Flight delays are hitting U.S. airports a week into the government shutdown.

That's where we're starting The Seven from the Washington Post.

I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Wednesday, October 8th.

Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories.

It is day eight of the shutdown, and the effects are being felt across the country, including

at airports.

Staffing shortages have delayed flights in several U.S. cities this week.

On Monday, FAA advisories showed there were no air traffic controllers at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California.

Newark, Phoenix, and Denver airports were also hit by staffing issues.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday there had been a slight tick-up in sick leave calls.

But in a statement, the National Air Traffic

Controllers Association said it is not unusual for people to call in sick. And it emphasized

that the vast majority of controllers remain on the job, even though they are not being paid

during the shutdown. Meanwhile, around 750,000 federal workers are not working.

They've been sent home on furlough and are expecting to get back pay for their time off work.

But yesterday, a White House official argued that the law guaranteeing back pay to furloughed workers,

which President Donald Trump

signed in 2019, actually does no such thing. That's according to a draft memo obtained by the

Post. Trump hinted yesterday at a compromise to end the shutdown, but Democrats and Republicans

have not made a deal just yet.

Number two. The Supreme Court appears ready to overturn a ban on conversion therapy.

Conversion therapy is treatment intended to change the identity or behavior of gay and transgender

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