WCTB

Kash Patel was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday afternoon to serve as Director of the FBI.

The Senate narrowly confirmed Patel along party-lines with a vote of 51-49; only two Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — joined Democrats in voting to oppose Patel.

Collins explained her decision to vote against Patel’s confirmation, saying there is a need for an FBI director who is “decidedly apolitical” and Patel’s “time over the past four years has been characterized by high profile and aggressive political activity… [his] past statements and actions “cast doubt on Mr. Patel’s ability to advance the FBI’s law enforcement mission in a way that is free from the appearance of political motivation.”

Murkowski shared a statement saying her opposition to Patel “stem[med] from his own prior political activities and how they may influence his leadership,”adding that the FBI “must be trusted as the federal agency that roots out crime and corruption, not focused on settling political scores. Murkowski said she was “disappointed that when [Patel] had the opportunity to push back on the administration’s decision to force the FBI to provide a list of agents involved in the January 6 investigations and prosecutions, he failed to do so.”

FBI directors are appointed to 10-year terms but can be removed by the president. Chris Wray, whom the president appointed in 2017, resigned at the end of the Biden administration after Pres. Trump said he would be firing him upon taking office.

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Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced on Thursday he will be retiring from the Senate, and will not seek reelection in 2026.

McConnell, who turned 83 on Thursday, announced in a floor speech where he reflected on his decades-long political career: “seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between I have been humbled by the trust they place in me to do their business, right here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor for an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”

McConnell said that he still has “unfinished business to attend to,” and that the Senate must fight for national security priorities and greater resources for defense: “thanks to Ronald Reagan’s determination, the work of strengthening America’s hard power was well underway when I arrived in the Senate, but since then, we’ve allowed that power to atrophy, and today, a dangerous world threatens to outpace the work of rebuilding it. So lest any of our colleagues still doubt my intentions for the remainder of my term, I have some unfinished business to attend to.” McConnell added that he will leave the Senate “with great hope for the endurance of the Senate as an institution. There are any number of reasons for pessimism, but the strength of the Senate is not one of them.”

Following his speech, McConnell received a standing ovation from his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. McConnell is the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history. First elected in 1984, the Kentuckian intends to serve the remainder of his term ending in January 2027. McConnell has dealt with a series of medical episodes in recent years, including injuries sustained from falls and times when his face briefly froze while he was speaking.

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The family of a passenger who died in last month’s midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport has filed legal claims against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the United States Army, seeking $250 million in compensation for each claim. The crash killed all 64 aboard the American Airlines passenger jet, and three service members in the Blackhawk helicopter on Jan. 29 (per The Associated Press.)

American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when it collided with an Army Black Hawk (made by Sikorsky) on a training exercise with three soldiers aboard as it approached Reagan National. The two aircrafts then plunged into the Potomac River, killing everyone on board the jet and helicopter.

According to Chicago-based lawyer, Robert Clifford, the claims were filed Tuesday by Rachel Crafton for “alleged wrongdoing” that led to the collision and death of her husband, passenger Casey Crafton, 40, of Salem, Connecticut. The filings were made under the Federal Tort Claims Act and are a required precursor to a lawsuit. If the FAA and Army either reject or do not act on the claims within six months, a civil wrongful death lawsuit can be filed in federal court.

The claims were based on public comments federal officials have made about the crash, including alleged understaffing at the air traffic control tower, the helicopter pilot flying above the 200-foot (61-meter) limit near the airport and communication lapses between air traffic control and the aircraft.

Clifford, who said he represents other crash victims’ families, said in an interview Wednesday: “The families are filing this to achieve their goal of taking the first step towards what the whole world knows will be eventual litigation against the FAA for its air traffic control and the U.S. Army relative to the operations of the helicopter.” 

The FAA said Wednesday that it does not comment on potential litigation. Army spokesperson Maj. Montrell Russell said in a statement: “Out of respect for the deceased, their families, and the ongoing investigation, it is inappropriate for the Army to comment on any speculation regarding claims or potential litigation. Our primary focus is on supporting the families and ensuring the safety of our Soldiers and the public.”

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The U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) said the Federal Highway Administration has “terminated approval” on New York City’s controversial congestion pricing plan. The program was the first of its kind in the nation, which went into effect earlier this year.

President Trump celebrated the move from the DOT, with a post from the White House reading: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” –President Donald J. Trump”

In a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said they were terminating its Nov. ’24 agreement with the state, stating that the federal government has jurisdiction over these highways leading to Manhattan and that these additional tolls posed an unfair burden in motorists outside the city.

Calling the program “backwards and unfair,” Duffy said: “New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners. Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes. But now the toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways. It’s backwards and unfair. The program also hurts small businesses in New York that rely on customers from New Jersey and Connecticut. Finally, it impedes the flow of commerce into New York by increasing costs for trucks, which in turn could make goods more expensive for consumer. Every American should be able to access New York City regardless of their economic means. It shouldn’t be reserved for an elite few.”

Under the system, most cars entering Manhattan’s central  business district — from 60th Street all the way down to the southern tip of the Financial District — had to pay a peak fee of $9 from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.  Gov. Hochul has defended the program, noting that early MTA data shows that the program has been working. In an analysis released near the end of January, the MTA said 1 million fewer vehicles had entered the most congested parts of Manhattan, and that travel times on inbound bridges and tunnels had been reduced.

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