NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-01-2026 8AM EST

Episode Date: January 1, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of a fire that broke out at a popular ski resort in southwestern Switzerland overnight. Terry Schultz reports dozens of people are presumed dead, and more than 100 others suffered serious injuries during New Year's Eve celebrations. Swiss authorities say the fire broke out in a bar in the Cremontana ski resort around 1.30 a.m. They won't speculate on what, the high death toll. Many of the wounded suffered severe burns. Local hospitals and emergency responders are overwhelmed, officials set at a press conference, and patients are being moved to nearby facilities. They're pleading with others out on ski slopes and roads to do their maximum to avoid accidents that could further strain services. That's Terry Schultz reporting. Starting today, millions of Americans will pay a lot more for health insurance. Federal subsidies that help lower the cost of individual marketplace plans expired last night. Some will see monthly premiums double.

Sarah Bowden reports that will likely force some people to drop their coverage. Preliminary data from December show that enrollment is down a bit compared to last December, but overall, it is higher than expected. That could change over the course of this year. Cynthia Cox is a researcher at the Health Policy Think Tank KFF. She says it's kind of like the difference between putting groceries in your shopping cart and actually purchasing those groceries. So you don't actually own those groceries until you paid for them, the same thing with health insurance. You can sign up, you can pick a plan, but until you pay for it, it's not your health plan. In most states, the final deadline to sign up for a plan for 2026 is January 15th.

For NPR News, I'm Sarah Bowden. So Ron, Mom Donnie has been sworn in as the first Muslim mayor of New York City. The 34-year-old progressive Democrat rose in a single year from being a relatively unknown state lawmaker to lead the largest city in the U.S. NPR's Brian Mann reports. The oath was administered to Mamdani in a ceremony held in a historic subway station under City Hall by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. Congratulations, Mr. Mayor. Moundani was born in Uganda to parents originally from India. At a time when President Trump has sought to live.

limit immigration from Muslim and African countries, Mamdani swept to victory, promising to make New York City more affordable in building a movement of young voters. After his swearing in, he flashed his trademark grin. This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime. A larger public ceremony will take place later on New Year's Day on the steps of City Hall. Brian Mann, NPR News, New York. Wall Street is closed for the New Year's holiday. Trading resumes on the exchange tomorrow. This is NPR News in Washington. The U.S. Postal Service is changing how it handles postmarks this year, and it could impact deadlines for taxes, bills, and ballots.

Until now, a postmark showed when mail was dropped off, but under a new rule, it will reflect when a letter is first scanned by a sorting machine, which could be days later. Critics warn it could lead to penalties if mail appears late, even if it was sent on time. Thousands of copyrighted works enter the public domain today. NPR's Netta Ulibe reports. Copyright expires for works from 1930 and sound recordings from 1925. 95 years have passed since the publication of books now in the public domain, books like William Paulkner's As I Lay Dying, and the first four Nancy Drew detective novels. Movies from 1930 include a Marx Brothers classic, Animal Crackers,

and the epic war film All Quiet on the Western Front. It's set in the trenches of World War I. Music, entering the public domain in 26, includes a few compositions by George Gershwin, and the first recording of Sweet Georgia Brown by Ben Bernie and his Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra. This means the work is available for anyone to use, reuse, or remix without paying a fee. Netta Ulipi, NPR News.

Trains are running again through the channel tunnel after power failures this week. Eurostar says service between London and cities like Paris and Brussels resumed overnight, but officials are warning of possible knock-on delays after Tuesday's disruptions. This is NPR News.