NPR News Now – January 1, 2025, 4 PM EST

Host: Louise Schiavone
Reporter: Martin Kosti, Charles Mains, Stephen Thompson
Release Date: January 1, 2025

1. Deadly Truck Attack in New Orleans Declared a Terrorist Act

Timestamp: [00:24]

Louise Schiavone reports from Washington:

The FBI has labeled the recent deadly truck attack in New Orleans as an act of terrorism. The suspect, 42-year-old Shamshud Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, was killed in a shootout with police after reportedly killing at least 10 people and injuring 35 others by driving his Ford pickup truck into pedestrians at high speeds. The FBI suggests Jabbar likely did not act alone.

Timestamp: [01:05]
Reporter: Martin Kosti

Martin Kosti provides further details:

The attack occurred around 3:15 AM when the pickup truck veered off Canal Street onto the narrower Bourbon Street. New Orleans has faced criticism for lacking functional bollards to protect the tourist-heavy area. However, Police Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick defended the department's security measures:

"This particular terrorist drove around onto the sidewalk and got around, did hard target where he did have a car there, we had barriers there, we had officers there and they still got around."
— Ann Kirkpatrick, New Orleans Police Superintendent [01:22]

Kosti adds that despite these precautions, Jabbar managed to breach security barriers, leading to the tragic loss of life. The FBI continues to investigate the incident as a terrorist attack.

2. Energy Crisis: Russia Halts Major Gas Pipeline to Europe

Timestamp: [01:49]

Louise Schiavone introduces the segment:

Russia has ceased operations of its last significant pipeline supplying natural gas directly to Europe. NPR’s Charles Mains provides an in-depth analysis.

Timestamp: [02:40]
Reporter: Charles Mains

Charles Mains explains:

Despite the ongoing conflict since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia continued exporting natural gas to Europe through Ukraine under a five-year transit agreement, which expired on January 1st. In announcing the halt, Russian energy giant Gazprom accused Ukraine of refusing to renew the transit deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned Europe that such a cutoff would prevent Russia from "earning additional billions on our blood."

Europe has significantly reduced its dependence on Russian gas since the war commenced, yet countries like Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary remain heavily reliant on Russian supplies.

Additionally, reporter Alex Figueroa from El Nuevo Dia in San Juan reports on the energy sector in Puerto Rico:

"All we know is that when the plant was not able to send energy out, it protected itself by shutting down. That's supposed to happen, but what we haven't seen in a long time is that without the major disasters going on, all the other power plants went down also in a chain reaction."
— Alex Figueroa, El Nuevo Dia, San Juan [01:56]

Figueroa notes that 67% of customers in Puerto Rico, including hospitals, currently have power. However, over a million people remain without electricity, with restoration efforts potentially taking up to two days, according to Luma Energy.

3. Donald Trump to Attend Former President Jimmy Carter’s Funeral

Timestamp: [03:21]

Louise Schiavone reports:

President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to attend the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away Sunday at the age of 100. Speaking at a New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump stated:

"I'll be there."
— Donald Trump

He did not confirm whether he had communicated with Carter's family. The state funeral for Carter is scheduled to take place at Washington National Cathedral on January 9th.

4. Holiday Music Dominates Billboard Charts for the First Time

Timestamp: [03:55]

Stephen Thompson highlights entertainment news:

This week’s Billboard charts reveal unprecedented trends for holiday music. Notably:

• Entire Top 10 Consists of Holiday Songs:
  The streaming era has propelled Christmas music to the forefront, with the top 16 songs exclusively featuring holiday themes.

• First Century-Holiday Song in Top Five:
  Ariana Grande's "Santa Tell Me" has reached the Billboard top five, marking the first time a holiday song from the 21st century has achieved this feat. It joins classics by Mariah Carey, Brenda Lee, Whitney Wham, and Bobby Helms in dominating the Christmas music canon.

Thompson concludes:

"That's a product of the streaming era, which has pushed Christmas to the top of the pop charts."
— Stephen Thompson, NPR News [03:55]

5. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Launches New Instagram Account

Timestamp: [04:43]

Louise Schiavone provides a royal update:

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has launched a new Instagram account, marking her first social media presence since 2020. The account, @Meghan, signifies her return to public engagement following her and Prince Harry’s decision to step back from their official royal duties in the United Kingdom.

"It's her first return since 2020 when she and husband Prince Harry stepped back from their official royal roles in the United Kingdom."
— Louise Schiavone, NPR News [04:43]

Note: This summary excludes advertisements, introductory remarks, and concluding segments to focus solely on the news content presented during the episode.