NPR News: 01-25-2026 11AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now: January 25, 2026, 11AM EST

Host: Windsor Johnston (NPR)
Date: January 25, 2026
Episode Theme:
A concise update on pressing domestic and international news, with stories ranging from a controversial shooting in Minneapolis, massive winter storms across the U.S., shifting U.S.-Canada-China trade relations, a remarkable free climb in Taiwan, and Japan’s diplomatic “panda farewell.”

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Key News Stories & Insights

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1. Tension Over Immigration Agent-Involved Shooting in Minneapolis

[00:16 - 01:23]

• Incident:
  Federal immigration agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Preddy in Minneapolis on Saturday.
• Conflict Between Agencies:
  • State investigators claim they were blocked from the crime scene by federal law enforcement, even after returning with a signed judicial warrant.
  • This has reignited longstanding tensions over jurisdiction and transparency in federal use-of-force incidents.
• State Response:
  • Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced the state will conduct its own investigation:

    “We need to have a fair investigation, understanding what's happening and held accountable. ... They can have full immunity. And what I'm telling you is they will not. There will be justice to Minnesotans.”
    — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz [00:57]

  • The state is suing to prevent destruction of evidence. A judge has granted a temporary order to preserve evidence.

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2. Massive Winter Storm and Emergency Declarations in 10 States

[01:23 - 02:27]

• Scope:
  • President Trump approved emergency declarations in 10 states, including Indiana and Kentucky.
  • More than 800,000 people lost power—majority in Southern states.
• Impacted Areas:
  Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee among the hardest hit.
  • Tens of thousands of outages reported.
  • Mississippi social media shows icicles forming on power lines.
• Utility Response:
  • Southwestern Electric Power Company reported extensive damage from ice-laden trees falling on power lines.
  • Utility crews are prepared but outages continue to increase.
• Quote:

  “Utilities say they have crew members on standby to repair downed lines. But in many areas hard hit by the storm, outage numbers continue to creep up.” — Matt Bloom, NPR News [02:12]

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3. U.S.-Canada-China Trade Tensions Escalate

[02:27 - 03:09]

• Tariff Threat:
  • President Trump threatened a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if Canada proceeds with a trade deal with China.
• Timeline:
  • Trump initially praised the Canada-China trade deal.
  • After Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's critical remarks at Davos, Trump reversed his stance and issued the tariff threat.
• Insight:

  “Trump is very unpredictable. That's why he's forcing other countries to de risk to separate from the United States and look for other partners.”
  — Mara Liasson, NPR [02:53]

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4. Alex Honnold Scales Taipei 101 Skyscraper

[03:09 - 04:24]

• Event:
  • Alex Honnold, known for “Free Solo” and his rope-less feats, climbed Taiwan’s 101-story, 1,600-foot Taipei 101 skyscraper.
  • He used only his hands and some chalk—no ropes, no safety net.
• Public Reaction:
  • Large crowd gathered and cheered as he climbed.
• Remarkable Details:
  • The building is in a high-risk earthquake zone.
  • It features an internal steel damper system.
• Quote:

  “If you look at a building like Taipei 101, you're just like, dude, it's so big. It's so much bigger than everything around it. The view is insane.”
  — Alex Honnold [03:55]

• Climb Duration:
  • About 1.5 hours.

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5. Japan Bids Farewell to Its Last Pandas as Panda Diplomacy Shifts

[04:24 - 04:55]

• Event:
  • Crowds gathered at Tokyo Zoo to say goodbye to the last two pandas—twin cubs returning to China.
  • The pandas are Chinese-owned under “panda diplomacy,” an agreement dating back to 1972.
• Diplomatic Context:
  • The return comes at a time when Japan-China relations have soured.
  • Pandas symbolized the normalization of diplomatic ties between the countries.
• Quote:

  “Japan received its first pandas in 1972, a gift that marked the normalization of diplomatic ties with Beijing.”
  — Windsor Johnston [04:48]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Governor Tim Walz (on federal immunity):

  “They can have full immunity. And what I'm telling you is they will not. There will be justice to Minnesotans.” [00:57]

• Mara Liasson (on Trump’s unpredictability):

  “That's why he's forcing other countries to de risk to separate from the United States and look for other partners.” [02:53]

• Alex Honnold (on Taipei 101):

  “Dude, it's so big. It's so much bigger than everything around it. The view is insane.” [03:55]

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Key Timestamps

• [00:16] Minnesota shooting and jurisdictional clash
• [01:23] Winter storm emergency declarations and impact
• [02:27] US-Canada-China trade tension escalation
• [03:09] Alex Honnold’s skyscraper free climb
• [04:24] Japan’s final panda farewell

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This summary captures the impactful events and memorable commentary featured in NPR’s 5-minute news update for January 25, 2026, at 11AM EST.

Transcript

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[Windsor Johnston]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Minnesota and federal law enforcement officials are clashing over the fatal shooting of a man by immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday. The incident has reignited tens over jurisdiction and transparency in use of force cases. Peter Cox with Minnesota Public Radio reports.

[Peter Cox]

After federal immigration agents shot and killed 37 year old Alex Jeffrey Preddy, state investigators say they were blocked from the scene by federal law enforcement even after returning with a signed judicial warrant. Minnesota Governor Tim Walls says the state will do its own investigation.

[Minnesota Governor Tim Walls]

We need to have a fair investigation, understanding what's happening and held accountable. We continue to hear, and we heard it from the vice president, that these folks can do whatever they want. They can have full immunity. And what I'm telling you is they will not. There will be justice to Minnesotans.

[Peter Cox]

The state is suing to prevent the destruction of evidence and a judge granted a temporary order to preserve it. For NPR News, I'm Peter Cox in St. Paul.

[Windsor Johnston]

President Trump has approved emergency declarations in 10 states, including Indiana and Kentucky, as a massive winter storm sweeps across the nation. NPR's Matt Bloom reports. Snow, ice and freezing rain has knocked out power for more than 800,000 people, mostly in the South.

[Matt Bloom]

Electric companies in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee reported tens of thousands of outages as the storm unleashed freezing rain and snow. Video on social media from Mississippi showed icicles forming on power lines in several cities as the storm moved. Southwestern Electric Power Company, which services parts of northern Louisiana, eastern Texas and Arkansas, said in a statement a large number of trees fell on power lines due to heavy ice accumulation. Utilities say they have crew members on standby to repair downed lines. But in many areas hard hit by the storm, outage numbers continue to creep up. Matt Bloom, NPR News, New Orleans.

[Windsor Johnston]

President Trump is threatening to slap a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if it moves ahead with a trade deal with China. The sudden shift comes just days after Prime Minister Mark Carney made critical remarks at the World Economic Forum In Davos, Switzerland. NPR's Mara Liasson reports.

[Mara Liasson]

What's interesting about this is when that trade deal was announced, Trump was positive about it. He said, quote, this is what you should be doing. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that. But then after Carney's speech he changed his and threatened tariffs. So I think the bottom line here is that Trump is very unpredictable. That's why he's forcing other countries to de risk to separate from the United States and look for other partners.

[Windsor Johnston]

That's NPR's Mara Liasson reporting. This is NPR News in Washington. American rock climber Alex Honnold shot to fame in the documentary film Free Solo. It showed him doing one of the hardest climbs in Yosemite national park without using ropes. This weekend, Honnold free clim a very different goal. Taipei 101, Taiwan's iconic skyscraper. NPR's Emily Fang has more.

[Emily Fang]

A large crowd cheered as Honnold scaled The more than 1600 foot high blue glass and steel skyscraper with nothing more than his hands and some chalk, no rope and no safety net. He said he'd been thinking of climbing Taipei 101 for years.

[Alex Honnold]

If you look at a building like Taipei 101, you're just like, dude, it's so big. It's so much bigger than everything around it. The view is insane.

[Emily Fang]

At 101 stories tall, Taipei 101 is one of the tallest buildings in Asia and built in a high risk earthquake zone, which it compensates for with an internal steel damper that sways whenever there's a quake to counteract it and stop the building from breaking in half. In total, the climb to Honnold about an hour and a half. EMILY Fang and Pure News.

[Windsor Johnston]

Crowds gathered at the zoo in Tokyo today to say farewell to Japan's last two pandas. The twin cubs are heading back to China, which owns the animals under a long standing agreement known as panda diplomacy. But Tokyo's ties with Beijing have deteriorated. Japan received its first pandas in 1972, a gift that marked the normalization of diplomatic ties with Beijing. I'm Windsor Johnston and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

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