ReportWire

Tag: flight

  • Thousands of flights canceled as major winter storm moves across the US

    [ad_1]

    Thousands of flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country and threatened to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways with dangerous ice.Roughly 140 million people, or more than 40% of the U.S. population, were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warned of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. By midday Saturday, a quarter of an inch of ice was reported in parts of southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana.”What really makes this storm unique is, just following this storm, it’s just going to get so cold,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts.”Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines, officials in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents. “We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Saturday while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and a 35 mph speed limit on highways. She added: “It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”Little Rock, Arkansas, was covered with sleet and snow Saturday, giving Chris Plank doubts about whether he would be able to make a five-hour drive to Dallas for work on Sunday. While some snow is a yearly event, Plank was concerned most about the ice.”All of the power lines are above ground, so it doesn’t take very much to end up in the dark,” Plank said.Forecasters say the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane. Around 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm Saturday afternoon, including about 53,000 in Texas and 45,000 in Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.In Shelby County, Texas, near the Louisiana border, ice weighed down on pine trees and caused branches to snap, downing power lines. About a third of the county’s 16,000 residents were without power on Saturday.”We have hundreds of trees down and a lot of limbs in the road,” Shelby County Commissioner Stevie Smith said from his pickup truck. “I’ve got my crew out clearing roads as fast as we can. It’s a lot to deal with right now.”All Saturday flights were canceled at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all Sunday morning flights also were called off, as officials aimed to restart service Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma’s biggest airport. More than 12,000 flights were canceled Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing flights canceled on Saturday and nearly as many arriving flights called off. Disruptions were also piling up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted. “Please, if you can avoid it, do not drive, do not travel, do not do anything that can potentially place you or your loved ones in danger,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday. “Instead, I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on, turn on the TV, watch ‘Mission Impossible’ for the 10th time, above all to stay inside.” Officials in Georgia advised people in the state’s northern regions to get off the roads by sundown Saturday and be prepared to stay put for at least 48 hours.Will Lanxton, the senior state meteorologist, said Georgia could get “perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade,” followed by unusually cold temperatures. “Ice is a whole different ballgame than snow,” Lanxton said. “Ice, you can’t do anything with. You can’t drive on it. It’s much more likely to bring down power lines and trees.”Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.”We’re going to do what we can to keep the ice from sticking to the roads,” McMurry said. “This is going to be a challenge.” The Midwest saw windchills as low as minus 40 Fahrenheit, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. The minus 36 F reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning was the coldest in almost 30 years.In Minneapolis, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but protesters calling for ICE to leave Minnesota on Saturday still faced an outdoor temperature of minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit.Workers from The Orange Tent Project, a Chicago nonprofit that provides cold-weather tents and other supplies to unhoused people throughout the city, went out to check on those who did not or could not seek shelter.”Seeing the forecasted weather, I knew we had to come out and do this today,” said CEO Morgan McLuckie. Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Mardi Gras parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.School superintendents in Philadelphia and Houston announced that schools would be closed Monday.Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi’s main campus in Oxford.Around the southeast, people used the cancellations to have some fun. On a hill outside the Capitol building in Nashville, adult sledders on green discs and inflatable pool animals giggled with joy as they slid in the snow. President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials, and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.” Nine states have requested emergency declarations, according to a FEMA briefing document released Saturday. The declarations can unlock federal emergency resources. Trump on Friday approved emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia, and requests from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia were still pending as of Saturday morning.”I think there are two parts of this storm that make it unique. One is just a broad expanse of spatial coverage of this event … You’ve got 2,000 miles of country that’s being impacted by the storm with snow, sleet, and freezing rain,” said Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. “The other part of this storm that’s really impressive is what’s going to happen right afterward. We’re looking at extreme cold, record cold.” Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Julie Walker in New York, David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, George Walker in Nashville and Laura Bargfeld in Chicago contributed to this report. Amy reported from Atlanta and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

    OKLAHOMA CITY —

    Thousands of flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country and threatened to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways with dangerous ice.

    Roughly 140 million people, or more than 40% of the U.S. population, were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warned of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. By midday Saturday, a quarter of an inch of ice was reported in parts of southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana.

    “What really makes this storm unique is, just following this storm, it’s just going to get so cold,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts.”

    Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines, officials in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents.

    “We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Saturday while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and a 35 mph speed limit on highways. She added: “It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”

    Little Rock, Arkansas, was covered with sleet and snow Saturday, giving Chris Plank doubts about whether he would be able to make a five-hour drive to Dallas for work on Sunday. While some snow is a yearly event, Plank was concerned most about the ice.

    “All of the power lines are above ground, so it doesn’t take very much to end up in the dark,” Plank said.

    Forecasters say the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.

    Around 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm Saturday afternoon, including about 53,000 in Texas and 45,000 in Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.

    In Shelby County, Texas, near the Louisiana border, ice weighed down on pine trees and caused branches to snap, downing power lines. About a third of the county’s 16,000 residents were without power on Saturday.

    “We have hundreds of trees down and a lot of limbs in the road,” Shelby County Commissioner Stevie Smith said from his pickup truck. “I’ve got my crew out clearing roads as fast as we can. It’s a lot to deal with right now.”

    All Saturday flights were canceled at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all Sunday morning flights also were called off, as officials aimed to restart service Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma’s biggest airport.

    More than 12,000 flights were canceled Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing flights canceled on Saturday and nearly as many arriving flights called off. Disruptions were also piling up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

    After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted.

    “Please, if you can avoid it, do not drive, do not travel, do not do anything that can potentially place you or your loved ones in danger,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday. “Instead, I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on, turn on the TV, watch ‘Mission Impossible’ for the 10th time, above all to stay inside.”

    Officials in Georgia advised people in the state’s northern regions to get off the roads by sundown Saturday and be prepared to stay put for at least 48 hours.

    Will Lanxton, the senior state meteorologist, said Georgia could get “perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade,” followed by unusually cold temperatures.

    “Ice is a whole different ballgame than snow,” Lanxton said. “Ice, you can’t do anything with. You can’t drive on it. It’s much more likely to bring down power lines and trees.”

    Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.

    “We’re going to do what we can to keep the ice from sticking to the roads,” McMurry said. “This is going to be a challenge.”

    The Midwest saw windchills as low as minus 40 Fahrenheit, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. The minus 36 F reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning was the coldest in almost 30 years.

    In Minneapolis, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but protesters calling for ICE to leave Minnesota on Saturday still faced an outdoor temperature of minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Workers from The Orange Tent Project, a Chicago nonprofit that provides cold-weather tents and other supplies to unhoused people throughout the city, went out to check on those who did not or could not seek shelter.

    “Seeing the forecasted weather, I knew we had to come out and do this today,” said CEO Morgan McLuckie.

    Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Mardi Gras parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.

    School superintendents in Philadelphia and Houston announced that schools would be closed Monday.

    Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi’s main campus in Oxford.

    Around the southeast, people used the cancellations to have some fun. On a hill outside the Capitol building in Nashville, adult sledders on green discs and inflatable pool animals giggled with joy as they slid in the snow.

    President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials, and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.”

    Nine states have requested emergency declarations, according to a FEMA briefing document released Saturday. The declarations can unlock federal emergency resources. Trump on Friday approved emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia, and requests from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia were still pending as of Saturday morning.

    “I think there are two parts of this storm that make it unique. One is just a broad expanse of spatial coverage of this event … You’ve got 2,000 miles of country that’s being impacted by the storm with snow, sleet, and freezing rain,” said Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. “The other part of this storm that’s really impressive is what’s going to happen right afterward. We’re looking at extreme cold, record cold.”

    Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Julie Walker in New York, David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, George Walker in Nashville and Laura Bargfeld in Chicago contributed to this report. Amy reported from Atlanta and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Stranded by winter weather? Here’s what airlines owe you

    [ad_1]

    Winter weather can upend even the best-laid travel plans, but one less thing to worry about is losing money if your flight is canceled: U.S. airlines are required to provide refunds.A major, dayslong winter storm is threatening to bring snow, sleet, ice and extensive power outages to about half the U.S. population. Thousands of weekend flights already have been canceled, and forecasters warn that catastrophic damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.Here’s a guide for travelers as flight disruptions start stacking up: When airlines expect bad weather to create problems for flights, they often give travelers a chance to postpone their trips by a few days without having to pay a fee. Search online for your airline’s name and “travel alerts” or similar phrases to look for possible rescheduling offers.American Airlines, for example, said it is waiving change fees for passengers impacted by the storm, which brought freezing rain to parts of Texas on Friday. The Texas-based airline has canceled more than 1,200 flights scheduled to depart Saturday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.American also added extra flights to and from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport through at least Sunday — totaling more than 3,200 additional seats. Use the airline’s app to make sure your flight is still on before heading to the airport. Cancellations can happen hours or even days before departure time. If you’re already at the airport, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. If you’re still at home or at your hotel, call or go online to connect to your airline’s reservations staff. Either way, it helps to also research alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent.Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge, but it depends on the availability of open seats. You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including most of the biggest carriers, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then, it can be a hit or miss. If your flight was canceled and you no longer want to take the trip, or you’ve found another way to get to your destination, the airline is legally required to refund your money — even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled.The airline might offer you a travel credit, but you are entitled to a full refund. You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use. If you paid with a credit card, a refund is due within seven business days after you decline an offer from the airline for another flight or a voucher, and within 20 calendar days if you paid for the ticket with a check or cash, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. U.S. airlines aren’t required by the Transportation Department to compensate passengers for meals or lodging when an airline cancels or significantly delays a flight during an “uncontrollable” event like bad weather.Each airline, however, does have its own policies for assisting passengers who are stranded by a so-called “controllable” flight cancellation or long delay. These include disruptions caused by maintenance issues, crew shortages or computer outages that halt operations. The Transportation Department can hold airlines accountable for these commitments and maintains a website that lets travelers see what each airline promises if a major disruption is their fault. If the weather forecast is troubling, Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, suggests looking into booking a backup flight. Some airlines stand out as potential backups, Potter says, because they let customers get a full refund as long as they cancel within 24 hours of booking.The customer service phone lines will be slammed if flight cancellations and delays start stacking up during a bad storm. If you’re traveling with someone who has a higher frequent-flyer status, call the airline using their priority number. Another trick: Look up the airline’s international support number. Those agents can often rebook you just the same.

    Winter weather can upend even the best-laid travel plans, but one less thing to worry about is losing money if your flight is canceled: U.S. airlines are required to provide refunds.

    A major, dayslong winter storm is threatening to bring snow, sleet, ice and extensive power outages to about half the U.S. population. Thousands of weekend flights already have been canceled, and forecasters warn that catastrophic damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.

    Here’s a guide for travelers as flight disruptions start stacking up:

    When airlines expect bad weather to create problems for flights, they often give travelers a chance to postpone their trips by a few days without having to pay a fee. Search online for your airline’s name and “travel alerts” or similar phrases to look for possible rescheduling offers.

    American Airlines, for example, said it is waiving change fees for passengers impacted by the storm, which brought freezing rain to parts of Texas on Friday. The Texas-based airline has canceled more than 1,200 flights scheduled to depart Saturday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

    American also added extra flights to and from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport through at least Sunday — totaling more than 3,200 additional seats.

    Use the airline’s app to make sure your flight is still on before heading to the airport. Cancellations can happen hours or even days before departure time.

    If you’re already at the airport, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. If you’re still at home or at your hotel, call or go online to connect to your airline’s reservations staff. Either way, it helps to also research alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent.

    Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge, but it depends on the availability of open seats.

    You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including most of the biggest carriers, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then, it can be a hit or miss.

    If your flight was canceled and you no longer want to take the trip, or you’ve found another way to get to your destination, the airline is legally required to refund your money — even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled.

    The airline might offer you a travel credit, but you are entitled to a full refund. You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use.

    If you paid with a credit card, a refund is due within seven business days after you decline an offer from the airline for another flight or a voucher, and within 20 calendar days if you paid for the ticket with a check or cash, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

    U.S. airlines aren’t required by the Transportation Department to compensate passengers for meals or lodging when an airline cancels or significantly delays a flight during an “uncontrollable” event like bad weather.

    Each airline, however, does have its own policies for assisting passengers who are stranded by a so-called “controllable” flight cancellation or long delay. These include disruptions caused by maintenance issues, crew shortages or computer outages that halt operations. The Transportation Department can hold airlines accountable for these commitments and maintains a website that lets travelers see what each airline promises if a major disruption is their fault.

    If the weather forecast is troubling, Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, suggests looking into booking a backup flight. Some airlines stand out as potential backups, Potter says, because they let customers get a full refund as long as they cancel within 24 hours of booking.

    The customer service phone lines will be slammed if flight cancellations and delays start stacking up during a bad storm. If you’re traveling with someone who has a higher frequent-flyer status, call the airline using their priority number. Another trick: Look up the airline’s international support number. Those agents can often rebook you just the same.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Air Force One safely returns to Washington area due to minor electrical issue, White House says

    [ad_1]

    President Donald Trump’s plane, Air Force One, returned to Joint Base Andrews about an hour after departing for Switzerland on Tuesday evening.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision to return was made after takeoff when the crew aboard Air Force One identified “a minor electrical issue” and, out of an abundance of caution, decided to turn around.Related video above: “You’ll find out:” Trump asked how far he’ll go to acquire Greenland ahead of overseas tripA reporter on board said the lights in the press cabin of the aircraft went out briefly after takeoff, but no explanation was immediately offered. About half an hour into the flight reporters were told the plane would be turning around.Trump will board another aircraft and continue on with his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos.The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades. Boeing has been working on replacements, but the program has faced a series of delays. The planes are heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president for a range of contingencies, including radiation shielding and antimissile technology. They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.Last year, the ruling family of Qatar gifted Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to be added to the Air Force One fleet, a move that faced great scrutiny. That plane is currently being retrofitted to meet security requirements.Leavitt joked to reporters on Air Force One Tuesday night that a Qatari jet was sounding “much better” right now.Last February, an Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Germany had to return to Washington because of a mechanical issue. In October, a military plane carrying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to make an emergency landing in United Kingdom due to a crack in the windshield.

    President Donald Trump’s plane, Air Force One, returned to Joint Base Andrews about an hour after departing for Switzerland on Tuesday evening.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision to return was made after takeoff when the crew aboard Air Force One identified “a minor electrical issue” and, out of an abundance of caution, decided to turn around.

    Related video above: “You’ll find out:” Trump asked how far he’ll go to acquire Greenland ahead of overseas trip

    A reporter on board said the lights in the press cabin of the aircraft went out briefly after takeoff, but no explanation was immediately offered. About half an hour into the flight reporters were told the plane would be turning around.

    Trump will board another aircraft and continue on with his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

    The two planes currently used as Air Force One have been flying for nearly four decades. Boeing has been working on replacements, but the program has faced a series of delays. The planes are heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president for a range of contingencies, including radiation shielding and antimissile technology. They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.

    Last year, the ruling family of Qatar gifted Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to be added to the Air Force One fleet, a move that faced great scrutiny. That plane is currently being retrofitted to meet security requirements.

    Leavitt joked to reporters on Air Force One Tuesday night that a Qatari jet was sounding “much better” right now.

    Last February, an Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Germany had to return to Washington because of a mechanical issue. In October, a military plane carrying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to make an emergency landing in United Kingdom due to a crack in the windshield.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Passenger captures extraordinary “once in a lifetime” view from plane

    [ad_1]

    A video capturing an incredible northern lights scene from the sky has gone viral on TikTok.

    The clip was posted by Christian H. Nielsen (@christiannielsenmedia) and has amassed over 234,000 views since it was shared on November 13. The caption says the footage was taken “on the night between November 11th and 12th,” while the poster was flying home from Iceland, “just as multiple solar flares had hit Earth’s atmosphere, causing a ‘severe geomagnetic storm’…”

    The footage begins with an aerial view of a night sky through the window of a moving plane, as text overlaid on it says: “…I was hoping to see the northern lights.”

    The text adds: “At first I couldn’t see much…but then colors started to show, and I pulled out my camera (X-T3, handheld, 16 mm, f2.8 ss1”, ISO4000).”

    The footage later shows an ethereal display of green and red northern lights sprawled across the sky above clouds.

    Loading tiktok content…

    A caption shared with the post reads: “Once in a lifetime? Probably…I feel very lucky. Peak aurora year. Peak aurora month. Window seat facing north. I usually share my then & now photos, but this was too extraordinary not to share…”

    The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, are the result of electrons colliding with the upper reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere.

    “In these collisions, the electrons transfer their energy to the atmosphere thus exciting the atoms and molecules to higher energy states. When they relax back down to lower energy states, they release their energy in the form of light. This is similar to how a neon light works,” says the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

    Last week, the NOAA issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch—the second-highest level—due to three recent solar ejections. On November 11, the northern lights were visible across much of the United States, reaching as far south as Alabama and New Mexico. 

    The northern lights can often be viewed “somewhere on Earth” from either just after sunset or just before sunrise. They are not visible during daylight hours.  

    The northern lights usually form from around 50 to 310 miles above the Earth’s surface, but can also be seen from as much as 620 miles away “when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right,” says the NOAA. 

    The Space Weather Prediction Center said that the Earth’s magnetic field “guides the electrons such that the aurora forms two ovals approximately centered at the magnetic poles. During major geomagnetic storms these ovals expand away from the poles such that aurora can be seen over most of the United States.” 

    “When space weather activity increases and more frequent and larger storms and substorms occur, the aurora extends equatorward. During large events, the aurora can be observed as far south as the US, Europe, and Asia,” the center said. 

    Newsweek has contacted the original poster via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

    Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Off-duty pilot who tried to cut a flight’s engines midair won’t serve prison time, judge rules

    [ad_1]

    A federal judge on Monday ruled there would be no prison time for a former Alaska Airlines pilot who had taken psychedelic mushrooms days before he tried to cut the engines of a passenger flight in 2023 while riding off-duty in the cockpit.U.S. District Court Judge Amy Baggio in Portland, Oregon, sentenced Joseph Emerson to time served and three years’ supervised release, ending a case that drew attention to the need for cockpit safety and more mental health support for pilots.Federal prosecutors wanted a year in prison, while his attorneys sought probation.“Pilots are not perfect. They are human,” Baggio said. “They are people and all people need help sometimes.”Emerson hugged his attorneys and tearfully embraced his wife after he was sentenced.Emerson was subdued by the flight crew after trying to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2023, while he was riding in an extra seat in the cockpit. The plane was diverted and landed in Portland with more than 80 people.Emerson told police he was despondent over a friend’s recent death, had taken psychedelic mushrooms about two days earlier, and hadn’t slept in over 40 hours. He has said he believed he was dreaming and was trying to wake up by grabbing two red handles that would have activated the fire suppression system and cut fuel to the engines.He spent 46 days in jail and was released pending trial in December 2023, with requirements that he undergo mental health services, stay off drugs and alcohol, and keep away from aircraft.Attorney Ethan Levi described his client’s actions as “a product of untreated alcohol use disorder.” Emerson had been drinking and accepted mushrooms “because of his lower inhibitions,” Levi said.Emerson went to treatment after jail and has been sober since, he added.Baggio said the case is a cautionary tale. Before she sentenced him, Emerson said he regretted the harm he caused.“I’m not a victim. I am here as a direct result of my actions,” he told the court. “I can tell you that this very tragic event has forced me to grow as an individual.”Loved ones and pilots addressed the judgeEmerson’s wife, Sarah Stretch, was among those who spoke on his behalf at the hearing.“I am so sorry for those that it’s impacted as much as it has. But I am extremely proud to be here with this man today, because the growth that he has had from this terrible experience has not only helped him, but benefited all that surround him,” she said through tears.One of the pilots of the 2023 Horizon Air flight, Alan Koziol, said he didn’t think Emerson was acting with malice and that he seemed “more like a trapped animal than a man in control of his faculties.” Koziol said that while pilots bear “immense responsibility,” he also wanted to see the aviation industry become more open to allowing pilots to seek mental health care.Lyle Prouse, sentenced to 16 months in prison for flying an airliner under the influence of alcohol in 1990, told the judge via videoconference that Emerson was “solidly engaged” in recovering. Prouse said he got sober and was eventually reinstated by the airline and retired as a 747 captain. He was pardoned by then-President Bill Clinton.“I know Joe like nobody else in this courtroom knows Joe on that level,” he said.Geoffrey Barrow, assistant U.S. attorney in the district of Oregon, said Emerson’s actions were serious and that the crew “saved the day by intervening.”“There were 84 people on that plane who could have lost their lives,” he said.Alison Snyder told the court via phone that it was a traumatic experience for her and her husband as passengers.“Because of Joseph Emerson’s actions that day, we will never feel as safe flying as we once did,” she said.Emerson was already sentenced in state caseEmerson, of Pleasant Hill, California, had pleaded guilty or no-contest to all charges in September as part of agreements with prosecutors.He was charged in federal court with interfering with a flight crew. A state indictment in Oregon separately charged him with 83 counts of endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft.A state court sentenced him to 50 days in jail, with credit for time served, plus five years of probation, 664 hours of community service — half of which he can serve at his own pilot health nonprofit — and over $60,000 in restitution, nearly all of it to Alaska Air Group. His sentence included rules over drugs, alcohol and mental health treatment, as well as avoiding aircraft.His attorneys argued before federal sentencing that the “robust” state prosecution “resulted in substantial punishment.”Emerson told a state court in September he was grateful the crew restrained him. He said being forced to confront his mental health and alcohol dependence was the greatest gift he ever received.

    PORTLAND, Ore. —

    A federal judge on Monday ruled there would be no prison time for a former Alaska Airlines pilot who had taken psychedelic mushrooms days before he tried to cut the engines of a passenger flight in 2023 while riding off-duty in the cockpit.

    U.S. District Court Judge Amy Baggio in Portland, Oregon, sentenced Joseph Emerson to time served and three years’ supervised release, ending a case that drew attention to the need for cockpit safety and more mental health support for pilots.

    Federal prosecutors wanted a year in prison, while his attorneys sought probation.

    “Pilots are not perfect. They are human,” Baggio said. “They are people and all people need help sometimes.”

    Emerson hugged his attorneys and tearfully embraced his wife after he was sentenced.

    Emerson was subdued by the flight crew after trying to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2023, while he was riding in an extra seat in the cockpit. The plane was diverted and landed in Portland with more than 80 people.

    Emerson told police he was despondent over a friend’s recent death, had taken psychedelic mushrooms about two days earlier, and hadn’t slept in over 40 hours. He has said he believed he was dreaming and was trying to wake up by grabbing two red handles that would have activated the fire suppression system and cut fuel to the engines.

    He spent 46 days in jail and was released pending trial in December 2023, with requirements that he undergo mental health services, stay off drugs and alcohol, and keep away from aircraft.

    Attorney Ethan Levi described his client’s actions as “a product of untreated alcohol use disorder.” Emerson had been drinking and accepted mushrooms “because of his lower inhibitions,” Levi said.

    Emerson went to treatment after jail and has been sober since, he added.

    Baggio said the case is a cautionary tale. Before she sentenced him, Emerson said he regretted the harm he caused.

    “I’m not a victim. I am here as a direct result of my actions,” he told the court. “I can tell you that this very tragic event has forced me to grow as an individual.”

    Loved ones and pilots addressed the judge

    Emerson’s wife, Sarah Stretch, was among those who spoke on his behalf at the hearing.

    “I am so sorry for those that it’s impacted as much as it has. But I am extremely proud to be here with this man today, because the growth that he has had from this terrible experience has not only helped him, but benefited all that surround him,” she said through tears.

    One of the pilots of the 2023 Horizon Air flight, Alan Koziol, said he didn’t think Emerson was acting with malice and that he seemed “more like a trapped animal than a man in control of his faculties.” Koziol said that while pilots bear “immense responsibility,” he also wanted to see the aviation industry become more open to allowing pilots to seek mental health care.

    Lyle Prouse, sentenced to 16 months in prison for flying an airliner under the influence of alcohol in 1990, told the judge via videoconference that Emerson was “solidly engaged” in recovering. Prouse said he got sober and was eventually reinstated by the airline and retired as a 747 captain. He was pardoned by then-President Bill Clinton.

    “I know Joe like nobody else in this courtroom knows Joe on that level,” he said.

    Geoffrey Barrow, assistant U.S. attorney in the district of Oregon, said Emerson’s actions were serious and that the crew “saved the day by intervening.”

    “There were 84 people on that plane who could have lost their lives,” he said.

    Alison Snyder told the court via phone that it was a traumatic experience for her and her husband as passengers.

    “Because of Joseph Emerson’s actions that day, we will never feel as safe flying as we once did,” she said.

    Emerson was already sentenced in state case

    Emerson, of Pleasant Hill, California, had pleaded guilty or no-contest to all charges in September as part of agreements with prosecutors.

    He was charged in federal court with interfering with a flight crew. A state indictment in Oregon separately charged him with 83 counts of endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft.

    A state court sentenced him to 50 days in jail, with credit for time served, plus five years of probation, 664 hours of community service — half of which he can serve at his own pilot health nonprofit — and over $60,000 in restitution, nearly all of it to Alaska Air Group. His sentence included rules over drugs, alcohol and mental health treatment, as well as avoiding aircraft.

    His attorneys argued before federal sentencing that the “robust” state prosecution “resulted in substantial punishment.”

    Emerson told a state court in September he was grateful the crew restrained him. He said being forced to confront his mental health and alcohol dependence was the greatest gift he ever received.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • South Africa investigates mystery of a plane that arrived with more than 150 Palestinians from Gaza

    [ad_1]

    South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating who was behind a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza who did not have proper travel documents and were held onboard on the tarmac for around 12 hours as a result, the country’s president said Friday.The plane landed Thursday morning at O.R. Tambo International Airport, but passengers were not allowed to disembark until late that night after immigration interviews with the Palestinians found they could not say where or how long they were staying in South Africa, South Africa’s border agency said.It said the Palestinians also did not have exit stamps or slips that would normally be issued by Israeli authorities to people leaving Gaza.The actions of South African authorities in initially refusing to allow the passengers off the plane provoked fierce criticism from non-governmental organizations, who said the 153 Palestinians — who included families with children and one woman who is nine months pregnant — were kept in dire conditions on the plane, which was extremely hot and had no food or water.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was an investigation to uncover how the Palestinians came to South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa said.Palestinians being ‘exploited’The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said in a statement the flight was arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organization that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner. This entity later attempted to disown any responsibility once complications arose.”It didn’t name who chartered the flight, but an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, said an organization called Al-Majd arranged the transport of about 150 Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa.The official said that Israel escorted buses organized by Al-Majd that brought Palestinians from a meeting point in the Gaza Strip to the Kerem Shalom crossing. Then buses from Al-Majd picked the Palestinians up and brought them to Ramon airport in Israel, where they were flown out of the country.South African authorities said 23 of the Palestinians had traveled onward to other countries, without naming those countries, but 130 remained and were allowed in after intervention from South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and an offer by an NGO called Gift of the Givers to accommodate them.“Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them and be able to deal with the situation that they are facing,” Ramaphosa said.Shadowy operationThe secretive nature of the flight raised fears among rights groups that it marked an attempt by the Israeli government to push Palestinians from Gaza.Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories. It said the Palestinians on the charter plane left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave. It didn’t name the third country.Around 40,000 people have left Gaza since the start of the war under the policy.Israel’s government had embraced a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty Gaza permanently of its more than 2 million Palestinians — a plan rights groups said would amount to ethnic cleansing. At the time, Trump said they would not be allowed to return.Trump has since backed away from this plan and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas that allows Palestinians to remain in Gaza.South African leader Ramaphosa said that it appeared the Palestinians who arrived in Johannesburg were being “flushed out” of Gaza, without elaborating. The comment followed allegations by two South African NGO representatives who claimed that Al-Majd was affiliated with Israel and working to remove Palestinians from Gaza.They offered no evidence for the claims and COGAT didn’t respond to a request for comment on those allegations.Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, one of those to allege involvement by what he called “Israel’s front organizations,” said this was the second plane to arrive in South Africa in mysterious circumstances after one that landed with more than 170 Palestinians onboard on Oct. 28. The arrival of that flight was not announced by authorities.Sooliman said the passengers on the latest plane did not initially know where they were going and were given no food for the two days it took to travel to Johannesburg.“They were given nothing on the plane itself and this must be challenged and investigated,” Sooliman said.South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israel and has led the international pro-Palestinian movement by accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a highly contentious case at the United Nations’ top court. Israel denies committing genocide and has denounced South Africa as the “legal arm” of Hamas.The people that ended up in South Africa underlined the desperation of Palestinians following a two-year war that has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and reduced the territory to rubble. The ministry’s death toll does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says more than half of those killed were women and children. A fragile ceasefire is in place.Jerusalem-based organizationAn organization called Al-Majd Europe has previously been linked to facilitating travel for Palestinians out of Gaza. It describes itself on its website as a humanitarian organization founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem that provides aid and rescue efforts to Muslim communities in conflict zones.The website does not list office phone numbers or its exact address. It states that Al-Majd Europe works with a variety of organizations including 15 international agencies, but no organizations are listed and a “will be announced soon” message was displayed in that section on Friday.Another message that appeared Friday on the website said people were impersonating it to request money or cryptocurrency “under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid.” Al-Majd Europe didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address given on its site. Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa, and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome contributed to this report.

    South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating who was behind a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza who did not have proper travel documents and were held onboard on the tarmac for around 12 hours as a result, the country’s president said Friday.

    The plane landed Thursday morning at O.R. Tambo International Airport, but passengers were not allowed to disembark until late that night after immigration interviews with the Palestinians found they could not say where or how long they were staying in South Africa, South Africa’s border agency said.

    It said the Palestinians also did not have exit stamps or slips that would normally be issued by Israeli authorities to people leaving Gaza.

    The actions of South African authorities in initially refusing to allow the passengers off the plane provoked fierce criticism from non-governmental organizations, who said the 153 Palestinians — who included families with children and one woman who is nine months pregnant — were kept in dire conditions on the plane, which was extremely hot and had no food or water.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was an investigation to uncover how the Palestinians came to South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.

    “These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa said.

    Palestinians being ‘exploited’

    The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said in a statement the flight was arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organization that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner. This entity later attempted to disown any responsibility once complications arose.”

    It didn’t name who chartered the flight, but an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, said an organization called Al-Majd arranged the transport of about 150 Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa.

    The official said that Israel escorted buses organized by Al-Majd that brought Palestinians from a meeting point in the Gaza Strip to the Kerem Shalom crossing. Then buses from Al-Majd picked the Palestinians up and brought them to Ramon airport in Israel, where they were flown out of the country.

    South African authorities said 23 of the Palestinians had traveled onward to other countries, without naming those countries, but 130 remained and were allowed in after intervention from South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and an offer by an NGO called Gift of the Givers to accommodate them.

    “Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them and be able to deal with the situation that they are facing,” Ramaphosa said.

    Shadowy operation

    The secretive nature of the flight raised fears among rights groups that it marked an attempt by the Israeli government to push Palestinians from Gaza.

    Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories. It said the Palestinians on the charter plane left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave. It didn’t name the third country.

    Around 40,000 people have left Gaza since the start of the war under the policy.

    Israel’s government had embraced a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty Gaza permanently of its more than 2 million Palestinians — a plan rights groups said would amount to ethnic cleansing. At the time, Trump said they would not be allowed to return.

    Trump has since backed away from this plan and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas that allows Palestinians to remain in Gaza.

    South African leader Ramaphosa said that it appeared the Palestinians who arrived in Johannesburg were being “flushed out” of Gaza, without elaborating. The comment followed allegations by two South African NGO representatives who claimed that Al-Majd was affiliated with Israel and working to remove Palestinians from Gaza.

    They offered no evidence for the claims and COGAT didn’t respond to a request for comment on those allegations.

    Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, one of those to allege involvement by what he called “Israel’s front organizations,” said this was the second plane to arrive in South Africa in mysterious circumstances after one that landed with more than 170 Palestinians onboard on Oct. 28. The arrival of that flight was not announced by authorities.

    Sooliman said the passengers on the latest plane did not initially know where they were going and were given no food for the two days it took to travel to Johannesburg.

    “They were given nothing on the plane itself and this must be challenged and investigated,” Sooliman said.

    South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israel and has led the international pro-Palestinian movement by accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a highly contentious case at the United Nations’ top court. Israel denies committing genocide and has denounced South Africa as the “legal arm” of Hamas.

    The people that ended up in South Africa underlined the desperation of Palestinians following a two-year war that has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and reduced the territory to rubble. The ministry’s death toll does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says more than half of those killed were women and children. A fragile ceasefire is in place.

    Jerusalem-based organization

    An organization called Al-Majd Europe has previously been linked to facilitating travel for Palestinians out of Gaza. It describes itself on its website as a humanitarian organization founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem that provides aid and rescue efforts to Muslim communities in conflict zones.

    The website does not list office phone numbers or its exact address. It states that Al-Majd Europe works with a variety of organizations including 15 international agencies, but no organizations are listed and a “will be announced soon” message was displayed in that section on Friday.

    Another message that appeared Friday on the website said people were impersonating it to request money or cryptocurrency “under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid.” Al-Majd Europe didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address given on its site.

    Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa, and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome contributed to this report.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • South Africa investigates mystery of a plane that arrived with more than 150 Palestinians from Gaza

    [ad_1]

    South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating who was behind a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza who did not have proper travel documents and were held onboard on the tarmac for around 12 hours as a result, the country’s president said Friday.The plane landed Thursday morning at O.R. Tambo International Airport, but passengers were not allowed to disembark until late that night after immigration interviews with the Palestinians found they could not say where or how long they were staying in South Africa, South Africa’s border agency said.It said the Palestinians also did not have exit stamps or slips that would normally be issued by Israeli authorities to people leaving Gaza.The actions of South African authorities in initially refusing to allow the passengers off the plane provoked fierce criticism from non-governmental organizations, who said the 153 Palestinians — who included families with children and one woman who is nine months pregnant — were kept in dire conditions on the plane, which was extremely hot and had no food or water.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was an investigation to uncover how the Palestinians came to South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.“These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa said.Palestinians being ‘exploited’The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said in a statement the flight was arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organization that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner. This entity later attempted to disown any responsibility once complications arose.”It didn’t name who chartered the flight, but an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, said an organization called Al-Majd arranged the transport of about 150 Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa.The official said that Israel escorted buses organized by Al-Majd that brought Palestinians from a meeting point in the Gaza Strip to the Kerem Shalom crossing. Then buses from Al-Majd picked the Palestinians up and brought them to Ramon airport in Israel, where they were flown out of the country.South African authorities said 23 of the Palestinians had traveled onward to other countries, without naming those countries, but 130 remained and were allowed in after intervention from South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and an offer by an NGO called Gift of the Givers to accommodate them.“Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them and be able to deal with the situation that they are facing,” Ramaphosa said.Shadowy operationThe secretive nature of the flight raised fears among rights groups that it marked an attempt by the Israeli government to push Palestinians from Gaza.Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories. It said the Palestinians on the charter plane left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave. It didn’t name the third country.Around 40,000 people have left Gaza since the start of the war under the policy.Israel’s government had embraced a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty Gaza permanently of its more than 2 million Palestinians — a plan rights groups said would amount to ethnic cleansing. At the time, Trump said they would not be allowed to return.Trump has since backed away from this plan and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas that allows Palestinians to remain in Gaza.South African leader Ramaphosa said that it appeared the Palestinians who arrived in Johannesburg were being “flushed out” of Gaza, without elaborating. The comment followed allegations by two South African NGO representatives who claimed that Al-Majd was affiliated with Israel and working to remove Palestinians from Gaza.They offered no evidence for the claims and COGAT didn’t respond to a request for comment on those allegations.Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, one of those to allege involvement by what he called “Israel’s front organizations,” said this was the second plane to arrive in South Africa in mysterious circumstances after one that landed with more than 170 Palestinians onboard on Oct. 28. The arrival of that flight was not announced by authorities.Sooliman said the passengers on the latest plane did not initially know where they were going and were given no food for the two days it took to travel to Johannesburg.“They were given nothing on the plane itself and this must be challenged and investigated,” Sooliman said.South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israel and has led the international pro-Palestinian movement by accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a highly contentious case at the United Nations’ top court. Israel denies committing genocide and has denounced South Africa as the “legal arm” of Hamas.The people that ended up in South Africa underlined the desperation of Palestinians following a two-year war that has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and reduced the territory to rubble. The ministry’s death toll does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says more than half of those killed were women and children. A fragile ceasefire is in place.Jerusalem-based organizationAn organization called Al-Majd Europe has previously been linked to facilitating travel for Palestinians out of Gaza. It describes itself on its website as a humanitarian organization founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem that provides aid and rescue efforts to Muslim communities in conflict zones.The website does not list office phone numbers or its exact address. It states that Al-Majd Europe works with a variety of organizations including 15 international agencies, but no organizations are listed and a “will be announced soon” message was displayed in that section on Friday.Another message that appeared Friday on the website said people were impersonating it to request money or cryptocurrency “under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid.” Al-Majd Europe didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address given on its site. Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa, and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome contributed to this report.

    South Africa’s intelligence services are investigating who was behind a chartered plane that landed in Johannesburg with more than 150 Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza who did not have proper travel documents and were held onboard on the tarmac for around 12 hours as a result, the country’s president said Friday.

    The plane landed Thursday morning at O.R. Tambo International Airport, but passengers were not allowed to disembark until late that night after immigration interviews with the Palestinians found they could not say where or how long they were staying in South Africa, South Africa’s border agency said.

    It said the Palestinians also did not have exit stamps or slips that would normally be issued by Israeli authorities to people leaving Gaza.

    The actions of South African authorities in initially refusing to allow the passengers off the plane provoked fierce criticism from non-governmental organizations, who said the 153 Palestinians — who included families with children and one woman who is nine months pregnant — were kept in dire conditions on the plane, which was extremely hot and had no food or water.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was an investigation to uncover how the Palestinians came to South Africa via a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya.

    “These are people from Gaza who somehow mysteriously were put on a plane that passed by Nairobi and came here,” Ramaphosa said.

    Palestinians being ‘exploited’

    The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said in a statement the flight was arranged by “an unregistered and misleading organization that exploited the tragic humanitarian conditions of our people in Gaza, deceived families, collected money from them, and facilitated their travel in an irregular and irresponsible manner. This entity later attempted to disown any responsibility once complications arose.”

    It didn’t name who chartered the flight, but an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, said an organization called Al-Majd arranged the transport of about 150 Palestinians from Gaza to South Africa.

    The official said that Israel escorted buses organized by Al-Majd that brought Palestinians from a meeting point in the Gaza Strip to the Kerem Shalom crossing. Then buses from Al-Majd picked the Palestinians up and brought them to Ramon airport in Israel, where they were flown out of the country.

    South African authorities said 23 of the Palestinians had traveled onward to other countries, without naming those countries, but 130 remained and were allowed in after intervention from South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs and an offer by an NGO called Gift of the Givers to accommodate them.

    “Even though they do not have the necessary documents and papers, these are people from a strife-torn, a war-torn country, and out of compassion, out of empathy, we must receive them and be able to deal with the situation that they are facing,” Ramaphosa said.

    Shadowy operation

    The secretive nature of the flight raised fears among rights groups that it marked an attempt by the Israeli government to push Palestinians from Gaza.

    Israel’s foreign ministry referred questions to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli authority responsible for implementing civilian policies in the Palestinian territories. It said the Palestinians on the charter plane left the Gaza Strip after it received approval from a third country to receive them as part of an Israeli government policy allowing Gaza residents to leave. It didn’t name the third country.

    Around 40,000 people have left Gaza since the start of the war under the policy.

    Israel’s government had embraced a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty Gaza permanently of its more than 2 million Palestinians — a plan rights groups said would amount to ethnic cleansing. At the time, Trump said they would not be allowed to return.

    Trump has since backed away from this plan and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas that allows Palestinians to remain in Gaza.

    South African leader Ramaphosa said that it appeared the Palestinians who arrived in Johannesburg were being “flushed out” of Gaza, without elaborating. The comment followed allegations by two South African NGO representatives who claimed that Al-Majd was affiliated with Israel and working to remove Palestinians from Gaza.

    They offered no evidence for the claims and COGAT didn’t respond to a request for comment on those allegations.

    Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, one of those to allege involvement by what he called “Israel’s front organizations,” said this was the second plane to arrive in South Africa in mysterious circumstances after one that landed with more than 170 Palestinians onboard on Oct. 28. The arrival of that flight was not announced by authorities.

    Sooliman said the passengers on the latest plane did not initially know where they were going and were given no food for the two days it took to travel to Johannesburg.

    “They were given nothing on the plane itself and this must be challenged and investigated,” Sooliman said.

    South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israel and has led the international pro-Palestinian movement by accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a highly contentious case at the United Nations’ top court. Israel denies committing genocide and has denounced South Africa as the “legal arm” of Hamas.

    The people that ended up in South Africa underlined the desperation of Palestinians following a two-year war that has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and reduced the territory to rubble. The ministry’s death toll does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says more than half of those killed were women and children. A fragile ceasefire is in place.

    Jerusalem-based organization

    An organization called Al-Majd Europe has previously been linked to facilitating travel for Palestinians out of Gaza. It describes itself on its website as a humanitarian organization founded in 2010 in Germany and based in Jerusalem that provides aid and rescue efforts to Muslim communities in conflict zones.

    The website does not list office phone numbers or its exact address. It states that Al-Majd Europe works with a variety of organizations including 15 international agencies, but no organizations are listed and a “will be announced soon” message was displayed in that section on Friday.

    Another message that appeared Friday on the website said people were impersonating it to request money or cryptocurrency “under the pretext of facilitating travel or humanitarian aid.” Al-Majd Europe didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address given on its site.

    Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa, and Frankel reported from Jerusalem. Michelle Gumede and Mogomotsi Magome contributed to this report.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • US airlines again cancel more than 1,000 flights on second day of cuts tied to government shutdown

    [ad_1]

    U.S. airlines again canceled more than 1,000 flights Saturday, mostly because of the government shutdown and the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce air traffic.The slowdown at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports is now in its second day and so far hasn’t caused any widespread disruptions. More than 1,000 flights were canceled Friday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.Related video above: What to do if your air travel is impacted by the government shutdownTHIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below:Hundreds of flights at the busiest airports in the U.S. are being scratched this weekend as airlines move forward with reducing air service due to the lingering government shutdown.So far, the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated slowdown across the airline industry that began Friday hasn’t caused any widespread disruptions. But it has widened the impact of what’s now the nation’s longest federal shutdown.”We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying out of Miami Saturday to visit family in the Dominican Republic for the week. “I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and be felt far beyond air travel if the cancellations pick up and move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday.Already, there are concerns about the impact on cities and businesses that rely on tourism and the possibility of shipping interruptions that could delay getting holiday items on store shelves.Here’s what to know about the flight reductions:How many flights have been canceled?The first day of the Federal Aviation Administration’s slowdown saw more than 1,000 flights canceled, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.More than 950 were off for Saturday — typically a slow travel day. The airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, was by far the hardest hit with 120 arriving and departing flights canceled by midday.Airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Orlando, Florida, were among the most disrupted. Staffing shortages in Charlotte and Newark, New Jersey, were slowing traffic too.Not all the cancellations were due to the FAA order, and those numbers represent just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide, but they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues.The FAA said the reductions impacting all commercial airlines are starting at 4% of flights at 40 targeted airports and will be bumped up again on Tuesday before hitting 10% of flights on Friday.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned this week that even more flight cuts might be needed if the government shutdown continues and more air traffic controllers are off the job.Why are the flights being canceled?Air traffic controllers have gone without paychecks for nearly a month as the shutdown continues, leading many to call in sick and add to already existing staffing shortages.Most controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.How are passengers being affected?Most were relieved to find that airlines largely stayed on schedule Friday, and those whose flights were called off were able to quickly rebook. So far, longer international flights haven’t been interrupted.There’s still a lot of uncertainty about what flights will be canceled next.And not everyone has the means to pay for a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and flying home to Puerto Rico.”Travel is stressful enough, then you put these disruptions in place and it really makes everything more challenging,” she said.Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations Friday, and some people are simply canceling flights altogether.What could be the impacts beyond air travel?First, there’s the potential for higher prices in stores, as nearly half of all U.S. air freight is shipped in the bellies of passenger aircraft.Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.More losses will ripple through the economy if the slowdown continues — from tourism to manufacturing, said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.”This shutdown is going to impact everything from cargo aircraft to people getting to business meetings to tourists being able to travel,” he said. “It’s going to hit the hotel taxes and city taxes. There’s a cascading effect that results from this thing.”___Associated Press journalists Cody Jackson in Miami, Paul Wiseman in Washington, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Matt Sedensky in New York contributed.

    U.S. airlines again canceled more than 1,000 flights Saturday, mostly because of the government shutdown and the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce air traffic.

    The slowdown at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports is now in its second day and so far hasn’t caused any widespread disruptions. More than 1,000 flights were canceled Friday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.

    Related video above: What to do if your air travel is impacted by the government shutdown

    THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below:

    Hundreds of flights at the busiest airports in the U.S. are being scratched this weekend as airlines move forward with reducing air service due to the lingering government shutdown.

    So far, the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated slowdown across the airline industry that began Friday hasn’t caused any widespread disruptions. But it has widened the impact of what’s now the nation’s longest federal shutdown.

    “We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying out of Miami Saturday to visit family in the Dominican Republic for the week. “I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”

    Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and be felt far beyond air travel if the cancellations pick up and move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday.

    Already, there are concerns about the impact on cities and businesses that rely on tourism and the possibility of shipping interruptions that could delay getting holiday items on store shelves.

    Here’s what to know about the flight reductions:

    How many flights have been canceled?

    The first day of the Federal Aviation Administration’s slowdown saw more than 1,000 flights canceled, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.

    More than 950 were off for Saturday — typically a slow travel day. The airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, was by far the hardest hit with 120 arriving and departing flights canceled by midday.

    Airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Orlando, Florida, were among the most disrupted. Staffing shortages in Charlotte and Newark, New Jersey, were slowing traffic too.

    Not all the cancellations were due to the FAA order, and those numbers represent just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide, but they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues.

    The FAA said the reductions impacting all commercial airlines are starting at 4% of flights at 40 targeted airports and will be bumped up again on Tuesday before hitting 10% of flights on Friday.

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned this week that even more flight cuts might be needed if the government shutdown continues and more air traffic controllers are off the job.

    Why are the flights being canceled?

    Air traffic controllers have gone without paychecks for nearly a month as the shutdown continues, leading many to call in sick and add to already existing staffing shortages.

    Most controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.

    How are passengers being affected?

    Most were relieved to find that airlines largely stayed on schedule Friday, and those whose flights were called off were able to quickly rebook. So far, longer international flights haven’t been interrupted.

    There’s still a lot of uncertainty about what flights will be canceled next.

    And not everyone has the means to pay for a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and flying home to Puerto Rico.

    “Travel is stressful enough, then you put these disruptions in place and it really makes everything more challenging,” she said.

    Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations Friday, and some people are simply canceling flights altogether.

    What could be the impacts beyond air travel?

    First, there’s the potential for higher prices in stores, as nearly half of all U.S. air freight is shipped in the bellies of passenger aircraft.

    Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.

    More losses will ripple through the economy if the slowdown continues — from tourism to manufacturing, said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.

    “This shutdown is going to impact everything from cargo aircraft to people getting to business meetings to tourists being able to travel,” he said. “It’s going to hit the hotel taxes and city taxes. There’s a cascading effect that results from this thing.”

    ___

    Associated Press journalists Cody Jackson in Miami, Paul Wiseman in Washington, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Matt Sedensky in New York contributed.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Republicans fret as shutdown threatens Thanksgiving travel chaos

    [ad_1]

    WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration are increasingly anxious that an ongoing standoff with Democrats over reopening the government may drag into Thanksgiving week, one of the country’s busiest travel periods.

    Already, hundreds of flights have been canceled since the Federal Aviation Administration issued an unprecedented directive limiting flight operations at the nation’s biggest airports, including in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Washington, D.C.

    Sean Duffy, the secretary of transportation, told Fox News on Thursday that the administration is prepared to mitigate safety concerns if the shutdown continues into the holiday week, leaving air traffic controllers without compensation over multiple payroll cycles. But “will you fly on time? Will your flight actually go? That is yet to be seen,” the secretary said.

    While under 3% of flights have been grounded, that number could rise to 20% by the holiday week, he added.

    “It’s really hard — really hard — to navigate a full month of no pay, missing two pay periods. So I think you’re going to have more significant disruptions in the airspace,” Duffy said. “And as we come into Thanksgiving, if we’re still in a shutdown posture, it’s gonna be rough out there. Really rough.”

    Senate Republicans said they are willing to work through the weekend, up through Veterans Day, to come up with an agreement with Democrats that could end the government shutdown, which is already the longest in history.

    But congressional Democrats believe their leverage has only grown to extract more concessions from the Trump administration as the shutdown goes on.

    A strong showing in races across the country in Tuesday’s elections buoyed optimism among Democrats that the party finally has some momentum, as it focuses its messaging on affordability and a growing cost-of-living crisis for the middle class.

    Democrats have withheld the votes needed to reopen the government over Republican refusals to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. As a result, Americans who get their healthcare through the ACA marketplace have begun seeing dramatic premium hikes since open enrollment began on Nov. 1 — further fueling Democratic confidence that Republicans will face a political backlash for their shutdown stance.

    Now, Democratic demands have expanded, insisting Republicans guarantee that federal workers get paid back for their time furloughed or working without pay — and that those who were fired get their jobs back.

    A bill introduced by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, called the Shutdown Fairness Act, would ensure that federal workers receive back pay during a government funding lapse. But Democrats have objected to a vote on the measure that’s not tied to their other demands, on ACA tax breaks and the status of fired workers.

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has proposed passing a clean continuing resolution already passed by the House followed by separate votes on three bills that would fund the government through the year. But his Democratic counterpart said Friday he wants to attach a vote on extending the ACA tax credits to an extension of government funding.

    Democrats, joined by some Republicans, are also demanding protections built in to any government spending bills that would safeguard federal programs against the Trump administration withholding funds appropriated by Congress, a process known as impoundment.

    President Trump, for his part, blamed the ongoing shutdown for Tuesday’s election results earlier this week, telling Republican lawmakers that polling shows the continuing crisis is hurting their party. But he also continues to advocate for Thune to do away with the filibuster, a core Senate rule requiring 60 votes for bills that fall outside the budget reconciliation process, and simply reopen the government with a vote down party lines.

    “If the filibuster is terminated, we will have the most productive three years in the history of our country,” Trump told reporters on Friday at a White House event. “If the filibuster is not terminated, then we will be in a slog, with the Democrats.”

    So far, Thune has rejected that request. But the majority leader said Thursday that “the pain this shutdown has caused is only getting worse,” warning that 40 million Americans risk food insecurity as funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program lapses.

    The Trump administration lost a court case this week arguing that it could withhold SNAP benefits, a program that was significantly defunded in the president’s “Big Beautiful Bill” act earlier this year.

    “Will the far left not be satisfied until federal workers and military families are getting their Thanksgiving dinner from a food bank? Because that’s where we’re headed,” Thune added.

    [ad_2]

    Michael Wilner

    Source link

  • UPS identifies crew in Louisville cargo plane crash

    [ad_1]

    SYSTEMS. REENA ROY, ABC NEWS, NEW YORK. AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE PILOTS IS CONFIRMED TO BE FROM ALBUQUERQUE. JULIAN PARAS JOINS US IN STUDIO NOW WITH WHAT HE’S LEARNED. THAT’S RIGHT GUYS. SO THE NAME OF THAT PILOT IS LEE TRUITT. ACCORDING TO OUR TARGET 7 TEAM, TRUITT STARTED WORKING AT UPS FOUR YEARS AGO IN 2021. HE ALSO EARNED A DEGREE AT UNM IN 2006, BUT HAD BECOME PART OF THE AVIATION INDUSTRY BEGINNING IN 1998. WE ALSO RECEIVED A STATEMENT FROM UPS OFFICIALS ABOUT THAT CRASH IN KENTUCKY. THE UPS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT SAYS WORDS CAN’T EXPRESS THE SORROW WE FEEL OVER THE HEARTBREAKING FLIGHT. 2976 ACCIDENT. IT’S WITH GREAT SORROW THAT WE SHARE THE NAMES OF THE UPS PILOTS ON BOARD UPS FLIGHT 2976 CAPTAIN RICHARD WARTENBERG, FIRST OFFICER LEE TRUITT, AN INTERNATIONAL RELIEF OFFICER, CAPTAIN DANA DIAMOND. WERE OPERATING THAT FLIGHT INVESTIGATION IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AND IS BEING LED BY THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD. WE ARE WORKING TO REACH OUT TO MORE PEOPLE WH

    UPS officials confirmed the identities of the crew aboard the cargo plane that crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, this week.The crew operating UPS Flight 2976 was identified as:Captain Richard WartenbergFirst Officer Lee Truitt Relief Officer Dana DiamondFAA records indicate Truitt was from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Wartenberg was from Independence, Kentucky. UPS Flight 2976 crashed moments after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The flight’s destination was Honolulu, HI. At least 13 people, including all three pilots, are confirmed dead, with nine people unaccounted for.Social media video of the crash shows the MD-11 was already in flames as it reached the end of the runway and struggled to take off. Flight data shows the plane rose briefly before dropping into an industrial area just outside the airport property.Investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board confirm the plane’s left-hand engine detached from the aircraft before the crash. Investigators also recovered the airplane’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders, commonly known as the “black boxes.” Investigators say the recorders show signs of heat exposure, something they say the recorders are designed to withstand.Because of the long flight, the plane was fully fueled with about 38,000 gallons of fuel, leading to a large fire. The flames spread easily to nearby facilities, including a large recycling center. It took more than 100 first responders more than six hours to get the fires under control. UPS said the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information.

    UPS officials confirmed the identities of the crew aboard the cargo plane that crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, this week.

    The crew operating UPS Flight 2976 was identified as:

    FAA records indicate Truitt was from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Wartenberg was from Independence, Kentucky.

    UPS Flight 2976 crashed moments after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The flight’s destination was Honolulu, HI.

    At least 13 people, including all three pilots, are confirmed dead, with nine people unaccounted for.

    Social media video of the crash shows the MD-11 was already in flames as it reached the end of the runway and struggled to take off. Flight data shows the plane rose briefly before dropping into an industrial area just outside the airport property.

    Investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board confirm the plane’s left-hand engine detached from the aircraft before the crash. Investigators also recovered the airplane’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders, commonly known as the “black boxes.” Investigators say the recorders show signs of heat exposure, something they say the recorders are designed to withstand.

    Because of the long flight, the plane was fully fueled with about 38,000 gallons of fuel, leading to a large fire. The flames spread easily to nearby facilities, including a large recycling center. It took more than 100 first responders more than six hours to get the fires under control.

    UPS said the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • What airports are being hit by FAA cutbacks? How can I navigate the chaos?

    [ad_1]

    The Federal Aviation Administration’s move to cut commercial air traffic at 40 airports by as much as 10%, beginning Friday, is expected to have wide-ranging impacts in California and across the nation.

    The cuts have been prompted by the government shutdown, which has left air traffic controllers working without pay. FAA officials say the goal is to maintain travel safety. Since the shutdown began Oct. 1, nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working unpaid — or calling out sick.

    With growing fatigue among controllers, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said he did not want to wait until staffing pressures compromised safety.

    What will change?

    As many as 1,800 flights a day across the country could be canceled.

    The cuts could affect about 1,800 flights and 268,000 passengers in the U.S. a day, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. About 72 flights a day could be cut at Los Angeles International Airport alone, affecting 12,371 passengers a day, Cirium estimated. An additional 105 flights could be canceled at the four other California airports targeted for reductions.

    What airports will be impacted?

    The FAA has not commented publicly. But here is a list from the Associated Press:

    1. Anchorage International in Alaska

    2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia

    3. Boston Logan International in Massachusetts

    4. Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland

    5. Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina

    6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio

    7. Dallas Love Field in Texas

    8. Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia

    9. Denver International in Colorado

    10. Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas

    11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan

    12. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey

    13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida

    14. Honolulu International in Hawaii

    15. Houston Hobby in Texas

    16. Washington Dulles International in Virginia

    17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas

    18. Indianapolis International in Indiana

    19. John F. Kennedy International in New York

    20. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas

    21. Los Angeles International in California

    22. LaGuardia Airport in New York

    23. Orlando International in Florida

    24. Chicago Midway International in Illinois

    25. Memphis International in Tennessee

    26. Miami International in Florida

    27. Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota

    28. Oakland International in California

    29. Ontario International in California

    30. Chicago O`Hare International in Illinois

    31. Portland International in Oregon

    32. Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania

    33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona

    34. San Diego International in California

    35. Louisville International in Kentucky

    36. Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington

    37. San Francisco International in California

    38. Salt Lake City International in Utah

    39. Teterboro in New Jersey

    40. Tampa International in Florida

    When will the reductions begin to show?

    A shortage of air traffic controllers has caused delays for weeks, including at LAX and Burbank airport. But officials said the flight reductions will begin Friday and continue until they amount to a 10% cut.

    Officials urged passengers to check with airlines for the status of their flights but warned flights could be canceled with little notice.

    • The FAA has a website that tracks national airspace issues.
    • Experts advise monitoring your airline websites and getting alerts to your phone.
    • Here are more tips.

    Officials said the decision to cut flights was motivated by data about what areas faced the greatest staffing pressures that could compromise safety.

    “This is not based on what airline … has more flights out of what location,” Duffy said. “This is about where is the pressure, and how do we alleviate the pressure?”

    What about international flights?

    International flights are expected to be exempt from the cuts. But passengers making connecting flights before they head overseas could face issues as the cuts target several of the nation’s busiest hubs, including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando and Miami.

    Associated Press contributed to this report.

    [ad_2]

    Jenny Jarvie

    Source link

  • MCO among 40 U.S. airports reducing 10% of flights amid government shutdown

    [ad_1]

    The secretary of transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration have announced that starting Friday, there will be a 10% reduction in air traffic at 40 U.S. airports as the government shutdown continues.The Orlando International Airport was included among the 40 airports. MCO cutting 10% of its flights a day would impact about 100 flights. This all comes down to safety, federal officials said. The administrator for the FAA said right now, things are running safely, but said they are seeing a level of pressure on certain systems that can’t go unchecked and continue to be safe.The Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration announced an unprecedented step they say will relieve some pressure. particularly on air traffic controllers, a 10% reduction in traffic at 40 airports. That’s something FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said he hadn’t seen in his 35-year aviation career. “We’re going to look for a radical reduction across these 40 markets over the next 48 hours,” Bedford said.If the government shutdown continues, the reduction in flights is expected to begin on Friday morning. They referred to them as “high volume traffic markets,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the nation’s 40 busiest airports. It’s places where they said they’re seeing pressure start to build as some air traffic controllers stop showing up to work while they aren’t being paid. “We are starting to see some evidence that fatigue is building in the system in ways that we feel we need to work towards relieving some of that pressure,” Bedford said. MCO airport officials understand the priority is to maintain safety in the national airspace system.”Since the federal government shutdown, MCO’s operations have been minimally impacted, with few exceptions, thanks to the federal airport partners who continue to come to work. We encourage passengers to contact their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information.”The FAA did issue a ground delay at MCO last week due to staffing issues. While the FAA administrator said things are running safely now, after looking at voluntary safety disclosure reports, Bedford said, “We are seeing pressures build in a way that we don’t feel will, if we allow it to go unchecked, will allow us to continue to tell the public that we operate the safest airline system in the world.”As the shutdown stretches on, the secretary said data will determine if we see even more restrictions or fewer. He said he’s concerned about disrupting people’s travel. “I’m concerned about that,” Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said. “But we had to have a gut check of what is our job? Is it to make sure there’s minimal delays or minimal cancellations? Or is, is our job to make sure we make the hard decisions to continue to keep the airspace safe? That is our job, is safety.”It’s not just commercial air travel that will be affected. They also announced Wednesday there will be restrictions on space launches, which Duffy said can “take a lot more attention from controllers.”Full list ANC Anchorage International ATL Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International BOS Boston Logan International BWI Baltimore/Washington International CLT Charlotte Douglas International CVG Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International DAL Dallas Love DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National DEN Denver International DFW Dallas/Fort Worth InternationalDTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County EWR Newark Liberty International FLL Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International HNL Honolulu International HOU Houston Hobby IAD Washington Dulles International IAH George Bush Houston Intercontinental IND Indianapolis International JFK New York John F Kennedy International LAS Las Vegas McCarran InternationalLAX Los Angeles InternationalLGA New York LaGuardia MCO Orlando International MDW Chicago Midway MEM Memphis International MIA Miami International MSP Minneapolis/St Paul International OAK Oakland InternationalONT Ontario International ORD Chicago O`Hare International PDX Portland International PHL Philadelphia International PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International SAN San Diego International SDF Louisville International SEA Seattle/Tacoma International SFO San Francisco International SLC Salt Lake City International TEB Teterboro TPA Tampa International

    The secretary of transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration have announced that starting Friday, there will be a 10% reduction in air traffic at 40 U.S. airports as the government shutdown continues.

    The Orlando International Airport was included among the 40 airports. MCO cutting 10% of its flights a day would impact about 100 flights.

    This all comes down to safety, federal officials said. The administrator for the FAA said right now, things are running safely, but said they are seeing a level of pressure on certain systems that can’t go unchecked and continue to be safe.

    The Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration announced an unprecedented step they say will relieve some pressure. particularly on air traffic controllers, a 10% reduction in traffic at 40 airports.

    That’s something FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said he hadn’t seen in his 35-year aviation career.

    “We’re going to look for a radical reduction across these 40 markets over the next 48 hours,” Bedford said.

    If the government shutdown continues, the reduction in flights is expected to begin on Friday morning.

    They referred to them as “high volume traffic markets,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the nation’s 40 busiest airports. It’s places where they said they’re seeing pressure start to build as some air traffic controllers stop showing up to work while they aren’t being paid.

    “We are starting to see some evidence that fatigue is building in the system in ways that we feel we need to work towards relieving some of that pressure,” Bedford said.

    MCO airport officials understand the priority is to maintain safety in the national airspace system.

    “Since the federal government shutdown, MCO’s operations have been minimally impacted, with few exceptions, thanks to the federal airport partners who continue to come to work. We encourage passengers to contact their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information.”

    The FAA did issue a ground delay at MCO last week due to staffing issues.

    While the FAA administrator said things are running safely now, after looking at voluntary safety disclosure reports, Bedford said, “We are seeing pressures build in a way that we don’t feel will, if we allow it to go unchecked, will allow us to continue to tell the public that we operate the safest airline system in the world.”

    As the shutdown stretches on, the secretary said data will determine if we see even more restrictions or fewer. He said he’s concerned about disrupting people’s travel.

    “I’m concerned about that,” Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said. “But we had to have a gut check of what is our job? Is it to make sure there’s minimal delays or minimal cancellations? Or is, is our job to make sure we make the hard decisions to continue to keep the airspace safe? That is our job, is safety.”

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    It’s not just commercial air travel that will be affected. They also announced Wednesday there will be restrictions on space launches, which Duffy said can “take a lot more attention from controllers.”

    Full list

    1. ANC Anchorage International
    2. ATL Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
    3. BOS Boston Logan International
    4. BWI Baltimore/Washington International
    5. CLT Charlotte Douglas International
    6. CVG Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
    7. DAL Dallas Love
    8. DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National
    9. DEN Denver International
    10. DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International
    11. DTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
    12. EWR Newark Liberty International
    13. FLL Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
    14. HNL Honolulu International
    15. HOU Houston Hobby
    16. IAD Washington Dulles International
    17. IAH George Bush Houston Intercontinental
    18. IND Indianapolis International
    19. JFK New York John F Kennedy International
    20. LAS Las Vegas McCarran International
    21. LAX Los Angeles International
    22. LGA New York LaGuardia
    23. MCO Orlando International
    24. MDW Chicago Midway
    25. MEM Memphis International
    26. MIA Miami International
    27. MSP Minneapolis/St Paul International
    28. OAK Oakland International
    29. ONT Ontario International
    30. ORD Chicago O`Hare International
    31. PDX Portland International
    32. PHL Philadelphia International
    33. PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International
    34. SAN San Diego International
    35. SDF Louisville International
    36. SEA Seattle/Tacoma International
    37. SFO San Francisco International
    38. SLC Salt Lake City International
    39. TEB Teterboro
    40. TPA Tampa International

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • FAA expected to list airports getting reduced flights during government shutdown

    [ad_1]

    Travelers through some of the busiest U.S. airports can expect to learn Thursday whether they’ll see fewer flights as the government shutdown drags into a second month.The Federal Aviation Administration will announce the “high-volume markets” where it is reducing flights by 10% before the cuts go into effect Friday, said agency administrator Bryan Bedford. The move is intended to keep the air space safe during the shutdown, the agency said.Experts predict hundreds, if not thousands, of flights could be canceled.“I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” Bedford said Wednesday. “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week, leaving little time for side jobs to help cover bills and other expenses unless they call out.Mounting staffing pressures are forcing the agency to act, Bedford said Wednesday at a news conference.“We can’t ignore it,” he said, adding that even if the shutdown ends before Friday, the FAA wouldn’t automatically resume normal operations until staffing improves and stabilizes.Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declined during the news conference to name the cities and airports where they will slow air traffic, saying they wanted to first meet with airline executives to figure out how to safely implement the reductions.Major airlines, aviation unions and the broader travel industry have been urging Congress to end the shutdown, which on Wednesday became the longest on record.The shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system and “forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the U.S. air travel experience,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman in a statement.Duffy warned on Tuesday that there could be chaos in the skies if the shutdown drags on long enough for air traffic controllers to miss their second full paycheck next week.Duffy said some controllers can get by missing one paycheck, but not two or more. And he has said some controllers are even struggling to pay for transportation to work.Staffing can run short both in regional control centers that manage multiple airports and in individual airport towers, but they don’t always lead to flight disruptions. Throughout October, flight delays caused by staffing problems had been largely isolated and temporary.But the past weekend brought some of the worst staffing issues since the start of the shutdown.From Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown.During weekends from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the average number of airport towers, regional control centers and facilities monitoring traffic at higher altitudes that announced potential staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis. But during the five weekend periods since the shutdown began, the average more than tripled to 26.2 facilities.___Associated Press journalist Christopher L. Keller contributed from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    Travelers through some of the busiest U.S. airports can expect to learn Thursday whether they’ll see fewer flights as the government shutdown drags into a second month.

    The Federal Aviation Administration will announce the “high-volume markets” where it is reducing flights by 10% before the cuts go into effect Friday, said agency administrator Bryan Bedford. The move is intended to keep the air space safe during the shutdown, the agency said.

    Experts predict hundreds, if not thousands, of flights could be canceled.

    “I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” Bedford said Wednesday. “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”

    Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week, leaving little time for side jobs to help cover bills and other expenses unless they call out.

    Mounting staffing pressures are forcing the agency to act, Bedford said Wednesday at a news conference.

    “We can’t ignore it,” he said, adding that even if the shutdown ends before Friday, the FAA wouldn’t automatically resume normal operations until staffing improves and stabilizes.

    Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declined during the news conference to name the cities and airports where they will slow air traffic, saying they wanted to first meet with airline executives to figure out how to safely implement the reductions.

    Major airlines, aviation unions and the broader travel industry have been urging Congress to end the shutdown, which on Wednesday became the longest on record.

    The shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system and “forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the U.S. air travel experience,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman in a statement.

    Duffy warned on Tuesday that there could be chaos in the skies if the shutdown drags on long enough for air traffic controllers to miss their second full paycheck next week.

    Duffy said some controllers can get by missing one paycheck, but not two or more. And he has said some controllers are even struggling to pay for transportation to work.

    Staffing can run short both in regional control centers that manage multiple airports and in individual airport towers, but they don’t always lead to flight disruptions. Throughout October, flight delays caused by staffing problems had been largely isolated and temporary.

    But the past weekend brought some of the worst staffing issues since the start of the shutdown.

    From Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown.

    During weekends from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the average number of airport towers, regional control centers and facilities monitoring traffic at higher altitudes that announced potential staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis. But during the five weekend periods since the shutdown began, the average more than tripled to 26.2 facilities.

    ___

    Associated Press journalist Christopher L. Keller contributed from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • FAA readies to list airports getting reduced flights during the government shutdown

    [ad_1]

    Travelers through some of the busiest U.S. airports can expect to learn Thursday whether they’ll see fewer flights as the government shutdown drags into a second month.

    The Federal Aviation Administration will announce the “high-volume markets” where it is reducing flights by 10% before the cuts go into effect Friday, said agency administrator Bryan Bedford. The move is intended to keep the air space safe during the shutdown, the agency said.

    Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled.

    “I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” Bedford said Wednesday. “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”

    Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week, leaving little time for side jobs to help cover bills and other expenses unless they call out.

    Mounting staffing pressures are forcing the agency to act, Bedford said Wednesday at a news conference.

    “We can’t ignore it,” he said, adding that even if the shutdown ends before Friday, the FAA wouldn’t automatically resume normal operations until staffing improves and stabilizes.

    Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declined during the news conference to name the cities and airports where they will slow air traffic, saying they wanted to first meet with airline executives to figure out how to safely implement the reductions.

    Major airlines, aviation unions and the broader travel industry have been urging Congress to end the shutdown, which on Wednesday became the longest on record.

    The shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system and “forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the U.S. air travel experience,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman in a statement.

    Yamat writes for the Associated Press

    [ad_2]

    RIO YAMAT

    Source link

  • Staffing issues trigger temporary ground stop at LAX

    [ad_1]

    Nearly four weeks into the federal government shutdown, a staffing shortage at Los Angeles International Airport prompted a temporary ground stop Sunday morning affecting flights at the West Coast’s largest and busiest airport.

    The restriction began around 8:45 a.m., affecting departing flights for Oakland, and was lifted at 10:30 a.m., according to an FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center advisory.

    The stoppage affected most of Southern California, leaving passengers experiencing flight delays of around 49 minutes, with some waiting up to 87 minutes, according to KTLA.

    Even after the resumption of flights, travelers were instructed to check the status of their flights.

    Since the federal shutdown began Oct. 1, the Federal Aviation Administration has warned of disruption at airports due to staff shortages. Air traffic controllers are required to work unpaid when the federal government shuts down and do not obtain retroactive pay until Congress comes to an agreement on a budget.

    Less than a week into the shutdown, dozens of flights were delayed and 12 flights were canceled as Hollywood Burbank Airport’s air traffic control tower was temporarily unstaffed due to shortages. Outgoing flights were delayed an average of two hours and 31 minutes.

    Airports across the nation have experienced staff shortages at their air traffic control towers this month. On Sunday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration’s operations plan listed several major airports experiencing “staffing triggers,” from LAX to Ronald Reagain Washington National Airport in Virginia and Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania.

    U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said Sunday the problem is getting worse as more controllers, getting no paychecks, are calling in sick.

    “I’ve been out talking to air traffic controllers and you can see the stress,” Duffy said on Fox News. “These are people that oftentimes live paycheck to paycheck or one controller has a stay-at-home spouse. They’re concerned about gas in the car, they’re concerned about child care and mortgages.”

    On Saturday, 22 airports had staffing shortages, Duffy said.

    “That’s one of the highest that we have seen in the system since the shutdown began,” he said. “And that’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin.”

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office was quick to seize on news of the problems at LAX and goad Duffy.

    “Hell of a job, @SecDuffy,” Newsom’s office posted on X, sharing a news story about the LAX ground stop. “Can’t wait to see what you do with NASA.”

    This is not the first time a federal shutdown has triggered national disruptions to flights.

    In January 2019, a large number of air traffic controllers called in sick in New York City, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily halt flights into LaGuardia Airport.

    The chaos at LaGuardia — and subsequent news coverage of airport delays and threats to air safety — swiftly motivated politicians to come to an agreement. But this year, Republicans and Democrats in Washington seem deadlocked and no closer to a deal.

    [ad_2]

    Stacy Perman

    Source link

  • Alaska Airlines grounds flights across the nation due to IT outage

    [ad_1]

    Thousands of Americans hoping to get airborne found themselves stuck on the ground Thursday evening as Alaska Airlines experienced an IT outage that prevented any of its planes from taking off.

    “A temporary ground stop is in place,” the airline announced on social media at 4:20 p.m. “We apologize for the inconvenience. If you’re scheduled to fly tonight, please check your flight status before heading to the airport.”

    Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where the carrier is based, reported 82 Alaska Airlines flight delays and 17 cancellations, according to Flight Aware. Los Angeles International Airport, meanwhile, reported eight Alaska Airlines flight delays and one cancellation.

    The outage marked the second time in recent months that IT issues prevented Alaska Airlines from flying. The airline grounded all flights for a three-hour period in July after a similar outage.

    As of 7 p.m. the outage remained in effect, and the airline said that it was actively working to restore operations. It did not provide any details on what was causing the tech problems.

    Customers have also reported problems with accessing the airline’s website and app.

    The airline flies to 40 destinations worldwide, including 37 states and 12 countries, according to its website.

    [ad_2]

    Clara Harter

    Source link

  • Burbank Airport air traffic control tower unmanned, flights delayed amid government shutdown

    [ad_1]

    The Hollywood Burbank Airport’s air traffic control tower is temporarily unmanned and flights are being delayed Monday afternoon due to staffing shortages amid the ongoing government shutdown, according to the Federal Aviation Authority.

    The FAA anticipates that the airport’s air traffic control tower will be without staff until 10 p.m. Monday, according to spokesperson Kristen Alsop. The tower was without staff starting at 4:15 p.m.

    Due to the government shutdown, air traffic controllers are working without pay. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that the FAA was seeing a small uptick in air traffic control workers calling in sick during the shutdown.

    As of 5 p.m., outgoing flights at Hollywood Burbank Airport were delayed an average of two hours and 31 minutes due to staffing shortages and runway construction, according to the FAA. At that time, the longest delay reported was three hours and 55 minutes.

    Alsop said that staffing shortages were the main issue contributing to the delays.

    Although the air control tower is unmanned, Southern California TRACON will control the air traffic in the airport’s airspace, Alsop said. That facility provides air traffic control for arriving and departing flights in the region.

    Gov. Gavin Newsom was quick to point blame at President Trump for the staffing challenges.

    “Thanks,@realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15pm to 10pm today because of YOUR government shutdown,” he said in a statement on X.

    [ad_2]

    Clara Harter

    Source link

  • American Airlines failed to divert 8-hour flight after California man suffered 2 strokes, jury finds

    [ad_1]

    A chef from California’s Central Coast who had two strokes while traveling internationally on American Airlines was awarded more than $9 million after a federal jury concluded employees failed to follow their own protocols to help him.

    In November 2021, Jesus Plasencia, a chef from Watsonville who was 67 at the time, was traveling with his wife, Ana Maria Marcela Tavantzis, on a flight to Madrid from Miami, according to a complaint they filed in federal civil court.

    While the plane was still at the gate, Plasencia suffered a “mini stroke” and temporarily lost the ability to speak or pick up his phone, according to the complaint. His wife alerted a flight attendant and the pilot but instead of alerting medical personnel and following company policy, the lawsuit said the pilot dismissed her concerns, “joked with Plasencia, and cleared him for take-off.”

    Plasencia then had a stroke while the plane was in the air; he was hospitalized after the plane landed in Spain and was in critical condition for more than three weeks before he went back to the U.S., according to court documents. He can’t speak or write and now “depends entirely on daily, significant, around-the-clock, in-home care and intensive rehabilitation,” according to the lawsuit.

    On Thursday, a federal jury in San Jose said American Airlines was on the hook for $9.6 million for its employees failing to follow company protocol in the incident.

    According to the complaint filed in 2023, the flight crew had asked other passengers to monitor Plasencia after he suffered a stroke during the flight, but didn’t tell the pilot about the medical emergency, so the flight wasn’t diverted.

    The couple argued that because American Airlines crew hadn’t followed protocols, Plasencia was delayed getting care for nearly eight hours and could’ve potentially had a better outcome, according to the lawsuit.

    “The safety and well-being of our passengers is our highest priority,” American Airlines said in a statement. “While we respect the jury’s decision, we disagree with the verdict and are currently evaluating next steps.”

    Darren Nicholson of Burns Charest, who represented the couple in the lawsuit, argued that the airline didn’t follow stroke protocol, which calls for immediate medical assistance and diverting the aircraft.

    “It is shocking that American Airlines responded so poorly to a medical emergency like this,” he said in a statement.

    American Airlines was found liable by the jurors under the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that governs international air travel.

    [ad_2]

    Summer Lin

    Source link

  • Predator drones shift from border patrol to protest surveillance

    [ad_1]

    FT. HUACHUCA, Ariz. — When MQ-9 Predator drones flew over anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles this summer, it was the first time they had been dispatched to monitor demonstrations on U.S. soil since 2020, and their use reflects a change in how the government is choosing to deploy the aircraft once reserved for surveilling the border and war zones.

    Previous news reports said the drones sent by the Department of Homeland Security conducted surveillance on the weekend of June 7 over thousands of protesters demonstrating against raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Predators flew over Los Angeles for at least four more days, according to tracking experts who identified the flights through air traffic control tower communications and images of a Predator in flight.

    Those amateur sleuths, who monitor flight traffic and identified the first flight, which was confirmed by Customs and Border Protection, shared their findings on social media.

    Defenders of using drones to monitor protests say the aircraft, with their high-tech capabilities, can provide authorities useful and detailed information in real time. Human rights advocates fear the new policy will impinge on civil rights.

    The drones, which fly at around 20,000 feet to conduct surveillance, can beam a live video feed to various government agencies — ICE, the military and more . The MQ designation refers to the drone’s abilities and function. In military parlance, M means multi-use and Q indicates it’s an unmanned aerial vehicle.

    When asked about the additional days of flights over Los Angeles, Homeland Security did not directly address the questions but said the flights were meant to protect police and military.

    “CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) has provided both Manned and Unmanned aerial support to federal law enforcement partners conducting operations in the Greater Los Angeles area,” the department said in a statement.

    “Both platforms provide an unparalleled ability with Electro-optical/infrared sensors and video downlink capabilities that provide situational awareness and communications support that enhance officer safety,” the statement added.

    Protesters march against immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles on June 10, the same day the Department of Homeland Security on X posted video of protests taken by a drone.

    (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

    Homeland Security touted information obtained through drones in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on June 10. The post included footage of vehicles on fire and protesters squaring off with law enforcement personnel, apparently to show why it was necessary for the Trump administration to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles.

    “WATCH: DHS drone footage of LA rioters,” the post read. “This is not calm. This is not peaceful. California politicians must call off their rioting mob.”

    The post was dated June 10, but it was not clear if the video was from a Predator drone.

    Supporters of civil liberties are asking why this equipment, which has been used to drop laser-guided bombs on targets in countries like Afghanistan, is being used for domestic issues.

    The deployment of Predators over protesters is a significant departure from the U.S. government’s policy not to fly the drones over demonstrations, to avoid the perception they are spying on 1st Amendment rights activity, U.S. officials said.

    The last time Homeland Security sent a Predator to fly over protesters, according to U.S. government officials, was in Minneapolis during the 2020 protests against the killing of George Floyd by a police officer later convicted of his murder.

    Five Democrats on the House Oversight Committee called the deployment a “gross abuse of authority” and asked Homeland Security to explain what had occurred.

    At times the drones are requested by law enforcement or other authorities to fly over a region, say, to help monitor forest fires, or to provide surveillance for the Super Bowl, officials said.

    The Predators come equipped with cutting-edge infrared heat sensors and high-definition video cameras, and can track scores of individuals within a 15-nautical-mile radius.

    Two people in chairs look at screens and panels of buttons.

    In a file photo, an unmanned Predator drone is being guided from a flight operations center at Ft. Huachuca in Arizona in 2013.

    (John Moore / Getty Images)

    The drone uses an artificial intelligence program, called Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar, or VaDER, to detect small objects — a human being, a rabbit, even a bird in flight. The infrared sensors can identify heat signatures even inside some buildings.

    In response to the drone flights over Los Angeles, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) introduced a bill in July that would restrict Predator drones and other unmanned aircraft from being deployed by the U.S. government over demonstrators.

    “My bill to ban military surveillance drones over our cities puts Trump and his administration in check,” said Gomez. “This is not just about Los Angeles, this affects the entire country. I refuse to allow Trump to use these weapons of war, capable of carrying bombs, as tools for law enforcement against civilians.”

    On Sept. 16, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a resolution endorsing Gomez’s Ban Military Drones Spying on Civilians Act.

    “Los Angeles will not stand by while the federal government turns weapons of war against our residents,” said Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who introduced the resolution. “Spying on people engaged in peaceful protest is unconstitutional, dangerous and a direct attack on democracy.”

    The drones were first brought to the U.S. southern border in 2005 and retrofitted for surveillance operations. Homeland Security deployed the drones to fly the length of the 2,000-mile, U.S.-Mexico border, searching for drug traffickers and groups of undocumented migrants.

    Just an hour south of Tucson lies Ft. Huachuca, one of four MQ-9 drone bases from which the drones deploy along the southern border and into the interior of the U.S.

    As with the MQ-9, military-grade technology often finds its way into the interior of the country, experts say.

    “It is tested in war zones, the border, tested in cities along the border and tested in the interior of the country,” said Dave Maass, director of investigations at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a privacy rights organization. “That tends to be the trajectory we see.”

    With a drop in migrant crossings into the United States, experts anticipate drones will be deployed more often over demonstrations in the coming years.

    “If somebody in the Trump administration decides there’s a need to use drones in the interior over U.S. citizens, resources won’t be an issue,” said Adam Isaacson, who covers national security for the Washington Office of Latin America, a human rights research group. “Because there’s just not that much to monitor at the border.”

    Fisher is a special correspondent. This story was co-published with Puente News Collaborative, a bilingual nonprofit newsroom dedicated to high-quality news and information from the U.S.-Mexico border.

    [ad_2]

    Steve Fisher

    Source link

  • Yuengling beer finally arrives in Michigan after years of rumors

    [ad_1]

    Shutterstock

    Pennsylvania-based Yuengling is bringing its beer to Michigan for the first time.

    Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery and a fixture on tap across the East Coast, is finally launching in Michigan after years of speculation and false starts. 

    Beginning on Monday, Michiganders will be able to order Yuengling on draft at bars and restaurants in select areas, including Detroit, Ann Arbor, and East Lansing. Packaged beer is expected to follow in September. 

    Ypsilanti-based distributor O&W Inc. announced Wednesday that it will begin rolling out the beer’s lineup, which includes the flagship Yuengling Lager, the Black & Tan blend, and Flight, a light beer.

    Founded in 1829 in Pottsville, Penn., Yuengling has remained family-owned for six generations and has built a devoted following.  

    “We are excited to partner with Yuengling and bring their authentic American beers to Michigan,” Jamie Wanty-Keeder, vice president of marketing at O&W Inc., said in a statement. “This launch is the most exciting beer launch in Michigan history! What a fantastic opportunity for us to expand our offerings and introduce our customers to a brewery with such a storied history, one that beer lovers have been waiting for.”

    A wider state rollout is expected later. While fans won’t yet find Yuengling inside sports stadiums, many bars and retailers near those venues will carry it.

    For more information on where Yuengling is available, see the brewer’s “Beer Finder” on its website.

    [ad_2]

    Steve Neavling

    Source link