Phoenix Mercury top Seattle Storm in preseason action minus Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner returned to the Phoenix Mercury after being released from a Russian prison, but she did not travel with the team Monday for the preseason opener.

Phoenix Mercury beat Seattle Storm 77-71 led by the combined 21 points from Diana Taurasi and reserve guard Sug Sutton.

Down 43-36 at half, the Mercury turned the corner on a Sam Thomas 3-pointer with 2:48 left in the third. Mercury outscored Storm, 24-12, in the quarter. Thomas was key off the bench, finishing with 8 points on 2-4 shooting behind the arc.

Forward Kadi Sissoko, a 2023 third-round picks, logged 7 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in nearly 30 minutes of action.

The Mercury’s preseason continues at 7 p.m. Friday at home against the Los Angeles Sparks. It’s precursor to the season opener May 19 in Los Angeles.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 08: The Phoenix Mercury celebrate a basket against the Seattle Storm during the fourth quarter in a WNBA preseason game at Climate Pledge Arena on May 08, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MAY 08: The Phoenix Mercury celebrate a basket against the

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Transat Distribution Canada Announces Management Changes

Transat Distribution Canada’s Karine Gagnon has announced changes to the company’s management structure “with the objective of improving efficiency and synergies within our organization.”

Among the changes, Anthony Mormina was promoted to Senior Director, Sales & Corporate Operations. In his new role, he will be responsible for leading and strengthening sales & operations for all TDC’s company owned and managed retail points of sale. This includes TDC’s Loyalty partners & Club Voyages Affair division, Voyages Transat, and Transat Travel agencies across Canada, as well as the Agent@Home sector.

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Colette Girard has been promoted to Director, Franchise and Affiliate members. Girard has been managing relationships with TDC’s members in Québec for over 11 years. Gagnon says she holds extensive experience as a leader in both travel retail and tour operating. Girard will take on the director role, overseeing the same territory, with the support of a manager, for which a

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Ontario Woman Arrested For Impersonating A Travel Agent

A Whitby, Ontario woman has been accused of impersonating a travel agent and fraudulently selling $245,000 worth of vacations while using over 20 aliases.

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) collaborated with Durham Police on their criminal investigation, which began in October 2020. The police service said it received reports that an allegedly bogus travel agent was “kiting” — a common form of travel industry fraud where an agent collected cash payments from clients and pockets the money instead of booking trips.

Officers allege that 43-year-old Tarcia Craig Brown owns a travel business called Travel Girl Inc.

They allege that the criminal activity happened between 2011 and 2019 and involved several different travel agencies.

It is alleged that Brown falsified a TICO Certificate to gain employment at TICO registered travel agencies and then engaged in fraudulent activities. She faces a variety of charges, including four counts of fraud exceeding

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Mondee Introduces New AI-Powered Travel Agent Tools – Cruise Industry News

Mondee announced the launch of Mondee Travel Marketplace featuring Abhi, its AI-powered travel assistant platform that simplifies the cruise booking process.

Mondee’s Marketplace features an integrated cruises platform allowing users to easily browse and book a cruise of their choice. Travel agents can also benefit from the app as it simplifies the process of supporting their customer base.

The mobile-first solution was designed to instantly create personalized travel suggestions based on a user’s interests so they can instantly book their favorite vacation. Abhi is capable to engage in conversations, understand complex queries and can offer comprehensive responses.

Mondee’s Marketplace, available both as an app and on the web, allows travel experts to expand their scope across global and local suppliers. The Mondee Marketplace also comes with a number of advanced features, such as modern fintech, conversational commerce, CRM and growth-enabling analytics.

“We are thrilled to introduce a new AI technology

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10 Must-Visit United States Destinations for the Ultimate Classic Car Road Trip

A road trip is a great way to explore must-see destinations with your kids while stopping to sightsee along the way. Add a classic car or van to the mix, and you’ve got the vacation that dreams are made of.

But the best thing about this type of travel is that it’s flexible and affordable. You can adjust your route and schedule at your whim. Nothing’s stopping you from staying a few days longer at your new favorite location to calm a niggly toddler or move on quickly when your teen starts complaining about being bored!

Since you aren’t splurging on flights, you have more freedom to explore travel- and budget-wise. Not to mention, it’s a great opportunity to bond with your kids!

I’ve discovered many amazing locations across the US, but some have truly stood out along the way. That’s why I’ve listed 10 of my must-visit destinations (in

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Carlee Russell traveling ‘six football fields’ during 911 call doesn’t make ‘any sense’: former detective

A former homicide detective said that the movement of Carlee Russell’s vehicle during the 911 call reporting a toddler on the Interstate does not make any sense.

Russell, 25, went missing on July 13 after calling 911 to report a toddler who was apparently walking on the side of Interstate 459 South near Birmingham, Alabama, around 9:24 pm, according to the Hoover Police Department.

After the 911 call, Russell called a relative and stopped talking but the line “remained open,” according to police. She returned home around 10:45 pm on July 15 and was taken to a hospital before being released.

During a press conference Wednesday, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said that Russell traveled “six football fields” – or 600 yards – during her 911 call in which she said she was following a 3 to 4-year-old child who was walking along the side of the interstate in a

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Gigi Hadid Arrested For Pot Possession in Cayman Islands

UPDATES

11:31 AM PT — Cayman cops deny the bribery allegations, telling us, “Our officers categorically deny the bribery related allegation which has been made against them by Ms. Hadid. However, we invite Ms. Hadid to make a formal complaint to our Professional Standards Unit so that they can independently review the case in order to determine if there is any evidence to support her allegation.”

UPDATES

10:33 AM PT — A source close to Gigi Hadid tells us the weed discovered wasn’t in her personal bag, it was found in a bag of one of the people she was traveling with … but because the plane was in her name, all of the contents became her responsibility.

UPDATES

The source tells us officials allegedly wanted to be paid off, but Gigi refused, instead opting for the legal ramifications. We’re told Gigi does have a medical card, but it wasn’t

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Whitby woman acting as travel agent facing charges in $245,000 fraud scheme

Durham police have charged a Whitby woman after she allegedly fraudulently sold vacations.

Police say the Financial Crimes Unit began an investigation in October 2020 after receiving reports that a woman was impersonating a travel agent and was “kiting”.

Officers say kiting is a common type of fraud in the travel industry, where an agent collects cash payments from clients and doesn’t apply the money to the client’s vacation, and instead pockets the cash.

They say she had participated in this practice between 2011 and 2019, using a falsified Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) certificate.

Police say she defrauded several travel agencies of more than $245,000.

She owns her own travel business called “Travel Girl Inc” and has used over 21 aliases.

She also claims to specialize in group travel and destination weddings.

Tarcia Craig Brown, 43, of Whitby is charged with: Fraud Exceeding $5000 x4, Use Computer to

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Why Booking Holdings Stock Sailed 34% Higher During the First Half of the Year

What happened

Shares of online travel agents Booking Holdings (BKNG 3.49%) rallied 34% over the course of the first six months of 2023, according to numbers from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The big gain reflects a post-pandemic recovery in demand for leisure travel.

So what

Most investors knew it would happen sooner or later. By and large, though, most investors didn’t expect leisure travel demand to bounce back as well as it has this soon.

The latest layer of evidence to this end surfaced earlier this month. Using numbers supplied by the US Transportation Security Administration, Barron’s reports that Friday, June 30 was the nation’s busiest-ever day for domestic air travel, with nearly 2.9 million people boarding a plane somewhere in the United States.

It’s not just airlines seeing unprecedented demand, however. Carnival Corp. reports the total number of cruise reservations made during its recently ended second fiscal quarter

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LOOKING BACK: Gary Rams reflects on the highs & lows of his 35-year career as a travel agent

It’s this camaraderie within the industry that Rams has valued most, particularly during travel’s biggest challenges like 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic. But Rams, ever the optimist, doesn’t waste time dwelling on the low points, focusing instead on the too-many-to-count highlights of his career, which include exploring Egyptian pyramids, strolling through Hoi An, Vietnam, drives game in Africa and discovering small towns in Peru.

“I have been fortunate to travel to many countries around the world over the years. But visiting a country isn’t just about seeing the sights, it’s also about getting to know the people, the one thing I am most proud of,” he says.

“Being a travel agent allows me to meet people from other countries and do business with them. From inbound operators to local tour guides to hotel staff, we’re giving them a means to feed their families, for their children to get an education,”

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