NPR News Now | January 15, 2026, 1AM EST

Host: Giles Snyder
Duration: ~5 minutes
Main Theme: Top stories from around the world and the U.S., focusing on diplomacy over Greenland, press freedom concerns, law enforcement incidents, a pioneering NASA medical evacuation, headline business news, sports updates, and market trends.

1. US-Denmark Dispute Over Greenland ([00:18]–[01:10])

• Topic: Ongoing tensions between the US and Denmark regarding US ambitions in Greenland.

• Key Points:

  • US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Danish and Greenlandic officials.
  • President Trump prioritizes Greenland as a national security issue due to perceived Russian and Chinese interest.
  • Denmark disputes the US narrative about Chinese military presence in the Arctic.
  • Both sides have agreed to form a working group to address these issues.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “[Trump] sees Greenland as a national security issue, warning of Russian and Chinese activity in the region. But the Danish foreign minister, Lars Lochrechmussen, disagrees.”
    — Franco Ordonez, NPR ([00:36])
  • “It is not a true narrative that we have, you know, Chinese warships all around the place. According to our intelligence, we haven't had a Chinese warship in Greenland for a decade or so.”
    — Lars Lochrechmussen, Danish Foreign Minister ([00:54])

2. European Military Exercises in Greenland & FBI Search of Reporter ([01:20]–[02:25])

• Topic 1: European troops to Greenland.

  • France and Germany to send troops for joint military exercises with European partners, scheduled Thursday-Saturday.

• Topic 2: FBI raid on Washington Post journalist.

  • Event: FBI’s early-morning search of reporter Hannah Natenson’s home, tied to classified information leaks regarding the Trump administration.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi did not name Natenson, but implied the FBI was acting on leaks from a Pentagon contractor.
  • Press freedom advocates express alarm at government encroachment on journalistic independence.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “The FBI searched the home of Washington Post journalist Hannah Natenson, who has been one of the newspaper’s lead reporters on the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal workforce.”
    — Ryan Lucas, NPR ([01:48])
  • “Bruce Brown called the search, quote, ‘a tremendous escalation in the administration’s intrusions into the independence of the press.’”
    — Ryan Lucas reporting on Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press president ([02:12])

3. Immigration Enforcement Shooting in Minneapolis ([02:25]–[02:48])

• Event: Another violent incident amid increasing immigration enforcement activities.
• Details:
  • Federal officer shot a person in the leg during an arrest, after being attacked with a shovel.
  • Incident follows the fatal shooting of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE agent the previous week, which spurred protests.

4. NASA Medical Evacuation from International Space Station ([02:48]–[03:06])

• Topic: Historic NASA medical evacuation.

• Key Points:

  • SpaceX Crew-11 undocked from the ISS, returning three crewmates and one ill astronaut to earth.
  • This marks NASA’s first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight.
  • Pacific Ocean splashdown expected near San Diego.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “Undocking confirmed. Endeavour begins its journey home.”
    — Lars Lochrechmussen (as ISS announcer) ([02:48])
  • “An astronaut in need of medical care along with three crewmates are on their way back home in what is NASA’s first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight.”
    — Giles Snyder, NPR ([02:55])

5. Business News: Saks Global Files for Bankruptcy ([03:06]–[03:31])

• Topic: Financial struggles at a major luxury retailer.
• Details:
  • Saks Global, owner of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, filed Chapter 11 in Texas.
  • Secured $1.7 billion to facilitate continued operation through bankruptcy.

6. Sports Update: Figure Skating and Olympic Dreams ([03:31]–[04:37])

• Topic: Setback for figure skating champions.

• Story:

  • Alisa Afimova and Misha Mitrovanov, two-time US national champions, will not compete in the upcoming Winter Olympics due to Afimova's incomplete US citizenship.
  • The pair are turning attention to another major event in Beijing later this month.
  • Additional Boston skaters will compete in Milan; Max Nomov, among them, lost his parents in a tragic DC plane crash.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “I'm very thankful that we got so far and overall, I am very honored to be here in the United States with an important person to me and doing the thing I really love.”
    — Misha Mitrovanov, Figure Skater ([04:05])

7. Financial Markets Update ([04:37]–[04:58])

• Topic: Asian markets suffer after Wall Street declines.
• Key Points:
  • Tech and banking stocks led US market drop.
  • Nikkei fell 1% after previous record highs.

Summary Table of Key Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | Detail | |---------|------------|--------| | US-Denmark/Greenland | 00:18–01:10 | Diplomatic tensions, security concerns | | European Troops & FBI Raids | 01:20–02:25 | Military exercise and press freedom alarm | | Immigration Shooting | 02:25–02:48 | Minneapolis enforcement violence | | NASA Medical Evacuation | 02:48–03:06 | Historic space station medical return | | Saks Global Bankruptcy | 03:06–03:31 | Major retailer insolvency | | Figure Skating Olympics | 03:31–04:37 | Citizenship hurdles for US champs | | Asian Financial Markets | 04:37–04:58 | Global stock market downturn |

Tone: The reporting is concise, direct, and factual, maintaining the typical brisk, impartial delivery of NPR News Now.

Memorable Moments:

• Danish Foreign Minister fact-checking US security claims about Chinese warships in Greenland.
• First NASA astronaut medical evacuation in 65 years.
• Emotional testimony from figure skaters facing Olympic disappointment.
• Commentary on the potential chilling effect of FBI actions on press freedom.

Useful for listeners:
This episode captures a cross-section of national security, press freedom, social unrest, historic space milestones, economic trouble, Olympic hopes, and global economic sentiment—succinctly delivering headlines and context for the day’s breaking stories.