Milwaukee, WI
Government shutdown ends but Milwaukee flyers still face cancellations
MILWAUKEE – The nation’s six-week government shutdown – the longest in U.S. history – came to an end Wednesday night, but its fallout is still rippling through the aviation system.
What we know:
TSA officers resigned during the stalemate, and more than 10,000 flights were canceled in the past week.
Airline schedules remain thin with Thanksgiving approaching. Cancellations are already affecting Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, including flights to Boston, Newark and O’Hare.
What they’re saying:
Darrell English, a TSA officer and union representative for workers in Wisconsin and Illinois, said the loss of experienced staff has created lasting gaps.
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“Those people that have years in and experience level, and you lose that, that becomes a gap because that’s the experience level that takes years to build up to be able to replace,” English said.
Air traffic controllers also worked without pay throughout the shutdown. Adam Uhan, a commercial pilot, former Air Force pilot and leader of The Pilot Network with about 30,000 members, said the controllers remained steady through the strain.
“The most unsung of the heroes, the people that nobody ever sees or meets are the air traffic controllers,” Uhan said. “They did outstanding work throughout the shutdown.”
Uhan said frustration with the system was felt on the ground and in the cockpit.
“If you feel frustrated, your crew, the people that are working the gate, the people who are working in the bags, the air traffic controllers, they feel your frustration,” he said.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration directed major cuts at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports – beginning with a 4% reduction and originally slated to reach 10%. With the shutdown over, the Department of Transportation capped the cuts at 6% to relieve the pressure on controllers.
Dig deeper:
Even so, Uhan said he felt safe in the skies.
“Safety was never, ever an issue in my mind. What was an issue in my mind was the people that were involved and their wellbeing. And as things progressed, if they got worse, more people were going to have to find other options to make those ends meet,” he said. “I never feared for my safety because I know the professionals that are involved, and they are simply some of the best people I’ve ever worked with in my life who could have done a number of other things at a very high level, but they chose this path because aviation is just, it’s like a calling.”
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English cautioned that workers face long-term financial consequences.
“People have to realize that this is not going to be a quick fix, because officers had had devastated their credit ratings, their livelihood. They got behind on bills because of this. And it’s going to take a while for them to actually get themselves out of this hole. An additional on top of that. This may repeat itself in January,” English said. “They’re still struggling to get out of this hole. So when you see these officers, don’t think that, okay, you’re going to get paid, you should be good. It’s not good because these officers now are in debt, to someone or some other agency that they owe money to. So be patient with them. They still have a lot of issues on their mind or how they want to get things paid back. And again, they had that problem down the line in January. How do I prepare for that?”
What’s next:
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said air traffic controllers may receive partial pay within days. The Trump administration said backpay for federal workers could begin this weekend and continue into the middle of next week.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handed out $10,000 bonus checks to TSA agents she said “served with exemplary service” in Texas on Thursday, with more bonuses potentially on the way. Air traffic controllers may also receive bonuses as flights try to ramp back toward normal levels ahead of the holidays.
The Source: FOX6 News spoke with TSA officer and union representative Darrell English, as well as Adam Uhan, a commercial pilot and leader of The Pilot Network.
Brad Paisley (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE – Brad Paisley is scheduled to perform at the BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4.
Ticket information
What we know:
The ticket pre-sale for Brad’s fan club members, Paisley Nation, begins on Tuesday, May 12 at 10 am. All tickets available at BradPaisley.com.
The tour will also offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level.
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Packages vary but include premium seats, a guided backstage tour, VIP-exclusive gift item, early entry & more. VIP package contents vary depending on the selected offer. For more information, visit VIPnation.com.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by Live Nation.
Billionaire Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA club, is shown at Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 9, 2015. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday identified Edens as the victim of a billion-dollar extortion plot allegedly hatched by an ex-lover. File Photo by Andrew Gombert/EPA
May 10 (UPI) — Wes Edens, the billionaire co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and an owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, was the target of a billion-dollar extortion scheme allegedly perpetrated by an ex-lover, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
A spokesman for Edens, 64, confirmed to the newspaper that the financier is the unnamed alleged victim in a federal indictment brought against Changli “Sophia” Luo of New York City.
Edens, one of world’s most successful global investment management firm leaders with Fortress, has developed and owned businesses in real estate, transportation, infrastructure, health care, financial services, media and entertainment.
He is also a high-profile sports team owner, including the Bucks and soccer club Aston Villa of the English Premier League. He is credited turning the Bucks from a perennial cellar dweller into a champion squad over a five-year span, culminating in the 2021 NBA championship.
But he also fell victim to a lurid alleged “sextortion” scheme, his spokesman confirmed to the WSJ, admitting the Edens is the unnamed “Victim 1” cited an indictment filed last year in Manhattan federal court against Luo.
The indictment reportedly accuses her of trying to extort Victim 1 of more than $1 billion by threatening to release videos and photos of them engaged in sex. Prosecutors alleged Luo also threatened to contact the victim’s family members and business partners in a threat to destroy his fortune if he did not pay up.
According to the indictment, Luo was arrested June 14 at JFK International Airport as she tried to board a flight to China, the New York Post reported.
“Mr. Edens will be making no comment on the case as the indictment speaks for itself with respect to the charges against the defendant,” his spokesman told the Journal. “Mr. Edens expects to testify under oath at the upcoming trial.”
MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels
Mostly sunny skies with partly sunny skies in the afternoon. There is a slight chance for a few sprinkles, but most areas remain dry. Highs near 60F on Sunday.
Patchy frost is possible again Sunday night into Monday morning as low temps inland can reach the lower 30s.
Cooler on Monday with easterly winds- low 50s near the lake to upper 50s inland.
A big boost in temperatures on Tuesday in the low 70s associated with a clipper system will bring the next chance of rain and a few storms.
Today: Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
High: 60°
Wind: NW 5-15
Tonight: Mostly Clear. Patchy frost.
Low: 38°
Wind: N 5
Monday: 53 LAKE. Mostly sunny.
High: 57°
Wind: E 5-10
Tuesday: Chance storms. Breezy.
AM Low: 39° High: 71°
Wind: SW 10-25
Wednesday:Partly sunny.
AM Low: 46° High: 59°
Wind: NW 5-15
Thursday: Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
AM Low: 42° High: 64°
Wind: S 5-10
Friday: Chance of Rain
AM Low: 47° High: 72°
Wind: SW 5-15
6-day planner
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
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