NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-13-2026 7PM EST

Episode Date: January 14, 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 Ryland Barton. Iran is cracking down on anti-government protests, killing at least 2,000 people, according to a U.S. humanitarian organization.

President Trump has threatened to enter. intervene with military force and has signaled support for demonstrators posting on social media today that, quote, help is on its way. It's not clear what he means. John Bolton is a former national security advisor and one-time ally of Trumps who's advocated for overthrowing Iran's regime. It's hard to see you're going to get a regime worse than this one, which is the principal sponsor of international terrorism and pursuing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles that threaten Israel, threaten our Arab neighbors threaten us ultimately. I think we know where the population's going here, and I think it's the right direction. The Trump administration is urging U.S. citizens and allies to leave Iran.

Iran is warning that the U.S. military and Israel would be targets if Washington uses force to protect protesters. One of the boat strikes ordered by the Pentagon last year may have used a plane that looks like a civilian aircraft. NPR's Quill Lawrence reports that may violate U.S. military code and the laws of war. The Trump administration says it is at war with drug cartels, and it's therefore legal for the military to carry out deadly strikes on small boats on suspicion that they're smuggling drugs. But the first of those strikes last September 2nd was already controversial because it included a second round of strikes to kill survivors clinging to their capsized boat. Killing shipwrecked enemies is a textbook violation of U.S. military code and the laws of war.

Now, a government official not authorized to speak publicly confirms to NPR that the plane in that strike was painted not to look military, another potential war crime called perfidy. According to that official, the plane is part of a highly classified Pentagon program predating the Trump administration. Quill-Lorence NPR News. The Trump administration wants to limit states' ability to veto controversial construction projects such as gas pipelines. NPR's Jeff Brady reports the administration argues states have used their authority in ways federal law never intended. The Clean Water Act gives states and tribes the right to review new projects to make sure they don't harm local water. Democratic-led states have used that authority to block new fossil fuel infrastructure based on climate and environmental concerns. Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator for Water, Jess Kramer, says a proposed regulation would restore the statutory purpose of that section

of the law. To protect water quality and not as a weapon to shut down projects for reasons untethered to statutory requirements and appropriate and applicable regulations. After a 30-day comment period, the administration plans to issue a final regulation in spring. Jeff Brady, NPR News. Wall Street edged back from its record highs today. The S&P 500 fell nearly two-tenths of a percent. This is NPR News from Washington. Officials in Puerto Rico are making compulsory visits to the island's 328 public housing projects to check on residents amid criticism of their living conditions. Agents say they'll inspect a total of 56,000 units before March,

and they'll check on the welfare of children and elderly people. The World Health Organization is calling on countries to increase taxes on sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages. It says these products fuel obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancers. NPRs at Gabriela Emmanuel reports. Worldwide, the median tax on sugary sodas is just about 2%. That's far lower than the tax on tobacco products, which is closer to 50 or 60 percent on average. WHO economist Anne-Marie Peruchich points to Mauritius, the island nation off the coast of Southeast Africa, as a country that doubled taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages last year. The evidence is there. We know that taxes.

do reduce consumption. They generate revenues and they're good for public health. Since 2013, consumption of sugary drinks has increased by 14% globally, while the prices have dropped in most countries, according to the WHO. Gabriela Emmanuel and PR News. Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok is facing global criticism for generating sexualized deepfakes, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Pentagon will adopt the technology. GROC's spicy mode allows users to create explicit content leading to backlash from governments worldwide. Musk's company, XAI, has limited some features to paying subscribers.

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