ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) —

Iran-backed Houthis enter the monthlong war and could further threaten global shipping

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have entered the monthlong war in the Middle East and claimed they launched missiles toward Israel. The Houthis could threaten another important global shipping lane in the region. About 2,500 U.S. Marines have arrived in the Middle East to strengthen the largest U.S. military buildup in the region in more than two decades. Pakistan says Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send their top diplomats to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war. But Iran's foreign minister has expressed skepticism about diplomatic efforts and accuses the U.S. of being “contradictory.”

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration officers. Whether that translates into shorter wait times for passengers at airport security lines remains to be seen. Friday's signing comes at a busy travel time of the year with spring breaks at school districts and colleges and the upcoming Passover and Easter holidays. Some passengers with very early flights Saturday reported having little problem getting through airport security lines. But that may have been an anomaly. Others at some of the busiest airports wrote on social media that security lines were growing exponentially longer by the hour.

Hundreds of employees at one of the U.S. Navy’s biggest shipbuilding contractors have voted to approve a deal with Bath Iron Works, ending a weeklong strike. The shipyard says members of the Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement Saturday that goes into effect immediately. Approval followed an hourslong union meeting at a high school in Maine. The shipyard and the union had negotiated for weeks without resolving differences before the strike began. The company has not responded to questions about whether the strike slowed production.

Mexico’s navy has located two sailboats that went missing while carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba. The navy said Saturday an aircraft spotted the boats northwest of Havana. The boats left Isla Mujeres in southern Mexico on March 20 with at least eight people on board. A coordinator with Progressive International who coordinated the convoy to Cuba said the crews are safe. He says the boats continued toward Havana with aid.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has positioned himself as the grassroots favorite in the runoff election to determine the party's Senate nominee. The election is May 26 and Paxton is trying to unseat John Cornyn. Paxton is drawing praise from right-wing activists who are attending the Conservative Political Action Conference near Dallas. Cornyn skipped the event, but Paxton headlined the Ronald Reagan dinner Friday night and had a private reception on Saturday. Cornyn has more fundraising and support from the party establishment, but Paxton is leaning into his “Make America Great Again” loyalty.

Members of Congress have repeatedly introduced bills to ensure the federal employees who control air traffic and conduct airport security screenings get paid during government shutdowns. The Keep America Flying Act. The Keep Air Travel Safe Act. The Aviation Funding Stability Act. None passed in time to keep essential aviation workers from missing paychecks. President Donald Trump on Friday offered a short-term fix for the empty pockets of TSA agents who have gone unpaid since funding lapsed for the Department of Homeland Security in mid-February. Labor unions, airline executives and industry groups are urging Congress to provide a permanent solution by acting on any of the pending pay-protection bills with bipartisan support on paper.