President-elect Donald Trump spoke with two of the GOP holdouts preventing Speaker Mike Johnson from retaining his role as House speaker, flipping the votes and resulting in Johnson retaining his position.

Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger, the U.S. Army Green Beret who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck on New Year’s Day in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, reportedly suffered from PTSD and other personal issues when he decided to take his own life this week. Officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), FBI, and ATF shared updates from their investigation into the incident at a press conference on Friday afternoon. They revealed that they have found no connection between the incident in Las Vegas and the Islamic terrorist attack that unfolded just hours prior to the incident in New Orleans where more than a dozen people were murdered. Law enforcement confirmed Livelsberger’s identity through a variety of investigative techniques, including DNA matching. LVMPD Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said that Livelsberger documented his activities during the 10 days prior to the explosion in an app on his cellphone, including where he traveled, weapons he bought, camping gear he bought, and more. They said that at the moment, there did not appear to be any significant meaning behind his decision to commit the act in a Tesla Cybertruck. Koren said that the incident was being viewed as a suicide via a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED), even though he took his life with a single gunshot wound to the head just moments before the explosion. Police released the following excerpts from writings they discovered on one of his cellphones that they recovered from inside the vehicle: “Fellow Servicemembers, Veterans, and all Americans, TIME TO WAKE UP! We are being led by weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves.” “This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives? Why did I personally do it now? I needed to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.” “We are the United States of America, the best country people to ever exist! But right now we are terminally ill and headed toward collapse.” Koren suggested that more excerpts from his writings could be released in the future. “He does offer additional information that is varying on the spectrum in terms of political grievances, issues about the conflicts elsewhere, not here, domestic issues, societal issues, a variety of other things, including personal challenges as well,” Koren said. “We are intending to release those initial letters so people can understand the best they can what the person’s thought process was at one point in time.” FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans said that law enforcement has not been able to identify any information indicating that Livelsberger belonged to any kind of a terrorist group or had any contact with one. “Investigative steps have discovered, and information from the Army indicates, that he likely suffered from PTSD, and we are also aware that there were potential other family issues or personal grievances in his own life that may have been contributing factors,” Evans said. He said that the Livelsberger “considered, planned, and thoughtfully prepared for this act alone.” Evans again added that the incident was “a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who is struggling with PTSD and other issues.” He addressed an email that was released on a popular podcast that is allegedly from Livelsberger, saying that the FBI has “not conclusively determined that that’s from the subject, but feel confident, based on evidence that we’re uncovering on his devices, that that was, in fact, from [the suspect].” “So in terms of the so-called manifesto that’s circling or circulating online, we have strong evidence to suggest that it was the subject that wrote it, but we haven’t conclusively proven that,” he said. “And that evidence relates to other evidence that we’re finding, that we’re able to compare that lead us to believe it was in fact him who sent it.” Evans said that Livelsberger was not on the FBI’s radar because he had no criminal history.

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The U.S. Special Services soldier who allegedly detonated explosives inside a Tesla Cybertruck outside of the Las Vegas Trump Hotel had reportedly emailed a bizarre message about the drones over New Jersey and other esoteric topics. The U.S. Army confirmed that Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger was on leave when he reportedly died in the explosion on New Year's Day. On Friday, an email attributed to Livelsberger appeared on social media and revealed his thoughts just days before the incident. 'I have knowledge of this program and also war crimes that were covered up ...'"First off I am not under duress or hostile influence or control. My first car was a 2006 Black Ford Mustang V6 for verification," began the email that was sent to retired U.S. Army intelligence officer Sam Shoemate. Shoemate read the email on the "The Shawn Ryan Podcast," and after releasing it on email, the contents were confirmed by authorities as being authored by the suspect. "What we have been seeing with 'drones' is the operational use of gravitic propulsion systems powered aircraft by most recently China in the east coast, but throughout history, the US," he continued. "Only we and China have this capability. Our OPEN location for this activity in the box is below. China has been launching them from the Atlantic from submarines for years, but this activity recently has picked up. As of now, it is just a show of force and they are using it similar to how they used the balloon ..." Livelsberger went on to call the drones the "most dangerous threat to national security that has ever existed." He claimed that either the FBI or Homeland Security had been following him and digitally tracking him. "I have knowledge of this program and also war crimes that were covered up during airstrikes in Nimruz province Afghanistan in 2019 by the admin, DoD, DEA and CIA. I conducted targeting for these strikes of over 125 buildings (65 were struck because of [civilian casualties]) that killed hundreds of civilians in a single day," the email read. He claimed that he was part of a cover-up of the supposed war crimes and enumerated military leaders whom he worked underneath. Investigators have been trying to piece together the events leading up to the explosion. They believe that Livelsberger rented the Cybertruck from the Turo rental service and filled the back with various explosives. He was found with a gunshot wound in his head, leading investigators to believe he killed himself before the explosives were set to detonate. Livelsberger had split up with his wife just days before the incident. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Texas teenager was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after police viewed a video showing a dog being dragged behind a motorcycle. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook that officers had arrested 17-year-old Michael Christopher George on Wednesday over the video that was taken by a witness. The leashed dog was being pulled along a gravel road at a speed such that the dog could not keep up, according to police. At one point, he said that he shot the dog because the dog bit his sibling.Witnesses said that the video was followed by gunshots. In the video of the teen's arrest, he appears to be wearing a hoodie with images of the "Jason" horror villain from the "Friday the 13th" movies. Police said that George changed his story various times during questioning. At one point, he said that he shot the dog because the dog bit his sibling. He also allegedly tried to cover up his actions by telling police he had buried the dog in the woods. George was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center and charged with third-degree felony animal abuse. He was released after he posted bond of $15,000 on Thursday, according to court records reviewed by KSAT-TV. Video of the teenager being detained by police can be viewed on the news report by KENS-TV on YouTube. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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