Overview

• On the first full day, airports from Las Vegas to Louisville and San Jose reported routine operations, with travelers moving through checkpoints normally.
• TSA says roughly 61,000 of 64,000 employees are excepted and screening about 2.5 million passengers daily, though longer wait times are likely if the shutdown persists.
• The FAA kept more than 13,000 air traffic controllers on duty and announced furloughs for about 11,000 other staff.
• Union leaders and frontline employees describe paycheck-to-paycheck strain and warn that low staffing and stress could degrade performance if unpaid work continues.
• Local nonprofits, including United Way Suncoast in Tampa Bay, are preparing aid for affected workers as Congress remains deadlocked on a funding deal.