NPR News: 02-02-2026 9PM EST
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Iran is signaling that it is prepared to hold talks over its nuclear program as it warns that conflict would engulf the entire Middle East if the U.S. carries out its threats to attack the country. NPR's Jaina Raff has more.
Iran says it is ready for negotiations on its nuclear program if they are, quote, fair. It says the program is for non-military purposes, while the United States accuses it of building nuclear weapons. The U.S. has sent more warships to the region to back its threats against Iran. On Sunday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that the Americans should know if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war. Turkey and other U.S. allies have been urging the U.S. not to attack Iran. while Saudi Arabia has said it would not allow its airspace to be used in any strikes on Iran. Jane Araf, NPR News, Amman.
A spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has released a statement suggesting the pair has agreed to testify before Congress as part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But the committee's Republican chair, James Comer, says an agreement has not been reached. He's threatened to move to hold them in contempt, which could mean a fine or prison time. Bill Clinton, President Trump and several other powerful men had well-documented relationships with Epstein, though they haven't been accused of wrongdoing. A new report suggests the Trump administration's efforts to fire staff at the Department of Education ended up costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.
NPR's Corey Turner has more on the report from a nonpartisan government watchdog.
Last March, the administration tried to fire some 300 attorneys and staff from the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights. Their work is to investigate families' complaints of school-based discrimination related to sex, race, disability, and more. The courts paused the firings, so the Trump administration then made a choice. For nearly nine months, it kept these staff on paid leave instead of letting them work. Now, the U.S. Government Accountability Office says the cost of that lost work in salary and benefits was between $28.5 and $38 million. The administration pushed back, saying since these staff were finally allowed to work in December, it considers the issue moot. Corey Turner, NPR News.
A federal judge has ruled that an offshore wind project aimed at powering 600,000 New York homes can resume construction. It's the fifth project to be put back on track after being halted by the Trump administration in December. President Trump says his goal is to not let any of the projects be built. The judge says the government had not shown that offshore wind is such an imminent national security risk. U.S. stocks rose today. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ both added half a percent. The Dow climbed up one percent. This is NPR News. NASA has run into a leak while fueling its new moon rocket in one final make-or-break test before it's sending astronauts on a lunar fly-around. The launch team began loading the 322-foot rocket with super cold hydrogen and oxygen today, but quickly encountered a hydrogen leak.
Now they're trying to figure out when four astronauts can blast off on NASA's first lunar voyage in more than half a century. Officials in Milwaukee County are moving quickly to ensure health insurance is in place for more than 5,000 employees and retirees. Wisconsin Public Radio's Evan Casey reports.
County supervisors learned late last week that a contract with UnitedHealthcare had expired at the end of last year. The HR employee who was in charge of that contract has since been fired. Milwaukee County Supervisor Kathleen Vincent said she's angry the board didn't learn about the issue until weeks after the start of the new year.
First responders deserve better. Our parks and airport staff deserve better. Our snowplowed drivers and highway crews working midnight to 8 a.m.
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