canceled

A winter storm blanketed much of the central Midwest with snow on Sunday at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, bringing blizzard-like conditions that grounded hundreds of flights and forced the closure of major highways on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

“It’s going to be messy,” said Todd Kluber, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service who is based in suburban Chicago.

With much of the central Plains and Great Lakes region under blizzard or winter storm warnings, about 1,200 flights headed to or from the U.S. had been canceled as of Sunday evening, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.

Most were supposed to be routed through Chicago or Kansas City, Mo. — areas forecast to be hit hard by the storm.

Strong winds and snow created blizzard conditions across much of Nebraska and parts of Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. The National Weather Service was warning that those conditions would make travel difficult in places.

By midday, the blizzard warning was extended to parts of eastern Illinois near Chicago, where snow is forecast to fall at a rate of about 2 inches an hour.

Other parts of the central Plains and Great Lakes region were under a winter storm warning that could see a foot or more of snow dumped in some places by the end of the day.

In eastern Nebraska, part of Interstate 80 between Lincoln and Omaha was closed Sunday morning because of multiple accidents after snow blanketed that area. That included semitrailer trucks jackknifed across the highway. It was reopened by Sunday afternoon.

In Kansas, Gov. Jeff Colyer issued a state of emergency declaration. The action came as a large stretch of Interstate 70, spanning much of the state, was closed between Junction City and WaKeeney.

in Missouri, a portion of Interstate 29 was shut down near the Iowa border.

As much as a foot was expected in Chicago. Four to 6 inches of snow was expected in the Kansas City area. Forecasters predict more than a foot of snow is likely in southeastern Nebraska, northeastern Kansas, northwestern Missouri and southwestern Iowa.

By Monday morning, the storm was expected to hit parts of northern Indiana and southern Michigan.

Kluber said that the storm was expected to hit the Chicago region Sunday night and that rain will give way to heavy snowfall and “near whiteout conditions” that will make for dangerous travel.

Nov. 10 (UPI) — Several thousand flights were again canceled or delayed Monday as the Federal Aviation Administration cut down on service because of air traffic controller shortages amid the longest federal government shutdown.

Staff members who show up for work are not being paid, which has led to fatigue despite the need to be alert, Transportation Secretary Duffy said. Some are tired because they are working second jobs to bring in money as the shutdown entered its 41st day.

Since Friday, the FAA has ordered a 4% reduction in flights at 40 major airports, which has caused a ripple effect at smaller locations.

There were 2,747 cancellations and 8,337 delays involving U.S. Airports through 8 p.m. Monday, according to FlightAware.

On Sunday, there were 3,498 cancellations and 11,231 delays involving U.S. airports. The first two days there aren’t as many: 1,526 cancellations and 7,016 delays Friday, and 1,944 cancellations and 7,545 delays on Saturday.

The cancellations and delays were not just because of work shortages but also due to bad weather and equipment issues.

Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway International were affected by a major snowstorm.

At O’Hare, the second busiest airport in the nation, 321 departures, or 23% of flights, were canceled, and 314 arrivals, or 22%, were canceled. There were more than 1,000 delays of total incoming and outgoing flights.

Delays averaged more than 6 hours at O’Hare.

One couple decided to drive to the Chicago area from New Orleans because their flight was canceled.

Grace Butler and her boyfriend were stranded on Interstate 57 near Onarga, Ill., for two hours Monday morning.

“No visibility, road is covered with snow and ice. Have lived in Chicago my whole life and never seen a blizzard this bad,” Butler told CNN.

The much smaller Midway had 73, or 22%, departure cancellations, and 53, or 15%, arrival delays.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the largest airport in the nation, had the second-most arrival cancellations: 150, or 12%. The departures were the third-most, 82, or 6%.

LaGuardia Airport in New York had the second-most departure cancellations at 86, or 15%, with arrivals the second most at 86 or 15%.

Other highly affected airports were Boston Logan International, Newark International in New Jersey, Dallas-Fort Worth International.

The various FAA locations: control centers, high-altitude flights and Terminal Radar Approach Control have been affected.

Duffy and his boss, President Donald Trump, said it is vital for them to show up for work despite not getting paid.

Trump demanded they “get back to work, NOW” in a post Monday on Truth Social.

“Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked.’ For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.”

And those who didn’t work “will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record.”

Duffy reposted Trump’s item.

“To those who have worked throughout the shutdown — thank you for your patriotism and commitment to keeping our skies safe,” Duffy posted on X. “I will work with Congress to reward your commitment.”

But he admitted to CNN on Sunday: “It’s going to be harder for me to come back after the shutdown and have more controllers controlling the airspace. So this is going to live on in air travel well beyond the timeframe that this government opens back up.”

The leader of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it is a bad situation.

“The fatigue has led to the erosion of safety and the increased risk every day that this shutdown drags on,” Nick Daniels, president of the association, said at a news conference Monday. “If you want to know what the real fallout of this shutdown is, it’s not a budget line, it is the smallest and the most dangerous shift of all — when the most disciplined safety workforce in America is forced to think about survival instead of public safety.”

He added: “Air traffic controllers must show up day in and day out, fully prepared to handle the stress, pressure and the weight of their responsibilities to the American flying public and their safety. But now they must focus on child care instead of traffic flows, food for their families instead of runway separation.”

David Seymour, American Airlines’ chief operating officer, said the disruption is not acceptable and the workers should be paid rather than getting back pay after the shutdown ends.

“This is simply unacceptable, and everyone deserves better,” Seymour said in a letter to employees that was obtained by CBS News. “Our air traffic controllers deserve to be paid and our airline needs to be able to operate at a level of predictability and dependability that no major airline was able to provide the flying public this weekend.”

Nov. 8 (UPI) — Federal officials on Saturday canceled more than 800 flights at airports across the United States as the federal government shutdown entered its record-long 39th day on Saturday.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford jointly announced a temporary 10% reduction in flights at 40 high-traffic airports.

They said the reduction in flights is necessary to ensure safety and ease the strain on air traffic controllers, who are working without pay.

“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety,” Duffy said.

“It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking.”

More than 1,700 flights have been canceled through Sunday — and more than 800 were cancelled on Saturday alone — as commercial airlines reduced their respective flights by 4% at the nation’s busiest airports, according to CNN.

Washington’s Reagan National Airport is affected the most by the flight reductions, with 151 flights canceled among 869 initially scheduled there for a reduction of 17.4%, The New York Times reported.

Louisville, Ky., has an 8% reduction with 12 canceled among 150 flights, followed by Cincinnati, 7.2% and 18 canceled flights among 250 scheduled.

Houston Hobby has 20 of 336 flights canceled for a 6% reduction, followed by Indianapolis, with 17 of 297 flights canceled for a 5.7% reduction, to round out the five most impacted airports.

The flight reductions come after many air traffic controllers and other essential airport staff have called in sick due to increased stress, to work other jobs and to care for their children, among other reasons.

They have missed one paycheck and will again next week if the federal government is not funded and reopened by then, according to CNBC.

The reduced staffing levels are putting more pressure on commercial air operations, especially at the nation’s busiest airports.

“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” Bedford said.

“The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”

OVER 1,700 flights have already been canceled across the country this weekend as officials warn Thanksgiving will be hit by travel chaos.

It comes as the US endures its longest government shutdown in history and federal aviation officials order 40 major airports to slash services due to staffing shortages.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has vowed on X to “keep the skies safe” by using every tactic at his disposal, which he said will see travelers increasingly hit with delays and cancelations.

On Friday he warned that even if the government shutdown ended now, Thanksgiving air travel would still be impacted.

“So if the government opens on Day 1, will I see an immediate response from controllers? No, the union is telling me it’s going to take time to get them all back in,” Duffy told CNN.

At the time of writing, the number of canceled flights for today alone already stands at 957, according to FlightAware, and at least 8,442 are delayed.

Sunday already has at least 838 flight cancelations and 213 delays.

Duffy confirmed in a joint statement with the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday that cuts to services will increase across this weekend and into next week.

“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.

“The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”

The statement noted a 4% cut in operations on Friday, “ramping up to 6% by November 11, 8% by November 13, and 10% by November 14”.

This percentage of cuts could rise to 15% or 20% if the government shutdown does not end “relatively soon,” Duffy warned when speaking to Fox News.

Major airlines have already tried to do damage control by announcing cancelations ahead of time.

On Friday, American Airlines told CNN it would cut 220 flights from its Saturday services.

United Airlines confirmed hundreds of cuts across the weekend through to Tuesday, and Southwest has axed approximately 100 flights on Saturday and 150 on Sunday.

Travelers caught up in the chaos have described the carnage awaiting them at the airports with people lying on floors and sleeping where they can while hoping to hear news of their flights.

Travelers should check with their airline for the latest updates on their flights.

Meanwhile, tourism officials are urging both Republicans and Democrats to end the stalemate that began on October 1 as they fear catastrophic economic blows.

Hawaii in particular is in danger of unique harm, officials have warned Duffy, as the islands are hit with the enforced cuts but with little alternative for health care, commerce, or security.

“We strongly urge federal leaders to reach an immediate resolution,” Hawaiian Airlines said while thanking the air traffic controllers and TSA officers keeping airports running without pay.

And officials in Las Vegas, which is already suffering from a tourism hole, have warned that the shutdown and airport cuts have happened at the worst possible time.

The U.S. Travel Association joined by MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, The Venetian, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority wrote a letter urging Congress to take action now to end the shutdown.

They warned that the travel industry has already lost $4 billion and that the economic situation will only worsen as Americans and travelers from abroad rethink their trips.

Retailers are also preparing to feel the impact just as holiday season hits as supply chain officials warn that a large amount of cargo is carried on commercial flights.

“Forty percent to 50% of all air freight is shipped in the belly of passenger planes,” Patrick Penfield, a Syracuse University professor of supply chain practice told NBC News.

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“If you eliminate 10% of airline capacity, air freight prices will rise, and we could see delays in getting materials via air.”

The shutdown has entered its 38th day and no end is in sight after Senate Republicans rejected an offer by the Democrats on Friday to reopen with a health care deal.

MORE than 800 flights across the US have already been canceled as millions of travelers brace for even more chaos. 

Airlines have frantically cut routes after federal officials ordered 40 major airports to slash capacity. 

It comes as US vice president JD Vance warned the country faces an “aviation emergency.”

“The shutdown has now passed from farce into tragedy, and the consequences of this national emergency fall on every senator and congressman who refuses to open the government,” he railed.

The total number of canceled flights now stands at more than 800, according to FlightAware.

Dozens of flights originating out of Chicago airport, Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, Denver and Fort-Worth have been axed.

Forty flights departing Chicago have been axed, and 38 from Atlanta.

Southwest has canceled more than 120 flights, which is 3% of its total, while United has cut 2%.

At least 20 flights heading out of Los Angeles, Newark, and San Francisco have also been culled.

More than 1,200 flights are experiencing some form of delays.

Five percent of flights leaving JFK airport and Chicago are delayed.

Passengers arriving into Newark were met with three hour delays on Thursday night.

One airport worker told The New York Post the situation on Friday will be a nightmare.

“Tomorrow, the FAA will just shut down. Get out while you can,” they warned.

Federal officials have warned how the current shutdown is unprecedented.

“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,” Bryan Bedford, the FAA administrator, said.

“Then again, we’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.

The current shutdown is the longest in US political history.

It surpassed the 2018-19 federal government closure, which Donald Trump also presided over, in terms of length.

FAA officials ordered a slew of airports to reduce capacity.

This is part of a bid to keep the skies safe while there is a shortage of air traffic control workers.

Air traffic controllers have gone without a full months pay because of the shutdown.

Airports on the FAA’s list include major hubs such as Los Angeles International, Orlando, New York’s JFK airport, and Miami.

San Francisco and Oakland airports are also on the list of hubs ordered to cut capacity by 10%.

Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Americans that air travel would need to be reduced to prevent any casualties.

“We will restrict the airspace when we feel it’s not safe, if we don’t have enough controllers to effectively and safely manage our skies,” he said.

Airlines have responded to the FAA’s order.

Scott Kirby, the CEO of United, revealed schedules will be updated on a rolling basis.

The airline’s international flights are not impacted by the restrictions.

He revealed travelers can apply for a refund even if their flight isn’t delayed or canceled.

He expects the carrier to still offer around 4,000 flights a day despite the restrictions.

Southwest Airlines has said it will rebook impacted customers.

And, American will liaise with travelers about new flights if they are impacted.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are working to end the shutdown.

Senate Democrats have voted 14 times not to reopen the government.

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But, Senate Republicans want to bring forward new funding bills that will see the government reopen.

One bill top GOP lawmaker John Thune is proposing would see programs funded until December or January.

In Mexico and parts of Central America, Día de los Muertos is regarded as a day to commemorate and celebrate departed family and friends.

For generations, Greater Southern California has joined the tradition with altars, Aztec dances and displays of marigolds in late October to early November. The day to honor the dead also has served as a day of gathering among the living.

However, some celebrations are being reconsidered because of fears that participants may get caught in deportation raids executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

This week the Department of Homeland Security announced it had deported more than half a million undocumented people since the Trump Administration took over in January. More than 2 million people have left the nation overall, the department said.

With raids continuing, some organizers of this weekend’s Día de los Muertos events are moving ahead with celebrations, while others have canceled them.

Times reporters spoke with event organizers to learn what they’re doing differently.

Cancellation is the policy

My colleague Suhauna Hussain reported in mid-September that Long Beach was nixing its annual parade, which drew sizable crowds in the past.

The event was canceled at the request of City Councilmember Mary Zendejas “out of an abundance of caution,” according to city spokesperson Kevin Lee, because it’s “a large and very public outdoor event.” Officials were not aware of any targeted federal enforcement activity.

“This decision did not come lightly,” Zendejas and the city said in statements. The decision addresses “genuine fears raised by community members, especially those who may face the possibility of sudden and indiscriminate federal enforcement actions that undermine the sense of security necessary to participate fully in public life.”

Roberto Carlos Lemus, a marketer who brought food trucks and other vendors to the festival last year, called the cancellation “very sad.”

“Everyone’s very sad about the situation. Día de los Muertos has been one of the largest celebrations for a very long time, and the city has done a great job putting it on,” Lemus told The Times. “Unfortunately, with Latinos being kidnapped and attacked by ICE and the current administration, I do understand why they made the decision that they made.”

The action was mirrored in other places. Santa Barbara’s Museum of Contemporary Art canceled its own parade because the “threat to undocumented families remains very real.” In Northern California, organizations in Berkeley and Eureka also canceled celebrations for similar reasons.

Moving ahead

Others are not letting the immigration raids interfere with the celebration.

Last year, tens of thousands of visitors patronized Division 9 Gallery’s Day of the Dead celebration in downtown Riverside. This year’s free two-day event will feature Aztec dancers, a pageant, processions, Lucha Libre wrestlers and altars — the traditional stands along with ofrendras placed inside classic cars — on Saturday and Sunday.

The event, located on Market Street between University Avenue and 14th Street, continues to grow in popularity, organizer Cosmé Cordova said.

Cordova said he’s not sure if there will be 60 altars, as was the case last year, or if 45,000 people will attend Saturday, the most popular of the two days.

“Because of what’s going on, people are afraid,” he said. “But we’re not canceling.”

Cordova said he’s hired security and noted that Riverside police and the mayor will be present.

“We’re working with the city and others to make sure everything is going to be good,” Cordova said. “This is an event that the community comes out for and I’m not concerned about anyone breaking it up.”

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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

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Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff writer
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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