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

arriving in the washington area, as we learn more about the people on board, including several members of the u.s. national figure skating community. some just t teenagers. and, in a moment of national tragedy, the president drawing controversy, suggesting without evidence that diversity efforts could have caused wednesday's collision. the backlash to those remarks this morning. in the middle east, eight more hostages now released from gaza. we're live with the next round of releases expected this weekend, including an american. and the stars align in california. some of the biggest names in music come together for a benefit concert to help those affected by the l.a.-area wildfires. it's friday, january 31st. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm frances rivera. we start with breaking news. new details in the tragic collision above reagan national airport. two black boxes and the recorders have now been

recovered from the potomac river, after the deadly crash between a regional jet and black hawk military helicopter. 67 lives were lost. members of the national transportation safety board are on the scene, beginning what is sure to be a long investigation. >> 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. >> a source with knowledge of the investigation tells nbc news a preliminary review of the staffing of the tower was not normal. one controller was handling both planes and helicopters instead of having two people handle those jobs separately. this staffing however, is considered acceptable under faa safety standards. for more on what we're learning, here's nbc's jay gray. >> reporter: two black box data recorders have been pulled from

the wreckage in the potomac, both located inside the regional jet that went down. divers no longer in the water with the mission shifting from rescue to recovery. they'll return at sun rise. we know teams working in about eight feet of water are dealing with jet fuel and jagged wreckage from this crash. they've pulled dozens of victims from that water. some reports saying as many as 40, while the families of those victims continue to travel to the crash site, and a family shelter has been set up for them here. there were 60 passengers on the flight from wichita, kansas, four crew. and three members on the chopper, which would make this the deadliest air tragedy in almost 24 years. jay gray, nbc news, reagan

national. and this morning, we are learning more about the victims of that crash. the disaster has devastated the american figure skating community. several young athletes, along with families and personnel were returning from a training camp in wichita at the time. skating legend nancy kerrigan paid emotional tribute to the six victims who were members of the skating club of boston where she trained as a child. >> i just, i feel for the athletes, the skaters, their families, but anyone that was on that plane. >> among the dead were also three russian skaters, including two olympic gold medallists. kansas senator jerry moran says he hasn't seen the passenger manifest yet, but he maintains there are kansas residents among the dead. the first officer of the american airlines flight was sam lilley. his father posting he was so proud when sam became a pilot. he also says his son was set to get married this fall.

and the united association plumbing union announced four of their members died in the 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. bama, 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 ground 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: echoed by the vice president and defense secretary. >> the era of dei is gone at the defense department. >> reporter: but the comments sparking fierce backlash. buttigieg posting, despicable, as families grieve, trump should be leading, not lying. we put safety first. the top senate democrat responding. >> 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 a new acting faa

administrator. that position had been vacant since inauguration day. >> thanks to garrett for that report. turning to the heated confirmation hearings for president trump's picks for director of national intelligence and the fbi. tulsi gabbard and kash patel. nbc's ryan nobles has the details from thursday's testimonies. >> reporter: a pair of president trump's top national security nominees facing high-stakes confirmation hearings. >> there will be no politicization at the fbi. >> reporter: 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 anany 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 used cocontinuous 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. but at this point not one has said they plan to vote no. crowds cheering in gaza after israel released 110 prisoners as part of the cease-fire deal. benjamin netanyahu originally delayed their release after calling the hostage handovers horrific, like this chaotic scene with arbel yehud. gadi moses was also released along with five thai nationals. more hostages, including an american, are set to be released tomorrow according to president trump's special envoy to the middle east. let's bring in claudio lavanga. >> good morning, frances. if you look at that footage of

the chaotic handover of the hostages in gaza on thursday, it did look like that the situation could have gotten out of control at any minute as the hostages were being dragged and pushed through a screaming crowd while protected by a cordon of hamas militants, especially in the case of arbel yehud, as you mentioned. balls she had a terrified look on her face. in the end, it all worked out well. and the fear turned into utter joy as the hostages were reunited with their families at last in israel. but that, those chaotic scenes led the prime minister of israel, benjamin netanyahu, to delay the release of the 110 palestinian prisoners in exchange of those hostages and to demand that in the future there should be extra care in the safe return of the hostages home. as you mentioned on saturday, three more hostages are expected to be released, and at least,

according to steve witkoff, the special envoy to the middle east appointed by president trump who spoke to nbc news, among them, there should be at least one american, even though we don't know yet, who. frances? >> claudio, thank you. let's get a check now of the weekend forecast with nbc meteorologist angie lassman. angie, good morning. some wet, wintry weather headed to the northeast today. >> good morning, frances. happy friday to you. indeed, we do have wet and wintry conditions we're going to have to contend with. we have this advisory up for parts of new england. you can see why. we have wintry weather that's going to work across that region. notice this rain draped across most of the east. we'll see the rain across the southeast. here's what we're talking as far as amounts of rain. an inch to two inches on the higher end of things about a half of an inch for more widespread areas. we would see a couple flooding issues across that region with melting snow and ice

accumulation. rain, wind, snow we'll have to deal with. so typical travel through california. we'll get a second push of a front working into the bay area leaving us with flooding rain again stretching up . shreveport heads to 66 degrees with full sunshine. rain from montgomery to atlanta. showers for charlotte, too. and that's a look at your forecast, frances, back to you. >> thanks so much, angie. coming up, prosecutors extend their case against sean "diddy" combs. but first, president trump set to make good on his tariff threat. when the hike on goods from canada and mexico could go into effect. nd mexico could go into effect. ay, y'all. i heard mielle's kalahari melon and aloe vera line is changing the game.

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leading the news. president trump says he will enact his 25% tariffs on canada and mexico starting tomorrow. speaking to reporters thursday, mr. trump cited trade deficits with both nations as well as migration and fentanyl coming across the border. both the mexican president and canadian prime minister have pushed back on their countries' role in the u.s. fentanyl crisis. mr. trump also saying he is still mulling whether to include oil in those tariffs. >> we may or may not. we're going to make that determination probably tonight on oil. yeah. because they send us oil. we'll see. depends on what the price is. >> trump says he may impose tariffs on china as well. a conservative court in louisiana has ruled that people between 18 and 20 years old should not be banned from buying handguns because it violates the second amendment.

states like minnesota, texas and virginia have struck down similar laws after a supreme court decision saying it must be rooted in the historical traditions, a phrase open to broad interpretation. the ruling only applies to handguns. 18-year-olds are already allowed to buy long guns, including assault rifles. prosecutors have added two more alleged victims to sean "diddy" combs' federal indictment. on thursday, federal prosecutors filed an expanded indictment against the music mogul accusing him of dangling a person over an apartment balcony and coercing two additional women into commercial sex acts. combs, who has denied all allegations has been in federal custody since being indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering to engage in prostitution. his attorney says combs is as committed as ever to fighting these charges and winning at trial. a spokesperson for the southern district of new york declined to comment. still to come, the biggest names in music all come together

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it's all about love for me tonight. but guess what else i got? >> california. ♪ hey, hey, ♪ ♪ let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild west ♪ >> the biggest names in music hit the stage in support of the entertainment capital in the world at the fire aid concert at the kia forum and intuit dome. the benefit show for wildfire relief began with 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. it's already raised $60 million from the ticket sales alone. it's still happening right now.

olivia rodrigo. they're still waiting for lady gaga. they're keeping it going all for this amazing cause. so needed. >> so needed. so cool that they got that together in such a fast fashion as well. that's not the only star-studded concert making headlines. on february 14, musical acts from the last half century will descend on radio city music hall for snl 50. jimmy fallon will host the extravaganza. some of the guests include lady gaga, miley cyrus, bad bunny, jack white and the roots. the three-hour special airs live on peacock two days before the 50th anniversary show right here on nbc. this is going to be such a celebration. and we know it hasn't just been iconic sketches and stuff from this, from snl over the past 50 years. the musical guests have been incredible. >> and i hope it keeps going, right? after that special airs, i want to go through some snl withdrawal. keep that celebration going. when we come back, a

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mix match more happy with gain. here's what's making headlines this morning. the fda has approved a n type of non-opioid painkiller. the drug sold under the name joinavx. it does not have evidence to being addictive. the usda has issued a public health alert for frozen wegman's breaded chicken. it is for the 46-ounce family pack with a best-buy date of august 26 of this year. according to a new study, a diet low in fruit and vegetables and high in processed meat could speed up aging.

pending home sales plunged 5.5% from the previous month. the drop comes as mortgageates rose to over 7%. keep it right here. "early today" continues right after this quick break. r this q. ♪♪ 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.

downy does more to make clothes softer, fresher, and better. because your hoodie does more than complete your look. like when it becomes her favorite place to cuddle. downy is more than just a fabric softener. it breathes life into your laundry. are back with one of the most popular stars on tiktok. philly the chinchilla. our philadelphia station introduces us to this four-legged rodent with millions of followers. >> reporter: something special can open up a new world. >> he's incredible.

he's absolutely my best friend. >> reporter: a four-legged, hairy rodent. named phil. >> but we also call him philly. but a he is named after philadelphia. >> reporter: a curious fellow michelle adopted in 2013. >> i think everything that he does is really cute. even when he's sleeping. >> reporter: but perhaps the cutest thing was discovered by accident. >> they are exotic pets. so a lot of people will make little handmade toys, and he actually grabbed the business card for the small business out independently. i didn't know you could do this. >> reporter: one thing led to another. >> and i posted his first tiktok december of 2019. and then by the end of january he had a video go viral. he was jusgrabbing a little sign that said hi, friends. >> reporter: a star was born. >> i didn't realize how much people would enjoy it. across the world. >> reporter: millions of people, millions of followers. millions of views, and thousands

of comments. >> i absolutely needed that right now. sending you a wink and a hug. great job, philly. >> reporter: five years. >> this also was very popular. >> reporter: as a valentine, a leprechaun, an eagles fan, a wawa hoagie. >> costume, hats. >> reporter: phil being phil. >> which is wild, to think how many people have seen this chinchilla that is in my bedroom. you ready? giving you nbc logo. he can be quite sassy. once he holds it for a few seconds he will very quickly throw it. >> reporter: always ready for his closeup. >> there you go, buddy. >> reporter: a super hero with a statement. >> i really just want people to have an escape, just, you know, a little bright spot in their day. >> reporter: her own as well. >> i will always cherish the number of memories that i will forever have with him. >> reporter: best pals.

who saw a sign to fill the world with love. >> wow, philly needs his own show, his own merch, his own agent. i'm sure that's to come with the rate he's going. our thanks to matt delucia. thank you for with us and watching "early today." hope you have a great weekend. we'll see you back here early monday morni. monday morni.ng

for answers in that tragic mid-air collision this morning. the potential mistakes that were made. also, the newly discovered data recorders and the clues investigators are hoping to gain from them. plus, pushing back on president donald trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship. the plan protests set to take place this weekend as