NPR News: 01-24-2026 10PM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now: 01-24-2026 10PM EST

Date: January 25, 2026
Host: Jeanine Hurst
Duration: 5 minutes
Main Theme:
This rapid-fire NPR News update provides coverage of the day's most pressing national and international headlines, including a controversial police shooting in Minneapolis, a major winter storm affecting much of the country, progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks, the reaffirmation of Hunter S. Thompson’s cause of death, and a significant new child care initiative in a major U.S. city.

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1. Minneapolis Police Shooting: Conflicting Accounts

(00:15 – 01:14)

Key Points:

• New bystander videos raise doubts about the official account of a fatal police shooting in Minneapolis.
• Trump administration statements, delivered by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, claimed the suspect, Alex Preeti (37), approached DHS officers with a pistol and was killed after resisting disarmament.
• However, video evidence suggests Preeti was holding only a phone while being pepper sprayed and restrained. Footage verifies an officer successfully disarmed Preeti an instant before another officer fired fatal shots.

Notable Quotes:

• “Videos show Preeti was filming with his phone at the time officers pepper sprayed him and grappled him to the ground.” – Kristi Noem [00:51]
• “The videos show the officer running away with Preeti's distinctive Sig Sauer pistol about a second before another officer fired multiple shots, ending his life.” – Jeff Brumfield [01:06]

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2. Major Winter Storm Impacts Much of U.S.

(01:14 – 02:14)

Key Points:

• A massive winter storm is sweeping from the Southwest to the Northeast, causing outages and widespread cancellations.
• Over 100,000 people have lost power; more outages expected due to ice bringing down trees and power lines.
• Nearly 14,000 flights canceled over the weekend.
• Warnings issued across more than 30 states for snow, sleet, wind, and extreme cold.
• Multiple states have declared emergencies; many schools and colleges anticipate closures or virtual classes on Monday.

Notable Quotes:

• “The storm is sweeping across the south with freezing rain and sleet and up into the northeast in New England with up to 2ft of snow expected in some places.” – Jeff Brady [01:32]
• “Governors in more than a dozen states have warned their residents about the storm and declared some form of emergency or state of preparation.” – Jeff Brady [01:57]

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3. Russia–Ukraine Peace Talks: Modest Progress

(02:14 – 03:09)

Key Points:

• U.S. officials report progress in talks with Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, though details remain limited.
• Just getting both parties in the same room was described as a “big step.”
• Talks were characterized as “very respectful,” despite no major breakthroughs.
• Major issues (territorial divisions, terms of de-escalation) remain unresolved.
• Next meeting scheduled in Abu Dhabi for the following week.

Notable Quotes:

• “Just getting them to the table to talk is a big step.” – US Official, as reported by Tamara Keith [02:33]
• “The conversations were very respectful, even if there were no significant breakthroughs.” – Tamara Keith [02:36]

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4. Hunter S. Thompson’s Death: Case Reaffirmed as Suicide

(03:09 – 04:21)

Key Points:

• Colorado Bureau of Investigation reaffirms that Thompson died by suicide in 2005, after a new review initiated by his widow Anita Thompson.
• No new evidence was found to contradict the original conclusion of self-inflicted gunshot wound.
• The author, famous for "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," had spoken about his struggles with depression, chronic pain, and suicidal thoughts.

Notable Quotes:

• “The Colorado Bureau of Investigations says it did not uncover any new facts or evidence to support a conclusion different from the original one.” – Chloe Veltman [03:35]
• “He was 66. The bureau says Thompson's widow, Anita Thompson, contacted the Pitkin county sheriff last summer to share, quote, new concerns and potential information about her husband's death.” – Chloe Veltman [03:46]

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5. Major City Expands Free Child Care Eligibility

(04:21 – 04:54)

Key Points:

• Families making under $230,000 annually now qualify for free child care, funded by a voter-approved tax.
• Families making up to $310,000 a year receive a 50% subsidy.
• Eligibility is based on area median income and aims to counteract high cost of living.

Notable Quotes:

• “A family of four making less than $230,000 a year now qualifies for free child care.” – Jeanine Hurst [04:21]
• “The city is using funds from a voter approved tax measure specifically to fund child care.” – Jeanine Hurst [04:46]

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Notable Moments & Tone

• High-impact journalism: The segment on the Minneapolis police shooting highlights NPR’s commitment to fact-checking official accounts with independent evidence.
• Urgency: Both the winter storm and the Russia-Ukraine peace talks underscore the immediacy of NPR’s reporting—warnings, updates, and next steps are all provided in concise fashion.
• Human element: The piece on Hunter S. Thompson’s case balances official statements with a respectful mention of his personal struggles.
• Practical policy news: The child care announcement closes the bulletin with a focus on impactful, locally-driven policy changes.

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Transcript

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[Jeanine Hurst]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Hurst. Bystander videos are raising questions about the shooting of a man in Minneapolis today. As NPR's Jeff Brumfield reports, the video seemed to contradict statements from the Trump administration.

[Kristi Noem]

Speaking at a press briefing, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said that 37 year old Alex Preeti had approached DHS officers with a pistol and that he was killed after he resisted attempts to.

[Jeff Brumfield]

Disarm him, fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him. An agent fired defensive shots, but multiple.

[Kristi Noem]

Videos show Preeti was filming with his phone at the time officers pepper sprayed him and grappled him to the ground. They also show one of the officers actually did disarm him. The videos show the officer running away with Preeti's distinctive Sig Sauer pistol about a second before another officer fired multiple shots, ending his life. Jeff Brumfiel, NPR News.

[Jeanine Hurst]

A major winter storm is moving from the southwest to the Northeast with heavy snow, sleet and ice. That's left more than 100,000 without power already. And officials warn ice can bring down trees and power lines, meaning more people without electricity. NPR's Jeff Brady reports. Nearly 14,000 flights have been canceled this weekend.

[Jeff Brady]

The storm is sweeping across the south with freezing rain and sleet and up into the northeast in New England with up to 2ft of snow expected in some places. Forecasters warn freezing rain and ice could be a problem for the Southern Plains to the Mid Atlantic and southeastern US and cold temperatures will last into next week. More than 30 states are under some sort of winter weather advisory for snow, sleet, wind and extreme cold. Governors in more than a dozen states have warned their residents about the storm and declared some form of emergency or state of preparation. Schools and universities in some of the affected states have announced they plan to close or offer virtual classes Monday. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

[Jeanine Hurst]

U.S. officials say progress was made in talks with Russia and Ukraine to end Moscow's nearly four year long war. NPR's Tamara Keith reports. The officials didn't provide a lot of specifics.

[Tamara Keith]

The US Team spoke to reporters after two days of meetings in Abu Dhabi with high level delegations from Ukraine and Russia. The officials said, quote, just getting them to the table to talk is a big step and quote, the conversations were very respectful, even if there were no significant breakthroughs. They said having everyone in the same room was progress. After months of at times frustrating shuttle diplomacy, many major sticking points remain, including how territory will be divided up and the terms of de escalation if there is a deal. The officials say the next meeting has already been set for a week from now. Again in Abu Dhabi, Tamara Keith, NPR News.

[Jeanine Hurst]

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Authorities in Colorado have reaffirmed the cause of writer Hunter S. Thompson's death in 2005 as suicide. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced the results of its comprehensive review following a request to reopen the case at the request of Thompson's widow.

[Chloe Veltman]

In a press release issued on Friday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations says it did not uncover any new facts or evidence to support a conclusion different from the original one, that Hunter S. Thompson died of a self inflicted gunshot wound at his home northwest of Aspen, Colorado, on February 20, 2005. He was 66. The bureau says Thompson's widow, Anita Thompson, contacted the Pitkin county sheriff last summer to share, quote, new concerns and potential information about her husband's death. Investigators have not shared details. The counterculture figure was best known as the author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In interviews, Thompson sometimes mentioned his struggles with depression, chronic pain and suicidal thoughts. Chloe Veltman, NPR News, in San Francisco.

[Jeanine Hurst]

A family of four making less than $230,000 a year now qualifies for free child care. It's part of a plan to lower the cost of living in one of the most expensive cities in the country. The city will also offer a 50% child care subsidy for those families making up to $310,000 a year. The city determines benefit eligibility based on area median income. The city is using funds from a voter approved tax measure specifically to fund child care. I'm Jeanine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington.

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