NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-02-2026 10PM EST

Episode Date: January 3, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. Dozens of aid groups as well as Arab and European countries are urging Israel to reverse a ban on humanitarian organizations in Gaza. The Israelis suspended the registration of 37 aid groups, as NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports. Israel says the groups failed to meet new registration requirements, which include providing to the Israeli government the names of all the Palestinians working for them.

The aid groups will have to cease. operations in the coming weeks in Gaza, the West Bank, and in East Jerusalem. Dozens of aid groups warn in a letter that the humanitarian needs are still extreme in Gaza, where winter storms have displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians. In the West Bank, the aid groups write, quote, ongoing military raids and settler violence continue to drive displacement. Similar concerns are raised in a letter from the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and Egypt, among others. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

Federal authorities say they've thwarted an alleged ISIS-inspired attack on New Year's Eve outside Charlotte, North Carolina. Officials say the 18-year-old suspect is in custody. MPIRS Ryan Lucas has more. Authorities say the defendant Christian Sturdivant was plotting to use knives in a hammer to carry out an attack at a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant in Mint Hill, North Carolina. Court papers say Sturdivant had been in touch about his plans with two individuals who he thought were members of ISIS but were in fact undercover law enforcement officers. He allegedly pledged allegiance to the terrorist group as well.

The FBI conducted a court-authorized search of Sturdivant's home, where they found knives in a hammer under his bed, as well as a document that allegedly contained detailed plans for an attack. He was arrested on New Year's Eve before any attack took place. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. Voters will have less time to get mail-in ballots to election officials this year. And peers Ashley Lopez reports multiple states are eliminating grace periods for casting ballots by mail. Almost 20 states and territories count ballots that make it to officials after polls close. Most require that those ballots be post-sparked by election day, though. These laws are in place to give voters wiggle room in case there are issues with the mail or other unforeseen problems.

But four of those states passed legislation that require benefits. ballots to be received by the close of polls, regardless of when the voter mailed their ballot. Trump signed an executive order, much of which is currently halted by a court order that sought to eliminate these grace periods altogether. Ashley Lopez and PR News. A strong magnitude 6.5 earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico today interrupting President Claudia Shanebaum's first press briefing of the year as seismic alarms sounded. Officials say at least two people died in the quake along with hundreds of after. aftershocks, caused landslides and damaged buildings. This is NPR.

Chinese EV maker BYD is now the biggest electric vehicle maker in the world, taking away the title from Tesla. This says a customer revolt over Elon Musk's right-wing politics, expiring U.S. tax breaks for buyers and stiff overseas competition pushed on sales for the second year in a row. Tesla says it's delivered 9% fewer vehicles in 2025 compared to, the year before. The company's bottom line was hit hard by the expiration of a $7,500 tax credit that the Trump administration phased out in September. Even though it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth will make its closest approach to the sun at 12.15 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow. As Joe Pelko reports, distance from the sun is not what explains the seasons.

If the orbit of the Earth around the sun were a perfect circle, then the two bodies would always be the same distance apart. But Earth's orbit is elliptical, a very slightly squashed circle, meaning every year there's a single time when it's closest and another when it's furthest away. But even if it were circular, there would still be seasons. That's because the Earth is tilted away from straight up and down in its orbit. The tilt is significant, 23 degrees. In winter, the North Pole points away from the sun and in summer towards the sun. Longer time bathed than sunlight does more to explain changes in temperature than slight changes in distance. For NPR News, I'm Joe Palka.

All Street closed in mixed territory today, the Dow up 319 points, NASDAQ down 6. I'm Janine Hurst, NPR News, in Washington.