NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-02-2026 2AM EST

Episode Date: January 2, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. New York City Mayor Zora Mamdani spoke of unity and fairness during his inaugural address on Thursday. NPR's Katie Riddle reports that he pledged to serve all New Yorkers, whether they support him or not. Mayor Zoran Mamdani promised New York that he would bring them together and uphold his ambitious campaign promises for things like free buses and child care. Though he pledged to serve all New Yorkers, he emphasized. his commitment to and appreciation for the city's working class. I stand alongside countless more New Yorkers watching from cramped kitchens in flushing and barbershops in East New York from cell phones propped against the dashboards of

parked taxi cabs at LaGuardia. He also seemed to reach beyond his base, saying, quote, if you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor. The city's first Muslim and Democratic socialist mayor won a decisive victory in November in an election that saw the city's highest turnout in nearly 25 years. Katie O'Riddle in PR News. Colombia's armed forces say they've, quote, neutralized the main leader of the Trenda Agua criminal gang. Muscaro Serrano, also known as El Viejo, is accused of directing the gang's global drug trafficking operations. The BBC's Mimi Swayby has details.

El Viejo, or the old man, was the first of the Trendra Agua leaders to appear on the FBI's 10 most wanted list and had a $5 million award on his head. His inclusion on the list came amid growing pressure from the Trump administration against the Tendra Agua gang, which is designated a foreign terrorist organization. Originally from Venezuela, it now operates throughout Latin America and the US. President Trump accuses it of flooding the US with drugs and crime. He's ordered a series of deadly attacks in the South Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean

on alleged drug trafficking vessels. The BBC's Mimi Swavey reporting. Americans who obtain health insurance to the Affordable Care Act are now finding out how much their monthly premiums might go up. Obamacare subsidies that lowered premiums expired on December 31st, and lawmakers do not return to work until Monday. Vermont U.S. Senator Peter Welch says some Obamacare recipients will pay three to four times more in premiums. Well, the most insignificant is anybody, a small business, a farmer, whether they're in a Republican or a Democratic district, is going to get hammered. So a farmer in Vermont, their premium is going to go from $900 a month to $3,200 a month. So they're going to really face sticker shock.

Well, it says many hospitals, especially in rural areas, will lose revenue when people who dumped Obamacare show up to emergency rooms with no means to pay for treatment. Authorities say it'll take some time to complete the painstaking process of identifying victims of a New Year's fire at a ski resort bar in the Swiss Al. At least 40 people were killed and 115 others were injured. This is NPR. President Trump has attempted to correct the record when it comes to his personal health. In a Wall Street Journal interview, Trump says he had a CT scan during his October medical exam and not an MRI, despite reports.

Bruising on one of Trump's hands and swelling of both ankles have caused speculation about his health. A new case of a flesh-eating parasite has been reported in a new. New Mexican state that borders Texas. From member station KJZZ, Nina Kravinsky has more. More than a year after Mexico's first reported case of the New World Screw Worm, the deadly parasite has been discovered in a cow in the Mexican state of Tamalipas. The United States closed the U.S.-Mexico border to cattle for much of 2025 in an effort to protect its herds from the parasite, which so far has not been reported

in the U.S. The New World Screw Worm has largely spread in southern Mexico, but there have been cases closer to the U.S. border. Mexico says this most recent case in a border state has only been detected in a single animal. Mexican ranchers have been advocating for months for a phased reopening of the border so they can return to exporting their cattle to the United States. For NPR News, I'm Nina Kravinsky in Hermosio, Mexico. With the start of the new year comes the latest additions to the public domain. This year's list includes the original cartoon characters Betty Boop, Blondie, and the first Disney dog originally named Bravo and then, named Pluto. Written works include the little engine that could. The first four at Nancy drew mystery books in the Maltese Falcon. Four songs by Ira and George Gershwin are among the musical

compositions that are no longer protected by copyright. This is NPR News.