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Live from NPR News, I'm Korva Coleman. President Trump says he is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis tonight. This comes two days after federal agents shot and killed a protester in the City. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports. A federal judge will hold a hearing today on whether to limit Trump's immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
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Minnesota has asked the court to declare the federal surge unconstitutional and unlawful or at least prohibit officers from certain harmful actions. And it says the matter is even more urgent after this weekend's fatal shooting of intensive care nurse Alex Preddy. Homeland Security has sent some 3,000 immigration agents to Minneapolis. It says the aim is to stop benefits fraud and arrest criminals. The state, led by Democrats, argues the real aim is political. And it says officers aggressive tactics are harming innocent people, draining local budgets and leaving many afraid to leave their home. Today's hearing is about a temporary pause while the case plays out. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Minneapolis.
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The gigantic winter storm that has walloped much of the nation is still active. Winter storm warnings are up, mostly for New England, but still persist in Ohio. Excessive cold warnings mean it feels near zero degrees all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. The storm also left a lot of ice behind, particularly in Southern states. And NPR's Joel Rose reports the ice has cut power to hundreds of thousands of residents.
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It may take days to get the power back on in parts of the south. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves says this is the biggest ice storm his state has seen in more than 30 years. At one point last night, Reeves said 180,000 customers in Mississippi had lost power. That's more than 10% of all utility customers in the state. Reeves said utility crews are working to get that power back on, but conditions are making that tough.
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NPR's Joel Rose reporting. The Israeli Supreme Court has heard final arguments in a petition by international journalists. They want to be allowed independent access to the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government is seeking to extend the ban on journalists entering Gaza. NPR's Daniel Estrin has more from the court in Jerusalem.
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The Israeli Supreme Court upheld the ban during the war, citing a risk to Israeli troops. Journalists are only allowed entry accompanied by Israeli troops. The Foreign Press association in Israel and the Palestinian territories is challenging the ban again. The group represents hundreds of international journalists including journalists with npr. In court, the Israeli government argued that despite the ceasefire, journalists would continue to pose security risks to troops. Israeli Supreme Court judges asked a representative of the government how journalists were any different from international aid workers whom Israel does allow into Gaza. Military representatives presented classified security assessments to the judges behind closed doors and and the judges said they would issue a ruling. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Jerusalem.
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And you're listening to NPR News. The Israeli military says the body of the final Israeli hostage has been identified and returned to Israel. The military said in a statement that Ron Gavili, 24, a special forces policeman, was killed while fighting Hamas militants. That was on October 7, 2023. His body was taken to Gaza. The military said it launched a special search operation for his body. Over the weekend in northern Gaza, American rock climber Alex Honnold became the first person to free climb Taipei 101 in Taiwan over the weekend. This is one of the world's tallest buildings. Ashish Valentine reports from Taipei. He didn't use a harness, ropes or a safety net.
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The moment Honnold reached the top, a crowd of thousands broke into cheers. The whole climb took Honnold, the star of the award winning documentary Free Solo, an hour and a half, his first words on reaching the top. Taipei 101 was the world's tallest building from 2004 till 2010 before being replaced by Dubai's Burj Khalifa. The climb was sponsored by Netflix and took place with the Permission of Taipei 101 and the city government. Taiwan's President Lai Ching Te congratulated Honnold in a post on Facebook saying the climber was brave and fearless. For NPR News, I'm Ashish Valentine.
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In Taipei, the Super bowl is set between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. New England defeated Denver to take the AFC title. Yesterday. Seattle beat the Los Angeles Rams to capture the NFC championship. The super bowl is in two weeks. This is NPR News.
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Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to npr news now +@ +npr.org that's +npr.org.
This five-minute NPR News Now episode, hosted by Korva Coleman, covers major national and international headlines, including a federal legal battle over immigration tactics in Minnesota, the ongoing effects of a massive winter storm, a high-profile court case about journalist access to Gaza, the recovery of a fallen Israeli hostage, Alex Honnold’s historic free climb, and NFL playoff results setting the stage for the Super Bowl.
"Today's hearing is about a temporary pause while the case plays out."
— Jennifer Ludden (00:34–01:17)
"It may take days to get the power back on in parts of the south."
— Joel Rose (01:44–02:07)
"Israeli Supreme Court judges asked a representative of the government how journalists were any different from international aid workers whom Israel does allow into Gaza."
— Daniel Estrin (02:27–03:10)
"The moment Honnold reached the top, a crowd of thousands broke into cheers."
— Ashish Valentine (03:59–04:35)
Jennifer Ludden (on Minnesota’s case):
"It says officers aggressive tactics are harming innocent people, draining local budgets and leaving many afraid to leave their home." (00:34–01:17)
Joel Rose (on Mississippi ice storm):
"That's more than 10% of all utility customers in the state." (01:44–02:07)
Daniel Estrin (on court’s skepticism):
"The judges said they would issue a ruling." (02:27–03:10)
| Time | Segment Description | |--------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:15 | National and Minneapolis news headlines | | 00:34 | Jennifer Ludden on Minnesota's legal challenge | | 01:17 | Winter storm update and Joel Rose on southern outages | | 02:07 | Israeli Supreme Court and Daniel Estrin on Gaza access | | 03:10 | Israeli military hostage recovery news | | 03:59 | Alex Honnold’s free climb in Taipei (Ashish Valentine) | | 04:35 | Super Bowl teams announced |
In this brisk yet detailed news roundup, NPR News Now delivers urgent updates on U.S. immigration enforcement controversy, extreme winter weather, high-stakes legal battles over press freedom, and human stories from conflict and sports. The episode weaves together domestic urgency and international coverage, punctuated by moments of personal achievement and national significance.