Tag Archives: trump administration officials

general

Flight cancellations ease with end to the shutdown in sight

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**FAA Air Traffic Control Tower at LaGuardia Stands in Spotlight Amid Government Shutdown**

The FAA Air Traffic Control tower at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in the Queens borough of New York has become a focal point during the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has strained the entire U.S. aviation industry.

Flight cancellations eased across the country on Wednesday ahead of a pivotal House vote on a funding bill that could end the longest federal government shutdown in American history. Lawmakers in the House were expected to vote around 7 p.m. ET on the bill, which had already been passed by the Senate earlier in the week.

The shutdown has once again raised concerns about air travel and intensified the burden on air traffic controllers, who have been required to work without receiving their regularly scheduled paychecks. On Wednesday alone, 811 U.S. departures were canceled.

Trump administration officials began requiring airlines to trim their schedules on Friday, citing safety risks and the mounting strain on controllers. However, these cuts were not enough to prevent further disruptions, as widespread staffing shortages and inclement weather led to a surge in cancellations and delays over the weekend.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said during an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” that the ongoing shutdown will have a financial impact on the airline, though it would not be enough to erase company profits. Bastian also warned of the possibility of another shutdown in the future and emphasized that air traffic controllers should be paid if such an event occurs.

U.S. airline shares saw a broad uptick on Wednesday prior to the House vote.

Thin staffing of air traffic controllers has become a pronounced issue since the shutdown began on October 1. According to Airlines for America, an industry group representing the largest U.S. carriers, this shortage has led to thousands of flights being slowed or canceled, disrupting travel plans for an estimated five million passengers. Reports from the controllers’ union and government officials indicate that some air traffic controllers have even been forced to take second jobs to make ends meet.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, along with major airlines, warned this week that air travel will not immediately return to normal even after the shutdown concludes. “We’re going to wait to see the data on our end before we take out the restrictions in travel, but it depends on controllers coming back to work,” Duffy stated during a press conference at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday.

As the industry awaits the results of the House vote and a resolution to the shutdown, travelers and airline officials remain hopeful for a swift return to normal operations.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/flight-cancellations-ease-with-end-to-the-shutdown-in-sight/

war

Russian overnight attack on Ukraine’s Kyiv kills at least 3, wounds dozens

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At least three people have been killed and dozens wounded in an overnight Russian air attack on Kyiv, according to the mayor of the Ukrainian capital, as Russia’s war on Ukraine approaches its four-year mark.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Sunday that “several” Russian drones were operating over the city, and warned people to “remain in shelters.”

“According to preliminary information, three people died and 27 were wounded (including 6 children),” Klitschko wrote later on Telegram, adding that all had received medical attention and some had been hospitalized.

He said drone fragments fell onto a nine-storey residential building in the northeastern Desnyansky district, sparking fires in apartments on several floors. “The fire has already been extinguished. Work is ongoing to dismantle the structures,” Klitschko wrote.

Fragments also damaged another nine-floor block in the same district, where five people were rescued. He added that “dismantling of structures is ongoing.”

More drone fragments fell on a 16-storey residential block in the northern Obolonsky district, damaging an apartment. “There are no fires or structural collapses,” Klitschko said.

The full scale of the damage and size of the attack were not immediately known. Kyiv and its surrounding region were under air raid alerts for about 1.5 hours before the air force called them off at about 00:30 GMT.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in their attacks on each other’s territory. However, thousands have been killed in the war that Russia started with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the vast majority of them Ukrainian, including many civilians.

The attacks came a day after other Russian drone and missile strikes killed four people—two of them in Kyiv—and wounded more than a dozen across Ukraine, according to Ukrainian authorities.

On Saturday, former United States President Donald Trump played down prospects of a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying he was “not going to be wasting [his] time.”

The remarks came as Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev met with Trump administration officials, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, a Russian source familiar with the talks told the AFP news agency. The discussions were expected to continue on Sunday.

Earlier this week, the US and the European Union announced new sweeping sanctions on Russian energy aimed at crippling Moscow’s war economy. Putin said he would not bend to pressure from the West.

“No self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decides anything under pressure,” he said, calling the US sanctions an “unfriendly act.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/26/russian-overnight-attack-on-ukraines-kyiv-kills-at-least-3-wounds-dozens?traffic_source=rss