An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, Wednesday night, prompting a multi-agency search-and-rescue operation, according to officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary information indicates a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with the helicopter while on approach to the airport around 9 p.m. local time.
2 Russian figure skaters on board plane that crashed
Russian media reported that two Russian figure skaters were on board the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter outside D.C. and a presidential spokesman expressed condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the plane crash.
“There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday morning.
Earlier, several Russian state media outlets reported that the 1994 world figure skating champions in pairs, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were on board the plane, though U.S. authorities have not confirmed these reports.
Jan 30, 3:03 AM
Figure skaters, coaches among passengers aboard jet that collided with helicopter over DC
Figure skaters and coaches returning from the national championships were aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday, the U.S. Figure Skating organization confirmed.
“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.” the organization said in a statement. “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
19 aircraft diverted from Reagan National Airport after crash
Some 19 aircraft that were in the air and due to land at Reagan National Airport had to be diverted after the mid-air collision of a regional American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, according to an airports official
The diverted flights landed at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, said Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, who spoke at an early Thursday morning press briefing.
Reagan National will be closed until at least 11 a.m. Thursday, but the situation is fluid, Potter said
Jan 30, 2:31 AM
Hegseth says Army, Pentagon have launched investigation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said an immediate investigation has been launched after the mid-air collision of an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday.
“Absolutely tragic,” Hegseth posted on X. “Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families.”
Trump weighs in on crash
President Donald Trump released a statement on social media about the jet-helicopter crash over the Potomac River seeming to question the actions of the helicopter pilots and Air Traffic Control.
“It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn,” Trump posted on his platform Truth Social. “Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
According to radio traffic, Air Traffic Control at the airport advised the helicopter of the plane’s approach and asked the helicopter pilots to confirm they had the plane in sight, which is standard procedure.
Investigators will work to understand what went wrong.
Jan 30, 2:13 AM
Kansas senator describes ‘unbearable sorrow’
In somber remarks at a news conference early Thursday morning, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall suggested he feared the passengers and crew aboard a regional American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that collided were lost.
“When one person dies, it’s a tragedy,” Marshall said. “But when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow … It’s really hard when you lose, you know, probably over 60 Kansans, simultaneously.”
Speaking of the pilots, flight attendants and military personnel, Marshall added, “All those lives are so valuable, and it is such a tragedy that we lost them.”
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According to a press announcement, “Mayhem reinvents her early sound with a kaleidoscopic approach that draws from her expansive musical library while embracing a fresh and fearless artistic perspective.”
Her last album Harlequin was a companion album for Joker: Folie à Deux that climbed no higher than No. 20 on the Billboard 200.
It also failed to perform at the box office, earning just $207 million worldwide against an estimated $200 million budget. Industry analysts have calculated that studio Warner Bros. likely lost between $150 million and $200 million on the film’s theatrical run.
An official statement says that funds raised by the concerts “will be distributed for short-term relief efforts and long-term initiatives to prevent future fire disasters throughout California.”
A wave of rumours surrounding former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama has taken social media by storm, fueled by discussions of a possible separation and an alleged connection between Barack Obama and actress Jennifer Aniston. Amid this, Megyn Kelly, host of The Megyn Kelly Show, addressed the rumors and said “it would be a political earthquake” if it were true.
Kelly’s social media posts on X and Instagram rapidly spread, drawing attention to the potential consequences of such a separation. “I don’t know whether it is true,” she said, “but if it is, it truly would be a political earthquake in Democratic circles, never mind America.” In her video, Kelly further emphasised the rarity of presidential divorces, saying ”I don’t remember a presidential divorce in modern history.”
Viral post links Barack Obama and Jennifer Aniston
The rumours of a split gained traction when Michelle Obama was noticeably absent from key events, including the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.
Michelle’s team later clarified that she was on an extended vacation in Hawaii during the Carter funeral. However, reports suggesting that she has distanced herself from Washington, life and spends little time with Barack have added to the speculation. No official word yet
Grimes, de son vrai nom Claire Boucher, est une artiste canadienne de 36 ans reconnue pour sa musique électronique expérimentale et son univers artistique unique, malgré une carrière parfois éclipsée par sa relation passée avec Elon Musk.
Avec son style visuel distinctif et sa musique mélangeant divers genres, Grimes a conquis un public international, cumulant plus de 6,4 millions d’écoutes sur Spotify et remplissant des salles à travers le monde.
L’artiste s’efforce de se dissocier des controverses liées à son ex-compagnon Elon Musk, déclarant « Je ne suis pas lui » face aux critiques, tout en continuant à développer sa carrière musicale indépendamment de son ancienne relation.
Un personnage hors du temps
Grimes n’est pas seulement une chanteuse, c’est un univers. Avec ses cheveux colorés, son maquillage féerique et ses tenues futuristes, elle incarne une esthétique aussi unique que sa musique, un mélange d’électro, de dark wave, de dream pop, et parfois même de R & B. Directrice artistique de son propre projet, elle construit un monde qui lui ressemble, inspiré à la fois par l’imaginaire japonais, la musique médiévale, et les récits de science-fiction.
Comparée à un personnage tout droit sorti d’un manga comme Alita, Grimes est une artiste qui vit son art au quotidien. Cet univers décalé a conquis un public international : avec plus de 6,4 millions d’écoutes sur Spotify et des hits comme Genesis et Oblivion, elle remplit des salles à travers le monde. Pour cette musicienne, la création est un exutoire, un espace de liberté où elle peut décompresser et s’exprimer pleinement.
The world’s richest man was hit with a wave of immediate outrage online after he made a salute that many felt resembled the infamous Nazi gesture during his speech at the Capitol One Arena on Monday (January 20).
On Musk’s social media platform, X, one fan wrote that she was preparing to unfollow Grimes and cover up a tribute tattoo because of the incident.
In a reply to the tweet, Grimes distanced herself from the controversy, writing: “While I deeply respect your concern – it is unhealthy that people are this upset when I have not even been online yet today and am only just learning about this controversy now. I don’t know what happened and I will not make a rash statement.”
She continued: “It’s absurd that someone can be this cancelled for something their ex did before they even heard it happened. I am not him. I will not make a statement every time he does something. I can only send love back into a world that is hurting.”
Asked by another user to clarify her political position, Grimes added: “I’m happy to denounce Nazi-ism – and the far alt right. Would that help clear things up?”
An Ohio artist has forged a larger-than-life 15-foot-tall, $1 million bronze statue of President Trump that will tour the country before eventually ending up at a future Trump presidential library.
Sculptor Alan Cottrill’s “Don Colossus” immortalizes the iconic moment Trump defiantly pumped his fist into the air after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, PA on July 13.
The six-ton statute was forged in Zanesville, OH, by the master bronzesmith and was commissioned just a week after the shooting.
There would have been no refund or return should the election have gone the other way.
Cottrill is best known for his statue of Thomas Edison, which has represented Ohio in the U.S. Capitol since 2016.
The bronze will be unveiled Saturday evening at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. It’s then expected to tour the country.
It was commissioned by several dozen wealthy crypto-currency investors as a tribute to the president, who they hope will be a friend of the industry.
“People will be making a pilgrimage to see this thing. Trump has a fan base that I don’t think we’ve seen in a politician in a very long time,” said Brock Pierce, a crypto-billionaire who helped finance the project.
“We do expect President Trump to be with the statue at some point during the inauguration,” added Dustin Stockton, a conservative activist and unofficial spokesperson for the investors.
A litany of a-listers donated prizes to the SoCal Fire Fund and big-name artists will perform in late January at a star-studded benefit concert called FireAid. (more below).
Singer The Weeknd has said he will donate $1 million to organizations including the LAFD Foundation, GoFundMe’s Wildfire Relief Fund and LA Regional Bank after he canceled his planned performance at the Rose Bowl and delayed the release of his upcoming album “out of respect and concern for the people of Los Angeles County.”
Concert promoter and ticket seller Live Nation will donate $1 million to “assist performing musicians, live music crew and live music industry workers affected by the recent wildfires.”
Taylor Swift said on her Instagram story Thursday it’s been “heartbreaking to see” the devastation from the fires in Los Angeles and she encouraged people to donate to 10 organizations she said she had donated to, including 211 LA, Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Direct Relief and MusiCares.
The Wonderful Company, owned by billionaires Stewart and Lynda Resnick, has said it will donate $10 million to Los Angeles fire relief efforts after pushing back against misleading claims about the company’s water use.
Netflix said it will donate $10 million split between the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Community Fund Wildfire Recovery Fund, World Central Kitchen, Motion Picture and Television Fund and Entertainment Community Fund.
Comcast NBCUniversalpledged $10 million, including $2.5 million to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ ReBUILD LA initiative.
The ASPCA launched a $5 million California Wildfire Response & Preparedness Fund to support welfare organizations seeing to animal needs in Southern California.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio said on his Instagram story Wednesday afternoon he committed $1 million with his nature conservation organization, Re:wild, to support “urgent needs and post-fire recovery efforts.”
YouTube and Google on Wednesday said they will contribute $15 million to organizations including Emergency Network Los Angeles, the American Red Cross, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and the Institute for Nonprofit News.
Target will donate $1 million to groups helping with recovery, including the California Fire Foundation and League of California Community Foundation.
Billionaire Steve Ballmer, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, and his wife Connie Ballmer said Wednesday the Ballmer Group will give $15 million in emergency funding to those impacted by the fires in Altadena.
The Ballmer Group, along with the Azoff Family, Live Nation and AEG Presents, will also host a benefit concert called FireAid, which they called “an evening of music and solidarity,” on Jan. 30.
Members of rock band The Eagles have reportedly pledged to donate $2.5 million to FireAid.
The band Metallica said its foundation, All Within My Hands, will donate $500,000 to a number of local charities assisting victims.
Banc of California, the largest independent LA-based bank, launched a $1 million recovery fund to support relief and rebuilding efforts.
The San Bernardino-based band Fuerza Regida rented a hotel to house more than 50 families displaced by the fires, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Twelve professional Los Angeles sports teams—Angel City FC, the Angels, Chargers, Clippers, Dodgers, Ducks, Galaxy, Kings, LAFC, Lakers, Rams and Sparks—will donate more than $8 million to wildfire relief organizations including the American Red Cross, California Fire Foundation and Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
The same teams are also partnering with sports merchandise retailer Fanatics, founded by billionaire Michael Rubin, to distribute $3 million worth of merch to those who have been evacuated from their homes.
Online retail giant Amazon had pledged $10 million to local and national disaster response groups including the Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Habitat for Los Angeles Wildfire Fund, and Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Small Business Relief/Recovery Fund, as well as providing advertising slots on Prime Video for nonprofits supporting LA fire relief efforts.
Skechers, which is based in LA, pledged to donate $1 million to relief efforts led by organizations like the American Red Cross, Baby2Baby, the California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund, Pasadena Education Foundation’s Eaton Fire Response Fund and the YMCA Metropolitan Los Angeles.
Actress Eva Longoria said she will match donations to the organization This is About Humanity up to $50,000 to help frontline workers and families impacted and also announced she would give $1 million of a $50 million award she received from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos last year to support L.A. fire recovery.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—who have been seen visiting with firefighters tackling the Eaton fire—have reportedly made monetary donations to relief efforts; donated clothing, children’s items and other supplies, and directed people to support organizations including the World Central Kitchen, CAL FIRE, LA Fire Department Foundation, Animal Wellness Foundation, Compton Cowboys and Baby2baby. Markle also asked Netflix to delay the release of her new lifestyle series, “With Love, Meghan,” from later his week to March 4 “as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California.”
Verizon is waiving call, text and data charges for customers in hard hit areas and said it will donate $500,000 each to the American Red Cross and Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
Airbnb last week announced it would work with a local nonprofit to provide free temporary housing to those displaced by the fires, and said it experienced “an absolute crush of applications, thousand and thousands.”
Walmartsaid it will donate $2.5 million worth of cash, food, water and other essentials to help with wildfire relief.
The Kroger grocery giant pledged $1 million to assist families impacted by the fire.
Disney has pledged $15 million in aid for those affected by the wildfires, with funds going toward organizations like the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Los Angeles Regional Food bank, while additional resources would be offered to any affected employee.
Paramount donated $1 million to relief efforts, with donations to the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the California Fire Foundation, Direct Relief, World Central Kitchen and Best Friends Animal Society, according to an internal memo obtained by Variety.
Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook wrote on X saying the company will be donating to support victims and recovery efforts, though he has not specified an amount.
FanDuel and its parent company Flutter Entertainmentsaid the companies will donate a combined $250,000 to relief efforts, including donations to Americares and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
Fox Corp. has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross’ relief fund and encouraged the network’s viewers to support the organization’s efforts.
Paris Hilton, whose home was destroyed by the Palisades fire, launched an emergency fund through her nonprofit, 11:11 Media Impact, which has so far raised $800,000 for Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts, and on Tuesday she pledged a $150,000 grant to GoFundMe to provide immediate cash assistance to 150 displaced Altadena families.
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire businessman tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next administrator of NASA, has said he will match the first $1 million donated to his company’s relief campaign.
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the third richest person in the world, and his wife Priscilla personally donated $2 million to organizations providing on-the-ground relief, and Meta as an organization said it donated $2 million to organizations including the American Red Cross, Direct Relief and Pasadena Humane Society.
Billionaire KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky said his charity, Frontline Impact Project, is “working to bring not just supplies, but a sense of hope and care to those affected.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, who feared she’d lost her own Santa Monica home before confirming the structure was safe, has pledged to donate $1 million to wildfire relief with her husband, actor and director Christopher Guest.
Curtis, an American Red Cross ambassador, also appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Wednesday night, where she encouraged viewers to “do anything you can” to help people: “Give blood, donate, whatever you can do, animal shelters,” she said.
Kylie Jenner, the youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner family, posted that she was making an unspecified donation to the California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund, an extension of the California Fire Foundation.
The NFL will sell team-specific Rams and Chargers hats and shirts to benefit the LAFD Foundation; 50% of the Rams 50/50 Raffle from Monday’s game will be donated to the LAFD Foundation and American Red Cross; and the league is donating $5 million to wildfire relief efforts led by individual contributions from clubs and ownership groups from the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans and NFL Foundation.
Actresses Halle Berry and Sharon Stone have expressed support for a local boutique and home goods store, called +COOP, which has turned into a pop-up shop for those in need of clothing after losing their homes in the fire (Berry posted she was “packing up my entire closet” to help displaced families).
Former “Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankelsaid her charity, BStrong, has partnered with the Global Empowerment Mission to send aid to those affected.
Big Number
$2.5 million. That’s how much has been raised from 4,000 donors for the California Community Foundations Wildlife Recovery Fund, Los Angeles officials said Friday.
Fireaid Benefit Concert Lineup Full Of Top Performers
A benefit concert scheduled for late January called FireAid will raise money to “focus on rebuilding infrastructure, supporting displaced families, and advancing fire prevention technologies and strategies to ensure LA is better prepared for fire emergencies.” Organizers have released the star-studded lineup for the show, which includes Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Gwen Stefani, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, P!nk, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Earth, Wind & Fire, Joni Mitchell, Gracie Abrams, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Stevie Nicks, among others. Tickets will go on sale Jan. 22 at noon PST. Prices have not been announced. FireAid will take place on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. EST at the Intuit Dome
Socal Fire Fund Sweepstakes, Auction Full Of Celebrity Experiences
Celebrities and studios have donated a number of big-ticket items—including meet and greets with A-list stars—to a sweepstakes and auction set to benefit the SoCal Fire Fund. The sweepstakes, 100 entries for which can be bought for $10, includes prizes like lunch with actress Julia Roberts, a set visit to Andy Cohen‘s “Watch What Happens Live” and an all-inclusive trip to meet The Chainsmokers at the band’s Las Vegas show. A star-studded charity auction also includes experiences like meeting George Clooney at the “Good Night, and Good Luck” premiere, a visit to the “Only Murders In The Building” set in New York City and meeting Scarlett Johansson at the “Jurassic World: Rebirth” premiere. The highest-dollar item, a round of golf with Larry David and Doc Rivers, is expected to sell for $30,000. The SoCal Fire Fund was launched by the Creative Artists Agency, Community Organized Relief Effort and the Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation. The fund will be administered by the Entertainment Industry Foundation.
Key Background
There are five fires still burning in the vicinity of Los Angeles, including the Palisades Fire, which has burned more than 23,000 acres, and the Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 14,000. The Eaton fire was 45% contained as of Thursday morning, and the Palisades fire was 21% contained. Smaller fires—the Hurst, Mountain and Auto fires—were also still burning Thursday. Other fires that have burned hundreds of acres include the Lidia Fire near the Angeles National Forest, Hurst Fire near San Fernando and Kenneth Fire just outside of Calabasas. Fires started burning in Los Angeles County on Jan. 7 and little is known about how they began. One fire, the Kenneth Fire, could have been started by a suspected arsonist who was arrested after neighbors spotted him with a “propane tank or flamethrower” while “trying to light something on fire”—though L.A. police later said there wasn’t probable cause to charge him with arson. At least 25 people have died since the fires began. The most impacted area so far, the Pacific Palisades, is home to scores of celebrities and local landmarks. The average home price in the area is $3 million, and those including actor Adam Brody and his wife actress Leighton Meester; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick; Hilton; Billy Crystal; Tina Knowles; and reality TV stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have all said they lost their homes in the fires.
Tangent
The Los Angeles wildfires are likely the costliest in U.S. history about 18 months after a devastating wildfire in Hawaii became the deadliest blaze ever recorded in America. After the Maui fires, donations from billionaires and celebrities poured in, including $100 million from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sánchez and $10 million from billionaire Oprah Winfrey and actor Dwayne Johnson.
The 44th president took to Instagram on Friday to share a picture of him and his wife at a dining room table, in honor of her 61st birthday. The snap also showed the pair holding hands, as they smiled at the camera. In the caption, Barack went on to praise his partner and gush about their relationship.
“Happy birthday to the love of my life, @MichelleObama. You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor, and grace – and you look good doing it. I’m so lucky to be able to take on life’s adventures with you. Love you!” he wrote.
At the inauguration, Carrie Underwood — who did not publicly endorse any candidate ahead of the 2024 election — will be performing “America the Beautiful.” She is expected to be joined by the Armed Forces Choir and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club. The performance will come after Vice President JD Vance takes his Oath of Office and before Trump takes the Presidential Oath of Office. Rascal Flatts and country singer Gavin DeGrew will also be performing at the event.
Trump is also set to attend the Make America Great Again Victory Rally in D.C. on January 19, with musical guests Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Liberty University’s Praise Choir taking the stage.
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The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the law that will ban the popular video platform nationwide Sunday if it does not divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance. The law largely leaves the ban’s implementation to TikTok’s business partners, including app store giants Google and Apple, and internet hosting services, which could face massive fines if they carry or update the app or site past Sunday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in response to the decision Friday that Biden believes “TikTok should remain available to Americans” but under different ownership and that implementing the law “must fall to the next Administration.” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, meanwhile, said ensuring compliance with the law “will be a process that plays out over time.”
The remarks stopped short of a full-throated pledge not to enforce the law, which TikTok signaled late Friday is needed to stave off a ban on Sunday.
While ByteDance could in theory still prevent the prohibition by selling TikTok before Sunday, it has resisted efforts to force a sale, all but ensuring the app would at least partially go dark this weekend.
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to “save” TikTok from the ban-or-sale law but said Friday his plans are not yet final and that he will need “time to review the situation.”
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew thanked Trump for “his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States” in a video posted on the platform Friday. He added: “Rest assured, we will do everything in our power to ensure our platform thrives as your online home for limitless creativity and discovery, as well as the source of inspiration and joy, for years to come.”
