New Orleans Terrorist Decorated Military Career ... Won Anti-Terror Medal

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the terrorist who wreaked havoc in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year's Day, earned a ton of medals during his service in the Army ... TMZ has learned.

The armed forces veteran served in the regular Army from March 2007 until January 2015 as a Human Resource Specialist and Information Technology Specialist -- and he was a decorated service member ... an Army spokesperson tells TMZ.

We're told Jabbar earned 23 medals, ribbons and badges ... including the Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

New Orleans Saints Superdome Staffer Killed In Attack

The New Orleans Saints are mourning the loss of Matthew Tenedorio, an employee at the Caesars Superdome ... who was one of the 14 people killed in the New Year's terrorist attack.

The NFL team shared its condolences on Thursday ... saying it is "heartbroken" by the tragedy.

"Among those lost was Matthew Tenedorio, a valued member of the ASM New Orleans video production team," the statement said.

Kanye West Snaps Hotter-Than-Ever Bianca Pics

Kanye West and Bianca Censori are starting off 2025 with a BANG!

Just check out these photos of the ultra-famous couple -- known for making splashy appearances everywhere they go around the planet.

Bianca, in particular, knows full well how to make tongues wag with her sexy outfits that typically cover very little of her amazing body while she's out in public.

Ex-'Bachelorette' Ali Fedotowsky Ellen DeGeneres Made Me Feel Stupid On Her Show!!!

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MADE ME FEEL STUPID
Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe

Former 'Bachelorette' star Ali Fedotowsky is joining the ranks of others calling out Ellen DeGeneres over the years, claiming the talk show host made her feel stupid on her talk show.

Ali dished the deets on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s "Off the Vine" podcast, saying her 2010 sit-down with Ellen left her feeling "pretty not great" -- claiming that instead of laughing with her, it felt like Ellen was laughing at her as she nervously tried to bring the charm and wit.

Ali didn’t totally go after Ellen, clarifying she didn’t think she was being mean or a bad person -- she chalked up Ellen's demeanor to the monotony of doing the same job day in, day out.

New Orleans Terrorist Struggled To Adjust To Life Outside Military

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DIFFICULTY AFTER DEPLOYMENT
CNN

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the terrorist who killed 14 people in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year's Day, told his college newspaper a decade ago he was struggling to acclimate to life as a civilian after serving in the military.

The U.S. Army veteran studied at Georgia State University from 2015 to 2017, and in his first year on campus, he was interviewed for The Signal as part of a story about students jumping through hoops to use the G.I. Bill.

Jabbar told reporter Sean Keenan it was difficult to use the G.I. Bill for his tuition, and he was having a hard time getting used to being a college student. He told Keenan he didn't know how to talk to regular folks without using military slang.

U.S. CAPITOL POLICE Arrest Man Driving on D.C. Sidewalk ... Bomb Squad Clears Car

Cops in Washington, D.C. arrested a man who was driving a car along a sidewalk near the U.S. Capitol Building Thursday morning ... an incident ramping up anxiety across the nation following 2 apparent terrorist attacks New Year's Day.

Capitol police officers say a bomb squad was brought in ... but no explosives were found inside the car.

USCP say officers responded Thursday morning to reports of a vehicle driving along the sidewalk on the grounds outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Cops pulled him over and detained him while they investigated.

Meghan Markle Check Out My Sparkle In My New Netflix Show!!! ✨

Meghan Markle is serving a message loud and clear to the haters in the trailer for her new lifestyle series, "With Love, Meghan" -- it’s not about perfection, darling ... it’s all about the joy.

MM dropped the trailer for the Netflix 8-parter just a day after making her IG return. And from the looks of it, fans are about to see her fully in her element -- cooking, gardening, hanging with friends -- and of course, a Prince Harry cameo for that extra royal sparkle when the series drops on January 15.

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NEW SHOW, NEW FUN!!!
Netflix

The trailer’s all sunshine, rainbows and celeb cameos -- with the personal peek into Meghan’s life marking her solo debut with Netflix.

Bourbon Street Reopening In Time For Sugar Bowl ... NOLA Mayor Says

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WE ARE BUILT TO HOST

Bourbon Street will return to normal in time for the Sugar Bowl on Thursday ... with the New Orleans Mayor expecting full operation prior to kickoff -- one day after the New Year's terrorist attack.

The Georgia vs. Notre Dame matchup slated to go down at the Caesars Superdome on Jan. 1 was postponed in the wake of the tragedy that killed 14 people ... and while some officials have called for more time for the community to heal, the game will go down Thursday at 1 PM PT.

With thousands of football fans in town for the College Football Playoff contest, mayor LaToya Cantrell told reporters the iconic French Quarter street will be available to those looking to watch the action from the venues in the area.

Kaia Gerber Flaunting That Supermodel Heat In Cabo!!! 🥵🔥

Kaia Gerber was out there doing what she does best -- delivering some serious supermodel vibes and basically turning that Mexican beach into her personal runway.

Check out the pics -- Kaia was having a total beach goddess moment as she showed off her killer stats in a tiny blue bikini while splashing around in the Cabo water.

With that insanely fine-tuned figure, Kaia was definitely not shy about showing off her body during her New Year’s Eve swim.

Justin Bieber Hot for Bikini-Clad Wife Hailey ... Shutting Down Divorce Rumors!!!

Justin Bieber's here to shut down those Hailey divorce rumors with a cheeky little post, making it crystal clear they're still going strong.

Amid recent online speculation, Justin set the record straight with a sexy snap of Hailey rocking a pink bikini and fur coat on his IG story, with the casual caption, "Um. Goin anywhere with u bb. Happy new year" ... that's one way to quiet the noise!

Hailey's New Year's headband was the perfect touch to ring in 2025 with gusto -- and googly-eyed Justin made sure everyone knew he was kicking off the New Year proudly proclaiming his love.

New Orleans Terror Attack Bomb-Making Materials Found in Burned Airbnb

Bomb-making materials were found in a burned-out Airbnb property linked to the New Orleans terror attack New Year's Eve ... hours after 14 people were killed by a speeding truck in the popular French Quarter tourist area.

A fire was reported at an Airbnb property in New Orleans early Wednesday ... hours after the New Year's Eve attack on Bourbon Street. Firefighters responded at 5:30 AM Wednesday, and the area was immediately evacuated -- and the ATF was called to the scene. Bomb-sniffing dogs were seen searching the property.

Fox 8 in New Orleans was first to report bomb-making materials were found.

New Orleans Terrorist Busted for Theft ... More Evidence of Financial Desperation

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the terrorist who wreaked havoc on a New Orleans street early Wednesday, was arrested for theft and it's part of a timeline that shows money proved elusive for him.

Jabbar was arrested in November 2002 in Houston for theft involving somewhere between $50 an $500 ... this according to court records obtained by TMZ. The records do not get specific as to what or where he stole.

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SPEEDING BY

Jabbar pled guilty to the misdemeanor, paid a $100 fine and was sentenced to 9 months of community supervision. The docs say there were no controlled substances involved in the crime and no weapons were used.

George Lucas The Force Is Still With Me!!! Stormtrooper Style

George Lucas is still the biggest fan of his own galaxy, sporting a super cool 'Star Wars' shirt, even though he sold his production company Lucasfilm to Disney over a decade ago.

The 80-year-old legend was looking like a true fashion Jedi, rocking a bright red Stormtrooper tee while living his best life on a year-end getaway in St. Barts.

George was serving up quite the style moment, pairing the tee with white shorts, and a matching bucket hat -- definitely soaking up the holiday vibes in full-on chill mode.

New Orleans Police Dept. Ready To Safely Host Sugar Bowl Super Bowl-Level Security

Despite calls to further postpone the Sugar Bowl, the game is set to kick off in five hours ... and the New Orleans Police Department says they're confident the city will safely host the big game following the Bourbon Street terror attack which killed at least 14.

NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick appeared on the Today show where she was asked if her police force was ready for the Notre Dame vs. Georgia playoff game ... after some, including the state's Attorney General, called on officials to postpone the game.

"We are not alone," Kirkpatrick said. "We are in partnership with many other partners. Both local, federal, military, police will be here. We are gonna have absolutely 100's of officers and staff lining our streets, lining Bourbon Street, lining the French Quarter."

Trump Tower Tesla Explosion Drone Hovers Over Burned-Out Cybertruck

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INVESTIGATING THE TRUCK
TMZ.com

Investigators are meticulously examining the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside Trump International Hotel in a possible terrorist attack ... and they even used a drone to peer inside the vehicle's burned-out carcass.

TMZ obtained exclusive video showing the drone hovering over the Cybertruck in the valet area as inspectors in white hazmat suits looked over every inch of the Tesla near the entrance of the hotel in Las Vegas.

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EXPLOSIVE SCENE

Law enforcement personnel commonly utilizes drones for emergency situations to provide investigators with aerial views of incident locations or to document scenes where crimes and accidents occurred, among other things.

New Orleans Terror Attack Terrorist's Path to Financial Ruin

The terrorist who killed 15 people in New Orleans on Wednesday went from chasing a dream of real estate success to living in total squalor ... holed up in a rundown trailer park near Houston, mainly home to Muslim immigrants, just blocks from a mosque.

U.S. Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar was living with sheep and goats in his yard and had an ISIS flag attached to the rented Ford F-150 Lightning EV he used for the ISIS-inspired New Year’s Day attack.

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SPEEDING BY

The 42-year-old's actions and living conditions are a stark contrast to how he presented himself in a 2020 YouTube video for his real estate business, where he called himself a trustworthy Texan and a 10-year military vet who learned “the meaning of great service.” He obtained his real estate license in 2019.