NPR News Now: January 26, 2026, 3PM EST

Host: Windsor Johnston (NPR)
Description: The latest news in five minutes. Updated hourly.

Episode Overview

This episode brings breaking coverage of current US political standoffs, severe winter weather on the East Coast, historic gold prices, global and sports headlines, and a major EU tech investigation. The focus is on high-stakes legislative brinkmanship on Capitol Hill, impacts of extreme weather and the economic climate, and international incidents of note.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Looming US Government Shutdown Over DHS/ICE Funding

[00:00 – 01:19]

• Standoff on Capitol Hill:
  Senate Democrats threaten to risk a partial government shutdown, refusing to approve a spending bill that includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without reforms.
  • "Democrats say they will not give ICE any more money without reforms that Republicans have previously resisted." (Sam Greenglass, 00:39)
• Background:
  Comes days after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot a US citizen in Minneapolis, intensifying scrutiny over ICE and DHS.
• Impasse Details:
  The $1.3 trillion funding package covers defense, health, transportation, and more, but is tied with DHS funding.
  Even if Senate reaches a deal, the House is on recess and unlikely to act before the deadline.
• Key Quote:
  • "Even if the Senate agrees to changes or to cleave DHS from the funding for everything else, the House would still have to agree as well. And the House is on recess this week, unlikely to be called back before funding runs out." (Sam Greenglass, 01:12)

2. Major Winter Storm Impacting the Northeast

[01:19 – 01:56]

• Storm Aftermath:
  The Northeast receives the final blow from a massive winter storm spanning the South and East.
• Disruptions:
  • "Sunday was the biggest single day for cancellations since the early days of the COVID pandemic in 2020." (Joel Rose, 01:36)
  • Flights around Washington, D.C., New York, Boston most affected.
  • American Airlines canceled over half of its scheduled flights; Delta and United also faced major disruptions.
• Wider Effects:
  In the South, ice felled trees and power lines, causing outages for hundreds of thousands.
  • "Arctic Air is sweeping in, with some areas reporting record low temperatures." (Windsor Johnston, 01:56)

3. Record-Breaking Gold Prices Amid Investor Anxiety

[02:26 – 03:09]

• Historic Price Mark:
  For the first time, gold surpassed $5,000 per ounce.
• Drivers:
  Investor worries over trade wars, federal action (including President Trump’s tariff threats against Canada), and fears of a government shutdown.
  • "Gold has smashed several records in the past year as President Trump wages a trade war against United States allies." (Maria Aspen, 02:37)
• Trend Explained:
  • “Gold and other precious metals are traditionally seen as safe haven investments….” (Maria Aspen, 02:26)
  • Gold surges as investors sell dollars in the so-called "Sell America" trade.

4. Headlines: Philippines Ferry Disaster & Australian Open Upset

[03:09 – 04:18]

• Ferry Disaster:
  In southern Philippines, a ferry carrying hundreds capsized; at least 18 were killed. The incident is attributed to a technical failure.
• Australian Open Tennis Upset:
  Defending women's champion Madison Keys loses to Jessica Pegula (6-3, 6-4).
  • Pegula: "I've been playing really well, seeing the ball, hitting the ball really well this whole tournament, and I wanted to kind of stay true to that." (Jessica Pegula, 03:58)
  • Pegula advances to quarterfinals; Coco Gauff and Eva Jovic also move on.

5. EU Investigates X (Formerly Twitter) Over AI and Deepfakes

[04:18 – 04:55]

• Formal Probe:
  The European Union launches an investigation into X after its chatbot Grok surfaced non-consensual sexualized deepfake images.
• Regulatory Expansion:
  Project extends scrutiny to X's recommendation algorithms, especially after the company revealed that Grok’s AI would begin moderating content.
• Urgency:
  Increased after the deepfake incident and potential for AI-driven content manipulation.

6. Market Snapshot

[03:09, 04:54, 04:18]

• Wall Street Update:
  The Dow is up 336 points; NASDAQ is up 137.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Democrats say they will not give ICE any more money without reforms that Republicans have previously resisted." (Sam Greenglass, 00:39)
• "Sunday was the biggest single day for cancellations since the early days of the COVID pandemic in 2020." (Joel Rose, 01:36)
• "Gold and other precious metals are traditionally seen as safe haven investments, meaning investors buy them when they're anxious about more mainstream assets like stocks and bonds." (Maria Aspen, 02:26)
• "I've been playing really well, seeing the ball, hitting the ball really well this whole tournament, and I wanted to kind of stay true to that." (Jessica Pegula, 03:58)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] – U.S. Government Shutdown Threat over ICE/DHS funding
• [01:19] – Impacts of the major winter storm in Northeast & travel disruptions
• [02:26] – Gold prices surpass $5,000 amid economic tensions
• [03:09] – Philippines ferry disaster
• [03:46] – Australian Open: Pegula upsets Keys
• [04:18] – EU launches investigation into X over AI-generated deepfakes
• [03:09, 04:18, 04:54] – Wall Street and market updates

This five-minute NPR News Now episode rapidly delivers critical updates on national politics, weather, global incidents, economic trends, and tech regulation—essential listening for those seeking an up-to-the-minute briefing on the day's major stories.