NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-02-2025 3PM EST

Episode Date: January 2, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. Bourbon Street in New Orleans is now open and the FBI today is saying they now believe that the driver in the truck attack that left 14 people dead early New Year's morning acted alone. 42-year-old American board Shamsher Dean Jabbar of Houston was killed in a shootout with police. The FBI is saying there appears to be no definitive link between yesterday's attack in New Orleans and the Tesla cyber truck that exploded in front of a Trump hotel in Las Vegas hours later. Authorities say the driver of the cyber truck was 37 year old Matthew Allen Blyfulsberger. In a

news briefing in Las Vegas this afternoon, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that police still don't have 100% confirmation because he was burned beyond recognition in that blast. Now further complicating this identification of this individual, we also discovered through the coroner's office that the individual had sustained a gunshot wound to the head prior to the detonation of the vehicle. And now New Orleans... One of the handguns was found at his feetation of the vehicle. And now New Orleans is gearing up to host the sugar bowl today. The Gulf States newsroom's Kat Stromquist has details. Officials said they'd postpone the game to beef up security and while police investigated

the attack. The playoff quarterfinal between Georgia and Notre Dame had drawn thousands of college football fans to the city. Gary Thigpen, a Georgia fan, says he's long worried about something like this happening at the games he loves, but he says the New Orleans attack won't stop him from attending the bowl. Nobody's promised tomorrow, but when it's your time, it's your time. So I'm not going to hide, you know, because it's happened. I'll still, I'll still go to the game. In addition to the Sugar Bowl, New Orleans is set to host the Super Bowl next month. For NPR News, I'm Kat Stromquist in New Orleans. President Biden awards the Presidential Citizens Medal today to former Congresswoman Liz Cheney and Mississippi Congressman Benny Thompson. NPR's

Tamara Keith reports they led the congressional committee that investigated the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. The Presidential Citizens Medal honors Americans who performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. It is among the highest civilian honors a president can bestow and awarding it to Cheney and Thompson sends a signal. President-elect Trump has criticized the pair repeatedly, falsely accusing them of breaking the law with their investigation into his actions on and around January 6th.

Biden is also set to award the medal to several civil rights leaders and advocates who worked on issues he championed in his career, among others. In all, he will award the Citizen's Medal to 20 people. Tamara Keith, NPR News. On Wall Street at last check, the Dow is off 217 points, the NASDAQ off 95. This is NPR News. In New York City, officials say a 20-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of New Year's Day at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

The mayor was not there at the time. Adam's security detail arrested the man who was charged with attempted burglary. There's a new dog breed joining the official lineup recognized by the American Cattle Club, the Danish Swedish Farm Dog. NPR's Ava Pukac reports. The Danish Swedish Farm Dog is a small, compact, lively, smooth-coated working dog initially known for hunting rodents and herding livestock. The American Kennel Club says it also sometimes appeared in circuses as the clown's playmate. Denmark and Sweden recognized the breed in 1987. This year, the Danish Swedish farm dog will be eligible

to compete for Best in Show trophies at the National Dog Show and the American Kennel Club National Championship. And next year, it'll be eligible to compete at the most well-known show of them all, the Westminster Dog Show. The American Kennel Club now recognizes 202 breeds. Ava Pukac and PR News. Dangerously cold weather is moving into the eastern United States over the coming days,

creating lake effect precipitation in the northeastern states. A couple of feet of heavy snow could fall in upstate New York. By the weekend, a wave of arctic air is expected to put much of the U.S. in freezing or sub-freezing temperatures from the Plains states to the Midwest to the East Coast in both northern and southern states. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.