NPR News: 01-13-2026 8AM EST

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NPR News Now 4 min 4 speakers 7 chapters transcribed 2 months ago

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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Corva Coleman 0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman.

What recent actions has President Trump taken regarding tariffs on Iran?

Corva Coleman 0:03

President Trump says he is immediately imposing a 25 percent tariff on all countries that do business with Iran. It's in response to huge anti-government protests in Iran that have rocked the country. Iran remains under a communications blackout. Human rights groups say dozens of security personnel and more than 500 protesters have been killed. NPR's Ruth Sherlock has more on the demonstrations.

What are the implications of the protests happening in Iran?

Ruth Sherlock 0:27

Ululations, grief and also rage at this funeral in Tehran for people killed in anti-government protests. Videos like these abound online as demonstrations over the country's poor economy have morphed and spread into furious calls to end Iran's almost 50-year theocracy. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Arashi, claims that the protests turned violent to give the U.S. an excuse to intervene militarily. President Trump has warned he may hit Iran, quote,

How is the Justice Department investigating Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell?

Ruth Sherlock 1:02

for the crackdowns on protesters. But both the White House and Iranian leaders say they are open to diplomacy. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News.

Corva Coleman 1:11

Some members of Congress are alarmed over the new Justice Department investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. He says the investigation is intended to pressure him and the Fed to cave to what President Trump wants to see with interest rates. Powell says he'll do his job. But CNN legal analyst Ellie Honig says the stakes are high for Powell and the Fed.

What are the latest updates on consumer prices and inflation?

1:32

There's a policy that you're not supposed to just arbitrarily open up investigations. You need some good faith basis. It's a low bar, but you need some good faith basis that a crime occurred. So the mere opening of an investigation is in itself very serious.

Corva Coleman 1:46

He spoke to NPR's Morning Edition. We get the latest report on consumer prices later this hour from the Labor Department. Forecasters expect that inflation probably stayed elevated in December. It could be by as much as 2.6 percent over what it was a year earlier. Consumers are likely seeing cost increases for power and groceries. The U.S. Supreme Court dives back into the culture wars today.

What cases is the Supreme Court hearing related to transgender rights in sports?

Corva Coleman 2:11

Justices will hear arguments in two cases that test whether states may bar transgender girls and women from participating in sports in publicly funded institutions. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

Nina Totenberg 2:23

One of today's involves a challenge to West Virginia's law brought by Becky Pepper Jackson, assigned male at birth, who has presented as a girl since third grade. Now 15, she maintains that she is a girl, having experienced female puberty by taking hormones. But the state argues that sports are unique, that men and boys are bigger, faster, and stronger than women, and that justifies barring individuals who were assigned at birth as boys from from participating in women's sports.

Corva Coleman 2:56

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The states of Illinois and Minnesota, as well as the cities of Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Paul, are suing the Trump administration. Authorities allege federal immigration agents routinely break the law. They claim agents interrogate people without a legal reason to believe the people are illegally in the U.S., This is day two of a nurses' strike in New York City. Nearly 15,000 nurses in three major hospital networks walked off the job yesterday. Their union was unable to secure a new contract agreement.

What issues are nurses striking for in New York City?

Corva Coleman 3:33

From Member Station WNYC, Caroline Lewis has more.

Caroline Lewis 3:37

Nurses are negotiating for better hospital security, wages, health benefits, and staffing. Brian Austin is a nurse in the ER at New York Presbyterian.

3:47

Understaffing is the biggest issue for me. Coming into a night with 250 people there and only two or three nurses in your area working with 14, 15 patients, you know, it's kind of impossible to see everybody and make sure everybody gets the same level of care.

Caroline Lewis 4:03

Hospital executives say they've worked to fill vacancies and improve staffing in recent years. They've characterized the work stoppage as reckless and say with the slow pace of negotiations, it could drag on for a while. For NPR News, I'm Caroline Lewis in New York.

Corva Coleman 4:20

Philanthropist Mackenzie Scott is donating $45 million to the Trevor Project.