Angelika What many Americans do not like are high gas prices and long lines, although I always admire how patiently they endure it. Both are currently the case, albeit for different reasons. Gas prices have steadily increased due to the war with Iran. Nevertheless, prices here are always moderate compared to Germany.

Long lines are currently forming at the security checkpoints of many American airports. The reason for this is another partial "Government Shutdown," meaning a partial lack of funding for government agencies. This also affects the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is responsible for these airport checks, including screening carry-on luggage and passengers' IDs. This shutdown has been ongoing since mid-February, and many TSA employees are once again waiting for their paychecks. Some have since resigned, while others are calling in sick more frequently. It's particularly inconvenient because March and April are Spring Break in the USA, and many people use this time to travel, often by plane.

Unlike previous shutdowns, this time not all agencies are affected, but primarily the Department of Homeland Security. This includes the TSA, the Coast Guard, and immigration agencies such as ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP (Customs and Border Protection). Other agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the national parks, are not affected.

In the news, you currently see images of crowds winding through airports to finally reach security checkpoints. In cities like Atlanta or Houston, passengers sometimes waited three to four hours and missed their flights. President Trump then ordered that TSA employees be paid retroactively, at least, to ease the situation. However, this does not bring back those who have already resigned.

The political dispute that led to this deadlock primarily revolves around the funding of the ICE agency. The Democrats are tying their approval to reforms, particularly following the deadly incidents in Minneapolis. The Senate recently passed a bipartisan compromise to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, but without ICE. The compromise was then rejected by the House of Representatives. Currently, Congress is even in a two-week recess. So, the situation is dragging on.

We are currently in Florida during my Easter vacation, and as everyone knows, Florida is far away, so we had to fly. However, in San Francisco, we zoomed through airport security in no time. How is that possible? At SFO airport, security checks are conducted by private companies, with the TSA only overseeing them. We will see how it goes on the way back from Tampa.

But you will only find out about that in the next newsletter. Until then!

The translation of "Angelika und Michael" to English is "Angelika and Michael.

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• More topics you might be interested in:

  	Power Outage In San Francisco
  	Cesar Chavez and Army Street
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