Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is calling on Senate lawmakers, most notably Democrats, to confirm President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, in the wake of a terrorist attack that shook New Orleans. 

“This is no time to play around.  Which is why I am also calling on Senate Democrats on the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee to allow Kristi Noem to get to work on Day 1 as our Secretary of Homeland Security. There should be no gap in leadership. In the wake of the Bourbon Street and Las Vegas attacks, our nation’s security depends on her quick confirmation,” Landry said in a statement Monday. 

Early on New Year’s Day, chaos broke out on Bourbon Street in New Orleans as revelers partied on the streets in celebration of the holiday. The suspect, later identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, is accused of ramming a truck into the crowd on the beloved and famed party street, killing at least 14 and injuring dozens of others. Jabbar, who was armed with a Glock and a .308 rifle, was killed after opening fire on police. 

Landry’s office said the Republican governor is expected to meet with President Biden on Monday, when he will press the commander in chief to issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration following the attack. 

NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST CHOSE BOURBON STREET FOR MAXIMUM CARNAGE: TIMELINE

“I look forward to speaking with President Biden today on quickly approving my request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration,” he continued. 

Landry previously sent a letter to Biden detailing the need for the declaration as the city prepares to manage other massive public events this year, including the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, following the terrorist attack.  

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“This terrorist attack has caused significant harm to our visitors and residents, disrupted essential services, and overwhelmed local and state resources during a time when the city is host to several large-scale events, including the Sugar Bowl and related activities, as well as the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras in coming weeks. The Super Bowl and Mardi Gras will bring in tourists from around the world and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has designated Super Bowl LIX as a Special Event Planning Assessment (“SEAR”) Level 1,” Landry wrote in his letter to Biden on Jan. 2. 

Military personnel walk down Bourbon Street on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Trump announced South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his pick to lead the DHS, which oversees key national security and law enforcement agencies, such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, last year after his win over Vice President Kamala Harris. 

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Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies work the scene on Bourbon Street after at least 14 people were killed when a person allegedly drove into the crowd in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day on Jan. 1, 2025 in New Orleans. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)

Landry urging Senate lawmakers to support Noem as DHS chief in the wake of the terrorist attack follows law enforcement groups and leaders from across the nation also throwing their support behind the Trump candidate, urging lawmakers to quickly confirm her to the role. 

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Former President Donald Trump greets South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem at the South Dakota Republican Party Monumental Leaders rally on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 in Rapid City, South Dakota. (AP Photo/Toby Brusseau)

At least eight police groups or unions have issued letters to Sen. Rand Paul, who sits on the committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, urging the Senate to confirm Noem in order to bolster national security, including to combat the immigration crisis along the southern border, as well as stem the flow of deadly narcotics coming across the border.

A former Virginia high school teacher who allegedly sold vape cartridges containing THC and nicotine to students is now facing multiple charges. 

Kaitlyn Crescent was taken into custody by the Fairfax County Police Department early last week following the alleged incidents at Falls Church High School. 

“On October 24, Child Protective Services received a referral that a teacher was selling vape cartridges to students at school. Detectives were notified and assumed the investigation,” the department said in a statement. 

“Detectives determined that between December 2023 and June 2024, Kaitlyn Cresent, 28, of Alexandria, sold vape cartridges containing nicotine and THC to four students,” the statement added.

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Police say Crescent was charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, Distribution of a Controlled Substance on School Property and Distribution of Tobacco/Hemp to a Minor. 

“She was placed on administrative leave and is no longer employed with Fairfax County Public Schools,” they added. “Cresent was held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on a $4,000 bond.” 

FBI FOUND 150 BOMBS AT VIRGINIA HOME IN DECEMBER, PROSECUTORS SAY 

Kaitlyn Crescent allegedly sold vape cartridges containing THC and nicotine to multiple students, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. (iStock)

A Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Monday that Crescent was hired by the district in August 2021 before being let go on Dec. 31, 2024.

A LinkedIn page purportedly belonging to Crescent identifies her as a learning disabilities teacher.

Falls Church High School is located outside of Washington, D.C. (Google Maps)

Investigators are looking to speak with anyone who may have information about the case. 

A patient in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with the first human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), has died, health officials announced on Monday. 

The death was reported by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). The patient, who was not identified, was over 65 and was reported to have underlying medical conditions, the agency said. 

“The patient contracted H5N1 after exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds,” stated a press release from the LDH. 

“The Department expresses its deepest condolences to the patient’s family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one. Due to patient confidentiality and respect for the family, this will be the final update about the patient.”

Patient had mutated form of virus

The Louisiana patient was found to have a mutated version of the virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last week.

The fact that the virus mutated within the patient suggests that it could potentially spread from human to human.

The CDC analyzed samples of the H5N1 virus that were collected from the patient, comparing its genomic sequences to those of infected dairy cows, wild birds, poultry and other animals, the agency stated.

“The analysis identified low frequency mutations in the hemagglutinin gene of a sample sequenced from the patient, which were not found in virus sequences from poultry samples collected on the patient’s property, suggesting the changes emerged in the patient after infection,” the CDC said.

“While these low frequency changes are rare in humans, they have been reported in previous cases of A(H5N1) in other countries and most often during severe disease.”

Based on the discovery of these genetic changes in the virus, health officials recommend performing “ongoing genomic surveillance” in people and animals, taking steps to contain bird flu outbreaks among dairy cattle and poultry, and taking steps to prevent transmission when exposed to infected animals or environments.

Risk remains low, officials say

Both the CDC and the LDH maintain that risk to the general public remains low.

Officials do recommend, however, that those who come in contact with birds, poultry or cows are at higher risk of contracting the virus.

As of Friday, there were 66 confirmed human cases of bird flu, including the Louisiana case, according to the CDC. Of those, 37 were in California alone, 11 in Washington and 10 in Colorado. 

Around 40 of the cases were related to exposure to cattle herds. 

Avian influenza is a highly contagious virus that can spread through contact with infected animals, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the CDC.