12 things in travel you need to know today

12 Things in Travel You Need to Know Today
(This is a recurring post, updated daily with new information):

Monday, August 12
Yesterday’s TSA checkpoint numbers
TSA officers screened 2,850,642 people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, August 11. One year ago on the same day: 2,684,914.

Evacuations ordered near Athens as Greek authorities try to contain wildfires
A fast-spreading wildfire a tore through several neighborhoods close to the Greek capital of Athens on Monday, prompting authorities to urge residents to evacuate their homes. Some 685 firefighters and 32 water-bombing aerial units have been deployed to extinguish the blaze that began Sunday near the town of Varnavas, north of Athens, local authorities said.  CNN

 

TSA liquid limits on air travelers likely to remain in place until 2040
A plan to make airport security lines move a little quicker we’ll have to wait. The 3.4-ounce rule on liquids will remain in place for now. The Transportation Security Administration said a scanner able to detect liquids up to two liters will not be implemented until at least 2040, largely due to the volume of passengers. TravelPulse

 

4 flight attendants hurt in flight to Charlotte from Tampa
Four flight attendants were hurt in a flight from Tampa Bay to Charlotte, according to American Airline officials. Officials state that American Airline flight 2905 landed safely at Charlotte Douglas International after encountering unexpected turbulence. Four flight attendants were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. There were no reported injuries to any passengers. WBTV

 

Pilot killed as helicopter crashes into Australian hotel
A pilot has died after their helicopter crashed into the roof of a hotel in the northern Queensland city of Cairns. The aircraft hit the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel at around 0150am local time on Monday (1650B Sunday), sparking a fire and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of guests. BBC

 

Fly like Iron Man. Join a battle in Wakanda. Here are the major theme park projects Disney has announced
On the heels of an earnings report with slumping domestic parks attendance, Disney announced a slew of future theme park and cruise projects to be developed in the coming years, including a villains-themed land, an “Encanto” ride, an ability to take flight like Iron Man, and a new level of audio-animatronic technology that will bring Walt Disney to life in front of guests. CNN

 

Paris and the Olympics have changed each other during their summer fling
In French, there are no goodbyes. Instead, Olympic crowds from Paris to the surfing venue in Tahiti were saying “au revoir” — see you again — as the 2024 Games drew to a close Sunday. After the 100-year wait since Paris’ last Games, no one can say when France’s capital and the Olympics will next embrace. But this much is certain: They’re both emerging changed — in some ways for the better — from their summer romance. AP

 

‘We don’t have an Eiffel Tower. We do have a Hollywood sign’: What to expect from LA28
After the Paris Olympics conclude Sunday, the Paralympics will run Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, then the squash racket, lacrosse stick and cricket ball − all sporting additions to the 2028 Games − will be in Los Angeles’ court. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and and LA28 Olympic Games chair Casey Wasserman, who are in Paris as part of a U.S. presidential delegation to the Olympics that was led by First Lady Jill Biden, provided a few details Saturday to reporters about what sports fans − and Angelenos − can expect to see four years from now. LA Times

 

Long Beach — no, not Venice — stars in Olympics closing ceremony with Snoop, Dr. Dre, Billie Eilish
There was an almost comical air of secrecy as dozens, then hundreds, of workers buzzed around Rosie’s dog beach for the Olympics closing ceremony filming. When the film trucks started rolling into Long Beach’s Belmont Shore last week, nobody thought much about it. The residential oceanfront neighborhood is such a frequent film set — Jeep commercials, “Dexter,” Netflix miniseries “Griselda” — locals mostly shrug when the crews arrive, then carefully steer their curious dogs away from the catering tents. Los Angeles Times

 

How not to be a terrible tourist: What Europeans want travelers to know
Travel can be exhilarating or awful, and like it or not, we all leave footprints. Of course, some tourists tread more heavily than others, leaving residents swearing, slack-jawed or just shaking their heads. In this busy European travel season, here are some things tourism professionals and local people would like you to know, so you won’t be that tourist: LA Times

 

Why some residents of European hot spots just want tourists to stay away
For people who live in particularly picturesque quarters of charming European cities, the words “Instagrammable” or “Tik-Tok famous” can feel like harbingers of doom. Or harbingers, at the very least, of intense annoyance. Across the continent, this has been a summer of visitor-related discontent. The stresses of over-tourism sometimes spur irate displays directed at outsiders — such as attention-grabbing anti-tourist protests in Barcelona last month, with demonstrators wielding water pistols, or hostile graffiti popping up in places like Athens. LA Times

 

Trump’s plane grounded after emergency landing—Now he’s flying Jeffrey Epstein’s jet
After former President Trump lost the 2020 election, he no longer had access to Air Force One and his private Boeing 757 was left in disrepair. At the time I wrote that if you wanted to know when he was ready to run again, just watch his private private plane which has gold-plated everything down to the seat belts. When he announced his candidacy for President seven years ago, he claimed to be worth $10 billion (though self-reported election filings suggested wealth one-eighth that). Yet he asked his small donors to pay for repairs on the plane, registration N757AF, which had been stored at Newburgh-Stewart airport in New York. View from the Wing

 

Sunday, August 11
Yesterday’s TSA checkpoint numbers
TSA officers screened 2,474,769 people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, August 10. One year ago on the same day: 2,322,724.

 

Aviation experts weigh in on the mystery of fatal plane crash in Brazil
All eyes are on Brazil after the tragic plane crash that killed 61 people when the jet hurled down in a mysterious death spiral. Residents of the small village of Vinhedo outside Sao Paulo could only watch in horror as the passenger plane began its deadly spiral to the ground on Friday, crashing into a garden. The VoePass Flight 2283 was only minutes away from landing to Sao Paulo Guarulhos airport when the tragedy struck, killing all on board. Metro

 

Eight cancer doctors among dead in Brazil plane crash – as seven others changed flight at last minute
At least eight cancer doctors who were heading to an oncology conference were among the scores killed in the plane crash in Brazil’s Vinhedo on Friday, an official has said. The ATR 72 twin-engine plane carrying 58 passengers and four crew members was headed for Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport when it nose-dived and crashed in Vinhedo, said Veopass airlines, which operated the aircraft. The Independent

 

Hotel workers vote to strike at several of Waikiki’s biggest hotels
Nearly 5,000 unionized hotel workers in Waikiki voted to strike on Thursday to pressure Waikiki’s largest hotels into better contracts, according to Unite Here Local 5. Members said that after months of negotiations, they are tired of being ignored by the offshore hotel owners and mainland operators. Workers are asking for raises that keep up with inflation, Hawaii’s high cost of living, safe workloads, and proper staffing. Hawaii NewsNow

 

Boston hotel workers vote to authorize citywide strike
Boston hotel workers have voted on a citywide strike to fight for better wages and reversal of COVID-era staffing cuts. Members of the Local 26 labor union claim their new contract is “insulting,” demanding higher wages and updated benefits. Workers claim they are struggling to make ends meet with their current wages and benefits. WHDH 7News

 

San Francisco hotel workers vote ‘yes’ to potential strike
Thousands of San Francisco hotel workers authorized their union Friday to call a strike as early as next week, joining other industry employees in several cities who also approved potential walkouts as contract negotiations with large employers have yet to produce a deal. The hospitality union Unite Here could hold a work stoppage after Aug. 14, when contracts covering 3,000 employees at eight Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton hotels in downtown San Francisco expire. The strike authorization vote passed with 94% support, according to the union, which represents housekeepers, bellmen, dishwashers, bartenders and other workers. KQED

 

Dozens of tourists fall ill with diarrhea, vomiting at five star island resort
A group of British holidaymakers have been diagnosed with a gastric illness after they attended a family wedding at a five star resort abroad. Around 24 people say they experienced vomiting, diarrhea and fevers after staying at the TUI Blue Sensatori Atlantica Aphrodite Hills Hotel in Kouklia, Cyprus. NY Post

 

UK security stepped up for Taylor Swift’s upcoming shows after foiled terror plot in Vienna
Taylor Swift was forced to cancel her concerts in Vienna after a terror attack was foiled by police. Ahead of Taylor’s upcoming shows in the UK. London has been given the green light to continue but with a boost in security. The Met Police confirmed that Taylor’s upcoming five concerts at Wembley Stadium, kicking off on August 15, will have additional safety measures, like walk through metal detectors for attendees. The Mirror

 

Perseid Meteor Shower 2024: Peak time and how to watch
Our universe might be chock-full of cosmic wonder, but you can observe only a fraction of astronomical phenomena with your naked eye. Meteor showers, natural fireworks that streak brightly across the night sky, are one of them. The latest observable meteor shower will be the Perseids, which have been active since mid-July and are forecast to continue until the end of August, at the latest. They reach their peak Aug. 11 to 12, or Sunday night into Monday morning. NY Times

 

Turbulence is up. Mandating a seatbelt might not be the answer, pilot says
But whenever people are in their seat, Tajer says they should wear their seat belt, regardless of what the sign says. The answer isn’t “having a law that says you must have your seat belt on anytime you’re seated…the answer is continued education,” Tajer continued. “As basic as it is, the highest form of technology that can keep you from getting injured is having the seat belt on,” Tajer said, adding that “severe turbulence is happening more frequently in our anecdotal experience and there’s usually a warning but sometimes there isn’t.” Fox Business

 

“Double Arch” geological formation in southern Utah collapses
A large geological feature in southern Utah known as the “Double Arch,” the “Hole in the Roof” and sometimes the “Toilet Bowl” has collapsed, National Park Service officials said Friday. No injuries were reported. The popular arch in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area fell Thursday, and park rangers suspect changing water levels and erosion from waves in Lake Powell contributed to its demise. CBS News

 

Australians can start using PreCheck and Global Entry in 2025
Australian travelers will soon be allowed to use a pair of expedited security services at U.S. airports, joining lines that feed into customs inspections and Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. According to a news release from the Embassy of Australia in Washington, the United States and Australia signed an agreement Monday that allows Australians to apply for Global Entry, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that helps paying members speed through customs using the Global Entry app or a kiosk. Australians approved for Global Entry will also be able use TSA PreCheck, which speeds up the checkpoint process at more than 200 U.S. airports with a separate line. Washington Post

 

Dave Matthews Band incident: 20 years after disgusting mishap in Chicago, victims now can laugh about it
On that sunny Sunday afternoon in 2004, a bus driver for the rock group passed over the Chicago River and discharged 800 pounds of liquid waste from the vehicle’s septic tank that passed through the steel grating of the Kinzie Street Bridge and showered dozens of passengers who were enjoying an architectural boat cruise. WBEZ Chicago

 

Saturday, August 10
Yesterday’s TSA checkpoint numbers
TSA officers screened TSA DOESN’T UPDATE ON WEEKENDS people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, August 9. One year ago on the same day: 2,654,716.

No survivors after plane carrying 61 people crashes in Brazil, authorities say
There are no survivors after a Voepass flight carrying 61 people crashed in Brazil on Friday, according to authorities. The passenger plane was traveling from Cascavel, Brazil, and was bound for Guarulhos Airport, near Sao Paulo, the airline said. The plane had 57 passengers and four crew members on board, the airline said. All died in the crash, State of Sao Paulo firefighters confirmed to ABC News. ABC News

 

What may have caused Brazil plane to crash?
Arthur Rosenberg, a former pilot and aerospace engineer, suspects propeller failure, engine failure and icing may have caused a Brazilian plane to crash outside São Paulo, killing 61 people. Rosenberg said airplane passengers shouldn’t be concerned and that flying is still safe. NewsNation

 

Flags banned, signs ripped up: Why you can’t mention Taiwan at the Olympics
In response to a request for comment, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday that it firmly opposed any attempts to use the Olympic Games to “manipulate the Taiwan issue.” “The International Olympic Committee has always adhered to the one-China principle and has made clear regulations, which are universally observed by the international sports community,” the ministry said in a statement. “The Olympic Charter clearly stipulates that any political propaganda or expression at the Olympic venues is strictly prohibited.” NBC News

 

Group of Southwest Airlines passengers sue airline over $5 fee
The 5th Circuit US Court of Appeals says a group of Southwest Airlines passengers cannot make a class action suit out of a $5.60 fee on airline tickets. The fee is to cover TSA costs. Audacy

 

Southwest employee charged for stealing $79,000 in flight voucher
A Southwest Airlines employee working at St. Louis Lambert International Airport has been charged with stealing $79,000 worth of travel vouchers. In court documents, airport police said Brooklyn Jones stole the vouchers between Aug. 1 and Sept. 28, 2023. Jones’ year of birth is listed as 2003, but his age is not mentioned. KSDK

 

European mass tourism protests could spread, according to UNESCO
This summer, protestors across Spainhave highlighted a lack of affordable housing and overcrowding. In Mallorca, Granada, Málaga, and Gran Canaria, locals flooded the streets to demand change, hoping for a sustainable future. Their cause? The fight against mass tourism. The Manual

 

Europe’s bathing waters remain safe
The vast majority of bathing water sites in Europe met the European Union’s most stringent ‘excellent’ bathing quality standards in 2023, according to the latest annual bathing water assessment published today. This represents 85% of Europe’s popular bathing waters. As much as 96% of all officially identified bathing waters in the EU met the minimum quality standards, with only 1.5% rated as ‘poor’. European Environment Agency

 

Japan’s Toyota promises to do better with vehicle testing after major scandal
Toyota promised Friday to strengthen oversight of its vehicle certification so the scandal that surfaced recently over improper tests will never recur. Japan’s top automaker outlined in detail the measures it will take, including greater managerial involvement, assigning more staff to certification tasks and clarifying responsibilities of specific posts, such as the chief engineer. ABC News

 

How travel vouchers turned into an Italian staycation for 1 American Airlines passenger
When an American traveler was able to get a travel voucher from an airline to stay in Italy a bit longer, she had no idea it would essentially lead to getting paid to travel. Susan Berry, who has been documenting her travel delays-turned-delight on TikTok, told “Good Morning America” that her first flight home from Italy was oversold, and when the American Airlines gate agents offered $1,200 travel vouchers to anyone willing to fly out the following day, she took it. Good Morning America

 

People who moved from one country to another are sharing the most extreme culture shocks they experienced
If you’ve ever traveled somewhere new, you’ve probably noticed some cultural norms that are totally different from back home. Now imagine picking up your life and moving from one country to another. The culture shock is very real! So redditor u/queeenlux asked, “What was the most major cultural difference you noticed when you moved to another country?” Here’s what people said, including some members of the BuzzFeed Community. BuzzFeed

 

How British Chinese restaurants’ Chinese names can hide witty messages and clever wordplay
Like encoded in-jokes for the diaspora, Chinese restaurants in Britain often have Chinese names that conceal puns or hidden messages. The translational in-jokes go both ways, such as with Hong Kong’s Ho Lee Fook, whose name was reverse engineered from English. SCMP

 

We stayed in a ‘Toy Story’-themed hotel for $280 a night. Our small room was a great value with tons of awesome details.
My family of 3 recently stayed at the Toy Story Hotel at Tokyo Disney Resort. At $280 a night it was a steal compared to American Disney hotels that can cost twice as much. Our room was snug, but the larger-than-life décor and proximity to theme parks made it a winner. BI

 

Friday, August 9
Yesterday’s TSA checkpoint numbers
TSA officers screened 2,807,740 people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, August 8. One year ago on the same day: 2,654,716.

 

Plane with 62 people aboard crashes in fiery wreck in Brazil
A plane with 62 people aboard crashed in a fiery wreck in a residential area of a city in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state Friday, the airline said, but it was not immediately clear how many people were injured or killed. The airline VoePass confirmed in a statement that a plane headed for Sao Paulo’s international airport in Guarulhos crashed with 58 passengers and 4 crew members aboard. The statement didn’t say what caused the accident. CBS News

 

Woman dies after being ‘entangled’ in baggage claim at Chicago O’Hare
A woman died in the baggage claim area of Chicago O’Hare International Airport early Thursday morning, according to the Chicago Police Department. The Chicago Fire Department responded to reports of someone “pinned in machinery” in Terminal 5, used mainly by international airlines, at around 8 a.m., according to ABC News. The woman was found “entangled in the conveyor belt system used to move baggage,” according to officials. USA Today

 

American rapper arrested at Four Seasons George V in Paris after hotel fight with bodyguard
American rapper Travis Scott has been arrested in Paris following a fight in a hotel with his bodyguard, French authorities say.  Police were called to the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris at 5am local time to break up the fight, they said. JohnnyJet.com

 

Giant pandas unveiled at San Diego Zoo. Newsom declares Panda Day
California’s state animal might be the grizzly bear, but today is another bear’s big moment to shine. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared Aug. 8, 2024, to be California Panda Day — a playful (but also politically significant) nod to Thursday’s public debut of two giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, at the San Diego Zoo. The pandas, in a gesture of goodwill from China, are the first to be sent to the United States in more than two decades. Los Angeles Times

 

Missing person found dead at Grand Canyon, third fatality at national park in a week
Rangers at Grand Canyon found the body of a missing person earlier this week, marking the third death at the national park since July 31, officials said Thursday. The body of Leticia Castillo, 20, of Albuquerque, was discovered Tuesday 150 feet below an overlook on the canyon’s South Rim, the National Park Service said in a news release. NBC News

 

Why is the price of an airport sandwich sky-high?
“The cost of running a business in the airport is actually really high,” said Lora Kelley, an associate editor at The Atlantic who wrote about airport prices. “The cost of retail space is high. Vendors may need to pay for things like special badges for their employees or transportation to the airport and parking.” Kelley spoke with “Marketplace” host Kristin Schwab about her story; the following is an edited transcript of their conversation. MarketPlace

 

‘Cruisezilla’ passenger ships have doubled in size since 2000, environmental group warns
Cruise ships have doubled in size over the past two decades, a precedent that could lead to even bigger vessels plying our oceans in the future and bringing potential problems, a new report has warned. The largest passenger vessels today are twice as large as they were in 2000, says a study conducted by European clean energy lobby group Transport and Environment (T&E), which warns of the environmental impact of the “rapidly” growing global cruise industry.  CNN

 

Maui tourism revenue down $1 billion, a year after wildfires
One year on, the devastating wildfires have cost almost $1 billion in lost tourism revenue for Maui. Wildfires last year killed 102 people and completely destroyed the historic town of Lahaina leaving thousands homeless. Maui tourism has in the past generated about two-thirds of Maui’s GDP, according to the Maui Economic Development Board. Although most of Maui reopened three months later, there has still been a decline of about 25% in tourist arrivals this year. Travelmole

 

‘No more beauty duty’: China airline allows flight attendants to ditch high heels
A domestic airline in China is making headlines by allowing women flight attendants to forgo high heels in an unprecedented move aimed at “reducing the burden” on staff. On August 5, Air Travel, an airline based in Hunan province, central China, announced on its official WeChat account that it has abolished the requirement for flight attendants to wear shoes with high heels during flights. SCMP

 

Princess Cruises unveils new premium tier of onboard internet service
Princess Cruises is giving travelers a new way to stay connected on vacation. The cruise line is launching a new tier of onboard Wi-FI service called MedallionNet Max, which will give guests priority access to the highest quality and highest performance bandwidth available. MedallionNet Max will be available as part of the Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages. TravelPulse

 

United Airlines axes Hemisphere Inflight Magazine, the end of “Three Perfect Days”
Hemispheres, United Airlines’ on-flight magazine, is ceasing its print product, according to sources familiar with the matter. Already, the magazine’s website appears to be winding down. Its domain, hemispheresmag.com, now redirects to United’s website. As early as last month, the site was up and contained the archives of past issues, according to the Wayback Machine. Now, the archive seems to be offline and instead includes links to sample articles from the most recent issue. Indeed, much of the August issue was never published online, according to sources. View from the Wing

 

Thursday, August 8
Yesterday’s TSA checkpoint numbers
TSA officers screened 2,554,785 people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, August 7. One year ago on the same day: 2,407,319.

 

Tropical storm Debby brings tornadoes and more rain to North Carolina after 2nd US landfall
Tropical Storm Debby made its second US landfall early Thursday – this time in South Carolina – after looming over the Atlantic Ocean, and is unleashing more torrential rains, tornadoes and destructive flooding as it marches northward through the rest of the week, inundating several already-soaked states. Debby made landfall near Bulls Bay, South Carolina – some 20 miles northeast of Charleston – with maximum sustained wind speeds of 50 mph as it crawled further inland at 5 mph, the National Hurricane Center said shortly before 2 a.m. ET. CNN

 

Boeing Starliner astronauts may remain in space until 2025. Here’s why
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the first test flight crew of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, have now been in space for 63 days, with no return date in sight. Retired NASA astronaut Terry Verts shares how the crew may be feeling. CNN

 

Delta passengers sue airline for refusing refunds after massive computer outage
Delta Air Lines was sued by passengers who complained that the carrier refused to offer full refunds after delaying or canceling their flights in the wake of last month’s massive computer outage. Reuters

 

Wearing masks in public is now illegal in this New York county
Lawmakers in a suburban New York county approved a bill to ban masks in public spaces, saying concealing your identity is a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to a year of jail time and a $1,000 fine. Proponents of the Mask Transparency Act in Nassau County, Long Island, say the ban will combat crime during protests. ABC News

 

Oklahoma women get sick at Cancun resort, 1 remains hospitalized
A couples’ trip turned into a nightmare for several college students after two girls sitting at the resort bar suddenly got sick. While the group is now back in the U.S., one girl is still in the hospital five days later. “The last thing they remember is they had asked for a glass of water,” Stephanie Snider, whose son’s girlfriend was hospitalized after a Mexico trip. “Their heads went down. They slumped over on the bar.” KOCO

 

Air Canada says Paris Olympics are hurting sales this summer
Air Canada reported a 47% decline in quarterly profit, stung by softening demand in key markets including France, which some travelers are avoiding this summer due to the Olympic Games. Canada’s largest airline reported revenue of C$5.5 billion ($4 billion) for the second quarter, a 2% rise from the same period in 2023. The company has increased flights this year, so passenger revenue per available seat mile was down more than 4%. Bloomberg

 

Taylor Swift concerts canceled in Vienna after authorities disrupt alleged terror plot
Taylor Swift’s three Eras Tour concerts in Vienna have been canceled after two suspected terrorists were arrested in Austria on Wednesday, one of whom appeared to be plotting an attack on the shows. Entertainment Weekly

 

So long, seaplanes: Boston-New York service grounded this summer after selling too few tickets
Seaplane service to New York arrived in Boston amid much fanfare three years ago. But now Tailwind Air, the firm that runs the amphibious planes, is grounded. Chief executive Alan Ram said the company’s Boston-New York service simply wasn’t profitable enough to keep going. He was working on a deal with a potential partner to revive the Boston Harbor service this summer, to buy more time to build the business, but those efforts recently fell apart. The Boston Globe

 

WestJet waylaid by hailstorm: Disruptions forecast for ‘foreseeable future’
WestJet says cancellations and delays across its network will continue for the “foreseeable future” as it recovers from damage caused by an unprecedented hailstorm in Calgary on Monday night. As a result of the storm, 16 WestJet aircraft – 10 percent of its fleet – are grounded as they require substantial repairs and inspections before returning to service. Travel Industry Today

 

After a young woman falls to her death in Yosemite, Half Dome’s risks on everyone’s mind
In a phone interview last week from his home in Phoenix, Jonathan Rohloff said he kept asking himself during their perilous descent: “Why is this wood so far apart?” He guessed it would cost a few thousand dollars to double the number of rungs. That’s a sum he figured could easily be collected from the 50,000 people who pay for $10 permits to climb Half Dome each year. LA Times

 

Thailand moves closer to legalizing casinos to prop up tourism
Thailand is pressing ahead with plans to legalize casinos as it seeks to burnish the country’s appeal as a tourism hotspot and draw billions of dollars in foreign investment and taxes. Draft rules to allow casinos with an initial license for 30 years were published for public feedback until Aug 18 by the Council of State, the government’s legal agency. The casinos will have the option of renewing the permit for another 10 years and be housed in large entertainment complexes along with hotels, convention centers and amusement parks, among others. Bangkok Post

 

How Lahaina’s more than 150-year-old banyan tree is coming back to life after devastating fire
When a deadly wildfire tore through Lahaina on Maui last August, the wall of flames scorched the 151-year-old banyan tree along the historic town’s Front Street. But the sprawling tree survived the blaze, and thanks to the efforts of arborists and dedicated volunteers, parts of it are growing back — and even thriving. AP

Wednesday, August 7
Yesterday’s TSA checkpoint numbers
TSA officers screened 2,413,393 people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, August 6. One year ago on the same day: 2,387,917.

 

Tropical Storm Debby still a soaker as it gains strength offshore ahead of second forecast landfall
Tropical Storm Debby is taking a breather over the western Atlantic but isn’t done dousing the coastal Carolinas before slowly marching north, the National Hurricane Center says. It still poses a “major flood threat” for parts of the Carolinas. Debby was drifting slowly offshore from coastal South Carolina early Wednesday morning, traveling northeastward at just 5 miles per hour while lingering in a spot 55 miles southeast of Charleston and 100 miles south of Myrtle Beach. A second landfall in South Carolina was forecast to happen by Wednesday night or Thursday morning.  CBS News

 

German hotel collapse in Moselle wine valley kills two, traps others
A hotel in Germany’s picturesque Moselle wine valley collapsed overnight, killing two people, local police said on Wednesday, as rescuers worked urgently to pluck the three remaining trapped guests from the rubble. One woman’s body was recovered but emergency responders have not yet been able to reach the body of the second victim, a male, rescue operation chief Joerg Teusch told reporters. Reuters

 

UK riots live: Police deployed for 100 planned rallies tonight as businesses and law firms board up windows
Police are braced for more than 100 protests across the country tonight as far-right groups target immigration services, The Independent understands. Officers are also expecting more than 30 counter protests, as 6,000 riot officers prepare for another evening of potential unrest.  The Independent

 

Disney may have a parks problem
Disney Parks are the latest business to face slowing consumer demand in the face of higher prices. Disney’s parks business underperformed expectations and profit fell somewhat last quarter. Although the company said attendance remained steady and people were spending more, it also acknowledged a slumping economy was weighing on travelers who had once buoyed the company while its movie and streaming business was struggling. CNN

 

Norway prepares for a tsunami that could happen years from now
Geologists anticipate that a landslide on a mountain in western Norway could trigger a tsunami that would submerge nearby towns. CNN’s Michael Holmes reports. CNN

 

Officials disclose cause of death for 8-year-old girl who died mid-flight
After consideration of the circumstances surrounding her death in correlation with a review of the medical records and after a complete autopsy with extensive ancillary studies, the cause of death has been determined to be complications of chronic primary adrenalitis in the setting of multiple infections, including strep and enterovirus,” the coroner’s statement read. Fox Business

 

Waikīkī hotels, vendors receive cease-and-desist notices for beach equipment
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation issued cease-and-desist notices to several Waikīkī hotels and vendors for presetting equipment on public beaches. Notices were given to four hotels and five commercial vendors. HPR

 

Man falls down social media photo hotspot waterfall
A man has fallen down a waterfall popular with people wanting to post pictures on social media. Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (KMRT) said this was the third callout to the 80ft (25m) Fisher Place Gill in the Lake District this year. The man had been on the edge of what has become known as “the infinity pool” which had seen a boom in popularity, a spokesperson said. BBC

 

‘We couldn’t believe our eyes when we were handed our bill at Ibiza beach club’
They racked up a bill exceeding €400 (£344), with sunbeds alone costing €40 (£34), a whopping €160 (£137) splashed on champagne, and an additional €200 (£172) for gourmet snacks. The seafood paella and Iberian ham proved to be particularly expensive items. Mirror

 

How to avoid and reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness
At last, you’ve arrived in Cuzco, Peru — you’re ready for your dream trek to Machu Picchu. There’s just one problem: You can barely catch your breath, your stomach is churning and, in the morning, your head is throbbing. The culprit? Altitude sickness, or in medical terms, acute mountain sickness — the various symptoms tied to your body’s response to the higher altitude. As elevation increases, air pressure drops, meaning you get less oxygen from each full breath. It is temporarily uncomfortable for most people, but in extreme cases, severe altitude sickness can even be fatal. The New York Times (May)

 

Fury over NYC restaurant reservation scalpers making $80k a year
Some restaurant scalpers have found a way to turn dining into a lucrative business by charging their A-list clients over $1000 for tables at the New York City’s most exclusive restaurants. Alex Eisler, a sophomore student at Brown University who studies applied math and computer science, told the New Yorker that he made $70,000 reselling reservations last year. The student, also known as ‘GloriousSeed75’ on Appointment Trader, said he uses fake names and phone numbers to secure tables at Michelin-starred establishments and trendy hotspots. Daily Mail (May)

 

Tuesday, August 6
Yesterday’s TSA checkpoint numbers
TSA officers screened 2,697,802 people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, August 5. One year ago on the same day: 2,602,015.

 

Hurricane Debby forces cruise lines to alter several sailings
Hurricane Debby, which made landfall early Monday on Florida’s Gulf Coast and is now making its way up the East Coast, left in its wake altered cruise itineraries over the weekend and could impact sailings in the coming week. Carnival Cruise Line ships out of Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., have been affected by the storm, and officials are keeping an eye on the Port of Charleston in South Carolina for a cruise returning there later this week. Travel Weekly

 

Australia to join Global Entry program and TSA Pre: What it will mean for travelers
Some Australian travelers will be able to apply for expedited access through United States customs and immigration from January next year. The Global Entry program allows pre-authorized travelers to access faster immigration and customs channels at major US airports. SBS

 

U.S. softens language on crime in updated Jamaica travel advisory
The U.S. State Department updated its travel advisory for Jamaica last week, maintaining the destination’s Level 3 advisory but saying that “tourist areas generally see lower rates of violent crime than other parts of the country.” Additionally, a previous statement that sexual assaults occur “frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts,” has been replaced, with the latest advisory saying that the U.S. Embassy “routinely receives reports of sexual assaults, including from U.S. citizen tourists at resorts.” Travel Weekly

 

Dallas Love Field is closing one of its two runways for several months
One of the two runways at Dallas Love Field will be closed starting Monday as work for safety improvements begins. The closure is expected to last until approximately Oct. 29 – a span of 85 days – and could result in flight delays. “Air traffic control and FAA are trying to balance the flights that come in on a regular basis and the frequency of them all on one runway,” said Love Field’s interim director of Infrastructure and Development Vincent Lewis. “We coordinated a lot with Southwest, Delta, and Alaska to figure out when’s the least disruptive time to shut down the runway and the goal is to make sure we open it back up prior to the holidays.” wfaa.com

 

Kayak now lists Southwest Airlines fares
Southwest Airlines flights are now bookable on Kayak as the carrier continues its business evolution. “This is a great development for travelers,” Kayak CEO Steve Hafner said in a statement. “We first started showing Southwest in 2022 to Kayak for Business customers. We’re thrilled to expand that relationship to the millions of leisure travelers who use Kayak.” USA Today

 

Southwest Airlines ends service in Central New York amid fleet cuts
Southwest Airlines has ceased its year-round daily non-stop flights from Syracuse Hancock International Airport as of today, citing a “widespread reduction of service across its network,” according to the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. The airline, known for its open seating policy, began operations at the airport in November 2021, initially connecting Syracuse with Baltimore and Orlando before expanding to other cities. Finger Lakes 1

 

Gigantic Marilyn Monroe statue in Palm Springs will be moved after uproar
After years of controversy and a protracted legal battle, a fixture of the Palm Springs tourist scene is set to move. The Forever Marilyn statue, a 26-foot commemoration of Monroe’s famous skirt scene from 1955’s “The Seven Year Itch,” has drawn the ire of locals and visiting critics alike since it returned to Palm Springs in 2021. It currently stands in the middle of Downtown Park, with Monroe’s sculpted back facing the Palm Springs Art Museum. LA Times

 

Human remains found inside Australian crocodile believed to be 40-year-old tourist’s
Police have found the remains of a 40-year-old tourist who is believed to have been snatched by a crocodile in northern Australia. On Monday, a Wildlife rangers euthanized the 16-foot crocodile with scars on its snout in a creek four kilometers from the site the victim had disappeared. The fatal attack is reportedly Australia’s second in about a month. Evening Standard

 

Relatives say Texas family of 4 missing in Alaska boat sinking near Homer
The family was on a 28-foot aluminum vessel with four other people on Saturday when it began taking on water around 7 p.m., according to Travis Magee, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard. A radio broadcast notified vessels of the call for help and the boat Salty Sea responded and rescued four people from a life raft, he said. They did not have any injuries, a spokeswoman said Sunday. The Coast Guard began searching in the area, which officials said was roughly 16 miles west of the Homer Spit. Waves were at 2 feet and winds were less than 5 knots when the boat capsized, authorities have said. Anchorage Daily News

 

Rapper TI arrested in case of mistaken identity while at Atlanta airport
The rapper TI was arrested in Georgia on an out-of-state warrant – only to be released when police realized they had got the wrong man. Atlanta authorities believed they had found the Clifford Harris wanted in Baltimore for stalking and violent behavior towards a woman when they handcuffed TI, known offstage as Clifford Joseph Harris Jr, at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Sunday night. The Independent

 

No passports needed: Singapore launches biometric immigration processing at Changi Airport
From Monday, some passengers arriving in Singapore’s Changi Airport won’t need to show their passports to clear immigration. As part of a trial, Singapore residents arriving in Terminal 3 who use the lanes designated for the country’s new “token-less clearance” program can enter the country using eye and facial biometric processing, rather than passports, according to the country’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. CNBC

 

Monday, August 5
Yesterday’s TSA checkpoint numbers
TSA officers screened 2,797,654 people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, August 4. One year ago on the same day: 2,743,779.

 

Debby poses major rainfall flood threat to Southeast
Debby made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as a hurricane and is now a tropical storm. Extreme rain amounts may fall from Florida to the Southeast coast, triggering serious flooding. Gusty winds, storm-surge flooding and a few tornadoes will continue to be impacts, as well. Weather.com

 

International Delta flight struck by lightning diverted back to Boston: FAA
A Delta Air Lines flight headed to Rome, Italy, from Boston, Massachusetts, on Sunday, was struck by lightning while in the air, according to the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The flight was diverted back to Boston Logan International Airport “out of an abundance of caution” after the crew reported a lighting strike after departure, according to a statements from Delta and the FAA. ABC News

 

American Airlines is putting parked regional jets back in operation
American Airlines regional subsidiary Piedmont has begun pulling aircraft out of storage for the first time since parking planes during the pandemic. Piedmont operates American Eagle-branded flights throughout the eastern half of the U.S. Piedmont plans to pull two 50-seat Embraer E145s per month from their parking spot in the southern Arizona desert through February. Travel Weekly

 

Airline passenger gets 19-month sentence. US says he tried to enter cockpit and open an exit door
A airline passenger who tried to craft a shank from plastic cutlery and open the cockpit door during a flight has been sentenced to 19 months in prison. A federal judge in Missouri handed down the sentence Thursday against Juan Remberto Rivas, 52. NBC Los Angeles

 

CrowdStrike says it isn’t to blame for Delta’s flight cancellations after July outage
CrowdStrike’s attorney said Delta turned down onsite assistance in the wake of the outage. Delta CEO Ed Bastian estimated last week that the mass cancellations after the outage cost the company some $500 million, and CrowdStrike’s lawyer says its liability is capped at under $10 million. Delta canceled more than 5,000 flights after the outage, taking longer to recover than rivals. CNBC

 

Hellish NYC commutes reveal aging wires are no match for extreme heat
Laura Sigman and Diane Laura, marketing executives at a financial services company in midtown Manhattan, have often found their office chitchat this summer turning to the subject of their hellish commutes. As scorching weather helped trigger power disruptions that touched off massive delays in rail service last month, it took Sigman three hours by subway, bus and Uber to get from work to her home in Asbury Park, New Jersey — a journey that would typically take a fraction of the time if NJ Transit trains were running as normal. Laura spent hours sweating on stifling subway platforms and walking to alternate stations to reach Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, usually about 40 minutes away.  Bloomberg

 

Olympics: Triathletes fall sick after swimming in Seine
Belgium will not take part in the Olympic triathlon mixed relay event on Monday after one of their athletes fell ill. Claire Michel, who competed in the women’s triathlon Wednesday, was hospitalized on Sunday before returning to the Olympic village later in the day. Test swims in the Seine scheduled for Saturday and Sunday before the triathlon mixed relay had to be canceled because of bacteria levels in the water.  DW

 

‘Worst season ever’: How things got ugly on Greece’s ‘Instagram island’
There’s a volcano waiting to blow on Santorini, but it’s not the world-famous caldera. The dazzling white-washed houses, blue-domed churches and azure skies and sea of this uniquely stunning Greek island pull in a reported 3.4 million visitors a year, far outnumbering Santorini’s 20,000 or so permanent residents.  CNN

 

Half of all airline complaints dismissed with no explanation
More than half of air passenger complaints heard by the Canadian Transportation Agency under a new system unveiled last fall were dismissed — but Canadians aren’t allowed to know why. This week, the CTA published the results of 3,159 decisions reached under a new, streamlined complaint resolution system introduced Sept. 30. Of the those, 1,640 were dismissed, while in 1,051 cases, airlines were ordered to compensate passengers for “inconvenience.” In 287 cases, airlines were ordered to compensate passengers for expenses, while in 181, airlines were ordered to issue refunds to passengers.  Toronto Star

 

Dozens of flights diverted to Boston Logan airport, leaving passengers stranded
Dozens of flights were diverted to Boston’s Logan Airport on Saturday night, leaving many passengers having to find their own ways to their final destinations. As many as 25 international flights and some additional flights from New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., had to land in Boston after thunderstorms swept through parts of the Northeast, according to the Massachusetts Port Authority. Logan Airport accepted the diverted flights but could not provide gate, fuel or aircraft service, according to an Air Traffic Control Advisory, leaving many airplanes crowding parts of the tarmac. NBC Boston

 

Two hikers reported missing in Yosemite National Park after going on day hike Saturday
Two people were reported missing at Yosemite National Park in California on Sunday. According to park officials, the hikers, identified as Ana Rodarte and Miguel Delgado, went on a day hike “possibly toward Ostrander Lake” on Saturday morning around 10 a.m. The duo left from Bridalveil Creek Campground and were expected to return within a few hours “but are overdue,” officials said.  USA Today