The wife of actor Matthew McConaughey <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11814921/Camila-Alves-McConaughey-board-Lufthansa-flight-dropped-4K-feet-injured-7.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> she was aboard the ill-fated Lufthansa flight from Austin, Texas, to Frankfurt, Germany, that was struck by lightning.
The resulting turbulence from the plane’s fall on Wednesday caused seven people to be taken to the hospital after making an emergency landing in Virginia.
“On Flight last night, I was told plane dropped almost 4000 feet, 7 people went to the hospital,” Camila Alves McConaughey wrote on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpTOuPOovfm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>. “Everything was flying everywhere. To respect the privacy of those around me that’s all I am showing but the plane was a CHAOS And the turbulence keep on coming.”
“The @lufthansa flight you are seeing on the news today!!!! Yes…that one,” she acknowledged. “Thank God everyone was safe and ok. I must say everyone @marriotbonvoy by the airport of Washington where we had to divert to and spend the night was so kind! @officiallymcconaughey and I made it to the bar with 1 minute before closing … slept well, getting on new flight today. To the journey I continue.”
Another passenger aboard the Lufthansa flight told <a href="https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1631269180962897922" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Good Morning America</a>, “I don&#8217;t think even any of the people on board — the cabin crew — I don&#8217;t think any of them have experienced anything like this. This was shocking. It was kind of like you&#8217;re in slow motion. You just see everything — like in a movie where you see everything lift and all of a sudden it just comes right back down.”
Flight LH469 “encountered brief but severe turbulence about 90 minutes after takeoff,” Lufthansa said in a statement, adding that the crew “made an unscheduled landing at Washington Dulles Airport as a precautionary measure.”
Another passenger <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/03/01/lufthansa-turbulence-lh469-dulles-aiport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the plane went into “free fall,&#8221; adding that passengers and food “went flying into the air, hitting and even damaging the ceiling of the plane.&#8221; The passenger claimed someone in front of them was “badly hurt” with blood dispersed over their seat.
Another person, whose sister and brother were reportedly on the flight, said her siblings said “it was exceptionally scary, lots of broke [sic] glass and screaming and multiple injuries.”

Premiere Of Universal Pictures’ “Sing” – Arrivals

‘The Plane Was A Chaos’: Matthew McConaughey’s Wife Aboard Plane Struck By Lightning

Air Travel

Lightning

Lufthansa

Matthew McConaughey

U.S.

A Lufthansa flight en route from Austin, Texas, to Frankfurt, Germany, was reportedly struck by <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11810889/7-hospitalized-Lufthansa-flight-makes-emergency-landing-DC-airport-lighting-struck.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lightning</a> on Wednesday, sending the plane plummeting and terrifying passengers.
The flight made an emergency landing at Washington-Dulles International Airport around 9 p.m., three hours into the flight. Seven passengers were taken to the hospital.
Flight LH469 “encountered brief but severe turbulence about 90 minutes after takeoff,” Lufthansa said in a statement, adding that the crew “made an unscheduled landing at Washington Dulles Airport as a precautionary measure.”
“Lufthansa Flight 469 diverted to Dulles International Airport and landed without incident around 9:10 p.m. local time after the crew reported encountering severe turbulence at 37,000 feet altitude over Tennessee,” the FAA <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/7-lufthansa-passengers-texas-germany-hospitalized-lightning-strikes-plane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>.
A passenger <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/03/01/lufthansa-turbulence-lh469-dulles-aiport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the plane went into “free fall,&#8221; adding that passengers and food “went flying into the air, hitting and even damaging the ceiling of the plane.&#8221; The passenger claimed someone in front of them was “badly hurt” with blood dispersed over their seat.
Another person whose sister and brother were reportedly on the flight said her siblings said “it was exceptionally scary, lots of broke [sic] glass and screaming and multiple injuries.
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&#8220;We would like to get immediate help and compensation for the catastrophic forced landing incident involving LH469. Many of our plans have been affected, our clothes are ruined, and we definitely expect far more than just a hotel tonight. Reply ASAP,&#8221; one person said on Twitter.
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Lufthansa replied, &#8220;I am sorry to hear about your experience. Please reach out to our colleagues at the airport for immediate assistance. In terms of compensation, we encourage you to submit your request here.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hi Ashley, I am sorry to hear about your experience. Please reach out to our colleagues at the airport for immediate assistance. In terms of compensation, we encourage you to submit your request here: <a href="https://t.co/YXlBIwN6TD">https://t.co/YXlBIwN6TD</a>. /Aria
&mdash; Lufthansa (@lufthansa) <a href="https://twitter.com/lufthansa/status/1631146639288139784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“Commercial transport passenger planes are hit by lightning an average of one or two times a year. They are designed and built to have conducting paths through the plane to take the lightning strike and conduct the currents,” the National Weather Service<a href="https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-planes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> states</a>.
The FAA <a href="//EABAD296-042D-499B-8C6D-F8854CA97D9B/v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>: “Pilots should observe the following rules for any flight routed even potentially near actual or possible thunder- storm activity: Avoid all thunderstorms. Never go closer than 5 miles to any visible storm cloud with overhanging areas, and strongly consider increasing that distance to 20 miles or more. You can encounter hail and violent turbulence anywhere within 20 miles of very strong thunderstorms. Do not attempt flight beneath thunderstorms, even when visibility is good, because of the destructive potential of shear turbulence in these areas.”

Lufthansa Balance Sheet – Press Conference

Lufthansa Flight Struck By Lightning, 7 Passengers Taken To Hospital

World

Federal law enforcement officials arrested a man this week for allegedly trying to carry an explosive device onto an aircraft at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania&#8217;s</a> Lehigh Valley International Airport in a checked piece of luggage.
The FBI arrested Mark Muffley, 40, at his home in Lanford, Pennsylvania, on Monday after he fled the airport when authorities ordered him over the airport&#8217;s loudspeaker to report to airport security.
WFMZ-TV <a href="https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/lansford-man-checked-suitcase-with-hidden-explosive-at-lvia-fbi-says/article_c318d5fc-b859-11ed-8200-3faedb7bd663.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the device was about three inches in diameter, wrapped in wax-like paper and clear plastic wrap, and was found to contain powder used in commercial-grade fireworks.
The &#8220;powder is suspected to be a mixture of flash powder and the dark granulars that are used in commercial grade fireworks,&#8221; the complaint said. &#8220;The black powder and flash powder are susceptible to ignite from heat and friction and posed a significant risk to the aircraft and passengers.&#8221;
The bag also had &#8220;a can of butane, a lighter, a pipe with white powder residue, a wireless drill with cordless batteries, and two GFCI outlets taped together with black tape,&#8221; the complaint said.
The FBI and bomb experts were called to the scene after the device was found at around 11 a.m. on Monday, and the terminal was closed until 2 p.m. when officials gave the all clear.
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Muffley was charged with possession of an explosive at an airport and possessing, or attempting to place, or attempting to have placed an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft.

New 3-D Explosives Scanner Installed At TSA Checkpoint At Miami Airport

Feds Arrest Man For Allegedly Attempting To Bring Explosive Device On Plane In Pennsylvania

Crime

Law Enforcement

Pennsylvania

Daily Wire podcast host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-walsh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Walsh</a> torched disgraced former Biden administration official Sam Brinton during his podcast on Thursday over the latest woman to come forward and claim that Brinton stole her luggage.
Tanzanian fashion designer Asya Khamsin posted a tweet this week saying that her baggage was stolen from an airport in Washington, D.C., in 2018 and that after seeing Brinton in the news and doing some research, she believes that he stole her luggage because he was photographed wearing her custom-made clothing.
Brinton was eventually fired by the Biden administration late last year after facing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-release-mugshot-photo-of-disgraced-biden-energy-official-sam-brinton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple</a> criminal charges across the country for allegedly stealing luggage from airports.
&#8220;Now, I told you at the time that, you know, this guy was pretty clear to me is stealing the luggage, he&#8217;s not stealing it because he wants the luggage, right?&#8221; Walsh said. &#8220;Nobody needs that much baggage, especially someone like him who already comes with so much baggage to begin with. But it&#8217;s very clear that he is doing this and he&#8217;s targeting women because it&#8217;s all part, again, of this sick, twisted fetish.&#8221;
Walsh then began talking about the tweet from Khamsin, saying that the evidence that was presented by the fashion designer made the situation “pretty close to a case closed on this thing.&#8221;
&#8220;What this means is that Brinton, the baggage bandit, has been patrolling our airports for years,&#8221; Walsh said. &#8220;He&#8217;s been lurking in the baggage claim area like some kind of predatory forest creature on the prowl. This is like when all the small dogs and cats in the neighborhood start going missing and you know that there must be a coyote in the woods, except this coyote steals women&#8217;s luggage and then parades around in their clothing. So when we say &#8230; that these men are appropriating the female identity, well, he was literally doing that, right? I mean, we were saying that about Sam Brinton when he was first hired and we were supposed to applaud him.&#8221;
&#8220;And I know I said, and many other people said that he&#8217;s making a mockery, he&#8217;s appropriating womanhood and all the rest of it,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We didn&#8217;t realize how literally correct we were. He&#8217;s actually stealing their clothing and putting it on, yet nobody ever connected the dots.&#8221;
Walsh joked that this was basically like a new &#8220;MeToo&#8221; movement where women are coming forward and claiming that they were victimized by Brinton.
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&#8220;All I know is that now we are seeing the beginning of a new MeToo movement, except that in this case, it&#8217;s just women coming forward because Sam Brinton stole their baggage. It&#8217;s going to be, it&#8217;s a whole MeToo thing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Sam Brinton is the Harvey Weinstein of cross-dressing baggage thieves. He&#8217;s the Bill Cosby of baggage claim, is Sam Brinton. And I just hope that more women have the courage to speak out. It is like, it&#8217;s in all seriousness, it&#8217;s pretty disturbing, too. Can you imagine, like, you lose your baggage and then and then this creep, then, you know, this creep turns up wearing it?&#8221;
WATCH:
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TRANSCRIPT (revised for clarity):
<blockquote>MATT WALSH: We have to start with this. I don&#8217;t know if it&#8217;s the most important story in the country right now. I mean, it&#8217;s not, but it is at least the funniest. And so you know all about Sam Brinton. He&#8217;s the former Biden energy official who liked to cross-dress and called himself they/them and was also into bestiality role play and all kinds of other sick and insane things that none of us needed or wanted to know about, but we do now.
And he&#8217;s also the guy who got fired after stealing luggage from what we thought was only two women on two separate occasions. Stole their luggage right out of the airport, out of the baggage claim. Now, I told you at the time that, you know, this guy was pretty clear to me is stealing the luggage, he&#8217;s not stealing it because he wants the luggage, right? Nobody needs that much baggage, especially someone like him who already comes with so much baggage to begin with. But it&#8217;s very clear that he is doing this and he&#8217;s targeting women because it&#8217;s all part, again, of this sick, twisted fetish. He has a thing for stealing and wearing women&#8217;s clothing. That was clear to me.
And that brings us to this tweet from a woman named Asya Khamsin. &#8230; Here&#8217;s the tweet: “My name is Asyakhamsin tanzanian fashion designer based in houston Texas USA. I lost my bag 2018 in DCA. Recently I heard the news on @FoxNews about @sambrinton luggage issue surprisingly I found his images wore my custom made outfit which was in the lost bag in 2018.”
And then you also can see the dated photo of her in the dress in 2018 and then you can also Brinton in the exact same outfit. So, it&#8217;s a rather distinct outfit, it&#8217;s very distinct because she made, she custom made the outfit. She&#8217;s a fashion designer and her luggage goes missing in 2018, four years ago, and then Brinton turns up wearing her custom clothing. You know it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s pretty close to a case closed on this thing. So what this means is that, there he is, and apparently he&#8217;s also wearing this wrong. I think he&#8217;s wearing it backwards or something. He doesn&#8217;t even know how to wear the outfit.
What this means is that Brinton, the baggage bandit, has been patrolling our airports for years. He&#8217;s been lurking in the baggage claim area like some kind of predatory forest creature on the prowl. This is like when all the small dogs and cats in the neighborhood start going missing and you know that there must be a coyote in the woods, except this coyote steals women&#8217;s luggage and then parades around in their clothing. So when we say &#8230; that these men are appropriating the female identity, well, he was literally doing that, right? I mean, we were saying that about Sam Brinton when he was first hired and we were supposed to applaud him.
And I know I said, and many other people said that he&#8217;s making a mockery, he&#8217;s appropriating womanhood and all the rest of it. We didn&#8217;t realize how literally correct we were. He&#8217;s actually stealing their clothing and putting it on, yet nobody ever connected the dots. That&#8217;s what&#8217;s interesting. At least we don&#8217;t think they did. You know, I like to imagine that there was maybe one detective somewhere out there who was at the station late one night smoking cigarets and drinking black coffee and poring through all these missing baggage cases. And then, you know, he realized that it was all done by one man and that there was a criminal mastermind on the loose. And he had the bulletin board up with all the newspaper clippings and the you know, and the lines connecting them and all that. And he realized that it was Sam Brinton the entire time and he tried to make the arrest, but the brass at the station stopped him.
That&#8217;s what I like to imagine happened anyway. And if it didn&#8217;t happen, then someone should make a movie where something like that does happen. All I know is that now we are seeing the beginning of a new MeToo movement, except that in this case, it&#8217;s just women coming forward because Sam Brinton stole their baggage. It&#8217;s going to be, it&#8217;s a whole MeToo thing. Sam Brinton is the Harvey Weinstein of cross-dressing baggage thieves. He&#8217;s the Bill Cosby of baggage claim, is Sam Brinton. And I just hope that more women have the courage to speak out. It is like, it&#8217;s in all seriousness, it&#8217;s pretty disturbing, too. Can you imagine, like you lose your baggage and then and then this creep, then, you know, this creep turns up wearing it?
So stay tuned. More on that. I will say, if you&#8217;re a woman, if you&#8217;re a woman who has lost your baggage, at any point in the last decade, anywhere within the continental United States or probably anywhere else in the globe, we don&#8217;t know how far this conspiracy stretches, but if you were in that category, I would start &#8230; Googling images of Sam Brinton to see if you can find him wearing your clothing. But if you do that, you&#8217;re going to see a lot of other things about Sam Brinton that you don&#8217;t want to see. So never mind. You know what? Maybe it&#8217;s better just not to know. You probably don&#8217;t want to know and all you could do now is move on with your life.</blockquote>

Matt Walsh

Matt Walsh Torches Alleged Ex-Biden Admin Luggage Thief Sam Brinton: ‘The Harvey Weinstein Of Cross-Dressing Baggage Thieves’

Matt Walsh Torches Alleged Ex-Biden Admin Luggage Thief Sam Brinton: 'The Harvey Weinstein Of Cross-Dressing Baggage Thieves'

General

Sam Brinton

Vanity Fair Magazine published a fashion spread in 2022 that featured disgraced former White House official Sam Brinton — who identifies as nonbinary — wearing clothing that was allegedly stolen four years earlier.
Brinton, who <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/police-release-mugshot-photo-of-disgraced-biden-energy-official-sam-brinton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was charged</a> with felonies for allegedly stealing luggage from multiple airports, was removed as a nuclear official in President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration last December — and the story just took a strange turn.
Asya Khamsin, a fashion designer, recalled having one of her own suitcases stolen from an airport in 2018 — and out of curiosity, visited Brinton&#8217;s social media pages. To her surprise, she said she saw multiple items from her personal collection splashed across Brinton&#8217;s feed.
&#8220;I saw the images. Those were my custom designs, which were lost in that bag in 2018. He wore my clothes, which was stolen,&#8221; she told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/female-fashion-designer-alleges-sam-brinton-wore-clothing-disappeared-airport-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a>. But that wasn&#8217;t all.
Vanity Fair also <a href="https://www.vanityfair.it/gallery/sam-brinton-look-stile-joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> a photo spread featuring Brinton on February 21, 2022 — titled &#8220;All the Style of Sam Brinton.&#8221; The sub-headline gave a brief description, saying, &#8220;The nuclear engineer, appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as deputy secretary at the top of the Department of Energy, has, in spite of his part, entered the crosshairs of controversy. The reason? A wardrobe made of stiletto heels, grand evening dresses, and flaming lipsticks.&#8221;
But according to a few social media sleuths, one of Khamsin&#8217;s dresses appeared in the spread as well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
OMG. Vanity Fair did a fashion article on Sam Brinton featuring him in one of the stolen dresses. 😂😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/NXWh72QPBo">pic.twitter.com/NXWh72QPBo</a>
&mdash; Whispers of Dementia (@mgEyesOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/mgEyesOpen/status/1628621489271365632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;OMG. Vanity Fair did a fashion article on Sam Brinton featuring the ousted Biden official in one of the stolen dresses,&#8221; Whispers of Dementia (@mgEyesOpen) tweeted, sharing a photo of the Vanity Fair title page in response to a photo from the designer alleging the dress was hers.
Brinton was charged after police in Las Vegas <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/police-disclose-how-they-caught-alleged-biden-admin-luggage-thief-sam-brinton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">matched surveillance photos</a> of an alleged luggage thief with a photo of Brinton wearing the same shirt that was posted to Instagram the same day that the surveillance footage was taken.
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The former Biden official was ultimately identified by a &#8220;white T-shirt with a large rainbow colored atomic nuclear symbol design&#8221; — but was reportedly caught on video taking luggage from the Las Vegas airport.
&#8220;Brinton demonstrated several signs of abnormal behavior while taking the victim’s luggage which are cues suspects typically give off when committing luggage theft,” investigators in Las Vegas wrote in their report. “Specifically, Brinton pulled the victim’s luggage from the carousel and examined the tag.”
“Then placing it back on the carousel, looking in all directions for anyone who might be watching, or might approach,” the report continued. “Pulling it back off the carousel and demonstrating the same behavior by looking around before walking away with it quickly. Brinton only having checked one piece of luggage, which Brinton had already claimed from the carousel, had no reason to be examining and taking any other pieces of luggage.”
Ryan Saavedra contributed to this report.

LGBTQ Essential Data Act,

Vanity Fair Published Fashion Feature On Sam Brinton, Showcased Allegedly Stolen Dress

Joe Biden

nonbinary

Thousands of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/air-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flights</a> were delayed and canceled throughout the nation on Wednesday as a severe winter <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/weather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">storm</a> impacts the northern and western United States.
Heavy snowfall and freezing rain are expected to impact much of the nation for the next three days, according to a <a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecast</a> from the National Weather Service. Powerful winds are expected in the western United States, as well as heavy rains and flash flooding in the midwest.
“A prolonged major winter storm will spread a large swath of heavy snow from the West Coast to the Northeast today through Friday, and confidence is high that this winter storm will be extremely disruptive to travel, infrastructure, livestock, and recreation in affected areas,” the National Weather Service <a href="https://twitter.com/NWS/status/1627731847991132160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1627731847991132160%7Ctwgr%5E3d3516517fe908cac698d1397207f60f08a6158a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fwinter-storm-snow-rain-weather-alerts-northern-states%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on social media.
The weather conditions have produced more than 2,000 flight cancellations and over 9,800 delays on Wednesday, according to <a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from FlightAware. Some 44% of flights were canceled at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, while 33% were canceled at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, and 23% at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
Several airlines issued flight waivers for affected airports, allowing passengers to rebook their tickets without an additional charge. Southwest Airlines, which canceled some 16,700 flights between December 21 and December 31 even as severe winter weather subsided in the days after Christmas, nixed flights on Wednesday at a rate commensurate with other major carriers. The airline is permitting customers to <a href="https://www.southwest.com/html/advisories/swa_travel_advisory_20231191676858821507.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rebook</a> tickets if they planned to depart from cities such as Minneapolis, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Portland (Maine), Salt Lake City, and Denver.
The winter storm that struck the United States amid the holiday season <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-fedex-post-office-warn-of-delivery-delays-as-winter-weather-persists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caused</a> companies like FedEx and UPS to warn of nationwide delivery delays. Amazon shuttered some locations, and the United States Postal Service closed several dozen offices. Nearly 102 million Americans planned to drive to their holiday destinations, marking an increase of two million drivers since the previous year, according to <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2022/12/nearly-113-million-people-will-travel-from-december-23-to-january-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation warned travelers this week that the snowstorm will produce hazardous driving conditions. “Plows will be out in force and will work diligently to keep roads open,” District 8 Operations Superintendent Lonnie Hoffman said in a <a href="https://www.dot.state.mn.us/news/2023/02/21-d8-upcoming.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “However, folks should consider changing travel plans and be prepared that roadways could quickly move to no travel advised or closed as two storm fronts move across the area.”
Even as much of the nation prepares for severe weather, the eastern United States will see “significantly anomalous warm temperatures” relative to typical conditions in February. The National Weather Service forecasted highs between Wednesday and Thursday will venture into the 70s and 80s in the southeast, midwest, and mid-Atlantic regions, adding that the weather “will feel more like June than February.”
California, meanwhile, is facing strong winds that may bring snow to low-elevation portions of the state; Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California Los Angeles, <a href="https://twitter.com/Weather_West/status/1627759783540568064" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on social media that almost all of the state’s population will “be able to see snow from some vantage point later this week.” On the other hand, more than 106,000 homes and businesses in California were without power as of Wednesday, according to <a href="https://poweroutage.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from PowerOutage.us.

Major Winter Storm Brings Snow, Freezing Temperatures To Big Swath Of U.S.

Winter Storm Hits Northern United States, Thousands Of Flights Canceled Even As East Coast Prepares For ‘Anomalous’ Summer Weather

Winter Storm Hits Northern United States Even As East Coast Prepares For ‘Anomalous’ Summer Weather

National Weather Service

Severe Weather

Winter storm

Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a> was closed on Thursday and Friday as a result of a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/disasters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">power</a> outage and subsequent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fire</a>.
An “electrical panel failure” caused a “small isolated fire” that was immediately extinguished, according to a social media <a href="https://twitter.com/JFKairport/status/1626322567538540545?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from the airport. Terminal 1, which handles flight traffic from major international carriers such as Air France, Lufthansa, Japan Airlines, and Korea Air, will also remain closed on Friday due to the electrical issues.
“Travelers should check with their carriers for flight status before coming to the airport,” said another social media <a href="https://twitter.com/JFKairport/status/1626431965053300738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1626431965053300738%7Ctwgr%5E822441a15b52862633a1b115e3d2a21b7530d662%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fjfk-terminal-1-outage-fire-delays-cancellations%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from the airport, which noted that authorities are “working with the terminal’s operator to restore flight operations as quickly as possible.”
All four flights from JFK Airport scheduled by Lufthansa, all six flights scheduled by Swiss Air Lines, and both flights scheduled by TAP Air Portugal were canceled on Friday, according to <a href="https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/today/KJFK" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from FlightAware. Other international providers, including Air France and ITA Airways, likewise canceled a majority of their flights.
The electrical outage forced one plane from Air New Zealand to reverse course eight hours into its flight, according to a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/jfk-airport-power-outage/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CNN. The company told the outlet that diverting to another airport in the United States “would have meant the aircraft would remain on the ground for several days, impacting a number of other scheduled services and customers.”
&#8220;Not really sure what’s going on. No one is aware of the situation, at least that’s what it seems like,&#8221; Anthony Russo, a passenger who was hoping to travel to London, said in an <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/jfk-power-outage-at-terminal-1-today-wreaks-international-travel-chaos-what-to-know/4109427/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with NBC New York. &#8220;I had a lot planned, I was gonna see some friends, and now I don’t know what the hell is happening.&#8221;
The mass cancellation of international flights at JFK Airport, one of the busiest airports in the United States, is one of several issues to throttle the air travel sector in recent months.
Severe winter weather prompted nationwide delays and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/southwest-reveals-how-much-holiday-flight-meltdown-will-cost-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancellations</a> for Southwest Airlines during the hectic Christmas travel season; the company nixed some 16,700 flights between December 21 and December 31, according to a <a href="https://otp.tools.investis.com/clients/us/southwest/SEC/sec-show.aspx?Type=html&amp;FilingId=16303107&amp;CIK=0000092380&amp;Index=10000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a> submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Federal Aviation Administration, also known as the FAA, then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/faa-reveals-more-details-on-system-outage-that-grounded-flights-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grounded</a> all flights nationwide early on January 11 as the agency’s Notice to Air Missions system unexpectedly failed. Officials later determined that “personnel unintentionally deleted files while working to correct synchronization between the live primary database and a backup database.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transportation-secretary-pete-buttigieg-has-been-on-paid-leave-for-months-amid-supply-chain-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took</a> months of paid leave as a supply chain crisis hamstrung the economy and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-vacationed-in-posh-european-tourist-destination-as-rail-unions-neared-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vacationed</a> in Portugal as the possibility of a nationwide rail strike loomed, has received criticism from both Democrats and Republicans over his job performance. Calls for accountability from the former presidential candidate reemerged as a Chinese surveillance balloon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jake-tapper-grills-pete-buttigieg-over-bidens-handling-of-chinese-spy-balloon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traversed</a> the entire continental United States and a train <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-touts-funding-to-improve-rail-safety-in-wake-of-ohio-train-crash-doesnt-mention-what-hes-doing-right-now-to-help" target="_blank" rel="noopener">derailment</a> in East Palestine, Ohio, threatened the small town with a severe chemical fallout.
Republicans especially have contended that Buttigieg has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ill-save-a-seat-for-you-ohio-congressman-says-it-is-past-time-buttigieg-hears-out-residents-harmed-by-train-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">misplaced</a> priorities. One <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigiegs-focus-is-ramming-through-equity-not-assuring-transportation-safety-his-departments-website-proves-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from The Daily Wire observed that the Transportation Department has prioritized “institutionalizing equity” at the agency under Buttigieg’s tenure.

FAA System Outage Causes Nationwide Flight Departure Stoppage

Fire, Power Outage At JFK Airport Causes Delayed, Canceled Flights

Power Outage At JFK Airport Causes Canceled Flights

Air and Space

Disasters

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Fire

New York City

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, one of the <a href="https://aci.aero/2022/04/11/the-top-10-busiest-airports-in-the-world-revealed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">busiest airports</a> in the world, is now plagued by homeless encampments — inside the terminals themselves.
Jessica Dubuar, director of health and specialty services for Haymarket Center’s O’Hare outreach program, admitted that her organization served 25% more people in 2022 than in 2021.
“Our January at O’Hare was one of the busiest Januarys we ever had,” Dubuar told <a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/02/07/homelessness-crisis-at-ohare-airport-shows-more-city-support-is-needed-on-nw-side-and-beyond-advocates-say/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BlockClubChicago</a>. “We are seeing more individuals and more encounters [who are] new to our system.”
“I flew back to O&#8217;Hare, Terminal 3, last week. I had never seen such a homeless problem, in baggage, in the 50 years I have lived in Cook Co. It&#8217;s not even that cold out! Also, aggresively hit-up with ‘ya need a ride?’ in baggage. It was dystopian,” one person <a href="https://twitter.com/wendyblazer65/status/1625395207939260417" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>.
O&#8217;Hare Airport tweeted the same response to three different people who complained to the airport about the homelessness problem. Another person tweeted: &#8220;How are we now letting homeless into the airport waiting area?! It isn’t safe to have this happening when visitors or frequent fliers coming home are being now asked for money and help after getting our luggage. We need this to stop!&#8221;
A third tweeted a photo of the homeless people camped out at the airport, writing on February 12, “This picture of a homeless encampment was taken today at O&#8217;Hare @fly2ohare Terminal 1 baggage claim. Chicago needs better leadership.”
O’Hare Airport responded to all three, “We appreciate your feedback. Safety, security and an optimal passenger experience is top priority for the CDA, and we have forwarded your message along to our security team. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and hope your next visit to ORD is more enjoyable.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We appreciate your feedback. Safety, security and an optimal passenger experience is top priority for the CDA, and we have forwarded your message along to our security team. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and hope your next visit to ORD is more enjoyable.
&mdash; O&#39;Hare Intl. Airport (@fly2ohare) <a href="https://twitter.com/fly2ohare/status/1625476604540473348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Another person snapped, “As someone who travels for work often, I do NOT feel safe walking from the parking garage to the terminal. So many homeless people all over the hallway and behind garbage cans. Why is this allowed? We are paying high $ for airfare, so we should have a safe walk!”
One woman who works overnights as a custodian told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/homeless-community-ohare-international-airport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>, “None of us feel safe.”
Her fellow worker added, “They will come up behind you; this one man followed us last night from the time we get here to the time we leave in the morning.” The women said their managers told them to be aware and call the police, but the women said the police informed them they could not intervene unless they were physically touched.
“They just tell us to be careful because it’s out of their hands,” one of the women concluded.

Terminal Sign

‘None Of Us Feel Safe’: Critics Slam Chicago’s O’Hare Airport For Housing Homeless In Terminals

Critics Slam Chicago’s O’Hare Airport For Housing Homeless In Terminals

Chicago

Homeless

O'Hare airport

A passenger who was aboard the mid-December United Airlines flight that plunged to within feet of the Pacific Ocean came forth to discuss what the terrifying experience was like.
On December 18, Rod Williams II, his wife and two young children had seats near the back of United flight 1722 bound from Maui, Hawaii, to San Francisco, California. The plane had taken off from Maui and reached 2,200 feet before it suddenly dropped more than 1,400 feet in the midst of an intense storm.
“It felt like you were climbing to the top of a roller coaster. It was at that point,” Williams, who studied aviation in college, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/united-777-plunge-takeoff-hawaii/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. “There were a number of screams on the plane. Everybody knew that something was out of the ordinary, or at least that this was not normal.”
According to <a href="https://theaircurrent.com/aviation-safety/united-maui-dive-ua1722-close-call/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Air Current</a>, the harrowing dive reached a descent rate of almost 8,600 feet per minute.
Williams and his wife were seated with their 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son between them.
“When the plane started to nosedive, multiple screams are being let out, at that point,” Williams said. “You’re trying your best to maintain your composure – there’s obviously kids on the flight – nobody really knows what’s going on, but at the same time, you’re concerned. You don’t know if this is an issue, but it was certainly out of the ordinary.”
“It’s tense, you don’t really have a chance to speak or to conjure up words, you’re just kind of gripping the seat and praying under your breath,” he added. “I asked her later and sure enough … we were praying for a miracle, because we felt like this could be it.”
Eight weeks after the flight, Williams’ father showed him reports on the flight. “Now that I know, statistically what had happened, and that we were about 5 to 5.2 seconds from hitting the water, you know, I&#8217;m definitely counting my blessings,” he said. “I&#8217;m reminded that when my wife and I pray together before the flights that, you know, there&#8217;s a God that&#8217;s here in that.”
After the flight successfully landed in San Francisco, the family flew home to Ohio. The United flight, a Boeing that could hold 364 passengers, left for Chicago two and a half hours later.
“You read about these things, but then when you get to experience it, it’s just, sobering, you know. I’m very thankful to be here today,” he concluded.

United Airlines Flight 2830 for Honolulu is pushed back from Gate F11 at SFO in San Francisco, Calif. on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. As the airline industry sees a modest rise in travel, a rapid COVID-19 testing site has been set up at the airport to provide

‘Screams On The Plane’: United Flight Was ‘5 To 5.2 Seconds’ From Hitting Pacific Ocean, Passenger Says

United Flight Was ‘5 To 5.2 Seconds’ From Hitting Pacific Ocean, Passenger Says

Hawaii

Pacific Ocean

United Airlines

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/southwest-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Southwest Airlines</a> COO Andrew Watterson said in remarks prepared for a Thursday hearing that he and fellow executives “messed up” amid the company’s holiday <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/air-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">travel</a> meltdown.
Southwest canceled some 16,700 flights between December 21 and December 31, even as severe winter weather subsided in the days after Christmas. Watterson said in his prewritten opening <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23602424-written-testimony-of-andrew-watterson-coo-southwest-airlines-final" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> before the Senate Commerce Committee that the disruptions prompted the company to cancel flights so that crews could position themselves to resume normal operations.
“Let me be clear: we messed up. In hindsight, we did not have enough winter operational resilience,” he remarked. “It became clear that, with the storm severely disrupting our Denver and Chicago Midway stations concurrently, we did not have enough resiliency in our operation for the severe effect this winter event had on us.”
Flight schedules for Denver and Chicago Midway, which serve as starting and ending bases for one-fourth of the company’s flight crews, were almost entirely canceled by Southwest in the days before Christmas. The same occurred at other airports across the country as the storm moved east, causing communication between employees to deteriorate amid the chaos.
“This lack of effective communication and coordination resulted in compounding, frequent, close-in flight cancellations, rather than our normal practice of batched pre-cancellations further in advance of departure times,” Watterson continued. “This created an unprecedented amount and frequency of required changes to crew schedules that overwhelmed our crew scheduling processes and technology.”
Southwest previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/southwest-reveals-how-much-holiday-flight-meltdown-will-cost-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> that between $725 million and $825 million will be lost in the aftermath of the cancellations. The firm reported a $220 million loss in the fourth quarter of last year and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/southwest-airlines-reports-massive-revenue-hit-after-christmas-meltdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> investors that fallout from the company’s holiday meltdown would continue.
Watterson told lawmakers that Southwest would seek to enhance software used by crew members with a $1.3 billion information technology investment. He added that the company has gone “above and beyond” standards created by the Department of Transportation for airlines that cancel or significantly delay flights; customers received reward points amounting to $300 in value as staffers worked to reimburse passengers for meals, hotel accommodations, rental cars, and tickets purchased with other carriers during the meltdown.
“Southwest is intensely focused on reducing the risk of repeating the operational disruption we experienced in December,” Watterson added. “We are committed to running a great operation each and every day, and I have the utmost confidence that our people, processes, and technologies will do just that.”
The hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee occurs as lawmakers file legislation meant to bolster protections for consumers in the wake of the Southwest meltdown. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), both of whom are members of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced the Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights and the Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous Fees Act last week.
“Air travelers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for basics like a carry-on bag, a seat next to their children, or even for a sip of water, especially as airlines continue to fail passengers at every turn,” Markey said in a <a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-blumenthal-lead-in-introducing-legislation-to-bolster-airline-passenger-protections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. “Our nation’s largest airlines can’t even guarantee consumers that their flights won’t be delayed or cancelled, that their luggage won’t be lost, or that they won’t get stranded at the gate because of overbooking. The status quo won’t fly any longer. We must empower regulators and uphold passengers’ rights so they are treated with dignity before, during, and after their flight.”

LaGuardia Airport

‘We Messed Up’: Southwest Executive Testifies On Holiday Meltdown Chaos

Southwest Executive Testifies Before Senators On Holiday Meltdown Chaos

Air &amp; Space

Ed Markey

Richard Blumenthal

Southwest Airlines

U.S. Senate

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-maher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Maher</a>, host of HBO&#8217;s &#8220;Real Time,&#8221; slammed left-wing environmentalists for using private jets and not addressing their hypocrisy.
During the segment, Maher, who advocated for trying to take care of the environment, admitted to also flying private planes.
&#8220;My name is Bill, and I fly private,&#8221; Maher said. &#8220;And so does every other person who calls themselves an ‘environmentalist’ who can!&#8221;
Maher showed celebrities and politicians who use private jets, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), socialist Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Leonardo DiCaprio.
“All the environmentalists of Hollywood and Washington do it. Their position on climate change is, ‘We must do more to stop pouring carbon into the air, except for me when I want to go somewhere, and then I take a private jet,’” Maher said. “It turns out there is one thing in this world that is completely impossible to resist, and this is it. It’s like heroin. If you do it once, you’ll never stop.”
Maher also hit Biden climate czar John Kerry for using a private jet, saying that it would be like if the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security “smuggled drugs in his butt.”
“People take jets to environmental conferences. If you could run TED Talks on hypocrisy, you wouldn’t need coal,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But, sorry, not sorry. I tried to do my part to the environment. I never had kids, the one thing worse for the planet than private jets.&#8221;
Maher declared that environmentally friendly electric cars &#8220;sucked&#8221; and that most people are “full of s***&#8221; when it comes to pretending to be living in a way that is good for the environment.
&#8220;And I’m done being full of shit,” he added. &#8220;I can take being a bad environmentalist because almost all of us are, but I can’t take being a hypocrite.”
&#8220;So yes, it&#8217;s fun to laugh at powerful people,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;That&#8217;s how I can afford to fly private, but we need to get serious. Really. More nuclear, moving way more money into research and development, I don&#8217;t know, but something serious because the real technological problem is the way people are wired. I know it&#8217;s easier just to blame Taylor Swift&#8217;s plane, but honestly, do you want to be stuck on Southwest with a pissed-off Taylor Swift?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result, we have to stop being insane in our approach to fixing the environment and try something new. <a href="https://t.co/tj4tXfTUtY">pic.twitter.com/tj4tXfTUtY</a>
&mdash; Bill Maher (@billmaher) <a href="https://twitter.com/billmaher/status/1619197003224711168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Screen Shot 2022-09-18 at 9.23.22 AM

Bill Maher Calls Out Environmentalist Celebs, Politicians for Flying Private Jets, Admits He Does, Too: ‘I Can’t Take Being A Hypocrite’

Bill Maher Calls Out Environmentalist Celebs, Politicians for Flying Private Jets, Admits He Does, Too: 'I Can't Take Being a Hypocrite'

Bill Maher

Climate Change

Environment

Track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson was booted from an American Airlines flight on Saturday after a verbal altercation with a crew member.
&#8220;Prior to the video this gentleman asked me to get off a cell phone call, I did,&#8221; the 22-year-old said on social media. &#8220;I stated to him I didn’t like the tone he used with me. Following that while standing in front of me doing the safety protocols he continued to lean over to look at my phone. He asked to see that my phones were in airplane mode at this point. He demanded that me show him. Which I did in front of him.&#8221;
When the flight attendant allegedly demanded that Richardson stop recording the interaction, she said he was harassing her and that he &#8220;should stop.&#8221;
&#8220;Y’all see him right? Y’all see him right? Y’all see him right? I’m sorry, it’s not me,&#8221; Richardson told passengers on the plane. &#8220;Talk to him. No ma’am. Do not talk to me like that. I’m an adult. Do not talk to me like that. Do not talk to me like that. Tell him to stop. If you do not know what’s going on, do not yell at me.&#8221;
While she was speaking to another passenger about the incident, someone said to her, &#8220;Thank you, by the way. I&#8217;m missing my connecti[ng flight].&#8221;
&#8220;Oh, so you’re worried about a connection when a grown man is disrespecting me?&#8221; she snapped back.
Richardson hinted that she could pursue legal action over the ordeal.
When she was kicked off the flight, some passengers could be heard cheering.
In a statement, an American Airlines spokesperson said, &#8220;We reaccommodated the customer on a later flight and a member of our team has reached out to learn more.&#8221;
WATCH (contains profanity):
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Track star Sha&#39;Carri Richardson was kicked off a AA flight for arguing with Flight Attendant and recorded the whole incident. <a href="https://t.co/LEOhcRvyne">pic.twitter.com/LEOhcRvyne</a>
&mdash; Anthony Tilghman (@AnthonyTilghman) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyTilghman/status/1616834246135488517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Richardson also demanded to know if the male flight attendant would be removed.
&#8220;So he’s not being removed after being unprofessional and having his hand in my face?&#8221; she said. &#8220;So I’m being removed off the plane without even being explained of why?&#8221;
When she asked for his name, he told her that she was not allowed to record.
The track star then requested the flight attendant&#8217;s name, to which he again told her she was not allowed to record.
&#8220;No, but you jumped in my video, that’s what started this whole thing and the video shows you jumped in my video and invaded my privacy, you know that right?&#8221; she told him. &#8220;So it’s a possibility you can lose your job because I have evidence.&#8221;

C31C1F26-3671-4524-A94C-B71B26A99C60_1_201_a

WATCH: Track Star Sha’Carri Richardson Thrown Off Flight After Spat With Crew

Airplane

Celebrities

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