The Bulletin

• Washington plane crash: Tim Atkinson, a former senior inspector at the U.K. Airline Accident Investigation Branch, told Sky News he does not expect anyone to have survived the impact. Find out what caused the crash.

• Trump sets out migrant plans: President Donald Trump has announced plans to use Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base in Cuba, as a detention site for tens of thousands of immigrants described as "high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States." Learn more.

• Missouri sues China: Missouri's lawsuit against China for "unleashing COVID-19 on the world" is nearing its conclusion, with the state threatening to seize $25 billion in assets if Beijing refuses to pay damages. Get more details.

• RFK Jr's first confirmation hearing: During a confirmation hearing on Wednesday to become head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke about his ideas for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Read here.

• Democratic party handed polling blow: The Democratic Party is facing a harsh reality as a record number of voters have the highest unfavorable view of the political party since 2008, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. See what it reveals.

• In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv will look to domestic and European sources for funds following U.S. President Donald Trump's order to freeze foreign aid. Find out more.

The rundown: A plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C. on Wednesday evening. The Associated Press reports that at least 19 fatalities have been recovered so far from the Potomac River. Get the latest developments.

Why it matters: The midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. local time when a Bombardier CRJ700 jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a Blackhawk helicopter on a training flight while on approach to a runway at the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The incident occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, about three miles south of the White House and the U.S. Capitol. About 300 first responders were on the scene, the AP reported. Inflatable boats have been launched and first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area near the crash site.

Read more in-depth coverage:
DC Plane Crash Victims: What We Know

TL/DR: The Potomac River is about 8 feet deep where the aircraft crashed at about 9pm local time on Wednesday night.

What happens now? Freezing temperatures are complicating rescue efforts, with forecasts predicting lows of 30°F through the night, further challenging first responders working in the Potomac River. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters early Thursday that efforts will be made to preserve evidence for an investigation into the incident. Reagan National Airport will remain closed until at least 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Deeper reading Plane Crash Live: 19 Bodies Recovered After Jet Collides With Helicopter

The rundown: President Donald Trump has criticized the pilot involved in a recent midair collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C., that left a number of people dead. Read his full remarks.

Why it matters: In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the situation "should have been prevented" and described it as "NOT GOOD." According to The Associated Press, citing radio transponder data, the plane was inbound about 400 feet in the air and traveling about 140 mph when it suddenly "suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River." The transponder stopped dispatching data at less than 3,000 feet from the runway, the AP added. Radio communications indicate that air traffic control at the airport informed the helicopter about the approaching plane and asked the pilots to confirm visual contact, following standard procedure.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Audio Captures ATC Conversation With Black Hawk Pilot

TL/DR: At least 19 bodies have been recovered from the scene.

What happens now? First responders are searching for survivors in the Potomac River. The operation is likely to take days, authorities said.

Deeper reading Trump Blasts Helicopter, Control Tower in DC Plane Crash

The rundown: At least 12 people pardoned by President Donald Trump in his first and second terms in the White House have since been rearrested by the police. Here's what it means.

Why it matters: Trump pardoned 238 people in his first term, and has already pardoned more than 1,500 Capitol rioters following his reelection, as well as seven people involved in blockading a Michigan abortion clinic in 2020. At least 10 people pardoned between 2016 to 2021, and two people pardoned last week were charged again on new crimes after their presidential release from prison, and a third Capitol rioter remains on the run from police due to a prior warrant. January 6 participant Matthew Huttle was fatally shot by an officer after allegedly resisting arrest at a traffic stop in Indiana.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Trump Picks Jan 6 Rioters' Lawyer to Lead Office That Prosecuted Them

TL/DR: Combating crime is seen as important to 92 percent of Americans, per a recent YouGov poll, and Trump ran in both 2016 and 2024 on a platform of law and justice.

What happens now? Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has warned of more violence from released Capitol rioters, including members of the Proud Boys, Three Percenters, and Oath Keepers militia groups.

Deeper reading Donald Trump Pardon Recipients Are Being Charged With New Crimes

The rundown: Hamas has released Israeli soldier Agam Berger, 20, to the Red Cross in Gaza, marking the first of eight hostages set to be freed as part of an ongoing ceasefire between Israel and the group. Dive in here.

Why it matters: The Israeli hostages include Berger, civilian Arbel Yehoud, 29, and 80-year-old Gadi Moses. Five Thai nationals are also set to be freed, though their names have not been disclosed. Yehoud's release was a point of contention, with Israel accusing Hamas of delaying her freedom, briefly disrupting ceasefire agreements. Meanwhile, Israel is set to release 110 Palestinian prisoners, including Zakaria Zubeidi, a former militant leader involved in a 2021 jailbreak. The temporary ceasefire has provided a reprieve from hostilities, allowing for hostage exchanges and humanitarian relief efforts. However, the situation remains fragile, with both sides maintaining hardline stances.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Israel Arrests 12 in East Jerusalem Over Hamas Ceasefire Celebrations

TL/DR: The release comes as part of a broader prisoner exchange that will see two more Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals freed in return for Israel's release of 110 Palestinian prisoners.

What happens now? The first phase of the ceasefire is set to last six weeks, during which 33 hostages will be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has confirmed that eight of the hostages in this phase are deceased. If a second-phase deal is not reached, the war could resume in early March, with Israeli hardliners already calling for renewed military action.

Deeper reading Hamas Begins Hostage Releases

The rundown: DeepSeek poses serious questions to the future of President Donald Trump's approach to artificial intelligence (AI), experts told Newsweek. Get their insights.

Why it matters: The launch of the Chinese AI chatbot came just a few days after Trump announced Stargate, a $500 billion project designed to preserve the U.S.'s control over the AI industry. The Stargate plan was to unite the biggest American names in the industry, like SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle and MGX. However, Stargate may now be playing on the defensive after DeepSeek threw ChatGPT's status as the top chatbot into question by producing similar results with a fraction of the infrastructure. Jasmine Sayyari, creator of the Chanci AI career platform, said that Trump's potential acceleration of AI development could have big ramifications for the wider job market.

Read more in-depth coverage:
White House Breaks Silence on Elon Musk After Stargate Comments

TL/DR: Stargate was meant to maintain U.S. dominance over artificial intelligence, spending a $500 billion investment over four years and creating thousands of jobs in the industry.

What happens now? The launch of DeepSeek will continue to have lasting ramifications for the U.S. artificial intelligence industry, with some of the largest companies in the space suffering on the stock market.

Deeper reading What Chinese DeepSeek AI Means for Donald Trump's Stargate Plans