Airport Chaos: TSA Shutdown Delays

0:00It's March 21st in Canada, let's get into the news. Passengers at Atlanta's Hartzbeel Jackson International Airport, one of the world's busiest hubs, are facing major delays at TSA checkpoints due to the ongoing government shutdown. Travelers are showing up as much as four hours early just to make their flights, with security lines swinging from 90 minutes down to about. 25 minutes on what is usually a quiet Saturday. The shutdown stems from a funding dispute over immigration enforcement, leaving TSA screeners without paychecks for 36 days and counting since. Made February, lawmakers failed to pass a funding bill Friday and a weekend session is underway, but no deal seems close yet. Travelers are voicing frustration over the political standoff, with some blaming one side for holding things up, while others express gratitude to the unpaid officers still showing up for work. Staffing shortages have even forced some checkpoints to close temporarily across major airports.

1:00President Trump ramped up the pressure Saturday, threatening to shift immigration agents to airport security if Democrats don't agree to fund the. Agency soon. Meanwhile, at least 376 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown started, worsening an already high turnover rate. As lines stabilize for now, the real question is how long workers can keep going without pay, and whether this will push both sides toward A, resolution before travel peaks again.