Helicopter Collides With American Airlines Flight Carrying 60 Passengers

A regional jet operated by PSA Airlines on behalf of American Airlines collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Wednesday night. The accident occurred just before 9 p.m. ET as the Bombardier CRJ-700, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was approaching Runway 33. The Black Hawk, based at Fort Belvoir, Va., had three soldiers on board. Following the collision, the aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, prompting an extensive emergency response involving approximately 300 first responders. Rescue efforts have been complicated by frigid temperatures, ice, and poor visibility. Officials have not yet confirmed fatalities, but the incident is being described as one of the most significant U.S. aviation disasters in 15 years. The crash has temporarily halted flights at DCA, and federal authorities are investigating the cause.

Source: NPR

Trump Signs Laken Riley Act Into Law

President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, broadening the scope of individuals subject to arrest, detention, and deportation by federal immigration authorities. The legislation passed with bipartisan support, a shift from last year when Senate Democrats did not advance the bill. The law mandates federal immigration enforcement to detain and deport non-citizens charged with certain crimes, including shoplifting, assaulting law enforcement, or causing serious injury or death. Critics argue that it bypasses due process by allowing deportation proceedings to begin before a conviction. The bill is named after Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student killed by an undocumented Venezuelan man, whose prior shoplifting charges Republicans claim could have led to earlier deportation and prevented the crime.

Notes: Many crimes listed in the act were already grounds for deportation, but typically after a conviction.

Sources: NPR, White House

White House Reverses Federal Grant Freeze

The White House rescinded a controversial order freezing federal grants after the move sparked confusion and legal challenges. A federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze until February 3, leading the administration to withdraw the directive to comply with the ruling. However, White House officials emphasized that broader efforts to restrict federal spending on certain programs, such as foreign aid and clean energy initiatives, remain in effect. President Trump defended the move as a necessary review of government spending, while critics, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, warned that the administration may continue efforts to limit federal funding without congressional approval.

Source: The Washington Post

RFK Jr. Faces Tough Senate Hearing on Healthcare Policies

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the Senate Finance Committee as part of his confirmation process for the role of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary under President Trump, facing scrutiny over his evolving views on vaccines, abortion, and public health policies. Democrats challenged Kennedy on his past vaccine skepticism, citing previous statements they argued contradicted his recent assertions of support for vaccines, while Republicans contended that his remarks had been misinterpreted. His past comments on COVID-19 and Lyme disease also came under examination. When asked about his stance on vaccines, Kennedy responded, "I am not anti-vaccine. I am pro-safety and pro-science." He is scheduled to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee for another hearing on Thursday.

Notes: If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee a $1.7 trillion budget, including Medicare, Medicaid, public health funding, and medical research.

Source: Associated Press

Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rates Steady

The Federal Reserve has decided to maintain the federal funds rate at its current target range of 4.25% to 4.5%, citing steady economic growth, a strong labor market, and persistently elevated inflation. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) remains committed to its dual mandate of maximum employment and 2% inflation, acknowledging uncertainty in the economic outlook. While the Fed has not signaled immediate rate hikes or cuts, future adjustments will depend on incoming economic data and evolving risks.

Source: Federal Reserve

Trump Settles Lawsuit with Meta Over Facebook Ban for $25 Million

Meta has agreed to pay Trump roughly $25 million as part of a settlement resolving a lawsuit he filed after the company suspended his Facebook and Instagram accounts in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump had sued Meta in July 2021, along with Twitter (now X) and YouTube, arguing that his suspension amounted to censorship and had a chilling effect on political speech. The settlement was reportedly discussed during private meetings between Trump and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, including a dinner at Mar-a-Lago in November, where Trump allegedly indicated that the lawsuit needed to be resolved before Meta could align more closely with his administration.

Notes: The case sets a precedent where former or sitting politicians may pursue legal action against platforms that restrict their accounts.

Sources: The Independent, The Wall Street Journal

OpenAI Accuses DeepSeek of Stealing AI Technology

OpenAI has accused the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek of illegally using its technology to develop a competing artificial intelligence model. The company claims DeepSeek used a technique called “distillation” to extract knowledge from OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, potentially violating OpenAI’s terms of service. Microsoft security researchers discovered that individuals possibly linked to DeepSeek harvested large amounts of data through OpenAI’s API last year, prompting OpenAI and Microsoft to investigate whether DeepSeek engaged in unauthorized activity. Meanwhile, OpenAI itself faces ongoing lawsuits for allegedly using copyrighted materials without permission to train its own AI models.

Notes: OpenAI has yet to publicly present concrete proof that DeepSeek illegally trained its model on GPT-4.

Source: The New York Post