← The NewsWorthy
The NewsWorthy
Nationwide Strike, Famous Names in Epstein Files & Grammys Make History - Monday, February 2, 2026
00:14:59
Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:00]
A
Today is Monday, February 2nd. We're talking about the FBI's reversal on Alex Preddy's killing and what's next for the five year old boy who was detained by ICE in Minnesota. Also, a few of the famous powerful men mentioned in the new batch of Epstein files and when a partial government shutdown is expected to come to an end. Plus, where nearly 2ft of snow fell over the weekend, why the Kennedy center is set for a years long closure and who made history at last night's Grammy Awards. Those stories and even more news coming up. Welcome to the Newsworthy all the Days News in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica. Mandy, thanks so much for being here. Let's do this. There is now a civil rights investigation into one of the two shooting deaths at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis. The U.S. justice Department announced it's investigating the killing of Alex Preddy, but not the earlier death of Renee Goode. The DOJ did not explain why, only that the Civil Rights Division doesn't investigate every law enforcement shooting and that there has to be certain circumstances that warrant a broader investigation. Remember, videos have shown Preddy had only his phone in his hand as officers tackled him to the ground, with one removing his gun from the back of his pants as another officer fired shots into his back. The Homeland Security Department also said the FBI will lead the investigation into Preddy's death. Both the civil rights investigation happening and the FBI taking the lead are changes from earlier plans. Meanwhile, the immigration crackdown continues in Minnesota. Over the weekend, a federal judge denied a request from state officials to immediately end the operation, saying they did not give enough evidence to justify an emergency order. Though to be clear, the judge did not decide whether the actual activity in Minnesota was legal. And she wrote in her ruling the crackdown, quote, had, has had and will likely continue to have profound and even heartbreaking consequences. US Attorney General Pam Bondi called this ruling huge, saying nothing will stop the Trump administration from enforcing federal law. But Minnesota's attorney general promised to keep fighting. In another weekend court ruling, a judge told officials to release five year old Liam Ramos and his father. As we've told you, they were both detained by ICE agents in Minnesota and have since been held in a detention center in Texas. But yesterday they both returned home to Minneapolis with Liam still wearing his knit hat with bunny ears. The judge said they ultimately may return to their home country even if it's involuntary, but he said it should be under a more orderly and humane policy. Now, the Ramos family is still trying to seek asylum and says There's a court hearing scheduled for later this month. All around the country, protesters marched, rallied and disrupted their everyday routines in solidarity with Minneapolis people mentioned the killings of Good and Preddy. Many spoke about pride in Americans for standing up and the resolve to keep fighting for change. Events were mostly peaceful. Some protesters in Los Angeles, though, did get rowdy after dark, and when they confronted federal agents outside a detention center, the agents responded with tear gas. Chemicals were also deployed in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, where thousands of people were protesting, including children. So far, no explanation from federal officials, but President Trump specifically told them to forcefully defend federal property from any kind of damage or threats. Over the weekend, Trump also announced federal law enforcement will no longer respond to protests unless support is actually requested or federal property is involved. Separately, the Trump administration has taken legal action against journalists in connection to an anti ICE protest at a church. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon and local independent reporter Georgia Ford were arrested for interrupting the religious service. They both say they weren't participating in the protest, just reporting on the incident as journalists. So there has been widespread criticism from human rights advocates and journalism organizations since the First Amendment protects the freedom of the press. But prosecutors say Lemon and Fort were promoting the protesters message and even displayed threatening behavior while in the church, saying their status as journalists shouldn't let them off the hook for now. Both journalists have been released until their next court hearings and say they'll continue reporting the government is now partially shut down. On Friday, the Senate easily passed a spending package that fully funds large swaths of the government but extends the deadline on funding the Homeland Security Department since lawmakers want more time to debate ICE funding. The problem is the House could not begin to consider the measure until today since House lawmakers weren't in Washington, D.C. last week. Now, House Speaker Mike Johnson says he's confident the GOP led House will be able to sign off on the Senate's package by tomorrow, with or without support from Democrats. And as long as this shutdown really is as short as he believes it will be, it's not expected to have a substantial impact. The final batch of Epstein files were released and it's a big one, complete with more than 3 million pages, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. The DOJ says all of the files went through multiple layers of review and quality control, but some survivors say the vetting wasn't good enough since their names, photos and other sensitive information have been found in the files. There were plenty of redactions elsewhere, though the DOJ made it clear the White House did not have any oversight of the review. And news reports say there are thousands of files with references to President Trump. They include some unverified sexual assault allegations against Trump compiled by FBI officials last year. But the DOJ says all the claims were unfounded and false. Many other powerful people are also included in the files. For example, they show both Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and billionaire Elon Musk spoke with Epstein about arranging trips to Epstein's private island, as well as other get togethers. The file's photos include Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner in Epstein's New York townhouse, sitting with Epstein and a couple of women. There are also photos of billionaire Richard Branson on a tropical island and an email exchange in which Branson told Epstein, quote, would love to see you, as long as you bring your harem. The former Prince Andrew's name surfaces in several documents, too, including photos of him crouching over a woman who is lying on the ground. All of them have insisted they never did anything wrong or illegal. Of course, there is much, much more information that came out from millions of files. But overall, the DOJ says the latest documents don't include enough evidence to bring additional charges against any possible co conspirators. President Trump has decided who he wants to run the central bank. He nominated former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh for Fed chief. Warsh has been a critic of the Federal Reserve. He said US Fiscal policy is on a dangerous trajectory and that there has been a rise in irresponsible spending. It's believed he would support lower interest rates sooner. Warsh still has to survive a Senate confirmation before he gets the job. But there is some resistance on both sides of the aisle, mostly from lawmakers who say they don't want to approve anyone new until the Justice Department finishes its investigation into the current leader. Current Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell's term ends in May. A historic storm on the east coast brought the most snow North Carolina has seen in decades. Snow fell in all 100 counties of the state, covering cities, farmlands, mountains and beach towns, some with as much as 20 inches. Governor Josh Stein reported more than 1,000 traffic crashes this weekend, including a 100 car pileup. And officials are still asking people to stay off the roads if they can. Beyond North Carolina, other parts of the Southeast also got snow from this storm. Rare snow flurries were even seen in Tampa Bay, Florida, and several record low temperature records were hit this morning. The storm system has moved off the coast, but freezing conditions are expected to last for days. We have more news for you still ahead. But first, this episode is brought to you by Wild Grain. I'm so excited to get to talk about Wild Grain again. If you don't remember, Wild Grain is the first bake from Frozen subscription box for sourdough breads, artisanal pastries and fresh pastas. And here's the key part. All items conveniently bake in 25 minutes or less. So just an example of the many reasons we love wild grain in our house. One of my son's favorite meals is Broccoli cheddar soup, so my husband and I so appreciate having a convenient and easy way to make warm, delicious sourdough bread to go with the soup, even on a busy weekday evening. And this is true for so many different family meals or when we have guests over. Plus, I love the smell of bread or pastries cooking in the oven. There's nothing like having an artisan bakery in your freezer to chase away the winter chill. Now is the best time to stay in and enjoy comforting, homemade meals with wild grain. I highly recommend giving Wild Grain a try. And right now, Wild Grain is offering our listeners $30 off your first box plus free Croissants for Life when you go to wildgrain.comnewworthy to start your subscription today. That's $30 off your first box and free Croissants for Life when YOU visit wildgrain.comnewworthy or use our promo code newsworthy at checkout. Okay, now back to the news. Today is Groundhog Day. As always, that means Americans will get a prediction for either an early spring or six more weeks of winter. It all depends on whether the nation's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, sees his shadow. Tens of thousands of people will gather in Gobblers Knob, Pennsylvania, to witness Phil's big prediction. But keep in mind, since 1887, Punxsutawney Phil had has only been right about 40% of the time. Actress Catherine O' Hara has died at 71 years old. An exact cause of death wasn't shared, but her agency said it happened after a brief illness. O' Hara was best known for her roles in Schitt's Creek, Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and the Studio. But her long career saw her take on more than 100 parts across TV and movies. And all weekend other stars have been mourning her death. For example, Macaulay Culkin, who of course played her son in Home Alone. He wrote, quote, mama, I thought we had time. I wanted more. Eugene Levy reflected on the five decades he knew o', Hara, writing, quote I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship. And I will miss her. Other tributes have come in from Ron Howard, Tim Burton, Meryl Streep, Michael Keaton, Seth Rogen, Martin Scorsese and many, many more. The Kennedy center is now getting ready to close for about two years. President Trump made the announcement on Truth Social yesterday, saying the shutdown is necessary for reconstruction work. His plan is to close it on the 4th of July and then two years later to have a grand reopening. The center has been marked by turmoil in recent months, with an exodus of performers who say they can't support the direction the center is taking after President Trump has made changes. But historically the Kennedy center has hosted more than 2,000 events a year. The closure is technically still subject to approval by his recently handpicked board, but the president says financing for the building project is already complete. History was made in more ways than won at last night's Grammy Awards. Bad Bunny got the Grammy for Album of the Year with the first Spanish language album to win in the category ever. He dedicated his award to quote all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams. He and several other artists also criticized Ice in their acceptance speeches and wore Ice out pins on the red carpet. Kendrick Lamar also officially broke the record for most awarded hip hop artist in Grammy's history, earning 27 total awards, and Cher received the night's lifetime achievement award. Of course, since the award show is all about music, the performances were a big highlight. The Best New Artist nominees performed a medley of their hits, Justin Bieber sang a literally stripped down version of his song UConn in his underwear, and several stars came together for an In Memoriam tribute. Sabrina Carpenter, Somber Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and many more also took the stage with their own showstoppers. The full replay is now available on Paramount. At 22 years old, Carlos Alcaraz is now the youngest man to ever win all four major titles in tennis. The top ranked player achieved the feat by winning the Australian Open final over the weekend. Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic, who has actually won all of his 10 previous finals in Melbourne. And Djokovic was after his own Record, a 25th Grand Slam, by the way. On the women's side, Elena Rybakina was crowned the Australian Open champion, beating top ranked Aryna Sabalenka. With that, she'll go from number five to three in the rankings. That's it for the main news. So now it's time for Money Monday when we talk about one interesting MONEY Related News story. But first, a quick break for our sponsor. Quince is all about elevated essentials that feel effortless. Designed for layering and mixing, each piece helps build a timeless wardrobe made to last. I'm talking 100% organic cotton sweaters, premium denim made with stretch for all day comfort luxe cotton cashmere blends perfect for the changing seasons. Everything you need for a wardrobe that actually lasts. My newest cashmere sweater from Quince is absolutely one of my favorite tops to wear this winter so far. I love the sea green color I got the feel of it is incredibly soft and comfortable and the quality is exactly what I'm looking for. And yet I don't have to pay for any type of brand markup. I so appreciate that Quints works directly with safe, ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen to keep prices down. With versatile silhouettes and thoughtful details, Quince offers the kind of styles you'll wear again and again. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to quince.comnewsworthy for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.comnewsworthy to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comnewsworthy now back to Money Monday. We are now less than a week away from Super Bowl 60, pitting the new England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks, and anyone who plans on going will be paying premium prices. Reseller Tickpick says ticket prices for this year's game are the second highest ever, going for on average more than $8,200 apiece. The cheapest seats are going for more than $6,000 each, and the most expensive are $24,000 each. Getting to the game in Santa Clara, California will also cost quite a bit. Airfare to the Bay Area is up nearly 30% and average nightly hotel rates are up about 90%. Of course, the budget friendly way of watching the super bowl will be doing so from home. But hosting a Super bowl party is also expected to cost more this year. The National Retail Federation says hosts should expect to shell out about 9% more than last year. Overall, more than 127 million people are expected to watch the big game one way or another. Thank you so much for joining us today. We'll be back with even more news to know tomorrow. For now, have a great.