NPR News Now – January 2, 2026, 9PM EST

Host: Jeanine Hurst
Duration: ~5 minutes

Episode Overview

This concise, hourly NPR News Now episode provides an update on key domestic and international news. The program covers geopolitics between the U.S. and Venezuela, trade developments over Italian pasta tariffs, a concerning measles outbreak in South Carolina, groundbreaking paleoanthropology research, and a ski patroller strike impacting Telluride, Colorado.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Venezuela Seeks Improved Relations with the U.S.

[00:15–01:24]

• Background: Under pressure from the Trump administration, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro calls for renewed cooperation.
  • U.S. recent actions: Warships in the Caribbean, destruction of alleged Venezuelan drug boats, attempts to block oil exports.
• Maduro’s Message: In a state TV interview, Maduro invites “serious talks” on fighting drug trafficking and the return of U.S. oil companies to Venezuela.
  • Quote: “Here in Venezuela, you have a brother country of the United States... a government that is a friend.” – Nicolás Maduro (via John Otis) [01:10]

2. U.S. Relents on Tariffs Against Italian Pasta

[01:24–02:16]

• Context: The Trump administration previously threatened nearly 92% tariffs on 13 Italian pasta brands, alleging dumping practices.
• Diplomatic Tension: Italy formed a Foreign Ministry task force to address the looming trade dispute.
• Resolution: After a U.S. Commerce Department review, proposed duties are sharply reduced; Italian exporters were found to have addressed U.S. concerns.
  • Insight: The diplomatic intervention de-escalated the trade conflict, safeguarding access to Italian pasta in U.S. stores.

3. South Carolina Measles Outbreak: Child Cases Surge

[02:16–03:14]

• New Data: South Carolina Public Health reports 9 new cases, bringing the outbreak total to 185, mostly among children.
• Geography & Causes: Outbreak centered in a county bordering North Carolina with the state’s lowest vaccination rates; spread mostly in households and schools.
• Comparisons:
  • 90% of South Carolina cases (2025) were in children.
  • Other outbreaks: Arizona (65% cases in children), Utah (60%).
  • Each state saw 150+ measles cases last year.
  • Quote: “Exposure spreads throughout households and schools for the most part, but it is affecting kids at a higher rate than cases in other states...” – Luis Alfredo Garcia [02:41]

4. Study Pushes Back Timeline for Human Bipedalism

[03:14–04:17]

• Scientific Discovery: NYU-led team finds skeletal evidence for upright walking in a 7-million-year-old primate fossil.
• Significance: Pushes oldest evidence of bipedalism 3–4 million years earlier than widely accepted.
  • Quote: “This animal that otherwise looks very chimpanzee-like in its overall shape has these bipedal adaptations hafted on top of [that].” – Scott Williams (via Luis Alfredo Garcia) [03:53]
• Caveat: Findings are controversial, published in Science Advances.

5. Ski Patroller Strike Shuts Down Telluride Resorts

[04:17–04:57]

• Labor Dispute: Weeklong strike following failed contract talks over pay increases; cost of living cited by patrollers.
• Economic Fallout: All ski resorts in Telluride closed, short-term rental bookings down 54%.
• Positions:
  • Patrollers: Ask for improved wages due to high living costs.
  • Resorts: Argue demands are excessive.
  • Quote: “Ski patrollers want an increase in pay in an area where the cost of living is extremely high. The resort says the ski patrol members are asking for too much money.” – Jeanine Hurst [04:27]

Notable Quotes

• Nicolás Maduro (via John Otis) [01:10]:
  “Here in Venezuela, you have a brother country of the United States... a government that is a friend.”

• Luis Alfredo Garcia [02:41]:
  “Exposure spreads throughout households and schools for the most part, but it is affecting kids at a higher rate than cases in other states...”

• Scott Williams (via Luis Alfredo Garcia) [03:53]:
  “This animal that otherwise looks very chimpanzee-like in its overall shape has these bipedal adaptations hafted on top of [that].”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Venezuela–U.S. Relations: 00:15–01:24
• Italian Pasta Tariffs: 01:24–02:16
• South Carolina Measles Outbreak: 02:16–03:14
• Ancient Bipedalism Discovery: 03:14–04:17
• Telluride Ski Patroller Strike: 04:17–04:57

This episode delivers a brisk, informative roundup of significant global and national headlines reflective of NPR’s clear, fact-based reporting style.