Friday, January 3, 2025

We're learning more about the driver in the New Orleans attack and his victims. That's where we're starting the seven from the Washington Post. I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Friday, January 3. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories.

Yesterday, the FBI said the Texas man who drove a pickup truck into a crowd early on New Year's Day probably acted alone. Officials had previously said that Shamsu Dinjabar may have had accomplices. He killed 14 people before dying in a shootout with police. The Army veteran had pledged his support to the Islamic State extremist group.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raya provided an update on the investigation. There were five videos posted on Jabbar's Facebook account, which are timestamped beginning at 1.29 AM and the last at 3.02 AM. In the first video, Jabbar explains he originally planned to harm his family and friends, but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the, quote, war between the believers and the disbelievers, end quote.

Surveillance video recorded before the attack showed Jabbar placing coolers containing improvised explosive devices near the scene of the massacre. At least 35 people were injured in the attack. Among those who did not survive were parents of young children, a super dome worker, and a former Ivy League football player. You can learn more about them in our newsletter today. Find a link to that in our show notes.

The Cybertruck explosion outside a Trump hotel was probably a suicide. That's number two. On Wednesday, a Tesla vehicle blew up in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The driver was killed, and at least seven other people were injured. Yesterday, we learned some more details. Officials said they found no definitive link between this incident and the attack in New Orleans.

Authorities said the man behind the wheel in Las Vegas shot himself moments before the car exploded. It's been difficult to identify him because his body was so badly burned in the blast. But officials believe it was 37-year-old U.S. Army soldier Matthew Livelsberger of Colorado Springs.

Livelsberger was on a proved leave from his Special Forces unit in Germany at the time of his apparent death. He was a veteran of multiple deployments and had been awarded a Bronze Star. Authorities said they were still investigating a possible motive.

Number 3. President Joe Biden will block the sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese buyer. Biden has publicly opposed a deal to sell the once-iconic American company to nip on steel. So has the United Steelworkers Union. And now sources told the post that Biden will officially move to block the sale.

the announcement could come as soon as today. A government committee had warned last month that the acquisition could lead to reductions in US domestic steel output, and that that would be a risk to national security. But the move to block the deal could harm relations with Japan. Nippon steel and US steel have vowed to pursue legal action against the government.

A contentious vote for House Speaker will be held today. That's number four. Mike Johnson is a Louisiana Republican who has led the House since October 2023, but his future in the role looks a little uncertain. He spent recent weeks working to win over a handful of House Republicans who are disappointed in his leadership. They say he supported policies they believe were not conservative enough.

Johnson needs the support of 218 lawmakers to be reelected. That support must come from Republicans, because Democrats are expected to unanimously back Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries. One Republican who won't be backing Johnson is Kentucky Representative Thomas Massey. Here's what he told his former colleague Matt Gates yesterday on One America News.

Oh no, you can pull all my fingernails out. You can shove bamboo up in them. You can start cutting off my fingers. I am not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow." If Johnson fails, it would serve as an early setback for President-elect Donald Trump, who has supported Johnson's bid. If there's no speaker by January 6th, the House not only risks delaying the certification of the 2024 election, but could also delay the implementation of Trump's agenda.

Number five, the FBI released footage from an unsolved pipe bomb case tied to the Capitol riot. On the evening before January 6th, 2021, someone placed pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic National Committees. The devices were not detonated, but they did spark a number of conspiracy theories about the unsolved case.

Yesterday, hoping to gather new leads, officials released security footage previously unseen by the public. The video includes a narration of the suspect's movements. This footage of the suspect on South Capitol Street shows the person setting down their backpack, which is believed to contain one of the bombs at this time. The suspect appears to put on a pair of glasses and scan the area, standing on tiptoes,

The video goes on to show the suspect placing what law enforcement says is a pipe bomb outside the DNC. Officials also disclose the suspect's height as five foot seven. Investigators have interviewed about a thousand people in connection with the probe, but the case has continued to stump federal and local investigators. So officials are renewing their push for the public to provide potential tips as the unsolved case turns four years old.

Many U.S. cities had their warmest year in 2024. That's number six.

Last year, record-breaking temperatures occurred from border to border and coast to coast. Those areas with the most sustained warmth were around the Gulf of Mexico and certain inland areas in the northeast, mid-south, and southwest. At least 359 primary climate sites either experienced their warmest temperatures or tied for the warmest year on record in 2024.

All but three states in the lower 48 had locations observing record breaking or record tying annual heat. Texas was the leader, with 24 locations in the state reaching their top temperatures. In our newsletter today, we have a tool you can use to see if your city had its warmest year on record.

and at number seven. Brazilians are having second thoughts about eliminating daylight saving time.

In 2019, Jayar Bolsonaro, then the president of Brazil, signed an order to abolish daylight saving time. Ending the twice yearly time changes is something a majority of Americans say they want, and it's something that Elon Musk may try to push for in the next administration. But a few years into the experiment, Brazilians have mixed feelings about the change. Some who have early morning commutes are happy about starting their day in the light.

But others are less thrilled by pre-5AM daylight in some parts of the country. Darker evenings have also contributed to energy crises as people have to switch on the lights sooner. Brazil's primary source of electricity is hydropower, and a historic drought has threatened that power generation and driven up light bills. So ultimately, the decision of whether to return to daylight saving may come down to climate change.

That's the show for this week. The assistant producer of The Seven is Taylor White. Special help this week from Rennie's Fernovsky and Charlotte Freeland. The staff writers are Jamie Ross and me. John Taylor is our editor. Additional editing by Christina Quinn. Copy editing is by Melissa No and Kanderdine and Thomas Haliba. Mixing and sound design is by Jim Briggs and Justin Garish. Our theme music is by Edith Mudge. Renita Driblonski is our director of audio.

I'm Hannah Jewell. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend. I'll meet you back here on Monday.