Weekly Travel News Update from Local Passport Family

5/9/22

Hotels move into the private home rental space to capitalize on the expanding market
- How might this impact individual home renters instead of investors, especially in burgeoning international tourist markets?
Endangered California condors released over Redwood National Park for the first time in 100 years
More Asian Americans connect with the outdoors
- What are some ways to make outdoors spaces more welcoming to those who have historically been excluded from them?
A Nepali man breaks his own record – again, by summiting Everest for the 26th time
The Taliban orders women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public
- In what situations is controlling another person’s physical choices to protect others legitimate? When is it dictatorial?

5/4/22

When you might want to wear a mask on public transport
- The world is evolving and conditions are changing, so how can we best evaluate times of more or less risk in order to support ourselves as well as the most vulnerable? The CDC continues to recommend masks on public transport.
From toxic wasteland to national park
House Passes Bill to Study New Asian Pacific American Museum
- What would this mean for members of the Asian Pacific American community? Where are the labor and resources coming from? How would this benefit all Americans?
Will luxury resorts contribute to making National Park vacations less accessible?
I used to think I was pro-life. It turns out I wasn’t. Here’s why I changed my mind.
- Some personal writing that I rarely share, but discusses some of the evolution of my thinking. I hope it helps some of you, too.

4/22/22

Canada creates Indigenous Tourism Fund
- What are pros and cons to financially supporting tourism connected to Indigenous lands?
CDC removes all countries from its “Level 4” travel warning
Iceland’s budget airline Play debuts in the US
Explosion at a Sufi mosque in Afghanistan kills over 30 people
- What type of violence tends to be highlighted in the media? For what kinds of situations do opinions – and actions – come forward?
When to consider still masking on public transport
- Not all situations are created equal; how can we consider nuanced views of masking instead of an all-or-nothing approach?

3/21/22

Biden administration rules Myanmar army committed genocide against Rohingya
These floating National Historic Landmarks take visitors on a journey to the past
- Have you visited any of these? Are any on your list?
The rise of female chefs in China
- How often do we think about people’s capacities as the issue, when in actuality, it’s systems and processes that are the problem? (E.g., the problem is that the wok is too heavy, not that women are too weak; the problem is that a ramp doesn’t exist, not that someone uses a wheelchair)
Nowruz celebrations in Afghanistan are banned by the Taliban, but families still celebrate how they can
- How can we support Afghans honoring not just their religion but also their cultural heritage? How can we work toward freedom of expression and food security for people across the globe?
The Taliban says it will keep high schools open to girls, but reality is a different story
A bit about Ketanji Brown Jackson, from Harvard on
- What amounts to a conflict of interest? When you advocate for deeply held beliefs? When you receive pay for advocacy? When a family member engages in political behavior?

3/7/22

First disabled ski decent of the highest peak in North America
- How does representation in media and advertising intersect with accessibility?
New York man was charged with hate crimes after attacking Asian American women
- When is it appropriate to consider something a hate crime? Are we quicker to do it in some cases than others?
More than half of the Amazon rainforest is at risk of turning into savanna
Europe experiences large refugee crisis
- How does the title of this article frame this versus other refugee crises? How do the numbers compare? Why is this crisis impacting Europe specifically more than some others? And how does media framing/bias impact aid?
Philippine leader signs bill to raise minimum sexual consent age from 12 to 16
- Who does this most impact? What are the pros and cons to raising the age?

2/28/22

Those fleeing Ukrainian war zones are not exempt from racism
- See also racist language from many foreign correspondants
- How are colonialism and white supremacy connected to outrage, advocacy, and coverage?
Fossilized evidence of an ancient crocodile dining on a dinosaur found in Australia
Tour companies beginning to address racial inequality
Prominent conservative endorses Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, who would be the first Black woman on the Court
Earthquake in Indonesia
- To whom do wealthy countries quickly send aid? Do some lives matter more than others? Does the country’s ability to provide for its citizens matter?

2/21/22

Meet Preet: the first solo BIPOC woman to explore the South Pole
- In what ways is it additionally mentally taxing to accomplish feats like this as a woman of color?
Global public health advocate Paul Farmer dies at age 62
- What is the responsibility of wealthy nations to support healthcare as a right in poorer countries? What are some ways to redistribute wealth & power while avoiding white saviorism?
This 500 pound bear has broken into at least 28 homes in South Lake Tahoe
- What is the responsibility of communities to create spaces where humans and animals can cohabitate? How and from whom can we learn to protect wildlife while keeping residential areas safe for people?
Research confirms British colonization contributed to Australian fire risks
- What can we learn from this about who to trust with land stewardship?
Love Wordle? Have you tried Worldle?

1/31/22

A redwood forest in California was returned to its indigenous tribe and restored to the name of “Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ” (Fish Run Place)
- Do indigenous communities always have a better understanding of how to maintain the health of a place? Whose responsibility is it to ensure spaces are protected and appropriately used?
Perpetual pandemic school closures contribute to widening economic and gender divides in India
- What are truly essential services? What is the balance of health and safety versus long-term preparation and skills?
Returning LDS missionaries bring first COVID cases to island nation of Kiribati, despite following stringent health protocols
- Though many of these missionaries were returning home, what are some of the physical risks of colonization, including internally?
Diversifying the travel content creator space
- Does diversifying travel leadership inherently diversify the traveling population? What can each of us do to encourage greater representation in this space? What are ways that we can encourage creators from marginalized communities?
The Seattle Symphony works to diversify orchestral music

1/24/22

What’s happening in Ukraine?
Zara Rutherford becomes the youngest woman to circumnavigate the globe solo
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, dies at 95
- How is Buddhism represented in the media? Where do these headlines often fall?
A stowaway survives an 11-hour flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam
- What type of situation would convince you to take this risk?
Omicron reminds us of the need for global vaccination efforts
- Who has had greatest vaccine access? Who has been most vaccine resistant? Do those with greater access have a responsibility to distribute more broadly to those who don’t?

1/17/22

The explosive force of the volcanic eruption in Tonga was significantly more than a nuclear bomb
- Food and water are urgent needs, but how do we best provide them while avoiding a colonizer/white savior mentality? How do we protect Tongan communities from marginalization and especially disease, including COVID?
Asian American reeling from attack on Michelle Go
- Should police or mental health providers be tasked with addressing these crimes?
- In what ways does racism pit marginalized groups against one another?
Seven demonstrators killed by Sudan’s security forces
52 travel destinations where visitors can be part of the solution
- How do we ensure we are actually listening to and empowering local communities, rather than imposing colonized ideas of sustainability?
Vegan food festival in Dubai

1/10/22

First woman of color completes a solo expedition to Antarctica
Should cruise ships continue to sail amidst Omicron concerns?
- Who is bearing the brunt of the risk? Who will receive care if needed?
Traditional Mexican pottery in the town of Mata Ortiz gets a second life
First openly nonbinary athlete qualifies for Winter Olympics
Maya Angelou becomes the first Black woman to be featured on a US quarter
Texas House candidate says Chinese students should be banned from Texas universities

12/13/21

CDC moves Jordan, Portugal, Tanzania, and France (the world’s most popular tourist destination pre-pandemic) to a list of countries with the highest COVID-19 risk due to skyrocketing cases and increasing omicron concerns
- Who is becoming most affected with the recent variant?
A total solar eclipse shrouds Antarctica in complete darkness during the continent’s summertime standard of 24-hour sunlight
A Japanese billionaire says his $80 million, 12-day mission to the International Space Station says his “amazing” experience was “worth it”
- Do the mega-wealthy have any responsibilities to their communities, countries, etc.? Should they?
December tornadoes have been rare, but FEMA says climate change is making late-year severe weather events more common
- How do we manage a new normal of climate change-induced weather events? What is the responsibility of individuals and corporations?
Hindu Nationalist leaders in India ban the sale of eggs
- When does something that offends one person get to dictate the actions of another? What are the limits of respect for any individual belief system?

12/6/21

Google fired its AI researcher Timnit Gebru a year ago; now she’s launching her own institute to document technological harms to marginalized communities and to help better use the systems to serve those groups
- Have you noticed discrimination in AI and other forms of technology? How can we make these more equitable?
How climate change is affecting one Norwegian archipelago
Updated testing requirements to travel to the United States
Dark sky designations are bringing in new tourists
- How do we encourage visitors to appreciate these beauties while still preserving them and also supporting the peoples who have cared for them for centuries?
A piece of India in the Colombian mountains
The home of a Black family in Marin County near San Francisco received a low appraisal; they “whitewashed” it and it appraised at nearly half a million dollars more
- What else are Black and brown families being required to “whitewash” simply in order to survive and succeed financially? Customs, clothing, food, language, holidays? What traditions are being forgotten and not passed on to children?
“Allyship” is Dictionary.com’s 2021 word of the year

11/15/21

Travel habits and decisions of 4 environmentalists
- How has the pandemic changed our collective interest in and methods of travel? What has changed for you personally in how you make travel decisions?
Seeing the world through a grain of rice
- How has this staple affected diets, cultures, and histories?
Families and friends reunite as the U.S. reopens to vaccinated international travelers (photos)
Air travel still fails to support individuals with disabilities
- We’ve seen very slow improvements in our lifetimes; what can we do to spur greater change and accommodations for all passengers?
A 10-year old Utah girl takes her own life after enduring racist bullying
- Please. Talk to your kids. Talk to them about melanin. Talk to them about disabled kids. Talk to them about individuals who are neurodiverse. Teach them to learn and listen and be kind and stand up. Teach them to not be silent. Even if you have before, please have another conversation this week.

11/8/21

Michelle Wu is elected Boston’s first female and also Asian American mayor
Tonga reports its first case of COVID-19
- What extra precautions should be required for vulnerable communities? How would this situation differ if it were a tourist instead of a repatriation effort? Someone coming for work? A missionary?
New funding could facilitate Amtrak’s largest-ever expansion
A rebel alliance is getting closer to gaining control of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- What is the responsibility of other countries? Is involvement just or unjust?
US borders open to vaccinated foreign travelers from 33 countries
- Have these restrictions protected Americans? What biases were embedded in the restrictions?
Residents of Gumatapura in South India celebrate the end of Diwali with the cow dung festival
- How is this similar and different to festivals and holidays you celebrate?

11/1/21

10/25/21

New restrictions make flying with a pet significantly more difficult5 health experts weigh in on holiday travel
- How does this impact those who have less access to rapid testing, or generational trauma around medical procedures? How does privilege impact who gets to have holiday companionship?
9 terrific pumpkin patches across the US – have you visited any of these?
Thailand, Australia, and Madagascar begin plans to reopen to tourists Have you heard about the stowaway chihuahua yet?