NPR News: 01-03-2026 12AM EST
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman.
What recent terrorist plot was disrupted by the FBI?
The FBI said Friday it disrupted a New Year's Eve terrorist plot in Mint Hill, North Carolina, near Charlotte. They arrested 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant, who they say told an FBI undercover employee that he was going to use knives and hammers to carry out an attack in a fast food restaurant and a grocery store. They say Sturdivant was inspired by the Islamic State group and had pledged loyalty to ISIS. Russ Ferguson is the U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. It was a very well-planned
thoughtful attack that he had planned and that was fortunately foiled here. He was preparing for jihad and innocent people were going to die. And we're very, very fortunate they did not.
Sturtevant is facing a charge of providing material support to a terrorist organization. Officials in Switzerland say they now have a possible cause for a fire in a bar at the ski resort of Kranz, Montana on New Year's Eve. The fire killed at least 40 people and injured 119 others.
Everything leads us to believe that the fire began from candles or sparklers that were put on champagne bottles. And all of this was placed too closely to the roof or the ceiling, rather. And that's when there was a flashover that took place in this establishment.
Local prosecutor Beatrice Pio says once the fire began, it spread rapidly across the room. Investigators are looking at soundproofing on the ceiling that may have not met building regulations. Colombia's armed forces say they've killed the leader of Tren de Aragua, a criminal gang that the U.S. government has labeled a foreign terrorist organization. Reporter John Otis has our story.
In a joint army police operation near Colombia's border with Venezuela, authorities targeted Giovanni San Vicente, who they described as the main leader of Tren de Aragua. Colombia's defense ministry said San Vicente was killed during an exchange of gunfire with troops. This shows the iron commitment. Army Lieutenant Colonel Juan Camilo Maso said the operation shows Colombia's strong commitment to fighting terrorism. Trenaragua was formed in a Venezuelan prison in 2014, but has since branched out to other Latin American countries. President Trump accuses the group of sending tons of cocaine into the U.S. and has been pressuring Venezuela and Colombia to crack down on the gang. For NPR News, I'm John Otis in Bogota, Colombia.
Stocks edged mostly higher on Wall Street Friday in the first trading day of the year. The S&P 500 rose almost two-tenths of a percent to start the new year, while the Dow finished up more than six-tenths. But the Nasdaq finished off basically flat. Foreign markets did better, with markets in Britain and South Korea both hitting record highs. You're listening to NPR News. Tesla has lost its title as the world's best-selling electric vehicle maker. Tesla's sales for 2025 were down 9% from last year. The company sold 1.64 million units. China's BYD, meanwhile, sold 2.26 million vehicles. South Carolina's Department of Public Health is reporting nine more confirmed measles cases in its first outbreak update of the year, and the outbreak is affecting kids at a greater ratio than in other states with outbreaks.
South Carolina Public Radio's Luis Alfredo Garcia has our report.
State health officials say the count of in-state cases related to the outbreak is up to 185, and it's in a county that borders North Carolina. The county has the lowest school vaccination rate of any county in South Carolina. Exposure spreads throughout households and schools for the most part, but it is affecting kids at a higher rate than cases in other states with current outbreaks. South Carolina's Department of Public Health reports about 90 percent of its 2025 measles cases were in children. Cases in the outbreak along the Arizona-Utah border are not as child-heavy. 65% of Arizona's 2025 cases were in children, and it is 60% for Utah. Each state had more than 150 cases last year.
What caused the deadly fire at the ski resort in Switzerland?
For NPR News, I'm Luis Alfredo Garcia in Columbia, South Carolina.
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