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At least 15 killed in New Orleans vehicle attack

The suspect posted videos online proclaiming allegiance to ISIS. During New Year's Eve celebrations in New Orleans, an assailant purposefully plowed a pickup truck through a mass of people on Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 and injuring 30 more.

What we know so far

Around 3 am on Thursday, an armed man drove a pick-up truck through a crowd and exchanged fire with first responders from within his vehicle shortly after the attack. Two officers were shot but were in stable condition.

• Shortly after getting out of the car, the driver was shot and killed by police.

• The suspect was reportedly dressed in full military gear and had homemade explosive devices in his truck.

Officials identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old former US citizen from Texas and veteran of the US Army. Details are still to come, but as of writing, Jabbar was flying an ISIS flag in the truck's bed when the incident occurred according to federal and local authorities.

• Jabbar reportedly recorded himself discussing plans to kill his family and having dreams that inspired him to join ISIS in a series of videos, according to officials.

• The FBI said that Jabbar likely acted alone in a Thursday news conference.

How could this happen? According to city officials, the barricades put up along the street in 2017 to deter attacks were malfunctioning and removed so they could be repaired to prep for the Super Bowl in February. The area has been re-enforced according to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry.

An island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico on NYE

The island was cloaked in darkness after a power grid failure. Millions of people were left in darkness when Puerto Rico experienced an island-wide power outage early on New Year's Eve, while authorities struggled with a malfunctioning power grid.

As of Thursday morning, power was restored to nearly all of those who lost it across the island, with 98% of Puerto Rico’s 1.47 million utility customers reporting their power is back up and running.

Electrical ordeal

Unfortunately, Puerto Rico is all too familiar with disruptions to their power grid, and over the last eight years, its citizens have seen some of the worst on record:

• One of Puerto Rico's biggest power plants suffered major damage from a fire in 2016, and the island's already deteriorating electrical infrastructure was completely destroyed by Hurricane Maria the following year.

  • The estimated damage from Maria amassed to $90 billion, becoming the second-worst blackout ever. Even after, power outages continued till the middle of 2018.

Nearly 1.5 million customers were left without power on New Year’s Eve, with the blackout showing its effects across the island. Politicians and residents alike have voiced their concerns with the energy companies that are at fault.

• LUMA Energy was selected in 2021 to handle operational control of the island’s power grid and Genera PR was chosen for private energy production in 2023.

• Pedro Pierluisi, the governor of Puerto Rico, stated in a post on X that he is "demanding answers and solutions" from Genera and LUMA.

Looking forward: While power has been restored to nearly all of Puerto Rico as of writing, the island will have its hands full with upgrading its dilapidated power infrastructure in the coming years.

Aviation

Will F-35s get the boot this year?

Will the US continue to invest in the cutting-edge aircraft in 2025? The world’s most advanced fighter jet (at least publicly) has been a major asset for the US and its allies, but the increasingly high cost of production and maintenance is making it a big burden.

Expensive taste

The US wants to continue operating the aircraft until 2088 and intends to increase its inventory of F-35s from 630 to 2,500 within the next 20 years. However, combat testing conducted by the Pentagon revealed that the aircraft suffers from a variety of technical problems.

• Last year, thanks to technical problems and insufficient supplies, F-35s were only mission-ready around half the time, according to a declassified government report.

  • That is significantly below the military's goal of at least 80% mission readiness and is under their 71% mission readiness percentage five years ago.

Additionally, according to the Government Accountability Office, F-35s have become a major financial burden to the United States Department of Defense, costing more than originally estimated to keep in service.

• From a target of $4.1 million, annual operation and upkeep expenses per aircraft skyrocketed to $6.6 million.

• Between 2018 and 2023, the overall cost of keeping the F-35s in use rose 44% to almost $1.6 trillion.

Some military experts see the ballooning cost of the F-35s as an accessory that comes with having the most advanced and capable fighting force in the world. But others, like Elon Musk, don’t seem to think the price tag is worth it.

Different opinions

Despite their shortcomings, senior officials at the Pentagon are certain that F-35s, which are generally considered to be the most capable aircraft in the world, shouldn't be tossed aside.

• Last year, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that the jets are essential to the United States' ability to sustain air superiority.

Elon Musk, who is now co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, recently attacked the Pentagon's uber-expensive fleet of F-35s in December. Musk claimed advanced unmanned drones are the new hot commodity in warfare, citing their use in the Russian-Ukraine war. 

• Musk isn’t alone: Lawmakers and politicians have also agreed with his sentiment and questioned whether the aircraft is worth the monumental cost.

  • According to the Department of Defense, the F-35 program is estimated to cost American taxpayers more than $2 trillion over several decades.

Looking forward: Lockheed Martin won a $12 billion contract to build 145 more F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets for the US military and its partners abroad on Dec. 23rd, despite recent delays brought on by software upgrade issues.

Grab Bag

Say hello to Generation Beta

The new year is coming with a new generation that makes Gen Z the new Boomers. The newest generation, known as Generation Beta, will include babies born this year and the following 14 years, through 2039. Its members will see the next century and are expected to be shaped by rapid technological advancements, many of which we probably can't imagine today.

Bring on the betas

These children will be the second generation born solely in the 21st century, and many of them may live to see the 22nd… a baby born in 2025 will be 76 in 2101. According to Mark McCrindle, a social researcher and the one who came up with ‘Generation Alpha’, Gen Beta will make up 16% of the world’s population by 2035.

• McCrindle said he coined the term Generation Alpha using the Greek alphabet since these following generations will grow up in a world molded by “technological integration”, according to a blog post.

For Gen Beta, digital and physical life will be uniform, according to McCrindle. While Gen Alpha members are already familiar with smart technology and AI, McCrindle predicts that Gen Beta will encounter AI and automation everywhere, including work, school, wellness, and leisure.

Going forward: More unique names like 'The Greatest Generation' will likely be phased out as McCrindle anticipates naming new generations with Greek letters. At the same time, generational labels are becoming more uncommon as organizations like the Pew Research Center stop relying on them.

Boardgames are making a comeback

Probably because those who started playing Monopoly last year are still in the same game. The tabletop business, which encompasses everything from role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons to family favorites like Guess Who, was valued at about $13 billion in 2022 and is predicted to reach $32 billion within the next seven years.

All aboard

During the pandemic, when we had virtually nothing to do but play games and wallow in our self-pity, the tabletop business thrived. And unlike Netflix's Tiger King (which was uber-popular during the Covid-19 lockdown), people are still aboard the tabletop train.

• Warhammer's creator, Games Workshop Group, announced $526 million in revenue for FY 2024, nearly double its 2020 earnings.

• In 2023, Hasbro’s gaming division’s earnings grew 10%.

  • The year prior, Magic: The Gathering accounted for over $1.1 billion in profit alone.

• The global board game market was estimated to be worth $20 billion in 2022 and is predicted to almost double by 2028, according to businesswire.com.

  • Last year, the US led the global board game market in revenue, with over $2.6 billion.

While many consider board games a childhood activity, the increase in popularity suggests people are tapping into their roots and finding a general interest in non-digital forms of entertainment.

• Board games have also seen a boost as people (especially Gen Z) are largely trying to find ways to cut down on screen time.

Fun fact: Aptly, the most searched board game of 2020 was Pandemic.

Fast Facts

Stunning Species: A blob-headed fish and an amphibious mouse are among the 27 species that scientists have found in Peru's Alto Mayo region during their "thrilling" expedition.

Steady Searching: The Malaysian government agreed to resume searching for the infamous flight MH370, which suddenly disappeared without a trace in 2014. Read some theories on its disappearance here.

Striking Study: According to a recent study by a renowned archaeologist, Stonehenge may have been constructed to simply bring together prehistoric farming groups on the present-day island of Britain. Kind of an anticlimactic reason, but okay.

State Statues: A bunch of new state laws went into effect on January 1st, see what’s different here.

Scummy Scheme: Payments to victims of Ponzi scammer Bernie Madoff were made in their tenth and last installment on Monday, bringing the total amount recovered to 94% of the projected total losses.