NPR News Now: January 21, 2026, 4AM EST

Host: Giles Snyder, NPR
Date: January 21, 2026
Duration: 5 minutes

Episode Overview

This NPR News Now segment delivers a concise roundup of breaking global and U.S. news. Key stories include President Trump’s controversial focus on acquiring Greenland during his trip to Davos, new U.S. tariffs threats, a Supreme Court case involving the Federal Reserve, the latest in U.S.-Venezuela oil tensions, a sentencing in the Shinzo Abe assassination, and significant budget cutbacks at the Metropolitan Opera.

Major News Topics & Discussion Points

1. President Trump's Davos Visit & Greenland Controversy

• Trump heads to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, planning to address affordability in his speech, but the effort is overshadowed by his push to acquire Greenland.
• European leaders and media are fixated on the Greenland issue, causing expected policy pivots on affordability to take a back seat.
  • [00:36|Mara Liasson]:

    "Trump isn't following the strategy as far as affordability is concerned. 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."

  • Trump’s advisors promised a new focus on affordability policies, but these were not discussed by Trump in recent public remarks.
  • Trump himself again dismissed that affordability is a pressing issue.

2. Tariff Threats Linked to Greenland

• President Trump threatens new tariffs on NATO allies if they oppose the U.S. attempt to purchase Greenland from Denmark.
  • [01:12|Danielle Kurtzleben]:

    "Trump recently threatened to tariff eight European nations, all of them NATO members, if a deal is not reached for the US to purchase Greenland, part of the Kingdom of Denmark."

• In a personal message, Trump texted the prime minister of Norway about his disappointment in not winning the Nobel Peace Prize and suggested it is influencing his decisions.
  • [01:23|Danielle Kurtzleben]:

    "...Trump also texted the prime minister of Norway that the fact he didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize is weighing on his decision making."

• French President Emmanuel Macron expressed confusion directly to Trump via text.
  • [01:32|Danielle Kurtzleben]:

    "Trump posted that French President Emmanuel Macron texted him, quote, 'I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland.'"

• Treasury Secretary Scott Besant at Davos has publicly defended Trump’s approach to tariffs.
• Scheduled for the week:
  • Trump will give a major speech at Davos tomorrow.
  • Thursday: An event for the Board of Peace, set up to oversee reconstruction in Gaza.

3. Supreme Court Hears Case on Federal Reserve Board Removal

• The Supreme Court will hear whether the President can remove members from the Federal Reserve Board, a key agency for U.S. monetary policy.
  • Background:
    Last August, Trump attempted to fire economist Lisa Cook (originally appointed by Biden), alleging she falsified loan documents—a claim she denies.
  • The Trump administration's position is that the President’s decision, if made “for cause,” should not be reviewable by the courts.
  • [02:06|Nina Totenberg]:

    "That's a big caveat that essentially would hand Trump and future presidents unrestricted power to replace Fed board members with their personal picks."

4. U.S. Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker

• The seventh sanctioned oil tanker linked to Venezuela has been seized by U.S. forces as part of administration efforts to control Venezuelan oil flows.
  • The seizure occurred “without incident” and is in line with existing sanctions.
  • [02:56|Giles Snyder]:

    "The seizure is part of the Trump administration's effort to control Venezuela's oil."

5. Other Headlines

• Assassin of Shinzo Abe Sentenced:
  Japanese public broadcaster NHK reports the man who admitted to assassinating former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has received a life sentence. Abe was killed three and a half years ago at a campaign event.
• Metropolitan Opera Faces Cuts:
  • The Met plans to cut 22 administrative jobs, reduce salaries, and postpone an upcoming opera as it seeks to close a $40 million budget gap over two years.
  • Discussions are underway for a $200 million infusion from Saudi Arabia.
  • The opera house may also sell two iconic Marc Chagall murals, hoping to retain them on permanent loan.
  • [03:47|Anastasia Sioukis]:

    "The Chagall murals are valued at some $55 million. If they're sold, the Met expects them to remain in place at the theater displayed on permanent loan."

6. Global Market Reactions to Political Developments

• Stock markets in Europe and Asia fell amid financial uncertainty stemming from Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland.
  • Japan’s Nikkei down 0.4%; markets in South Korea, Australia, and Taiwan also down.
  • [04:32|Giles Snyder]:

    "President Trump's tariff threats over Greenland are fueling a global sell off in stocks."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mara Liasson on the focus of global leaders at Davos:

  "All anyone is talking about in Europe and in Davos this big business meeting is Greenland..." (00:36)

• Danielle Kurtzleben quoting Trump’s unusual communications:

  "Trump also texted the prime minister of Norway that the fact he didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize is weighing on his decision making." (01:23) "Trump posted that French President Emmanuel Macron texted him, quote, 'I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland.'" (01:32)

• Nina Totenberg on the Supreme Court case stakes:

  "...that essentially would hand Trump and future presidents unrestricted power to replace Fed board members with their personal picks." (02:06)

Key Timestamps

• 00:17 — News intro from Giles Snyder
• 00:36 — Mara Liasson on Davos and Greenland focus
• 01:12 — Danielle Kurtzleben on tariff threats and diplomatic messages
• 02:06 — Nina Totenberg on Supreme Court case regarding Federal Reserve
• 02:56 — U.S. seizes Venezuelan oil tanker
• 03:47 — Anastasia Sioukis on Met Opera layoffs and financial moves
• 04:32 — Giles Snyder on global market downturn linked to U.S. policy

Tone & Style

The episode maintains NPR’s characteristic calm, factual delivery, with brief but pointed analysis on high-profile political and cultural events. The tone is matter-of-fact, but includes moments of dry understatement when highlighting the unusual nature of some presidential communications and their international repercussions.

For news as it happens, listen to NPR News Now, updated hourly.