SUSY-Din Jabbar, the New Orleans Ramming Driver, and the ISIS “War Between the Believers and the Disbelievers”
The FBI says Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the driver who rammed a pickup truck into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, acted alone. The agency backed off of an earlier statement that Jabbar was “not solely responsible” for the attack that left at least 14 people dead.
Christopher Raia, an FBI deputy assistant director with the agency’s counterterrorism division, told reporters at a press conference that they did not believe anyone else was involved in the attack.
Raia said there is nothing in the records of cellphones, laptops, and computers that indicate he was aided in the attack by anyone.
The FBI was searching for additional suspects who may have aided in the attack after they change their initial assessment that it was someone else who did it.
The driver of the white F-150 rented in Houston headed to New Orleans on Tuesday according to Raia. Jabbar posted “several videos” to social media declaring his support for ISIS and explained that while he planned to hurt his family and friends he was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the “war between the believers and the disbelievers,” Raia said. Jabbar also said he joined ISIS before the summer of 2024.
The New Orleans Truck Attack: Investigation is Unconventional and Collision is Conformally Informed by the State of the Investigatio
Bourbon Street has since been cleaned, and was reopened to pedestrians on Thursday. Fourteen yellow roses have been placed on the sidewalk near Canal Street as a makeshift memorial for each of those killed in the speeding rampage.
The Sugar Bowl, a nationally televised game that is part of the college football playoffs, was slated to take place in New Orleans on Wednesday night but was postponed until Thursday afternoon.
When asked about security measures in the city ahead of the game, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry told reporters that officials “reinforced the area” and “deployed some additional types of assets.”
“I don’t like to give specifics because I don’t like to tell the enemy what we got,” he said. I can tell you we’re in better shape than before, that’s what I can tell you. The amount of law enforcement resources being used to finish the investigation is unprecedented.
Raia said said there is currently “no definitive link” between the attack in New Orleans and a Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas in front of the Trump Hotel on Wednesday, in which the suspect was killed inside the vehicle.
Jabbar, 20, a U.S. Citizen after a World-Leading Discharge, and a Promise to Spouse in Congress
Jabbar, who was a U.S. citizen, was honorably discharged from the Army, according to the FBI. He was in the Army Reserve as an IT specialist until July 2020, but had previously worked as a human resource specialist and an information technology specialist. In the winter of 2009, he deployed to Afghanistan. He left the service with the rank of staff sergeant.
The FBI said there was no threat to residents in the area after they searched his home in Houston on Thursday. A neighbor who did not know the suspect said that their interactions were normal.
The new Congress is expected to be sworn in today. The first order of business in the House is to elect a speaker. Republicans only have a narrow majority and have to decide on a leader almost unanimously. House Speaker Mike Johnson has the endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump, but he faces the challenge of some GOP holdouts.
Budgeting Tips to Prevent the 2021 Capitol Pipe Bomb Detection: Timothée Chalamet and Colin Firth
The FBI is sharing new details and footage about the person who planted pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., on the night before the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021. There are still efforts by the agency to identify the person who placed the devices. The alleged bomber remains elusive despite authorities having combed through 39,000 videos, conducted 1,000 interviews, and combed through 600 tips. For the first time, the FBI shared an estimated height of the person — approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall — as one of the details they hope will lead to the suspect’s capture.
Can’t agree on a resolution for 25 years. NPR’s Life Kit has expert guides to make any goal a reality. We’ll share a few of them every week this month. You can see all the guides here.
It is best to keep an eye on where your money is going to cut back on spending and saving. Here are some budgeting tips that can help you save money and make more informed decisions.
🍿 Movies: Timothée Chalamet plays Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. The biopic covers the period shortly after Dylan arrived in New York City and started to fall in love with the city’s folk music scene.
Colin Firth plays a father who is trying to find answers in the film Lockerbie: A Search for Truth. Firth speaks with NPR’s A Martinez on Morning Edition about what inspired him to star in the series.
The Books We Love Guide: Top 10 Favorite Winter Reading Novels of the Fire & Some New Flavors for The Weekend Editor’s Choice
📚 Books: NPR staff and book critics have recommended 10 heart-pounding mystery or thriller novels perfect for winter reading by the fire. You can find more in the annual Books We Love guide.
🎵 Music: SZA’s expanded edition of SOS, titled SOS Deluxe: LANA, landed her on top of the Billboard 200 chart. There are 38 songs in the album, with more being added soon.
Some of the foods and flavors that are expected to be hot this year include sour cherry and pistachios, according to industry groups.
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