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.