WEBVTT - Instant Reaction: Cybertruck Blast Suspect Identified 

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news, the Mitchropolitan Police Department

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<v Speaker 1>of Vegas holding that press conference, FBI agent responsible for

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<v Speaker 1>that division that area. The Vegas Sheriff also basically, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>covering what happened when a Tesla cybertruck exploded outside the

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<v Speaker 1>Trump Las Vegas Hotel. That was hours after a deadly

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<v Speaker 1>attack in New Orleans, French Quarter on New Year's Eve

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<v Speaker 1>that killed at least fifteen people, injured dozens. The cyber

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<v Speaker 1>truck explosion, killing the driver and injuring seven others. But tim,

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<v Speaker 1>now we know the driver, We're getting more information about

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<v Speaker 1>what happened leading right up to that explosion.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the Las Vegas Police have identified a Matthew Leiveelsberger

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<v Speaker 2>as the suspect, but they still need to get DNA

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<v Speaker 2>to identify the suspect. The suspect did have a gunshot

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<v Speaker 2>wound to the head before blast. The sheriff did note

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<v Speaker 2>that he believed it was self inflicted, but has yet

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<v Speaker 2>to be confirmed. Las Vegas Police Carol also not aware

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<v Speaker 2>of any other subjects in this case.

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<v Speaker 1>I think what's also key as these two two incidents

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<v Speaker 1>happened so close to one another in terms of timing

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<v Speaker 1>that connections. Not ready to rule in, not ready to

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<v Speaker 1>rule out, is what we heard from that press conference.

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<v Speaker 1>Comment made that very strange similarities with the case in

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<v Speaker 1>New Orleans in terms of what happened in Vegas. The

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<v Speaker 1>motivation unknown for the cyber truck blast at that Vegas

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<v Speaker 1>Trump Vegas Hotel. That coming from the FBI, no ideology

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<v Speaker 1>leading to either the President elect, nor to Elon Musk

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<v Speaker 1>nor to Tesla, So there is still more to be known.

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<v Speaker 2>You should know Tesla staff is planning to arrive this

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<v Speaker 2>afternoon to assist with the probe. We just heard that

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<v Speaker 2>from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The FBI also

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<v Speaker 2>saying that the blast is being investigated globally, but there's

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<v Speaker 2>no current evidence connecting the subject to a terror group.

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<v Speaker 1>But I still say, will say just one last point

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<v Speaker 1>that confident. At least we're hearing from the Las Vegas

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<v Speaker 1>Metropolitan Police Department that they are confident in the safety

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<v Speaker 1>of their community. At this point, let's get to the

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<v Speaker 1>broader security implications for the United States. Nick Wattams is

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<v Speaker 1>back with US National Security Team leader at Bloomberg News.

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<v Speaker 1>He joined from our DC Bureau. A lot going on.

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<v Speaker 1>We continue to get some more elements to this story,

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<v Speaker 1>more information, Nick, But what are you hearing from your

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<v Speaker 1>sources or from the US security and intelligence areas and

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<v Speaker 1>departments about where this goes, or what are the many

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<v Speaker 1>big questions that maybe are still out there.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, it looks like the biggest question now has essentially

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<v Speaker 3>been answered, which to a lot of people's mind was

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<v Speaker 3>what was the connection between these two incidents. Obviously during

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<v Speaker 3>the press conference there you heard the sheriff say that

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<v Speaker 3>there were certain similarities, but officials are now saying essentially

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<v Speaker 3>that they see no direct connection between these two attacks.

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<v Speaker 3>There had been some reporting that the two suspects there

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<v Speaker 3>were both obviously US military veterans, may have overlapped briefly

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<v Speaker 3>at a base in the United States during their time

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<v Speaker 3>when they served. But for the moment, that looks like

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<v Speaker 3>it was a little bit of a false trail and

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<v Speaker 3>there was no though that was you know, a lot

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<v Speaker 3>of people's immediate instinct. The other thing that really struck

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<v Speaker 3>me from that press conference was them saying they are

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<v Speaker 3>looking globally so trying to figure out what putting each

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<v Speaker 3>of these attacks in their context. Obviously, there was the

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<v Speaker 3>New Orleans attack, the suspect had an Islamic state flag

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<v Speaker 3>in his car. Authorities said no such indication on the

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<v Speaker 3>Las Vegas one, but it looks like authorities are not

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<v Speaker 3>ruling out the possibility that, you know, these may have

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<v Speaker 3>not been loan actors, that they might have had some

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<v Speaker 3>support network.

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<v Speaker 4>So that's still a big unknown that we're looking into.

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<v Speaker 2>What surprised me or was What really struck me nick

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<v Speaker 2>during this press conference, especially compared to the one we

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<v Speaker 2>saw with the FBI and other law enforcement officials out

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<v Speaker 2>of New Orleans earlier today, was that in New Orleans,

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<v Speaker 2>officials were very quick to say this was terrorism. It's

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<v Speaker 2>being treated as terrorism. We didn't hear that from this

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<v Speaker 2>press conference this afternoon. How do you read into.

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<v Speaker 3>That, well, a very orny and sensitive issue, how these

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<v Speaker 3>attacks get labeled terrorism or not. I would suspect that

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<v Speaker 3>the reason for the New Orleans attack being labeled that

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<v Speaker 3>way was they found that Islamic state flag in there.

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<v Speaker 3>There was a lot of conflicting information, of course, going

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<v Speaker 3>around in the run up to that, whether the suspect

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<v Speaker 3>was a migrant had come from abroad, when in fact

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<v Speaker 3>we learned he was a US citizen, had served in

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<v Speaker 3>the army for many years. But you know, when you

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<v Speaker 3>see that flag, that Islamic State flag in the car,

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<v Speaker 3>that's a pretty telling indication.

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<v Speaker 4>Of course.

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<v Speaker 3>The big question there again is was this suspect inspired

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<v Speaker 3>by the Islamic State, essentially self radicalized, as has happened

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<v Speaker 3>with some attacks in the past, or was this some

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<v Speaker 3>bigger operation or part of some bigger operation by the group,

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<v Speaker 3>which we do have indications has sort of come back

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<v Speaker 3>after the punishing campaign by the US to essentially eliminate it,

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<v Speaker 3>that there has been something of a resurgence. However, at

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<v Speaker 3>this time, I mean again stressing there is still so

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<v Speaker 3>much we don't know.

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<v Speaker 4>About either of these attacks.

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<v Speaker 3>I think in the case of the New Orleans when

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<v Speaker 3>there is no immediate evidence that this was planned or

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<v Speaker 3>orchestrated with the Islamic State, which still has a toe

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<v Speaker 3>hold in Syria, and all indications suggests that the suspect

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<v Speaker 3>there had essentially been self radicalized.

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<v Speaker 4>But we're still trying to answer all those questions.

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<v Speaker 1>No, absolutely, and Nick, you know, I feel like we

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<v Speaker 1>do have a fairmount more answers as you are laying

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<v Speaker 1>out and as we just heard in that press conference.

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<v Speaker 1>But what's top of mind for you in terms of

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<v Speaker 1>kind of the big question that still needs to be answered.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I think, you know, really there's the very interesting

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<v Speaker 3>fact that both were military veterans. At a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>issues are coming to light about the about the background

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<v Speaker 3>of the New Orleans attacker and the strain he had

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<v Speaker 3>potentially been under at home. We know a lot less

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<v Speaker 3>about the attacker in Las Vegas, though, I did think

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<v Speaker 3>it was also very interesting from the press conference there

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<v Speaker 3>that they said, hey, you know, they believe the effectiveness

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<v Speaker 3>of the bomb was not a sort of in keeping

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<v Speaker 3>with the level of experience. They thought that the suspect

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<v Speaker 3>there had, which I think is obviously an indication, as

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<v Speaker 3>officials have said that he was a special operator in

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<v Speaker 3>the US military. So but certainly the fact that both

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<v Speaker 3>appear to be American citizens, both army veterans, one we

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<v Speaker 3>know served in Afghanistan. We're still trying to get details

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<v Speaker 3>of the Las Vegas attackers military record, but there are

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<v Speaker 3>some similarities there that really begs some big questions, and

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<v Speaker 3>we're going to be trying to figure that out over

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<v Speaker 3>the next couple of days.

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<v Speaker 1>Right that one response by one of the officials at

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<v Speaker 1>that Vegas press conference media conference comment made that very

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<v Speaker 1>strange similarities with the case in New Orleans what happened

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<v Speaker 1>in Vegas. So still some more answers that, Well, we'll

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<v Speaker 1>all be looking forward to it. Nick, really appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 1>Nick Wadhams, he's National Security team leader right here at

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg News, joining us right there from our bureau in

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<v Speaker 1>the nation's capital.

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<v Speaker 2>From Washington, DC, now to Detroit. I want to bring

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<v Speaker 2>in Bloomberg News Auto reporter Keith Notton for more on

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<v Speaker 2>this and then some other Tesla news that we learned

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<v Speaker 2>a little earlier today that Tesla's annual vehicle sales dropped

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<v Speaker 2>for the first time in more than a decade, to

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<v Speaker 2>spite a year and push that sent deliveries to a

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<v Speaker 2>record in the fourth quarter. Tesla's shares selling off as

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<v Speaker 2>a result. We're going to get to that in just

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<v Speaker 2>a minute, Keith, but I do want to start with

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<v Speaker 2>the news just moments ago that we learned from officials

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<v Speaker 2>in Las Vegas that members of Tesla's staff are on

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<v Speaker 2>their way to Las Vegas to assist law enforcement agents

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<v Speaker 2>with finding information from this cyber truck that yesterday had

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<v Speaker 2>an explosive device or explosive devices in it. I'm curious

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<v Speaker 2>what types of information they can get from what happens

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<v Speaker 2>inside of Tesla, what happens outside of teme Esla, because

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<v Speaker 2>for people who aren't familiar with these vehicles, these have

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<v Speaker 2>quite a few cameras recording at all times on the

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<v Speaker 2>outside well for sure.

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<v Speaker 5>So you know, modern vehicles, particularly Tesla's, are highly sophisticated.

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<v Speaker 5>They have a lot of devices that record what goes

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<v Speaker 5>on in the car, cameras being one of them. And

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<v Speaker 5>so while they're not for the level of a black

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<v Speaker 5>box on a jet or something like that, it can

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<v Speaker 5>provide a lot of important information if you're doing an

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<v Speaker 5>investigation like this. You know, we have two incidents yesterday,

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<v Speaker 5>the one in Vegas with the Tesla cybertruck and then

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<v Speaker 5>the attack in New Orleans on Bourbon Street, and that

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<v Speaker 5>was with a Ford F one fifty lightning. I've been

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<v Speaker 5>on the phone with Ford this morning, and they are

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<v Speaker 5>also cooperating with authorities to provide them any information they

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<v Speaker 5>can glean from that F one fifty lightning. So the

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<v Speaker 5>way modern cars, particularly electric vehicles, so these are both

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<v Speaker 5>electric vehicles, both rented from trurob anyway, and so they

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<v Speaker 5>can provide all sorts of interesting and helpful data as

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<v Speaker 5>this investigation goes on, I got to.

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<v Speaker 1>Ask you, Keith. Okay, and again forgive us folks, because

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<v Speaker 1>we're trying to be very careful here and really just

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<v Speaker 1>talk about facts and stuff. But is it interesting that

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<v Speaker 1>both were electric vehicles?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 5>Well, I mean one way to look at that, And

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<v Speaker 5>again I don't want to go too far into the

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<v Speaker 5>speculation exactly, but electric vehicles, in the case of the

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<v Speaker 5>New Orleans attack, they are powered by a battery that

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<v Speaker 5>is very heavy that adds thousands of pounds of weight

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<v Speaker 5>to the vehicle. So you know, if you're looking to

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<v Speaker 5>maximize destructive properties, more weight will do that.

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<v Speaker 2>Keith, what do you make of the Turo connection here?

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<v Speaker 2>I think a lot of folks might be familiar with

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<v Speaker 2>traditional places to runt a vehicle, but are now hearing

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<v Speaker 2>about Turo for the first time.

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<v Speaker 5>Right, And Turo, you know, it can be a little

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<v Speaker 5>bit like automotive Airbnb. Sometimes it's individuals who are renting

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<v Speaker 5>out their exotic cars. Turo has been known for exotics

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<v Speaker 5>and for electric vehicles. We don't know, or I don't

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<v Speaker 5>know the details of how these two were rented and

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<v Speaker 5>where they come from. I know that in the case

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<v Speaker 5>of Forward, from my conversations with them, they're trying to

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<v Speaker 5>help with that, but it is it is a rental

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<v Speaker 5>traditionally that has rented more exotic cars, different cars, electric vehicles,

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<v Speaker 5>not your standard hurt zenatas.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, kind of leave it on that note. Keith Nulton,

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<v Speaker 1>thank you so much. Auto reporter at Bloomberg News joining

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<v Speaker 1>us in Detroit.