NPR News: 01-09-2026 1PM EST

Summary

---

NPR News Now — January 9, 2026, 1PM EST

Main Theme:
This five-minute news update from NPR covers key stories from across the U.S. and abroad, focusing on recent shootings involving federal immigration agents, concerns over the U.S. role in Venezuela, surprisingly slow job growth numbers, a high-profile fraud trial, and U.S. diplomatic aid in Southeast Asia.

---

Major News Stories & Key Insights

1. Minneapolis Shooting by Federal Immigration Agent

• Details: Authorities in Minnesota call on the public for video evidence after a federal immigration agent fatally shot Renee Goode, a Minneapolis woman, earlier in the week.
• Attorney General Keith Ellison’s Statement:

  “She died trying to be a legal assistant to legal observer to look out for the interests of the most vulnerable members of our community.”
  — Keith Ellison [00:31]

• Official Response: The administration asserts the agent acted in self-defense.
• National Context: Another federal shooting in Portland left two injured, inciting protests at an ICE facility. Both events have spurred scrutiny over agents’ authorization and use of force.

  • "The Trump administration maintains agents are authorized to act if they are threatened while attempting to enforce immigration law." — Lakshmi Singh [01:04]

2. U.S. Job Growth Slows

• Labor Department Numbers:
  • December hiring slower than anticipated — 50,000 jobs added, missing the 70,000 projection.
  • Marks the slowest annual job growth since the pandemic began.
• Political Impact: Polls indicate increasing disapproval with President Trump’s handling of the economy.

3. U.S. Military Action & Public Opinion on Venezuela

• Public Sentiment:
  • Strong Republican support for military moves in Venezuela, per NPR and Reuters/Ipsos polls.
  • Majority worry about “too much” U.S. involvement.
• President Trump’s Comments:

  “Sean Hannity, it's going to take a while to do it. We have to rebuild the country. They couldn't have an election. They wouldn't even know how to have an election right now. The country has become Third World and they wouldn't know how to have an election right now. We're going to rebuild the oil and the oil infrastructure. We'll be in charge of it and make a lot of money.”
  — President Donald Trump, Fox News [01:42–01:59]

• Moral Leadership Poll:
  • While over 60% of Americans want the U.S. to be a moral world leader, only 45% believe it is living up to that standard.
  • Democratic Voter Perspective:

    “It's not about anything that has to do with the betterment of the people in Venezuela. It's solely due to taking over the resources in that land, and that is not moral to mean my world.”
    — Sarah Bolling [02:37]

  • Republican View: More than 60% say the U.S. is the world’s moral leader and shouldn’t hesitate to use military power. — Summary by Frank Langfitt [02:48]

4. Ted DiBiase Jr. Welfare Fraud Trial

• Case Summary: Ex-professional wrestler Ted DiBiase Jr. is facing trial in Mississippi, accused of embezzling nearly $3 million in federal welfare funds.
• Key Details:
  • Funds intended for needy families allegedly misused for personal purchases, including real estate and a boat.
  • DiBiase allegedly received special privileges within the Department of Human Services despite not being a state employee or contractor.
  • This is the only criminal case proceeding in the wake of Mississippi’s $77 million welfare fraud scandal. — Reporting by Shamir Muhammad [03:34–04:20]

5. U.S. Diplomatic Aid to Southeast Asia

• Developing Story: The Trump administration is preparing $45 million in aid for Cambodia and Thailand, aiming to support a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
• Announcement: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State delivered the news in a media briefing from Bangkok.

6. Stock Market Update

• Current Trends: Major U.S. indices are trading higher at the hour:
  • Dow up 200 points at 49,465
  • S&P up 41
  • NASDAQ up 174

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Keith Ellison, on the shooting victim:

  “She died trying to be a legal assistant to legal observer to look out for the interests of the most vulnerable members of our community.” [00:31]

• President Trump, on U.S. involvement in Venezuela:

  “We have to rebuild the country. ... We're going to rebuild the oil and the oil infrastructure. We'll be in charge of it and make a lot of money.” [01:42–01:59]

• Sarah Bolling, on U.S. moral leadership:

  “It's not about anything that has to do with the betterment of the people in Venezuela. It's solely due to taking over the resources in that land, and that is not moral to me in my world.” [02:37]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Fatal shooting by a federal officer / Attorney General Ellison’s remarks: 00:18–00:44
• Portland ICE shooting and administration defense: 00:44–01:04
• Labor Department jobs report & political reaction: 01:08–01:29
• Polls on Venezuela action / Trump comments on Fox: 01:29–01:59
• Foreign policy restraint & moral leadership poll: 02:02–02:48
• Welfare fraud trial of Ted DiBiase Jr.: 03:01–04:20
• US-Cambodia/Thailand aid & market updates: 04:20–04:53

---

This concise NPR news update offers a snapshot of ongoing political, economic, and legal issues in the U.S., delivering essential headlines and a range of public perspectives.

Transcript

[Carvana Announcer]

This message comes from Carvana, who makes car selling easy. Enter your license plate or vin, get a real offer in minutes and have your car picked up from your door. Sell your car the easy way with Carvana. Pickup fee may apply.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

[NPR Reporter]

Minnesota authorities are asking the public to send in video or any other evidence.

[Lakshmi Singh]

They have that could help them with the investigation of a Minneapolis woman's fatal shooting by a federal immigration agent this week. Here's state Attorney General Keith Ellison.

[Keith Ellison]

She died trying to be a legal assistant to legal observer to look out for the interests of the most vulnerable members of our community.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The administration says the agent who shot Renee Goode acted in self defense. Federal agents are also under scrutiny over a shooting in Portland, Oregon that injured two people at touched off protests outside an ICE facility last night. The Trump administration maintains agents are authorized.

[NPR Reporter]

To act if they are threatened while.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Attempting to enforce immigration law.

[NPR Reporter]

The newest Labor Department numbers show US Hiring in December cooled further and brought.

[Lakshmi Singh]

To a close the slowest year of job growth since the onset of the pandemic. Employers added 50,000 jobs, falling short of the widely projected 70,000. As recent polls suggest growing disapproval with President Trump's handling of the economy.

[NPR Reporter]

The they also indicate strong support for.

[Lakshmi Singh]

His military action in Venezuela among Republicans.

[NPR Reporter]

At the same time, according to a Reuters Ipsos poll, majority of those surveyed.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Are concerned the US Will become too involved in Venezuela. Here's Trump speaking to Fox News.

[Donald Trump]

Sean hannity, it's going to take a while to do it. We have to rebuild the country. They couldn't have an election. They wouldn't even know how to have an election right now. The country has become Third World and they wouldn't know how to have an election right now. We're going to rebuild the oil and the oil infrastructure. We'll be in charge of it and.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Make a lot of money. President Trump adds.

[NPR Reporter]

The president told the New York Times.

[Lakshmi Singh]

This week the only thing that constrains him on foreign policy is his morality and mind. A new NPR Ipsos poll finds that most Americans want the US to be the moral leader in the world, but far fewer think it is. NPR's Frank Lankvitt has details.

[Frank Langfitt]

Just over 60% think the U.S. should be the world's moral leader, according to the poll, but 45% say it isn't. Sarah Bolling is a Democrat who lives in Little Rock. She says the US Attack on Venezuela is a good example.

[Sarah Bolling]

It's not about anything that has to do with the betterment of the people in Venezuela. It's solely due to taking over the resources in that land, and that is not moral to mean my world.

[Frank Langfitt]

By Contrast, more than 60% of Republicans say the US is the world's moral leader and that it should not hesitate to use its military power. Frank LangFit, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

U.S. stocks are trading higher this hour. The Dow Jones industrial average is now up 200 points at 49,465. This is NPR News. Former professional wrestler Ted DiBiase Jr. Is on trial in Mississippi. He is accused of pocketing nearly $3 million in federal funding intended for families in need. Shamir Muhammad with Mississippi Public Broadcasting has the latest.

[Shamir Muhammad]

Dibiase is accused of using the funds to enrich himself, buying private real estate and even a boat through six sham contracts. He has pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy, embez, wire fraud. A former internal auditor of Mississippi's Department of Human Services has testified that Dibiase received an agency corner office, a state email address and a phone even though he was not a state employee or contractor. Agency witnesses from the U.S. department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services also testified this is the only criminal case to go to trial in Mississippi's $77 million welfare fraud scandal. For NPR News, I'm Sham Mohammad N. Jackson.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The Trump administration is expected to provide $45 million in aid to its US trade partners, Cambodia and Thailand, as Washington attempts to keep a U S brokered ceasefire between the Southeast Asian neighbors from collapsing. U.S. assistant Secretary of State made the announcement in an online media briefing in Bangkok. The dow is up 200 points, S&P has gained 41, and the NASDAQ is now up 174 points. I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

Listen to this Podcast sponsor, free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR NewsNow +@ +npr.org. that's +npr.org.