COSMO NEWS

Over a third of TSA officers call out at 3 major U.S. airports in single day

More than 40% ofTSA officerscalled out of work on Tuesday at an airport in Houston – one of three major airports in the U.S. where over a third of workers called out that day.

The workers aren't getting paid, leading to a spike in call-out rates, as a partial government shutdown over a funding dispute continues.

At William P. Hobby Airport in Texas, 40.8% of TSA workers called out on Tuesday. At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, nearly 36% of TSA officers called out, while more than 34% called out at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to TSA data.

"The morale is getting worse by the day because no one knows when this is gonna end," said Cameron Cochems, a union steward and lead TSA officer in Boise, Idaho.

Cochems said people are "waiting in line because the government can't do their job, and it's ruining people's lives."

Screening lines at airports are long because of the shortages of TSA employees. Theymissed their first full paychecklast Friday, and since then, the agency has seen a higher-than-average number of unscheduled absences.

An underlying stalemate in Washington isn't budging, leaving TSA and the Department of Homeland Security without funding.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Trump's pick to lead the Homeland Security department, said at his confirmation hearing Wednesday, "we have to get DHS funded. We have to. My friends, we have to set the partisan side down."

In Philadelphia, flyers found three of six TSA checkpoints closed on Wednesday. In Atlanta, one traveler, Reggy Monsanto, said he got to the airport with five hours to spare.

"It's a 45 minute flight," he said. "We got up at 6, to get on a flight at 2."

Acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl told CBS News that if the call-out rate climbs, "there could be scenarios where we may have to shut down airports."

"This is a serious situation," he said.

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byCosmopolite

in

March 19, 2026

Over a third of TSA officers call out at 3 major U.S. airports in single day

More than 40% ofTSA officerscalled out of work on Tuesday at an airport in Houston – one of three major airports in the U...

Pentagon seeks $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, AP source says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in additional funds for theIran war, a sizable amount that is certain to be met with questions from Congress, which would need to approve any new money.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

APTOPIX Pentagon US Iran

The department sent the request to the White House, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private information. Asked about the figure at a press conference Thursday,Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethdid not directly confirm the amount, saying it could change.

"It takes money to kill bad guys," Hegseth said.

But he said "we're going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we're properly funded."

Big price tag faces scrutiny over war

It's an extraordinarily high number and comes on top of extra funding the Defense Department already received last year inPresident Donald Trump'sbig tax cuts bill. Such a request would need to be approved by Congress, and it is not at all clear such spending would have political support. Thenation's debt has surgedpast a record $39 trillion.

Congress has been bracing for a new spending request but it is not clear the White House has transmitted the request for consideration. Lawmakers have notauthorized the war, and Congress is showing growing unease with themilitary operation's scope and strategy.

The new funding request was first reported by The Washington Post.

Trump said the administration is asking for the money for other reasons beyond Iran.

"This is a very volatile world," the president said from the Oval Office. He said the emergency spending would be a "very small price to pay" to ensure the nation's military stays in top shape.

While the House and Senate are controlled by the president's Republican Party many of the more conservative lawmakers are also fiscal hawks, with little political appetite for big spending, on military operations or other matters. Most Democrats are likely to reject such a request and demand more detailed plans from the Trump administration about the U.S. military goals and objectives.

Rep. Ken Calvert, the Republican chair of the House subcommittee with oversight over defense spending, said he was already advocating for a supplemental spending bill to allow the Pentagon to replenish munitions.

"That was going to happen, and now we have this conflict with some additional costs. So, that's where we're at," Calvert of California said Thursday.

"I know there are peripheral issues out there that people are concerned about, but right now, this is about our national security and it's important that we get this done," he said.

But Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota, the ranking Democrat on the House subcommittee with oversight over defense spending, said the president has taken the U.S. into a war without coming to Congress and she's demanding more details.

"This is not going to be a rubber stamp for the president of the United States," McCollum said.

She said Congress is still waiting for the administration to explain where it would be spending the additional $150 billion funding that went to the Pentagon through Trump's tax and spending cut bill. It's also waiting on the president's budget request for this year.

"I'm not writing blank checks to the Department of Defense," McCollum said.

Negotiations ahead on a final package

It all points to a monumental battle ahead in Congress over any new Pentagon spending that would almost certainly need support from Republicans and Democrats in a bipartisan package to push past objections toward approval.

The requested amount would be a hefty boost to the Pentagon's annual budget, which Congress approved at more than $800 billion for the current fiscal year.

That's on top of some $150 billion that Congress gave the Defense Department in last year's tax cuts bill, much of it for specific projects and overall upgrades to the Pentagon's operations.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has projected that the federal government will run a $1.9 trillion annual deficit this year, and that's before adding any spending done through a supplemental bill.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said it's a "dangerous time" and "we have to adequately fund defense."

Asked whether he supported the amount, Johnson said he has not seen the details, but "I support what's needed to ensure that the American people remain safe."

While some of the military's biggest champions on Capitol Hill have welcomed new spending as a way to replenish munitions stockpiles and upgrade the U.S. defense capabilities in the face of emerging threats, others will certainly point to health care and other domestic needs that they view as more important priorities.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said of the $200 billion price tag: "It's outrageous."

To muscle a package to passage, Republican leaders could either try to go it alone through an arduous budget process, or cut deals with Democrats on other priorities that would likely balloon the overall price tag.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., signaled the negotiations ahead.

"Ultimately we're going to have negotiations with the White House on an exact amount," Scalise said. "We're not at that point yet."

Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

byCosmopolite

in

March 19, 2026

Pentagon seeks $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, AP source says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in additional funds for theIran war, a sizable amount that is cert...

Joseph Duggar has been charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older

NEED TO KNOW

The charges stem from an alleged incident that occurred with a 9-year-old girl who was on a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020
Duggar allegedly admitted his actions after the victim's father and local detectives confronted him about the allegations

Former19 Kids and Countingstar Joseph Duggar is facing charges after allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl while vacationing in 2020.

Joseph, 31, was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older, the Bay County Sheriff's Officeannouncedon Wednesday, March 18.

The former TLC star is now awaiting extradition to Bay County to face the charges. He was booked into the Washington County, Arkansas, jail on March 18 at 3:59 p.m. local time, PEOPLE can confirm.

He was charged in connection with a child sexual abuse case involving a then-9-year-old girl who was on vacation with her family in Panama City Beach, Fla., in 2020.

The alleged sexual abuse occurred when Joseph allegedly asked the victim to sit on his lap. "As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim's underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs," Bay County Sheriff's Office said.

"The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology," Bay County Sheriff's Office said.

The arrest was a result of the victim, now 14, participating in a forensic interview regarding a report of past sexual abuse. The victim's father confronted Duggar about the incidents and Joseph "allegedly admitted his actions to the father and Tontitown detectives."

PEOPLE reached out to the Bay County Sheriff's Office and a representative for the Duggar family.

PEOPLE confirms that Duggar is in police custody, but an official extradition timeline has not been released.

Joseph's arrest comes years after his brother Josh's ongoing legal troubles. It was reported in 2015 that Josh, now 38, confessed tomolesting multiple young girls, including sistersJill (Duggar) DillardandJessa (Duggar) Seewald, as a teenager.

That same year, he also admitted tousing Ashley Madison to have an extramarital affair. The disgraced TV personality shares seven children with wifeAnna Duggar. He later announced he wouldenter rehabfor his pornography addiction.

In May 2019, Josh allegedly used the "dark web and online file-sharing software" to download " child sexual abuse material from the internet multiple times," theDepartment of Justicepreviously reported. In April 2021, Homeland SecurityarrestedJosh.

Eight months later, in December 2021, he was found guilty of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. He wassentencedin May 2022 to 12 and a half years and has been serving out his sentence at FCI Seagoville in Seagoville, Texas, with an anticipated release date in August 2032.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

in

March 19, 2026

Joseph Duggar, Former “19 Kids and Counting” Star, Accused of Molesting 9-Year-Old Girl on Fla. Vacation

Joseph Duggar has been charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lasci...

Overnight storm in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, kills at least 15 people and injures several

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) —Heavy rains and strong windslashed Pakistan's largest city overnight, killing at least 15 people and injuring several others as walls and roofs collapsed at multiple locations, emergency services and hospital officials said Thursday.

Local residents navigate through the rubble of boundary wall collapsed due to heavy rains and strong winds in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

Local residents examine the rubble of a boundary wall collapsed due to heavy rains and strong winds in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

Pakistan Rain Storm

The storm that began Wednesday continued into the night in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province. Authorities advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel.

At least 15 bodies were brought to the city's main hospital. More than two dozen people were injured and treated at hospitals after weather-related incidents, police surgeon Summaiya Tariq and emergency officials said.

The storm also uprooted roadside trees and disrupted traffic, according to rescue officials and police.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department said winds of up to 90 kph (56 mph) lasted for hours. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab urged residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary movement, warning that many trees had fallen and crews were working to clear roads.

Forecasters said more rain and thunderstorms with strong winds and possible isolated hailstorms could continue to affect Karachi and other parts of Sindh province as a westerly weather system moves across the region.

Rain and storms lashed many other areas across the country, emergency services reported.

byCosmopolite

in

March 19, 2026

Overnight storm in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, kills at least 15 people and injures several

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) —Heavy rains and strong windslashed Pakistan's largest city overnight, killing at least 15 peo...

An AI March Madness bracket simulator? Sorry, we can't be friends

I might have lost some friends this week. I hate that for them, but it had to be done.

A man's got to have a creed, and all that. A line in the sand. Some wrongs are just too much to stomach.

It's not that I cannot forgive.

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If I loan a friend my car, and he returns it with a dent in it, I'm sure we'll bury the hatchet. After all, my car has nearly 140,000 miles on it, and a couple of zip ties are holding my skid plate in place. (As Dave Ramsey would say, that's better than having a car note.) What's a dent going to do that I haven't done already?

If you're my pal and you suck down a few beers too many and make a fool of yourself before crashing on my couch, we'll have a laugh about it the next day.

VCU Rams (27-7)
VCU closed the season with a 21-3 record over the final 24 games and won 16 of its last 17 games. A matchup against No. 6 North Carolina in the first round, before a potential matchup against No. 3 Illinois, sets up the Rams as well as an 11-seed can be set up.