Trump calls Dem video ‘seditious’; FAA denies bonuses to 20,000 controllers
A short video featuring six Democratic lawmakers urging troops to refuse illegal orders has ignited a political firestorm. President Donald Trump criticized it on social media as “seditious behavior, punishable by death.”
Plus, investigators release photos from the deadly UPS cargo crash in Louisville, Kentucky, showing the left engine ripping off, bursting into flames and sending the MD-11 down seconds after takeoff.
And hundreds of air traffic controllers are getting $10,000 “perfect attendance” bonuses for working through the shutdown. But thousands who also kept flights moving won’t see a dime.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
Trump criticizes Democrats over military video, calls message ‘seditious’
The fallout is deepening after President Donald Trump intensified his reaction to a group of Democratic lawmakers who warned U.S. service members to reject any illegal orders from him.
It all began on Tuesday when six Democrats with military and intelligence backgrounds released a 90-second video saying this:
“Right now, the threats from our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear, you can refuse illegal orders … You can refuse illegal orders, you must refuse illegal orders, no one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our constitution.”
They posted the message amid growing concerns about the legality of recent U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean. They’re operations that the administration says target narco-terrorists.
But the president’s reaction went beyond criticism. On Truth Social, he wrote, “Their words cannot be allowed to stand. Seditious behavior from traitors!!! Lock them up???”
An hour later, he made another post, saying, “Seditious behavior, punishable by death!”
At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the president’s anger and accused the Democrats of endangering the military.
“The sanctity of our military rests on the chain of command, and if that chain of command is broken, it can lead to people getting killed, it can lead to chaos, and that’s what these members of Congress who swore an oath to abide by the Constitution are essentially encouraging,” Leavitt said.
On Fox News, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche took it further. He said, “This is abhorrent conduct. I felt like I was watching a propaganda video by one of our enemies trying to recruit the military to become spies … I think those congressmen should be required to answer questions about why they did what they did, and the American people deserve that, and so does President Trump.”
But Democrats argued this isn’t political; it’s a reminder of the law as it stands. Their leader, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., responded after Trump’s posts:
“We had patriotic members of the House and the Senate have their lives threatened by Donald Trump in the most unhinged, unacceptable, unconscionable and un-American way, disgusting and dangerous what Donald Trump has said, and accusing patriotic members of Congress and the Senate who served this country well of treason and suggesting they should be killed. That’s disgusting. We, of course, have come to expect this from Donald Trump.”
The Pentagon hasn’t commented, but legal experts note service members swear an oath to the Constitution, not the president.
They’re obligated to follow lawful orders and refuse manifestly unlawful ones.
NTSB releases images from deadly UPS crash, blame cracked engine mount
Federal investigators have released stunning new photos of the moments before that deadly UPS plane crash in Kentucky, and they’re revealing what went wrong.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the left engine mount on the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 exhibited clear signs of cracks and overstress.
Officials said the plane lifted just 30 feet off the runway when the left engine ripped away, sparking a fire that sent flames shooting down the wing.
The newly released images show the engine tearing off and hurtling into the air. Seconds later, a fireball engulfed the aircraft.
Three pilots on board were killed, along with 11 people on the ground, when the burning jet crashed into a nearby neighborhood.
The NTSB said the plane was not yet due for its next detailed inspection of the engine mount, which would have come nearly 7,000 flights later.
Its last check was in October 2021.
In response, federal authorities have grounded every MD-11 in the country until they pass new safety inspections.
Trump’s Russia-Ukraine peace plan would give Ukraine NATO-like security guarantees
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded to Trump’s new 28-point peace plan for ending the war with Russia.
The plan would require Russia to recognize Ukraine’s sovereignty, but it also demands major concessions from Kyiv, including giving up some territory, agreeing not to join NATO and accepting a cap on the size of its military.
It also includes NATO-style security guarantees promising the U.S. and Europe would treat an attack on Ukraine as an attack on them.
On X, Zelenskyy called it the “American side’s vision” and said both teams will now work through each point.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s representative to the U.N. told the Security Council that Kyiv will not surrender any territory under any circumstances.
Few FAA staff get $10K bonus, thousands ruled ineligible after shutdown
Only a fraction of the air traffic workforce will get the $10,000 “perfect attendance” bonuses promised after the 43-day government shutdown. This morning, thousands are being left out.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said just 776 controllers and technicians qualified for the bonus — far fewer than expected.
About 20,000 others won’t get the bonus because they missed shifts during the shutdown — often to take side jobs or care for kids while paychecks were frozen.
The controller shortage during the shutdown forced cuts at 40 airports, fueling days of cancellations.
The controllers’ union is blasting the decision, saying thousands who “consistently reported for duty while working without pay” are being left out of the reward they were promised.
Reborn from ashes: Restored VW van unveiled at Los Angeles Auto Show
“Azul,” the bright blue 1977 Volkswagen T2 bus that became a viral symbol of hope during January’s Palisades wildfire, has officially made its public debut — fully restored and gleaming — at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The bus captured worldwide attention after a striking Associated Press photo showed it standing intact amid an entire Malibu neighborhood reduced to ash and rubble. Online, the image quickly became shorthand for survival.
But as the Los Angeles Times reported, Azul didn’t emerge unscathed. The side facing away from the camera was severely burned, the wiring was melted, the mechanical systems required a full rebuild and the interior was extensively damaged by smoke and heat.
Volkswagen stepped in, offering to take the van to its Oxnard Engineering Campus — home to the company’s historic vehicle program — where technicians spent months restoring it “piece by piece.” The project ultimately replaced or repaired roughly 50% of the van, required 2,000+ labor hours, and involved teams specializing in bodywork, engine refurbishment and vintage VW craftsmanship.
Volkswagen also donated $250,000 to the California Fire Foundation to support first responders and fire-impacted families.
The restored van will be on display at the L.A. Auto Show through Nov. 30, followed by a run at the Petersen Automotive Museum from Dec. 4 to Jan. 11 before returning home to its owner, Megan Weinraub, who says she plans to take it on a few camping trips.
More from Straight Arrow News:
How a tractor-trailer parking shortage threatens Thanksgiving traffic safety
It’s 2 a.m. on Interstate 70 near St. Louis, and an off-duty long-haul truck driver is asleep in his cab. His rig is parked beside two other tractor-trailers on the shoulder of the off-ramp to a rest stop, because there are no truck parking spaces left. Complying with federal regulations that limit a truck driver to operating 11 hours within each 14-hour on-duty shift left him no choice: Stop driving or break the law.
Suddenly, he’s airborne inside the cab. His truck has been hit by a Greyhound bus that slammed into the three rigs. Flames erupt. Passengers kick at the windows trying to escape. The truckers get some people out, but three passengers die, and 14 others are injured. It’s another brutal reminder of what happens when America’s commercial truck drivers have nowhere safe to park overnight.
There are no quick fixes to the nationwide shortage of access to safe, secure and accessible parking for commercial trucks.
“The lack of available truck parking is a perennial industry issue and one that is receiving increased attention at the state and federal levels,” according to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), which estimates there is just one truck parking space nationally for every 11 truck drivers.
Drivers “out of hours” who find that nearby state-operated rest areas and privately owned truck stops are already full will pull off where they can. Their last-ditch spot for the night may be on a highway shoulder or along an on-ramp.
On high-traffic days and nights, like the Thanksgiving holidays, when AAA projects 81.8 million will travel at least 50 miles from home, this poses safety risks to more Americans on the road. This year, 73 million Americans will drive to the Thanksgiving table – an increase of 1.3 million people over last year, according to AAA. And with a growing number of cars on the road during peak travel days between Tuesday, Nov. 25 and Monday, Dec. 1, comes heightened risk. Read the full story now>
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
