'Your body, my choice': Attacks on women surge on social media following U.S. election
Sexist and abusive attacks on women, like 'your body, my choice' and 'get back to the kitchen,' have surged across social media since Trump’s reelection.
A group representing major U.S. airlines and aviation unions on Monday wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asking the Justice Department to crack down on the growing number of disruptive and violent air passengers.
The Justice Department did not immediately comment on the letter, first reported by Reuters.
The letter from Airlines for America, which represents American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others, along with major unions said the "incidents pose a safety and security threat to our passengers and employees, and we respectfully request the (Justice Department) commit to the full and public prosecution of onboard acts of violence."
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Steve Dickson, in January imposed a zero-tolerance order on passenger disturbances aboard airplanes after supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump were disruptive on some flights around the time of a Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack.
Monday's letter added that the airlines and unions hope the Justice Department "will commit to taking action, along with coordination with the FAA, to ensure that egregious onboard conduct is fully and criminally prosecuted, sending a strong public message of deterrence, safety and security."
In a separate letter to Dickson, the groups asked the FAA to "refer abhorrent cases" to the Justice Department "so that the federal government may fully, swiftly and publicly prosecute criminal acts to the fullest extent of the law and deter this dangerous and concerning behavior."
The letter to Garland said that since the FAA's zero- tolerance policy was announced, the agency has received more than 3,039 reports of unruly behavior and has opened 465 investigations into assaults, threats of assault or interference with crew members.
In May, the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents Southwest flight attendants and was among the signers, said in a letter there were 477 passenger misconduct incidents on Southwest Airlines from April 8 to May 15.
"This past weekend, one of our Flight Attendants was seriously assaulted, resulting in injuries to the face and a loss of two teeth," the union wrote in a May 24 letter to Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly. "Today’s traveling environment requires a new level of firmness in both tone and direction to ensure proper control in the cabin."
Last week, two passengers were reportedly removed from a plane before it left for fighting over an arm rest.
The FAA has been proposing large civil penalties for disruptive passengers including for some who have assaulted flight attendants. Many have been fined for drinking alcohol onboard airlines, where it is still banned and several airlines have extended the alcohol ban because of poor passenger behavior.
More than 2,300 cases included passengers refusing to wear face masks as required on all airplanes.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on April 30 extended a federal face mask mandate on airplanes and in airports through Sept. 13.
(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul, Howard Goller and Marguerita Choy)
Sexist and abusive attacks on women, like 'your body, my choice' and 'get back to the kitchen,' have surged across social media since Trump’s reelection.
Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.
Donald Trump selected U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, sources said on Monday, putting Rubio on track to be the first Latino to serve as America's top diplomat.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
Genetic testing firm 23andMe said on Monday it is reducing about 40 per cent, or 200 employees, from its workforce and discontinuing all its therapies.
A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are expecting to grow their family. Fox announced her pregnancy in a social media post Monday.
Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.
A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.