NPR News Now – January 29, 2026, 9AM EST

Host: Korva Coleman
Duration: 5 minutes
Theme: Top headlines in U.S. politics, federal operations, public health, and international diplomacy

Main Theme / Purpose

This NPR News Now episode delivers succinct coverage of the latest U.S. news, delving into national policy updates, ongoing controversies around the 2020 election, government spending, life expectancy improvements, and shifting international trade relationships. The episode presents breaking developments and key context in under five minutes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Federal Response in Minnesota after Protester Shooting

[00:13–01:09]

• President Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, gave a press conference in Minneapolis after ICE agents killed a second protester.
• Homan emphasized his mission to uphold the administration’s immigration enforcement but acknowledged some forthcoming organizational changes.

Notable Quote:

“The mission is going to improve because of the changes we’re making internally. No agency organization is perfect. President Trump and I...have recognized that certain improvements could and should be made. That’s exactly what I’m doing here.”
— Tom Homan, Border Czar [00:40]

• Homan stated that any federal troop withdrawal in Minnesota hinges on local cooperation.

2. Ongoing Scrutiny Over 2020 Election in Georgia

[01:09–02:12]

• FBI agents searched the Fulton County elections office, seizing 2020 ballots.
• President Trump continues to repeat false claims about a stolen 2020 election; Georgia has been at the epicenter of these allegations.
• DOJ is seeking access to ballots and unredacted voter rolls in multiple states.

Notable Quote:

“The FBI wouldn’t answer NPR’s questions about the search warrant for the Fulton County elections warehouse...Georgia’s most populous county has been the subject of baseless claims of election fraud since 2020.”
— Stephen Fowler, NPR [01:37]

• A state court judge permitted state Republican leaders to pursue subpoenas for 2020 documents.
• DOJ lawsuits target 25 states for access to unredacted voter rolls.

3. Rising Costs of National Guard Deployments

[02:12–03:09]

• Trump administration’s troop deployments are projected to surpass $1 billion in costs this year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
• Previous year’s costs exceeded half a billion; D.C. troop presence alone could reach $660 million.
• State leaders and watchdogs question the cost-effectiveness.
• Trump defends these operations and suggests possible expansion to more cities.

Notable Quote:

“The use of troops in Washington, D.C. alone could cost $660 million. That’s according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office...But state leaders and government watchdog groups argue that these deployments aren’t a good use of taxpayer dollars.”
— Juliana Kim, NPR [02:31]

4. Severe Winter Storm Death Toll and Outages

[03:09–03:25]

• Last weekend’s winter storm resulted in about 50 deaths nationwide.
• Approximately 300,000 customers, mostly in Tennessee and Mississippi, remain without power.
• Weather still harsh: 24°F in Nashville.

5. US Life Expectancy Reaches All-Time High

[03:25–04:15]

• US life expectancy climbed to 79 years in 2024—the highest since tracking began in 1900.
• Drop in drug overdose and COVID-19 deaths credited for the improvement; COVID-19 falls out of the nation’s top ten causes of death.
• The US still lags behind peers like Australia and Japan.

Notable Quote:

“The increase in life expectancy was caused primarily by a drop in deaths from drug overdoses and from COVID 19, which fell out of the top 10 causes of death for the first time since the pandemic.”
— Rob Stein, NPR [03:51]

6. UK–China Relations Amid US–Canada Tensions

[04:15–04:56]

• British PM Keir Starmer visits Beijing, seeking a “comprehensive partnership” with China.
• Canada, too, takes economic steps toward China.
• In response, President Trump threatens a 100% tariff on Canadian imports if Canada formalizes a broad trade deal with China.

Timeline of Important Segments

• [00:13] Minnesota federal response and Tom Homan’s press conference
• [01:09] FBI search of Georgia elections office; policy background
• [02:12] National Guard deployment spending; political reaction
• [03:09] Winter storm deaths and continuing power outages
• [03:25] US life expectancy improvements
• [04:15] UK–China diplomatic outreach, US response

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Tom Homan on policy changes:
  “No agency organization is perfect...improvements could and should be made.” [00:40]
• Stephen Fowler on Georgia election scrutiny:
  “The FBI wouldn’t answer NPR’s questions about the search warrant...” [01:37]
• Juliana Kim on troop spending:
  “It could be double that this year if current operations remain in place.” [02:31]
• Rob Stein on life expectancy:
  “That’s the highest life expectancy since the government started tracking this key measure...in 1900.” [03:51]

Overall Tone:
Concise, factual, and urgent, focusing on rapid-fire updates and authoritative analysis central to the day’s US and international news.