A horrific aircraft collision killed more than 60 people near the nation's capital. President Donald Trump's contentious secretary picks faced questions from lawmakers. And big names in music are holding a benefit concert for L.A. after devastating fires. |
👋 Hello friends. Rebecca Morin here. It's a heavy news day. But let's get through this Thursday, together. |
An American Airlines passenger plane and an Army helicopter collided near Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., late Wednesday evening – the first U.S. passenger plane crash since 2009. The collision, which left no survivors, triggered a massive recovery effort to search for bodies in the freezing Potomac River. |
What we know: American Airlines flight 5342, coming from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington D.C., collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter just before 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The plane, as well as the helicopter, fell into the icy Potomac. |
Helicopter on training flight: The Army helicopter was on an "annual proficiency training flight" when it crashed, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Thursday morning. Hegseth called the crew "fairly experienced." |
No survivors: There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the American Airlines plane. There were three soldiers on the helicopter. As of Thursday morning, 28 bodies had been pulled from the river, said John Donnelly, the chief of Washington's fire department. 👉 Follow today's updates | Emergency response units assess airplane wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on Thursday in Arlington, Virginia. Andrew Harnik, Getty Images |
Figure skaters, family and union members |
"Highly-talented kid." "Role-model parents." Union members. While information about the 64 people on American Airlines flight 5342 is still being released, multiple figure skaters, their families, friends, and coaches were confirmed to have been onboard, according to a statement from the International Skating Union. |
Boston skaters: Doug Zeghibe, the CEO and executive director of the Skating Club of Boston, said six members of the club were aboard the plane: Skater Spencer Lane, his mother Christine Lane, skater Jinna Han, her mother Jin Han, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. Zeghibe praised Spencer as a "highly-talented kid" and Jinna as "a wonderful kid" and great athlete. He praised both of their mothers as "role-model parents." |
Russian figure skaters: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also confirmed that Shishkova and Naumov, Russian figure skaters who won the world championships in pairs in 1994, as well as other Russian nationals were also onboard the plane. |
DC-area union members: The United Association said that four members of UA Steamfitters Local 602, which represents workers in heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, and piping in the Washington, D.C., area, were among those who died. They did not immediately identify the deceased members. 👉 What to know about the passengers. | Recovery efforts continue in the Potomac River near Alexandria, Va., on Thursday morning. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY |
High-stakes confirmation hearings |
Three of President Donald Trump's most polarizing secretary picks faced tough questions during high-stakes confirmation hearings on Thursday. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Tulsi Gabbard, the pick for director of national intelligence, and Kash Patel, the nominee to lead the FBI, faced contentious hearings as senators continue to weigh their confirmation. |
Day 2 for RFK Jr.: Kennedy faced his second day of questioning, where he was asked an array of questions from vaccines to whether Wi-Fi causes cancer. He repeated false claims that vaccines are to blame for rising autism diagnoses. 👉 Highlights from the hearings. | Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of national intelligence, testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Nathan Howard, REUTERS |
A-listers hold LA fire benefit concert |
From pop stars to rock legends to even grunge bands, some of music's biggest names are raising money to rebuild the Los Angeles area after it was devastated by fires. The FireAid benefit concerts, which will be held Thursday evening at the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum, will include performances from artists like Billie Eilish, Earth, Wind & Fire, Green Day and Stevie Nicks. The benefit will also be streamed live across many platforms. 🎵 How to watch |
Rebecca Morin is a senior national news reporter at USA TODAY. Got thoughts or feedback? Reach out to her at rdmorin@usatoday.com. | | | | "I walk here every day. I see helicopters going around. I see planes coming in like crazy. I never thought that would happen." | | | | Meryl Streep's writer nephew reveals in a larger feature on the LA fires' impact how his aunt went to extreme lengths to evacuate. | | | | BBC has apologized to employees after an investigation into former presenter Russell Brand revealed a culture of fear at the network. | | | | Marianne Faithfull, the songstress who helped spur music's British invasion and was a muse to the Rolling Stones, died Thursday at 78. | | | | Shelby Dozier, a 34-year-old former USPS worker, admitted to stealing over $100,000 worth of sports memorabilia from September 2022 to December 2022. | | | | On Feb. 16, 2001, Kandee Martin was shot once in the chest and once in the head on a dark country road, five days before her son's second birthday. | | | | Stand-up comedian Ken Flores died Tuesday at the age of 28. "We are all shocked and devastated by this loss," his family said in a statement. | | | | President Trump said birthright citizenship was created for children of former slaves but is no longer appropriate with international migration. | | | | A Missouri woman was sentenced for a deadly drunk driving crash just days after being pardoned for her role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. | | | | You might be hearing about the gulf off the coast of the U.S. and Mexico. Here's what to know about the body of water the size of Alaska. | | | | | | | Brighten your day with one of our games. | | | | | |
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