Federal, state and local authorities condemned the vehicular attack on a New Year's crowd at the famed French Quarter corner of Canal and Bourbon streets early Wednesday that killed at least 10 people and injured more than 35 others.

The latest: The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. Per the agency, the suspect died after engaging with police.

• New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said a male pickup-truck driver was "hell bent on creating the carnage and the damage he did."
• Officials have not yet shared the suspect's identity.
• The New Year's Day attack came hours before college football's Sugar Bowl, which is set to kick off Wednesday around one mile from the scene of the attack.

What they're saying: President Biden said that he's directed his team to ensure law enforcement has resources as they "work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible."

• He condemned the violence that unfolded as victims and bystanders were "were simply trying to celebrate the holiday."

President-elect Trump in a Truth Social post suggested "criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country," though there were not clear details on the deceased suspect's citizenship status.

• "The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!" Trump added.

Zoom in: New Orleans officials highlighted the city's historic resilience in the face of tragedy.

• Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.), who represents the congressional district that includes most of the New Orleans, said in a statement that the community "will rise again, stronger and more united."

State of play: The city's security and crowd control measures have received heightened attention recently as it prepares to host the NFL's Super Bowl in February.

• Regional economic development organization GNO Inc. — the CEO of which was tapped to lead local Super Bowl preparations — said in a statement it had "full confidence" that law enforcement "will quickly restore safety, and be able to update us all on this tragedy."

Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said the game's committee is in "ongoing discussions" with authorities and "will communicate further details as they become available"

• Ahead of Wednesday's Peach Bowl in Atlanta, police there said in a statement that specialized units and additional personnel will be deployed to parts of the city "as an added precaution."

Go deeper: New Orleans prepares to host Super Bowl 2025

• I had my first child when I was 25.
• After she grew up, my husband suggested we have another baby.
• At 45, I had our second daughter, and in a way, they are both only children.

I had my first child, Daniella, at 25. Before her, I'd had a mobile disco — a business as glittery as a mirror ball and twice as busy.

It had included children's parties, which meant I'd always had a miniature audience to charm and exhaust. With my own child, there were mermaids to marvel at and karaoke duets for me to sing to.

Daniella, or Danny as she preferred, was a pint-sized marvel — a firework in the shape of a child. Life became a permanent source of fun, an unending string of confetti-covered moments, usually cut out and scattered by Danny.

At 45, I had my second child, and in a way, they were both only children.

Danny had a life of her own

Birthday cakes came in garish shades, sunken in last-minute mishaps, and filled with jelly to create an animal pond. I carved Halloween pumpkins with the determination and skill of a blindfolded drunk, but Danny was thrilled. There were talking teddy bears who secretly ate the shortbread, red-haired trolls with a knack for gobbling chocolate cake, and ornamental reindeer with noses as red as toffee apples.

Of course, there was Santa, the magical burglar who could sneak into houses with locked doors and chimney spouts the size of a fist. We'd whisper about presents as we sat with sticky tape and wrapping paper. I was the queen of glue and glitter.

And then Danny grew up, fell in love, and became a digital artist with an Instagram account that made my head spin.

Friends assured me I had a rich repository of memories to draw on, but memory isn't a substitute for presence. It's a snow globe with no one to shake it or an unexpected pang when you see the cooldrink you no longer need to buy.

I watched other people's children grow up through the slow-motion lens of social media, and there it was — a niggling that felt embarrassingly like jealousy. I was thrilled for Danny and gutted for myself. Danny and I were still close, but for me, the glitter of childhood had all settled.

My husband suggested a baby in our 40s

So when my husband mentioned that a baby would be the cherry on top of our very fine cake, I was thrilled. Who wouldn't be? We were happy, settled, and — crucially — I'd stopped trying to discover who I was in every reflective surface. A baby felt like a dream.

And, remarkably, at 45, we got our miracle. A July lockdown baby, no less — born into a world of masks and hand sanitizer, where a mask muffled first lullabies. We called her Ava, a name suggested by her sister. From the moment she arrived, she's had a fire in her soul.

Ava's magic is in how she makes you move. Not just physically, though, she's certainly skilled at getting you off the chair, even if it takes a few extra groans and strategic knee adjustments now that we're in our 40s. No, she makes you really move — heart and soul. She's the kind of child who laughs with her head thrown back because the puppy is so wild. Life with her is loud, chaotic, and utterly worth it.

They are both only children

In many ways, my children are both only children, separated by the better part of two decades and united by a shared adoration.

From the first moment Ava entered Danny's world — a whirlwind of peanut-buttered hands and chaotic affection — they've been inseparable. Ava chased Danny's dignified cat through the house with a fistful of purloined kibble, an act of high comedy Danny met not with outrage but with handmade toys and laughter. Ava repaid her with sticky hugs and the kind of uninhibited love only toddlers can muster.

Raising a child in your 20s is like being handed a surprise pop quiz every morning — you're winging it, caffeinated and hopeful. Raising a toddler in your 40s is more like showing up to an exam you know well, only to find the questions have changed and the paper is heavier. Parenting Ava is both easier and infinitely more exhausting. I'm more relaxed, yes, but my knees would very much like a word.

Still, there's joy in both seasons of motherhood: the first, wide-eyed and frantic, and the second, measured but no less magical. I've made cakes that flop in both eras but don't care much for perfection.

And the best part? The nest isn't empty. It's full of laughter, peanut butter smears, and life.

• I work at Coach as a sales associate, and spotting fake bags is pretty easy.
• I often check the story patches and hang tags to see if a bag is actually authentic. 
• Fake purses usually have sloppy stitching and too-shiny, lightweight hardware. 

I've been a fan of Coach for a while, and I now work as a sales associate for the brand.

I wasn't fully taught how to spot fake bags during my training process, but I've found many employees learn as they go. Throughout my time with Coach, I've encountered a few fakes, and spotting them is easier than you might think.

There are exceptions — for example, some types of Coach bags don't have style patches or were released before the hang tag became a staple — but here's what I look for when authenticating a bag.

Story patches are a key feature of most Coach bags

Most Coach bags have a leather creed or story patch, which is a leather patch inside a bag that's embossed with the bag's serial number and history.

Some people try to make fakes of these patches, but they don't really work.

One time, a customer brought in a bag for repair. When inspecting it to find the bag style, I noticed the story patch had a serial number that had never existed in the Coach database.

The leather and material of the bag can help me determine if a bag is fake

Quality and material play a big factor in determining a fake.

First, I check the material of the hang tag, which every Coach bag has come with for decades.

An authentic bag should have a tag made of the exact leather used on the bag. It should also feel thick. To me, a flimsy, low-quality hang tag often screams a bag is fake: The leather often doesn't match the bag and is very thin.

If you choose to remove a hang tag from your real Coach bag, you might want to hold onto it anyway to help prove authenticity later on.

Also, just touching a bag can be telling. For example, fakes I've seen of the popular Tabby bag, which has a "C" on the front, has leather that isn't pebbled or smooth and buttery — it has a plastic-y feel.

It's also good to compare the bag's color to the official Coach listings online. Fakes tend not to be quite the right shade.

I check for sloppy stitching and edges

Coach takes pride in the craftsmanship of its products, especially when it comes to its edges, stitches, and zippers.

When looking for a fake, I look at the edges and tips of the bags since that's where the sloppy overstitching tends to be most visible.

Most times, when a fake comes in, the stitching is very sloppy and/or crooked.

Hardware often makes the real bags heavier

Hardware seems to be a giveaway for a lot of fakes I've seen, even when it comes to other high-end bag brands. Sometimes I can spot a fake just by looking at its clips and clasps.

One of Coach's main choices of hardware is brass, which isn't very shiny. However, a lot of fakes I see have plated-gold hardware, which looks super bright and shiny.

Brass — and nickel, another popular Coach choice — also tends to be heavier, so I've found many fake bags are lighter in weight.

When in doubt, check your sources

Buying directly from Coach is a safe bet if you want an authentic bag.

Other trustworthy sites include Coach.com, Coachoutlet.com, and department stores that are official Coach retailers.

If you're shopping secondhand, make sure to research who you may be purchasing from and how they authenticate items.

This story was originally published on February 29, 2024, and most recently updated on January 1, 2025.

• This month, Aldi is stocking shelves with frozen appetizers, easy meals, and seasonal snacks.
• Ahead of Valentine's Day, Aldi is set to have heart-shaped ravioli and hot-cocoa bombs.
• Stock up on breaded cheese curds, shrimp-queso bites, and wood-fired pizzas for game day at Aldi.

This month, Aldi is ringing in 2025 with a slate of exciting offerings, from lighter dinner staples to frozen game-day appetizers.

Here are some of the best specialty items to get at Aldi this month for $5 or less.

Make eating vegetables more fun with Season's Choice veggie fries.

For a vegan-friendly snack or side dish, pick up a bag of Season's Choice veggie fries.

The fries come in black-bean or ranch flavors and are made with at least seven different vegetables. A 10-ounce bag is just under $5.

Add bulk to your meals with Simply Nature legume rice.

Aldi's Simply Nature legume rice is vegan and gluten-free.

Each $3 box of rice is made with either legumes or chickpeas and lentils and can be used as a base for lunches or dinners.

Enjoy pasta night with liveGfree refrigerated gluten-free pasta.

Aldi's selection of gluten-free products is getting bigger this month with liveGfree fettuccine and linguine.

Each refrigerated 9-ounce pack is $4 each and can pair nicely with olive oil or your favorite pasta sauce.

Satisfy a sweet tooth with Sundae Shoppe's no-sugar-added gelato

This month, Sundae Shoppe is releasing two flavors of no-sugar-added gelato. For just under $4 a pint, you can choose between the flavors fudgy cookie dough or chocolate peanut butter.

Prepare for Valentine's Day with an assortment of Moser Roth macarons.

It's never too early to start planning Valentine's Day surprises for your significant other. To start, pick up a package of Moser Roth's macarons, which are set to arrive at Aldi in early January.

Each pack contains 10 Belgian-chocolate macarons with decorative toppings — all for only $4.

Treat yourself to a bag of Choceur's seasonal barks.

The end of peppermint-bark season may be drawing near, but you can still enjoy other flavors of bark from Aldi this month.

One bark has a white-chocolate-style base and strawberries-and-cream toppings, and the other has a milk-chocolate-style base with red-velvet-cookies-and-cream toppings.

Each 5-ounce bag of bark is $4.

Cozy up with Choceur heart-shaped hot-cocoa bombs.

Prepare a warm, festive drink using Choceur's filled heart-shaped hot-cocoa bombs that are only $2 each.

Choose between a white-chocolate-strawberry cocoa bomb filled with milk-chocolate chips and marshmallows or a milk-chocolate one filled with milk-chocolate chips and marshmallows.

Upgrade pizza night with Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen's wood-fired options.

Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen is one of Aldi shoppers' favorite brands, and this January, they can enjoy new flavors of its wood-fired pizza.

The pizzas are available in a five-mushroom blend with white, portabella, shiitake, crimini, and roasted mushrooms or a Greek-style pizza with garlic sauce, chicken, black olives, artichokes, red onions, and mushrooms.

Each wood-fired pie is $5.

Pair chicken wings, burgers, and more with Season's Choice flavored waffle fries.

For a unique dinner side or a tasty appetizer on game day, pick up the Season's Choice waffle fries slated to arrive at Aldi in mid-January.

The fiery-hot sweet-potato waffle fries can pair well with chicken wings and ranch or blue cheese — and the chili-lime waffle fries could be a unique base for "nachos."

Each 16-ounce bag is $4.

Whip up a romantic dinner at home with Priano heart-shaped ravioli.

Aldi has plenty of options for a Valentine's Day dinner at home this year, including Priano heart-shaped ravioli filled with Parmigiano Reggiano and truffle.

Each pack of pasta is $4.

Start the day with Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen breakfast pizzas.

Those who'd be happy to eat pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner may love the Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen breakfast pizzas.

They have biscuit crusts and come in two different flavors: sausage and cheese or pork belly, bacon, onion, and pepper.

Try one or both for $5 each.

Serve Appetitos crab rangoons at your next gathering.

Whether you're hosting a party or just want delicious appetizers with dinner, you may want to pick up Appetitos crab rangoon to keep in the freezer.

Each 6-ounce box has crispy wonton wrappers stuffed with a cream-cheese-crab filling and costs under $4.

Fremont Fish Market bites can be ready in minutes.

For game day or other festive gatherings, serve Fremont Fish Market shrimp-queso and cheddar-bacon-scallop bites.

The frozen bites can be heated up or air-fried in just a few minutes, and they come in 11-ounce bags for $5 each.

You may want to bring Appetitos breaded cheese curds to a Super Bowl party.

The Super Bowl is scheduled for February 9, and why not bring Appetitos breaded cheese curds to the party?

Set to be available at the end of January, the curds feature Wisconsin cheese and a crispy, golden brown breading — perfect for enjoying as-is or with a wide selection of dips.

Grab a box (or two) for just over $4 each.

• Putin told Russia the nation would be fine in his New Year's address.
• He refrained from giving a concrete outlook for the Ukraine war or Russia's economy.
• The nation is facing growing costs from its invasion, from rising casualties to soaring inflation.

Vladimir Putin assured Russia he was "certain that everything will be fine" in his New Year's Eve address on Tuesday, as the nation heads toward its fourth year of war in Ukraine in 2025.

In his speech, the Russian president said the nation was overcoming various challenges and would continue to move on. He also referred to 2025 as the "year of the Defender of the Motherland," and gave respect to Russia's "fighters and commanders," The New York Times reported.

Still, Putin refrained from giving a concrete outlook on the war in Ukraine, or the path of the Russian economy going forward. He also did not mention Russia's inflation struggles, one of the nation's key economic problems.

The comments come amid swirling military and economic uncertainty in Russia, which is under increasing strain as its war against Ukraine is set to turn three years old in February.

A report from the Institute for the Study of War said that Russia suffered about 427,000 casualties in 2024 while gaining about 1,600 square miles of territory. Russia's military slowed its advances last month, with forces gaining around seven square miles of land a day in December.

On the economic front, the costs of Russia's invasion continue to mount. The nation has earmarked 13.5 trillion rubles for its defense spending next year, amounting to around a third of Russia's total federal budget.

Private business activity has also been hindered by the flight of capital and younger workers who fled the nation at the start of the war. An analysis from S&P Global showed that private equity or venture capital-backed deals and investments plunged 39% from 2022 to 2023.

Inflation, meanwhile, remains well above the central bank's 4% target, while interest rates have risen to 21%.

Putin has generally brushed off concerns about the Russian economy, but acknowledged the nation's struggle with inflation in a recent address. In December, he acknowledged that Russia's inflation rate was "alarming" and the economy was "overheating."

At the end of 2023, Putin apologized for the soaring price of eggs, adding the rapid price increase was a "failure of the government's work."

Economists expect 2025 to be another difficult year for the country, and some predict that its economy could be headed for a period of stagnation similar to the Soviet Union in the early 1980s.

TsMAKP, a think-tank tied to the Russian government, said the nation was at risk at stagflation, a dire economic scenario that typically involves spiraling inflation, sluggish growth, and rising unemployment.