☕ Air disaster in DC

It’s Thursday.

We’re waking up to an evolving situation in the nation’s capital, where crews are still searching the Potomac River after a shocking air crash last night. We’ve broken down what you need to know below - but check back in tomorrow for further updates.

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Some headlines from this morning:

🛬 A wide-scale emergency response is underway near Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, DC, after Black Hawk military helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet collided midair. Fatalities have been confirmed, but exact numbers are yet to be released. It’s believed 64 people were on board the plane when it crashed into a nearby river, where search and rescue efforts are continuing amidst freezing conditions. Meanwhile, the Military has confirmed a helicopter carrying three of its soldiers was involved in the crash.

⚙️ The Trump administration has withdrawn an order freezing the provision of funding to federal agencies just one day after a federal Judge temporarily blocked its operation. The order, made on Tuesday, caused mass confusion amongst government agencies, with many officials essential funding for schools, housing and health care was being stripped. The administration stressed that although the memo was rescinded, President Trump’s orders requiring federal agencies to thoroughly review federally funded programs remained in place, and would be rigorously enforced. 

😷 Robert F Kennedy Junior, Trump’s nomination for Secretary of Health, faced questions from the Senate during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Kennedy walked back his past statements which refuted the safety and efficacy of vaccines, insisting he was now in favor of them. Kennedy also refused to endorse universal health care as a human right, reassured the Senate he would not ban processed foods and indicated support for doctors who conscientiously object to performing abortions. A vote on Kennedy’s appointment is set for sometime next week.

⛓️ President Trump signed a memorandum on Wednesday directing the Department of Immigration to expand part of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to hold up to 30,000 undocumented migrants. Guantanamo, known for holding terrorist suspects post-9/11, currently has a small migration detention facility. Officials insist the expansion will house “the worst of the worst.” Trump hinted at the plan earlier in the day when signing the Laken Riley Act, which mandates that undocumented migrants accused of crimes be detained in prison while awaiting trial or deportation.

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Karoline Leavitt hosted the first White House press briefing of President Trump’s second term, debuting as the youngest Press Secretary in history. In her first week, the 27-year old challenged legacy media, insisting they would no longer be favored in the briefings.

Who is Karoline Leavitt, and what is a Press Secretary?

Leavitt began her political career working as an aide in Trump’s first administration and running (unsuccessfully) as the Republican congressional candidate for New Hampshire in 2023.

Most recently, Leavitt worked as the Press Secretary for the Trump-Vance campaign and for the transition team.

Leavitt was embroiled in some controversy when, after losing her bid for New Hampshire, the Federal Election commission revealed she had not refunded over $210,000 of campaign donations, breaching federal election law.

The White House Press Secretary is the primary spokesperson for the President, communicating on behalf of the office to national and international media. They also often advise the President and other senior members of the administration on public messaging and communications strategy.

The rotating ‘new media’ seat

White House press briefings typically assign seats by news organization, with front-row journalists allowed seven to eight questions and those in the back row limited to one.

One of the front seats is usually reserved for internal White House press staff, but it has been reassigned as a rotating ‘new media seat’. Explaining the move, Leavitt said the seat is available to “anyone in the country” making “legitimate news content”, with Leavitt’s staff to review and approve applications for the seat.

Wider trends

The changes to the White House Press briefing heralded by Trump’s new Press Secretary were justified by reference to a survey from Gallup which indicated American's trust in legacy media had fallen to an all-time low.

Leavitt said the Trump White House will adapt to the new media landscape, claiming: “Millions of Americans … consume their news from podcasts, blogs, social media and other independent outlets.”

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The United Nations has warned the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is on the brink of a regional war, amid escalating violence in the city of Goma.

A rebel group called M23 took control of the city this week, cutting off access to main roads and the airport. Other nations and the UN have accused Rwanda of backing M23, which the country’s government denies.

While the total number of wounded and dead is unknown, casualties include civilians and UN peacekeepers.

It’s the latest stage in a long, complex conflict.

The DRC

The DRC is a central African nation which borders several others, including Rwanda. It is rich in natural resources, but its people live in extreme poverty, mainly due to hundreds of years of Western colonisation and exploitation.

Ongoing violent conflict in the late 1990s and early 2000s related to ethnic tensions in the region further destabilised the DRC.

In 1994, extremists from a Rwandan ethnic group called the Hutus mounted a genocide against another group, the Tutsis. The genocide was also perpetrated against some Hutus.

Many Hutus who were not involved with the genocide fled across the border into the DRC. Following a war, Tutsis took control of Rwanda’s government and soon invaded the DRC on the grounds of self-defence.

The Tutsis were joined by troops and militias from other countries in back-to-back wars in the DRC from 1996-97 and 1998-2003.

Conflict

The violence this week has centred on the city of Goma, on the DRC’s border with Rwanda.

A rebel group called M23, made up of Tutsi extremists, pushed into Goma and cut off the main roads and the airport.

This has made it impossible for civilians to flee the city. Many people in the city fled there in hopes of safety from its outskirts during M23’s violent push.

M23 have seized Goma once before, in 2012. After the U.S. and UK pulled funding from the Rwandan Government, the group relinquished the city.

Now, the UN and representatives from countries including France allege Rwandan troops are helping M23 secure Goma again. It’s believed control of the city will give Rwanda more power over key trade routes along the border.

Rwanda has said it is defending itself from Congolese militias on the border.

Violence

UN staff have alleged M23 have opened fire on patients at hospitals, and left dead bodies in the streets.

The militia bombed a maternity hospital, killing pregnant women and newborns.

A UN official working in the DRC, Vivian van de Perre, said the organisation’s bases were overloaded with refugees and had been bombed, damaging the water system.

“The degree of suffering that the population here in Goma and its environs is enduring is truly unimaginable,” van de Perre said.