NPR News: 01-19-2026 1PM EST

0.841 - 4.486 Windsor Johnston

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.

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President Trump's ongoing push for the United States to take over Greenland is escalating. NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports the Norwegian prime minister confirmed he received a message from Trump about the Nobel Peace Prize being a factor in his approach.

20.568 - 29.363 Barbara Sprunt

On Saturday, President Trump announced new tariffs on eight European nations, pledging to increase the rate if a deal for the U.S. to acquire Greenland is not reached.

29.824 - 42.205 Barbara Sprunt

Norway's prime minister said in a statement that he had sent a text to Trump on behalf of himself and the president of Finland to express opposition to those tariffs. In it, he urged de-escalation and proposed a call to discuss.

42.185 - 60.67 Barbara Sprunt

According to the prime minister, President Trump responded by saying that because Norway did not give him a Nobel Peace Prize, he no longer feels, quote, an obligation to think purely of peace. The Nobel Prize is awarded by an independent committee, not the Norwegian government. Barbara Sprint, NPR News, Copenhagen.

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The Pentagon says more than 1,000 active-duty troops remain on standby in Alaska prepared to deploy to Minnesota amid rising tensions over federal immigration enforcement. Clay Masters of Minnesota Public Radio reports the potential deployment follows a weekend of protests in Minneapolis and threats from the White House to invoke the Insurrection Act.

82.364 - 101.217 Clay Masters

We should be clear that the troops are on standby, and this comes as Governor Walz has directed the Minnesota National Guard to prepare for possible deployment to assist local law enforcement and emergency management agencies. I mean, it really remains to be seen what that would look like to have two units potentially receiving conflicting orders.

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Clay Masters of Minnesota Public Radio reporting. President Trump's proposed board to oversee Gaza's reconstruction is turning out to be broader in scope and more costly than initially described. The so-called Board of Peace would be chaired by Trump and include representatives from other nations. But a copy of its charter obtained by NPR shows it would assert power well beyond Gaza.

139.52 - 158.058 Daniel Estrin

And instead, the language in this charter makes it seem that Trump is really trying to create a kind of rival UN Security Council to handle all kinds of world conflicts beyond Gaza. The language of this charter says there's a need for a more effective international peace-building body. So it sounds like a dig at the UN there.

158.699 - 173.136 Daniel Estrin

It lists Trump as chairman in a permanent capacity, so potentially for life. He alone would get to designate his successor. And countries that would want to be a permanent member of the Board of Peace would need to pay at least $1 billion.

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That's NPR's Daniel Estrin reporting. This is NPR News. For more than 20 years, the annual Let Freedom Ring concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. has celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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's life and work. This year, the concert is relocating within the nation's capital, as NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports.

196.405 - 213.826 Elizabeth Blair

Let Freedom Ring was a signature event at the Kennedy Center. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama attended the celebration. Georgetown University, which produces the concert, says it's moving to the historic Howard Theater to save money. Longtime music producer Nolan Williams Jr. says he has no regrets.

214.086 - 221.114 Nolan Williams Jr.

You celebrate the time that was and the impact that has been, and then you move forward to the next thing.