Delta and United, two of the largest airlines in the United States, announced on Thursday that they are already canceling flights scheduled for this weekend due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s flight reductions that will go into effect on Friday due to the government shutdown.

Delta said that around 170 flights would be canceled on Friday, mostly affecting regional flights, CNN reported.

“Delta is complying with a directive from the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation to reduce flights at 40 major U.S. airports beginning Friday, Nov 7,” the airline said, adding, “These flight reductions are in response to air traffic control staffing shortages stemming from the ongoing government shutdown and are intended to maintain safety across the national airspace system.”

United, meanwhile, is set to cancel 4% of its flights over the weekend, which will add up to just under 200 flights daily, USA Today reported. United and Delta aren’t the only airlines affected by the flight reductions, as over 500 flights from all airlines have already been canceled this weekend, the Associated Press reported.

The White House’s Rapid Response X account responded to the news of the flight cancellations, writing, “Thank A Democrat.”

“@united is now cancelling hundreds of flights originally scheduled for tomorrow due to the Democrat Shutdown,” the White House added. “This could’ve all been avoided if Democrats simply did their jobs. Instead, they chose chaos.”

.@united is now cancelling hundreds of flights originally scheduled for tomorrow due to the Democrat Shutdown.

This could’ve all been avoided if Democrats simply did their jobs. Instead, they chose chaos. pic.twitter.com/TpJqlXhxJn

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 6, 2025

The government shutdown entered its 37th day on Thursday, with no sign of a deal on a spending bill coming anytime soon as Democratic senators continue to hold out.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Wednesday that the FAA would be slashing air traffic by 10% at 40 of the busiest airports beginning on Friday. The drastic move is to ensure that air travel remains safe as the government faces an air traffic controller shortage. Due to the government shutdown, air traffic controllers have gone weeks without pay, leading some to call in sick and seek work elsewhere.

The reduction in air traffic comes just weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, which is typically the busiest travel weekend of the year in the United States. Here’s the complete list of airports that are expected to be affected by the flight reduction compiled in alphabetical order:

Anchorage International (ANC) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) Boston Logan International (BOS) Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG) Dallas Love (DAL) Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) Denver International (DEN) Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) Newark Liberty International (EWR) Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL) Honolulu International (HNL) Houston Hobby (HOU) Washington Dulles International (IAD) George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH) Indianapolis International (IND) New York John F Kennedy International (JFK) Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS) Los Angeles International (LAX) New York LaGuardia (LGA) Orlando International (MCO) Chicago Midway (MDW) Memphis International (MEM) Miami International (MIA) Minneapolis/St Paul International (MSP) Oakland International (OAK) Ontario International (ONT) Chicago O’Hare International (ORD) Portland International (PDX) Philadelphia International (PHL) Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) San Diego International (SAN) Louisville International (SDF) Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) San Francisco International (SFO) Salt Lake City International (SLC) Teterboro (TEB) Tampa International (TPA)

There is just a single player in professional women’s soccer who cares about keeping it a women’s league. Jennifer Sey wants to change that.

After Angel City FC player Elizabeth Eddy was ganged up on by her female teammates for pushing for the league to adopt strict gender rules, prominent voices are putting up money to ensure that players like Eddy have support.

Jennifer Sey, the founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics, pledged $10,000 to the next NWSL player who stood up for keeping the pro women’s league for women. Then someone anonymously added $5,000 to up the ante. Then OutKick founder Clay Travis said he’d double that, bringing the pot to $30,000.

“I want to encourage more athletes to speak out,” Sey told The Daily Wire on Thursday. The former Team USA gymnast said her $30,000 won’t mean anything to a player who is raking in millions from a company like Nike, but most players in women’s soccer aren’t in that position.

“You know the average salary is around $50,000 a year. That’s not a lot of money,” Sey said. “If I can offer $30,000 and take away the fear of cancellation and the fear of losing other endorsement deals and almost double their annual salary, that feels like a worthwhile incentive to put on the table.”

🚨🚨$10k to the next NWSL player to stand up in defense of keeping women’s soccer female. A full throated defense. A press conference. Nothing mealy-mouthed.

Stand with @elizabetheddy2.

And we at @xx_xyathletics will stand with you.

You’ll get a lot of nice gear too.

DMs…

— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) November 5, 2025

Travis, an outspoken advocate for women’s sports, echoed Sey’s sentiment.

“The reality is we need more brave professional female athletes,” Travis told The Daily Wire. “I am fortunate to have resources to support the things I say. I understand the fear of cancellation is real. The sponsors dropping you is real. I’ve always been willing to put my money where my mouth is. I hope to do it more going forward.”

Travis and Sey said players have reached out already in the last 24 hours since Sey made the call to action Wednesday.

Sey, the founder of the only clothing brand that openly stands for women’s sports being for only women, said it’s going to take someone bold to make a statement.

“No one is going to raise their hand and do this unless they really believe in it and they really believe that it’s necessary to keep women’s sports female,” Sey said. “Because my $30,000 payment is nothing compared probably to the future cancellation they still might endure, right?”

Sey is no stranger to cancel culture.

When she spoke out about gymnasts being abused nearly two decades ago, she got pushback. The same thing happened when Sey said she wanted schools to open during the COVID lockdowns. It got uncomfortable, but Sey did it anyway.

Sey knew she was doing the right thing when she started XX-XY Athletics a year and a half ago to change the culture around women’s sports. Now she wants to put that organization behind courageous athletes.

“You will have my support, my team’s support and all the athletes on our roster, which is almost 300 athletes at this point, and you’ll get $30,000 and you will also know that you did the right thing.”

“Brands play a role in normalizing ideas,” Sey said. “We are standing up for reality.”

Elizabeth Eddy burst onto the scene of the fight to save women’s sports in October after she penned a piece in the New York Post calling for stricter gender guidelines in the NWSL.

Her Angel City FC teammates called her “transphobic.” The team captain, Sarah Gorden, said Eddy’s article was racist.

“There is nothing racist about saying women’s sports are for women,” Sey said.

Eddy said in her response to her teammates, “responsible people can disagree on this topic, but there is no need to go to bullying and name calling.”

But with the reality of what Eddy is experiencing, how will women be encouraged to speak up?

“I think it’s a slow and steady climb, it will happen slowly then all at once,” Sey said. “Every time something happens in the world that alerts people to the issue, more people join the cause. We’re going to hit a critical mass and no one is going to care anymore if they get called a bigot or a racist because they know it’s false.”

For Sey, even small progress is a major victory.

“If I can get two players from the National Women’s Soccer League, that’s two more than we had two weeks ago.”