1 President Trump Is Urging Congress To Cut Easter Recess Short To Fund DHS
President Trump is pushing Congress to cut its two-week spring recess short and return to Washington to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, as the partial government shutdown stretches into record territory. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed yesterday that Trump has been encouraging lawmakers to come back, even saying he would host an Easter dinner at the White House for members who return to take on Democrats over the funding impasse. Trump last week signed an executive memorandum directing DHS to find funds to begin paying TSA workers, who had gone without paychecks for over a month. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune has privately told his conference he does not plan to interrupt the recess unless there is an actual deal in hand, since a Democrat has already signaled they would block any procedural move to advance the House bill.
2 15-Year-Old Student Allegedly Shoots Teacher At Texas High School
A 15-year-old student shot a teacher at Hill Country College Preparatory High School in Comal County, Texas, about 30 miles north of San Antonio, yesterday morning; the suspect died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. The female teacher was transported to a hospital in San Antonio, and her condition had not been released as of last night. The school, which has around 250 students, was placed on lockdown, and students were evacuated to be reunited with their parents. Authorities said the situation was contained quickly and there was no ongoing threat. No additional details about the circumstances leading up to the shooting were immediately released.
3 TSA Officer Absence Levels Still High At Some Airports As Workers Start Getting Back Pay
TSA officers are starting to receive back pay after going without paychecks for 45 days during the ongoing DHS partial shutdown, but absence rates at several major airports remain well above normal. Nationwide, about 10.6-percent of scheduled officers called out sick on Sunday, and Baltimore, both Houston airports, New Orleans, and Atlanta all saw absence rates above 33-percent. The payments, which cover the period from February 22 to March 21, began hitting workers' accounts yesterday, with most expected to receive them by today. Officers are still owed pay for the period of February 14 to 21. Meanwhile, more than 510 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began.