NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-31-2026 10PM EST

Episode Date: February 1, 2026

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How could your favorite NPR podcasts get any better? Well, what if it had bonus features such as extended interviews and zero sponsor breaks? There is a remarkably easy way to turn that fantasy into reality. It's called NPR Plus. You get perks across more than 25 NPR podcasts while supporting the teams that make them. Make great podcasts even greater by visiting plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Skiavone. A federal judge has ordered the government to release.

of father and his five-year-old son, who were taken into custody during the crackdown on immigration in a Minneapolis suburb earlier this month. Judge Fred Beery condemned what he called a perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty. Texas Public Radio's Jerry Clayton has more. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Fred Beery was a harsh rebuke of the Trump administration and ordered the release of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Alexander Conejo Arias. The two were detained in Minnesota by immigration officials. Local school officials and the young boy's mother say he was used as bait to get her to open the door of their home. They were taken to a detention center about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio. Last Wednesday,

protests erupted outside the facility, and two protesters were arrested. Judge Beery accused the Trump administration of ignoring the Declaration of Independence and, quote, traumatizing children. The order requires the pair's release to a public place no later than Tuesday. I'm Jerry Clayton in San Antonio. From Bill Gates to the former Prince Andrew to now President Donald Trump, other billionaires and world leaders, the latest batch of Epstein files includes new mentions about powerful people who are in Jeffrey Epstein's orbit.

NPR Stephen Fowler has details. Stron among the new files are conversations with high-profile figures that are deeper and in some cases more recent than we knew before. People like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, even President Trump's new Federal Reserve chair pick Kevin Warsh shows up on an invite list to a Christmas gathering in 2010. Being mentioned in the vials are not indications of wrongdoing or association with Epstein's crimes, but victims of Epstein's abuse have expressed frustration that those who are involved remain hidden, while some of their information is exposed in these files. With 3 million new pages released, much remains to explore from Epstein's private emails,

financial documents, and other communications that widened the web of Epstein's associates. Stephen Fowler, NPR News. Many parts of the U.S. are seeing wind chill temperatures in the single digits or even below. NPR's Rebecca Herscher reports that wind chill can be dangerous. Wind chill is basically how cold it feels outside when you combine the air temperature with wind. It can cause frostbite and hypothermia. Dressing warmly can help protect people from wind chill conditions. That includes covering all exposed skin, says Jessica Lee from the National Weather Service.

Your ears, your nose, your fingers, your toes, even your cheeks and your chin. You want to keep all of your exposed skin covered. And then, of course, limit or avoid time outside as well. People who work outside or don't have reliable housing are at particular risk in severe wind chill conditions. Rebecca Hersher, NPR News. This is NPR News in Washington. The Coast Guard today suspended a search for survivors from a commercial fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Massachusetts with seven people aboard. The 72-foot Lily Jean sent out an alert yesterday about 25 miles off Cape Ann.

The vessel had been heading home to Port in Gloucester. Rescuers discovered a debris field, an empty life raft, and one body in the water. But what happened is still under investigation. cold weather and stormy conditions had made the search rough. A Massachusetts federal judge has ruled that a secretive group of climate skeptics convened by the Department of Energy violated federal law. NPR's Jeff Brady reports. Energy Secretary Chris Wright picked a group of four scientists and an economist

with a history of casting doubt over climate science. They issued a report that in part bolstered the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to end regulations on green. greenhouse gases. Wright said the purpose was to spur debate, but for nearly all climate scientists, the debate the Secretary wants, is settled. Environmental Group sued. Now Federal Judge William Young has ruled the Climate Working Group violated a federal law, which says advisory groups that contribute to policymaking must be transparent. The Energy Department could still appeal. Jeff Brady, NPR News. The federal government has entered a partial shutdown after Congress

to meet a deadline to complete work to prevent funding from expiring across nine departments a House vote Monday could resolve the standoff. I'm Luis Givoni and PR News. This message comes from Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe. You can send, spend, and receive in up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps. Be smart, get Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit Wise.com. T's and Cs apply.