NPR News: 01-31-2026 7AM EST
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.
What caused the federal government shutdown on January 31, 2026?
The federal government is partially shut down this morning. NPR's Lou Garrett reports Congress failed to fund some of the country's largest agencies and departments before a Friday night deadline.
The Senate advanced a massive five-bill appropriations package Friday night. It funds the Pentagon, Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education. It also includes a stopgap measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks. The Senate funding package comes after the White House struck a deal with Democrats who want serious changes in DHS policy after its agents shot and killed Alex Pratt in Minneapolis. The funding package now goes back to the House, which returns Monday. The government will remain partially shut down until the House advances the package and President Trump signs it. Luke Garrett, NPR News, Washington.
The governor of New York is pushing to outlaw partnerships with ICE agents in the state. Steve Kastenbaum reports Kathy Hochul is throwing her support behind the effort.
Governor Kathy Hochul said it's not the job of local police to enforce federal immigration policy.
They should not need local police to do their jobs.
While flanked by local police officers, Hochul promised to work with lawmakers to get the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act passed quickly.
You will not use our police technology to track people who've done nothing wrong. We will not throw innocent people into our jails.
The proposed legislation would require a judicial warrant for ICE agents to enter certain types of buildings, including private homes. Police would still be allowed to assist in arresting violent criminals. For NPR News, I'm Steve Kastenbaum in New York.
Victims of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are criticizing the Justice Department following its latest release of records related to his case. The DOJ on Friday published millions of documents, along with photos and video. But survivors say the release is incomplete and are calling for all remaining records to be made public. Civil rights attorney Gloria Allred, who represents several Epstein victims, says the disclosures so far have fallen short of full transparency.
Some of them are completely devastated by the fact that the Department of Justice was supposed to and indicated that they were redacting survivors' names. And yet, with the release of these more than 3 million files, many of the names of my clients who have been Jane Doe for many, many years... were in fact published. And this is devastating to them.
Lawmakers from both parties criticized the limited release last month. Justice Department officials said more time was needed to review additional material and ensure sensitive information about victims is protected. This is NPR News. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments April 1st in a case challenging President Trump's executive order denying automatic citizenship to some children born in the U.S. The order applies to kids whose parents entered the country illegally or are in the U.S. on temporary visas. At issue is whether the policy violates the 14th Amendment or federal nationality law. Wall Street had another volatile week as investors worried about health care, politics, and an AI bubble.
As NPR's Maria Aspin reports, the Dow fell 179 points on Friday.
Investors are feeling a lot of whiplash. The S&P 500 hit a record high before dropping back. Gold also hit new highs before plunging on Friday, as President Trump said he would nominate Kevin Warsh to run the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, big tech companies reported blockbuster earnings, but also blockbuster spending on AI. Microsoft shares had their worst day since 2020, after the tech giants said it had invested almost $40 billion in AI in the last three months. UnitedHealth Group and other health insurers also had a terrible week. Their stocks plunged after the Trump administration said it's barely going to increase the amount it pays these companies to run Medicare programs.
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