NPR News Now – January 31, 2026, 7PM EST

Main Theme:
This episode delivers succinct updates on several major U.S. news stories: a partial federal government shutdown looming due to delayed House action, ongoing demonstrations over controversial immigration enforcement, a rapidly escalating measles outbreak in South Carolina, major developments in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation document release, and the latest developments in music chart rankings.

1. Looming Partial Government Shutdown

(00:16 – 01:18)

• Senate Action: The Senate has voted to fund large parts of the federal government to avoid a shutdown, but the House must also approve the deal. Due to their absence until Monday, a partial shutdown will begin at midnight.
• Underlying Conflict:
  • The action comes after a second deadly shooting by immigration officers in Minneapolis fueled Democratic resistance to funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
  • Funding for DHS was linked to over a trillion dollars for other departments, including Defense, Health and Human Services, and Housing.
• Compromise: Republicans agreed to separate DHS funding, extending it for two weeks to allow negotiations on immigration enforcement.
• Limited Impact: Although government funding will lapse over the weekend, the shutdown won’t be as widespread as the last record-long shutdown.
• Quote:

  "With the House not back until Monday, funding will lapse at least over the weekend, but will not be as widespread as the last record long shutdown when all government funding had expired."
  — Sam Greenglass (01:06)

2. National Protests Over Immigration Enforcement

(01:18 – 01:55)

• Demonstrations: Protests continue nationwide against ICE and Border Patrol, especially in Minnesota, following the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Preddy during a federal immigration operation at the state Capitol.

• Local Tensions: Governor Tim Walz reports that while visible unrest may have lessened, underlying tensions remain very high.

• Quote:

  "They have not changed their goal of mass deportations. They may try and change their tactics a little bit, but it doesn't change the underlying mission here, which is to cause great fear and chaos in communities."
  — Governor Tim Walz (01:42)

• Commitment to Rights: Walz emphasizes he will not compromise on First Amendment rights to peacefully protest or allow mischaracterization of Minnesotans speaking out.

3. South Carolina Measles Outbreak Surpasses Texas Record

(01:55 – 03:05)

• Escalation: South Carolina has recorded 847 measles cases, with 58 new ones since Tuesday, topping last year's significant Texas outbreak.
• Health Officials’ Response: The outbreak, concentrated in Spartanburg County, has caught officials off guard due to its rapid acceleration.
• Quarantine Measures: Over 440 people are under quarantine as public health authorities push for vaccination.
• Quotes:

  "We did not anticipate that South Carolina case counts in a matter of only 16 weeks would would surpass the total number of cases reached in Texas over the course of seven months. So this is a milestone that we have reached in a relatively short period of time. Very unfortunately."
  — Dr. Linda Bell, State Epidemiologist (02:33)

4. DOJ Releases Epstein Files, Addresses Transparency

(03:05 – 03:47)

• Document Release: The Department of Justice has released 3 million documents—including videos and images—related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation to comply with a federal law.
• Missed Deadline: The DOJ acknowledges it missed the legal release deadline by weeks.
• Addressing Accusations: Deputy Attorney Ty Blanche refutes public perceptions that the DOJ's actions are politically motivated or protective of Donald Trump.
• Quote:

  "There's this mantra out there that, oh, you know, the Department of Justice is supposed to protect Donald J. Trump. And that's what we were telling that's not true. That was never the case." — Ty Blanche, DOJ Deputy Attorney (03:37)

5. Billboard Chart Highlights: Music Industry Movements

(03:47 – 04:40)

• Current Rankings:
  • Rapper ASAP Rocky’s new album “Don’t Be Dumb” debuts at No.1.
  • K-pop group Enhypen’s latest album finishes a close second.
  • Bad Bunny’s year-old album climbs the charts again, ahead of his upcoming appearances at the Grammy Awards and Super Bowl halftime show.
• Competitiveness: The Billboard albums chart is sharply competitive this week, with three records separated by mere thousands of copies.
• Quote:

  "There's a logjam at the top of the Billboard albums chart as three records came within a few thousand copies of hitting numbers."
  — Stephen Thompson (04:01)

6. Wall Street Recap

(03:05 and 04:40)

• Summary:
  • The Dow closed down 179 points, ending at 48,892.
  • The NASDAQ closed down 223 points.

Notable Moments:

• Strong language on holding the government accountable for the lack of oversight in immigration enforcement (Governor Walz, 01:42).
• Public health officials’ alarm at the unexpectedly rapid pace of the measles outbreak (Dr. Linda Bell, 02:33).
• DOJ’s clarifications regarding transparency and political neutrality (Ty Blanche, 03:37).

Overall Tone:
Urgent, factual, and matter-of-fact—reflecting the gravity of government shutdown, public health developments, and the ongoing national conversations about immigration and transparent governance. The episode offers a brisk yet comprehensive news overview.