NEW YORK (AP) — The CEOs of the nation's top airline companies, including American, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, are imploring Congress to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security and embrace a bipartisan solution to pay federal aviation workers including airport security officers during the partial government shutdown.
“Once again, air travel is the political football amid another government shutdown,” the executives wrote in an open letter to Congress that was published Sunday online and in The Washington Post.
The letter, which was also signed by the CEOs of the cargo companies UPS, FedEx and Atlas Air, said that Congress should pass the Aviation Funding Solvency Act and the Aviation Funding Stability Act, which would guarantee air traffic controllers are paid regardless of the government’s funding status, as well as the Keep America Flying Act. That measure would offer the same protections to Transportation Security Administration officers tasked to provide security and to screen all travelers.
”It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid," the letter said.
The current partial shutdown affects only the Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA. Democrats in Congress refused to fund the department over objections to its immigration enforcement tactics. The lapse marks the third shutdown in less than a year to leave TSA workers temporarily without pay — and once the government reopens, to have to wait for back pay.
Democratic lawmakers have said DHS won’t get funded until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this year.
The CEOs noted that with spring break in full swing, FIFA's World Cup 2026 approaching and celebrations for America's 250th birthday throughout the year, the stakes are high. The letter said that U.S. airlines expect 171 million passengers this spring season.
As the latest partial shutdown drags on, there have been long security lines at a growing number of U.S airports.
The TSA and Homeland Security have consistently blamed Democrats for the long security lines.
Homeland Security posted on its X account last week that more than 300 TSA agents have quit since the start of the shutdown.
Airline passengers wait in long lines to get through the TSA security screening at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Pops of color dominated the Oscars red carpet as stars from Renate Reinsve to Chase Infiniti stunned in their custom gowns ahead of the ceremony Sunday.
Reinsve, who is nominated for best actress, radiated on the carpet in a classic red Louis Vuitton strapless dress with a high side slit. She paired the look with a red lip and her hair slicked back. For her first Academy Award ceremony, Infiniti opted for a pale lavender mermaid style ruffle dress also by Louis Vuitton that she wore with shimmering jeweled choker. Infiniti has delivered strikingly stylish looks across award show season for her role in “One Battle After Another.”
Rose Byrne brought old Hollywood glamour to the carpet in a chic custom black Dior gown embroidered with colorful beaded flowers.
Like their colorful animated film, the cast of “KPopDemon Hunters” delivered a splash of bright colors to the red carpet in their regal gowns. Arden Cho chose Korean designer Miss Sohee for her Oscars look. Cho posed for photos in a structured black lace mermaid gown with her shoulders draped in an opulent vibrant green silk stole designed with an intricate nature scape scene down the panels. Her co-star Ji-young Yoo opted for a two-toned blue Carolina Herrera ballgown with a romantic sweetheart shaped neckline.
While the women brought vivid colors to the carpet, the men kept it classy in black suited looks. Actor Hudson Williams arrived in an all-black suited Balenciaga look paired with Bvlgari jewelry. Shaboozey rarely disappoints on the carpet with his modern takes on black tie attire. The red-carpet style maven sported a Balenciaga tailcoat look with a vest and a pearled pocket chain.
For this year’s nominees, the Oscars red carpet is the final chance to dazzle before the curtain closes on award season. While some stars stick to traditional codes of red-carpet attire choosing to wear tuxedos and evening gowns, others shake it up with their own fresh spin on black tie dressing.
Teyana Taylor, Timothée Chalamet and Emma Stone are just a few of the fashionable actors up for Academy Awards. With their track record of red carpet risk-taking, these stars are guaranteed to liven up the carpet.
Chalamet famously wore a Givenchy by Sarah Burton butter yellow leather suit to the 2025 Oscar ceremony.
Each red carpet leading up to the Oscars has served as Taylor’s runway. Nominated for best supporting actress, Taylor has become one to watch for her stylish choices. At the Golden Globes, she showed off a jeweled bow whale tail on the back of her custom Schiaparelli draped black gown. Taylor delivered another showstopping look at the Actor Awards when she wore a Thom Browne dress with a bodice designed to look like a painting of the female form.
The Oscars have the potential to catapult an actor’s career into another level of star status.
With that magnitude in mind, some actors choose to play it safe on the carpet, arriving in old Hollywood Glamour instead of edgy or dramatic looks, leaving the more risque looks for the after parties.
The luxury fashion houses from Armani, Dior, Valentino, Prada to Chanel dominate the Oscars red carpet each year. Rarely will celebrities wear an independent designer on the carpet as many of these household names are under contracts as brand ambassadors with these major brands.
Frankenstein actor Mia Goth, for instance, was named a brand ambassador by Dior last year and wore a black Dior gown to Golden Globes.
Oscar attendees sometimes make more than fashion statements. Actors have made political statements as well with “ICE OUT” or “BE GOOD” pins have made an appearance at several red carpets this award season in response to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Oscar attendees sometimes make more than fashion statements. Actors chose to make political statements on the carpet by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza with their ‘Artists4Ceasefire’ pins. Actor Charithra Chandran added the pin on the carpet to lush bright green ballgown.
For more coverage of the 2026 Oscars, visit https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards.
A security guard stands along an empty red carpet Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the night before Sunday's 98th Academy Awards ceremony. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Workers install an Oscar statue Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, in preparation for Sunday's 98th Academy Awards ceremony. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
