NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-03-2025 8AM EST

Episode Date: January 3, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Cora Coleman. The FBI now says the man who rammed his truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers in New Orleans acted alone. Officials say he had pledged his allegiance to ISIS. The driver was killed in a shootout with police. Fourteen people were killed in the attack and dozens of others were hurt. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports New Orleans remains under heightened security. The site of the attack, Bourbon Street, is back open with new barricades and a heavy

police presence in the French Quarter, including the Louisiana National Guard. Proline vendor Kinsey Falk, pushing his cart along Canal Street, says he's just trying to keep going despite the tragedy. You know everybody's like up in arms and like on their toes and trying to figure out what's next. The FBI is calling the mass murder in New Orleans an act of terrorism and a premeditated and evil act. Debbie Elliott, NPR News, New Orleans. The new congress convenes later today. The first task of the House of Representatives is to vote for a speaker. Current speaker Mike Johnson is running for the job again, and he has President-elect Trump's endorsement.

The GOP's majority in the House is so slim that Johnson needs almost every Republican lawmaker's support to win. But he's already lost at least one GOP vote. If he loses any more, he'll lose the speakership. Johnson says Republicans need to stick together. We need to stay unified so we can save the country, and I think that's an important message. Two years ago, it took 14 days and 15 rounds of voting before Republican Kevin McCarthy won the speakership, and the Republicans ended up booting him out of the job

in less than a year. Today's vote is important. The House cannot take up any other business until a speaker is chosen. If there's no speaker selected by next Monday, the House could not certify the results of the 2024 presidential election that day, as required by the Constitution.

This incoming Congress will have fewer Christian representatives than in the past, but as NPR's Jason Derose reports, they still make up an overwhelming majority of both the House and the Senate. Jason Derose, NPR-New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York

Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New York Times, New a higher portion than the U.S. population. Pew Research says about 62% of Americans overall identify as Christian. Members of Congress are far more likely than the population in general to identify as religious. Nearly 3 in 10 Americans say they're either atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular, while less than 1% of the House and Senate identify that way. Other data points? Jews will make up 6% of Congress while being only about 2 percent of the U.S. population. Muslims and Hindus,

meanwhile, will each account for less than 1 percent of the incoming Congress. Jason DeRose, NPR News. You're listening to NPR. President Biden will award medals of honor to seven army soldiers today who served during Korea and Vietnam. Six are receiving this posthumously. Residents of Syria's Golan Heights say Israeli troops are raiding their homes and villages. They say they're worried this is the start of a land grab. Israel says it's trying to protect its security and Piers Hadil Al-Shalchi visited the region. Israel says its move into the buffer zone that's monitored by the United Nations is

aimed at keeping their border secure. The military operation started just hours after the overthrow of the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad by the rebel group Hey Al-Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Mohammed Farooq lives about 300 yards from an Israeli checkpoint in the Al Ba'ath village. He says Israeli tanks roll into his village regularly. My daughter dreams at night about a tank, a tank, a tank, a tank. Farrokh said his small daughter now wakes up at night shouting, a tank, a tank, out of fear.

He says Syrians are worried there will be more annexation and more Israeli settlements in the area. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, in the Golan Heights. We want to take a moment today to thank one of our longstanding colleagues, Doreen McAllister, who is departing. She's an intrepid and insatiably curious editor who has been on the front lines of NPR's newsroom for 34 years, the past 15 of them overnight. She's also our zany cake master for every occasion and tempts us with surprise ingredients

from sauerkraut to tomato soup. Doreen McAllister is deeply admired for her sense of fun and for her dedicated passion for the news. You'll be missed, Dore don't tell me. Fresh air? Up first. NPR News Now, Planet Money, Ted Radio Hour, ThruLine, the NPR Politics Podcast, Code Switch, Embedded, Books We Love, Wildcard... are just some of the podcasts you can enjoy sponsor-free with NPR+. Get all sorts of perks across more than 20 podcasts with the bundle option. Learn more at plus.npr.org.