5 things to know for Jan. 31: Plane collision, Confirmation hearings, Pain medicine, Japan sinkhole, FireAid benefit concerts

CNN’s 5 Things AM brings you the news you need to know every morning.

While America retains a gold standard for airline safety, there are stresses on the US air travel system that have been apparent in a series of near tragedies in recent years. Aviation experts have warned that some safety margins have been squeezed by a shortage of air traffic controllers and congestion in the airspace over many major cities. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Officials are now operating a recovery effort in the Potomac River, the site of the deadliest commercial airliner crash in the US in 24 years. There were no survivors after Wednesday’s midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter in the Washington, DC, area. The plane, flying from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 64 people, while three soldiers were aboard the Army helicopter. Searchers have recovered the plane’s flight data and voice recorders, known as black boxes, which should help investigators in determining the cause of the catastrophe. Just a day before the fatal collision, another flight approaching Reagan National Airport was forced to abort its first landing and go around after a helicopter flew near its flight path, CNN has learned. Three of President Donald Trump’s most controversial picks for his Cabinet and key administration roles were grilled during Senate hearings on Thursday. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel faced sharp questions from Democrats and several Republican lawmakers in what amounted to the most direct skepticism from GOP senators over Trump’s nominees to date. Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence the three nominees will ultimately be confirmed, though he stressed that securing their approval will require significant effort. If all Democrats oppose Trump’s nominees, they can only afford to lose three GOP senators on the floor to win confirmation. The FDA on Thursday approved the first new type of pain medication in 25 years. The drug, suzetrigine, is a 50-milligram prescription pill that’s taken every 12 hours after a larger starter dose. It will be sold under the brand name Journavx. About 80 million Americans fill prescriptions each year for medications to treat new instances of moderate to severe pain, according to a study by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the company that developed the new drug. About half of those prescriptions are written for opioid medications, which can lead to dependence and addiction. Unlike opioid medications, which dull the sensation of pain in the brain, suzetrigine works by preventing pain-signaling nerves around the body from firing in the first place. A sinkhole that suddenly opened on a road near Tokyo has captured international attention as attempts to rescue an elderly truck driver drag on. On Tuesday, part of an intersection in Saitama prefecture, about 18 miles north of Japan’s capital, swallowed a three-ton truck and its driver, a 74-year-old man. The rescue mission is now in its fourth day. Authorities believe that corroded sewer pipes may have caused the earth to fall in. Leaking wastewater may have further eroded the soil, widening the chasm, they said. Japanese authorities have asked hundreds of residents to evacuate as the sinkhole has grown more than 40 meters wide, or about 130 feet.