Flights at major U.S. airports were delayed amid staffing issues on Monday night, hours after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported an uptick in air traffic controllers calling in sick since the government shutdown began.

Why it matters: The disruptions were affecting airports in the Los Angeles-area, Newark and Denver. But there are concerns the situation could escalate like during the 2019 shutdown, when severe strains on U.S. air travel helped push President Trump to end it after 35 days. • The delays on Monday prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to criticize President Trump for the shutdown, while Duffy pointed the finger at Democrats — adding to the blame game blitz on Capitol Hill over the standoff that's turned into midterm messaging fodder for both parties.

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