<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a> will soon install body scanners at several busy subway stations meant to check for people carrying guns.
Mayor Eric Adams <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/233-24/mayor-adams-nypd-commissioner-caban-pilot-new-technology-additional-clinicians-be#/0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a pilot program for the scanners at a news conference on Thursday at the Fulton Street subway station in Lower Manhattan.
“This is our Sputnik moment,” Adams <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/nypd-to-test-scanners-with-ai-tech-to-crack-down-on-guns-in-nyc-subway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Like when Kennedy said we’re going to put a man on the moon. &#8230; Let’s bring on the scanners.”
The event included a demonstration of how the scanners work. The scanners appeared to flag a man carrying a loaded gun, but not a man with a backpack full of electronics.
However, subway riders will not be required to pass through the machines.
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NEW: The NYPD is gearing up to pilot metal detectors with artificial intelligence in the subways to keep guns out.
“This is our Sputnik moment. Like when Kennedy said we’re going to put a man on the moon,” Mayor Adams said just now. <a href="https://t.co/bZ7K5xtgE8">pic.twitter.com/bZ7K5xtgE8</a>
&mdash; Bahar Ostadan (@BaharOstadan) <a href="https://twitter.com/BaharOstadan/status/1773379532017320032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Body scanners coming to the ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/NYCTSubway?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCTSubway</a>⁩ system. Details to come. <a href="https://t.co/hNUhHNdX18">pic.twitter.com/hNUhHNdX18</a>
&mdash; Matthew Chayes (@chayesmatthew) <a href="https://twitter.com/chayesmatthew/status/1773371661804286160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote>
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A demonstration of the body scanners that are coming — in as soon as 90 days — to the New York City subways. <a href="https://t.co/B9zdjjGpqZ">pic.twitter.com/B9zdjjGpqZ</a>
&mdash; Matthew Chayes (@chayesmatthew) <a href="https://twitter.com/chayesmatthew/status/1773383673074552968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The new scanners will not be implemented for several months, however.
During a legally mandated 90-day waiting period, the NYPD will look for vendors of weapons detection technology. The public will be able to comment on the scanner program for the first 45 days of the waiting period.
The city has not said which subway stations will get scanners as part of the pilot program. Police are expected to monitor the machines to see if the program should be expanded.
&#8220;We are taking the next step forward in our ongoing efforts to make our subways even safer and ensure New Yorkers feel safer in the transit system,&#8221; Adams said Thursday.
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The new scanners come amid a sharp increase in gun violence in the subway. Four subway killings have happened so far this year, just under the five that occurred over all of last year.
The NYPD says cops have seized 19 illegal guns in the subway so far this year, up from nine by this point last year.
Transit crime overall is up 4.4% so far this year compared to last year, <a class="zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE " href="https://compstat.nypdonline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-testid="prism-linkbase">according</a> to NYPD data.
Earlier this month, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) deployed 750 National Guard soldiers into he subway system to check riders&#8217; bags. Last month, the NYPD started sending another 1,000 officers into the subway system each day.
Nevertheless, the city&#8217;s announcement of new body scanners was met with criticism online.
&#8220;TSA-ifying the subway is not going to fix anything,&#8221; one X user <a href="https://twitter.com/kristenmag/status/1773409450826826116" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
&#8220;Who will man this? A police officer? And how about when it does beep will there be enough police there to tackle the person if they get out of control? Yeah it’s all well and good to hear the beeping but then what do you do after?&#8221; another user <a href="https://twitter.com/miriam_riviera/status/1773407712015008248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.

New York City Subway Pushing Death Puts Spotlight On Commuter Safety

NYC Putting Body Scanners In Subway, Mayor Calls It ‘Sputnik Moment’

NYC Putting Body Scanners In Subway, Mayor Calls It 'Sputnik Moment'

Crime

Eric Adams

Gun Control

New York

New York City

Subway

U.S.

A photo taken from Miami International Airport showed a notice from the Transportation Security Administration indicating that migrants entering the U.S. at the airport did not have to supply a photo or have their photo taken in order to enter the country.
Political commentator Dave Rubin snapped the photo, tweeting, “This is the state of absolute insanity happening at our airports. I’m in the Pre-TSA line, where migrants don’t have to have an ID to get through security and it’s their choice whether they want their picture taken. There is a plan to destroy America.”
The sign read, “U.S. airport Non-U.S. Citizen Document Validation Using CBP One Technology.” CBP One is a mobile application <a href="https://immigrationforum.org/article/cbp-one-fact-sheet-and-resources-directory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched in October 2020</a> to help immigrants preschedule appointments at ports of entry.  <span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"> 
The sign continued as follows:
<blockquote>
TSA is partnering with CBP to test the use of CBP One at certain TSA checkpoints to validate adult non-U.S. citizen travel documentation when the traveler does not otherwise have an acceptable form of identification.
How it works: 1. Notify the TSA officer that you are a migrant. 2. The TSA officer will take a photo (optional). 3. If requested, provide your alien identification number or biographic information. 4. Follow officer instruction.
Photo capture is voluntary.  You may decline to have your photo taken. If you do not wish to have your phot taken, please notify a TSA Officer. You must still provide your alien identification number or biographical information to the TSA Officer, even if you do not have your phot taken.
CBP One only verifies the information you previously provided to CBP and will not store your information. Because your information is verified through CBP One, TSA will also not store your information as part of this process.
</blockquote>
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Just snapped this pic. 
This is the state of absolute insanity happening at our airports. I’m in the Pre-TSA line, where migrants don’t have to have an ID to get through security and it’s their choice whether they want their picture taken. 
There is a plan to destroy America. <a href="https://t.co/VQubxLgY9E">pic.twitter.com/VQubxLgY9E</a>
&mdash; Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/RubinReport/status/1747964082219536611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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I should mention this was Miami International Airport. 
cc: <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonDeSantis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marcorubio</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenRickScott</a> <a href="https://t.co/GMXdqm1ENm">https://t.co/GMXdqm1ENm</a>
&mdash; Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/RubinReport/status/1747976166206529611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/about/mobile-apps-directory/cbpone">noted</a> last year, “On February 23rd, CBP One™ released an update to streamline the photo capture and scheduling process. This includes requiring individuals to submit their information prior to and separate from scheduling an appointment. Updates were made to enhance the geolocation service required to schedule an appointment. Starting April 29, 2023, the CBP One™ application will remove the vulnerability requirement in preparation for the end of Title 42. Starting May 10, 2023, the CBP One™ application will allow for additional time to complete the appointment request process.”

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

‘There Is A Plan To Destroy America’: TSA Sign Says Migrants Without ID Can Choose Not To Have Photo Taken When Entering U.S.

Illegal Immigration

Photos

Southern Border

The Biden administration&#8217;s Department of Homeland Security has had federal air marshals following people for years who flew to Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, even if they did not go to the Capitol and were never charged with a crime, according to an association representing air marshals.
Air marshals were allegedly pulled off of sensitive missions to follow potential conservatives, suggesting that not only was a law enforcement agency politicized, but that people with no involvement in politics might have been placed at risk as a result. The finding comes amidst the revelation that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fbi-dropped-probe-of-pedophile-to-focus-on-january-6-now-hes-accused-of-abusing-10-year-old-boy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI let an apparent child rapist go free</a> to pursue January 6 cases.
Five days after the January 6, 2021, protest at the Capitol, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and then-Rep. John Katko (R-NY) wrote to the head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), David Pekoske, to demand that the agency “disrupt the travel of terrorists who just attacked the seat of the U.S. government,” citing “online chatter” as evidence that they might be al-Qaeda-style bombers.
Soon, TSA appeared to be doing just that — a situation discovered only because of an almost comical situation in which one air marshal was forced to monitor another air marshal because his wife was in D.C. during that time period.
In January 2023, David Londo and Sonya LaBosco, the president and executive director of the Air Marshal National Council, an association that represents air marshals, wrote to House leaders saying that innocent Americans were being put on watchlists.
“We have recently become aware that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) are improperly classifying innocent Americans as ‘Domestic Terrorists’ on internal TSA/FAMS databases and watchlists,&#8221; the pair wrote. &#8220;Most of these classifications occur in the absence of any investigation or even any follow up.”
They said that in one case, because the wife of an air marshal was in D.C. on January 6 — but never went to the Capitol — FAMS began following her on flights. Since she was usually traveling with her husband, that meant one air marshal was assigned to fly on a plane to monitor another air marshal. “You can imagine the scene” when the husband had to introduce himself to the air marshal who was following him to explain, as required, that he was carrying his weapon onboard, the letter said.
In one such flight, the assigned air marshal told the husband that he was “originally scheduled for a high-risk international mission,” but that mission went uncovered because he was monitoring the wife of a colleague, the letter said.
The husband was able to see in TSA’s computer system that his wife was classified as a “Domestic Terrorist,” and she remained so two years later, even though she has never been arrested or even questioned about the Capitol protest, which she did not participate in, the letter said.
The wife “is not alone. We have been hearing many similar stories from our FAM membership about being assigned to surveil people that TSA/FAMS labeled domestic terrorists, specifically due to being in D.C. on or about January 6th,” it continued.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fbi-dropped-probe-of-pedophile-to-focus-on-january-6-now-hes-accused-of-abusing-10-year-old-boy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The FBI Halted Probe Of Pedophile To Focus On January 6. Now He’s Accused Of Abusing A 10-Year-Old Boy.</a>
One January 6 defendant, Kirstyn Niemela — a 5’6” lesbian who was charged with only misdemeanors – said at sentencing that “I have also been red flagged at the airport, and I have to go through extra security while other passengers stare at me as if I&#8217;m a terrorist. I have had other passengers come up to me — which I have videos of all of this – and tell me that undercover police or air marshals were watching and <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.242718/gov.uscourts.dcd.242718.149.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">following me</a>, and they even peeked inside the ladies&#8217; room while I was in there. This is extremely humiliating, totally unnecessary.”
The Air Marshal National Council said that TSA had repurposed a domestic surveillance program called <a href="https://apps.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/graphics/2018/07/tsa-quiet-skies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Quiet Skies”</a> to follow people who may have been even weakly linked to January 6. The program, which FAMS initially kept secret not only from the public but even from other government agencies, allows air marshals to flag and follow people who are &#8220;<a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4620695/Doc-Bulletin-2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unknown or partially known</a> terrorists&#8221; who are “not under investigation by any agency and are not in the Terrorist Screening Data base.” The DHS Inspector General found in 2020 that it has <a href="https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2020-11/OIG-21-11-Nov20-Redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never found a single threat</a> to aviation security.
In its letter to the TSA, it said FAMS Director Tirrell Stevenson has “gone all in” on Quiet Skies, which allows it to follow people who are purportedly linked to January 6 even if there is no real reason to think they would blow up a plane.
The Council said the nation could be at risk of actual terrorism because not only are FAMS following January 6 people, but hundreds were deployed to the southern border to assist illegal immigrants rather than enforcing the law in the air.
In October, the Council wrote to Pekoske saying that “on a daily basis there will be more FAMs performing humanitarian duties on the border than will be protecting Americans in the sky.”
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Rep. Pete Sessions, chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, wrote in June 2023 that “The deployments were previously halted in January of 2023 due to an ongoing DHS Office of Inspector General investigation to determine whether the deployments were legal,” since tending to migrants is not in their job description. “Despite that, the Biden Administration has resumed the practice due the Administration’s inability to control our southwest border,” he wrote.
LaBosco told The Daily Wire that there have been major security incidents on flights—such as a passenger holding a razor-blade to another passenger’s neck — on which there were no air marshal on board “as we were on the border or following J6 people. “
TSA did not respond to questions from The Daily Wire. In response to a probe by the House Judiciary Committee, the agency acknowledged deploying federal air marshals as a result of January 6, but said little else.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas before the Senate HSGAC October 31, 2023

Federal Air Marshals Diverted From Sensitive Flights To Follow January 6 Suspects, Officials Say

Department of Homeland Security

January 6

Terrorism

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tsa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transportation Security Administration</a> is testing the use of facial <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recognition</a> technology at <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/air-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airports</a> across the nation, a move that the federal agency claims will help employees more easily <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identify</a> travelers.
Passengers may soon find themselves in a security screening line where they are asked to place their identification into a slot and look into a camera, after which a small screen will take their picture and flash the words “photo complete,” permitting the traveler to continue through the security process without handing their identification to an employee.
The technology is currently in use at 16 airports throughout the country, such as those in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City, according to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/facial-recognition-airport-screening-tsa-d8b6397c02afe16602c8d34409d1451f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Associated Press. Passengers are allowed to opt out of the pilot program conducted by the TSA, which is a branch of the Department of Homeland Security.
TSA employees in the security lines with the technology, which examines whether the identification is real and whether the identification belongs to the traveler, will nevertheless be present to ensure that the system reaches correct conclusions.
The test of the technology comes despite a February <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/tsa_facial_recognition_technology_letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> from five members of the Senate, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who expressed concern over reports that the system could be implemented across the United States as soon as this year if deemed successful. The lawmakers contended that facial recognition technology “represents a risk to civil liberties and privacy rights.”
“We are concerned about the safety and security of Americans’ biometric data in the hands of authorized private corporations or unauthorized bad actors,” the letter continued. “As government agencies grow their database of identifying images, increasingly large databases will prove more and more enticing targets for hackers and cybercriminals.”
Federal entities already leverage facial recognition technology in various capacities despite the privacy and security concerns: a <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-106100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published last year by the Government Accountability Office found that 18 out of 24 agencies reported using facial recognition systems in fiscal year 2020, largely for computer access and law enforcement activities, while 14 out of 42 agencies that employ law enforcement officers reported using the technology in criminal investigations.
Americans broadly support the “widespread use of facial recognition technology” by police officers who utilize the systems for law enforcement purposes, according to a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/03/17/public-more-likely-to-see-facial-recognition-use-by-police-as-good-rather-than-bad-for-society/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from Pew Research Center, in which 27% of respondents said the policy was a “bad idea” and 46% said the policy was a “good idea.”
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), who also endorsed the letter, previously criticized Amazon smart doorbell company Ring after the firm <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-handed-over-ring-doorbell-footage-to-authorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provided</a> law enforcement with videos from user devices in emergency scenarios after making a “good-faith determination that there was an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury” involved in the situation. The lawmaker said that the policy justifies passage of his Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act, which would prohibit state and federal entities from accessing Americans’ sensitive data.
Other state and local governments have indeed banned biometric recognition technology. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit last year against Google and Meta for breaches of state laws which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-takes-google-to-court-for-allegedly-harvesting-biometric-data-without-consent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibit</a> technology firms from using data such as iris scans, fingerprints, voiceprints, or records of hand and face geometry for commercial purposes without permission.

Airport Surveillance

TSA Rolls Out Facial Recognition Technology Test At Several Major Airports

TSA Rolls Out Facial Recognition Test At Multiple Airports

Air Travel

National Security

Surveillance

Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Sebastian Joseph-Day accused the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of sexually assaulting him late last week at an airport in California.
Joseph-Day said that the incident happened on Friday at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.
“I really just got sexually assaulted by TSA at @JohnWayneAir,” he tweeted. “After I asked the gentleman to please stop [because] I’m uncomfortable and I feel that this part of the check is unnecessary (After he felt what was needed). Then they told me I was the problem after 3 TSA agents swarmed me.”
“I’m all for people doing their job well. But it was extremely unnecessary and dehumanizing,” he said. “I travel a lot, for personal and work reasons. I’ve never experienced anything like that @JohnWayneAir.”
Joseph-Day said that the TSA made it difficult for him to report the incident. 
“And when I do try to file a complaint they are making me jump through hoops to do so,” he said. “I’m not sharing this on Twitter for sympathy. I’m sharing this so this group of gentleman and staff aren’t allowed to do this ever again to another human being.”
Officials said in a statement that they were aware of the incident and were looking into it. 
”TSA is aware of allegations made by a traveler who was screened by TSA officers at John Wayne Orange County Airport Friday morning,&#8221; TSA <a href="https://localtoday.news/ca/la-chargers-defensive-tackle-sebastian-joseph-day-accuses-tsa-agents-of-sexual-assault-295669.html">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;We are looking into the matter to determine if our procedures were followed and whether any corrective action needs to be taken.
&#8220;TSA remains committed to treating every traveler with dignity and respect while carrying out its security screening responsibilities,” the statement added.

Sebastian Joseph-Day

NFL Lineman Claims He Was Sexually Assaulted By TSA: ‘Extremely Unnecessary And Dehumanizing’

Sports

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers said Friday the agency intercepted a record number of firearms at airport security checkpoints this year, a nearly 10% increase over 2021’s record level.
Officials reported the agency stopped 6,301 firearms from crossing through secure areas of airports since the beginning of 2022 and anticipates detaining approximately 300 more before the new year. Of those firearms, more than 88% were loaded, the agency said.
The number of firearm interceptions surpassed the previous record of 5,972 firearms detected in 2021.
“I applaud the work of our Transportation Security Officers who do an excellent job of preventing firearms from getting into the secure area of airports, and onboard aircraft,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2022/12/16/tsa-breaks-record-number-firearms-security-checkpoints-announces-new#:~:text=As%20of%20December%2016%2C%20TSA,5%2C972%20firearms%20detected%20in%202021"> news release.</a> “Firearms are prohibited in carry-on bags at the checkpoint and onboard aircraft.”
Although firearm possession laws vary by state and local government, passengers are prohibited from carrying guns in carry-on bags at any TSA security checkpoint, even if a passenger has a concealed weapon permit. However, the agency <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition">says</a> passengers may travel with a firearm — but it must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage only and declared each time they present it for transport as checked baggage.
The agency said that TSA had increased the maximum civil penalty for a firearms violation to $14,950 to reduce the threat of firearms at checkpoints.
“When a passenger brings a firearm to the checkpoint, this consumes significant security resources and poses a potential threat to transportation security, in addition to being very costly for the passenger,” Pekoske said.
According to the agency, TSA firearm catches have increased since 2010, rising from just 1,123. However, the number of interceptions dipped in 2020 by more than 1,000 amid the COVID pandemic, when the industry took a massive hit after non-essential air travel nearly came to a complete stop.
Sheldon H. Jacobson, a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an expert on aviation security, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/17/us/tsa-firearms-record.html?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur">The New York Times</a>, “the majority of people are not doing it with malicious intent.”
“They’re simply forgetting,” Dr. Jacobson said, adding the gun sales increasing nationwide among first-time gun buyers could explain the rise in interceptions.
Last year, the Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/29/us/gun-purchases-ownership-pandemic.html">reported</a> data from Northeastern University and the Harvard Injury Control Research Center that showed about a fifth of all Americans bought firearms for the first time, with about 39 percent of all American households owning guns.
Comparing the number of Americans owning a firearm from 2016, a General Social Survey, a public opinion poll conducted by a research center at the University of Chicago, showed that the number increased from 32 percent.
David Fitz, a spokesman for the TSA, told the Times that “the most common reason given by passengers bringing a firearm into a checkpoint is ‘I forgot it was in the bag’ or ‘Someone else packed my bag for me.’”
Fitz added that most “parts of the country where open carry and concealed weapons permits are higher” trend typically in Southern states.
The agency said although some airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition, passengers traveling by air who wish to transport firearms must do so in checked baggage by following <a class="survey-processed" href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition">proper packing guidance for firearms</a> in checked baggage.

Miami International Airport, prohibited items sign.

TSA Reports Record Number Of Gun Interceptions At U.S. Airports

Gun Interceptions At U.S. Airports Reach Record High, TSA Says

Gun Laws

Gun Sales

U.S. air marshals reportedly plan to “mutiny” against an order from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> to leave their posts aboard commercial flights and take up posts at the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/southern-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. southern border</a>.
Dozens of marshals have promised to disobey the order in protest, Air Marshal National Council President David Londo told <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/us-air-marshals-plot-mutiny-against-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Examiner</a>. President Joe Biden has ordered U.S. air marshals to the southern border to make up for a lack of Border Patrol agents, a move expected to leave the marshals at one-eighth their normal coverage of U.S. flights.
“The rank and file air marshals are going to refuse to deploy and risk termination,” Londo said. “You’re almost going to have a mutiny of a federal agency, which is unheard of.”
“Morale is so destroyed from this,” he added. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) denied Londo’s claim. It is “entirely inaccurate and does not reflect the critical and professional law enforcement role these officers perform,” the TSA said in a statement.
The Federal Air Marshal Service asked marshals last year to volunteer to spend a 30-day stint at the southern border helping border agents process migrants. Last month, the Biden administration made the deployments mandatory.
In a letter obtained by the Examiner, Londo wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, TSA Administrator David Pekoske, and Federal Air Marshal Service Director Tirrell Stevenson that the marshals had lost “confidence” in the officials’ ability to lead.
“As it stands today, we believe that many FAMs will refuse to deploy, believing the order is reckless and leaving our country vulnerable to attack,” Londo wrote. “On behalf of our membership, stop these dangerous and irresponsible deployments before our adversaries take advantage of the opportunity this policy has provided.”
The air marshals’ organization is drawing support from other outside law enforcement groups in its budding fight with the Biden administration. The National Association of Police Organizations issued a statement backing the air marshals’ protest, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/air-marshals-facing-mandatory-border-deployment-plan-mutiny-biden-admin-leaving-flights-unguarded-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
“The Federal Air Marshal Service is understaffed and covering the fewest number of flights since before September 11, 2001,” the association said. “We strongly question the decision by the Department of Homeland Security to divert much-needed aviation security to the southern border especially as we enter the busiest travel season of the year, particularly as a federal emergency has not been declared at the border.”
The Department of Homeland Security pushed back against Londo’s claims that the order sending air marshals to the southern border is leaving commercial flights unprotected.
“The suggestion that flights are being left unprotected is completely false,” the department said in a statement to Fox News. “TSA takes its responsibility to secure the skies for the traveling public very seriously. We will continue to protect commercial flights though [sic] our multi-layered security processes, including through the Federal Air Marshal Service which supports this critical mission on the ground and onboard aircrafts.”

American Airlines

U.S. Air Marshals Planning Rebellion After Biden Orders Them To Southern Border: Report

U.S. Air Marshals Planning Rebellion After Biden Orders Them To Souther Border: Report

Alejandro Mayorkas

Executive

Washington D.C.

The Biden administration’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has extended the deadline for requiring non-citizens entering the United States to provide proof of COVID vaccination.
The United States is the only country in the West to still require proof of COVID vaccination for entry, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11390871/Covid-vaccination-proof-required-enter-America-2023.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Daily Mail. Countries still requiring proof of vaccination to enter requiring COVID vaccination to enter include Angola, Azerbaijan, China, Ghana, Cameroon, Indonesia, Liberia, Libya, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Yemen.
“On October 25, 2021, the President issued a Proclamation, Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic, to move away from the country-by-country restrictions previously applied during the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic1 and to adopt an air travel policy that relies primarily on vaccination as an added tool to the current multi-layered strategy to advance the safe resumption of international air travel to the United States,” TSA <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/sd-1544-21-03a.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writes</a>.
The directive says that the move is intended to protect American citizens.
“Together with the Presidential Proclamation and the CDC Order, these policies are intended to limit the risk that COVID-19, including variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, is introduced, transmitted, and spread into and throughout the United States, potentially overwhelming United States healthcare and public health resources, endangering the health and safety of the American people, and threatening the security of our civil aviation system,” TSA continues.
All aircraft operators are required to make people present “paper or digital documentation of Proof of Being Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19” or  present documentation proving they merit an exemption.
As far back as August 2021, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/01/21/fact-check-vaccines-limit-serious-illness-and-death-covid-19/9185671002/">admitted</a>, “Our vaccines are working exceptionally well. They continue to work well for delta, with regard to severe illness and death – they prevent it. But what they can&#8217;t do anymore is prevent transmission.”
In mid-October, Janine Small, Pfizer’s president of international developed markets told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-covid-19-cases-skyrocket-europe-now-leads-world-in-active-infections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European lawmakers</a> that the Pfizer giant never tested its COVID vaccine to determine if it stopped transmission.
European Union Member of Parliament Rob Roos asked Small if the company tested its mRNA vaccine on stopping transmission before it offered the jab to consumers, asserting, “If not, please say it clearly. If yes, are you willing to share the data with this committee? And I really want a straight answer, yes or no, and I’m looking forward to it.”
“Regarding the question around, uh, did we know about stopping the immunization [sic] before it entered the market?” Small answered, adding, “No.”
Related: <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/scandalous-pfizer-exec-tells-eu-lawmaker-covid-jab-was-never-tested-to-show-it-blocked-transmission/">&#8216;Scandalous&#8217;: Pfizer Exec Tells EU Lawmaker COVID Jab Was Never Tested To Show It Blocked Transmission</a>

Travelers walk into US customs at Hartsfield-Jackson

TSA Extends Deadline Requiring COVID Vaccine Proof For Entry To U.S.

Health

North Carolina Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn was cited for carrying a loaded gun at a Charlotte airport, marking the second time the congressman has been found with a firearm while attempting to board a plane.
Cawthorn&#8217;s citation was <a href="https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/sources-rep-madison-cawthorn-cited-having-gun-charlotte-douglas/6TXLJM4MJZAB3NXHEA7UNKMJ5E/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported</a> by WSOC-TV, which cited local sources noting the discovery of a loaded 9mm handgun. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reportedly declined to comment on the alleged incident.
&#8220;It’s unclear if Cawthorn will face any criminal charges. A spokesperson for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department couldn’t immediately comment,&#8221; the outlet <a href="https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/sources-rep-madison-cawthorn-cited-having-gun-charlotte-douglas/6TXLJM4MJZAB3NXHEA7UNKMJ5E/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;The TSA does not release passenger information in any incident,&#8221; the TSA <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article260774752.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in an email to the Charlotte Observer.
Cawthorn could be fined up to $13,000 if found guilty of the gun violation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Rep. Madison Cawthorn was caught trying to board a plane this morning with this gun at the Charlotte Airport. This is the second time the congressman has been caught. He faces fines up to $13,000. <a href="https://t.co/e5O4O43N3L">pic.twitter.com/e5O4O43N3L</a>
&mdash; Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SweeneyABC/status/1519007401449607169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The reported violation marks the second time the North Carolina congressman has been cited with a firearm at an airport.
In July, a report by WCNC-TV Charlotte revealed that Cawthorn was attempting to board a plane in Asheville, North Carolina, when TSA officials found an unloaded Glock 9mm handgun along with a loaded magazine in his carry-on.
&#8220;Audio recordings of law enforcement at the airport confirm that Cawthorn attempted to bring the gun through security with only minutes remaining before the flight (“…seven minutes until his flight…”) but that TSA staff detected the gun and detained him,&#8221; the <a href="https://firemadison.com/congressman-david-madison-cawthorn-caught-trying-to-take-a-glock-firearm-on-commercial-flight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> revealed.
The incident led police to question Cawthorn. Law enforcement reportedly secured the gun and wrote a report, though the congressman was not charged or fined.
Cawthorn was also reportedly found <a href="https://wlos.com/news/local/no-charges-after-cawhtorn-accused-of-taking-knife-to-school-board-meeting">carrying</a> a large knife when appearing to address the Henderson County Public Schools Administrative Offices in Hendersonville, North Carolina, in September, a <a href="https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/regional/madison-cawthorn-north-carolina-gun-asheville/275-9ea8366b-7e38-4708-823f-bebfcab0b542" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Class 1 misdemeanor</a>.
The concerns regarding weapons are the latest among a series of growing problems for the young political leader. Last week, a newly-released police dashcam video revealed that Cawthorn had been pulled over with an invalid driver&#8217;s license.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Madison Cawthorn pulled over by police AGAIN. Cop has to confiscate his driver’s license because, get this, it’s invalid. Officer then has Cawthorn switch places with his passenger, so she can drive instead. <a href="https://t.co/fv94BQRvOT">pic.twitter.com/fv94BQRvOT</a>
&mdash; Mike Sington (@MikeSington) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1517090527077830658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The traffic stop reportedly occurred on March 3, and Cawthorn was reportedly pulled over for slightly veering out of his lane. He was asked to switch seats with the passenger of the vehicle after his expired license was discovered. The congressman was also reportedly driving with an expired license plate tag.
The GOP House member was <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10737653/Madison-Cawthorn-pulled-cops-asked-hand-revoked-license-new-dashcam-video.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also charged</a> for driving with a revoked license in 2017.

Madison Cawthorn

Madison Cawthorn Cited For Possession Of Loaded Gun At Charlotte Airport

Charlotte

Guns

The Biden administration will appeal a court ruling by a U.S. district judge who ruled Monday that the administration&#8217;s national mask mandate on public transportation was &#8220;unlawful.&#8221;
The announcement from the Biden administration comes after U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle for the Middle District of Florida <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-federal-judge-in-florida-voids-bidens-national-mask-mandate-at-airports-planes-public-transit">ruled</a> that the mandate was unlawful because the mandate “exceeded the CDC’s statutory authority, improperly invoked the good cause exception to notice and comment rulemaking, and failed to adequately explain its decisions.”
&#8220;The Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disagree with the district court&#8217;s decision and will appeal, subject to CDC&#8217;s conclusion that the order remains necessary for public health,&#8221; the DOJ said in a press released. &#8220;The Department continues to believe that the order requiring masking in the transportation corridor is a valid exercise of the authority Congress has given CDC to protect the public health. That is an important authority the Department will continue to work to preserve.&#8221;
&#8220;On April 13, 2022, before the district court&#8217;s decision, CDC explained that the order would remain in effect while it assessed current public health conditions, and that the Transportation Security Administration would extend its directive implementing the order until May 3 to facilitate CDC&#8217;s assessment,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;If CDC concludes that a mandatory order remains necessary for the public&#8217;s health after that assessment, the Department of Justice will appeal the district court&#8217;s decision.&#8221;
In response to a question from a reporter about whether passengers should continue to wear masks on flights, Democrat President Joe Biden said that it&#8217;s &#8220;up to them.&#8221;
Mizelle&#8217;s ruling said that Court declared the mandate to be unlawful because “our system does not permit agencies to act unlawfully even in pursuit of desirable ends.”
“The Court DECLARES UNLAWFUL and VACATES the Mask Mandate, remanding it to the CDC for further proceedings consistent with this order,” Mizelle ordered. “The Court directs the Clerk to TERMINATE President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as a Defendant to this action, to ENTER final judgment in favor of Plaintiffs as prescribed in this order, and to CLOSE this case.”
Mizelle, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, was appointed to U.S. District Court by former President Donald Trump.
Related: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/major-u-s-airlines-each-reveal-if-they-will-continue-to-enforce-bidens-mask-mandate">Major U.S. Airlines Each Reveal If They Will Continue To Enforce Biden’s Mask Mandate</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amtrak-removes-mask-mandate-for-passengers-employees">Amtrak Removes Mask Mandate For Passengers, Employees</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/uber-lyft-drop-mask-mandates-for-riders-and-passengers">Uber, Lyft Drop Mask Mandates For Drivers And Passengers</a></li>
</ul>
This report has been updated to include additional information.

President Biden Discusses The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law In Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Biden Admin To Appeal Court Decision That Ruled Mask Mandate On Airplanes Was ‘Unlawful’

COVID

Department of Justice

Joe Biden

Mask Mandate

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration said that they will remove TSA PreCheck privileges from unruly passengers.
<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/unruly-passengers-will-lose-tsa-precheck-officials-say-11640098801?mod=hp_lead_pos6">The Wall Street Journal</a> explained:
<blockquote>The FAA will provide the TSA with information about passengers who face fines for bad behavior, and those passengers could be removed from PreCheck eligibility under a new information-sharing partnership between the two agencies. The agreement is the government’s latest effort to get a grip on a problem that has vexed airlines and regulators all year.
While it is unclear how many offenders use PreCheck, a trusted-traveler program that allows fliers to avoid certain security-screening nuisances and wait in shorter lines, officials are hoping the additional consequence will have an impact.</blockquote>
“TSA has zero tolerance for the unruly behaviors, especially those involving physical assault occurring aboard aircraft. We have tremendous respect for airport staff, gate agents and flight crews that get people safely to their destinations,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a <a href="https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-fined-unruly-passengers-lose-tsa-precheckr">statement</a>. “This partnership with FAA will help ensure the safety and security of all passengers and hold those who violate federal regulations accountable for their actions.”
“If you act out of line, you will wait in line,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson added. “Our partnership aims to promote safe and responsible passenger behavior. One unruly incident is one too many.” 
Indeed, the surge in violent behavior in airports has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/05/28/1001385922/the-faa-has-seen-a-significantly-higher-number-of-unruly-passenger-reports-in-20">plagued</a> federal regulators for much of this year. In the first five months of 2021, the FAA recorded 394 potential violent incidents; meanwhile, there were 146 and 183 incidents in all of 2019 and 2020, respectively.
The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cSEI36GhOw">previously discussed</a> the unruly behavior on his show.
“In general, flying is a high-stress situation in a claustrophobic environment already. Any additional annoyances or discomforts added — like having to wear a muzzle on your face the whole time — will only increase the likelihood of confrontations,” said Walsh. “So that must account for some of the rise in dangerous behavior on flights, but it probably doesn’t account for all of it.”
Amid the controversy over masking on commercial flights, The Daily Wire exclusively <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-maxine-waters-goes-maskless-on-cross-country-united-flight-after-bumping-passenger-from-window-seat">reported</a> that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) was photographed without a mask on a flight heading from Washington&#8217;s Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles.
“Maxine had her mask off for at least an hour while she read her paper and took a nap,” a source told The Daily Wire. “Attendants brought her fresh coffee while she was napping and didn’t say a thing as three of them walked past and saw Maxine reading and then sleeping while she remained maskless.”
Meanwhile, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly told members of the Senate last week that masks do not <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/major-airline-ceos-push-back-on-plane-mask-mandates-case-is-very-strong-that-masks-dont-add-much'">offer</a> significant protection to passengers in comparison to planes’ high-grade HEPA filters. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/15/business/airline-ceos-question-masks-on-plane-rule/index.html">reportedly</a> “shocked” by the executives’ comments, stating that it is “immoral” to “allow unvaccinated people on planes.” Two days after the hearing, Southwest Airlines <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/southwest-ceo-tests-positive-covid-19-after-senate-hearing-airline-2021-12-17/">confirmed</a> Kelly had tested positive for COVID-19.
&nbsp;

Southwest Airlines

FAA Will Remove TSA PreCheck From Unruly Passengers

airplanes

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Citing “circumstances related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that it would extend the deadline to acquire a REAL ID by 19 months, from October 1, 2021, to May 3, 2023.
In a statement released on Tuesday, DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said the extension “will give states needed time to reopen their driver’s licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card.”
“Protecting the health, safety, and security of our communities is our top priority,” said Secretary Mayorkas.
Congress approved the REAL ID Act in 2005 to prevent future terrorist attacks and reduce the number of licenses issued to unlawfully present immigrants. The law was approved at the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, which had suggested the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.”
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/us/coronavirus-real-id-delay.html">According</a> to The New York Times, “some of the 9/11 hijackers had obtained driver’s licenses based on bogus documentation.” The legislation established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards, such as counterfeit-resistant security features. It also prohibited federal agencies from accepting forms of identification that do not meet those standards.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/04/27/real-id-extension/">reports</a>, about 43 percent “of Americans with a license and state identification card have a REAL ID-compliant document, generally identifiable by a star in the upper-right corner.” The outlet went on to note, “Because Real ID requires an in-person visit to the DMV, applicants were not able to get the credential during coronavirus-related closures.”
Enforcement of the air travel provision to board domestic flights was set to take effect last October. But former President Donald J. Trump <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/news/2020/03/26/acting-secretary-chad-wolf-statement-real-id-enforcement-deadline">directed</a> DHS to push back that date by 12 months as DMV offices around the country began to close. The Post reported, “Several states were only beginning to issue the new security-enhanced licenses and identification cards when the pandemic hit last year,” and the backlog has caused another delay.
<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/news/2021/04/27/dhs-announces-extension-real-id-full-enforcement-deadline">According</a> to the DHS statement:
<blockquote>Beginning May 3, 2023, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card, state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification at airport security checkpoints for domestic air travel.  
All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and four of five U.S. territories covered by the REAL ID Act and related regulations are now compliant with REAL ID security standards and are issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards. However, many state licensing agencies have extended the deadline for renewing expiring licenses due to a widespread shift to appointment-only scheduling protocols during the pandemic that has significantly limited states’ capacity to issue REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards. As a result, only 43 percent of all state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards are currently REAL ID-compliant.  DHS and various states also need time to implement requirements mandated by the REAL ID Modernization Act, including changes that will streamline processing by allowing the electronic submission of certain documents.</blockquote>
According to The Washington Post, implementation of the REAL ID Act “was to take effect in 2008, but deadlines have been extended to give states more time to comply.” The outlet reports, “anyone entering nuclear sites, military bases and federal facilities has been required to present a Real ID since 2014.”

Air travel drops due to COVID-19

DHS Extends Deadline To Obtain REAL ID By 19 Months

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TSA