NPR News: 02-09-2026 10PM EST
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Democrats have begun talks with the White House on their demands for dramatic new restrictions on President Trump's immigration crackdown. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire Saturday. Here's House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
What are the Democrats' demands regarding President Trump's immigration policies?
They lied to the American people. The Trump administration is not targeting violent felons. They're targeting American citizens. communities throughout this country, and law-abiding immigrant families.
Democrats are calling for a ban on agents wearing masks, requiring judicial warrants before making arrests, and a stop to racial profiling. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia and the U.S. are considering cooperation that could affect Ukraine but doesn't include Ukraine. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports.
Zelensky said the $12 trillion scheme was presented by Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, who manages Russia's sovereign wealth fund. But Ukrainian economist Pavlo Shurenko says its enactment is highly unlikely as Russia's entire GDP in one year is only $2.3 trillion and Russia's economy is in tatters.
As of now, the economic situation in Russia is such that there is no money to be made.
But, says Chirinko, the plan shows how Russia is trying to influence peace talks.
There is this transactional, not transparent side to negotiations.
Ukrainians say President Putin is proposing business deals to play for time so he can continue his war on Ukraine. Eleanor Beardsley in PR News, Kyiv.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is struggling to keep his job over his handling of a scandal involving the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Two officials in Starmer's office have resigned, as NPR's Lauren Frayer reports.
First, Starmer's chief of staff resigned over his role recommending one of Epstein's friends as ambassador to Washington. Now Starmer's communications chief has stepped down as well. Opposition politicians and even some members of Starmer's own party are calling for the prime minister to resign. over his judgment in naming Peter Mandelson as ambassador. Starmer has said he regrets that and has apologized to Epstein's victims. Meanwhile, a royal spokesperson says Prince William and his wife Kate are deeply concerned about the latest Epstein files. William's uncle Andrew, no longer a prince because of his own Epstein ties, is now alleged to have passed confidential trade information to the sex offender.
Lauren Fryer, NPR News, London.
Back in the U.S., the House Oversight Committee tried to interview Ghislaine Maxwell today, but the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein invoked her Fifth Amendment right to avoid incriminating herself. Maxwell's attorney said that if President Trump ended her prison sentence, she would testify that neither Trump nor former President Bill Clinton were guilty in wrongdoing in their relationships with Epstein. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The U.S. has opened a new center to disperse sterile screwworm flies in South Texas. Officials are trying to keep the flesh-eating parasite from coming to the U.S. from Mexico and harming American cattle. The U.S. will disperse millions of the sterile male flies on both sides of the border.
The idea is sterile males will mate with wild females and their eggs would not hatch into flesh-eating maggots. The American Airlines Flight Attendant Union voted no confidence in CEO Robert Isom today. Dylan Duke with member station KERA reports it comes after American canceled thousands of flights due to the winter storm.
The union is calling for accountability, improved operations, and a change in leadership at the airline. Union leaders also criticized ISUM for getting an increase in pay while the company lagged behind competing airlines.
How is Ukraine responding to proposed Russian cooperation?
And they say the company mishandled the winter storm in January that resulted in American canceling 9,000 flights. American Airlines pilots also raised concerns about the company last week, saying the airline's financials are suffering due to management.
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