Congestion at airport security eases as TSA workers receive backpay but shutdown drags on
Hello and welcome to the live blog.
Security lines have eased at airports, alleviating the worst of the delays as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers began receiving backpay for their work during the government shutdown.
Lines that at times extended up to four hours at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport shortened to waits of 10 minutes or less on Monday.
In other previously congested locations such as Atlanta and Baltimore-Washington International Airport, travelers were moving smoothly to their flights.
Weary travelers hope the overdue paychecks will end the prolonged security lines and missed flights many experienced, according to the Associated Press.
It remains uncertain how long federal immigration officers will maintain a visible presence in airport terminals as the busy spring break travel season continues.
TSA workers informed union leadership on Monday that they had 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 stated the remainder 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 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue with Democrats, who have refused to approve more funding without restrictions on Trump’s immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations.
Trump’s order left other DHS employees unpaid.
Allegations have emerged that a broker for Pete Hegseth inquired about an investment in key defense companies before the Iran war began. The Morgan Stanley broker allegedly contacted 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 announced plans to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump. This would add the airport to a growing list of institutions, government programs, buildings, and even currency named after the president.
The US government has directed all of its embassies and consulates to coordinate with the US military’s psychological operations unit to address disinformation. Senator Marco Rubio signed a cable on Monday instructing embassies to collaborate with the military’s psychological operations unit, suggesting the use of Elon Musk’s social media platform X to carry out the campaign.
José Guadalupe Ramos, a Mexican national, became the 14th known person to die in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since the beginning of the year. He died last week at the Adelanto detention center in California and was pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby medical center.
The army conducted a flyover at Kid Rock’s hillside swimming pool in Tennessee on Saturday. Two army helicopters on a training run visited and hovered near the musician’s house as he saluted them. According to the army, there was no official request for the fly-by, which triggered an administrative review.
Trump confirms King Charles visit to the US
Donald Trump confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel to the US for a state visit from 27 to 30 April.
The president said the trip will include a banquet dinner at the White House on 28 April.
This will be Charles’s first state visit to the US since ascending the throne in 2022.
He is also expected to address Congress and attend events marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.
Donald Trump is in Washington today. According to the official White House schedule, the president is not expected to appear publicly until 7pm ET when he heads to the Kennedy Center to watch the opening night of “Chicago” with First Lady Melania Trump.
We will monitor the latest updates upon his arrival.
Hegseth reiterated the president’s frustrations with European nations for their reluctance to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, we reported that Trump chided countries like the UK to learn “how to fight for yourself” because the US “won’t be there to help you anymore.”
At his Pentagon press conference today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there are countries around the world “who ought to be prepared to step up on this critical waterway as well.”
Hegseth expressed frustration with allies, stating,
“Last time I checked, there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well. So the world ought pay attention and be prepared to stand up. President Trump has been willing to do the heavy lifting on behalf of the free world to address this threat of Iran. It’s not just our problem set going forward.”
Hegseth: next days in Iran war will be ‘decisive’
The next days of the war with Iran will be “decisive,” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said.
“The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there’s almost nothing they can militarily do about it,” Hegseth told a news conference, his first in nearly two weeks.
“We have more and more options, and they have less... in only one month we set the terms, the upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there’s almost nothing they can militarily do about it.”
Hegseth began the press conference by saying he visited the Middle East on Saturday and spoke with US troops.
He claimed morale is high and there is an appetite among military personnel to “finish the mission” and that they want bigger bombs and weapons to attack with.
“These troops want to finish this fight for their kids and their grandkids. This is about history, this is about legacy.”
The defense secretary said that while previous presidents were “all talk,” Trump is “all action.”
Follow along with the latest here:
Defense 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.
This comes as the US described Iran as having been “decimated” by the US-Israeli war.
We will provide 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' fuel
Donald 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:
“All 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, known as the ‘God Squad’ because it has the power to grant exemptions to the Endangered Species Act, is the first in more than 30 years. It is the latest effort by the Trump administration to unwind regulations it says hold back domestic energy production.
The committee, created in 1978, has convened only a handful of times. 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, increasing 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, marking a significant rise from $2.98 just a month ago. It has not been this high since August 2022.
On the West Coast, many drivers are facing 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 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.
