NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-30-2025 1PM EST

Episode Date: January 30, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Trump is blaming Biden-era diversity policies and lowered standards for last night's plane crash in the Washington, D.C. area. The FAA says people with severe disabilities are most underrepresented segment of the workforce and they want them in and they want them. They can be air traffic controllers. I don't think so. Trump connecting DEI policies rolled back under his executive actions with a midair collision at Reagan National Airport between an American Airlines regional jet from Wichita,

Kansas and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. Trump concedes that night vision equipment may have interfered with the Army helicopter pilot's sight. Authorities say all 67 people from both aircraft are presumed dead. The recovery operation is still underway in the Potomac River. Meanwhile, Wichita leaders are expected to hold a community prayer this hour for victims of the crash. Celia Hack of member station KMUW brings us the latest reaction from Mayor Lilly Wu. Wu said Wichita is grieving.

We have been told that there are no survivors. We mourn with all those who have been impacted. This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, D.C. and Wichita, Kansas forever." Wu said the city will not share any information about the passengers who were on the flight until families have been contacted. For NPR News, I'm Celia Hack in Wichita. Flights are beginning to take off and land again at DCA. NPR's Windsor-Johnston is at the American Airlines Terminal. Inside the terminal business is slowly resuming but the lines are short and the departure board

shows dozens of American Airlines flights have been canceled for today. Passengers are getting on some flights though. I spoke with one man who said he's nervous about boarding his flight without knowing exactly what caused last night's fatal collision. Another passenger said she can't stop thinking about the families who lost their loved ones in the crash. But all around, the mood here is unusually quiet for what's normally an extremely busy airport in the D.C. area. That's NPR's Windsor Johnson reporting from Reagan National Airport. In other news, Senate confirmation hearings are being held today for President Trump's

PICS-4 FBI Director, Cash Patel, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. One of the questions surfacing at Gabbard's hearing is whether Edward Snowden, the contractor who leaked classified information, is a traitor. She answered, he broke the law. Meanwhile, Patel was questioned about whether he would have an enemy list of Trump's adversaries. He denies such a list exists and maintains that the FBI will not be politicized. This is NPR News. The U.S. economy grew 2.3 percent in the October to December period, slowing down a bit from

about 3 percent growth in each of the previous two quarters. That was also a little lower than expectations, though it's still a decent number that showcases how former President Biden has left behind a fairly healthy economy with continued consumer spending for the most part, and a resilient labor market. This week's Billboard charts are out and a posthumous album is making a splash. NPR's Stephen Thompson has details. While he was alive, Mac Miller released a string of top 10 albums, six in all.

In the years following his death in 2018, Miller hasn't lost his impact on the Billboard charts. His first posthumous album, Circles, hit the top five back in 2020. Five years later, Miller's estate released a follow-up album. It's a project the late rapper worked on more than a decade ago, but shelved for years. It's called Balloonerism. Fans' appetite for Mac Miller's music hasn't waned. Balloonerism enters this week's Billboard album chart at number three, behind only Bad Bunny and SZA. Stephen Thompson, NPR News. Brussels Airport is reporting that air traffic over Belgium is getting back to normal. This morning it posted on the social media platform X that Belgian airspace was closed

due to a technical problem at air traffic control. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.