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Good Thursday morning. A Swedish man was convicted of flying a drone while drunk. Have a great day.
In Today’s Brief
Oregon: Underwater volcano
Syria: Interim president
Adams: Free pass?
Nissan: Cutting back
Netflix: Classic reboot
... and more
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Top Tips
1) Collision at DCA
An Army helicopter and a commercial jet crashed into each other midair near Reagan Washington National Airport.
What happened: The incident occurred around 9 p.m. ET; video footage showed a large fireball following impact. The helicopter was a Blackhawk with three crew members on a training mission; the plane was a regional jet flown by American Airlines' American Eagle subsidiary from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members.
The aftermath: Both aircraft went down in the Potomac River; the jet reportedly broke in half. Search and rescue operations were underway as of 1:15 a.m. ET, but there were no reports of rescued survivors. All flights were grounded at DCA until at least 5 a.m. ET today.
Big picture: The incident is the first major commercial crash in the U.S. in almost 16 years and could be the deadliest since an American Airlines Airbus crashed into a New York City neighborhood in 2001. There have been concerns about federal air traffic control staffing levels nationwide in recent months and DCA saw a near-miss last year.
2) To the bay
President Donald Trump has a new plan for deporting undocumented migrants.
The news: Preparations have begun to construct facilities to hold up to 30K deportees at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Trump said he wants to send "the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people" to the military bases most known for holding alleged terrorists following the Sept. 11 attacks.
More details: The president said the plan would double the government's holding capacity for deported migrants before they are repatriated to their home countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said migrants would not be held in the same quarters as terror suspects; there are about 15 prisoners currently at the base.
Big picture: Trump moved to keep Gitmo open indefinitely during his first term. The U.S. has controlled the base for over 100 years and it has previously been used to hold Cuban and Haitian refugees, although that was decades ago.
3) Behind golden bars
Disgraced former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is facing hard time.
The news: Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison yesterday. The 71-year-old ex-Foreign Relations Committee chairman was convicted on corruption charges last summer, including accepting bribes and acting as an illegal foreign agent of Egypt. Menendez beat a previous unrelated corruption rap in 2017 that ended in a mistrial.
The history: Menendez is positioned to become among the few Senators to serve jail time. He is also the first elected official convicted of acting as the agent of a foreign government; he did not resign his seat until several weeks after his conviction.
Trump card: Menendez said he plans to appeal and blasted the prosecution, calling it a "political witch hunt." The Democrat also credited President Trump for being "right" about Justice Department corruption and said he hopes he "cleans up the cesspool." The comments could be flattery designed to win a commutation or pardon down the road.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
An underwater volcano off Oregon's coast will likely erupt this year. Scientists believe activity is imminent for the Axial Seamount, which is a mile long and about 300 from shore; it will not threaten human life (More)
A former U.S. Postal Service worked admitted to stealing over $100K in sports memorabilia while sorting mail. The New York man worked at a facility in New Jersey; he faces up to five years in federal prison (More)
New York's alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer is seeking separate trials in the sprawling case. Rex Heuermann's attorneys are also challenging DNA evidence; he is accused of seven murders while other potential victims remain under investigation (More)
World News
Ahmed al-Sharaa was formally named Syria's interim president. The former al-Qaida member led the overthrow of deposed strongman Bashar al-Assad; he has presented himself as a reformed moderate to Western and regional states (More)
Dutch police arrested three men in connection with a museum heist. Several ancient Romanian artifacts were stolenfrom a facility in Assen, including the Helmet of Cotofenesti; they have not yet been recovered (More)
A Chinese-linked influence campaign allegedly tried to overthrow Spain's government. A report concluded trolls impersonated a human rights group and attempted to sow dissent following the fatal Valencia floods last fall (More)
Political News
Justice Department officials may drop New York Mayor Eric Adams' federal corruption charges. The Democrat has moved to ingratiate himself to President Trump and signaled support for curtailing the Big Apple's sanctuary policies for undocumented migrants (More)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Cabinet nomination may be in peril. The former presidential candidate was battered by Democratic Senators in his first hearing to lead the Health and Human Services department; he faces another hearing today (More)
Meta will pay $25M to settle a lawsuit with Trump over a decision to suspend him from its platforms following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The bulk of the payout will go toward his future presidential library; the rest will cover legal fees (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed lower yesterday. The Dow Jones and Nasdaq dropped over 100 points each (Dow -0.31%, Nasdaq -0.51%, S&P 500 -0.47%).
Nissan is offering buyouts and cutting shifts at three U.S. factories. The Japanese automaker is looking to cut over $2B in global costs; two facilities in Tennessee and one in Mississippi are impacted (More)
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady after President Trump demanded immediate cuts. Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated the central bank's independence from political influence while the president bashed the decision on social media (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Netflix has greenlit a Little House on the Prairie reboot. The Laura Ingalls Wilder book series about the American Midwest in the late 1800s inspired a popular NBC series that ran from 1974-83 (More)
Utah's NHL team will not be named the Yeti as speculated. The franchise could not overcome trademark hurdles; it has begun a fan vote to select the future nickname and could still use the mythical beast in its logo (More)
A Romy and Michele's High School Reunion sequel is in the works. Actors Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino are reportedly close to deals to reprise their characters from the 1997 cult classic film; actor Alan Cumming is also expectedto return (More)
Quick Hitters
Feel Good: An eight-year-old California girl is sending handwritten letters to firefighters battling the Los Angeles area blazes. Her sentiments are heartwarming.
Be Safe: A voluntary recall by Frito-Lay has reached the highest risk level classification. Over 6K bags of 13-ounce Lay's Classic Potato Chips were released in Oregon and Washington containing an undeclared milk allergen that could be fatal for some consumers.
Go Deep: A compilation of letters written by John D. Rockefeller to his children has become a best-seller on Amazon. But there is one problem: The book appears to be a fraud.
New Trend: Could a seaweed salad be in your future? Several U.S. startups are trying to make algae and kelp into regular food components similar to other parts of the world.
Life Hack: Solo travel sounds daunting, but it is becoming more prevalent. Here are some tips to save the lone voyager money and time (and patience).
Watch This
Time does not work how we think it does.
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Looking Ahead …
Dream of the Desert -- the Middle East's first five-star luxury train service -- is scheduled to launch next year. It will take passengers on one- and two-night trips through Saudi Arabia's desert landscapes.