoming, waiting to go west from Cheyenne or Laramie on I-80, or waiting to go east on I-80 from Rock Springs,” the Wyoming Department of Transportation posted on Facebook. “A major winter storm and multi-day closures are likely on Interstates and secondary roads throughout Wyoming!”

Michelle Wilson said business was slow at the Denny’s where she works in Fargo, North Dakota, where the morning temperatures was minus 11 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 24 degrees Celsius). Wilson wasn’t surprised — people know better than to venture out when the weather turns this dangerous.

“When the wind picks up and your in a flat land like North Dakota, it’s whiteout conditions immediately,” Wilson said.

The storm will make its way toward the East Coast later in the week. Places that don’t get snow may get dangerous amounts of ice. Forecasters expect up to a half-inch of ice in some areas of southern Michigan, northern Illinois and some eastern states.

The snowfall could be historic, even in a region accustomed to heavy snow. As much as 25 inches may pile up, with the heaviest amounts falling across east-central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said. Wind gusts could reach 50 mph and wind chills are expected to hit minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius) in some parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area could see 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow or more for the first time in over 30 years.

Temperatures in the nation’s northern tier could plunge as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 degrees Celsius) Thursday and to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 32 degrees Celsius) Friday in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wind chills may fall to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius), said Nathan Rick, a meteorologist in Grand Forks.

Wind gusts may reach 50 mph in western and central Minnesota, resulting in “significant blowing and drifting snow with whiteout conditions in open areas,” the weather service said.

According to the weather service, the biggest snow event on record in the Twin Cities was 28.4 inches from Oct. 31 through Nov. 3, 1991 — known as the Halloween Blizzard. The second-largest was 21.1 inches of snow from Nov. 29 through Dec. 1, 1985. The Twin Cities got 20 inches of snow on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23, 1982.

Hardware store owners said residents were generally taking the forecast in stride.

At C&S Supply, an employee-owned hardware store in Mankato, Minnesota, manager Corey Kapaun said demand was high for salt and grit, but not for shovels, snow blowers or other equipment. He attributed that to the fact that winter is two-thirds over.

“I think people are either prepared or they’re not,” Kapaun said. “It’s usually the first snowfall of the year that gets a lot of attention. With a storm like this, I expected a little bit more, but we’ve already had a big year of snow already.”

Forecasters at AccuWeather said the same storm system could result in icing across a 1,300-mile (2,092 -kilometer) band from near Omaha, Nebraska, to New Hampshire on Wednesday and Thursday, creating potential travel hazards in or near cities such as Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and Boston.

As the northern U.S. deals with a winter blast, record warmth is expected in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast — 30 degrees to 40 degrees above normal in some places. Record highs are expected from Baltimore to New Orleans and in much of Florida, National Weather Service Meteorologist Frank Pereira said.

Washington, D.C., could hit 80 degrees on Thursday, which would top the record of 78 degrees set in 1874.

A more than 200-mile stretch of Interstate 40 from central Arizona to the New Mexico line closed Wednesday morning due to wind gusts reaching up to 80 mph, plus snow and rain. Thousands were without power in Arizona.

California was also preparing for the latest in a series of winter storms as winds that began blowing Tuesday brought the potential for rain, snow and hail for much of the state. A “major snow event” was possible in foothills and mountains near Los Angeles, with several inches predicted even for elevations as low as 1,000 feet, the weather service said.

“Nearly the entire population of CA will be able to see snow from some vantage point later this week if they look in the right direction (i.e., toward the highest hills in vicinity),” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain wrote on Twitter.

Daytime temperatures in Southern California were unlikely to get out of the low to mid-50s and potentially damaging winds reaching 50 mph were predicted along the central coast, with gusts of 70 mph possible in mountains.

By TRISHA AHMED and JIM SALTER

New Orlando Terminal Is $2.8 Billion Bet On Florida Tourism

Visitors to the new terminal at Orlando International Airport may want to wear sunscreen, shades and a floppy hat.

Sun rays beaming through the windows of its soaring ceilings don’t just peck at the passing passengers — they practically smooch them as if they were spending a day at the beach.

Accompanied by realistic-looking fake indoor palm trees, gigantic LED screens depicting underwater springs and skylight views of blue skies and billowing clouds, Terminal C lets passengers know they have arrived in Florida. And that’s the point, as the world’s seventh-busiest airport makes a $2.8 billion bet when the 1.8 million-square-foot (167,225-square-meter) terminal opens to the public this week that Florida’s tourism is moving well beyond the pandemic slowdown and has a bright future.

“They get to see the sunshine so they really know they are in the Sunshine State,” Kevin Thibault, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, said of passengers arriving in the terminal. “It really is a facility for generations to come.”

With 40.3 million passengers last year, Orlando International Airport was the busiest airport in Florida, according to Airports Council International. However, that figure was still a fifth below the number of passengers in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic. For 2022, the airport had a rolling 12-month total at the end of June of 47 million passengers, just shy of the 50.6 million who came in 2019.

The addition of Terminal C gives the airport the ability to handle 12 million more passengers at the terminal’s 15 new gates in a first phase, increasing the airport’s capacity by a quarter. Airport officials say it will ease some of the crowding that had grown in the decade before the start of the pandemic at the airport’s other two terminals as central Florida became the most visited destination in the U.S.

The Orlando area had 59.3 million visitors last year, up two-thirds from 35.3 million in 2020, when central Florida’s theme parks shut down for several months and international travel was limited in an attempt to stop the virus’ spread. However, last year’s Orlando area visitor numbers still fell short of the pre-pandemic high of 75.8 million in 2019.

Like Orlando, the state of Florida this year is on pace to match its pre-pandemic tourism figures now that restrictions on international travel have been lifted. Florida had 122 million visitors last year, still short of the 131 million in 2019. But the first two quarters of this year put Florida’s 2022 visitor numbers on pace to match those from three years ago.
Officials at Orlando International Airport said the new terminal is one of the most technologically advanced in the U.S.

Suitcases and other baggage at Terminal C will be deposited in large, chip-embedded tubs that are tracked through radio frequency technology. The tubs reduce opportunities for wheels or straps to cause jams in the maze of conveyor belts that move luggage, and the system allows bags to always be tracked. The goal at the Orlando airport, which gets the most strollers and golf clubs of any in the U.S., is to move bags from a gate to the baggage carousel within five minutes, airport officials said.

“We don’t have to track the bag anymore. We are tracking the transport device,” said Scott Goodwin, assistant director of airport operations.

Passengers on international flights who have opted in can match their passport photos with facial scans at departure gates, speeding up the boarding process. At security checkpoints leading to gates, passengers will be able to place their carry-on bags in bins on automated conveyor belts rather than pushing them along tables until they reach the X-ray machines, speeding up the screening process by allowing travelers to bypass slowpokes in line.

“You can move ahead, grab a bin and you won’t seem impolite to anyone,” said Sari Koshetz, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration.

Terminal C is located across from a newly-built train station that will serve Brightline, a higher-speed line that is starting runs between South Florida and Orlando early next year. Airport officials believe that will open up Orlando International Airport to Europe-bound passengers from South Florida who may have previously used Miami International Airport.

Thibault said Orlando International Airport officials currently are in conversations about having seamless ticketing between Brightline and the terminal’s airlines, which include Aer Lingus, British Airways, Emirates, JetBlue and Lufthansa.

More than 90% of the terminal’s restaurants and stores, which include mandatory shops from Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando, are past security checkpoints in an effort to give departing passengers time to shop and eat once they are past security screening.

Arriving passengers will be flooded by sunlight since they will be on the upper-most level of skylighted Terminal C, a flip from the traditional design of having arrivals on the lower level and departures on the upper level.

“We want them to feel the sunshine. We want them to feel them palm trees, the flora and fauna,” said Curtis Fentress, whose firm was the terminal’s design architect. “It brings light into the building in a way that sort of dapples, like the light that used to stream through the orange orchards, historically.”

By MIKE SCHNEIDER

US Details New International COVID-19 Travel Requirements

WASHINGTON (AP) — Children under 18 and people from dozens of countries with a shortage of vaccines will be exempt from new rules that will require most travelers to the United States be vaccinated against COVID-19, the Biden administration announced.

The government said Monday it will require airlines to collect contact information on passengers regardless of whether they have been vaccinated to help with contact tracing, if that becomes necessary.

Beginning Nov. 8, foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States will need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions, and all travelers will need to be tested for the virus before boarding a plane to the U.S. There will be tightened restrictions for American and foreign citizens who are not fully vaccinated.

The new policy comes as the Biden administration moves away from restrictions that ban non-essential travel from several dozen countries — most of Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, India and Iran — and instead focuses on classifying individuals by the risk they pose to others.

It also reflects the White House’s embrace of vaccination requirements as a tool to push more Americans to get the shots by making it inconvenient to remain unvaccinated.

Under the policy, those who are vaccinated will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within three days of travel, while the unvaccinated must present a test taken within one day of travel.

Children under 18 will not be required to be fully vaccinated because of delays in making them eligible for vaccines in many places. They will still need to take a COVID-19 test unless they are 2 or younger.

Others who will be exempt from the vaccination requirement include people who participated in COVID-19 clinical trials, who had severe allergic reactions to the vaccines, or are from a country where shots are not widely available.

That latter category will cover people from countries with vaccination rates below 10% of adults. They may be admitted to the U.S. with a government letter authorizing travel for a compelling reason and not just for tourism, a senior administration official said. The official estimated that there are about 50 such countries.

The U.S. will accept any vaccine approved for regular or emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization. That includes Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines. Mixing-and-matching of approved shots will be permitted.

The Biden administration has been working with airlines, who will be required to enforce the new procedures. Airlines will be required to verify vaccine records and match them against identity information.

Quarantine officers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will spot-check passengers who arrive in the U.S. for compliance, according to an administration official. Airlines that don’t enforce the requirements could be subject to penalties of up to nearly $35,000 per violation.

The new rules will replace restrictions that began in January 2020, when President Donald Trump banned most non-U.S. citizens coming from China. The Trump administration expanded that to cover Brazil, Iran, the United Kingdom, Ireland and most of continental Europe. President Joe Biden left those bans in place and expanded them to South Africa and India.

Biden came under pressure from European allies to drop the restrictions, particularly after many European countries eased limits on American visitors.

“The United States is open for business with all the promise and potential America has to offer,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said after Monday’s announcement.

The main trade group for the U.S. airline industry praised the administration’s decision.

“We have seen an increase in ticket sales for international travel over the past weeks, and are eager to begin safely reuniting the countless families, friends and colleagues who have not seen each other in nearly two years, if not longer,” Airlines for America said in a statement.

The pandemic and resulting travel restrictions have caused international travel to plunge. U.S. and foreign airlines plan to operate about 14,000 flights across the Atlantic this month, just over half the 29,000 flights they operated during October 2019, according to data from aviation-research firm Cirium.

Henry Harteveldt, a travel-industry analyst in San Francisco, said the lifting of country-specific restrictions will help, but it will be tempered by the vaccination and testing requirements.

“Anyone hoping for an explosion of international inbound visitors will be disappointed,” he said. “Nov. 8 will be the start of the international travel recovery in the U.S., but I don’t believe we see full recovery until 2023 at the earliest.”

The Biden administration has not proposed a vaccination requirement for domestic travel, which the airlines oppose fiercely, saying it would be impractical because of the large number of passengers who fly within the U.S. every day.

US To Reopen Land Borders In November For Fully Vaccinated

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the country moves to require all international visitors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Vehicle, rail and ferry travel between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico has been largely restricted to essential travel, such as trade, since the earliest days of the pandemic. The new rules, announced Wednesday, will allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals to enter the U.S. regardless of the reason for travel starting in early November, when a similar easing of restrictions is set to kick in for air travel into the country. By mid-January, even essential travelers seeking to enter the U.S., like truck drivers, will need to be fully vaccinated.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he was “pleased to be taking steps to resume regular travel in a safe and sustainable manner” and lauded the economic benefits of it.

Both Mexico and Canada have pressed the U.S. for months to ease restrictions on travel that have separated families and curtailed leisure trips since the onset of the pandemic. The latest move follows last month’s announcement that the U.S. will end country-based travel bans for air travel and instead require vaccination for foreign nationals seeking to enter by plane.

Travelore News: Los Angeles OKs One Of Strictest US Vaccination Mandates

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles leaders on Wednesday approved one of the nation’s strictest vaccine mandates — a sweeping measure that requires the shots for everyone entering bars, restaurants, nail salons, gyms or even a Lakers game.

The City Council voted 11-2 in favor of the ordinance that will require proof of full vaccination for patrons and workers starting Nov. 4.

Mayor Eric Garcetti signed it Wednesday afternoon.

“Vaccinating more Angelenos is our only way out of this pandemic, and we must do everything in our power to keep pushing those numbers up,” Garcetti said in a statement. “These new rules will encourage more people to get the shot, and make businesses safer for workers and customers — so that we can save more lives.

move came after the City Council postponed a vote last week to deal with concerns ranging from who could be fined for violations to whether employees could end up in fist-fights when they have to serve as vaccine door monitors.

Some critics charge that a mandate would amount to segregation of those who cannot or refuse to be vaccinated. Others call it unenforceable.

Business trade groups have said the city mandate will sow confusion because Los Angeles County’s own vaccine rules — which apply both in Los Angeles and in dozens of surrounding communities — are less sweeping.

Cities, however, are allowed to pass rules more stringent than the county’s

City Council members who support the ordinance said it is aimed at reducing the risk of new COVID-19 surges. The nation’s second-most populous city faced a huge rise in infections and hospitalizations last winter and a smaller surge this summer linked to the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.

The ordinance would require people to be fully vaccinated to enter indoor public spaces including shopping malls, restaurants, bars, gyms, sports arenas, museums, spas, nail salons, indoor city facilities and other locations. Current vaccine eligibility includes people age 12 and up. Children under that age aren’t yet eligible for the vaccine.

Negative coronavirus tests within 72 hours of entry to those places would be required for people with religious or medical exemptions for vaccinations.

Customers without proof can still use outdoor facilities and can briefly enter a business to use a restroom or pick up a food order.

Council President Nury Martinez has said it is clear that the vaccines work but too many people remain unvaccinated despite widespread availability and door-to-door campaigns to vaccinate more people. She called the mandate “a necessary step towards returning to normalcy” and the lifting of mask requirements and other restrictions.

The ordinance came at a time when COVID-19 cases are plunging while political ambitions in Los Angeles are rising — two council members are running for mayor, as is the city attorney who wrote the proposal.

Councilman and mayoral candidate Joe Buscaino voted against the mandate. Last week during a council meeting he challenged the measure as being “clear as mud” regarding enforcement.

Buscaino also had noted that the conflict between the city’s measure and county’s vaccination mandate, which only covers patrons and workers at indoor bars, wineries, breweries, lounges and nightclubs.

He failed to win several amendments to the measure, including one that would make it a crime to harass employees who try to enforce it.

Councilman John Lee also opposed the measure, calling it “punitive toward businesses,” which are required to request customer proof of vaccination. Businesses can be given a warning for a first offense but fined up to $5,000 for repeated violations of the rules, starting on Nov. 29.

Of the county’s roughly 10 million residents, 78% have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 69% are fully vaccinated, according to public health officials.

The county on Wednesday reported 31 new deaths and nearly 1,500 new cases of COVID-19. Health officials said the county has reported 14 deaths a day, on average, even though deaths and hospitalization figures have plunged by some 50% since late August.

California health officials reported more than 5,000 new cases statewide, mostly among the unvaccinated. Nearly 85% of eligible Californians have received at least one vaccine dose.

A growing number of places across the U.S., including San Francisco and New York City, are requiring people to show proof of vaccination to enter various types of businesses and venues.

In San Francisco, proof of vaccination for staff and patrons has been required since Aug. 20 in indoor places where food or drink is consumed, where aerobic exercise occurs such as gyms, and here large groups gather such as entertainment venues.

Businesses have complied with the order and officials have not issued any notices of violation or levied any fines, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

San Francisco also has a mandate requiring masks in all indoor businesses but public health officials in the city and in surrounding San Francisco Bay Area communities are expected to announce this week criteria that would allow officials to lift indoor mask mandates.

New York City this summer began requiring proof of vaccination to dine inside restaurants and bars, or to enter certain types of public places, including museums, theaters, gyms, indoor sports arenas and concert halls.

Compliance has been mixed and enforcement purposefully light, with the city favoring initial warnings for violators and fines for repeat offenders.

Travel Rebound: 2 Million People Go Through US Airports

DALLAS (AP) — The airline industry’s recovery from the pandemic passed a milestone as more than 2 million people streamed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday for the first time since early March 2020.

The Transportation Security Administration announced Saturday that 2.03 million travelers were screened at airport checkpoints on Friday. It was the first time in 15 months that the number of security screenings has surpassed 2 million in a single day.

Airline bookings have been picking up since around February, as more Americans were vaccinated against COVID-19 and – at least within the United States – travel restrictions such as mandatory quarantines began to ease.

The recovery is not complete. Friday’s crowds were only 74% of the volume compared to the same day in 2019. However, the 2.03 million figure was 1.5 million more travelers than the same day last year, according to the TSA.

The 2-million mark represents quite a turnaround for the travel industry, which was hammered by the pandemic. There were days in April 2020 when fewer than 100,000 people boarded planes in the U.S., and the CEO of Boeing predicted that at least one major U.S. airline would go bankrupt.

Most of the airlines are still losing money. Southwest eked out a narrow first-quarter profit thanks to its share of $64 billion in federal pandemic relief to the industry, and others are expected to follow suit later this year.

The fear of large-scale furloughs has lifted. United Airlines, which lost $7 billion and threatened to furlough 13,000 workers last fall, told employees this week that their jobs are secure even when the federal money runs out in October.

That’s because airlines like United are upbeat about salvaging the peak summer vacation season. International travel and business trips are still deeply depressed, but domestic leisure travel is roughly back to pre-pandemic levels, airline officials say.

The airlines are recalling employees from voluntary leave and planning to hire small numbers of pilots and other workers later this year.

Hotel operators say they too have seen bookings improve as vaccination rates rise.

Mike Gathright, a senior vice president at Hilton, said the company’s hotels were 93% full over the Memorial Day weekend. He said the company is “very optimistic” about leisure travel over the summer and a pickup in business travel this fall.

“The vaccine distribution, the relaxed travel restrictions, consumer confidence — all of that is driving occupancy and improvement in our business,” Gathright said.

Prior to the pandemic, TSA screened on average 2 million to 2.5 million travelers per day. The lowest screening volume during the pandemic was on April 13, 2020, when just 87,534 individuals were screened at airport security checkpoints.

By the middle of last month, TSA’s average daily volume for screenings was approximately 65% of pre-pandemic levels.

As the summer travel season approaches, TSA is advising passengers to arrive at the airport with sufficient time to accommodate increased screening time as traveler volumes are expected to approach and in some cases exceed pre-pandemic levels at certain airports.

By DAVID KOENIG

US ‘Real ID’ Deadline Is Now May 2023 Because Of COVID-19

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans will have more time to get the Real ID that they will need to board a flight or enter federal facilities.

The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday extended the Real ID deadline until May 3, 2023. The deadline had been Oct. 1, 2021, but it was becoming clear that many people wouldn’t make it, in part because the COVID-19 outbreak has made it harder for states to issue new licenses.

Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission.

The updated cards will be required for airport check-in and to enter federal facilities.

People are getting compliant IDs as they renew, but it takes time and the process has been slowed by the pandemic, with many state agencies operating at limited capacity.

DHS says only 43% of all driver’s licenses and identification cards are compliant.

Older IDs will be suitable to allow people to drive, buy liquor or other age-regulated products, and gamble at casinos. Travelers also can use military IDs or passports to access flights and federal facilities.

US Tightens Definition Of Service Animals Allowed On Planes

The days of pets flying with their owners in airplane cabins for free are coming to an end. The Transportation Department issued a final rule Wednesday covering animals on airlines. It decided that only dogs can fly as service animals, and companions that passengers use for emotional support don’t count. The rule aims to settle years of tension between airlines and passengers who bring their pets on board for free by saying they need them for emotional help. Under a longstanding department policy, all the passengers needed was a note from a health professional. Airlines argued that passengers abused the situation to bring a menagerie of animals on board including cats, turtles, pot-bellied pigs and, in one case, a peacock. The agency said Wednesday that it was rewriting the rules partly because passengers carrying unusual animals on board “eroded the public trust in legitimate service animals.” It also cited the increasing frequency of people “fraudulently representing their pets as service animals,” and a rise in misbehavior by emotional-support animals, ranging from peeing on the carpet to biting other passengers.

The Transportation Department proposed the new rule back in January and received more than 15,000 comments. While 3,000 commenters favored dropping protections for support animals, 6,000 spoke in favor of them, including people suffering from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, the department said. The Paralyzed Veterans of America said the mere presence of a dog, cat or rabbit — even if untrained — can help some travelers, and pet fees of up to $175 one-way are a hardship on low-income people. The new rule will force passengers with support animals to check them into the cargo hold — and pay a pet fee — or leave them at home. The agency estimated that airlines will gain up to $59.6 million a year in pet fees. The number of animals on planes took off several years ago, and a cottage industry grew around providing papers, doctor’s notes and even dog vests for support animals. Delta Air Lines says it carried about 250,000 animals including service dogs in 2017 and about 600,000 last year.

Under the final rule, which takes effect in 30 days, a service animal is a dog trained to help a person with a physical or psychiatric disability. Advocates for veterans and others had pushed for inclusion of psychiatric service dogs. Airlines will be able to require owners to vouch for the dog’s health, behavior and training. Airlines can require people with a service dog to turn in paperwork up to 48 hours before a flight, but they can’t bar those travelers from checking in online like other passengers. Airlines can require that service dogs to be leashed at all times, and they can bar dogs that show aggressive behavior. There have been incidents of support animals biting passengers and growling or barking at guide dogs for the blind. Airlines for America, a trade group for the biggest U.S. carriers, said the new rule will protect passengers and airline employees while helping people travel with trained service dogs. The Transportation Department stood by an earlier decision to prohibit airlines from banning entire dog breeds as service animals. That is a setback for Delta Air Lines, which banned “pit bull type dogs” in 2018, a move that was criticized by disability advocates. Delta, however, is giving no indication of backing down. In a statement, a Delta spokeswoman said the airline is reviewing the new rule but, “At this time, there are no changes to Delta’s current service and support animal policies.” ___ David Koenig can be reached at www.twitter.com/airlinewriter