NPR News: 01-25-2026 5AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – 5AM EST, January 25, 2026

Host: Korva Coleman
Duration: 5 minutes

---

Episode Overview

In this concise news roundup, NPR delivers the latest national and international headlines, focusing on the deadly shooting of a protester by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis, a massive winter storm affecting the country’s midsection, a key Texas Senate debate, and escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada.

---

1. Federal Immigration Shooting in Minneapolis

• [00:16] Korva Coleman: Federal judge orders the Department of Homeland Security to preserve all evidence from the fatal shooting of protester Alex Preddy, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
• Family perspective:
  • [00:41] Michael Preddy (via Jimena Bustillo):
    "He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset."
• Context:
  • Third ICE shooting in Minneapolis this month, second death.
  • [00:55] Vice President Vance, online:
    "This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis. It is the direct consequence of far left agitators working with local authorities."
• Homeland Security response:
  • [01:28] Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem:
    "The immigration agent fired defensive shots that killed 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Preddy, asserting that he was armed with a handgun."
    • Noem accuses Preddy of attacking officers, refuses to detail when weapon was retrieved.
    • White House official labels Preddy a "domestic terrorist."
    • ICE has surged 2,000 officers into the city for enforcement.
    • [01:52] Over the weekend, thousands protested ICE conduct in Minneapolis.

---

2. Mammoth Winter Storm Hits U.S.

• [02:07] Korva Coleman: Major winter storm stretching from Arizona to New England, impacting Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas before moving northeast.
• [02:31] Frank Morris (Tulsa, OK):
  • Storm causes widespread power outages in Texas and Arkansas, with risks of outages from Texas to Virginia.
  • Leon Craigel (Tulsa street maintenance):
    [02:50]
    "This weekend we will start plowing, you know, until the storms go through and we can start seeing pavement again. Then we may start treating again. But that's probably looking more like Sunday afternoon before we can get to that point."
  • Thousands of flights canceled, mainly in the Southeast and East Coast.

---

3. Texas Senate Primary Debate

• [03:12] Korva Coleman:
  • Texas Democratic hopefuls Jasmine Crockett (Congresswoman) and James Talarico (State Rep.) debate, with both addressing the Minneapolis shooting and ICE.
• [03:35] Andrew Schneider (Houston Public Media):
  • Crockett supports impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and wants drastic changes to ICE.
    • [03:43] Jasmine Crockett:
      "We absolutely have to clean house, whatever that looks like, I am willing to do it."
  • Talarico leans even further, advocating for abolishing ICE.
    • [03:52] James Talarico:
      "It's time to tear down this secret police force and replace it with an agency that actually is going to focus on public safety."
  • Crockett also criticizes ICE for targeting U.S. citizens as well as undocumented immigrants.

---

4. U.S.–Canada Trade Tensions

• [04:09] Korva Coleman:
  • President Trump threatens new tariffs on Canada if it proceeds with a China trade deal, reversing his previous approval.
  • Last week, Canada's Prime Minister condemned “authoritarian leaders” using tariffs for leverage (implied criticism of Trump, though not named).

---

5. Ukraine-Russia Conflict Update

• [04:37] Korva Coleman:
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reports fresh talks on the ongoing war with Russia; no breakthrough yet, but the talks are described as constructive.

---

Notable Quotes

• [00:41] Michael Preddy (via Jimena Bustillo):
  "He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset."
• [00:55] Vice President Vance:
  "This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis. It is the direct consequence of far left agitators working with local authorities."
• [01:28] Kristi Noem (Homeland Security Secretary):
  "The immigration agent fired defensive shots that killed 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretty, asserting that he was armed with a handgun."
• [02:50] Leon Craigel (Tulsa street maintenance):
  "This weekend we will start plowing, you know, until the storms go through and we can start seeing pavement again. Then we may start treating again. But that's probably looking more like Sunday afternoon before we can get to that point."
• [03:43] Jasmine Crockett (Congresswoman):
  "We absolutely have to clean house, whatever that looks like, I am willing to do it."
• [03:52] James Talarico (State Rep.):
  "It's time to tear down this secret police force and replace it with an agency that actually is going to focus on public safety."

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:16: Federal judge orders DHS to preserve shooting evidence
• 00:41–01:52: Family and official responses, broader ICE actions, city protests
• 02:07–03:03: Winter storm impacts, city response, air traffic
• 03:12–04:00: Texas Senate debate, takes on ICE and law enforcement
• 04:09–04:37: U.S.–Canada trade tensions, Ukraine war talks

---

Summary

This episode presents a high-stakes news cycle across several fronts: a controversial federal shooting in Minneapolis spurring protests and sharp political debate; a crippling winter storm blanketing much of the country; political candidates in Texas voicing fierce criticism of federal enforcement agencies; President Trump’s shifting position on U.S.-Canada trade; and ongoing, unresolved talks in the Ukraine war.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

This message comes from Charles Schwab. When it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices like full service, wealth management and advice when you need it. You can also invest on your own and trade on thinkorswim. Visit schwab.com to learn more.

[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News, I'm Korva Coleman. A federal judge has ordered officials from the Department of Homeland Security to preserve all evidence from yesterday's killing of a protester in Minneapolis. ICE agent shot and killed 37 year old Alex Preddy as he demonstrated federal immigration operations in Minnesota. He was an ICU nurse. His father, Michael Preddy, says his son was deeply disturbed about what was going on.

[Jimena Bustillo]

He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ice, as millions of other people are upset.

[Korva Coleman]

This is the third time that federal immigration agents have shot someone in Minneapolis this month. It's the second time they've killed someone. Last evening, Vice President Vance wrote online about the killing of Preddy. He said, quote, this level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis. It is the direct consequence of far left agitators working with local authorities. NPR's Jimena Bustill reports. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is defending the federal agent who killed Alex Preddy.

[Kristi Noem]

Noem said that the immigration agent fired defensive shots that killed 37 year old Alex Jeffrey Pretty, asserting that he was armed with a handgun. She accused Pretty of brandishing the weapon and attacking officers, but declined to answer questions regarding at what point law enforcement retrieved the weapon. Immediately after the shooting, a top White House official called Pretti a domestic terrorist. This is the third immigration officer involved shooting in Minneapolis this month. Two people have been killed. The agency has surged 2,000 officers into the city to conduct immigration enforcement. Over the weekend, thousands in Minneapolis took to the streets to protest the conduct of immigration officers. Ximena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

The mammoth winter storm that forecasters warned us about is now hammering the nation's midsection. Wintry weather is spreading from Arizona to New England. Snow, sleet and rain have been falling across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The storm is moving into Pennsylvania and New York. NPR's Frank Morris reports from Tulsa, Oklahoma. It could take days for crews to clear the roads.

[Frank Morris]

As it got underway, the storm knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Texas and Arkansas. ICE could cause widespread outages from Texas to the Carolinas and into Virginia. Leon Craigel in Tulsa, Oklahoma, manages street maintenance for the city and says clearing deep snow may be a losing battle.

[Jimena Bustillo]

This weekend we will start plowing, you know, until the storms go through and we can start seeing pavement again. Then we may start treating again. But that's probably looking more like Sunday afternoon before we can get to that point.

[Frank Morris]

The storm scrambling air traffic, too, with thousands of flights canceled primarily in the Southeast and East Coast. Frank Morris, NPR News, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

[Korva Coleman]

You're listening to NPR News. The top two Democratic candidates for the U.S. senate seat in Texas have met for their first debate. Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and State Representative James Talarico are both seeking the Democratic nomination. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider reports. Both focused on the federal agents killing of a Minneapolis man yesterday.

[Andrew Schneider]

Crockett pointed to her support for impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and she said dramatic changes were needed at ice.

[Kristi Noem]

We absolutely have to clean house, whatever that looks like, I am willing to do it.

[Andrew Schneider]

Talarico appeared to go further, seeming to support the abolition of the agency.

[Jimena Bustillo]

It's time to tear down this secret police force and replace it with an agency that actually is going to focus on on public safety.

[Andrew Schneider]

Crockett also blasted ICE for targeting US Citizens in addition to undocumented immigrants. For NPR News, I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston.

[Korva Coleman]

President Trump is again threatening Canada with more tariffs on its goods exported to the United States. In an online post, Trump said he will slap levies on Canada if it goes ahead with the proposed trade deal with China. Trump had initially said it was a good thing for Canada to do this. Last week at a conference in Switzerland, Canada's prime minister gave a blistering speech about about the dangers of authoritarian leaders who use tariffs as economic weapons. He never named Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr M. Zelensky says fresh talks have concluded about Russia's war in Ukraine. There was no word of a breakthrough, but Zelensky described the talks as constructive. You're listening to NPR support for npr.

[Commercial Announcer]

This message comes from bombas. When you're playing sports, you're focused. Your socks should be too. Bombas engineers socks to fight sweat and cushion impact for every sport. Visit bombus.com NPR and use code NPR for 20% off your first purchase.