NPR News Now – 5 PM EST – February 4, 2026

Host: Ryland Barton
Duration: ~5 minutes
Main Theme: Rapid roundup of top national and international news updates from politics, diplomacy, health, and human interest stories.

1. Iran–US Nuclear Talks Set to Begin

[00:15 – 01:04]

• Announcement:
  Iran’s foreign minister confirms nuclear talks with the Trump administration will begin Friday in Oman.

• US Position:

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio voices skepticism on prospects:

    "I'm not sure if the US can reach any deals with the Iranian government, but President Trump prefers to have negotiations about a range of issues..."
    — Marco Rubio (00:27)

  • Talks encompass:
    • Range of Iran's ballistic missiles,
    • Sponsorship of regional terrorist organizations,
    • Progress of Iran’s nuclear program,
    • Human rights and treatment of Iranian citizens.
  • Rubio dismisses concerns that dialogue could legitimize the Iranian regime, despite recent deadly crackdowns on protesters.
  • Reference to President Trump’s earlier message:

    "Help was on its way and that the US Was locked and loaded."
    — Michelle Kellerman summarizing (00:46)

• Reporter: Michelle Kellerman

2. Federal Immigration Operation Shift in Minnesota

[01:04 – 01:57]

• Development:
  The White House is withdrawing hundreds of federal immigration agents from Minnesota.

• Rationale:

  • Border czar Tom Homan calls for greater cooperation from local leaders and communities.
  • Increased collaboration from county jails, enabling ICE to detain individuals directly from jail.

    "Operation... depends on people that want to intimidate and interfere and put hands on ICE officers, tone down the rhetoric, stop violating the law and impeding and interfering with us and the drawdown be quicker."
    — Tom Homan (01:27)

  • Despite drawdown, observers note federal detentions in neighborhoods persist.
  • Focus remains on arresting those with criminal records, though non-criminal arrests haven't ceased.

• Reporter: Estelle Timar Wilcox (Minnesota Public Radio)

3. First Lady Melania Trump Welcomes Freed Hostage

[01:57 – 02:56]

• Event:
  First Lady Melania Trump hosts Israeli-American hostage Keith Siegel at the White House, one year after his release from Hamas captivity.

• Background:

  • Siegel was freed in February 2025, following a US-brokered ceasefire.
  • His wife, Aviva Siegel, was also briefly held.
  • Melania Trump notes her involvement was “a catalyst” for securing Keith Siegel’s release.
  • Meeting coincides with the launch of the documentary Melania.

• Controversy:

  • Melania Trump sidesteps questions about promoting the film at an official event.
  • Keith Siegel expresses deep gratitude:

    "Eternally grateful to the first lady and President Trump for bringing him and the other hostages home to their families."
    — Reported by Franco Ordonez (02:36)

• Reporter: Franco Ordonez

4. Trump Hush Money Conviction Update

[02:56 – 03:19]

• Judicial Ruling:
  A federal judge is set to deny President Trump’s efforts to overturn his hush money conviction.
• Legal Commentary:
  • Judge criticizes Trump’s legal team for “taking two bites at the apple.”
  • Suggests relief was sought “too late.”
• No direct quotes; refers to ongoing Trump legal battles.

5. Supreme Court & Election Maps

[03:19 – 03:35]

• Supreme Court Decisions:
  • California authorized to use a new, Democrat-favored congressional map for upcoming elections.
  • Earlier, Texas permitted to keep a Republican-favored district map.
  • Context of nationwide redistricting battles amid Trump’s push to retain Republican House control.

6. New Study: Keto Diet and Depression

[03:35 – 04:26]

• Research Findings:
  • Oxford’s Ming Gao leads a randomized trial on the ketogenic diet’s effect on treatment-resistant depression.
  • Outcome: Keto provided small antidepressant benefits, but adherence is challenging without strong support.

    "The last few years have brought a wave of enthusiasm for the ketogenic diet and mental health, but the field has lacked high quality evidence from randomized controlled trials."
    — Ming Gao (03:48) "Most of the patients in the study did not stay on the diet after the trial ended."
    — Ming Gao (04:16)

  • Published in JAMA Psychiatry.
• Reporter: Will Stone

7. Human Interest: Swan Rescued from Frozen River

[04:26 – 04:55]

• Story:
  Norwalk, Connecticut firefighters rescue a swan frozen in the Norwalk River.
  • Initially believed the swan was dead; realized it was alive and feet were stuck in ice.
  • Used ropes, took 30 minutes to complete the rescue and bring the swan safely to shore.

8. Market Update

[04:55]

• Financial Market Note:
  Weakness in technology stocks contributed to a mixed trading day on Wall Street.

Notable Quotes

• Marco Rubio ([00:27]):
  "I'm not sure if the US can reach any deals with the Iranian government, but President Trump prefers to have negotiations about a range of issues..."

• Tom Homan ([01:27]):
  "Operation... depends on people that want to intimidate and interfere and put hands on ICE officers, tone down the rhetoric, stop violating the law and impeding and interfering with us and the drawdown be quicker."

• Ming Gao ([03:48]):
  "The last few years have brought a wave of enthusiasm for the ketogenic diet and mental health, but the field has lacked high quality evidence from randomized controlled trials."

Episode Highlights & Tone

• Direct, efficient newscast: The episode delivers concise, factual updates on leading stories, with a straightforward and professional tone throughout.
• Key moments:
  • Announcement of new US–Iran negotiations.
  • Symbolic White House meeting for a freed hostage.
  • Release of key scientific findings on diet and mental health.
  • Dramatic animal rescue story for a human touch.

Useful for listeners seeking a quick, authoritative update on diverse, top-of-the-hour news items.