The Trump administration is moving to end the requirement that passengers remove their shoes when going through airport security, according to multiple reports.
The much-hated shoe removal mandate, which has been in place since 2006, is being gradually phased out in the coming weeks, according to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents who have told multiple news outlets. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the news on Tuesday morning. 
The phase-out began at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Portland International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-shoes-rule-expires/">reported</a>. 
On Tuesday morning, Leavitt posted, “Big news from [the Department of Homeland Security]!” in response to an X news post on the policy change. 
&nbsp;
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Big news from <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a>! ✈️👟 <a href="https://t.co/GJjd2UQMki">https://t.co/GJjd2UQMki</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1942566895011447059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture,” a TSA spokesman <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/travel/tsa-shoes-removal-airport-security.html">told</a> the New York Times on Monday. “Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels.”
The news was first <a href="https://gateaccess.substack.com/p/exclusive-tsa-to-end-shoe-removal">reported</a> by Gate Access on July 4, which stated that the TSA had begun circulating the updated shoe guidance. Before the change, visitors enrolled in the TSA PreCheck program were permitted to keep their shoes, belts, and jackets on and were not required to remove laptops or liquids from their bags. 
Some conservative commentators praised the move from the Trump administration.
&#8220;Rejoice, you no longer have to take your shoes off to go through TSA airport security. Always a moronic rule that didn’t seem likely to make any of us safer. But this removal is likely to make airport security lines run way smoother,&#8221;  Outkick founder Clay Travis said.
In December 2001, a month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, airline passenger Richard Reid attempted to ignite explosive devices hidden in his shoes while on a flight from Paris to Miami. Still considered a threat years later, the shoe removal policy was first <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/timeline">instituted</a> in 2006 as a way to screen airline passengers for explosives. 
Reid, known as the shoe bomber, had homemade bombs containing 10 ounces of explosive materials hidden in his shoes that the FBI <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/artifacts/richard-reids-shoes">said</a> would have blown a hole in the plane’s fuselage if detonated successfully. After pleading guilty to eight terrorism-related charges, Reid was sentenced to life in prison.

Denver International Airport scenes

Trump Admin Phasing Out Most Hated Airport Screening Policy

Air and Space

airport

Department of Homeland Security

Karoline Leavitt

Security

Trump Administration

U.S.

Many people are believed to be dead after an Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed just after taking off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday.
The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was headed to the Gatwick Airport in Britain, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/plane-crashes-indias-ahmedabad-airport-tv-channels-report-2025-06-12/">reported</a>. According to Indian authorities, the aircraft crashed into a civilian area near the airport in Ahmedabad, striking a doctors&#8217; hostel at a medical college.
&#8220;At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,&#8221; Air India <a href="https://x.com/airindia/status/1933100970399166759">said</a>. &#8220;The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.&#8221;
Of the 242 people on board, 11 were children. Most of the passengers were Indian, while there were 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India.
Videos circulating on X show the Boeing plane slowly descending over a residential area before it disappears, and then a massive fireball is seen.
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BREAKING:
A London-bound Air India Flight 171 has crashed into a residential area minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad, India.
The Boeing 787-8 was carrying 242 passengers and crew <a href="https://t.co/3BEOCmXLXd">pic.twitter.com/3BEOCmXLXd</a>
&mdash; Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) <a href="https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1933096124208013786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Ahmedabad Airport air traffic control said that the plane transmitted a &#8220;Mayday&#8221; call shortly after takeoff at 1:39 p.m. local time, but there was no response from the aircraft after the emergency signal, according to Reuters. More videos from a hospital in the city showed injured people being wheeled in on stretchers after the crash, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/12/world/india-plane-crash-ahmedabad/81db752f-d478-524a-97a0-8cd92518b600?smid=url-share">The New York Times</a>.
While the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has experienced issues in the past, including forcing passengers to evacuate and suspending flights, there have been no fatal crashes reported until Thursday&#8217;s tragedy in India, according to the Times. Boeing has faced increased scrutiny recently over safety issues and deadly plane crashes. Last month, Boeing <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/23/boeing-737-max-crashes-doj.html">reached</a> a deal with the U.S. government, agreeing to pay around $1 billion to avoid prosecution over two crashes involving Boeing’s 737 MAX 8s that killed a total of 346 people.
One of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/12/world/india-plane-crash-ahmedabad/268968e1-e8c8-5168-a4a9-78787ed911e3?smid=url-share">passengers</a> on the Air India flight was Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat, the state where Ahmedabad is located. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is from Gujarat, <a href="https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1933110947553681853">said</a>, &#8220;The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.&#8221;

Plane crashes in western India’s Gujarat after takeoff

Plane With 242 People On Board Crashes After Takeoff, ‘Many Killed’

Airplane

Boeing

Death

India

Plane Crash

World

The Trump administration ended an airport surveillance program on Thursday that it said had been “weaponized” by the Biden administration. 
The Department of Homeland Security said that it was closing down the Quiet Skies program because it had been used for political purposes and had not stopped any terrorist attacks. The Quiet Skies <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pia-tsa-spqs018i-april2019_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">program</a> was an initiative run by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that flagged fliers deemed by intelligence officials to “pose an elevated security risk” for “enhanced screening” and potential observation by federal Air Marshals. 
“It is clear that the Quiet Skies program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration — weaponized against its political foes and exploited to benefit their well-heeled friends. I am calling for a Congressional investigation to unearth further corruption at the expense of the American people and the undermining of US national security,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. 
 “TSA&#8217;s critical aviation and security vetting functions will be maintained, and the Trump Administration will return TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of the traveling public. This includes restoring the integrity, privacy, and equal application of the law for all Americans,” she added. 
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The program costs $200 million per year and has stopped zero terrorist attacks since its inception in 2010, according to Homeland Security. 
Noem said that enhanced Quiet Skies screening was wrongly placed on Biden administration critic Tulsi Gabbard, who is now the Director of National Intelligence, while she was campaigning for President Donald Trump. She added that preferential treatment was given to the husband of a Democratic senator. 
On Wednesday, Homeland Security claimed that William Shaheen, the husband of New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, was given a blanket exemption from Quiet Skies after he was flagged for traveling “with a Known or Suspected Terrorist on three occasions.” The exception was granted after Senator Shaheen lobbied the federal government for her husband&#8217;s removal from the Quiet Skies list, according to the department. 
Shaheen has disputed those claims, saying that she was unaware that her husband was ever flagged as a security risk by the Quiet Skies program. 
&#8220;Senator Shaheen contacted the Transportation Security Administration after her husband was subjected to several extensive, invasive and degrading searches at airport checkpoints,&#8221; her office said. &#8220;Senator Shaheen sought to understand the nature and cause of these searches. Any suggestion that the senator&#8217;s husband was supposedly included on a Quiet Skies list is news to her and had never been raised before yesterday, nor was she aware of any action taken following her call to remove him from such a list.&#8221;
Noem called for Congress to open up an investigation into Quiet Skies in addition to her department’s internal probe.

Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and former

Trump Admin Ends ‘Weaponized’ Airport Security Surveillance Program

Biden Administration

Kristi Noem

National Security

Politics

Terrorists

Tulsi Gabbard

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he expects his &#8220;Golden Dome&#8221; missile defense project to be completed by the end of his term.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump announced that his administration had developed a draft architecture of what the Golden Dome would look like. He said that the project, which is expected to cost around $175 billion, would protect America from hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles.
&#8220;Once fully constructed, the golden dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they are launched from space, and we will have the best system ever built,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland.&#8221;
Trump said the missile defense project &#8220;should be fully operational by the end of my term,&#8221; adding that the &#8220;one, big, beautiful bill&#8221; making its way through Congress would include the first $25 billion for the project. He first rolled out the plan in January, issuing an executive order for the Department of Defense to develop a next-generation missile defense program.
&#8220;This is very important for the success and even survival of our country, it&#8217;s an evil world out there, so this is something that goes a long way towards the survival of this great country,&#8221; he said, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Space Force General Michael Guetlein.
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Trump said Canada had already reached out to see if it could participate in the defense program, saying it would pay &#8220;their fair share&#8221; if it joined the project.
Guetlein, who was chosen to lead the initiative, said it was much needed in the face of overseas adversaries improving their missile technology.
&#8220;As you are aware, our adversaries have become very capable and very intent on holding the homeland at risk,&#8221; he said. &#8220;While we have been focused on keeping the peace overseas, our adversaries have been quickly modernizing their nuclear forces, building out ballistic missiles capable of hosting multiple warheads, building out hypersonic missiles capable of attacking the United States within an hour and traveling at 6,000 miles an hour.&#8221;
In a statement, Hegseth noted that the Golden Dome would involve space-based interceptors and sensors and that the system would be constructed in phases, prioritizing areas most vulnerable to threats. He added that the system was being designed with input from North American Aerospace Defense Command, United States Northern Command, and United States Space Command.

President Trump Makes Announcement With Defense Secretary Hegseth In The Oval Office

Trump Reveals New Details About ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Defense System To Protect U.S.

ballistic missiles

Department of Defense

Donald Trump

Executive

Pete Hegseth

Ronald Reagan

United States Space Force

A high-ranking Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official confirmed that the hotline between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and the Pentagon became inoperable during the Biden administration in March 2022.
On January 29, American Airlines Flight 5342, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, collided in midair near the airport with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that had three people on board. Multiple American figure skaters and coaches returning from a training camp were on the flight. There were no survivors.
An internal preliminary report from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/federal-aviation-administration-faa">FAA</a> said that staffing at the tower was &#8220;not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/29/us/plane-crash-washington-dc">according to The New York Times</a>. The newspaper said the controller who was dealing with helicopters around the airport was also instructing airplanes that were landing and departing, tasks which are typically assigned to multiple people.
On Wednesday, Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/5/faa-reauthorization-one-year-later-aviation-safety-air-traffic-and-next-generation-technology_2">questioned</a> Franklin McIntosh, the FAA Deputy COO of air traffic control, about proper procedures.
“On April 25 for the first time since the January 28 mid-air collision, the army resumed flying in the national capital region,” Cruz noted. “Less than a week later, air traffic control had to command two commercial aircraft on final approach to abort their landing at DCA due to an Army Blackhawk on an apparent training mission at the Pentagon, having wandered far too close to the commercial aircraft flightpath.”
“Shortly thereafter, and just 10 days after having resumed limited flight in the national capital region, the army aviation brigade, suspended operations in the DC area,” he continued. “I’ve been told that prior to the army aviation brigade’s decision to suspend operations on May 5, the FAA was preparing to suspend the letter of agreement between the army and the FAA that gives the army the ability to operate the DC air space without having to first ask for FAA clearance for each flight. Was the FAA prepared to suspend the letter of agreement, and if so, what was concerning enough to justify such a decision?”
“We were extremely troubled by the incident that occurred, especially in light of DCA and the events that led up to the accident,” McIntosh admitted. “We were ready to deploy any option available that we could use or that we felt was necessary to bring safety measures and better behaviors from the DOD in this instance. &#8230; We were ready to do any option available to include what you just spoke to, which was removing the ability to fly.”
“Just to be clear, does that mean the FAA did actually draft an order suspending the army’s ability to fly in the DC area?” Cruz asked.
“I’m not 100% aware if we drafted an order, but we did have a discussion if that was an option that we wanted to pursue,” McIntosh replied. “I do know that the DOD came back and suspended operations on their own based on that event so we’re still working with DOD to improve that process.”
“Is it true that the hotline, the direct line between the Pentagon air traffic control and the DCA tower, has been inoperable since March 2022?” Cruz asked. When McIntosh confirmed that the hotline indeed had been inoperable, Cruz continued, ‘Who maintains that hotline?”
“I believe the DOD maintains that hotline but I think the next question would be why were we not aware of it and insist upon it being fixed? “ McIntosh replied. “We take safety responsibilities extremely seriously in the FAA and those were the questions we were asking and we were not aware, but we became aware after that event and now that we became aware of that event we are were insisting upon that line to be fixed before we resume any operations out of the Pentagon.
“While army flights were ongoing, if the hotline was not operational, how did controllers communicate?” Cruz wanted to know.
“We still have landline abilities; we can make phone calls from the helipad to the operation where the supervisor or the controller in charge can answer so we’re aware of the activity and if there was a departure clearance needed, we’d be able to relay it via that mechanism,” McIntosh answered.
“Is it also true that the air traffic control positions for local traffic and helicopters were combined early just as they were on the day of the mid-air collision?” Cruz pressed.
“Yes sir, it was,” McIntosh confirmed.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this article.

US-AVIATION-ACCIDENT

Hotline Between Reagan National Airport, DOD Became Inoperable During Biden Admin

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Reagan national Airport

Ted Cruz

Hundreds of passengers were forced to evacuate a Delta jet through the emergency slide after an engine caught fire at Orlando International Airport on Monday.
Delta Air Lines Flight 1213, an Airbus 330, was preparing for departure at around 11:15 a.m. for a quick flight to Atlanta and had just pushed back from the gate when one of the engines burst into flames, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/delta-plane-engine-fire-orlando-airport-passengers-evacuate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. There were 282 passengers, 10 flight attendants, and two pilots onboard, according to the airline.
A <a href="https://x.com/ExxAlerts/status/1914351671611978217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> on social media showed a large flame shooting out from an engine on the right side of the plane as passengers slid down the emergency slide. According to Delta, the plane&#8217;s crew evacuated the Airbus after they noticed a fire in the tailpipe of one of its two main engines.
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Passengers had to evacuate on emergency slides after a Delta plane caught fire on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport on Monday, the FAA said.
Delta Air Lines Flight 1213, bound for Atlanta, was pushing back from the gate for departure around 11:15 a.m. when an engine… <a href="https://t.co/kLJ1LR7DeF">pic.twitter.com/kLJ1LR7DeF</a>
&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1914378120058073479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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No one was injured, according to initial reports, and the passengers were taken back to the terminal, where they will board another aircraft to take them to Atlanta, according to Delta. The flames were contained by fire crews at the airport.
The cause of the fire was not initially known, and the Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident.
&#8220;Nothing is more important than safety and Delta teams will work to get our customers to their final destinations as soon as possible,&#8221; Delta said in a statement.
In February, 18 people were injured when a Delta plane flipped upside down after landing at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. A preliminary report from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada on the crash landing found that the pilot of the Delta passenger jet, which took off from Minneapolis, was descending at twice the speed that qualifies as a &#8220;hard landing,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/world/canada/delta-plane-crash-toronto-report.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

Delta Airlines Airbus

Passengers Forced To Evacuate After Delta Jet Bursts Into Flames

Delta Airlines

Florida

Pop singer Katie Perry, TV personality Gayle King, and several others were on board the first all-female flight to space in decades that blasted off and landed successfully on Monday morning.
The women on Blue Origin&#8217;s NS-31 mission took off from West Texas on a trip that lasted just over ten minutes. It was the first all-female space crew <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/14/nx-s1-5364460/blue-origin-launch-female-space-flight-katy-perry">since</a> Soviet-era cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who is also the first woman in space, orbited the Earth during a solo mission in 1963.
Besides Perry and King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez, who is engaged to Blue Origin and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, comprised the NS-31 crew.
The flight briefly traveled above the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, about 62 miles above Earth&#8217;s surface.
Several famous faces were present at the launch event, including Perry’s daughter Daisy and her husband, actor Orlando Bloom. King’s best friend, Oprah Winfrey, showed up to watch, as did other celebs, including Kris Jenner and Khloe Kardashian.
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Welcome to West Texas, NS-31 crew! <a href="https://t.co/8dFPqiaiZW">pic.twitter.com/8dFPqiaiZW</a>
&mdash; Blue Origin (@blueorigin) <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1911216376334684513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The women did an <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a64341516/blue-origin-female-flight-crew-space-interview-2025/">interview</a> with Elle magazine before the launch during the first week of April. 
Perry insisted the event would be “glam,” while King said she was “terrified.” 
&#8220;I haven’t felt like this since childbirth, really,&#8221; said King.
The women have been getting some pushback from those asking the point of the mission. Actress Olivia Munn <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/olivia-munn-blasts-katy-perry-031544538.html">said as much</a> earlier this month on an episode of “Today with Jenna and Friends.”
“What’s the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s a bit gluttonous,” Munn said. “Space exploration was to further our knowledge and to help mankind. What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”
&#8220;No offense, but they&#8217;re passengers, not crew and it&#8217;s a flight, not a mission. They have zero controls over the ship, just sit there, then float for a few minutes, then return. The whole thing is like 15 minutes. It&#8217;s publicity, at best,&#8221; one commenter on X <a href="https://x.com/derekahunter/status/1911422259018822070">noted</a>.
&#8220;Katy Perry and some other random women were just launched into space on a Blue Origin rocket for no reason other than to waste money and virtue signal about women. I’m all for venturing into space but this wasteful wokeness doesn’t help,&#8221; another <a href="https://x.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1911778146988212241">agreed</a>.
Many others said there was nothing wrong with taking the flight if the people on board had the means and the interest.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t care that it was an all female crew, I care that they made it back successfully. That was pretty cool,&#8221; one person <a href="https://x.com/RealLifeFootage/status/1911776391605162189">said</a>.

Blue Origin

Blue Origin All-Female Crew, Including Katy Perry, Launches Into Space

 Blue Origin All Female Crew, Including Katy Perry, Launches Into Space 

Celebrities

Jeff Bezos

Katy Perry

Outer Space

Space

Women

A Spanish couple killed when a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/split-in-half-six-people-killed-in-nyc-helicopter-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helicopter crashed</a> in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday was identified by authorities as the investigation into the tragedy continues.
Agustín Escobar, a senior executive at German technology firm Siemens, and his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, were both killed after a tourist helicopter appeared to break apart mid-air before falling into the water, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hudson-helicopter-crash-victims-named-rcna200801" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Three minors, who are reportedly the children of Escobar and Montal, were also killed but have not been identified. The name of the pilot who died in the crash has also not been released as of Friday morning.
Escobar brought his family to New York City after a business trip, and the family was celebrating Montal&#8217;s 40th birthday on Thursday when they went on the tourist helicopter flight, according to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who added that the children were all 11 years old and under. The Spanish newspaper El Diario <a href="https://www.eldiario.es/internacional/muere-familia-espanola-accidente-helicoptero-nueva-york_1_12212531.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the trip was to celebrate the birthday of one of the children.
A video posted on social media showed the Bell 206 helicopter falling from the sky after it appeared to lose its propellers. Witnesses described hearing a loud boom and then seeing the helicopter &#8220;split in half.&#8221; One witness told ABC News that she “heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.”
Authorities quickly recovered all six bodies from the Hudson River Thursday evening. Four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more were transported to a hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. Later that night, the helicopter was removed from the river.
Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, said the pilot called in before the crash to say that he needed fuel and was preparing to return, The Telegraph <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/04/10/helicopter-hudson-river-crash-live-latest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Roth added, &#8220;It should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive.&#8221;
&#8220;We’re all devastated,&#8221; he said.
Leaders in the United States and Spain mourned the deaths. Spain&#8217;s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called the crash &#8220;an unimaginable tragedy.&#8221; President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114316199673595819" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social, &#8220;The footage of the accident is horrendous.&#8221;
&#8220;God bless the families and friends of the victims,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!&#8221;

Helicopter crashes into Hudson River

Authorities Identify Husband, Wife Who Died In NYC Helicopter Crash

New Jersey

New York

New York City

Spain

An air traffic controller at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, was arrested and charged with battery and assault last week after a fight broke out in the control tower.
The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14548725/Air-traffic-controllers-fight-Reagan-National-Airport-control-tower.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last Friday that two air traffic controllers began throwing punches after an argument. At least six air traffic controllers and a supervisor were likely working when the fight broke out. On Monday, POLITICO <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/air-traffic-controller-charged-scuffle-202004507.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Damon Marsalis Gaines, 39, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was arrested by airport authorities and charged in connection with the scuffle.
“The employee is on administrative leave while we investigate the matter,” the Federal Aviation Administration told <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/5225741-reagan-airport-controller-arrested/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>. The FAA did not provide any further details about the charges or the nature of the fight in the air traffic control tower.
The arrest of an air traffic controller at DCA follows a deadly plane crash near the airport in January when an American Airlines flight with 64 people aboard collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. While the investigation into the crash continues, authorities believe that DCA&#8217;s air traffic controllers properly warned the helicopter pilots about the inbound American Airlines flight.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-investigation-ntsb-faa-9da42d267bf44049ecc57763961b0ac4#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in February that the helicopter&#8217;s cockpit recorder appeared to indicate that incomplete radio transmission likely prevented the pilots from hearing air traffic controllers telling them to &#8220;pass behind&#8221; the passenger jet seconds before the collision.
Lawmakers have called for the U.S. military to stop conducting helicopter training runs near the busy airport, and the FAA has banned those particular helicopter routes when planes are flying into the shorter runway at DCA. During a Congressional hearing on the crash, both Republicans and Democrats agreed that the tragedy could have been prevented.

DCA Air Traffic Controller Arrested On Assault Charges After Fight In Control Tower

Fight

Police

President Donald Trump said Friday that he would personally cover overtime pay for two NASA astronauts stuck at the International Space Station for more than nine months.
Trump made the comments in the Oval Office after a reporter asked him about the fact that astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry &#8220;Butch&#8221; Wilmore would <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-astronauts-only-get-five-dollars-top-salary-stuck-space-2047544" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only</a> receive about five dollars per day for every day they were stranded in space. The NASA astronauts were supposed to only be gone for an eight-day mission but ended up being there for 286 days after the Boeing spacecraft that was supposed to pick them up malfunctioned. 
“Well, nobody has ever mentioned this to me,” Trump told Fox News reporter Peter Doocy. “If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket, Okay? I’ll get it for them.&#8221;
Williams and Wilmore <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/nasa-astronauts-overtime.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are</a> only entitled to around $1400 for the extra time they spent in space.
“Is that all? That’s not a lot for what they had to go through. And I want to thank (SpaceX CEO) Elon Musk,” Trump added. “Think if we don’t have him. You know, there’s only so long, even though they’re in the capsule up there, the body starts to deteriorate after nine or ten months, and gets really bad after 14, 15 months, with the bones and the blood and all the things that you’ve been reporting on very well.&#8221;
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“If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket.”
Trump offers to pay for the overtime of the two rescued astronauts, who apparently received just $5 per day in per diem for their extra time. <a href="https://t.co/3mYY3aS07f">pic.twitter.com/3mYY3aS07f</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1903122422867296525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;And if we don’t have Elon, they could be up there a long time, who else is going to get them? And I just want to thank him, he’s going through a lot,&#8221; Trump said, referencing the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nothing-short-of-domestic-terrorism-ag-bondi-issues-statement-after-violent-attacks-on-tesla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uptick</a> in acts of vandalism and violence directed at Tesla properties. 
Williams and Wilmore <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/promise-made-promise-kept-astronauts-stranded-during-biden-admin-finally-head-back-to-earth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made it back</a> to Earth on Tuesday after Musk sent a SpaceX Dragon capsule to pick them up. That came after Trump asked Musk in January to “go get” the astronauts after he said they had been “virtually abandoned in space by the Biden administration.”
Musk claimed in February that he had offered to bring the astronauts home early “months ago” but that the Biden administration “refused,” delaying their return for “political reasons,” which NASA officials have denied.

White House Set To Announce Contractor For Next-Gen Fighter Jet

‘Out Of My Own Pocket’: Trump Offers To Cover Overtime For Stranded Astronauts

Elon Musk

NASA

SpaceX

Global travel was disrupted on Friday as London’s Heathrow Airport shut down due to a fire that broke out at an electrical station. 
Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, announced it would be closed until midnight due to a fire that caused two terminals to lose power. The fire, which broke out Thursday, has already <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/londons-heathrow-airport-closed-all-day-friday-after-fire-causes-power-outage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impacted</a> more than 1,300 flights, with authorities telling travelers not to come to the airport. Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-heathrow-airport-experiences-power-outage-due-fire-substation-2025-03-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the closure could impact up to 290,000 travelers.
“Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage. To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March,” the airport posted on X. “Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
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Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage.
To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.
Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport… <a href="https://t.co/7SWNJP8ojd">pic.twitter.com/7SWNJP8ojd</a>
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) <a href="https://twitter.com/HeathrowAirport/status/1902911632679805313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The airport later <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/business/money-report/britains-heathrow-airport-closes-friday-after-substation-fire-causes-significant-power-outage/4140238/?os=io....dbr5yxkr%26ref%3Dapp&amp;ref=app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it did not estimate when power would be “reliably restored.” 
&#8220;We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” a spokesman said. 
The London Fire Brigade <a href="https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2025/march/fire-at-electrical-substation-hayes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the blaze involved around 6,600 gallons of cooling oil. London Police said it was working with firefighting authorities to determine the cause, saying the investigation was ongoing. 
“While there is currently no indication of foul play we retain an open mind at this time,” the police said in a statement. 
The investigation is being led by London’s Counter Terrorism Command because of the location of the power station and the “impact this incident has had on critical national infrastructure,” the Metropolitan Police <a href="https://x.com/metpoliceuk/status/1903058191736549865" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
In addition to the airport disruption, more than 67,000 homes in the area lost power due to the fire, and around 179 people were evacuated from the area by firefighters and police. 
&#8220;I would like to take this opportunity to thank firefighters and Control officers for their courage and professionalism to bring this incident under control in what were very challenging,” said Deputy Commissioner at London Fire Brigade Jonathan Smith.

Fire At Substation Grounds Flights At Heathrow For The Day

Thousands Of Travelers Left In Limbo As Fire Shuts Down One Of World’s Busiest Airports

London

United Kingdom

An American Airlines flight landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Tuesday was forced to abort its landing to avoid hitting another plane taking off on the same runway.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that the incident happened at around 8:20 a.m. EST.
&#8220;An air traffic controller instructed American Flight 2246 to perform a go-around at Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) Airport to ensure separation was maintained between this aircraft and a preceding departure from the same runway,&#8221; the statement said.
The FAA said that a &#8220;go-around&#8221; maneuver is a &#8220;safe, routine maneuver performed at the discretion of a pilot or at the request of an air traffic controller.&#8221;
The maneuver aborts a landing and returns the aircraft to a position where it can make another approach to land.
&#8220;American has a no-fault go-around policy as a go-around is not an abnormal flight maneuver and can occur nearly every day in the National Airspace System,&#8221; American Airlines said in a statement. &#8220;It&#8217;s a tool in both the pilot&#8217;s and air traffic controller&#8217;s toolbox to help maintain safe and efficient flight operations, and any assertion that flight 2246&#8217;s canceled approach was more than that is inaccurate.&#8221;
The incident comes after a Southwest Airlines flight had a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/25/us/chicago-midway-airport-near-miss-planes/index.html">very close call</a> on Tuesday morning at Chicago Midway International Airport.
Southwest Flight 2504 was touching down on the tarmac when a private jet taking off pulled out in front of the plane. The Southwest flight was forced to initiate a go-around, immediately taking off again to avoid a collision.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation into the incident, officials said.
&#8220;We don’t believe that this was an air traffic control issue,&#8221; TSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/ntsb-blames-southwest-chicago-near-miss-flexjet-crew-failure-listen-air-traffic-control">Fox News</a>. &#8220;It appears this was a failure of the flight crew from Flexjet to listen and abide by the instructions of air traffic control.&#8221;

American Airlines Plane And Black Hawk Helicopter Crash Near Reagan National Airport

American Airlines Flight Forced To Abort Landing To Avoid Another Plane Collision

American Airlines

Washington D.C.

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