A shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has gone into effect. That includes the Transportation Security Administration, whose officers are responsible for screening passengers and bags at airports.

Experts say mass flight cancellations like those seen during the 2025 shutdown are less likely this time because air traffic controllers are still getting paid. But TSA officers are required to stay on the job without pay during the shutdown that started Saturday. Experts warn of long security lines if the shutdown drags on and more officers take unscheduled absences. Travel and airline industry groups warn the shutdown threatens to disrupt air travel as the busy spring break travel period approaches.

According to the department’s contingency plan, about 95% of TSA workers are deemed essential personnel and required to keep working. Democrats in the House and Senate say DHS won’t get funded until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations.

US ocean regulator faces criticism over changes to right whale protection rule

The U.S.’s ocean regulator plans to make industry-friendly changes to a longstanding rule designed to protect vanishing whales. The rules protect the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers less than 400.

The giant animals are protected by a vessel speed rule that requires large ships to slow down at certain times to avoid collisions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that it plans to soon announce proposed rules designed to modernize the whale protections that will focus on deregulation. The move is prompting criticism from environmental groups who cite the recent death of an endangered whale.