The Headlines - New Orleans Attack ‘Inspired by ISIS’, and a Cybertruck Explosion in Las Vegas

Episode Date: January 2, 2025

Plus, a breathalyzer test for marijuana?   On Today’s Episode:New Orleans Attacker Was “Inspired” by ISIS, Biden Says, by Devlin Barrett, Adam Goldman, Hamed Aleaziz, Emily Cochrane and Aishvarya Kavi1 Dead After a Cybertruck Explodes Outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, by Alexandra E. Petri, Emmett Lindner and Pashtana UsufzyWhy Did Ukraine Halt the Flow of Russia’s Natural Gas to Europe?, by Marc Santora, Andrew Higgins and Stanley ReedAs Marijuana Use Grows, Effect on Road Safety Remains a Blind Spot, by Ernesto LondoñoFishing Coins From Trevi Fountain and Putting Wet Money to Work, by Elisabetta Povoledo Tune in every weekday morning. To get our full audio journalism and storytelling experience, download the New York Times Audio app — available to Times news subscribers on iOS — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.Tell us what you think at: [e-mail]. 

From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Thursday, January 2nd. Here's what we're covering. I know I can speak for all Americans when I say our hearts are the people of New Orleans after despicable attack that occurred in early morning hours. President Biden addressed the country last night in the wake of a deadly New Year's attack in New Orleans. At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured after a man

driving a pickup truck veered around a police car and plowed into crowds out celebrating on Bourbon Street. The normal barriers protecting the street, famous for its nightlife, were in the process of being replaced ahead of the Super Bowl, which the city's hosting next month. The FBI has reported to me the killer was an American citizen, born in Texas. He served in the United States Army on active duty for many years. He also served in the Army Reserve until a few years ago. The driver has been identified by the FBI as Shamsa Dinbahar Jabbar,

a 42-year-old man from the Houston area. After the crash, he opened fire at police officers and was killed in the shootout. — The FBI also reported to me that mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill, desire to kill. The Times has been looking into Jabbar's background. He had no violent criminal history. Those close to him described him as quiet and intelligent, though the husband of his

ex-wife said he'd been acting erratically in recent months. If Jabbar's connections to the Islamic State are confirmed, this would be the deadliest attack in the U.S. connected to the group since the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016, which killed 49 people. My colleague Eric Schmidt covers counterterrorism for the Times. Over the last several years, the threat of an ISIS-spired attack against Americans inside the United States has receded, and law enforcement officials have focused more on right wing domestic terrorism as a greater threat to Americans. But the attack in New Orleans has

revived concerns that some kind of international ISIS threat may be growing here in this country. Officials said that after the attack on Bourbon Street, they found and disposed of a number of improvised explosive devices in the area, and that they don't think Chabar acted alone. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas... Do I think it's a coincidence? I don't know. But what I can tell you is we're absolutely investigating any connectivity to what happened in New Orleans, as well as other attacks that have been occurring around the world.

We're not ruling anything out yet. Authorities are investigating a separate incident in which a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside of the Trump International Hotel yesterday. They say the Cybertruck had gas canisters and large fireworks in the back of it when it exploded at the entrance doors of the hotel, killing the driver and injuring at least seven others. The truck was rented through the same car rental app as the pickup used in the New Orleans attack. Yesterday, the last major natural gas pipeline from Russia to Europe shut down. The pipeline runs through

Ukraine, and despite Russia's war against the country, Ukraine had allowed gas to keep flowing because of a multi-year contract. But Ukraine's president has now let that contract lapse as part of an ongoing effort to cut Russia's profits from selling gas and undermine its military funding. Across Europe, countries have largely switched away from Russian gas since the war started, but the latest cutoff could still cost Russia six and a half billion dollars a year. At the same time, analysts warned that Moscow, which has largely held off on attacking Ukraine's pipelines, could now start bombing them since they have little incentive not to. In the past few years, marijuana use in the U.S. has surged. About 15% of Americans say they smoke marijuana, according to a Gallup poll.

That's more than double the number who said they did a decade ago. But experts say there's been a major blind spot in research about the effects of marijuana, namely, how does it impact drivers who get behind the wheel when they're high? Now, federal researchers are hoping to fill in that gap, pushing forward with a pair of studies. First, they're working to design a portable breathalyzer

that could be used to tell how recently a driver used marijuana. Right now, tests can't reliably tell whether someone used it hours ago or days ago. They're also trying to figure out how much is too much. They're paying participants to get stoned and use a driving simulator to see how cannabis use impacts reflexes and motor skills. Unlike drunk driving laws that are based on measurable blood alcohol levels, there's still no consensus about what amount of marijuana may be safe for drivers. For the moment, there's a patchwork of laws regulating driving while high. Lawmakers in at least 10 states have prohibited it altogether.

But the researcher overseeing the federal studies told the Times, quote, Policymakers need data on which to base their policies, and there isn't much data here. And finally... So I just throw a coin in and make a wish? No, no, no, it doesn't work like that. Look. In Rome, the Trevi Fountain, made famous in TV, movies, songs, and on Instagram, is open again after months of renovation, and the coins are already pouring in. You throw with your right hand over your left shoulder.

The legend goes that if you throw a coin into the iconic 18th century fountain, you'll come back to the city someday. It's one of the most popular attractions in Rome, so much so that the city's considering charging a fee to visit it. While it was under renovation, workers put out what can best be described as a glorified kiddie pool, and people still threw $63,000 of coins into that little tub. All the money that goes into the Trevi Fountain gets donated to a Roman Catholic charity, which uses it for everything from soup kitchens to care programs for people with Alzheimer's.

They can rake in over $2 million a year from the coins. Workers vacuum out the fountain twice a week using a machine designed for cleaning swimming pools. The charity is then charged with sorting out all the other stuff that gets tossed into the water. Subway tokens, guitar picks, marbles, shells, key rings, foreign currency. For the record, they prefer euros so they don't have to pay an exchange fee. Those are the headlines. Today on The Daily, a look at how the ultimate fighting championship, UFC, went from a fringe sport to a phenomenon and the role Donald Trump played in its rise. That's next in the New York Times audio app, or you can listen wherever you get your podcasts. phenomenon and the role Donald Trump played in its rise.

That's next in the New York Times audio app, or you can listen wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.