NPR News Now: January 21, 2026, 1AM EST

Host: Giles Snyder, NPR
Length: 5 minutes
Theme: Hourly roundup of major U.S. and international news

Episode Overview

This fast-paced newscast delivers the top headlines of the hour, covering President Trump's trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos and the political backlash over his Greenland efforts, new executive action on housing, the economic impact of increased federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Minnesota officials subpoenaed in a federal immigration probe, the sentencing of Shinzo Abe’s assassin, and a CDC warning about a parasitic outbreak near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump Heads to Davos Amid Greenland Controversy

[00:12–00:58]

• President Trump travels to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, aiming to focus on affordability in his speech.

• However, his administration's attempt to take control of Greenland is drawing more attention than the intended affordability agenda.

• Trump’s advisors promised a policy "pivot" to address housing prices and affordability, but according to NPR’s Mara Liasson, he did not speak about these issues and dismissed concerns over affordability.

  Notable Quote:

  "He's supposed to be going over there to talk about housing. His advisors have promised a pivot to affordability with a lot of new ideas to bring prices down. He didn't speak about any of them today, and he even dismissed again the idea that affordability is a real problem."
  — Mara Liasson, [00:36]

• The president’s journey to Davos was disrupted when Air Force One had to return to D.C. due to a minor electrical issue.

2. Executive Order on Housing and Wall Street Investors

[00:58–02:14]

• President Trump signed an executive order to prevent federal agencies from assisting Wall Street investors in purchasing single-family homes.

• The measure responds to concerns that institutional investors are crowding out first-time buyers, especially in cities like Atlanta where investor ownership is high.

• As NPR’s Stephen Psaha notes, the order has limited impact: it cannot directly ban these sales but does instruct agencies to cut off support (e.g., insurance, approvals) and to review regulations making such purchases harder.

• Some economists assert the housing crisis is driven more by a short supply than by investor activity.

  Notable Quote:

  "Some economists say that what's driving up the price of housing is not the number of Wall street investors, it's that there aren't enough homes on the market."
  — Stephen Psaha, [01:59]

3. Minneapolis Businesses Impacted by Immigration Crackdown

[02:14–03:12]

• Local businesses in Minneapolis attribute declining sales to a heavy presence of federal immigration agents, now present for six weeks.

• Restaurant owner Ricardo Hernandez reports a devastating 60% drop in sales—significantly worse than the 10% fall seen at the height of COVID-19.

• Some restaurants have closed or changed operations; for those open, staff lock doors after each new customer to protect clients.

• Hernandez expresses fear that continued enforcement could force closures citywide.

  Notable Quote:

  "Since federal agents descended in Minneapolis six weeks ago, his restaurants have seen 60% less in sales. During the height of the COVID pandemic, his sales only went down by 10%. Hernandez says this is not sustainable."
  — Sergio Martinez Beltran, [02:29]

4. Minnesota Officials Subpoenaed in Immigration Probe

[03:12–03:39]

• Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Twin Cities mayors have been subpoenaed by a grand jury investigating possible obstruction of the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies.
• The Justice Department inquiry focuses on alleged local resistance to federal immigration crackdowns.

5. Life Sentence in Shinzo Abe Assassination

[03:39–03:52]

• Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reports the man who confessed to assassinating former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has received a life sentence, more than three years after the crime during a campaign event.

6. CDC Warning: Flesh-Eating Maggot Outbreak Near U.S. Border

[03:52–04:54]

• The CDC issues a health advisory about New World screwworm, a fly whose larvae consume live tissue, now spreading in northern Mexico.

• The outbreak, ongoing since 2023, has caused over a thousand cases and seven deaths in Mexico—primarily affecting livestock but sometimes humans.

• No U.S. cases reported; strategy used in the 1960s and again in 2017 (sterile fly release) had previously eradicated the pest in the U.S.

  Notable Quote:

  "It's called New World screwworm, and it's a fly whose babies feed on live tissue ... the outbreak, which started in Central America in 2023, has spread to the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas."
  — Ping Huang, [04:08]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [00:36] Mara Liasson: "All anyone is talking about in Europe and in Davos this big business meeting is Greenland, and he's supposed to be going over there to talk about housing."
• [02:29] Sergio Martinez Beltran: "Hernandez says since federal agents descended in Minneapolis six weeks ago, his restaurants have seen 60% less in sales."
• [04:08] Ping Huang: "It's called New World screwworm, and it's a fly whose babies feed on live tissue."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:12] – President Trump leaves for Davos; Greenland and affordability in focus
• [00:58] – Trump’s executive order on housing and Wall Street
• [02:14] – Minneapolis business declines amid immigration enforcement
• [03:12] – Minnesota officials subpoenaed in DOJ immigration probe
• [03:39] – Sentencing of Shinzo Abe’s assassin
• [03:52] – CDC warning on screwworm outbreak near U.S. border

This summary provides a comprehensive snapshot of major news stories spanning U.S. politics, economics, immigration, global affairs, and public health—ideal for listeners seeking a brisk but substantive update on developments as of January 21, 2026.