All articles tagged with #passport
A Scottish backpacker, Rory McColl, could face imprisonment in Thailand over a mobile phone 'mistake' after police confiscated his passport; he was released on bail but remains unable to leave the country.
The White House unveiled a commemorative 'Patriot Passport' featuring a monochrome portrait of Donald Trump against the Declaration of Independence for the United States' semiquincentennial; 40,000 limited-edition passports will be available to U.S. citizens at the Washington Passport Agency starting July 6, marking another instance of Trump’s likeness appearing on federal property.
Donald Trump shared a limited-edition commemorative U.S. passport rendering featuring his likeness on Truth Social for America’s 250th anniversary. The White House reposted the same rendering, while officials said questions about whether it’s the official design should be directed to the State Department.
Singapore leads the 2026 passport ranking with visa-free access to 192 destinations, followed by Japan, South Korea, and the UAE at 187; the weakest passports access fewer than 50 destinations. The U.S. remains nearly split on recreational cannabis, with 24 states and D.C. legalizing it and 26 states prohibiting it. Globally, 71% of people live in countries with fertility rates below replacement, driven by high rates in Sub-Saharan Africa and a long decline in China, signaling future population growth concentrating in a few regions.
Seth Meyers mocks Donald Trump’s limited-edition passport design featuring the former president’s image and gold signature, arguing that Americans won’t want a passport with a scowling Trump on it. The piece notes the State Department’s plan to release a commemorative passport for America’s 250th birthday, available to new applicants at the Washington, D.C. Passport Agency with no extra fee, and cites Meyers’ broader critique of Trump’s self-branding and pageantry.
The Ankler, a Hollywood-focused media startup led by Janice Min and Richard Rushfield, is migrating its publishing from Substack to Passport—a new subscription platform created by Ben Thompson and built with Automattic. Passport will give The Ankler more ownership of its audience and data, enabling personalized marketing and bundled subscriptions (including podcasts and events) while the outlet continues to publish on an owned site backed by Passport. Substack will still host a weekly newsletter and Rushfield’s live video product. The move exemplifies publishers shifting toward durable, customizable business models; The Ankler remains profitable with tens of thousands of paid subscribers and did not disclose new funding.
Caitlyn Jenner says an executive order directing the use of sex assigned at birth on official documents left her passport gender marker stuck at M after renewal, preventing international travel; she updated her birth certificate to reflect female but the passport still lists M. She mailed a letter to Trump at Mar-a-Lago seeking help but hasn’t heard back, though she says she still supports him.
US YouTube star Darren Watkins Jr., known as IShowSpeed, is set to receive a Ghanaian passport after his 20-country Africa tour, with Ghana’s foreign minister citing irrefutable ties to the country including his Ghanaian mother and his claim of feeling 'back home' there. The tour spotlighted African cultures and included ceremonies; Ghana has pursued diaspora citizenship, though some Ghanaians criticized the move as devaluing the passport.
Apple is launching Digital IDs stored in Apple Wallet, allowing users to present their ID at TSA checkpoints in over 250 US airports using their iPhone or Apple Watch, primarily for domestic travel. The feature, which requires scanning a physical passport and facial verification, is encrypted and not a replacement for physical passports or international travel. It is initially rolling out in select airports, with future plans to expand to other businesses and organizations.
Apple announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Wallet app using their U.S. passport, which can be used for TSA checkpoints at over 250 airports in the U.S. during domestic travel. The feature requires specific device models and security measures, and is currently in public beta, with future plans to expand its use for in-store and online identity verification.
The US Supreme Court has temporarily allowed the Trump administration to require all new passports to list an individual's biological sex at birth, reversing a lower court's order and indicating a likely upholding of this policy in the future, amidst ongoing legal and political debates over transgender rights.
The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to enforce a policy that blocks transgender and nonbinary individuals from choosing passport sex markers that align with their gender identity, effectively halting a lower court's order that permitted such choices, amidst ongoing legal challenges.
Google Chrome's Autofill feature is being updated to include support for passports, driver's licenses, vehicle info, and more, with enhanced form understanding and security measures, rolling out globally.
The article discusses the varying power of passports worldwide, highlighting that some citizens enjoy easier travel due to visa-free access, with the US experiencing a decline in passport strength according to Henley & Partners' latest ranking.
Henley & Partners' latest ranking shows that the US passport is becoming less powerful, with citizens facing more visa requirements, highlighting disparities in global travel freedom.