From today’s episode of The 5 Things Podcast: More than 10,000 flights delayed, canceled after FAA outage
According to the latest from USA TODAY consumer travel reporter Zach Wichter, FAA outages have grounded flights across the country. Plus, a second set of classified documents found by aides to President Joe Biden, lawsuits over firing and vaccination warrants, USA TODAY’s education reporter Kayla Jimenez talks student lunch debt and Damar Hamlin comes home from the hospital.
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To listen to the podcast, click play in the player above and follow the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be differences between audio and text.
Taylor Wilson:
Hello there. I’m Taylor Wilson and here are 5 things you need to know Thursday, January 12, 2023. A second batch of classified documents was released today, following a massive FAA outage, with the latest flight being canceled and President Joe Biden. found. , and Damar Hamlin returns home.
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Yesterday, a computer glitch at the Federal Aviation Administration delayed air traffic across much of the country and grounded flights across the country for the first time since September 11, 2001. So what happened? Producer PJ Elliott sat down with USA TODAY consumer journey reporter Zach Wichter to find out.
PJ Elliott:
Zach, first of all thanks for joining the podcast.
Zach Wichter:
Yes, I’m glad to be here.
PJ Elliott:
Do we know what was the genesis of Wednesday’s system failure with the FAA?
Zach Wichter:
No, no. Many experts I spoke with during my reporting noted that the FAA and many air traffic control institutions in the US use very old technology as their backend. So many people suspect that it’s some kind of computer problem, but we’re not sure. The FAA said they are investigating and we are waiting to hear what they have to say.
PJ Elliott:
Yes, how old is the system?
Zach Wichter:
I’m not 100% sure. I think it went through different iterations. So no one I’ve talked to can say for sure what software the NOTAM system is based on. Most of what the FAA uses and what airlines use are systems built on top of other older systems. I mean, I always wonder how many places in the world do you see dot matrix printers when you go to an airport? Almost every airport catwalk has one. It gives you an idea of the type of technology that most of these people are still involved with.
PJ Elliott:
Zach, I want to ask you about the history of these issues. Is this something the FAA has decided by Wednesday?
Zach Wichter:
So I think what happened on Wednesday is very special, certainly in its scope. But that said, there are always technical issues. We see this in the FAA in the airlines. The big question then becomes how quickly it can be addressed and how widespread it becomes. What we saw on Wednesday was unusual because it affected air systems across the country. But there are always technical problems, so this part is not uncommon.
PJ Elliott:
Are the issues with the FAA on Wednesday related to what happened with Southwest a few weeks ago?
Zach Wichter:
That’s a good question, and I’d say the basic answer is no. Separate systems, separate organizations. I think what we saw on Wednesday, and what we saw in Southwest, may be symptomatic of the same problem with these older systems that support 21st century travel. I think it has cracks in it, for lack of a better word.
PJ Elliott:
Zach, thank you so much for your time and information. Had a good time.
Zach Wichter:
Yes No problem. Thanks again for inviting me.
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Taylor Wilson:
A second set of classified documents was discovered by aides to President Joe Biden in a location other than his former office, where the documents were first revealed in November. The White House confirmed the November findings earlier this week.
President Joe Biden:
Everyone knows that I take confidential documents and confidential information seriously.
Taylor Wilson:
Biden also said he would cooperate with the Justice Department’s review of the documents. How many documents were found in the second location and their level of classification is still unknown. Both documents have been compared to former President Donald Trump’s seizure of the Mar-a-Lago document, but the episodes are different. Trump has repeatedly objected to the National Archives’ efforts, while Biden has argued that the documents were immediately returned to the archives. Meanwhile, newly empowered House Republicans are planning a series of investigations into President Joe Biden, including his family’s businesses.
A busy day in politics yesterday saw local Republicans in New York’s Nassau County call for freshman congressman George Santos to resign. This follows allegations that he lied about his personal and professional credentials to win a parliamentary seat. Santos told reporters that he would not resign.
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A new federal lawsuit against AstraZeneca alleges the drug company engaged in age discrimination for firing workers who refused to get their COVID-19 vaccines. The laid-off workers cited a presentation last year by the company’s sales manager in which the average age of employees was 48 and that was too high. The former workers who filed the complaint are in their 40s and are among nearly 200 laid off after AstraZeneca said it was exempt from religious indoctrination. The lawsuit is just one of many around the country involving layoffs and vaccination warrants. Former ESPN reporter Allison Williams is suing the sports network after she was fired in 2021 for failing to follow the company’s vaccine rules.
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As schools across the country reopen after winter break, their students will be reminded of the lunch debt they’ve racked up this year, with students nationwide carrying roughly $19 million in debt. Producer PJ Elliott sat down with USA TODAY education reporter Kayla Jimenez to find out more.
PJ Elliott:
Kayla, thanks for joining the podcast today.
Kayla Jimenez:
Yes, thanks for inviting me.
PJ Elliott:
So what are we doing to pay off school lunch debt?
Kayla Jimenez:
Yes, that’s why there are states that pick up tabs and pass laws on their own to combat universal school meals, but it’s not national. That’s why there are so many calls for Congress to reverse what they did before, but schools are seeing the debt pile up again. I have been in school for six months now, so where does this money come from?
PJ Elliott:
Is Congress doing anything to help pay down the debt or bring back universal free meals?
Kayla Jimenez:
Right now nothing is being done except for calls from groups like the School Nutrition Association and other groups asking for this help. One of the reasons this story got on my radar was because I had seen a TikTok video by a woman named Sarah Dusek, and she had heard about schools going into debt. He called the school and they said they owed him about $1,700 and he paid it off for that school and was now trying to raise more money. So it seems like these people or social media influencers or groups are taking over what Congress used to cover during the pandemic.
PJ Elliott:
How does hunger affect children’s learning ability?
Kayla Jimenez:
I think it’s pretty obvious, and today I’m going to ask readers, “What? And what will be the fate of these children? “If they can’t eat, they can’t focus on studying.” Some districts still allow children to eat lunch, but they are still racking up that debt. But we know that in many neighborhoods, especially very poor neighborhoods, where people can’t afford school lunch or maybe don’t meet the income threshold and still can’t pay for school meals, those kids are really suffering in school. And for children who can’t afford school meals, lunch is a shame. And then there is the law to fix it. So it’s really a multifaceted issue at all levels.
PJ Elliott:
Kayla, thank you so much. I really appreciate your insight on this.
Kayla Jimenez:
thank you
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Taylor Wilson:
Damar Hamlin is back home. A Buffalo Bills quarterback went into cardiac arrest and required resuscitation on the field on Jan. 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. But doctors say the 24-year-old has since made a remarkable recovery and was released from hospital yesterday after a week in intensive care. Hamlin went on to praise the paramedics who helped save him, from the paramedics who resuscitated him in the field to the doctors and hospital staff who have since helped him recover. He also acknowledged the prayers and support of fans across the country. Hamlin’s GoFundMe page has received more than $8.6 million in donations to raise money for his community toys. It’s unclear what’s next for Hamlin, but his team begins the postseason this weekend against the Miami Dolphins. Coach Sean McDermott told reporters yesterday that Damar’s health is a top priority, but the team will welcome him when he’s ready.
Thanks for listening to 5 Things. We’re here every weekday morning, and you’re listening right now. I’ll be back from the US tomorrow with 5 more things today.
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