FBI: Vegas & New Orleans Attacks Not "Definitively" Linked Despite Attacker Similarities
Plus: New Congress begins, Arctic blast to hit millions, and a look at EV trends
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Good morning,
A massive winter storm is set to deliver significant snow and cold from the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic U.S. starting this weekend. Bundle up: it could last weeks.
The National Weather Service predicts 6–12 inches or more of snow by Saturday morning for areas downwind of the Great Lakes.
In addition to flurries, frigid arctic air will sweep across the Central and Eastern U.S. The cold snap could affect over 250 million people in 40 states, lasting well into the middle of the month.
The chill is expected to move south, where residents are being warned about potential freeze-related damage and increased energy demands.
A chilly start to 2025! 🥶❄️
Mosheh, Jill, Sari, & Lauren
PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!
📌 FBI SAYS NEW ORLEANS, VEGAS ATTACKS DON’T APPEAR COORDINATED
Two attacks, involving electric trucks rented on the Turo app, occurring hours apart, by men affiliated with the U.S. military: details emerging from investigations into the New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks on New Year’s Day have raised questions about a possible link.
Both men were Army veterans (one still active duty), served in Afghanistan in 2009, and spent time at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty) — though it’s unclear if they ever met.
Still, FBI officials on Thursday said they have not found any confirmed connection between the two suspects during the early stages of their investigations.
MORE INTO THE INVESTIGATIONS
Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck into a large crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more. The FBI says he was “100% inspired by ISIS,” posting videos to social media hours before the attack about his allegiance to the terrorist group.
Earlier, investigators suggested that the New Orleans attacker might have had help planting explosives, which were not detonated, in coolers in the city's French Quarter. Upon further investigation, authorities believe Jabbar acted alone.
More on motivation: The U.S. Army veteran had worked at firms like Ernst & Young and Deloitte, but recently faced financial and personal struggles — including multiple divorces, a restraining order, and child support disputes.
Jabbar said in a recording he made that he originally planned to kill his family, but wanted headlines to focus on the “war between the believers and the disbelievers,” according to officials. He reportedly stated that he “joined” ISIS prior to last summer. It is not clear what that involved.
WHAT’S SIMILAR & DIFFERENT TO VEGAS
Hours after the New Orleans attack, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The driver, who was found dead in the vehicle, was identified as Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, on Thursday.
An active-duty member of the U.S. Army’s elite special forces unit, Livelsberger was on leave from his base in Germany.
He rented the Cybertruck in Denver days before the attack and drove it to Las Vegas. Investigators tracked his movements using data from Tesla charging stations.
According to Sheriff Kevin McMahill, Livelsberger visited the Trump hotel shortly before the explosion. He returned to the hotel’s glass entrance doors just after 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, and the explosion occurred “within 17 seconds of his arrival.”
Livelsberger shot himself in the head before the car was detonated. Seven people nearby suffered minor injuries, but the truck’s steel design absorbed much of the blast.
As for motive, Livelsberger — whose uncle said he was a Trump supporter — did not leave behind many clues, but Sheriff McMahill suspects it was a suicide.
President-elect Donald Trump has sought to draw a connection to the attacks and the undocumented migrant surge under the Biden administration.
It might have originated from Fox News wrongly reporting on Wednesday morning that the attacker in New Orleans had crossed over the border from Mexico earlier this week.
📌 NEW CONGRESS, ANOTHER BATTLE FOR SPEAKERSHIP
Despite President-elect Donald Trump’s “Complete & Total Endorsement” of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to remain in his leadership role, the crucial vote on Capitol Hill today at noon could go either way.
24 hours before, Johnson still did not have the 218 votes needed to secure the speakership. Republicans have a narrow majority, and he will need a near-unanimous vote from his party members.
Some GOP hardliners have expressed skepticism over his collaboration with Democrats on government spending and foreign aid.
JOHNSON’S FIRST BATTLE
With the expected makeup of the 119th Congress — 219 House Republicans to 215 Democrats — Johnson can afford only two Republican defections, if all Democrats unite behind Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), known for his contrarian positions, has already announced he won’t vote for Johnson.
Around a dozen other Republicans remain undecided. Johnson has been working the phones, as the GOP’s slim House majority gives individual Republicans significant leverage.
Johnson is putting on a face of optimism, telling Fox News, “I think we'll get it done.”
Rewind: Johnson does not want a repeat from two years ago, when it took California Republican Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds of voting to secure the speakership.
A LOOK AHEAD
On Monday, January 6, lawmakers will certify the presidential vote. For that to proceed, Republicans must elect a speaker first.
Trump and Republican lawmakers nationwide ran on pushing legislation on immigration, border security, energy, and tax cuts. Their ability to get the speakership vote through could be an indication of the two years to come.
📌 THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Electric Vehicle (EV) sales had another big year in 2024: Biden administration tax incentives, more competition, and growing accessibility to chargers drove record-breaking numbers.
In the U.S., EVs are expected to have accounted for nearly 10% of total car sales in the last 12 months.
S&P Global Mobility projects EV sales to increase by 36% in the U.S. in 2025, despite the Trump administration rolling back some Biden-era incentives. Economics professors at the University of California-Berkeley, Duke and Stanford are not so sure, warning that EV sales could fall 27% under Trump.
WHAT WE CAN EXPECT
Some Americans are moving up their new car purchases before Trump could kill the $7,500 federal EV credit.
As part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Democrats' major climate bill from 2022, the EV credit – along with major investments in EV charging stations – incentivized some to switch to electric.
When Biden took office, there were about 29,000 public charging stations in the U.S. By February 2024, that number more than doubled to 61,000+ stations, with more than 95% of Americans living in a county with at least one public EV charging station.
Now, Biden is racing to boost America’s EV charging networks and approve funding before Trump takes office. He’s set the goal of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030. Concern about a lack of sufficient chargers (aka range anxiety) is still a major issue for prospective EV buyers, despite the fact that most Americans don’t drive long distances.
Trump, however, has vowed to repeal the IRA, and instead focus on boosting domestic oil and gas production.
AMERICAN COMPETITION
That’s despite his new right-hand-man, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, greatly benefiting from federal EV incentives — tax breaks and investments boosted under a Democratic administration.
Tesla remains the world’s biggest EV seller, delivering 1.79 million vehicles in 2024 – but that is down about a percentage point from the year before.
It comes as China’s best-selling car manufacturer, BYD, sold their most EVs ever last year.
China’s EV market has soared, bolstered by hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies over the past decade.
The rise of China’s EV industry, the potential for a U.S.–China tariff war under the Trump administration, and Trump’s rollback of EV incentives could pose challenges for American EV businesses and consumers.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 2 dead, 18 injured in Southern California plane crash (AP)
📌 Biden awards Liz Cheney a presidential medal for Jan 6 committee(NPR)
📌 House Ethics panel recommends further review of campaign finance allegations against two lawmakers (THE HILL)
📌 Biden's net neutrality rules struck down by appeals court (AXIOS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 South Korean investigators head to Seoul in attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol (AP)
📌 Islamist changes to Syria’s school curriculum spark online outrage (CNN)
📌 Ukraine blocks transit of Russian gas to Europe, prompting price hike (VOA)
📌 Biden discussed plans to strike Iran nuclear sites if Tehran speeds toward bomb (AXIOS)
📌 China targets dozens of U.S. companies ahead of anticipated Trump tariffs (CBS)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Apple agrees to $95 million settlement for people who were spied on by Siri (VERGE)
📌 Novel test can detect different types of asthma via nasal swab (NBC)
📌 These airlines were the most on time in 2024 (CNBC)
📌 Treasury department hack said to involve agency leaders’ computers (BLOOMBERG)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Diddy’s bodyguard, intern and producer speak out in new Peacock doc trailer: ‘I didn’t want to be around him unless there was cameras’ (VARIETY)
📌 Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser and the show’s producers roll out the red carpet ahead of the ceremony on Sunday (DAILY MAIL)
📌 The Osmond Brothers founding member Wayne Osmond dead at 73 (FOX)
📌 Meghan Markle's Netflix series, ‘With Love, Meghan,’ set to premiere in January (PEOPLE)
🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN WEEKEND
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: Mosheh: Squid Game Season 2 ~ Netflix; Jill: Good Grief ~ Netflix.
WHAT WE’RE READING: Mosheh: Thirteen Days in September ~ Lawrence Wright; Jill: Raising Mentally Strong Kids ~ Charles Fay, Daniel Amen
This week’s “Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend” is brought to you by Audible. Bring stories to life with immersive audiobooks you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. Right now, eligible new subscribers can sign up for a 1-month free trial of Audible Premium Plus anytime! Sign up today at www.mo.news/audible
WHAT WE’RE EATING: Mosheh: Joe's Stone Crab in Miami; Jill: Trader Joe's mini ice cream cones.