By PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER

The Federal Aviation Administration says seven people were killed and a crew member survived with serious injuries when a private business jet crashed in a snowstorm at Maine’s Bangor International Airport.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 carrying eight people crashed on takeoff at around 7:45 p.m. Sunday night as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm. The airport, about 200 miles north of Boston, shut down after the crash. Snowfall was heavy at the time, as it was in many other parts of the country.

The jet was registered to a corporation that shares the same address in Houston, Texas as the personal injury law firm Arnold and Itkin Trial Lawyers.

A map showing Bangor International Airport, where a private jet crashed on Sunday. (AP Digital Embed)

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The NTSB said preliminary information shows the plane crashed upon departure and experienced a post-crash fire, but that it would have no further statement until after investigators arrive in a day or two.

The NTSB said it has no role in the release of information about victims and that such information is handled by local authorities. But airport director Jose Saavedra refused to comment, saying at a news conference Monday that he was “awaiting guidance and support from federal partners.”

An audio recording of air traffic controllers includes someone saying “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down,” about 45 seconds after a plane was cleared for takeoff. First responders arrived less than a minute later, Saavedra said.

Bangor International Airport offers direct flights to cities like Orlando, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, North Carolina, and is located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Boston. It was closed shortly after the crash and will remain closed until at least noon Wednesday.

The crash happened as New England and much of the country grappled with a massive winter storm. Bangor had undergone steady snowfall Sunday, though planes were landing and departing around the time of the crash, Saavedra said.

“We have crews on site that respond to weather storms on a regular basis,” he said. “This is normal for us to respond to weather events.”

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Throughout the weekend, the vast storm dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow across much of the eastern half of the U.S., halting much air and road traffic and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the Southeast.

Commercial air traffic was also heavily disrupted around much of the U.S. Some 12,000 flights were canceled Sunday and nearly 20,000 were delayed, according to the flight tracker flightaware.com. Airports in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey were among those impacted.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 is a wide-bodied business jet configured for nine to 11 passengers. It was launched in 1980 as the first private jet with a “walk-about cabin” and remains a popular charter option, according to aircharterservice.com.

In the wake of weekend backlash over suggesting that protesters in Minnesota are being paid, KFAN sports radio host and play-by-play voice of the Vikings Paul Allen did not appear on his scheduled show Monday.

Before guest host Paul Charchian began the nine-to-noon slot on KFXN-FM 100.3, the station played a pre-recorded statement from Allen, who said he was “taking a few days off.”

“Good morning,” the message began. “I made a comment on air Friday about protesters and the weather that was insensitive and poorly timed, and I’m sorry. It was a misguided attempt at humor, and while it was never made with any political intent or political affront, I absolutely and whole-heartedly want to apologize to those who genuinely hurt or offended by it.

A message to KFAN program director Chad Abbott was not immediately returned.

Before thousands marched in downtown Minneapolis in frigid temperatures on Friday, Allen — speaking with former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway and radio producer Eric Nordquist — said, “In conditions like this, do paid protesters get hazard pay? Those are the things that I’ve been thinking about this morning.”

After Greenway declined to engage, Allen continued.

“Everyone’s catching strays this week,” he said, citing NFL quarterback social media criticism of Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield and former NFL QB Charlie Batch. “They’re just all over. Protesters caught one this morning.”

The Vikings declined to comment on Sunday, and show producer Eric Nordquist didn’t return a message.

Protests have been a daily occurrence in Minnesota since federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived en masse in mid-December in a campaign the Department of Homeland Security is calling “Operation Metro Surge.”

On Friday, hundreds of Minnesota businesses closed their doors and a crowd estimated to be around 15,000 marched from Commons Park at the edge of downtown Minneapolis to Target Center, where it held a rally to demand ICE leave Minnesota.

In his statement, Allen said, “Nine-to-noon doesn’t formulate political opinions. We don’t bash or praise political discussions, or even focus on political issues. Our time slot has always been a sports-centered space built to entertain, a place where we chat about sports, offer an escape from the heavy stuff and give listeners the distraction they need from everything else going on.

“I have stated many times before, we serve you, not the other way around. We’re very fortunate, and thank you for counting on us as long as you have. It means more than you’ll ever know. My best was lacking sorry, and for that, I am sorry. I’m taking a few days off. I wanted to express these thoughts, and my sincere apology, before I do.”

Allen later posted a Gospel verse on his x.com account.

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The U.S. team released its 232-athlete roster for the Milan Cortina Olympics on Monday and it includes Lindsey Vonn and bobsledders Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor, who are among the seven Americans making their fifth trip to the games.

Other five-timers are hockey player Hilary Knight, figure skater Evan Bates and snowboarders Faye Thelen and Nick Baumgartner.

Meyers Taylor leads a group of 33 returning medalists. She has won three silver medals and two bronze while Humphries has taken three gold. Mikaela Shiffrin and Chloe Kim have two golds each.

United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates on podium after winning an alpine ski, women’s World Cup slalom, in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

The team consists of 117 men and 115 women ranging in age from 15 (freeskier Abby Winterberger) to 54 (curler Rich Ruohonen).

The opening ceremony is set for Feb. 6 in Milan, with some competition beginning Feb. 4.

These will be the most spread-out Olympics in history, with Milan serving as a home base for hockey, figure skating and speedskating and Cortina and a handful of other mountain clusters hosting skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, sliding sports and the new Olympic sport of ski mountaineering.

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Grocery stores might try to convince you otherwise, but it’s pretty tough to get a decent tomato in Western Pennsylvania in January.

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The plump red fruit — preferably homegrown or sourced locally at your favorite farmers market — is at its juicy prime in late summer, forcing tomato lovers either to eat their fill before falls rolls around, and then pine for a “good tomato” all winter long, or roll up their sleeves to chop and freeze a few batches or turn a couple of pecks (or a bushel) into sauce.

But then there are husk tomatoes, or tomatillos. Because the small nightshade fruit is largely grown in its native sunny Mexico, they’re widely available year-round in most major grocery stores and Mexican markets.

Harvested when the fruits are still immature, tomatillos have a fresh tangy scent with hints of citrus (think limes or green tomatoes). They’re denser in minerals than red tomatoes and also a good source of fiber and vitamins A, C and K. A winter “super food,” tomatillos also are high in antioxidants, which help support your immune system and boost overall health.

Because they pair well with garlic, onions, cilantro and chiles, tomatillos are turned into green salsas, sauces or jams. The fruit also plays a starring role in the green version of one of Mexico’s most famous stews, pozole.

This one-pot version of the Mexican classic pulls together in about an hour. It’s made by simmering shredded chicken and canned hominy (dried corn kernels that have been treated with an alkali) in a flavorful broth of garlic, chilies and tomatillos.

I used jalapeño and poblano chiles, but you could swap in serranos for extra heat. The stew also can be made with shredded pork, and some also like to throw in some toasted pumpkin seeds for extra thickness and a velvety texture.

Traditional toppings include sliced radish and/or avocado, shredded cabbage and a salty, crumbly cheese like cotija or queso fresco.

After peeling off the papery husk, you’ll want to give the tomatillos a good rinse under cool water to remove the sticky sap. For extra flavor, slice and roast the fruit in a 400-degree oven until soft and slightly charred (about 15 minutes) or broil for 10 minutes.

Serve the pozole with warm tortillas; for a heartier meal, add a scoop of white or Mexican rice.

Pozole verde, a traditional Mexican stew, is made with shredded chicken and hominy in a tangy broth made from tomatillos and green chiles. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)

Pozole Verde

PG tested

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 poblano chiles, diced
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt, to taste
1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
3/4 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 15-ounce cans hominy, rinsed and drained
32-ounce container chicken stock or broth
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
Shredded cabbage, to serve
Queso fresco, to serve
Sliced radishes, to serve, optional
Diced avocado, to serve, optional
Lime wedges, to serve
Warm flour or corn tortillas, tortilla chips or tostadas, to serve

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering.

Add the onion, garlic, poblano peppers, jalapeño peppers, cumin and bay leaves and sauté until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Transfer the aromatic mixture to a blender and add the tomatillos, oregano and cilantro. Purée the ingredients until smooth.

Transfer the mixture back into the pot over medium-low heat.

Add the hominy and broth or stock, stirring to combine. Generously season the broth with salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer.

Simmer the soup, partially covered, for 40 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and continue to simmer until just warm, about 5 more minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the pozole into bowls and serve topped with your preferred garnishes and warm tortillas.

Store leftover pozole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Serves 8.

— Adapted from masterclass.com

©2026 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.