NPR News: 01-28-2026 4PM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – January 28, 2026, 4PM EST

Main Theme:
This NPR News Now episode delivers concise updates on major U.S. and international news, focusing on recent law enforcement controversies, Federal Reserve policy, U.S.-Venezuela relations, new research on menopause and cognition, and the upcoming tax season.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Shooting Involving Immigration Officers in Minneapolis

[00:14 – 01:03]

• Incident: Two immigration officers are on administrative leave after the fatal shooting of Alex Preddy, 37, during an attempted arrest.
• CBP Protocol: Placing officers on leave is described as “standard protocol.”
  • Ximena Bustillo [00:30]: “CBP's preliminary assessment contradicted the Trump administration's first narrative about the shooting, which accused Preddy of, quote, domestic terrorism and brandishing his weapon.”
• Investigations: Both Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and state officials are investigating; the DHS Inspector General is also involved.
• Context: The incident follows another high-profile agent-involved shooting weeks earlier in Minneapolis.

Notable Quote:

“The announcement comes after CBP's initial review found that the officers shot Preddy after he resisted their efforts to take him into custody.”
— Ximena Bustillo, NPR [00:30]

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2. Federal Reserve Maintains Interest Rates

[01:03 – 01:55]

• Fed Decision: Benchmark interest rates remain unchanged; no rate cuts expected before mid-March.
• Economic Climate:
  • Inflation remains “somewhat elevated” despite solid economic expansion.
  • The labor market is soft, with job growth slowing primarily due to reduced immigration and labor participation.
• Jerome Powell’s Comments:
  • Jerome Powell [01:33]: “A good part of the slowing in the pace of job growth over the past year reflects a decline in the growth of the labor force due to lower immigration and labor force participation, though labor demand has clearly softened as well.”
• Political Pressure: President Trump criticizes the Fed’s restraint, expressing a desire to remove Powell, emphasizing the Fed’s independence.
  • Lakshmi Singh [01:55]: “President Trump criticizes the Fed for resisting more aggressive interest rate reductions, and he has repeatedly said he wants Powell out. However, the Federal Reserve is designed to be independent of political interference.”

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3. U.S.–Venezuela Relations and Regime Change

[02:07 – 02:49]

• Diplomatic Developments: Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterizes talks with Venezuela’s interim leaders as “very respectful and productive.”
• Recent Events: A military raid in January ousted Nicolás Maduro; interim leadership under Vice President Delsey Rodriguez continues.
• U.S. Position:
  • Marco Rubio [02:39]: “We are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time. The only military presence you will see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy.”
• Controversy: Senate Democrats question U.S. tactics, raising concerns about oil contracts given to Trump donors.
• Objective: Rubio calls oil contracts a “short term fix,” with the stated goal of restoring democracy and normalizing Venezuela’s energy sector.

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4. New Research: Hormone Therapy and Menopause Brain Health

[03:20 – 04:10]

• Study Overview: Analysis of 125,000 women reveals that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause offers cognitive benefits, specifically faster reaction times.
  • Dr. Cristal Langley [03:47]: “Those women that were on HRT were able to respond much faster and much more similarly to those premenopausal women.”
• Limitations: HRT showed no improvement for anxiety or sleep issues; lifestyle factors like physical activity, diet, and limiting alcohol are also important.

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5. 2026 Tax Season Challenges

[04:10 – 04:41]

• IRS Outlook: A 27% workforce reduction and new GOP-led tax laws are projected to complicate the season.
  • Reporter [04:10]: “[Erin Collins] says the Internal Revenue Service is affected by a 27% reduction of its workforce, reorganization of leadership, and major changes to tax laws…”
• Expectations: Despite these hurdles, administration officials forecast “substantial refunds” and predict the tax season will proceed smoothly.

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6. Market Update

[03:07, 04:46–04:48]

• Closing Stats:
  • Dow Jones up 12 points
  • S&P slightly down
  • Nasdaq up 40 points

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “CBP's preliminary assessment contradicted the Trump administration's first narrative about the shooting…”
  — Ximena Bustillo, NPR [00:30]

• “A good part of the slowing in the pace of job growth…reflects a decline in the growth of the labor force due to lower immigration and labor force participation.”
  — Jerome Powell, Federal Reserve Chair [01:33]

• “We are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time. The only military presence you will see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy.”
  — Secretary Marco Rubio [02:39]

• “Those women that were on HRT were able to respond much faster and much more similarly to those premenopausal women.”
  — Dr. Cristal Langley [03:47]

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Episode Tone

Direct, fast-paced, and factual, emphasizing clarity on key policy moves, evolving investigations, and U.S. government actions. Soundbites from officials and experts add insight and immediacy.

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This summary provides a clear, timestamped breakdown of NPR's top-of-the-hour briefing for January 28, 2026, capturing all salient points and major quotes for listeners seeking the essentials.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The two immigration officers involved in Saturday's deadly shooting of 37 year old Alex Preddy are on administrative leave. NPR Sjimena Bustia reports.

[NPR News Reporter]

Customs and Border Protection says this is standard protocol.

[Ximena Bustillo]

The announcement comes after CBP's initial review found that the officers shot Preddy after he resisted their efforts to take him into custody. The agency's preliminary assessment contradicted the Trump administration's first narrative about the shooting, which accused Preddy of, quote, domestic terrorism and brandishing his weapon. It is not immediately clear how long the officers leave will last. CBP and state officials are both investigating the shooting investigation. It is also under review by the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security. Ximena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Preddy's death in Minneapolis occurred just weeks after Renee Good also died from a shooting by nice agent. There will be no reduction in borrowing costs, at least not before mid March. In the US The Federal Reserve ended.

[NPR News Reporter]

Its latest two day meeting this afternoon.

[Lakshmi Singh]

With a decision to keep the benchmark interest rates steady.

[NPR News Reporter]

Fed Chair Jerome Powell says inflation has.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Been somewhat elevated while overall economic activities.

[NPR News Reporter]

Expand, expanding at a solid pace.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Powell homed in on the labor market where he says job gains remained weak.

[Jerome Powell]

A good part of the slowing in the pace of job growth over the past year reflects a decline in the growth of the labor force due to lower immigration and labor force participation, though labor demand has clearly softened as well. Other indicators, including openings, layoffs, hiring and nominal wage growth, show little change in recent months.

[Lakshmi Singh]

President Trump criticizes the Fed for resisting more aggressive interest rate reductions, and he has repeatedly said he wants Powell out. However, the Federal Reserve is designed to be independent of political interference.

[NPR News Reporter]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Administration is having very respectful and productive talks with Venezuela's interim leaders.

[NPR News Reporter]

He made the comment at a Senate hearing where some Democrats warn that the U.S. has traded one Venezuelan dictator for another.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Here's NPR's Michelle Kellerman.

[Michelle Kellerman]

Secretary Rubio is defending the January military raid that ousted Nicolas Maduro and left in place the Venezuelan vice president, Delsey Rodriguez. He says the end state is still a democracy, but that will take time and he sees no need for any future military action.

[Marco Rubio]

We are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time. The only military presence you will see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy.

[Michelle Kellerman]

He wants to reopen an embassy soon. Democrats pressed him on contracts that Trump donors have gotten to move Venezuelan oil. Rubio called that a short term fix and said the goal is to get Venezuela to have a normal energy program. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.

[NPR News Reporter]

The Dow has ended the day up 12 points.

[Lakshmi Singh]

This is NPR News. New research shows how hormone therapy for menopause can affect brain health.

[NPR News Reporter]

Women who take hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, have faster reaction times. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports that suggests a benefit for cognitive health.

[Allison Aubrey]

Dr. Cristal Langley of the University of Cambridge analyzed data from about 125,000 women and found those who took hormone replacement to restore estrogen had less psychomotor slowing. For example, their reaction times on memory tests or quizzes was faster.

[Dr. Cristal Langley]

Those women that were on HRT were able to respond much faster and much more similarly to those premenopausal women.

[Allison Aubrey]

HRT did not help improve anxiety or sleep issues. Research shows physical activity, healthy diet and limiting alcohol can also help manage the effects of the menopause transition. Alison Aubrey, NPR News.

[NPR News Reporter]

With tax filing season now open to millions of taxpayers in the U.S. the nation's official taxpayer advocate, Erin Collins, released a report to Congress today projecting significant challenges. She says the Internal Revenue Service is affected by a 27% reduction of its workforce, reorganization of leadership, and major changes to tax laws under the GOP's tax and spending legislation. However, the Trump administration is promising substantial refunds as a result.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Top officials are predicting a smooth tax filing season.

[NPR News Reporter]

The Dow closed up 12s and P was down a fraction.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Nasdaq was up 40 points. This is NPR News.

[Podcast Sponsor]

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