A former air traffic controller from Washington D.C., who was on duty the night of the tragic mid-air collision in January 2025 between an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army helicopter, has spoken out about the glaring deficiencies in the system at the time of the incident.

“The warning signs were evident,” Emily Hanoka shared in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday. She detailed how air traffic controllers had previously raised safety concerns and were under pressure to keep operations running at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, despite the capacity being stretched to its limits.

“Frontline controllers had been sounding the alarm for years, expressing that the situation was unsafe,” she emphasized.

“This cannot go on. We pleaded for changes, yet nothing was done,” she continued.

Hanoka, who ended her shift just hours before the collision over the Potomac River that claimed 67 lives, noted that while safety recommendations were made, they were never fully implemented.

“Controllers formed local safety councils and every time that a controller made these safety reports, another controller was compiling data to back up the recommendation. And many recommendations were made, and they never went too far,” she said.

Air traffic controllers were tasked with keeping the airport moving – even though 800 flights a day would take off from its main runway.

“Some hours are overloaded, to the point where it’s over the capacity that the airport can handle,” she said.

“There was definitely a pressure. If you do not move planes, you will gridlock the airport.”

Controllers were forced to rely on a squeeze play – a highly-precise operation where planes take off and land within seconds of each other on just one runway.

“This is what has to happen, in order to make this airspace work. And it did work. It worked until it didn’t,” Hanoka said.

“There were obvious cracks in the system, there were obvious holes.”

The American Airlines plane was approaching the airport’s runway 33 when it collided with the Black Hawk helicopter, which was traveling south, over the icy river.

Commercial and military aircraft often criss-crossed at low altitudes over the river, with former pilots describing it as “helicopter alley.”

Just one day before the air disaster, two near misses were reported, CBS reported. One of those involved an American Airlines plane that left Norfolk. Between 2021 and 2024, 85 near mid-air collisions were reported.

Since the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration has rolled out a major safety overhaul, eliminating the practice known as visual separation.

This was where pilots were expected to see and avoid each other in the skies.

Air traffic controllers are now required to use radar to ensure aircraft remains separated. 

“The tragedy over the Potomac one year ago revealed a startling truth: years of warning signs were missed, and the FAA needed dire reform,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

The FAA’s move came after the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in its report that there was an “overreliance of visual separation.”

Officials also imposed restrictions on non-essential helicopter flights operating around Reagan airport. 

In a powerful address to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV spoke out against the use of religion as a justification for war, emphasizing the peaceful nature of God. This message was delivered during the Palm Sunday Mass, drawing the attention of tens of thousands attending the service in Rome.

Leo’s homily came at a poignant time, as the conflict between the U.S. and Israel against Iran has entered its second month, and Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine continue unabated. He took this opportunity to remind the congregation that God embodies peace, standing firmly against violence, and offering solace to those who suffer.

“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo declared passionately. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them.”

The Pope’s words resonate deeply, especially as leaders involved in the Iran conflict have been invoking religious rhetoric to support their military actions. In particular, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has framed the conflict within a narrative of a Christian nation confronting its adversaries through force.

Similarly, the Russian Orthodox Church has characterized Russia’s military endeavors in Ukraine as a “holy war” against Western influences it perceives as morally corrupt. Pope Leo’s message serves as a stark reminder of the misuse of religious beliefs to legitimize war, urging a return to the core tenet of peace.

Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem in the time leading up to his crucifixion, which Christians observe on Good Friday, and resurrection on Easter Sunday.

In a special blessing at the end of Mass, Leo said he was praying especially for Christians in the Middle East who are “suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict. In many cases, they cannot live fully the rites of these holy days.”

Earlier Sunday, the Latin Patriarchate said Jerusalem police prevented the Catholic church’s top leadership from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was the first time in centuries church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, the Patriarchate said.

Leo said that during Holy Week, Christians cannot forget how many people around the world are suffering as Christ did. “Their trials appeal to the conscience of all. Let us raise our prayers to the Prince of Peace so that he may support people wounded by war and open concrete paths of reconciliation and peace,” Leo said.

A Holy Week that recalls Pope Francis’ suffering

When Holy Week opened last year, Pope Francis was still recovering at the Vatican after a five-week hospital stay for double pneumonia. He had delegated the liturgical celebrations to others, but rallied on Easter Sunday to greet the faithful from the loggia of St. Peter’s Square. Most poignantly, he then made what became his final popemobile loop around the piazza.

Francis died the following morning, Easter Monday, after suffering a stroke. His nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, later told Vatican Media that Francis had told him: “Thank you for bringing me back to the square” for the final salute.

Leo is due to preside over this week’s liturgical appointments and is returning to tradition with the Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony that commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples.

During his 12-year pontificate, Francis famously celebrated the Holy Thursday ritual by traveling to Rome-area prisons and refugee centers to wash the feet of people most on society’s margins. His aim was to drive home the ritual’s message of service and humility, and he would frequently muse during his Holy Thursday homilies “Why them and not me?”

Francis’ gesture had been praised as a tangible evidence of his belief that the church must go to the peripheries to find those most in need of God’s love and mercy. But some critics bristled at the annual outings, especially since Francis would also wash the feet of Muslims and people of other faiths.

Leo restores Holy Week foot-washing tradition

Leo, history’s first U.S.-born pope, is returning the Holy Thursday foot-washing tradition to the basilica of St. John Lateran, where popes performed it for decades. The Vatican hasn’t yet said who will participate, though Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II normally washed the feet of 12 priests.

On Friday, Leo is due to preside over the Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum commemorating Christ’s Passion and crucifixion. Saturday brings the late night Easter Vigil, during which Leo will baptize new Catholics, followed a few hours later by Easter Sunday when Christians commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.

Leo will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square and then deliver his Easter blessing from the loggia of the basilica.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

In a remarkable tale of dedication and vision, two brothers have devoted over a year to rescuing a dilapidated mansion in Michigan, which they originally purchased for the symbolic price of one dollar.

Christopher and Steve White have transformed the historic Gilbert Mansion in Ypsilanti, now positioning it on the market for $1.13 million, aiming to attract potential buyers interested in converting it into an apartment building.

The Whites shared with Realtor how they first discovered the 19th-century mansion in 1986. At that time, the building was in a state of severe neglect: broken and boarded-up windows, sagging eaves, rotting structures, and ornate brackets that had begun to fall. The bricks were in disrepair, paint was peeling, window frames had degraded, and the original front door was missing entirely.

The property, constructed in 1861, had been a concern for city officials, who had spent seven years searching for a buyer willing to restore its former glory. Notably, the mansion’s construction coincided with President Abraham Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteer troops, marking the onset of conflict with seceded states.

“The city was taking proposals to find the best fit for the community,” noted Christopher, who has been the owner of the property for four decades. Their commitment has ensured the Gilbert Mansion’s survival and potential rebirth as a cherished historical site.

‘Someone proposed a bed-and-breakfast. Someone else proposed office space,’ he said, while he and his brother submitted their proposal to turn the Second Empire Mansard jewel into an apartment building.

To their advantage, the Whites had already made a name for themselves in the city for renovating other historic properties, including two nearby homes that they had just finished converting into five-unit and seven-unit apartment buildings.

City officials ultimately approved their proposal, and the brothers bought the property for just one dollar.

Christopher and Steve White purchased the historic Gilbert Mansion in Ypsilanti for just one dollar from city officials

It is now on sale to prospective apartment building owners for $1.13 million

But in order to preserve the beauty of the historic home, the siblings conducted exhaustive research on the Second Empire Mansard style, which dates back to when Napoleon III transformed Paris beginning in 1852.

The style reached its peak popularity between 1855 and 1885, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest United States. 

The Gilbert Mansion had been built right in the middle of the craze by John Gilbert Jr, after his father, John Gilbert Sr, left him a large swath of land on North Grove Street, according to the Ann Arbor News.

The senior Gilbert had invested in mills and properties, making his fortune in real estate before losing control of the mills during an economic downturn in 1837.

The lot that the mansion now stands was one of the few pieces of property he had left by 1840, as his son worked to restore the family’s wealth through a series of business and municipal projects – including investing in some of the buildings that still stand today in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town.

With the family’s wealth secured in 1860, Gilbert Jr built the house, which the Ypsilanti Daily Press said ‘had some claim to magnificence, due partly to Mrs Gilbert’s lovely roses and lilies in a bed just south of the lawn.’

‘There was also an artificial lake, which came into being as a result of handy springs and a scooped out section of land, which resulted when the railroad was built,’ the newspaper reported in 1962. 

‘A smaller pool was located nearer the house, which had a fine, cool spring at its back door.’

The house on North Grove Street was built in 1861 by John Gilbert Jr

Gilbert Jr died in 1864, and his wife Harriett died in 1910.

The couple had six children, of whom only two outlived their mother: a son, William, who lived in Grand Rapids, where he died in 1933, and a daughter, Alice, who lived in the family home until 1920 before moving to another house nearby.

She was the last of the Gilberts, and after she moved out of the house, it became the property of Daniel Smith, who made his fortune installing heaters in Detroit’s streetcars.

But the city acquired the mansion during the Great Depression, when Smith failed to pay taxes on the property.

The home was then used as a social center during World War II and a teen canteen in the early 1950s.

The Ypsilanti Boys’ Club moved into the house in 1961 for use as an activity center, but moved out in 1974, at which point the Girls’ Club moved in.

By then, the house had already fallen into disrepair, and the Girls’ Club moved out in 1981. 

It had fallen into disrepair by the 1970s, after being used as a social center during World War II, a teen canteen and the activity center for both the Boys’ and Girls’ clubs 

Once the White brothers took over years later, they spent 14 months renovating and turning the home into seven luxury residential units

They completely gutted the interior of the house, with the exception of the original hardwood floors and a rare Pewabic tile fireplace

Once the White brothers took over years later, they spent 14 months renovating and turning the home into seven luxury residential units, ranging from 800 to 1,200 square feet each.

To make way for the apartments, the interior of the home was completely gutted, with the exception of the original hardwood floors and a rare Pewabic tile fireplace – an artifact from the renowned Detroit-based company.

The brothers also kept the common halls in its historic configuration, as they added new mechanics, drywalls and finishes throughout the 8,000-square-foot home.

The only element that did not require in-depth restoration was the patterned slate roof, which was still in nearly-perfect condition despite weathering more than a century of Michigan winters.

‘As far as the slate roof goes, it stood the test of time and is in great shape to this day,’ Christopher said.

The apartment building now features high ceilings with large ‘daylit windows,’ according to its listing on LoopNet. 

There is also a four-story tower on the backside of the building that overlooks the city, and each apartment comes with a breakfast nook and built-in bookshelves. Some even have porches or private patios. 

But the building is currently fully occupied with tenants, with zero vacancy. 

Watch above: Iran-aligned Houthis join the ongoing conflict, posing additional risks to global shipping | AP Analysis

In Islamabad, Pakistan, officials gathered for a critical meeting on Sunday as Iran issued a stark warning to the United States. A high-ranking Iranian official cautioned against a U.S. ground invasion, asserting that such an action would result in American troops being “set on fire.” This meeting among regional diplomats aimed to facilitate direct discussions between the U.S. and Iran to resolve the conflict that has persisted for a month.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, reportedly declared that Iranian forces were prepared to confront and “set on fire” any American troops that arrived on the ground, as per Iranian state reports. He criticized the diplomatic talks, suggesting they were merely a distraction following the deployment of approximately 2,500 U.S. Marines skilled in amphibious assaults to the Middle East.

This ongoing conflict has posed significant threats to global supplies of essential commodities such as oil, natural gas, and fertilizer, while also disrupting air travel. Iran’s control over the critical Strait of Hormuz has caused market instability and price fluctuations. With the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels now involved, there is an increased risk to shipping routes through another vital passage, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait leading to the Red Sea.

“We live in constant fear, not knowing when our homes might become targets,” shared Razzak Saghir al-Mousawi, a 71-year-old resident, as he described the relentless airstrikes. Meanwhile, Iranians crossing into Iraq have been urging the United States to put an end to the conflict. “I am definitely afraid,” he confessed.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in the war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered Iranian attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states. Meanwhile, Israel has invaded Lebanon while targeting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The war continues on the digital front as well.

Pakistan hosts ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt

Pakistan said the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt met in Islamabad without U.S. or Israeli participation, days after the U.S. offered Iran a 15-point “action list” as a framework for a possible peace deal. The ministers are expected to meet again Monday.

Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty said the meetings are aimed at opening a “direct dialogue” between the U.S. and Iran, which have largely communicated through mediators. Both this war and last year’s 12-day war began during rounds of indirect talks.

Iranian officials have rejected the U.S. framework and publicly dismissed the idea of negotiating under pressure. But Press TV, the English-language arm of Iran’s state broadcaster, reported last week that Tehran had drafted its own five-point proposal that reportedly called for a halt to killing Iranian officials, guarantees against future attacks, reparations and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran has eased some restrictions on commercial ships in the strait, agreeing late Saturday to allow 20 more Pakistani-flagged vessels to pass through. It “sends a clear signal that Iran remains open for business with the world, provided the United States abandons coercion,” said Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Iran.

An adviser to the United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, called for any settlement to the war to include “clear guarantees” that Iranian attacks on neighbors will not be repeated.

Gargash said Iran’s government has become “the main threat” to Persian Gulf security and called for compensation for attacks on civilian infrastructure.

Iran threatens retaliatory strikes on Israeli and US universities

Iran on Sunday warned of escalation after Israeli airstrikes hit several universities, including ones that Israel claimed were used for nuclear research and development. Concerns over Iran’s nuclear program are at the heart of tensions.

The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard warned that Iran would consider Israeli universities and branches of U.S. universities in the region “legitimate targets” unless offered safety assurances for Iranian universities, state media reported.

U.S. colleges have campuses in Qatar and the UAE, including Georgetown, New York and Northwestern universities.

“If the U.S. government wants its universities in the region spared, it should condemn the bombardment” of Iranian universities by midday Monday, the Guard said in a statement.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Saturday that dozens of universities and research centers have been hit, among them the Iran University of Science and Technology and Isfahan University of Technology.

Both sides in the war have threatened to attack civilian facilities, which critics have warned could be a war crime.

Death toll continues to climb

Iranian authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed in the Islamic Republic, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.

In Lebanon, officials said more than 1,100 people have been killed.

In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have died.

In Gulf states, 20 people have been killed. Four have been killed in the occupied West Bank.