— One of the many wild items in this year’s Oscars gift bags. Next best thing to a trophy?
US News
About Those Airport Lines...
What's going on: If you’re typically on Team Last Minute when it comes to air travel (raises hand), you might want to consider swapping sides — at least for now. Airports across the country are reporting long security wait times due to TSA staffing issues tied to the partial government shutdown. Travelers shared videos on social media of lines that snaked outside the terminal and into a parking garage. More than 100,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees just missed a full paycheck (the third time in six months), and TSA agents are calling out at double the normal rate. That’s in addition to 300 agents who have quit since February. Frustrated airline CEOs published a letter imploring the government to end the shutdown and ensure essential airline workers never go without pay again.
Is there any end in sight?: In a word… no. Both parties are locked in a familiar blame game, while negotiators keep potential compromises under wraps. Democrats want DHS to overhaul its immigration enforcement tactics and say they’re willing to fund TSA separately from the rest of the department. Republicans have used procedural objections to block votes on several of those “piecemeal” funding bills, and the White House says it’s waiting for Democrats to counter a proposal it sent two weeks ago. As for travelers — who could face up to 4% more airport traffic during spring and summer breaks and the World Cup — the usual advice applies (and yes, we admit it’s not great): arrive early and pack extra patience.
