What A Day: Flight at the end of the tunnel

- Tucker Carlson on his commitment to hard-hitting journalism

So, uhh…what the hell is going on with air travel?
 

• A major computer glitch halted domestic departures today and left airline passengers confused and stranded at airports across the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration said that the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which pilots rely on for the latest information on airport and airspace closures and safety, had “failed" last night. The FAA said normal air-traffic operations resumed gradually, and the outage is being investigated.
   

• More than 4,000 flights were delayed and more than 700 flights were canceled in the United States by 9 a.m. Many passengers had been told that an outage happened last night and that aviation crews were working to fix it. The NOTAM is separate from the air-traffic control system but just as vital, warning pilots about hazards along their routes, which is why all pilots must check the system prior to take-off. 
   

• When the system went down last night, the FAA was forced to use a telephone hotline as backup, but that was quickly overwhelmed as flight traffic increased this morning. The FAA gave few specific details about what caused the system outage, but the White House said there was no evidence of a cyberattack “at this point.” Still, the system that prevents planes from crashing into one another or other objects going down seems…like a pretty bad problem in its own right.

This was not the only big snafu for American aviation in recent weeks. 
 

• The NOTAM system outage comes on the heels of lingering outrage over the chaos caused by Southwest Airlines and its cancellation of more than 2,500 flights just a few weeks ago during peak holiday season travel. As the aviation sector struggles to return to normal, the numbers from the past day’s outage have climbed to 8,200 flights delayed and over 1,200 canceled. 
   

• Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that the department was not ruling out the possibility of external nefarious intervention, but thus far there has been no such indication. Answering questions for reporters, Buttieig conveyed that his top priority is to “understand the root cause, understand how it could have led to this level of disruption, and understand how to make sure that it does not happen again.” These recent fiascos have exposed a multi-layered problem at the FAA, including too many unfilled vacancies in key positions (Biden’s nominee to head the agency has been held up since last year), and outdated technology. 

Conservatives have had a field day laying these disasters at Buttigieg’s feet, and while it’s true that the buck stops with him, GOP lawmakers are wholly uninterested in allocating increased funds for necessary upgrades to the FAA, or anywhere, really, other than the Defense Department, whose aviation systems are apparently in perfect working order!

Uganda declared the end of a nearly four-month Ebola outbreak today, which the World Health Organization praised as proof of an effective partnership between global institutions and communities. 

A senior judge on Brazil’s supreme court ordered the arrest of two top security officials in the capital Brasília yesterday following the attempted coup by far-right supporters of ousted president Jiar Bolsonaro on Sunday. 

After seizing the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar yesterday, the Kremlin appointed Gen. Valery Gerasimov to command Russian forces, the latest significant reshuffling of its military ranks. 

The House GOP announced its committee chairs today, and there will be more men named “Mike” than women of any name holding gavels. Mike America Great Again, etc. etc.

A California judge ruled against car manufacturer Tesla last night in the company’s challenge to the powers of the state’s Civil Rights Department, which sued the company over alleged racial discrimination at its flagship assembly plant. 

The World Health Organization is once again recommending that passengers wear masks on long-haul flights given the rapid spread of the latest COVID-19 Omicron subvariant. 

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) has informed fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus that she will run for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

The post-Roe climate has had a drastic impact on Illinois, a state bordered by five others that all have strict abortion laws, as well as many cities and towns across the United States near red-state borders. These municipalities have quickly become destinations for people who cannot access reproductive care in their home states. Planned Parenthood, which operates in Illinois and many other border states, has reported an “exponential increase” of patients in those communities on state lines. To accommodate the new demand, health centers are now tasked with increasing their staff, extending hours and locations, making operational changes, and pursuing telehealth. As we’ve seen before, Republicans are already formulating attempts to enact travel restrictions for abortions and other work-arounds, like targeting pharmacy chains who plan to stock and dispense abortion pills in states where the procedure is legal. Alabama’s Attorney General Steve Marshall (R-AL) also announced today that women in the state who use abortion pills could be prosecuted. Another huge day for the worst guys in America!

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Illinois passed an assault-weapons ban on Tuesday, six months after a deadly mass shooting at a 4th of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. 

The Supreme Court will allow New York State to enforce a Democratic-backed gun control law, for now. 

After regaining full control of the state government, Minnesota Democrats introduced a bill that would overhaul of the state’s election laws, expanding voting access and cracking down on campaign finance. 

Democrats flipped a State Senate seat in Virginia!