Midday Roundup: Amtrak engineer doesn't remember crash

Drawing a blank. The engineer of a derailed Amtrak train suffered a concussion and can’t remember what happened when the train crashed Tuesday night near Philadelphia, his lawyer said. Brandon Bostian, 32, of Queens, N.Y., is cooperating with the investigation, but “has absolutely no recollection of the incident or anything unusual,” attorney Robert Goggin told ABC News. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday the train was going 106 mph ahead of a sharp curve with a speed limit of 50 mph. The engineer applied the emergency brake seconds before the crash. The train was carrying 243 people, seven of whom have died from injuries. UPDATE (1:20 p.m.): Crews discovered another body in the Amtrak wreckage today, bringing to eight the death toll in the derailment. Officials believe they have accounted for everyone who was on the train, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said.

Privacy act. The House on Wednesday approved a bill that would shut down the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records. The USA Freedom Act would require telecom companies to save the data and give the NSA narrow access to it if the agency had a search warrant. The bill passed by a vote of 338-88, but it faces a bigger challenge in the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., opposes the bill. If Congress doesn’t take action, legislation that allowed the NSA to collect the data will expire in June and end the program altogether.

Taken out. The second-in-command of the Islamic State (ISIS) is dead following a U.S.-led airstrike, according to Iraqi government officials. They said ISIS leader Abu Alaa al-Afri was at a mosque in northern Iraq when bombers shelled the building. The Iraqi military said an “unknown number” of ISIS terrorists also were killed. The Pentagon has not yet confirmed the reports. Last week, the U.S. State Department announced a $7 million reward for information on al-Afri, who was a well-known al-Qaeda loyalist before joining ISIS.

State of fear. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has reportedly executed his defense chief. According to South Korean intelligence, the dictator ordered the death of Hyan Yong Chol for showing disrespect and disloyalty and for falling asleep at an official event. Reporter Hyung-Jin Kim said many analysts believe the execution was intended to incite fear among his people to solidify his leadership.

WORLD Radio’s Christina Darnell and Paul Butler and The Associated Press contributed to this report.