News Wrap: Investigators search for cause of tourist helicopter crash in New York

Amna Nawaz:

The day's other headlines begin with the search for answers from Thursday's deadly crash of a tourist helicopter into New York's Hudson River.

Eyewitness video captured the moment that the chopper plummeted in pieces into the waters below, killing all six people on board. The victims included Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife and their three young children, along with the pilot. Diving teams searched the river for the helicopter's rotors, as well as its transmission today.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators said they needed those pieces to complete a fuller picture of what happened. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said it was still too early to draw conclusions.

Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board:

We need to focus on finding some of the additional components and structures that we're looking for, conduct witness interviews and gather the records that we need. We can review the records later. So that probable cause will not occur for quite some time.

Amna Nawaz:

In the meantime, in Florida, another fatal incident involving an aircraft. A small plane crashed near a highway in Boca Raton this morning, killing all three people on board, according to police. Flames roared up from the crash, injuring another person nearby in a car. The NTSB is also leading the investigation into that crash.

A Russian-American dual citizen is safely back on U.S. soil after being imprisoned in Russia for 14 months on charges of treason for donating to a charity that supported Ukraine. An overjoyed Ksenia Karelina hugged her boyfriend on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews overnight. She was returned in a prisoner swap as the U.S. and Russia look to normalize relations.

This all comes as us special envoy Steve Witkoff was in Russia today for talks with President Vladimir Putin. Witkoff had been pressing the Kremlin to accept a truce with Kyiv.

Meanwhile, today in Brussels, NATO allies pledged another $24 billion dollars in support to Ukraine for its war against Russia, which is now in its fourth year.

Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds says she won't seek reelection for a third term in 2026. She was the state's first female governor, serving in the role since 2017. On social media, she said it was a tough choice, but wanted to prioritize being with her family.

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA):

This wasn't an easy decision because I love the state and I love serving you. But when my term ends, I will have had the privilege of serving as your governor for almost 10 years.

Amna Nawaz:

Her departure sets up the state's first election for governor without an incumbent in nearly two decades.

Overnight, the Senate confirmed Air Force Lieutenant General Dan Caine to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a bipartisan 60-to-25 vote. President Trump is referred to him by the nickname Razin Caine. Trump nominated him to be the nation's top military officer after he abruptly fired his predecessor, General C.Q. Brown.

The Trump administration viewed Brown unfavorably as a backer of DEI initiatives in the military. Caine came under intense scrutiny during his confirmation process for a story the president repeatedly told, that Caine wore a Make America Great Again hat when the two first met. Caine distanced himself from politics.

Lt. Gen. Dan Caine (RET.), Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff: My name is Dan Caine. For 34 years, I have upheld my oath of office and in the responsibilities of my commission. I think I went back and listened to those tapes, and I think the president was actually talking about somebody else. And I have never worn any political merchandise.

Amna Nawaz:

Caine is a decorated combat pilot, but he technically does not meet the qualifications for the job because he was neither a combatant commander nor a service chief. The president can and has waived those requirements in this instance.

The Pentagon has fired the commander of the Greenland space base that Vice President J.D. Vance and second lady Usha Vance visited last month. Colonel Susannah Meyers wrote an e-mail to staff that was critical of the vice president's public comments during his visit, where he continued to push for the U.S. to take control of Greenland.

The e-mail read in part — quote — "I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is, the concerns of the U.S. administration are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base."

A Space Force spokesperson said her removal was due to — quote — "loss of confidence in her ability to lead."

And a number of nations have agreed to impose what's effectively the first global tax on greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. It'll entail a minimum $100 charge for every ton of greenhouse gases that ships emit above certain levels. The revenues, estimated between $11 billion and $13 billion a year, will go toward renewable fuels and tech to help shift the sector toward green shipping. The U.S. was not a part of the agreement, which is set to take effect in 2027.