The FAA Air Traffic Control tower at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, New Jersey, US, (Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(NEWARK, N.J.) — Ground stop briefly in place, control tower evacuated at Newark Airport after reports of smoke
A ground stop was briefly in place on Monday morning at Newark Liberty International Airport, where an air traffic control tower was being evacuated due to reports of smoke, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
An FAA spokesperson said there was no fire and the controllers evacuated the tower due to a burning smell from an elevator.
“Arrivals and departures are temporarily paused at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey after air traffic controllers evacuated the tower because of a burning smell coming from an elevator,” the FAA said in a statement. “It happened around 7:30 a.m. local time on Monday, March 23.”
An Air Canada Express plane sits on the tarmac after it collided with a fire truck on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A regional Air Canada jet crashed late on Sunday into a Port Authority airport vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York, a collision that demolished the front of the airplane, killed two pilots, injured dozens of others and prompted the airport to shut down on Monday morning, law enforcement and aviation officials said.
At least 41 people were transferred to local hospitals after the plane, which was operated by Jazz Aviation, struck a rescue-and-firefighting vehicle that had been “responding to a separate incident,” a Port Authority spokesperson said in a statement. Two of the injured were Port Authority officers and the other 39 were passengers, officials said.
“The airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to allow for a thorough investigation,” the authority said.
The collision happened shortly after the plane, Air Canada Flight 8646, which was carrying four crew members and 72 passengers, touched down, according to Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia.
Jazz Aviation, which is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, issued a statement confirming the incident, saying it happened at 11:47 p.m. Air Canada said on social media that it was “aware of an incident” and that Jazz Aviation would issue updates as needed.
All passengers have been accounted for, Garcia told reporters at a pre-dawn press conference at the airport. An unaccompanied minor on the plane was reunited with their family, she said.
Thirty-two of those who had been transferred to the airport were later released, Garcia said, adding that several others had serious injuries. Two Port Authority police officers who were injured — a sergeant and an officers — were in stable condition at the hospital, she said.
The regional jet involved in the collision had traveled from Montreal to New York, according to Flightradar24, a flight information tracker. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Preliminary information appeared to show that the flight had landed on Runway 4 and was rolling down the runway when the collision occurred.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to investigate the crash. Chair Jennifer Homendy will serve as the on-scene spokesperson, accompanied by member John DeLeeuw, according to the NTSB. Those investigators were on site by the time Garcia spoke at about 4:30 a.m. ET, according to the Port Authority.
New York City Emergency Management said in a statement that its first responders were present at the airport, adding that the initial response from the Fire Department had ended.
“Units will remain on scene with a watch line that includes one engine, one ladder, and one battalion chief,” the NYCEM’s statement said. “The NTSB is on scene leading the investigation.”
The pilot and the co-pilot of the plane were killed in the crash, multiple officials briefed on the situation said earlier. The New York City Chief Medical Examiner’s Office was on-scene early on Monday, and officials were awaiting confirmation of the identities of those who were killed. Next of kin were to be notified before their names were released, officials said.
The ground vehicle — a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting — had requested permission and had been cleared by the air traffic controller to cross Runway 4 at taxiway Delta, according to audio recordings. Shortly after that permission was granted, an air traffic controller was heard telling the vehicle to stop several times right before the collision, according to the recordings.
At least 18 flights have been diverted from LGA following the airport’s closure, with most being sent to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport or to New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport.
A union official had earlier told ABC News that there were two individuals who had been injured in the crash, saying they were Port Authority police officers assigned to firefighter duty at LaGuardia Airport.
Record March heat continues in the West. (ABC News)
(PHOENIX) — Record-shattering temperatures are expected to continue on Sunday as a rare and strong early-season heat dome has resulted in triple-digit highs in some parts of the Western U.S.
As the temperatures soared to 105 degrees on Saturday in Phoenix, Ariz., the third-straight day the weather has topped the 100-degree mark, more than 400 people attending an airshow in nearby Glendale were treated for heat-related illnesses, authorities said.
At least 25 people attending the Luke Days Airshow at Luke Air Force Base were overcome by the sweltering weather and had to be hospitalized for various heat-related illnesses, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland said at a news conference on Saturday, according to ABC affiliate station KNXV in Phoenix.
Berkland said the majority of the people treated were under the age of 12 or over the age of 60, and many also had “pre-existing medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes or pregnancy.”
Dozens of locations across the West have broken high-temperature records since Thursday, and some areas in the Plains have also seen records fall.
The temperature in Phoenix reached 105 degrees for the third straight day on Saturday, tying a record for March. In Tucson, temperatures soared to 102 on Saturday. Las Vegas, Nev., hit 96 on Saturday, the second-highest temperature there for March behind the 97-degree record set on Friday.
Elsewhere in the West, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denver, Colo., set new highs for March when they hit 84 and 86 degrees, respectively, on Saturday,
Hot weather also stretched across the Midwest and Great Plains. Omaha, Neb., recorded 96 degrees on Saturday, while Wichita, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo., each reached 93.
Extreme heat warnings remain in effect for parts of southern California, Nevada and Arizona on Sunday, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson and Lake Havasu, Ariz.
Phoenix is likely to surpass the 100-degree mark again on Sunday, the fourth-straight day the city is expected to surpass that temperature. Las Vegas and Salt Lake City could also see additional daily records heading into Monday.
Hot weather is forecast to continue to move into the South and the Ohio Valley, where dozens of daily records could be broken from interior California to Texas and the Carolinas, including the cities of Sacramento, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Memphis, New Orleans, Cincinnati and Raleigh.
Severe weather in store for southern Indiana and Pennsylvania Some severe storms are possible for southern Indiana and most of Pennsylvania later Sunday and into Sunday night and could include damaging winds and large hail. Isolated tornadoes are also possible for a sliver of Ohio, the northern panhandle of West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania.
By late Sunday night, a line of scattered storms will likely stretch from Evansville, Ind., to Columbus, Ohio, and into State College, Pa.
New York City could also see a couple of thunderstorms, some strong enough to produce gusty winds and possibly small hail.
Critical fire weather threat in the Plains
Millions of people across the Plains are under red flag fire warnings on Sunday due to low humidity, warm temperatures, gusty winds and dry vegetation. The fire danger is expected to continue Sunday before improving a bit into Monday.
Meanwhile, several wildfires are still burning further north in Nebraska and South Dakota.
Fire crews in Nebraska have made significant progress in battling the Morrill Fire, largest wildfire in state history. The blaze, which has burned more than 640,000 acres across multiple counties in western Nebraska, was 98% contained as of Saturday night, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.
Another large Nebraska wildfire, the Cottonwood Fire in the south-central part of the state, has burned nearly 130,000 acres and was 94% contained on Saturday night, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.
More damaging floods in Hawaii
After a damaging flood event more than one week ago during which parts of Hawaii recorded rainfall by feet, more rain has brought damaging and impactful flooding across parts of the island.
A flash-flood warning was in effect Saturday for potentially life-threatening flooding on Oahu and the potential for the Wahiawa Dam to fail. There were several reports of damage, water rescues and road closures due to flooding.
The threat of the Wahiawa Dam failing has subsided as water levels gradually subside, but any heavy pockets of rain could cause rapid water rises and reinvigorate the threat.
The heaviest rain has shifted eastward, with the island of Molokai under a flash-flood warning on Sunday.
All Hawaiian islands except Kauai remain under a flood watch through Sunday for more heavy rain. The heaviest rain is expected mostly on the Big Island and the island of Maui, but the other islands will see some rain showers and perhaps some isolated heavy pockets of rain.
Thunderstorms will be possible at times, which may include damaging winds.
Travelers wait in line at a TSA checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, US. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Saturday saw the highest call-out rate of TSA officers at airports since the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown began, according to exclusive data from the Transportation Safety Administration first obtained by ABC News.
Over 3,250 officers called out Saturday, March 21, according to TSA data, accounting for 11.51% of the scheduled workforce.
Airport security lines are growing nationwide as TSA officers, who haven’t received a paycheck for over three weeks, call out of work. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform that he will deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports beginning Monday unless Democrats agree to a funding package to end the DHS shutdown.
Democrats are demanding reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection policies before they will vote to fund the DHS.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that ICE agents are trained and can assist with airport security. ICE has remained funded through appropriations from the Trump’s tax and spending bill passed last summer, while key DHS agencies like TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Coast Guard are left unfunded.
Duffy said that ICE does have proper security training, but could also help by just managing lines. It is unclear how many ICE agents would be sent to airports or which airports they will be sent to.
“We’re simply there to help TSA do their job in areas that don’t need their specialized expertise, such as, you know, screening through the x-ray machine, not trained on that, we won’t do that,” White House Border Czar Tom Homan said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But there are roles we can play to release TSA officers from the non significant role, such as guarding an exit, so they can get back to the scanning machines and move people quicker.”
There was a nearly four-hour wait Sunday during the 11 a.m. hour to pass through TSA checkpoints at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, according to the TSA.
Saturday, the airports with the highest TSA personnel call-out rates were William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, with 47.4%; George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, with 42.4%; Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, with 34.1%, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with 33.6%; and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, with 33.4%.
The president of the union that represents TSA workers issued a statement Sunday blasting what he called the Trump administration’s “threat” to send ICE to airports.
“ICE agents are not trained or certified in aviation security,” American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley in the statement. “TSA officers spend months learning to detect explosives, weapons, and threats specifically designed to evade detection at checkpoints – skills that require specialized instruction, hands-on practice, and ongoing recertification. You cannot improvise that. Putting untrained personnel at security checkpoints does not fill a gap. It creates one.”
“Our members at TSA have been showing up every day, without a paycheck, because they believe in the mission of keeping the flying public safe,” Kelley said. “They deserve to be paid, not replaced by untrained, armed agents who have shown how dangerous they can be.”
Other airports with call-out numbers over 20% Saturday included Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Long Beach Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, and Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Airports with high wait times Saturday included Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, with wait times of roughly two-and-a-half hours in the standard TSA line; George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, with wait times of over two hours; LaGuardia, with wait times of one hour and 40 minutes, and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with wait times of an hour-and-a-half.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation on May 29, 2019 at the Justice Department in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who led the bureau in the tumultuous decade following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and who later served as special counsel overseeing the politically charged investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, has died, his family announced. He was 81.
“With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away last night,” a family statement said. “His family asks that their privacy be respected.”
The FBI Agents Association also weighed in on the passing of Mueller, noting he led the bureau “during a period of significant change and played an important role in strengthening its ability to confront evolving national security threats while maintaining its core criminal investigative mission.”
Mueller was the second-longest serving FBI director in the agency’s history. He had a decorated career in public service, cultivating a reputation for steady leadership, dedication to country and commitment to protecting the nation’s security.
Born in New York City on Aug. 7, 1944, Robert Swan Mueller III studied politics at Princeton University, and then earned a masters in international relations from New York University.
Upon leaving the Marines in 1970 at the rank of captain, Mueller attended the University of Virginia Law School, graduating in 1973 and then spending the next 28 years working as a U.S. attorney in San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C., as well as three years at the Department of Justice Criminal Division.
During his time at the DOJ, Mueller investigated the Gambino crime family and also prosecuted the men responsible for bombing a Pan Am Flight in December 1988, as well as former Panamanian military leader Manuel Noriega.
On July 5, 2001, Mueller was appointed to be director of the FBI, nominated by then-President George W. Bush. His tenure there saw the bureau’s focus shift from domestic investigations to tackling foreign terrorists after the 9/11 attacks, during which time Mueller developed a reputation among agents for being no-nonsense.
After serving his full 10-year term as FBI director, Mueller agreed to then-President Barack Obama’s request to remain in the position for two more years, after which he returned to the private sector in 2013.
In May 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller to oversee the investigation of alleged Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. The investigation focused primarily on the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign and returned numerous high-profile indictments, including political consultant and lobbyist Roger Stone, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and 32 others.
Mueller submitted his controversial report in March 2019, which did not find that the Trump campaign had worked with the Russian government to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Two months later, he stepped down from his special counsel position and returned to private life.
Addressing the 2017 graduating class at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, Mueller advised the graduates to live their lives with “integrity, patience and humility.”
“Whatever we do, we must act with honesty and with integrity, and regardless of your chosen career, you’re only as good as your word,” Mueller declared. “If you are not honest, your reputation will suffer, and once lost, a good reputation can never, ever be regained.”
The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a flash flood warning after dam failure on the Kaukonahua Stream below Wahiawa Dam on Oahu, Hawaii, March 20, 2026. (City and County of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management)
(OAHU, Hawaii) — Dangerous flooding is impacting Hawaii’s Oahu island, prompting evacuations and a warning from local officials of a possible dam collapse, as major rains pummel the area for the second significant rain event in a week.
An evacuation order was issued early Friday morning local time for Haleiwa and Waialua, including areas near the Wahiawa Dam, according to Oahu Emergency Management, which warned that the dam “may collapse or breach at any time.”
The dam “has not failed but is at imminent risk of failure,” Oahu Emergency Management said mid-morning local time Friday.
“Potential for life-threatening flooding and catastrophic amounts of fast-moving water in downstream areas,” the agency warned.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the Hawaii National Guard has been activated and other resources are being deployed across Oahu amid the “severe storm.”
“We are coordinating closely with state and county partners to support evacuations, open shelters, and keep our communities safe,” he said on X.
The latest flood threat comes a week after a damaging flood event that washed away roads and damaged homes.
A flash flood emergency was issued for northern Oahu earlier Friday for “catastrophic” flooding. Local emergency personnel had reported “life-threatening flash flooding” early Friday across northern Oahu, according to the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
“Floodwaters have cut off road access in and out of Haleiwa, and widespread flooding of roadways and low-lying areas is ongoing,” the NWS said, warning that “significant runoff continues to produce high water levels and dangerous flooding impacts.”
The Hawaii Department of Transportation advised of several road closures in the area early Friday due to flooding.
Flood conditions were expected to worsen, with more heavy rain forecast for the region throughout the day. The NWS warned that mudslides could occur in steep terrain areas.
The heaviest rain will be Friday through Saturday for most islands — with the Big Island getting the heaviest rain on Sunday.
Thunderstorms will be possible at times, which may include damaging winds.
Flood watches are in effect for the Hawaiian Islands through Sunday, with at least 2 to 7 inches of rain possible during the event.
ABC News’ Kyle Reiman contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Mark Anderson, 36, showed up at MDC-Brooklyn with a barbecue fork and a pizza cutter and, when jail guards asked for credentials, threw papers at them, prosecutors said. (United States District Court Eastern District of New York)
(NEW YORK) — The man who allegedly claimed to be an FBI agent and demanded Luigi Mangione’s release from federal jail is considering whether to plead guilty, his attorney said at a hearing Friday.
Mark Anderson, a 36-year-old from Minnesota, allegedly showed up to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn in January with a barbecue fork and a pizza cutter and, when jail guards asked for credentials, threw papers at them, according to prosecutors.
Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Davis told the judge that prosecutors extended a plea offer to Anderson, who initially pleaded not guilty to the impersonation charge.
“We’d like some time to review it,” defense attorney Michael Weil said.
Judge Eric Vitaliano set the next court appearance for May 1.
Mangione is being held at MDC-Brooklyn while he awaits federal and state trials for the assassination-style killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. His state trial is set to begin in June.
Ali Staking talks about how she and her family reacted to Eric Richins’ sudden death and Kouri Richins’ subsequent murder trial. (ABC News)
(NEW YORK) — After Kouri Richins was charged with murder for fatally poisoning her husband with fentanyl, a friend of the Utah mother of three had a difficult time reconciling that.
In an exclusive interview with “20/20,” Ali Staking said she and her children were “devastated” about the sudden 2022 death of 39-year-old Eric Richins.
“I said, along the way, ‘Sometimes it looks like Kouri might have done it,'” Staking recalled saying to her children. “Then my kids would say, ‘Well, did she?’ And I’d say ‘I don’t think so. But, you know, it sometimes looks like it.'”
A Summit County jury ultimately found 35-year-old Kouri Richins guilty of aggravated murder on Monday, after prosecutors argued during the three-week trial that she killed her husband for financial gain by giving him a lethal dose of fentanyl in a cocktail.
Eric Richins was found dead in bed on March 4, 2022. An autopsy determined that he died from fentanyl intoxication, and the level of fentanyl in his blood was approximately five times the lethal dosage, according to the charging document. The medical examiner determined the fentanyl was “illicit fentanyl,” not medical grade, according to the charging document.
Kouri Richins, who self-published a children’s book on grief following her husband’s death, was arrested in May 2023 following a lengthy investigation.
The charges alleged that she spiked his drink with a lethal dose of fentanyl that she purchased illicitly, and that she also gave her husband a sandwich laced with fentanyl on Valentine’s Day two weeks before his death in an initial, failed attempt to kill him.
Prosecutors argued that Kouri Richins wanted a “fresh start” and to leave her husband, but didn’t want to leave his money. They said she was in “financial desperation” due to her house flipping business’ debts and needed a significant influx of cash immediately.
According to prosecutors, she believed she would have financially benefited from her husband’s death — without realizing that his assets were in a trust overseen by one of his sisters.
A jury found her guilty of all five counts, including aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder, after about three hours of deliberations on Monday. She was also found guilty of insurance fraud for taking out a $100,000 insurance policy on her husband’s life with his forged signature and also for submitting a claim following his death.
Kouri Richins, who had pleaded not guilty and asserted her innocence from jail, did not testify during the trial and the defense called no witnesses. Her sentencing has been scheduled for May 13. She faces 25 years to life in prison.
Staking, who testified during the trial, said she was “very surprised that there was no defense.”
ABC News contributor Brian Buckmire suggested this was a reflection of the defense’s confidence.
“They may believe the prosecution didn’t make out their case, that having any witness on the stand wouldn’t make sense because they’ve already won their case,” he told “20/20.”
Staking said it was “surreal” learning that Eric Richins had died, describing him as a “dedicated dad” and a “goofy cowboy dude who loved to dance.”
“He had so much more life to live and he wanted so much for his boys,” she said. “I’m gonna remember just how much he loved them.”
Kouri Richins also faces more than two dozen charges in a separate case filed last year, including allegations that she committed mortgage fraud in 2021. The charging document alleges she submitted falsified bank statements in support of mortgage loan applications for her realty business, committed money laundering and issued bad checks.
The charges in the case also allege she murdered her husband for financial gain as she “stood on the precipice of total financial collapse.”
She has not yet entered a plea to those charges.
Staking said she wants Eric Richins to be remembered as a “loving dad.”
“I believe Eric is with his kids all the time every day,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anywhere else he’d wanna be.”
(CHICAGO) — An 18-year-old student at Loyola University in Chicago was shot and killed while walking with her friends near campus, authorities said.
The group was walking near Tobey Prinz Beach Park, less than 1 mile from the university’s Lake Shore campus, when an unknown male walked up to them at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, Chicago police said.
The male showed a gun and opened fire toward the friends, police said.
The victim was shot in the head and died at the scene, police said, adding that no one else was injured.
Loyola University president Mark Reed identified the slain student as Sheridan Gorman.
“This is a tragic loss, and our hearts go out to Sheridan’s family, loved ones, and all who knew her,” Reed said in a statement.
Reed said the university is offering counseling services and is in touch with law enforcement.
“Based on the information available to us now, there is no ongoing threat to our campus community,” he said.
Gorman was also a “beloved” student at her former high school in Westchester County, New York.
“We are so deeply shattered by this tragic and senseless loss,” Yorktown Central School District Superintendent Ron Hattar said in a statement. “Sheridan was loved by all who knew her, and her impact on students and staff alike was profound. She was a shining light for so many people.”
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents screen travelers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, US, on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (Photographer: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown is taking its toll on the thousands of Transportation Security Administration employees at airports who have been working without pay.
Approximately 60,000 TSA officers who have gone over a month with partial pay began receiving their first $0 paychecks last week.
Many say they are living in fear, with some taking on extra jobs or even leaving the agency altogether to make ends meet.
And if there is no relief soon, veteran TSA leaders fear that the stress and uncertainty could impact operations for years
“Who wants to go work in public service in the public sector when you’re treated like a yo-yo?” a TSA worker who asked to remain anonymous told ABC News.
The current partial shutdown, now in its second month, comes close to last fall’s 43-day federal government shutdown, which paused payments to thousands of TSA workers, who were still required to work their shift.
Angela Grana, a TSA officer at Durango-La Plata County Airport in Colorado, told ABC News Live on Monday, the first day that TSA workers missed their checks, that the entire situation has been humiliating for her co-workers.
“The stories I get are very demoralizing,” Grana, who serves as the state’s regional vice president for AFGE TSA Local 1127, said. “To go ahead and do the Uber Eats or any other kind of side job, we have to have extra permission. For now, we can’t just do it.” Senate Democrats have vowed to block funding for DHS until reforms are made to Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal law enforcement.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called on Democrats Monday to join a discharge petition that would fund all DHS agencies except for ICE.
A vote on similar legislation failed earlier in the Senate. Jeffries would need at least four Republicans to sign on with all Democrats for the discharge petition to move forward.
Grana said the stress of making ends meet and keeping the airports safe is getting to a lot of TSA officers. Several airports across the country have begun food pantries for their employees affected by the partial shutdown.
“Let me tell you, for us to be concentrating on our jobs without the hunger pains in our stomachs. It’s really difficult to do. We can’t get it wrong,” Grana said. “We have to get it right every time. We cannot miss a bag, we cannot miss a threat.”
Jill DeJanovich, a TSA officer at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and single mom of four, was one of the nearly 2,700 TSA workers who called out sick this week, because of the demands put on her.
DeJanovich, who is the a AFGE Local 1260 Chief Administrative Point of contact in Nevada, said she is frustrated with Congress for not moving forward and ending the quagmire over funding.
“Someone needs to cross the line before Congress goes on break for Easter recess,” she said.
While some TSA officers said they had to power on through, for others, like Robert Echeverria, the strain of a second DHS shutdown in five months proved to be too much.
After nine years working at Salt Lake City International Airport a lead TSA officer, Echeverria told ABC News that he left his job after the current shutdown. Echeverria said his family’s life savings were depleted after the last shutdown.
“Emotionally, we couldn’t go through that strain anymore,” he told ABC News.
“It was just really hard for my wife and emotionally to see my kids going through a hard time asking for things, and we wouldn’t be able to actually help them out,” he added.
A TSA worker who asked not to be named warned that the loss of employees can’t easily be fixed.
“Losing seasoned employees is very difficult to replace,” the TSA worker said. “New hires take two years to get off probation.”
The worker added that the accumulating debt borne by government employees will also affect staffing.
“One of the requirements is that you have a great credit rating. A lot of our officers are not going to have that now,” they said.
Joseph Cerletti, a TSA officer at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, told ABC News that he struggles to explain to his kids about their financial issues now that his family has to depend solely on his wife’s income.
Cerletti relented that he and his coworkers “don’t have the upper ground here” when it comes to fighting for their rights.
“It’s very hard to find words in the English language to describe how I feel about it, other than speechless,” he said. “This is just what I’ve been describing lately as figuratively an uphill gunfight.”
