NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-03-2025 4AM EST

Episode Date: January 3, 2025

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Residents of New Orleans are trying to get their lives back to normal after the deadly New Year's attack on Bourbon Street this week. Fourteen people were killed when the driver rammed his pickup truck into a crowd of people. NPR's Debbie Elliott says the driver was a U.S. born citizen from Texas who acted alone. Initially authorities said they were looking at a range of suspects, but now FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Rea says that has changed. We do not assess at this point that anyone else is involved in this attack except for

Shamsa Din Jabbar. Rea says Jabbar, an Army veteran from Houston, had joined ISIS before the summer and declared his support for the group on social media on his way to New Orleans. Jabbar died in a shootout with police. Rea says he had planted two explosive devices concealed in coolers in the French Quarter before ramming a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street. Debbie Elliott, NPR News, New Orleans.

Congress returns to Washington, D.C., later today, and Republicans will hold narrow majorities in both houses. That could complicate President-elect Donald Trump's plans to pursue an ambitious legislative agenda. NPR's Lexi Schepittle reports. The first order of business in the House will be electing a new speaker. While incoming Speaker Mike Johnson has Trump's endorsement,

just a few Republican defectors could derail the voting process. If the House hasn't chosen a speaker by Monday, that could delay the certification of Trump's 2024 presidential victory. Trump's legislative priorities will likely include passing a border security package and extending the tax cuts Republicans passed during his first term. Those are set to expire this year. Lawmakers will also need to fund the government by March to avoid a shutdown and the Senate will soon begin confirmation hearings for Trump's cabinet picks, some of whom have yet to secure the support they'll need. Lexi Shapiro, NPR News, Washington. Two people were killed when a small plane crashed into a warehouse near an

airport in Fullerton, California on Thursday. Officials say the single-engine plane had just taken off when it crashed through the warehouse's roof. Fullerton, California on Thursday. Officials say the single-engine plane had just taken off when it crashed through the warehouse's roof. Fullerton Fire Department Sergeant Ryan O'Neill says at least 18 people were injured in the accidents. It was a commercial building that the plane crashed into. There were people working at the time. There was an active fire when the Fullerton Police Department and Fire Department arrived on scene. Officials say it's not yet clear whether the two people who died were on the plane or whether they were actually in the warehouse. More than 100 people have been detained in Syria as that country's new security forces search the city of homes for militia members and former soldiers who are loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad. They're seizing weapons and conducting identity checks on men.

Some residents are cheering the security members. A Syrian government official says they've received reports of former militia members terrorizing residents of the city. You're listening to NPR News. Ukraine's energy minister says Russia should face consequences for its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. He's calling 2024 the most difficult year for his country's energy system since Russia's full-scale invasion. MPR's Hanna Palomarenko has more.

In an interview for Ukrainian television, Energy Minister Herman Holushenko said that due to the intensity of Russian attacks, the repair campaign at energy facilities has become the largest in years. Russia carried out 13 massive attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector in 2024. The nature of the strikes, the complexity of the strikes, the weapons used have changed, Halushenko said. He called for urgent international action to ban Russia from world energy markets, saying for Russia the loss of proceeds from oil and gas would be, quote, the most painful response

to the energy terrorism it is committing in Ukraine. Hanna Palomarenko, NPR News, Kyiv. Researchers in England announced on Thursday they've uncovered almost 200 dinosaur tracks that make up five major trackways they're calling a dinosaur highway. They say four of the tracks were made by herbivores. Well, one track was made by a megalosaurus. Ole Miss turned in a dominating performance

on Thursday night, beating Duke in their college football playoff game 52 to 20, and Notre Dame's defense held number two Georgia to just one touchdown as the fighting Irish pushed past the Bulldogs in their playoff game by a score of 23 to 10. Both Ole Miss and Notre Dame now move into the semifinals. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.