NPR News: 01-29-2026 8AM EST
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. The Justice Department alleges that 16 protesters in Minnesota have assaulted or impeded federal immigration officers. That's during the Trump administration's immigration operations there.
What allegations did the Justice Department make against protesters in Minnesota?
Defense attorneys say the evidence is thin. From Minnesota Public Radio, Matt Sepik has more.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted the names and photos of the protesters to social media before the cases were unsealed, drawing a sharp rebuke from a federal judge. The 16 are charged by complaint with obstructing or impeding federal officers, but defense attorney Kevin Rich says a grand jury must still approve the charges.
It's not that difficult to make a case past the grand jury, but the DOJ has a history of bringing bogus prosecutions, as we have seen in recent months, and the grand jury is a good bulwark.
One defendant, a Somali-American U.S. citizen, alleges agents injured her and called her a racial slur while arresting her and questioning her citizenship. For NPR News, I'm Matt Sepik in Minneapolis.
The federal government could partially shut down this weekend. The Republican-led Senate is stalemated over a spending package worth $1.3 trillion. Democrats say they're going to block it until the GOP agrees to reforms in the Department of Homeland Security. NPR's Claudia Grisales has more.
Democrats' demands in the wake of Alex Preddy's death by federal agents in Minneapolis include new rules for DHS's use of warrants, use of force, and cooperation with local law enforcement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said they also want removal of masks and implementation of required body cameras.
If Republicans refuse to support them, they are choosing chaos over order, plain and simple. They're choosing to protect ICE from accountability over American lives.
Without a deal, Democrats say they won't help with the votes needed to advance a six-bill appropriations package today. That means in addition to DHS, the Departments of Defense, Labor and Health and Human Services could lose funding at the end of the day Friday. Claudia Dixalis, NPR News.
Longtime U.S. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar has announced she's running for governor of Minnesota. She formally declared her candidacy this morning. Klobuchar had delayed her announcement as federal immigration operations continue in Minnesota. The Federal Reserve has voted to leave its benchmark interest rates unchanged. Fed Chair Jerome Powell explained there's a little less concern about a softening job market.
While job gains have remained low, the unemployment rate has shown some signs of stabilization, and inflation remains somewhat elevated. In support of our goals, today the Federal Open Market Committee decided to leave our policy rate unchanged.
For the moment, Federal Reserve policymakers are focusing on inflation. That rose in December. Prices are climbing faster than the Fed likes to see. This is NPR. Police in New York City have arrested a man who is accused of ramming a car several times into a Jewish center last night. It's the headquarters of the Orthodox Jewish sect Chabad. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says this is being investigated as a hate crime. She has beefed up the police presence at houses of worship in New York City. It is still bitterly cold in much of the South this morning. Nearly 300,000 customers are still without electricity. That follows last weekend's winter storm. Most of the people in the dark are in Mississippi and Tennessee.
Authorities say about 50 people have perished because of the wintry weather. The Kennedy Center's new senior vice president of artistic programming has resigned. That's after less than two weeks on the job. As NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports, the departure comes amid major changes at the federally funded Performing Arts Center.
On January 16th, the Kennedy Center announced that Kevin Couch was a visionary leader with two decades of experience in the entertainment industry, from programming to artist management.
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