NPR News: 01-18-2026 12PM EST
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Rahm. The Pentagon has readied 1,500 active-duty soldiers for possible deployment to Minnesota. A U.S. official confirmed this to NPR, speaking on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. The move comes as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz mobilized the state's National Guard yesterday to help local law enforcement in case they're needed. NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports.
That official tells NPR that the troops will be coming from Alaska, where they specialize in cold weather operations. It's very cold in Minneapolis right now. Those troops have been placed on prepare-to-deploy orders in case the situation here escalates. NPR reached out to the Pentagon to confirm. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said, quote, President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act last week. But the situation on the ground has been relatively quiet the past few days, and local leaders have urged calm. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Minneapolis.
President Trump says he'll impose tariffs on eight European nations until there's an agreement for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark. Today, all eight nations issued a statement that they stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland. A U.S. congressional delegation visited Copenhagen this weekend to try to reassure Denmark. NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports.
They met with the Danish prime minister, top officials from Greenland and Denmark, and they also spoke with Danish business leaders. Because just like there's foreign policy implications here, there's also economic ones as well. I spoke with New Hampshire Senator Jean Shaheen, a Democrat. She pointed to a long history of relations between the two countries. Danish soldiers fought and died alongside Americans in Afghanistan, for example. And she expressed the deep concern that the people of Greenland and Denmark feel.
NPR's Barbara Sprunt reporting from Copenhagen. Israel is raising objections to President Trump's new leadership board for Gaza. It's rare public disagreement by Israel to Trump's peace plan for Gaza. NPR's Daniel Estrin reports from Tel Aviv.
President Trump late Friday announced a new Gaza executive board that will oversee governance in Gaza, replacing Hamas. Israel is objecting to two members of the oversight board, the foreign minister of Turkey and a senior official from Qatar. That's because Israel sees Qatar and Turkey as primary backers of Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's asking the matter be raised with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. But analysts in Israel say Netanyahu knows there's not much Israel can do about it. Qatar and Turkey are Trump's close allies, and Trump said in a social media post that those countries would help demilitarize Hamas. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv.
And you're listening to NPR News in Washington. Local officials in Russian-occupied parts of southern Ukraine say more than 200,000 homes and businesses are without power after Ukrainian drone strike yesterday. Temperatures are well below freezing throughout the region. Russia has frequently targeted Ukraine's energy grid during the nearly four-year war. Ukrainian officials say at least one person was killed in a Russian attack overnight. Officials in Guatemala said today that hundreds of anti-riot police entered a maximum security prison and freed guards who had been taken hostage by prisoners. No entries or deaths were immediately reported. Dozens of guards are still being held at two other prisons, apparently part of a coordinated inmate uprising.
At the Australian Open tennis tournament, Venus Williams has been eliminated in her first round match. Lindsay Arkley has more on the story.
45-year-old Williams accepted a wildcard entry into the Australian Open, returning to the tournament after five years as the oldest player ever in the singles main draw. Her first round match was against Olga Danilovich of Serbia, ranked 69th in the world and more than two decades younger.
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