NPR News Now – January 8, 2026, 3PM EST

Host: Jeanine Herbst (NPR)
Episode Overview:
This rapidly updated five-minute news broadcast provides concise coverage of the day’s most pressing events, focusing on a police-involved shooting in Minneapolis, a rare bipartisan Senate move on war powers regarding Venezuela, a report on fentanyl trafficking under the previous administration, extreme weather emergencies in Alaska, and French farmers protesting EU trade policy.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Minneapolis ICE Agent-Involved Shooting

[00:24–01:18]

• Incident Recap:
  • An ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis.
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the shooting, asserting Good tried to run the agent over, though video footage reportedly shows Good was driving away when shot.
• Federal Response:
  • Vice President Vance stated unequivocal support for the agent:
    • Quote [00:51]
      "The precedent here is very simple. You have a federal law enforcement official engaging in federal law enforcement action. That guy is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job."
  • Minnesota officials criticized federal authorities for blocking their involvement in the investigation.
  • The White House confirmed federal troops will stay in Minnesota as tensions continue.

2. Senate Rebukes Trump’s Venezuela Policy

[01:18–02:22]

• Bipartisan Senate Action:
  • Five Republicans joined Democrats to advance a resolution curbing President Trump’s authority to unilaterally order new military action in Venezuela.
  • NPR’s Claudia Grisales characterized this as the “largest GOP rebuke yet” of Trump’s growing military interventionism in South America.
• Key Players and Quotes:
  • Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), co-lead on the War Powers Resolution:
    • Quote [01:53]
      "I don't think my colleagues on the other side thought it was going to pass, so I'm not sure that they've really thought that through."
  • President Trump reportedly “lashed out” at Republican senators who broke ranks: Rand Paul (KY), Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Josh Hawley (MO), and Todd Young (OH).
  • Next steps: Series of votes and hours of Senate debate expected the following week.

3. Fentanyl Smuggling and Overdose Trends Under Biden

[02:22–03:20]

• New Study Findings:
  • A study in Science concludes that, in the final two years of his presidency, Joe Biden slowed the smuggling of high-potency fentanyl into the U.S.
  • Highlights:
    • 50% decline in the purity of seized fentanyl
    • Drug overdose deaths from fentanyl dropped by a third during Biden’s last year
• Expert Perspective:
  • Keith Humphreys (Stanford, study author):
    • Quote [02:45]
      "You're looking at about a 50% decline in the purity of fentanyl that was being seized. That's a big drop."
    • Quote [03:05]
      "I think it hurt them because they had a story of success to tell."
  • The Biden administration did not publicize these gains. Since taking office, President Trump has shifted toward a militarized drug war, dismantling these programs.

4. Alaska’s Weather Emergency: Record Snowfall in Juneau

[03:20–04:20]

• Crisis Overview:
  • Juneau has received over 4 feet of snow since Christmas, causing collapsed roofs and a state of emergency declaration by city and tribal governments.
  • Concerns mount about public infrastructure: schools, water treatment plants, and hospitals.
  • City Emergency Programs Manager Ryan O’Shaughnessy:
    • Quote [04:00]
      "In many cases. We are approaching the design snow load of those facilities."
  • Some boats have sunk in harbors due to the snow/rain mix; flooding is already happening as temps rise.

5. France: Farmers Protest EU Trade Deal

[04:20–04:44]

• Event Details:
  • Dozens of farmers, upset with the EU’s new free trade agreement with five South American countries, protested at the French parliament after a 100-mile tractor convoy into Paris.
  • Farmers argue the deal would hurt their livelihoods; the Interior Ministry noted about 20 tractors reached central Paris, with others blocked elsewhere.

6. Brief Updates

[04:44–05:04]

• U.S. Trade Gap:
  • Shrunk in October by 39% to just over $29 billion.
• Wall Street:
  • Dow Jones up 247 points; mixed broader market trading.

Notable Quotes

• Vice President Vance on ICE shooting:
  "That guy is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job." [00:51]
• Sen. Tim Kaine on Venezuela War Powers, surprise passage:
  "I don't think my colleagues on the other side thought it was going to pass, so I'm not sure that they've really thought that through." [01:53]
• Keith Humphreys (Stanford) on fentanyl purity drop:
  "That's a big drop." [02:45]
• Humphreys on missed opportunity for Biden:
  "I think it hurt them because they had a story of success to tell." [03:05]
• Ryan O'Shaughnessy (Juneau) on snow loads:
  "We are approaching the design snow load of those facilities." [04:00]

Memorable Moments

• The surprising bipartisan Senate vote constraining Trump’s Venezuela policy.
• Discussion of a significant reduction in fentanyl deaths—accomplished but not publicized under Biden.
• Real-time weather emergency coverage from Juneau, highlighting immediate local and infrastructural impacts.

For Listeners

This five-minute update is a dense briefing on the state of U.S. domestic affairs, foreign policy debates, and global economic and environmental challenges as of January 8, 2026. Each story is succinctly presented with sharp NPR reporting and firsthand quotes, making the fast-moving news cycle accessible and actionable.