Los Angeles Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/karen-bass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karen Bass</a>’ deputy mayor, who was in charge of overseeing the city&#8217;s fire department, was not on the job in the weeks and days leading up to the historic wildfires that erupted last week because he was placed on leave after he was raided by the FBI.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/14/us-news/bass-appointee-was-put-on-leave-after-alleged-la-bomb-threat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Los Angeles Police Department initially indicated when the incident happened last month that Deputy Mayor Brian Williams was likely the “source of the threat.”
The FBI took over the investigation because of Williams&#8217; connections to the local police department, the report said.
The raid happened less than three weeks before the fires broke out — burning more than 40,000 acres, causing $50+ billion in damages, destroying 10,000+ structures, and killing more than a dozen people.
Williams was in charge of overseeing several of the city&#8217;s largest departments, including the fire department, police department, and more, the report said.
The controversy is just the latest negative development for Bass, who has seen widespread criticism for her lack of preparedness and the fact that she was in Africa when the fires erupted despite pledging in 2021 to never take international trips if elected as mayor.
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Bass has also faced intense scrutiny over cutting millions of dollars from the city’s fire department budget.
In a memo dated December 4, 2024, L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley wrote that the nearly $18 million in cuts “severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires.”
“Without this funding, pilot compliance and readiness are jeopardized, and aerial firefighting capabilities are diminished,” Crowley wrote in the memo that was presented last month to the Board of Fire Commissioners, a panel of mayoral appointees who oversee the management of the department.
Crowley said that the overtime hours funded “Heavy Equipment Operators (HEOs) who make fire control lines around wildland fires, manage firefighting robotics, wildland fire road maintenance, post-fire demolition services, and other allhazard emergency services.”
“Ultimately, loss of funding impairs the Department’s ability to mitigate wildland fires and other hazards effectively,” she wrote.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karen-bass-ignores-questions-about-her-handling-of-devastating-fires">Karen Bass Ignores Questions About Her Handling Of Devastating Fires</a>

LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 17: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass announces establishing a task force to investigate, apprehend and prosecute suspects who have committed retail theft as businesses grapple with an uptick of smash-and-grabs in recent weeks a press conference held at City Hall in Los Angeles, CA.

LA Mayor Bass Appointee Who Oversaw Fire Dept Was On Leave Over Alleged Bomb Threat

Crime

Fire

Karen Bass

Los Angeles

U.S.

Wildfires

The FBI has launched a criminal investigation into a drone that hit one of the planes that was being used to conduct fire suppression operations near Malibu, California.
The Bureau said that they are seeking information leading to the identity of the person operating the drone that collided with a “super scooper” airplane that was combatting the Palisades Fire.
The incident happened on January 9th when &#8220;an unauthorized drone flying in violation of an FAA temporary flight restriction (TFR) collided with&#8221; the firefighting aircraft.
&#8220;The collision left a 3 x 6 inch hole in the left wing. Parts of the heavily damaged drone were recovered,&#8221; the FBI said.
Authorities were forced to move firefighting aircraft out of the area after the drone collided with the plane on Thursday. The plane was grounded for several days to be repaired, taking away a key asset for firefighters as the Palisades fire continues to burn. Authorities said that the drones were spotted near the southeastern portion of the fire around 4:40 p.m. on Friday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The FBI is seeking information that leads to the identity of a UAS pilot whose drone collided with a “super scooper” airplane conducting fire suppression operations at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PalisadesFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PalisadesFire</a> near Malibu, California. Details &amp; and how to contact the FBI here:<a href="https://t.co/0FCsCvrgGy">https://t.co/0FCsCvrgGy</a> <a href="https://t.co/MiRuhWWeQP">pic.twitter.com/MiRuhWWeQP</a>
— FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBILosAngeles/status/1878892641883967629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement on Thursday warning drone operators of the consequences of interfering with firefighting efforts.
“It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands,” the FAA said. “Additionally, the FAA can impose a civil penalty of up to $75,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response operations when temporary flight restrictions are in place.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Do not fly your drone near or around areas affected by the LA wildfires. Anyone who interferes with emergency response operations may face severe fines and criminal prosecution. If you fly, emergency responders can&#8217;t. <a href="https://t.co/UE5wqAlR1O">pic.twitter.com/UE5wqAlR1O</a>
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1877525547082813725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>

FBI plane

FBI Launches Criminal Probe Over Drone That Hit Fire Suppression Plane

California

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI released a joint statement on Monday, warning of potential copycat &#8220;vehicle ramming,&#8221; such as the attack carried out by Islamic terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who killed 14 people and wounded dozens more in New Orleans on New Year&#8217;s Day.
The statement highlighted that attackers in the U.S. &#8220;and abroad&#8221; have used rented vehicles &#8220;which are easy to acquire&#8221; and warned of terrorists using weapons such as guns, knives, and explosive devices as well, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/5083217-fhi-dhs-new-orleans-copycat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The DHS and FBI urged the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
“The FBI and DHS are concerned about possible copycat or retaliatory attacks due to the persistent appeal of vehicle ramming as a tactic for aspiring violent extremist attackers. Previous attackers inspired by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) who have conducted vehicle attacks in the United States and abroad have used rented, stolen, and personally owned vehicles, which are easy to acquire,” the agencies wrote. “Some have used additional weapons, such as firearms and knives, to attack individuals after the vehicle has stopped. Additionally, attackers may attempt to conceal and pre-position improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to supplement a vehicle attack.”
Recently released <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bodycam-footage-shows-nola-terrorist-firing-on-police-after-driving-through-crowd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bodycam footage</a> shows Jabbar — a 42-year-old Army veteran from Texas who recently pledged his allegiance to ISIS — fired upon police after crashing his truck on Bourbon Street. Just an hour before the attack, the terrorist had also placed IEDs on Bourbon Street, but the explosives were not detonated. Jabbar was shot and killed by New Orleans police officers who returned fire. Police found a transmitter to detonate the IEDs in the terrorist’s rented truck along with an ISIS flag.
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Officials are still looking into the security measures that were in place to protect people who were ringing in the New Year on Bourbon Street. Despite owning portable steel barriers that are often used to block off streets during large events, the city did not use any steel barriers to block off Bourbon Street during the New Year’s Day celebration. Jabbar accessed the bustling street by driving past a police car that was parked to block it off.
In a &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-director-christopher-wray-on-threats-america-faces-decision-to-step-down-60-minutes-transcript/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on Sunday, outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray said that terrorists like Jabbar &#8220;radicalize not in years but in weeks,&#8221; adding that their &#8220;method of attack is still very deadly but fairly crude.&#8221;
&#8220;The investigation&#8217;s very much ongoing. But what I can say right now is that he appears to have been inspired — from afar — by ISIS. And it is, in many ways — the most challenging type of terrorist threat we face,&#8221; Wray added.
The terrorism threat is an issue that will soon face the Trump administration after the president-elect is sworn in for a second term in the White House. The New Orleans vehicle ramming attack was the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, in 2016.

New Orleans terrorist attack

Feds ‘Concerned’ About Possible Copycat ‘Vehicle Ramming’ Attempts After NOLA Terrorist Attack

DHS, FBI Warn Of Possible Copycat 'Vehicle Ramming' Attempts After NOLA Terrorist Attack

Louisiana

New Orleans

Radical Islamic Terror

terrorist attack

A leftist protester was sentenced to five years in prison after he attempted to disrupt a 2023 event featuring Daily Wire host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-michael-knowles-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Knowles</a> at the University of Pittsburgh by setting off multiple homemade smoke bombs and launching a firework explosive into a crowd of police officers, seriously injuring one.  
Brian DiPippa, 37, and his wife Krystal DiPippa, 42, were both <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/pittsburgh-couple-sentenced-obstructing-law-enforcement-during-campus-protest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> over their convictions of obstructing law enforcement <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-protesters-from-michael-knowles-pitt-debate-on-transgenderism-indicted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after they attempted</a> to disrupt a debate on transgenderism that Knowles was having at the University of Pittsburgh in April 2023. Brian was given five years in prison and Krystal was given three years of probation while they were both ordered to pay $1,400 to the university and $47,284 to the injured officer. 
“The DiPippas conspired to injure law enforcement officers and cause chaos at a college campus protest,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Olshan. “They attacked brave men and women who were trying to maintain order and protect the attendees. Today’s sentencings — and particularly the years of incarceration imposed on Brian DiPippa — should serve as a deterrent for anyone who would consider engaging in such outrageous and dangerous conduct in the future.”
One officer was seriously injured during the attack as she deflected the firework as it headed toward her face and fell backward. Her legs were burnt, she needed back surgery for a fusion and a cadaver disc, and she had hearing loss, TRIBLIVE <a href="https://community.triblive.com/news/3705840" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
“Brian DiPippa is a homegrown terrorist who had every intention of hurting someone that day,” she said in court on Monday. “I will never be the same.”
Knowles <a href="https://x.com/michaeljknowles/status/1876666924513525792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to the news by thanking the prosecutors and law enforcement for their work, but criticized U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan for the sentencing. 
“Many thanks to the law enforcement officers and prosecutors who forced these left-wing terrorists to face at least some consequences for their actions,” he said. “The judge was far too lenient, but it’s something.”
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On his Tuesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1646-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast</a>, Knowles praised the federal officer who “pursued the case” and worked to bring justice over the attack. He added that the judge “basically” let the couple “off the hook.” 
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek said he hoped the sentencing would deter future similar attacks. 
“These sentencings send a clear message that the FBI and our partners will use all available tools to bring to justice those who seek to injure, maim, or attack law enforcement officers,” he said. “The FBI and our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners across the country stand committed to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.”

Knowles protesters

Protester Who Shot Firework Explosive At Police During Michael Knowles Event Sentenced

Courts

domestic terrorism

Michael Knowles

Transgender

University of Pittsburgh

The 42-year-old man behind the terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year&#8217;s Day visited the city at least twice in recent months and used Meta smart glasses to film Bourbon Street — where he drove a truck into a crowd of pedestrians, killing 14 people.
FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil said on Sunday that Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Houston stayed at a rental home for a few days beginning on October 30 and then revisited the city on November 10, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/05/us/new-orleans-attack/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. During his trip to New Orleans in late October, Jabbar rode a bike on Bourbon Street and used Meta smart glasses to record and plan his attack, according to the FBI.
On Sunday, the FBI also revealed new footage of the terrorist placing two IEDs on Bourbon Steet just over an hour before his attack. Jabbar hid the IEDs in coolers. One of the coolers was dragged a block by “someone on Bourbon Street, who we have no reason to believe was involved,&#8221; according to Myrthil. The FBI reiterated that it believes Jabbar acted alone.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: FBI releases video of NOLA terrorist wearing Meta glasses and placing coolers with IEDs throughout the French Quarter <a href="https://t.co/UQFm3Aox2R">pic.twitter.com/UQFm3Aox2R</a>
&mdash; Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1875976555182387497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After driving his rented Ford pickup truck through Bourbon Street, Jabbar got into a shootout with police officers and was killed. The terrorist, who pledged allegiance to ISIS, was wearing the Meta smart glasses when he died, and officers found a transmitter to detonate the IEDs in the truck. Jabbar reportedly did not activate the smart glasses during his attack. <a href="https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meta smart glasses</a> can record videos, make calls, send texts, and answer questions through Meta AI. The smart glasses typically cost between $300 and $400.
Before carrying out his attack, Jabbar set fire to his rental home, a move authorities believe was meant to &#8220;hide evidence of his crimes&#8221; and potentially distract first responders before he drove through the crowd gathered on Bourbon Street. The FBI is looking into multiple trips Jabbar took in recent years, including a trip to Cairo, Egypt, from June 22 to July 3, 2023, and a trip to Ontario, Canada, from July 10 to July 13, 2023.
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“Our agents are getting answers as to where he went, who he met with, and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions here in our city of New Orleans,” Myrthil <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/01/05/new-orleans-attack-smart-glasses/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran, recently became radicalized. In a video he recorded in the rented pickup truck on his way to carry out the attack, Jabbar said, “I wanted to record this message for my family. I wanted you to know that I joined ISIS earlier this year,” according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/04/us/new-orleans-attack-shamsud-din-jabbar-isis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. In the video, Jabbar added that he considered killing his family members so they could “witness the killing of the apostates.”

New Orleans terror attack

New Orleans Terrorist Visited City Twice Before Attack, Filmed Bourbon Street With Meta Glasses

ISIS

Terrorism

President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration is spending its waning days continuing a four-year effort to prosecute more than 1,500 people for being in or near the Capitol on January 6, 2021, despite the likely futility of the effort and lingering questions about the event that Democrats have described as an attempt to overthrow the U.S. government — seemingly the first insurrection in which the vast majority of participants chose to leave their weapons at home.
On December 20, prosecutors announced a new <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/florida-man-arrested-assaulting-law-enforcement-weapon-and-other-offenses-during-jan-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrest</a>, writing that “In the 47 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,572 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.”
On December 30, defense lawyer Joseph Ross told a judge that prosecutors <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.230344/gov.uscourts.dcd.230344.166.0_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hadn’t agreed</a> to delay sentencing scheduled for January 7, despite the fact that Ross’ father&#8217;s funeral is that day. Prosecutors are seeking a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.230344/gov.uscourts.dcd.230344.18.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">year</a> in prison for his client, Bradley Bennett, despite admitting that Bennett “is essentially <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.230344/gov.uscourts.dcd.230344.18.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homeless</a>” and did not commit any violence. Charging documents say he made a video in which he shouts “‘We’re in the Capitol.’ His codefendant hollers, ‘Wooooo.’”
The same day, federal prosecutors requested that Brian Mock continue to serve his 33-month prison term, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.232983/gov.uscourts.dcd.232983.126.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">despite</a> the Supreme Court ruling that Mock and other January 6 defendants had faced charges for “obstructing an official proceeding” that did not apply. On January 2, they asked a judge to sentence Nathaniel Tuck to 24 months in prison, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.233163/gov.uscourts.dcd.233163.249.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exceeding</a> the sentencing guideline of 10 to 16 months.
The continued prosecutions have bankrupted defendants even as it seems likely that Donald Trump will pardon most January 6 suspects soon after he takes office on January 20.
The pursuit of Trump supporters, many on trespassing charges, has vacuumed up federal law enforcement resources for years. For example, in December 2020, a man with the screen name “gayboy69freak” allegedly sent an undercover agent from the FBI’s Washington Field Office a picture of “a prepubescent minor male being anally penetrated by an adult male’s erect penis,” and tried to arrange sex with the agent’s supposed son. The field office decided to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fbi-dropped-probe-of-pedophile-to-focus-on-january-6-now-hes-accused-of-abusing-10-year-old-boy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abandon the case</a> to prioritize January 6 defendants. The man remained free and was later found with a 10-year-old boy in Alaska, according to court documents.
Americans&#8217; sense that crime is rising and prosecutors are turning a blind eye helped pave the way for Trump’s victory in November. And pardons for January 6 suspects would entirely wipe away one of Joe Biden’s signature focuses.
But they could also have a lasting effect on the FBI&#8217;s culture. After a top official claimed this month&#8217;s ISIS-inspired attack in New Orleans was not terrorism, an anonymous agent told the <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jan/4/rank-file-fbi-agents-dismayed-embarrassed-bureau-h/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Times</a> that a cohort of hires joined the bureau believing that its purpose is to round up Trump supporters, and “It ain’t terrorism unless they have a MAGA hat on.”
The FBI and prosecutors in Washington, D.C., used cell phone GPS tracking, facial recognition, and tips — including turning children against their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-trump-21-year-old-was-paid-200000-by-liberals-after-turning-in-his-own-father-for-attending-jan-6-rally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">own parents </a>— to pursue largely nonviolent Capitol defendants, even as violent crime in D.C. surged. Matthew Graves, the Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/j6-prosecutor-quickly-drops-kidnapping-murder-charges-for-suspect-in-deadly-carjacking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped murder</a> and kidnapping charges against a woman who allegedly carjacked a car outside a hospital while an elderly lady with multiple sclerosis was inside of it, and crashed it into Graves’ own office, killing the woman.
Meanwhile, Graves pursued a great-grandmother, Rebecca Lavrenz, because on January 6, “From approximately 2:45-2:47, Lavrenz milled about in the Rotunda,” according to a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.247386/gov.uscourts.dcd.247386.1.1_2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">court document</a> filed by a “U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent and FBI Task Force Officer assigned to&#8230; the Joint Terrorism Task Force.”
The January 6 defendants faced a jury pool drawn solely from the District of Columbia, whose residents voted 93% against Trump in 2020. Requests for a venue change were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-bill-would-let-january-6-suspects-move-trials-out-of-d-c-for-a-jury-of-their-peers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a>, with prosecutors telling a judge it was “offensive” to say that D.C. residents had “allegedly homogeneous” viewpoints.
Even as agents used elaborate surveillance on minor participants, the FBI said it was unable to solve the most dramatic aspects of January 6: alleged pipe bombs discovered at the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, and the construction of a gallows. Last week, the FBI announced that after four years, it had determined that the pipe bomber might be five-foot-seven. A top FBI official previously told Congress it couldn&#8217;t locate the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-rnc-security-officer-who-was-first-responder-to-jan-6-pipe-bomb-says-official-story-makes-no-sense-whatsoever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pipe bomber</a> because cell phone companies turned over corrupted GPS data. But a <a href="https://cha.house.gov/_cache/files/f/e/fe4f4a06-d98a-4437-8891-792c5d406213/F503CD6C839F28CEB7D4216055E45035.joint-pipe-bomb-report-cn-bd-cn-mj-db-bd-db-bd-ch-bd-db-db-bd-db-bd---final-version-redacted2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by the House Committee on Administration, released last week, said the cell phone companies said that was not true.
The report said that after Capitol Police discovered the DNC bomb and prepared a controlled detonation, they failed to establish clear boundaries about who could go where — leading schoolchildren to walk within steps of the bomb, trains to travel above it, and even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s motorcade to drive right by it. The fact that Pelosi entered a restricted area, seemingly unaware, raises questions about whether some January 6 defendants similarly had no idea they weren’t supposed to be in the Capitol. Video seemingly shows some being calmly escorted on tours by Capitol Police.
The summer of 2020 was marked by riots fueled by allegations of police brutality, none of which resulted in arrests as aggressive as January 6. There was only one killing on January 6: the shooting of Ashley Babbitt, an unarmed Trump supporter, by Michael Byrd, a police officer with a disciplinary history.
Perhaps the most curious part of the alleged pipe bomb is Democrats&#8217; determination to avoid calling attention to it, even as it would provide the strongest evidence that January 6 was violent. Kamala Harris was visiting the DNC when the bomb was found. But instead of lamenting that she was the victim of an attempted assassination, she concealed the fact that she was there, and prosecutors falsely said she was at the Capitol to make trespassing there seem worse.

Jacob Chansley

Biden Still Aggressively Prosecuting January 6 Defendants As Pardons Loom

Donald Trump

January 6

Joe Biden

House Homeland Security Committee Chair Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Green</a> (R-TN) said this week that the U.S. needed more FBI personnel to stop people from being radicalized into becoming terrorists after a man who recently converted to Islam declared his allegiance to ISIS and murdered 14 people in New Orleans this week.
Green&#8217;s remarks come after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar used a rented truck to mow down people in New Orleans&#8217; French Quarter before he got out and opened fire on law enforcement.
“What our FBI needs is more resources,&#8221; Green told CBS News on Friday morning.
He said that agents need to be looking for individuals who are online and becoming radicalized inside the U.S.
&#8220;The fusion centers do a pretty good job most of the time, but a situation like this where a guy gets radicalized, we don’t know exactly when, and then is turned on to do a mission like this, that’s the information that’s going to require boots on the ground all over the country, in places where people get radicalized,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;And they pulled back after — initially, after 9/11, the FBI was everywhere looking, they caught those guys in upstate New York by doing that human intelligence,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But they’ve pulled back over the past several years, and they need to put that back into place.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Homeland Security Chair Mark Green provides updates on New Orleans attack" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZLMLslSh4QA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Rep. Mark Green

Homeland Security Chairman On ISIS Terror Attack: U.S. Needs More FBI Agents To Stop Islamic Terror

Mark Green

Radical Islam

Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger, the U.S. Army Green Beret who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck on New Year&#8217;s Day in front of the Trump International Hotel in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/las-vegas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Las Vegas</a>, reportedly suffered from PTSD and other personal issues when he decided to take his own life this week.
Officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), FBI, and ATF shared updates from their investigation into the incident at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
They revealed that they have found no connection between the incident in Las Vegas and the Islamic terrorist attack that unfolded just hours prior to the incident in New Orleans where more than a dozen people were murdered.
Law enforcement confirmed Livelsberger&#8217;s identity through a variety of investigative techniques, including DNA matching.
LVMPD Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said that Livelsberger documented his activities during the 10 days prior to the explosion in an app on his cellphone, including where he traveled, weapons he bought, camping gear he bought, and more. They said that at the moment, there did not appear to be any significant meaning behind his decision to commit the act in a Tesla Cybertruck.
Koren said that the incident was being viewed as a suicide via a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED), even though he took his life with a single gunshot wound to the head just moments before the explosion.
Police released the following excerpts from writings they discovered on one of his cellphones that they recovered from inside the vehicle:
<ul>
<li>&#8220;Fellow Servicemembers, Veterans, and all Americans, TIME TO WAKE UP! We are being led by weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives? Why did I personally do it now? I needed to cleanse my mind of the brothers I&#8217;ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;We are the United States of America, the best country people to ever exist! But right now we are terminally ill and headed toward collapse.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
Koren suggested that more excerpts from his writings could be released in the future.
&#8220;He does offer additional information that is varying on the spectrum in terms of political grievances, issues about the conflicts elsewhere, not here, domestic issues, societal issues, a variety of other things, including personal challenges as well,&#8221; Koren said. &#8220;We are intending to release those initial letters so people can understand the best they can what the person&#8217;s thought process was at one point in time.&#8221;
FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans said that law enforcement has not been able to identify any information indicating that Livelsberger belonged to any kind of a terrorist group or had any contact with one.
&#8220;Investigative steps have discovered, and information from the Army indicates, that he likely suffered from PTSD, and we are also aware that there were potential other family issues or personal grievances in his own life that may have been contributing factors,&#8221; Evans said.
He said that the Livelsberger &#8220;considered, planned, and thoughtfully prepared for this act alone.&#8221;
Evans again added that the incident was &#8220;a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who is struggling with PTSD and other issues.&#8221;
He addressed an email that was released on a popular podcast that is allegedly from Livelsberger, saying that the FBI has &#8220;not conclusively determined that that&#8217;s from the subject, but feel confident, based on evidence that we&#8217;re uncovering on his devices, that that was, in fact, from [the suspect].&#8221;
&#8220;So in terms of the so-called manifesto that&#8217;s circling or circulating online, we have strong evidence to suggest that it was the subject that wrote it, but we haven&#8217;t conclusively proven that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And that evidence relates to other evidence that we&#8217;re finding, that we&#8217;re able to compare that lead us to believe it was in fact him who sent it.&#8221;
Evans said that Livelsberger was not on the FBI&#8217;s radar because he had no criminal history.

Cybertruck Explosion Outside Trump International Hotel Investigated For Terror Ties

Man Who Blew Up Cybertruck Was ‘Struggling With PTSD And Other Issues,’ Officials Say

Las Vegas

PTSD

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> Washington Field Office released new information on Thursday about the suspect who they say placed pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Washington, D.C., on January 5, 2021.
The FBI released never before seen video from the incident and announced that they believe the suspect is approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall as part of a renewed push to locate the suspect. They are offering a $500,000 reward for information leading to their arrest.
The suspect placed the bombs between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. the night before the riots at the U.S. Capitol.
David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, said: “Over the past four years, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts, data scientists, and law enforcement partners has visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, conducted more than 1,000 interviews, reviewed approximately 39,000 video files, and assessed more than 600 tips about who may have placed pipe bombs on Capitol Hill in January 2021.&#8221;
“The tips the FBI has received so far have helped us advance the investigation, but they have not led us to identify the suspect,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Today, we are releasing additional information about the suspect—including that we estimate the person to be approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall—to encourage the public to take a fresh look at the Seeking Information webpage and contact the FBI if they recognize or have information about the suspect.&#8221;
Released in the new information are close-up photos of the shoes the suspect was wearing, distinctive Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes.
The FBI said that fewer than 25,000 pairs of the same shoe were sold between August 2018 and January 2021.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Here is a full recap from the agency about what they know and where the investigation stands now: <a href="https://t.co/oVNm36g08B">pic.twitter.com/oVNm36g08B</a>
— Sierra Fox (@thesierrafox) <a href="https://twitter.com/thesierrafox/status/1874956226154623392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2025</a></blockquote>

FBI Releases New Information In Search For J6 Pipe Bomb Suspect

Washington D.C.

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ted-cruz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ted Cruz</a> (R-TX) compared the Islamic man who committed a terrorist attack in New Orleans&#8217; French Quarter this week to another Islamic terrorist who attacked a U.S. military base in 2009.
Cruz&#8217;s remarks came after 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who pledged allegiance to ISIS before the summer, used a rented truck to mow down dozens of people during the early morning hours on Wednesday before he opened fire on law enforcement and was subsequently killed.
&#8220;Well, the FBI has, in far too many instances, not kept their eye on the ball, and that is one of the reasons that Donald Trump is coming into office with an agenda of fundamentally reforming the Department of Justice and the FBI, getting it back focused on its core mission, ending the weaponization, ending the politicization,&#8221; Cruz said on his &#8220;Verdict&#8221; podcast this week. &#8220;And its core mission includes preventing acts of terrorism.&#8221;
Cruz noted that investigators do not know how Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran who lived in Texas, became radicalized and joined ISIS.
Cruz said that the situation reminded him of Nidal Hasan, an Islamic psychiatrist in the U.S. Army who went on a shooting rampage in 2009 at then-Fort Hood, Texas, murdering more than a dozen and wounding dozens more.
&#8220;Nadal Hassan, you&#8217;ll recall, who murdered 14 innocent souls at Fort Hood,&#8221; Cruz said. &#8220;He was active duty military, and he became radicalized. And during the Obama administration that they knew that he was communicating with the radical Islamic cleric Anwar al Awlaki and asking about the permissibility of waging jihad on his fellow soldiers.&#8221;
&#8220;And infuriatingly enough, the Obama Pentagon, they had those communications with Anwar al Awlaki, and they did nothing to stop Nadal Hassan from committing that mass murder,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;They sat on that information. And we don&#8217;t know if there&#8217;s any of that. We have no indication that there&#8217;s any of that information now, but I will say we&#8217;re dealing with with another individual who is a soldier who apparently became radicalized and I think there&#8217;s a real need for transparency to figure out what happened.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump is coming into office with an objective to fundamentally reform the FBI and the DOJ.
The terrorist who committed the New Years Day attacks in New Orleans was a member of the Army and eventually he was radicalized by ISIS.
This is eerily striking to the monster… <a href="https://t.co/ZlmhUMuP2d">pic.twitter.com/ZlmhUMuP2d</a>
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1874987859548971367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2025</a></blockquote>

Senator Ted Cruz Campaigns For Reelection

Ted Cruz Compares New Orleans Islamic Terrorist To Another Notorious Terrorist

Ted Cruz

The college football quarterfinal playoffs Allstar Sugar Bowl game opened on Thursday with a moment of silence for the people killed in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-orleans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Orleans</a> following a terror attack in the city before the game was set to take place on New Year’s Day.
In several videos posted on <a href="https://x.com/RossDellenger/status/1874920156549574748">X</a>, fans inside the Caesars Superdome paused for 60 seconds and <a href="https://x.com/YahooSports/status/1874925600059658628" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bowed their heads</a> for the 15 people killed and dozens more wounded <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/truck-plows-into-crowd-in-new-orleans-french-quarter-mayor-calls-it-a-terrorist-attack">after a terrorist</a> with an ISIS flag drove a truck through a crowded Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day.
It was just before the Georgia Bulldogs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish players took the field for the coin flip and subsequent kickoff at 4:00 p.m. ET. The bowl game was postponed after it was initially scheduled to take place on Wednesday night.
Before the game, Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry said that he’s “convinced” New Orleans is “safe” following the terror attack, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/louisiana-governor-says-hes-convinced-new-orleans-is-safe-ahead-of-sugar-bowl">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Moment of silence for the French Quarter victims ahead of the Sugar Bowl. <a href="https://t.co/XNDgLBPOAB">pic.twitter.com/XNDgLBPOAB</a>
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) <a href="https://twitter.com/RossDellenger/status/1874920156549574748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
In an appearance on “<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/new-orleans-bourbon-street-terror-attack-01-02-25">Fox &amp; Friends</a>” Thursday morning, Landry was asked if he is concerned about more potential threats to New Orleans after Wednesday’s terror attack carried out by 42-year-old Texas native and Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
“I think one of the most important things is to make sure that each one of those victims did not die in vain. All of them had come to the city in order to enjoy the city, in order to enjoy some entertainment and ring in the new year,” the governor said.
“Y’all had a guest earlier who was an eyewitness, who said the same thing is that: We can’t live in fear. We need to be able to live our lives,” he added. “And what we plan to do is ensure that as we remember those folks, that we put New Orleans back in a position where people can come and have a good time. We believe that the city – I’m convinced that the city is safe.”
During pregame warmups, Georgia coach Kirby Smart described the Bourbon Street attack as &#8220;saddening and scary,” <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43260792/new-orleans-security-presence-hundreds-sugar-bowl">ESPN reported</a>.
&#8220;Things are bigger than football out there,&#8221; Smart said. &#8220;Sometimes we get caught up in our own selves and our own moment and you lose sight how blessed we are every day to have the opportunity we have to play football and to play in a CFP quarterfinal game against a historic program. A lot of times when you have gratitude, it takes away a lot of anxiety.&#8221;
The winner of Thursday’s Bowl game will take on No. 6 Penn State in the CFP Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida, on January 9, the outlet noted.
Zach Jewell contributed to this piece.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/louisiana-governor-says-hes-convinced-new-orleans-is-safe-ahead-of-sugar-bowl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louisiana Governor Says He’s ‘Convinced’ New Orleans Is ‘Safe’ Ahead Of Sugar Bowl</a>

Sugar Bowl 2025

Sugar Bowl Opens With Moment Of Silence Following New Orleans Terror Attack

College Football

New Year's

Sugar Bowl

The FBI said at a press conference on Thursday that there are no additional suspects in the Islamic terrorist attack on New Orleans&#8217; French Quarter following reports that indicated there were at least four others.
The update from the FBI comes after the Associated Press reported on Wednesday that, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin the publication had obtained, “surveillance footage captured three men and a woman placing one of multiple improvised explosive devices” around the French Quarter.
FBI Deputy Assistant Direct Christopher Raia said at the press conference that 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen who had converted to Islam, pledged allegiance to ISIS before the summer, according to videos obtained by law enforcement.
“We do not assess at this point that anyone else is involved in this attack except for Shamsud-Din Jabbar,” Raia said.
Raia said the four individuals captured on &#8220;surveillance footage&#8221; were not suspects, and the FBI wanted to speak with them as potential witnesses.
&#8220;FBI bomb technicians also recovered two IEDs in coolers, one from the cross section of Bourbon and Orland Street, and the second at an intersection approximately two blocks away,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There were multiple reports of other devices. Those reports turned out to be &#8230; not actual functioning devices. Those are the only two devices that we&#8217;ve been able to recover that were functional.&#8221;
&#8220;We did obtain surveillance footage showing Jabbar placing the devices where they were found,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Let&#8217;s be clear, again, we do not believe at this point these people are involved in this incident in any way. We want to speak to them as witnesses and want to know what they saw and when.&#8221;
The comments from Raia come after FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), and Governor Jeff Landry said during a press conference on Wednesday that the individuals were suspects who were thought to be connected to the attack.
Jabbar killed at least 14 people during the attack and wounded dozens more when he mowed down his victims with a truck that he rented. He then got out and opened fire with a rifle before being shot and killed by police.

US-CRIME-ATTACK

FBI Says No Additional Suspects In New Orleans Terror Attack

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FBI