NPR News: 01-29-2026 2AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now: January 29, 2026, 2AM EST

Main Theme:
This concise episode delivers major breaking news from across the United States and the world, touching on high-profile law enforcement incidents, severe winter weather impact, U.S. monetary policy, international diplomacy, and significant corporate layoffs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shooting of Alex Preddy by Immigration Officers

• Overview: Two immigration officers are on administrative leave following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Preddy.
• Details:
  • CBP’s Preliminary Assessment: Contradicts the original Trump administration narrative; states officers shot Preddy after he "resisted efforts to take him into custody," rejecting claims of domestic terrorism or weapon-brandishing ([00:34] Jimena Bastillo).
  • Multiple Investigations Underway:
    • CBP and state officials are investigating.
    • The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General is also reviewing the case.
  • Memorable Quote:
    • "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." – Jimena Bastillo [00:41]

2. Incident Involving Rep. Ilhan Omar

• Incident:
  • Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown liquid at a town hall meeting ([01:06] Jael Snyder).
  • The suspect has a criminal history and expressed online support for President Trump.
• Investigation:
  • The FBI is now leading the investigation.

3. Aftermath of Mississippi Winter Storm

• Updates:
  • Governor Tate Reeves reported 10 confirmed fatalities and at least 14 injuries, with those numbers expected to rise ([01:45] Governor Tate Reeves).
  • Significant infrastructure damage: 51 counties and 37 municipalities have reported damage.
• Highway Closures:
  • Mississippi Highway Patrol closed major interstates overnight to clear ice ([02:06] Elise Gregg).
• Power Outages & Forecast:
  • Mississippi and Tennessee account for the majority of outages.
  • Another storm is expected this weekend.
• Memorable Quote:
  • "We can confirm 10 fatalities with this event and multiple injuries as well, at least 14 that we can confirm. But we think those numbers are going to rise." – Governor Tate Reeves [01:45]

4. Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rates Steady

• Announcement:
  • The Fed, under Chair Jerome Powell, is maintaining the key interest rate at 3.6% after three cuts last year ([02:55] Jael Snyder).
  • Powell cites modest job gains, some stabilization in the unemployment rate, and persistent inflation.
  • Powell's term as chair ends in May; his plans are not confirmed.
• Memorable Quote:
  • "The Federal Open Market Committee decided to leave our policy rate unchanged." – Jerome Powell [02:51]

5. UK-China Diplomatic Visit

• Details:
  • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first trip by a British leader to China since 2018 ([03:09] Jael Snyder).
  • The visit comes after Canadian PM Mark Carney’s own visit, which led to Trump administration tariff threats following Canada's new economic deal with Beijing.

6. Corporate Layoffs: Home Depot & Amazon

Home Depot

• News:
  • Laying off about 800 employees, including 150 from headquarters; remaining cuts affect remote roles ([03:51] Marlon Hyde).
  • Corporate employees ordered back to the office full-time starting April 6.
  • Severance and transitional benefits provided.
• Company Statement:
  • "The decision positions the company to move faster as it undergoes restructuring." – CEO Ted Decker [03:51]

Amazon

• Layoffs:
  • Approximately 16,000 more corporate jobs cut, affecting nearly 10% of Amazon's white-collar workforce ([04:30] Jael Snyder).
  • Follows 14,000 jobs cut in October.
• Meta:
  • Parent company of Facebook reports stronger-than-expected Q4 results.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the CBP Shooting:

  • "The agency’s preliminary assessment contradicted the Trump administration’s first narrative..." – Jimena Bastillo [00:41]

• Mississippi Storm Fatalities:

  • "We can confirm 10 fatalities with this event and multiple injuries..." – Governor Tate Reeves [01:45]

• Federal Reserve Stance:

  • "The Federal Open Market Committee decided to leave our policy rate unchanged." – Jerome Powell [02:51]

• Corporate Restructuring:

  • "The decision positions the company to move faster as it undergoes restructuring." – CEO Ted Decker [03:51]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:16] – Lead story: CBP officers on leave after fatal shooting
• [01:06] – FBI takes over Ilhan Omar incident investigation
• [01:41] – Mississippi storm fatalities update (Governor Reeves)
• [02:06] – Major highway closures in Mississippi
• [02:22] – Power outages and storm forecast
• [02:41] – Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady
• [03:09] – UK Prime Minister visits China
• [03:51] – Home Depot layoffs and office return policy
• [04:30] – Amazon layoffs; Meta earnings report

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Episode Takeaway

This tightly packed newscast presents a snapshot of consequential events affecting the U.S. and world, with developments in law enforcement transparency, weather disaster response, economic policy, geopolitics, and corporate upheaval. Its urgency and clarity make it indispensable listening for staying informed on January 29, 2026.

Transcript

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[Jael Snyder]

Live from NPR News, I'm Jael Snyder in Minneapolis. The two immigration officers involved in Saturday's deadly shooting of 37 year old Alex Preddy are on administrative leave. NPR's Jimena Bastillo reports that Customs and Bor Protection says that's standard protocol.

[Jimena Bastillo]

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, and it is also under review by the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security. Ximena Bustillo, NPR News, Washington.

[Jael Snyder]

The Minneapolis Police Department says the FBI is now leading the investigation into Tuesday night's incident in which Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown liquid. The incident happened at a town hall she was hosting. Minnesota court records show the suspect has a criminal history and made online posts supporting President Trump at. Mississippi state officials expect fatalities and injuries to be rise amid ongoing efforts to recover from last weekend's winter storm. Elise Gregg of Mississippi Public Broadcasting has more.

[Elise Gregg]

Governor Tate Reeves held a press conference on Wednesday to share updated storm numbers.

[Governor Tate Reeves]

We can confirm 10 fatalities with this event and multiple injuries as well, at least 14 that we can confirm. But we think those numbers are going to rise. We've had 51 counties make damage reports, as well as 37 municipalities.

[Elise Gregg]

Mississippi Highway Patrol is closing parts of I55 north from Batesville to Senatobia overnight, as well as all of I22 from Red Banks to the Tennessee state line to help clear out ice up north. For NPR News, I'm Elise Gregg in Jackson, Mississippi.

[Jael Snyder]

Mississippi and Tennessee account for the majority of power outages from last weekend's storm, and forecasters are warning of another storm expected to move into the region this weekend. Despite pressure from President Trump, the Federal Reserve decided Wednesday to keep interest rates unchanged. Fed Chair Jerome Powell While job gains.

[Governor Tate Reeves]

Have remained low, the unemployment rate has shown some signs of stabilization and inflation remains somewhat elevated. In support of our goals today, the Federal Open Market Committee decided to leave our policy rate unchanged.

[Jael Snyder]

The decision to leave the Fed's key rate at about 3.6% after lowering it three times last year was widely expected, with Powell citing an improving economic outlook. Powell's term as Fed chair comes to an end in May. He did not say whether he intends to remain as a Fed governor. This is npr. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is leading a delegation on a visit to China, where he met Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Starmer is the first British leader to travel to China since 2018. Starmer's visit follows that of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Carney drew tariff threats from President Trump after he signed an economic deal with Beijing. Home Depot says it's laying off hundreds of employees tied to its Atlanta headquarters. And Marlon Hyde from member station WABE reports that corporate employees will be required to return to the office five days a week.

[Marlon Hyde]

Home Depot is eliminating about 800 positions, including 150 corporate employees based at its headquarters. The rest are remote roles. CEO Ted Decker announced the workforce reduction in a memo sent to employees on Wednesday, saying the decision positions the company to move faster as it undergoes restructuring. The home improvement giant also says corporate employees will have to return to the office Monday through Friday, starting the week of April 6th. In a statement to WABE, a spokesperson says impacted employees will receive severance packages, transitional benefits and help with finding a new job. For NPR News, I'm Marlon Hod in Atlanta.

[Jael Snyder]

Amazon is cutting about 16,000 jobs in the latest round of tech industry layoffs. The layoffs were announced in a blog post Wednesday. They affect nearly 10% of Amazon's corporate workforce. Amazon laid off some 14,000 workers in October. Meanwhile, Facebook parent company Meta posted stronger than expected fourth quarter results Wednesday. This is NPR News.

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