By Lebawit Lily Girma, Bloomberg News

Sterile hallways, basic options for food and shopping, no glimpse of the outside world: This is what we often think about U.S. airports.

But as outdated facilities turn into swanky terminals, spending more time at the airport has grown tolerable, if not moderately pleasant. Upgraded concession programs have made for better meals— both sit-down and grab-and-go — while credit card companies have vastly improved the airport lounge game, and you can even get robot manicures from the types of airport “spas” that were once limited to 10-minute chair massages.

Now a new chapter of airport enhancement is kicking off. U.S. airports coast to coast are lately adding all sorts of outdoor spaces for the general flying public to enjoy—regardless of airline status or seat assignment. They include post-security observation decks, open-air lounges and microbrewery-inspired drinking holes that let you relax a bit before boarding your next flight.

Matt Needham, who leads aviation projects for global design and architecture firm HOK, says the trend is a way for airlines to address the increased stress of air travel. Carriers are increasingly thinking about airports as part of their own customer experience, he says, so they’re also signing the checks for these outdoor chill zones. “It makes a difference,” he says, if you can get “a little bit of sunshine and some breeze in your hair before you have to get on that pressurized tube.”

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Needham is just one of the architects at the forefront of this trend. His team’s most recent projects include such spaces at Salt Lake City International Airport — where the Delta Sky Lounge has an open-air patio with fans and heaters — as well as at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B, where the new Capital One Landing lounge will feature an outdoor terrace when it opens later this year. Other firms, like Gensler, are also working on al fresco airport spaces across the country.

Currently, Needham is overseeing Monterey Airport’s new Terminal 1 in California, set to break ground this year and reach completion in late 2027. After travelers pass through its Transportation Security Administration lanes, they’ll find an outdoor terrace with views of the runways, which here are surrounded by towering Monterey pine trees.

But in some places, these outdoor spots can offer far more than a concrete terrace with runway views. In September, San Diego’s Terminal 1 is expected to unveil $3.8 billion in improvements that include a new terminal building, improved roadways, a parking plaza and — you guessed it — a giant outdoor terrace jointly created by Gensler and Turner-Flatiron. Its 5,000 square feet will be accessible from the new terminal’s food court, with a terrace, a complimentary lounge and an outdoor restaurant. And all of it will have sweeping views of San Diego’s harbor, downtown and the mountains to the east.

“If you were in a hotel room with that same view, that would be a $3,000-a-night penthouse suite,” says Terence Young, principal and design director at Gensler. “The sunlight, the sky, the view of the sunset over the masts of the boats — it’s pretty insane.”

Other designs are similarly taking into account a sense of place. By year’s end, four green terraces at Pittsburgh International Airport will evoke the woodsy landscapes of western Pennsylvania with more than 20 native and adaptive plant species such as Red Maple and Quaking Aspen trees. Their arrival comes with a new terminal, the focus of a $1.7 billion airport modernization project.

“We felt this biophilic design would be important for travelers as well as for staff,” says Christina Cassotis, chief executive officer at the airport.

Other major airports have added similar fresh air spaces in the past three years. They include the al fresco Nueces Brewing Bar at Corpus Christi International Airport in Texas, which serves specialty beers and cocktails, and a trio of decks at Denver International Airport — one in each concourse — all with fire pits, runway views and pet-friendly areas.

Given that airports tend to be tight on space and funding but replete with regulatory hurdles, there’s a limit to how far the trend can grow. But Young says airports are increasingly willing to fund these types of improvements for their staff as well as their passengers, especially as awareness grows around mental health and the needs of neurodivergent travelers.

Expect more greenery to make its way inside terminals too. Rooftop bars and outdoor terraces will soon be complemented by koi gardens and indoor greenhouses, say all the designers. Young even imagines farm-to-table airport dining, with the farm onsite. “And you could make it so that it is actually quiet,” he says, dreaming aloud, “even though you’re still at an airport.”

©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER

NEW YORK (AP) — The R&B singer Cassie returns to the witness stand Wednesday after a day spent recounting grotesque and humiliating details of life with her ex-boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs.

During her first day of testimony Tuesday at Combs’ sex trafficking trial, Cassie described being pressured into degrading sexual encounters with paid sex workers. She also recounted being beaten numerous times by Combs when she did things that displeased him — like smiling at him the wrong way.

Cassie Ventura takes an oath before testifying in Manhattan federal court, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

“You make the wrong face and the next thing I knew I was getting hit in the face,” she said.

Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, accused Combs of gaining her submission by threatening to publicly release videos of her with male sex workers.

Combs’ attorneys have acknowledged Combs could be violent but maintain that the sexual acts were consensual. They say nothing he did amounted to sex trafficking or racketeering — the charges that he faces.

Sean Diddy’Combs, far left, and attorney Marc Agnifilo, right, sit at the defense table during witness testimony in Manhattan federal court, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

Lawyers for Combs have yet to cross-examine Cassie, a type of questioning that will give them an opportunity to challenge her credibility or poke holes in her accounts of what happened.

The trial is expected to last about two months.

Prosecutors have accused Combs of exploiting his status as a powerful music executive to violently force women into drugged-up sex parties he called “freak offs.”

Cassie met Combs in 2005, when she was 19 and just at the start of a career as a singer, model and actor. She had a hit song, “Me & U,” in 2006 off an album released by Combs’ Bad Boy Records.

Combs, who was 37 when they met, nurtured her career early on and also became her boyfriend for a decade.

Cassie left Combs’ record label in 2019 and then sued him in 2023, accusing him of years of physical and sexual abuse. She told jurors during her testimony Tuesday that there were loving moments during their relationship but that Combs was always controlling and often violent.

Cassie said she was 22 when Combs first asked her to do a “freak off,” with the first one occurring in his Los Angeles home with a male stripper that left her feeling dirty and confused, but relieved that Combs was happy.

“It was his fantasy,” she said. “He was controlling the whole situation. He was directing it.”

Combs, 55, has been jailed since September. He faces at least 15 years in prison if convicted.

By JESSICA DAMIANO, Associated Press

For many, the return of the spring garden brings with it a sneezy, itchy, foggy-headed feeling that hits the moment a warm breeze stirs up. I’m fortunate not to suffer much, but my blue car turned a chartreuse shade of yellow last week, and a $32 car wash provided results that lasted only two hours. Sigh.

These seasonal allergies often go by the old-fashioned name hay fever, but it’s not the hay that causes misery for so many, it’s the pollen.

This July 9, 2023, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows a zinnia flower in bloom. (Jessica Damoano Via AP)

And not just any pollen, but the nearly weightless kind that floats up our noses and engages our immune systems. Trees, weeds, grasses and even some of our favorite flowers are culprits.

But pollen isn’t all bad. It’s essential to the reproduction of plants, the survival of insects and the entire food web. We humans could not survive without it, so we absolutely shouldn’t avoid high-pollen plants as a general rule. However, if you’re an allergy sufferer who has had to forgo planting a garden due to health reasons, plants that release the least pollen may enable you to smell the flowers.

Plants that might bring sneezes

Allergy-inducing plants are those that rely on wind rather than bees or butterflies to spread their pollen. Ragweed, which strikes in late summer and early fall, gets the most notoriety, but its springtime counterparts can be at least as irritating.

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Trees most likely to cause symptoms include birch (Betula), catawba (Catalba), cypress (Cupressus), elm (Ulmus), hickory/pecan (Carya), oak (Quercus), sycamore (Platanus) and walnut (Juglans), according to the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS), created by horticulturist Thomas Ogren and published in his 2020 book, “The Allergy-Fighting Garden.”

Palm trees, too — but only the males. In fact, female trees don’t produce pollen at all, so seek them out when possible.

Grasses can irritate eyes and sinuses, too. The scale ranks Bermuda (except sterile male varieties), Johnson, Kentucky, orchard, sweet vernal and timothy grasses among the highest for allergens.

Weeds like ragweed, curly dock, lamb’s quarters, pigweed, plantain, sheep sorrel and sagebrush are also big pollen producers, Ogren found.

Not all plants are irritating to allergy sufferers

On the other hand, plants with “double” flowers or heavier pollen that doesn’t travel far are less likely to release much pollen.

Among trees, apricot (Prunus armeniaca), fig (Ficus), fir (Abies), fruiting pear (Pyrus), fruiting plum (Prunus domestica, Prunus insititia), redbud (Cerus), serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), female ash (Fraxinus), female box elder (Acer negundo), female cottonwood/poplar (Populus), female maple (Acer), female palm (Arecaceae) and female willow (Salix) are easier on the respiratory system.

This June 3, 2023, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows a rose bush in bloom. Roses are among the flowers least likely to cause seasonal allergy symptoms. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

St. Augustine and sterile male Bermuda are safer bets in the grass department.

As for flowers, you’ve got options: Begonia, female clematis, columbine, crocus, daffodil, delphinium, hibiscus, impatiens, iris, bird of paradise, pansy, petunia, phlox, poppy, snapdragon, tulip, verbena and zinnia are friends. Roses, too — especially tightly packed, dense-petaled varieties, which exude even less pollen than those with single or semi-double flowers (rose allergies are more often fragrance-related than due to pollen, according to Ogren).

This March 19, 2024, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows daffodils in full bloom. Daffodils are among the flowers least likely to cause seasonal allergy symptoms. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

And if you suffer from seasonal allergies, keeping windows closed and getting someone else to mow the lawn will also help to nip your symptoms in the bud.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

By CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL, Associated Press

The salt-and-pepper treatment is a Cantonese technique that can be applied to give almost any meat, seafood or tofu a crunchy exterior and tongue-tingling flavor.

The protein typically is deep-fried, but in this recipe from our cookbook “Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we opt to pan-fry pork that we first dust in cornstarch seasoned generously with Sichuan pepper, black pepper and cayenne.

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The starch granules swell when they come in contact with moisture released by the pork as it cooks; as the water evaporates, the starch settles into a rigid, locked network, creating a crunchy coating.

In a classic salt-and-pepper dish, chilies and garlic are quickly fried and tossed with the cooked protein for big, bold, in-your-face flavors. We, however, finish the pork with a fresh, punchy, uncooked mix of sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, minced chilies, rice vinegar and grated ginger. The easiest way to grind the tongue-tingling Sichuan peppercorns for this recipe is in an electric spice grinder.

Don’t use thick-cut or bone-in pork chops for this recipe. Look for boneless pork loin chops that are ¼ to ½ inch thick. They sometimes are called pork cutlets. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Salt-and-Pepper Pork Chops with Spicy Scallions

This image released by Milk Street shows a recipe for salt-and-pepper pork chops with spicy scallions. (Milk Street via AP)

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 Fresno or jalapeño chili, stemmed, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground

½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

8 boneless (about 1½ pounds) thin-cut pork loin chops/cutlets (¼ to ½ inch thick), patted dry

⅓ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss together the scallions, cilantro, chili, vinegar, ginger and ¼ teaspoon salt; set aside. In a wide, shallow dish, mix together the cornstarch, Sichuan pepper, cayenne pepper, five-spice, 2 teaspoons black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Dredge the cutlets in the cornstarch mixture, turning to coat both sides and pressing so the mixture adheres, then transfer to a large plate, stacking or shingling as needed.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add half of the cutlets and cook until browned on the bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the cutlets and cook until golden brown on the second sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil. Cook the remaining cutlets in the same way, using the oil remaining in the skillet. Spoon the scallion-cilantro mixture onto the chops and serve.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more recipes, go to Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street at 177milkstreet.com/ap