WASHINGTON — The State Department has widened its travel advisories, placing Brazil on Level 2 and maintaining higher-level warnings for parts of the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America.

WASHINGTON — As the United States eases from August into the shoulder-season months of September and October, the State Department has quietly expanded its roster of international travel warnings. WASHINGTON features prominently in every update, and the latest notice may nudge Gulf Coast sun seekers to rethink plans south of the border.

New Orleans incident spotlights Southwest Airlines’ handling of blind passengers and what travelers with disabilities should know before flying.

NEW ORLEANS — A summertime flight delay in New Orleans has put Southwest Airlines back in the crosshairs of travelers concerned about disability access, after two blind passengers were apparently overlooked during a gate change and later compensated only with a $100 voucher. The airline’s misstep plays into broader questions of how U.S.