NPR News Now — Episode Summary

Episode Title: NPR News: 02-08-2026 12AM EST
Host: Dale Willman
Air Date: February 8, 2026
Duration: ~5 minutes

Episode Overview

This succinct NPR News Now episode covers the top U.S. and international headlines as of midnight, February 8, 2026. Major topics include changes to State Department social media archives, a high-profile kidnapping case, pivotal elections in Japan, immigration policy protests in Minnesota, humanitarian updates from Gaza, remembrance of a campus shooting at Brown University, and a sports update on Olympic skier Lindsey Vaughn.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. State Department Scrubs Social Media Archives (00:18)

• Reporting: Shannon Bond

• The State Department confirmed it is deleting posts from its official X (formerly Twitter) accounts dating back to before President Trump’s 2025 return.

• These historic posts will be archived internally but are no longer publicly accessible; those seeking access must file Freedom of Information Act requests.

• This marks a departure from standard government practice, where archives are typically migrated to public repositories (e.g., White House accounts).

• The stated intent: "[to] speak with one voice on social media."

• Context: The Trump administration has broadly removed entire tranches of government website content.

  "That's different from how the government typically archives the online footprint of previous administrations."
  — Shannon Bond (00:37)

2. Kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie’s Mother (01:17)

• Reported: Dale Willman
• Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of the "Today" show, issued a plea to her mother’s alleged abductors via social media, offering to pay for her return.
• Quote:

  "We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay."
  — Savannah Guthrie’s statement (01:26)

• 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson, Arizona home earlier in the week.
• Police found blood on the porch; no suspects are currently known.

3. Japan's Snap Elections & First Female Prime Minister’s Mandate (02:11)

• Reporting: Anthony Kuhn (from Hongchon, South Korea)

• Japan holds snap elections; Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female PM, and her coalition hope to turn a slim lower house majority into a stronger mandate.

• Takaichi signals she will step down if her coalition loses its majority.

• A win could advance her conservative agenda: increased defense spending, possible constitutional changes regarding the country’s military.

• Japan’s politics shift right with a new ruling bloc favoring more defense spending and less immigration.

  "Japan's political landscape is shifting to the right with the formation of a new ruling coalition between the ruling party and a smaller right wing party..."
  — Anthony Kuhn (02:40)

4. Immigration Protests & Deaths in Minnesota (02:51)

• Reporting: Dale Willman
• Dozens of protesters arrested outside a Minneapolis federal building, marking one month since Renee Goode’s shooting death during an encounter with immigration officers.
• Goode’s and Alex Preddy’s subsequent deaths spotlight President Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

5. Humanitarian Update from Gaza (03:22)

• Reporting: Dale Willman
• UN: 36 medical patients recently permitted to exit Gaza via Rafah border crossing to receive treatment in Egypt.
• Background: 20,000 people await medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals. The crossing had been briefly reopened, then closed again.

6. Brown University Memorial for Campus Shooting Victims (03:50)

• Reporting: David Wright (Ocean State Media) & Shannon Bond

• Brown University holds a memorial for two students killed in the Dec. 13 shooting at the engineering building.

• President Christina Paxson described the victims as models for the university.

  "They were everything we hope to see in our students: whip smart, intellectually curious, kind, generous."
  — Christina Paxson, quoted by Shannon Bond (03:59)

• Victims:

  • Mohammad Aziz Umurzikov (18): Freshman aspiring neurosurgeon.
  • Ella Cook (19): Leader of the Campus Republican Club, planning a semester in France.

• Nine others injured. Security measures have since been tightened.

7. Sports Update: Olympic Skier Lindsey Vaughn Competes Despite Injury (04:33)

• Reported: Dale Willman
• Lindsey Vaughn, 41, will compete in the Olympic downhill event with a ruptured left ACL, injured during a warmup fall.
• Vaughn is among the oldest competitors and has a history of injury and surgery, including a titanium knee replacement.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Government Social Media Archives:

  "Anyone who wants to see posts from the Obama, Biden or first Trump terms will have to file a Freedom of Information act request..."
  — Shannon Bond (00:37)

• Family’s Plea in Kidnapping Case:

  "This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay."
  — Savannah Guthrie, relayed by Dale Willman (01:26)

• On Brown University Victims:

  "They were everything we hope to see in our students..."
  — Christina Paxson (03:59)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:18 — State Department social media archives news
• 01:17 — Savannah Guthrie kidnapping case update
• 02:11 — Japan's snap election coverage
• 02:51 — Minneapolis immigration protest/arrests
• 03:22 — Gaza medical evacuations update
• 03:50 — Brown University memorial for shooting victims
• 04:33 — Lindsey Vaughn Olympic competition despite injury

This NPR News Now episode delivers a rapid-fire, factual rundown of key events shaping national and global conversations as of February 8, 2026—making it a vital listen for staying informed.