NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-04-2025 8AM EST

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. Police have released notes from a phone found in the Tesla cyber truck that exploded in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas Wednesday. Joe Shademan of Member Station KNPR reports a note suggests the driver's motive. In a note-taking app, Matthew Livelsberger, an active duty special forces sergeant, complained about the country's leadership, said the explosion was not a terrorist attack, and wrote, quote, I needed to cleanse my mind of the brothers I've lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took. Las Vegas police sheriff Kevin McMayhill said Littlesberger appeared to have suffered from

post-traumatic stress disorder. So I think, A, we need to really pay attention to those individuals, pay attention to what mental health in America looks like, and I think this is just one more incident that brings that to the forefront. Police, the FBI and ATF all said they're still working to learn more about Lovells Burger's motivation. For NPR News, I'm Joe Shaneman in Las Vegas. In light of the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas and a deadly New Year's attack in New Orleans, security is being beefed up in the nation's capital as the city prepares for next week's election certification by the House and the state funeral for former President

Jimmy Carter. But Dave Sundberg, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office, says there are no known specific threats. That being said, we are certainly operating in a heightened threat environment, especially given the incidents in both New Orleans and in Las Vegas on January 1st. At this time, we have no information indicating a local threat associated with either of those incidents. Separately, the FBI this week made public previously unreleased video of an unidentified

suspect placing one of the pipe bombs that were left outside the offices of the Democratic and Republican National Committees in D.C. on the eve of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. President Biden is set to award the Medal of Freedom to 19 people later today. They include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, singer Bono, and soccer star Lionel Messi, as Imperial Franco Ordonia's reports. Mike A. Those honored also include chef and food advocate Jose Andres, actors Michael J. Fox and Denzel Washington, as well as philanthropist and billionaire

Democratic fundraiser George Soros. The White House said in a statement that the recipients of the nation's highest civilian honor have all made, quote, exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the U.S., to world peace, and to other significant societal causes. Biden will also be honoring retired basketball star Irvin Magic Johnson, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships and has since worked to dispel myths about HIV. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News, The White House. And you're listening to NPR News. President-elect Donald Trump is again dismissing the hush

money case in New York as an illegitimate political attack. Judge Juan Marchand has set sentencing for next week, ordering Trump to appear either in person or virtually. He's indicated that Trump will not serve jail time. Trump was found guilty in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The endangered orca that made headlines six years ago for carrying her dead baby a thousand miles has been spotted in Washington state waters

carrying another dead calf on her nose. John Ryan from member station KUOW in Seattle reports. When a wildlife population is just 74 animals, every birth or death can be a big deal for its survival. So whale lovers celebrated when two newborns joined the Northwest's endangered population of orcas in December. But by New Year's Eve, one of the calves was dead and being pushed around by her mother in an apparent tour of grief. Half the Northwest's salmon-eating orcas don't live to their first birthday. Researchers blame dwindling stocks of salmon, the orcas' main food, as well as pollution

and underwater noise. The orcas' population today is about 15 percent lower than when they gained endangered species protection 20 years ago. For NPR News, I'm John Ryan in Seattle. The eastern two-thirds of the country preparing for a major winter storm. That storm expected to move into the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic states tomorrow after dumping heavy snow and ice today in the central plains. The National Weather Service says heavy snowfall expected from central Kansas into Ohio and it's warning of blizzard conditions. I'm Trial Snyder. This is NPR News. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Fresh air? Up first. NPR News Now, Planet Money, Ted Radio Hour, ThruLine,

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