new details on the tragedy in the potomac. the newly recovered data recorders as america mourns the lives lost from the collision. this as president trump

immediately sets his sights on diversity diversity efforts, baselessly saying they played a role. we have more on how tulsi gabbard and kash patel fared on capitol hill. is the u.s. on the cusp of a trade war with its allies? and los angeles continues to rebuild with a little help from its hometown heroes. billie eilish, no doubt, the red hot chili peppers and more take the stage for an epic benefit concert. it's friday, january 31. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm frances rivera. critical information about the tragic end of american eagle flight 5342 has been pulled from the potomac river. black boxes have been recovered which could provide some answers to the families of the 67 people

killed wednesday night. when a military helicopter collided with a passenger jet. >> we have data. we have substantial amounts of information. we need to verify information. we need to take our time to make sure it is accurate. that's best for you. that's important for the families. >> members of the national transportation safety board are there on the scene, beginning what is sure to be a lengthy investigation. alice barr joins me now from reagan national airport near that crash site. what can you tell us about the recovery efforts there? >> reporter: good morning, frances. so the potomac river is back behind me. right now there are not divers in the water there. it is just too dangerous with these conditions right now in the dark. and sadly, their efforts have turned from what was an urgent rescue mission to a recovery mission. this is the deadliest crash in

the united states in nearly 24 years. the 64 people on board the american airlines flight and the three soldiers on that black hawk helicopter are presumed dead. dozens of bodies have been pulled from the river. as youthe ntsb has confirmed that two black boxes were recovered. investigators now have the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder from the airplane. it's unclear if any data from the helicopter has been found. the recorders have been taken to ntsb labs to be evaluated. and, as we wait for those recorders to be analyzed, nbc news has learned about a preliminary faa review of the crash. a source tells us that staffing at the airraffic control tower was not ideal for the amount of traffic wednesday night. normally, there would be one person focussed on helicopter traffic and another focussed on airplane traffic. at the time of the crash, there was only one person handling

both tasks. our source does stress that while this is not ideal, it is considered compliant with faa guidelines. after sun rise, search teams will be back in the water. they have committed that they are going to continue to be out here until they recover all of the bodies. they're also of course trying to salvage anything they can from the wreckage that could help with this investigation and bring answers to so many grieving families. frances, back to you. >> alice, thank you. with an investigation fully under way, we are learning more about the events and circumstances that led to the wednesday's crash. our tom costello reports on the search for answers in the face of tragedy. >> reporter: a source tells nbc news a preliminary faa report on the mid-air crash indicates staffing at the reagan airport tower was not normal for the amount of traffic at that hour. normally, one controller handles planes, while another controls helicopters. but wednesday night, one

controller was doing both at the time of the crash. though, that is acceptable under established faa standards. investigators best includes into what went wrong may rely on the last words as they asked the chopper crew if they could see the crj, the regional jet. [ radio transmission ] the response is garbled. does the chopper pilot say aircraft in sight? if so, why did they collide? miracle on the hudson captain sulley sullenberger says that radio response is critical. >> they changed the rules. and it required that they see each other until they were safely clear. >> reporter: like many airports, reagan has had its share of close calls in recent years. march 7, 2023, controllers ordered a united flight to abort takeoff after another plane crossed in front of it.

april 18, 2024, a southwest plane crossed a runway just as a jetblue flight was preparing to take off. may 30th, 2024, a controller canceled takeoff after another airliner was cleared to land on an intersecting runway. veteran pilots say flying up the river to runway 33 involves staying between four and 500 feet while helicopters should be flying beneath them, under 200 feet. >> requires a lot of skill. the runway is very small for an airport that handles this amount of traffic. >> reporter: the new transportation secretary says flight activity was routine. >> this was not unusual with a military aircraft flying the river and aircraft landing at dca. >> reporter: investigators are looking into whether this helicopter was flying too low. it was apparently flying in one of those highway tracks in the sky for helicopters outside of reagan, going from track one to track four. it may have, according to sources, deviated and gone to a

higher altitude than was assigned. and that could have put it in direct conflict with the american eagle flight. back to you. >> tom, thank you. president trump is facing backlash after saying diversity programs may have played a role in this crash. garrett haake has more on the white house response. >> reporter: in a white house news conference that began with a somber moment of silence. president trump pivoting from prayer. >> i speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for our nation. >> reporter: to politics. >> i put safety first. obama, biden and the democrats put policy first. >> reporter: suggesting without evidence that democratic dei policies at the faa and military, which president trump ended last week with an executive order, may have contributed to the mid-air collision. >> we have to have our smartest people. it doesn't matter what they look like. how they speak. who they are, it matters intellect, talent. >> reporter: at one point, going after biden transportation

secretary pete buttigieg. >> just got a good line of bullshit. he's run it right into the grnd with his diversity. >> reporter: but reporters pressing the president. what evidence did he have that diversity hiring caused the crash? >> it just could have been. >> reporter: and later, as he signed an order to review faa hiring decisions the last four years. >> are you saying race or gender played a role in this tragedy? >> it may have. i don't know. incompetence might have played a role. we'll let you know that. >> reporter: the president echoed by the vice president and defense secretetary. >> we want the best people at air traffic control. the era of dei is gone at the defense department. >> reporter: but the comments sparking fierce backlash. buigieg posting, despicable, as families grieve, trump should be leading, not lying. we put safety first. the top senate democrat responding. >> for the president of the united states to throw out idle speculation as bodies are still being recovered and families still being notified, it just

turns your stomach. >> reporter: the president also naming an acting faa administrator, that station had been vacant since inauguration day. turning to the heated confirmation hearing for president trump's picks for director of national intelligence and fbi, kash patel and tulsi gabbard. >> reporter: a pair of president trump's top national security nominees facing high-statakes confirmation hearings. >> there will be no politicization at the fbi. >> reporter: former prosecutor kash patel nominated for fbi director. the staunch trump supporter pressed about his independence. >> would you be willing to resign the post of fbi director if pressed and given no choice but to obey the order or resign? >> senator, i will always obey the law. >> reporter: and president trump's pardons of violent offenders from january 6. >> i do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement. >> reporter: patel strongly

defended by republicans. >> the reason you're here is cause most of the public, almost every republican, believes that the fbi has been use continuously in a political fashion, lying to get donald trump. >> reporter: across the capitol, former democratic congresswoman and combat veteran, tulsi gabbard, nominated for director of national intelligence. >> what truly unsettles my political opponents is i refuse to be their puppet. >> reporter: gabbard pushing back on claims she parroted kremlin talking points. >> i want to make certain that in no way does russia get a pass in either your mind or your heart. >> i'm offended by the question, because my sole focus, commitment and responsibility is about our own nation. >> reporter: and pressed over her previous call for a pardon for edward snowden who fled the u.s. after releasing a trove of government secrets. >> is edward snowden a traitor

to the united states of america? >> i understand how critical our national security is -- >> apparently you don't. >> reporter: republicans left the hearing feeling very confident that patel had the votes necessary to win confirmation. they seem a bit more skeptical about gabbard and robert f. kennedy jr., though at this point none have said they would vote no. the weekend is kicking off with wet weather coast-to-coast. >> happy friday. we made it. almost the weekend. but we have a couple trouble spots when it comes to weather. winter advisories in effect for parts of the northeast. we have a system headed that way. this isn't just going to affect folks he way down to the east coast. we'll see the potential for heavy rain, from the mid atlantic to the southeast and a mix of snow and ice. and an inch of snow in some of these spots for the interior new england area.

but we'll see the potential of flooding there as we deal with melting snow as well. out west we have another atmospheric river event bringing heavy wind, rain and mountain snow. this is going to slow down travel essentially from washington to california through the day today and even tomorrow, specifically california picks up additional snow and heavy rain. we'll see the wind be a risk as well. anywhere from san francisco to eureka is going to be th for ch high of 71. 80s from orlando to jacksonville. rain and showers in the forecast for montgomery to atlanta. that's a look at your forecast. back to you. president trump's new tariffs against two major u.s. allies are set to go into effect tomorrow. cnbc's karen gilchrist joins us next to break it all down for

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president donald trump set to make good on his threats to impose tariffs on canada and mexico. those tariffs, he says, will go into effect tomorrow. let's bring in cnbc's karen gilchrist. good morning, karen. what will be included in the tariffs? and what could we expect them to have? >> good morning, frances. yes, we finally got some more clarity on these long-awaited tariffs with president trump confirming that he would impose 25% blanket tariffs on mexico and canada, starting from tomorrow. and this is set to include things like machinery, vehicles and electrical equipment as well as popular consumer goods like beer, tequila and whiskey. but it's not clear yet whether it will include oil. mexico and canada being two of the largest exporters of oil to the u.s. now trump said the decision would be based on whether he deems the prices charged as

fair. now this all of course stems over his concerns of, over trade deficits, illegal immigration and fentanyl flows from these countries. but, of course, the concern is that these tariffs could push up inflation, something that president trump has vowed to cut, including cutting energy costs by half this year. now, attention is surely to turn to china and whether we can expect similar tariffs and the chemical flows from china into the u.s. that's something we will be looking out for. he did say last night they are considering something but didn't give much more detail than that at this stage. still to come, the biggest names in music come together for wildfire relief. and ladies and gentlemen, 50 years of snl music history on one stage. the first details of the star-studded tribute concert right after this. ribute concert right after this. use it for ste or as a drying rack? get better results than hand washing,

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it's all about love for me tonight. but guess what else i got. ♪ california ♪ ♪ hey, hey, ♪ ♪ now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild west ♪ >> the biggest names in music hit the stage in support of the entertainment capital of the world at the fire aid concert at the kia forum and intuit dome. it began with a duet between billie eilish and green day and didn't let up for the rest of the evening. some of the biggest performances came from no doubt, stevie nicks and red hot chili peppers. organizers say the concert has already raised over $60 million from ticket sales alone. even within the past hour it finally came to a close. lady gaga one of the last performers, but keeping it going, i'm sure they're still reaching out and hoping that people will help out. >> a star-studded concert for a

good cause. on february 14th, iconic musical acts will descend upon radio city music hall for snl's 50 musical concert. it will feature a few of the guests from the first 50 years, including lady gaga, bad bunny, jack white and the roots. the three-hour special airs live on peacock two days before the 50th anniversary show right here of course on nbc. so much to look forward with this. we know the actual 50th anniversary episode is going to be incredible. this just another cherry on top, really. >> and cherry on top of more cherries that have been behind the scenes documentaries that have been so, so good. such a great inside look at what happens in the making of this genius that is snl. when we come back, mcdonald's is teaming up with a rising basketball superstar. and the big gesture of gratitude from the l.a. dodgers for local firefighters. . dodgers for loca firefighters. and then i tried the swiffer powermop and realized

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here's what's making headlines this morning. the fda has approved a new type of non-opioid painkiller. the drug sold under the name journavx was approved to treat moderate to severe short-term pain in adults. experts say it does not have evidence of being addictive and they hope it can lead to fewer opioids being prescribed. starting february 10, you can order the angel reese special at mcdonald's. the los angeles dodgers expressing gratitude to firefighters. shohei ohtani presenting a check for $350,000 for the fire

department. marianne faithfull has died at 78 years old in london. known for her hit "as tears go by", she was known for her time with mick jagger. early today will be right back. . ♪♪ okay, y'all. i heard mielle's kalahari melon and aloe vera line is changing the game. up to five days of moisture and no wash days in between? let's see about that. day two, headed to work, but i feel like i'm about to drop a hit single. all the cuties are at the run club. good thing these curls are curling. can you believe this is day five? i think i could go even longer. up to five days of lasting moisture. endless possibilities. imagine what you could do in five days. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey! eddie, no. frasier, frank. frank? —fred, how are you? —fred! support up to 7 brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva.

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fans are getting a first-hand look at a true snl experience. >> yes. >> reporter: from the signature head shots to the dressing rooms and cue cards. >> this is where they make the cue cards. >> reporter: the attention to detail in this recreation of studio 8h is impressive. even the tickets look like the real thing, and they were free. but the four-day popup sold out in ten minutes. >> i've never been able to come to a taping of the show. >> reporter: a few get to see what it's like to rub the gnome for good luck. the band is playing. the lights are hot. you have to hit your mark. and the camera's on, and we are live from new york. it's saturday night. >> it's like playing pretend on steroids. >> ladies and gentlemen! >> it's going to be a great memory and something i'm going to tell my frids about.

>> reporter: the interactive experience uses live actors, shuttling you from room to room, true to the spirit of this well-orchestrated whirlwind of a show. after the monologue, you get a shot to host weekend update. and, after you pass by props, many of them straight from the real studio, you step into sketches. party on, like wayne and garth. and get gift wrapped for that iconic musical sketch featuring justin timberlake. you know the one. and while this may be your first time hosting, in the end, everyone's invited to kickback and celebrate in the five timers club. >> i tell you, we know-it-all here at 30 rock. there's nothing like that energy and vibe from snl. our thanks for that report. now to a jolting new class at m.i.t. one professor offering a class on making the per cup of joe. this is m.i.t. after all. so it is equipped with

microscopes, computers and a $20,000 espresso machine. >> as everybody knows, the taste of coffee is actually a very personal and complicated experience. in this class, they get to, they get to think about the material, they learn about it. coffee, right? they get to, you know, touch and feel it. >> professor jeremy grossman combines lessons with hands-on experience for 60 students . i'm barbara and i'm from st. joseph, michigan. i'm a retired school librarian. i'm also a library board trustee, a mother of two, and a grandmother of two. about five years ago, i was working full time, i had an awful lot of things to take care of. i needed all the help i could get. i saw the commercials for prevagen. i started taking it. and it helped! i was better able to take care of all those little details. people say to me, "barbara, you don't miss a beat." prevagen. for your brain.

reagan national airport. we thank you for watching. nk yo. the investigation continues this morning into the horrific mid-air collision between a plane and helicopter near washington, d.c. two black boxes from the american airlines jet now recovered, as crews promised they will not stop combing the waters until all 67 victims are found. families of the victims

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