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NPR News Now

NPR News: 01-08-2026 5PM EST

08 Jan 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.537 - 18 Ryland Barton

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Vice President J.D. Vance took questions from the press today largely about the ICE officer who shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis. As NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports, Vance took the briefing as an opportunity to slam the media.

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18.241 - 28.68 Danielle Kurtzleben

Vance announced the creation of a new assistant attorney general position to target fraud, saying that person will initially focus on Minnesota, where there has been fraud in state-run social service programs.

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Chapter 2: What recent incident in Minneapolis is causing public outcry?

29.301 - 36.113 Danielle Kurtzleben

However, much of the briefing ended up being about the shooting that has roiled Minneapolis. Vance chastised the gathered reporters.

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36.093 - 46.564 Unknown

Everybody who's been repeating the lie that this is some innocent woman who was out for a drive in Minneapolis when a law enforcement officer shot at her, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Every single one of you.

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46.724 - 62.86 Danielle Kurtzleben

Vance accused 37-year-old Renee Good of trying to hit the officer with her car. However, eyewitnesses told Minnesota Public Radio that agents were shouting conflicting orders and videos appeared to show her driving away from, not at, the agents. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News.

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62.84 - 75.41 Ryland Barton

A federal judge has ruled that another acting U.S. attorney put in place by the Trump administration is unlawfully serving in the job. This time it's the top prosecutor in the Northern District of New York. NPR's Ryan Lucas reports.

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75.71 - 82.719 Ryan Lucas

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield applies to John Sarkone, the top federal prosecutor in the Northern District of New York.

Chapter 3: What new position is being created to combat fraud in Minnesota?

83.279 - 104.028 Ryan Lucas

In her 24-page ruling, the judge says Sarkone was not lawfully serving in the position because the Justice Department did not follow statutory rules to put him in the post. The legal fight over Sarkone's appointment comes in response to a challenge made to the subpoenas he issued to New York State Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat and vocal critic of President Trump.

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104.048 - 119.972 Ryan Lucas

The judge ruled the subpoenas are invalid, and she disqualified Sarkone from taking part in the James investigations. This is the latest instance in which a federal court has found a top Trump administration prosecutor was unlawfully appointed. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

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120.212 - 132.551 Ryland Barton

A new analysis of weight loss studies shows that people who use medicines to lose weight regain it faster than those who rely only on behavioral changes to diet and exercise. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports.

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132.571 - 152.52 Yuki Noguchi

The analysis reviewed 37 studies with over 9,000 participants and found that people regained weight steadily after quitting weight loss treatments. Those using the new GLP-1 drugs gained back weight faster, on average within one and a half years, compared to people relying on behavioral changes. metabolic health gains also reversed.

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153.041 - 171.657 Yuki Noguchi

Those who used behavioral change also regained weight, but over a slightly longer period, 1.7 years. The finding, published in the medical journal The BMJ, points to one of the major concerns of the new drugs. Their effects fade quickly after people stop taking them. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News.

171.677 - 190.558 Ryland Barton

Wall Street closed mixed today. The S&P 500 barely budged, staying near its all-time high. This is NPR News. State lawmakers and governors have to make decisions about the budgets for their biggest social safety net programs after the tax and spending bill signed by President Trump last year.

191.079 - 211.21 Ryland Barton

The measure imposes new work requirements for some people with Medicaid health coverage, and it raises states' share of SNAP food aid costs. Many states could also decide whether to fall in line with tax cuts, including eliminated incomes taxes on tips and overtime. The U.S. suffered $115 billion in damages from weather disasters in 2025.

211.251 - 220.311 Ryland Barton

That's according to new data from the nonprofit Climate Central. NPR's Michael Copley reports high disaster costs have been driving up insurance prices.

220.652 - 240.469 Michael Copley

No hurricanes made landfall in the U.S. last year, but disaster costs still exceeded $100 billion for the fourth time in five years. According to Climate Central, a climate science and communications nonprofit, More than half of last year's damages were caused by wildfires. Climate change is fueling more intense storms, floods, and wildfires that damage and destroy property.

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