Airport congestion eases as TSA workers receive backpay but record DHS shutdown drags on – US politics live

From 1h agoCongestion at airport security eases as TSA workers receive backpay but shutdown drags onHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Security lines have eased at airports, clearing the worst of the bottlenecks as Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) officers began receiving backpay for working during the government shutdown.Lines that at times stretched to four hours at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport shrank to waits of 10 minutes or less on Monday.In other previous trouble spots such as Atlanta and Baltimore-Washington International Airport, travelers were moving smoothly to their flights.Weary travelers hope the overdue paychecks will end the seemingly endless security lines and missed flights many experienced, AP reported.It remains unknown how long federal immigration officers will maintain a visible presence in airport terminals as the busy spring break travel season continues.TSA workers told union leadership Monday that they received some, but not all, of their back pay, according to Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the TSA chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees.He said the rest is expected by next week. Some employees also reported incorrect backpay amounts, including missing overtime, the union said.“None of my colleagues feel like they’ve been made whole,” Jones said. “Their finances are destroyed.”President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA officers immediately to ease the lines plaguing airports.Trump had rejected bipartisan efforts to fund the TSA while negotiations over ICE continue with Democrats, who have refused to approve more funding without restraints on Trump’s immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations.Trump’s order left other DHS employees unpaid.In other developments: Allegations swirl that a broker for Pete Hegseth inquired into an investment in key defense companies before the Iran war began. The Morgan Stanley broker allegedly made an inquiry with BlackRock regarding an investment into a defense-focused equity fund. The Pentagon denied the allegations calling them “entirely false and fabricated”. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump. This would make the airport the latest in a long list of institutions, government programs, buildings and even money named after the president. The US government has directed all of its embassies and consulates to launch coordinated campaigns against foreign propaganda. Marco Rubio signed a cable on Monday directing the embassies to coordinate with the US military’s psychological operations unit to address disinformation. It suggested using Elon Musk’s social media platform X to carry out the campaign. José Guadalupe Ramos, a Mexican national, becomes the 14th known person to die in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since the beginning of the year. He was found unconscious in his bunk last week at the Adelanto detention center in California and pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby medical center. The army is investigating a helicopter fly-by at Kid Rock’s hillside swimming pool in Tennessee on Saturday. Two army choppers on a training run visited and hovered by the rocker’s house as he saluted them. According to the army, there was no official request for the fly-by, which triggered the administrative review. Key events41m agoDonald Trump tells allies, including the UK, to go to the strait of Hormuz and 'just take' fuel1h agoCongestion at airport security eases as TSA workers receive backpay but shutdown drags onShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureDefense secretary Pete Hegseth and joint chiefs of staff Dan Caine are due to give an update on the military campaign in Iran on the hour.It comes as Donald Trump described Iran as having been “decimated” by the US-Israeli war.We will have all the latest news lines from that over on the Middle East crisis live blog:Donald Trump tells allies, including the UK, to go to the strait of Hormuz and 'just take' fuelDonald Trump has urged other countries to buy oil from the US and go to the strait of Hormuz to take the fuel for themselves.He also warned allies, including the United Kingdom, to learn “how to fight for yourself” because the US “won’t be there to help you anymore’.Writing on Truth Social, he said: double quotation markAll of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT. You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil! President DJT A federal panel will meet today to consider exempting oil and gas drillers operating in the Gulf of Mexico from a decades-old law meant to protect endangered species including whales, birds and sea turtles.The meeting of the Endangered Species Committee for the first time in more than 30 years is the latest effort by US president Donald Trump’s administration to unwind regulations it says hold back domestic energy production.The committee, nicknamed the ‘God Squad’ because it has the power to grant exemptions to the Endangered Species Act, has convened only a handful of times since its creation in 1978. In an executive order last year, Trump ordered the committee to meet at least quarterly.The meeting, called by interior secretary Doug Burgum, will be broadcast online starting at 9:30am local time.Average US fuel prices have crossed $4 per gallon for the first time in four years, piling pressure on drivers as Donald Trump’s war on Iran continues to boost oil markets.The nationwide average climbed to almost $4.02 on Tuesday, according to AAA data, capping an extraordinary rise from $2.98 just a month ago. It has not been this high since August 2022.On the west coast, many drivers filling up cars and trucks are grappling with prices far higher than the US average. In California, the average is $5.89 per gallon; in Washington state, the average is $5.35.Prices at the pump have historically proven costly for political incumbents in the White House. Trump faces his the biggest electoral test of his second term later this year, with Republican control of Congress in the balance ahead of November’s mid-term elections.Oil prices have surged since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, with Brent, the global benchmark, hitting $115.48 per barrel.Congestion at airport security eases as TSA workers receive backpay but shutdown drags onHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Security lines have eased at airports, clearing the worst of the bottlenecks as Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) officers began receiving backpay for working during the government shutdown.Lines that at times stretched to four hours at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport shrank to waits of 10 minutes or less on Monday.In other previous trouble spots such as Atlanta and Baltimore-Washington International Airport, travelers were moving smoothly to their flights.Weary travelers hope the overdue paychecks will end the seemingly endless security lines and missed flights many experienced, AP reported.It remains unknown how long federal immigration officers will maintain a visible presence in airport terminals as the busy spring break travel season continues.TSA workers told union leadership Monday that they received some, but not all, of their back pay, according to Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the TSA chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees.He said the rest is expected by next week. Some employees also reported incorrect backpay amounts, including missing overtime, the union said.“None of my colleagues feel like they’ve been made whole,” Jones said. “Their finances are destroyed.”President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA officers immediately to ease the lines plaguing airports.Trump had rejected bipartisan efforts to fund the TSA while negotiations over ICE continue with Democrats, who have refused to approve more funding without restraints on Trump’s immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations.Trump’s order left other DHS employees unpaid.In other developments: Allegations swirl that a broker for Pete Hegseth inquired into an investment in key defense companies before the Iran war began. The Morgan Stanley broker allegedly made an inquiry with BlackRock regarding an investment into a defense-focused equity fund. The Pentagon denied the allegations calling them “entirely false and fabricated”. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump. This would make the airport the latest in a long list of institutions, government programs, buildings and even money named after the president. The US government has directed all of its embassies and consulates to launch coordinated campaigns against foreign propaganda. Marco Rubio signed a cable on Monday directing the embassies to coordinate with the US military’s psychological operations unit to address disinformation. It suggested using Elon Musk’s social media platform X to carry out the campaign. José Guadalupe Ramos, a Mexican national, becomes the 14th known person to die in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since the beginning of the year. He was found unconscious in his bunk last week at the Adelanto detention center in California and pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby medical center. The army is investigating a helicopter fly-by at Kid Rock’s hillside swimming pool in Tennessee on Saturday. Two army choppers on a training run visited and hovered by the rocker’s house as he saluted them. According to the army, there was no official request for the fly-by, which triggered the administrative review.