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WSJ: Trump to Announce Ship Escort Coalition in Hormuz

The Trump administration is preparing to announce that several countries have agreed to form a naval coalition to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane threatened by Iran's recent actions, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

The announcement could come as soon as this week, though discussions are ongoing about whether escort operations would begin immediately or wait until hostilities in the region subside, the Journal reported.

Publicly, some countries have been cautious about committing to such an escort mission while tensions remain high, citing the risks of operating in a potential combat zone.

The report follows comments Saturday from President Donald Trump, who said multiple countries are expected to join the United States in sending warships to ensure the vital shipping route remains open.

"Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated," Trump wrote.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most important energy choke points. Roughly one-fifth of the global oil supply passes through the narrow waterway each day, making any disruption a major concern for international markets.

In recent days, Iranian forces and affiliated groups have taken steps to disrupt shipping in the area, including harassment of commercial vessels, deployment of naval patrol boats, and threats to lay sea mines or launch attacks on tankers.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has long used small fast-attack boats, drones, and anti-ship missiles positioned along Iran's coastline to threaten traffic moving through the strait.

U.S. officials have warned that such tactics could allow Iran to temporarily disrupt or slow the flow of oil and other cargo through the corridor.

The planned coalition would aim to deter those threats by placing naval escorts alongside commercial ships traveling through the waterway.

Trump said the United States is prepared to continue military operations to keep the shipping lane open if necessary.

"In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water," Trump wrote. "One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!"

Read More : WSJ: Trump to Announce Ship Escort Coalition in Hormuz | Newsmax.com
Air-aggedon — Flyer chaos rages as 300 TSA officers quit while Dems refuse budget deal

Hundreds of TSA officers have quit over the federal budget battle that left them working without pay –fueling hours-long flight delays and Department of Homeland Security videos blaming Dems for the travel nightmare.

More than 300 TSA officers have tossed in the towel since the shutdown began Feb. 14, while a slew of other workers have been taking unscheduled absences, CBS News reported, citing internal TSA statistics.

Hobby Airport in Houston saw 53% of its TSA officers call out March 8 and 47% the next day, while other airports have seen double-digit call-out averages since the shutdown started.
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City also has seen 21% of its TSA staff calling in sick in the past month, Atlanta International battled a 19% rate, and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was slammed with 14% calling out, CBS reported.

Those troubling rates were logged even before TSA officers missed their first paycheck Friday — with some airports seeing travelers standing in security lines for hours as their drastically depleted staff struggled to keep up with business.
Photos of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on Sunday morning showed massive lines, with one traveler warning not to brave the wait “unless your life depends on it.”

Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport had similar scenes Sunday morning, though both airports had cleared up by the afternoon.

Last weekend had similar chaos — with some airports across the country advising travelers to arrive upwards of five hours before their flights .
DHS has spent the shutdown blaming Democrats for the delays.

“You may be experiencing longer-than-average wait times due to the ongoing Democrat shutdown of TSA and the Department of Homeland Security,” a new video played over airports’ security lines said, ABC News reported.

“The TSA Officers you are interacting with have shown up to work despite having missed paychecks. Please take the opportunity to thank the dedicated men and women of the TSA when you fly today.”
Some airports — including JFK, LaGuardia, which is also in New York City, and Newark Liberty International in New Jersey — declined to play the video, saying it was partisan in nature.

DHS has been undetered.

“The Democrats’ DHS shutdown has led to HOURS long security lines at airports across the country, leading Americans to miss their spring break flights,” an agency post on X last weekend read.
DHS put out similar statements and videos to travelers during the government shutdown last year.

They featured DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who got the boot after facing scrutiny for greenlighting a $220 million advertisement campaign she starred in.

The current struggle has persisted for nearly a month after Senate Democrats refused to fund a DHS budget without reforms to the ICE and Border Patrol.

Read More : Air-aggedon -- Flyer chaos rages as 300 TSA officers quit while Dems refuse budget deal
ALDOT bridge to open week before Memorial Day

With favorable weather conditions lately, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has been able to maintain a fast pace on construction of the new Intracoastal Waterway Bridge.

A new traffic flow will be implemented in the area when the bridge opens. The bridge will be two lanes of southbound-only traffic, and the Foley Beach Express Bridge will transition to two northbound-only lanes.

ALDOT Communications and Public Relations coordinator James Gordon said the bridge is set to open the week before Memorial Day. The one-way flow of traffic will be effective immediately.

"As always, the timing remains dependent on weather and final construction activities," he said.

The $52 million project aims to reduce congestion, improve access for emergency responders, enhance hurricane evacuation capacity and support continued economic growth in Coastal Alabama, according to ALDOT's page on the project.

The most recent press release on the project states bridge structure and steel girders are complete, superstructure work is 95% complete and roadway work is 90% complete.

Read More : ALDOT bridge to open week before Memorial Day - Gulf Coast Media