Oncast News · Washington

FAA Grounds All Flights, Says No Threat

· Fact-checked before it aired. Unconfirmed claims from this segment are not shown.

On November 13, 2026, the FAA grounded flights nationwide out of caution after a telecommunications outage. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication of a “nefarious attack” or security threat, that all flights were accounted for, everyone was safe, and that it was “not another 9/11.”

Mullin said a “telecommunication outage” led the FAA to issue the nationwide ground stop. He also said he saw no reason to connect it to a Microsoft outage the previous day, calling the two events separate issues.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he saw no reason to connect the previous day's Microsoft outage with the FAA's nationwide ground stop, calling them separate issues.

Rubio gave his first major speech since the midterms at the Federalist Society's 2026 National Lawyers Convention in Washington and said politics requires more than winning elections.

Reuters had live coverage of an expected SpaceX Starship test flight.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the FAA ground stop was “not another 9/11,” that all flights were accounted for, everyone was safe, and there was no indication a security threat triggered the stop. DHS says a telecommunications outage led the FAA to ground all flights nationwide out of caution.

Fact-check

VERIFIED TRUE

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he saw no reason to connect the previous day's Microsoft outage with the FAA's nationwide ground stop, calling them separate issues.

.@pdoocy: “So it's your assessment that Microsoft yesterday, the FAA today is a coincidence?” SEC. MULLIN: “I don't see any reason to connect those two at all. Those are separate issues.” https://t.co/hbPbcDD8M3

Original post · Fox News (@FoxNews)

[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/video/6408354686112) NAMES: Markwayne Mullin = US Secretary of Homeland Security.

VERIFIED TRUE

Rubio gave his first major speech since the midterms at the Federalist Society's 2026 National Lawyers Convention in Washington and said politics requires more than winning elections.

“Politics requires more than simply winning elections.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio says political power reaches far beyond the ballot box in his first speech since Republicans’ midterm defeat. Speaking at The Federalist Society 2026 National Lawyers Convention, Rubio says htt

Original post · Fox News (@FoxNews)

[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/video/6408352295112)

VERIFIED TRUE

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the FAA ground stop was “not another 9/11,” that all flights were accounted for, everyone was safe, and there was no indication a security threat triggered the stop. DHS says a telecommunications outage led the FAA to ground all flights nationwide out of caution.

BREAKING: US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says “this is not another 911”, adding that all flights are accounted for and everyone is safe, with no indication a security threat triggered the ground stop. 🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/Vk8UNc5Tqe https://t.co/J2WRVn12

Original post · Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish)

[foxnews.com](https://www.foxnews.com/video/6408354686112)

Sources

What the hosts said

BHomeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says the nationwide flight ground stop is not another nine-eleven.
BThat is a sentence... nobody wanted to hear on a Friday evening.
BHe says all flights are accounted for and everyone is safe.
BThe word everybody's waiting on: why. What actually happened?
BHis answer, on Fox: a telecommunication outage led the FAA to stop everything out of caution.
BAnd he said no indication of a security threat, no nefarious attack.
BRight. So the system that keeps planes apart goes down, and we have to stop all air travel. That is not reassuring.
BIt is actually the system working. You don't keep flying when you cannot talk to the planes.
BOh come on, it is twenty twenty-six. One telecom hiccup and the whole country stops?
BBetter a ground stop than a midair collision.
BThat is a single point of failure.
BAnd maybe it is. Mullin was pressed on whether it connects to yesterday's Microsoft outage.
BPeter Doocy asked exactly that: Microsoft yesterday, the FAA today, coincidence?
BMullin said no, he sees no reason to connect those two. They are separate issues.
BSeparate, maybe. But two critical systems went down in two days. That is my point.
BBut the part that matters most to people waiting at airports is the safety side of it.
BFine. I'll give him that.
BThe safety message was right. The resilience message? Weak.
BAl Jazeera is reporting live, same thing: no indication this was an attack.
BI still don't love how fragile it feels. One telecom problem and JFK to LAX stops.
BThen let's argue about infrastructure later. Right now the story is a national pause, not a catastrophe.
BAnd thank God for that. But this is going to be a long evening for a lot of travelers.
BThat's where we are: safe, grounded, and waiting for the full explanation.
BAnd now the politics.
BMarco Rubio just gave his first big speech since the midterms, and the moment that's getting shared is from before he started.
BHis daughter introduced him?
BDaniella, a third-year law student at UVA. Rubio looked like he forgot the room and just turned into a dad.
BThe Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention crowd got a rare sight: a cabinet secretary beaming.
BFox posted the clip. Rubio asked, "Was that cool or what?"
BThat is the most relatable he has looked in years.
BThen he got serious. His line: "Politics requires more than simply winning elections."
BThat is a convenient thing to say right after you lose the midterms.
BIt is also the right thing to say. Power is about institutions, law, persuasion, not just ballots.
BSure, but every loser of an election suddenly discovers that elections aren't everything.
BNo, come on. He wasn't saying elections don't matter.
BHe said they are not enough. That is a real point.
BAnd he's right, but it lands differently when your party just got a beating. It sounds like spin.
BTo you, maybe. To a Federalist Society room, it sounds like a reminder that courts and Congress still matter.
BFine, the message is solid.
BI don't buy he'd say it if he'd won. But it's still worth saying.
BDifferent world entirely: SpaceX is trying to launch Starship from Starbase, Texas.
BTrying is the key word. Reuters has live coverage of an expected test flight.
BThe internet is already calling it Flight Fifteen. Somebody's counting.
BRight, but I don't see official confirmation of that number yet.
BFair. But the fact that we are watching a skyscraper-sized rocket attempt another landing? Still wild.
BThat part is real. And it is happening right now.
BIf it sticks the landing, we will know in minutes. If not, the clips will be everywhere.
BEither way, it beats talking about airport delays.

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