The Average Cost of a Vacation: Transportation, Food, Entertainment, and More
By Karen Bennett
Bankrate.com
As another travel season approaches, many Americans are researching the costs of flights and accommodations, with the caveat that while
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Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Over 30 More Countries Could Be Put on Travel Ban by US—Reports
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Trump administration is floating the idea of adding 36 more countries to its travel ban that began earlier this month, according to an internal State Department cable reviewed by The Washington Post and Reuters. A spokesperson for the State Department told Newsweek in a Sunday email: "The Department does not comment on internal deliberations or communications, but we are constantly reevaluating policies to ensure the safety of Americans and that foreign nationals follow our laws." Why It Matters Earlier this month, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation restricting travel by foreigners from 12 countries and partially restricting entry from an additional seven countries. The ban, which Trump said is to "protect the nation from foreign terrorist and other national security and public safety threats," went into effect on June 9. Since his inauguration on January 20, Trump has cracked down on foreign nationals in the United States, mainly through executive orders, and has prioritized immigration enforcement as a key pillar of his agenda. During his first administration, Trump imposed a ban that barred people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. Critics then and now, have called out the restrictions as xenophobic and racist. What To Know The internal cable, which was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, "identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," as reported by Reuters. The weekend memo was first reported by The Washington Post and includes 25 African nations, as well as several Pacific Island nations, Caribbean, and Central Asian. The countries mentioned in the cable that may face a potential partial or full ban are: Angola Antigua and Barbuda Benin Bhutan Burkina Faso Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Cote D'Ivoire Democratic Republic of Congo Djibouti Dominica Ethiopia Egypt Gabon The Gambia Ghana Kyrgyzstan Liberia Malawi Mauritania Niger Nigeria Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Sao Tome and Principe Senegal South Sudan Syria Tanzania Tonga Tuvalu Uganda Vanuatu Zambia Zimbabwe Some of the countries under consideration, such as Egypt, are key U.S. diplomatic partners and receive American military aid. When asked earlier this month why Egypt wasn't on the original list, Trump responded, "Because Egypt has been a country that we deal with very closely. They have things under control." Djibouti hosts Camp Lemonnier, the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa. The countries would be in addition to the 12 fully restricted countries of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, and the seven partially restricted, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, that Trump already limited. There are, however, some exceptions to the restrictions, including certain visas. The Washington Post identified the benchmarks in the memo as regarding lack of "competent or cooperative central government authority to produce reliable identity documents or other civil documents," or experiencing "widespread government fraud." Immigration also played a role in their potential selection, with some reportedly having large numbers of citizens who overstayed their visas in the U.S. The memo also touched on ideology, reportedly saying, there were accounts of "antisemitic and anti-American activity in the United States" by some people from those countries. Trump announced the first version of the ban earlier this month after citing national security concerns following a recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, when Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, carried out a firebombing attack at a pro-Israel rally, injuring 12 people. Trump has detained several vocal pro-Palestinian voices, most notably Mahmoud Khalil. President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House on June 12 in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House on June 12 in Washington, D.C. AP Photo/Alex Brandon What People Are Saying A spokesperson for the State Department told Newsweek in an email Sunday: "The Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process." Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnès Callamard said in a press release on June 5: "President Trump's new travel ban is discriminatory, racist, and downright cruel. By targeting people based on their race, religion, or nationality, from countries with predominantly Black, Brown and Muslim-majority populations, this blanket ban constitutes racial discrimination under international human rights law. It also spreads hate and disinformation, reinforcing the misleading idea that certain populations are more likely to pose security risks or engage in acts of violence." Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, wrote in a June 4 X, formerly Twitter, post: "This is Trump's reckless first term travel ban all over again. Just like before, Trump's expanded ban on travelers from around the world will not improve our national security and will only further isolate the U.S. from the rest of world. Bigotry is not a national security strategy." What Happens Next? It remains unclear whether the State Department will move forward with the additions or when the countries might face restrictions if they fail to meet certain requirements.
Epoch Times
11 hours ago
- Epoch Times
The Average Cost of a Vacation: Transportation, Food, Entertainment, and More
By Karen Bennett As another travel season approaches, many Americans are researching the costs of flights and accommodations, with the caveat that while
Time Magazine
13 hours ago
- Time Magazine
How Work is Different This Summer
By Year-round flexibility policies have changed the way many workers and workplaces approach summer work schedules, as we wrote last year. Gone are the days when offices cleared out for seasonal 'summer Fridays.' Now, says Jacqueline Sharma, VP of people at HR platform Envoy, the company's data show that Friday attendance is consistently lower than other days regardless of time of year. But, as economic uncertainty constrains household travel budgets and adds pressures to workers, setting aside time to rest and recharge is more important than ever—even as it becomes more difficult. According to a survey from HR platform Dayforce, 71% of workers say there are factors standing in the way of taking time off, including being unable to afford it and feeling too busy to do so. Here are other data points that show how work and time off will be different this summer: Shrinking budgets are transforming summer travel. A majority of Americans are planning to take at least one vacation this summer, though many are saving money by driving instead of flying, staying with friends and family instead of at a hotel, or shortening their trips, according to a Deloitte survey on summer travel plans. As of early June, airlines are seeing 10% fewer sumer bookings relative to the same period in 2024. On average, workers request 40% more time-off requests during the summer, according to data from HR software company Paycom. Last year, the most commonly requested day off was July 5, with over four times more requests for paid time off (PTO) than the average day in 2024. To help workers coordinate workflows amid PTO days and zombie crews, teams can adopt team-wide days off or no-meeting days on popular travel days. Charter, for example, added an additional team-wide mental health and wellbeing day directly ahead of Memorial Day and July 4. Beyond team-wide days off, clarity around vacation policies and templates for out-of-office (OOO) messages and PTO plans can help minimize disruptions to ongoing work and empower more workers to take the time they need. People are working on vacation at higher rates. The share of workers who say they disconnect completely from work during vacation has steadily declined over the past four years, according to data from Dayforce. In 2023 it was 47%, compared to 39% and 37% last year and this year, respectively. While remote-work privileges are allowing some workers to extend their vacation—allowing 'workcationers' to prolong their longest summer trips by an average of three days, according to Deloitte—the expectation to be always on may also prevent workers from resting, recharging, and connecting with friends and family during trips. Help your team make the most of remote work while ensuring they also have time to actually unplug by offering work-from-anywhere (WFA) days in addition to PTO. Prudential Financial, for example, allows employees to work entirely remotely from anywhere in the US for four weeks per year. Managers can serve as models, whether that's taking regular WFA and PTO days, sharing their OOO plans well ahead of time, or completely unplugging during PTO days. Summer care gaps are putting extra pressure on working parents. Among working parents, 76% say their level of focus during the summer is directly tied to the reliability of their children's summer-care arrangements, according to a survey from Bright Horizons. Some 68% of respondents said that summer feels like a break for everyone but themselves. Respondents pointed to several unique summer challenges, including having to leave work early for activity pick up and drop off, worrying about what kids are up to at home, and managing summer care schedules that don't align with work schedules. More than three-fourths of respondents shared that they wish their employer offered more support in navigating summer-care arrangements. PwC offers one model for summer-care support. 'As the different schools are letting out across the country, we're talking about our summer camps and some of the child-care offerings that might be even more popular during the summer months,' says Kim Jones, PwC's talent strategy and people experience leader. Those resources include discounted summer camps, a backup child-care reimbursement, and access to an online care marketplace. Jones used many of PwC's child-care and flexibility benefits when her own daughter was young, noting that the support 'goes a long way towards helping you feel engaged with the organization, helping you want to perform at your best, helping you feel like your work is respected along with your personal life.' she says.
