Airport wait times spiral as Trump claims Iran 'begging' for deal

Airport wait times spiral as Trump claims Iran ‘begging’ for deal

Happy Thursday. What do you think of the new Harry Potter trailer? It’s going to take me some time to get used to this new cast. Oh, and DC’s cherry blossoms reached peak bloom this morning! 🌸

Airport wait time unpredictability intensifies

ICE officers check IDs in airport lines

GOP, Dems feel increasing pressure as deal shatters

How this shutdown could end

Trump says Iran is ‘begging’ for deal

IOC bans trans women from women’s events in 2028

Savannah Guthrie believes two ransom notes are real

What if negotiators had to stand in long TSA lines until there’s a deal?:

We have hit crisis mode at some major airports in the U.S.

The problem for travelers is the unpredictability. Some airports have no wait times at all. Others have more than four-hour lines that stretch outside. Some airports have even suspended wait time estimations entirely, instead issuing a blanket advisory for travelers to allow extra time to get to their gate.

President Trump is feeling the pressure. He began his Cabinet meeting this morning, which typically begins by rattling off recent wins, by blaming “radical Democrats,” accusing them of “punishing the American people, including travelers at airports all in the quest to return to open borders and give amnesty to illegal alien criminals.”

“We’re now on Day 41 of the disgraceful Democrat shutdown of Markwayne’s department,” Trump said to open the meeting, referring to brand-new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Congratulations, you came into a department that’s shut down.” His Cabinet officials chuckled.

Here’s the situation at airports today:

🎥 6 a.m. at the Atlanta airport — Yes, that’s the security line that has stretched outside

🎥 The line in Atlanta was much shorter by 8 a.m.

🎥 5:30 a.m. at the Baltimore airport

🎥 6:45 a.m. at LaGuardia Airport in New York

🎥 This morning at JFK Airport in New York

📸 Short line at Reagan Washington National Airport

🎥 ICYMI, here’s former Attorney General Bill Barr standing in line in Houston

Lawmakers are also feeling increased pressure to end this 41-day Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, which is just two days away from topping the fall’s government closure. But the deal from earlier this week appears to have shattered.

Senators are expected to leave town beginning on Friday for a two-week Easter recess. If they leave without a solution, that all but guarantees missed paychecks and travel woes until at least mid-April.

➤ SCENARIOS FOR HOW THIS COULD END:

🔵 Centrist Democrats could cave: Some Democratic senators are worried that centrist Democrats could break with their party to vote with Republicans to end the shutdown, just like they did in the fall.

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton pointed out that “several Democratic senators who bucked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) during the fall shutdown met with White House border czar Tom Homan last week, including Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats.”

🔴 Republicans could agree to Democrats’ demands: Republicans are now open to funding all of the DHS, except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) deportation efforts. However, Democrats are pushing for more reforms to ICE to agree to this deal, including banning ICE officers from wearing masks and requiring federal immigration officers to obtain judicial warrants. Feeling pressure to end the TSA crisis, Republicans could agree to more of Democrats’ demands.

🔵Democrats could lower their bar: Republicans argue they have agreed to Democrats’ earlier demands and blame Democrats for moving the goal post to add more demands. Under pressure to end the shutdown, Democrats could ease their reforms for ICE.

💬 Follow today’s live blog

➤ WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU MISS YOUR FLIGHT:

Airlines are not required to accommodate passengers who miss flights due to security delays, though they will usually try to rebook customers. However, some major carriers are offering rebooking flexibility at some of the hardest-hit airports.

📝 List of how major carriers are handling missed flights during the shutdown

➤ TRUMP SAYS ICE OFFICERS ARE ‘REHABBING A FAKE IMAGE’:

President Trump praised ICE officers who are helping at busy airports.

He posted: “I am so proud of our ICE Patriots! They were unfairly maligned by the Lunatic Democrats for years, and now, at the Airports, in addition to what they are supposed to be doing, they are helping people with bags, even picking up and cleaning areas. They are so proud to be there! The fact is, they shouldn’t have to do this, but they are rehabbing a fake image given to them by Radical Left Democrat politicians.” 🔎 Read Trump’s full post

Tidbit: Some ICE officers have started checking travelers’ identification documents in airport security lines after being trained by TSA officials.

Trump gives an update on Operation Epic Fury:

President Trump spent much of his Cabinet meeting giving an update on the war in Iran.

A top quote from the meeting — Trump refuted media reporting that he is trying to make a deal with Iran: “Just so we set the record straight because I’ve been watching The Wall Street Journal’s fake news and all these stories that get printed, like, ‘Oh, I want to make a deal.’ They are begging to make a deal, not me.”

He argued Iranian leaders are “not fools” and “great negotiators.” “They’re lousy fighters but great negotiators,” Trump said, arguing he’s unsure whether he’s willing to make a deal with the country.

Trump also rattled off a list of military accomplishments in the conflict. Specifically: Knocking out roughly 90 percent of launchers and missiles and destroying “a lot” of the factories where Iran’s drones and missiles are produced.

On NATO: “We’re very disappointed with NATO,” Trump says, “because NATO has done absolutely nothing.” Trump added: “We’ll come to their rescue but they’ll never come to ours.”

💻 Watch Trump’s Cabinet meeting

➤ TRUMP’S DISAPPROVAL HITS ITS HIGHEST IN BOTH TERMS:

The president’s disapproval rating hit its highest mark in both of his terms, according to a new Fox News poll.

➤ THE PENTAGON MAY DIVERT UKRAINE AID:

The Washington Post reports that President Trump’s Pentagon is considering diverting weapons that were intended for Ukraine to the Middle East instead.

The Olympic committee bans trans women from women’s events:

The International Olympic Committee announced a ban on transgender women from competing in women’s Olympic events.

It will enforce this new ban by requiring its members to conduct mandatory genetic sex testing. Read more

➤ ANOTHER LAYER TO ‘THE BACHELORETTE’ THIS YEAR:

One of the contestants on this year’s now-canceled season of “The Bachelorette” was the driver in a 2014 crash that left former Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) paralyzed.

What happened?: 29-year-old Brad Ledford drove with Cawthorn, both teenagers at the time, on a road trip back from spring break, according to the Times-News. Ledford fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a concrete barrier. Cawthorn’s legs were reportedly resting on the dashboard.

— “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie says she believes that at least two of the ransom notes sent after her mother went missing were real.

— Meta and YouTube were found liable in a major trial on social media addiction. This could set a precedent for hundreds of similar lawsuits against tech companies across the country.

— Sources told the Gothamist that President Trump is considering relocating Madison Square Garden to rebuild Penn Station.

— Senators introduced a bill to ban the federal government from obtaining or operating unmanned Chinese robots.

The Wall Street Journal: The Well-Timed Trades Made Moments Before Trump’s Policy Surprises

The Washington Post: Bigotry among young conservatives has Republicans on edge

Politico: Why Marco Rubio Is Escaping the Brunt of Fury Over Iran

The New York Times: Some Judges See Risks in Fiery Opinions Warning of Threats to Democracy

The House and Senate are in. President Trump is at the White House.

1:30 p.m. Two Senate votes. 📆 Today’s agenda

2 p.m. First and last House votes. 📆 Today’s agenda

4 p.m. Trump speaks at a Greek Independence Day celebration in the East Room. 💻 Livestream

5:45 p.m. Trump participates in “signing time.”

🥬 Celebrate: Today is National Spinach Day.

🌸 Stumpy lives on!: Clones of Stumpy, the Washington cherry blossom tree that was removed for renovations at the seawall, have blossomed for the first time!

🦈 This is a horrifying headline: The New York Post writes, “Cocaine-fueled sharks are on the prowl in the Caribbean — scientists blame partying tourists.” See for yourself

Because this made my morning, I thought you should see it, too. This dog really is listening to every single command.

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