Investigators are learning more about the man who drove a pickup truck into a New Orleans crowd, killing 15 people in what authorities are calling “an act of terrorism.” And authorities are investigating whether an explosion in front of the Las Vegas Trump Hotel was an act of terrorism. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

FBI searches Houston location after New Orleans truck attack

Authorities searched a location in Houston, Texas, in connection with the deadly truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. The FBI said it is believed to be connected to the suspect, who they said killed 15 people and injured dozens more early Wednesday, Jan 1. The agency called the attack “a deliberate act of terror.”

“It did involve a man driving a pickup truck down Bourbon Street at a very fast pace and it was very intentional behavior,” New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said. “This man was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could.”

Police identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, 42, a Texas resident and U.S. Army veteran. Jabbar served in the Army on active and reserve duty, including a 2009 deployment in Afghanistan.

Authorities said Jabbar drove a white Ford pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the city’s French Quarter around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday. He then opened fire on responding police officers.

Officers shot and killed Jabbar at the scene, police said. Two officers were injured in the shootout.

Investigators discovered an ISIS flag on the rear bumper of the suspect’s truck as well as additional weapons and two improvised explosive devices. Authorities reportedly found and detonated at least one other improvised explosive device in the area.

Jabbar drove around security barriers set to deter vehicles from entering the area, police said. Kirkpatrick said the suspect drove onto the sidewalk, striking several victims.

According to the city, the barriers were under construction as New Orleans prepares to host the Super Bowl in February.

President Joe Biden held a press conference following the attack from Camp David. He said the FBI informed him it was looking at social media videos posted by the suspect just hours before the attack, indicating it was inspired by ISIS.

“To all the families of those who were killed, to all those who were injured, to all the people of New Orleans who are grieving today, I want you to know I grieve with you. Our nation grieves with you,” Biden said. “The law enforcement and intelligence community are continuing to look for any connections, associations or coconspirators. We have nothing additional to report at this time. The investigation is continuing to be active, and no one should jump to conclusions.” 

Biden said the FBI does not believe Jabbar acted alone, and he has directed the U.S. intelligence community to work “intensively” to complete their investigation. 

Jabbar’s brother told the New York Times that Jabbar converted to Islam at a young age but that this act was not religion-based but radicalization.

The president also said authorities were looking into any possible connection with an explosion outside a Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Vehicles in both incidents were rented from the platform Turo, which allows car owners to rent out their vehicles. 

The deadly attack in New Orleans led to the postponement of the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome less than a mile from Bourbon Street. That game will now be played Thursday, Jan. 2. 

The FBI will hold a briefing Thursday with the House and Senate oversight committees on the New Orleans attack.

Victims of New Orleans truck attack begin to be identified

Family and friends of the New Orleans attack victims began to identify their loved ones Wednesday.

Kareem Badawi was a recent graduate of the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge. The school said Badawi was attending the University of Alabama.

Reggie Hunter, 37, was a father of two and worked as a warehouse manager.

Former Princeton University football player Tiger Bech was also killed. The 27-year-old moved to New York to work for a capital markets firm.

Ni’kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, an 18-year-old from Mississippi, was set to attend college, where she planned to major in nursing.

Nicole Perez, 27, was a mother who worked as a store manager.

These are only a few of the names of the more than a dozen victims killed in the attack. More information about the victims is expected in the coming days.

Fireworks, gas canisters used to fuel Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion

Authorities in Nevada are working to figure out if the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel on New Year’s Day was an act of terrorism. They say the driver, who died in the explosion, used fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel connected to a detonation system to set it off. 

Seven people who were nearby when the blast went off were injured. 

Investigators said the Cybertruck was rented in Colorado and arrived in Vegas about one hour before the explosion. Law enforcement officials have not identified the suspect because the person was badly burned in the explosion, but they have identified the person who rented it. 

They said the suspect drove up and down Las Vegas Boulevard before pulling up to the Trump Hotel. The truck exploded seconds later. 

Investigators are also working to figure out if this incident was related to the terror attack in New Orleans.

Power restored to nearly all of Puerto Rico after massive blackout

Power is mostly restored to homes and buildings across Puerto Rico after a massive blackout left the U.S. territory in the dark on New Year’s Eve. However, that might not be the end of it for some. 

Luma Energy, the company that provides electricity to Puerto Rico, warned that more temporary outages could happen as it works to restore full power. The company said this could take up to two days.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the outage, but Luma Energy said a preliminary review indicated a failure in an underground electric line. 

This is just the latest incident to highlight an ongoing problem with Puerto Rico’s power grid. In August, half of all the territory’s utility customers lost power during Hurricane Ernesto. It took more than a week to get it back.

Arctic air to bring a freezing start to 2025 in much of the US

Get ready to bundle up. Arctic weather will take over the warmer-than-usual temperatures that kicked off 2025 for a large part of the U.S. 

Over the next couple of days, the coldest air of the season will move into the eastern part of the U.S., dropping temperatures to nearly 30 degrees below average in some areas.

While the bitterly cold air already started to move in, the worst of it is expected to hit next week.

🎆 As we round out 2024 and head into 2025, above normal warmth across the eastern half of the U.S. will be quickly replaced by a series of Arctic outbreaks… with the coldest air of the season set to take hold through next week. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/N046deYUpa

— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) December 31, 2024

Forecasters said after the first wave of cold, two more rounds of arctic air will move in from Canada, setting up parts of the U.S. for a long-lasting run of freezing temperatures.

Notre Dame and Georgia to face off in postponed Sugar Bowl

The college football season provided lots of New Year’s excitement. Texas won in a double-overtime thriller, Ohio State routed Oregon and the top four contenders for the championship will be set after Notre Dame and Georgia face off in the Sugar Bowl Thursday afternoon.

The winner of the Sugar Bowl will move on to the Orange Bowl to face Penn State. The Nittany Lions defeated Boise State at the Fiesta Bowl 31-14 on New Year’s Eve. 

Texas and Ohio State will face off in the Cotton Bowl after Texas edged Arizona State in double overtime at the Peach Bowl Wednesday and Ohio State shocked the nation with its thumping top-seeded, undefeated Oregon in the Rose Bowl. 

The semifinal games are now the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl. They will be played next week and determine who will go head-to-head for the College Football National Championship.