State Department Says Passport Wait Times Are Decreasing

Update: October 8, 2024, at 1:40 p.m. ET

Nothing seduces like power, not even money. It is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Photograph from the U.S. Coast Guard Crown Princess Rescue. (Photo Credit: The United States Coast Guard - Hawaii Pacific)

A class action lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. State Department over its controversial $60 fee to expedite passport processing.

Oman Air hopes to finalize its membership in the global airline alliance, Oneworld, sometime in the second quarter of next year, CEO Con Korfiatis said.

An Army contractor and his girlfriend used government funds to finance personal vacations across the country, including 31 trips to Orlando, federal prosecutors say.

The scent of burning wood filled my nostrils as I pushed through the large paned doors of Fore Street in Portland, Maine. The restaurant, with its tavern-like atmosphere and rustic wood and brick accents, instantly felt welcoming.

When you think of destinations that affluent jet setters might frequent, the likes of London, Paris, and New York's Hamptons probably come to mind.

Last week, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm before ripping through six states leaving a path of destruction in its wake and killing more than 100 people. The record-breaking storm – which clocked 140 mph winds and a storm surge that reached more than 15 feet above ground in the Florida Big Bend region – has left millions to deal with flooded roads, flattened homes and buildings, and power outages. North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama have all made disaster declarations as emergency responders work to rescue missing persons and more than 1.2 million are still without power as of Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us. Popular North Carolina mountain towns – including Asheville – which have become top tourist destinations in the fall, have been reduced to debris as residents are left to rebuild their lives. Carrie Tucker of Charlotte, North Carolina, told Travel + Leisure in the wake of Hurricane Helene, western North Carolina is “completely cut off from life – no roads, no gas, no food.”

Amtrak launched a national marketing campaign on Tuesday to convince travelers that trains are a smarter alternative to planes and cars.

Frontier Airlines announced 22 new routes across its United States network, launching in December. 

The month of September can usually be characterized in one word: wet. This month was no exception.