The Evening: No survivors in D.C. plane crash

Also, a hostage release in Gaza descended into chaos.

View in browser|nytimes.com January 30, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday. A plane crash near Washington, D.C. A chaotic hostage release in Gaza Plus, Bill Gates's memoir Search crews on the Potomac River near Washington today.  Kenny Holston/The New York Times All 67 people died in a midair crash near D.C. Rescue crews rushed into the Potomac River, just three miles from the White House, after a commercial jet carrying 64 people collided last night with an Army helicopter carrying three service members. By morning, officials determined that no one had survived. The incident 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 aircraft collided. We mapped out the flight paths. Among the victims on the flight, a two-and-a-half-hour journey from Wichita, Kansas, were a group of friends returning from a duck hunting trip and more than a dozen figure skaters, including two world champions from Russia. Emergency personnel pulled more than two dozen bodies from icy water, and federal transportation officials launched an investigation into the disaster. An internal preliminary report, reviewed by The Times, found that staffing at the air traffic control tower was "not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic." The controller who was handling helicopters was also instructing landing and departing planes, duties typically managed by two people. Shortly before the crash, the jet's pilots were asked to pivot their landing route from one runway to another. A webcam caught the moment of impact. In a news conference, President Trump largely blamed the Army helicopter crew for the crash, who, he said, "should've seen where they were going." The president also blamed the diversity policies of his Democratic predecessors, arguing that standards for air traffic controllers had become too lax. When asked for evidence, Trump said: "I have common sense." For more: Here's a timeline of the crash and the recovery effort. Eric Lee/The New York Times Three high-profile Trump nominees faced tough questions Kash Patel, Trump's pick to run the F.B.I., alternated between deference and defiance today during his Senate confirmation hearing. Under aggressive questioning from Democrats, Patel suggested that he disagreed with Trump's decision to grant clemency to violent Jan. 6 rioters, and he distanced himself from his previous criticisms of the bureau. He also refused to say that Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Here's what we learned. In a separate hearing on Capitol Hill, senators questioned Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's nominee to run national intelligence. Members of both parties were frustrated by her refusal to call Edward Snowden, who leaked classified information, a traitor. Gabbard, who likely can lose the support of only three Republicans, was also questioned about her sympathy toward Vladimir Putin. In yet another room on the Hill, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's pick for health secretary, sat for his second day of questions. We fact-checked the health claims he made. In other politics news: A series of internal F.B.I. emails offered a glimpse into the early days of the investigation into Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump signed an order pushing universities to address antisemitism by monitoring and reporting international students. The White House has showed that it doesn't view Congress as an equal partner. So far, Republicans are mostly fine with that. Elon Musk brought his Twitter takeover tactics to Washington. The Trump administration is considering a move to halt New York City's congestion pricing. Progressive economists have started to raise alarms about the near-record federal debt. Trump's first weeks back in office have thrown U.S. climate spending into chaos. Trump called Canada a big player in the fentanyl trade. Is it? Arbel Yehud during her handover in Gaza. Jehad Alshrafi/Associated Press Gaza hostage release descended into chaos Israel released 110 Palestinian prisoners today, including some convicted of deadly attacks, 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 they 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. For more: The families of the released Thai hostages, who worked in Israel as farmhands, shed tears of joy. More top news U.S. economy: G.D.P. grew by 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter, capping a more robust year than expected. Media: The chair of the F.C.C. ordered an investigation into NPR and PBS over their member stations' practice of airing sponsorships. Syria: President Trump's sweeping executive order to halt foreign aid has threatened a program that supports security for a camp that holds ISIS members. Los Angeles: Moments before flames erupted near Altadena, Calif., there were two major electrical disruptions on power lines. Business: SoftBank is said to be in talks with OpenAI to invest as much as $25 billion. Space: An asteroid between 130 feet and 330 feet long has a 1.3 percent chance of hitting Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. India: Thirty people were killed in a stampede during a festival. A delay in releasing even an initial toll was seen as shielding a potential prime minister. Japan: Rescuers are struggling to free a driver whose truck was swallowed by a sinkhole two days ago north of Tokyo. TIME TO UNWIND Alex Welsh for The New York Times Bill Gates wrote about his beginnings When Bill Gates was a child, he would sneak out of his window at night to write code. It was the kind of relentless drive that is present throughout "Source Code," the first volume of his planned three-volume memoir. Here's our review. The book has been in the works for at least a decade, but it arrives at an unusual moment, as Gates's fellow tech billionaires have been unleashed. My colleague David Streitfeld interviewed him about how he fit in. For more: Gates said his biggest regret was letting his marriage slip away. Vincent Tullo for The New York Times A blue farewell After 17,800 shows and 82,150 gallons of paint, Blue Man Group is hanging up its bald caps at the Astor Place Theater in New York City for good this weekend. Over 34 years there, the trio of silent, earless blue-and-black-clad performers, who drum in primary colors, unexpectedly became a culture-infiltrating sensation. The group is sticking around in other cities, but closing the New York production, where it all began, marks the end of a spectacularly eccentric chapter. "Part of what New York is all about is like, be your crazy self, get your freak on, try your thing out," said Chris Wink, one of the founding performers. David Allen Sibley Dinner table topics "Nature's proving ground": Here's a look at the adaptations that allow birds to survive through the winter. Our fashion critic's verdict: Alessandro Michele's debut for Valentino resembled a party of Shakespearean costumes. So many fish: A farm offered 40,000 pounds of free, sushi-grade salmon. It took a community to transform the gift from live fish to food banks. Oscar chatter: Every nominee for best actress has a solid shot this year. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: This lush and creamy éclair cake is perfect for any gathering Watch: "Companion" is a near-future horror-comedy with a new twist every 10 minutes or so. Read: Warm up your winter nights with these romance novels. Listen: Check out Ravel's solo piano works and four other classical music albums. Rest: Here's what to eat and drink for a good night's sleep. Hunt: Which Ohio house would you buy with a $450,000 budget? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. ONE LAST THING Rusty Jones/ Don't underestimate the dad bod Patrick Mahomes is leading the Kansas City Chiefs to their fifth Super Bowl in six years. He is considered among the best quarterbacks in N.F.L. history. And yet, compared with our idea of a world-class athlete, he's kind of flabby. Mahomes has called his physique a "dad bod." He's not the only elite athlete who lacks muscle definition. Just look at the lumbering frame of Nikola Jokić, a three-time M.V.P. in the N.B.A. My colleagues at The Athletic explained what we misunderstand about athleticism. Have a relatable evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, 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. 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