End of the Jet Age dream

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The pathetic state of airline travel in #Murica: crumbling airports, staff shortages, rising fares, and slashed services. {The Times 17 June}

https://www.thetimes.com/travel/advice/flying-in-the-us-is-now-the-worst-its-ever-been-i-should-know-07fcpjr6n

A perspective from a British writer: it is genuinely startling — no hyperbole needed — to learn how far American airlines and airports have fallen behind the rest of the developed world during the quarter-century since 9/11. Travellers are plainly dissatisfied, yet also are gaslit to be resigned to the increasingly unpleasant experience of domestic air travel within the former United States. Delays, overcrowding, ageing infrastructure, diminished customer service, and an endless array of fees have become so commonplace that Americans simply accept them as unavoidable facts of life.

Most remarkable is the absence of any meaningful political or commercial pressure to improve matters. Consumers grumble, yet continue to fly; politicians occasionally promise reform, yet little changes. The beloved Trump regime even rolled back several consumer-protection measures enacted under President Biden that were modest and entirely reasonable safeguards for passengers (specifically having to do with capping fees, if memory serves), and suffered zero popular backlash for doing so. Declining standards carry few consequences for either airlines or policymakers, because the dominant plurality of #Muricans are angry and stupid white trash.

Perchance, the greatest tragedy of modern American politics: large segments of the electorate have repeatedly accepted tangible declines in their own quality of life and freedoms in exchange for the promise that all the immigrants and other assorted ‘woke’ parties will suffer even more. Harsh though that assessment may sound, it reflects a reality that observers — inside and outside the former United States — find increasingly difficult to ignore. Americans, in the main, are not good or decent people, and my experiences in life have entirely reflected as such. Hell, I cannot even say I’ve been a good person much of the way, but at least I have the decency to be ashamed of what we’ve become now. 

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Memo to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau: Stop being a coward, take charge of your country, and crack down on the convoys

Reuters/Mathieu Belanger

Fascists continue to disrupt life in Ottawa and other Canadian cities with almost complete impunity, while nurses who are counter-protesting are being told they cannot wear their scrubs in public, and ordinary citizens are being physically assaulted for wearing masks. Justin Trudeau is a weakling if I ever saw one. Declare Martial Law, send in troops and clear the streets by whatever means necessary. Do you, Mr. Trudeau, want your country to be a right-wing  s**thole as America has become in the Trump era? Take it from an American, Canada should not want to emulate us. It’s time to bring a full stop to all this Covidiocy everywhere. From Reuters -  

TORONTO/OTTAWA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Thousands of people demonstrated in Canadian cities, including the financial hub Toronto, on Saturday as mostly peaceful but noisy protests against vaccine mandates spread from Ottawa, the capital. 

The "Freedom Convoy" began as a movement against a Canadian vaccine requirement for cross-border truckers, but has turned into a rallying point against public health measures and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government. 

“We're all sick and tired of the mandates, of the intimidation, of living in one big prison,” said Robert, a Toronto protester who did not give his last name. "We just want to go back to normal without having to take into our veins the poison which they call vaccines.” 

Protesters have shut down downtown Ottawa for the past eight days, with some participants waving Confederate or Nazi flags and some saying they wanted to dissolve Canada's government. 

"The protesters in Ottawa have made their point. The entire country heard their point," said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, who urged protesters to "go home and engage elected officials." 

Ottawa police said hate crime charges were laid against four people and they were investigating threats against public figures jointly with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

The well-organized blockade, which police say has relied partly on funding from sympathizers in the United States, saw protesters bring in portable saunas on Saturday to combat frigid temperatures. 

One man rode through the area on horseback, carrying a Trump flag, social media videos showed. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken out in support of the truckers against "the harsh policies of far-left lunatic Justin Trudeau who has destroyed Canada with insane COVID mandates." (Read more) 

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The World Health Organization urges nations not to impose travel bans from southern Africa as new omicron variant spreads

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

It is beyond obvious now that virtually the entire world took their foot off the pedal, so to speak, far too soon. Governments caved to pressure from their restless and malevolent citizenries. Closing America’s borders is the only responsible action at this time, but the WHO appears to care more about public opinion than anything else. - 

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The World Health Organization on Sunday urged countries around the world not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant. 

WHO’s regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries to follow science and international health regulations in order to avoid using travel restrictions. 

“Travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,” Moeti said in a statement. “If restrictions are implemented, they should not be unnecessarily invasive or intrusive, and should be scientifically based, according to the International Health Regulations, which is a legally binding instrument of international law recognized by over 190 nations.” 

Moeti praised South Africa for following international health regulations and informing WHO as soon as its national laboratory identified the omicron variant. 

“The speed and transparency of the South African and Botswana governments in informing the world of the new variant is to be commended,” said Moeti. “WHO stands with African countries which had the courage to boldly share life-saving public health information, helping protect the world against the spread of COVID-19.” 

Cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in countries on opposite sides of the world Sunday and many governments rushed to close their borders even as scientists cautioned that it’s not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus. 

While investigations continue into the omicron variant, WHO recommends that all countries “take a risk-based and scientific approach and put in place measures which can limit its possible spread.” (Read more)

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AG Merrick Garland instructs U.S. attorneys to ‘prioritize prosecution of federal crimes occurring on aircraft’ as incidents involving unruly passengers explode

Getty Images

What a nation of violent and aggressively stupid jackasses we’ve become. America’s worst enemy is itself - 

A woman was kicked off an Allegiant Air flight and arrested Sunday for refusing to wear a face mask, police said. As she was wheeled down the jetway in Las Vegas, police said, the woman allegedly yelled obscenities and "Let's go, Brandon" — a euphemism involving the president, reported CBS affiliate KLAS. 

Katrina Alspaugh, of Las Vegas, faces one charge of violating airport rules, according to KLAS. Police said Alspaugh had earlier attempted to punch another passenger at the security checkpoint who pointed out Alspaugh was not wearing her mask. 

It is one in a stream of incidents of alleged unruly behavior in the skies, and came as the hectic holiday travel season starts. A Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said Tuesday was the sixth straight day agents screened more than 2 million passengers, the longest stretch of days topping that mark this year. Tuesday's passenger volume was 91% of its 2019 level, the agency said Wednesday. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said this week it had received 5,338 reports of unruly passengers so far this year, 3,856 of which involved masks, and is requesting a total $161,823 in fines against eight passengers for alleged alcohol-related incidents. That brings the total civil penalties against passengers to at least $1.3 million in 2021. 

The largest of the fines announced this week, $40,823, stems from an April incident aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from San Jose to San Diego. A passenger allegedly drank their own alcohol during the flight despite being told by a flight attendant it was prohibited, then sexually assaulted the flight attendant and smoked marijuana in the bathroom, according to a news release.  

A passenger on a March flight from Fort Meyers, Florida, to Detroit that was diverted to Atlanta is accused of repeatedly taking off his face mask after crew members told him to keep it on, swearing at other passengers and accusing them of stealing, and appeared to be intoxicated, according to the release. 

"This is America. This is free speech. What don't you understand?" he allegedly yelled at a crew member. (Read more)

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Ferocious nor'easter slams Massachusetts and surrounding states

Fallen tree in New Bedford, MA. Photo: Peter Pereira

A considerable storm among the many I’ve seen in my days. A lot of people on the South Shore may not have power until after the weekend, and some are in shelters tonight. They’ll pull through, but prayers for them. Via WFXT - 

BOSTON — Thousands of Massachusetts residents woke up without power Wednesday morning as a powerful nor’easter thrashes New England with heavy rain and hurricane-force gusts.

Be extra cautious on the roads as driving conditions can be treacherous during these types of storms. Damage is being reported across the state.

The South Shore was crushed leaving many towns with no power at all.

“It’s just howling wind, houses were shaking, my house was shaking,” said Tom Hence of his Cohasset home.

Cohasset Police Chief Bill Quigley said his officers were inundated with calls. “We’ve gotten used to these fizzling out, but this is not the case. I’ve been here for 30 years and this is the worst I’ve seen,” Chief Quigley said.

In Cohassett, police say a Commuter Rail train hit a fallen tree on the Green Bush line. Police cleared the broken tree. The MBTA said they had to clear about 50 trees from several commuter rail lines.

Boats were also a casualty of the nor’easter. The damage was everywhere, making getting around a chore. Even the press building at one of the athletic fields in Cohassett was taken out. (Read more)

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Dr. Anthony Fauci says he does not foresee vaccine mandate for domestic air travel in the immediate future

AFP/Getty Images

Dr. Anthony Fauci – making an assessment of the toxic political environment – says in a television interview that he does not foresee proof of vaccination for domestic air travel being mandated soon. Watch, when that particular mandate does go into force (and it will), the anti-vaxxers will point and say Dr. Fauci lied to them yet again. Context is key. - 

Amid a growing push for passengers on domestic flights to show proof of vaccination, top infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci said he doesn’t see it happening in the near future.

His statement came Sunday during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” after anchor Dana Bash asked if he would like an air travel vaccine mandate in effect for the holidays. He said such a decision would be made with “input from a number of parts of the government.”

“On the table is the issue of mandates for vaccine,” said Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser. “It’s always discussable, we always wind up discussing it, but right now I don’t see that immediately.”

Late last month, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced a bill that would make vaccination, a negative coronavirus test or proof of recent recovery from the virus mandatory to fly domestically. Earlier in the month, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) proposed legislation to require proof of vaccination or a negative test for domestic air or Amtrak travelers.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The Washington Post last month that he would support a vaccine mandate for domestic flights if Biden wanted to move forward with one.

During the interview Sunday, he declined to weigh in on whether he supported a mandate, saying he did not want his comments to be taken out of context.

“We have everything on the table, and it will be discussed by the medical group,” he said. (Read more)

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The TSA announces that mask mandate for transportation will be extended through January 18

Reuters

Better safe than sorry - 

WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration confirmed late on Tuesday it plans to extend requirements for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains and buses and at airports and train stations through Jan. 18 to address ongoing COVID-19 risks. 

A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokesperson confirmed the extension, first reported by Reuters. "The purpose of TSA’s mask directive is to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation," the spokesperson said 

Major U.S. airlines were informed of the planned extension on a call with TSA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday, four people briefed on the matter said. 

The current TSA transportation mask order runs through Sept 13. (Read more)

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