Musk's Shutdown Offer Rejected, TSA Workers Lose Pay

0:00A partial government shutdown is causing headaches at airports nationwide, with TSA workers going unpaid. Billionaire Elon Musk stepped up with an offer to cover their salaries during the impasse, but the White House turned it down. Officials took the idea seriously at first, but legal roadblocks got in the way. Musk's many government contracts could spark issues if he funneled money their way, even indirectly. Plus, sources say the shutdown should wrap up soon anyway. President Trump sounded open to it, saying he'd love for Musk to help out. Meanwhile, the White House press secretary pointed fingers at Democrats for dragging things out over the past six weeks, insisting Republicans just want steady funding for the Department of Homeland Security. TSA's acting head revealed workers have already lost $1 billion in pay from this 40-day shutdown and a prior 43-day-1 last fall. Direct payments from outsiders to federal employees aren't allowed under ethics rules.

1:01Debates swirled about routing funds through the general treasury instead, but no clear path emerged. Homeland security stayed quiet, as did Musk, leaving travelers to hope for a quick fix and smoothen lines ahead. That's the story for today. Dallas News Today, driven by AI.