NPR News Now - NPR News: 02-02-2026 2AM EST

Episode Date: February 2, 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, D.C., I'm Dale Willman. After a week spent inside a detention center in Texas, five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father have been released in her back home in Minneapolis.

Texas Public Radio's David Martin Davies reports. Preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos arrived back in the Minneapolis area Sunday morning. He was released from an immigration detention center south of San Antonio under a federal court order. Representative Joaquin Castro says he accompanied them from the South Texas family residential area. Liam is now back home with his hat and backpack. Castro, a Democrat, wrote on social media. A picture of the boy in a floppy bunny ear hat before he was taken by ice came to represent the immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

For NPR News, I'm David Martin Davies in San Antonio. The mayor of Portland, Oregon is condemning the tear gassing of protesters by federal immigration officers near an immigration and customs enforcement facility. And as Oregon Public Broadcasting's Conrad Wilson reports, the mayor is calling for ICE to leave. Thousands turned out for a union-backed rally against increased immigration enforcement. Federal officers responding to some protesters who had gathered onto the driveway of the ice facility, blocking a security gate, deployed tear gas.

That tear gas drifted through the air into a much larger crowd of demonstrators made up of families, including children and elderly people. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson condemned federal officers' actions, saying they had deployed heavy waves of chemical munitions on peaceful protest. who did not pose a threat. The incident comes as a federal judge is set to take up a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Oregon, arguing federal law enforcement has used excessive force on peaceful protesters. For NPR News, I'm Conrad Wilson in Portland. In an upset win on Saturday, Democrat Taylor Romet flipped a Texas state Senate seat that went for President Donald Trump by 17 points

less than two years ago. As Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider reports, the special election runoff could have ramifications for Republicans across Texas and beyond. The district centered on Fort Worth has been a GOP stronghold since the early 1990s. But on Saturday, Remet, an Air Force veteran and union leader, beat his Republican opponent Lee Wamsgan by double digits. Mark Jones teaches political science at Rice University. Modern Republicans during the past few election cycles have tended to hold their nose and vote for the more conservative candidates who perhaps they did not agree with. In this election, some of those more moderate Republicans voted Democratic or stayed home. Trump endorsed Wamskone

shortly before the election. On Sunday, he claimed he didn't know a thing about the contest. For NPR news, I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston. House members have now returned to Washington and are expected to vote this week on funding measures to reopen government. A partial government shutdown began on Friday night. You're listening to NPR News. Two of the most nominated artists at this year's Grammys made history on Sunday. Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar both set new records.

As NPR's Isabella Gomez-Armiento reports. Bad bunnies, Debbie Tirade Armas Votos, a love letter to his home island of Puerto Rico, became the first Spanish-language album to ever win album of the year. During his acceptance speech, the 31-year-old spoke primarily in Spanish. He told the people of his island that there is nothing they can't accomplish and thanked his mom for giving birth to him there. The other big winner of the night was Kendrick Lamar.

The L.A. rapper took home five Grammys total, making him the most awarded artist of the night for the second consecutive year. He also became the most awarded rapper in Grammy's history. Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento and PR News. Hundreds of flights have been canceled in the southeastern U.S. after a major storm system brought heavy snow to the frigid temperatures there. Wind chills have been near zero in parts of the south and south Florida's experiencing its coldest air since 1989. The storm hit as thousands of people remained without power since last week's major storm.

Russian forces launched a drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Denepro on the U. Sunday, the strike hit a bus carrying mine workers. At least 12 people were killed and several others were injured. The attack took place just hours after Ukraine's president announced upcoming peace talks between the two sides. Russian drones also hit a maternity hospital in Zaporizia injuring six people. I'm Dale Wilman, NPR 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 C's Apply.