Cessna Crash, Tabloid Trial, and Why Mosquitoes Bite

Fighter Jets Scrambled in DC

Washington, DC, officials said yesterday a loud sound that shook houses stretching from Northern Virginia to Annapolis, Maryland, was the result of a sonic boom from fighter jets scrambled to intercept a small passenger plane that had entered restricted airspace. According to reports, the plane later crashed in a remote area of central Virginia.  

Details of how the incident unfolded are still emerging. Flight records indicate the plane, a Cessna Citation, took off from eastern Tennessee en route to Long Island, New York, but did a 180-degree turn near its destination (see trajectory). The craft entered restricted airspace shortly after 3pm ET, upon which the jets intercepted the Cessna but did not engage. The craft did not respond when hailed and one fighter pilot reported seeing the Cessna pilot unresponsive in the cockpit.

Early reports suggest there were at least four passengers on board. Search teams reached the crash site yesterday evening but found no signs of survivors.

Apple's Big Bet

Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference begins today, with the company expected to unveil its long-awaited mixed-reality headset. Purportedly dubbed the Reality Pro, the device marks the company's biggest product launch since the Apple Watch.

The company expects initial applications to include gaming, communication, watching videos, and more. It also represents Apple's entry point into the metaverse (see overview), envisioned as an expansive and fully immersive virtual space. The excitement around the concept has waned over the past two years—analysts say Apple's arrival may jump-start momentum in the industry. The company already boasts the world's largest collection of virtual reality apps, mostly developed by third parties, on the Apple App Store.

Information leaked ahead of the event suggests the headset will boast exceptionally high resolution, roughly equivalent to a 4K display for each eye. It debuts with a reported $3K price tag.

See other announcements and how to stream the event here.

Royal Tabloid Trial

Prince Harry will appear in court in the United Kingdom today as one of over 100 claimants in a lawsuit brought against a British newspaper publisher, the first of five pending legal cases he has launched against the media. Harry will also face cross-examination tomorrow, marking the first time a senior royal has done so since the 1890s.

Today's case accuses Mirror Group Newspapers, the publisher of several British tabloids, of using numerous illegal methods to report on the private lives of celebrities, athletes, and royalty, including phone-hacking and high-level cover-ups. Harry's claim was selected as one of four test cases in the trial and involves 33 news reports allegedly sourced from illicit phone hacks. MGN previously apologized for using the tactic but will likely seek the case's dismissal on the grounds it has passed the six-year statute of limitations.

The lawsuits come three years after Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, reduced their involvement as senior royals, reportedly due to the media's intrusion into their private lives. The prince's mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a car accident as she attempted to evade reporters in Paris almost 26 years ago. 

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Historybook: The US moves off gold standard (1933); Bobby Kennedy is shot at campaign rally, dies next day (1968); President Ronald Reagan dies (2004); Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury dies (2012); Fashion designer Kate Spade dies (2018).