Thursday, January 2, 2025

Authorities are searching for possible accomplices in a deadly New Orleans attack. That's where we're starting the Seven from the Washington Post. I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Thursday, January 2nd. Let's get you caught up with today's Seven Stories.

In the early hours of New Year's Day, a pickup truck plowed into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. At least 15 people were killed, and dozens were wounded. Yesterday, authorities named 42-year-old Shamsu Dean Jabbar as the driver. He was killed in a shootout with police.

Jabar was a U.S. citizen born in Texas, and he was an army veteran who served in Afghanistan. Police said the truck he used for the rampage had an Islamic State flag. The FBI said Jabar may not have acted alone and that the agency was investigating his known associates.

They also said they had found weapons and a potential improvised explosive device in the truck. Other explosive devices were located elsewhere in the city's French Quarter. New Orleans Mayor Latoya Contrell said that ballards meant to protect Bourbon Street from vehicles were not up on New Year's Eve. That's because they were being replaced ahead of next month's Super Bowl. Kimberly Strickland is from Alabama. She and her husband witnessed the attack. She described what she saw.

When we got over halfway through, the intersection is when that guy just gunned it. I mean, just gunned it and drove through this mass of people and the barricades. And then I think everybody else started panicking and running. I'll never forget the screens.

Number two, a cyber truck exploded in front of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. Police said the Tesla electric vehicle was filled with large firework mortars and gas canisters. The explosion yesterday morning killed the driver and injured seven people. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill described the incident.

It looks like the exterior of that truck is completely intact as it sits there. The fact that this was a cyber truck really limited the damage that occurred inside of the ballet. If you look on that video, you'll see that the front glass doors at the Trump Hotel were not even broken by that blast.

The FBI said it was working to determine whether the incident was an act of terrorism, and whether it could be linked to the New Orleans attack, which occurred just a few hours earlier. The incident comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has developed a close relationship with Donald Trump. Police said Musk had been in contact with investigators and had shared information and video footage to help them.

Number 3. A highly sensitive office of the U.S. Treasury was hacked by the Chinese government. Earlier this week, the Treasury Department said it was hacked by a Chinese state-sponsored actor. The Department said hackers had gained access to government workstations and unclassified documents. Yesterday, the Post reported further details about this hack.

The Chinese government was able to access the office that administers economic sanctions against countries, organizations, and individuals. Financial sanctions are one of the most potent tools the US uses in pursuit of its national security goals. So any knowledge of which Chinese entities may be targeted would be a top area of interest to Beijing.

The hack reflects China's determination to acquire intelligence on its most significant rival in the global competition for power and influence. The full impact of the breach is still being assessed. President Joe Biden will honor Liz Cheney with a Presidential Citizens Medal. That's number four.

Cheney is a former Republican Congresswoman and an outspoken critic of Donald Trump. During the presidential election, she campaigned with Vice President Kamala Harris in an unsuccessful effort to defeat Trump. She also served as Vice Chair of the House Select Committee that investigated the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

This morning, Biden will honor Cheney and 19 others. The presidential citizens medal is a tribute given to those who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or fellow Americans. Representative Benny Thompson of Mississippi is also getting a medal. He served as the chairman of that committee. You can find the full list of people being awarded the honor in our newsletter this morning. As always, just follow the link in our show notes.

5. Heavy lake effect snow will bury parts of the northeast this weekend.

Lake Effect Snow is a spectacular meteorological event that can produce prolific snowfall. It can happen when a cold air mass meets warmer than usual waters. In this case, an Arctic air mass is clashing with the Great Lakes, which are running warmer than usual. In the coming days, heavy snow could hit parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. In some spots, there could be multiple feet of snow, bringing hazardous road conditions and potential travel disruptions.

So, if you still have to head home for the holidays, check your local forecast before setting off. It could be messy out there. 6. Justin Bell-Doney, filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times. Last month, The Times published a story about allegations from Blake Lively, who starred with Bell-Doney in the movie It Ends With Us.

Lively claimed that Baldoni sexually harassed her and then hired a crisis PR firm to coordinate a smear campaign against her in an effort to ruin her reputation. Now in his own lawsuit, Baldoni alleges that the times relied too heavily on Lively's allegations of harassment. And he says that the paper didn't give him enough time to respond to her claims ahead of publication. In a statement, the Times said it stands by its reporting.

And at number seven, scientists found new clues about volcanic activity at Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is one of the most iconic national parks in the US, famous for its hot springs and gushing geysers. Those awe-inspiring sites are created by magma buried miles beneath the surface of the park, which is part of one of the world's most active volcanic systems.

It's been a mystery for years how the magma is stored and whether it could erupt for the first time in 70,000 years. Now scientists have used advanced mapping technologies to find the answers to some of these questions. In a new study, they said that nowhere in the park is actually capable of eruption. That's because its magma isn't connected or concentrated enough. And the area's volcanic activity is shifting northeast.

The finding comes with a caveat. The park isn't likely to erupt in our lifetimes, so we can't make any promises about what might happen thousands of years from now.

Alright, you're all caught up. Happy New Year! Before you set out today to accomplish your New Year's resolutions, here's a reminder. If you're a subscriber to The Washington Post, you can get access to our shows ad-free in Apple Podcasts. All you have to do is find The Washington Post channel in Apple Podcasts and connect your post-subscription. Then stay tuned for more subscriber-only audio benefits, like exclusive and early access episodes.

If you're not a subscriber, this is a great time to start. You can sign up at our channel and Apple Podcasts or through the link in our show notes. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.