AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EST

Man behind New Year’s attack visited New Orleans before, recorded video with smart glasses, FBI says

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The man responsible for the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that killed 14 people visited the city twice before and recorded video of the French Quarter with Meta smart glasses, an FBI official said Sunday.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar also traveled to Cairo and Canada before the attack although it was not yet clear whether those trips were connected to the attack, Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at a news conference. Federal officials believe Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and former U.S. Army soldier, was inspired by the Islamic State militant group to carry out the attack.

Police fatally shot Jabbar, 42, during an exchange of gunfire at the scene of the deadly crash of the rented pickup truck on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.

Federal investigators so far believe Jabbar acted alone, but are continuing to explore his contacts.

“All investigative details and evidence that we have now still support that Jabbar acted alone here in New Orleans,” said Raia. “We have not seen any indications of an accomplice in the United States, but we are still looking into potential associates in the U.S. and outside of our borders.”

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Drawn to New Orleans’ iconic street of celebration, a night of partying becomes a nightmare

The night, like countless others Bourbon Street has welcomed over the decades, started out ripe for celebration. With temperatures hovering in the 50s (10-15 Celsius) hours after the arrival of the new year, the open-air party pulsing down New Orleans’ famed nocturnal artery was still hot, drawing revelers from near and far.

After a 3 a.m. pizza, a Pennsylvania man whose family had driven more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) to check the city off their bucket list headed back into the music-filled street.

A pair of former Princeton University football teammates joined the crowd so one could show the other what the city’s easygoing energy was all about.

With years of waiting tables in the city’s restaurants behind him, a New Orleans native came down to watch Bourbon Street’s nightly parade of humanity as he had done so many times before.

By the wee hours Wednesday, the crowd strolling beneath the historic street’s wrought-iron balconies, many with go-cups of liquor in hand, was filled with carefree promise. Then an enraged Army veteran behind the wheel of a speeding pickup turned their night of joy into a nightmare.

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South Korean anti-corruption agency asks police to take over efforts to detain impeached Yoon

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s anti-corruption agency has requested that police take over efforts to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after its investigators failed to bring him to custody following a standoff with the presidential security service last week.

The agency and police confirmed the discussion on Monday, hours before the one-week warrant for Yoon’s detention was to expire.

The Seoul Western District Court last Tuesday issued a warrant to detain Yoon and a separate warrant to search his residence after the embattled president defied authorities by refusing to appear for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree on Dec. 3. But executing those warrants is complicated as long as Yoon remains in his official residence.

Yoon has described his power grab as a necessary act of governance against a liberal opposition bogging down his agenda with its legislative majority and has vowed to “fight to the end” against efforts to oust him. While martial law lasted only several hours, it set off turmoil that has shaken the country’s politics, diplomacy and financial markets for weeks and exposed the fragility of South Korea’s democracy while society is deeply polarized.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials will likely seek a new court warrant to extend the window for Yoon’s detention, according to police, which said it was internally reviewing the agency’s request. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the anti-corruption agency will make another attempt to detain Yoon on Monday before the deadline expires at midnight.

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As he prepares to leave office, Biden urges incoming Democratic lawmakers to reach across the aisle

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday called on incoming Democratic lawmakers who will govern in the minority to always be mindful of other people’s perspectives — even when they may be wrong.

At a reception meant to welcome new, mostly young, Democratic lawmakers to Washington, the nation’s oldest and outgoing Democratic president — reflective as he shared some war stories of his past and pointed to challenges ahead — urged the new generation of legislators to listen and work across the aisle.

“We don’t do that anymore,” he said in the White House State Room. “The single greatest loss we have is that we don’t know each other anymore.”

The new slate of roughly 30 Democratic lawmakers arrive prepared to be in the minority in the executive and legislative branches. Democrats faced a crushing loss in the 2024 general election — after Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris lost her bid for the presidency. Republicans also maintained control of the House in the November election and won a narrow majority in the Senate.

New incoming lawmakers on Sunday expressed hope they can make a difference.

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The heaviest snowfall in a decade is possible as a wintry blast roils parts of the US

A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central U.S. on Sunday, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the heaviest snowfall in a decade to some areas.

Snow and ice blanketed major roadways in nearly all of Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state’s National Guard was activated to help any motorists who were stuck. At least 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow were expected, particularly north of Interstate 70, as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions brought wind gusts of up to 45 mph (72 kph). The warning extended to New Jersey for Monday and into early Tuesday.

“For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the weather service said.

Gary Wright wore a parka as he and his husband chipped away at a thick coating of ice on his SUV Sunday in a slippery apartment parking lot in Missouri. Wright said he will work remotely for the University of Missouri-Columbia on Monday, but wanted to scrape off his vehicle as an excuse to spend a little time in the snow. He’s also in the market for boots for their two older dogs, who “won’t budge at all” when their paws hit the cold ground.

The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole. People in the U.S., Europe and Asia experience its intense cold when the vortex escapes and stretches south.

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Higher Social Security payments coming for millions of people from bill that Biden signed

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday signed into law a measure that boosts Social Security payments for current and former public employees, affecting nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and in other public service jobs.

Advocates say the Social Security Fairness Act rights a decades-old disparity, though it will also put strain on Social Security Trust Funds, which face a looming insolvency crisis.

The bill rescinds two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that limit Social Security benefits for recipients if they get retirement payments from other sources, including public retirement programs from a state or local government.

“The bill I’m signing today is about a simple proposition: Americans who have worked hard all their life to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity — that’s the entire purpose of the Social Security system,” Biden said during a signing ceremony in the White House East Room.

“This is a big deal,” he said.

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The Latest: The Golden Globes kick off award season

Hollywood is getting dressed up as the Golden Globes return for their annual champagne-soaked celebration of film and television workers at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The show serves as the ceremonial start to the 2025 awards season.

The audacious musical “Emilia Pérez” leads all nominees with 10. Other nominees include “The Bear,”“Shōgun,”“Wicked” and “Challengers.” Comedian Nikki Glaser is emceeing the ceremony.

Here’s the latest:

The award for female actor in a television series, drama went to Anna Sawai for her role in “Shogun.” It is her first win and first nomination.

“Thank you to the voters for voting for me,” she said, “Even though I would vote for Kathy Bathes anyway.” She kept it short and sweet, holding back tears.

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Lawmakers brace for Trump’s promised Jan. 6 pardons. Some are urging restraint

WASHINGTON (AP) — The fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has a new focus as lawmakers brace for the prospect that President-elect Donald Trump may soon pardon many of the more than 1,500 people charged with crimes for their actions related to the riot.

Trump said he would issue pardons to rioters on “Day 1” of his presidency, which begins Jan. 20. “Most likely, I’ll do it very quickly,” he said recently on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He added that “those people have suffered long and hard. And there may be some exceptions to it. I have to look. But, you know, if somebody was radical, crazy.”

His promise, made throughout his campaign for the White House, is shadowing events Monday as lawmakers gather to certify a presidential election for the first time since 2021, when Trump’s supporters breached the Capitol and temporarily halted the certification of an election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said she has spoken at length with Trump and is lobbying him to pardon everyone who participated in the siege. Few Republicans are going that far, but many believe it’s appropriate for Trump to look at pardons on a case-by-case basis.

“Here we are nearly four years later. Many of these people have been in prison since 2021. Even the ones that fought Capitol Police, caused damage to the Capitol, I think they’ve served their time and I think they should all be pardoned and released from prison,” Greene said. “Some of these people have been given prison sentences: 10 years, 18 years and more. I think it’s an injustice. It’s a two-tiered justice system, and it’s time to end it.”

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Border shelters relieved the pressure during migrant surges. Under Trump, they could become a target

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — When Roselins Sequera’s family of seven finally reached the U.S. from Venezuela, they spent weeks at a migrant shelter on the Texas border that gave them a place to sleep, meals and tips for finding work.

“We had a plan to go to Iowa” to join friends, said Sequera, who arrived at the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in October. “But we didn’t know how.”

Dozens of shelters run by aid groups on the U.S. border with Mexico have welcomed large numbers of migrants, providing lifelines of support and relief to overwhelmed cities. They work closely with the Border Patrol to care for migrants released with notices to appear in immigration court, many of whom don’t know where they are or how to find the nearest airport or bus station.

But Republican scrutiny of the shelters is intensifying, and President-elect Donald Trump’s allies consider them a magnet for illegal immigration. Many are nonprofits that rely on federal funding, including $650 million under one program last year alone.

The incoming Trump administration has pledged to carry out an ambitious immigration agenda, including a campaign promise of mass deportations. The new White House’s potential playbook includes using the National Guard to arrest migrants and installing buoy barriers on the waters between the U.S. and Mexico.

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TikTok creators left in limbo while awaiting decision on potential platform ban

Will TikTok be banned this month?

That’s the pressing question keeping creators and small business owners in anxious limbo as they await a decision that could upend their livelihoods. The fate of the popular app will be decided by the Supreme Court, which will hear arguments on Jan. 10 over a law requiring TikTok to break ties with its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, or face a U.S. ban.

At the heart of the case is whether the law violates the First Amendment with TikTok and its creator allies arguing that it does. The U.S. government, which sees the platform as a national security risk, says it does not.

For creators, the TikTok doomsday scenarios are nothing new since President-elect Donald Trump first tried to ban the platform through executive order during his first term. But despite Trump’s recent statements indicating he now wants TikTok to stick around, the prospect of a ban has never been as immediate as it is now with the Supreme Court serving as the final arbiter.

If the government prevails as it did in a lower court, TikTok says it would shut down its U.S. platform by Jan. 19, leaving creators scrambling to redefine their futures.

The Associated Press