NPR News Now
NPR News Now

NPR News: 01-29-2026 5PM EST

5 min
•Jan 29, 20263 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

This NPR News episode covers multiple breaking stories including the federal charging of a man who assaulted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, severe winter weather affecting the Eastern U.S., and U.S. life expectancy reaching an all-time high of 79 years.

Insights
  • U.S. life expectancy improvements are primarily driven by reductions in drug overdose deaths and COVID-19 fatalities
  • Severe weather events continue to strain infrastructure and require National Guard deployment for emergency response
  • Political tensions remain high with physical confrontations targeting elected officials
  • The U.S. still significantly lags behind other developed nations in life expectancy despite recent improvements
  • Accessibility technology for major sporting events is advancing with tactile devices for visually impaired fans
Trends
Declining COVID-19 mortality impact on national health statisticsIncreasing frequency of severe weather events requiring emergency responseGrowing political polarization leading to physical confrontationsAdvancement in accessibility technology for major eventsInternational diplomatic negotiations amid ongoing conflicts
Companies
Charles Schwab
Sponsored the broadcast with wealth management and investment services advertising
Viking
Sponsored the broadcast with European cruise travel advertising
Internal Revenue Service
Expects 164 million tax returns to be filed by April 15 deadline
People
Ilhan Omar
Democratic Congresswoman who was assaulted with liquid during Minneapolis town hall event
Anthony Kazmierzak
55-year-old Minneapolis resident federally charged with assaulting Congresswoman Omar
Donald Trump
President who reportedly asked Putin not to target Ukrainian cities during frigid weather
Vladimir Putin
Russian President who allegedly agreed to Trump's request regarding Ukrainian targets
Imran Khan
Jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister who was briefly hospitalized and denied proper medical care
Ryland Barton
NPR News anchor reporting from Washington
Quotes
"US life expectancy increased to age 79 in 2024, according to the center for Health Statistics. That's the highest life expectancy since the government started tracking this key measure of the nation's health and well being in 1900."
Rob Stein•Mid-episode
"The increase in life expectancy was caused primarily by a drop in deaths from drug overdoses and from COVID 19, which fell out of the top 10 causes of death for the first time since the pandemic."
Rob Stein•Mid-episode
"President Trump says he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to target the Ukrainian capital and other towns for one week as the region experiences a fridge, experiences frigid temperatures."
Ryland Barton•Late episode
Full Transcript
7 Speakers
Speaker A

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0:00

Speaker B

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. The man accused of spraying a liquid onto Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar during a public event this week in Minneapolis has now been formally charged. Minneapolis Paul Public Radio's Peter Cox reports.

0:15

Speaker C

55 year old Anthony Kazmierzak is federally charged with assaulting, opposing, impeding or interfering with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's official duties Tuesday evening at a town hall event in north Minneapolis. Kazmierzak ran toward Omar as she was speaking, spraying her with a liquid that the charging document identifies as a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. Omar ran toward him with her fist raised before security tackled him. Then Omar returned to speaking. Kazmierzak, a Minneapolis resident, was transferred from a county jail into federal custody. The charging document says his social media includes posts critical of Omar. The Democratic congresswoman has been a vocal critic of President Trump and his immigration crackdown. For NPR News, I'm Peter Cox in St. Paul.

0:30

Speaker B

Another blast of arctic air is in store for much of the Eastern U.S. nPR's Debbie Elliott reports. The forecast calls for dangerously cold temperatures, heavy snow and strong, gusty winds.

1:20

Speaker D

The National Weather Service has winter storm advisories posted from the Northern Plains, down the Eastern Seaboard and all the way to the Gulf Coast. The prolonged freeze further complicates efforts in parts of the south to recover from an ice storm that has made travel treacherous and coated trees and power lines. By midday Thursday, more than 200 customers remained without electricity in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. Several states have deployed National Guard troops to help clear roads and get emergency supplies to communities stranded without power or water. Debbie Elliot, NPR News.

1:30

Speaker B

The average US Life expectancy has hit an all time high. That's according to new data released today by the federal government. But as NPR's Rob Stein reports, the US still has a ways to go towards improving longevity.

2:09

Speaker E

US life expectancy increased to age 79 in 2024, according to the center for Health Statistics. That's the highest life expectancy since the government started tracking this key measure of the nation's health and well being in 1900. The increase in life expectancy was caused primarily by a drop in deaths from drug overdoses and from COVID 19, which fell out of the top 10 causes of death for the first time since the pandemic. But US Life expectancy still lags far behind other we nations such as Australia and Japan. Rob Stein, NPR News.

2:20

Speaker B

The IRS expects 164 million people to file tax returns by April 15. If you file electronically, the IRS says it should take 21 days or less to receive a refund. You are listening to NPR News from Washington. President Trump says he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to target the Ukrainian capital and other towns for one week as the region experiences a fridge, experiences frigid temperatures. He says Putin agreed, but Russia has not confirmed that. Pakistan's information minister says the jailed former leader of the country, Imran Khan, was briefly hospitalized last week. Khan's son says say he's been denied appropriate care. As NPR's Dia Hadid reports, information Minister.

2:58

Speaker F

Attar Allah Tharar told Pakistani media that the former prime minister Imran Khan underwent what Tharar described as a 20 minute procedure in hospital. Khan spokesman Zulfa Khar Bukhari says Khan's party, his lawyers and his family only found out through the media. Khan's son, Qasem on X called for authorities to let his father access independent specialist care. He says his father has a condition which could cause him to lose his vision. Qasem Khan added he'd been prevented from seeing his father for more than 900 days. Khan has been behind bars since the spring of 2023 on multiple charges, including corruption. His supporters say he's being punished for defying the writ. Pakistan's powerful military. Dear Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai.

3:44

Speaker B

A few blind and low visioned fans will have unprecedented access to the super bowl thanks to a tactile device that tracks the ball, vibrates on key plays and provides real time audio. With hands on the device, they'll feel the location of the ball and hear what's happening throughout the game. About 10 fans at the event will have an opportunity to use the technology next week when Seattle faces New England in the Super Bowl. This is NPR News from Washington.

4:30

Speaker G

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4:55