NPR News: 01-24-2026 6PM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – January 24, 2026, 6PM EST

Host: Jeanine Herbst

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Overview

This episode delivers succinct coverage of the United States’ most pressing late-day news on January 24, 2026. Highlights include a fatal shooting by Border Patrol in Minneapolis, a historic winter storm sweeping much of the country, major Russian attacks against Ukraine during peace talks, an ongoing anti-corruption purge in China’s military, and a serious sewage spill in Washington, D.C.

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Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Minneapolis Border Patrol Shooting

• Incident:
  • A Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man, identified as Alex Preddy, in Minneapolis.
  • Officials claimed the deceased was a U.S. citizen who allegedly approached officers with a weapon during a targeted operation for an undocumented person.
• Conflicting Accounts:
  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asserted, “officers tried to disarm him, but the man allegedly violently resisted.” [00:38]
  • Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey contest this, referencing video evidence.
  • Mayor Frey attributes blame to policies of the Trump administration.
• City Response:
  • A city official announced legal action:

    “The city of Minneapolis is filing a declaration after today’s shooting to encourage the judge to rule on a temporary restraining order… to help stop this operation that has been so harmful.” [00:53]

  • Noted that recent operations have resulted in multiple shootings and deaths.
• Casualties: Three people shot; two have died.

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2. Historic Winter Storm Hits U.S.

• Scope & Severity:
  • A massive storm moving from the Southwest through New England is affecting about 200 million people; over a dozen states under emergency declarations.
  • Meteorologist Frank Pereira (National Weather Service):

    “This may be the all time [in] both population impact and geographical scope.” [01:40]

  • Effects include:
    • Snow exceeding one foot in places
    • Ice accumulation up to an inch
    • Subzero temperatures
• Human Impact:
  • Many are seeking shelter in warming centers.
  • Whitney Slater, storm victim in Detroit:

    “It’s brutal out there. It’s so cold it hurts, like, it hurts.” [01:59]

  • Officials strongly advise staying indoors; concerns of catastrophic ice and threats to power infrastructure in the southern states.

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3. Russian Assaults & Ukraine Peace Talks

• Ongoing Conflict:
  • Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities even as peace talks were concurrently held in the UAE.
  • Strikes targeted the energy grid at the peak of winter.
• Kyiv’s Situation:
  • Mayor Vitaly Klitschko:

    “Heating system and to rebuild [a] new one. Right now and during the wartime, it’s impossible. We need a lot of money and time for that.” [02:56]

  • Half of Kyiv’s apartment buildings are without heat.
  • Ongoing requests for more air defense aid from allies.

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4. China’s High-Ranking Military Purge

• New Investigation:
  • China announces a probe into General Zhang Youxia, the country’s most senior military figure implicated so far in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign.
  • Emily Fang, NPR:

    “General Zhang Youxia is being investigated for suspected violations of Communist Party discipline.” [03:32]

    • Zhang is a regime ‘princeling’ and veteran of China’s few foreign military conflicts.
• Political Context:
  • Accompanied by removal of nine generals in October and ongoing high-level reshuffles aimed at cementing President Xi’s power and reducing corruption.

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5. Major Sewage Spill in Washington, D.C.

• Environmental Emergency:
  • Collapse of a major sewer line has caused untreated wastewater from Maryland and Virginia to spill into the Potomac River for several days.
  • Crews have installed high-powered pumps to divert flow and limit further contamination.
• Scale:
  • Around 40 million gallons per day have entered the river since the rupture began on Monday.
  • Cause of the break remains under investigation.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Border Patrol Shooting:
  • Minneapolis official:

    “…help stop this operation that has been so harmful to the city of Minneapolis. The state of Minnesota has resulted in multiple shootings and tragic deaths.” [00:53]

• Describing the winter storm:
  • Meteorologist Frank Pereira:

    “This may be the all time both population impact and geographical scope.” [01:40]

  • Storm victim Whitney Slater, on the cold:

    “It’s brutal out there. It’s so cold it hurts like it hurts.” [01:59]

• On Ukraine’s heating crisis:
  • Mayor Vitaly Klitschko:

    “We need a lot of money and time for that.” [02:56]

• On China’s military purge:
  • Emily Fang:

    “General Zhang Youxia is being investigated for suspected violations of Communist Party discipline.” [03:32]

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Important Timestamps for Segments

• Minneapolis Shooting:
  00:15 – 01:16
• Winter Storm Coverage:
  01:16 – 02:18
• Ukraine Attacks & Peace Talks:
  02:18 – 03:10
• China Military Purge:
  03:10 – 04:17
• Washington, D.C. Sewage Spill:
  04:17 – 04:55

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This episode of NPR News Now provided a rapid but detailed overview of urgent domestic and international crises as of January 24, 2026, with first-hand statements and official reactions at every step.

Transcript

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[Jeanine Herbst]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. A Border Patrol agent has shot and killed a man in Minneapolis whom officials say was apparently a US citizen. Senator Amy Klobuchar identified him as 37 year old Alex Preddy. Immigration officials say they were targeting a person they say is an undocumented person and the man who died approached them with a weapon. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says officers tried to disarm him, but the man allegedly violently resisted. Governor Tim Wall says videos show that's not true. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry blames the Trump administration.

[Minneapolis City Official]

The city of Minneapolis is filing a declaration after today's shooting to encourage the judge to rule on a temporary restraining order on that would grant us immediate relief and would help stop this operation that has been so harmful to the city of Minneapolis. The state of Minnesota has resulted in multiple shootings and tragic deaths.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Three people have been shot, two died. A massive winter storm is sweeping from the southwest through the mid Atlantic and up through New England this weekend, affecting some 200 million people. More than a dozen states have declared states of emergency, and NPR's Amy Held has more.

[Frank Pereira]

The storm will last through Monday. National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira says it could go down in history as the biggest.

[Weather Expert]

This may be the all time both population impact and geographical scope.

[Frank Pereira]

With more than half the US Population hit by some combination of snow topping a foot in parts, ice up to an inch or more and cold as low as sub zero, officials say. Stay home. But for some people, that's outside.

[Whitney Slater]

It's brutal out there. It's so cold it hurts like it hurts.

[Frank Pereira]

Whitney Slater was sleeping in his car but moved to a warming center set up in Detroit. The cold will lock in the snowpack for days. And in parts of the south, forecasters warn of catastrophic ice threatening the power system. Amy Held, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukraine's two largest cities as Ukrainian, Russian and American envoys held peace talks. In the United Arab Emirates. NPR's Joanna Kakissis reports.

[Joanna Kakissis]

Attack drones flew over neighborhoods in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, as air defense units tried to shoot them down. Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine's energy grid during the coldest winter since the full scale invasion nearly four years ago. Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko wrote on social media that half of the city's apartment buildings are once again without heat. Klitschko told NPR on Thursday that it's a challenge to repair the capital's massive.

[Vitaly Klitschko]

Heating system and to rebuild new one. Right now and during the wartime, it's impossible. We need a lot of money and time for that.

[Joanna Kakissis]

He said Ukraine needs more air defense supplies to protect its energy grid.

[Jeanine Herbst]

NPR's Joanna Kakissis reporting. You're listening to NPR News. China says it's investigating the country's most senior military general. This says China's leader Xi Jinping has been purging dozens of high ranking defense officials and executives. But NPR's Emily Fang reports this is the most high ranking official yet to be targeted.

[Emily Fang]

General Zhang Youxia is being investigated for suspected violations of Communist Party discipline. 75 year old Zhang is a veteran of one of the only foreign wars China's military has fought. And like China's top leader, Xi Jinping, Zhang is what political analysts call a princeling, the son of a senior revolutionary who fought in a 1940 civil war which propelled the ruling Communist Party to power. A Defense Ministry spokesperson also said another general, Liu Junli, was under investigation as well. This past October, China's Defense Ministry officially removed nine generals from its ranks. And in Xi Jinping's consolidation of power, he has purged several other high level defense officials in an effort to tighten discipline and reduce corruption. Emily Fang, NPR News.

[Jeanine Herbst]

In Washington, D.C. crews work today to reroute millions of gallons of raw sewage that's spilling into the Potomac river in the nation's capital this days. After the collapse of a major sewer line that carries millions of gallons of wastewater daily from Maryland and Virginia to a pumping station in D.C. crews today installed high powered pumps to divert the wastewater around the damaged area. Utility company DC Water says around 40 million gallons a day has flowed into the river since the break on Monday. The cause of that break isn't known. I'm Jeanine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington.

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