Department of Justice cracking down on carjackings in 7 states
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday, April 18, it plans to ramp up efforts to crack down on carjackings across the United States. The department announced the expansion of “Carjacking Task Forces.” The additional units will target areas described as a “public safety threat” in Washington, Oregon, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama.
Department officials said that these task forces have been successful in the past in place like Philadelphia, which reportedly saw a 31% drop in carjackings from 2022-2023. Chicago’s carjackings also dropped by 29% after the introduction of its task force and the District of Columbia saw a drop of 28%.
The initiative will be led by the Offices of the United States Attorneys, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The DOJ said that the initiative will also focus federal resources on “significant carjacking offenders,” in particular, cases where adults use minors to commit car thefts. The department also said that it will be working with local law enforcement to handle juvenile criminals.
These new task forces seek to implement national best practices for stopping car thefts and recovering stolen vehicles. This particular initiative is part of a larger effort by the Biden administration to further prevent and more widely prosecute violent crime.
Biden hosts White House state dinner before trilateral summit
Prominent figures come together at the White House as President Joe Biden hosts a state dinner for the Japanese Prime Minister, and outrage from Democrats over the Arizona Supreme Court’s abortion ruling leads to shouting in the state house. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, April 11, 2024.
Biden hosts state dinner at White House before trilateral summit
The White House is set for the inaugural trilateral summit with leaders from the U.S., Japan and the Philippines on April 11, following Wednesday, April 10, night’s glamorous state dinner hosted by Biden for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Earlier, Biden and Kishida strengthened military and economic ties, agreeing on collaborative defense strategies and Japan’s participation in NASA’s Artemis moon mission.
The alliance between Japan and the United States is a cornerstone of peace, security, prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and around the world. – @POTUSpic.twitter.com/KZ0TJfZOXs
On April 11, Biden meets with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos before the summit, emphasizing Indo-Pacific unity.
3 Injured in shooting at Ramadan celebration in Philadelphia
Three people were injured during a shooting at a Ramadan celebration in Philadelphia on April 10, resulting in five arrests. Police said the incident occurred as about 1,000 attendees gathered in a park and was sparked by gunfire between two feuding groups, with around 30 shots fired.
A 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Four individuals, aged 15 to 21, were arrested while leaving the park, each carrying weapons. Additionally, a 15-year-old boy, who was armed, was shot in the leg by police and is in stable condition; the involved officer has been placed on administrative duty.
A 15-year-old girl also suffered a fractured leg after being struck by a police vehicle responding to the scene. The incident is still under investigation.
Hamas says it does not have 40 hostages for cease-fire trade
Israel believes that of the 130 hostages remaining, at least 30 are dead and the rest are likely held by various factions within Hamas. During a proposed six-week cease-fire, negotiators have recommended that Hamas release 40 hostages, prioritizing women, and sick and elderly men, in exchange for Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
As Hamas faces difficulties in meeting the criteria for releasing 40 women and elderly men, Israel is pressing for the inclusion of younger male hostages and soldiers to complete the initial release group.
Republicans in Arizona House block debate on repealing abortion ban
Republican lawmakers in the Arizona State House halted efforts to repeal a 1864 law, recently upheld by the state Supreme Court, banning abortions except to save a woman’s life.
GOP leaders stopped discussion on the repeal, proposed by Democrats and some Republicans, and adjourned for the week, sparking Democratic outrage. A Democratic representative criticized the court’s “extreme” decision, while a Republican called the Democrats’ actions “extremist and insurrectionist.”
GOP leaders stated the ruling has not yet taken effect and will review the decision for future actions.
Speaker Johnson to meet with former President Trump at Mar-A-Lago
Johnson’s trip to Florida is seen as an effort to demonstrate solidarity with Trump, as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and others challenge his leadership. After threatening to oust Johnson, Greene met with him for an hour on Wednesday.
Additionally, Johnson contends with conservative opposition, spurred by Trump, to extending a key surveillance program. The proposed legislation allows the U.S. to collect, without a warrant, communications of non-Americans abroad for intelligence.
Brothers hit home runs in same inning on Siblings Day
On National Siblings Day, brothers Josh and Bo Naylor, both of the Cleveland Guardians, celebrated memorably by hitting home runs in the same inning during a game against the Chicago White Sox. Josh’s solo home run came first in the fourth inning, followed by Bo’s two-run homer.
Additionally, in the 10th inning, both brothers contributed crucial hits leading to the Guardians’ 7-6 victory — Josh with a game-tying double and Bo with the game-winning single.
WWE WrestleMania 40 expected to bring hundreds of millions of dollars to Philly
WrestleMania 40 has arrived. This year, WWE’s marquee premium live event emanates from the home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field. But the “Showcase of the Immortals” — which has expanded to two nights in recent years — is not the only event in town.
Philly will see a celebration of sports entertainment from various promotions putting on shows for the influx of traveling wrestling die-hards. The Philadelphia Visitors Bureau expects WWE’s multi-day festivities alone to bring in over 200,000 wrestling fans to the City of Brotherly Love.
Larry Needle, the executive director of the Bureau’s Sports Division, told the Philadelphia Business Journal that even though Philadelphia bid on WrestleMania in the past, this was the right time for it to happen.
“The beauty of it for us all as a city is that now we’re going to get WrestleMania in all of its glory… if we did this even five or 10 years ago we would not have the benefit of the WrestleMania as it exists today,” Needle said.
Philadelphia is looking to top Los Angeles in terms of economic impact from the big event; WrestleMania 39 generated $215 million for the LA area, according to a study conducted by Applied Analysis. That topped the $206.5 million generated a year prior for WrestleMania 38 in Dallas. WrestleMania 39 drew nearly 162,000 people to SoFi Stadium with fans from all 50 states and over 60 different countries.
This time around fans took no time to set records. WWE touted WrestleMania 40 broke the company’s all-time gate record in one day, with 90,000 tickets selling in just hours of going on sale in August, surpassing the $21.6 million record set last year.
Straight Arrow News spoke to Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics, the site that looks at the economics of the wrestling industry. Thurston said 50,000 tickets have been sold for each night of WrestleMania, the Super Bowl of sports entertainment.
“WrestleMania is the biggest wrestling event of the year,” Thurston said. “This is the 40th one. It started in 1985. It is the wrestling event that people will know best that is the peak wrestling event… it really started the notion that the entire country and entire world could be watching one wrestling event at one time.”
WWE is currently seeing record financial success, posting revenue of $1.3 billion in 2023, with a rise in attendance and TV ratings. This past week the company spotlighted a rise in the key advertising demo of 18- to 49-year-olds for its weekly programs of “Raw” and “Smackdown,” averaging 733,000 and 892,000 total viewers respectively in the demo for quarter one.
Thurston attributed that to what’s known in the business as “creative,” which means the storylines and characters. Right now there’s no bigger star in wrestling than the biggest star in Hollywood, The Rock, and his on-screen persona, nicknamed “the Final Boss,” is not shy about taking all the credit during his in-ring promos.
“What you’re feeling right now, you’re feeling the energy, you’re feeling the mana because right now professional wrestling is cool,” the former WWE champion told a packed crowd during a recent episode of “Raw.” “Right now the ratings have skyrocketed because of The Rock.”
“They’re getting more money,” Thurston said. “They’re becoming a more profitable company. It’s a flip from what the wrestling business used to be decades ago where it was largely a live event business and it’s really become a business where – we still sell tickets and that’s great to do, but more than ever it’s a media business.
“It’s selling some form of video – whether that’s television programs weekly, whether it’s these big events like WrestleMania that’ll go on Peacock. It’s selling lots of media and they want to do more sponsorships”
WWE has made several deals over the past year: merging with UFC to form the $21.4 billion company TKO, striking a $5 billion deal to send “Raw” to Netflix in 2025, switching “Smackdown” from Fox to the USA Network in October in a $1.4 billion deal; and something that WWE has never done before — selling advertising on its ring mat to Prime Hydration, a sports drink company founded by WWE superstar Logan Paul. The latter is the largest sponsorship deal in WWE history, according to The Wall Street Journal.
There has also been some bad news for the company in recent months. WWE founder Vince McMahon resigned as executive chairman after being accused of sexual misconduct by a former employee. He has denied the allegations. But while the case gave WWE negative headlines, Thurston said it didn’t affect fan engagement in the product. In fact, he said the WWE has benefited from McMahon being removed from the company.
“The popularity of WWE increasing over the last couple of years has a lot to do with Vince being more removed from creative than ever,” Thurston said. “There’s definitely a perception with fans that the product has improved and I think Vince was an impediment to WWE’s creative connecting with fans and making them feel like they were excited for the show and wanted to tune in, spending money and time towards WWE events. And Vince being removed from creative has allowed Paul Levesque and others to step in and produce a show that is more satisfying for more people and more people are excited about.”
Paul Levesque, better known to fans as wrestler-turned-executive Triple H, is now in charge of WWE’s creative direction and what stories are ahead for its biggest stars like Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Rhea Rhipley and Becky Lynch.
“On April 6 and April 7 in Philadelphia, we’re going to take you to a whole new level,” Levesque said at a WrestleMania press conference held in Las Vegas in February. “It is a new time. It is a new era and it is an all-new WWE. And I promise you this, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Thurston said while WWE may have had more mainstream buzz during the Hulkamania era of the 1980s or the edgy Attitude Era that featured Stone Cold Steve Austin of the late 1990s, this era, the TKO era, is the company’s most profitable.
“You can talk about the Attitude Era, yes, it was definitely more popular then,” Thurston said. “Hulkamania era, I would say yes, it was definitely more popular in terms of mainstream awareness and engagement, certainly. But the cable bubble declining and people cutting the cord from cable has caused this demand from TV networks toward their most popular programs which are still what’s keeping the declining cable TV business together. And [two] of the most popular programs on television, if you look at the ratings, [are] WWE “Raw” and “Smackdown.” So that’s what’s really helping them become more profitable than ever.
So who will reign supreme when the final bell rings at WrestleMania 40? Cody Rhodes finishing his story? Or Roman Reigns dominating as the head of the table? That remains to be seen.
But in terms of economic wins, all the numbers point to WWE and Philly, a city known for its storied history, making some more history at WrestleMania.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators interrupt President Biden’s celebrity-packed fundraising event at Radio City Music Hall. And, The Wall Street Journal marks one year of reporter Evan Gershkovich being held in a Russian prison. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, March 29, 2024.
High-profile attendees paid up to $500,000 for perks, including a photo op with the presidents by Annie Leibovitz. The event featured celebrities like Mindy Kaling, Stephen Colbert, Lizzo, and Queen Latifah, blending humor with the presidents wearing aviator sunglasses in homage to Biden’s style.
However, it also faced moments of tension as protesters voiced their opposition to Biden’s support for Israel in the Gaza conflict. Outside Radio City Music Hall, a significant number of protesters clashed with police. The three presidents addressed the Gaza war, advocating for a two-state solution and the protection of civilian lives.
To highlight his ongoing imprisonment, today’s Wall Street Journal front page features a significant blank space with the headline, “His story should be here – A year in Russian prison. A year of stolen stories, stolen joys, stolen memories. The crime: journalism.”
Emma Tucker, the Journal’s Editor in Chief, expressed admiration for Gershkovich’s resilience and humor in the face of wrongful detention in a letter published in today’s edition.
She emphasized the attack on free press rights and the crucial role of journalism in society. A Russian court recently extended Gershkovich’s detention until June 30, without setting a trial date or presenting evidence to support the espionage allegations.
Biden admin. approves $60 million in emergency aid after Baltimore bridge collapse
The emergency funds are designated for debris removal, detour arrangements, emergency repairs, and reconstruction.
45 killed in fiery bus crash in South Africa, 8-year-old survives
An 8-year-old child was the sole survivor of a bus crash in South Africa on Thursday that resulted in 45 fatalities. The bus, transporting worshippers to an Easter festival, veered off a bridge in a mountain pass, plunged into a ravine, and caught fire.
The child, who sustained serious injuries, is currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
Authorities indicate that the crash occurred after the driver lost control of the bus. Search operations for the victims are still underway.
House to submit Mayorkas articles of impeachment to Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives plans to deliver two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on April 10.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and 11 GOP impeachment managers have requested Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to promptly schedule a trial. Impeached federal officials undergo Senate trials to determine their removal.
Mayorkas, impeached last month for allegedly not enforcing U.S. immigration laws and making false statements to Congress, contends he isn’t to blame for the border crisis, attributing it to Congress’ failure to fix a broken immigration system.
Schumer announced that senators will be sworn in as trial jurors after the impeachment articles are delivered. Currently, both the House and Senate are on a two-week recess.
NFL player buys $15k lawn mower after signing record contract
The Eagles, with Dickerson, will kick off their season on September 6 in Brazil, marking the NFL’s first regular season game in the country, where Dickerson is unlikely to bring his new mower.
Biden, Trump make separate visits to southern border: March 1, 2024
In competing visits, President Biden and former President Trump address the crisis at the southern border. And, at least two people are dead in the largest fire in Texas history. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, March 1, 2024.
Biden, Trump make separates stops at Southern border to address immigration
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump made competing visits to the southern border on Thursday, Feb. 29, each addressing the migrant crisis, a pivotal issue for voters as the two frontrunners for their parties gear up for a potential presidential face-off in November.
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Positioned 300 miles apart, both surveyed the U.S.-Mexico border and discussed the record number of migrants illegally crossing into the United States. During his visit to Brownsville, Biden called on Trump to support the Senate’s bipartisan border security bill, which Trump has opposed.
“Here’s what I would say to Mr. Trump,” Biden said. “Instead of playing politics with this issue, instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation, join me, or I’ll join you, in telling the Congress to pass this bipartisan security bill. We can do it together. You know, and I know is the toughest, most efficient, most effective border security bill this country has ever seen.”
Meanwhile, in Eagle Pass, Trump, accompanied by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, blamed Biden for the crisis.
“Now the United States is being overrun by the Biden migrant crime,” Trump said. “It’s a new form of a vicious violation to our country. It’s migrant crime. We call it Biden migrant crime but that’s a little bit long, so we’ll just leave it. But every time you hear the term migrant crime, you know where that comes from.”
A recent Gallup poll indicates immigration has surged to the forefront of American concerns, followed by the government and the economy. The poll found a record high 55 percent of adults view the influx of immigrants entering the U.S. illegally as a critical threat to the nation.
Airman accused of leaking defense info expected to plead guilty
Teixeira faced a potential maximum sentence of 60 years for charges related to the improper handling and public disclosure of national defense secrets. The classified documents he leaked included sensitive information about Ukraine’s air defenses and a foreign plot targeting U.S. troops overseas.
Prosecutors said there was no evidence of espionage, rather, Teixeira wanted to impress people on the site with his insider information. The 22-year-old, who was stationed at an air base in Cape Cod, has been in custody since his arrest last spring at his mother’s home in Massachusetts.
Congress passes stop-gap spending bill to avert government shutdown
Congress passed a short-term funding deal Feb. 29, to prevent a partial government shutdown that was set to begin Friday, March 1. The bill now awaits President Biden’s signature.
The Senate approved the stop-gap measure with a vote of 77 to 13, setting new funding deadlines for government agencies to March 8th and March 22nd. Earlier in the day, the House passed the measure by a vote of 320 to 99.
Investigations are underway to determine if a gas leak or a stove ignited the fire on the first floor of a restaurant, leading to rapid spread throughout the building.
Dozens of firefighters fought for over two hours to bring the blaze under control. Some survivors made their escape by heading to the building’s roof.
Officials warn that the death toll may increase as emergency services have taken around 20 people with critical injuries to local hospitals.
Following this incident, the government has formed a panel to investigate the cause and to develop strategies to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Texas battles Smokehouse Creek Fire, largest in state history
Texas A&M Forest Service Chief Wes Moorehead stated, “As firefighters continue to suppress active fires, we urge Texans to be cautious with any outdoor activity that may cause a spark.”
The Texas Agriculture Commissioner has noted a significant impact on livestock, with thousands of cattle dead and concerns that the numbers could rise.
During his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, President Joe Biden announced he has directed federal officials to do “everything possible” to assist communities affected by the fires. This includes sending more firefighters and equipment.
The cause of the wildfires remains unknown.
Phillies end dollar dog nights after unruly fan behavior
For baseball enthusiasts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an era is coming to an end, but not for reasons like player retirements or stadium demolitions. Rather, it’s about hot dogs.
After 27 years, Philadelphia Phillies fans will no longer enjoy their cherished Dollar Dog Nights, a tradition where hot dogs were sold for just one dollar a few times during the baseball season. The decision to end this beloved promotion comes in the wake of unruly behavior from fans last season, which included throwing hot dogs and led to several ejections from the stands.
Moving forward, the Phillies will replace Dollar Dog Nights with a buy one, get one deal. However, fans looking for budget-friendly hot dog nights can still find them with another Pennsylvania team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, who continue to offer Dollar Dog Nights.
House GOP impeaches Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 14, 2024
In their second attempt, House Republicans vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. And a driver is killed after crashing into the emergency room of a Texas hospital, leaving others critically injured. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.
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The GOP had the votes Tuesday night, Feb. 13, after failing to pass the measure on Tuesday, Feb. 6, thanks to the return of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who had been absent while seeking blood cancer treatment. The articles of impeachment passed by a vote of 214-213, with three Republicans siding with Democrats to oppose impeaching Mayorkas. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said that Mayorkas fueled “the worst border catastrophe in American history.”
While a spokesperson for DHS said the impeachment was done “without a shred of evidence or constitutional grounds.” The issue now heads to trial in the Democrat-controlled Senate, which is unlikely to vote to remove Mayorkas from office.
Tuesday’s vote marked only the second time in U.S. history that the House has impeached a cabinet member. The last time was in 1876.
Democrat Tom Suozzi wins NY election to replace George Santos
Voters battled through a winter storm to make it to the polls. With 93% of the votes in, Suozzi won 54% compared to 46% for Pilip.
Suozzi is returning to the House after giving up his seat in 2022 to run for Governor. He previously served three terms.
Driver dead 5 others injured after vehicle crashes into Austin ER
The driver was killed after crashing into an Austin, Texas, emergency room, while five others were left injured in the incident. Footage taken by a bystander right after the crash happened shows hospital staff and responders clearing the lobby and moving the injured through a cloud of smoke while the sounds of screeching tires continue in the background.
According to police, the crash occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, and does not appear to have been intentional. The crash left five people hurt. Two children and one adult were transported to a local children’s hospital. One of the kids is said to be in critical condition. Another adult was taken to a different area hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries. The fifth person injured was treated on-site at the emergency room.
According to the chief medical officer at the Austin hospital, eight others in the emergency room who were not injured in the crash were transported to other hospitals in the area so the emergency room could regroup after the incident.
Uber, Lyft, Doordash drivers to walk off job, hold rallies at airports
SpaceX postpones launch of private company’s moon lander
If you are looking to see a video of the latest launch of a private company’s moon lander, you’ll have to wait at least one more day. SpaceX is postponing Wednesday morning’s Feb. 13 launch of its Falcon 9 rocket carrying Intuitive Machines of Houston’s robotic lunar lander, Odysseus. SpaceX said a liquid methane temperature issue was the cause of the delay.
The launch is now scheduled for early Thursday morning, Feb. 15, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A Friday, Feb. 16 launch is also possible if another issue arises.
Should this mission be successful, unlike last month’s attempt by another private company, it will be the first American spacecraft to land on the moon’s surface since 1972.
Record spending on significant others expected this Valentine’s Day
It’s Valentine’s Day 2024. While The Beatles famously sang, “money can’t buy me love,” that won’t stop many from spending on their loved ones today. According to the National Retail Federation, people are expected to spend a record $14.2 billion this year on their significant others, or $101.84per person. Total spending is expected to reach $25.8 billion, with an average of $185 per person.
The top gift of choice? Candy, followed by greeting cards, flowers, and an evening out. Over half of Americans said they plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, while about a third of those who aren’t still said they want to mark the occasion by either getting together with single friends or treating themselves to something special.
4 NHL players charged with sexual assault in 2018 Canada case
Four NHL players have been charged with sexual assault in Ontario, Canada, stemming from an alleged assault by members of Canada’s world junior team in 2018. Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames have all taken leaves from their respective teams over the past two weeks.
Attorneys representing the players confirmed the charges on Tuesday, Jan. 30, and said their clients deny wrongdoing. Attorneys representing Hart emailed a statement to ESPN.
“He is innocent and will provide a full response to this false accusation in the proper forum, a court of law,” Hart’s attorneys said.
“We ask that the public respect Mr. McLeod’s privacy, and his family’s privacy,” McLeod’s attorneys said. “Because the matter is now before the court, we will not comment further at this time.”
“Cal is innocent of the charge and will defend himself against this allegation to clear his name,” Foote’s attorneys wrote. “What is most critical at this time is the presumption of innocence, and the right to a fair trial that everyone in Canada is entitled to.”
Former NHL player Alex Formenton turned himself in to police on Sunday, Jan. 28, in connection with the investigation. The NHL opened an investigation into the alleged assault in 2022 but has not made those findings public as of yet.
Team officials echoed similar statements saying that they are aware of the reports. A Flyers spokesperson said they “will respond appropriately to this very serious matter when the outcomes of the investigations are made public.”
2023 US homicide rates fell by record numbers compared to 2022
Despite nationwide concerns about violent crime on the rise in the U.S., newly released data shows a marked decline in at least one type of violent crime. According to preliminary data from law enforcement, the homicide rate in the U.S. is expected to drop by 13% by the end of the year.
“It is historic. It’s the largest one-year decline,” Asher said. “It’s cities of every size, it’s the suburbs, it’s rural counties, tiny cities, it’s large cities. It’s really a national decline.”
According to a recent Gallup poll, more than three-quarters of Americans believe crime rates are worse this year than in 2022.
Fifty-eight percent of Democrats and 78% of Independents believe crime is up. Republicans overwhelmingly believe crime is worse than last year at 92%.
Asher, a former CIA crime analyst, said what news outlets cover and what is seen on social media likely plays a role in American’s perception of crime, which, he added, has been at odds with actual crime data.
Despite what seems like non-stop coverage of crime in the news, 2023 homicide numbers are down by double digits nationwide, including in many major cities like Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Houston and Los Angeles, according to the preliminary data.
While national homicide numbers are down, there are still some outliers. As of this week, numbers show Washington D.C. and Dallas both saw homicides jump this year compared to last.
Fatal Philadelphia news helicopter crash spotlights dangers of chopper reporting
The recent fatal crash of a news helicopter from ABC’s Philadelphia station is putting a spotlight on the dangers news crews face. According to reports, pilot Monroe Smith and photographer Christopher Dougherty were the only two on board when the chopper went down in Washington Township, New Jersey, killing both.
State police discovered the wreckage the early morning of Wednesday, Dec. 20.
The helicopter was a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR, which the station leases from the North Carolina-based company U.S. Helicopters Incorporated.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation.
“Now what my team and I will be doing is we’re going to be on scene for about the next three days,” Todd Gunther, the NTSB Investigator-in-charge said in a press conference on Thursday, Dec. 21. “We’ll be looking at what we call the ‘man- machine-environmental interface,’ and we’ll be looking at anything that may have affected the accident flight or may have been causal.”
The crash of the Philadelphia news chopper is one of several the NTSB has investigated in just the past couple of decades, with the agency determining various causes for the incidents.
In May 2004, a helicopter with New York’s WNBC station was covering a triple shooting in Brooklyn when it spun out of control and crashed onto the roof of an apartment building. In this case, the pilot and a reporter on board survived but suffered serious injuries.
The NTSB concluded a loss in the chopper’s hydraulic system problem led to the crash.
The NTSB determined the probable cause was both pilots failing to see and avoid one another.
In March 2014, a pilot and a news photographer were killed when moments after their chopper lifted from the roof of a Seattle station, it struck two cars and burst into flames.
The cause was a loss of hydraulic boost to the tail rotor and main rotor controls, according to the NTSB.
In September 2017, a veteran TV reporter at an Albuquerque New Mexico station died after the helicopter he was piloting crashed. The NTSB investigation suggested the pilot may have been distracted during the flight.
The local police chief said the pilot was a hero after witnesses saw him seem to maneuver the plane from crashing into the highway.
According to the NTSB, the pilot was training the meteorologist in a simulated news scene at the time.
The NTSB said it will release a preliminary report on the Philadelphia news helicopter fatal crash within the next 10 days, with a final report coming around 18 months later.
In a statement released on Monday, Dec. 4, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates called the protest antisemitic and unjustifiable.
“President Biden has fought against the evil of Antisemitism his entire life, including by launching the first national strategy to counter this hate in American history,” Bates said. “He will always stand up firmly against these kinds of undignified actions.”
The White House’s statement followed one by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, D, who also criticized the protest, calling it a “blatant act of antisemitism and not a peaceful protest.”
“A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli,” Shapiro said. “This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history.”
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel which left 1,200 Israelis dead, the U.S. has seen an increase in both antisemitism and Islamophobic instances and violent attacks.