News and notes from around the interweb:
- Secret Service officer arrested for earning elite status the hard way in the front of guests at the Miami Airport DoubleTree, police say
He was in South Florida as part of a security perimeter screening detail for President Donald Trump’s visit to the 2026 PGA Cadillac Championship.
- Want more on airline antitrust, what really killed Spirit, and whether a United-American Airlines merger could really be allowed? I was a guest on the Central Air podcast with Josh Barro, Megan McArdle, and Ben Dreyfuss.
- Spirit planes being repossessed:
It’s been a crazy 72 hours. We’re currently representing 4 possibly 5 of the ~ dozen lessors that own #Spirit metal.
Since being activated on Friday at 6PM, we’ve deployed 20 pilots to 5 cities. It’s VERY complicated.
Just gaining access is a battle fought on zoom calls and… pic.twitter.com/mWhy7492IM
— Steve Giordano (@SteveNomadic) May 5, 2026
- JetBlue’s premium lounge access card has 100,000 point bonus
- Allegiant offers Spirit-focused 50% points rebate offer on redemptions (HT: Travelzork)
- They’ll burn fossil fuels, but you’re respecting the environment by re-using the day’s towels.
/r/MildlyInteresting Hyatt edition – some properties have laundry done over an hour away by car
by
u/Adept_Strategy_9545 in
hyatt - The Kirk Cameron/Jami Gertz/Roy Scheider film Listen to Me was about my college debate team. Kirk Cameron traveled to several debates to learn to get into character, and my coach (the late Tom Miller) consulted on the project and gives away the national championship trophy to ‘Kenmont College’ which is set at Pepperdine. When they show the standings board during the film it shows UCLA in first place, and our primary rivals in last.
The @united Starlink ad has an Easter egg where they have a soccer match where the ORD team scores to extend a lead on the ATL team … definitely a dig at Delta. At 19:26 which also correlates with 100 years celebration. pic.twitter.com/xQ79LyUU4I
— Amol (@PointsToPointB) May 6, 2026
- ‘The Delta Difference’ they said.
Huh, that ‘agent’ in Gary’s AI-thumbnail for this post kinda looks like ‘acting’ AG Todd Blanche (aka the President’s personal attorney, including for in the case where the President was found guilty of 34 felony counts in 2024), who is currently not confirmed by the Senate for Attorney General, which is supposed to represent the United States and its people, not the President’s personal grievances. (But, JFK picked his brother for AG, back in the day, so nothing matters, amirite? At least RFK was confirmed unanimously by the Senate, and generally served honorably.)
Oh, and, a ‘bah!’ to Delta’s ancient AVODs. Sure, give Ed $100 million, but don’t worry about those old screens.
The picture is probably fake AI.
@Tex — 100%. Gary uses AI all the time for his thumbnails. He had one with the smoking monk (Sri Lanka story), and @Gene called him out on it looking ‘too black,’ so then Gary updated it to look more ‘Asian.’ Pretty hilarious, actually. No disrespect.
By the way, @Gary Leff, you seein’ these reports of the KLM crew getting that hantavirus after flying those people from the cruise? Ohh boy, here we go again…
@1990 – this makes me feel a little better for now https://polymarket.com/event/hantavirus-pandemic-in-2026
Well when you work from a offender what else is expected
“Debauchery, sir, in the middle of a shift? Heaven forfend!”
Todd Blanche was confirmed as Deputy Attorney General and by law the Deputy acts as Attorney General when the office of attorney General is vacant.
It apparently isn’t fake and this is what lower hiring standards will bring.
The Secret Service needs a thorough review and reform.
Here’s the problem. If you get the guests to reuse towels and see a 50% reduction in towels cleaned each day, you use half as much energy and water. That is simultaneously good for the environment and the hotel’s bottom line. Yes, a hotel might only care about the latter, but they can care about them both. How can we know? But, wait, even if these evil hoteliers are doing it for profit and the green PR, why would I care? I stay at serviced apartments where cleaning is once a week. I use towels at home longer than 7 days anyway. But, if I reuse a towel with daily cleaning, I know the environment benefits as does the hotel’s bottom line. But, in a competitive environment, lower costs to operate can lead to lower room rates. So, who’s losing here? This may be a win-win-win.
A jerkoff jerked off, next.
@Gary Leff — Wonder if prediction markets would’ve said the same in early 2020…
@L737 — “I have no use for it anymore, it has done everyone and everything…“
@This comes to mind — Guests should get to choose. Fresh towels are a minimum.
@Michael Fitzgerald — You should know better. Yes, 28 U.S.C. § 508 and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 allows him to serve for several months, but he cannot legally occupy the role forever without a new, formal Senate confirmation as Attorney General. If the President/Acting AG try to keep Blanche in the role indefinitely without a nomination pending, the Department’s legal actions could be challenged and overturned in court. Or, 6-3 Supreme Court says: ignore the law, shadow docket, no reasoning. Either way, its a bad idea to rely on what you’re suggesting alone, indefinitely.