Trump begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash

Trump begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash

By TARA COPP Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has begun firing several hundred Federal Aviation Administration employees, upending staff on a busy air travel weekend and just weeks after a January fatal midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Probationary workers were targeted in late-night emails Friday notifying them they had been fired, David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said in a statement.

The impacted workers include personnel hired for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, one air traffic controller told The Associated Press. The air traffic controller was not authorized to talk to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A Transportation Department official told the AP late Monday that no air traffic controllers were affected by the cuts, and that the agency has “retained employees who perform critical safety functions.” In a follow-up query the agency said they would have to look into whether the radar, landing and navigational aid workers affected were considered to handle critical safety functions.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a brief statement Monday it was “analyzing the effect of the reported federal employee terminations on aviation safety, the national airspace system and our members.”

Other FAA employees who were fired were working on an urgent and classified early warning radar system the Air Force had announced in 2023 for Hawaii to detect incoming cruise missiles, through a program that was in part funded by the Defense Department. It’s one of several programs that the FAA’s National Defense Program manages that involve radars providing longer-range detection around the country’s borders.

Due to the nature of their work, staff in that office typically provide an extensive knowledge transfer before retiring to make sure no institutional knowledge is lost, said Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander, one of the employees in that branch who was terminated.

The Hawaii radar and the FAA National Defense Program office working on it are “about protecting national security,” Spitzer-Stadtlander said. “I don’t think they even knew what NDP does, they just thought, oh no big deal, he just works for the FAA.”

“This is about protecting national security, and I’m scared to death,” Spitzer-Stadtlander said. “And the American public should be scared too.”

Spero said messages began arriving after 7 p.m. Friday and continued late into the night. More might be notified over the long weekend or barred from entering FAA buildings Tuesday, he said.

The employees were fired “without cause nor based on performance or conduct,” Spero said, and the emails were “from an ‘exec order’ Microsoft email address” — not a government email address. A copy of the termination email that was provided to the AP shows the sending address “[email protected].”

The firings hit the FAA as it is facing a shortfall in controllers. Federal officials have been raising concerns about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements.

In the Jan. 29 fatal crash between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines passenger jet, which is still under investigation, one controller was handing both commercial airline and helicopter traffic at the busy airport.

Just days before the collision, President Donald Trump had already fired all the members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, a panel mandated by Congress after the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. The committee is charged with examining safety issues at airlines and airports.

Spitzer-Stadtlander suggested he was targeted for firing for his views on Tesla and X, formerly Twitter, not as part of a general probationary-level sweep. Both companies are owned by Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency is leading Trump’s effort to cut the federal government.

Spitzer-Stadtlander is Jewish and was angered by Musk’s straight-arm gesture at Trump’s inauguration. On his personal Facebook page he urged friends to get rid of their Teslas and X accounts in response.

Spitzer-Stadtlander said that post drew the attention of a Facebook account labeled “Department of Government Efficiency,” which reacted with a laughing emoji. Soon after, he saw the same account reacting to much older posts through his personal Facebook feed.

There are at least a half-dozen Facebook accounts labeled “Department of Government Efficiency,” and it’s unclear who operates any of them. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt wrote Monday on X, “DOGE doesn’t even have a Facebook page.”

Spitzer-Stadtlander said he was supposed to be exempted from the probationary firings because the FAA office he worked in focused on national security threats such as attacks on the national airspace by drones.

“Less than a week later, I was fired, despite my position allegedly being exempted due to national security,” Spitzer-Stadtlander wrote in a post over the weekend on LinkedIn.

He added, “When DOGE fired me, they turned off my computer and wiped all of my files without warning.”

DOGE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The firings were first reported by CNN.

—-

Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer contributed from Washington.

What is a polar vortex? US gets a taste of the Arctic this week

What is a polar vortex? US gets a taste of the Arctic this week

The term “polar vortex” usually refers to the gigantic circular upper air weather pattern in the Arctic region. It is a normal pattern that is stronger in the winter and keeps some of the coldest weather bottled up near the North Pole.

But at times some of the vortex can break off or move south, bringing unusually cold weather south and permitting warmer weather to creep up north.

This week, parts of the U.S. are experiencing the 10th and coldest polar vortex event this season. Weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air into the U.S. and Europe.

With record snow in New Orleans last month and drought and destructive wildfires in Southern California, this winter has not been normal.

The latest projected cold outbreak will bring bone-chilling temperatures to the Northern and Central Plains for several days, starting Sunday.

Wind chills dropped to minus 60 Fahrenheit (minus 51 Celsius) in parts of North Dakota Monday and minus 50 F (minus 46 C) in parts of Montana. Wind chills were expected to dip even lower Tuesday morning.

“Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures. An extended period of freezing temperatures could cause ruptured water pipes,” the NWS warned Monday.

Meteorologists expect strong winds to make the cold feel even worse. Every U.S. state but Hawaii, California and Florida have some or all parts forecast to have a good chance of windchills of 20 degrees or below sometime next week, the National Weather Service predicted.

Some experts say disruptions to polar vortexes are happening more frequently because of a warming world. A warmer Artic gives more energy to atmospheric waves that can drive weather patterns, making the waves more likely to disrupt the vortex and move colder air south into lower latitudes.

Despite the unusually cold winter across the U.S., the world remains in an overall warming pattern. Earth’s average overall temperature set yet another monthly heat record in January. It was the 18th month of the last 19 that the world hit or passed the internationally agreed upon warming limit of 1.5 C (2.7 F) above pre-industrial times.

“Yes” Foods for Dogs

“Yes” Foods for Dogs

Human foods that are okay for dogs

Photo by Getty Images

Humans have discovered and made some of the most delicious foods throughout history and we have shared our delicacies with many cultures around the world. Thankfully we know of some really good foods we can share with man’s best friend. Here is a short list of human foods that dogs can eat:

  1. Cheese- Dogs love cheese. This is a great treat as a reward or even good dog food topper. Just make sure your dog doesn’t have a problem with cheese or has a lactose intolerant.
  2. Bread– Who doesn’t love bread, as long as it doesn’t have any spices or raisins (raisins are dried grapes which are VERY toxic to dogs) in it, its a fine treat for dogs. Though if you are thinking about giving your dog bread, homemade is better than store-bought.
  3. Ham– Ham is a good meat to give to dogs but just limit how much fat you are giving your dog. Since ham is so high in sodium just make sure you just giving your pooch small amounts and not often.

There are so many foods that your dog can have and this list provided by the American Kennel Club is a great source of information.

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NASCAR files appeal against 23XI and Front Row just 1 hour before Daytona 500 qualifying begins

NASCAR files appeal against 23XI and Front Row just 1 hour before Daytona 500 qualifying begins

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — NASCAR filed a 68-page appeal Wednesday night — roughly one hour before the start of Daytona 500 qualifying — arguing a federal judge erred in recognizing 23XI Motorsports and Front Row Motorsports as chartered teams for 2025 as the two organizations sue over antitrust claims.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina in December issued a preliminary injunction that allowed 23XI and Front Row to receive the same rewards as a chartered team while the lawsuit wades through the court system.

23XI Racing is co-owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, while Front Row Motorsports is owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins.

Last month, Bell denied NASCAR’s motion to dismiss the suit, and also denied NASCAR’s request that the two organizations post a bond to cover any monies they are paid as chartered teams that would have to be returned should 23XI and Front Row lose the lawsuit.

“The district court’s injunction orders flout federal antitrust law; misapply the established rules governing the use of preliminary injunctions; ignore unrebutted, legally significant evidence; and have sweeping implications for NASCAR’s 2025 Cup Series season,” NASCAR wrote. “These injunctions misuse the judicial power to force NASCAR to treat its litigation adversaries as its business partners and confidants, undermining the mutual trust that has fueled NASCAR’s growth and success.”

The timing of the appeal — despite it hitting just one hour before time trials begin for Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 — was a coincidence in that Wednesday was a court-ordered deadline. NASCAR does not publicly comment on the lawsuit.

NASCAR has maintained that it will defend itself against antitrust claims and believes that 23XI and Front Row have a misguided case; the teams don’t like the terms of the charter agreement so were the only two out of 15 organizations that refused to sign the forms when NASCAR presented its take-it-or-leave it offer 48 hours before last season’s playoffs began.

Not liking the terms of a contract does not qualify as an antitrust case, NASCAR believes, and is willing to see the case through to trial. Should 23XI and Front Row prevail, it is believed NASCAR will eliminate the charter system outright rather than renegotiate new charters.

“While every other team owner that was offered a new Charter with these better terms accepted it, these two held out — raising concerns about several provisions but not the mutual releases,” NASCAR wrote. “NASCAR eventually withdrew its offers to Plaintiffs and moved forward with planning its 2025 Cup Series season without them as chartered teams. So 23XI and Front Row turned to the courts, attempting to transform the Charter’s standard release provision into a trump card to belatedly secure, outside of negotiations, the Charters they regretted rejecting — even though neither team owner ever raised that provision as an issue in two years of Charter negotiations.

“With neither the facts nor the law on their side, 23XI and Front Row argue it violates the Sherman Act for sports enterprises to include such standard releases in their agreements. The district court took the bait.”

At issue are the agreements that teams asked for and were granted in 2016. A charter guarantees each car that holds one a spot in the field each week, as well as guaranteed prize money and other financial incentives.

There are 36 guaranteed spots in each race, with four “open” spots for cars that do not hold charters. NASCAR believes 23XI and Front Row should be open cars since they did not sign the charter agreements.

NASCAR also did not want to approve the sale of charters from now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing to the two teams, which each purchased one charter to expand their organizations from two cars to three. Had Bell not granted the injunction to recognize the two teams as chartered for 2025, a combined six cars between the two organizations would not have received an automatic berth into the Daytona 500.

23XI fields Toyotas for newcomer Riley Herbst, as well as Tyler Reddick, last year’s regular-season champion, and Bubba Wallace. Front Row field Fords for Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland and newcomer Zane Smith.

“At this point, NASCAR would prefer to extend the perks of the 2025 Charter to owners committed to enhancing NASCAR’s competitiveness with other sports for fans, sponsors, and media dollars – rather than owners that undermine NASCAR’s brand,” the sanctioning body wrote in the appeal.

Monty the giant schnauzer wins Westminster dog show

Monty the giant schnauzer wins Westminster dog show

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — This time, the giant schnauzer went the full Monty.

After coming close in the last two years, Monty the giant schnauzer won the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show Tuesday night, leaving handler and co-owner Katie Bernardin almost too emotional to speak.

“He always tries so hard, and we’re just proud of him,” she told the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

The spirited schnauzer bested six other finalists to become the first of his breed tapped as Westminster’s best in show, the most prestigious prize in the U.S. dog show world. The dog won the huge American Kennel Club championship in December, and he’d been a Westminster twice before.

A giant schnauzer named Monty has won the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. Monty bested six other finalists to take best in show Tuesday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden. (AP Video)

A standout because of “everything from his attitude to his structure,” Monty is bold, cocky and fun, according to co-owner Sandy Nordstrom.

“He’s just a really cool dog,” she said in an interview before his win, which will be his last. The 5-year-old is retiring from showing.

The runner-up was, for the third time, a whippet known as Bourbon. Other finalists included a bichon frisé called Neal, a Skye terrier named Archer, and a shih tzu called Comet who’s been a finalist before.

Also in the mix were a German shepherd named Mercedes, who came in second last year, and an English springer spaniel called Freddie.

Each dog at Westminster is judged according to how closely it matches the ideal for its breed. Winners get a trophy, ribbons and bragging rights, but no cash prize.

During a break between semifinal rounds, security personnel surrounded and ousted someone along the sidelines of the ring. The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has protested the dog show for years, said on X that a supporter was removed after holding a sign.

Westminster says it celebrates all dogs. The show champions that compete also are household pets, and some do therapy work, search-and-rescue or other canine jobs.

“A good German shepherd is an all-purpose dog,” said Mercedes’ co-breeder and co-owner Sheree Moses Combs of Wardensville, West Virginia. Some of her pups have become service dogs for wounded veterans, she said.

“Dog shows are fun, but that is what our breed is all about,” she said.

While Monty got this year’s trophy, other hopefuls also scored points with spectators.

During two nights of semifinals, spectators shouted out breeds and names of canine competitors as if they played for one of the pro teams that call the Garden home, the NBA’s New York Knicks and NHL’s New York Rangers.

“Love you, Lumpy!” someone yelled to a Pekingese named Lumpy, who earned laughs for his ambling gait.

The arena erupted with cheers for Penny the Doberman pinscher and for a golden retriever named Tuffy, a representative of a popular breed that has never won. She also got some recognition from the judge, as did another crowd favorite, Calaco the Xoloitzcuintli. His breed (pronounced shoh-loh-eets-KWEEN’-tlees) are hairless dogs with deep roots in Mexico.

A trip to Westminster is a reminder of dogs’ variety, even just among purebreds. While big, “working” dogs had their day at Westminster on Tuesday, so did terriers.

First-round competitor Brina, for instance, is a 158-pound (71.6 kilogram) Neapolitan mastiff. The jowly breed was developed to be an imposing guard dog, but Brina’s owner, Yves Belmont, Ph.D., said he also is impressed by its intelligence. He keeps several of the dogs at his Atlanta-area home.

“I’ve been struck by this breed since I was 12. … They’re so unique,” Belmont said as Brina napped in her crate, equipped with a two-gallon (7.5-liter) water bucket.

Meanwhile, Tyra the miniature bull terrier also strutted her stuff in a first-round ring. Formally called GCH CH Rnr’s Top Model, she’s named after fashion model Tyra Banks.

Westminster Kennel Club show dogs have elaborate registered names that signify their lineage, achievements, and breeding program. While these formal names follow structured conventions, their everyday “call names” are often simpler, playful, or pun-based. (AP Video: John Minchillo)

The hardy terrier breed is “a big dog in a small package, but they always keep you smiling,” said owner and co-breeder Jessica Harrison of Austin, Texas. Asked where the 2-year-old Tyra falls on the mischief meter, Harrison smiled, “like a nine, for sure.”

“You can’t be upset with them because they’re just so cute,” she said as Tyra rolled on her back to get a belly rub from a passerby at the Javits Center, the convention venue that hosted the first-round judging of each breed.

Westminster also featured agility and obedience championships, held Saturday. The agility prize went to a border collie named Vanish, and an Australian shepherd called Willie triumphed in obedience.

Tar Heels GM Lombardi working to implement NFL-style approach under Belichick

Tar Heels GM Lombardi working to implement NFL-style approach under Belichick

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Michael Lombardi is a key piece of Bill Belichick’s foray into college coaching, the general manager charged with reshaping North Carolina’s program into a mini pro franchise.

Fittingly, the former NFL executive’s days sound a lot like they did in the league — so he can be forgiven if he occasionally slips up with past terms like referencing a “draft board” when discussing recruiting.

“My day is pretty much spent like it was in the NFL: get here early, watch tape, study players, write reports,” Lombardi said Tuesday.

Lombardi’s news conference marked the first on-campus availability for the program since Belichick’s hiring in December as successor to fired coach Mack Brown — the program’s all-time winningest coach. Belichick immediately brought on the 65-year-old Lombardi, who spent more than 30 years in NFL front offices in a career that included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013 and working with the late Bill Walsh with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s.

What seemed then like UNC’s fanciful dalliance with Belichick has quickly turned into an audacious bet (and elevated commitment) that the coach who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles could elevate the program that has largely known only bouts of unsustained success. Belichick is counting on Lombardi to help change UNC’s system and structure to something resembling those NFL days.

“Everything we do here is predicated on building a pro team,” Lombardi said. “We consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team because everybody who’s involved with our program has had some form or aspect in pro football.”

Lombardi’s news conference came roughly a week after the program announced its second wave of signees of incoming high-school or transfer talent. The first came in December, and both — 19 college transfers and 21 high-school recruits — offer an indication of what Belichick and Lombardi are prioritizing in revamping the Tar Heels.

First, Lombardi referenced multiple times the importance of building up the lines. Notably, the classes include 10 defensive linemen, with three as transfers, and five offensive linemen — all transfers.

“It comes back to the philosophy, right?” Lombardi said. “If you believe in something and you want to improve in that area, you’re going to put your money where your mouth is. It won’t be hard to figure out where we’ll want to put it. We’re going to sign defensive and offensive linemen.”

Secondly, the school that has long had coaches touting the importance of recruiting instate talent is casting a wider search. The two batches include just two instate signees — one being four-star quarterback prospect Bryce Baker, who maintained his commitment through the coaching change — out of 21 prep recruits.

That’s the same numbers as Virginia, New Jersey and New York. Florida had the most with four.

“This UNC logo is worldwide, so we shouldn’t limit ourselves,” Lombardi said. “I think we can walk into any school and say, ‘We’re North Carolina, we have the greatest coach in the history of football, and we have a great university. Come play for us.’

“I think it’s a powerful message, so why should we limit ourselves to just a smaller footprint? And it allows you to look all over the country for the players that fit you.”

Lastly, UNC’s recruiting class is ranked No. 43 nationally by 247Sports and No. 46 by Rivals, with both listing the Tar Heels as 10th in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference. Yet when asked about recruiting less-heralded prospects, Lombardi said simply: “We believe in our eyes.”

“If you trust your eyes and you evaluate players, it doesn’t really matter if some other school wants them,” he said. “All I know is from my 35 years or more in the National Football League, I’ve drafted players that weren’t recruited out of high school. I’ve drafted players that had no scholarship offers coming out of high school.

“So there’s always going to be a lot of guys that get missed. I think you have to trust your instincts and trust your eyes.”

The team hasn’t set dates for its spring practices yet and is still working to build its personnel and coaching staff, though Belichick’s son Steve — who coached under him with the Patriots and spent last year in college coaching at Washington — joined him on one of his frequent media appearances on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” as the two recruited for the Tar Heels.

The pro influences reach all the way to Belichick’s college debut; the Tar Heels’ get their own version of Monday Night Football by hosting TCU on Labor Day night on ESPN.

But that’s a long way off to Lombardi with the work still ahead.

“I can’t even imagine Week 1,” Lombardi said. “I’m trying to get through Week 5 of the offseason.”

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