Daily Briefing: Cause of crash unknown

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY
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Local officials say a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder have been retrieved from the site of the crash of a passenger plane in Nepal. Also in the news: House Republicans are asking for more information about President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents and a look at Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. What if a 16-foot python was your co-star?

Now, here we go with Monday's news.

Search for the missing underway in Nepal plane crash ruin

A spokesman for Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority says a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder have been retrieved from the site of the crash of a passenger plane that went down on its approach to the tourist town of Pokhara, killing 68 of the 72 people aboard. The devices will be handed over to investigators and the cause of the crash is still unknown. Social media video appears to show the plane starting to roll as it approached the ground. Officials said many of the bodies retrieved were burned beyond recognition and the search for the four missing people will continue Monday. Read more

A woman cries as the body of a relative, victim of a plane crash, is brought to a hospital in Pokhara, Nepal, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.
A woman cries as the body of a relative, victim of a plane crash, is brought to a hospital in Pokhara, Nepal, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

Storm-battered California is 'not done'

Waves of heavy precipitation are expected to bring threats of flooding and landslides to storm-weary California. “We’re not done,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom Saturday as he urged Californians to be on alert for a few more days as the last of the nine atmospheric rivers were expected to move through. The stormy weather has already caused at least 19 deaths and a 5-year-old boy was still missing Sunday after being swept out of his mother’s car by floodwaters in San Luis Obispo County. A change in the weather pattern will start Tuesday as some dry weather is forecast to return to the drenched state. Read more

A man look at trees that were swept into the ocean by recent storms and washed ashore on the beach in Capitola, California, on January 15, 2023.
A man look at trees that were swept into the ocean by recent storms and washed ashore on the beach in Capitola, California, on January 15, 2023.

More news to know now

🌤 What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Biden documents: Republicans want more information

Republicans said Sunday the White House needs to provide more information about Biden's treatment of classified information, as Biden allies said the GOP is trying to use the case to undercut an investigation of Donald Trump and top secret material.

But Democrats say the president and his attorneys turned over classified documents as soon as they were discovered, a marked contrast with how Trump handled sensitive records that should have been sent to the National Archives.

  • In a Sunday letter to the White House, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, wrote that Biden's "mishandling of classified materials raises the issue of whether he has jeopardized our national security."

  • Republican House investigations are taking shape. In a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the House Judiciary Committee requested documents related to the discovery of the documents and Garland's appointment of special counsel Richard Hur to review the handling of the documents.

  • Biden has lawyered up. The president has chosen top Democratic attorney Bob Bauer to serve as his personal lawyer following the Justice Department's investigation.

❓ What's going to happen in Washington over the next 2 years? Americans don't expect much.

The access road to President Joe Biden's home in Wilmington, Delaware, is seen from the media van Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.
The access road to President Joe Biden's home in Wilmington, Delaware, is seen from the media van Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

Ukrainian officials report Russian missile attack on Kyiv

A Ukrainian official says the death toll from the weekend Russian missile strike on an apartment building in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to 37. The regional governor said Monday that rescuers continued searching through the rubble for more victims. At least 75 people were wounded and 35 others were still missing after Saturday’s strike. About 1,700 people lived in the multi-story building. Residents say there were no military facilities at the site. The strike on Saturday came amid a major barrage of Russian cruise missiles across Ukraine. Read more

Emergency workers carry a wounded woman after a Russian rocket hit a multistory building on Saturday in Dnipro, Ukraine, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.
Emergency workers carry a wounded woman after a Russian rocket hit a multistory building on Saturday in Dnipro, Ukraine, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

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Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. made history as a defining leader of the Civil Rights movement who preached a message of nonviolent resistance. His hand in organizing a number of significant protests, marches and speeches helped bring about landmark legislation — most notably the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — and his message continues to resonate today. On April 4, 1968, King, 39, was fatally shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, in honor of King's birthday on Jan. 15, the nation pauses to reflect on the life, death, and legacy of the towering historical figure. Read more

The civil rights leader Martin Luther King waves to supporters August 28, 1963, on the Mall in Washington, DC, during the "March on Washington."
The civil rights leader Martin Luther King waves to supporters August 28, 1963, on the Mall in Washington, DC, during the "March on Washington."

📷 Photo of the day: Critics Choice Awards 2023 📷

On the heels of Golden Globes, Hollywood stepped out Sunday to celebrate the best in movies and television, this time at the Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles. Check out all the best looks on the red carpet, starting with Angela Bassett.

Angela Bassett won supporting actress at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards for her performance in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Angela Bassett won supporting actress at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards for her performance in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

One more thing

Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel reacts as she is crowned Miss Universe during the final round of the 71st Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, in New Orleans on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023.
Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel reacts as she is crowned Miss Universe during the final round of the 71st Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, in New Orleans on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLK, Biden's classified documents, Nepal, Ukraine, California storms: Daily Briefing