Delta suspends VIP congressional services amid government shutdown Travelers across the nation are facing long waits at TSA checkpoints due to the partial government shutdown. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., discussed the legislative gridlock, blamed Schumer and proposed withholding senators' pay. Members of Congress are losing a perk of flying Delta Air Lines because of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. FOX Business confirmed Tuesday morning that Atlanta-based Delta has suspended specialty services for members of Congress flying Delta. "Due to the impact on resources from the long-standing government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta," a company spokesperson told FOX Business. "Next to safety, Delta's no. 1 priority is taking care of our people and customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment." Delta has traditionally given priority VIP service to congressional members, allowing them to skip TSA lines and escorting them to their gates. Now members of Congress will be treated like other passengers based on their respective SkyMiles status. Additionally, Delta was suspending its "special congressional desk service" for lawmakers until the government shutdown ends, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The airport chaos, traveler frustrations and long wait times through the first weekend of the busy spring travel season have apparently hit too close to home for Delta, which has its headquarters in Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, well-known to be the busiest in the world, has been hamstrung by TSA security lines up to nine hours long, according to some reports.#hartsfieldjackson_atlanta_international_airport #delta_airlines #tsa #john_cornyn #john_kennedy
UN Weather Agency Warns of Record ‘Climate Imbalance’ as Planetary Warming Accelerates The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a stark warning that Earth’s climate is now more out of balance than at any point in recorded history, driven by accelerating planetary warming. The agency highlighted that record-high greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere continue to push temperatures to unprecedented levels, with long-term consequences for ecosystems and human societies. The WMO’s deputy executive secretary, Ko Barrett, emphasized that the past decade—2015 to 2025—has seen the hottest 11 years on record. Last year alone, global temperatures averaged 1.43°C above the 1850–1900 baseline, while ocean heat levels also reached a new peak. Barrett described the findings as a call to action, urging greater efforts to provide lifesaving weather forecasts and early warnings to communities at risk of climate-related disasters. The report paints a grim picture of the climate’s current state. As glaciers retreat and ice sheets melt, the warming oceans and melting land ice are contributing to a steady rise in global sea levels. Barrett stressed that these changes threaten coastal populations and ecosystems, underscoring the urgent need for adaptive measures to protect vulnerable communities. The WMO has been tracking annual climate updates for over three decades, and the past decade has seen increasingly alarming trends. Scientific officer John Kennedy noted that concentrations of three key greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—reached record levels in 2024, marking the largest annual increase in history. Data from 2025 indicates these concentrations continue to rise, further disrupting the planet’s energy balance.#world_meteorological_organization #john_kennedy #ko_barrett #climate_imbalance #global_warming
UN issues new climate warning as El Niño looms The United Nations' weather agency has issued a stark warning that the Earth's climate is more unbalanced than at any point in recorded history. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that the planet is absorbing significantly more heat energy than it can release, driven by emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. This growing "energy imbalance" has pushed ocean temperatures to record levels and accelerated the melting of ice caps. Scientists warn that an upcoming El Niño event could further intensify global warming, potentially leading to new temperature records. UN Secretary General António Guterres emphasized the need for countries to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, calling it essential for climate, energy, and national security. The WMO highlighted that the past 11 years have been the warmest in over 150 years of records. In 2025, global average air temperatures were 1.43 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a benchmark set before widespread fossil fuel use. While a temporary cooling effect from the La Niña weather pattern reduced 2025's temperatures compared to 2024, the year still ranked among the three hottest on record. The WMO noted that the climate is changing at an unprecedented rate, with the most comprehensive evidence being the accumulation of excess heat energy in the Earth's systems. This imbalance, driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, has led to record-breaking glacier retreat and near-record low sea ice levels at both poles. Over 90% of the additional heat absorbed by the planet is stored in the oceans, which exacerbates marine ecosystem stress, intensifies storms, and contributes to rising sea levels.#un #world_meteorological_organization #celeste_saulo #antonio_guterres #john_kennedy
