The D.C. plane crash renews concerns about air accidents in high-traffic areas. The FDA approves a new type of nonopioid painkiller for acute pain. And NBC News speaks to transgender service members who could be affected by Trump’s executive order.
Here’s what to know today.
Two black boxes recovered from crashed jet, to be sent to NTSB for analysis
Federal investigators are now searching for answers after all 67 passengers were killed when an American Airlines flight struck an Army helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington D.C. The cause of the collision is unclear. A preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration indicated that air traffic control staffing was “not normal” at the time of the crash. There were not two controllers in the air traffic control tower, leaving one person handling both planes and helicopters. Two ”black boxes,” or flight data recorders, from the American Airlines plane were recovered from the crash site.
Experts say the focus of the investigation will likely be on an automated system that should have warned pilots that another aircraft was close by, the pilots’ communications with air traffic controllers and any visual obstructions that could have prevented the pilots from seeing each other. The disaster is the first fatal commercial plane crash in the U.S. since 2009.
Among the victims were figure skaters from the United States and Russia who attended the national figure skating championships in Wichita, Kansas, where the flight originated. A group of friends returning to the East Coast from a duck hunt in Kansas were also on the plane, as well as a Howard University law professor. Here’s what we know so far about the rest of the victims.
Though officials stress that air travel has never been safer in America, the accident has raised concerns, particularly about areas with lots of air traffic like the nation’s capital. Reagan Airport presents unique challenges for pilots — limits on where commercial flights are allowed to fly and skies congested with military aircraft.
Read the full story here, and follow live coverage here.
Read more:
- Boston Skating Club is among the nation’s top figure skating programs – at least six of the victims were affiliated with the club.
- During a moment of national mourning, Trump chose to attack DEI policies.
- See the plane crash over the D.C. area in charts and maps here.
Takeaways from RFK Jr., Gabbard and Patel’s confirmation hearings
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee for HHS secretary, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, and Kash Patel, tapped for FBI director, faced contentious confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill yesterday.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, the chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, issued pointed remarks at the end of Kennedy’s hearing about his long history of anti-vaccine rhetoric. Cassidy, a doctor, said that he agrees with Kennedy on issues like processed food and obesity but that Kennedy has used “selected evidence to cast doubt” on proven treatments. Cassidy said he was “struggling” with Kennedy’s nomination for the position due to his views on vaccines.
Gabbard faced tough questions from Republican senators about her past praise of Edward Snowden as a “brave whistleblower.” She also sidestepped questions from lawmakers about her views on the surveillance program that Snowden helped expose.
Patel startled some senators with the degree to which his cookie-cutter presentation before the Judiciary Committee departed from the MAGA flamethrower persona he has exhibited for years on social media and right-wing shows. Patel said he didn’t think violent Jan. 6 rioters who assaulted law enforcement deserved a break.
Here are some of the other takeaways from the confirmation hearings.
Follow NBC News’ live coverage here.
More politics news:
- Many top FBI officials have been told to resign or face demotion if they don’t leave, according to one and three former bureau officials.
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FDA approves a new type of nonopioid painkiller for acute pain
The Food and Drug Administration on approved a new type of nonopioid painkiller from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The drug, Journavx, or suzetrigine, was approved to treat moderate to severe acute, or short-term, pain in adults. Experts say the drug, which is billed as non-addictive, could reduce the number of opioids patients are prescribed after surgery and could be used by patients who can’t take other pain medications — though several told NBC News they would like to see more research.
Although the number of patients going home from surgery with opioids has declined in recent years, many patients still leave the hospital with prescriptions. Despite the risks, opioids are extremely effective at treating pain, which has left doctors and patients with few options when acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, aren’t enough.
Read All About It
- Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker denied allegations by six women that he engaged in inappropriate behavior during massage therapy sessions.
- The hack of a company that helps schools track tens of millions of students appears to be the largest breach of American children’s personal information to date, cybersecurity experts say.
- Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier is under investigation in connection with a sports betting scandal.
- A woman convicted in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and recently pardoned by Trump was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a mother of two in a drunken-driving crash.
Staff Pick: Trans service members say they want to fight for their country, not for their jobs
Alivia Stehlik is an Army physical therapist who has treated soldiers across the U.S. and in Afghanistan for more than a decade. Nicolas Talbott has his first official drill as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves coming up this weekend. And Emily Shilling, a Navy commander who has served for more than 20 years, has accrued more than 1,700 flight hours in high-performance jets.
But all three of them fear they could be suddenly barred from doing their jobs because of an executive order President Donald Trump issued that prohibits transgender people from enlisting in the military and serving openly. The policy argues that the medical and mental health care that some trans people need is inconsistent with the military’s high standards for “troop readiness, lethality and cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity and integrity.”
However, Stehlik, Talbott and Shilling said their identities have never been an issue during their service. Shilling, who is an engineer and built her own R2-D2 that sat behind her during our interview, said being trans is the least interesting thing about her at work. All three had similar responses to Trump’s order: They will continue doing their jobs, and they plan to fight back.
— Jo Yurcaba, NBC Out reporter
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