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FAA 'permanently restricting' Washington helicopter traffic after fatal midair collision near DC airport

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FAA 'permanently restricting' Washington helicopter traffic after fatal midair collision near DC airport


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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday said it is “taking a series of steps” to improve safety near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) after a deadly Jan. 29 midair collision between a commercial plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River that killed 67 people.

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The new guidelines come after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended the closure of a helicopter route near DCA Tuesday.

NTSB Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said the location of helicopter Route 4 and the final approach path to DCA runway 33 was an “intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chance of a midair collision.”

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said there were a number of potential errors that led to the Jan. 29 crash. (Pool)

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After the directive, the FAA announced in a statement Friday it is “permanently restricting non-essential helicopter operations around DCA” and “eliminating helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic.”

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It will also permanently close Route 4 between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge and evaluate alternative helicopter routes as recommended by the NTSB.

“If a helicopter must fly through the airspace on an urgent mission, such as lifesaving medical, priority law enforcement or presidential transport, the FAA will keep them specific distances away from airplanes,” according to a statement from the FAA.

A U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. (Patryk Ogorzalek/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via Reuters, File)

The FAA will also prohibit the simultaneous use of runways 15/33 and 4/22 when helicopters conducting urgent missions are operating near DCA, according to the statement.

The deadly crash, which happened during an Army “flight check,” killed 67 people. There were no survivors.

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A subsequent NTSB investigation revealed the helicopter’s crew members may not have known they were flying too high and may not have heard critical messages from air traffic control before the fatal wreck.

Wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Jan. 30. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

In addition, the military’s use of “visual separation” was criticized, with some alleging it could have contributed to the disaster.

The FAA announced Friday it will limit the use of visual separation to certain Coast Guard, Marines and Park Police helicopter operations outside the restricted airspace.

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Homendy said helicopters and planes could be as close as 75 feet apart during landing, according to previous reporting. 

Officials said they identified 15,214 instances of planes getting alerts about helicopters in close proximity between October 2021 and December 2024.

NTSB investigators examine the so-called black box recovered from the American Airlines plane that crashed Jan. 29 with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C.  (NTSB)

The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation’s capital.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday said the temporary ban on helicopters near the airport would continue. 

“How did the FAA not know?” Duffy asked about the flow of helicopters near the airport. 

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.



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Iran warns Washington it will retaliate against any attack

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Iran warns Washington it will retaliate against any attack


DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Iran warned President Donald Trump on Sunday that any U.S. attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional U.S. military bases as “legitimate targets”, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told parliament.

Israel is on high alert for the possibility of a U.S. intervention to support a nationwide protest movement in Iran, sources said.

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Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by William Mallard

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Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics

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Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics


The Washington National Opera on Friday announced it is parting ways with the Kennedy Center after more than a decade with the arts institution.

“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a statement.

The decoupling marks another high-profile withdrawal since President Donald Trump and his newly installed board of trustees instituted broad thematic and cosmetic changes to the building, including renaming the facility “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

The opera said it plans to “reduce its spring season and relocate performances to new venues.”

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A source familiar with the dynamic told CNN the decision to part ways was made by the opera’s board and its leadership, and that the decision was not mutual.

A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”

Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who was appointed by Trump’s hand-picked board, said on X, “Having an exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety.”

Grenell added, “Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”

Since taking the reins at the center, Grenell has cut existing staff, hired political allies and mandated a “break-even policy” for every performance.

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The opera said the new policy was a factor in its decision to leave the center.

“The Center’s new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance—a requirement incompatible with opera operations,” the opera said.

Francesca Zambello, the opera’s artistic director, said she is “deeply saddened to leave The Kennedy Center.”

“In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, WNO remains committed to its mission and artistic vision,” she said.

The New York Times first reported the opera’s departure.

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Founded in 1956 as the “Opera Society of Washington,” the group has performed across the district, taking permanent residency in the Kennedy Center in 2011.

The performing arts center has been hit with a string of abrupt cancellations from artists in recent weeks including the jazz group The Cookers and New York City-based dance company Doug Varone and Dancers who canceled their performances after Trump’s name was added to the center – a living memorial for assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

The American College Theater Festival voted to suspend its relationship with the Kennedy Center, calling the affiliation “no longer viable” and citing concerns over a misalignment of the group’s values.

American banjo player Béla Fleck withdrew his upcoming performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, saying that performing at the center has become “charged and political.”

The Brentano String Quartet, who canceled their February 1 performance at the Kennedy Center, said they will “regretfully forego performing there.”

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CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center on the additional cancellations.

The opera said, “The Board and management of the company wish the Center well in its own future endeavors.”

CNN’s Betsy Klein and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.



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Andre Washington’s 20 points help Eastern Illinois take down Tennessee Tech 71-61

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Andre Washington’s 20 points help Eastern Illinois take down Tennessee Tech 71-61


CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) — Andre Washington had 20 points in Eastern Illinois’ 71-61 victory over Tennessee Tech on Thursday.

Washington shot 8 for 13, including 4 for 6 from beyond the arc for the Panthers (5-10, 2-3 Ohio Valley Conference). Meechie White added 13 points and four steals. Kooper Jacobi finished with 11 points and added seven rebounds.

The Golden Eagles (6-10, 1-4) were led in scoring by Jah’Kim Payne, who finished with 11 points. Tennessee Tech also got 10 points from Mekhi Turner.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



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