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.”

Lyonel Myrthil, FBI special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office, said Jabbar traveled to Cairo in the summer of 2023 and then to the Canadian province of Ontario a few days later.

“Our agents are getting answers to where he went, who he met with and how those trips may or may not tie into his actions here,” Myrthil said.

Thune: ‘No clarity’ on Trump cabinet picks

The new Senate Majority Leader says he wants to get President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet through the confirmation process as quickly as possible but spent a good part of Sunday cautioning there is “a process” that must be followed first.

U.S. Sen. John Thune, in the wake of a deadly New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, said that the incident was a good example of why “the Senate must get President Trump’s national security team in place as quickly as possible.”

On Friday, when the U.S. Congress began its 119th session, the Majority Leader said the upper chamber would work swiftly to “ensure President Trump has his team in place to secure our border, protect our homeland, and provide for our nation’s defense.”

But by Sunday the South Dakota Republican was tapping the brakes as he made the talk show rounds, explaining that Trump’s top picks are going to have some “hard questions” to answer before they are confirmed.

“The Senate has a role: advise and consent. And we intend — we have a lot of our senators who take that role very seriously. And so we will make sure that these nominees have a process, a fair process, in which they have an opportunity to make their cases not only to the members of the committee and ultimately to the full Senate but also to the American people,” he told NBC.

Israelis kill Palestinian security member

Israeli forces kill Palestinian security member

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israeli forces killed a member of the Palestinian security services, calling him a wanted militant.

Israel’s paramilitary Border Police said they carried out an operation in Meithaloun village overnight to arrest Hassan Rabaiya. They said he was killed in a shootout while trying to escape.

Israeli authorities released helmet-cam footage that showed police blowing up what they called an explosives lab in his home.

The Palestinian security services identified Rabaiya as a first lieutenant in its Preventive Security force, saying he was killed while “performing his national duty.”

TikTok creators remain in limbo regarding ban

The fate of TikTok is keeping creators and small business owners in anxious limbo as they await a decision from the Supreme Court that could upheld their livelihoods.

On Jan. 10, the court will hear arguments on a law requiring TikTok to break ties with its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, or face a U.S. ban.

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 big as it is now with the Supreme Court serving as the final arbiter.

Brazilian now world’s oldest living person

A soccer-loving nun from Brazil is believed to have become the world’s oldest living person at nearly 117 years old following the recent death of a Japanese woman.

Sister Inah Canabarro was so skinny growing up that many didn’t think she would survive childhood. But she could be seen cracking jokes and reciting prayers in a video shot by LongeviQuest.

The organization tracks supercentenarians around the globe. It declared the Teresian nun on Saturday to be the world’s oldest living person validated by early life records.

Skier killed in Wyoming backcountry avalanche

A skier has been killed and another injured after their group triggered a large avalanche while ascending a mountain in western Wyoming.

The avalanche occurred Saturday in a backcountry area about 20 miles east of Grand Teton National Park.

Authorities said they received an alert about the accident just before noon.

It took rescuers almost four hours to ski into the area after their helicopter was grounded because of stormy weather.

A series of snowstorms have swept through the area in recent weeks.

Melania Trump doc set for streaming release

Incoming first lady Melania Trump will be the subject of a new documentary directed by Brett Ratner and distributed by Amazon Prime Video.

The streaming arm of the tech giant got exclusive licensing rights for a streaming and theatrical release later this year, the company said.

The film began shooting in December. It is the latest connection between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump. Tech companies are seeking to improve relationships with the president-elect.

The film is also the first project that Ratner has directed since he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.

— From news services