Friday Briefing: No survivors in plane crash

Plus, a hostage release in Gaza.

View in browser|nytimes.com January 31, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the rescue mission after a plane crash near Washington, D.C., and a hostage release in Gaza. Plus: Looking ahead to the Grammys. Emergency personnel at the wreckage of American Airlines Flight 5342 on the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport. Kenny Holston/The New York Times No survivors from a plane crash near Washington All 67 people on board an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter that collided on Wednesday evening over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., just three miles from the White House, were killed, officials said. Rescue crews have recovered about two dozen bodies from the icy water of the river. Here's a timeline of the crash and the recovery effort. The collision was the first fatal crash involving a major U.S. airline in more than 15 years. The night was clear, and both aircraft were following standard flight paths, officials said. But roughly a minute after the helicopter crew told air traffic control that it could see the jet, the two collided. A webcam caught the moment of impact. An internal report found that staffing at the air traffic control tower was "not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic," and it suggested that at the time of the collision the air traffic controller was doing a job usually handled by two people. But Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, said communications appeared to have been normal. We mapped out the flight paths. Victims: Among the victims on the flight, a two-and-a-half-hour journey from Wichita, Kan., were a group of friends returning from a duck hunting trip and more than a dozen figure skaters, including two world champions from Russia. Politics: President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, all suggested diversity initiatives had a role in the crash. When asked for evidence, Trump said, "I have common sense." Arbel Yehud was handed over to the Red Cross yesterday.  Jehad Alshrafi/Associated Press A hostage release in Gaza descended into chaos Israel released 110 Palestinian prisoners yesterday, including some who had been convicted of deadly attacks, after an anarchic hostage handover in Gaza that cast doubt on whether the exchange would go ahead. Hamas released three Israeli and five Thai hostages who had spent more than a year in captivity. One release, in Gaza's north, went relatively smoothly. But in the southern city of Khan Younis, the hostages were surrounded by crowds, some of whom chanted support for Hamas. See videos from the scenes. In Thailand, the families of the released hostages, who worked in Israel as farmhands, shed tears of joy. "When we are happy, we cry," one father said. "When we are sad, we also cry. But these are happy tears." Hamas: The group confirmed that Muhammad Deif, the leader of its military wing in Gaza and one of the chief architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, was dead. Israel had previously said that he died in the bombing of a compound in July. The Senate health committee grilled Robert F. Kennedy Jr. yesterday about his past statements on abortion and vaccines. Cheriss May for The New York Times R.F.K. Jr. faced a grilling over vaccines Robert F. Kennedy Jr. battled his way through his second Senate confirmation hearing yesterday, defending his views on vaccination during a raucous three-hour session that featured shouting matches, angry accusations and a senator in tears. In a narrowly divided Senate, Kennedy can afford to lose only three Republican votes if he is to win final confirmation, provided that all Democrats oppose him. The bulk of the hearing was devoted to whether Kennedy was willing to accept consensus in scientific research. We fact-checked the health claims he made. Related: In separate confirmation hearings, Kash Patel, President Trump's pick to run the F.B.I., alternated between deference and defiance, and senators questioned Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's nominee to run national intelligence. More on Trump Trump's foreign aid freeze raised fears in Africa of a resurgence of H.I.V. The foreign aid halt threatens a program that supports security for a notorious camp in Syria that holds ISIS members. Elon Musk has brought his takeover tactics from Twitter to the federal government, where he's become a close adviser to Trump. Trump calls Canada a big player in the fentanyl trade. Is it? An executive order signed this week would push colleges and universities to combat antisemitism specifically by monitoring and reporting international students. In a Q. and A. session with Meta employees, Mark Zuckerberg, the company's chief executive, doubled down on embracing Trump's new administration. MORE TOP NEWS Atul Loke for The New York Times India: After a deadly stampede at a festival in India, analysts said a lack of information on the victims appeared to be an official effort to cover up damage. Kyiv: The mayor of the Ukrainian capital accused the office of President Volodymyr Zelensky of abusing the powers of martial law to usurp the powers of elected officials in the capital. Ukraine: North Korean soldiers sent to bolster Russian forces have been pulled off the front lines after suffering heavy casualties, according to Ukrainian and U.S. officials. Europe: The European Central Bank cut interest rates yesterday for a fifth consecutive time, amid slowing growth in the region's economy. Sweden: An Iraqi immigrant who set off protests in several countries when he burned a Quran in 2023 has been killed, the authorities said. Five people have been arrested. Syria: Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of the rebel coalition that swept to power in Syria last month, has been declared the interim president. Some residents are wary. ISIS: A halt in foreign aid may undermine American organizations' support for forces that guard the two largest camps in Syria holding members and their families. Pakistan: A girl who had been lured to the country from New York was fatally shot by her father and an uncle over online posts that her parents believed were immodest. Tech: OpenAI is in talks with SoftBank for an investment of up to $25 billion, according to three people familiar with the negotiations. Oil: A court in Scotland blocked Shell and Equinor from producing oil and gas at two sites being developed in British waters until their impact on climate change can be assessed. Britain: A teenager became fixated on violence and ultimately killed three little girls in a stabbing spree. His case has led to calls for a rethinking of counterterror strategy. Space: An asteroid measuring up to 330 feet long has a 1.3 percent chance of striking somewhere on Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. (You don't need to panic.) SPORTS NEWS Body image: Superstar athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Nikola Jokic display otherworldly athleticism in unconventional body types. Soccer: Sergio Ramos, the former Real Madrid defender, is in talks about a possible move to the Mexican club Monterrey. Golf: The PGA Tour's slow-play problem is golf's biggest point of tension. Is there anything that can be done to fix it? MORNING READ Ye Fan for The New York Times They were a club of teenage Luddites, eschewing social media and smartphones in favor of flip phones and human connection. Three years on, the members are still trying to navigate a more offline world — and they reported that their movement was growing. Lives lived: Marianne Faithfull, who took a long and perilous journey to critical acclaim as a singer, ultimately releasing more than 20 albums, died at 78. CONVERSATION STARTERS Vincent Tullo for The New York Times A blue farewell: After 82,150 gallons of paint, Blue Man Group is ending a 34-year run of silly performance art in New York. Through the ages: An exhibition on tarot cards in London traces their shifting designs over the centuries. No papers, just pictures: More than 300 homeless African immigrants are camping out in a Paris theater, waiting for officials to rule on whether they are minors. Social Q's: A reader's friend hit on female guests at a wedding. Should they tell his wife? ARTS AND IDEAS Kevin Winter/Getty Images Beyoncé vs. Taylor Swift at the Grammys The biggest contest at the annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, at least in terms of celebrity wattage, will be Beyoncé vs. Taylor Swift. Beyoncé has already won more Grammys than any other artist in history, but she has yet to win album of the year. Other top contenders include Billie Eilish, a Grammy and Oscar darling, and Kendrick Lamar, whose nominations stem from a public dis war with Drake. Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, two of last year's fresh pop sensations, each received their first Grammy nods. Here's the full list of nominees. Related: At the Oscars, every best actress pick has a solid shot this year. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Julia Gartland for The New York Times Cook: Pickled onions add tangy contrast to this vegetarian chili. Read: Bill Gates looks back on his boyhood in his new memoir, "Source Code." Travel: Spend 36 hours in Accra, the capital of Ghana. Rest: Here's what to know about how food and diet affect sleep. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you next week. — Natasha P.S. Starting Saturday, The Ethicist is answering readers' thorniest questions about sex and love as part of a special Magazine issue about relationships. Sign up to get the Ethicist newsletter delivered to your inbox. Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018