NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-26-2026 5PM EST

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

NPR News: 01-26-2026 5PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 Rylan Barton. Minnesota's Democratic governor Tim Walls says Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino is leaving the state.

The Trump administration is sending border czar Tom Holman to Minneapolis. today to oversee the federal immigration enforcement operation there. President Trump says Holman will report directly to him. The move comes amid rising tensions over fatal shootings by federal agents. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben has more. In a social media post, Trump said, quote, I am sending Tom Holman to Minnesota tonight, but added little more on what Homan's visit will entail. Video of federal agents shooting 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti several times has proliferated online, sparking widespread approach. tests. Trump has said he might eventually pull forces from Minneapolis, telling the Wall Street

Journal over the weekend, quote, at some point, we will leave. However, Trump in another post listed demands of Democratic state and city leaders, including that they turn over all undocumented people to the federal government, and that local police assist federal officers in apprehending undocumented people. Danielle Kurtzleben and PR News, the White House. Bitter cold is gripping much of the country after a massive winter storm swept across the U.S. dumping ice, sleet, and snow from New Mexico to the eastern seaboard. At least 25 deaths are attributed to the storm, NPR's Debbie Elliott reports nearly half the nation's population is affected. The National Weather Service warns the frigid temperatures will persist over the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. this week, with record sub-zero lows expected.

Louisiana state meteorologist Jay Grime says conditions will remain life-threatening. Even though we're done with the freezing rain, the sleet and the snow, we're still a long way from being out of the woods in terms of the cold. The dangerous and potentially deadly cold will continue through the week. At its peak, the storm knocked out power for more than a million customers across the country and made road travel nearly impossible. Debbie Elliott, NPR News. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped or delayed updating databases that track important health issues. NPR's Rob Stein reports. Researchers examined more than 82 CDC databases that the agency had been updating at least

monthly and found that at least half, 46 percent, had stopped updating. Most of the paused databases had been tracking vaccinations, respiratory diseases, or drug overdoses. The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. In a statement to NPR, the Health and Human Services Department says the CDC continues to monitor important health problems and that at least some of the delays may be due to the CDC consolidating databases. Rob Stein, NPR News. U.S. stock indexes ticked higher today and the price of gold shot to a new record. It's NPR. Palestinians are eagerly awaiting the reopening of the Rafa border crossing, Gaza's lifeline to the outside world.

crossing between Gaza and Egypt is crucial for people seeking medical treatment, traveling, or boosting the economy. Israel says it will allow pedestrian passage with full inspection. Egypt wants the crossing open immediately in both directions. The team of American athletes competing in the Winter Olympics next month is set. As NPR's Ping Huang reports, it's the biggest U.S. delegation yet. More than 230 U.S. athletes are headed to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. They range an age from 15-year-old Abby Winterberger, a free skier from California, to Rich Ruinan, a 54-year-old curler from Minnesota. Two-time gold medalist Michaela Schifrin is back, representing the U.S. and Alpine skiing

for her fourth Olympics. Generally, it's just a really cool time for Alpine ski racing, and our team is bringing big energy into Milan Cortina. Other athletes are returning to compete in snowboarding, bobsledding, ice hockey, and figure skating. A new sport this year is ski mountaineering. The Winter Olympics kicks off with the opening ceremony on February 6th, and runs through February 22nd.

Ping Huang and PR News. Demands for more concerts from K-pop sensation BTS in Mexico have prompted action from the country's president. After a quick sellout last week, President Claudia Shanebaum sent a letter to South Korea's prime minister requesting additional dates. Shanebaum also reached out to concert organizers, but the promoter said adding dates is not currently possible.

The group is scheduled to perform three dates in Mexico City in May. I'm Ryland Barton. This is NPR News from Washington. This message comes from Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe. You can send, spend, and receive in up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps. Be smart, get Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com. T's and Cs apply.