NPR News: 01-02-2025 9AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now - January 2, 2025, 9AM EST Summary

New Orleans Tragedy: Truck Attack Claims 15 Lives

Korva Coleman opened the episode with heartbreaking news from New Orleans, where a man named Shamsu Dean Jabbar carried out a deadly attack on New Year's Eve. Driving his truck into a crowd celebrating the holiday, Jabbar killed 15 people and wounded dozens more. Authorities revealed that an ISIS flag was attached to the vehicle, suggesting a possible terror motive. Coleman reported:

"Authorities continue to investigate the man believed to have killed 15 people and wounded dozens more yesterday in New Orleans." ([00:24])

Among the victims was Matthew Tenadoria, a 25-year-old worker from the Superdome, where the Sugar Bowl was scheduled to take place. Tenadoria's mother, Kathy Tenadoria, shared the family's anguish:

"They kept trying to call Matthew and then they walked to where Matthew's car was parked... they knew he must be somewhere." ([01:00])

The harrowing incident led to the postponement of the Sugar Bowl to later that afternoon as authorities manage the crisis and support the affected families.

Investigations Link New Orleans Attack to Las Vegas Cybertruck Explosion

Frank Langford provided an in-depth look at potential connections between the New Orleans attack and a recent explosion in Las Vegas. Both incidents involved trucks in tourist-heavy areas on New Year's Day and utilized the Turo car rental app. In Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump Hotel, resulting in the death of the driver and minor injuries to seven bystanders. Langford noted:

"The two events have some things in common... but police in Las Vegas say they're still investigating whether the explosion... is an act of terror." ([01:45])

A key difference highlighted was the absence of an ISIS flag on the Cybertruck. Authorities are exploring whether the targets were symbolic figures such as Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, or President-elect Trump, whose name adorned the hotel.

South Korea's Deadliest Aviation Disaster Under Scrutiny

Anthony Kuhn reported from Seoul about a catastrophic plane crash that resulted in 179 deaths, marking it as the deadliest aviation disaster on Korean soil. Police conducted raids on Muon International Airport and the offices of Jeju Air, suspecting professional negligence. Kuhn explained:

"Police had a search warrant issued on charges of professional negligence resulting in death." ([02:35])

The investigation focuses on a concrete barrier that the Jeju Air flight collided with after overshooting the runway. In response, authorities have launched a nationwide inspection of all aviation safety equipment near runways. Identification of all victims has been completed, and tragically, only two flight attendants survived the crash.

Controversy Over Toxic Waste Disposal in Bhopal, India

In a concerning environmental development, Korva Coleman reported that Indian authorities have relocated numerous containers of toxic waste from the historic site of the Bhopal gas tragedy. The containers, originating from the Union Carbide factory, are slated for burial in a landfill. However, activists fear this could lead to groundwater contamination and exacerbate environmental hazards. Coleman stated:

"Activists say the toxic containers will be buried in a landfill and they say that could contaminate the groundwater and cause more environmental concerns." ([03:19])

The ongoing debate underscores the persistent legacy of the 1984 gas leak, which resulted in thousands of deaths and long-term health issues for the population.

Lunar Trailblazer: Mapping the Moon's Water

Joe Palka provided an update on the upcoming Lunar Trailblazer mission, set to launch from Cape Canaveral as early as next month. The probe aims to map water on the moon, addressing key questions about its quantity, location, and state—whether as ice, vapor, or bound to rocks. Palka explained:

"Scientists have evidence there's water on the moon, but they don't know how much is there... it's definitely not liquid water." ([04:00])

The mission's findings could be pivotal for future astronaut missions, potentially enabling the use of lunar water for sustaining human presence on the moon. The probe will hitch a ride on a SpaceX rocket, accompanying a lander from Intuitive Machines scheduled for a late February launch, though the date remains tentative due to previous delays.

Power Restored to Most of Puerto Rico

Closing the episode, Korva Coleman reported encouraging news for Puerto Rico residents. After losing power across the entire island on New Year's Eve, the utility company Luma Energy has successfully restored electricity to 98% of customers. Coleman noted:

"The private company Luma Energy says 98% of Puerto Rico's customers have had their power restored." ([04:44])

This rapid restoration marks a significant step in recovering from the widespread outages that impacted daily life and essential services across the US territory.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key events and discussions from the NPR News Now episode, providing detailed insights and notable quotes to inform listeners who may have missed the broadcast.

Transcript

[Korva Coleman]

Okay.

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. Authorities continue to investigate the man believed to have killed 15 people and wounded doz dozens more yesterday in New Orleans. Shamsu Dean Jabbar drove his truck into pedestrians celebrating New Year's Eve. He apparently fired at officers, wounding two of them before he was shot and killed. Authorities say an ISIS flag was attached to the truck. Meanwhile, information is also coming out about the victims. 25 year old Matthew Tenadoria was on Bourbon street when he was apparently hit by the truck. His mother, Kathy, says his friends had searched for him.

[Unnamed Witness]

They met up with each other. They would kept trying to call Matthew and then they went walked to where Matthew's car was parked in a in an outdoor lot on Rampart street. And his car was still there. So they knew, you know, he must be somewhere, she says.

[Korva Coleman]

Matthew Tenen Doria worked at the Superdome in New Orleans. That's where college football's Sugar bowl was supposed to be held yesterday. That game has been postponed until this afternoon. Meanwhile, police in Las Vegas say they're investigating any possible connections between the New Orleans attack and yesterday's explosion of a Tesla cybertruck in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. The driver was killed and seven bystanders got minor injuries. NPR's Frank Langfit reports.

[Frank Langford]

The two events have some things in common. They both involved trucks and occurred in tourist towns on New Year's Day, and both vehicles were obtained using the same car rental app, Turo. However, police in Las Vegas say they're still investigating whether the explosion which killed the driver is an act of terror. And they point out that unlike in New Orleans, the cybertruck did not have an ISIS flag. If police determined the explosion was a terror attack, they suggested an obvious question will be whether the figurative targets were Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, and President Elect Trump, whose name adorns the hotel. Frank Langford, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

Police in South Korea have raided the offices of the airline and the airport at the center of Sunday's plane crash that killed 179 people. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul. The first crash victims have now been laid to rest.

[Anthony Kuhn]

Police raided the Muon International Airport, the offices of Low cost carrier Jeju Air and other sites. Police had a search warrant issued on charges of professional negligence resulting in death. Attention is focused on a concrete barrier housing landing navigation equipment, which the Jeju Air flight collided with after overshooting the Runway. Authorities have launched a nationwide inspection of all aviation safety equipment near airport runways. Identification of all 179 victims remains was completed Wednesday, and so far, at least two dozen have been returned to their families. Two flight attendants were the only ones to survive the worst aviation disaster ever on Korean soil. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

[Korva Coleman]

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Authorities in India say they've moved many containers of toxic waste from an Indian chemical factory. The Union Carbide factory in the central Indian city of Bhopal was the site of one of the world's deadliest gas leaks more than 40 years ago that killed thousands of people and injured many more. Activists say the toxic containers will be buried in a landfill and and they say that could contaminate the groundwater and cause more environmental concerns. A probe called Lunar Trailblazer could launch from Cape Canaveral as early as next month. Joe Pelka reports. Its mission is to map the water on the moon.

[Joe Palka]

Scientists have evidence there's water on the moon, but they don't know how much is there. They don't know exactly where it is, and they don't know what form it's in. It's definitely not liquid water, but it could be ice, water vapor or individual water molecules bound to rocks. Lunar Trailblazer has instruments that should help answer those questions. The answers could determine whether astronauts could use that water when they get there to get to the moon. The probe is catching a ride aboard a SpaceX rocket. The rocket's main mission is to deliver a lander made by the company, Intuitive Machines, to the lunar surface. Right now that launch is scheduled for the end of February, but the launch date has changed several times in the past year, and it could change again. For NPR News, I'm Joe Palka.

[Korva Coleman]

The utility company in Puerto Rico says electric power has been restored to most of the island. Most of the US Territory lost power on New Year's Eve. The private company Luma Energy says 98% of Puerto Rico's customers have had their power restored. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, in Washington.

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