No-frills carrier Spirit Airlines, which employs 14,000 people, is bankrupt. Now, President Donald Trump is mulling a takeover of the company. But there’s hesitation in his cabinet and among the president’s free-market fellow Republicans. There has been “a lot of money thrown at Spirit, and they haven’t found their way into profitability,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to Reuters. 

The possible deal would give the airline $500 million in cash in exchange for a 90% government stake in the business. That would “mark a renewal of a bailout strategy” the government pursued following the 2008 financial crisis, in which the feds owned pieces of “too big to fail” companies such as General Motors and Chrysler, said Axios.

Moral obligation vs. ‘market discipline’
The federal government “has to save Spirit Airlines,” said Kyle Stewart at Live and Let’s Fly. The Justice Department sued to block a merger between Spirit and JetBlue in 2022, arguing that the “Spirit effect” forced other airlines to lower fares to be competitive. And Spirit did make air travel “possible for people who otherwise could not afford it.” But that created a moral obligation for the government. It kept Spirit from selling itself, which means it “cannot shrug” now that the airline is floundering.

The Justice Department made the “wrong decision” blocking the 2022 merger, said Ben Schlappig at One Mile at a Time. The government’s intervention “failed to take into account that Spirit no longer had a viable business model.” But the “bad merger idea” probably would have failed, given that JetBlue is also currently stumbling. Beyond that, Spirit’s current rate of spending means it would likely burn through $500 million in “a matter of months.” 

“There’s no economic justification for the government to save Spirit Airlines,” said The Wall Street Journal. Letting the company fail “would be a useful lesson in market discipline.”

‘Fundamentally flawed’
An infusion of government cash might not save an airline that has been on “life support for years,” said CNN. Spirit and other discount carriers “continued to lose money” after the pandemic. And the company’s business is “fundamentally flawed,” said United CEO Scott Kirby to the outlet.

President Donald Trump has long understood the power of a brand name — specifically his. And as world leaders flatter and impress upon him the merits of their prospective partnerships, his very name has become a global currency for appealing to his ego. Recently, Ukraine offered to name an embattled area of its Donbas region “Donnyland.” But this is only the latest in a list of international Trump-titled pitches.

‘Fort Trump’
First suggested publicly by then-President Andrzej Duda of Poland during a 2018 White House visit, plans for a $2 billion Fort Trump military base ultimately fizzled before they were resurrected in the first year of Trump’s second term. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “talked about the fact that I hope that Fort Trump, which we talked about” during Trump’s first term, will “really be established,” said Duda to The Associated Press after a series of Warsaw meetings with American officials in 2025.

‘Trump Promenade’ 
Trump is “Israel’s best friend ever,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a 2025 groundbreaking ceremony for a seaside promenade in the president’s honor in the central Israeli city of Bat Yam. The idea “originated from Trump’s idea to turn the Gaza Strip into beachfront property,” said The Jerusalem Post. 

‘Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity’
A key feature of a fragile brokered peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity “promises to become a vital connectivity link between Europe and Asia” that “could go down” as one of Trump’s “most impressive foreign policy achievements” since reelection, said the Atlantic Council. The project’s name was a “concession” sure to “delight” Trump, said CNN, as the president sought to “brand himself in his first six months in office as a global peacemaker.” 

A 28-foot statue of Nipper sits atop a warehouse in Albany, New York. The dog has been a source of local pride for almost seven decades, but now its fate is uncertain, as the vacant building has been “marked by a red placard” to indicate it’s unsafe, said The Associated Press.
Ted Shaffrey / AP Photo

Malta’s 300 days of sunshine a year draw visitors, but there’s much more to this island between Sicily and North Africa than optimal weather. Its history isn’t tucked away in corners but on full display in landmarks like St. John’s Co-Cathedral and the Megalithic Temples of Malta. Plus, natural beauty shines along the rugged coastline and in the sparkling, clear waters.

Maltese fare
Malta’s location between North Africa and Italy plays a major role in its cuisine. Dishes feature Arabic spice blends, touches of “Sicilian comfort” and a bit of “French flair,” said Broadsheet. One Maltese staple is the pastizzi, a golden flaky pastry often filled with ricotta or peas that’s best served “straight from the oven” and “eaten with your hands.”

Stone wonders
Some of the world’s oldest free-standing stone buildings can be found in Malta. Among the most notable are the Megalithic Temples of Malta, constructed more than 5,000 years ago. They are “remarkable for their diversity of form and decoration,” and the Hagar Qim, Mnajdra and Tarxien temples are “unique architectural masterpieces” due to the “limited resources available to their builders,” said UNESCO.

Turquoise waters
Divers and snorkelers love Malta for its coves, accessible wrecks and crystalline water with high visibility. A top spot to visit is the “picturesque” Ghar Lapsi, a bay known to have “some of the best reef life on the island,” said Lonely Planet, with boat and shore dives arranged for all skill levels.