Philly among airports that will experience flight cuts; airline CEO warns passengers to book 'backup' flights

A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to find the money by Friday to fully fund SNAP benefits for November.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. on Thursday was in response to a challenge from cities and nonprofits complaining that the administration was only offering to cover 65% of the maximum benefit.

“The defendants failed to consider the practical consequences associated with this decision to only partially fund SNAP,” McConnell said. “They knew that there would be a long delay in paying partial Snap payments and failed to consider the harms individual who rely on those benefits would suffer.”

Bipartisan talks to reopen the government intensified on Thursday as lawmakers in both parties felt increased urgency to alleviate a growing airport crisis, pay government workers, and restore delayed food aid to millions of people. But resolution still appeared far off amid internal disagreements in both parties over the best way to end the shutdown, now in its 37th day.

A vote on the healthcare subsidies “has got to mean something,” Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said on Wednesday. “That means a commitment by the speaker of the House, that he will support the legislation, that the president will sign.”

But Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R., La.), made clear Thursday morning that he has no plans to support any compromise bill on the health tax credits or even to commit to a vote. Many Republicans in his conference would firmly oppose an extension.

President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday the Federal Aviation Administration is cutting air traffic at airports across the country by 10% to make sure flying remains safe as the shutdown continues.

“They want to make sure it’s 100% safe,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “That’s why they’re doing it."

Philadelphia International Airport is one of 40 airports across the country where flight cuts are being made due to staffing issues related to air traffic controllers who missed their second straight paycheck this week.

More than $2 million in private sector funds have been raised for Gov. Josh Shapiro's "SNAP Emergency Relief Fund" over the last several days, the governor said during a news conference in Pittston, Pa. The private sector funds match state dollars that have been used to provide food assistance to Pennsylvanians.

"These dollars go directly to the Pennsylvania SNAP Emergency Relief Fund, and every single cent of that money raised goes to feeding Pennsylvania, which ends up in food banks just like this," Shapiro said at the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank.

The relief fund, comprised of private sector donations, was created in response to the pause of SNAP benefits this month due to the government shutdown and lapse in federal funding. Entrepreneur Mark Cuban and 76ers co-owner David Adelman and his wife are among private donors that have contributed to the fund.

As travelers at Philadelphia International Airport kissed their loved ones goodbye and rolled their luggage to check in Thursday, several said their flights haven’t been changed due to the reductions.

But frequent flyer Virginia Nunn — on her way home to Tampa after visiting family in Philly — doesn’t expect it to stay that way for long. She and her husband have a trip to Las Vegas booked for next week.

“We fully expect disruption,” said Nunn.

Frontier expects most of its flights to operate as planned during the FAA-directed flight reduction expected to begin Friday.

Customers whose flights are impacted will receive communication via email, text, and the Frontier mobile app. Those with Frontier flights that are canceled, or delayed for more than three hours for domestic flights or six hours for international flights can rebook or request a refund.

Despite the expectations of minimal delays, the CEO of the budget airline, Barry Biffle, is advising travelers to buy a “backup ticket” on another carrier in case their original flight is canceled or delayed.

U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D., Pa.) interrupted a news conference Wednesday being held by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R., La.) to call on him to push for a bipartisan deal to reopen the government.

"I've called on someone else," Johnson said as Houlahan continued to speak. Johnson apologized to the reporter, claiming Houlahan "doesn't respect the rights of her colleagues."

"You are the speaker for all of us, sir," Houlahan continues. "You have an obligation, not just to speak lies to the American people, you have an obligation to call the leadership of both parties and bring us together and solve this problem together."

Senate Democrats are scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon to discuss whether to back an emerging deal to end the government shutdown, according to Punchbowl News.

The details remain murky, but it appears a potential deal centers around Democrats agreeing to vote with Republicans to reopen the government in exchange for a guaranteed vote on renewing tax credits for Obamacare, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) has signaled he'd be willing to come to some agreement to offer a vote, but so far Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R., La.) has held firm on reopening the government before negotiating with Democrats.

Flight delays that have been piling up across the country could continue even if Republicans and Democrats agree to end the government shutdown, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Speaking on Fox News Thursday morning, Duffy said it would take time to get staffing levels back up to normal if and when the government reopens. The Federal Aviation Administration is also dealing with a shortage of air traffic controllers that predates the shutdown.

"As they come back online, we'll reopen the airspace, but we're all about safety," Duffy said. "We've never had a shutdown that's lasted this long. We're in uncharted territory."

Two checkpoints run by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration at Philadelphia International Airport remain closed due to the impact of the shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history.

Airport spokesperson Heather Redfern said the closures, which began Wednesday, were being made at the request of the TSA, which is being affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown.

About 1,700 badged federal employees work at the airport, including air traffic controllers, TSA workers, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees.

American Airlines, which operates 75% of the flights at Philadelphia International Airport, said Wednesday night that it has been directed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to reduce flight schedules starting Friday, but expected the “vast majority” of its customers’ travels will be unaffected.

The FAA said Thursday it was requiring the reduction of air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets beginning on Friday because of the strain of the government shutdown on air traffic controllers, who are not being paid.

Federal officials on Wednesday declined to identify the 40 markets, saying the list would be released Thursday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it was taking the extraordinary step of reducing air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets beginning Friday morning to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the ongoing government shutdown.

The cutback stands to impact thousands of flights nationwide because the FAA directs more than 44,000 flights daily, including commercial passenger flights, cargo planes and private aircraft. The agency didn’t immediately identify which airports or cities will be affected but said the restrictions would remain in place as long as necessary.

“I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference.