NPR News Now — February 5, 2026, 2PM EST

Brief Overview

This rapid-fire NPR News Now episode covers the day's major headlines: new polling on President Trump’s immigration enforcement, the launch of a federal drug savings website, the ongoing search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother, Google’s investment in AI, early U.S. Olympic victories, and developments in Winter Olympic scheduling. The report is presented in the concise, factual NPR tone by Jeanine Herbst and a team of correspondents.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

President Trump’s Immigration Tactics Lose Favor

• Poll Findings:
  • A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll reveals two-thirds of Americans think federal law enforcement on immigration "have gone too far" (00:31).
  • 60% disapprove of ICE; 62% think ICE "is making Americans less safe"—a significant increase from last summer.
  • Bipartisan Shift: Independents, Latinos, and voters under 30—once core to Trump’s coalition—now largely sour on the president, with 70% of each group critical of ICE.
• Context:
  • Comes after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minnesota recently.
• Quote:
  • "Seven in 10 of each group say ICE has gone too far and majorities of them all disapprove of the job that Trump is doing."
    —Domenico Montanaro (00:56)

Drug Price Savings Initiative Rolls Out

• Policy Launch:
  • "TrumpRx," a new government website (trumprx.gov), promises direct-to-consumer discounts on some prescription drugs.
  • 16 major deals with pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly) finalized; however, details of the drug discounts remain private.
• Consumer Impact:
  • Discounts only apply to some drugs, and mostly assist those paying cash rather than those with insurance ("co pays are likely to be cheaper than the cash prices").
• Expert Caution:
  • Drug policy experts question how many will truly benefit.
• Quote:
  • "For people with insurance, co pays are likely to be cheaper than the cash prices."
    —Sidney Lupkin (01:43)

Search Continues for Savannah Guthrie’s Missing Mother

• Investigation Status:
  • 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie is still missing; Pima County Sheriff Chris Nano says the case is “complex with a lot of moving parts.”
  • DNA confirms blood found was Nancy's.
  • No credible suspects or persons of interest yet.
  • FBI is aware of ransom note reports.
• Quote:
  • "To be clear, we have nobody of interest or any suspects that you would consider a prime suspect. We’re just not there. We're not there yet."
    —Sheriff Chris Nano (02:23)

Google Parent’s Ambitious AI Spending

• Financial Details:
  • Alphabet (Google’s parent company) spent $91B on AI and capital investments in 2025; plans to double that amount in 2026.
  • Despite a 30% jump in quarterly profits, investors are wary; Alphabet shares opened lower.
• Economic Context:
  • New applications for unemployment benefits ticked up last week, with jobs data delayed due to a government shutdown.
• Quote:
  • "[Alphabet] plans to invest about twice as much this year. ... Alphabet shares opened lower."
    —Scott Horsley (02:44)

Early U.S. Wins at the Winter Olympics

• Curling Success:
  • Americans Corey Tiesse (Minnesota) and Cory Dropkin (Massachusetts), reigning world champs in mixed doubles curling, win both matches today (vs. Norway, Switzerland).
  • Chemistry Highlight:
    Dropkin: "We're a good team. ... There's someone that's, you know, termed us recently as the calm and the fire. Corey's got that calm, confident, stoic personality on the ice. And I kind of bring that fiery, passionate energy." (03:43)
• Upcoming Events:
  • Curlers to compete seven more times before medal events on Feb 10.
  • Ice hockey and snowboarding events kick off today.

Climate Change Sparks Winter Olympic Schedule Debate

• IOC Concerns:
  • Milder winters may force future Games to start as early as January; this year, Italy’s March Paralympic Games potentially threatened by strong sun/melting snow.
  • Rescheduling could disrupt ski circuit events and clash with major U.S. sports (NFL, NBA).
  • IOC scheduling decision due in June.
• Quote:
  • "Moving the Games to January would probably disrupt the schedules of World Cup races and events and also clash with NFL and NBA schedules."
    —Jeanine Herbst (04:40)

Financial Update

• Markets:
  • Wall Street down; Dow off 503 points (04:48).

Notable Quotes

• Domenico Montanaro, on Trump's coalition:
  “Seven in 10 of each group say ICE has gone too far and majorities of them all disapprove of the job that Trump is doing.” (00:56)
• Sidney Lupkin, on TrumpRx:
  “For people with insurance, co pays are likely to be cheaper than the cash prices.” (01:43)
• Sheriff Chris Nano, on the investigation:
  “To be clear, we have nobody of interest or any suspects that you would consider a prime suspect. We’re just not there. We're not there yet.” (02:23)
• Cory Dropkin, on curling partnership:
  “There's someone that's, you know, termed us recently as the calm and the fire. ... Corey's got that calm, confident, stoic personality on the ice. And I kind of bring that fiery, passionate energy.” (03:43)

Timestamps & Content Flow

• 00:16 — Top news headlines, polling on Trump’s immigration enforcement
• 01:09 — TrumpRx website launch for prescription drug discounts
• 02:01 — Search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother (missing persons investigation update)
• 02:40 — Google’s AI investment, unemployment benefits, market update
• 03:11 — U.S. Olympic curling victories and team perspective
• 04:14 — Winter Olympics scheduling debates in light of climate change
• 04:48 — Dow Jones update, episode wrap

This episode delivers quick, nuanced news bites on pressing political, economic, and cultural issues—ideal for listeners seeking a credible, five-minute national update.