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Los Angeles Times
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Found! A U.S. government service that really works
In these days when it seems like the current administration couldn't organize a utensil drawer, what with a military parade witnessed by empty bleachers and immigrant dragnets snaring American citizens and such, it seems like it would be a shock to find a government function that, you know, actually works. I found it. On June 14, I applied to renew my passport, bracing for months of frustration with bureaucratic apathy and torpor. The State Department website that took my application warned that the turnaround time was four to six weeks, which I figured would be the minimum wait. Yet I received my new passport by mail on June 28, or a crisp 14 days later. If you can think of another government service that can perform its task in two weeks from application to consummation, let me know. This was nothing like the old system, which Ben Cohen of the Wall Street Journal described as: 'Fill out a paper form. Attach a check or money order. Get photos printed — and hope they don't get rejected. Then schlep to the post office, mail back the old passport and wait too long for a new one.' The State Department launched its online passport renewal portal last September, after years of seeking a solution to a tsunami of passport applications. One pilot project went disastrously awry — increasing the time needed to process the paperwork. Eventually all the glitches were ironed out, and the result has been a spectacular success. In terms of customer service, it certainly ranks as one of the triumphs of the Biden administration. Leading the hundreds of workers who implemented the scheme were Luis Coronado, chief information officer for the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, and Matthew Pierce, then the managing director for passport services. Their accomplishment earned them Service to America medals from the Partnership for Public Service, which honor 'outstanding public servants who improve our lives.' Said Robert Thomas, principal deputy assistant secretary of consular affairs at State, in the award certification, 'Luis and Matt led the transformation of a seriously outdated government service into a leading government service that's oriented around the customer.' They did more than that. They struck a blow on behalf of all the public servants who remain invisible and unappreciated when they do their jobs right, but get held up to public vituperation when something goes wrong on their watch. Ministerial functions like car registration and Medicare enrollment and, sure, passport issuance always take the brunt of grousing about the government being so ineffectual. The public has been groomed to think that when you've fallen among government bureaucrats you're hopelessly trapped in an infinite loop. This notion was retailed by Ronald Reagan, with his quip about 'the nine most terrifying words in the English language: 'I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'' Particularly baroque screw-ups generally make it into the media, but for the most part these things don't get screwed up. For the record: I've also had trouble-free experience with the California DMV, even on the one occasion when I had to go in person to get my Real ID. And when I'm due a tax refund, it gets paid. The public image persists of government offices being filled with drones sitting with their foreheads on their desks. Accordingly, on the subreddit where people have been posting their passport renewal timelines — 14 days, 10 days or even less, the tone of the threads is a sort of delighted stupefaction, like someone suddenly blessed with a great stroke of luck. 'This must seriously be the most efficiently run government office that exists,' wrote one Redditor who submitted her application on July 10 and had her passport in hand on July 16. That was my reaction, too. For me the process began on June 10, when I received an email advising that my passport would expire in less than one year and therefore I was eligible for online renewal to obtain a new passport with the customary 10-year term. 'Act Now — Renew your U.S. Passport!' was the subject line, prompting me to check to make sure the message wasn't spam. But it had been sent from a address. After tracking down my passport and determining that State had the expiration date just right, I checked the eligibility requirements for the online service — older than 25; not planning to change my name, sex, date of birth, or place of birth; not planning to travel within six weeks (the moment a renewal application is submitted, the old passport is invalidated); and have a credit or debit card to pay the fee ($130 for the passport, another $30 for a wallet-sized ID card). Then it was on to the nearest CVS for a digital photo, which I submitted online with the application. I received an instant acknowledgment, and emails when my credit card was successfully charged, which started the approval process; when my application was approved; and when the passport was shipped by U.S. Mail, tracking number included. Delivery even came a couple of days earlier than State's initial projection. Passports that have expired within the last five years can also be renewed online. First-time applicants or those with long-expired passports have to do things the old way, filling out paper forms and dropping them off, along with photos and proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, at an official site like a post office or city hall. Some people may be tempted to see online renewal as just another service tailor-made for the upper crust, because who else needs a passport for foreign travel? The truth is that about 56% of adult Americans hold passports — 170 million are in circulation, according to the American Communities Project at Michigan State University. Demand is demographically and culturally diverse. Within Latino communities, the figure is 53%. That's 'higher than one might imagine ... considering their lower incomes and college degrees and often their more rural nature,' reported Dante Chinni, the project director. But those communities also have 'large populations that have reason to travel — newer immigrants who have family and friends back in their home countries,' Chinni wrote in March. 'While international travel is a luxury in some community types, in the Hispanic Centers it is more likely to be seen as part of life.' The passport bureau has been processing as many as 25 million applications a year, up from 3 million annually in the 1970s. Under that onslaught, the consular bureau says, 'applicants were facing months-long waits to get their passports. It was clear the system could not keep up.' Given the success of the online renewal system, it's only natural to ask: What could go wrong? The consular affairs bureau doesn't seem to have been hit hard by DOGEism at State, or at least not as notably as programs such as USAID. That almost feels lucky, given the obvious nexus between passport issuance and immigration and citizenship, two issues with which the Trump White House is obsessed. Notwithstanding the success of Coronado and Pierce at modernizing the passport system's technology, the process is still very much human-powered: More than 1,200 passport specialists are charged with reviewing applications. That's a decline of about 15% over the last couple of years. Their union representatives say the bureau is understaffed, and things are only going to get worse as the bureau experiences a years-long trend of increased caseloads. For now, however, this is a service that really works. I haven't seen any public complaint about an online renewal application getting swallowed up in the gears; thus far, every public comment I've seen for the service is praise. Let's hope that it lasts, and that the determined effort that brought it about can work the same magic on less efficient corners of the government. Don't we owe that to ourselves?
Wales Online
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Ben Cohen 'signs up for Celebrity SAS' amid heartbreak
BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Ben Cohen 'signs up for Celebrity SAS' amid heartbreak Former Strictly Come Dancing star Ben Cohen has reportedly signed up for Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, just weeks after his split from Kristina Rihanoff Ben Cohen has reportedly signed up to a new reality show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins has reportedly signed up Strictly Come Dancing alumnus Ben Cohen just weeks following his unexpected split from his partner amidst financial turmoil. The 46-year-old may be recognised more for his rugby achievements, but also made a splash on the dance scene with Strictly over ten years back. Ben is said to be gearing up for yet another telly stint after enlisting in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, according to insiders. Sources reveal that the ex-rugby star has faced difficulties in his private life due to his engagement ending, prompting him to dive headfirst into new professional pursuits. "Ben has had a difficult few months with his split from Kristina, having to sell their home and also dealing with mounting business debts," the insider revealed. "Celeb SAS is not only a good pay day for him, but it's a new challenge to immerse himself into. Ben is obviously a sportsman and a very physical, competitive player, so if anyone can handle the SAS recruitment process, it's him," they further elaborated to The Sun. Ben is reportedly taking on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins Article continues below BBC to broadcast live coverage as Oasis come to Cardiff READ MORE: Reality TV is not uncharted territory for Ben. He notably shone in September 2013 as a competitor in the eleventh series of Strictly, and conquered The Jump's third season in January 2016, even outperforming Dean Cain to victory in March of that year, reports the Mirror. In 2017, he graced the screens as a contestant in season 7, episode 8 of The Celebrity Chase. He then showed his competitive spirit in January 2018 on And They're Off!, racing for Sport Relief. Fast forwarding to December 2023, Ben stripped down for ITV's The Real Full Monty, advocating for cancer awareness. While competing on Strictly, Ben fell deeply in love with his professional dance partner, Kristina Rihanoff. The Sun disclosed back in March how Ben and Kristina's relationship had come to an end. Ben and Kristina met on Strictly in 2013 The pair welcomed their daughter, Milena, in 2016 — the year they bought their home — and got engaged in 2022, yet now they've put the house on the market. Ben, the ex-England rugby legend, famously left his wife Abby to pursue a romance with Russian dancer Kristina Rihanoff after being matched together on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013. However, reports suggest financial strains have led to their breakup. A source alleged: "Ben left his wife, Abby, for Kristina, only to now split with her. It's like the curse in reverse. This will be like karma for Abby; she was so upset when Ben left her. It's like he has got his comeuppance." Another source disclosed: "The past six months have been hell for them, and it has torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their family, they have chosen to go forward as separate individuals. Those close to them who know them as a couple had hoped they would be able to work things out, but for now it's over, and it looks like there's no going back." The couple were reportedly struggling financially (Image:) Their troubles started when they ventured into business together, with Kristina doubling up as a dance instructor. She conceded that they had "invested everything we've ever had" into Soo Yoga, crystallising her passion for exercise into an enterprise. Nonetheless, they encountered severe difficulties once the pandemic struck. Last September, in a courtroom revelation, their financial woes became public knowledge when Kristina was prosecuted for driving her £30,000 Audi without insurance. Article continues below The former pair listed their Northampton residence for sale, with Ben already stepping down as a director from their shared yoga venture. Their five-bedroom Northamptonshire property, which initially cost them £950,000, was sold for £1.75 million, the Daily Mail reports. Wales Online has reached out to Channel 4 for comment. Strictly Come Dancing is available on BBC iPlayer
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Strictly Come Dancing hunk 'signs up for Celebrity SAS' just weeks after shock split from fiancée
A Strictly Come Dancing hunk has reportedly signed up for Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, just weeks after his shock split from his fiancée. Ben Cohen, 46, is reportedly gearing up to take on the gruelling Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins challenge. The former rugby player, who is well known for his appearance on Strictly more than a decade ago, is looking forward to 'throw himself into a new challenge' following his split from fiancée of 12 years Kristina Rihanoff. A TV insider told The Sun: 'Ben has had a difficult few months with his split from Kristina, having to sell their home and also having spiralling business debts. 'Celeb SAS is not only a good pay day for him, but it's a new challenge to throw himself into. 'Ben is obviously a sportsman and a very physical, competitive player so if anyone can handle the SAS recruitment process, it's him.' MailOnline have contacted Ben and Celebrity SAS representatives for comment. Ben and Kristina's relationship was the product of the BBC show's infamous curse when he left his then-wife Abby in 2013, before going onto date Kristina, before money troubles reportedly tore them apart. MailOnline was told that it was the severe financial difficulties they had recently experienced are believed to have been behind their split. The extent of the couple's struggles were laid bare in unusual circumstances - during a court appearance last September when Kristina was caught driving without insurance. Giving evidence during the case, England World Cup winning rugby star Ben admitted he had bungled the handling of their car insurance policy and told how he was 'fighting to save his relationship and home'. A friend of the couple said: 'The past six months have been hell for them and it has torn the love they had apart. For the sake of their family, they have chosen to go forward as separate individuals. 'Those close to them who know them as a couple had hoped they would be able to work things out but for now it's over and it looks like there's no going back.' The couple were left with crippling debts after they ploughed every penny they had into a yoga studio which plunged into crisis during the Covid pandemic. According to The Sun, the couple are now left with a crippling £1million debt. In a tortuously frank admission Cohen told the court: 'I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything - to lose my cars and my house and my relationship. I'm so overdrawn.' When questioned about the strains on his and Rihanoff's relationship, he said: 'We're still living together. We're in it financially. 'We're in business together so the problem is that we opened the business before Covid and we got the worst severities of it and in all honestly this is just another problem for me to deal with. 'I've got credit cards that are overdrawn. I'm overdrawn in both accounts. We have got a business debt because of Covid. It's just another problem.' MailOnline was given an insight into the struggles during an interview with the couple in May 2021. They started Soo Yoga Group together in June 2017 - four years after falling for each other when they partnered on the 11th series of the hit BBC show. Companies House records showed that the Soo Yoga Group Ltd was £488,470 in the red in its last submitted set of accounts for the year ending on July 31, 2022. The company was facing being struck off and Cohen has since resigned as a director leaving Rihanoff as its sole director - while other companies linked to the couple were also in difficulties. It was not long before the couple had put their £1.75million five-bedroom home in Sywell, Northamptonshire, where they had lived since 2016 on the market. Cohen resorted to selling topless photos of himself in a bid to raise some much needed cash. Ahead of the new year, he created a calendar with 1,000 personally signed editions selling at £32.95 a time in the hope of raking in £33,000. The couple revealed the irony of how they set off full of hope on a project to improve health and wellbeing only to be plunged into a crisis which left them facing losing everything and damaging their mental health. Russian-born Rihanoff - who left Strictly in 2015 before giving birth to their daughter Mila the following year - had worked hard to retrain as a yoga instructor. But the couple were forced to close their seven-studio yoga centre when the pandemic struck just nine months after opening. The studio offered dance, meditation and pilates classes while Cohen taught high intensity training. Rihanoff told MailOnline: 'The company is a new company we'd just set it up. We invested everything we've ever had. 'It was awful. I put everything into it and you don't even have a chance to develop the business. 'We opened in August after the first lockdown and had a huge spike. It's a family orientated centre. Then November lockdown, December it was awful because we didn't know the end of it. It was forever and ever and ever. Fingers crossed we can go back to normality soon.' She spoke of struggles with depression which has 'skyrocketed through the lockdowns' and admitted they struggled. At that point the couple were able to temporarily run outdoor classes on tennis courts in Northampton but told of their plans to expand the business into a nationwide venture - hoping to emule the success of David Lloyd's sports club empire. Cohen said: 'Yes it's great being outside and doing stuff but it shouldn't be at that point - we haven't earned a penny.' Cohen told how it was 'tough to run a business' but said of his hopes: 'Essentially we want to do what David Lloyd did. Everyone thought he was crazy. David has been helping us with this too. We want to grow this across the country.' The couple appeared to be back on track after getting engaged on a sun-kissed beach in the Maldives in 2022 and told of their hopes of tying the knot in Tuscany or Oxfordshire. Ben told Hello! Magazine in 2023: 'Over the last nine years we've been through the wringer. 'To support each other through difficult times in business is the ultimate test in a relationship. 'I've watched her flourish, from her becoming a mum to growing as a businesswoman, and it has strengthened our bond.' But their ongoing struggles were revealed when Rihanoff, who worked on Strictly between 2008 and 2013, appeared at Northampton Crown Court to unsuccessfully appeal a sentence for driving without insurance. Sobbing throughout the hearing, she told the court it would be financially devastating if she was disqualified. She said she needed to drive to judge ballroom competitions across the country, which earn her around £2,000 a month, and to take Mila to school. MailOnline later revealed the couple's yoga company had plunged almost £500,000 in debt.
The Sun
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Strictly hunk signs up for Celebrity SAS just weeks after shock split and debt misery
A STRICTLY hunk has signed up for Celebrity SAS just weeks after his shock split from wife and his debt misery. Ben Cohen, 46, might be best-known as a Rugby player, but he is also known for his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing more than a decade ago. 4 And now Ben is gearing up for another television appearance after signing up for Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. A TV insider told The Sun: "Ben has had a difficult few months with his split from Kristina, having to sell their home and also having spiralling business debts. "Celeb SAS is not only a good pay day for him, but it's a new challenge to throw himself into. "Ben is obviously a sportsman and a very physical, competitive player so if anyone can handle the SAS recruitment process, it's him." This won't be Ben's first brush with reality television. As mentioned, in September 2013, Ben took part as a contestant in the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing. Then, in January 2016, he took part as a contestant on the third series of The Jump. He won the series in March 2016, beating Dean Cain. In 2017, he was a contestant on season 7, episode 8 of The Celebrity Chase. In January 2018, he participated in And They're Off! in aid of Sport Relief. What goes around comes around, says Ben Cohen's ex after Kristina Rihanoff split & reveals 'why Strictly pair broke up' tweaked head And in December 2023, Ben participated in ITV's The Real Full Monty to raise awareness of cancer. While Ben was on Strictly, he met and fell in love with his professional dance partner Kristina Rihanoff. Back in March of this year, The Sun told how Ben and Kristina's marriage ended. The ex-England rugby star dumped his wife Abby to date Russian pro Kristina after being paired on the dancefloor in 2013. But pals confirmed they had parted after financial difficulties tore the relationship apart. A friend said: ' Ben left his wife Abby for Kristina, only to now split with her. 'It's like the curse in reverse. 'This will be like karma for Abby, she was so upset when Ben left her. 'It's like he has got his comeuppance.' The former couple. who have an eight-year-old daughter, have put their £1.75million house in Northampton on the market and Ben has been removed as a director of their joint yoga business. A pal said: 'The past six months have been hell for them and it has torn the love they had apart. 'For the sake of their family, they have chosen to go forward as separate individuals. 'Those close to them who know them as a couple had hoped they would be able to work things out but for now it's over and it looks like there's no going back.' We also revealed the full extent of their financial difficulties. The issues started when the pair went into business together, with Kristina also working as a dance instructor. Kristina said the pair had 'invested everything we've ever had' into their company Soo Yoga, after turning her passion for the exercise into a business. However after the pandemic hit, they ran into serious trouble. Their financial difficulties were made public in court last September, when Kristina was caught driving her £30,000 Audi without insurance. 4 4
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE New unpleasant blow for Kristina Rihanoff after her split from Ben Cohen - so can she ever shake the 'Curse of Strictly'?
'Curse of Strictly ' star Kristana Rihanoff - still reeling from her split from Ben Cohen - today faces a new blow: the yoga business they co-founded is almost £500,000 in the red. The former professional ballroom dancer today published two years of accounts which show that the financial problems blamed for their high-profile split have not abated.
