Spirit in the Sky No Longer

[0:00] It's Monday, May 4th. I'll be there in Spirit. [0:02] Or at least I could have if they were still in business. [0:05] We start here. [0:08] One of the most popular airlines in the country goes belly up. [0:12] Spirit does not have airplanes in the air flying as of this morning. [0:16] This started slowly, then happened all at once. [0:19] So what are Spirit Airlines customers supposed to do? [0:22] A federal court tells doctors nationwide it's illegal to send abortion pills in the mail. [0:27] The FDA's approval is only legal for safe, in-person doctor's visits to prescribe it. [0:35] This is developing quickly. We'll get into the legal next steps. [0:38] And troops are coming home. Not from the Middle East, though. [0:41] 5,000 troops will now be removed from Germany. [0:44] While the U.S. is suddenly drawing down forces in Europe. [0:50] From ABC News, this is Start Here. [0:53] I'm Brad Milkey. [0:54] Remember the first time I flew on a so-called ultra-low-cost carrier flight? [1:02] I'm 21 years old, I'm in Europe, and I'm realizing, [1:06] oh, wait, I can hop over to France or Croatia for 45 euros? [1:10] This is amazing. [1:12] Then, of course, once you board, you learn how ultra-low-cost carriers work. [1:16] Forget about frills like in-flight meals. [1:18] Your ticket price doesn't even reserve you a seat. [1:21] Without paying extra fees, it doesn't give you the right to carry on anything bigger than a purse. [1:26] Well, shortly after I came back to the States, [1:28] more and more American air carriers have started adopting this model. [1:32] Among them, Spirit Airlines. [1:34] Spirit undercuts its competitors, often by $100 or more on the same route. [1:40] The biggest difference between us and other airlines is they give you a free Coke, [1:43] but they charge you $150 more. [1:45] In some ways, this revolutionized the airline industry. [1:48] Like, instead of a fine dining restaurant, this was now like eating at a fast food joint. [1:52] What we should charge in our base fare is the basics that is required [1:56] to get you from A to B and pay all your taxes. [1:58] It's more accessible to the masses than ever, but only because profit margins are razor thin [2:04] as they get people in and out the door. [2:07] Well, fast forward to this year. [2:08] Oil prices have been spiking, and companies like Spirit have been struggling. [2:13] They even asked for a government bailout. [2:15] So we're thinking about doing it, helping them out, meaning bailing them out. [2:19] We're buying it. [2:20] We just buy it. [2:21] Well, this weekend, it was all apparently too much for Spirit Airlines. [2:25] We have an error right there. [2:28] Spirit's final flight landing in Dallas just after midnight Saturday. [2:32] It announced it was folding, effective immediately. [2:35] And suddenly, everyone with a Spirit reservation was left in limbo. [2:40] Let's start the day with ABC's Clara McMichael, who covers transportation. [2:43] Clara, it seemed like Spirit was actually close to a rescue deal with the government. [2:47] What happened here? [2:48] Walk me through this downfall. [2:50] Yeah, Brad, it was a really chaotic couple of days. [2:53] And of course, we had been reading the tea leaves here for the past week or so. [2:57] We knew it could either end in a government bailout or perhaps the airline shutting down. [3:01] But it was this talk of the possible bailout from the Trump administration [3:05] that kept everybody a little hopeful that things would work out. [3:08] So this bailout, it would have been half a billion dollars, with the government even [3:13] owning part of the airline. [3:15] And President Trump himself was enthusiastic about it. [3:18] So we are looking at Spirit. [3:19] It's in a bankruptcy. [3:20] It's in bankruptcy court. [3:22] And we're looking if we could get it for the right price. [3:25] I'd do it to save the jobs. [3:26] And we have somebody that wants to run it. [3:29] But it faced really stiff opposition from Spirit's bondholders. [3:34] They didn't love the idea of the government having a stake in the airline because that wouldn't [3:38] have been good for them financially. [3:40] Politicians didn't like it. [3:41] And the other airlines didn't like it as well. [3:43] In the end, they couldn't make it happen, despite Secretary Duffy saying that President [3:48] Trump was like a dog with a bone trying to make it happen. [3:51] In the end, this was a creditor issue. [3:54] Again, they have the final say of whether they want to do a deal with the government. [3:57] But also from the government's perspective, we oftentimes don't have a half a billion dollars [4:02] laying around in a spare account that we can put into a bailout of an airline. [4:07] But the airline attributed this to really the high price of jet fuel these days with the [4:11] war in Iran. [4:13] And they just didn't have enough cash on hand. [4:15] But the jet fuel is really the straw that broke the camel's back. [4:19] You know, they had issues dating back to the pandemic. [4:22] Experts say globally, airlines stand to lose $300 billion and say they can't afford empty [4:28] seats. [4:28] They've had issues with their Pratt & Whitney engines and their airbuses that have grounded [4:33] some planes over the past few years. [4:35] Then they've had two bankruptcies in 2024 and 2025 in pretty quick succession. [4:40] And of course, a failed merger with JetBlue. [4:43] The Justice Department is suing to block the merger. [4:46] If not blocked, the merger of JetBlue and Spirit would result in higher fares and fewer [4:52] choices. [4:53] So they ceased operations over the weekend. [4:56] They had hundreds of flights scheduled. [4:58] And now there are a bunch of passengers who have to figure out how to get home. [5:01] Can you walk me through how this actually happened? [5:03] Like, they put out a statement saying what? [5:04] Like, we're done? [5:06] Goodbye? [5:07] Like, put our planes in a plane-shaped coffin? [5:09] Like, how does that work? [5:11] You know, there were rumblings Friday that it could happen. [5:13] Waking up this morning to a text saying that my flight was canceled for today. [5:17] Late that Friday evening, we just started seeing those cancellations pile up. [5:22] We got our flight canceled two times. [5:24] I'm actually shocked at this point. [5:27] I don't know what to do at this point. [5:28] And then you go to their website and it says, we've ceased operations. [5:33] We're not flying anymore. [5:34] And so just a bunch of stranded passengers. [5:36] We had to call someone to help us because we couldn't afford it. [5:39] It's just been us here with three kids, two five-year-olds and 11-mile-old. [5:43] And we just went in the airport all night. [5:45] It happened really quickly. [5:47] As these things tend to do, we've seen airlines go under like this. [5:51] It's just immediate. [5:53] Well, and so what happens going forward for all these flights? [5:55] Because people had made reservations not just for like this weekend, but weeks and months in the future. [5:59] So what has happened? [6:00] Well, everybody's going to have to scramble to figure out another way to get where they're going. [6:05] Spirit does not have airplanes in the air flying as of this morning. [6:10] Also, their call centers are closed and they don't have staff at ticket counters. [6:15] But the good news is, the bright spot is Spirit says they'll issue refunds for flights [6:20] that were purchased through a credit card or a debit card. [6:23] So that's really good news. [6:24] But if you booked through points or a voucher, you may be out of luck. [6:28] Or maybe you'll even have to file a claim in that bankruptcy process. [6:32] But then you're at the bottom of the line behind all the other people that Spirit owes money. [6:37] Wait, wait, wait. [6:37] So employees out of a job, right? [6:40] We're talking like 17,000 people. [6:42] I think there were 1,500 pilots and flight attendants who like all of a sudden were stranded. [6:46] If you paid with points or something, you're out of luck. [6:50] What about the people who also like reserved trips for the future? [6:52] What do they do? [6:53] Yeah, so that's where we've seen other airlines step in to help out. [6:57] And Secretary Duffy has been kind of leading the charge here. [7:00] So United, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest are capping their ticket prices for Spirit customers. [7:09] The other airlines are offering fare caps for the next few days. [7:13] Those are discounted fares. [7:14] You just have to show your Spirit Airlines itinerary and proof of payment. [7:19] JetBlue is even offering some $99 fares. [7:22] American is saying they were looking at adding maybe bigger planes or more seats. [7:27] But, you know, these other airlines, keep in mind, they also view this as an opportunity. [7:32] Everybody wants a piece of the pie of Spirit's assets and, of course, those passengers. [7:37] So United's been telling Spirit passengers, if you fly with us during this time, I think you'll love what comes with your ticket. [7:42] Well, by the way, looking across the airline landscape right now, is this just limited to Spirit Airlines? [7:50] I know there are other ultra-low-cost carriers out there. [7:52] And with Spirit gone, is that one less competitor? [7:55] And now we're going to see prices go up? [7:57] How does this affect sort of what you're seeing? [7:59] Yeah, that's right. [8:00] So it is one less competitor. [8:02] And what we've seen in some places is that when those budget carriers leave, prices go up because it eliminates that competition. [8:09] We've seen that after Spirit exited Minneapolis. [8:13] It was a big hub for Delta as well, right? [8:15] And so routes like Minneapolis to Atlanta, they increased by 50%. [8:19] That's according to data from a travel company going. [8:23] So we will be looking out for prices going up across the board. [8:29] The other budget airlines, they actually met with the Trump administration a few days ago, asking for $2.5 billion in a relief package. [8:37] Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said over the weekend he doesn't think that's necessary. [8:41] I would say that at this point, I don't think it's necessary. [8:45] They do have access to cash. [8:46] He thinks they can figure it out without that relief, but they're tough times for everyone, right? [8:52] All of the airlines. [8:53] And especially you see those bigger airlines, they may not be in the same plight, but they're raising their fuel surcharges. [9:00] They're raising bag fees. [9:01] So everybody is just trying to make things go a lot farther at this point. [9:05] Right. [9:05] And if your $400 ticket goes up $50, now it's $450. [9:09] If your ultra low budget ticket goes up $50, maybe you just doubled the price of your ticket. [9:14] So huge changes here. [9:15] Clara McMichael, thank you so much. [9:17] Thank you. [9:18] Next up on Start Here, there's no national abortion ban in place, but there's now a ban on sending the drug used in most of them. [9:27] We're back in a bit. [9:28] At this moment, it is illegal to get an abortion in 13 states. [9:37] Several more have very early limits on when an abortion can happen. [9:41] So now you're talking about tough restrictions in about 20 states? [9:45] These restrictions generally apply to surgical abortions, but they also apply to medical abortions, meaning pills. [9:51] Before 12 weeks, women seeking abortions will often be prescribed a pair of drugs to terminate a pregnancy, the first of which is mifepristone. [9:59] But like I said, these prescriptions may be illegal to get in your state. [10:03] So what many women will do is seek a telehealth appointment, talk to a doctor across state lines if necessary, who will prescribe the drugs, and then send them in the mail. [10:13] Even in states where abortion is legal, patients have turned to telehealth when it's challenging just to get to a healthcare facility in person. [10:19] On Friday, a federal appeals court ruled that doctors must stop sending these pills through the mail. [10:26] It's not necessarily the final say, but this ruling was sweeping, it was nationwide, and it is immediate. [10:32] Now abortion rights advocates are furiously trying to undo this. [10:35] So let's check in with Sarah Isger. [10:37] She's a former GOP campaign strategist. [10:39] She's an ABC News Supreme Court contributor, and she's the author of the new book, Last Branch Standing. [10:44] Sarah, can we just talk about where this order came from and what it says? [10:47] So this is a unanimous three-judge panel from the Fifth Circuit. [10:53] That circuit covers Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. [10:56] This case originates from Louisiana, where the state of Louisiana argued that the FDA didn't follow its own process in deciding that these drugs, mifepristone, could be sent through the mail instead of only in in-person doctor's visits where it could be prescribed. [11:13] And they said that they were being injured as a state in two different ways. [11:17] One, that their laws banning abortion were being flouted by this FDA rule. [11:24] And two, that women who took that medication that they had gotten through the mail without a doctor's visit were on Medicaid and were ending up in hospitals where Louisiana was footing the bill for their treatment that was caused by not having a doctor see them in advance. [11:40] Oh, like, hey, FDA, you're messing us up by allowing these people to come in and have complications because of these pills, despite the fact that science experts will tell you evidence has shown for years that mifepristone is safe and effective, especially when you compare it to the alternative of like having an off-license abortion or something. [11:55] But that's the legal idea. [11:57] That's their argument. [11:58] And the Fifth Circuit agreed with that and said, yes, the FDA did not look like they followed their own process and the law under the Administrative Procedure Act to do this. [12:11] Therefore, you cannot send this through the mail anymore anywhere. [12:15] The FDA's approval is only legal for safe in-person doctor's visits to prescribe it. [12:23] So that's where things stand. [12:24] Immediately, they've appealed that decision to the Supreme Court. [12:28] And we could hear from the Supreme Court as early as like right now. [12:33] Oh, the Supreme Court could conceivably come in and undo this temporary restraining order? [12:36] And they've done it before. [12:37] So, for instance, back in 2014 and 2015, Texas passed anti-abortion restrictions and the Supreme Court said no to those and put those on hold. [12:49] And, of course, in 2024, a very similar case ended up at the Supreme Court, also about whether the FDA had properly created its rule on in-the-mail mifepristone prescriptions. [13:03] In that case, it was doctors suing. [13:06] I mean, it makes perfect sense for the individual doctors to seek an exemption. [13:11] But as I understand it, they already have that. [13:14] And so what they're asking for here is that in order to prevent them from possibly ever having to do these kinds of procedures, [13:23] everyone else should be prevented from getting access to this medication. [13:28] And the Supreme Court unanimously, in an opinion written by Brett Kavanaugh, said, [13:32] you know what, these doctors do not have standing. [13:36] They are not injured by the FDA's lawful or unlawful rule in this case. [13:41] And therefore, they threw the case out. [13:43] OK, so, I mean, that's helpful from a legal perspective. [13:45] I guess I'm also wondering about the, like, what's about to happen perspective, [13:48] because if abortion pills have been so widespread and so widely prescribed, [13:52] I think a majority of abortions at this point are the result of these drugs. [13:56] The head of Planned Parenthood said this was akin then to a national abortion ban. [14:01] This mail order ban is concerning because it limits access to abortion care, right? [14:08] We are already living in a world where, you know, [14:11] just a little less than half the states of this country have banned or restricted access to abortion. [14:16] So, I mean, if Mifepristone is not available through the mail, what happens next? [14:20] The FDA's rule allowing doctors to prescribe Mifepristone through the mail without an in-person visit is not lawful. [14:28] You can travel to a different state. [14:30] You can find a doctor for an in-person visit. [14:33] But that's the choice right now. [14:35] Now, of course, this is very important. [14:37] Like, this only applies to in the abortion context. [14:40] If you have had a miscarriage, if you have an ectopic pregnancy, [14:43] and in the vast majority of the states we're talking about, [14:47] if the health or life of the mother is at risk, then this would not apply to that. [14:54] If you are able to travel to another state, [14:57] they cannot stop you from doing that under the law as it stands right now. [15:01] And so, look, let's compare this administration to the last administration. [15:08] There have been more abortions in the second Donald Trump administration [15:11] than there were in the Biden administration. [15:14] Oh, post-Dobbs. [15:16] Post-Dobbs, abortions have gone up in the country. [15:19] And so if you are, you know, pro-life, [15:22] there is a difference between banning abortion and ending abortion. [15:27] And if you're pro-choice, the, you know, sort of scaremongering, frankly, [15:31] that I think we've heard hasn't been right either. [15:34] Right. Although, you know, all those caveats also make it so that, [15:36] you know, one of the makers of these pills, Danco, [15:38] they put out a statement saying that this ruling from the Fifth Circuit injects [15:42] immediate confusion and upheaval into highly time-sensitive medical decisions, [15:46] they said, forcing providers, patients, and pharmacies to guess at what is allowed and what [15:51] is not. Sarah Isger, author of the new book, Last Branch Standing. Thank you. [15:55] No problem. [15:56] Last Friday, President Trump sounded optimistic about the war in Iran. [16:03] In fact, in a letter to Congress, he maintained this isn't a war at all. [16:06] Hostilities have been terminated, he wrote. [16:09] Hours later, he told an audience in Florida, [16:12] You know, we're in a war because I think you would agree [16:16] we cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon. Do you agree? [16:22] Diplomacy continued. [16:23] Iran sent the U.S. a 14-point peace plan. Trump rejected it, saying these terms were [16:28] entirely too lenient on the Iranians. Then he posted on social media that stranded foreign [16:34] ships would be guided out of the Strait of Hormuz. He didn't offer many details, but this did not [16:39] sound like a nation about to withdraw troops from the Middle East. We also learned, though, [16:44] the U.S. is withdrawing forces from a different location entirely. Thousands of troops are now set [16:50] to leave Germany. Let's bring in ABC Senior Pentagon reporter Louis Martinez. Louis, [16:55] what do we know about this troop production? [16:57] Brad, this was a real surprise when it came out on Friday night because of the timing. [17:00] No one had really anticipated that something would come out so quickly. [17:04] What we saw, 5,000 troops will now be removed from Germany over the next six months to a year. [17:10] We're talking about an Army Brigade combat team, and what they are going to be doing is bringing [17:17] them back to the United States, and they're also not going to be sending this long-range [17:21] fires battalion that the United States had promised to send to Germany under the Biden [17:25] administration about two years ago. What this does is, in effect, it brings back the force levels [17:30] in Germany down to where they had been prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine back in 2022. [17:38] So what are we talking about? There are 80,000 U.S. troops in Europe right now. [17:42] There are 38,000 U.S. troops in Germany alone, and there's going to be that reduction in force [17:48] levels down to 33,000. Wait, but Louis, I feel like a lot of Americans aren't thinking like, [17:52] oh, like thousands and thousands stationed in Germany. So you're saying, like, this is a [17:56] super important location to the U.S. militarily in the past, at least. [18:00] And in the current, Brad, because we're talking about Ramstein Air Force Base. We're talking about [18:04] Wiesbaden, the Army Base there at Wiesbaden. We're talking about other locations all throughout [18:09] Germany that are vital to the U.S. deterrence of presence against Russia, namely as a support for [18:16] NATO. And even in the conflict with Iran, Germany has stepped up and has provided assistance there [18:22] allowing the use of its bases for the fight against Iran. Now, again, a lot of tanker aircraft needed [18:28] for the fighter aircraft that are carrying out these missions in the region. And that's a lot of [18:32] what we're seeing. There's also a major military hospital in there in what's called Landstuhl. [18:36] And that is when any U.S. troops get injured in the combat area. They are flown to Germany. That's [18:43] the first spot. They're treated and then they're flown back to the United States. So it's a pivotal [18:47] role for the U.S. military right now. And even though you may not think about it, because we're [18:52] talking about Europe, we're talking about a major fight in the Middle East. And yes, Germany is playing [18:57] a big role. So why the decision? Is this something that had been coming down for a while? Or is this [19:01] specific to President Trump? He wanted to make this happen. And if so, why is that? [19:05] Well, the timing seems to be precipitated by comments made by German Chancellor Mertz. [19:12] He was critical of the United States, saying that the United States was being humiliated by Iranian [19:16] negotiators and that the Trump administration really didn't have an endgame. There was no exit [19:21] strategy for the war against Iran. And the timing seemed to be very coincidental, more than [19:27] coincidental, I think some would say, because right after Chancellor Mertz said that, then you saw a [19:32] truth social post by President Trump saying that the United States was reviewing its troop level [19:37] posture in Germany, specifically Germany. But the Trump administration, even during the first Trump [19:43] administration, had talked about removing thousands of U.S. troops from Germany. But it was seen more as [19:48] a strategic kind of a withdrawal and enabling Germany and other countries to step up with their resourcing [19:55] and taking over the defense of Europe, mainly. [19:57] What has been the reaction from Germany since this announcement? [19:59] Well, you've seen some comments from the German defense minister saying essentially that this was [20:04] kind of something that they had been anticipating because they knew that the United States has wanted [20:09] European countries to step up for their own defenses with more defense spending or right by taking over [20:15] more responsibilities in the region. And so they kind of said they saw this coming. [20:20] But I think the timing, I think, is the thing that's being pointed out by most people, that [20:24] there was a cause and effect here. [20:26] Is this isolated to Germany? You said this was precipitated by comments from one politician that [20:30] maybe President Trump responded to. But we have lots of troops based in lots of areas of Europe. [20:36] President Trump has made it clear he's not a huge believer in the NATO alliance, at least not the [20:40] U.S. playing such an outsized role in it. Do we start seeing troops come home from other places? [20:45] Well, that's actually very interesting you say that right now, because one of the things that's [20:49] happened last week as well is that President Trump indicated that there would be he was looking [20:54] at maybe further reductions in both Spain and Italy. Would you be considering the same thing [21:00] for Spain and Italy? I mean, they haven't been exactly on board. [21:04] Yeah, probably. Yeah, I probably will. Why should I, you know, look, why shouldn't I? [21:08] Why Spain? Because Spain is not committed to a five percent increase in its defense spending. [21:13] Why Italy? Because President Minoni, who has been seen as a key Trump ally for [21:19] many years now, she has been critical of the U.S. war effort against Iran. [21:24] Italy has not been of any help to us. And Spain has been horrible. Absolutely horrible. [21:32] So given those comments that we've seen from President Trump and what we've seen now with [21:37] Germany, I wouldn't put it past anyone that we could see some of the reductions in Europe as well. [21:43] All right. Louis Martinez covering the Pentagon. Thank you so much. [21:45] Thank you. [21:46] OK, one more quick break. When we come back, the newest teen takeover target is the local [21:54] Scientology center. One last thing is next. And one last thing. In the video game world, [22:02] there's this thing called speed running. It's where you go through a level as quickly as possible. [22:07] You never stop running at full speed. Well, recently, some people have begun applying this [22:11] concept to real life where they burst into buildings, trying to run through them as quickly as they can. [22:17] The buildings in question Scientology centers. Take a look at this video. The mob can be seen [22:23] ransacking the building. They even injured a security guard. This was a scene from New York [22:28] this weekend showing dozens of teenagers storming into a Midtown Manhattan Scientology building. [22:34] The church said that these teens threw objects, damaged property, even injured staff as they caused [22:39] chaos inside. No one has been arrested. But this is just the latest example of what's become [22:44] a bizarre trend. People, primarily young men, performing these so-called speed runs on [22:49] Scientology property. Burst in, evade capture, swarm through every hallway and open room in the [22:55] building and get out. This is a video from a YouTuber called The Mindset Guy. Most of these [23:02] incidents have happened in Los Angeles, where Scientology operates several facilities on popular [23:07] thoroughfares like Hollywood Boulevard. At one point last weekend, a crowd yanked on the doors and [23:12] overwhelmed security guards to get in. Some of these locations have now upped their security [23:17] presences and even removed their front door handles. Often though, groups like The Mindset Guy get in [23:23] and are gone before police arrive. In a statement to ABC News, the Church of Scientology described this [23:32] latest run in New York as forced entry, property damage, and physical aggression inside a house of [23:37] worship. Quote, some online have referred to these incidents as speed running. In reality, they [23:43] involved organized trespasses in a religious and public information facilities for social media [23:49] attention. End quote. And that's what makes these acts such a lightning rod. After all, the Church of [23:54] Scientology is no stranger to protests, especially from former members who say they were exploited and [23:59] manipulated by church leadership and policies. The Church of Scientology has strongly denied any claims of [24:05] wrongdoing, along with claims that they have dissuaded members from reporting concerns to police. [24:10] But what's interesting here is critics of the Church are not so sure what these speed runs are [24:15] accomplishing. Actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini recently posted to her Instagram saying, [24:20] these don't look like protesters, they look like punks. [24:23] What I'm seeing now, running into Scientology buildings, harassing staff, provoking reactions for [24:31] TikTok is not really exposure. It's it feels like it's about clicks and it's turning something serious [24:39] into content. Back when she was a young Scientologist, she says, seems like this would have convinced her [24:44] that her faith was indeed under attack. If anything, she says, they would have inspired her to be more [24:49] loyal. In doing so, it completely loses the point because this trend creates chaos. It creates a [24:56] spectacle. And worst of all, it hands Scientology exactly what they want, the ability to position [25:01] themselves as the victim. Scientologist officials say if you saw this happening today to any other [25:07] religious group, masked men barging into offices, laughing as they knocked over your property, cheering [25:13] as they passed by scared staff members, this would be a national disgrace. Critics say there are secrets [25:19] here to be examined. Religions who exert this much influence, they say, should be scrutinized. But none of [25:24] that, they say, should be a game, no matter how fast you're playing it. Speaking of New York, by the [25:32] way, keeping an eye on former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, apparently in critical condition. [25:36] Keep it on ABC News Live for more throughout the day. I'm Brad Milkey. See you tomorrow.