Investigators are trying to determine why a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet collided in the air as the plane was trying to land in Washington. Officials believe everyone on board both aircraft died when they crashed into the Potomac River. It's the deadliest air crash in the U.S. in more than two decades with 67 presumed dead. John Yang reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The mid-air collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter near Washington has left many searching for answers. To break down the crash, Geoff Bennett spoke with aviation correspondent Miles O'Brien. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, appears to be headed to a close vote in the Senate. Nick Schifrin reports on the questioning she faced in her confirmation hearing. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Kash Patel, President Trump's choice to lead the FBI, faced sharp and at times bipartisan questioning during a hearing on Thursday. Laura Barrón-López reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In a make-or-break hearing, Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went before a second committee and it revealed Republican doubts about him. Lisa Desjardins reports on where lawmakers' support stands. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

To discuss the confirmation hearings of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence and Kash Patel to lead the FBI, Amna Nawaz spoke with two leading voices in the intelligence community, Frank Montoya Jr., a national security analyst and retired FBI official, and Jamil Jaffer, executive director of the National Security Institute at George Mason University. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Thursday, Hamas freed eight hostages and Israel handed over more than 100 Palestinian prisoners in a third round of exchanges, officials in Ukraine say a Russian drone attack killed at least six people in the northeastern city of Sumy and an appeals court ruled a federal ban on handgun sales to adults under 21 violates the Second Amendment. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are under siege by a Rwanda-backed rebel group. The violence has killed UN peacekeepers, overwhelmed hospitals, displaced hundreds of thousands and sparked fears of a wider regional conflict. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the Congolese minister of foreign affairs. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Neko Case has won acclaim as both a singer and songwriter. Now she's out with a memoir that reveals her difficult journey to indie stardom. Special correspondent Tom Casciato spent time with Case to discuss "The Harder I Fight the More I Love You" for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

After widespread confusion, the Trump administration walked back some of its message about a funding freeze on federal grants and loans. The White House said an Office of Management and Budget memo that outlined the pause is no longer in force. But Press Secretary Karoline Levitt said it would not stop the funding freeze tied to President Trump's executive order. Laura Barrón-López reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

On Capitol Hill, one of President Trump's most consequential and controversial nominees made his case for the top job at the Department of Health and Human Services. In his first of two hearings, former environmental lawyer and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. took tough questions from senators as he also faced blistering criticism from his own family. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders