News Wrap: Crews begin recovering wreckage of passenger jet from Potomac River

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• Geoff Bennett:

  We start the day's other headlines with a salvage operation in the nation's capital.

  Crews spent the day recovering several parts of the passenger jet that collided midair with a military helicopter last week at Reagan National Airport. Video from the scene showed a crane lifting pieces of the regional American Airlines plane out of the water. Officials say they removed parts of the engine, fuselage, and wing.

  Crews also found additional human remains today; 55 of the 67 people killed have been identified.

  In Ohio, a lawsuit was filed today alleging for the first time that people died because of the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The filing contains the first seven wrongful death claims against Norfolk Southern Railroad. It also alleges the railroad and contractors botched the cleanup of the toxic crash and that federal officials failed to warn people about lingering health risks.

  It comes as Vice President J.D. Vance visited the site today on the second anniversary of the disaster. Vance said the Trump administration would prioritize the community's recovery even, as the administration cuts federal agencies.

  J.D. Vance, Vice President of the United States: You do now have a government that cares about you, that's going to work on these problems. President Trump's desire to bring some efficiency back to the federal government, that's not going to be bad for the people of East Palestine. It's actually going to ensure that the resources we spend on health actually go to people on the ground, rather than bureaucrats.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Norfolk Southern agreed to a $600 million class action settlement with residents, plus a separate settlement with the government to clean up the mess. The company also set up funds for medical exams and water monitoring, but did not admit any wrongdoing.

  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that he welcomes Panama's decision to let its participation in China's global infrastructure plan expire. Rubio said any move by Panama to distance itself from China's Belt and Road Initiative is a great step forward for U.S.-Panama relations.

  Speaking from El Salvador — that's the next stop on Rubio's trip through the region — he addressed China's role in the flow of trade through the Panama Canal.

  Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State: When we turned over the canal, we turned it over to Panama. We didn't turn it over to China. So, you get there, and the Chinese control both entries to the port, both entries to the port. We don't want to have a hostile or negative relationship with Panama. I don't believe we do. And — but we had a frank and respectful conversation, and I hope it'll yield fruits and results in the days to come.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Also today, Rubio viewed a deportation flight carrying dozens of migrants from Panama back to Colombia. The State Department says such actions send a message of deterrence to those trying to cross Panama en route to the U.S.

  The Trump administration is ending deportation protections for nearly 350,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S. The order from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem affects more than half of the Venezuelans covered by temporary protected status, or TPS. That means they could lose their work permits or be deported starting in April.

  Today's order signaled that the administration believes conditions in Venezuela no longer merit such protections against deportation. Republican critics of TPS say it's been used to allow migrants to stay much longer than intended. The official termination notice will be published Wednesday and go into effect 60 days after that.

  In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have declared a unilateral cease-fire starting tomorrow. In a statement, a spokesperson said the group has no intention of claiming more territory in the region. But he added that it remains committed "to protecting and defending the civilian population and our positions."

  The announcement comes as morgues in the Eastern city of Goma are overcrowded with bodies, forcing health workers there to bury the dead in mass graves. The U.N.'s health agency said at least 900 people died in last week's fighting for the city.

  On Wall Street today, stocks slumped on worries about President Trump's tariffs. The Dow Jones industrial average recovered from steep losses earlier in the day, ending about 120 points lower. The Nasdaq fell 235 points on the day. The S&P 500 also ended in negative territory.

  And Beyonce took home the top prize of the 2025 Grammy Awards after four prior efforts came up short.

• Beyonce, Musician:

  I just feel very full and very honored. It's been many, many years.

• Geoff Bennett:

  The most decorated artist in Grammy history secured her first album of the year award for "Cowboy Carter," her country music album. She's the first Black woman to win the award since Lauryn Hill 26 years ago.

  Rapper Kendrick Lamar swept both the record and song of the year categories for his track "Not Like Us." And Chappell Roan won for best new artist in what was a competitive field. The ceremony also paid tribute to the city of Los Angeles, which has been ravaged by wildfires.