NPR News: 01-28-2026 6AM EST
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman.
What happened to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar at the town hall event?
Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was rushed by a man last night as she was speaking at a town hall event. He used a syringe to spray her with a liquid. NPR's Barbara Sprunt says the attacker was grabbed and arrested.
Footage from the event shows a man approaching Omar and spraying an unknown substance in her direction. He was swiftly tackled by security. A statement from Omar's office said the congresswoman is okay.
How is political violence affecting lawmakers in the U.S.?
After a brief pause and comments from her staff asking her to step aside to get checked out, Omar continued her remarks. This comes on the heels of another attack on a lawmaker. Democrat Maxwell Frost of Florida reported being punched by someone at the Sundance Festival. Threats against congressional lawmakers have been rising. Last year, there was an increase in security funding in the wake of growing concerns about political violence.
What are the latest updates on the situation in Venezuela?
Barbara Sprint, NPR News, Washington.
The attack on Minnesota Congresswoman Omar comes after President Trump continued to insult and denigrate her. Hours before yesterday's attack, Trump criticized her again at a rally in Iowa. Online on Monday, he said she's being investigated over her finances. Congresswoman Omar is Somali-American. Trump has mocked Somali-Americans and Somalis as, quote, garbage. Trump says he is swapping out his immigration leads in Minnesota. He told Fox News' The Will Cain Show that his border czar is now in the state to help reduce tensions.
What were the findings of the NTSB regarding the deadly air collision?
We have Tom Holman there now. We put him in there. He's great. And they met with the governor, the mayor, everybody else, and we're going to de-escalate a little bit.
The extent of that de-escalation is not clear. It comes after two Minneapolis protesters were killed by federal agents this month. An initial government report on one of the killed protesters, Alex Preddy, contradicts what Trump administration officials first said. The report makes no mention of Preti threatening or attacking federal officers. It says he resisted arrest. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will brief the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports he'll talk about the U.S. military operation in Venezuela.
In his prepared remarks to the committee of which he used to be a member, Rubio defends what he describes as a law enforcement operation to arrest and remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Rubio says he's keeping a close watch on Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, who he says has vowed to cooperate with the U.S. and open up Venezuela's energy sector to American companies. President Trump has seized control over 50 million barrels of crude oil from Venezuela and says the U.S. will be in charge of that. Democrats say they have a lot of questions about the long-term plan for Venezuela and will raise those with Rubio. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
This is NPR. Tracking sites say almost 400,000 customers still don't have power after the huge winter storm. Several dozen deaths have been reported. Temperatures are still below freezing this morning as far south as Florida.
How is consumer confidence impacting the economy in January 2026?
Federal safety investigators have released their findings about last year's deadly air collision near Washington, D.C. NPR's Joel Rose reports they say warnings about a dangerous helicopter route had been ignored.
After a year-long investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board released its findings about the collision of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that killed 67 people. And investigators laid much of the blame on the Federal Aviation Administration. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy says the FAA should have known that there was a conflict between the helicopter route and the approach to Runway 33 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
This was preventable. This was 100% preventable.
What actions is President Trump taking regarding interest rates?
The FAA says it has already adopted the NTSB's safety recommendations from last year and will consider its new recommendations as well. Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:03
2
What happened to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar at the town hall event?
0:03–0:28
3
How is political violence affecting lawmakers in the U.S.?
0:28–0:53
4
What are the latest updates on the situation in Venezuela?
0:53–1:30
5
What were the findings of the NTSB regarding the deadly air collision?
1:30–3:13
6
How is consumer confidence impacting the economy in January 2026?
3:13–3:56
7
What actions is President Trump taking regarding interest rates?
3:56–4:40