Airport travel chaos continues as DHS funding freeze becomes longest partial shutdown in history – US politics live

Trump has ordered pay be restored to TSA employees but it is unclear where money will come from and whether he has such legal powers Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. Airports continue to warn passengers to arrive several hours early due to unpredictable Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wait times, as the shutdown of the…

Key takeaways

Quick scan — what you need to know:

• Trump has ordered pay be restored to TSA employees but it is unclear where money will come from and whether he has such legal powers Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
• Airports continue to warn passengers to arrive several hours early due to unpredictable Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wait times, as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland…
• A generational divide over the Iran war has emerged between older attendees and their political heirs at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas , as the group’s leaders…
• Iran has warned the US that it is prepared to confront any ground assault, accusing Washington of secretly planning a land attack while publicly seeking talks , as the war that has killed thousands…

Background

What led here, in plain terms:

• Iran has warned the US that it is prepared to confront any ground assault, accusing Washington of secretly planning a land attack while publicly seeking talks , as the war that has killed thousands…
• US lawmakers have responded to reports that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran as thousands of US troops assemble in the Middle East and the conflict showed signs of…
• The abortion rate is holding steady in the US despite total and partial bans in some states – largely because of travel across state lines and a significant increase in telehealth appointments, a…
• Pope Leo has said God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have “hands full of blood” , in an apparent rebuke to the Trump administration.

Why it matters

Why readers and decision-makers should care:

• Pope Leo has said God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have “hands full of blood”, in an apparent rebuke to the Trump administration.
• The pontiff made the comments on Sunday as thousands of US troops arrived in the Middle East.
• More than 8 million people protested against the Trump administration at more than 3,300 No Kings events across the US and in more than a dozen countries on Saturday, according to organizers.