USA Update

A BUDGET airline has launched nine new nonstop routes in the US – including its first flight to a coastal destination.

The ultra-low fare carrier is offering flights for as cheap as $49 one-way to celebrate the expansion.

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A budget airline just launched nine new nonstop routes with fares starting at $49 (stock image)[/caption]

Frontier Airlines added new flights out of two major transit hubs – San Diego International Airport and Harstfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The six new routes out of Atlanta include Frontier’s first-ever flight to Honduras, with service now flying into San Pedro Sula.

It also launched nonstop flights from Atlanta to Jacksonville, Ft. Myers, and St. Louis on Thursday.

Flights to Columbus, Ohio, and Palm Beach, Florida were slated to begin on Friday.

“Today is a great day for consumers,” said Josh Flyr, Frontier’s vice president of network and operations design.

With these additions, Frontier now flies to 52 destinations nonstop from Atlanta.

The airline said it has seen a 40% jump in departures from ATL year-over-year this month alone.

To celebrate, Frontier is offering introductory fares as low as $49 one way.

Flights to Columbus are priced at $49, while routes to Florida and Missouri start at $59.

Travelers heading to San Pedro Sula can book tickets for $89.

Service to St. Louis will operate three times a week, while other new Atlanta routes will fly twice weekly.

Meanwhile on the West Coast, Frontier launched three new nonstop flights from San Diego.

Travelers can now hop on a plane to Chicago O’Hare, Salt Lake City or Austin.

All three San Diego routes are priced from $59 during the promotional sale.

Flights to Austin will run four times weekly and Salt Lake City three times weekly.

With the additions, Frontier will now serve eight destinations out of San Diego.

The airline’s promotional fares must be purchased by 11:59 pm on June 25.

Tickets are valid for nonstop travel on select days between June 27 and November 19.

Some blackout dates apply, including July 3, July 6, and September 1.

Frontier serves around 120 destinations across the US, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

It has also been rolling out upgrades as part of its “New Frontier” initiative.

That includes new UpFront Plus seats offering extra space and a guaranteed empty middle seat.

The airline also plans to introduce First Class seating later this year.

Under its loyalty program, customers can earn miles based on dollars spent, not just distance flown.

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The new destinations include its first-ever flight to Honduras, connecting Atlanta to coastal gateway San Pedro Sula (stock image)[/caption]

CHARLES Barkley opened up about the uncertainty surrounding Inside the NBA’s impending move to ESPN.

Inside the NBA has been a successful basketball TV show for TNT Sports since 1989, but the network will lose its rights with the NBA beginning in the 2025-26 season.

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Charles Barkley has worked for TNT Sports as an analyst for Inside the NBA since 2000[/caption]

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Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson have had to be asked about their show’s new partnership with ESPN since the move became official last fall.

TNT’s Warner Bros. Discover licensed the Inside the NBA program to ESPN.

TNT will independently produce the show, and it will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC this fall.

While ESPN won’t have any editorial control over Inside the NBA, there is still uneasiness over how the partnership will go, and Barkley is expressing “concern”, the same word O’Neal has previously phrased the situation.

“We’re all concerned, I’m not gonna lie to you,” Barkley said during an appearance on 680 The Fan in Atlanta.

“Because we just don’t know.

“So I wish I could give you a definite answer, but we made the move, and we’re gonna see.

“Like I said, it’s gonna be cool working for ESPN.

“ESPN’s the most famous network in the world for sports, and it’s gonna be an honor to work there.”

Smith has recently said he’s “uncomfortable” with the move to ESPN.

Barkley, Shaq, and Smith’s awkward feelings come after they met with both TNT Sports and ESPN to talk about the show’s plans.

One concern has been the potential workload, although Inside the NBA will be broadcast much less than it was on TNT.

Barkley has shared he’s willing to work remotely on ESPN’s studio shows.

He’s appeared on Get Up and even First Take in the past.

However, Barkley hasn’t been on board with being a regular on the shows.

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Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Barkley seen on a broadcast before an NBA Cup game[/caption]

“They’ve been trying to get me my entire career,” the 62-year-old said about ESPN.

“But you know, I made a great decision going to Turner because it’s amazing.”

Barkley has worked for TNT since 2000.

The NBA icon and the rest of the crew will still technically be employees of TNT Sports despite the show airing on ESPN.

AMERICANS have been told to avoid driving as part of a surprising warning issued for several states.

And those who couldn’t avoid hitting the road were warned to avoid letting their car idle when stationary.

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Drivers have been urged to avoid using their cars and not to idle (stock image)[/caption]

Air quality alerts were issued for parts of at least 10 states on Thursday, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Maryland were also under advisories.

An alert was in place for DC too, triggered by ground-level ozone buildup.

In Minnesota, more than half the state was affected by smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires.

Officials said the smoke caused fine particle levels to spike into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category, Newsweek reported.

“Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle idling as much as possible,” the Minnesota alert read.

People were also asked to avoid outdoor burning and other pollution-causing activities.

In Phoenix, Arizona, a high ozone pollution advisory was issued by the Department of Environmental Quality.

Officials blamed local weather patterns and rising ozone levels for the spike in pollution.

“Drive less, bike, walk, or work from home,” residents told the Mirror US.

Ozone is known to trigger breathing problems in kids, the elderly, and those with existing conditions.

AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said ozone forms through chemical reactions in hot, sunny conditions.

“When air is stagnant, pollutants don’t get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels,” he told Newsweek.

He warned urban areas are especially at risk due to higher emissions from vehicles and power plants.

Children are particularly vulnerable because their lungs are still developing, a health expert warned.

“Their trajectory can be deviated so they don’t actually achieve their maximum lung function,” Professor Jonathan Grigg said.

Grigg said air pollution worsens asthma and is linked to earlier death from heart and lung disease.

Ohio officials also flagged fine particle pollution in an alert.

“If you are in the sensitive groups category of children, the elderly and those with breathing difficulties, please monitor your activity,” the advisory read.

Idling engines add to the problem, spewing harmful emissions like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the air.

These chemicals have been tied to asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer.

An idling engine can produce up to double the emissions of a moving vehicle.

According to researchers, an idling car releases enough pollutants to fill 150 balloons every minute.

Cutting just 3 minutes of idling daily per driver could slash carbon dioxide emissions by 1.4 million tons a year, Confused.com reported.

That’s the equivalent of removing 320,000 cars from the road, University College Cork found.

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