NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-02-2026 5PM EST

Episode Date: January 2, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Janine Hurst. President Trump says the U.S. is prepared to intervene if Iran kills protesters. NPR's Franco-Ordonias has more on Trump's pledge to defend demonstrators who've taken to the streets in recent days. President Trump vowed to step in if Iran uses lethal force on demonstrators as economic protests continue. In an early morning social media post, Trump wrote that if Iran kills peaceful protesters, then, quote, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. The comments mark a sharp escalation by the president toward Iran.

Clashes between police and protesters have turned deadly over the past week. Iran warned that any U.S. intervention would be crossing a red line and be met with a response. Franco, Ordonez, NPR News, Palm Beach. Federal authorities say they thwarted an alleged ISIS-inspired attack on New Year. Eve outside Charlotte, North Carolina. Officials say the 18-year-old suspect is in custody. Empires Ryan Lucas has more. Authorities say the defendant Christian Sturdivant was plotting to use knives in a hammered, 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 and 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. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked a top general to be his new chief of staff as negotiators continue to draft proposals that would end Russia's war on Ukraine. Empires Joanna Kikisas reports, the post has been vacant for weeks after the

previous chief of staff resigned over a corruption scandal. Keneilo Budanov is 39, a career soldier with a resting poker face. He has received training from the CIA. He has served since 2020 as Ukraine's head of military intelligence, transforming the agency into an effective tool of sabotage inside Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. Budanov has led covert operations, worked on prisoner exchanges, and survived alleged Russian assassination attempts. Recent surveys also show him as a potential presidential challenger to Zelensky. The previous chief of staff, Andri Yermaq, was forced to resign in November over a corruption scandal. Yeramak had served as Ukraine's chief negotiator during peace talks.

Joanna Kikis and PR News Kiv. All Street ended the day in mixed territory, the Dow up 319 points. listening to NPR News from Washington. St. Paul, Minnesota is making history today as it swears in its next mayor. Peter Cox of Minnesota Public Radio reports Kali He is the first woman to lead Minnesota's capital city and the first Hmong American to hold the office. Kali He was born in a bamboo hut in the mountains of Laos before her family fled to the U.S. as refugees. Many Hmong people fought alongside the U.S. during the secret war in Laos and fled for their safety after to the U.S.

Minnesota is home to the country's second largest Hmong population. Her was elected mayor of St. Paul 50 years to the day after the first Hmong refugee family is said to have arrived in Minnesota. It's so much bigger than me and it's so much more powerful than me. And so, like, I just get to feel so honored that I get to be a part of that. Her's victory also makes this a city with all female elected leaders. For NPR News, I'm Peter Cox in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Department of Homeland Security says it's pausing immigration applications from an additional 20 countries after an expansion of travel restrictions took place yesterday.

The list mainly consists of African countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. U.S. citizenship and immigration services, says, it would pause the review of all pending applications for green cards, visas, citizenship, or asylum from those countries, says it also plans to take another look at applications from those countries that go back to at least 2021. I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.