Disaster

The Telegraph reports: More than 30 casualties have been brought ashore after a cargo vessel collided with an oil tanker in the North Sea. Some crew members are yet to be accounted for with both vessels ablaze off the coast of east Yorkshire. A Coastguard helicopter and other aircraft were deployed alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes to …

CNN Science reports: A SpaceX Starship spacecraft, the upper portion of the most powerful launch system ever built, exploded during its eighth test flight Thursday, disrupting air traffic and marking the second consecutive failure for the vehicle this year. The uncrewed Starship mission lifted off at 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas, with …

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Friday afternoon said she met with and removed LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley “effective immediately.” “Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department, I have removed Kristin Crowley as Fire Chief,” Bass said in a statement. “We know that …

The Minnesota Star-Tribune reports: Delta Air Lines is offering to pay $30,000 to each passenger of Delta Connection Flight 4819, which crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday afternoon. The Atlanta-based airline confirmed the amount Wednesday afternoon. Spokesperson Morgan Durrant said in an email the Delta Care Team is telling customers the money is a gesture that comes …

Newsweek reports: New footage of the Toronto plane crash has revealed the moment that Flight 4819 caught fire on the runway of Pearson Airport and flipped over. In the video, the plane can be seen approaching the runway for touch-down, before sliding off its landing gear and catching fire. Authorities have not yet identified the reason for the crash. Passengers …

The New York Times reports: Staffing at the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” according to an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration safety report about the collision. The controller who was handling helicopters in the airport’s vicinity Wednesday night was also instructing planes that were …

The Hill reports: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he has grounded the Army battalion involved in the operation of the Blackhawk helicopter with three soldiers that crashed into a passenger plane with more than 60 people on Wednesday night. Hegseth, in a video released by the Defense Department Thursday morning, said the 12th Aviation Battalion had been conducting an annual …

The Washington Post reports: Officials believe that all passengers and crew onboard American Eagle Flight 5342, which collided midair Wednesday evening with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport, were killed, and are pivoting search-and-rescue teams to recovery operations. “At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly said …

The Daily Beast reports: American Airlines CEO Robert Isom released a video in the aftermath of Wednesday night’s crash above the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport, expressing “deep sorrow” over the ongoing tragedy. “This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, …

The Washington Post reports: Rescuers are combing the Potomac River in search of survivors of American Eagle Flight 5342, which collided midair Wednesday evening with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport, sending both aircraft crashing into the water. No survivors have been found, and police have pulled bodies from the water — even as the deep, ice-cold …

CBS News reports: A fire engulfed a hotel at a ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday, killing at least 66 people and injuring 32 others, the interior minister said. Witnesses said desperate guests had tried to escape using ropes, and video showed bedsheets hanging from the windows. Media reports suggested some people had died after trying to jump to …

The Hill reports: Insurance giant State Farm has canceled a Super Bowl ad that was set to air during the big game in February — in part, it said, over the raging wildfires in California. “Our focus is firmly on providing support to the people of Los Angeles. We will not be advertising during the game as originally planned,” a …

Bloomberg News reports: As the smoke clears from devastating Los Angeles wildfires, efforts to clean up the affected areas are being complicated by burnt-out electric and hybrid vehicles and home-battery storage systems. Lithium batteries from Tesla Inc. have added to the mix of toxic materials requiring specialized removal in the wake of the fires, delaying the fire victims’ return to …

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: The biggest names in pop, rock and country are coming together to raise funds for victims of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires and assist with the recovery. A benefit concert, FireAid, will take place on Jan. 30 on two stages, one at Intuit Dome and the other at The Kia Forum, organizers announced on Thursday. …

The Washington Post reports: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will take the lead in determining the origin and cause of the Pacific Palisades fire, the agency said Saturday. “Certified fire investigators have been on scene and will continue to work in conjunction with state and local investigators to determine the cause of this tragic event,” ATF said …

Axios reports: A fresh Los Angeles wildfire that ignited in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night is threatening homes and iconic L.A. landmarks, and it’s prompted authorities to issue expanding evacuation orders. The rapidly growing Sunset Fire that’s threatening Hollywood landmarks along with homes was one of multiple fires burning out of control across Los Angeles County into Thursday morning. …

ABC News reports: At least two people are dead and many more injured as several fires broke out across Southern California amid historically dry and windy conditions. Tens of thousands were evacuated as more than 15,000 acres burned in the Palisades Fire. At least 1,000 structures are estimated to have been destroyed in the fire. Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire — …

Via press release from the White House: Under President Biden’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking significant actions to support state and local response efforts for the wildfires in Los Angeles, California. As the fires continue to devastate communities, President Biden is focused on mobilizing life-saving and life-sustaining resources across the region. The President is closely monitoring ongoing response efforts …

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: Tens of thousands of residents in the western Los Angeles area were under mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday evening as a wind-driven wildfire exploded in size and swept through communities in the Pacific Palisades. The Palisades Fire was first reported around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive. By evening, the …

The Associated Press reports: Emergency crews arrived to a chaotic and gruesome scene in a Honolulu neighborhood after a large New Year’s firework tipped over after being lit and ignited a fiery, shrapnel-studded blast that killed three people and injured more than 20 others, several of them critically. Two women died at the scene and a third woman died at …