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1 Flight Delays And Cancellations Could Last Until Late Next Week
Flight cancellations and delays across the United States could continue for up to another week, even though President Donald Trump signed a bill ending the government shutdown on Wednesday night, airline officials warned. More than 1,000 flights were canceled yesterday, with an additional 2,478 flights delayed as of 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Airlines for America President and CEO Chris Sununu said at a Wednesday press briefing that it could take up to a week for air travel to get back to normal operations. The good news is that Sununu said he doesn't expect any problems lasting into the Thanksgiving holiday, which is just two weeks away.
2 President Trump Was Briefed On Military Options In Venezuela This Week
ABC News has confirmed that President Donald Trump has been briefed on updated military options for potential operations in Venezuela, including the possibility of strikes on land. The Wednesday briefing came after the USS Gerald Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, arrived in the U.S. Southern Command area of operations north of the Caribbean Sea. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine conducted the White House briefing, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in Canada at a G7 summit of foreign ministers, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were not present. Trump has been considering his options for weeks, and experts say those could range from no action at all to air strikes on seaports, airports, and military facilities. Yesterday, Hegseth announced the Latin America campaign has been named Operation Southern Spear.
3 Senator Warns That Drone Flights Are A Rising Threat
Unauthorized drone flights over U.S. military bases, border areas, and public events are rising to dangerous levels, according to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton. More than 350 unauthorized drone flights happened over around 100 military sites last year, and over 27,000 drones were spotted within 500 meters of the southern border in the last half of 2024. Drone flights over stadiums have also nearly doubled from 1,300 to 2,300 between 2021 and 2024. Cotton warned that cheap drone technology has spread to criminal groups and non-state actors, raising the risk of mass attacks. Only about half of U.S. military bases are currently allowed to intercept threatening drones, and state and local agencies can't do anything even when drones threaten civilian sites. Cotton is backing two bills to close these gaps before a major event like the Super Bowl.