Friday 01.31.25

While America retains a gold standard for airline safety, there are stresses on the US air travel system that have been apparent in a series of near tragedies in recent years. Aviation experts have warned that some safety margins have been squeezed by a shortage of air traffic controllers and congestion in the airspace over many major cities. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Alexandra Banner

An FBI agent recovers debris from the deadly midair collision. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) 

Plane collision

Officials are now operating a recovery effort in the Potomac River, the site of the deadliest commercial airliner crash in the US in 24 years. There were no survivors after Wednesday's midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in the Washington, DC, area. The plane, flying from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 64 people, while three soldiers were aboard the Army helicopter. Searchers have recovered the plane's flight data and voice recorders, known as black boxes, which should help investigators in determining the cause of the catastrophe. Just a day before the fatal collision, another flight approaching Reagan National Airport was forced to abort its first landing and go around after a helicopter flew near its flight path, CNN has learned.

Confirmation hearings

Three of President Donald Trump's most controversial picks for his Cabinet and key administration roles were grilled during Senate hearings on Thursday. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel faced sharp questions from Democrats and several Republican lawmakers in what amounted to the most direct skepticism from GOP senators over Trump's nominees to date. Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence the three nominees will ultimately be confirmed, though he stressed that securing their approval will require significant effort. If all Democrats oppose Trump's nominees, they can only afford to lose three GOP senators on the floor to win confirmation.

Pain medication

The FDA on Thursday approved the first new type of pain medication in 25 years. The drug, suzetrigine, is a 50-milligram prescription pill that's taken every 12 hours after a larger starter dose. It will be sold under the brand name Journavx. About 80 million Americans fill prescriptions each year for medications to treat new instances of moderate to severe pain, according to a study by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the company that developed the new drug. About half of those prescriptions are written for opioid medications, which can lead to dependence and addiction. Unlike opioid medications, which dull the sensation of pain in the brain, suzetrigine works by preventing pain-signaling nerves around the body from firing in the first place.

Japan sinkhole

A sinkhole that suddenly opened on a road near Tokyo has captured international attention as attempts to rescue an elderly truck driver drag on. On Tuesday, part of an intersection in Saitama prefecture, about 18 miles north of Japan's capital, swallowed a three-ton truck and its driver, a 74-year-old man. The rescue mission is now in its fourth day. Authorities believe that corroded sewer pipes may have caused the earth to fall in. Leaking wastewater may have further eroded the soil, widening the chasm, they said. Japanese authorities have asked hundreds of residents to evacuate as the sinkhole has grown more than 40 meters wide, or about 130 feet. 

An aerial view of the sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture (Kyodo/Reuters) 

FireAid benefit concerts

Two benefit concerts collectively referred to as FireAid took place in Los Angeles on Thursday to support relief efforts in the wake of this month's deadly wildfires. The Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire have claimed 29 lives and caused billions of dollars in damage. According to the FireAid website, every donation made during the concerts' livestream was matched dollar for dollar. Some of the artists who performed included Green Day, Billie Eilish, No Doubt, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Stevie Nicks. Nicks also shared a story during her set about how her Pacific Palisades home was saved because of the Santa Rosa firefighters who she said "never gave up." She dedicated her hit song "Landslide" to those first responders.

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America's hottest restaurant
Despite a recent restaurant slowdown, this American chain saw its sales increase by a whopping 31% last quarter.

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'Stranger Things' creators tease new supernatural show set in a retirement community
The brothers behind the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things" shared new details about their upcoming projects.

A New Zealand mountain has been granted personhood
A mountain in New Zealand considered an ancestor by Indigenous people was recognized as a legal person on Thursday. Read about Mount Taranaki — now known as Taranaki Maunga, its Māori name.

33

That's how many countries globally grant unrestricted birthright citizenship based on the 'jus soli' principle — in which children born on their soil automatically acquire the right regardless of their parents' immigration status. Nearly all of those 33 countries are in the Western Hemisphere, while the vast majority of the rest of the world does not recognize the principle. Read how the divide came about.

We had a lot of dreams we could not fulfill.

— A mother in Colombia, telling CNN that her hopes of reuniting with her family in Denver were dashed after the Trump administration shut down CBP One, a border app that allowed migrants to legally enter the US. Without the app, many migrants who were in the queue for asylum appointments are having to rethink their options.

Humans were made to handle stress, but not quite this much
Human beings originally developed fight or flight mechanisms to deal with predators in the wild, but the brain and body were never designed to handle the chronic stress now wreaking havoc on our system. In this video, a Harvard physician offers 4 key strategies to help.