NPR News: 02-15-2026 8AM EST
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What are the impacts of the partial government shutdown on U.S. airports?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Travelers could face delays at U.S. airports this week. The partial government shutdown means TSA screeners are now working without pay. Congress missed a Friday night deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security. And as NPR's Claudia Grisales reports, there's no deal in sight.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is largely immune from the shutdown due to a major funding boost from Republicans' so-called One Big Beautiful Bill last year. However, other agencies under the DHS umbrella, such as the Coast Guard, the TSA, and FEMA, have to furlough workers while those in critical roles work without pay. To advance the appropriations bill in the Senate, Republicans need votes from Democrats. However, Democrats want changes to how federal immigration agents do their jobs.
How has federal immigration enforcement affected Minneapolis's economy?
But the GOP is not so sure. Even as many lawmakers left town for a week-long recess, leaders argued that bipartisan negotiations will continue.
Claudia Rosales, NPR News. Federal immigration enforcement agents are starting to withdraw from Minnesota after weeks of aggressive crackdowns. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry says the operations have cost the city's economy more than $200 million, including lost wages and hotel cancellations.
The damage caused by this operation has been staggering.
Small business owners say the disruption won't end overnight. Khalid Abdi, who sells cell phones in Minneapolis, says even after the agents leave, it may take time for customers to feel safe returning.
Customers will start going back to work. It might take a couple months after they leave because people have to get back to their financial being stable.
What recent developments have occurred in U.S.-China drug intelligence cooperation?
Border Czar Tom Homan said Friday most federal agents will leave Minneapolis in the days ahead. The stepped-up enforcement has drawn backlash from both Democrats and Republicans after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by ICE agents. The U.S. and China have swapped intelligence on combating drugs. Representatives met in the U.S. last week, according to Chinese state media. NPR's Jennifer Pak reports.
The U.S. and China had in-depth discussions on anti-money laundering efforts, chemical control and management, among other issues, according to Xinhua News Agency.
How are participants in the Christmas bird count contributing to environmental data?
While it says such talks started in 2002, Chinese officials have said cooperation on anti-drug efforts were damaged last year. That's when President Trump accused China of not stemming the flow of chemicals that can be turned into street fentanyl. He imposed a 20% tariff on all Chinese exports related to the fentanyl issue and added other levies over trade. China retaliated. Both sides have called a trade truce and are working on a meeting between Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, potentially in April. Jennifer Pak, NPR News, Shanghai.
This is NPR. Participants in the annual Christmas bird count are on deadline to submit their data this month to Cornell University. Aspen Public Radio's Regan Mertz reports birders in the Aspen area got some help from the ski patrol.
This year, 1,200 birds were counted across 41 species.
What unique challenges do birders face during the annual bird count this year?
Rebecca Weiss with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies says there are usually way more. An unusually dry and warm winter is causing birds to behave differently, making it more difficult for birders to find them. Snowmass ski area ski patrollers came through, though. They spotted the ptarmigan, a rare high alpine bird that Rebecca Weiss describes as camouflaged.
It's kind of hard for people to census ptarmigans because they live so remotely and in such rugged habitat. Their plumage is pure white.
The Snowmass ski patrollers are some of the only patrollers in the world that participate in the bird count. For NPR News, I'm Regan Mertz in Aspen, Colorado.
The International Space Station is once again fully staffed after the arrival of four crew members on Saturday. French astronaut Sophie Adno spoke from the ISS, noting how Earth looks from 250 miles above.
What insights did astronauts share about viewing Earth from the International Space Station?
The first time we looked at the Earth was, wow, mind-blowing.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What are the impacts of the partial government shutdown on U.S. airports?
0:00–0:54
2
How has federal immigration enforcement affected Minneapolis's economy?
0:54–1:48
3
What recent developments have occurred in U.S.-China drug intelligence cooperation?
1:48–2:24
4
How are participants in the Christmas bird count contributing to environmental data?
2:24–3:19
5
What unique challenges do birders face during the annual bird count this year?
3:19–4:13
6
What insights did astronauts share about viewing Earth from the International Space Station?
4:13–4:38