Several Air Traffic Control Towers Go Empty As Government Shutdown Enters Second Week

Written By Guest User

Plus: Colorado's LGBT Conversion Therapy Ban Could Be Overturned & Antisemitism Two Years After October 7 Attacks

Good evening,

The early-bird special just got a rebrand. Younger generations are now embracing a 5pm dinner, according to data collected by the reservation app OpenTable.

  • The data says 53% of Gen Z and 51% of Millennials in the U.S. would prefer to eat early. Reservations for 5pm dinner were up 11% from January to August 2025 compared with 2024; meanwhile, 6pm and 8pm reservations were up only 8% and 4% respectively.

  • The trend has been attributed to shifting health and wellness priorities. With young people drinking less, working out, and prioritizing their mental health, meals are quicker, and sleep becomes the preferred late-night activity.

    • Other cultural shifts include work-from-home, which allows people to head straight to dinner once they close their laptops. Plus, you can take advantage of the happy hour specials!

In New York, where I live, 5pm dining was up a shocking 20% this year – which doesn’t do much for our reputation as “The City That Never Sleeps.” But it does align with what my 30-something friends are feeling these days: dinner before sunset, dessert on the couch, and bed before 10pm.

That being said, it’s also impossible to get a reservation anywhere between 6 and 9pm, so maybe we’ve all just convinced ourselves we’ve made this choice for our health?

Sari
Senior Producer

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🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Supreme Court Justices Skeptical Of Ban On Conversion Therapy Ban For Minors

The Supreme Court began its new term Monday with a slate of controversial and consequential cases — including one that could shape the future legality of bans on conversion therapy for minors in Colorado and other states.

A majority of the justices appeared sympathetic to a licensed therapist’s argument that Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy violates her First Amendment rights. That could impact similar bans in 24 U.S. states.

A LOOK AT THE CASE
Kasey Chiles, a licensed therapist and evangelical Christian, said she wanted to engage in “faith-informed” talk therapy with patients seeking to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, but that Colorado’s law does not allow it.

  • Colorado Solicitor General Shannon Stevenson defended the ban, arguing that conversion therapy has proven to be ineffective by medical professionals. She argued that medical guidance, not free speech laws, should dictate whether conversion therapy should be legal.

    • Conservative Justice Samuel Alito pushed back on whether there was a time when medical professionals believed children with Down syndrome should be institutionalized or that people with low IQs should be barred from having children.

    • Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson pressed attorney Jim Campbell, who represents therapist Kaley Chiles, on whether talk therapy should be treated differently from medical treatment under the First Amendment. Jackson suggested two therapists — one using medication, one using only speech — could face different legal outcomes. Campbell agreed, saying Colorado’s ban unfairly restricts speech and “undermines the well-being of kids that are struggling with gender dysphoria.”

The Court’s decision is expected in June, alongside its other major rulings of the term.

LEVEL SET
The arguments comes after the Supreme Court ruled on several prominent cases related to sexual orientation and gender identity last term. These cases are occurring at a time when the number of young people identifying as transgender has risen.

  • Last term, the Supreme Court ruled to let a Tennessee law remain that bans puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors seeking to transition.

  • An upcoming case will look at Republican-backed state laws banning transgender athletes from female sports teams at public schools.

    • Federal appeals courts ruled against the two states.

MORE TO COME
Many of the cases we will be watching this term will call into question President Trump’s authority, including cases on the legality of Trump’s sweeping global tariffs and his decision to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook.

  • TARIFFS: In November, justices will hear arguments over a challenge to the president’s power to impose sweeping global tariffs. Two lower courts have concluded that Trump does not have the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs under an emergency-powers law.

  • FIRINGS: In December, the Supreme Court will also take up whether Trump has the right to fire independent agency members at will.

The justices have already weighed in on cases brought by the second Trump administration using its “emergency docket” – temporarily granting 20 of Trump’s requests to block lower court orders opposed by the administration.

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF THE COURT
The Supreme Court’s new term comes as public views of the Court have been declining—partially based on your political views.

  • Between the lines: The majority of Republicans (71%) view it favorably, compared to just over a quarter of Democrats (26%).

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🚨 ONE THING WE’RE WATCHING

Travel Delays Rise As Air Traffic Controllers Call In Sick During Government Shutdown

The U.S. air traffic controller shortage is worsening due to the government shutdown, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday.

  • No controllers will be on duty for several hours Tuesday night at Nashville International Airport. The previous night, Hollywood Burbank Airport near Los Angeles also went empty due to sick outs. Flights into New York, Las Vegas, and Denver were also delayed due to staffing shortages.

    • Duffy the government shutdown is putting more stress on air traffic controllers who already have an extremely stressful job. He told Fox & Friends Tuesday that the FAA is slowing or grounding flights in some areas if there are not enough controllers.

STATE OF PLAY
About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers are required to work through the shutdown, which started a week ago, but won’t be paid until it ends.

  • Duffy said there’s already been a “slight tick up” in sick calls since the shutdown started. He noted that many controllers, who work mandatory overtime and six-day weeks, are now considering side jobs to support their families.

  • Controllers are expected to miss their first paycheck on October 14. During the 2019 shutdown, a surge in sick calls among controllers caused widespread flight delays and helped bring that shutdown to a swift end.

🚨 ONE THING TO REMEMBER

Two Years After October 7 Attacks: Jews Face Rising Antisemitism & Violence

Two years after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israel — killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage — the world is waiting to see if President Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan negotiations happening in Egypt will bring the release of the remaining hostages and an end to the war.

IMPACTS IN THE U.S.
The terrorist attack was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. It also prompted the ongoing war in Gaza, which has killed over 67,000 Palestinians so far, according to the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry.

  • A rising number of Jewish Americans say they now regularly experience antisemitism. Over half (57%) of respondents agreed that antisemitism is now seen as a normal Jewish experience, according to a new survey from the Anti-Defamation League.

  • Around a fifth (18%) of American Jews said they were either the victim of a physical attack, experienced threat of physical assault, or experienced verbal harassment because they were Jewish.

Roughly a third of American Jews said they’d discussed “worst-case scenario” plans — with 14% developing plans to flee the country, 13% adding security systems, and 9% buying a gun.

In recent months, there have been a string of deadly attacks targeting Jewish communities — including a shooting at a pro-Israel gathering in Boulder, Colorado, and another outside Washington, D.C.’s Capital Jewish Museum that killed two Israeli Embassy staffers. And overseas, during Yom Kippur just last week, a man attacked worshippers at a synagogue in Manchester, U.K.

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⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

  • Attorney General grilled on whether Trump pressured DOJ to indict James Comey (MO NEWS)

  • Trump suggests not all furloughed workers will get back pay: ‘It depends’ (CNBC)

  • Chicago and Illinois sue to stop Trump’s Guard deployment plan after Portland ruling (AP)

  • Rutgers professor moving to Europe after threats over antifa accusations (FOX)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

  • Mark Carney leaves White House after Trump offers compliments, says Canada and U.S. have ‘natural conflicts’ (CBC)

  • Everest hikers guided to safety after being stranded by blizzard (BBC)

  • Russia hosts Taliban delegation and warns against foreign military presence in Afghanistan (AP)

  • Pope Leo to visit Turkey and Lebanon on first overseas trip (GUARDIAN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

  • World Trade Organization hikes global trade forecast for 2025 — but next year doesn’t look so good (CNBC)

  • Toyota recalls nearly 394,000 vehicles over rearview camera issue (FOX)

  • Trump administration mulling $10 billion aid package for U.S. farmers (CBS)

  • USDA warns that Hello Fresh meals may contain listeria-tainted spinach (AP)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

  • Zach Bryan sparks controversy with new music that mentions ICE raids (ABC)

  • Trump blasts ‘crazy’ NFL over Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show (POLITICO)

  • Bob Ross paintings to be auctioned to support public TV stations after federal funding cuts (AP)

  • LeBron James teases “big decision” that turns out to be an ad campaign (ESPN)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… It’s time for one of the biggest sales of the year: Amazon’s Prime Day! The Mo News team rounded up some of the top deals. The two-day event ends tomorrow, so make sure to place your orders soon!

We’ll have more from our tour of a new Amazon facility in Indiana later this week!

Guest User
Next

Trump Tests Limits of Power After Judge Blocks National Guard Deployments