Free Republic

A new study from the R Street Institute, a free-market think tank with a pragmatic approach to public policy, gives Detroit an A-minus grade for its regulatory structure regarding short-term lodging rentals. The report grades are based on whether a legal framework exists, the level of restrictions, taxation, licensing, and enforcement. Short-term renting is exploding in popularity. People sign up through companies or websites — like Airbnb or HomeAway — to rent out an extra room or a house for a short period. If you live in a city that is going to host the Super Bowl and have extra...

Carnival will make the first cruise from the US to Cuba in more than 50 years after it agreed a deal with the Cuban government. The cruise line will send its 704-passenger MV Adonia to Cuba through its new brand Fathom starting on May 1. Carnival, in hailing its 'historic inaugural sailing', said it will be the first cruise line to sail that itinerary.

Am taking a travel vacation to visit friends up and down the Eastern seaboard. Any tips on what to avoid and not to avoid? Haven't been down that way in years.

A cruise liner longer than the Eiffel Tower and 100 metres longer than the Titanic will set sail from a French port for the first time on Thursday. Harmony of the Seas will leave the western port of Saint Nazaire on Thursday afternoon and, if all goes well, not return until Sunday morning. The purpose of the voyage is mainly to test the power on the boat and how well it manoeuvres, which, given it weighs some 227,000 tonnes and measures 362 metres in length, will be interesting to see. There will be no passengers on board during the test...

Let’s take a break from the primary battles and check in on the latest antics unfolding out in California. This month, having solved all other problems plaguing their state, the California legislature has taken up a new measure which would ban government funded travel to states which they deem to be insufficiently supportive of LGBT rights. The author of the bill, Evan Lowe, seems to feel that such a move will be a way to take a stand for the little guy, I suppose. (Time) A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban government-funded travel to states with...

Five harrowing days after becoming stuck on a remote backcountry road in Death Valley National Park in August 2009, Alicia Sanchez lay down next to her Jeep Cherokee and prepared to die. Then she heard a voice. "I called as I approached, asking if she was okay," wrote Ranger Amber Nattrass in a park report. "She was waving frantically and screaming, 'My baby is dead, my baby is dead.' " In the SUV, Nattrass found Sanchez's lifeless 6-year-old son Carlos on the front seat. "She told me they walked 10 miles but couldn't find any help (and) had run out...

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration is killing the current decade-long test of looking into replacing highway signs with a new “Clearview” font it designed and developed to be more legible because, twelve years later, it turns out the new font actually made sign legibility worse. Back in 2004, the Federal Highway Administration approved state use of a new font ironically called “Clearview” to be the new face of highway signs around the nation. At the time, testing had “proven” that the new font was more legible to drivers, specifically at night, than the old signs featuring the “Highway Gothic” typeface....

When an individual moves far away from the place where he or she may have grown up or lived for years, it means a lot. It’s also meaningful for economists, because migration may be the single best indicator of quality-of-life differences between states. People only move for important reasons, which can include following job and career opportunities, or just looking for a nicer climate or view. The good migration news for Michigan is being considered a “balanced” state in the 39th annual United Van Lines Migration Report: The household mover reports that the number of customers heading out of Michigan...

New numbers from the Census Bureau on how many people move from state to state underscore another aspect of the right-to-work debate that does not often take center stage: Americans continue to move to right-to-work states. The Mackinac Center has long viewed changes in the number of people in a state as perhaps the single best tool for measuring the quality of life there. After all, there are reasons people pack up and move, and those reasons reflect an individual’s self-interest. Economic opportunities are a clear reason to move, as are amenities such as access to coastal waters or more...

Americans can expect to play a game of 'Where in the World is President Obama?' all through 2016 as the White House is working to line up at least six trips abroad for the lame duck leader. Politico is reporting that the only continents the president has ruled out are Antarctica and Australia, and while Africa won't be a solo destination, there's a chance Obama could swing through his father's home continent as part of another trip. He's making the trips to secure his foreign policy legacy – working on issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and ridding the world of...

A recent Organizing for America fundraising letter to supporters contained an ominous threat from President Barack Obama: "I've got 12 months left to squeeze every ounce of change I can while I'm still in office. And that's what I intend to do."Not mentioned in the letter is his plan to squeeze out every ounce of travel he can while he's still in office. In keeping with his reputation as a "permanent campaigner," Obama plans to go on a global tour in 2016 to "seal his foreign policy legacies."Obama will be spewing carbon from Air Force One into the atmosphere of...

Millions of air travelers across the U.S. are potentially at risk of finding themselves grounded in the new year thanks to a post-9/11 law that took a decade to finally come into effect. The REAL ID Act, originally passed in 2005, was meant to tighten standards for government-issued IDs like driver's licenses -- to boot, it banned federal agencies from accepting any IDs that don't meet the bar. That means the TSA technically shouldn't accept driver's licenses from certain states, once the law is in full effect. While Washington let the rules slide for years, the Department of Homeland Security...

You are going where? And why are you going there? And you are doing it over Thanksgiving? Those were the universal questions when we told people that we were going to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. And, to boot, flying on Air France through Paris a week after the heinous attacks. The immediate reason for the trip was the final Formula 1 race of the season taking place in Abu Dhabi. The proximate cause was that my long-time friend and business associate had a son living with a very influential family from the Emirates and we wanted to take advantage of...

Takes 113 hours.

HANCOCK — The Sideling Hill Welcome Center is now more than just the most scenic set of fair-weather restrooms in Western Maryland after Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford and a host of elected officials on Friday reopened the facility, which has been closed for the last six years. Perched on the east side of Sideling Hill near Hancock, where a massive cut in the mountain rock allows Interstate 68 to pass through, the center was closed in 2009, in a move by former Gov. Martin O'Malley that did not sit well with many area residents. "It was done for political...

I will be working in Nairobi, Kenya for 8 months starting March 2016. For the period I can rent a car for $1,200 per month, but am thinking I'd be better off buying a new car for about $8,000 and selling it when leaving. How practical is this? Thank you very much for your time and help!

Come 2016, your state driver’s license may not be enough to get you on a commercial flight. On Oct. 10, the Department of Homeland Security began enforcing the last phase of the Real ID Act, which establishes minimum security standards for states and United States territories when issuing identification, primarily driver’s licenses; and prohibits certain government facilities and — most relevant to travelers — the Transportation Security Administration from accepting them as proof of identification if they were issued by a noncompliant state. But don’t fret just yet. Initially, enforcement is limited to those entering federal and military facilities and...

For the second year in a row, the island of Palawan was recognized as Best Island in the World by leading US travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler in its Readers’ Choice Awards 2015. Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) Assistant Secretary Arturo Boncato Jr., in a text message to the Philippines News Agency said that the department was delighted about the recognition given to Palawan by Conde Nast. “The DOT is continuously focused on developing destinations in the country together with all stakeholders: NGAs, LGUs, private sector, and all our much-valued markets; to exceed expectations in many fronts,” Boncato said. “…Accolades...

They traveled 13,000 miles in a Volkswagen bus through 13 countries and were only 30 miles from their destination, Philadelphia, when it broke down. Again. By now, they were accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of their beloved bus. Still, after 194 days on the road and on the city's outskirts, they dealt with one more disappointment. But again with the help of Good Samaritans, they got the bus going again and finally arrived this week in the City of Brotherly Love, the culmination of a journey of epic proportions. They had embarked on the long trip to spend time together as...

Due to military activities, the TCAS and ADS-B surveillance may be unreliable in the airspace over Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and extending approximately 200 nautical miles offshore, from 1 a.m. EDT (0500z) Sept. 2 until midnight EDT (0459z) on Oct. 1. Pilots are advised that the traffic alert and TCAS may fail to establish tracks on nearby aircraft and may fail to receive traffic alerts (TA) or resolution advisories (RA). Operators should be aware that tracks may first appear within close proximity to their aircraft, and may immediately go into TA/RA status. Pilots are advised to...