US passport application delays ground summer travelers

Applicants are facing the brunt of pandemic-related staffing issues and the agency flooded with a record 500,000 applications a week

Seeking a valid US passport for that 2023 trip? Buckle up, wishful traveler, for a very different journey before you venture to the airport.

A much-feared backup of US passport applications has hit a wall of government bureaucracy as worldwide post-pandemic travel rebounds - with too few humans to handle the load.