As Trump Blames DEI for Plane Crash, Report Shows Understaffed Air Traffic Control

One controller was doing the work of two people at the long-understaffed tower in the Washington, D.C. area.


National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy speaks during a press conference as the search continues at the crash site of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
(Photo: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Julia Conley
Jan 30, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

A preliminary report on Wednesday night's crash involving a American Airlines commercial flight and a military helicopter revealed that the air traffic control tower in the vicinity of the accident was not staffed at "normal" levels, with just one controller handling a task that two employees ordinarily would have done in the high-stress job.


The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report on Thursday said the staffing at the time of the crash was "not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic."

One controller was instructing helicopters near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport while also directing planes landing at and departing from the airport.


As The New York Timesreported, controllers use different radio frequencies to communicate with helicopter pilots and those flying planes.

"While the controller is communicating with pilots of the helicopter and the jet, the two sets of pilots may not be able to hear each other," according to the Times.

Air traffic controllers have been forced to work longer hours and workweeks in recent years, amid budget constraints and high turnover. In 2023, the tower near Washington, D.C. had 19 fully certified air traffic controllers. The FAA and the controllers' union say the optimal number is 30.

The FAA report was released shortly after President Donald Trump presented his own theory, without evidence, of why the crash that killed 67 people happened.

Trump suggested at a press briefing that under the Biden administration, the FAA had overseen a "diversity push" with a "focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities."

A reporter at the briefing asked whether Trump was saying the crash "was somehow caused and the result of diversity hiring" and called on him to offer evidence to support the claim.

"It just could have been," Trump said, adding that his administration has "a much higher standard than anybody else" for hiring federal employees.




Government Executive noted that the FAA began diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring programs as early as 2013, which continued under the first Trump administration.

No identifying information has been reported about the air traffic controller who was handling the flight paths in question on Wednesday. American Airlines has also not released any personal information about who was piloting its aircraft; Army officials said the helicopter was piloted by one man and one woman, and a male staff sergeant was also on board.


Trump told reporters that he was confident that DEI hiring practices played a role in the crash because he has "common sense."

But critics including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) noted that Trump has taken several steps since taking office less than two weeks ago that could make air travel more dangerous for Americans in the long term.

"Trump gutted the aviation safety committee last week," said the congresswoman, referring to the Aviation Security Advisory Committee. "Air traffic controllers—already understaffed—got Trump's 'buyout' this week with a one-week ultimatum to decide. It's not DEI—it's him."

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) also warned last week that Trump's federal hiring freeze could worsen understaffing among air traffic controllers.

"Hiring air traffic controllers is the number one safety issue according to the entire aviation industry," said Larsen at the time. "Instead of working to improve aviation safety and lower costs for hardworking American families, the administration is choosing to spread bogus DEI claims to justify this decision. I'm not surprised by the president's dangerous and divisive actions, but the administration must reverse course."

On Thursday, Larsen offered condolences for the families of the victims in the crash, and cautioned against speculating "on the causes of aviation accidents before we have the facts and the details."

"However, I know it's not DEI because it never is," said Larsen. "The National Transportation Safety Board will look at the causes and contributing factors of this accident. It is important to let the NTSB complete its work before we consider any potential policy response."

 

No scientific link found between sickle cell trait and sudden death

Expert panel’s findings refute attribution of sudden death to sickle cell trait

American Society of Hematology

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(WASHINGTON—Jan. 30, 2025) – A systematic literature review found no evidence to support that physical exertion without rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) or heat injury can cause sudden death for individuals with sickle cell trait (SCT), nor is there any high-level evidence that SCT causes acute pain crises. These results were published today in the American Society of Hematology’s flagship journal, Blood, and informed the Society’s updated position statement on SCT. 

“SCT has long been misunderstood, fueling widespread misinformation and medically inaccurate claims that it can lead to sudden death. This misconception has been especially prominent in cases of Black men with SCT,” said Belinda Avalos, MD, ASH president. “In light of the pervasive, widely publicized, and harmful nature of this myth, the Society aims to further promote accurate information to protect and empower affected communities.” 

Individuals with SCT have one copy of the gene associated with sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD is a blood disorder characterized by misshapen blood cells that can cause blockages, leading to infections and episodes of severe pain, often referred to as acute pain crises. Unlike SCD, SCT – which affects over 100 million people worldwide, including 8 to 10% of Black Americans – is not a disease. Individuals with SCT do not go on to develop SCD and generally do not experience any related health complications.  

“To date, this is the most authoritative and definitive systematic review on this subject,” said study author Michael R. DeBaun, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics and medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and founder and director of the Vanderbilt-Meharry Sickle Cell Disease Center of Excellence. “This review shows that any primary, secondary, or tertiary cause of death attributable to SCT is not a diagnosis substantiated by the medical evidence.” 

ASH convened an expert panel of hematologists and forensic pathologists to systematically review all existing available research to answer two primary questions: 1) Do uncomplicated acute pain crises occur in people with SCT? and 2) Can physical activity above baseline result in sudden death among those individuals? 

The experts conducted a multi-database search for English-language studies on SCT and pain crises or mortality, identifying 1,474 such citations. Only seven of those studies reported original data, included laboratory testing for SCT in individuals, and addressed the two primary research questions.  

Of these studies, none assessed acute pain crises in individuals with SCT compared to those with SCD and only one described death in individuals reported to have SCT. This study of active-duty U.S. soldiers found only that SCT was associated with a higher risk of heat-related-exertional rhabdomyolysis, or muscle breakdown, but not a higher risk of death from any cause. After the implementation of precautions to prevent heat and environmental-related injury in military personnel, the race-adjusted risk of death was no different in individuals with SCT compared to individuals without SCT. 

“In the absence of two medical conditions that we are all at risk for, exertional rhabdomyolysis or crush injuries leading to rhabdomyolysis, individuals with SCT are not susceptible to sudden death. Even under these extreme environmental conditions, unexplained sudden death cannot be attributed to SCT,” said Dr. DeBaun. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that “in individuals with SCT, the likelihood of SCT alone or pain crises being the root cause of sudden death is medically impossible,” he added. 

While conducting this systematic review, the experts found several studies in which the presence of sickled blood cells at autopsy was cited as evidence of death by acute pain crisis in individuals with SCT. However, the experts did not find any studies that had human data to support this hypothesis, nor any clinical descriptions sufficient to make a diagnosis of an acute pain crisis immediately preceding death.  

“Medicine, even in the post-mortem setting, is science,” said corresponding study author Lachelle D. Weeks, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and physician-scientist in the division of population sciences at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “Our diagnoses have to make sense and be backed by medical evidence. Given the findings of this study, we owe it to individuals with SCT to ensure that post-mortem examinations check for evidence of rhabdomyolysis and other medical or traumatic causes of death.” 

The review had some limitations, most notably a lack of high quality, peer-reviewed direct evidence. To help mitigate this challenge, panel members were encouraged to consider indirect evidence when reviewing abstracts and judged evidence certainty following the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) framework. However, given this paucity of data, the experts hope this review prompts additional SCT research.  

Following the results of this study, ASH revised its position statement on SCT, which states that listing “sickle cell crisis” or “sickle cell trait” as a cause of death on an autopsy report for an individual with sickle cell trait is medically inaccurate and without medical evidence of causation. To read the updated statement and learn more about ASH’s advocacy efforts in this area, visit https://hematology.org/advocacy. 

### 

 Additional resources on SCT and SCD: 

• ASH’s updated SCD and SCT research priorities 

• ASH-CDC-SCDAA SCT Toolkit 

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (hematology.org) is the world’s largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. Since 1958, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. 

The Blood journals (https://ashpublications.org/journals) are the premier source for basic, translational, and clinical hematological research. The Blood journals publish more peer-reviewed hematology research than any other academic journals worldwide. 

Journal

Blood

 

DEI

Community racial and ethnic representation among physicians in US internal medicine residency programs

JAMA Network Open

About The Study:

 In this cross-sectional study, underrepresented in medicine internal medicine residents remained underrepresented compared with their program’s county populations. These findings should inform racial and ethnic diversity policies to address the continuing underrepresentation among graduate medical education physicians, which adversely impacts the care of historically underserved communities. 

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jung G. Kim, PhD, MPH, email jung.kim3@nyulangone.org.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.57310)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication. 

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Journal

JAMA Network Open

 

Sharks and rays benefit from global warming - but not from CO2 in the Oceans

Even positive effects do not compensate for the complex dangers of climate change

Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Vienna

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image: 

Fig. 1: A group of whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus) resting under a table coral off the coast of Indonesia, one of the world's current hotspots of cartilaginous fish diversity.

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Credit: Manuel A. Staggl

Sharks and rays have populated the world's oceans for around 450 million years, but more than a third of the species living today are severely threatened by overfishing and the loss of their habitat. An international research team led by palaeobiologist Manuel A. Staggl from the University of Vienna has now investigated whether and how global warming influences the diversity of sharks based on climate fluctuations between 200 and 66 million years ago. According to the study, higher temperatures and more shallow water areas have a positive effect, while higher CO2 levels have a clearly negative effect. The study was recently published in the scientific journal "Biology".

There have been five mass extinctions in Earth’s history - and one group of animals has survived them all: cartilaginous fish, which include sharks and rays, have inhabited the oceans for more than 450 million years; more than 1,200 shark and ray species are known today. However, more than a third of these species are now seriously threatened due to their habits and increasing over-exploitation and habitat destruction; extinction would also have a direct impact on many ecosystems. 

"The current rapid climate warming could also have a negative impact on this group of animals - in an international study based on earlier climate changes, we have now looked at how exactly this might impact rays and sharks," explains palaeobiologist Manuel A. Staggl from the University of Vienna. The international team investigated the driving forces behind the biodiversity of sharks and rays during the so-called Jurassic (200-143 million years ago) and Cretaceous (143-66 million years ago), a heyday of shark and ray evolution with a wide range of different environmental conditions. Fossilised shark and ray teeth were used to determine the species diversity for each age and compared with the climate data of the respective age. "We wanted to understand which environmental factors influence the diversity of sharks and rays in order to be able to develop possible future scenarios with regard to current global warming," says Jürgen Kriwet, professor of palaeobiology at the University of Vienna.

Higher CO2 level as a decisive environmental factor

The results show that three environmental factors are decisive: Higher temperatures and more shallow water areas have a positive effect; however, a higher carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration clearly has a negative effect. This is the first time that the negative impact of CO2 concentrations in the ocean has been so clearly described: "We cannot yet fully explain the exact mechanisms behind the negative effect of CO2 on the biodiversity of sharks and rays," says Staggl. However, laboratory studies on sharks and rays living today have revealed direct physiological effects of higher CO2 concentrations on the animals - from impacts on the animals' senses to changes in the skeleton during embryonic development. In any case, the fossil record shows that a higher CO2 content contributed to the extinction of individual shark and ray species.

Climate change as an opportunity?

On the other hand, the current global warming may also harbour opportunities for sharks and rays: Rising sea levels and higher temperatures have already been beneficial for the biodiversity of these predators in the past - firstly due to the increase in shallow coastal waters and secondly due to the global expansion of warm waters that offer stable conditions all year round. 

The rise in sea level in particular appears to have been of great importance. "The resulting habitats in shallow seas that cover large continental areas are real biodiversity hotspots; sharks and rays were able to colonise them very quickly and efficiently thanks to their adaptability," explains Staggl. Due to the sometimes significantly higher temperatures during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, the tropics and subtropics were able to expand further north and south, and without distinct seasons, stable and more complex ecosystems with a greater diversity of species were able to develop.

No bright future

However, assuming that sharks and rays are facing a bright future would be too short-sighted, explains Staggl: "The environment is currently changing particularly quickly - unfortunately probably too quickly for the animals and their ecosystems." Together with overfishing, habitat loss and the rise in CO2 levels in the oceans, it is unlikely that these predators will benefit greatly from global warming. 

In order to reduce the environmental pressure on sharks, urgent measures are therefore needed to protect them. This is not just about protecting the sharks and rays themselves, but also about preserving entire ecosystems. "Because without the top predators, the ecosystems would collapse," emphasises Kriwet: "By protecting sharks and rays, we are investing directly in the health of our oceans and therefore also in the people and industries that benefit from these ecosystems," says the professor of palaeobiology.

Fig. 2: A collection of fossilised shark and ray teeth. Hand of an adult for size comparison.

Credit

Manuel A. Staggl

Fig. 3: Diversity curve of neoselachians (modern sharks and rays and the extinct synechodontiform sharks) from the Triassic to the Holocene in millions of years. The curve shows "sampling standardised range through" diversity.

Credit

Manuel A. Staggl

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Journal

Biology

DOI

10.3390/biology14020142 

Article Title

The Drivers of Mesozoic Neoselachian Success and Resilience

Article Publication Date

30-Jan-2025

 

Bat wings boost hovering efficiency

EPFL researchers have designed flexible, batlike wings that boost lift and improve flight performance. This innovation could lead to more efficient drones or energy-harvesting technologies

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

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EPFL's deformable membrane wing.

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Credit: EPFL UNFOLD

 

In 1934, French entomologist Antoine Magnan wrote that bumblebees “should not be able to fly”, as their small wings should theoretically not be able to produce enough lift. It took modern high-speed camera technology to uncover what allowed airborne insects to fly: the leading-edge vortex. This phenomenon occurs when air flow around the leading edge of flapping wings rolls up into a vortex, creating a low-pressure region that boosts lift.

On the other hand, bats – with their flexible membrane wings – are able to fly just as well as insects, if not more efficiently. In fact, some bats have been found to expend as much as 40% less energy than moths of a similar size. Researchers in the Unsteady Flow Diagnostics Laboratory in EPFL’s School of Engineering set out to study the aerodynamic potential of more flexible wings using an experimental platform with a highly deformable membrane made from a silicone-based polymer. They found that instead of creating a vortex, the air flows smoothly over the curved wings, generating more lift and making them even more efficient than rigid wings of the same size.

“The main finding of this work is that the gain in lift we see comes not from a leading-edge vortex, but from the flow following the smooth curvature of the membrane wing,” says former EPFL student Alexander Gehrke, now a researcher at Brown University. “Not only does the wing have to be curved, but it has to be curved by just the right amount, as a wing that is too flexible performs worse again.”

Gehrke is the first author on a paper describing the work that has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Design insights for drones or energy harvesters

The researchers mounted the flexible membrane onto a rigid frame with edges that rotate around their axes. To help visualize the flow around the wing, they immersed their device in water mixed with polystyrene tracer particles.

“Our experiments allowed us to indirectly alter the front and back angles of the wing, so we could observe how they aligned with the flow,” says Unsteady Flow Diagnostics Lab head Karen Mulleners. “Due to the membrane’s deformation, the flow wasn’t forced to roll up into a vortex; rather, it followed the wing’s curvature naturally without separating, creating more lift.”

Gehrke says that the team’s results provide important insights for biologists as well as engineers.

“We know that bats hover and that they have deformable membrane wings. How the wing deformation affects the hovering performance is an important question, but doing experiments on live animals is not trivial. By using a simplified bio-inspired experiment, we can learn about nature’s fliers and how to build more efficient aerial vehicles.”

He explains that as drones get smaller, they are more strongly affected by small aerodynamic perturbations and unsteady gusts than larger vehicles like airplanes. Standard quadrotor drones stop working at a very small scale, so one solution could be to use the same flapping wing motions as animals to build improved versions of these flyers that can hover and carry a payload more efficiently.

The team’s findings could also be used to upgrade existing energy technologies like wind turbines, or to commercialize emerging systems like tidal harvesters that passively harness energy from the ocean’s currents. Advances in sensors and control technology, potentially combined with artificial intelligence, could enable the precise control required to regulate the deformation of flexible membrane wings and adapt the performance of such flyers to varying weather conditions or flight missions.

Karen Mulleners with her lab's flexible membrane wing © Alain Herzog

Credit

Alain Herzog

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2410833121 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Highly deformable flapping membrane wings suppress the leading edge vortex in hover to perform better

Article Publication Date

28-Jan-2025

Freshwater alga could be the next superfood that feeds the world

 News Release 30-Jan-2025

University of Birmingha

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A green alga that grows in lakes and rivers could be the next ‘superfood’ - helping scientists to tackle global food security challenges while promoting environmental sustainability, a new study reveals.

Chlorella Vulgaris is a freshwater microalga rich in protein, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Unlike conventional agriculture, which requires extensive land and water resources, it can be cultivated sustainably with minimal environmental footprint.

The microalga can be incorporated into food products to enhance their nutritional value. With its antioxidant properties, immune support, and detoxifying effects, Chlorella is a promising nutraceutical ingredient.

Publishing their findings in the Journal of Food Science, scientists at the University of Birmingham believe that, while Chlorella holds immense promise, challenges remain in optimizing large-scale production and improving consumer acceptance.

The researchers emphasize the need for advancements in cultivation techniques, processing methods, and sensory improvements to enhance its appeal.

Co-author Dr Helen Onyeaka commented: “As consumer interest in health-conscious and eco-friendly products grows, Chlorella Vulgaris could be one of the superfoods that redefine the future of food innovation. Our study underscores the critical role of applied research in addressing global food security challenges while promoting environmental sustainability.

“We found that Chlorella not only meets growing demand for sustainable food sources but also offers substantial health and nutrition benefits. By overcoming production challenges through technological advancements, we can pave the way for Chlorella’s widespread adoption.”

Chlorella has been used as a food supplement, available in powder and tablet forms, and adding the substance to food products can enhance their taste, texture, and appearance. However, the researchers note that overcoming existing challenges and optimising production methods will be crucial for the microalga’s successful adoption and widespread use in the food industry.

The scientists recommend that future research should focus on improving strains, developing efficient cultivation systems, and addressing issues to fully realize Chlorella's potential as a sustainable and nutritious food source.

Their study recommends that industrialising Chlorella production involve the development of new culture systems to increase yield and reduce costs – these processes should involve different bioreactors, light and nutrient adjustments, and sterile confinements.

Techniques like mechanical milling, enzyme treatment, and ultrasonication can increase nutrient bioavailability, while pulsed electric fields may enhance digestibility economically. Sensory evaluations and consumer testing are necessary to mask unwanted tastes. Increasing awareness and developing sustainable production methods can expand Chlorella's use in the food industry, improving product quality, safety, and sustainability.

A nutrient-dense alternative to traditional food sources, Chlorella boasts high levels of protein (43–58% dry weight), lipids (5–58%), carbohydrates (12–55%), and essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B, calcium, and magnesium.

Beyond its nutritional value, C. vulgaris offers significant environmental advantages, helping to capture carbon dioxide and cleanse wastewater, aligning with global sustainability goals.

Health benefits include anti-tumour properties, potential for preventing Alzheimer's disease, and positive effects on major depressive disorder.

ENDS

Notes to editor:

• The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 universities institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
• ‘Chlorella vulgaris as a food substitute: Applications and benefits in the food industry’ - Chiao-An Wang, Helen Onyeaka, Taghi Miri, and Fakhteh Soltani is published by the Journal of Food Science.

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Journal

Journal of Food Science

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

Cells

Article Title

Chlorella vulgaris as a food substitute: Applications and benefits in the food industry