Government Shutdown Day 4, US-Iran Nuclear Talks, Guthrie Investigation

Summary

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Up First – February 3, 2026

Main Stories: Government Shutdown Day 4, US-Iran Nuclear Talks, Guthrie Investigation
Hosts: Michel Martin & A Martinez
Reporters: Claudia Grisales, Jackie Northam, L.M. Boyd

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Episode Overview

This edition of NPR’s Up First zeroes in on the fourth—potentially final—day of the partial U.S. government shutdown, the high-stakes reopening of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, and the urgent investigation into the abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s mother. Each story is explored with insightful reporting and direct analysis, capturing the moments shaping the morning’s headlines.

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1. Government Shutdown – Day 4: Will the House End It?

Segment Start: 01:59

Key Discussion Points

• Senate Approval, House Uncertainty:
  The Senate passed a six-bill appropriations package (five for full year, one—Homeland Security—for two weeks) in a deal between President Trump and Senate Democrats to end the shutdown. The onus is now on the House.

• Triggered by Tragedy:
  The short-term DHS extension is to allow time for negotiation on federal enforcement changes, after outrage over killings by US agents in Minnesota.

• Bipartisan Friction in the House:
  The House is divided—some Republicans think existing reforms are sufficient, while Democrats want stronger measures. The current DHS bill was crafted before the recent fatalities, fueling discontent among House Democrats.

• Speaker’s Tightrope:
  Speaker Mike Johnson faces a razor-thin margin—only a one-vote cushion. President Trump’s endorsement of the deal is putting pressure on House Republicans to fall in line.

Insights & Analysis

• Reporter Claudia Grisales explains:

  “This is a six-bill package that funds a large portion of the government. Five of those bills are full year appropriations... the Department of Homeland Security... just two weeks. This would give lawmakers time to negotiate changes to how federal agents do their jobs.”
  (02:45 – 03:17)

  “Some Republicans have argued the DHS bill already has reforms negotiated with Democrats, but those reforms were all negotiated before the killings... So a lot of House Democrats say this bill does not go far enough.”
  (03:23 – 03:57)

  “He has a razor thin margin to work with... But he has a powerful ally in President Trump. Trump weighed in yesterday telling House Republicans they need to get in line and support the plan.”
  (04:00 – 04:23)

  “Senate Democrats are demanding immigration agents stop wearing masks... want new rules on the use of warrants... immigration agents to wear body cameras. DHS Secretary Krissy Noem said yesterday she would agree to. But Democrats don’t trust that and want it put in law.”
  (04:48 – 05:20)

• Takeaway:
  The situation in the House is fluid, riding on a thin majority, high passions, and electoral posturing. Even if the shutdown ends, DHS reforms discussions are predicted to be “pretty difficult.” (04:48)

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2. U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Resume Amid Military Tensions

Segment Start: 05:33

Key Discussion Points

• Diplomacy vs. Military Threats:
  U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Turkey for renewed nuclear talks with Iran, joined by key regional mediators Qatar and Turkey. The meetings happen as President Trump considers military action, and regional states push hard for dialogue to avoid broader conflict.

• Regional Economic Stakes:
  Mid-East powers (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey) stress the need for stability to realize ambitious economic plans, and fear that a U.S.-Iran conflict would undermine this.

• Iran’s Negotiating Climate:
  Iran signals willingness to talk, but not at the expense of sovereignty. President Massoud Pezeshkian says Iran seeks “fair and equitable negotiations provided a suitable environment exists.”

• U.S. Aims:
  Demands include halting Tehran’s nuclear enrichment, support for proxies (Hezbollah, Hamas), and limiting the ballistic missile program — all core to Iran’s power projection.

• Skepticism About Real Progress:

  • Dana Stroul (Washington Institute for Near East Policy):

    “The Iranians are pragmatic. They’re going to work to appear willing to make concessions, but something not actually meaningful in terms of sufficient reassurances.”
    (07:30)

  • Iran comes in weakened (proxy networks and air defenses battered by Israel), but still poses a missile threat.

• Why Talks Now?
  Talks may buy time for U.S. military buildup and provide leverage. Trump’s strategy may be to build force, reassure allies, and keep the diplomatic door ajar—not necessarily to broker an immediate deal.

Notable Quotes

• Jackie Northam:

  “Iran has warned if the U.S. launches an assault, it could result in a regional war... they need calm and stability in order to pursue some of their grand economic development plans.”
  (06:03 – 06:17)

  “This meeting might not take place. A lot can happen between now and Friday.”
  (08:54)

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3. Guthrie Investigation: Where is Savannah Guthrie’s Mother?

Segment Start: 09:08

Key Discussion Points

• Urgent Missing Person Case:
  Savannah Guthrie pleads publicly for help finding her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, believed abducted from her Arizona home.

• Timeline & Circumstances:
  Last seen by relatives before 10 p.m. Saturday; reported missing when she didn’t attend church.
  Sheriff describes Nancy as mentally sound but physically frail.

• Investigation Moves:

  • Drones, dogs, and helicopters deployed overnight.
  • Homicide detectives processed the scene, but the case remains classified as a missing persons investigation.
  • The home’s state was “concerning” and Nancy likely could not leave on her own.

• Neighborhood Profile:
  Area is semi-private, with desert landscape and wide spacing between homes, making unnoticed movement possible but fostering privacy.

• Community Response:
  Local anxiety is high given the Guthries’ deep community ties—Savannah is an alumna of the University of Arizona, her mother a university staffer for two decades.

Notable Quotes

• Arizona Public Media reporter L.M. Boyd:

  “We know that Nancy Guthrie was last seen by relatives Saturday night just before 10pm at her home in Catalina Foothills community... She did not come to church the next day.”
  (09:38 – 10:04)

• Sheriff Chris Nanos:

  “We need her back. We need to find her and time is very critical. She is 84. She needs her meds. Her family needs her too.”
  (10:10 – 10:20)

• Boyd, on why abduction is suspected:

  “The state of the home is concerning... she would not be able to leave the home on her own. She was likely taken in the middle of the night.”
  (10:40 – 10:54)

• Boyd, on community mood:

  “The community is deeply engaged. They’re worried about the Guthrie family... Savannah visits often and gives talks. Her mother, Nancy, worked at the university for nearly 20 years. So she is embedded in the community.”
  (11:48 – 12:19)

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Noteworthy Moments & Quotes

• On House vote for shutdown end:

  “This plan has faced both bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition in the House.” – Claudia Grisales (03:23)

• On Iran’s tactical approach:

  “They’re going to work to appear willing to make concessions, but something not actually meaningful in terms of sufficient reassurances.” – Dana Stroul (07:30)

• On urgency in the Guthrie case:

  “Time is very critical. She is 84. She needs her meds. Her family needs her too.” – Sheriff Chris Nanos (10:10 – 10:20)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:59: Shutdown situation update — House prospects, context, and process
• 02:45 – 05:20: Claudia Grisales explains negotiations, House divide, reforms debate
• 05:33 – 08:59: US-Iran nuclear talks preview, regional implications, what’s really at stake
• 09:08 – 12:25: Guthrie missing person investigation — details, community reaction, law enforcement actions

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Summary prepared for readers who want an in-depth, structured glimpse of the episode’s substance and tone.

Transcript

[A]

If everything goes according to plan in the House, the partial government shutdown could end today.

[B]

Will Republicans in the House of Representatives support a deal President Trump brokered with Senate Democrats?

[A]

I'm Michelle Martin. That's a Martinez. And this is up first from NPR News. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to reopen nuclear talks with Iran this week even as President Trump threatens military action. Qatar and Turkey will also be at the table. How serious is Iran about making a deal, or is the regime just biding its time?

[B]

And A host of NBC's Today Show, Savannah Guthrie, is asking people to pray for her missing mother. Investigators believe 84 year old Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in Arizona. We need to find her and time is very critical. We'll find out what's the latest in the investigation. Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day.

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[B]

Today is day number four, the partial government shutdown. And if all goes according to plan in the House, it could also be the last day.

[A]

The Senate already approved legislation to fund most of the government last week after President Trump struck a deal with Democrats to avoid a prolonged shutdown. The deal would fund the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks while Congress negotiates changes to federal immigration enforcement procedures following the killing of two US Citizens by federal agents in Minnesota. But the plan to end the shutdown all depends on whether the House agrees to send that bill to President Trump.

[B]

NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grizales has been following all this. All right, Claudia, so they're on the brink, right? It should happen today if all things go according to plan. What can you tell us about the plan that might end this partial Shutdown.

[D]

Right. Good morning. A this is a six bill package that funds a large portion of the government. Five of those bills are full year appropriations. So this is through September for agencies such as the Departments of Defense, Transportation and Health and Human Services. One of those ones, the Department of Homeland Security. But for just two weeks, this would give lawmakers time to negotiate changes to how federal agents do their jobs. And this comes after both sides have seen an outpouring of anger following the deaths of Renee Goode and Alex Preddy in Minneapolis last month.

[B]

Now, so this was a deal that the Senate, the Senate negotiated. Does it have enough to pass the House?

[D]

Well, it could. This plan has faced both bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition in the House. And as you point out, the the House didn't negotiate the deal, the Senate did. And now the House is having to swallow changes to a bipartisan funding plan that they spent months crafting and ultimately passed. Now, some Republicans have argued the DHS bill already has reforms negotiated with Democrats, but those reforms were all negotiated before the killings at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis. So a lot of House Democrats say this bill does not go far enough.

[B]

So Speaker Mike Johnson, sweating all this.

[D]

A little bit, he has a razor thin margin to work with. It's actually a one vote margin at this stage. And so it will be difficult. But he has a powerful ally in President Trump. Trump weighed in yesterday telling House Republicans they need to get in line and support the plan. After all, it was negotiated between the White House and Senate Democrats. As we saw in a House Rules Committee hearing last night, Republicans all lined up to advance this plan to the floor today. We also saw a preview to how Democrats may vote as all the panels Democrats voted while their top Appropriations Democrat, Rosa DeLaura, who appeared before the committee, said she's a yes because there's too much at stake. So we're expecting a similar divide for their party on the floor today.

[B]

All right, so, and that's step one in this process. How difficult do you expect these talks about reforms at DHS to get?

[D]

Pretty difficult. We've already heard a lot of skepticism on both sides that even two weeks of talks are not enough. They're going to need a lot more time. Senate Democrats are demanding immigration agents stop wearing masks. They also want new rules on the use of warrants. They want immigration agents to wear body cameras. That's something DHS Secretary Krissy Noem said yesterday she would agree to. But Democrats don't trust that and they want it put in law. Still, there's a political calculation here for both sides. It's an election year and there's a lot of motivation for both parties to own this issue at this moment and take that to voters on the campaign trail.

[B]

That's NPR's Claudia Grisales. Thanks a lot.

[D]

Thank you.

[B]

US Special envoy Steve Witkoff is due to reopen negotiations with Iran this week over its nuclear program.

[A]

The talks in Turkey are expected to include US Allies in the region, including Turkey and Qatar, that have been trying to tamp down tensions. The proposed meeting comes as President Trump weighs military strikes on Iran.

[B]

NPR's international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam has been following all this. Jackie, so we've been hearing about this buildup of US Naval and air defense capabilities in that region and now this Witkoff meeting with Iranian officials. What's changed?

[E]

Well, there's been a real push by Mideast powers, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and others, as well as Turkey to try and find a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Iran has warned if the US Launches an assault, it could result in a regional war. And these countries are very business oriented and they need calm and stability in order to pursue some of their grand economic development plans in their countries. And a regional war will not help that. So they've been pressing Trump to try and find a diplomatic path. They're also meeting with Iran's leadership. So a lot of shutt by the main players. And special envoy Witkoff is due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv today.

[B]

Okay, so the Turkey meeting, tell us who Witkoff will be meeting with and what they will be discussing.

[E]

Well, one of the people is expected to be Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arachi, and he's met with Wyckoff several times last year. He's been active both in traveling around the region doing interviews where he's made it clear that Iran will be willing to talk. But it can't just be the US Dictating terms overnight. Iran's president Massoud Pescheshkian said on social media that he's instructed Arachi to pursue fair and equitable negotiations provided a suitable environment exists. Those are his words. The US Wants Iran to give up its nuclear enrichment program in support for proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas and limit its ballistic missile arsenal. And all three are long standing elements of Iranian power. In the I spoke with Dana Stroll and she's a MIDI specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and she doesn't think the regime in Tehran is in a deal making mode. Here she is. What the talks could achieve is to buy more time on the clock to continue to talk. The Iranians are pragmatic. They're going to work to appear willing to make concessions, but something not actually meaningful in terms of sufficient reassurances. NA Strohl says Iran comes to the negotiating table in a weakened position. Its proxy network was shattered by Israel last year, same as its air defenses. It's unclear about its nuclear program, but to be sure, its ballistic missiles are still a serious threat.

[B]

So, Jackie, if nothing maybe is going to happen, why are they having these talks? I mean, just to be polite to.

[E]

Each other, to go through the process. You know, President Trump said this past weekend that hopefully they can make a deal. But you know, he may be playing for time as much as the Iranians so the US can build, build up its military force in the region. That would give Trump a lot of leverage, you know, influence to get the kind of behavioral change he wants from the Iranians but also give allies in the region reassurance that the US Is going to have their back, protect them if there is a move towards war with Iran. And the other thing, you know, this meeting might not take place. A lot can happen between now and Friday.

[B]

All right. That's NPR's Jackie Northam. Jackie, thanks.

[E]

Thanks very much.

[B]

Today show host Savannah Guthrie is asking people to pray for her missing 84 year old mother writing bring her home on social media.

[A]

Authorities in Tucson have not said much publicly, but investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home against her will. They continued their search overnight with drones, dogs and helicopters.

[B]

Arizona public media reporter L.M. boyd is covering the story. She joins us now. So LM when's the last time someone saw Nancy Guthrie?

[F]

Yeah. So we know that Nancy Guthrie was last seen by relatives Saturday night just before 10pm at her home in Catalina Foothills community. That's just north of Tucson, unincorporated Pima county area. Pima County Sheriff's Department received reports she was missing after she did not come to church the next day. And at yesterday's press conference, Sheriff Chris Nanos described Guthrie as sharp and of sound mind, but he did describe her as physically limited.

[B]

We need her back. We need to find her and time is very critical. She is 84. She needs her meds. Her family needs her too.

[F]

Sheriff Nanos also said that homicide detectives were called to the home, but he said that was to process the scene in. To be clear, investigators believe Guthrie was abducted. This is still being investigated as a missing persons case.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Which takes us to a more frightening level than before. But what makes them think that.

[F]

So Nanos has only said that the state of the home is concerning is the word he used. And she would not be able to leave the home on her own. She was likely taken in the middle of the night. Officials have not expanded beyond that.

[C]

Okay, wow.

[B]

All right. Now you went out to where Nancy Guthrie lives and spoke to some of her neighbors. What did you find out?

[F]

This area, it's not rural by any means, but there is open space between the homes. This is part of the desert. There's desert landscape between the homes, thick with cholla cactus. I saw some folks walking their dogs, but the layout of this neighborhood creates a lot of privacy. I spoke specifically with one neighbor, Kathleen Hearn. She describes the neighborhood as quiet, people are friendly, but they keep to themselves. Lots of older retired couples. And she confirmed that investigators are really pressing neighbors and the community at large. Like, please report anything suspicious. Check ring cameras and keep in touch with law enforcement.

[B]

Yeah, makes sense. What's been the reaction from the community there?

[F]

The community is deeply engaged. They're worried about the Guthrie family. Savannah Guthrie attended University of Arizona, and that's in Tucson. She's a journalism school graduate. She's even worked at Arizona Public Media earlier on in her career. And Savannah visits often and gives gives talks. And her mother, Nancy, worked at the university for nearly 20 years. So she is embedded in the community and people are really pressed to just make sure that she comes back safe.

[B]

That is L.M. boyd of Arizona Public Media speaking with us from Tucson. LM thank you.

[F]

Thank you.

[B]

And that's up first for Tuesday, February 3rd. I'm Emmy Martinez.

[A]

And I'm Michelle Martin. For tomorrow's top three stories, follow up first on your podcast app and get coverage of the news you need to start your day delivered directly to you.

[B]

Today's episode of up first was edited by Jason Breslow, James Heider, Miguel Macias, Martha Ann Overland, Mohamed El Bardisi, and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Nisha Hyness. Our technical director is Carly Strange. Our supervising senior producer is Vince Pearson. Join us again tomorrow.

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