NPR News: 02-03-2026 10AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – February 3, 2026, 10AM EST

Host: Korva Coleman | Podcast: NPR News Now
Summary by Minute: [00:13]–[04:53]

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Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update, hosted by Korva Coleman, delivers breaking news and developments in U.S. politics, business, and society as of February 3, 2026. The episode focuses on the ongoing partial government shutdown, controversial remarks by President Trump on state elections, corporate responses to economic pressures, ongoing immigration debates, and changes in entertainment and leadership spheres.

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Key News Topics and Insights

1. House Votes on Spending Package to End Partial Government Shutdown

[00:13]–[01:12]

• Spending Plan Details:

  • The Republican-led House is preparing to vote on a spending package that would end the partial government shutdown.
  • The spending bill provides funding for the Departments of Defense, Transportation, Health and Human Services, and others through September.
  • However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) only receives funding for two weeks, to allow time for negotiation on immigration law enforcement reforms.

• Bipartisan Support and Frustrations:

  • House Appropriations Democrat Rosa DeLaura supports the bill, even though it’s not perfect for either party:
    • Quote:

      "Did we get everything we wanted? Hell no. Did the Republicans get everything they wanted? Hell no."
      —Rosa DeLaura, [00:47]

  • Not all House Democrats concur, calling for immediate reforms to DHS.
  • The Senate passed the bipartisan bill after a rare agreement between Senate Democrats and the Trump White House.
  • House Republicans are expected to support President Trump’s call for a yes-vote.

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2. President Trump’s Call for Nationalized Elections

[01:12]–[01:49]

• Controversial Remarks:

  • President Trump, speaking on Dan Bongino's podcast, suggested that Republicans should take away control of elections from at least 15 unspecified states and nationalize the voting system, criticizing certain states for what he termed as "crooked" vote counting.
    • Quote:

      "The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked and they're counting votes. We have states that I won that show I didn't win."
      —Donald Trump, [01:31]

  • Trump also makes unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 election and predicts revelations regarding Georgia.

• Background Context:

  • Last week, FBI agents raided an elections office near Atlanta, Georgia, seizing hundreds of boxes of ballots from the 2020 election; Georgia officials say they do not know the ballots’ whereabouts.
  • NPR clarifies that Trump’s claims of winning the national election and Georgia in 2020 are false.

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3. Pepsi Cuts Snack Prices Amid Slumped Sales

[01:49]–[03:04]

• Economic Trends and Corporate Response:

  • PepsiCo is responding to customer frustration with high prices by reducing the cost of snacks like Doritos, Cheetos, and Lay's potato chips by up to 15%.
  • The company reported decreased sales as shoppers turn to cheaper store brands.
  • Price cuts are timed ahead of the Super Bowl; prices on corn chips and guacamole were already dropping.

• Wall Street Update:

  • Dow Jones up about 7 points, Nasdaq down over 200.
  • The release of the monthly job turnover report has been postponed due to the government shutdown.
    • Quote:

      "The company is planning to cut prices by up to 15% to regain market share."
      —Scott Horsley, [02:23]

• Corporate Leadership News:

  • Disney's head of theme parks, Josh D’Amaro, will become CEO at the upcoming annual meeting, succeeding Bob Iger.

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4. Federal Judge Blocks End of TPS Protections for Haitians

[03:04]–[04:11]

• Legal Update:

  • A federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 300,000 Haitians in the U.S., protections which were set to expire today.

• Community Response in Ohio:

  • Over a thousand faith leaders gathered in Springfield, Ohio, to support the Haitian community at a church rally titled "Here We Stand."
  • Bishop Kristin Ufel White expressed concern for community cohesion and well-being:
    • Quote:

      "It will remove the neighbors we depend on. It will hurt local schools and businesses. And, yes, it will hurt churches. It will hurt us being who we are called to be."
      —Reverend Kristin Ufel White, [03:50]

  • Governor Mike DeWine reports receiving mixed signals about possible increased ICE deportation efforts.

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5. Quick Updates: International and Entertainment News

[04:11]–[04:53]

• U.S.–Colombia Relations:

  • President Trump meets Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House amid gradually easing tensions, despite past sharp criticism (including Trump’s previous comparison of Petro to Venezuela's Maduro).

• Entertainment:

  • Kelly Clarkson announces a step back from her daily TV show to prioritize her children.
    • She will continue to make music, perform, and occasionally appear on "The Voice."
    • Clarkson’s show is currently in its seventh season.

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• "Did we get everything we wanted? Hell no. Did the Republicans get everything they wanted? Hell no."
  —Rosa DeLaura, [00:47]

• "The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked and they're counting votes. We have states that I won that show I didn't win."
  —Donald Trump, [01:31]

• “It will remove the neighbors we depend on. It will hurt local schools and businesses. And, yes, it will hurt churches. It will hurt us being who we are called to be.”
  —Reverend Kristin Ufel White, [03:50]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Government Shutdown Spending Vote: [00:13]–[01:12]
• Trump’s Voting System Remarks: [01:12]–[01:49]
• FBI Georgia Ballot Raid Context: [01:49]
• Pepsi Price Cuts & Corporate News: [02:23]–[03:04]
• Wall Street & Disney CEO News: [03:04]
• Haitian TPS Protections Blocked: [03:34]–[04:11]
• U.S.–Colombia, Entertainment Updates: [04:11]–[04:53]

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Tone and Style

The episode maintains NPR’s signature straightforward, objective news delivery, with occasional direct quotes adding color and authenticity to political and local community responses. The pace is brisk, ensuring concise coverage of major national and international events for a busy, news-hungry audience.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The Republican led House is on track to vote today on a spending package to end the partial government shutdown. NPR's Claudia Grisales reports. It limits funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the Departments of Defense, Transportation.

[Claudia Grisales]

And Health and Human Services and more would be funded through September. But the Department of Homeland Security will get just two weeks of funding so lawmakers can negotiate new immigration law enforcement reforms. Top House Appropriations Democrat Rosa DeLaura told the House Rules Committee that's why she's a yes.

[Rosa DeLaura]

Did we get everything we wanted?

[Claudia Grisales]

Hell no.

[Rosa DeLaura]

Did the Republicans get everything they wanted? Hell no.

[Claudia Grisales]

But not all House Democrats are on the same page. Many argue DHS should be reformed now. The Senate approved the bipartisan plan last week following a rare deal between Senate Democrats and the Trump White House. House Republicans are expected to support President Trump's call to vote yes. Claudia Gonzalez, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

President Trump says Republicans should take away control of elections from at least 15 states. He didn't say which ones voting is plainly specified in Article 1 of the Constitution as a right belonging to the states. But Trump spoke yesterday in a podcast with former FBI deputy Dan Bongino.

[Donald Trump]

The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked and they're counting votes. We have states that I won that show I didn't win. Now you're going to see something in Georgia where they were able to get with a court order, the ballots. You're going to see some interesting things come out.

[Korva Coleman]

Last week, FBI agents raided an elections office near Atlanta, Georgia. They seized hundreds of boxes with ballots inside them from the 2020 presidential election. Trump claims he won that national election. He didn't. He claims he won the state of Georgia in 2020. He didn't. Georgia officials say they don't know where those ballots are now. Stocks opened mix this morning as Pepsi announced plans to cut prices of popular snack foods. NPR's Scott Horsley reports. The Dow Jones industrial average rose about 2 points in early trading.

[Scott Horsley]

Pepsi has heard from shoppers fed up with high grocery prices, some of whom are switching to cheaper store brand products. Pepsi sold fewer bags of Dur, Doritos, Cheetos and lay's potato chips in its most recent quarter. The company is planning to cut prices by up to 15% to regain market share. Prices of corn chips and guacamole were already falling ahead of this weekend's Super Bowl. Disney has tapped the head of its theme park division to be its next CEO. Josh d' Amaro will take over for Bob Iger at the company's annual meeting next month. Speaking of job changes, the Labor Department was supposed to issue a monthly report on turnover in the job market this morning, but that's been postponed by the government shutdown. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

On Wall street, the Dow is now up about 7 points. The Nasdaq is down more than 200. This is NPR. A federal judge is blocking the Trump administration from ending temporary protections for more than 300,000 Haitians in the U.S. those TPS protections were scheduled to end today. Faith leaders from across Ohio have gathered in Springfield to show support to Haitian immigrants. From member station wyso, Kathryn Mobley reports.

[Kathryn Mobley]

More than a thousand people crowded into the St. John Missionary Baptist Church for Here We Stand, a faith led rally. Reverend Kristin Ufel White is a bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio. She fears ending TPS will devastate Springfield.

[Reverend Kristin Ufel White]

It will remove the neighbors we depend on. It will hurt local schools and businesses. And, yes, it will hurt churches. It will hurt us being who we are called to be.

[Kathryn Mobley]

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine says he's gotten mixed signals on if ICE agents will step up deportation efforts in the state. For NPR News, I'm Catherine Mobley.

[Korva Coleman]

President Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro meet at the White House today. They have heavily criticized each other. Trump has suggested Petro could be taken to the US like former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Trump and Petra's tension has since eased a little. Musician and talk show host Kelly Clarkson says she is stepping away from her daily show. She says she's making the decision in order to prioritize her children. But Clarkson says she will continue to write music and perform. She says she will also appear occasionally on the show the Voice. Clarkson's show is now in its seventh season. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News from Washington.

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