The Homeland Security Discount Vacation

Starting Jan. 8, U.S. citizens returning from the Caribbean must have a passport to reenter the country. Because about 75% of Americans don't have a valid passport, resorts and businesses across the Caribbean are concerned that potential visitors will decide to skip the hassle and $97-per-person expense of obtaining one. Though some islands have long required passports, most have allowed visits with just a driver's license and birth certificate.

The Department of Homeland Security says it is working on a plan to assist Americans whose trip to the Caribbean straddles the Jan. 8 changeover date, and who can't get back to the U.S. because they're not carrying a passport. -yahoonews?