NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-02-2025 6AM EST

Episode Date: January 2, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. The Biden administration is investigating yesterday's deadly attack in New Orleans that killed at least 15 people. Dozens of others were injured when a man drove his truck into pedestrians. He then shot and wounded two police officers before he was shot and killed. NPR's Windsor Johnston has more. President Biden says he's directed his administration to make every resource available in the ongoing investigation. I've directed my attorney general, the FBI director, the secretary

of Homeland Security, head of the National Counter-Terrorism Center, and the intelligence community to work on this intensively. New Year's Eve celebrations were underway on Bourbon Street when the attack took place. The FBI says the suspect was an Army veteran and a U.S.-born citizen from Texas. The Bureau says an ISIS flag was attached to his truck at the time of the incident. Officials say it's unlikely that he acted alone. Windsor-Johnston, NPR News, Washington. The FBI says agents found more weapons and what seemed to be an explosive device in the man's truck than authorities found more such devices in other parts of New Orleans. These

have been rendered safe. Officers are also carefully searching the Superdome, that's where the sugar bowl was supposed to be played yesterday. That game has been postponed until this afternoon. Separately, authorities in Las Vegas are investigating the explosion of a Tesla cyber truck yesterday morning in front of the Trump International Hotel. Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill says it was full of what appeared to be gasoline containers and large fireworks. It pulled right up to the glass entrance doors of the hotel. We saw that smoke start showing from the vehicle and then a large explosion from the truck

occurs. An unidentified person inside the truck was killed. Seven other bystanders got minor injuries. The FBI says it's investigating whether this was terrorism. President-elect Trump wants to overhaul how the U.S. manages record-high homelessness. As NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports, Trump says he'll work with states to ban homeless encampments wherever possible. Trump has said camping bans would help push people into treatment for drug addiction or mental problems. Billions in federal homeless

spending aims to get people into housing first, then help them deal with any other problems. But Devin Kurtz with the conservative Cicero Institute says that's led to a shortage of addiction and mental health programs. It's housing, housing, housing, housing, housing. They don't want anything else. We just find that to be sort of foolish given the scale of unsheltered homelessness right now. Advocates for those who do not have a home of their own say the housing first approach has a proven track record and that forcing treatment does not work. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Authorities in India say they've moved many containers of toxic waste from an Indian chemical factory, the Union Carbide factory in the central Indian city of Bhopal, was the site of one of the world's deadliest gas leaks more than 40 years ago. This killed thousands of people and injured many more. Activists say the toxic containers will be buried on a landfill, and they say that could contaminate the groundwater and cause more environmental concerns. More than 400 Christian leaders in India are urging the Indian government to tackle violence

against their minority. This came in a statement following incidents that targeted Christians over Christmas. And P.R.'s Diya Hadid reports. The Christian leaders say that they're shocked by a surge in violence against their community. They called on the Indian President and the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to take, quote, immediate and decisive action. They say that some 14 attacks were recorded over Christmas, and over the year they had documented over 720 incidents of violence.

They say those incidents come amid anti-Christian rhetoric by Hindu nationalists, including senior members of the governing BJP party. Critics say over the past decade of Hindu nationalist rule, there's been a step up in attacks against Indian minorities. Some states have also introduced laws that minority leaders are say discriminatory, including bans on religious conversion. Diya Hadid, NPR News. Parts of northern New York state could get at least two more feet of lake effect snow today. A powerful storm is bringing winds that could gust to 40 miles per hour.

I'm Corva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.