NPR News: 01-02-2025 4PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: January 2, 2025, 4PM EST

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Tesla Cybertruck Explosion in Las Vegas

NPR Host Louise Schiavone reported that authorities have identified Matthew Allen Livelsberger, 37, as the driver responsible for the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Livelsberger, a former active-duty special operations soldier with the Army who later joined the National Guard and the Army Reserve, was found to have shot himself in the head before the blast.

Sheriff Kevin McMayhill of Las Vegas detailed the investigative findings:

“There’s a SLR model B30 semiautomatic firearm, number of fireworks that were still in the vehicle that had to be removed. Notably, we found an iPhone and a smartwatch and then several credit cards were also in the name of our subject.”
(01:07)

The FBI has determined there is no connection between this incident and the earlier truck attack in New Orleans.

New Year's Truck Attack in New Orleans

On New Year's Day, a deadly truck attack occurred in the French Quarter of New Orleans, less than a mile from the Superdome where the Sugar Bowl was scheduled. The driver, Sharmshuddin Jabbar, 42, an American-born veteran from Houston, was killed in a subsequent shootout with police. Officials have confirmed that Jabbar was unrelated to Livelsberger’s Las Vegas incident.

Sugar Bowl Postponed Due to Security Concerns

The Sugar Bowl college football playoff game was postponed as a security precaution following the truck attack near the New Orleans Superdome. Becky Sullivan reported:

“The Sugar Bowl was originally scheduled to kick off last night at the Superdome in downtown New Orleans, but the attack on Bourbon Street took place less than a mile from the stadium. That put the facilities on lockdown as authorities conducted a security sweep.”
(01:43)

Thousands of fans had traveled to New Orleans for the game, but the attack resulted in the critical injury of a Georgia student and the death of Tiger Besh, a Louisiana native and former Princeton football player (2016-2021). Both Notre Dame and Georgia have assured that their teams and personnel remain safe.

Congressional Challenges Ahead

With Congress set to reconvene, Lexi Schapitl highlighted the precarious position of the Republican majorities in both the House and Senate:

“If the House hasn't chosen a speaker by Monday, that could delay the certification of Trump's 2024 presidential victory.”
(02:36)

Incoming Speaker Mike Johnson, endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump, faces potential obstacles from a few Republican defectors. Trump’s legislative agenda, which includes a border security package and extending previously passed tax cuts, may encounter significant hurdles. Additionally, lawmakers must secure government funding by March to prevent a shutdown, and the Senate is preparing to begin confirmation hearings for Trump’s cabinet nominees, some of whom lack sufficient support.

Wall Street Takes a Hit

As the trading day nears its close, Wall Street is experiencing a downturn:

“The Dow is down 151 points, the NASDAQ off 30 points.”
(03:14)

Puerto Rico Faces Ongoing Blackout Amid Governor Inauguration

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jennifer Gonzalez Colon has been sworn in as governor, marking a historic third consecutive term for her pro-statehood New Progressive party. However, the celebration was marred by widespread frustration over a massive blackout that affected 1.3 million customers on New Year's Eve. Louise Schiavone reported:

“Outages were still being reported today as crews tried to stabilize Puerto Rico's power grid.”
(03:14)

Bats Utilize Storms to Aid Migration

NPR’s Jonathan Lambert shared insights from a new study on bat migration:

“The study found that bats time their departure to leave just before a storm comes. Through surfing storm tailwinds can make the bats migration, which can span hundreds of miles, a little bit easier.”
(04:02)

Researchers employed tiny trackers to monitor noctule bats across central Europe, revealing that bats strategically time their migrations to leverage passing storms, facilitating their long-distance journeys.

Dinosaur Highway Discovered in England

In Oxfordshire, England, paleontologists from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham have uncovered a dinosaur highway during excavations in a limestone quarry. The team identified nearly 200 dinosaur tracks dating back 166 million years, attributed to species such as Cetiosaurus and the predatory Megalosaurus. Louise Schiavone reported:

“The dinosaurs were the Cetiosaurus and the Megalosaurus, a ferocious predator.”
(04:37)

This significant discovery provides valuable insights into dinosaur behavior and movement patterns during the Jurassic period.

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This summary was prepared based on the transcript of NPR News Now's episode released on January 2, 2025.

Transcript

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[Louise Schiavone]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone. Authorities have identified the driver of the Tesla cybertruc that exploded in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas as 37 year old Matthew Allen Livelsberger. He previously was an active duty special operations soldier with the army, then joined the National Guard, followed by the Army Reserve. The FBI says they found no indication that this case is related to the early New Year's morning deadly truck attack in New Orleans by 42 year old American born Sharmshuddin Jabbar of Houston, also a veteran who died in a shootout with police. Sheriff Kevin McMayhill of Las Veg Vegas described what investigators found in the remains of the cybertruck.

[Sheriff Kevin McMayhill]

There's a SLR model B30 semiautomatic firearm, number of fireworks that were still in the vehicle that had to be removed. Notably, we found an iPhone and a smartwatch and then several credit cards were also in the name of our subject.

[Louise Schiavone]

Officials say Livelsberger shot himself in the head before the blast. The Sugar bowl college football playoff game kicks off at this hour in New Orleans. The Notre Dame Georgia game had been postponed after the truck attack in the French Quarter on New Year's Day. NPR's Becky Sullivan reports.

[Becky Sullivan]

The Sugar bowl was originally scheduled to kick off last night at the Superdome in downtown New Orleans, but the attack on Bourbon street took place less than a mile from the stadium. That put the facilities on lockdown as authorities conducted a security sweep. Postponing the game, organizers said was in the best interest of public safety. Thousands of fans had traveled to New Orleans for the A Georgia student was critically injured in the attack and is receiving medical treatment, a university official said. And among the dead is a former college football player, Tiger Besh, a Louisiana native who played at Princeton from 2016 to 2021. Both Notre Dame and Georgia said their teams and personnel were safe and accounted for. Becky Sullivan, NPR News.

[Louise Schiavone]

Congress returns tomorrow with Republicans holding narrow majorities in both houses that could complicate President elect Donald Trump's plans to pursue an ambitious legislative agenda. NPR Lexi Schapitl reports.

[Lexi Schapitl]

The first order of business in the House will be electing a new speaker while incoming Speaker Mike Johnson has Trump's endorsement just a few Republican defectors could derail the voting process. If the House hasn't chosen a speaker by Monday, that could delay the certification of Trump's 2024 presidential victory. Trump's legislative priorities will likely include passing a border security package and extending the tax cuts Republicans passed during his first term. Those are set to expire this year. Lawmakers will also need to fund the government by March to avoid a shutdown. And the Senate will soon begin confirmation hearings for Trump's cabinet picks, some of whom have yet to secure the support they'll need. Lexi Schapitl, NPR News, Washington.

[Louise Schiavone]

Wall street approaching the close. The dow is down 151 points, the NASDAQ off 30 points. This is NPR News in Washington. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jennifer Gonzalez Colon has been sworn in as governor, giving her pro statehood New Progressive a historic third consecutive term. What would have been an upbeat event was overshadowed by widespread anger over a blackout across the island on New Year's Eve. 1.3 million customers were affected. Outages were still being reported today as crews tried to stabilize Puerto Rico's power grid. Long distance migrations can take a toll on animals NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports on new research showing some bats time migrations to get a liftoff from passing storms.

[Jonathan Lambert]

Studying bat migration is tricky since bats are small and fly only at night. A new study published in Science used special trackers, essentially tiny bat backpacks that connect to wireless networks. The trackers allowed researchers to watch the migrations of a species called the noctule bat across central Europe and measure climate data. The study found that bats time their departure to leave just before a storm comes. Through surfing storm tailwinds can make the bats migration, which can span hundreds of miles, a little bit easier. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

[Louise Schiavone]

In Oxfordshire, England, researchers say that a dinosaur highway has been discovered during excavations in a limestone quarry. Paleontologists at the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham say nearly 200 dinosaur tracks that date back 166 million years have been identified. The dinosaurs were the Cetiosaurus and the Megalosaurus, a ferocious predator. I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

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