AP News Summary at 7:03 p.m. EST

Midair collision kills 67 people in the deadliest US air disaster in almost a quarter century

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Midair collision kills 67 people in the deadliest US air disaster in almost a quarter century ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight from Kansas killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft. That was the word from authorities Thursday as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot after the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century.

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the jet late Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.



The Latest: Collision between passenger jet and Army helicopter near DC leaves no survivors There were no survivors after a collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members.

Three soldiers were on board the helicopter. All 67 are believed to have been killed in the late Wednesday accident. President Donald Trump said at a briefing on Thursday that there were no survivors.

The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found. At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas. Teens from a Boston skating club, their mothers, and coaches among passengers killed in air crash WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Passengers aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River included athletes returning from the U.

S. Figure Skating Championships and their Russian coaches. U.

S. Figure Skating said Thursday that several skaters, coaches and their family members were on the flight after attending a development camp that followed the championships that wrapped up Sunday in Wichita, Kansas. There were 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines flight Wednesday and three soldiers aboard the training flight on the Black Hawk helicopter.

The Kremlin confirms coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on the plane. It is believed there were no survivors. RFK Jr.

on defensive over his vaccine views as a key confirmation vote hangs in the balance WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid to be the nation’s top health official is uncertain after a key Republican joined Democrats to raise persistent concerns over the nominee’s deep skepticism of routine childhood vaccinations that prevent deadly diseases.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, ended a three-hour confirmation hearing Thursday by telling Kennedy he was “struggling” with his nomination, though he did not say how he would vote. Cassidy is a physician who chairs the Senate's health committee, and he opened the day's hearing with tough questions for Kennedy.

Trump's FBI chief pick, Kash Patel, insists he has no 'enemies list' and won't seek retribution WASHINGTON (AP) — Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, is insisting to deeply skeptical Democrats that he does not have an “enemies list” and that the bureau under his leadership would not seek retribution against the president’s adversaries or launch politically motivated investigations. The reassurances were aimed at blunting a persistent line of attack from Democrats. Throughout Thursday’s hearing they confronted Patel with a vast catalog of his incendiary statements.

They said those statements raise alarming questions about his loyalty to the president, including referring to some of the Jan. 6 rioters as “political prisoners” and calling for a purge of anti-Trump “conspirators” in the government and news media. Israeli doctors say five released Thai hostages in "fair" health after 15 months of captivity BEER YAAKOV, Israel (AP) — Five Thai hostages have been released after 15 months of captivity in the Gaza Strip.

On Thursday, dozens of doctors, nurses and representatives from Israel and Thailand waved flags, sang, and cheered as the five Thai citizens stepped off a military helicopter and entered a hospital outside Tel Aviv, where they will spend a few days undergoing medical tests and recuperating. Three Israelis were also released on Thursday, and Israel released 110 Palestinian prisoners in the exchange. The five Thai nationals were in fair health, doctors said.

Hamas militants kidnapped 31 Thai nationals during the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, making them the largest group of foreigners held captive. FDA approves painkiller designed to eliminate the risk of addiction associated with opioids WASHINGTON (AP) — U.

S. officials have approved a new type of pain drug designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioids. The Food and Drug Administration approved the pill from Vertex Pharmaceuticals for acute pain that often occurs after surgery or injuries.

It's the first new pharmaceutical approach to treating pain in 20 years. But the medication’s modest effectiveness shows just how challenging it is to find new ways of managing pain. Vertex's drug was better than a dummy pill at reducing pain after surgery, but it didn't outperform opioid treatment.

Vertex is studying the drug for a number of other conditions, including chronic nerve pain. FBI wrestles with a spike in sexual misconduct claims and male-dominated culture WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI has recorded a sharp spike in complaints that its own agents and employees have engaged in sexual misconduct, ranging from assault to harassment, despite a pledge by the bureau’s leaders to eliminate the longstanding problem. An Associated Press investigation found the FBI tallied a nearly 50% increase in sexual misconduct allegations since launching an agency-wide crackdown in 2021.

Advocates say the increase shows the bureau is struggling to protect women in a male-dominated workplace. The FBI says the increase indicates its reforms are working by making it easier to report misconduct. FireAid, a benefit for LA wildfire relief, is almost here.

Here's how to watch and donate LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some of the biggest names in music will come together on Thursday to raise money for Los Angeles-area wildfire relief efforts. FireAid will take over two Inglewood, California, venues on Jan. 30.

Those are the Kia Forum starting at 6 p.m. Pacific and the Intuit Dome starting at 7:30 p.

m. All proceeds will benefit those affected by the fires. The lineup includes Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and more.

Between the performances there will be celebrity and non-celebrity speakers, including those who lost their homes, first responders and firefighters. There will also be packages spotlighting those impacted. Marianne Faithfull, singer and pop icon, dies at 78 NEW YORK (AP) — The pop icon and celebrated torch singer Marianne Faithfull has died.

The blonde, voluptuous Faithfull was an international celebrity before age 20 when she covered one of the first songs written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the melancholy “As Tears Go By.” She and Jagger began dating in 1966 and became one of the most glamorous and notorious couples of 1960s “Swinging London.” She helped inspire such Stones classics as “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and on her own released such acclaimed albums as “Broken English.

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