Elon Musk to retired air traffic controllers: Please come back to work
Elon Musk, who has been tasked with leading the Department of Government Efficiency, is pleading for retired air traffic controllers to consider returning to work amid an ongoing, nationwide shortage of qualified air safety workers.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX issued his appeal on X Tuesday, citing "a shortage of top notch air traffic controllers," adding that "If you have retired, but are open to returning to work, please consider doing so."
The FAA has faced a longstanding shortage of air traffic controllers, while the agency's oversight of the skies has recently faced heightened scrutiny following a string of recent aviation incidents. Currently, more than 90% of U.S. airport towers are understaffed, and do not meet standards set by a working group that includes the FAA and the controllers' union, according to a CBS News analysis of FAA data.
There are approximately 10,800 air traffic controllers working across U.S. airports, which the NATCA says is about 3,600 fewer than "what is needed to fully staff the National Airspace System."
While several hundred probationary workers at the FAA were recently fired by the Trump administration through late night emails sent on Feb. 14, "Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel" were among those let go according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a Feb. 17 post on X.
Duffy has said he wants to extend a waiver to the current controllers who are near retirement age to help expand the workfroce.
Earlier this month, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union representing air traffic controllers, told CBS the proposal is not "an effective solution to addressing the chronic air traffic controller staffing crisis. "In the next 12 months, we anticipate 49 ATCs across 35 facilities will reach age 56.
This is not enough to address the nationwide staffing shortage," the union added.
"The solution to the ATC staffing crisis is a long-term commitment to hiring and training and the retention of the experience of all the highly skilled, highly trained air traffic controllers," it added.
Shortage goes back to pandemic
In its Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan, the FAA blames its struggle to staff air traffic control facilities in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has had substantial impact on the aviation industry and the FAA," the agency said in its report. "At the onset of the pandemic, in order to protect employees and help ensure continuity of operations, certain activities were eliminated or significantly reduced at FAA's air traffic control (ATC) facilities.
There are currently a number of open air traffic control jobs on the FAA's website, including for air traffic control and traffic management specialists and at various stages of their careers. Robust training is required to become an air traffic controller, including the completion of training courses at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. According to the FAA, air traffic control specialists earn a median annual wage of $127,805, plus benefits.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Has no tax on tips passed? Here's where things stand
As a presidential candidate last year, Donald Trump called for no taxes on tips — an exemption from the federal income tax for all tipped income. So where does that promise stand now? There is a provision in the 'big, beautiful bill' passed by the House in May, which the Senate is now considering. The tax break is included in both the House and Senate versions of the bill, so it seems likely to make it into the final version sent to Trump's desk. Plus, the Senate already voted unanimously on a separate bill that would do the same thing. Here are answers to some common questions about the 'no tax on tips' proposal: Trump first proposed to end taxation on tipped income at a campaign rally on June 9, 2024, in Las Vegas, a direct appeal to the service workers in the swing state's tourism industry. 'So this is the first time I've said this, and for those hotel workers and people that get tips, you're going to be very happy, because when I get to office, we are going to not charge taxes on tips people [are] making,' Trump said. It was part of a broader set of proposals thrown out with little detail during the campaign, including a pledge to exempt overtime pay from income tax. It was one of Trump's more realistic promises, however, as the idea quickly gained bipartisan support, including from Kamala Harris' campaign and Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada plus Republicans such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. It was also one of a number of campaign pledges he promised would be fulfilled right away if he won a second term. The Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed the House, includes an income tax exemption for tips. As with the proposed $1,000 baby bonus and the exemption for income tax on overtime pay in the bill, the tips tax break would expire at the end of 2028, days before Trump's term ends. That helps Republicans in Congress keep the apparent cost of the bill down while setting up another fight on the issue just as the next president takes office. Under the House proposal, workers making less than $160,000 per year would qualify for the exemption. Tips would still have to be reported to the IRS, and they would be subject to withholding — meaning money would be taken out of each paycheck but workers would get it back if they were owed tax refunds the next April. Social Security and Medicare taxes would still apply to tipped income. The exemption would not apply to automatic gratuities for large parties at a restaurant and other service charges. The Senate passed a standalone bill called the No Tax on Tips Act in a surprise vote in late May. Rosen brought up the bill as a "unanimous consent" request, an accelerated process typically reserved for more routine issues, such as renaming post offices. But no senator objected, and the bill was quickly passed. The bill would create an income tax exemption of up to $25,000 for workers in jobs that have traditionally received tips who make less than $160,000. The exact jobs covered by the exemption would be decided by the Trump administration within 90 days of the bill's signing. As with the House bill, the Senate version would expire just as Trump leaves office. If it expires, the total cost of the measure would be about $40 billion. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated that if the measure is extended over 10 years, it would cost more than $100 billion. The White House Council of Economic Advisers — which works for Trump — estimated that the measure would increase the average take-home pay for tipped workers by $1,675 per year. The Tax Policy Center, however, noted that the amount would vary greatly depending on the job. Half of all wait staff make $32,000 or less a year, which means they already pay little or no federal income tax. But the measure would give a much bigger break to the highest-paid tipped workers who make $60,000 or more a year. "A 20 percent tip on a $200 meal is vastly different than one for the $9.95 special at Mom's Diner," the nonprofit said in an analysis. As with the exemption on overtime pay, there's a wide range of possible outcomes. It's possible that the measure would simply end up reducing the annual tax bill for the top tipped workers and have no other effects. Or it could lead customers to give more — or possibly even less — in tips to wait staff, hairdressers and others once they know the money isn't taxed. Some economists think the exemption would undercut ongoing political efforts to increase the minimum wage for tipped workers, which is currently $2.13 per hour at the federal level. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump and Musk can both hurt each other in their feud. Here's how.
An explosive breakdown in the relationship between President Donald Trump and his biggest political donor turned part-time employee, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has been foreshadowed since their alliance first took shape. When Trump brought Musk along for the ride as he moved back into the White House, the looming question was always how long the two could possibly stay in sync. After all, neither the most powerful person in the world nor the richest person on Earth is known for keeping his ego in check. The main thrust of the Trump-Musk feud boils down to who can assert dominance over the other. In the intense back-and-forth that had everyone glued to their screens Thursday, we saw bullies used to getting their way desperately trying to find leverage over each other. But unlike the flame wars of old, where internet trolls would hurl insults at each other across message board forums, Trump and Musk can do serious damage to each other in the real world — and to the rest of us in the process. Musk first gained access to Trump through his vast fortune; he donated almost $300 million during last year's election and hasn't been afraid to throw his money around in races this year. Though he said in May he would be 'spending a lot less' on funding political races, he has also been quick to threaten pumping money into the midterms should lawmakers back the massive budget bill currently working its way through the Senate. And Musk has made clear that he expects a return on his investments, having already snidely claimed on his X platform that Trump would have lost and Democrats would have taken Congress without his backing. Trump is reportedly more focused on the midterms than he was during his first term, worried that a new Democratic majority would lead to more investigations and/or a third impeachment. While he's already sitting on $600 million to help hold on to a GOP majority, Musk's money could throw a spanner in the works, especially if he follows through on his public musing about bankrolling a third party to 'represent the 80% of Americans in the middle.' Though Trump has his own social media platform, Truth Social, X remains a much louder microphone to amplify Musk's messaging to the right, including his supposed 'bombshell' about Trump's presence in the Jeffrey Epstein files. (Musk provided no evidence for the claim and Trump has previously denied any involvement with Epstein's criminal behavior.) Trump, in turn, has threatened Musk's lucrative government contracts, which would include billions of dollars funneled toward his SpaceX company, as well as the subsidies that Tesla receives for its electric car production. Musk responded by warning about cutting off access to SpaceX launches, which would potentially cripple NASA and the Defense Department's ability to deploy satellites. But that would prove a double-edged sword for Musk, given how large a revenue stream those contracts have become. By Thursday evening, Musk had already backed down from his saber-rattling about restricting access to the Dragon space capsule, but he could change his mind again. That he made the threat in the first place has raised major alarm bells among national security officials. The Washington Post reported Saturday that NASA and the Pentagon have begun "urging [Musk's competitors] to more quickly develop alternative rockets and spacecraft" to lessen his chokehold on the industry. Notably, Trump isn't alone in his fight against Musk, though as ever those wading into the brawl have their own motives. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon took the opportunity to launch a broadside against Musk. 'People including myself are recommending to the president that he pull every contract associated with Elon Musk,' Bannon told NBC News on Thursday night. Bannon requested that 'major investigations start immediately' into, among other things, Musk's 'immigration status, his security clearance and his history of drug abuse.' There are already several federal investigations of Musk's companies that have been underway for years, which critics had previously worried might be stonewalled due to his influence with Trump. While the extremely public breakup makes for high drama and more than a little schadenfreude, the pettiness masks a deeper issue. The battle Musk and Trump are waging is predicated on both wielding a horrifying amount of unchecked power. In a healthy system of government, their ability to inflict pain on each other wouldn't exist, or at least such an ability would be severely blunted. Musk being able to funnel nearly unlimited amounts of spending into dark money super PACs is an oligarchical nightmare. Trump using the power of the presidency to overturn contracts and launch investigations at a whim is blatant authoritarianism in action. In theory, there are still checks to rein each of them in before things escalate much further. Musk's shareholders have been unhappy with his rocky time in government, and the war of words with Trump sent Tesla's stock price tumbling once more. Trump needs to get his 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' passed into law and — next year — ensure Congress doesn't fall into Democrats' hands. Trump and Musk have incentives, then, to stay in each other's good graces despite their wounded pride. Trump made clear to NBC News in an interview Saturday that he has no real interest in patching things up with Musk, warning that there will be "very serious consequences" if his one-time ally funds Democratic campaigns. Even if the two eventually reach a détente, it's unlikely to be a lasting peace, not so long as one feels his authority is challenged by the other. The zero-sum view of the world that Trump and Musk share, one where social Darwinism and superior genetics shape humanity, doesn't allow for long-term cooperative relationships. Instead, at best they will return to a purely transactional situationship, but one where the knives will gleefully come back out the second a new opening is given. Most importantly, there is no protagonist when it comes to the inciting incident in this duel, as a total victory won't benefit the American people writ large. Trump wants Congress to pass his bill to grant him more funding for deportations and to preserve his chances of staying in power. Musk wants a more painful bill that will slash the social safety net for millions. No matter what the outcome is as they battle for supremacy over each other, we're the ones who risk being trampled. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
IPO Filings Remain Low in Q2
The muted IPO market which has become commonplace in the last few years continued in that fashion through the first five months of 2025. However, the last few weeks has brought a renewed focus to dealmaking after a couple of highly anticipated IPOs began trading, and a cryptocurrency unicorn filed to IPO. Recently, MNTN and Hinge Health made their public debuts to much fanfare. On May 21, adtech platform MNTN went public at $16 a share, putting its valuation at $1.2B, the high end of analyst estimates.[1] The following day, digital physical therapy company, Hinge Health, made their debut. Shares were priced at $32, at the high end of the expected range, denoting a valuation of $2.6B.[2] Both companies had tremendous first day results, with MNTN shares popping 65% and Hinge Health up 17%. List of 52-Week Lows List of 3-Year Lows List of 5-Year Lows Last week the IPO buzz continued when stablecoin issuer Circle announced it is readying itself for a public debut. The company looks to raise about $624M at a $5.65B valuation. They plan to sell 24M shares of common stock at an expected range of $24-$26 per share, but no official trading date has been announced.[3] Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency that is pegged to another currency such as gold to maintain a stable price. The announcement comes as stablecoins are more frequently in the news cycle, with a recent report suggesting Meta is eyeing potential stablecoin partners as it looks to give users crypto support.[4] Bitcoin is also on a run, hurtling over $111,000 on May 22. Despite that fanfare, May only saw ten companies announce plans to go public, the slowest month since December 2024 recorded only 9 IPO filings. This has also been the lightest two month start to a quarter in a year with only 38 filings vs. Q2 2024 which saw 35 filings. Source: Wall Street Horizon, Data Licensed from IPOScoop The decision to go public has been somewhat tumultuous in 2025 as macroeconomic uncertainty and stubbornly high interest rates led to some high profile IPO delays earlier in the year. Since then however, those on the sidelines such as Chime Financial, Circle, Hinge Health and Stubhub have either already made their debut or announced plans to do so. Klarna is one of the big holdouts, further delaying their long-awaited IPO to later in the year.[5] Beyond the Trump tariff market turmoil in 2025 and high interest rates, there may be other reasons why private companies have been timid about going public. One potential explanation could be that many IPO debuts in the last couple of years haven't gone so well for the companies making them. In aggregate, companies that went public in 2024 returned 8%, significantly underperforming major indexes such as the S&P 500 which was up 25% and the Nasdaq Composite which was up 35% for the year.[6] Another reason for lighter IPO numbers as of late could be the availability of private capital. Mega startups such as Stripe, OpenAI and SpaceX have delayed the need to go public by raising huge sums of private capital, often from major international institutions. While dealmaking activity remains light in 2025, there is hope that a big IPO could jump-start the market. Optimism for new listings remains high as technology trends like AI and crypto have made significant progress. The major indices have been on a 6 day run due to certain tariff pauses and the blocking of some of the steepest tariffs by federal judges. If markets can remain resilient and the Federal Reserve begins to cut interest rates at their July meeting as currently expected, then perhaps that opens the window for stronger IPO activity in the second half of the year. 1 MNTN Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering, Business Wire, May 21, 2025, Hinge Health prices IPO at $32, the top end of expected range, CNBC, Ashley Capoot, May 21, 2025, Circle Launches Initial Public Offering, Business Wire, May 27, 2025, Report Says Meta Looking For Stablecoin Partnership To Give Users Crypto Support, Forbes, Billy Billy Brambough, May, 11, 2025, 5 Klarna doubles losses in first quarter as IPO remains on hold, CNBC, Ryan Browne, May 19, 2025, These Were The Winners And Losers In A Boring Year For Startup IPOs, Crunchbase, Joanna Glasner, December 9, 2024, Copyright 2025 Wall Street Horizon, Inc. All rights reserved. Do not copy, distribute, sell or modify this document without Wall Street Horizon's prior written consent. This information is provided for information purposes only. Neither TMX Group Limited nor any of its affiliated companies guarantees the completeness of the information contained in this publication, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions in or your use of, or reliance on, the information. This publication is not intended to provide legal, accounting, tax, investment, financial or other advice and should not be relied upon for such advice. The information provided is not an invitation to purchase securities, including any listed on Toronto Stock Exchange and/or TSX Venture Exchange. TMX Group and its affiliated companies do not endorse or recommend any securities referenced in this publication. This publication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor may there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. TMX, the TMX design, TMX Group, Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX, and TSX Venture Exchange are the trademarks of TSX Inc. and are used under license. Wall Street Horizon is the trademark of Wall Street Horizon, Inc. All other trademarks used in this publication are the property of their respective owners. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
