NPR News: 01-29-2026 11PM EST
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This year on NPR's ThruLine, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. For centuries, America's pursuit has changed the world. Now, 250 years later, who are we? Where are we headed? Join us every Tuesday for a brand new series, America in Pursuit, on ThruLine. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder. Senate Democrats say a key deal has been reached for funding the government, but as NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports, a short-term government shutdown is all but inevitable.
Originally, the Senate was going to vote on one big package with six funding bills for various agencies. Now, Senate Democrats say there's a deal on the table to vote for five appropriations bills and a separate two-week continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security. They've refused to support funding that agency without making major changes to immigration enforcement. The move allows other government services to continue while carving out more time to negotiate on changes to DHS. But the House must also vote on those five funding bills, and they're on recess. If the House acts quickly upon returning, the effects of a shutdown could be limited as most federal offices are closed on the weekend.
Barbara Sprint and Bear News, the Capitol.
As by reporters about a potential shutdown this weekend, President Trump acknowledged it could happen. Later on social media, he encouraged Republicans and Democrats to come together on the spending deal. Trump administration's border czar Tom Holman is striking a new tone on the immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Speaking Thursday in Minneapolis, Holman seemed to acknowledge missteps and said the administration could cut the number of immigration enforcement officers, but he also made clear that the enforcement operation is not ending anytime soon. A Minneapolis man facing both state and federal charges over allegations that he sprayed liquid on Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar at a public event Tuesday night.
Matt Sepik of Minnesota Public Radio reports.
Anthony Kazmirzak is charged with assaulting a federal official. He allegedly used a syringe to spray vinegar on Omar after she called for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty also charged the 55-year-old. She says many here no longer trust federal law enforcement and state charges can't be pardoned by the president.
What key developments are happening with the government funding deal?
Much of the eastern half of the U.S. is facing another winter storm. Some states trying to recover from last weekend's ice and snow, as NPR's Debbie Elliott reports.
The National Weather Service says dangerously cold temperatures will persist over a wide area, including the Northern Plains, the Midwest, and the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein is warning people to prepare for a second Arctic blast.
It's going to be snow, not ice this time. That's a good thing. But it's still going to have real impacts on our lives. So if you can stay home Friday night and bundle up, we recommend you doing it.
Forecasters say frigid temperatures, heavy snow in some areas, and strong gusty winds topping 25 miles per hour will make conditions brutal. Debbie Elliott, NPR News.
And you're listening to NPR News. A new analysis by European scientists shows record-breaking heat helped drive this month's damaging wildfires in Australia. NPR's Rebecca Herscher has more on that new report.
Record-high temperatures in Australia earlier this month contributed to massive wildfires in the eastern part of the country. That's according to a new report from the European Union's Copernicus Weather Service. Those fires killed one person and burned at least 900 buildings. The fires also released an enormous amount of smoke into the atmosphere, degrading the air quality around the city of Melbourne. The smoke plume was so large that scientists tracked it all the way to South America, and smoke particulates were detected at high altitude in the atmosphere. Climate change is causing more intense and more frequent heat waves, which make such fires more likely around the world.
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