NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-08-2026 4AM EST

Episode Date: January 8, 2026

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This message comes from Data Bricks, the data and AI company. Are your AI agents working? Most aren't reliable for business. You need AI that's accurate. Agent Bricks, AI agents grounded in your data and built for your goals. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shay Stevens. Thousands of people gathered in Minneapolis last night for a vigil, mourning, a resident who was killed by an ICE agent. As Minnesota Public Radio's Matt Sepik reports, witnesses are disputing federal claims that the woman had posed a threat to immigration officers.

Witness video shows 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, partly blocking a street with her SUV as ICE agents were conducting what the agency calls, quote, targeted operations. After agents order her out of the vehicle, Good reverses the SUV briefly, then pulls forward and turns to drive away as one of the agents opens fire. Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noam said Good weaponized her vehicle in an act of domestic terror. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye says that's completely false. This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying. Using an expletive, Fry told ICE to get out of the city. For NPR news, I'm Matt Seppig in Minneapolis. The U.S. has seized two more tankers in the North Pacific, including one vessel that had been the target of a two-weigh.

week-long pursuit. White House officials say the tankers are linked to Venezuela in violation of sanctions. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says the U.S. does not plan to run Venezuela, but will control its oil. This was the sanctioned oil that was basically just sitting in barrels, sitting on ships because of the effective quarantine of the United States of America. And the interim authorities have agreed to release that oil to the United States, so it will be arriving here at home very soon. ousted Venezuelan leader Licketts Maduro and his wife Celia Flores are being held in New York following their arrest during a raid on Saturday. They have pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism and other charges.

Congressional forecasters expect the U.S. will add fewer than 7 million people to its population over the next decade. As NPR Scott Horsley reports, that's largely due to the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. The Congressional Budget Office projects the U.S. population will grow from 349 million people this year to about 357 million in 2035. That's substantially slower growth than CBO was projecting a year ago. The biggest factor driving the slowdown is immigration policy. Women in the U.S. are also having fewer children than they used to. By 2030, forecasters think there'll be fewer babies born each year in the U.S. than there are deaths.

Without newcomers from other countries, the population would begin to decline. at that point. CBO also says Americans are living longer, so the fastest growing part of the population will be people over 65. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. U.S. futures are flat in after-hours trading on Wall Street, following Wednesday's losses. On Asia-Pacific markets, shares are mostly lower, down 1% in Tokyo and in Hong Kong. This is NPR. A shooting outside of a meeting house at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, left at least two people dead and six others injured. Police in Salt Lake City say they do not

have a suspect in custody but do have strong leads. The attack occurred during a memorial service. Yesterday, we mistakenly referred to Greenland as a Dutch island instead of being an autonomous territory of Denmark. The error was made in a story on the Trump administration's intentions for Greenland and claims that it is needed for U.S. security. Apologies to everyone who may have been offended. Some 250 cardinals from around the world are convening in Rome this week for a Vatican summit. It's the first time the Cardinals have gathered since electing Pope Leo the 16th in May. Claire Jengrava of Religion News Service has more from Rome. Shortly after his election, Leo said he wants Cardinals to have more opportunities to consult

with the Pope on the future of the church. Pope Francis only held one such meeting with Cardinals during his tenure. The two-day meeting is not public, but the agenda is expected to include reforms that Leo and Francis have made to how the church is governed. Conservatives expect that liturgy will also be discussed, as some hope that the new Pope will eliminate restrictions placed by Pope Francis on the Latin Mass. Cardinals are also expected to debate how Pope Leo's call for an unarmed and disarming peace can be heard in a world increasingly governed by force. For NPR news, I'm Claire Jungravay. You're listening to NPR News.