Connect with us

Atlanta, GA

Flight delays, cancellations continue to pile up at Atlanta airport during government shutdown

Published

on

Flight delays, cancellations continue to pile up at Atlanta airport during government shutdown


ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Flight delays and cancellations continue to pile up at the world’s busiest airport.

There were at least 128 reported on Monday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

It prompted travelers to sound off about the government shutdown, which is to blame.

“So far, I haven’t experienced any personal delays, but anybody that works should get paid, and the frustration that these people must have has to be astronomic. How do you support your families, how do you buy groceries and that what not,” traveler John Nichols said.

Advertisement

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a surge in air traffic controllers calling out last Friday strained staffing at many airports and led to flight delays nationwide.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy discussed the issue during a nationally televised interview.

“I think it’s only going to get worse,” Duffy said. “We have controllers who – some of them are new controllers. We have trainee controllers who are very helpful in the tower. They don’t make a lot of money.”

Duffy said some controllers have called in sick in protest, while others are taking time off to work other jobs while not getting paid.

Atlanta News First spoke with two flight attendants on Monday about the ongoing issue.

Advertisement

“How long is it fair to expect them to show up at a job that they’re not getting paid for? How long is it reasonable for them to start looking for compensation elsewhere? And I think that it’s something that we are feeling as air crew every single day,” Delta flight attendant Kara Wargo said.

RELATED COVERAGE: Some Delta flight attendants once again pushing to unionize

“What’s happening right now must stop,” said Keturah Johnson, vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants International. “And for those people who are frustrated when they’re waiting in line in TSA, you know what, call your congresspeople.”

MORE COVERAGE:

Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November

Advertisement

Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded as metro Atlanta families still concerned

Sen. Warnock tours community market, calls on Republicans to reopen government

Open enrollment begins in Georgia amid uncertainty over ACA tax credits



Source link

Advertisement

Atlanta, GA

Instant Takeaways From Atlanta’s Summer League Victory Against Boston

Published

on

Instant Takeaways From Atlanta’s Summer League Victory Against Boston


The Atlanta Hawks are now 3-0 in Las Vegas.

Despite being down some of their most talented players, such as Kingston Flemings,Asa Newell, and Zuby Ejiofor, the Hawks notched another win in Summer League, this time taking down the Boston Celtics. Overall, it was the Hawks 5th straight win in Summer League.

What are the biggest takeaways from today’s game?

Advertisement

1. Kobe Johnson Continues to Impress

Kobe Johnson has been impressive all Summer long and is making his case to be the last two-way contract for the Hawks. Atlanta already has Keshon Gilbert and RayJ Dennis in two of the two-way spots for next season and are looking for a third player who they can continue to develop.

With the Hawks being very shorthanded today against the Celtics, Johnson stepped up and played very well. In 13 first half minutes, Johnson scored 19 points on 7-10 shooting and 3-4 from three-point range, which is the most encouraging part of his performance. He continued that into the second half and was arguably the best player on the floor today for the Hawks.

Johnson finished today’s game with 30 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

Advertisement

Johnson has high-level defensive skills, but he has shown offensive growth over the course of the past week and he is making a real case to be a part of the roster as a two-way player.

2. Henri Veesaar takes advantage of his opportunity

With so many bigs out today, it was going to be the Henri Veesaar show for Atlanta.

He did not disappoint. Veesaar was able to score 20 points on 7-12 shooting (4-6 from three), as well as pulling in four rebounds, and three assists.

Advertisement

As a scorer, Veesaar was at his best today, stretching the floor and scoring the ball off the pick and roll. He showed why the Hawks moved up to take him in the second round of the draft and if he can continue this development into the season, perhaps he can be closer to playing than initially thought.

3. Hawks win short-handed

Atlanta has one of the most talented rosters in Vegas this summer and despite missing their two first round picks from this year’s draft (Flemings and Ejiofor) and their first round pick from last year’s draft (Newell), Atlanta did not have much of a problem today with Boston.

The Celtics were missing a couple of important players today as well, but the Hawks had no trouble in this game, nearly leading by 30 points in the second half. The three-point shooting was strong, the defense forced turnovers, and they kept the Celtics cool from three.

Advertisement

It was an impressive all-around victory for the Hawks and one of their better victories from start to finish.

Advertisement
Add us as a preferred source on Google



Source link

Continue Reading

Atlanta, GA

Apple sues OpenAI, Instagram backlash

Published

on

Apple sues OpenAI, Instagram backlash


Apple is accusing ChatGPT’s maker of a “coordinated pattern of theft” to steal trade secrets for its new AI hardware. And, Meta hits the pause button on its newest AI tool “Muse Image” after a tremendous amount of backlash. 



Source link

Continue Reading

Atlanta, GA

Atlanta officials ‘throw out homeless tents and medicine’ near World Cup spot

Published

on

Atlanta officials ‘throw out homeless tents and medicine’ near World Cup spot


Officials in Atlanta, a World Cup host city, threw away tents, medication, identification, and other items belonging to homeless people without any warning, according to a report.

The items were collected from a public park not far from where many soccer fans have been gathering to watch the soccer tournament, The Guardian reports.

Some of the items taken by city workers reportedly include blood pressure pills, an insulin kit, and hormones.

In response to the accusations, the city’s senior advisor on homelessness, Chatiqua Ellison, told the paper that the area that the affected area of Freedom Park was “not an encampment” and that the item removals were part of “routine park maintenance.”

Advertisement

She reportedly said that because the site was not an encampment and the action was not considered a “sweep,” the city was not obligated to give a warning before officials moved in to seize the items.

A tent belonging to a homeless individual in Atlanta, Georgia. City officials reportedly recently seized and disposed of items, including medicine and identification documents, belonging to homeless individuals congregating in Freedom Park without giving them a warning
A tent belonging to a homeless individual in Atlanta, Georgia. City officials reportedly recently seized and disposed of items, including medicine and identification documents, belonging to homeless individuals congregating in Freedom Park without giving them a warning (AFP/Getty)

One person who lost belongings, named Kai, told The Guardian that she lost a bag filled with her possessions, including a flash light.

“Our whole lives was thrown away,” she said.

Kai said the site was effectively an encampment as it was used for that purpose, regardless of the city’s official definition.

Kelsea Bond, an Atlanta city council member whose district includes the park, told the newspaper that she was disappointed with the city’s handling of the situation.

“It’s disappointing that the city is more concerned about the strict, and perhaps arbitrary, definition of ‘encampment’ here rather than the impact these kinds of clearings have on the houseless community,” she said, adding that the city should be more focused on “the impact of a policy, not the intention on paper.”

Advertisement

Bond shared an email with the outlet from Major Peter Ries of the Atlanta Police Department in which he stated that the area in question was not an encampment, and the seized “property was considered abandoned, [and] park maintenance disposed of … unclaimed items.”

The Independent has requested comment from the city of Atlanta.

People from around the world have descended on Atlanta this summer to watch the eight planned soccer matches at Mercedez Benz stadium. But homeless advocates have argued that the city’s efforts to present a good face to visitors has been at the expense of some of the community’s most vulnerable members.

Soccer fans from around the world have descended on Atlanta this summer to watch the eight planned soccer matches at Mercedez Benz stadium
Soccer fans from around the world have descended on Atlanta this summer to watch the eight planned soccer matches at Mercedez Benz stadium (Getty Images)

In the months leading up to the World Cup, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens made clear in a statement that he did not want the city’s homeless population anywhere near places where they might run into visitors.

“We want to make sure those unsheltered individuals don’t come anywhere downtown, and throughout the city of Atlanta, not just during the World Cup, but now,” he said.

Advocates told The Guardian that at least two of Atlanta’s downtown parks — often used by the homeless as gathering places — were fenced off in the weeks prior to the World Cup, forcing them to disperse into other parts of the city.

Advertisement

They said that disruption breaks up homeless individuals’ routines, access to healthcare services, and disrupts their social connections.

Allen Hall, who was homeless for decades and who now is active in street outreach for the American Friends Service Committee, told the paper that the city’s actions have forced homeless individuals to sleep on the streets and sidewalks because they have limited options outside of shelters.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending