What we learned about global travel this week
CNN
Countries around the world imposed travel restrictions after a new Covid-19 variant was detected in southern Africa, Thanksgiving air travel hit a pandemic record, and in Asia-Pacific, New Zealand and the Philippines revealed new reopening plans.
(CNN) — Countries around the world imposed travel restrictions after the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant in South Africa, more than 2.3 million Americans traveled by air on a single day for Thanksgiving, and in Asia-Pacific, New Zealand and the Philippines revealed new reopening plans.
Here are some of the biggest developments in travel this week:
A new variant triggered flight bans
The retired Air Force general announced as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Donald Trump after the abrupt Friday night firing of his predecessor is a respected career F-16 pilot who is described by current and former officials who served with him as a professional with a “strong moral center.”
After a four-week absence from Washington, first lady Melania Trump returned to the White House on Saturday for an annual dinner and reception with the nation’s governors.
Federal workers began receiving emails Saturday asking them to explain what work they did last week, as Elon Musk announced that “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
Police responded to an active shooter incident at a hospital in York, Pennsylvania, on Saturday morning and there is no ongoing threat, officials said.
The United States has proposed its own United Nations resolution marking the third anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine after refusing to back one drafted by Kyiv and backed by Europe.
Some didn’t even know they were being flown to another country until they actually landed in Panama, according to attorney Ali Herischi, who said “they were told they’re going to Texas.”
A father and his 12-year-old son got lost and stranded on a steep cliffside while hiking in Snow Canyon in Utah. An abandoned backpack helped keep them alive
Last week, Leland Dudek, a mid-level career employee at the Social Security Administration, posted on LinkedIn that he was placed on administrative leave for cooperating with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and asked for help finding another job.
The public detente between President Donald Trump and Big Tech titans, forged in the wake of his return to power, has yet to take hold at the country’s annual gathering of his most devoted supporters.
The aid would go toward “immediate and long-term recovery work needed to rebuild lives and properties,” according to the letter.
Over the past 10 days, Vice President JD Vance put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on notice, rattled the confidence of century-old allies in Western Europe during his first foreign trip, decamped to Capitol Hill to help in delicate budget talks and delivered a spirited defense of the Trump administration’s first month to a gathering of conservatives outside the nation’s capital.
Tren de Aragua, MS-13 and the Sinaloa cartel are among the two gangs and six drug cartels the US has officially designated as foreign terrorist organizations, fulfilling a long-standing goal from Donald Trump’s first term in office.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday she has fired Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, citing in part her response to last month’s devastating wildfires, among the most destructive fires in California’s history.