good morning!🙋🏼♀️ I’m Nicole Fallato. A “Bearista” cup is required.
Let’s take a quick look at Thursday’s news.
Flight reductions begin at major airports
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced at a press conference that 40 major airports will be reducing flights by 10% over the weekend due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
What happened next: Plans for drastic flight reductions have left airlines scrambling to implement drastic reductions in just 36 hours, with passengers flooding airline customer service hotlines with concerns about air travel in the coming days.
- Why is this happening? The government shutdown, currently the longest in U.S. history, is putting pressure on the country’s air traffic controllers.
- “Regional flying” may be on the chopping block. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has promised refunds to customers who don’t want to fly during the flight restrictions.
- Will my flight be changed? If your flight is affected by staffing issues related to the grounding, you may not have many rights. Duffy did not say how long these restrictions would last or which airports would be affected, but said they would begin Friday morning.
Judges question President Trump’s tariffs
The Supreme Court, which has largely respected President Donald Trump’s claims to expand executive power, may be ready to put the brakes on the court. During nearly three hours of debate Wednesday, the justices asked whether President Trump has the authority to impose significant tariffs on most imported goods. Experts told USA TODAY they observed “significant skepticism among the judges.”
More news you need to know right now
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In 1909, Pittsburgh police rounded up 400 black men for no reason.
Attracted by booming steel mills and factories, black Americans moved to industrial Pittsburgh in record numbers in the early 20th century. But another, more immediate danger loomed: the police. On the night of February 2, 1909, police arrested all black men who could not immediately provide proof of employment. The pretext for the roundup was a series of vague and unsubstantiated reports about “assaults” against white women and girls. What happened to the 400 black men arrested?ted.
This article is part of the “Injustices” series published by the USA TODAY Network in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative. This coverage seeks to confront the reality of racial injustice, consider its lasting impact, and preserve these stories as part of America’s collective history.
Can remote work solve America’s baby bust?
Americans are having fewer and fewer babies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, the birth rate will drop to an all-time low in 2024, with each American woman expected to have an average of 1.6 babies. However, new research suggests there is a “positive relationship” between recent trends in remote and hybrid work schedules and having children. Couples who work from home even one day a week are more likely to have children.
today’s speaker
Everyone is talking about a blood test that detects 50 types of cancer.
USA TODAY wellness reporter David Oliver took the Galleri Multicancer Early Detection (MCED) test, a $949 blood test that studies DNA fragments that have leaked into the bloodstream. Patients need a prescription before pulling up the sleeve (currently not FDA approved). As a result of his research, Garelli found signs of cancer in 216 people, 133 of whom actually had cancer. It also accurately predicted the origin of cancer 92% of the time. The big question: Is this the future of cancer treatment?
Photo of the day: Pop star and prince
Prince William attended the annual Earthshot Awards ceremony on Wednesday, welcoming celebrities including singer-songwriters Shawn Mendes and Kylie Minogue. The evening celebrated innovative global environmental solutions.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer for USA TODAY. Sign up for emails here. Want to send a note to Nicole? Email NFallert@usatoday.com.
