1/ One of my final stories before I take leave — a deep dive into the state of air travel safety today. Flying remains overwhelmingly safe, but as the @politico team found, there are symptoms of strain across the system that deserve attention.

Trump's FAA pick acknowledges he doesn't have a 'commercial' pilot's license subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

Trump’s FAA nominee, Bryan Bedford, has long claimed to have a commercial pilot’s license. He does not. That, however, does not appear to threaten his confirmation, @oriana0214.bsky.social reports.

The aerospace sector has been lobbying the Trump administration not to allow a 10 percent tariff on goods be imposed this weekend as expected, arguing that the terms of a 1979 agreement should be honored instead. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

Nice score. Absolutely jibes with how Rocheleau has kept a lower profile. From when some of us first heard Bedford’s name pop last week: subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

As I mention here, air travel is still the safest mode of transportation. That doesn’t mean there aren’t fissures in the system that need addressing. A system that doesn’t need to be kneecapped with additional cuts to the jobs that are part of the system’s backbone.

In today’s Politico Playbook: A series of new employee cuts at the FAA is making an already anxious population even more concerned about air travel. Aviation reporter Oriana Pawlyk joins Playbook's Zack Stanton to discuss the implications. The latest in today's Daily Briefing: t.co/DDMMgE2ciD

‘Air traffic controllers cannot do their work without us’ www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Are you an employee at the FAA / support FAA roles who was recently laid off or told to retire? Signal open at the QR link below:

I covered military aviation for 9 years, and now the intersection of regulation and commercial for four. Aviation is just the thing I do. Flying's gotten safer — and less reported on. Washington crash shows how the aviation beat is fading apnews.com/article/avia...

Musk’s cost-cutters target U.S. aviation system www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Update: FAA reverses course on meeting prohibition, blaming rogue employee www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

The Federal Aviation Administration has barred its employees from participating in a host of advisory committees intended to help come up with solutions to issues facing the aviation industry.

Scoop: www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

ICYMI, @oriana0214.bsky.social & @jeffwise.bsky.social on safety issues around aviation in the wake of recent fatal crashes: www.wnyc.org/story/how-pr...

I've been way too busy to post a whole lot here lately, but I can't say enough about how proud I am of the @politico.com transportation team (esp @oriana0214.bsky.social, Sam Ogozalek and Chris Marquette) and how they rallied in this moment of national tragedy: www.politico.com/news/2025/01...

Today: - @usatoday.com's Francesca Chambers with Monday Morning Politics, - Elizabeth Glazer on surprising crime trends in NYC, - @oriana0214.bsky.social & @jeffwise.bsky.social on recent aviation accidents - @keepitonthehdl.bsky.social on the winter blues Live at 10 on 93.9 FM, AM820 or @wnyc.org

My latest: How years of safety warnings ended in a fiery crash above the Potomac politi.co/40BXch2 via @politico.com

ICYMI: www.politico.com/news/2024/12...

ICYM yesterday: Boeing and its top lobbyist part ways subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024...

‘Typical Trumpian thing’: Aviation shrugs at Trump's DEI and ‘golden age of travel’ comments subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024...

Sectors of the aviation & travel industry seem eager for continuity, too, according to several people POLITICO interviewed who attended the U.S. Travel Association’s conference Wednesday. TSA administrator says he hopes to stay on during Trump’s term subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024...

Potential Trump picks for DOT: A reality TV star, a rail antagonist — and a former Uber exec www.politico.com/live-updates... via @politico.com

Musk wants to publicly tangle with the regulator that has the most muscle to flex over his space business. Will his strategy work? www.politico.com/news/2024/11...

NEW from me: One of the most cautious, rules-bound arms of the federal government is on a collision course with possibly its most dangerous opponent yet: “first buddy” Elon Musk. The one agency that might have the muscle to oppose Elon Musk t.co/bKZTtGlHtB

It’s not just Graves squared (Sam, Garret) who are under consideration or have chatted with the Trump team to possibly lead the Transportation Department: Georgia DOT commissioner Russell McMurry is also being considered. More from me & Chris Marquette subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter/2...

What a Trump win means for aviation subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024...

Analysis: “Russia is not going to disappear as a major challenge” even if it's defeated in Ukraine, writes Thomas Graham, a Council on Foreign Relations fellow and former George W. Bush staffer. “It’s time to prepare for what comes next.”