NPR News Now: February 2, 2026, 6AM EST

Episode Overview

This NPR News Now episode offers a concise update on significant global and national events as of February 2, 2026. Highlights include the partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, ongoing U.S. federal government shutdown developments, a controversial ICE operation involving a preschooler in Minnesota, harsh winter weather across the eastern U.S., New Mexico’s lawsuit against Meta, political statements at the Grammy Awards, and Costa Rica’s new presidential election results.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rafah Border Crossing and Gaza War

• [00:17] Host Korva Coleman reports Israel has "narrowly reopened the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt," previously shut since July 2024.
• Crossings are heavily restricted: “Only 50 Palest[inians] can cross in each direction every day.”
• The context is the ongoing war with Hamas.

2. U.S. Government Shutdown

• [00:31] Parts of the federal government remain closed due to lapsed funding.
• Senate passed legislation to reopen agencies, but Department of Homeland Security is only funded for two more weeks.
• House Speaker Mike Johnson’s statement:
  • “Our intention is by Tuesday to fund all agencies of the federal government except for that one. And then we'll have two weeks of good faith negotiations to figure it out.” (00:41)
• The need for further negotiation is highlighted as a sticking point.

3. ICE Operation Involving a Preschooler

• [01:23] Matt Sepik reports on the release of a Minnesota preschooler and his father, who were detained in Texas.
  • The child, Liam Conejo Ramos, was used “as bait to lure other adults out of his house.”
  • “ICE flew the boy and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, to a Texas detention center.”
  • Federal Judge Fred Beery condemned the operation in strong terms, calling it a “perfidious lust for unbridled power that's bereft of human decency.” (01:51)
• The family, from Ecuador, entered the U.S. legally in 2024 to seek asylum.

4. Severe Winter Weather

• [02:04] The National Weather Service warns of “bitterly cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills... from Florida to the northeast.”
  • Daytona Beach wind chill: “feels like 21 degrees.”
  • Rare snowfall reported in the Carolinas, hundreds of crashes, and power outages.
• North Carolina Governor Josh Stein: “We just don’t get snow like this very often.” (02:28)
• Amy Held summarizes the “entrenched Arctic air,” noting it’s “colder in parts of Texas and Florida than it was in Juneau, Alaska.” (02:57)
  • Meteorologist Bob reassures: “temperatures will start to... moderate, so they won't be quite as... below average but still colder than normal this week.” (03:06-03:08)

5. New Mexico vs. Meta Lawsuit

• [03:13] Jury selection begins in New Mexico’s lawsuit against Meta (owner of Instagram and Facebook).
• State claims Meta “fails to protect children from sexual exploitation and mental health harm.”
• Lawsuit focuses on Meta’s algorithms targeting children, not specific online content.

6. Immigration Advocacy at Grammy Awards

• [03:53] Report by Isabella Gomez Sarmiento: Several Grammy winners addressed immigration during their speeches.
  • Billie Eilish: “No one is illegal on stolen land.” (04:06)
  • Olivia Dean (Best New Artist), speaking about her immigrant family: “those people deserve to be celebrated.” (04:10)
  • Bad Bunny: Is recognized for the first Spanish-language Album of the Year and calls for "ICE out" (immigration enforcement reform) during the pre-show.
  • Other notable artists voicing similar themes: Kehlani and Chabuzzi.

7. Costa Rica’s Presidential Election

• [04:36] Laura Fernandez, a conservative political scientist with a tough-on-crime platform, wins Costa Rica’s presidential election.
  • Selected by outgoing president Rodrigo Chavez as his successor.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Speaker Mike Johnson ([00:41]): “Our intention is by Tuesday to fund all agencies of the federal government except for that one. And then we'll have two weeks of good faith negotiations to figure it out.”
• Judge Fred Beery ([01:51]): Described ICE’s use of a preschooler as “a perfidious lust for unbridled power that's bereft of human decency.”
• Governor Josh Stein ([02:28]): “We just don't get snow like this very often.”
• Billie Eilish ([04:06]): “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
• Olivia Dean ([04:10]): “Those people deserve to be celebrated.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:17: Rafah border crossing reopening
• 00:31: Federal government shutdown update
• 01:23: ICE operation and judicial rebuke
• 02:04: National Weather Service’s winter storm update
• 02:26: North Carolina governor and winter storm aftermath
• 03:13: New Mexico’s lawsuit against Meta
• 03:53: Grammy Awards, immigrant advocacy
• 04:36: Costa Rica presidential election result

This tightly-packed NPR News Now episode covers international and domestic headlines with direct reporting and poignant quotes from officials and news subjects, offering listeners essential context on each evolving story.