Security wait times at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), the world’s busiest by passenger volume, continue to vary dramatically on March 22, 2026, as the partial U.S. government shutdown drags into its second month, leaving Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers unpaid and contributing to staffing shortages, absenteeism and unpredictable lines.

Real-time data from the airport’s official tracker at atl.com/times and third-party aggregators like Takeoff Timer and OnAir Parking showed average standard security wait times around 14 minutes as of midday local time, with peaks earlier in the overnight hours reaching 45 minutes from midnight to 1 a.m. and lows of zero during the quietest overnight slots. TSA PreCheck lanes remained significantly faster, often under 5 minutes when open.

However, passenger reports on social media and Reddit megathreads painted a more volatile picture. Early Sunday morning updates from r/Atlanta users described waits climbing to 75 minutes or more at the main domestic checkpoint during peak arrival periods, with some travelers advising 3+ hours of buffer time before flights. Lines have fluctuated wildly throughout the weekend: long queues spilling into baggage claim areas on Saturday and Friday, then easing briefly midday before building again.

The inconsistency stems directly from the ongoing partial shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which funds TSA. With no appropriations bill passed, many TSA employees have missed paychecks — some their second full cycle — prompting high call-out rates (reported as high as 36% on certain days in mid-March) and resignations. Nationwide, absenteeism has hovered around 10-30% above normal, hitting busiest hubs like ATL hardest during spring travel season.

Airport officials and airlines, including Delta Air Lines (ATL’s dominant carrier), have repeatedly urged passengers to arrive at least three hours early for domestic flights and four hours for international ones. Standard guidance recommends two hours pre-departure, but current conditions demand extra cushion for parking, check-in, bag drop and the trek to gates via the Plane Train, which adds 10-20 minutes post-security.

The main domestic checkpoint — serving the bulk of passengers — has seen the most strain, with queues occasionally extending beyond the atrium into baggage claim. North and South checkpoints (including PreCheck-only lanes) and the international terminal have generally moved faster, sometimes clearing in under 10-15 minutes during off-peak. International departures, including Concourse F, reported shorter waits overall.

The crisis has compounded other factors: spring break crowds, potential weather disruptions earlier in the month and general post-pandemic travel recovery. Flight delays and cancellations have risen, though not always directly tied to security — with hundreds affected on peak days per FlightAware data. Passengers missing connections due to long lines have added frustration, with some reporting hours-long backups that force rebooking.

TSA and airport leaders stress that security remains the priority, with available staff prioritizing threat detection over speed. PreCheck, CLEAR and TSA PreCheck enrollment continue to offer the best relief, with dedicated lanes seeing minimal delays. Officials remind travelers that wait times fluctuate hourly — peaking typically 5-9 a.m. and late afternoons/evenings — and urge checking real-time tools before heading out.

The official ATL wait time page provides minute-by-minute updates across checkpoints, though some users note it lags or underreports during surges. Community-sourced trackers on Reddit and apps like MyTSA supplement with crowd photos and firsthand accounts. As the shutdown persists without resolution — despite recent political threats and offers like Elon Musk’s proposal to cover salaries — experts warn conditions could worsen if staffing erodes further.

Travelers are advised to:
– Enroll in TSA PreCheck or CLEAR if eligible for expedited screening.
– Monitor atl.com/times, the MyTSA app or airline alerts.
– Arrive early, especially for early-morning or peak flights.
– Consider ground transportation alternatives if driving to the airport amid potential parking backups.

As Congress remains deadlocked over DHS funding amid immigration policy disputes, Atlanta’s airport — handling over 100 million passengers annually — exemplifies the broader national impact on air travel. With no immediate end in sight, the message from officials is clear: plan for delays, pack patience and prioritize buffer time to avoid missing flights.

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President Donald Trump threatened Saturday to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to U.S. airports as early as Monday if Democrats fail to agree on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), escalating a partial government shutdown now in its fifth week that has left Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers unpaid and caused widespread travel disruptions.

In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump blamed “radical left Democrats” for the impasse and vowed aggressive action. “If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country, with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia,” he wrote in one post. In a follow-up, he declared, “I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY.’ NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!”

The threat comes amid mounting strain on the nation’s aviation system. The partial shutdown, triggered by a February congressional failure to pass DHS appropriations, has left nearly 50,000 TSA employees working without pay for weeks. Many have called in sick, resigned or quit outright — with the agency reporting 366 departures as of mid-March — leading to long security lines, unpredictable wait times and flight delays at major hubs including Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles and New York airports.

TSA officers, who perform passenger and baggage screening, are classified as essential and required to report for duty despite the funding lapse. They missed their first full paycheck recently and face a second without resolution, prompting absenteeism spikes and warnings from unions that security could be compromised. Travelers have reported waits exceeding two hours at some checkpoints, with spring break travel amplifying the chaos.

Trump’s proposal would redirect ICE personnel — trained primarily in immigration enforcement, investigations and detention — to support or potentially supplement TSA functions. Details remain unclear: ICE agents lack the specialized months-long training TSA screeners receive for threat detection, X-ray interpretation and pat-down procedures. Officials suggested they might handle crowd management, line direction or ancillary roles to free TSA staff for core screening, though Trump’s rhetoric emphasized broader enforcement, including arrests of undocumented immigrants encountered at airports.

Critics, including Democrats and civil liberties groups, called the plan reckless and politically motivated. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of holding TSA pay hostage to extract concessions on immigration policy without reforms. House Democrats previously proposed separating TSA funding from contentious ICE and Customs and Border Protection allocations, but Republicans blocked the measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune blamed Democrats for stalling negotiations.

The standoff reflects deeper partisan divides over immigration enforcement. Republicans demand increased border security funding and fewer restrictions on ICE operations, while Democrats seek oversight reforms and protections for certain programs. No breakthrough emerged from weekend talks, with another Senate vote attempt failing Friday.

Adding to the drama, billionaire Elon Musk offered Saturday to personally cover TSA salaries during the impasse. In an X post, Musk wrote: “I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country.” The gesture drew praise from some as pragmatic relief but raised legal and ethical questions about private funding of federal employees, given potential conflicts with anti-deficiency laws and Musk’s business interests in government-regulated sectors.

No formal response from the White House, DHS or TSA on Musk’s proposal or Trump’s deployment plan had been issued by Sunday evening. DHS officials have stressed ongoing efforts to mitigate impacts, including partnerships with airlines for crowd control, but acknowledged escalating risks if the shutdown persists.

Travelers face continued uncertainty. The TSA has urged checking airport wait times via its app or website and arriving early. Some small airports have warned of potential temporary closures if staffing drops further. Aviation groups and business leaders have called on Congress to prioritize resolution, citing economic costs from delays and cancellations.

As the shutdown approaches 40 days, the crisis highlights vulnerabilities in federal funding processes and the human toll on essential workers. With no immediate deal in sight, airports brace for potential ICE presence starting Monday — a move that could reshape security protocols while intensifying political battles over immigration and government operations.

The discussion of ways to mitigate any energy price rises came after the government’s cost-of-living tzar, Lord Walker, who is also chief executive of supermarket chain Iceland, suggested in the Sunday Times that energy companies and petrol stations should have their profits temporarily capped as oil prices jump.

Sydney — The persistent “jelly scrolling” issue that has frustrated iPad mini users for years may finally be resolved in Apple’s next-generation model, with strong rumors pointing to an OLED display transition in the 2026 iPad mini that could eliminate the problem entirely.

Known as jelly scrolling, the effect causes text and images to appear to wobble, stretch or bounce unevenly during rapid vertical scrolling in portrait mode. It stems from the way LCD panels refresh pixels row by row, with slight timing differences between the left and right halves of the screen creating a noticeable distortion. The issue first gained widespread attention with the iPad mini 6 in 2021 and persisted to varying degrees in subsequent models.

The current iPad mini 7, released in October 2024 with the A17 Pro chip, saw Apple implement hardware tweaks to the display assembly—reportedly including changes to panel orientation and refresh timing—to significantly reduce the effect. Early reviews from outlets like MacRumors and others described it as “fixed” or “much less noticeable,” with many users reporting it was no longer distracting for everyday tasks like reading articles or browsing social media. However, some reviewers, including The Verge, noted it remained present, albeit milder, and not fully eradicated on LCD technology.

Apple never officially acknowledged a complete fix for the iPad mini 7, but the improvements stemmed from unspecified display hardware adjustments rather than software updates. Slow-motion comparisons showed reduced wobble compared to the iPad mini 6, making it tolerable for most, though sensitive users still found it annoying in landscape or fast-scroll scenarios.

Now, attention has shifted to the next model—widely referred to as the iPad mini 8—expected later in 2026. Multiple reliable sources, including supply chain reports and analyst predictions, indicate Apple plans to adopt OLED panels for the iPad mini lineup starting this year. Unlike LCDs, OLED displays refresh pixels individually and instantly, eliminating the row-by-row scanning that causes jelly scrolling.

Reports from Display Supply Chain Consultants and industry insiders suggest production of OLED-equipped iPad mini panels could ramp up by late 2025, targeting a 2026 launch window—potentially in spring or fall, aligning with Apple’s typical update cycles. This upgrade would bring deeper blacks, better contrast, improved color accuracy and energy efficiency, alongside the complete removal of jelly scrolling artifacts.

The shift to OLED would mark a major leap for the compact tablet, which has stuck with LCD since its inception. Rumors also point to other enhancements: an advanced A-series chip (possibly the A20 or A19 Pro), increased RAM for better multitasking and Apple Intelligence features, and perhaps even higher refresh rates like 120Hz ProMotion in some configurations—though the base model may retain 60Hz to balance cost.

The jelly scrolling fix via OLED is seen as particularly impactful for the iPad mini’s core audience: readers, note-takers, travelers and professionals who favor portrait orientation. Users in fields like medicine, aviation and gaming have long cited the issue as a drawback when holding the device vertically for extended periods.

Analysts expect the 2026 iPad mini to maintain its signature 8.3-inch form factor, slim bezels and compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro. Pricing is anticipated to start around the current AU$799–$999 range (depending on storage), though the OLED premium could push entry-level models slightly higher unless Apple absorbs costs through economies of scale.

While no official confirmation has come from Apple, the consensus among leakers is that 2026 represents the biggest redesign opportunity since the iPad mini 6’s revival of the line. Earlier rumors of a 2025 refresh appear to have shifted, with the OLED transition requiring more lead time in manufacturing.

For current owners of the iPad mini 7, the jelly scrolling reduction has made the device more enjoyable long-term, as evidenced by 2026 user reviews praising its portability and performance despite the lingering minor effect. Many hold off upgrades until the OLED model arrives, betting on a transformative display experience.

Apple’s move to OLED across more iPads—including potential updates to the iPad Air—signals a broader push toward premium visuals in its tablet lineup. If the 2026 iPad mini delivers on these promises, it could silence one of the longest-standing complaints about the series and solidify its position as the go-to compact tablet.

As speculation builds toward an official announcement, fans await hands-on confirmation that the jelly scroll era is truly over. With OLED’s pixel-level control, the upcoming mini appears poised to offer the smooth, distortion-free scrolling experience users have demanded since 2021.