D.C. Plane Crash, Migrant Housing At Guantanamo, January 6th Criminal Records

Summary

Up First from NPR – January 30, 2025

NPR's Up First delivers the most important news stories of the day with insightful reporting and analysis. In this episode, hosts Steve Inskeep and Michelle Martin cover a tragic plane crash over Washington, D.C., President Trump's controversial plan to house deported migrants at Guantanamo Bay, and an investigative report on the criminal records of January 6th defendants who received presidential pardons. Additionally, the show provides an update on the White House's federal spending plans.

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1. Tragic Plane Collision Over Washington, D.C.

Overview: A devastating collision occurred in the skies over Washington, D.C., involving an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. The incident resulted in the crash of both aircraft into the icy Potomac River, leading to significant loss of life.

Details of the Incident: At [00:03], host Steve Inskeep introduces the breaking news: "A passenger jet collided with a military helicopter in the skies over Washington, D.C." Michelle Martin adds at [00:08], "Rescuers are searching the icy Potomac river for survivors."

Rescue Efforts: John Donnelly, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief, provides a detailed briefing at [03:43]:

"First responders were on the scene within 10 minutes... about 300 first responders were involved in search and rescue operations in icy water that was about eight feet deep."

Joel Rose from NPR underscores the challenging conditions for rescuers at [03:38]:

"The water is dark, it is murky, and that is a very tough condition for them to dive in."

Casualties and Impact: The crash involved American flight number 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, with 64 people on board, including 60 passengers and four crew members, colliding with a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers. Joel Rose emphasizes the severity:

"These recordings could be a focus for investigators as they try to understand... the worst aviation disaster in U.S. airspace in at least 15 years." ([05:55])

Statements from Officials: Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran expressed their sorrow and connected the tragedy to the local community. John Donnelly adds the somber note at [04:53]:

"This flight know their family members know somebody."

Ongoing Investigation: As of [05:20], the National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation to determine the cause of the collision, focusing on communication between air traffic controllers and the involved aircraft.

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2. President Trump’s Plan to House Migrants at Guantanamo Bay

Overview: President Trump announced intentions to utilize the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to house up to 30,000 deported migrants. This plan aims to create a temporary transit facility for migrants expelled from the United States.

Details of the Proposal: At [06:12], Michelle Martin introduces the topic:

"President Trump says he plans to use a migrant holding facility at the US Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to house up to 30,000 migrants deported from the United States."

Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, elaborates during a Fox News interview at [08:04]:

"This is not the camps. ... This is a temporary transit where we can house thousands and tens of thousands if necessary to humanely move illegals out of our country where they do not belong."

Facility Capacity and Condition: Sasha Pfeiffer from NPR clarifies that the existing migrant detention area is separate from the military prison and has been mostly empty for years. However, the current facilities do not accommodate 30,000 individuals. Defense Secretary Hegseth mentions the possibility of using alternative spaces such as a golf course on the naval base to expand capacity to 6,000 migrants ([08:53]).

Logistical and Financial Considerations: The plan would require substantial investment for construction, staffing, and transportation of migrants. At [09:13], Pfeiffer notes:

"The administration did not give a dollar figure... homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said only that money would be appropriated by Congress for that."

Legal and Operational Challenges: The proposal faces potential legal battles and requires congressional approval for funding. Additionally, details on the definition of "temporary transit" and the duration of detention remain unclear.

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3. Investigative Report on January 6th Defendants’ Criminal Records

Overview: An NPR investigation reveals that dozens of individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol riot, who received presidential pardons from Donald Trump, had substantial prior criminal records. This raises questions about the blanket nature of the pardons.

Findings: At [10:11], Steve Inskeep highlights:

"The president gave blanket clemency to all January 6th defendants, regardless of whether they violently assaulted police on that day."

Tom Dreisbach, the investigative correspondent, presents specific cases at [10:37]:

"One example... Matthew Huddle... had a lengthy criminal record, including for drunk driving and physically abusing his child."

Impact of Criminal History: Defendants with extensive backgrounds faced longer sentences before receiving pardons. For instance, Peter Schwartz had 38 prior convictions and received a 14-year sentence for his January 6th actions before being pardoned ([12:13]).

Trump’s Defense of the Pardons: In response to criticisms, Donald Trump stated on Fox News at [12:20]:

"Most of the people were absolutely innocent... It would be very, very cumbersome to go and look... These people have served horribly a long time."

Ongoing Legal Consequences: While the presidential pardons nullify January 6th charges, some defendants still face legal actions for separate offenses. For example, Theodor Middendorf is dealing with charges of sexual abuse independent of his involvement in the Capitol riot ([13:01]).

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4. Update on White House Federal Spending Plans

Overview: The White House appears to retreat from a proposed pause on trillions in federal spending. Initially, a memo attempted to halt funds pending alignment with the president's priorities, but it has since been rescinded.

Details: At [13:34], Michelle Martin reports:

"The White House has apparently backed off a plan to pause trillions of dollars in federal spending."

However, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt clarified that:

"The president's executive orders on federal funding remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented." ([13:49])

Policy Implications: The administration continues to push for the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within government agencies, despite withdrawing the spending pause.

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Conclusion

In this episode of Up First, NPR covers a spectrum of critical issues impacting the nation, from a tragic aviation disaster and contentious immigration policies to the ramifications of presidential pardons for January 6th defendants. These stories underscore the ongoing political and social challenges facing the United States as it navigates complex crises and policy decisions.

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Notable Quotes:

• John Donnelly, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief ([03:43]):

  "First responders were on the scene within 10 minutes... about 300 first responders were involved in search and rescue operations in icy water that was about eight feet deep."

• Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary ([08:04]):

  "This is not the camps... This is a temporary transit where we can house thousands and tens of thousands if necessary to humanely move illegals out of our country where they do not belong."

• Donald Trump ([12:20]):

  "Most of the people were absolutely innocent... These people have served horribly a long time."

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This summary is based on the January 30, 2025 episode of NPR's Up First. For more detailed information, consider subscribing to Up First+ or supporting your local NPR station.

Transcript

[Steve Inskeep]

A passenger jet collided with a military helicopter in the skies over Washington, D.C.

[Michelle Martin]

Rescuers are searching the icy Potomac river for survivors.

[Joel Rose]

The water is dark, it is murky, and that is a very tough condition for them to dive in.

[Steve Inskeep]

I'm Steve Inskeep with Michelle Martin. And this is up first from NPR News. The president says he plans to use the naval base at Guantanamo Bay to house people deported from the United States.

[Pete Hegseth]

This is not the camps. This is a temporary transit where we can plus up thousands and tens of thousands if necessary.

[Steve Inskeep]

Okay. Are the facilities at Guantanamo equipped to hold tens of thousands of people?

[Michelle Martin]

And an NPR investigation uncovers lengthy criminal records for dozens of January 6th defendants who received pardons from President Trump. Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.

[Sarah Levy]

Support for NPR and the following message come from Betterment, the automated investing and savings app. CEO Sarah Levy shares how Betterment utilizes tech tools powered by human advice.

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

Betterment is here to help customers build wealth their way. And we provide powerful technology and complete human support where technology can deliver ease of use and affordability. And the people behind that technology can provide advice and guidance.

[Sarah Levy]

Learn [e-mail] investing involves risk, performance not guaranteed.

[Jon Stewart]

This message comes from Comedy Central's the Daily Show. Jon Stewart and the Daily show news team are kicking off 2025 with brand new episodes covering a brand new administration and a not quite brand new president. While it may feel like history is repeating itself, it's never been covered like this. With Jon Stewart behind the desk kicking off every week. Comedy Central's the Daily show, new weeknights at 11 on Comedy Central and streaming next day on Paramount. This message comes from a 24 with the brutalist nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture starring Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones, directed by Brady Courbet. The Brutalist now playing in IMAX and in theaters everywhere.

[Michelle Martin]

First responders are searching for survivors in the frigid Potomac river this morning after a collision in the skies over Washington, D.C. 's closest airport.

[Steve Inskeep]

A jet was on its way into Reagan national airport and 64 people were on board. The plane followed the path of the Potomac, an experience millions of travelers have had. At some point, if you have a window seat, you can see the monuments of the Capitol below and you know you're almost there. And that is when the plane collided with one of the many other aircraft in the skies over Washington, an Army helicopter carrying three people.

[Michelle Martin]

NPR's Joel Rose has been following developments through a long night and he is with us now. Good Morning, Joel.

[John Donnelly]

Good morning.

[Michelle Martin]

What do we know about what happened?

[John Donnelly]

The collision happened as an American Airlines regional jet was attempting to land just before 9pm local time. This was American flight number 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, on a narrow body plane, a CRJ700 built by Bombardier, with 60 passengers on board and four crew members. It was lining up to land at the airport, as you say, when it collided at low altitude with a U.S. army Black Hawk helicopter. The army says there were three soldiers on board. Footage from a webcam in the vicinity shows a small aircraft, presumably the helicopter, colliding with the passenger jet, followed by a bright explosion before both aircraft then crashed into the Potomac River.

[Michelle Martin]

So we know that search and rescue efforts have been ongoing. What can you tell us about this?

[John Donnelly]

Yeah, first responders were on the scene within 10 minutes, according to D.C. fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly. He said about 300, 300 first responders were involved in search and rescue operations in icy water that was about eight feet deep.

[Joel Rose]

So it's just dangerous and hard to work in. And because there's not a lot of lights, you're out there searching every square inch of space to see if you can find anybody. Divers are doing the same thing in the water. The water is dark, it is murky, and that is a very tough condition for them to dive in.

[John Donnelly]

Donnelly said search and rescue operations would continue this morning and the airport will remain closed until at least 11:00am Joel.

[Michelle Martin]

Is there any word about any survivors?

[John Donnelly]

Authorities would not say at the briefing early this morning, but at this point, there is not a lot of reason for optimism. Both of Kansas's US Senators were at Reagan Airport for a briefing this morning. Senator Roger Marshall called it an unbearable sorrow. Senator Jerry Moran said it was very likely that the senators would. Would personally know some of the people on the plane. I know that flight. I've flown it many times myself. And it is certainly true that in Kansas and in Wichita in particular, we're.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Going to know people who are on.

[John Donnelly]

This flight know their family members know somebody. US Figure Skating has confirmed that several members of the skating community were on board the flight, including athletes, coaches, family members who are returning home after the recent U.S. figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

[Michelle Martin]

Now, of course, the focus here is on trying to find survivors and, you know, perhaps other remains. But is there any indication at this point about what could have caused this collision?

[John Donnelly]

No official word on that yet. You know, it's very early in the investigation. You know, I will say this is highly congested airspace with a lot of helicopters and air traffic at the airport. Investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board are leading this investigation and they will likely be trying to understand the communications between air traffic controllers and the two aircraft, particularly the helicopter. There is some audio recordings of those communications, but what happened here is just not clear yet. Those recordings could be a focus for investigators as they try to understand, you know, what is appears to be the worst aviation disaster in U.S. airspace in at least 15 years.

[Michelle Martin]

That is NPR's Joel Rose. Joel, thanks so much after such a long night. Thank you for your reporting.

[John Donnelly]

You're welcome.

[Michelle Martin]

President Trump says he plans to use a migrant holding facility at the US Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to house up to 30,000 migrants deported from the United States.

[Steve Inskeep]

The president brought this up at a bill signing event. His notion was to detain what he called, quote, the worst criminal illegal aliens. Reusing the famous base is an idea that Trump brought up before his first presidential term, but he never did it. His homeland Security secretary acknowledges the administration would need an act of Congress to spend money on the idea.

[Michelle Martin]

Now NPR's Sasha Pfeiffer has been covering Guantanamo Bay for years and she's here with us in our studios in Washington, D.C. to tell us more about this latest development. Good morning.

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

Good morning, Michelle.

[Michelle Martin]

So, Sasha, look, I think most people when they hear Guantanamo, they think of a prison for suspected foreign terrorists. Like this is where the alleged 911 mastermind Khaled Sheikh Mohammed is held. So are we talking about the same place?

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

We are not. The Trump administration is saying that migrants would not be in that US Military prison detention facility where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is held. They would instead be on the naval base portion of Guantanamo, which is a separate area. And for decades, the naval base has had a detention facility that houses migrants intercepted at sea. They're usually Haitian or Cuban or Dominican. It's been mostly empty for years. So Trump is saying he wants to expand that migrant detention facility to make room for deported migrants.

[Michelle Martin]

So once there, how long would migrants be held there?

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

This came up on FOX News where the Trump administration basically broke this news yesterday. Fox had on Pete Hegseth, the new defense secretary. And Hegseth said the plan is not to hold these migrants indefinitely. Indefinite detention is what is happening at the military prison. Some people there have been held for two decades, more than two decades without being charged. But Hegseth says when it comes to deported migrants, Guantanamo would be a way station, as he called it, until the administration finds other countries to take them. Here he is on fox.

[Pete Hegseth]

This is not the camps. You're not Putting criminals in camps where ISIS and other criminals. This is a temporary transit where we can plus up thousands and tens of thousands if necessary to humanely move illegals out of our country where they do not belong, back to the countries where they came from in proper process.

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

But, Michelle, details are very thin so far, and the Trump administration has not said how it would define what Hegseth called temporary transit.

[Michelle Martin]

Does the existing migrant holding facility at Guantanamo actually have 30,000 beds?

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

Unclear. When Trump first announced this, he said it did, but he later said he plans to expand the facility to full capacity. I spoke about this with the executive director of the center for Constitutional Rights, Vince Warren, and he said this about the current status of Guantanamo's migrant detention operation.

[Pete Hegseth]

There haven't been 30,000 beds in decades.

[Tom Dreisbach]

The facility is decrepit. It's been falling apart. It's in disrepair.

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

He told me he knows that through reports from migrants who've been there. Defense Secretary Hegseth also said a golf course on the naval base would have room for 6,000 deported migrants. So the administration seems to be trying to identify different spaces at Guantanamo that could have room for tens of thousands of people.

[Michelle Martin]

And before we let you go, holding prisoners at Guantanamo has been very expensive over the years. Do we know how much this would cost and where this money would come from?

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

The administration did not give a dollar figure, but you're right. The plan would require construction, food, lodging for people held there, guards or staff to oversee it, money to transport migrants there because Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, said the migrants would be flown there directly. So on cost. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said only that money would be appropriated by Congress for that. She also said ice, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, would run the facility. As for when migrants might start being flown there, they didn't say. There'll certainly be a lot of litigation about this.

[Michelle Martin]

That is NPR's Sasha Pfeiffer. Sasha, thank you.

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

You're welcome.

[Michelle Martin]

We are learning new information this morning about the lengthy criminal records of dozens of January 6th defendants who received pardons from President Trump.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah. The president gave blanket clemency to all January 6th defendants, regardless of whether they violently assaulted police on that day. People got clemency for January 6th even when they had criminal records for other offenses on other dates, such as rape, sexual abuse, and domestic violence.

[Michelle Martin]

NPR investigative correspondent Tom Dreisbach has been digging into the court records. He's here to tell us more about this. Good morning, Tom.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Good morning.

[Michelle Martin]

So what kinds of cases did you identify?

[Tom Dreisbach]

Well, many January 6th defendants had no criminal records at all. But we found dozens of cases where people had a significant criminal history. One example that really sticks out is the case of Matthew Huddle. He pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in the Capitol. And he also had a lengthy criminal record, including for drunk driving. And there's one incident that I should say people listening might find disturbing. Prosecutors said, quote, huddle spanked his three year old son so hard that he left bruises all over the child's backside and the child's neck. And the child had such extreme pain on his backside that he could not sit properly for a week. Then, even after Huddle took part in the Capitol riot, he continued to rack up charges for driving offenses in Indiana. And just a few days after Trump pardoned him for his January 6th case, he actually just got pulled over again by police in Indiana. We don't have a lot of details. It is under investigation, but we know a sheriff's deputy shot and killed him during an altercation.

[Michelle Martin]

So how did these criminal records or did these criminal records affect the January 6th cases?

[Tom Dreisbach]

Well, federal judges always factor in defendants criminal history when they decide on a sentence. One example defendant was Peter Schwartz. Court records indicate he had 38 criminal convictions before he assaulted police with pepper spray on January 6th. And that's one reason he got a really lengthy sentence, 14 years in prison for his January 6th charges. And then Trump pardoned him. So he obviously did not finish that prison sentence. Trump has said in general, these defendants got sentences that were too long. But the White House did not make any distinction between people who had a criminal record and those who did not.

[Michelle Martin]

And I know that Trump has been asked about this. So what has he said about the decision to give clemency to all of the January 6th defendants?

[Tom Dreisbach]

Well, I reached out to the White House. They did not respond. But Trump has made some comments recently on Fox News where he seemed to say that it would have just been too difficult to evaluate all of the January 6th charges individually.

[Donald Trump]

Most of the people were absolutely innocent. Okay. But forgetting all about that, these people have served horribly a long time. It would be very, very cumbersome to go and look, you know how many people we're talking about? 1500 people. Almost all of them are, should not have been. This should not have happened.

[Michelle Martin]

Now, Trump's pardons only apply to the January 6th charges. So are some people still facing some legal consequences for other cases?

[Tom Dreisbach]

Yes. There's an example from a January 6th defendant named Theodor Middendorf. He separately pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a seven year old child. He is facing a lengthy prison sentence in Illinois on that case. Another defendant, David Daniel, is facing allegations that he sexually abused two young girls in his family and possessed child sexual abuse images. He has pleaded not guilty. That case is ongoing.

[Michelle Martin]

That is NPR's Tom Dreisbach. Tom, thank you.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Thank you.

[Michelle Martin]

Here's an update on a story we told you yesterday. The White House has apparently backed off a plan to pause trillions of dollars in federal spending. The administration rescinded a memo that ordered the money to stop flowing while officials determined if it met the president's partisan priorities.

[Steve Inskeep]

Now, after that memo was taken back, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt posted some more on social media. She said, quote, the president's executive orders on federal funding remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented. The president had previously said he wants government agencies to eliminate diversity, equity, inclusion and other efforts he opposes. So apparently that part goes ahead.

[Michelle Martin]

We will bring you more as we learn it. And that's up first for Thursday, January 30th. I'm Michelle Martin.

[Steve Inskeep]

And I'm Steve Inskeep. There's an easy way to stay connected to news and podcasts from the NPR network. It is the NPR app, which I use myself. You hear community coverage from your local station, as well as stories from around the world and podcast suggestions based on what you like. Download the NPR app in your App Store.

[Michelle Martin]

Today's episode of up first was edited by Russell Lewis, Monica Evstatieva, Barry Hardiman, Janae Williams and Ellis Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Budge, Nia Dumas, Claire Murashima and Chris Thomas. We get engineering support from Nisha Hyness, and our technical director is Carly Strange. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow.

[Sarah Levy]

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