NPR News: 01-12-2026 9PM EST
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton.
What recent tariffs is President Trump threatening and why?
President Trump is threatening a new tariff on goods from any country that does business with Iran. As NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports, Trump has provided little additional information on this tariff, but it comes as he's trying to ramp up pressure on the country.
Trump posted on social media that he plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods from any country doing business with Iran. However, the White House has not yet released an executive order imposing this tariff. In addition, much remains unclear. Trump did not reveal what law would authorize this tariff, nor whether it will stack on top of existing tariffs. According to World Bank data, Iran's biggest trading partners as of 2022 included China, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates.
What legal actions are Minnesota officials taking against the Trump administration?
Trump has threatened military action against Iran as the government attacks protesters there. According to a U.S.-based monitoring group, nearly 500 protesters have died. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News, the White House.
Minnesota officials are suing the Trump administration over its immigration enforcement surge in the state.
What charges have been brought against Steven Spencer Pittman?
As Minnesota Public Radio's Dana Ferguson reports, the lawsuit comes days after an ICE agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis.
Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry, and St. Paul Mayor Kali Hur say ICE and Border Patrol agents here are violating Minnesotans' constitutional rights and overstepping their authority. Ellison says the state is pursuing an end to Operation Metro Surge.
It just has to stop. We allege that the obvious targeting of Minnesota for our diversity, for our democracy, and our differences of opinion with the federal government is a violation of the Constitution and of federal law.
DHS officials say they wouldn't have to send officers to Minnesota if local leaders worked with them.
Why are New York City nurses going on strike?
For NPR News, I'm Dana Ferguson in Minneapolis. As Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Shamira Mohammed reports, 19-year-old Steven Spencer Pittman has been charged with arson.
Pittman appeared in court via videoconference, lying in a hospital bed with his hands covered in bandages. According to an affidavit, Pittman's father told the FBI that his son confessed to setting fire to the Beth Israel Synagogue when his father pleaded for him to come home. Pittman allegedly texted him, I did my research. Investigators say Pittman referred to Beth Israel as, quote, the synagogue of Satan. The fire badly damaged the historic synagogue's library.
What ruling did a federal judge make regarding Energy Department grants?
Pittman was responsive to questions in court, and when asked if he understood his rights, responded, quote, yes, sir, Jesus Christ is Lord. He's due back in court next week. For NPR News, I'm Shamira Mohamed in Jackson, Mississippi.
Stocks rose slightly today. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Thousands of nurses at several major New York City hospitals have gone on strike. It began this morning after negotiations failed to yield a breakthrough. Their union says about 15,000 nurses are participating in the strike. Nurses are demanding manageable workloads and more workplace security. Hospitals say the demands are too costly. A federal judge says the Trump administration broke the law when it canceled millions of dollars in Energy Department grants last fall. NPR's Michael Copley reports the ruling mainly applies to grants from the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
During the government shutdown last fall, the Energy Department announced it was canceling more than $7 billion in grants that it said don't address the country's energy needs and aren't economically viable. Critics said the move was aimed at punishing Democratic-leaning states during a political fight.
How is Muhammad Ali being honored with a new postage stamp?
Now, U.S. District Judge Ahmet Mehta has ruled the Energy Department violated the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law. The ruling applies to seven grants, totaling $27.6 million, some of which was earmarked for electric vehicle charging programs.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:04
2
What recent tariffs is President Trump threatening and why?
0:04–0:47
3
What legal actions are Minnesota officials taking against the Trump administration?
0:47–1:05
4
What charges have been brought against Steven Spencer Pittman?
1:05–1:53
5
Why are New York City nurses going on strike?
1:53–2:40
6
What ruling did a federal judge make regarding Energy Department grants?
2:40–3:49
7
How is Muhammad Ali being honored with a new postage stamp?
3:49–4:57