The Morning: An attack in New Orleans

Plus, drone warfare, subway violence and "raw water" enthusiasts.

View in browser|nytimes.com January 2, 2025 By the staff of The Morning Good morning. We're covering the New Year's attack in New Orleans, as well as drone warfare, subway violence and "raw water" enthusiasts. Near the scene of the crash.  Edmund D. Fountain for The New York Times Terror in New Orleans The man who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers in New Orleans was inspired by the terrorist group ISIS, President Biden said last night. The F.B.I. identified the man as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, and Biden said that Jabbar had posted videos on social media shortly before the attack in which he expressed a desire to kill. His truck was adorned with an ISIS flag and was loaded with weapons and at least one possible explosive, the authorities said. Jabbar, 42, was an Army veteran and Texas native who, according to his brother, grew up Christian and converted to Islam. At least 15 people died in the attack, making it the deadliest act of mass murder in the U.S. in more than a year. Officers spent much of yesterday scouring the French Quarter for explosives and found several other possible bombs. The Sugar Bowl, which attracted thousands to the city for a College Football Playoff game last night, was postponed. In the rest of the newsletter, we'll explain what we know, and don't know, about the attack. You can follow our live coverage for updates. The attack Gerald Herbert/Associated Press Jabbar sped into crowds of revelers on Bourbon Street around 3:15 a.m. yesterday, officials said. In addition to killing at least 15 people, the attack wounded dozens. After crashing, Jabbar got out of the truck and opened fire, officials said. Three police officers returned fire and killed him; two officers were wounded but not seriously. "We heard him punch the gas and then the impact and then the screams," said Kimberly Stricklin, who was visiting from Mobile, Ala. "It just took a moment to register. It was just so frightening — it was like something out of a horror movie." At the site, security bollards designed to prevent vehicles from hitting pedestrians had been removed because they were being replaced ahead of next month's Super Bowl. Police cars were set in their place, but Jabbar drove around them. The suspect Jabbar served in the Army for almost eight years, working as a human resource specialist and an information technology specialist. He deployed to Afghanistan once. Jabbar lived north of Houston in a Muslim neighborhood, and access was mostly blocked off yesterday as F.B.I. investigators searched the area. The husband of Jabbar's ex-wife said that Jabbar had been acting erratically in recent months. It's still not clear how Jabbar became involved with ISIS and the authorities are investigating whether he acted alone. Here's more about what we do know. The victims Ni'Kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux at her high school graduation in May. Jennifer Smith Officials have not named the 15 people killed in the attack, but some of their families have come forward. The victims include: Ni'Kyra Cheyenne Dedeaux, 18, known to family and friends as "Biscuit," who was set to begin college later this month. She planned to major in nursing. Reggie Hunter, 37, who traveled to New Orleans from Baton Rouge, La., to celebrate the new year with his cousin. Tiger Bech, who graduated from high school in Lafayette, La., and played football at Princeton. The university's football coach told ESPN that Bech was "full of energy" and might have been the first person named Tiger to play for the Princeton Tigers. Nicole Perez, 27, who recently received a promotion at a deli near New Orleans and moved into a new apartment with her 4-year-old son. "She was just getting everything going, and she's gone, just gone," her boss and friend told The Washington Post. Read more about the victims. For more A Tesla Cybertruck loaded with gas canisters and firework mortars exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas yesterday morning, killing the driver. Officials are investigating whether the explosion was connected to the New Orleans attack, Biden said. The Sugar Bowl, between Georgia and Notre Dame, is set to be played this afternoon. Donald Trump falsely suggested on social media that the New Orleans suspect was an immigrant, saying that he was right about fearing criminals on the other side of the border. THE LATEST NEWS War in Ukraine A basement drone workshop in Ukraine. David Guttenfelder for The New York Times Ukraine is hacking consumer drones with explosives, bringing a new form of violence to 21st-century warfare. Trump, while vowing to end the war in Ukraine, has said he would use sanctions against Russia sparingly. This has renewed questions about whether the measures are working. Ukraine's decision to halt the flow of Russia's natural gas to Europe could potentially affect Moscow's ability to fund its war. Read what to know. More International News A gunman killed at least 12 people, including two children, after a bar fight in Montenegro. The government declared three days of mourning. The Palestinian Authority has temporarily barred Al Jazeera from operating in the areas it controls, accusing the broadcaster of interfering in Palestinian affairs. An American teenager is in critical condition after gunmen ambushed his family's car at night in northern Mexico. He was shot in the head. His father and uncle, both U.S. citizens, were killed. "People in Power": A rap song has become the unofficial anthem of a mass uprising in Mozambique. New York The man shoved into the path of a subway train on New Year's Eve survived and has spoken to his family from his hospital bed. Violence on the system has defied efforts to quell it. With voters anxious about the cost of living, candidates running for office in New York are promising to make the city more affordable. An outspoken veteran police chief who has publicly sparred with liberal politicians was appointed as New York's top uniformed officer. Other Big Stories Liz Cheney Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Biden will today award the Presidential Citizens Medal, among the highest civilian honors, to Liz Cheney and 19 others. A large fireworks accident in Honolulu on New Year's Eve left three people dead and injured dozens, NBC News reports. Opinions I was wrong about the election, James Carville writes. He urges fellow Democrats to learn from their mistakes and focus more on the economy. Want to set children up for success? Don't teach them to follow instructions; teach them to set, and achieve, their own goals, Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop write. A subscription to match the variety of your interests. News. Games. Recipes. Product reviews. Sports reporting. A New York Times All Access subscription covers all of it and more. Subscribe today. MORNING READS At the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Alessandro Penso for The New York Times Trevi Fountain: The coins that tourists toss into the Roman landmark go to a good cause. "Raw water": These untreated water enthusiasts swear by natural springs, despite the risks. To the stars: Here's what to expect in space this year, including two robotic moon missions and a new telescope to study dark matter. Mental health: Adopt one of these 10 strategies to keep your mind healthy in 2025. Lives Lived: Lenny Randle was a versatile major league ballplayer, but his career was defined by unusual events — including one play in which he blew a ground ball into foul territory. He died at 75. SPORTS College football: In two quarterfinals, the Buckeyes swamped No. 1 Oregon, while Texas inched past Arizona State in a double-overtime classic. N.F.L.: The Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers acknowledged in a news conference that Sunday's game against the Dolphins could be his last. ARTS AND IDEAS Tamara Kenyon for The New York Times Is it healthy to drink alcohol, even moderately? Authorities around the world have been encouraging people to drink less, and several countries — including Canada and Britain — now say there's no safe level of drinking. But in the U.S., a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has revived a hypothesis that moderate drinking is linked to fewer heart attack and stroke deaths. Read about why the guidelines remain so confusing. More on culture "I was pleasantly surprised": Bob Dylan experts sat down to discuss the biopic "A Complete Unknown." Katz's Deli agreed to make renovations to accommodate people with disabilities, years after a "most popular" restaurants list put it under Justice Department scrutiny. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Make a one-pan orzo and spinach dish that's similar to spanakorizo. Stream these shows and movies before they leave Netflix this month. Watch the first meteor shower of 2025 reach its peak. Wake up with a sunrise alarm clock. See Wirecutter's most popular kitchen picks of 2024. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was longboat. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. 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