NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-03-2026 12AM EST

Episode Date: January 3, 2026

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On Planet Money, we have covered a lot of topics. Like just try searching something on the Internet and adding Planet Money to the end of it. Tariff prices, Planet Money, that's an episode. Stop Sign War, Planet Money, that too. Alaska Halibut Derby, Planet Money. If you can ask it, we have probably answered it. Planet Money, listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Wilman.

The FBI said Friday, it disrupted a New Year's Eve terrorist plot in Mint Hill, North Carolina, near Charlotte. They arrested 18-year-old Christian Sturte event, who they say told an FBI undercover employee that he was going to use knives and hammers to carry out an attack in a fast food restaurant at a grocery store. They say Sturt of it was inspired by the Islamic State Group and had pledged loyalty to ISIS. Russ Ferguson is the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. It was a very well-planned, thoughtful attack. that he had planned and that was fortunately foiled here. He was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die. And we're very, very fortunate. They did not.

Sturtevin is facing a charge of providing material support to a terrorist organization. Officials in Switzerland say they now have a possible cause for a fire in a bar at the ski resort of Cranz, Montana on New Year's Eve. The fire killed at least 40 people and injured 119 others. Everything leads us to believe that the fire began from, candles or sparklers that were put on champagne bottles and all of this was placed too closely to the roof or the ceiling rather and that's when there was a flashover that took place in this establishment.

Local prosecutor Beatrice Pio says once the fire began it spread rapidly across the room. investigators are looking at soundproofing on the ceiling that may have not met building regulations. Colombia's armed forces say they've killed the leader of Trenda Aragua, a criminal gang that the U.S. government is labeled a foreign terrorist organization. Reporter John Otis has our story. In a joint army police operation near Colombia's border with Venezuela, authorities targeted Giovanni San Vicente, who they described as the main leader of Trendaagua.

Colombia's defense ministry said San Vicente was killed during an exchange of gunfire with troops. Army lieutenant colonel Juan Camilo Masso said the operation shows Colombia's strong commitment to fighting terrorism. Tren Daragua was formed in a Venezuelan prison in 2014, but has since branched out to other Latin American countries. President Trump accuses the group of sending tons of cocaine into the U.S. and has been pressuring Venezuela and Colombia to crack down on the gang. For NPR news, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Colombia. Stocks edged mostly higher on Wall Street Friday in the first trading day of the year. The S&P 500 rose almost two-tenths of percent to start the new year,

while the Dow finished up more than six-tenths. But the NASDAQ finished off basically flat. Foreign markets did better with markets in Britain and South Korea, both hitting record highs. You're listening to NPR News. Tesla has lost its title as the world's best-selling electric vehicle maker. Tesla's sales for 2025 were down 9% from last year. The company sold 1.64 million units.

China's B.YD, meanwhile, sold 2.26 million vehicles. South Carolina's Department of Public Health is reporting nine more confirmed measles cases in its first outbreak update of the year, and the outbreak is affecting kids at a greater. ratio than in other states with outbreaks. South Carolina Public Radio's Luis Alfredo Garcia has our reports. State health officials say the count of in-state cases related to the outbreak is up to 185, and it's in a county that borders North Carolina.

The county has the lowest school vaccination rate of any county in South Carolina. Exposure spreads throughout households and schools for the most part, but it is affecting kids at a higher rate than cases in other states with current outbreaks. South Carolina's Department of Public Health reports, about 90 percent of its 20 2025 measles cases were in children. Cases in the outbreak along the Arizona-Utah border are not as child's heavy. 65% of Arizona's 2025 cases were in children, and it is 60% for Utah. Each state had more than 150 cases last year.

For NPR News, I'm Louis Alfredo Garcia in Columbia, South Carolina. Blake Horvath threw a pair of touchdown passes and rushed for his score as Navy, claimed its 11th win of the season on Friday by beating Cincinnati, 35 to 13. The Texas State Bobcats, meanwhile, overpowered rice, 41 to 10. Arizona took it down to the wire before losing to the Mustangs of SMU 24 to 19 and Wake Forest beat Mississippi 43 to 29. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR News.