News and notes from around the interweb:
- Thai Airways could once again fly non-stop to the United States when it orders either Airbus A3501-1000 or 777X aircraft, but deliveries wouldn’t be until the 2030s.
- Chase has made changes to the restaurants eligible for its $300 annual Sapphire Reserve dining credit with 91 new restaurants added and 64 restaurants removed, for a total of 404 restaurants in the program. That’s a modest net improvement, but very market-dependent, for instance Las Vegas is now down to a single restaurant. (As long as they keep Kemuri Tatsu-Ya in my home town in the program I’m all good, but there are several good picks in Austin actually.)
- Here’s Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton spending his Fourth of July weekend – American’s 250th – not on America. That’s the Marriott County Hall on the left:
Leaked video reveals Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton in London with his mistress on the 4th of July. pic.twitter.com/djMzUA8cU2
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) July 7, 2026
Paxton was first spotted on one of the mobile lounges at Washington Dulles airport before flying off to Reykjavik with his reported mistress Christian influencer Tracy Duhon, whom he’s reportedly been seeing for two years (so, while he was still married). A previous girlfriend was hired by one of his contributors for whom he did questionable favors, which became one of the subjects of his impeachment as Texas Attorney General (the Republican House impeached him, the Senate did not convict him).
Hey @KenPaxtonTX that's not your wife pic.twitter.com/FS0YVC0Gkm
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) June 28, 2026
- The former Hotel Arizona in Tucson, abandoned since 2012, will become the Hyatt Regency Tucson Convention Center set to open in 2027.
- An Airbnb guest complained about nonworking wifi, and while corresponding with the host realized that their profile photo was bad AI-generated, and left a review suggesting that the rental’s customer service was handled out of Bangladesh. While it appears the host’s fake profile was a violation of Airbnb rules, the platform suspended the guest for ‘discrimination against Bangladeshis’.
I just got suspended from Airbnb for discrimination.
Just one problem:
I didn't discriminate against anyone lol.
1/n pic.twitter.com/Yb1wDQKNLR
— molson 🧠⚙️ (@Molson_Hart) July 7, 2026
- This Instagram post has been taken down.
oh my god bro pic.twitter.com/VJNfHSCEhh
— Gayson Thotdötter 🔞 (@buschlitebaddie) July 7, 2026
Brings to mind this bit from Deal of the Century (1983, Chevy Chase, Gregory Hines, and Sigourney Weaver):
Yeah, yeah… the guy with the tattoo in Maine’s gotta go, but this Texas-guy and #47 are totally fine. Donchu dare mess with corporate power or the “controlled opposition” establishment! /s
The guy in Maine *is* pretty unacceptable. But the establishment decided he needed to go because he’s going to lose. Betting.market odds of a Dem win in Maine jumped on the allegations because it meant he’d leave and get replaced but someone that would win.
Now, Republicans in Texas basically decided they’re ok risking the seat on this guy.
In fairness, he just totally corrupt. There have been no allegations that he is a nazi rapist..
@Gary Leff — What a country!
Is a woman still a “mistress” if the man is no longer married? Or is she now just a girlfriend?
Any word on Mitch McConnell? Or they still doin’ Weekend at Bernie’s to avoid a special election? Former Secretary Chow still back at the mothership, too? Wild stuffs.
Stories like this will bring out the most entertaining comments and tit-for-tat banter. I don’t know much about either guy @1990, but being accused of rape vs. being corrupt and not faithful to your spouse are not really in the same arena. Who knows? I believe very little of what I hear, only about 50% of what I see, and almost nothing I read on the internet anymore. I filter it and move on.
Why would the Maine guy have to go? The Dems loved him, covered up for him and were prepared to stand by him until this week. What happened??
Oh…wait….now he might lose. I guess their true colors are showing.
The totenkopf tattoo meant nothing to those who’ve been calling Trump a Nazi for ten years now,
How anyone can vote for Paxton is beyond me. This guy is a hypocritical creep. He fits right in with his MAGAT party.
@Lance “Mistress Emeritus”?
@D Fray — I guess that’s the new party-line: Corruption is okay. Now, buy my crypto so I can steal from you! Psh.
I mean, all the above seems to point to bad character, if true, and probably not people that should be representing us… fish rots at head, blah, blah… TDS… blah, blah… BJ in the oval… Both sides, very fine people. Tan suit. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
you really do have to be amused that the AG of Texas — the guy responsible for making sure EVERY rainbow side walk in the entire state was whitewashed — Spent his country’s 250th anniversary… the 4th of July at — wait for it… London Gay Pride.
That was everywhere in London the day he was there. Oh the irony but maybe he’ll learn to be less scared of rainbows. You’d think his open marriage would make him less hostile to other sexualities.
Thanks for the “travel news”.
@Mantis — Guys… he’s being super-cereal. Excelsior!
Meanwhile, back in Austin… https://apnews.com/article/texas-curriculum-bible-board-vote-06530403ff91c10462382422003e109f
Gary. Please stick to travel and credit cards! We don’t need to hear about Ken Paxton’s personal life. Thanks.
“Oh…wait….now he might lose. I guess their true colors are showing.” Let’s be fair. Both the Dems and Rebs do the same thing. Look at Jack Ryan vs. Obama in the Illinois senate race.
Why do people read the headline on an article like this and decide to read it and comment Gary shouldn’t post such articles? Me, if I see a post is on a topic of zero interest (e.g., coffee), I just skip it. Why go out of one’s way to be annoyed?
@This comes to mind — For real. It seems @John C is a ‘snowflake.’ He outta just ignore the posts he don’t like. (Or, he could put on his big boy boots, and engage/debate/banter with the rest of us.) Wait, you don’t like coffee? Aww, how sad. Tea? Coke? No stimulants?? Woah. Ohio…
I agree with John C. This is a travel Webb site not a dating or gossip site and name calling (1990) is unnecessary.
More left wing news. More “news” from Gary Left lol
So, how is this “Travel News”? Because there’s supposedly a Marriot in the background? Wow, what a stretch…
I consider Ken Paxton to be an American hero. He’s a fighter that holds crooked Dems and RINOs accountable. This is why the globalists hate him and are always trying to remove him. We need more good men like Ken Paxton, especially in my corrupt Dem run state of California.
@Joe T — LOL. Calls for decorum? At VFTW? Good one. I look forward to you calling out everyone else’s name-calling and bigotry… oh wait, you don’t.
@OnePatriot77 — Paxton, a hero? Oof. Any why we so upset with Hyatt elites? Globalist! Bah…
Lived in Texas my entire life. Ken Paxton is a CROOK and should have been thrown in jail years ago! Both he and Cheetoh should be locked up for good!!!
@JS — Ah, I can hear the chant: ‘lock (them) up… lock (them) up…’
Also… Price of (gas)! Price of (gas)!
@ This Comes. Jack Ryan, who might have had a crack at it, was replaced by a wildly improbable candidate not even from Illinois. His downfall was trying in an unorthodox way to save his marriage to that Northwestern chick, and the establishment Trib getting the divorce files unsealed “in the pub(l)ic interest”. A hit job. but not to improve the chances of beating Obama.
@ Gary. I think Platner/Paxton would be a great unity ticket, uniting low lives across the political spectrum. Might win.
@jack the ladd — LOL. They’d run this country, real-rough, whether we consent, or not!