NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-02-2025 5AM EST

Episode Date: January 2, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. The FBI is investigating whether the man who plowed a truck into crowds celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter acted alone. At least 15 people were killed, dozens were hurt, some critically. Officials identify the driver as 42-year-old Shamsuddin Jabbar, an Army veteran from Houston, Texas. Federal agents are searching his home. Jabbar was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police on Bourbon Street.

The FBI says Jabbar may have made improvised explosive devices found in the French Quarter and that a flag of the Islamic State terror group was attached to the truck. NPR's Franco Ordonez reports President Biden says the nation is grieving with the victims and families. Speaking from Camp David, President Biden said the attacker posted videos saying he was inspired by ISIS to kill just hours before the attack and that investigators were looking into whether he acted alone. I directed my team to make sure every resource, every resource is made available to federal,

state and local law enforcement to complete the investigation in New Orleans quickly and to make sure there's no remaining threat to the American people. Biden was also briefed on the cyber attack explosion outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Biden said officials are investigating whether there may be any connection, but have found none yet. Franco Ordonez NPR News. The person in the Tesla cyber truck died Joe Shaneman with Nevada Public Radio says surveillance video shows the truck exploded at the entrance to the Trump Hotel. In the video the truck is sitting there and police said it was only there for about 15 seconds then it

completely erupts flames shooting 20 feet or more into the air. Authorities also said fireworks, mortar-like fireworks, were found in the truck along with gas canisters. Authorities say the Cybertruck was rented in Colorado from the same company as the truck used in New Orleans. Police in South Korea raided the offices of the airline and airport at the center of Sunday's plane crash that killed almost everyone on board. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul now. Police raided the Muon International Airport, the offices of low-cost carrier Jeju Air,

and other sites. Police had a search warrant issued on charges of professional negligence resulting in death. Attention is focused on a concrete barrier housing landing navigation equipment, which the Jeju Air flight collided with after overshooting the runway. Authorities have launched a nationwide inspection of all aviation safety equipment near airport runways. Identification of all 179 victims' remains was completed Wednesday, and so far at least two dozen have been returned to their families. Two flight attendants were the only ones to survive the worst aviation disaster ever on Korean soil.

Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. January 1st is a traditional day for college football, two quarterfinal games. And the newly expanded playoffs took place, but the day was impacted by the tragedy in New Orleans. Steve Futterman reports. In the Rose Bowl game here in Pasadena, Ohio State beat number one and previously undefeated Oregon 41 to 21. It was no contest.

Ohio State jumped out to a 34-0 lead in the second quarter. The game was never in doubt. Oregon coach Dan Lanning. You know, sometimes it's not your day. And I think that was us today, right? It wasn't our day today. In the day's first game, Arizona State overcame a 16.4-quarter deficit to tie Texas, forcing the game into overtime. In the second overtime Texas finally prevailed. Meanwhile in New Orleans, the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame was postponed one day following the deadly truck attack in the French Quarter.

For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Pasadena, California. The Sugar Bowl is now set to be played at the Superdome in New Orleans this afternoon. New Orleans is also scheduled to host the Super Bowl next month. Days of remembrances to honor former President Jimmy Carter begin Saturday in Georgia. A motorcade will take Carter's body through his hometown of Plains. The 39th president will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta for people to pay respects before he's brought to Washington to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol. Carter's funeral will be held at Washington National Cathedral one week from today. He died Sunday

at home at the age of 100. I'm Kristen Wright, and this is NPR News from Washington.