AFROPUNK Brings a Celebration of the African Diaspora to Brazil
AFROPUNK Brings a Celebration of the African Diaspora to Brazil
Courtesy of AFROPUNK
https://www.fodors.com/world/south-america/brazil/experiences/news/afropunk-lands-in-brazil-bringing-a-celebration-of-black-culture
Food, music, and culture swirl together at this annual celebration of Black excellence.
The beauty and creativity of the African diaspora deserve to be celebrated. Each November, AFROPUNK does just that through music, dancing, and food, and this year, the festival landed in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.
Through a combination of Portuguese and English-speaking musical guests, AFROPUNK celebrates Black culture in all its power and glory. Their goal is to create a collective experience of transformation as the stage and the crowd become one—dancing, chanting, and celebrating together.
The AFROPUNK Festival started in New York City back in 2005, founded by James Spooner and Matthew Morgan, building on Spooner’s 2003 documentary Afro-Punk, which explored Black participation in the U.S. punk scene. The festival began as a grassroots gathering for Black alternative culture, punk-influenced music, and identity, but over time, it broadened in scope, embracing wider expressions of Black music, style, art, and activism. AFROPUNK has taken place in cities around the world, with the most recent edition taking place in Brazil in early November 2025.
Attending AFROPUNK, I could feel the energy radiating amongst the crowd between the DJ sets and musical guests. Meanwhile, local vendors sell delectable treats like acaraje, a traditional Bahian street food made from black-eyed pea fritters deep-fried in palm oil, stuffed with an okra paste called “caruru” and a shrimp paste called “vatapa,” topped with shrimp and served alongside a spicy pepper sauce. It’s a delicious treat to try as you enjoy the sounds of Afro-Brazilians’ West African ancestry mixed with modern-day musical guests such as BaianaSystem, Coco Jones, Liniker, and Tems.
If you’re looking for a cultural event that celebrates the beauty, vibrancy, diversity, and artistry of Black culture, add AFROPUNK to your list of festivals to visit.
Airlines Could Pay Millions for Ignoring Shutdown Flight Orders
Photo by Pascal Meier on Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/experiences/news/faa-probes-airlines-for-compliance-with-shutdown-flight-reduction-order
The FAA is investigating U.S. carriers.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating airlines for their compliance with the emergency flight reduction order issued during the government shutdown. During the month-long shutdown, the FAA directed airlines to reduce operations for safety reasons. Now the agency is monitoring whether airlines acted on the order, and those that failed could face steep fines.
In a statement, the FAA said it has given airlines 30 days to provide evidence that they complied with the reduction order. Airlines that failed may face fines of up to $75,000 per flight. The FAA sent letters to “scheduled carriers that have more than 10 daily operations at any of the high-impact airports.” It also warned in the letter, “Any discussion or written statements furnished by you will be given consideration in our investigation. If we do not hear from you within the specified time, our report will be processed without the benefit of your statement.”
The list of airlines that received notices has not been released.
The federal government shutdown began Oct. 1 and lasted 43 days, making it the longest shutdown in history. More than 1.4 million federal employees worked for weeks without pay, including air traffic controllers. Staff shortages and an increase in sick days among unpaid controllers disrupted flights across the United States.
To keep the skies safer during this period, the FAA implemented a flight reduction plan on Nov. 7 that cut flights by up to 6% at the 40 busiest airports in the country. The contingency plan included measures supporting reductions of up to 10%, but the shutdown ended before tighter restrictions were enforced. It took several days for the restrictions to fully lift after the shutdown ended, and flight operations normalized just in time for the busy Thanksgiving weekend.
Can You Turn a Layover Into a Mini Vacation?
Sam Szuchan/Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/world/mexico-and-central-america/panama/experiences/news/how-to-make-the-most-of-a-layover-in-panama-city
With this stopover program, you can.
Can a layover become a mini vacation in itself? That’s exactly what happened when I flew Copa Airlines and found out about their Stopover Program, where you can explore Panama for up to seven days at no extra cost. I decided to put the program to the test, seeing how much of Panama I could actually see on a short layover in Panama City. As it turns out, I could see a lot.
Day One: Checking into the Sofitel
When I arrived in Panama City for my layover, I checked into the five-star Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, a Michelin key hotel that feels part Parisian, part tropical dream. I enjoyed cocktails at the hotel’s rooftop bar, Ammi, followed by a six-course tasting menu at the Sofitel’s fine-dining eatery, Caleta. When I returned to my room that night, happily satiated, the hotel had surprised me with a turn-down service complete with treats, while those enviable ocean views lulled me to sleep, helping me forget I was only technically on a short layover.
Day Two: A Short Trip To The Rainforest
The next morning, I woke to the promise of a day full of adventure, beginning with a rainforest excursion on the Panama Canal with Ancon Expeditions, a Panama-based company promising responsible tours for travelers. A short 45-minute drive to the town of Gamboa, where the Chagres River meets the Panama Canal, reveals another world entirely. As I glided down the river by boat, I spotted everything from howler monkeys to crocodiles.
Back in Casco Viejo, I wandered the colorful cobblestone streets of Panama City, enjoyed an incredible lunch at the celebrated Fonda Lo Que Hay, and enjoyed a much-needed afternoon caffeine pick-me-up at the world-famous Geisha Coffee Experience, considered an experience worth traveling for in itself. And because food is a love language and one of the best ways to introduce yourself to a local culture, that evening I enjoyed dinner at Lazotea, a rooftop restaurant in Casco Viejo with skyline views, incredible Latin flavors, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to dance all night.
Day Three: The Panama Canal & Embera People
This being Panama City, the next day I visited the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal to learn about the inner workings of this globally significant canal and how ships transit through it. But by far the most memorable part of my entire trip was meeting the Emberá people, an indigenous tribe that lives along the Gatun River and is known for their deep respect for the rivers and forests, believing that everything in nature has a spirit. The Emberá community welcomes visitors into their village to showcase their customs and history, allowing even travelers on a short layover to walk away with a profound sense of Panama’s cultural heritage.
That evening, back in the city, I enjoyed a dinner at Cantina del Tigre, one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and ended the night using the secret password to get inside Arcano, a hidden speakeasy inside the Sofitel.
While it was a whirlwind, Copa Airlines let me do more than just wait around inside an airport for my connecting flight. Instead, I could drop my bags and stay a while, turning my layover into a mini vacation.
Trump Administration Reverses $16 Million in Airline Fines
Svitlana Hulko/Istock
https://www.fodors.com/news/news/dot-waives-portions-of-fines-for-american-airlines-and-southwest-redirects-funds-to-accessibility-improvements
DOT has now asked American Airlines to use the $16.7 million as investments to benefit fliers with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has waived part of the fine that the Biden administration issued to American Airlines last year. In 2024, the agency penalized the carrier for violating laws protecting travelers with disabilities and levied a historic $50 million fine to set a precedent. However, the Trump administration has waived $16.7 million and instead requires American Airlines to purchase wheelchair lifts and mobile devices and update its technology.
In 2024, a department investigation found that the airline committed multiple violations over a four-year period, resulting in injuries and undignified treatment of people with disabilities. American Airlines also delayed returning wheelchairs and damaged them during transportation.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the department was setting a new standard of accountability. “By setting penalties at levels beyond a mere cost of doing business for airlines, we’re aiming to change how the industry behaves and prevent these kinds of abuses from happening in the first place.”
As part of the penalty, the airline was required to pay $25 million to the U.S. Treasury over three years, and $25 million was to be used for investments to buy equipment, update wheelchair tagging systems, and compensate affected passengers.
DOT has now asked American Airlines to use the $16.7 million as investments to benefit fliers with disabilities. It requires the carrier to buy 119 wheelchair lifts at Chicago, Philadelphia, and Miami airports. Additionally, American Airlines will need to update its software to track wheelchairs. The department said, “This is a better solution than sending money to the U.S. Treasury because now real, tangible benefits will go to the traveling public.”
American Airlines welcomed the directive, saying, “With this agreement, instead of money simply going to the U.S. Treasury, American will invest millions more to further improve the travel experience for customers who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices.”
Recently, Southwest also received a break from DOT. The department waived part of its fines stemming from the airline’s 2022 meltdown. Southwest was fined $140 million in 2023 after it canceled nearly 17,000 flights during the busy holiday season in December 2022, which affected more than 2 million fliers. The penalty, DOT explained, was imposed because the airline failed to provide customer service assistance, flight status notifications, and refunds. It was required to pay $35 million to the U.S. Treasury, while $105 million was set aside to compensate passengers. The airline has paid $24 million to the government, and the remaining $11 million will be used as “credit” to help improve its performance.
Southwest thanked the department and Secretary Sean Duffy. “During the last two years, Southwest successfully completed an operational turnaround that directly benefits our Customers with industry leading on-time performance and percentage of completed flights without cancellations.” The airline said it has invested in modernizing its operations and eliminated problems that caused the meltdown.
In another major shift from the previous administration, the department has revoked a proposed rule that would have required airlines to compensate passengers with cash after delays and disruptions.
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