Latest news with #OaklandInternationalAirport
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Can a great opening weekend for summer travel last?
The Brief Domestic travel numbers were projected to be strong for the holiday weekend, but international travel has seen a considerable drop. Projected drops in international tourism revenue are exacerbated by domestic concerns regarding the strength of the country's economy. Tariff anger, possibilities of unfriendly treatment and a strong U.S. dollar devaluing the purchasing power of foreign currency also contribute to declines in international tourism. OAKLAND, Calif. - Projections held that 45.1 million people in the United States were expected to drive or fly more than 50 miles from their home this Memorial Day Weekend. The final numbers are not in yet, but it may be that the actual final number of holiday voyagers exceeds that predicted figure. It's been a very good holiday weekend for travel, but can it last? Fewer Visitors It was strangely quiet at Oakland International Airport on Monday, with many people having chosen to fly back Sunday or wait until later this week to make the return trip. Even though TSA screened a record 2.95 million passengers on Friday nationwide – up 6.3% from a year ago – the bigger, longer-term picture is more sobering. In March, year over year, international arrivals were down 14%. The biggest declines were recorded among visitors from Canada, Asia, Western Europe and South America. Fewer foreign travelers are coming to the U.S. over tariff anger; some are fearful of possible unfriendly treatment. Also, the strong U.S. dollar makes foreign currency less valuable. The World Travel and Tourism Council reports that U.S. tourism spending is down 7% from last year, but is also a whopping 22% lower than the pre-pandemic peak in 2019. Out of 184 nations, only the U.S. is projected to see a drop in tourism dollars to the tune of $12.5 billion dollars. That projected drop in tourism revenue is exacerbated by domestic concerns regarding the strength of the country's economy. Economic Anxiety Domestically, a LendingTree study found that, out of 2000 people, two-thirds of them think a recession is coming, which is a sure recipe to slow down consumer spending. "I think there will be a recession," said Southwest passenger Rodney Bridgeman. "There's a lot of things going on in the world and the economy and the government." Even with airfares down, many people are downsizing or eliminating travel plans. "They will cut back quite a bit because, the thing is, people are losing jobs for one thing and the cost of things are going up, so I think they'll lose business a little bit," Bridgeman said. More Travel Expenses To make matters worse, on Wednesday – just in time for summer – an enormous change is coming at Southwest Airlines. The Dallas-based airline will begin charging its passengers for their checked bags, ending its longstanding free checked bags policy for most of its passengers. It is unclear how much Southwest will charge passengers for their bags, and the new policy does not affect passengers who booked the highest levels of service – A-List and Business Select – or who have Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards. Still, the news of the fees comes as a disappointment to many travelers, and serves as an unwelcome discouragement at a time when international travel is already in jeopardy. "I think they're going to lose a lot of people because now it's just like everyone else," said Southwest passenger Shelley Ross-Bell. "It doesn't matter which airline you fly on." The Source AAA study, LendingTree study, KTVU reporting
CBS News
01-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
"Operation Babylift" adoptees talk about their experience 50 years later
'Operation Babylift' adoptees talk about their lives 50 years after fall of Saigon 'Operation Babylift' adoptees talk about their lives 50 years after fall of Saigon 'Operation Babylift' adoptees talk about their lives 50 years after fall of Saigon At San Francisco's Crissy Field, an old building sits largely unnoticed. But 50 years ago, inside Harmon Hall, an event unfolded that changed the lives of thousands of people, including the lives of three little girls. "You know we all went through a lot of trauma," said Lara Price. "I find that I think about it less and less," noted Wendy Norberg. "The fall of Saigon was happening, and they had to get everyone out," remarked Tricia Houston. Leading up to the fall of Saigon, for most of April 1975, the U.S. government airlifted nearly 2,600 Vietnamese children to America for adoption. The series of 32 flights was part of "Operation Babylift." The first flight was unauthorized and occurred on a World Airways DC-8. Norberg arrived on this flight which landed late at night at Oakland International Airport. The first authorized flight crashed soon after takeoff and killed dozens of children. Lara Price survived the crash. Price was then put on the next flight, along with a very tiny baby who in the U.S. became known as Tricia Houston. Tricia was very sick and at 6 months, only weighed 9 lbs. All three babies arrived at Harmon Hall, along with hundreds of other Vietnamese children — all bearing adoption papers thanks to the Babylift. President Gerald Ford, who authorized the multi-million-dollar effort, arrived with his wife Betty at SFO, where he took a baby off the plane. Price, now a musician, was adopted by a military officer and his wife. They traveled around as his duties changed. Tricia Houston, an elementary school teacher, found a new home with a family in Orange County. And Wendy Norberg, an accomplished photographer, was embraced by Ralph and Marilyn Norberg. But the mission was not without controversy. At Harmon Hall, as the children were processed some of the volunteers spoke Vietnamese to the children. "They discovered that a significant number of them had families and that they were not orphans," remarked East Bay Attorney Thomas Miller. Miller, along with the Center for Constitutional Rights, immediately filed a class action lawsuit against the US government to determine who was eligible for adoption. The lawsuit Nguyen Da Yen v Kissinger argued that the detention of the children was unconstitutional, and the lawyers sought to reunite the children with their families. Miller told CBS News Bay Area that some of the Vietnamese parents put their kids on a plane to save them, hoping to join them once the children escaped immediate danger. He likened their action to throwing a child out of a burning building and if the parent survived, they would want their child handed back to them. "All of this would have been preventable if the U.S. government had operated responsibly right from the beginning, remarked Miller. A judge denied the lawsuit and sealed the records. Years later, international family law and immigration expert Rong Kuhtz took a deeper dive. "I discovered widespread misconduct," Kuhtz said. Kultz researched federal, state, and court records involving the Babylift. Miller supplied her with everything he had on the case. She discovered nearly half the children arrived with forged or fake identities, and that there is no paper trial to find who they are or where they came from, and that their actual identities are unverifiable. "I feel a grave sadness," reacted Kuhtz. Today, many of the adoptees have turned to DNA tests to uncover their past. Houston's results had a match. Her biological father had also taken a test. "He was looking, searching for 35 years," said Tricia, amazed at his perseverance and effort in trying to locate her. Price's parents remain unknown. She had a childhood fantasy that one day they would be reunited. "I was hoping that my parents would see me singing on TV, and they would come find me and we'd live happily ever after," smiled Price. As for Norberg, she told CBS News Bay Area that he had no desire to find any biological relative. "To me, that's not important," remarked Norberg. All three clearly love their adoptive parents. Norberg remains busy at work and with her photography. Houston earned a master's degree in education, met her biological father, and adopted a child. "I've had a great life in America and a great life with my family," exclaimed Houston. Some of the adoptees suffered abuse after arriving in the U.S., including Lara Price who recounted how she was sexually abused as a young child by individuals close to the family. She now uses her music to help foster and adopted children who have similar trauma. "It's my superpower and if I can make change with music with other adoptees or foster kids or survivors, I would like that," explained Price. The end of the war was just the beginning for three very different women whose life stories are still being written.
CBS News
29-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Operation Babylift child, family look back 50 years after flight out of Saigon
Bay Area family remembers adopting their daughter during Operation Baby Lift during the fall of Saig Bay Area family remembers adopting their daughter during Operation Baby Lift during the fall of Saig Bay Area family remembers adopting their daughter during Operation Baby Lift during the fall of Saig Wednesday, April 30, 2025, marks the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. Early April, after the fall of Da Nang, and with Saigon under attack, then-President Gerald Ford announced "Operation Babylift" where dozens of flights brought about 26,000 Vietnamese babies and children to the U.S. for adoption. The first flight was set in action with a phone call from the late Walter Shorenstein. Ed Daley, who owned World Airways, had instructed his daughter Charlotte Behrendt to get in touch with Shorenstein. Daley wanted help in supporting these flights, which meant getting the Presidio Army Base's Commander and Letterman Hospital involved. On April 2, 1975, the first flight landed late at night at Oakland International Airport, and a crush of media was on hand to greet. Only KPIX News had the technology to go "live" from a remote location. So that night, anchor Stan Bohrman announced the breaking news that the children had arrived. He turned to the Sports Director Wayne Walker and exclaimed to him, using the nickname he reserved for Walker. "'OK, Wayno. Thank you very much. And let's check right back in with Andy Park and Lynne Joiner at the Oakland International Airport as they continue to bring those 57 children off of that plane you can see they are coming on down, and Andy if you can hear me you're back on live television again,'" Bohrman said. Viewers saw adults carrying blankets up the stairway to the plane, and returning with infants and small children wrapped in them. "I am right at the foot of the stairway now, and you probably just saw that little one just come down. The people going up again are the blanket brigade. They're taking up blankets. They wrap a child in it and bring it down," explained reporter Andy Park. "To your knowledge, are we the only people broadcasting this live or are there other live facilities there," inquired Bohrman. "No. We are the only ones bringing it live," replied Park. Onboard the World Airways DC-8 plane, dozens of young children were airlifted out of Vietnam. Among them was a baby girl promised to Ralph and Marilyn Norberg. "It was just such a defining moment in our lives because we wanted to have children, and we were having a hard time. And when she came, it was just such a gift," explained Mrs. Norberg. "It was just really amazing to meet our first child. And get to know her," chuckled her husband. From the airport, the children were loaded up on a bus and driven to the Presidio. A small number needed to be admitted for observation at Letterman Hospital. Most were processed at the Presidio Army base in a building known as Harmon Hall. The Presidio's switchboard was swamped with compassionate calls. "We're inundated. Our lines are blocked with calls offering everything from clothes and blankets in Arkansas to people from Alaska and Brooklyn who want to adopt children," said one volunteer. When the Norbergs first met Wendy, they were overjoyed. "She was actually very, very easy going," recollected Mr. Norberg. "She was adorable, and still is," smiled her mother. As for Wendy, she's celebrating her 51st birthday. "I view myself definitely as being American," explained the daughter. She went back to Vietnam 10 years ago and saw her orphanage. But Wendy Norberg said the Bay Area is home. As for Operation Babylift, she doesn't dwell on it. "I find that I think about it less and less. And I don't know if that's because I'm just so, I don't want to say busy but just kind of there is so much more goes on in my life that defines me more than that," she explained. Wendy is an accomplished photographer. Most recently, she's captured images of Bay Area activism, people striving to change the world. "I'm not necessarily picking a side. I'm documenting a moment in history," remarked Norberg. Her historic journey was captured by KPIX News Channel 5. Now, 50 years later, she is on the other side of the lens.
