On today’s show: The latest on the crash between an army helicopter and passenger plane in Washington, D.C. ABC News has live updates. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense questioning during his Senate confirmation hearing for HHS secretary. CNN breaks down what happened. Alex Ward with the Wall Street Journal describes the rush for exemption waivers after the Trump administration temporarily paused funding for foreign aid. Plus, Trump signs the first piece of legislation of his second term, former Sen. Bob Menendez is sentenced for bribery, and how a massive concert to benefit L.A. fire recovery came together in 48 hours. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.
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Good morning. It's Thursday, January 30th. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, RFK Jr. faces tough questioning in the Senate, where foreign aid stands after widespread confusion from Trump's federal funding freeze, and how a benefit concert for L.A. fire survivors came together in 48 hours.
But first, an American Airlines plane collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River just outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near D.C. last night. Authorities say the plane was a small commercial airliner coming from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. And the military helicopter had three people on board.
A search effort involving local, state and federal authorities went into action overnight. But at a press conference this morning, D.C. 's fire and EMS chief John Donnelly said dozens of bodies had been recovered and it's believed there are no survivors.
We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. And we will continue to work to find all the bodies and collect them and reunite them with their loved ones.
Video of the incident shows two aircraft from a distance colliding and a bright fireball lighting up the sky. All flights from Reagan National Airport were grounded and the airport remained closed in the morning. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation to analyze the wreckage and understand what caused the crash.
The DC CBS affiliate spoke with a man whose wife was on the plane from Wichita. He saw on social media that something was going on at the airport. He appeared to be in shock as he spoke about what was happening.
I'm just praying that somebody's pulling her out of the river right now as we speak. That's all I can pray for. I'm just praying to God. When was the last time you spoke with her? She texted me that they're landing in 20 minutes.
Also reported to be on the plane were a group of competitive figure skaters from the United States and Russia returning from a skate camp in Kansas, along with their families and coaches. President Trump was briefed on the situation. In a statement, he thanked the first responders and said of the victims, may God bless their souls.
Yesterday's crash happened on the first day of work for newly confirmed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. He spoke in his confirmation hearings about keeping America's skies safe. In particular, he said he would address the shortage of air traffic controllers.
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