News and notes from around the interweb:
- Congress has paid an aide to Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) $44,000 in tax-free commuting expenses. It’s legal because Marshall’s office has designated the employee’s home 190 miles away a ‘remote duty station’ and travel between work offices is reimburseable. The staffer even “secured a per diem payment of $10,000 for one trip to D.C. between Jan. 14 and Jan. 23.”
These are commuting expenses but a legal loophole makes them payable as work trips. The staffer already earns $220,000 – compared to $174,000 base salary for Senators. And Marshall is opposed to remote work in government and even sponsored legislation banning the practice.
Payton Fuller, a spokesperson for Marshall, said the senator is permitted under Senate rules to designate a remote duty station for his employees, which would allow them to expense work trips to Washington. Marshall’s office shared documentation showing Robertson changing his duty station to Lynchburg before charging the trip expenses.
You know Roger Marshall as co-sponsor of the bill to cram down credit card interchange, which would result in an end to credit card rewards as we know them – and therefore fewer flights, and probably airline bankruptcies.
- My gosh.
The ground stop at DCA Reagan was prompted by an active air defence incident NE of Washington, DC today. ATC archives show planes were advised of this, along with the possibility of a "priority movement" due to Marine Two transiting the area with the VP for a flight from the USNO… pic.twitter.com/lN7r3jXVH1
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) October 29, 2025
- The U.S. Department of Transportation is now in a trade war with Mexico, saying that they know their trade retaliation is harmful ‘but they have no choice’. They’re halting cargo shipments from Mexico City’s airport, and they’re banning 13 routes to the U.S. by Mexican airlines – and stating that they will reject all new or increased service from Mexico city.
- Look inside JFK’s new terminal one
- Chicago O’Hare and Midway airports could get slot machines. Bally’s already has the concession.
A new push to develop airport slot machines was renewed earlier this month when Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson suggested implementing a 10.25 percent city tax on Illinois sports bets placed within the city limits to confront a $1.15 billion budget shortfall. When state lawmakers rejected that plan, attention turned to placing slot machines in the two airports, which are allowed as long as they are placed beyond Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
Las Vegas Airport - I like the Park Hyatt Chicago. This story from the hotel is simple and easy to dismiss but important, thinking about winning consumer loyalty.
Last week at the Park Hyatt Chicago, I accidentally cracked my nail and realized I didn’t have a nail clipper with me. I checked the room, none there, so I went down to the front desk and asked if they happened to have one.
The front desk lady (her name was Katie) said, “No worries, give me five minutes.” Then she immediately walked out of the front door, and I was like, “Huh, what just happened?”
Little did I know that she actually went to the Walgreens across the street to buy a brand-new nail clipper for me. When she came back, she handed it to me and said, “It’s on Park Hyatt, you can keep it after you checked out”
Honestly, I was blown away. It wasn’t a big thing (of course it’s not an expensive thing, I could have gotten it myself too) but it’s been a long time since I experienced such genuine hospitality. Most front desks would’ve just said they don’t have one, but this simple act made me love Park Hyatt even more.
A nail clipper at Walgreens starts at $2.69. Obviously easier to spend $3 plus staff effort at the sort of room rates achieved by the Park Hyatt. But small gestures are remembered and create emotional connection, while small inconveniences and nickel and diming has the opposite effect.
Similar to the Park Hyatt Chicago, here’s a great example of customer service and death by a thousand cuts. I used to stay at the Marriott off-airport at DTW. It’s maybe 10 minutes by shuttle from the Delta terminal. While there’s a Westin inside the terminal, the Westin was always considerably more expensive. The general manager at the Marriott was great. I used to stay there a couple times a month. I was sick one time and she drove personally to the pharmacy and picked me up a few things. They’d let me leave a packed suitcase there on extended road trips and then pick it up when I needed it. Above and beyond. Then the franchise holder acquired the Sheraton a couple miles away — also an off-airport hotel. They fired the GM and replaced her with a dual GM managing both properties. This is where death by a thousand cuts started. They started sharing a shuttle, doubling the time needed to get to and from the airport. Most of the time I was taking a taxi or Uber to the hotel because the shuttle wait was too long. That was $20-$25 each way. Toiletries were reduced. If you wanted something like mouthwash or deodorant, they no longer gave it to you for free. The restaurant breakfast was reduced to a buffet worse than a free breakfast at a Fairfield with zero option for eggs cooked to order. Needless to say, I stopped staying. Now I stay at the Westin inside DTW itself. For the extra $75-$100 it’s worth it. My point? That Park Hyatt in Chicago probably has a customer for life now … until they decide not to empower their staff that way. Most Hyatt Regencies won’t even provide you with a newspaper now. I’ve asked for one at several stays and have been refused. A newspaper costs maybe $6 if you’re buying the New York Times.
“But small gestures are remembered and create emotional connection, while small inconveniences and nickel and diming has the opposite effect.”
A simple concept that is beyond the comprehension of hotel/casino operators in Las Vegas!!
As a politically involved Kansan I will say that Brent Robertson is who most of us blame for Marshall going all in with Durbin on the Credit Card Competition Act. With legislation there is often a driving force staffer behind it and in the case of this monstrosity, we think its him.
What a lame political hit piece. $44k for most beltway Dems is yoga pant money. Happy to compare across political parties what this “loophole” use is, though I doubt it would be as shocking
But still, how is this travel news? What do you hope to achieve? You get the normal pathetic leftist prolific posting retards unthinkingly clapping enthusiastically, and you get a response from me, that’s it.
Not only cargo flights, but other regulations have caused the Aeromexico-Delta partnership to crater. No one flying to Mexico city wants to land at or depart from either of the two satellite airports, both of which are over an hour away.