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A view of America from the tracks as airports struggle in the shutdown

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A view of America from the tracks as airports struggle in the shutdown

ABOARD THE CRESCENT (AP) — There’s something melodic about watching the sun rise over a rural stillness broken only by the rhythms of steel wheels on tracks. Or so we tell ourselves.

In this case, being aboard a train at all owed more to politics than poetry.

Congress and Donald Trump were mired in their latest budget stalemate, one rooted in the Republican president’s immigration crackdown and the tactics of federal forces he has sent to U.S. cities. But this impasse has upended a foundational constant of American life today: easy air travel.

In Atlanta, my hometown airport, cheerfully marketed as the world’s busiest, had descended into organized chaos. Unpaid federal employees called out from work, leaving a diminished security staff to screen travelers frustrated by hourslong waits in line. I wanted to get to Washington for the NCAA basketball tournament. So I eliminated the risk of a missed flight and booked the train overnight and into game day across a 650-mile route.

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In this fraught moment in U.S. politics, I slowed down and thought about things we take for granted. Who ever ponders the conveniences of that 20th-century innovation, the airplane, that makes 21st-century hustle possible? We book and board. An unconscious, first-world flex of modernity. It’s even rarer to grapple with the inconvenience.

My decision had taken me further back, to the 19th century and another defining innovation: the long-distance train.

A 14½-hour weekend train ride is time aplenty to appreciate how completely politics, economics, social strife and fights over identity and belonging have always affected the order of our lives, including how, when and where we move around in these United States. But Amtrak’s Crescent also allowed me to see the expanse of our collective experience.

I traversed the urban, suburban and rural breadth of East Coast America. I learned how other travelers came aboard. And in that, I found the portrait of people, past and present, who refuse to be as paralyzed as some of their elected leaders.

Convenience on the railways

There is little glamour late night in a crowded Amtrak station. Children are up past bedtime and tended by frazzled parents. Older adults struggle with luggage and stairs.

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Airports are not red-carpet affairs either, of course. But there is a certain cache to Delta’s Atlanta-Washington flights. They typically take about two hours gate to gate. They often are slotted at a midpoint gate of the concourse nearest the main terminal. That is almost certainly a nod to members of Congress who use it — but who have lost some airline perks during this extended patrial shutdown.

In normal circumstances I can get from my front porch to Capitol Hill or downtown in as little as 4½ hours. Security lines these days could at least double my overall air travel time.

The train is still longer, and time is money, we are taught. But certainty has value, too, even if it means at 11:29 p.m. departure. And at the Amtrak station, there were no standstill lines, no Transportation Security Administration agents, no ICE agents as stand-ins.

Passengers who arrived mere minutes before departure made it on board and found seats quickly — assigned in boarding order, not predetermined zones that yield jammed aisles. There’s no in-seat service or satellite TV. But even coach seats, the lowest Amtrak tier, are as spacious as airline first-class – and there is Wi-Fi, so it’s not the 19th century or even 20th century after all.

On board, I heard one crew member joke, “I’m no TSA agent.”

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The pathways of history

As a boy in rural Alabama, I counted train cars and wondered where they were headed. I’ve since read diary entries and letters from my grandmother and her sisters recounting World War II-era weekend trips to Atlanta.

The South’s largest city has a historical hook, too. Originally named “Terminus,” Atlanta developed in the antebellum era as a critical intersection of north-south and east-west rail routes. That is what drew Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman for one of the Civil War’s seminal campaigns that helped defeat the Confederacy.

A century after the Civil War, Delta chose Atlanta for its headquarters rather than Birmingham, Alabama, which was the larger city as of the 1960 census. The company’s decision was tied up in tax breaks for the airline, named for its crop duster origins in the Mississippi Delta region. According to some interpretations, Delta’s decision was made easier because of the more overt racism of Alabama’s and Birmingham’s leaders as they defended Jim Crow — a code that, among other acts, allowed states to segregate the passenger trains that predated Amtrak.

On this night, I heard many languages and accents, notable given the role that immigrant labor played in building the U.S. rail system and especially striking now with immigration — legal and illegal — at the forefront in Washington, my destination. I saw faces that reflected U.S. pluralism, a different mix from what my grandmother and aunts would have seen a lifetime ago.

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The array of voices celebrated the freedom and ease of rail travel. So did Agatha Grimes and her friends after they boarded in Greensboro, North Carolina, as part of a long weekend trip to celebrate her 62nd birthday.

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“I got stuck in the Atlanta airport last week,” Grimes said, as her group laughed together in the dining car. “It’s just nuts.”

Beretta Nunnally, a self-described “train veteran” who organized their trip, said, “There’s no worry about parking. No checking bags. You come to the station, you get where you going, and you come home.”

An era for planes, trains and automobiles

Still, that is not as easy in the United States as it once was.

Just as politics, economics and subsidies helped grow U.S. railroads, those factors diminished the network as auto manufacturers, oil companies, roadbuilders and, finally, airline manufacturers and airlines commanded favor from politicians and attention from consumers.

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Riding hours across rural areas, I noticed the junkyards where kudzu and chain-link fencing framed rows of rusted automobiles. I saw the farmland and equipment that helps feed cities and the rest of the nation. I awoke to see the night lights of office towers in Charlotte, North Carolina, and its NFL stadium. I saw vibrant county seats — and I thought of countless other towns like them that are not thriving as they sit disconnected from passenger rail and far from the Eisenhower-era interstate system that we crossed multiple times on our way.

In each setting, voters — conservatives, liberals, the extremes and betweens — have chosen their representatives, senators and a president who now set the nation’s course.

When I arrived in Washington, I paused to enjoy Union Station’s grand hall and its Beaux Arts appeal, and I lamented how much splendor has been lost because so many striking U.S. terminals have been razed. I stepped outside and looked up at the Capitol dome.

While I had slept, the Senate managed a bipartisan deal to fund all of the Department of Homeland Security except immigration enforcement. As I continued northward, House Republican leaders rejected it. The stalemate continued.

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I was a weary traveler but renewed citizen. I had a game to get to. And the train rolled on.

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Molly-Mae Hague breaks silence on Bakeoff appearance as she declares ‘insane’

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Manchester Evening News

The influencer was tasked with making traybakes, tart tatin and childhood toys in biscuits

Molly-Mae Hague has taken to her Instagram to share her experience of competing in the Great British Bakeoff as she declares it an ‘insane’ experience’.

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The influencer has starred in the latest episode Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer (SUTC), in which she was declared star baker.

The 26-year old appeared on the Channel 4 programme on Sunday night where she faced dancer JoJo Siwa, writer Richard Herring and comedian Babatunde Aleshe in a bid to impress the judges, TV cook Paul Hollywood and pastry chef Cherish Finden.

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The four stars were tasked with making traybakes, tarte tatin and childhood toys in biscuits. For the latter, the influencer whipped up an edible version of Ellie Belly, her beloved stuffed elephant teddy which she famously took into the Love Island villa.

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After being declared the winner of the episode and receiving her star baker apron, Hague took to Instagram and said: “Still trying to process that this even happened.

“Taking part in Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer was honestly one of the most insane experiences of my life.

“Just so grateful to have been part of something so special for such an incredible cause. I’ll truly never get over it.”

The emotional caption came under a slideshow of photos from the show, including Hague posing with her fellow contestants as well as presenter Alison Hammond.

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The comment section included messages of support from her friend and fellow Love Island star Maura Higgins as well as from her partner, boxer Tommy Fury who commented “Proud”.

Hague starred on the reality dating show in 2019 and met Higgins as well as Fury.

The couple had their first child together, a daughter called Bambi, in January 2023 with Hague announcing in February that the two are expecting a second child.

It comes months after she confirmed the two were back in a relationship together following a split in 2024 while they were engaged.

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Stand Up To Cancer is a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4. Other stars competing in the national baking show include Radio DJ Scott Mills, One Day actress Ambika Mod and comedian Joe Wilkinson.

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer will return on Channel 4 on Sunday April 5.

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EU proposes ‘monitoring’ mechanism to break youth exchange scheme deadlock

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EU proposes ‘monitoring’ mechanism to break youth exchange scheme deadlock

But Labour MP Stella Creasy, chairwoman of the Labour Movement for Europe, said there should be less concern on the number of people involved in the scheme: “This is a deal that will bring back freedoms young Brits from all backgrounds lost with Brexit, as well as boosting growth.”

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Business of divorce: What successful Yorkshire families should know

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Business of divorce: What successful Yorkshire families should know

For successful couples, separation is rarely just about who keeps the house. It often involves businesses, shareholdings, professional practices, pensions, property portfolios and inherited wealth. In many cases, it is the careful unwinding of a commercial partnership as much as a personal one.

And like any business matter, it requires strategy.

One of the most common misconceptions I encounter is the belief that, “my business is separate.” In reality, if a company was built, expanded or sustained during a marriage, it will almost certainly form part of the overall financial landscape. That does not mean it will be divided in half or forced into sale — but it does mean it must be properly valued and understood. Share structures, director loans, retained profits and future income streams all require careful analysis.

The same applies to pensions. For many professional couples, pensions are among the most valuable assets in the marriage, sometimes exceeding the equity in the family home. Yet they are frequently overlooked in early discussions because they feel distant or intangible. Proper actuarial input can significantly alter the picture of fairness.

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Inherited wealth presents its own challenges. Yorkshire families often hold assets across generations — land, farms, investment properties, or long-established family homes. While inheritance can sometimes be treated differently from assets built up during the marriage, it is not automatically protected. The court’s guiding principle remains fairness, particularly where needs must be met.

Farming cases illustrate this more starkly than almost any other. A working farm is rarely just a business; it is a home, a livelihood and often a legacy stretching back decades, sometimes centuries. Ownership structures can be layered — land held by parents, farming partnerships, limited companies, diversification ventures, and tenancy arrangements intertwined.

In these situations, the question is not simply “Who gets what?” but “How does the farm survive?” A forced sale can affect not just a couple, but an entire family ecosystem. I have seen how poor early advice can place the viability of a family enterprise at real risk. Equally, I have seen how careful negotiation, realistic valuation and a calm, strategic approach can protect both fairness and continuity.

Over three decades, I have learned that the greatest risk in financially complex divorces is not conflict — it is assumption. Assumptions about what is untouchable. Assumptions about what the court will or will not do. Assumptions that informal agreements will somehow hold. When substantial assets are involved, clarity at the outset is invaluable.

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Encouragingly, the way these cases are resolved continues to evolve. Increasingly, successful couples wish to avoid the spectacle, delay, and cost of contested court proceedings. They value privacy, control, and dignity.

Mediation and arbitration provide structured, confidential routes to a fair resolution. These are not soft options; they require transparency and realism from both parties. But when managed properly, they preserve not only wealth, but working relationships — particularly where children, shared business interests or extended family ties remain.

After 30 years in practice, I remain convinced that divorce at this level is not about winning or losing. It is about managing risk, preserving stability, and protecting the next chapter of life.

Divorce may be deeply personal. But where significant assets are involved, it is also undeniably a business matter. And like any important business decision, it deserves experienced guidance, measured judgment, and calm leadership.

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If you are facing separation and significant assets are involved — whether a business, professional practice, farm, or long-held family wealth — taking early, experienced advice can make a profound difference. A considered conversation at the outset often prevents costly missteps later.

For those who value clarity, discretion and strategic thinking, the right guidance at the right time is an investment in stability. James Thornton Family Law offers clear, fixed-fee consultations designed to provide strategic direction from the outset, allowing clients to move forward with confidence and control.

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4 drivers sentenced by York and Harrogate magistrates

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York and North Yorkshire drivers banned by magistrates

Two appeared before York Magistrates Court.

Callum Paul Senior, 31, of Bramham Avenue, Chapelfields, pleaded guilty to failure to provide a breath sample while suspected of drink driving.

He was given a 12-month community order with 200 hours’ hours and was banned from driving for three years. He was ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 statutory surcharge.

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Rui Maea-Nunes, 50, of Brook Street, Selby, pleaded guilty to cocaine driving in Brotherton, cocaine driving in Selby and failure to provide a sample of blood when suspected of being in charge of a vehicle after drinking or taking drugs.

She was banned from driving for three years, given a 12-month community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 statutory surcharge.

Two were sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court.

John Atkinson, 34, of Market Court, Pickering, was convicted of driving a vehicle with a tyre with insufficient tread.

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He was banned from driving for six months, fined £184 and ordered to pay £90 prosecution costs and a £74 statutory surcharge.

Sally Steadman, 49, of St Nicholas Street, Norton, was convicted of speeding on the A64 at Whitwell Hill.

She was banned from driving for six months, fined £256 and ordered to pay £120 prosecution costs and a £102 statutory surcharge.

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Five major DWP benefit changes coming in April 2026

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Cambridgeshire Live
Five major DWP benefit changes coming in April 2026 | Cambridgeshire Live