Planes with Congress members collide at DC airport, no injuries reported

On Thursday, two American Airlines flights clipped wings while taxiing at Reagan Washington National Airport, with several members of Congress aboard, including Reps. Ritchie Torres, Josh Gottheimer, and Adriano Espaillat. The incident involved Flight 4522, heading to JFK Airport in New York, and Flight 5490, bound for Charleston, South Carolina, resulting in damage to the winglets of both planes but no injuries reported. The Federal Aviation Administration is launching an investigation into the mishap, which comes amid heightened concerns over aviation safety following recent incidents in the area. Lawmakers on board expressed relief that everyone was safe and raised issues regarding recent cuts to FAA staffing, which they argue may compromise safety. The Siegels, recently released Israeli hostages, were also on one of the flights and had been advocating for the release of other captives. American Airlines has apologized for the experience and is currently inspecting the aircraft involved.