NPR News: 01-26-2026 4AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – January 26, 2026, 4AM EST

Episode Overview

This brief update delivers a rapid-fire summary of breaking national news and current events, focusing on the aftermath of a controversial fatal police shooting in Minnesota, the impacts of a major winter storm in Texas, a spiritual peace march in North Carolina, and political pressure on the Federal Reserve. The tone stays factual and concise, in typical NPR style.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minnesota Immigration Controversy and Shooting (00:16–02:13)

• Governor Walz Speaks Out

  • Governor Tim Walz emphasizes Minnesota's commitment to "law and order" while criticizing the federal government's deployment of immigration agents.
    • Notable quote:

      "We believe in law and order in this state. We believe in peace. And we believe that Donald Trump needs to pull these 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another person."
      — Gov. Tim Walz (00:33)

• Incident Recap

  • Alex Preddy, an ICU nurse and local VA hospital employee, was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in South Minneapolis.
  • President Trump, commenting to the Wall Street Journal, indicates the administration is reviewing the situation.

• Corporate Response

  • Over 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies—including Target, Best Buy, and General Mills—urge authorities to "de-escalate tensions," reporting recent business losses.

• Public Backlash in Wisconsin

  • About 1,000 people in Green Bay protest the shooting, braving single-digit temperatures.
    • Protester Tom Murphy reflects on the local loss:

      "This is a hit to the hometown and we need to let everybody know this isn't right. This should not have happened."
      — Tom Murphy, Protester (01:50)

  • Federal officials label Preddy a "domestic terrorist," which his parents strongly dispute as "sickening lies."

2. Winter Storm Impacting Texas and Nationwide Travel (02:13–03:08)

• Severe Weather Closures
  • Major ice and snow lead to widespread shutdowns and deserted roads in Texas.
  • Schools are closed, thousands of flights cancelled or delayed.
  • At least one person dies from exposure in Austin; minor outages but not a replay of the catastrophic 2021 storm.
    • Key report:

      "The roads here are still coated in a layer of ice. This is a big problem for a part of the country that's not used to dealing with winter weather."
      — Matt Largey, KUUT Austin (02:28)

3. Walk for Peace Monks’ Journey Through North Carolina (03:08–03:52)

• Unity and Inspiration
  • On day 94 of their Texas-to-DC march, Buddhist monks face harsh winter conditions in North Carolina.
  • Thousands meet them in Raleigh where Governor Josh Stein praises their message:

    "We live in a time of partisan rancor and political discord. We don't want to be on guard against our neighbors. We want to come together."
    — Gov. Josh Stein, NC (03:28)

4. Federal Reserve and Political Pressure (03:52–04:46)

• Interest Rate Watch
  • The Federal Reserve is expected to hold rates steady. It had cut rates at the last three meetings to help the labor market.
  • President Trump ramps up pressure, even prompting a Justice Department investigation into the central bank’s actions.
  • Fed Chair Jerome Powell maintains the importance of the Fed’s independence:

    "[Powell] said public service sometimes requires standing firm in the face of threats."
    — Scott Horsley, NPR (04:18)

  • All eyes are on the upcoming news conference for further clarification on the Fed’s position.

5. Market Update (04:46–04:55)

• Asia Stocks
  • Asian markets are down, with Japan's Nikkei index falling 1.7%.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Governor Walz’s Outcry (00:33): "Donald Trump needs to pull these 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another person."
• Community Mourning in Green Bay (01:50): "This is a hit to the hometown and we need to let everybody know this isn't right."
• Governor Stein’s Call for Unity (03:28): "We don't want to be on guard against our neighbors. We want to come together."
• Fed Chairman Powell’s Stand (04:18): "Public service sometimes requires standing firm in the face of threats."

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Timestamps of Major Segments

• Minnesota news and shooting aftermath: 00:16–02:13
• Texas winter storm impact: 02:13–03:08
• Walk for Peace monks in NC, unity message: 03:08–03:52
• Federal Reserve under pressure: 03:52–04:46
• Asia stock market update: 04:46–04:55

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Live from NPR News in New York City, I'm Doua Helisai Kautao. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says the nation wants secure borders and immigration enforcement that prioritizes criminals. But what's happening in his state isn't that he says occupation.

[C]

We believe in law and order in this state. We believe in peace. And we believe that Donald Trump needs to pull these 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another person. And we're up here telling another story of a Minnesotan just trying to live their life without the interference.

[B]

Alex Preddy, an ICU nurse who worked at a local VA hospital, was killed Saturday morning in South Minneapolis. President Trump, speaking to the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, said, quote, we're reviewing everything. Come out with a determination. Meanwhile, the CEOs of more than 60 Minnesota companies, including Target, Best Buy and General Mills, are urging local, state and federal officials to de escalate tensions as some businesses reported recent losses. About a thousand people in Green Bay, Wisconsin, protested on Sunday the fatal shooting of Alex Preddy by federal immigration agents. From member station WUWM Chum Chuck Kornbach reports.

[D]

The rally and march were held in single digit temperatures along the frozen Fox river in downtown Green Bay. Alex Pruddy attended Preble High School. Protester Tom Murphy was three years ahead of Pruddy and says it's a shock to lose a former schoolmate.

[E]

This is a hit to the hometown and we need to let everybody know this isn't right. This should not have happened.

[D]

The White House continues to defend the immigration agents who shot pruddy, calling the 37 year old nurse a domestic terrorist. His parents say the Trump administration is telling, quote, sickening lies. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Kuernbach in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

[B]

Texas is among the states feeling the impacts of the massive winter storm, dumping snow and ice across much of the country. As Matt Largey from member station KU UT in Austin reports, many parts of the state are virtually shut down.

[F]

The roads here are still coated in a layer of ice. This is a big problem for a part of the country that's not used to dealing with winter weather. Roads have been pretty deserted as many businesses closed or cut back their hours because of the weather. Many school districts have already canceled classes for Monday. Thousands of flights in and out of Texas and much of the US have been delayed or cancelled. At least one person in Austin died from exposure overnight Saturday. While there were some local power outages, the state did not see a repeat of the deadly 2021 winter storm that knocked out power to millions. Temperatures are expected to stay below freezing here until sometime late Monday. For NPR News, I'm Matt Largey in.

[B]

Austin, and this is NPR News from New York City. It is day 94 for the walk for Peace monks who started their journey to Washington, D.C. from Texas in October. And for the first time, the dressed in golden maroon clothes faced wintry, icy conditions walking through snow and frigid temperatures in North Carolina. In Raleigh, at the state Capitol, thousands gathered to meet them. Governor Josh Stein thanked the monks for inspiring unity and hope in the country. He told a crowd, we live in a time of partisan rancor and political discord. We don't want to be on guard against our neighbors. We want to come together. The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady when police policymakers meet this coming week. NPR's Scott Horsley reports. All eyes will be on Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, who's been the target of a pressure campaign by President Trump.

[G]

The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates at its last three meetings in an effort to prop up the sagging job market. But with inflation still elevated, the central bank has signaled it will be cautious about additional rate cuts. President Trump, who wants much lower rates, has gone to great lengths to bend the Fed in that direction. The Justice Department has even launched an investigation of the central bank. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has generally tried to avoid getting dragged into a fight with the president. But earlier this month, Powell said public service sometimes requires standing firm in the face of threats. This week's post meeting news conference will give Powell another chance to make the case for why the Fed should be insulated from political interference. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[B]

Asian stocks mostly dipped. The nikkei fell by 1.7%. I'm dwahili sai Kowtel, NPR News, in New York.

[H]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Capella University. Interested in a quality online education. Capella is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at Capella. Eduardo.