This is WBZ, Boston's news radio. We defining local news sixty one degrees in Boston at four o'clock. Good afternoon, I'm Ben Parker. Here's what's happening. Federal investigators are calling for its some big changes to operations near Reagan Airport after January's deadly crash between a passenger flight and an army helicopter. ABC's Alex Stone has the latest.
January's mid air crash brought to light a dangerous setup. According to the NTSB, from twenty eleven to twenty twenty four, there is about one collision avoidance alert per month at Reagan National Airport. NTSB chair Jennifer Hammandy is urgently calling on the FAA to change helicopter routes near landing planes at the airport.
There is a serious safety issue here, which is why we're issuing these urgent safety recommendations.
The NTSB finding sometimes helicopters have seventy five feet or less of clearance from landing airplanes.
Alex Stone eb sinews six members of the Skating Club of Boston died in that crash in January. Ukraine has accepted a thirty day ceasefire deal with Russia after peace talks today with US officials in Saudi Arabia. Secretary of State Maco Rubio spoke to reporters after the agreement today.
We've made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that's enduring and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation.
Secretary Rubio and President Trump say the ball is now in Russia's court. This comes after the Trump administration lifted a pause on military aid and intelligence to Ukraine earlier Today. Votes expected in the House on a spending bill aimed at avoiding a government shutdown at the end of the week. The measure would fund government agencies through the end of September.
Despite the Finngop majority in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson says he's confident the spending measure will pass with only Republican votes. Democrats ought to do the responsible thing, follow their own advice in every previous and keep the government open.
It's their choice.
In addition to concerns over slight cuts to domestic spending, Democrats also object to a lack of provisions preventing DOGE related firings and spending freezes. If the bill does pass the House, it will then be up to Democrats in the Senate to decide whether to block it with a filibuster. Stephen Portnoy ABC News.
Washington Today an anniversary of the pandemic. It was five years ago the World Health Organization officially said the COVID nineteen outbreak was an international pandemic. The virus shut down almost everything, emptying city streets and office buildings, tanking the economy, and bringing on social distancing and masking. Doctor jish Jad served as the White House COVID nineteen response coordinator under President Biden and sat down today with CBS Mornings. COVID it is still around.
COVID is still a bit of a problem. I think for elderly people, high risk people, compromise people, it can still be pretty serious. I think for healthy Americans, no, I don't think it post is a big risk. We deal with respiratory viruses all the time. COVID is just one of them.
Doctor Jah says, when it comes to preparedness, we are better prepared now than five years ago, we'll have clear to partly cloudy skies will dip back into the thirties across the area, and then on much cooler day Tomorrow, there'll be some sun, there'll be some clouds. They'll be temperatures mainly in the mid forties or so, rather cloudy tomorrow night. Some rain or snow showers could get in
here late tomorrow night with temperatures close to freezing. Perhaps a bit of rain or wet snow to start on Thursday. Otherwise it'll just be a cloudy and chilly day with temperatures in the low forties. A little bit of a bounce back with some clouds around on Friday as we get close to fifty degrees, and then warmer still as we get back into the weekend. Right now sixty one degrees. See in Boston, some Brockton High School students are getting a golden opportunity. All they need is a solid GPA.
As we hear from wz's Hile Shaffle, students.
At Brockton High are getting a pitch from a tiny college in North Carolina.
Let's find students who are high academic achievers and guess what they pay?
No money out of.
Pocket, Livingstone College is trying to recruit kids here. That was college president and any Davis. They'll take these kids for free as long as they have an A minus average or better, all expenses paid, and these scholarships were instant. There's about two dozen majors there and the graduation rate is only in the high twenties, so Livingstone is looking
to boost itself with these recruits too. Principal Kevin McCaskill says, this is a big opportunity for smart kids without the money to go to a four year school.
It's a game changer, it's life changing.
You get the opportunity to go to a four year school get a quality education.
Mianna I Vianna is one of the seniors who came away from the pitch convinced there's many people.
Who are going to community college and I just wanted to challenge myself.
Kyle Schaffel WBS Boston's news radio TikTok's stunt with some new features that are aimed at keeping younger users safe.
TikTok features allow parents to limit the amount of time their kids spends on the popular social media app. They also provide more information about who's following their child on the platform. It marks an expansion of TikTok's existing family pairing feature, which links the app on a child smart phone to their parents. Last year, the Justice Department sued TikTok over its policies around underage users. TikTok says the new features are designed to help teens develop the digital
literacy skills they need. Mike Debuski, ABC News.
A man faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after yesterday's altercation outside of courthouse in Medford, Stateton. Local police found and searched five men following the incident around noontime yesterday. Police say they discovered and secured a knife in one of the individual's waist bands. Three other
individuals were at a restaurant near the courthouse. Please say the suspect, Kalangi Bradley, had come to the courthouse for an arraignment of an arrest that occurred at the Encore Casino, and the suspect allegedly engaged in a physical altercation. One person was stabbed, suffering non life threatening injuries. A criminal negligence trial underway in Argentina connected to the twenty twenty death of soccer legend Diego Maradonna.
A medical board had already concluded that Maradonna should never have been treated in a private rental home where he died of heart failure days after brain surgery. Among other things, there was no defibrillator. Prosecutors alleged the team didn't want to lose custody of their lucrative patient.
Yeah, bido.
I hope there's justice, this Maradona fan says, because they killed him. The prosecution hopes to prove exactly that. Vicky Barker, CBS News London.
You are now in the loop for news updates throughout the day. Listen to WBZ News Radio on the iHeartRadio app. I'm Ben Parker, WBZ, Boston's news radio