NPR News Now - NPR News: 01-31-2026 8PM EST

Episode Date: February 1, 2026

NPR News: 01-31-2026 8PM ESTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Skiavone. A federal judge has ordered the government to release a father and his five-year-old son who were taken into custody during the crackdown on immigration in a Minneapolis suburb last month. Little Liam Conejo Ramos was detained by officers. At the same time, his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, was arrested. The judge previously ruled neither could be removed from the U.S. for now. A federal judge in Minnesota has declined to order a hall to present. President Trump's immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis, NPR's Kat Lonsdorf explains. Attorneys representing Minnesota and the Twin Cities argued in court that the federal actions on the ground were causing, quote, tremendous damage and asked the court to immediately halt the immigration surge with a temporary restraining order. U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, President Biden appointee, denied that request while acknowledging that the surge, quote, has had and will likely continue to have profound and even heartbreaking consequences for the state of Minnesota. But she said that an injunction halting the operation would go too far and harm the

federal government's efforts to enforce immigration laws. The operation has sent thousands of immigration agents to the city, sparking weeks of protests and the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Minneapolis. A top U.N. official says he's heard a lot of big plans from the U.S. for Gaza, but there are urgent basic needs that are less costly and can help Palestinians. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports. As head of UN Ops, the United Nations Office for Project Services, George Maria de Silva focuses on practical solutions. And one of the big issues he sees in Gaza is the enormous amount of rubble.

And the amount of rubble is unprecedented. 61 million tons of rubble, the equivalent of 30 tons per person in Gaza. He says the international conversations have focused too much on long-term development, but what he saw on his most recent truble, trip to Gaza alarmed him with many Palestinians living in tents and making their own fuel by burning plastic. He's urging Israel to allow in more fuel and heavy equipment. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Washington. Chat GPT maker OpenAI is preparing for an initial public offering this year. NPR's Bobby Allen has more. OpenAI's $500 billion valuation makes it the second most valuable startup in the

world behind only SpaceX. And Open AI is now taking steps to go public this year. It's according to a company source not authorized to speak publicly. The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI is rushing to beat its AI rival Anthropic, which is also planning an IPO this year. OpenAI denies this. There are, however, real questions about OpenAI's business model. Its massive infrastructure spending on AI data centers has meant it's losing billions of dollars a year. And OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman has said he doesn't expect the company to break even until 2030. Yeah, investment money keeps pouring into the company. Bobby Allen and PR News. This is NPR News.

DeMont Wilson has died. The actor was best known for playing Lamont Sanford, the son in the popular 1970s TV comedy, Sanford and Sun. A publicist says Wilson died yesterday at his home in Southern California of cancer. He was 79. NPR's Chloe Veltman reports the actor was also an evangelical preacher. Demand Wilson was in his 20s when he landed the role of Lamont Sanford, the put-upon offspring of the cantankerous Fred Sanford, played by Red Fox.

Dad got all the best lines, but Junior held his own in their frequent disputes. I ain't going out to work. Go to work, Papa, I got TB. I can't go to work. I'm sick. Well, I thought the fresh air might do you some good. You thought you'd get me out of here so you could have this house fumigated. How much do they charge? Wilson went on to star as a struggling gambler in the sitcom Baby I'm Back, and as the more laid back of the divorceees in the new odd couple.

Wilson grew up in Harlem. In the 1980s, he was ordained as a Pentecostal minister and went on to lead parallel careers in acting and preaching. Chloe Veltman, NPR News. At the box office this weekend, so far the suspense thriller sent help is narrowly beating the video game spin-off Iron Lung. The documentary Melania is expected to earn $8 million this weekend. And women's championship tennis in Melbourne, Alina Ribakina took the Australian Open Crowns Saturday. in finals play against top-ranked Arena Sabalenko. Men's finals play is Sunday in Melbourne with Novak Djokovic shooting for his 11th title. He faces number one seed Carlos Alcaraz.

I'm Luis Giovanni and PR News.