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1 FAA Reducing Flights By 10-Percent At 40 Major Airports Starting Friday
The Federal Aviation Administration announced yesterday that it will reduce air traffic by 10-percent at 40 high-volume airports starting tomorrow morning due to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing government shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the cut would affect about 3,500 to 4,000 flights daily and is needed to keep the airspace safe as the country faces a shortage of 2,000 to 3,000 air traffic controllers. The FAA manages more than 44-thousand flights daily, including commercial passenger flights, cargo planes, and private aircraft. Airlines for America, the industry trade group, said it is working to understand the details and will try to reduce the impacts on passengers. Duffy said the reductions are unfortunate but necessary to maintain safety, and FAA chief Bryan Bedford noted he could not recall a similar situation in his 35 years working in aviation.
2 Senate Majority Leader Says Ending The Filibuster "Not Happening"
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said yesterday that ending the filibuster is "not happening" despite President Trump's demands. After a White House breakfast where Trump again pushed to overturn the rule, Thune said there simply aren't enough Republicans willing to change the Senate rules requiring 60 votes for most legislation. Several senators like John Kennedy and Thom Tillis oppose ending it, though some are softening. Senator John Cornyn said he's now open to changing it, while Josh Hawley said the shutdown is changing his mind. Democrats Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries sent a letter demanding a meeting with Trump to end the shutdown, which is now the longest in US history.
3 Customs & Border Patrol Sees Lowest October Border Encounters On Record
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded the lowest October border encounters on record with 30,561 total encounters nationwide, the lowest start to a fiscal year ever. The numbers are almost 80 percent lower than last October, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called it the sixth straight month of zero releases into the U.S. to await hearings. Since January 21st through the end of October, daily average encounters along the southwest border were 258 per day, which is 95 percent lower than the previous administration. Due to fewer migrants at the border, CBP has shifted to interior enforcement in cities including Chicago and Los Angeles.