Friday Briefing: 67 dead in Washington air collision
Good morning. We’re covering the search for clues after an air crash near Washington and a chaotic hostage release in Gaza. Plus, Beyoncé vs. Swift at the Grammys.
67 died from midair collision near WashingtonRecovery teams pulled more than two dozen bodies from icy waters near Washington yesterday after an American Airlines jet collided in midair with an Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. Officials said that there were no survivors. The jet carrying 64 people had departed from Wichita, Kan., and the helicopter was carrying three U.S. service members. The collision, which happened Wednesday evening near Ronald Reagan National Airport, was the most serious air disaster involving a commercial jet in the U.S. since 2009. Shortly before the collision, the plane’s pilots were asked to pivot their landing route from one runway to another, according to a person briefed on the event and audio recordings of conversations between an air traffic controller and the pilots. A preliminary safety report said that staffing at the airport’s air traffic control tower was “not normal.” A controller was handling helicopters and instructing planes, jobs typically assigned to two controllers rather than one. Among the passengers were U.S. and Russian figure skaters who had attended a training camp after the national figure skating championships in Kansas. What happened: These maps, graphics and video footage show the final two minutes before the collision. Reaction: President Trump promised that a thorough investigation would be conducted and he engaged in political attacks by criticizing the oversight of the U.S. aviation agency during the Biden and Obama administrations.
A hostage release in Gaza descended into chaosIsrael released 110 Palestinian prisoners yesterday after a chaotic hostage handover in Gaza that cast doubt on whether the exchange would go ahead. Hamas released three Israeli and five Thai hostages after more than a year in captivity. In northern Gaza, an Israeli soldier was released during a relatively smooth and highly choreographed ceremony. But in the southern city of Khan Younis, the hostages were surrounded by crowds of people, some of whom chanted support for Hamas or other armed groups. Photos and video showed hostages walking through the chaotic crowd. In one video, Arbel Yehud, one of the last living female hostages, appeared afraid while surrounded by rifle-wielding militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad as she made her way toward the Red Cross convoy that would take her to Israeli soldiers. Among the Palestinians released was Zakaria Zubeidi, who has been a militant leader and a theater director, and who briefly escaped an Israeli prison in 2021. Hamas separately announced that Muhammad Deif, the leader of its military wing, was killed in an Israeli airstrike last year. Happy tears: The families of the released Thai hostages, who worked in Israel as farmhands, shed tears of joy. Aid: Israeli legislation took effect yesterday that barred UNRWA, the main U.N. aid agency for Palestinians, from any activities in Israel. Here is a look at what the ban could mean for Palestinians in Gaza and beyond.
Trump’s intelligence pick was grilled over SnowdenTulsi Gabbard, the nominee for director of national intelligence, was questioned yesterday during her confirmation hearing about her unorthodox views on Russia and Syria, but her unwillingness to declare the whistle-blower Edward Snowden a traitor proved to be the most contentious issue. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for health secretary, displayed little familiarity with the health programs he would oversee if confirmed. Kash Patel, the nominee for F.B.I. director, faced questioning about his expressed agreement with fringe conspiracy views during his hearing.
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