NPR News: 01-23-2026 5AM EST
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What winter weather events are impacting the U.S. this week?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. Millions of people across the U.S. are bracing for a major winter storm. The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings from New Mexico to New England. Heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected as an Arctic blast moves south from Canada. NPR's Rebecca Herscher says a polar vortex will linger after the snow stops falling.
Usually, freezing cold air is trapped up in the polar regions. The jet stream keeps the cold air trapped up there. But when the jet stream gets weaker, cold air can escape south. deep into the continental U.S. That's what's expected to happen next week. Scientists are actively trying to understand whether climate change makes such events more likely. Some studies suggest the jet stream is getting weaker as the Earth warms, while others find no such relationship. What is clear is that polar vortex conditions can be deadly, especially in parts of the country that aren't accustomed to very cold weather. Rebecca Herscher, NPR News.
How does the polar vortex affect winter storms?
The governors of more than a half-dozen states have declared a state of emergency ahead of the upcoming winter storm. They include Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Members of the National Guard are being mobilized in those states. President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have been meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin today in Moscow. The talks are the latest to try to end Russia's war with Ukraine. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Putin wants a deal.
We're discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months, and he came and he said he wants to make a deal with you.
Talks came hours after Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, criticized his European allies for their response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. President Trump is suing JPMorgan Chase and its CEO, Jamie Dimon. NPR's Maria Aspin says the president is accusing the bank of closing his accounts for political reasons.
The president is seeking $5 billion in damages. He alleges that JPMorgan Chase closed his accounts in 2021 after the January 6th attacks on the U.S. Capitol as a result of, quote, political and social motivations. A JPMorgan Chase spokesperson tells NPR via email that the lawsuit has no merit. and that the bank, quote, does not close accounts for political or religious reasons.
What emergency measures are states taking ahead of the winter storm?
Trump has attacked several big banks over what he calls debanking conservatives. Last year, he sued Capital One over similar allegations. And in August, he issued an executive order targeting what he calls politicized or unlawful debanking. Banks have said they close accounts due to legal and regulatory risks. Maria Aspen, NPR News, New York.
This is NPR News. The Reuters News Agency is reporting Amazon is expected to announce next week plans to eliminate thousands of additional jobs as part of its broader effort to trim nearly 10 percent of its corporate workforce. Last October, Amazon announced it was cutting 14,000 white-collar jobs. Amazon is a financial supporter of NPR. A new report says shipping companies worldwide left behind a record number of workers in foreign countries last year with no way to return home.
What are the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war negotiations?
The International Transport Workers Federation says more than 6,000 workers on ships were left stranded in another country. NPR's Jackie Northam has more.
ITF represents international transport workers worldwide. It says Indian seafarers were the worst affected, with more than 1,000 abandoned last year. The Indian government announced it would blacklist shipping companies with a record of repeat abandonments.
What recent job cuts are being reported by Amazon?
Filipinos were the second worst affected, followed by Syrians. The Middle East and Europe are the worst regions overall for abandoning crew members, and specifically Turkey and the United Arab Emirates had significantly higher incidents than any other countries. Jackie Northam, NPR News.
The matchup for Super Bowl 60 will be decided over the weekend. The New England Patriots will be in Denver on Sunday afternoon to play the Broncos in the AFC Championship game.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What winter weather events are impacting the U.S. this week?
0:01–1:07
2
How does the polar vortex affect winter storms?
1:07–2:35
3
What emergency measures are states taking ahead of the winter storm?
2:35–3:31
4
What are the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war negotiations?
3:31–3:56
5
What recent job cuts are being reported by Amazon?
3:56–4:25
6
Why is Trump suing JPMorgan Chase and what are the allegations?
4:25–4:39