As the government shutdown continues to drag on, it’s starting to affect more than just national parks and tax returns.
According to CNN, hundreds of TSA workers, who are required to work without paychecks, have been calling out “sick” in increasing numbers.
The report notes that Charlotte Douglas has already seen a 10% higher TSA call out rate over the past week. “That number will get worse as this drags on,” Mac Johnson, Charlotte’s local TSA union president told CNN. The call outs are “creating a vulnerability” and screeners are “doing more with less,” Johnson said.
The TSA just released the following statement about the recent call-outs, saying;
“TSA is closely monitoring the situation. Call outs began over the Holiday period and have increased, but are causing minimal impact given there are 51,739 employees supporting the screening process. Security effectiveness will not be compromised and performance standards will not change. Wait times may be affected depending on the number of call outs…”
Statement on nationwide “sick out” as reported by CNN’s Rene Marsh and Gregory Wallace. #News pic.twitter.com/RK0wiFLRJt
— TSA (@TSA) January 4, 2019
Last night a Charlotte Douglas passenger tweeted that he arrived at the airport early in case of long lines from a lack of TSA agents, but to his surprise, it sped through the line;
Got to the airport early today because I worried about delays due to the shutdown. That might have been the fastest I ever got a bag checked and through security. 👏🏻👏🏻 @TSA
— Matthew Martin (@MattMartinGFT) January 6, 2019
What are your thoughs about the recent government shutdown?
The United States Supreme Court has just agreed to hear arguments over the potentially unconstitutional district maps in North Carolina.
A new bill has just been introduced into the South Carolina House of Representatives that would add an additional 7% tax on all gun sales, which would be used to hire 
Over 1,800 Olympian and Paralympian fencers are coming to Charlotte this weekend to compete in the North American Cup for a shot at the elusive gold medal.
This year, CMS plans on rolling out several new measures to protect our schools against youth violence and shootings.
North Carolina is ranked below average in the nation for many health measures, including oral health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 15 percent of low-income adults in the state say their mouth and teeth are in poor condition, and 20 percent of adults say they are not satisfied with the quality of their life because of their oral health. To offer their help in the community, Dr. Amir Marashi of Greater Charlotte Oral & Facial Surgery designed the Second Chance program two years ago, offering the community a life-changing opportunity to apply to receive a smile makeover. The program offers one final recipient a full-arch restoration treatment, a procedure typically costing $50,000, completely free of charge. With the recent addition of Dr. Arman Haghighi, both doctors are excited to be running the program again to transform another local individual’s smile and life.
If you drive west from Charlotte on US-74 for about three hours, you’ll find yourself in a small town called Sylva. It’s a charming small town that’s home to little more than 2,700 residents and is unremarkable at first glance. That’s not stopping tourists from showing up, though.
The deadline for registering with FEMA for damage caused by Hurricane Florence has just ended, but FEMA will continue working with our state’s emergency agencies to help survivors and communities recover.