US returns 4000 archaeological relics to Mexico
Boston.com
More than 4,000 archaeological artifacts looted from Mexico and seized in the U.S. were returned to Mexican authorities on Thursday in what experts say is one of the largest repatriation ever made between the neighboring countries.
The items mostly date from before European explorers landed in North America and include items from hunter-gatherers in pre-Columbian northern Mexico, such as stones used to grind corn, statues, figurines and copper hatchets, said Pedro Sanchez, president of the National Archaeological Council of Mexico.
Seizures were made in El Paso, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, San Diego and San Antonio by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, though most of the relics — including items traced to a 2008 theft of a museum in Mexico — turned up in Fort Stockton, a Texas town about 230 miles southeast of El Paso.
International air travel in U.S. doubled in 20 years
Bend Bulletin
International air travel to and from the United States has more than doubled in the past 20 years in spite of 9/11, a deep recession and industry consolidation, according to a report released Thursday.
While the report from the Brookings Institution, a center-left research organization, found that the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas accounted for 96 percent of U.S. airline passengers who travel abroad, it also concluded that federal investment in airports doesn’t reflect where the growth is taking place.
Oy vey: Airline bag fees about to rise again?
Washington Times
Bad news travelers: Airlines’ bag fees are on the rise again. This time, they’re targeting carry-on bags.
Starting Nov. 6, low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines will charge customers at the boarding gate $100 per carry-on or checked bag. Spirit, which has a knack for generating publicity both positive and negative, doesn’t count a personal item that can be stowed under seats in front of passengers as a carry on.
In a release, Miramar, Florida -based Spirit said the “$100 carry-on bag fee is intentionally set high to deter costly delay-causing gate activity.”
Medical Tourism Raises Ethical Concerns
Harvard Crimson
While millions of tourists swarm to Brazil each year to experience the lush rainforests and bustling cities, an increasing number are visiting with a different agenda—to receive cosmetic surgery.
Although traveling abroad to receive medical treatment dates back to ancient Greece, the recent influx of “medical tourism” has garnered public attention. In his latest book, “Patients with Passports: Medical Tourism, Law, and Ethics,” Harvard Law School Professor I. Glenn Cohen explores various forms of medical tourism and their associated legal and ethical issues.
“Medical tourism is not the most intuitive topic; it’s a very sophisticated discussion,” said Professor Nathan G. Cortez, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences at Southern Methodist University, who has collaborated with Cohen on his work.
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