Controversy erupts after Muslim cleric denies Christian pastor access to DFW airport chapel



A well-known Christian pastor was physically blocked from entering an airport chapel last week.

Tom Ascol, the president of Founders Ministries, was returning home after visiting the family of Voddie Baucham Jr., a popular American pastor who recently passed away.

'Beyond the entry were two stalls with water faucets for ablution.'

While awaiting his flight home at the Dallas-Forth Worth airport, Ascol said he heard a public address across the airport that Terminal D was offering a prayer service and that "all are welcome."

With very minimal expectations, Ascol proceeded in hopes that "someone might read Scripture during the service."

Upon his arrival, the pastor found the "interfaith chaplaincy" to be completely ensconced in Islamic tradition.

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"My departure gate was near there, so I walked over and saw the entry lined with Muslim prayer mats," Ascol told Rikki Ratliff-Fellman, executive producer for Glenn Beck.

"Beyond the entry were two stalls with water faucets for ablution. They had signs saying that the stalls were not to be used for showers. The main room had several men kneeling on mats, with a Muslim imam in the far corner and a man praying aloud a Muslim prayer near the door," Ascol explained.

Ascol said he looked through the door and realized that the prayer service the public was invited to was, "in fact, Muslim prayers."

Still, Ascol waited until the audible prayer was finished to try and enter the room and observe. Despite the sign outside the door declaring "all are welcome," the man who was praying out loud allegedly determined he was within his rights to stop Ascol from entering.

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Photo by Rodger Mallison/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

"He quickly came and blocked my entrance as the imam started speaking about the prophet Muhammad," Ascol told Ratliff-Fellman. "He said there was a chair in the back for me but that I must take off my shoes."

Ascol explained that when he tried to step farther toward the door, the man shifted to stand directly in front of him. The pastor said it felt like he was not welcome in the interfaith chapel unless he abided by Islamic rules and "removed his shoes."

"I had no energy to press the issue of the dishonesty of the announcement," Ascol said, adding that he simply took pictures and walked away.

Ratliff-Fellman reached out to DFW Interfaith Chaplaincy, which said it had recently become aware of a "disheartening claim posted on social media that a traveler was allegedly denied entry, or felt unwelcome, during a Muslim prayer service held in one of our airport chapels."

"We take that claim seriously," Reverend Greg McBrayer told Ratliff-Fellman.

The executive director said that those at the chaplaincy "never refuse others from observing any service, or place requirements or restrictions on entering the space during any services."

McBrayer said his group immediately investigated the claims with an unnamed Muslim cleric, who is their "longest-standing chaplain and a person who upholds our shared values of inclusive, shared spaces."

But the director said the cleric was not aware of the incident and that it was not brought to his attention until after the post was made online.

"Our cleric was shocked and saddened at this claim," McBrayer stated.

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Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

The reverend went on, "Had he been made aware of the alleged encounter, he would have made clear that the space is open and available to all people with no restrictions on entry."

McBrayer added that the chapel has been used for five decades, offering various services that are "brief and all inclusive."

"We want our airport community to know that we are shaken by this incident, which would run counter to our core mission, values, and beliefs that all are welcome in our spaces," he noted in his comments.

In his remarks to Ratliff-Fellman, the reverend did not deny the incident, nor was the Muslim cleric named.

Following the events, Ascol said it has only provoked him to pray more diligently.

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Drones shut down airports in NATO countries as suspicion falls on Russia



An unexplained drone incursion shut down the largest airport in Scandinavia on Monday evening, prompting officials to question whether Russia was responsible.

Danish officials reported that a "professional actor" was likely responsible for flying multiple drones over the Copenhagen Airport, causing a four-hour shutdown. Large drones have been spotted at five regional airports in Denmark.

'We have seen drones over Poland that should not have been there. We have seen activity in Romania. We have seen violations of Estonian airspace.'

Monday's incident marks the latest in a series of drone sightings to cause a significant disruption to transportation infrastructure in NATO countries.

"It's definitely not a coincidence. It looks systematic," Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated during a Thursday press conference.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the incident "the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date."

The same evening, a separate drone incident interrupted operations at Norway's Oslo Airport.

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Photo by STEVEN KNAP/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

Danish police Chief Superintendent Jens Jespersen stated that it is too soon to say whether the incidents in Denmark and Norway were linked.

While officials have not stated who was responsible for the drone incursions in Denmark, there is speculation that Russia may have been responsible, considering that earlier this month, Poland shot down several Russian drones and Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace.

"I cannot rule out that it is Russia," Frederiksen stated. "We have seen drones over Poland that should not have been there. We have seen activity in Romania. We have seen violations of Estonian airspace."

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Photo by SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty Images

The Kremlin called the speculation "unfounded."

Moscow's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, claimed that the incident "clearly reflects an attempt to provoke NATO countries into direct military confrontation with Russia."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that it is "too early to say" who is responsible.

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Floppy discs and copper strips: Newark failures hint at looming threat of another FAA disaster



There have been multiple air traffic control communication and radar malfunctions in recent days, prompting renewed concern about risks in America's skies and on its runways.

The Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged in a series of statements that there was a telecommunications issue Friday at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, the air traffic control tower and radar facility at Philadelphia International Airport that guides aircraft into and out of Newark Liberty International Airport airspace.

Although the issue apparently lasted only 90 seconds, the FAA slowed aircraft in and out of Newark while ensuring that "redundancies were working as designed." The ground stop reportedly lasted around 45 minutes, and, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware, roughly 280 flights were delayed and 87 canceled at Newark as of late Sunday.

'We use floppy discs. We use copper wires.'

A week earlier, the FAA similarly had to slow arrivals and departures on account of "telecommunications and equipment issues at Philadelphia TRACON."

The New York Times reported that air traffic controllers working the airspace around the Newark airport lost communications with planes for nearly 30 seconds. While 10 people reportedly should have been on duty to help coordinate traffic in the Newark airspace at the time, only four controllers were at their posts.

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Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy minced no words following the late April 28 incident, stating, "The system that we're using in air traffic control is incredibly old. This system is 25, 30 years old. We use floppy discs. We use copper wires. The system that we're using is not effective to control the traffic that we have in the airspace today."

Stu Burguiere highlighted some of the technological artifacts the FAA still relies upon to regulate American airspace in his BlazeTV documentary "Countdown to the Next Aviation Disaster."

In addition to copper wires, Burguiere discussed "paper flight strips," which Reason Foundation founder Robert Poole indicated are still used to track planes.

"It comes off a little printer at the controller's workstation," explained Poole.

Blaze News previously reported that the FAA has attempted to update the paper system for over four decades, but the plans remain behind schedule and over budget.

Burguiere also took a look at a November 2023 FAA report that indicated the agency is not only using floppy discs but employing equipment so old that there are no replacement parts available.

"Beacons used to determine the location of aircraft with working transponders," the report reads. "Includes 331 units that are 28-46 years old. Many of these systems are pre-digital, and many parts are unavailable because the manufacturers no longer exist or no longer support these systems."

After characterizing the systems in place as antiquated and faulty, Duffy said, "Of course it's safe," citing the kinds of reactive measures taken in Newark and elsewhere. While confident in the safety of American travel, Duffy appears both intolerant of further delays and unwilling to leave anything to chance.

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Duffy stated that "we must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible" and indicated that the Trump administration is "working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers."

According to the FAA, Duffy and acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau are taking several actions to improve upon existing air traffic control systems, such as adding three high-bandwidth telecommunications connections between the New York-based Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System and the Philadelphia TRACON; replacing copper telecommunications connections with fiber-optic technology from this millennium; and deploying a temporary backup system to the Philadelphia TRACON to provide redundancy during the cable switchover.

'It has to be fixed.'

Burguiere noted in his BlazeTV documentary that the FAA was not just way behind on critical technological upgrades but dangerously understaffed at critical hubs nationwide — stressing that "with 77% of key facilities below the FAA's own staffing threshold" as of December, "our skies are becoming a ticking time bomb."

It appears that Duffy has also taken the dearth of talent at the FAA to heart. The transportation secretary and Rocheleau are apparently committed to increasing controller staffing.

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Katherine KY Cheng/Getty Images

The FAA indicated that the "area in the Philadelphia TRACON that handles Newark traffic has 22 fully certified controllers and 21 controllers and supervisors in training. Ten of those 21 controllers and supervisors are receiving on-the-job training. All 10 are certified on at least one position, and two are certified on multiple positions. We have a healthy pipeline with training classes filled through July 2026."

Blaze News asked the FAA to comment about the nationwide issue of old and aging systems and the perceived problem of understaffing at the FAA and was directed to Duffy's previous statements and May 12 press conference regarding the incident at the Newark airport.

Regarding staffing, the FAA said in a statement obtained by Blaze News, "The FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) collaborate to establish staffing goals for every facility, for every area in the facility, and for each shift. They update the goals yearly, and the goals are based on full staffing in the facility or area. There is a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, and the FAA for years has not met the staffing goal for the area that works Newark airspace."

"The persistent low staffing levels and low training success rate at New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), or N90, were contributing factors to moving control of the Newark airspace to the Philadelphia TRACON in 2024," added the agency.

The airspace over Newark is far from the only domain experiencing troubles.

WAGA-TV reported that over 600 flights were delayed Monday at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on account of what officials termed a "runway equipment issue."

Duffy told NBC News Monday, "I'm concerned about the whole airspace."

"What you see in Newark is going to happen in other places across the country," continued the transportation secretary. "It has to be fixed."

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Female Black Hawk pilot didn't follow orders before horrific crash: Report



An Army VH-60M Black Hawk helicopter on a training exercise collided with a PSA Airlines plane operating an American Airlines flight near D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29. Sixty-seven people were killed, including three Army soldiers, 60 airline passengers, and four airline crew members.

As emergency responders futilely searched the frigid Potomac River for survivors, questions began to proliferate about how such a crash was possible, especially when Black Hawk helicopters routinely operate flights in the highly controlled air corridor around the airport without incident. Many suspected human error — and when the Army initially refused to name the female Black Hawk pilot, some critics hypothesized that DEI hiring practices might be indirectly at fault.

On the basis of government documents, interviews with relevant experts, and audio recordings of the air traffic controllers leading up to the collision, the New York Times delineated the "missteps" that led to the fatal January crash in a damning report on Sunday.

'PAT two-five, do you have the CRJ in sight?'

It turns out that Captain Rebecca Lobach — the doomed helicopter's pilot whose name was withheld at the outset — failed to heed her instructor's orders moments before flying into the inbound jet, and there is no indication she was suffering any health issues that may have been to blame.

The liberal publication appeared keen to displace the reason for the crash across multiple factors and mistakes, noting, for instance, that:

  • the relevant tower controller was working double duty;
  • the controller was unable to watch the helicopter's movements in real time via the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out because the confidentiality of the Army aircraft's mission precluded the use of the system;
  • the controller made the uncustomary decision of asking the ill-fated jet to land at Runway 33, one of the airport's ancillary runways;
  • the vertical distance between the landing slope for a jet making its way to Runway 33 and the maximum permissible altitude for a helicopter along the route taken by the doomed Army aircraft would be a measly 75 feet;
  • the helicopter was flying well over the mandated maximum altitude;
  • the Army crew may have failed to catch a critical piece of information provided by the tower;
  • the helicopter crew requested, then bungled a "visual separation" exercise, where the "pilot is meant to see neighboring air traffic, often without assistance from the controller, and avoid it by either hovering in place until the traffic passes or by flying around it in prescribed ways"; and
  • the tower's alleged failure to notify both aircraft they were on a collision course.

Lobach, the highest-ranking soldier on the helicopter but far from the most experienced pilot aboard, was behind the controls as the helicopter neared the airport.

Cockpit voice recordings revealed that sometime after assuming control, Lobach announced an altitude of 300 feet. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Lloyd Eaves, her instructor, responded within a space of 39 seconds that they actually had an altitude of 400 feet — not only double the maximum height permissible near Runway 33 but 100 feet over the altitude mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration for that part of the route.

The Times indicated that as the helicopter approached the Key Bridge, from which the Army aircraft would head south along the river, Eaves indicated the helicopter was at 300 feet and descending to 200 feet.

Eaves apparently saw the need to repeat his instruction, telling Lobach that the chopper was at 300 feet and needed to descend.

'It could have well changed the outcome of that evening.'

While Lobach reportedly said she would comply, over two and half minutes later, she still had the helicopter at an altitude of over 200 feet — "a dangerously high level" according to the Times.

Moments later, the tower notified the Army crew that the inbound jet was "circling" to Runway 33 — a piece of information investigators believe was missed because someone aboard the helicopter was allegedly holding down the microphone key to speak, thereby blocking incoming communications.

Roughly two minutes before the collision, Eaves noted, "PAT two-five has traffic in sight." He then requested and was granted visual separation.

Nearly 20 seconds before impact — as doomed Flight 5342 made its turn toward Runway 33, flying at roughly 500 feet and now within a mile of the helicopter — the tower asked the Army crew, "PAT two-five, do you have the CRJ in sight?"

There was no response from the Black Hawk.

The controller then told the helicopter crew to "pass behind" the airplane, but Lobach kept flying directly at the inbound jet.

Two seconds after the controller's "pass behind" directive, Eaves said, "PAT two-five has the aircraft in sight. Request visual separation."

Inside the helicopter, Eaves told Lobach 15 seconds before the collision that air traffic control wanted her to turn left, toward the river — which would open more space between the Black Hawk and the jet, now at an altitude of approximately 300 feet.

Lobach reportedly did not heed the instruction, thereby guaranteeing the deaths of 66 people and herself.

At the time of the collision, one air traffic controller can reportedly be heard in a recording taken at the time saying, "Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert three."

"I just saw a fireball, and then it was just gone," said a controller. "I haven't seen anything since they hit the river, but it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit. I would say maybe a half-mile off the approach end of 33."

Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the Army's director of aviation, told the Times, "I think what we'll find in the end is there were multiple things that, had any one of them changed, it could have well changed the outcome of that evening."

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'Did she piss herself?': Unhinged 'Karen' goes on drunk tirade at Dallas airport after barred from flight, mocks penis size of cop



Video has surfaced of a woman going on an unhinged tirade after being barred from an American Airlines flight at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. The woman – who is being described as a "Karen" – admitted to police that she was intoxicated from "very full" vodka beverages before berating a cop over his penis size and his salary.

Citing court documents, the Daily Mail reported that Angela Nicole Killian was arrested in September and charged with resisting arrest.

On Sept. 12, an airliner captain prohibited a woman from boarding a flight over concerns of her becoming an unruly passenger.

The American Airlines staff at the gate of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport informed police that Killian became belligerent after she was denied entrance to the plane traveling to Bogota, Colombia.

The 44-year-old woman allegedly got in the face and made physical contact with several American Airlines employees after being barred from the flight.

Killian was questioned by a female officer, and she broke down into tears and said she just wanted to go home.

Killian admitted that she consumed two "very full" vodka tonics at an airport bar, but it was not any more than she usually drinks when flying.

"I'm not innocent... I'm definitely not completely sober but, I'm not as drunk as you think I am. I'm just super traumatized," Killian told the officer as seen on the newly released police bodycam video.

Killian's temperament went from sadness to anger as she was detained at the airport.

"I am trying to be nice, and now I'm done so let's call my lawyer," she demanded as seen in the police bodycam footage.

Police gave Killian a chance to cool down, but she repeatedly demanded that she contact her lawyer. They informed her that she was not arrested, and only detained, but she became visibly frustrated by the situation.

The officer then told her that she was under arrest for public intoxication.

Killian became even more enraged after being arrested.

"You pieces of mediocre s**t of your life," Killian lashed out at the cops. "You feel good making $60,000 a year?"

The woman then insulted the male cop by saying that he has a small penis.

Killian is heard on bodycam video telling the cop, "You f***ing tiny piece of s**t. You feel good f***ing your wife with you're f***ing five-inch d**k?"

Killian appears to refuse to walk and descends to the floor on her stomach.

A male officer asks, "Did she piss herself? Yep, she did."

The female officer agreed that the suspect had urinated herself.

However, Killian had another reason for the urine odor.

Killian said, "It's probably the guy who f***ed your wife before he f***ed you."

She then incoherently lashed out at the officers, "You feel good about yourself? You f***ing six five eight d**k stack f***ing short tiny a** d**k... wearing a uniform makes you feel good about yourself? You and your f***ing facial hair.'

Police were forced to strap Killian's legs and carry her out of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport until she agreed to walk.

After Killian was placed in the back of the police cruiser, officers discussed how much urine they got on themselves.

"I have it all over my leg. You're fine... it's on my pant leg completely, it's seeped through to my leg," a female police officer said.

Online commentator Collin Rugg said, "Karen of the year award goes to this lady."

Killian is scheduled to appear in Tarrant County Criminal Court on April 17. She reportedly has yet to enter a plea.

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(WARNING: Explicit language)

Woman has destructive meltdown at Mexican airport ticket counter: 'Don’t give me the money back. I don’t give a f***. But that’s going to cost you.'



Planes weren't the only things flying Tuesday at the Mexico City International Airport.

A middle-aged woman arrived at the Volaris check-in counter to find that her alleged flight reservation was not in in the system, reported the Daily Mail.

The airline employee informed 56-year-old María Guadalupe that the company was unable to refund her for the missing reservation since she had reportedly booked the flight through a travel agency, but noted she might otherwise get her money back by contacting the agency directly.

The bad news and helpful recommendation were not well received.

The grounded woman shouted in Spanish at one of the airline employees stationed behind the ticket counter, "If you don't want to, don't give me the money back. I don't give a f***. But that's going to cost you."

Guadalupe mounted the baggage scale, then slammed a computer monitor to the floor, which splintered on impact.

The destruction failed to yield a refund, yet Guadalupe persisted.

"Don't give it to me. But you pay for that, and if you don't want to, it's very nice," said Guadalupe, hurling a ticket scanner.

In a video of the incident shared to Twitter by Mexican journalist Antonio Nieto, Guadalupe can be seen grabbing virtually anything that wasn't nailed down and rushing from counter to counter, smashing keyboards and screens.

After reportedly destroying four monitors and scanners, she paraded away.

Ultimately, Guadalupe did end up with a seat — it just happened to be in the back of a police cruiser.

\u201cPierde vuelo y el autocontrol:\n\nEs Mar\u00eda Guadalupe (56). Exigi\u00f3 reembolso a @viajaVolaris, se lo negaron y arremeti\u00f3 contra empleados en @AICM_mx.\n\nDestroz\u00f3 4 monitores y escaners, por lo cual fue detenida.\u201d
— Antonio Nieto (@Antonio Nieto) 1688526974

Both the Daily Mail and the New York Post reached out to the airline and airport for comment, but neither received a response.

Airport kerfuffles appear to have become a semi-regular phenomenon.

TheBlaze reported last week that tensions boiled over between prospective passengers and Spirit Airlines employees at the Orlando International Airport.

Like Guadalupe, 41-year-old Edward Hariston allegedly reached over the counter and began banging on a Spirit computer keyboard. The dispute soon turned kinetic, prompting a police officer to intervene. However, Hariston allegedly overpowered the officer, brought him to the ground, and placed him in a chokehold.

Hariston was subsequently charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, and disorderly conduct.

In May, a brutal brawl broke out at Terminal 3 of Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

According to the Chicago Police Department, "A verbal dispute while deplaning escalated in the lower level of terminal 3 when a 24-year-old female victim was punched by two offenders."

Here is a graphic video of the incident, which resulted in multiple arrests:

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On April 30, a purportedly pregnant woman was reportedly told she could not board her Spirit Airlines flight departing Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Georgia because of her aggressive behavior.

Que Maria Scott from Philadelphia allegedly brutalized a female Spirit employee, pummeling her and pulling her hair.

Scott was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

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Republican Reps Earmark Millions For Private Jet Airports

At least three House Republicans have requested money for private jet airports