Hot Air ^ | 17 Nov, 2025 | Beege Welborn Posted on by MtnClimber In the middle of last month, and in response to a sudden rash of horrific and fatal semi-truck accidents found to have been caused by illegal aliens with commercial drivers’ licenses (CDL), the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, announced he was immediately imposing a radical measure in an attempt to get these dangerous, often non-English speaking hazards off American highways. Calling the current use of non-domiciled CDLs a “national emergency” and a “threat to public safety,” the U. S. Department of Transportation plans to drastically reduce eligibility. The new system will make non-citizens ineligible for a non-domiciled CDL unless they meet stricter requirements, including an employment-based visa and a federal immigration status check. During a news conference on Friday, Sept. 26, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the changes are in response to a recent series of fatal crashes caused by non-domiciled drivers. “We have a government system designed to keep families on the road safe, but that system has been compromised,” Duffy said. “I’m talking about non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses that are issued across the country. In plain English, this is a license to operate a massive 80, 000-pound truck that is being issued to foreign drivers who are not U. S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The process for issuing these licenses is absolutely 100% broken. It has become a threat to public safety, and it is a national emergency that requires action right now.” He was shutting down the blue states’ ability to issue CDLs to all comers. 1. Limits individuals eligible for non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs to those maintaining lawful immigration status in certain employment-based nonimmigrant categories, certain individuals domiciled in a U. S. territory and individuals domiciled in a state that is prohibited from issuing CLPs or CDLs because the state’s CDL program is decertified 2. Requires non-citizen applicants (except for lawful permanent residents) to provide an unexpired foreign passport and an unexpired arrival/departure record indicating one of the specified employment-based nonimmigrant categories at every issuance, transfer, renewal and upgrade action 3. Requires state driver’s licensing agencies to query the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements System to verify the accuracy and legitimacy of provided documents and information 4. Requires the state agencies to retain copies of the application documents for at least two years 5. Requires the expiration date for any non-domiciled CLP or CDL to match the expiration date of the arrival/departure record or to expire in one year, whichever is sooner 6. Requires the applicant to be present in person at each renewal 7. Requires the state agency to downgrade the non-domiciled CLP or CDL if the state becomes aware that the person is no longer eligible This update of regulations would have rendered nearly 190, 000 non-citizens’ licenses invalid. That number alone tells you the size of the problem. On the 10th of this month, a federal court ruled that Duffy’s new rule could be ‘administratively stayed,’ effectively neutering the program before it even began while they looked into it. SNIP TOPICS: Society KEYWORDS: Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC PO Box 9771 Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. 1 posted on by MtnClimber To: MtnClimber No doubt there will be a judge who puts a stay on this measure. 2 posted on by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.) Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4353202/posts
Tag: transportation
Kristi Noem hands out $10K bonuses to many TSA officers who worked during shutdown
WASHINGTON Kristi Noem, the secretary of Homeland Security, announced Nov. 13 that Transportation Security Administration workers who provided “exemplary” service during the shutdown would receive $10,000 bonuses. “Their unsung patriotism deserves recognition,” Noem said in recognizing two TSA officers Reiko Walker, who worked double shifts, and Ashley Richardson, who canceled a move at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Funding for the bonuses comes from $13. 2 billion Noem said Trump saved in cost-cutting since taking office. About 13, 000 air traffic controllers and 50, 000 TSA officers continued working during the shutdown as essential personnel. But many were absent as they searched for other income during the temporary halt in paychecks. Trump has proposed $10,000 bonuses for air traffic controllers with perfect attendance. The federal government continues to resume operations several days after the end of the longest shutdown in history, but advocates warn of potential continued delays getting back pay out the door, airline flights back on schedule and food benefits. President Donald Trump signed legislation Nov. 12 that ended the 43-day shutdown. For the record book, the White House clocked the shutdown at 42 days, 22 hours and 25 minutes. As the government gets back on its feet, workers expect to get back pay within the next few days, airlines are repositioning crews and planes after flight cancellations and states are scrambling to distribute food benefits heading into the Thanksgiving holiday. DOT Duffy calls air controllers ‘patriots’ who should get bonuses at White House Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy repeated Trump’s pledge to give air traffic controllers with perfect attendance during the shutdown each a $10,000 bonus and said they should get it from the president personally at the White House. About 13, 000 controllers and 50, 000 Transportation Security Administration officers kept working temporarily without paychecks during the shutdown to keep passengers flying. The controllers will get back pay and received paychecks Nov. 14 with 70% of their pay, he said. The number of controllers eligible for bonuses is still being calculated, Duffy said. “Depending on how many we have, they should come to the White House and he should present them with their checks,” Duffy said. “They are patriots. We are grateful to them for the work that they have done.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said nearly 20, 000 flights were delayed during the shutdown due to short staffing. Vance calls out Senate Democrats over shutdown Vice President JD Vance says Democrats made a “huge political mistake” when they made demands to reopen the government that a group of moderates eventually caved on. “They caused a lot of stress for our troops, they made our air traffic controllers not get paid, and they caused a lot of flight cancellations. They had a lot of people thinking they were not going to get their food benefits, all for literally nothing,” Vance said “We could have struck this exact deal 45 days ago.” Most House and Senate Democrats voted against the GOP-backed bill to reopen the government. It passed with the support of six Democrats in the House and seven Democrats and an independent who caucuses with the party in the Senate. The White House Office of Management and Budget quickly put out guidance following the end of the shutdown that directs federal agencies to open, and furloughed workers to return “in a prompt and orderly manner” starting Nov. 13. OMB Director Russell Vought sent out the letter to department and agency heads Nov. 12 saying “employees we were on furlough due to the absence of appropriations should be directed to return to work on November 13.” An estimated 750, 000 workers were furloughed during the shutdown.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/kristi-noem-hands-10k-bonuses-171532957.html
Dream Chaser completes key tests ahead of first flight
**Sierra Space Advances Dream Chaser Testing, Eyes Civil and National Security Missions**
WASHINGTON — Sierra Space has achieved significant testing milestones for its Dream Chaser vehicle as the company explores a range of civil and national security missions for the reusable spaceplane.
On November 13, Sierra Space announced that the first Dream Chaser vehicle, named Tenacity, successfully completed electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC).
“We completed the electrical system closeout and verified that, as we operate the vehicle, we’re not interfering with ourselves or Dream Chaser’s launch vehicle,” said Dan Polis, vice president of engineering solutions at Sierra Space, in a recent interview.
In addition to electrical testing, the company conducted high-speed tow tests at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility—the former shuttle landing runway at KSC. During these tests, a truck pulled the spaceplane along the runway to evaluate landing operations.
“These tow tests verified the closed-loop performance of the spaceplane’s navigation systems,” Polis explained. The tests also confirmed that Dream Chaser can communicate both in line-of-sight mode and through NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRS) network to Sierra Space’s control center in Colorado.
Looking ahead, Sierra Space plans to conduct launch acoustics testing of the vehicle in December. Polis noted that the company has already completed tests on the separate Shooting Star cargo module, which is designed to fly attached to Dream Chaser.
Dream Chaser has been in development for several years, primarily aimed at providing cargo transportation services to the International Space Station (ISS). In 2016, Sierra Space secured a Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract from NASA, which originally included seven missions to the ISS.
However, in September 2024, the company revealed that NASA agreed to modify the CRS-2 contract to cover only a single flight planned for late 2026. This upcoming mission will not dock with the ISS but will instead test the vehicle’s capabilities in low Earth orbit. NASA retains the option to order additional cargo flights under the revised contract.
At that time, Sierra Space indicated it was shifting its focus toward potential national security applications of Dream Chaser, though specific details were not disclosed.
Following the upcoming acoustics testing, the company plans to ship Dream Chaser back to Colorado where “modifications for national security applications will be explored and performed,” according to the announcement.
While Polis did not discuss specifics about these applications, he confirmed that further vehicle testing will take place in Colorado. This includes hot-fire tests of Dream Chaser’s propulsion system and comprehensive “day in the life” tests involving hardware and software integration.
After completing these phases, the spaceplane will return to Florida for final launch preparations.
With the decision to forego an ISS mission for this demonstration flight, the test program is being adjusted accordingly. “We will gear our verification so there are some pivots away from things we were doing for a station-first mission, and pivot toward our new potential customers,” Polis said.
Tenacity arrived at Kennedy Space Center about a year and a half ago for what Sierra Space described as final vehicle testing. Initially, the plan was to launch Dream Chaser on the second flight of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan rocket in late 2024.
However, in June 2024, Sierra Space agreed to relinquish its launch slot. ULA, facing schedule pressure to certify Vulcan for national security missions, needed to perform a launch before the end of the year.
Polis emphasized there was no singular issue causing delays with Dream Chaser’s launch. “As with any complex vehicle, we’ve worked through non-conformances as we get to final vehicle integration,” he said. “I wouldn’t say there was one thing.”
Another factor influencing the timeline was “getting mutual alignment with NASA” on the vehicle’s future to fully exploit its flexibility for multiple platform applications.
While Sierra Space is placing a strong emphasis on national security uses for Dream Chaser, the company remains open to supporting the ISS or future commercial space stations—also known as commercial low Earth orbit destinations (CLDs).
“NASA is a critical customer,” Polis stated. “We ultimately want to be their service provider after this first flight, and through their CLD partners, so we have an eye on all of those requirements.”
He added, “This is a multi-purpose vehicle, and we see it fitting both national security and civil space. NASA has been a great partner. We believe the contract realignment really showed their commitment to the vehicle.”
As Sierra Space continues advancing Dream Chaser’s development, the space community watches closely to see how this versatile spaceplane will serve a broad spectrum of missions in Earth’s orbit and beyond.
https://spacenews.com/dream-chaser-completes-key-tests-ahead-of-first-flight/
Trump slams air traffic controllers who called out during the government shutdown
President Trump is slamming U.S. air traffic controllers who called out of work during the government shutdown, a period during which they were forced to stay on the job without pay.
Trump expressed his frustration in a post on Truth Social Monday morning, stating that he was “NOT HAPPY” with controllers who took time off. “All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked,'” he wrote.
Some controllers have taken on second jobs, while others have called in sick. They are set to miss their second full paycheck this week. Meanwhile, Trump praised those controllers who took no time off during the longest shutdown in U.S. history, calling them “GREAT PATRIOTS” and saying he would recommend giving each a $10,000 bonus.
He added that any controllers wishing to quit shouldn’t hesitate but would receive “NO payment or severance of any kind!” and would be “quickly replaced by true Patriots.” It’s important to note that one reason for the shortage of controllers is that it takes years to train and certify new personnel.
In a subsequent post on X, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy praised “those who have worked throughout the shutdown” and said he would work with Congress to “reward your commitment.”
However, others have sharply criticized Trump’s comments. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded on X, saying, “The President wouldn’t last five minutes as an air traffic controller, and after everything they’ve been through and the way this administration has treated them from Day One he has no business s****ing on them now.”
Last week, the FAA announced it would reduce flights by up to 10% at 40 of the busiest airports in the country, starting with a 4% reduction implemented on Friday. These cuts contributed to major travel headaches over the weekend.
According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, there were more than 4,500 cancellations and 18,000 delays at airports across the U.S.
At Philadelphia International Airport, passenger Phill Hicks experienced multiple cancellations. His flight to West Palm Beach, Florida, was canceled and rebooked twice on Sunday. Preparing to head home for the night and return for his flight Monday morning, he wasn’t confident his flight would take off either.
“I don’t believe this ticket,” Hicks told NPR, “but I’m going to gas my truck up, and take that trip if I have to.”
Similarly, Seth Alpert faced a two-hour delay on his flight back to Columbus, Ohio. Preparing for uncertainties, he rented a car as a backup plan.
“We’ll see. The incoming flight says it’s on time, or a few minutes delayed so, you know, 50-50,” Alpert said regarding his chances.
Hicks, who was stranded at the airport for several hours before senators announced they had reached a potential deal to reopen the government, expressed frustration with Congress.
“I think little cry babies need to get together and figure it out,” he said. “People elect them to do a job. Do your damn job.”
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/10/nx-s1-5604664/trump-air-traffic-controllers-forced-time-off-bonus
US Shutdown May Jeopardize Thanksgiving Travel and Q4 Economic Growth
**Key Economic Warning: US Federal Shutdown Threatens Holiday Travel and Economic Growth**
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has issued a stark warning: the ongoing federal shutdown could trigger a negative GDP in the fourth quarter due to significant travel disruptions during the peak holiday season. Airlines are facing mandatory flight cuts, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordering reductions of up to 10% at major airports to address critical staffing shortages in air traffic control.
—
### Flight Disruptions Reach Critical Levels
On Sunday, November 9, more than 2,200 flights were canceled and over 7,200 delayed, according to data from FlightAware, marking the worst day for disruptions since the shutdown began on October 1. These delays and cancellations are escalating rapidly as Thanksgiving approaches, threatening the smooth flow of travel and broader economic activity.
—
### Economic Impact of the Shutdown
In an interview on CBS’s *Face the Nation* on November 9, Kevin Hassett emphasized that the shortage of air traffic controllers is causing severe disruptions just ahead of Thanksgiving, one of the busiest economic periods of the year. If travel grinds to a halt, consumer spending could take a significant hit, potentially pushing the U.S. into a negative GDP quarter in Q4. Hassett highlighted that holiday travel is a critical driver of economic growth, and prolonged disruptions could have ripple effects throughout the economy.
—
### How Flight Delays Are Affecting Thanksgiving Travel
The federal shutdown has resulted in acute staffing shortages at the FAA, with many air traffic controllers furloughed or working without pay. This shortage has forced airlines to implement mandatory flight cuts for three consecutive days. For instance:
– On Saturday, November 8, there were 1,550 cancellations and 6,700 delays.
– Sunday, November 9, saw an even worse day with over 2,200 cancellations and 7,200 delays.
– United Airlines announced cancellations of 190 flights on Monday and 269 on Tuesday following the trend.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on CNN’s *State of the Union* that air travel could slow to a “trickle” as the situation worsens. Twelve control towers faced staffing shortages earlier on Sunday, with the number of daily controller retirements rising sharply—from four per day before the shutdown to between 15 and 20 now.
The FAA estimates a shortage of 1,000 to 2,000 controllers, severely impacting millions of travelers planning to fly before Thanksgiving. Analysts have described this recent surge in cancellations as the worst since the shutdown began, raising concerns that many travelers may be stranded if the issue remains unresolved.
—
### Frequently Asked Questions
**What caused the recent surge in US flight delays during the federal shutdown?**
The surge is driven by the ongoing shutdown, which has led to furloughs and unpaid work among thousands of air traffic controllers, creating severe staffing shortages at the FAA. This has forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights to manage the disruptions.
**How long will the federal shutdown continue to impact air travel?**
The impact is expected to worsen in the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, with continued controller shortages and increased retirements. Although the Senate is working on a deal to reopen government funding through January 2026, immediate relief remains uncertain. Travelers should prepare for potential ongoing disruptions during the holiday rush.
—
### Key Takeaways
– **Economic risk amplified:** The shutdown threatens to push the U.S. economy into a negative growth quarter if holiday travel falters, underscoring the importance of smooth Thanksgiving travel and spending.
– **Passenger advisory:** With thousands of cancellations and delays on peak days, travelers are urged to monitor flight updates closely and consider alternative travel plans to minimize disruption.
—
### Conclusion
The ongoing US federal shutdown is severely impacting air travel during one of the busiest times of the year. Staffing shortages in air traffic control have forced widespread flight cancellations and delays, threatening not only holiday plans but also broader economic growth. Travelers should stay informed, remain flexible, and prepare for potential disruptions as efforts continue to resolve the shutdown.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing situation.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/us-shutdown-may-jeopardize-thanksgiving-travel-and-q4-economic-growth/
Duffy warns air travel will slow to ‘a trickle’ during holiday season if govt. shutdown persists
**OAN Staff | Blake Wolf**
*2:17 PM Sunday, November 9, 2025*
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that air travel will slow to “a trickle” as Thanksgiving approaches, due to the ongoing government shutdown negatively impacting the availability of air traffic controllers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has notified airlines to reduce flights by 6% starting Tuesday, with a further reduction to 10% on November 14th if the shutdown continues.
“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said earlier this week.
Duffy also warned that flight reductions could increase to as much as 20% if the shutdown remains unresolved, which would significantly affect the public’s ability to travel during the holidays.
“It’s only going to get worse,” Duffy added, highlighting the growing concerns among travelers.
—
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https://www.oann.com/newsroom/duffy-warns-air-travel-will-slow-to-a-trickle-during-holiday-season-if-govt-shutdown-persists/
American Airlines CEO says the government shutdown is impacting holiday travel bookings: ‘Nobody wants to put up with hassle’
“Of course there’s an impact,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told CNBC on Friday when asked about the government shutdown affecting holiday bookings. “Nobody wants to put up with hassle. And, again, we’re doing everything we can to make sure our customers know, but as we get into the busiest travel part of the year, this is something that we just can’t let happen.”
Thanksgiving is just 18 days away, with the December holidays quickly approaching. “This is frustrating. We don’t need to be in this position. We’ve got to get the government back open so we don’t have to cancel flights,” Isom emphasized.
On Friday, American Airlines canceled more than 200 out of 6,200 scheduled flights, he added. So far, the airline isn’t canceling any service to smaller markets, but Isom warned that flight cancellations will rise over time. He also pointed out the broader economic impact, given how many people work in travel-related industries.
As of August, the leisure and hospitality sector employed just over 17 million people out of a total of roughly 171 million in the U.S. labor force, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This equates to about one in every ten jobs.
Flight cancellations are primarily due to a shortage of air traffic controllers during the government shutdown. These controllers are required to work without pay, but since they still must cover their expenses, many are calling out sick or taking on secondary jobs, creating a staffing crunch.
“Most of the controllers can navigate missing one paycheck, virtually none of them can navigate missing two paychecks,” Duffy told Fox News on Friday.
In response to staffing shortages, the FAA is incrementally reducing air traffic by up to 10% by next week. The agency began with a 4% reduction in flight operations at 40 major airports on Friday, which will increase to 6% by November 11, 8% by November 13, and up to 10% by November 14.
On Friday alone, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines canceled flights totaling between 3.5% and about 4%. Overall, approximately 1,000 flights were canceled largely due to the government shutdown, with hundreds more expected this weekend, according to The Associated Press.
For context, last year November and December together saw over 1.37 million domestic flights, according to the Department of Transportation.
Isom told CNBC that as flight disruptions increase, so do the challenges for the entire industry. “Managing the industry becomes exponentially harder as you increase the level of cancellations.”
https://fortune.com/2025/11/08/american-airlines-ceo-government-shutdown-holiday-travel-bookings-thanksgiving-flight-cancellations/
Way too complex: why modern tech stacks need observability
Software failures are inevitable. However, they should never escalate into disasters that cause nationwide havoc. Whether a failure becomes a major disruption or is promptly identified, diagnosed, and remediated depends largely on how well an organization prepares and responds.
Recent outages have demonstrated that heavy reliance on digital systems can lead to cascading faults that halt financial transactions, disrupt public transportation, and even bring airport operations to a standstill. Building and delivering robust, resilient software requires deep, AI-driven, end-to-end observability that provides a consistent, unified source of truth about software environment performance and the root cause of any issues jeopardizing that performance.
### The Complexity of Modern Enterprise Software Environments
Today’s enterprise software environments are increasingly complex, spanning cloud-native applications, multi-cloud deployments, third-party services, APIs, and the expanding influence of AI. These layered environments introduce significant opacity into the software supply chain, making it harder for organizations to manage risk, performance, and resilience at scale.
### The Risk of Modern Tech Stacks
Research shows that 42% of organizations anticipate experiencing an incident caused by one of their suppliers. Too often, teams are left flying blind when issues arise — a scenario that can be both frustrating and costly.
To operate with confidence, businesses must gain visibility across their entire digital supply chain, which is not possible with basic monitoring tools. Unlike traditional monitoring, which often focuses on siloed metrics or isolated alerts, observability offers a unified, real-time view across the entire technology stack. This enables faster, data-driven decisions at scale.
Implementing real-time, AI-powered observability covers every component — from infrastructure and services to applications and user experience.
### Observability as a Strategic Necessity
End-to-end observability is evolving beyond its traditional role in IT and DevOps to become a foundational element of modern business strategy. Observability plays a critical role in managing risk, maintaining uptime, and safeguarding digital trust.
It allows organizations to proactively detect anomalies before they escalate into outages, quickly pinpoint root causes across complex, distributed systems, and automate response actions to reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR).
The result? Faster, smarter, and more resilient operations that empower teams to innovate without compromising system stability. This is a critical advantage in a world where digital resilience and speed must go hand in hand.
### Building Resilient Systems: Culture and Technology
Resilient systems must absorb shocks without breaking. Achieving this requires investment both culturally and technically — from embracing shared accountability across teams to adopting modern deployment strategies such as canary releases, blue/green rollouts, and feature flagging.
However, these modern strategies only work effectively when teams have real-time feedback and clarity. Organizations need to understand what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what actions to take — all before customers even notice any disruption.
### Agentic AI: A New Level of Risk
We have entered the AI era, with organizations adopting generative and agentic AI to accelerate innovation, increase productivity, and lower costs. However, this evolution also exposes them to new kinds of risks.
Agentic AI can be configured to act independently — making changes, triggering workflows, or even deploying code without direct human involvement. This level of autonomy introduces serious challenges alongside its potential benefits.
For example, a misconfigured agent or a malicious prompt can lead to far-reaching downstream consequences at machine speed — whether that means cost overruns, anomalous behavior, or full-blown outages. Small ripples can quickly turn into waves that are broader, faster, and harder to contain.
### The Role of Real-Time, AI-Driven Observability
Real-time, AI-driven observability platforms are essential not only for monitoring what AI agents do but also for understanding how they act, interact with other systems, and when human intervention is needed.
Observability helps organizations safely harness the potential of agentic AI and paves the way toward autonomous operations.
### Safeguarding Against Disruption
Industry leaders must adopt new technologies, including agentic AI, to keep pace with competition. At the same time, they must adapt to increasing demands for security and compliance brought on by increasingly complex tech stacks.
The best way for organizations to manage this growing complexity and pressure is to treat observability as a strategic business driver — not simply an IT capability.
This approach ensures every layer of the technology stack is transparent, accountable, and resilient by design. By prioritizing real-time, AI-powered observability, organizations can build lasting trust, adapt quickly, and drive business growth — all while avoiding costly firefighting of damaging outages.
—
We feature the best IT Automation software to help you achieve these goals efficiently and effectively.
https://www.techradar.com/pro/way-too-complex-why-modern-tech-stacks-need-observability
![Democrat Breaks with Party, Backs Trump Admin on Air Traffic Reductions During Shutdown [WATCH]](https://latremie.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025.04.17-02.01-rvmnews-680109aead602.jpg)
Democrat Breaks with Party, Backs Trump Admin on Air Traffic Reductions During Shutdown [WATCH]
Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona is siding with the Trump administration over its decision to scale back air traffic operations amid the prolonged government shutdown, which has now entered its 38th day, as reported by Fox News.
The reduction in air traffic operations is expected to increase to 10% by November 14 if lawmakers fail to reach a deal to reopen the government. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the order was necessary to “maintain the highest standards of safety” during ongoing staffing shortages caused by the shutdown.
Among the affected airports is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which serves Stanton’s district and is Arizona’s largest airport.
“Safety must always be the highest priority,” Stanton said in a statement Thursday evening. “The decision by Secretary Duffy to reduce flights at America’s 40 busiest airports is the right call for the safety of the flying public,” he added in a post on X.
“Now it’s critical that Republicans and Democrats get together and reach a bipartisan agreement on a plan to reduce health costs and end the shutdown. Arizona deserves better, and so do the hardworking professionals who keep our skies safe.”
The shutdown has furloughed thousands of federal employees, while essential personnel—including air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers—continue to work without pay. Many have been forced to take second jobs or call out sick, placing additional strain on the transportation system.
In Washington, where two major airports are also affected by the FAA’s order, Democratic leaders are holding firm on demands that any government funding deal include an extension of COVID-19-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.
Republicans have rejected tying partisan health care provisions to the budget agreement, arguing that it would further delay reopening the government. Stanton was among the House Democrats who voted against the GOP’s funding proposal when it passed the House on September 19.
His support for the administration’s safety directive now places him at odds with his party’s leadership as bipartisan Senate negotiations continue without a clear resolution in sight.
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/11/democrat-breaks-with-party-backs-trump-admin-on-air-traffic-reductions-during-shutdown-watch/
The FAA’s order to cut flights nationwide due to the government shutdown is set to take effect
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected 40 airports across more than two dozen states for mandatory flight reductions, according to a recent order. These include major hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Charlotte, North Carolina. In several metropolitan areas—including New York, Houston, Chicago, and Washington—multiple airports will be affected, with ripple effects likely extending to smaller airports as well.
In anticipation of the FAA’s official order, airlines scrambled to adjust their schedules and began canceling flights Thursday. Travelers planning weekend and future trips waited nervously to learn if their flights would depart as scheduled. As of now, more than 780 flights have been canceled nationwide, according to FlightAware.
Delta Air Lines reported plans to cancel roughly 170 flights Friday, while American Airlines expects to cut 220 flights per day through Monday. The FAA stated that the reductions will start at 4% and ramp up to 10% by November 14. These measures will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and impact all commercial airlines.
The FAA says the cutbacks are necessary to help relieve pressure on air traffic controllers, many of whom have been working without pay for more than a month. Many controllers are now working six-day weeks with mandatory overtime, leading to increasing callouts as financial strain and exhaustion mount.
“You can’t expect people to go in to work when they’re not getting a paycheck,” said Kelly Matthews of Flat Rock, Michigan, a frequent business traveler who has canceled most of her upcoming trips. “It’s not that they don’t want to do the job, but you can’t afford to pay for gas, your day care, and everything else.”
The order comes as the Trump administration increases pressure on Democrats in Congress to end the ongoing shutdown. Airlines have pledged to try to minimize the impact on customers, with some focusing on slashing routes to and from small and medium-sized cities.
Carriers are required to refund customers whose flights are canceled, but according to the Department of Transportation, they are not obligated to cover secondary costs such as food and hotel accommodations unless a delay or cancellation results from a factor within the airlines’ control.
Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt warned the reductions will “have a noticeable impact across the U.S. air transportation system.” The cuts could also slow package delivery services, as two affected airports—FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee, and UPS in Louisville, Kentucky—serve as major distribution centers. Notably, Louisville is also the site of this week’s deadly cargo plane crash.
*Associated Press journalists Hallie Golden in Seattle, Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, and Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York contributed to this report.*
https://www.clickorlando.com/business/2025/11/07/the-faas-order-to-cut-flights-nationwide-due-to-the-government-shutdown-is-set-to-take-effect/