Overview of AM Update 3/25 — Megyn Kelly (SiriusXM)
A fast-paced morning news roundup covering four major stories: a new Homeland Security secretary stepping into a DHS funding and staffing crisis; emerging NTSB findings about the deadly Air Canada–firetruck collision at LaGuardia; a string of high‑profile scientist disappearances and deaths prompting congressional concern about possible links to UAP/UFO work; and a bizarre Maryland murder case involving a quadruple‑amputee athlete. The show mixes reporting, key details, and reactions from officials and members of Congress.
Top stories (quick list)
- Mark Wayne Mullen sworn in as Homeland Security Secretary amid a partial DHS shutdown and unpaid TSA staff.
- NTSB releases early findings on LaGuardia runway collision that killed both Air Canada pilots and injured dozens.
- Several recent disappearances and deaths of scientists (including a retired Air Force general) drawing congressional scrutiny and conspiracy questions.
- A 27‑year‑old quadruple amputee and competitive cornhole player, Dayton James Weber, charged with murder in Maryland — authorities investigating how he allegedly fired a gun while driving.
1) DHS leadership & funding standoff
What happened
- Former Senator Mark Wayne Mullen was sworn in as DHS Secretary, succeeding Kristi Noem (whose tenure ended amid controversy per the broadcast).
- He immediately faced the department’s funding lapse: TSA and other DHS employees have been working without pay for weeks.
Key details
- DHS funding has lapsed since mid‑February; this was described as day 39 of the impasse.
- Senate Democrats have refused to reopen DHS funding without reforms related to ICE (for example, bans on masks for ICE agents and warrant requirements for some arrests).
- Senate Republicans reportedly working on a partial DHS funding deal that would exclude some ICE enforcement activities — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer opposed that approach.
- ICE agents have been temporarily assisting TSA at airports; wait times in some locations have improved short term, but TSA employees are facing missed paychecks.
Implications
- Continued political gridlock risks longer operational and morale impacts on airport security and other DHS functions.
- Short‑term deployment of ICE into TSA roles is politically controversial and may not be sustainable.
2) LaGuardia runway collision — NTSB preliminary findings
What happened
- An Air Canada regional jet landing from Montreal collided with a Port Authority fire truck that had crossed the runway to respond to a separate emergency. The airplane’s nose was crushed; both pilots were killed. Passengers survived; dozens injured.
Key details
- Pilots identified in the report: Captain Antoine Forrest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther.
- At least 41 injured; several hospitalized. A flight attendant was reportedly thrown from the aircraft but survived with a fractured leg.
- NTSB is focusing on four possible contributing factors:
- The responding fire truck lacked a transponder, so controllers couldn't see its precise position on radar.
- The airport surface surveillance system (ASDE‑X) did not generate an alert because multiple ground vehicles were merging and unmerging, preventing a high‑confidence track.
- A potentially critical radio transmission was "stepped on" (interrupted or blocked) one minute before the collision.
- Staffing/practice in the overnight control tower — two controllers were present and handling multiple roles; questions remain about assignment of tracking duties.
- Flight recorder data showed a hard landing and aggressive braking; commentators praised the pilots for actions that likely saved more lives, even as they were killed.
Implications
- Investigation will examine systemic surface surveillance, vehicle equipment/procedures, radio communications protocols, and tower staffing/roles at night.
- Possible recommendations may involve mandatory transponders on responding vehicles, ASDE‑X operational changes, and radio/dispatch procedures to prevent “step on” transmissions.
3) Unusual string of scientist disappearances and deaths
What happened
- Several recent cases involving high‑level scientists and defense researchers have raised alarm and congressional questions about possible connections — particularly among those linked to defense, space, and UAP/UFO research.
Cases summarized
- Retired Air Force Major General William Neal McCasland: reported missing after leaving his Albuquerque home on foot with a backpack and a revolver. McCasland formerly oversaw major Air Force science and technology programs (including work at Wright‑Patterson); has been associated in media with classified space/defense programs and, post‑retirement, consulted briefly with Tom DeLonge on transparency about UAPs.
- Monica Jacinto Reza: rocket/materiels scientist reported missing in June after a hike in the Angeles National Forest; no trace found.
- Nuno Loreiro (MIT plasma/fusion scientist): shot and killed in Massachusetts; suspect linked to other shootings and later found dead.
- Carl Grillmeier (astrophysicist): fatally shot outside his home in California; suspect arrested in a related carjacking was linked to the killing.
- Jason Thomas (pharmaceutical scientist at Novartis): found dead in a lake; police say no evidence of foul play publicly released, cause not disclosed. Thomas had reportedly been grieving recent parental deaths.
Reactions and concerns
- Congressman Tim Burchett (R‑TN), a vocal proponent of UAP transparency, has called the cluster “worth paying attention to,” suggested potential national security implications, and criticized federal agencies for lack of transparency.
- Burchett and others are asking whether the incidents are isolated or connected to classified programs (he raised timing in relation to announcements about releasing files).
Implications
- Ongoing investigations will determine cause(s) and whether any links exist; congressional oversight and public interest are likely to increase.
- The cases fuel concern about researcher safety, classified program vulnerabilities, and transparency from federal agencies.
4) Maryland murder charge: quadruple‑amputee athlete accused
What happened
- Dayton James Weber, 27, a quadruple‑amputee and competitive cornhole player who gained media attention and profiled by ESPN, is accused of fatally shooting a passenger (Bradrick Michael Wells, 27) in his vehicle after an argument.
- Weber allegedly shot the passenger twice in the head, then drove away with the victim still in the front seat. Other passengers refused to help remove the victim and flagged down police. The victim’s body was found later in a yard.
Key details
- Weber reportedly lost all four limbs as an infant due to sepsis but has stumps and uses them skillfully; social media shows he has been able to manipulate firearms and climb ladders using stumps.
- Weber’s car was later located ~140 miles away in Charlottesville, Virginia; he was found at a nearby hospital being treated for an undisclosed issue and taken into custody after release.
- Charged with first‑ and second‑degree murder and other counts; awaiting extradition back to Maryland.
- Authorities have not publicly detailed how Weber allegedly operated the vehicle and fired the weapon; early statements say no evidence anyone else was involved.
Implications
- The case raises both factual questions about mechanics of the alleged crime and legal questions about motive, culpability, evidence, and how witnesses and forensic teams will address the unusual circumstances.
Notable quotes
- Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen: “I don't care what color your state is. I don't care if you're red or you're blue... my job is to be Secretary of Homeland and to protect everybody the same.”
- NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy on surface radar: “ASDE‑X did not generate an alert due to the close proximity of vehicles merging and unmerging... resulting in the inability to create a track of high confidence.”
- Rep. Tim Burchett (on the cluster of deaths): “The numbers seem very high in these certain areas of research. I think we'd better be paying attention... I don't think we should trust our government.”
What to watch next
- NTSB final report on the LaGuardia collision (possible recommendations on vehicle transponders, ASDE‑X use, radio procedures, and staffing).
- Congressional negotiations and votes on DHS funding and ICE reform provisions — outcome will determine TSA pay and operational staffing.
- Law enforcement updates on the status and causes of the scientist deaths/missing persons and any federal investigations or briefings.
- Court proceedings and forensic disclosures in the Dayton James Weber murder case (how authorities document the mechanics of the alleged shooting).
If you want a one‑sentence summary: Mullen takes over DHS amid a funding/staffing crisis; NTSB pinpoints surface surveillance, transponder, radio and staffing problems in the LaGuardia collision that killed two pilots; an unsettling cluster of scientist disappearances and deaths spurs congressional scrutiny; and a highly unusual murder case involves a quadruple‑amputee athlete accused of killing a passenger.