D.C. Air Collision: Controller Left Early

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the American Airlines flight that was struck by a Black Hawk military helicopter as it was landing in Washington D.C. Wednesday. Investigators have recovered both aircraft's flight data and cockpit voice recorders.

As reported earlier, Reagan National Airport’s air traffic control tower has been understaffed for years, with only 19 certified controllers as of September 2023—well below the FAA’s target of 30. The report coincides with a lawsuit alleging the FAA discriminated against air traffic controller applicants based on race, particularly during the Obama administration when 1,000 applicants were rejected because the demographic makeup was “too white.”

On Wednesday night, an air traffic controller was assigned to handle both helicopter and airplane traffic before the deadly collision occurred. Normally, these duties are separated until 9:30 p.m., but on this night, one controller was allowed to leave early, according to new reports. An FAA preliminary safety report highlighted that the staffing was not typical for the time of day and the volume of traffic at the airport.

The Black Hawk was flying too high and off its approved path before colliding with the American Airlines flight. Despite an air traffic controller's warning, the pilot acknowledged the proximity but failed to avoid the crash. Additionally, we still don’t know the names of the helicopter pilots operating the Black Hawk before the crash.

ALSO…

Another airplane tragedy struck last night when a plane crashed in Philadelphia. The plane was a medical air ambulance carrying six people, all of whom died. Two travelers were a mother and young daughter, both Mexican nationals. The young girl had received life-saving medical treatment and was heading back to Mexico. The flight nosedived shortly after takeoff. It remains unclear if there were casualties on the ground, but multiple homes were burned down from the jet fuel and explosion. The fall from the sky was captured on numerous video cameras, and the footage is devastating.

In California, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dramatically increased the amount of water flowing from two dams in Tulare County, sending massive flows down river channels toward farmlands in the San Joaquin Valley. Federal records show that water releases from Terminus Dam at Lake Kaweah and Schafer Dam at Lake Success jumped early Friday morning.

The sudden increase occurred four days after President Trump said on social media that the U.S. military had “entered” California and “TURNED ON THE WATER.” Trump also vowed during a visit to Los Angeles last week to “open up the valves and pumps” in California to deliver more water.

According to federal data, the flow from Terminus Dam into the Kaweah River near Visalia increased from 57 cubic feet per second to more than 1,500 on Friday morning. The flow from Lake Success near Porterville into the Tule River increased from 105 cubic feet per second to 990.

Today, Trump is expected to move forward with placing 25% tariffs on Mexican products as he looks to pressure the Mexican government to do more to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Trump is also expected to hit Canada with 25% levies and impose a 10% tax on Chinese imports.

In my opinion, Trump NEEDS to place the tariffs on Mexico. As a nation, we are losing so much money and life due to the free flow of illegal aliens, and the nonstop flow of killer drugs into our neighborhoods. Mexico needs to be held accountable, and it must be forced into playing a role to end the border crimes it profits from daily. Yes, tariffs may cause you to pay a bit more for some items, but in the end the math will work in your favor. The money you will save on not having to pay for the lives of illegal aliens is beyond calculation. And if we save even one American from dying from a fentanyl overdose, the tariffs will be a success.

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MORE ON TRUMP

• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt held her second briefing, addressing Senate confirmation hearings for Trump’s Cabinet nominees and the mid-air crash that killed 67 at Reagan National Airport. She was poised and in total control of the press.
  

• Trump's special envoy, Richard Grenell, traveled to Venezuela to demand Nicolás Maduro accept deported criminals, including Tren de Aragua gang members, and release American hostages. Maduro complied, agreeing to release six hostages and take back deportees.
  

• Trump critic, California Gov. Gavin Newsom received a recall petition this week, led by the group Saving California, with 105 signatures—more than double the required 50.
  

• President Trump met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to discuss AI, semiconductor manufacturing, and the power needed for AI model training.
  

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Trump’s bid for Greenland is “no joke,” citing its strategic importance for shipping, energy, and security against China in the Arctic.
  

• Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem halted federal grant funding to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), stating they’ve been acting as a "shadow government" that aids illegal immigration by helping aliens cross the U.S. border.
  

• Federal employees were ordered to remove pronouns from email signatures and grant applications under Trump’s executive orders to remove diversity and equity programs.
  

• The Trump administration’s Department of Education is investigating Denver Public Schools for converting a girls’ restroom into an 'all-gender' facility, leaving one school with only a male restroom on its second floor.
  

• Sec. of the Interior, Doug Burgum has stated one of his first policy goals will be to dismantle the Interior’s support for offshore wind power development and instead focus on oil production.
  

• Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has initiated a new media rotation program to redistribute workspace among its resident press corps. Outgoing media outlets include The New York Times, NBC News, NPR, and Politico, which are set to be replaced by The New York Post, One America News Network (OANN), Breitbart, and HuffPost starting February 14, 2025. In addition, Hegseth has directed a cessation of using official Department of Defense resources for cultural identity months, including Black History Month and Pride Month.
  

• Recent ICE enforcement actions across various states have led to the arrest of illegal alien workers, significantly impacting industries reliant on such labor. Construction sites and restaurants, in particular, are experiencing disruptions as workers disappear.

THE CRAZY LEFT

California Democrats planned to approve $50 million for lawsuits against the Trump administration, but after a private 45-minute huddle, they declined to vote on the proposal. Their explanation is a mixed message.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has issued an executive order that prohibits individuals convicted of participating in the January 6, 2021 Capitol protests from employment within any branch of the Illinois state government. Despite Trump's pardons, Pritzker's policy stands firm, leading to debates on its legality and fairness.

Mainstream media star, Chuck Todd, after nearly 18 years with NBC News, has announced his departure from the network. Having served as the host of 'Meet the Press' for nine years before transitioning to an analyst role, his exit marks the end of a significant chapter in his career.

Liu Lijun, a Chinese graduate student at UCLA, had her student visa revoked in connection with her involvement in organizing pro-Palestine protests. This action follows an executive order signed by President Trump aimed at deporting non-citizens who support certain protest activities.

J.D. VANCE

Vice President J.D. Vance will join Senator Bernie Moreno, Governor Mike DeWine, and EPA’s Lee Zeldin, and Senator Jon Husted in East Palestine, Ohio next week to mark two years since the horrible train derailment that caused toxins to spill.

CONGRESS

Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is facing backlash for urging Democrat supporters to fight President Trump’s agenda “in the streets,” with many accusing him of inciting violent unrest to unfold.

Congressional offices are warning staffers against using DeepSeek, a Chinese chatbot disrupting the U.S. AI market, due to ongoing security and administrative challenges in handling AI advancements.

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