NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-01-2026 2AM EST

Episode Date: January 1, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. President Trump says he will not send National Guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon for now. OPP's Bryce Dole has details. The president's announcement came as hundreds of people visited downtown Portland for New Year's Eve. Among them was Holly Romero, a retired yoga instructor. Honestly, I feel safer because, you know, once the military starts going against the civilians, then it's fascism. Let's call it what it is.

Stephen Martin, a fertility clinic specialist, had a different view. I'd like to have a larger presence because the city is unsafe, especially at night. State and local leaders were locked in a court fight with the president for months. Trump tried to send the National Guard to protect the ice facility in Portland, but a federal judge blocked him from doing so.

Governor Tina Kotech called the news, quote, a big win for Oregonians and for the rule of law. For NPR News, I'm Bryce Dole. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says the Justice Department's attorneys are still reviewing files on late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. As NPR's Ryan Lucas reports, DOJ is being criticized over its compliance with a congressional law that requires the information be made public. In a post on social media, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says Justice Department lawyers are working around the clock through the holidays to review the Epstein files for public release. Blanche says redactions required by law to protect Epstein's victims take time. The Epstein-Files Transparency Act required the records to be released by December 19th.

The Justice Department has released two batches of documents, but a huge amount still needs to be made public. The Department has faced criticism for failing to meet the deadline and for the significant redactions to many of the documents that have been released. Ryan Lucas and PR News, Washington. The U.S. military has destroyed two more suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. U.S. Southern Command says the vessels were operating along a known car-narco-trafficking route. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says his nation is not prepared to sign a weak peace deal that would only prolong its war with Russia. In a New Year address, heard here through an interpreter, Zelensky says that Ukraine wants the war to end, but not at any cost.

The peace agreement is 90% ready. 10% remains, and that's far more than just numbers. Those 10% contain, in fact, everything. Those are the 10% that will determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe, how people will live, 10% to save millions of lives. The European Union's senior policy chief, Kayakhalis, has added her support for Ukraine, which denies claims that it launched a drone attack on President Putin's resident.

This is NPR. Iran has recorded its first fatality from days of unrest barked by high inflation and an unstable currency. Authorities say a volunteer member of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed and 13 others were injured late Wednesday southwest of Tehran. The recent protests in Iran are seen as the largest there since 2022 when a police killing sparked national protests. China says it has successfully completed two days of military exercises and waters off Taiwan. The People's Liberation Army says the drills included a set of high-powered maneuvers aimed at asserting China's control of what it considers a renegade province. Actor Isaiah Whitlock Jr. has died following a brief illness.

He was 71 years old. NPR's Netta Ulibe reports that Whitlock may be best known for his role on the acclaimed HBO series, The Wire. On all five seasons of The Wire, Isaiah Whitlock Jr. stole scene after scene, like in this one, where his character, a crooked politician, is on trial for stealing money from a children's basketball team. Let me tell you, brother, I step out the dough, hit the corner of Mosier in Pennsylvania, you better believe my pockets are bulging. He demolishes the prosecution by saying he empties his personal pockets for needy constituents. Whitlock trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He worked in dozens of movies, including many with director Spike Lee, and TV shows ranging from Law and Order SVU to Veep. Nato Ulibee, NPR News.

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