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NPR News Now

NPR News: 02-04-2026 7PM EST

05 Feb 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What surprising stories does NPR explore in this episode?

0.031 - 23.49 Ira Glass

This is Ira Glass. On This American Life, we look for stories that are surprising, that you won't hear anywhere else. Like, for example, this one astronaut who went to the moon. You know what he's not into? Space. Was it cool to float around weightless? No, no, no. This American Life, unexpected stories, wherever you get your podcasts.

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24.432 - 47.039 Ryland Barton

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. President Trump's border czar says he's reducing the number of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota. Tom Homan says about 700 federal officers will be immediately withdrawn from the operation. But he says the crackdown in Minnesota isn't ending and didn't give a timeline of when that might happen, as NPR's Martin Costi explains.

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47.279 - 67.143 Unknown

He said he wants to end the surge as soon as possible, but that came with a big caveat. That is largely contingent upon the end of the illegal and threatening activities against ICE and its federal partners that we're seeing in the community. We will not draw down on personnel providing security for our officers. I will not let our officers be put at risk.

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67.163 - 84.771 Unknown

And that's really the rub here, because what Homan and the administration view as illegal interference with immigration enforcement Many people in Minnesota see as their First Amendment right to observe and protest that enforcement. Many protesters do not want to see federal officers picking up people just on immigration violations, people who haven't committed other serious crimes.

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85.272 - 91.523 Unknown

And Homan said his priority now is immigrants with criminal records. But he said the feds will continue to arrest those other people.

91.824 - 105.983 Ryland Barton

NPR's Martin Costi reporting. Leaders in Fulton County, Georgia, say they filed a motion in federal court seeking the return of 2020 election documents seized in a federal raid last week. Raul Bally from member station WABE reports from Atlanta.

106.083 - 116.717 Raoul Bally

Fulton County Commission Chair Rob Pitt says the targeting of the county is about President Donald Trump not accepting his 2020 loss in Georgia and claims it was stolen specifically in the county.

116.937 - 123.142 Ira Glass

This case is not only about Fulton County. It's about elections. across Georgia and across the nation.

Chapter 2: What changes are being made to immigration enforcement in Minnesota?

123.322 - 137.565 Ira Glass

But Fulton County, make no mistake, in my opinion, we are the poster child here of all the states, all the counties, all the cities that may involve is Fulton County, Georgia, because of the 2020 elections.

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137.647 - 150.274 Raoul Bally

Fulton County leaders are also worried the raid will be used as a pretext for the Republican-led state election board taking over the county election board ahead of the 2026 midterms. For NPR News, I'm Raoul Bally in Atlanta.

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150.494 - 162.429 Ryland Barton

A federal judge in Florida has sentenced the man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump on a golf course when he was running for president in 2024. NPR's Greg Allen reports Ryan Ruth will spend the rest of his life in prison.

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162.75 - 177.778 Greg Allen

U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon previously found Ruth guilty on five counts for his planned attempt on Trump's life when the then-presidential candidate was golfing at his club in West Palm Beach. A Secret Service agent saw Ruth holding a rifle in the tree line a hole ahead of where Trump was golfing.

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177.758 - 196.376 Greg Allen

The agent accosted and then fired on Ruth, who fled in his car and was arrested a short time later. At a sentencing hearing, Ruth addressed the court, seeking leniency. But Judge Cannon was unmoved. Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil, she said. You are not a peaceful man. Ruth's attorney says he will appeal the life sentence. Greg Allen, NPR News.

196.717 - 219.994 Ryland Barton

Tech stocks weighed down Wall Street during a day of mixed trading today. This is NPR News from Washington. Renters facing high costs are turning to rent-now-pay-later services like Flex, LiveBull, and Affirm. But consumer advocates warn the products often act like short-term loans with high fees, sometimes leading to triple-digit interest rates.

220.375 - 237.458 Ryland Barton

Critics argue these services don't solve the issue of affordability in the rental market and may lead to higher rents. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, one of the Metro's oldest, most prominent news sources, continues to close down as the payer lays off about 15 percent of its staff.

237.838 - 245.47 Ryland Barton

For member station WABE in Atlanta, Lily Oppenheimer reports the news comes as management just stopped the AJC's printed version.

245.63 - 266.605 Lily Oppenheimer

AJC president and publisher Andrew Morse announced that the paper's cutting 50 people and roughly half of those layoffs will come from the newsroom, the AJC's largest department. Morse said that the difficult decision will accelerate the paper's revenue growth and that over the last three years, the AJC has invested heavily in editorial, product, and business teams.

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