TSA

Eighty-three percent of likely voters are opposed to allowing knives on airplanes, according to a poll commissioned by a union for flight attendants.

The survey was conducted after the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pushed earlier this year to allow knives with blades smaller than 2.36 inches onto airplanes for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which is staunchly opposed to the change, commissioned a poll of 1,206 likely voters to bolster its argument that TSA should continue prohibiting all airline passengers from carrying any knives on their flights.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing to hear a challenge of a fine it issued to a passenger for removing his clothes at an airport checkpoint last year.

The passenger, a Portland resident, removed his clothes at the city's airport to protest being searched by TSA agents who reportedly suspected that he traces of explosives on his shirt.

The man was initially charged with incedent exposure, but he was later acquitted by a Portland judge. The TSA assessed a $1,000 civil penalty on the man, which will be the subject of this week's hearing. 

A few lawmakers have reported trouble, but FAA says no more delays because of sequester.

The TSA is trying to assess a $1,000 fine for the 2012 incident.

Your morning transportation speed-read: 

Scathing report finds serious problems in program intended to improve port security.

An inspector general report found the agency was spending $800,000 per year on warehouse space.

The TSA is defending the money it spends on storing equipment it is not using.

Democrats in the House are pushing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to cut its spending on equipment storage ahead of a Homeland Security Committee meeting this week.

The top ranking Democrat on the panel, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), said the agency was spending too much money on storage, citing a report by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) inspector general that showed TSA was spending $800,000 on warehouse space.

Thompson said the report "highlights serious deficiencies in TSA’s method for managing the storage of screening equipment."

"TSA must take immediate steps to stop spending $800,000 per year to lease space for obsolete and unusable technology. Every dollar wasted is a dollar that is not spent on protecting this nation and fixing known security vulnerabilities," he said in a statement.  

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is allowing international passengers to participate in its Pre-Check known traveler program.

The agency said that passengers flying to international destinations from 40 airports would be allowed to volunteer information to the agency in exchange for the possibility of receiving expedited screening beginning on Tuesday.

The Pre-Check program is part of the agency's move toward "risk-based" security techniques.

TSA Administrator John Pistole said this week that the agency was expanding the Pre-Check program to international flights because it proved to be successful in tests for domestic passengers.