
This NYC airport has the best lounge for foodies, says new ranking
And we're not talking sad buffet spreads. The Chelsea Lounge's à la carte menu is a true pre-flight indulgence, featuring seasonal dishes crafted by chefs tied to the James Beard Foundation like chilled English pea soup, curry sweet potato bisque and roasted salmon alongside British nods like afternoon tea and New York-style toffee cheesecake. Not bad for something you can order in airport socks.
At the center of it all is a circular Champagne bar that's basically a travel influencer's dream. Premium pours from the likes of Moët, Roederer and Krug 170ème Édition (which retails for $200-plus) flow freely, backed by a full roster of wines, whiskeys and cocktails.
Access to the Chelsea Lounge is, unsurprisingly, exclusive. Entry is reserved for Flagship First and Flagship Business Plus passengers on American, or First Class travelers on British Airways long-haul flights. Certain elite loyalty members like ConciergeKey and BA Club Gold also get through the velvet rope.
What makes the lounge even more appealing (beyond the champers)? Its ambiance. Travelers can dine fireside with table service, creating a restaurant-like experience that feels miles from terminal chaos. And with JFK's Terminal 8 upgrades complete, the space itself is a sleek, art-filled retreat.
Rounding out the ranking were lounges at CDG (Air France's Michelin-starred La Première Lounge took top honors), Istanbul, Dubai and LAX. But for New York-based globetrotters with a taste for the finer things, Chelsea Lounge is the city's high-flying culinary heavyweight.
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Fashion United
20 minutes ago
- Fashion United
Louis Vuitton suspect in Dutch money laundering case
French luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton is currently under suspicion in a money laundering case in the Netherlands, a development first reported by the Algemeen Dagblad (AD) based on documents from the Public Prosecution Service. Investigations suggest that money was allegedly laundered for years through Dutch branches of the brand. During this period, approximately three million euros worth of bags and clothing were reportedly paid for in cash, often involving bills of thousands of euros for each transaction. Dutch regulations stipulate that for cash payments of 10,000 euros or more, an official report must be filed to prevent money laundering, a procedure the Public Prosecution Service claims was not followed in these instances. While Louis Vuitton has been identified as a suspect in the ongoing inquiry, it remains unclear whether the Dutch branch of the luxury brand will face formal prosecution in connection with the case. The purchased items were reportedly shipped to China, a practice the AD notes is not new. Acquiring luxury goods outside of China and shipping them into the country allows individuals to circumvent high import duties, a method that, while not inherently illegal, is frequently associated with criminal activities for money laundering purposes. FashionUnited has contacted Louis Vuitton for comment. This article may be updated at a later time. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@


The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump design picks: Inside his 'perfecto' White House makeover
Now 50 years on, he has a new pet project: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Six months since he moved back into the White House, Trump's Oval Office is bathed in a sea of gold and gives a glimpse of his maximalist design approach. Gold-colored appliques on the fireplace, gilded mirrors and ornate Rococo-style 18th and 19th century dessert stands and flower vases from London and France sit on the mantle. The walls are choc-a-block with paintings of former presidents in heavily ornate gold frames. The Cabinet Room has been outfitted with new ceiling medallions and a grandfather clock. "I picked it all myself," he said. "I'm very proud of it." There's even a painting of Trump by an 87-year-old artist who said he was surprised to find out his work was being showcased in the West Wing. Meanwhile, Trump has also ripped up the sod in the Rose Garden in favor of a "gorgeous stone" patio - work paid for by the same nonprofit that funded the Washington Monument's restoration work after a 2011 earthquake - and announced plans to build a ballroom in the White House. He recently erected two 88-foot-tall flagpoles on the south and north lawns of the White House. To be sure, presidents for decades have put their own personal touches on the Oval Office and the White House. President Franklin D. Roosevelt built an indoor swimming pool for physical therapy while coping with polio and President Richard Nixon installed a one-lane bowling alley at the White House's adjacent Old Executive Office Building. The Oval Office often gets new carpet and other furnishings for new presidents. Under Joe Biden, it sported a decidedly muted and understated look. Swedish ivy that has been in the Oval Office for decades graced the fireplace mantle, busts of famous Civil Rights leaders sat on desks and a few gold-framed portraits of past presidents hung on the walls. But for Trump, the work feels far more personal. "It keeps my real estate juices flowing," he told a reporter in February. Penchant for gold One common thread that runs through most of the interior redecoration efforts: a penchant for gold. During a recent meeting in the Cabinet Room, Trump waxed poetic about "gold-leafing" the trims, the need for decorative ceiling medallions around hanging lights and finding the right frames for the new portraits of presidents that adorn the room's walls. Barbara Res, a former vice president at Trump Organization who oversaw construction, has long been familiar with Trump's fascination with the color gold. While working on projects such as the Trump Tower and Plaza Hotel, he had been adamant about incorporating polished bronze and brass which can give the appearance of gold, she said. Public areas such as atriums, ballrooms and restaurants were awash with polished bronze or brass on door frames, railings, elevators and ceilings. "He used the word 'class' a lot, and it was a high-class thing for him," Res told USA TODAY. "It conveyed an illusion of taste and wealth, and that's why he wanted to gild everything." For his Trump Tower triplex apartment in the early 80s, he hired the famed design veteran Angelo Donghia to do up the place. Taking into consideration Trump's favorite color and after trying to reason with him ("that's the worst thing you can do with Donald," said Res), Donghia introduced subtle gold touches throughout. "It wasn't normal, but it was almost normal," Res said with a laugh. Trump's sensibility for "highly polished metals" went into overdrive after he visited Russia in the late 1980s, touring such places as the Hermitage State Museum and the Winter Palace, Res said. "He came back, and he changed everything," she said. "He hired a guy who was a decorator for the high-roller suites in casinos. They have a lot of gold and mirrors everywhere." After the apartment was done, Res, who then worked in the 58-story Midtown Manhattan building, said Trump brought her up to show her the remodeled place and asked her what she thought of it. "I said 'how can you sleep here?," she said. "He was highly insulted by it." Trump has always had an eye for design details. On his recent presidential visit to Qatar, he admired the white marble in a palace, saying it was "very hard to buy." "As a construction is perfect marble. This is what they call 'perfecto'," he said. Decorating the White House Now, as commander-in-chief, Trump has access to the White House Vault. A treasure trove of silver and bronze gilded objects he may have marveled at in palaces and museums around the world is now at his disposal. And he is not wasting his chance to play decorator. During the June Cabinet meeting, he said he had been spending a lot of time there, scooping up pieces he might call perfecto. "The vaults are where we have a lot of great pictures and artwork," he said, before offering insights into his obsession with right-sized and right-looking frames. "I'm a frame person. Sometimes, I like frames more than I like the pictures," he said. During Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to the White House in May, Trump sought to highlight his efforts. "You see the new and improved Oval Office as it becomes more and more beautiful with love," he said. "You know, we handle it with great love and 24 karat gold." Other than gold, the president also favors patriotic touches as design flourishes. A copy of the Declaration of Independence occupies pride of place in the Oval Office, placed behind two blue velvet curtains that hang from a gold-colored rod. There are also some bright and cheerful-looking design elements such as colorful military campaign ribbons on the flags. A painting of Trump flanked by fellow Republican presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan hangs in the corridor close to the Oval Office by artist Dick Bobnick. When USA TODAY tracked down Bobnick, the 87-year-old artist based in Burnsville, Minnesota, said he had no idea his work was gracing the walls of the West Wing. He said he'd sent a photo print to the White House but never heard back. The artist, who is a Trump supporter, said he wanted to portray "three of the strongest, most influential presidents this country has ever had at some of the most tumultuous times." Bobnick, who has never visited Washington D.C., said he was "flattered" the print had made an impression. "I still have the original," he said. Trump also believes the White House grounds are in need for improvement. The installation of the flagpoles on the White House lawns in June cost about $50,000 each, which Trump said he'd paid for himself. Congress gives every new president an allowance of $100,000 to refurbish the private residence and the Oval Office, for things such as furnishings and curtains. Work is currently in progress on the Rose Garden, which is located just outside the Oval Office, and where bilateral meetings with world leaders and news conferences are often held. The manicured lawn was ripped up to make way for a stone patio, like the one in Mar-a-Lago. Trump said he reached the decision after watching women in high heels at events struggling on the muddy lawn. President Trump's Rose Garden overhaul is underway. — Joey Garrison (@joeygarrison) June 10, 2025 The foliage, including the 200 rose bushes planted during a 2020 renovation overseen by First lady Melania Trump, will not be disturbed. "President Trump is a builder at heart, and he wants to help make the White House as exceptional as possible for generations of Americans to come," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told USA TODAY. The Rose Garden project, which is slated for completion in August, is funded by the Trust for the National Mall, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has sponsored more than $75 million in restoration projects with the National Park Service since 2007. Some projects they have led include $22 million for the design and construction of the U.S. Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center on the National Mall in 2023 and a $7.5 million restoration of the Washington Monument after a 2011 earthquake. Julie Moore, a spokesperson for the nonprofit, said it accepts private donations to support the National Park Service's projects at the White House gardens not supported by federal funding. Moore said the project will not use taxpayer dollars but declined to name donors saying they have chosen to remain anonymous. Moore said the funds for the project had already been secured. A White House ballroom? Trump's next project, if it gets off the ground, promises be a grand one -- and one that he has, offered to pay for himself. Trump first floated the idea for a ballroom, like the one in Mar-a-Lago, during his first run for president in 2016. The Obama administration confirmed to USA TODAY in 2016 that Trump had offered to spend $100 million on a new White House ballroom, but that the offer was quickly rejected. Back then, Trump derided White House events for foreign dignitaries held in tents, saying that was an inappropriate way to entertain them. State dinners are generally held in the East Room, which at 3,000 square feet is the biggest of the state rooms and the only one that runs the entire width of the executive mansion. It's also where dances, receptions, concerts and news conferences are held. During an executive signing in the East Room in February, Trump recalled his offers to both Obama and Biden. "This was going to be the reception room," he said referring to his idea for a revamped East Room that would have served as the entrance to the ballroom he proposed. He said the East Room felt "too crowded." In June, Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he had "inspected" the site, which according to a White House official, is located on the east side of the White House. Trump also highlighted his construction and real estate credentials in the post, saying no president before him had "any knowledge or experience in doing such things." Leavitt said "discussions about how to execute this plan (for a ballroom) are ongoing." Trump's day job may have changed to more weighty subjects, but passion projects from his former life are still what bring him joy, he recently mused on Truth Social. "These are the 'fun' projects I do while thinking about the World Economy, the United States, China, Russia, and lots of other Countries, places, and events," he wrote. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal


Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
UK's sewage-clogged water sector set for total overhaul after landmark report
A major report is expected to call for dramatic reform of the beleagured water sector in England and Wales when it is published later this morning. The Independent Water Commission, pulled together by ex-banker Sir Jon Cunliffe, will set out recommendations to get the industry back on its feet after years of controversy over bills and sewage. But campaigners including one-time Undertones frontman Feargal Sharkey have said they are sceptical of whether the report can make a difference. Environment Secretary Steve Reed promised yesterday to halve the sewage pollution in British rivers, lakes and seas by the end of this decade, and make them the cleanest since records began. In an appearance on Laura Kuenssberg's BBC show, he said he would step down from his role if he failed to achieve this target. Reed said: 'Politicians come and say we're going to do things. Of course our job should be on the line if we don't.' He is set to describe the water industry as 'broken' and welcome the recommendations of the report when they drop later today. It is expected that the abolition of floundering regulator Ofwat will be among those recommendations. The body has failed to stop record amounts of sewage being pumped into English and Welsh waterways, as executives' pay and dividends soar at the private water companies. On Sunday, Reed said Ofwat was 'clearly failing' though he would not confirm it was destined for the scrap heap. Scotland and Northern Ireland both have nationalised water systems. Sir Jon said: 'In this report, I have considered what is best for the long-term future of water. More Trending 'This is a complex sector with a highly integrated system, responsible for the second-largest infrastructure programme in the UK.' However, water campaigner Feargal Sharkey has voiced doubt over whether the Commission will change the dire situation, saying he fears it will prove to be a 'flat pancake'. He argued: 'Sir Jon's job is to make the current system better, but so many things have not been considered in his review, such as the ownership of the water companies. 'I also don't think you can talk about abolishing Ofwat without considering the future of the Environment Agency – and taking a long, hard look at the Environment Department (Defra), as well as the lack of action from government ministers for many years. They are just as culpable.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Afghan veteran warns data breach poses shadow threat 'for years to come' MORE: Plane crashes at Olympic National Park killing one and injuring two MORE: One leaked government email could put my family in grave danger