NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-12-2026 10AM EST

Episode Date: January 12, 2026

NPR News: 01-12-2026 10AM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, on Corva Coleman, stocks open lower this morning after news that the Justice Department has opened a criminal probe of the Federal Reserve. NPR Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped nearly 180 points in early trading. The Federal Reserve says it received grand jury subpoenas late last week about the costly renovation of the Central Bank's headquarters building in Washington and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's testimony about that project before a Senate committee. In an unusually combative video statement, however, Powell says those are mere pretext. He says the threat of criminal charges is part of the administration's broader pressure campaign, designed to force the Fed to move more quickly in lowering interest rates. The Fed was set up to be insulated from that kind of political meddling, but President Trump has ignored those guardrails.

The president is getting pushback, however, from some senators. We'll vote on Trump's nominee to replace Powell when the chairman's term ends in May. Scott Horsley and Pierre News, Washington. President Trump says Iran calls. the U.S. over the weekend to negotiate. He told reporters yesterday Tehran sought to set up a meeting after he threatened military strikes against Iran. Trump is suggested even if he has the meeting, he may still take military action against Iran first. The Trump administration says it will surge more federal agents to Minnesota this week to deal with immigration issues. There are more

than 2,000 federal agents already there. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frye says the Trump administration is not try to promote safety. It is seeking political retribution. What's happening is full-on discrimination. It's targeting Somali people in our city, targeting Latino people in Minneapolis, and looking for a problem that, to be clear, we are not seeing on our streets. He spoke to NPR's Morning Edition. The surge comes after an ICE agent shot and killed a Minneapolis woman last week. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola, the first Alaska native person elected to Congress, says she is running for the U.S. Senate. Peltola is challenging Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan. Alaska Public Media's Liz Ruskin reports.

With Peltola, national Democrats believe Alaska becomes one of their best hopes to flip a seat. In a campaign launch video, Peltola stressed her salmon-centered family life on Alaska's Cuscaquim River and repeated her previous campaign. slogan, fish, family freedom. Systemic change is the only way to bring down grocery costs, save our fisheries, lower energy prices, and build new housing Alaskans can afford. Sullivan is campaigning with President Trump's endorsement. Alaska's other senator, moderate Republican Lisa Murkowski, is a frequent Trump critic. She's endorsed Peltola in the past, but says she's endorsing Sullivan now to keep the Senate's Republican majority. For NPR news, I'm Liz Ruskin. You're listening to NPR.

Authorities in Jackson, Mississippi say they've arrested a suspect in connection with a fire at a local synagogue. The person has been charged with arson. No one was hurt. The blaze began Saturday in the synagogue's library and two Torah's were destroyed. The governments of Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to the AI chatbot GROC, its owned by billionaire Elon Musk. Both countries say their alarms. over its deep fake videos that allow users to post sexual content of children and women without their consent. Today, Britain's Media Watchdog Office launched an investigation of Grok over the same issue. Florida now allows anyone who is pregnant to get a disabled parking permit for one year. Disability rights advocates are suing.

From member station WUSF, Carrie Sheridan has more. Almost 10,000 women in Florida have received temporary disabled parking. permits, including Destiny Light. You're carrying around a whole baby. Like, it hurts. Your back hurts. Your legs are like everything just hurts. The plaintiff in the case is Olivia Keller, a 49-year-old woman who uses a motorized wheelchair and says parking is already hard to find. People with disabilities are kind of an afterthought. The accommodations that we receive and are required to receive by law aren't really looked at as needs. It's looked at as a perk. She is suing to overturn the law. The state has filed a motion to dismiss. For NPR News, I'm Carrie Sheridan in Tampa.

On Wall Street, the Dow is now down about 190 points. You're listening to NPR. Listen to this podcast sponsor-free on Amazon Music with a prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR NewsNow Plus at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.