Airplane, Black Hawk helicopter collide close to D.C. And, Trump’s plans for Guantánamo

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In the present day’s high tales

A regional American Airways jet carrying 64 individuals collided in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter because the airplane was approaching a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport final evening, in accordance with federal aviation officers. The Pentagon advised NPR the helicopter was carrying three troopers. First responders are trying to find occupants within the Potomac River. There is no such thing as a official phrase on fatalities, however the incident could possibly be probably the most vital catastrophe in U.S. airspace in no less than 15 years. Listed here are dwell updates of what we all know.

• 🎧 Webcam footage from close by reveals a small plane, presumably the helicopter, colliding with the passenger jet, adopted by an explosion earlier than each plane crashed into the river, NPR’s Joel Rose tells Up First. DC Hearth and EMS Chief John Donnelly mentioned first responders had been on the crash scene inside 10 minutes of the primary stories at 8:48 p.m., and about 300 are concerned within the search efforts, which is going down in icy water about 8 ft deep. There are audio recordings of communications between the air visitors controllers and the helicopter, with the pilot requested to verify seeing the airplane and instructed to go behind it.

President Trump says he plans to make use of a migrant holding facility on the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to deal with as much as 30,000 legal migrants deported from the U.S. He introduced this up at a invoice signing occasion with the notion to detain “the worst criminal illegal aliens.” Trump raised the thought of reusing the bottom throughout his first time period however by no means did. The Homeland Safety secretary acknowledged that the administration would wish Congress to approve spending cash on the idea.

• 🎧 The naval base has had a detention facility for many years that homes migrants intercepted at sea; nonetheless, it has been principally empty for years, NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer says. Trump needs to develop the ability to make room for deported migrants. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned yesterday the plan is not to carry the migrants indefinitely and that it might be a waystation till the administration finds different nations to take them. The administration has not offered a greenback determine for the work, however it might require development, meals and lodging for the individuals there, guards and workers to supervise the placement and extra.
• ➡️ Trump signed the primary invoice of his second presidency, the Laken Riley Act, into regulation yesterday. It expands the scope of federal immigration officers’ potential to arrest, detain, and deport individuals.

Dozens of Jan. 6 defendants who obtained pardons from Trump had previous legal convictions for expenses together with rape, manslaughter, home violence and drug trafficking. The president gave blanket clemency for Jan. 6 crimes no matter whether or not they violently assaulted police. Among the defendants had no legal file previous to the crimes dedicated in the course of the Capitol riot.

• 🎧 NPR’s Tom Dreisbach says one case that stands proud is Matthew Huttle’s, who has a prolonged file, together with drunk driving and one incident the place he “spanked his 3-year-old son so hard that he left bruises.” Huttle continued to rack up expenses after the Capitol riot. Federal judges think about a defendant’s legal historical past when deciding a sentence. Trump, usually, mentioned the defendants obtained sentences that had been too lengthy. The pardons solely utilized to Jan. 6 expenses, leaving some individuals nonetheless in authorized bother for different circumstances.

Editor’s Notice: This story consists of descriptions of violent crimes and sexual abuse involving each adults and youngsters which may be disturbing to readers.

Image Present

A driver-mechanic with the decision signal Molfar (proper), the unit’s commander call-signed Grizzly (heart) and a gunner with the decision signal Psycho are on a BMP-1, a modernized Soviet-era infantry preventing car, earlier than a mission to the coast of Dnipro River, in Ukraine’s Kherson area, on Jan. 4.

Anton Shtuka for NPR

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Anton Shtuka for NPR

Simply earlier than darkish, six Ukrainian troopers climbed down a ramp right into a trench hidden beneath a forested hill close to the Dnipro River. Behind camouflage netting, they function a large armored car they name Nike, used to stop Russian forces from crossing the river and seizing Kherson. Roman Kostenko, a former army commander and present member of Ukraine’s parliament, says the Kremlin clearly goals to take management of the town to determine dominance over the Black Sea and help army operations in southern Ukraine in the direction of Odesa.

In the present day’s Hear

Imogen Heap performs a Tiny Desk Conert on Might 4, 2019 (Colin Marshall/NPR).

Colin Marshall/NPR

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Colin Marshall/NPR

Imogen Heap performs a Tiny Desk Conert on Might 4, 2019 (Colin Marshall/NPR).

Colin Marshall/NPR

Imogen Heap’s track “Headlock” debuted on Billboard‘s Sizzling 100 at No.100 final week and climbed to No. 98 this week. Her profession stretches roughly three many years, however she has by no means landed considered one of her songs on the principle pop chart till now. The track, which is from her 2005 album Converse For Your self, obtained a resurgence with the assistance of a social media development. Hearken to snippets of the track and learn extra concerning the different songs making up the charts this week.

3 issues to know earlier than you go

The 2025 Doomsday Clock time — displayed at the USA Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday — is the closest it is ever been to midnight.

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photographs

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Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photographs

1. The Doomsday Clock now stands 89 seconds away from metaphorical midnight after ticking one second nearer this week. It is the primary transfer it has made in two years.
2. Bookshop.org has launched a new platform that permits readers to purchase and obtain ebooks from native bookstores or Bookshop. That is supposed to assist bridge impartial bookstores’ gross sales hole with e-books.
3. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the chief of HTS, the Syrian insurgent group that overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s authorities, was named the nation’s interim president, in accordance with the Syrian information company, citing a authorities spokesperson.

This text was edited by Yvonne Dennis.