Middle East war, rising oil prices increase uncertainty for summer travelers episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 11, 2026 · 50 MIN

Middle East war, rising oil prices increase uncertainty for summer travelers

from Sound of Ideas · host Ideastream Public Media

Tips for travelers making spring, summer plans With spring break here and the peak summer travel season approaching, a whopping 90% or more of Americans say they plan to travel for vacation this year. But travel planning is being complicated by uncertainty due to several factors including current global instability due to the war in the Middle East.That conflict has led to a spike in oil prices impacting flight fares and gas prices. The ongoing partial government shutdown has also led to longer wait times for security lines as the Transportation Security Administration deals with staffing shortages. TSA workers are currently being asked to work without pay. Links mentioned in the discussion State Dept. Travel Advisories STEP Program from the U.S. Dept. of State CDC Travel Advisories CDC Polio Global Health Advisory We begin the show on Wednesday with travel experts to talk about the current stressors on the travel market and answer questions you may have if you have travel plans. Guests: - Phil Ridolfi, Owner, The Exceptional Traveler - Zach Wichter, Consumer Travel Reporter at USA Today Could research into animal Alzheimer's help humans? Alzheimer's Disease affects around 7 million Americans and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the US. It's a very real consequence of humans' long lives compared to other animals. But other animals, like dogs, cats, pigs and chimpanzees can get Alzheimer's and researchers are studying how it affects them. Today we'll hear a discussion about how the Alzheimer's affects chimpanzees and how that can help treat humans. Plus, we'll learn about lifestyle changes that can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease. Guests: - Jeff St. Clair, Host, Ideastream Public Media - Takhar Kasumov, Ph.D., School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University - Melissa Edler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor - Anthropology, Kent State University

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Middle East war, rising oil prices increase uncertainty for summer travelers

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