Senators Press FAA Nominee Bryan Bedford

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By Maria Sanchez

West Coast Bureau

The U.S. ambassador to Canada is pushing back against Ottawa’s updated travel advice warning Canadians of possible detention and scrutiny when entering the United States.

“We welcome Canadians to come in and invest, to spend their hard-earned Canadian dollars at U.S. businesses,” U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday.

“If a Canadian has had a disappointing experience coming into the United States, I’m not denying that it happened, but I’m saying it’s an isolated event and it is not a pattern,” he added.

Canada’s travel advisory cautions travellers that they could be detained if denied entry and warning them to “expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices.”

The update followed reports of Canadians having their phones searched and, in some cases, being detained at the U.S. border.

Hoekstra rejected the idea that such actions are widespread.

“Coming to the U.S., that’s a decision for the Canadians to make. Searching devices and all of that is not a well-founded fear. We don’t do that. America is a welcoming place,” he said.

He also said Americans have voiced similar concerns about entering Canada.

“I’ve heard that from Americans coming into Canada as well, OK? Saying, ‘You know, we’ve not received a warm reception when we’ve gotten to Canadian customs,’” Hoekstra said.

When asked if Americans have also faced phone searches or detainment, Hoekstra acknowledged some consular complaints but suggested these, too, were one-offs.

“We’ve said, ‘OK this may have been an isolated event. There may have been a Canadian border person who was having a bad day, and thought they’d take it out on, you know, somebody across the border,’” he said.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) responded with a statement emphasizing professionalism and accountability among its officers.

“Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a way that upholds the values of integrity, respect and professionalism at all times,” said CBSA spokesperson Karine Martel.

“Treating people with respect, dignity and fairness is fundamental to our border services officers’ relationship with the public and a key part of this is serving all travellers in a non-discriminatory way.”

Hoekstra said travel choices are up to individuals. “If you decide that you’re not going to come down or whatever, that’s your decision and you’re missing an opportunity. There are great things to see in America,” he said.

Referencing recent public remarks by CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, who said she travelled to the U.S. with a “burner phone” fearing privacy violations but was warmly received, Hoekstra encouraged people to focus on actual experiences over fears.

“It’s like, (let’s) get past the rhetoric and let’s look at the real experiences that people are having here,” he said.

Data suggest travel between the two countries has declined. Flight Centre Travel Group Canada reported a nearly 40% drop in Canada-U.S. flights year-over-year in February, while airlines have been cutting routes due to soft demand.

A Leger survey conducted in early May for the Association for Canadian Studies found 52% of Canadians believe it is “no longer safe for all Canadians travelling to the United States.”

Twenty-nine percent disagreed, and 19% were unsure. A similar proportion said they personally feel unwelcome in the U.S.

Some LGBTQ2S+ groups have opted out of events in the U.S., including World Pride in Washington and United Nations activities in New York, citing increased scrutiny at the border as the U.S. government scales back protections for transgender and nonbinary individuals.

With files from The Canadian Press.

By Michael Sinclair

Foreign Bureau

Carnival Corporation & plc is celebrating a major sustainability milestone.

The company achieved a 44 percent reduction in unit food waste in 2024 compared to 2019, surpassing its 2025 40 percent reduction target a full year ahead of schedule. Carnival’s leaders are confident they will hit the 50 percent reduction goal they set for 2030.

The reductions stem from the company’s “Less Left Over” initiative to help reduce food waste. Since 2019, Carnival has been tweaking its provisioning, preparation and meal service practices, which has resulted in more than $250 million in savings.

The company has been approaching food waste from multiple angles, including using data and analytics to make ingredient purchasing decisions, training crew members to plate meals in ways that minimize waste, serving smaller portions and donating surplus ingredients to food banks.

When food is left over, the company tries to give it a second life, such as by transforming used coffee grounds into vegan soap products and converting used cooking oil into biofuel for its land-based tour bus operations in Alaska.

When leftovers cannot be repurposed, Carnival tries to minimize its impact on landfills. The company installed 630 biodigesters across its fleet by the end of last year, which use bacteria to break down uneaten food to a tiny fraction of its original volume. Carnival Corporation also uses more than 90 dehydrators and dryers to remove excess water from hard-to-break-down food items, such as fruit rinds, which helps reduce the hard waste volume by approximately 90 percent. The dried material can then be ground into a pulp for possible use as mulch and compost.

“Our Less Left Over strategy is powered by dozens of large and small programs and technologies across our cruise lines,” says Josh Weinstein, chief executive officer of Carnival Corporation & plc. “But more than that, it's also a global rallying cry that is turning everyday actions into lasting impact by nurturing a shared mindset among our 160,000 talented team members—a mindset that values creativity in delivering amazing meals for our guests and crew while getting the most out of our resources. It's great for the planet and our bottom line.”

By Sandy Simpson

East Coast Bureau

Snowbirds and anyone else looking to spend an extended time in the U.S. may face an additional hurdle. For those who aren’t fazed by the exchange rate or escalating trade hostilities, the newly required registration is just one more step to spending the winter in the sunny south.

The “Alien Registration Requirement“ is part of an executive order known dramatically as “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” issued by the American president.

The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) advises those already in the U.S. and those planning to be there for longer than 30 days to check their visa status on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection site. CTV News reports that this applies mainly to those who drive across the border, as air passengers are already subject to registration. 

Anyone 14 years old or older without a visa will be required to register. The form is not yet available, but the U.S. government advises anyone subject to the alien registration requirement to create a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) account ahead of time so they are prepared. The website warns that "failure to comply will result in criminal and civil penalties, up to and including misdemeanor prosecution and the payment of fines."

The USCIS website states “Once an alien has registered and appeared for fingerprinting (unless waived), DHS will issue evidence of registration, which aliens over the age of 18 must carry and keep in their possession at all times.” The fingerprint requirement appears to be waived for Canadians.

The website also states that “American Indians born in Canada [sic] who entered the United States under section 289 of the INA.” are not required to register and that more information will be shared in the coming days. 

By Suze Miller

Foreign Bureau

About a month has passed since the Real ID rules at airports have gone into effect, and some travelers are still confused about the new regulations. 

Rumors have been swirling among airline passengers about what type of identifications are actually accepted under the new regulations.

Now, the TSA is clarifying that one type of identification—a Costco membership card—is in fact not a valid form of Real ID accepted at the airport security checkpoint.

“We love hotdogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not,” the agency said in a recent post on X.

Although membership cards for the bulk-supply grocery store chain are technically photo IDs, the cards are not a federally issued identification or a state-issued enhanced driver’s license, and so they do not meet the Real ID standard.

“Can’t fly on hotdogs and hope,” the TSA posted on its Instagram account. “Your Costco Gold Star Membership card might score you a 48-pack of TP,” the post continued, “but it won’t get you through a TSA checkpoint.”

The theory of presenting a Costco card to get past the TSA checkpoint might have originated with how the agency is trying to help passengers without a valid Real ID try to confirm their identity another way. The agency has previously advised travelers without a proper Real ID to still come to the airport with some form of identification showing their name and address, such as a regular old driver’s license.

Using these IDs and other methods, the TSA can help process a traveler without a Real ID, though fliers shouldn’t rely on this option as a guarantee.

The Costco confusion has likely only affected a small number of air travelers, as 93% of fliers who show up at the airport have a valid Real ID, the TSA said in late May. The new Real ID rules went into effect on May 7, and enforcement has so far been running smoothly.

A driver’s license is Real ID-compliant if there’s a star in one of the upper corners. Not to be confused with a Gold Star Costco Membership card, which “won’t work, no matter how elite your snack haul is,” the TSA said.

Besides a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, travelers can use 17 other types of IDs at the security checkpoint. These include common travel documents, such as a passport, passport card, and a Global Entry card. See the full list of acceptable IDs on the TSA’s site.

By Alex Johnson

East Coast Bureau

A Michigan man has been arrested for allegedly calling in a fake bomb threat after he missed his flight to Los Angeles, according to an ABC news report.

The incident occurred at Detroit Metropolitan Airport at 6:25 am on June 10, 2025.

After the passenger was told he’d have to book another flight, 23-year-old John Charles Robinson of Monore, Michigan “used a cell phone to call into Spirit Airlines and conveyed false information about a bomb threat to Flight 2145 departing from Detroit Metro bound for Los Angeles,” according to a statement from United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. from the Eastern District of Michigan United States Attorney’s Office.

According to the affidavit, during the call, Robinson said in part ‘I was calling about 2145… because I have information about that flight,’ and ‘there’s gonna be someone who’s gonna try to blow up the airport,’ and ‘there’s gonna be someone that’s gonna try to blow up that flight, 2145.’”

After giving a description of an individual, he then stated: ‘They’re going to be carrying a bomb through the TSA,’ and ‘they’re still threatening to do it, they’re still attempted to do it, they said it’s not going to be able to be detected. Please don’t let that flight board.’”

The flight was immediately canceled, and passengers and crew were deplaned for safety precautions. Officials reported that “Bomb sniffing dogs and FBI agents were deployed to sweep the airplane. No bomb or explosives were found.”

It was later learned that Robinson had missed Flight 2145 and was told by a gate agent that he’d need to rebook a flight.

“FBI agents subsequently arrested Robinson when he returned to the airport to depart on another flight bound for Los Angeles,” officials said.

After taking him into custody, authorities played back the phone call that was made by him and reported that "Robinson listened to the above-mentioned recording and confirmed he was the one that made the recorded phone call to Spirit Airlines. Robinson also stated that the phone number that called the bomb threat in to Spirit Airlines was his phone number (and had been for approximately six years), that the target cellular device was his device, and he gave written consent for a search of his device."

Robinson was charged with using a cellphone to threaten/maliciously convey false information concerning an attempt or alleged attempt to damage/destroy an airplane by means of an explosive. The second charge involved spreading false information and hoaxes.

By Eric Hanson

Foreign Bureau

Americans have never been more confident to leave home for a summer getaway, according to Allianz Partners USA's annual Vacation Confidence Index.

Based on an Ipsos poll of more than 2,000 American adults conducted in April, a fraught economy isn't preventing Americans from vacationing this summer. At least not all of them.

But income and family dynamics are playing a key role, with younger and higher-income-earning U.S. travelers more likely to venture out.

Specifically, seven in 10 Americans under the age of 35 are confident they'll take a summer vacation this year. By comparison, only 57 percent of Americans aged 55 and up feel the same.

Encouragingly for the industry, among those ambitious young Americans, nearly one in three (29 percent) has taken a vacation in the past three months.

It should come as little surprise that the bank account matters when it comes to taking trips this summer. Allianz's research found that 76 percent of Americans earning $100,000 or more a year are planning to travel this summer, compared to just 45 percent among those earning under $50,000 annually.

Additionally, travelers with a college degree (70 percent) are more likely to take a vacation than those without one (50 percent).

Breaking it down by gender, men (68 percent) are slightly more optimistic about taking a trip than women (59 percent). What's more, parents with children in the house (74 percent) are far more likely to seek a summer vacation than non-parents (58 percent).

"As travel continues to rebound, these findings underscore how income and life stage increasingly influence how, and if, Americans plan their vacations," Emily Hartman, General Manager at Allianz Partners USA, said in a statement.

"While cost remains a concern for many, Gen Z, Millennials, and affluent families are driving the recovery, and they're not waiting for perfect conditions to hit 'book now.' As more travelers take advantage of quick getaways and flexible planning, having the right travel insurance helps ensure those trips stay protected, no matter what comes their way."

By Rick Jetters

East Coast Bureau

2025 is poised be another big year for summer travel and the Caribbean will undoubtedly be among the world's hottest regions.

While many will flock to renowned tourist hotspots such as the Bahamas, Cancun, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in the coming weeks and months, there are a handful of locales that stand out when it comes to offering visitors unrivaled safety and security.

Here are some of the safest island escapes travelers can take this summer.

One of the multiple British Overseas Territories on this list, Anguilla is a dream destination for travelers of all interests as visitors will be met by beautiful beaches, mouthwatering cuisine and vibrant culture as well as laidback locals and an overwhelming sense of safety and serenity.

Elsewhere in the Leeward Islands, Antigua and Barbuda is another safe island retreat for visitors to the Caribbean in 2025. Unique attractions like Nelson's Dockyard, Stingray City and Devil's Bridge stand out as do the islands' glorious bays and beaches.

Located off the north coast of South America, the trendy ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are among the safest places in the Caribbean and their reputation is only aided by their ideal placement in the southern Caribbean Sea outside of the Atlantic hurricane belt, meaning travelers can plan a summer or autumn getaway with peace of mind.

It's easy to overlook this British Overseas Territory given its proximity to beloved Caribbean hotspots such as Cancun and Jamaica. However, travelers prioritizing safety can confidently explore the Cayman Islands in 2025.

This destination is also an easy choice for luxury seekers who can treat themselves to an unparalleled paradise in accommodations such as The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

Seemingly always underrated, Dominica is often referred to as the Nature Island due to its diverse landscapes, which include mountains and tropical rainforests, among other scenery. Therefore, arguably the biggest threat to visitors is Mother Nature itself.

Attractions like the Waitukubuli National Trail—the longest hiking trail in the Caribbean—Trafalgar Falls and the island's natural hot springs are not to be missed. Nonetheless, visitors should always practice common sense.

The Spice Isle of Grenada continues to receive low-risk levels from governments worldwide, including the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. The West Indies country is home to some of the Caribbean's most stunning natural attractions such as breathtaking waterfalls and world-class beaches like the renowned Grand Anse Beach.

Saint Lucia is a mesmerizing Caribbean destination and one of the safest, so it should be high on travelers' lists in 2025.

While visitors will want to be mindful of their surroundings when hiking the majestic Pitons and other challenging terrain, the island country poses little threat to visitors. It continues to receive a Level 1 travel advisory from the U.S. State Department.

From pulse-pounding adventures like zip lining and snorkeling to unique experiences such as soaking in art and culture or participating in wellness activities, St. Maarten is an easy getaway for Americans on the East Coast and one that offers added peace of mind.

Just south of Saint Lucia is where you'll find St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Like many Caribbean islands, tourists will be met with all smiles but should be prepared when participating in activities whether it's hiking or scuba diving as colorful reefs, cascading waterfalls and inviting natural pools are among the many highlights here.

Both the British and U.S. Virgin Islands are among the safest destinations in the Caribbean but Americans may be more inclined to visit the latter as they won't require a passport.

Both island chains are quintessential Caribbean, offering visitors spectacular beaches, snorkeling adventures and laidback vibes from the locals. Travelers can also interact with rare wildlife and sample mouthwatering cuisine and experience new cultures via the islands' diverse makeup.