Trump expands travel ban and restrictions to include an additional 20 countries
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Tuesday it was expanding travel restrictions to an additional 20 countries and the Palestinian Authority, doubling the number of nations affected by sweeping limits announced earlier this year on who can travel and emigrate to the U.S. The Trump administration included five more countries...
Vatican unveils Nativity scene, lights Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican unveiled its Nativity scene Monday and lit the 82-foot Christmas tree that towers above it in St. Peter’s Square as a band, chorus and dancers in traditional costumes from Italy’s northernmost South Tyrol province performed. The spruce tree hailed from Italy’s German-speaking majority autonomous province...
Spain fines Airbnb $75 million for unlicensed tourist rentals
MADRID — Spain’s government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros ($75 million) for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals, officials said Monday. The rentals didn’t include license numbers — a requirement in many regions in Spain — or included license numbers that didn’t match what authorities had, the consumer rights ministry said....
‘Women Drivers’ option available for Uber, Lyft rides in Pittsburgh
A “Women Drivers” option is now available when booking Uber rides in Pittsburgh. First piloted this summer with the goal of giving women more options in how they ride and drive, Uber said it has received feedback that the option gives riders and drivers “more comfort and confidence on every...
Pittsburgh International Airport to offer nonstop flights to Ireland
Pittsburgh International Airport soon will offer direct flights to Ireland for the first time. Irish national airline Aer Lingus will begin nonstop service between Pittsburgh and Dublin in May, local airport officials announced Thursday, further integrating the culturally and economically intertwined cities. Dublin also serves as a connector for flights...
What to know about changes to Disney parks’ disability policies
ORLANDO, Fla. — Changes that Disney made to a popular program that lets qualifying disabled people skip long lines at its California and Florida theme parks are too restrictive, disabled fans contend in a federal lawsuit and shareholder proposal that seek to expand eligibility. The battle over who can skip...
Government waives part of a Biden-era fine against Southwest Airlines
The U.S. Department of Transportation is waiving part of a fine assessed against Southwest Airlines after the company canceled thousands of flights during a winter storm in 2022. Under a 2023 settlement reached by the Biden administration, Southwest agreed to a $140 million civil penalty. The government said at the...
Man arrested after pepper spray attack in London’s Heathrow Airport parking garage
LONDON (AP) — Police arrested a man in London after a group of people were assaulted with pepper spray Sunday in a Heathrow Airport parking garage. Ambulance crews treated 21 people at the scene and five were taken to the hospital, though their injuries were not believed to be serious,...
Detroit’s own crime-fighter RoboCop finally stands guard in Motor CityVideo
DETROIT — RoboCop has finally found a permanent home in Detroit. A statue looming 11 feet tall and weighing 3,500 pounds began standing guard over the Motor City on Wednesday afternoon. “It was snowstorm, dark and below 30 degrees and there was a steady stream of people driving by,” after...
Decades-old palm trees in Rio de Janeiro flower for the 1st — and only — time
RIO DE JANEIRO — Towering talipot palms in a Rio de Janeiro park are flowering for the first and only time in their lives, decades after famed Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx introduced them in the 1960s. Towards the end of its life — which can span between 40...
U.S. air travelers without REAL IDs will be charged a $45 fee
Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday. The updated ID has been required since May, but passengers without it have so far been allowed to clear security with additional screening and a warning....
Consumers should do their research before giving in to Travel Tuesday temptation
NEW YORK — Chain stores have Black Friday. Online marketplaces have Cyber Monday. For local businesses, it’s Small Business Saturday. In the last 20 years, more segments of the retail industry have vied for their own piece of the holiday shopping season. The travel trade has firmly joined the trend...
A guide to Thanksgiving travel after the government shutdown
The turbulence caused by the longest U.S. government shutdown may still be fresh on the minds of travelers this Thanksgiving, but experts say preparing for the usual holiday crush of winter weather, heavy traffic and crowded airports can help ease the jitters. “I think the shutdown at this point is...
‘We are prepared’: Pittsburgh airport braces for spike in Thanksgiving travel
As Pittsburgh International Airport officials Monday prepared for an onslaught of passengers during the frenetic holiday travel season, Josh Buchholz geared up to fly to Arizona for Thanksgiving. The Grove City man and his wife, Erin Bonner, were among the first wave of 300,000 travelers predicted to set foot in...
Airlines cancel flights to Venezuela after FAA warns of worsening security, military activity
CARACAS — International airlines increasingly canceled flights to Venezuela on Sunday after t he U.S. Federal Aviation Administration warned pilots to use caution when flying in the country’s airspace because of worsening security and heightened military activity. Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela, told The Associated...
Travelers have good reviews for Pittsburgh airport’s new terminal
The Pittsburgh International Airport’s new landside terminal mostly cruised through its first day of operations Tuesday. Perhaps the most notable snag was a technical issue at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint in the early morning hours, temporarily snarling lines. Besides that, passengers and airport officials had little negative to report...
What you need to know about Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal
Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal is officially open. The new space was opened up to travelers at 2 a.m., according to Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis. The first flight arrived at the new terminal from San Francisco at 5 a.m. and the first departing flight was a Southwest...
FAA takes 1st steps to restore flights after shutdown strain; some limits remain
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday halved the number of flights that U.S. airlines must cut from their schedules at 40 airports as the country’s aviation system recovers from a shortage of air traffic controllers during the record government shutdown. The agency said airlines will only have to cancel 3%...
Airlines, FAA in talks about when flight cuts will stop as shutdown nears end
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday warned that flight disruptions could skyrocket in the coming days if the House of Representatives does not vote to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Ongoing government-mandated flight cancellations and severe weather in parts of the country wreaked havoc on air travel....
Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal set to open
Pittsburgh International Airport will open its new terminal next week as part of a $1.7 billion modernization project. After four years of construction, the new terminal will be open to travelers on Nov. 18. “This is a new day for our region. This is an airport built for Pittsburgh, by...
Trump demands air traffic controllers return to work as flight cancellations spike
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump demanded air traffic controllers return to work on Monday as government-directed flight cuts and air traffic staffing absences continue to wreak havoc with U.S. air travel. Trump added that he will reward those who did not take any time off during the 41-day federal government...
U.S. surpassed 10K flight delays, most disruptions on a single day since government shutdown
Travelers across the United States scrambled to reach their destinations as thousands of flights were delayed or canceled on Sunday, the third day of government-mandated flight cuts at 40 high-traffic airports during the ongoing shutdown. As of 10 p.m. on Sunday, more than 10,000 flights within, into, or out of...
Airlines cut hundreds of flights amid FAA shutdown directiveVideo
WASHINGTON — U.S. airlines on Friday scrambled to cut 4% of flights at 40 major airports after the government imposed an unprecedented cut to air travel citing air traffic control safety concerns because of a record-setting government shutdown. The cuts, which began at 6 a.m., include about 700 flights from...
Airline travelers in Pittsburgh prepare for flight disruptions
Lynn Williams felt like she was taking a chance by not canceling her travel plans this week amid mounting unknowns surrounding air travel. “(I) didn’t know if air traffic controllers were staffed. I didn’t know if they were in a good head space to be at work. I didn’t know...
U.S. airlines scramble to rework schedules as government orders flight cuts
U.S. airlines were scrambling on Thursday to rework schedules and fielding a flood of customer queries after the U.S. ordered flight cuts at some of the nation’s busiest airports, the latest travel disruption from the prolonged government shutdown. On Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he would order steep cuts...
