A coalition of cities and counties in blue states have sued the Trump administration over alleged threats and "illegal targeting" of sanctuary cities.

The plaintiffs include San Francisco and Santa Clara counties in California, King County in Washington, and two cities: Portland, Oregon, and New Haven, Connecticut.

The lawsuit seeks to hvae certain recent executive actions by the Trump administration blocked for being unlawful.

An executive order that President Trump signed on his first day in office directs the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to "evaluate and undertake any lawful actions to ensure that so-called 'sanctuary' jurisdictions, which seek to interfere with the lawful exercise of Federal law enforcement operations, do not receive access to Federal funds."

The lawsuit argues the Trump administration's orders violate several parts of the Constitution, including the due process clause, the separation of powers and the 10th Amendment.

"This is the federal government illegally asserting a right it does not have, telling cities how to use their resources, and commandeering local law enforcement," said David Chiu, the city attorney for San Francisco.

RELATED STORY | Justice Department sues Illinois and Chicago over immigration laws

The new suit comes days after the Trump administration filed a lawsuit of its own against Chicago, alleging that the city's sanctuary laws are used to "thwart" federal immigration enforcement.

That suit, against Illinois, the city of Chicago and Cook County, alleges that local laws obstruct federal immigration enforcement.

The complaint cites President Donald Trumps recent executive order declaring a national emergency at the U.S. southern border and the enactment of the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the detention of certain undocumented immigrants accused of crimes. The lawsuit claims Illinois and Chicago officials maintain policies that shield undocumented individuals from federal immigration authorities.

In a memo obtained by Scripps News, newly confirmed OMB Director Russell Vought announced he has been made the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and will suspend most of its operations.

The CFPB is an independent government agency responsible for rules and oversight that protect the public when working with banks, debt collectors and other financial firms. It sets rules for credit cards, mortgages and student loans to ensure consumers are treated fairly.

At the time of writing, portions of the CFPB's website had been removed and were no longer available.

In the memo, Vought put a halt to nearly all of the agency's work, including investigation, enforcement and rule making. Agency contracting and litigation was suspended and Vought told the agency to cease communication with the public, in accordance with direction from President Donald Trump.

"I am committed to implementing the President's policies, consistent with the law, and acting as a faithful steward of the Bureau's resources," Vought wrote in the memo.

Vought later posted on social media that the CFPB would not receive its next round of federal funding because it was "not 'reasonably necessary' to carry out its duties."

Republicans have repeatedly sought to curb the CFPB's responsibilities and powers, whether by eliminating its budget in Congress or by filing briefs in support of lawsuits that challenge the agency's funding.

RELATED STORY | Senate confirms Project 2025 architect Russell Vought to lead powerful White House budget office

Vought, who was confirmed as the head of the of the White House Office of Management and Budget in a party-line Senate vote last week, is a contributing author to Project 2025, a conservative plan to overhaul the government. That agenda considers the CFPB unconstitutional and also calls for its dissolution.

After bipartisan legislation was introduced to stop DeepSeek from being downloaded on government devices, President Donald Trump called it "a good development" and a cheaper way to utilize artificial intelligence.

The bill, titled the "No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act," is being sponsored by Reps. Darin LaHood, R-Illinois, and Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey.

"The national security threat that DeepSeeka CCP-affiliated companyposes to the United States is alarming," said LaHood. "DeepSeeks generative AI program acquires the data of U.S. users and stores the information for unidentified use by the CCP. Under no circumstances can we allow a CCP company to obtain sensitive government or personal data."

RELATED STORY | Defense Intelligence Agency workers offered buyouts

In a news release, the lawmakers warned of a national security threat, stating that the generative AI program affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party acquires data from U.S. users. If downloaded on federal workers' devices, this could lead to the collection of sensitive information.

The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans. Now, we have deeply disturbing evidence that they are using DeepSeek to steal the sensitive data of U.S. citizens. This is a five-alarm national security fire, said Gottheimer.

The two representatives lead the House National Security Agency and Cyber Subcommittee. The committee had its first hearing of the new Congress on Friday.

RELATED STORY | Trump signs executive order to 'eradicate anti-Christian bias' in government

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

A member of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency has started work at the U.S. Department of Energy, according to a person familiar with DOGE's operations.

DOGE staffers work with their assigned departments as government employees, with the appropriate legal permission and security clearances, the person told Scripps News.

But there are few details at this stage as to what level of access the employee has and what work they are attempting to accomplish at the Department of Energy.

Reporting from multiple outlets which Scripps News has not yet independently confirmed identified the staffer as 23-year-old Luke Farritor, who previously worked as an intern for billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX. He is one of several young engineers identified as working in various capacities for DOGE, which have been reported to include advisory positions and code review of government engineers.

In recent days DOGE has gained access to computer systems and potentially sensitive or classified material at agencies including the General Services Administration, the Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. Treasury, the U.S. Agency for International Development and now the Department of Energy.

RELATED STORY | Congress asks Trump to explain what Elon Musk and DOGE are doing at federal agencies

The Department of Government Efficiency is enabled via executive order from President Donald Trump, charged with "modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." The order directs all relevant government agencies to establish teams of DOGE representatives.

But the scope and murkiness of DOGE's work has triggered repeated questions from lawmakers, lawsuits from government worker unions and nonprofits and mass protests near the U.S. Capitol.

"Given the legal requirements to handle classified, sensitive, and personally identifiable information, we seek a swift explanation of how DOGE personnels intrusion into and access to secure government spaces, data, and information systems comport with U.S. law and national security interests," lawmakers said in a letter to President Trump this week, in which they asked him to explain the specifics of Musk and DOGE's work at federal agencies. "DOGEs current approach appears to pose enormous risks to national security and to the privacy and civil liberties of Americans."

On Wednesday, Democratic members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee attempted to subpoena Musk to answer questions under oath about DOGE's work. Republican members of the committee blocked the motion.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to "protect the religious freedoms of Americans and end the anti-Christian weaponization of government."

President Trump announced the policy at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.

While Im in the White House, we will protect Christians in our schools, in our military, in our government, in our workplaces, hospitals and in our public squares, President Trump said. And we will bring our country back together as one nation under God.

The order appoints Attorney General Pam Bondi to the head of a task force that is charged with rooting out "anti-Christian bias" in the federal government.

"The law protects the freedom of Americans and groups of Americans to practice their faith in peace, and my Administration will enforce the law and protect these freedoms," the order reads. "My Administration will ensure that any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified."

RELATED STORY | Federal judge bars enforcement of Trumps birthright citizenship executive order

President Trump also on Thursday signed an order to place U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court over arrest warrants it issued in 2024 for Israeli leadership, including for Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu and for former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The order freezes the assets of named ICC officials and prohibits them from entering the United States.

The ICC alleges Israeli leadership committed war crimes and crimes against humanity while Israel prosecuted its war against Hamas in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel. The ICC had also issued warrants to arrest Hamas leadership before those members were killed.

The warrants drew criticism from Washington and from Israel, neither of whom are members of the court. The new executive order says the ICC's decision sets a "dangerous precedent."

"This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States Government and our allies, including Israel," the order reads.

President Donald Trump met for hours with House Republican leadership Thursday as Congress works to get traction on a major bill to extend and expand tax cuts and trim other regulations.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the main focus of the meeting would be tax priorities of the Trump administration."

"The president is committed to working with Congress to get this done," Leavitt said.

Lawmakers returning from the meeting were relatively tight-lipped about progress.

"It went great," Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern told reporters. "The president's feeling good, he was very involved, was very helpful. A lot of good work happened today."

Central to the bill is a continuation of tax cuts that were put in place in 2017, during President Trump's first term. He has also envisioned removing taxes on social security, overtime and tips which he campaigned on and expanding the U.S. border security apparatus.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates continued tax cuts would add about $4.6 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade.

RELATED STORY | Congress is taking another bipartisan look at whether to cap credit card interest rates

Republicans have struggled to find consensus on how to achieve those goals, and disagree over what the final price tag ought to be.

In a bid to address those divisions, Senate Republicans have proposed splitting the party's budget goals into two bills: One costing $300 billion for the border and defense spending, which would get its funding from Biden-era energy and environment earmarks; and a much steeper bill to wrangle the spending reductions that would be needed to pay for tax cuts.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has said the House may be able to pass the measures by April but the 218-215 margin Republicans hold will barely tolerate dissenters. Senate Republicans have a slightly more comfortable 53-47 majority.

President Trump, meanwhile, has so far left the specific strategy for his budget goals up to Congress.

Were looking at the one bill versus two bills, and whatever it is, it doesnt matter, Trump said when he returned to the U.S. Capitol early in January, ahead of his inauguration. Were going to get the result.

The NCAA announced an update to its participation policy for transgender student-athletes, aligning with the executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

The executive order instructs the Department of Justice to enforce a ban on those assigned male at birth from competing in female sports categories. Schools that fail to comply with the order may face the loss of federal funding and potential legal action.

RELATED STORY | Trump signs order restricting transgender women from competing in female sports

Under the NCAA's revised policy, the women's category is now restricted to those assigned female at birth. However, the men's category remains open to all eligible student-athletes.

The NCAA stated that the new policy takes effect immediately and applies to all student-athletes, regardless of previous eligibility reviews under the NCAA's former transgender participation policy.

"The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states that collectively enroll more than 530,000 student-athletes. We strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today's student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end, President Trump's order provides a clear, national standard," NCAA President Charlie Baker said.

RELATED STORY | Trump order aims to end federal support for gender transitions for those under 19

The updated policy permits student-athletes assigned male at birth to practice with women's teams, but they are not allowed to compete in NCAA womens sports.

The policy also gives individual schools the discretion to make their own decisions regarding athletic participation on their campuses, as long as they comply with local, state and federal legislation.

Sports with mixed championships, such as rifle, are not affected by the new NCAA policy.

During a congressional hearing in December, NCAA President Baker stated that out of more than 510,000 athletes competing in NCAA sports, fewer than 10 are transgender.

The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Chris Wright to serve as Secretary of Energy in President Donald Trump's administration.

The final vote was 59-38. Eight Democrats, including both senators from Colorado, voted in favor.

Wright, the founder and CEO of Denver-based fossil fuel company Liberty Energy, is known as a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking. He has pledged to cut his ties to the energy industry following his confirmation.

Wright has advocated for increased fossil fuel production to address poverty issues, characterized environmental energy policies under Democrats as a "green new scam" and pledged at confirmation hearings to pursue President Trump's energy agenda.

RELATED STORY | Senate confirms former ND Gov. Doug Burgum as secretary of the Interior

Wright will also serve as a member of a to-be-formed council on national energy priorities.

That group will include "all departments and agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of all forms of American energy," Trump said in a statement when he nominated Wright. "This council will oversee the path to U.S. energy dominance by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the economy, and by focusing on innovation over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation."

A federal judge on Monday issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the Trump administration's planned freeze on federal funding from going into effect.

The ruling is part of a suit brought by a coalition of nonprofits, who have argued that the freeze ordered by the White House's Office of Management and Budget would do "irreparable harm" to their organizations. On Monday, the judge agreed with that claim.

The new order is a legal step above the administrative stay the court had placed on the freeze last week.

RELATED STORY | Judge temporarily puts part of Trumps federal funding freeze on hold

U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan ordered OMB to notify all affected government agencies in writing of the court's temporary restraining order.

"The written notice shall instruct those agencies that they may not take any steps to implement, give effect to, or reinstate under a different name the directives in OMB Memorandum M-25-13 with respect to the disbursement of Federal Funds under all open awards. It shall also instruct those agencies to release any disbursements on open awards that were paused."

OMB's order to freeze federal funds, as originally proposed, would impact a huge swath of federal funds already allocated for things like the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill projects, as well as foreign aid commitments and funding for some non-profit organizations and services.

According to a senior administration official, the federal funding freeze would not apply across the board and would not impact individual payments or assistance, including things like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits for low-income families. Social Security and Medicare payments were also not slated to be impacted.

The judge has ordered the parties in the suit to schedule next steps in the case, which will involve discussion of a potential preliminary injunction, no later than Friday, Feb. 7.

Roses, chocolates, wine consumers are expected to dish out a record $27.5 billion for Valentine's Day this year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said.

That's according to the organization's annual survey that provides insights on holiday spending.

The number is up from last years $25.8 billion and slightly above the previous record of $27.4 billion set in 2020, NRF said.

One factor for the rise in total spending could be that more people are planning to celebrate the holiday this year compared to last year, the survey said.

RELATED STORY | Financial experts share tips to help your accounts stay in the green in 2025

There's also a rise in people who plan to buy their friends a gift for Valentine's Day this year in addition to their loved ones.

Most people will put their money towards candy (56%) followed by flowers (40%), greeting cards (40%), an evening out (35%) and jewelry (22%), the survey found.

On average, shoppers will spend $188.81 on the holiday, the NRF said.

Even if they don't celebrate the holiday, 28% of people said they still plan to mark the occasion in some way, the survey found.

More than 50 senior level employees with the U.S. Department of Education have been placed on paid administrative leave following President Donald Trump's effort to rid the federal workforce of employees associated with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Sources say the Education Department sent letters to employees informing them that their e-mail accounts were being suspended, but ensured workers they would continue to receive their paychecks for an indefinite period. The union representing the workers impacted claims some of those effected have served the department for decades.

RELATED STORY | Presidential Shift: Trump reverses key Biden administration DEI policies

It comes after President Trump, last month, signed an executive order that ultimately reversed multiple Biden administration-era executive orders that promoted DEI within the federal government. President Trump's orders also eliminated several executive orders signed by previous presidents, dating back to Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Trump administration claimed that the Biden administration "embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and radical practices within every agency and office of the federal government."

RELATED STORY | Trump suggests DEI could be to blame for fatal mid-air collision amid ongoing investigation

"The injection of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' (DEI) into our institutions has corrupted them by replacing hard work, merit, and equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy," the Trump administration said in its executive order.

The Trump administration also rescinded a Biden administration order that required federal agencies to consider diversity and inclusion when choosing federal contractors.

"Billions of dollars are spent annually on DEI, but rather than reducing bias and promoting inclusion, DEI creates and then amplifies prejudicial hostility and exacerbates interpersonal conflict," the Trump administration said.

Crews have begun working to remove wreckage from the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, following last week's deadly mid-air collision involving an American Airlines jet and a U.S. military Black Hawk helicopter.

The fatal collision occurred Wednesday near Reagan National Airport, leaving all 67 passengers aboard the two aircraft dead. So far, authorities have recovered and identified the bodies of 55 of those killed in the crash, but remain confident they will find those still unaccounted for.

RELATED STORY | Families visit crash site days after the deadliest US air disaster since 2001

The crash happened as the American Airlines regional jet traveling from Wichita, Kansas was preparing to land at the airport, when it suddenly collided with the helicopter, which was on a training flight.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that it was a clear night and both the jet and helicopter were in a "standard flight pattern" at the time of the crash. Duffy added that he believes the incident could have been prevented, but expressed confidence in flight safety.

The planes passengers included figure skaters returning from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and a group returning from a hunting trip.

RELATED STORY | Black boxes recovered from jet after fatal collision with helicopter

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Baltimore, along with the U.S. Navy supervisor of salvage and diving, are now working together to remove the remnants of the jet. The salvage operation is expected to take about three days to complete.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the proposed tariffs between the U.S. and Canada will be paused for 30 days.

Trudeau posted a statement on X following his conversation with President Donald Trump.

"Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border," Trudeau stated. "In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada- U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering. I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million."

The development came hours after President Donald Trump said he would pause his plan to impose tariffs on Mexico for a month after speaking with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

"It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States," President Trump stated on Truth Social.

The 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports were due to go into effect on Tuesday. President Trump said the tariffs were being imposed because of illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl into the country.

RELATED STORY | What are tariffs and how do they work?

Sheinbaum, meanwhile, described her conversation with President Trump as positive, noting that the U.S. has committed to working to prevent high-powered weapons from entering Mexico.

Conversations between the two countries are expected to continue over the next month. President Trump said they will involve "Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico."

"Mexico is happy, United States is happy," said Peter Navarro, senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for President Trump. "We've got a long way to go. There's a lot of things to be done, but this is the way President Trump negotiates, and you can rest assured that if we do not get cooperation from countries, then, of course, the tariffs will be implemented. We have no other choice. President Trump wants to save American lives."

The 10% tariffs on goods from China are still slated to go into effect on Tuesday.

A medical transport jet crashed shortly after takeoff in the northeast region of Philadelphia Friday. A child patient, a passenger and four crewmembers were aboard, according to a statement from Jet Rescue Air Ambulance.

"Our immediate concern is for the patients family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground," the company said in the statement.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker confirmed that all six people on board were killed. She added that a person on the ground was also killed.

"This is a tragedy in our City. People have lost their lives and many injured in this horrific crash and the damage is significant," she said. "Our prayers are with the families, friends, neighbors and all of those impacted by the tragic crash. We are unified in our approach - a One Philly philosophy with all hands-on deck."

Officials said 19 injuries occurred in nearby parking lots, streets, cars and homes.

"The area of impact, that area is roughly four to six blocks, and we also have debris in remote areas where something happened with the aircraft and that's something we'll need to leave the NTSB to talk about," said Adam Thiel,  managing director who serves as the city's chief operating officer. "So it's a very widespread area and we are still trying to understand the entire scope."

The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time near Roosevelt Mall, an outdoor shopping center.

The crash caused a fire that burned multiple homes and damaged several vehicles, according to fire officials. Photos from the scene show fires in residential buildings sending thick columns of smoke into the air.

Doorbell footage captures moment of plane crash in Philadelphia (Via AP / Jim Quinn)

The crash occurred less than three miles from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport, which frequently serves small planes and business jets. The FAA says the plane was a small business-style jet that was bound for Springfield, Missouri. The FAA put a ground stop in place at the airport following the incident.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he was directing state resources to respond to the crash.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social about the incident on Friday night.

"More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged," he wrote. "First responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow."

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

A federal judge in Rhode Island has placed a temporary restraining order on the Trump administration's planned freeze on federal funds and grants, after a coalition of state Attorneys General sued to block the White House's decision.

Under the new order, disbursement of federal funds to the states must continue while the case proceeds. The judge held that states were likely to suffer irreparable harm if funding was cut off.

"Defendants shall not pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate Defendants compliance with awards and obligations to provide federal financial assistance to the States, and Defendants shall not impede the States access to such awards and obligations," Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. wrote in the order.

RELATED STORY | Judge temporarily puts part of Trumps federal funding freeze on hold

The judge also ruled that the White House's withdrawal of the memo from the Office of Management and Budget that announced the freeze will not change the court's jurisdiction or decision in the case. It likewise prohibits the White House from putting the memo back into effect.

"The evidence shows that the alleged rescission of the OMB Directive was in name-only and may have been issued simply to defeat the jurisdiction of the courts. The substantive effect of the directive carries on," the order read.

The restraining order goes into effect right away and will remain in effect indefinitely, until the court orders otherwise. The judge has directed the state plaintiffs to bring evidence to support their request for a preliminary injunction to a future hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

Three service members aboard an Army Black Hawk helicopter are believed to have died Wednesday when their aircraft collided with a passenger jet near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.

On Friday, the U.S. Army released information on the crew:

Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin OHara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, is believed to be deceased pending positive identification.

RELATED STORY | Court TV reporter remembers childhood friend Staff Sgt. Ryan OHara

OHara began service as a UH-60 helicopter repairer in the Army in July of 2014.

The remains of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, have not yet been recovered. Eaves is therefore listed as on duty status whereabouts unknown.

Eaves served in the U.S. Navy from August 2007 to September 2017. He became a UH-60 pilot for the regular Army in September 2017.

The identity of the third crewmember has been withheld at the request of their family. They are therefore also considered duty status whereabouts unknown.

"Our deepest condolences go out to all the families and friends impacted during this tragedy, and we will support them through this difficult time," said Maj. Gen. Trevor J. Bredenkamp, commander of the Joint Task Force for the National Capital Region/ U.S. Army Military District of Washington. "Our top priority is to assist in the recovery efforts, while fully cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and other investigative agencies to determine the cause of this tragic incident."

RELATED STORY | Investigators begin review of black boxes following deadly mid-air collision

Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation, said the helicopter crew had experience with navigating crowded Washington, D.C. airspace.

"Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasnt something new to either one of them," Koizol said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Loved ones and communities across the country are mourning the 67 lives lost in a mid-air crash that happened just outside of Reagan National Airport between a passenger jet and a military helicopter on Wednesday.

One of those victims on board the Black Hawk helicopter was crew chief Ryan O'Hara, who was a childhood friend of Reporter Cody Thomas with Scripps News' sister network, Court TV.

Thomas said he and O'Hara met at 9 or 10 years old when he transferred to O'Hara's elementary school. He said he was one of the first friends he met at the new school and he welcomed him with open arms into his friend group at the time.

Thomas said he and O'Hara knew each other through high school, where O'Hara joined the JROTC and was determined to join the military after graduating.

"That's what he always wanted to do," Thomas said. "[He] was never in any trouble. Just a real good-natured, good-hearted guy." Thomas said he felt proud to know O'Hara had followed his dreams of joining the service and becoming a hero.

O'Hara had a wife and 1-year-old child.

News of his tragic death was shared in their school's alumni pages on Facebook. Thomas said he never imagined while watching the coverage of the crash that someone he knew was a victim.

"I was like 'wait a minute. That's my old friend, Ryan.'" said Thomas. "It was like surreal. I had to realize that this was real life. I had to take a step back and kind of take a breath and just really process it all."

"It was the tough. It was real tough," he added.

Thomas said it's been difficult to see the way so many people have polarized the tragedy and wanted to immediately place blame.

"I'm not an aviation expert, but I will just go on to say the Ryan that I knew was very attentive. He cared about people. He cared about the work he was doing...He cared about everything that he loved whether that was work or his family," Thomas said. "This just happens to be a very tragic accident...He would not have let something happen on his watch."

Investigators say they have recovered the flight and voice recorder from an Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet on Wednesday outside of Reagan National Airport.

In a Friday news conference, NTSB officials said the agency has recovered the helicopter's single-unit black box and removed it to agency headquarters. It will now be analyzed to begin the data recovery process.

NTSB also says it is confident it will be able to extract all the relevant data from the flight and voice recorders that were recovered from American Airlines Flight 5342 on Thursday. The voice recorder showed signs of water intrusion, officials said, and noted that such damage is not uncommon in cases of water accidents.

The agency is conducting salvage operations on the Potomac River where the aircraft fell. New barges are expected to arrive by Saturday to continue salvage. NTSB says it is working with the Washington, D.C., Medical Examiner's office so that any victims recovered can be immediately taken for identification.

Two distinct debris fields corresponding to the fallen aircraft. Investigation so far has identified large debris from each aircraft that will be recovered and analyzed. NTSB is using an example aircraft with the same configuration as the Bombardier CRJ700 involved in the crash to aid in identification of recovered debris.

NTSB hopes debris from the accident can be recovered in "quick order," so long as the crash site is preserved and victims can be recovered.

Officials believe that despite tricky conditions in the Potomac River, they will be able to recover all 67 bodies of the victims.

D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said Friday that, so far, more than two dozen bodies were pulled from the jet, and one body was recovered from the helicopter.

NTSB officials reiterated on Friday that the agency will not identify any of the victims in is reporting.

"The NTSB will not and has not released a manifest. We have not in our history; we will not in this accident," said NTSB board member Todd Inman. "Any release of that information will come from other individuals or groups."

NTSB expects to produce a preliminary report on the accident within 30 days.

RELATED STORY | Black boxes recovered from jet after fatal collision with helicopter

The crash happened when the jet attempted to land at Reagan National Airport and collided with the Army Black Hawk helicopter, causing both the plane and helicopter to plunge into the river.

The recovery efforts for the crash, which involved 64 people on the plane and three soldiers on a helicopter, were suspended Thursday night but resumed Friday. Authorities believe there are no survivors from the incident.

The NTSB's analysis of the flight data and voice recorders will be crucial in determining the cause of the crash, as the investigation continues.

Skating community devastated by tragedy

Numerous members of the figure skating community were on board Flight 5342. The Skating Club of Boston confirmed that six of its members, including two former Olympians, were on board the flight.

These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.

Wichita just hosted the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championship. The event served as the final qualifier for the U.S. World and World Junior Championship teams.

US Army identifies 2 of the soldiers killed

On Friday, the U.S. Army released information on the crew.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin OHara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, is believed to be deceased pending positive identification.

RELATED STORY | Court TV reporter remembers childhood friend Staff Sgt. Ryan OHara

OHara began service as a UH-60 helicopter repairer in the Army in July of 2014.

The remains of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, have not yet been recovered. Eaves is therefore listed as on duty status whereabouts unknown.

Eaves served in the U.S. Navy from August 2007 to September 2017. He became a UH-60 pilot for the regular Army in September 2017.

The identity of the third crewmember has been withheld at the request of their family. They are therefore also considered duty status whereabouts unknown.

Trump suggests DEI to blame for crash

While there are still many questions on whether air traffic controllers had any fault in Wednesday's collision, President Donald Trump used the plane crash to complain about diversity hiring initiatives within the Federal Aviation Administration.

President Trump said that race and gender might have played a role in Wednesday's crash.

RELATED STORY | Here's what we know about the victims of the DC-area plane crash

"It may have. I don't know. Incompetence might have played a role. Well, we'll let you know that, but we want the most competent people. We don't care what race they are. We want the most competent people, especially in those positions," President Trump.

The FAA has long struggled with understaffing. On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that air traffic control staffing at Reagan National Airport was "not normal" at the time of the disaster.

A ground stop put in place at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, has been lifted following a deadly overnight multi-aircraft crash.

Takeoffs and landings resumed Thursday morning at the airport, though travelers have been advised to expect delays.

The mid-air collision involved a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter conducting a training flight and a regional American Airlines flight originating from Wichita, Kansas which ultimately crashed in the nearby Potomac River.

RELATED STORY | Champion figure skaters among those on board the plane that crashed into the Potomac

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said 60 passengers and four crew members were on the plane. At least three people were in the Black Hawk helicopter.

All passengers involved have been presumed dead.

Trump administration officials confirmed at least 30 bodies had been recovered as of Thursday morning as a recovery mission remained active.

Multiple investigations are underway in attempt to understand what actions were taken leading up to the fatal collision. But aviation experts say this is not the sort of crash that would typically take an extended period of time to comprehend considering it was a passenger plane on a very familiar landing path and a military helicopter in an area where drills are often conducted.

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Airport communications obtained by Scripps News from the time of the collision indicate that air traffic control did ask the military helicopter whether it saw the plane in sight. We did not hear the cockpit respond with a clear "yes" or "no."

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that it was a clear night and both the jet and helicopter were in a "standard flight pattern" at the time of the crash. Duffy added he believes the incident could have been prevented, but expressed confidence in flight safety and said the investigation is ongoing.