More Epstein Files Released; Government Shutdown; New Winter Storm

Summary

Up First from NPR — January 31, 2026

Main Theme

This episode unpacks the latest release of Jeffrey Epstein files by the Justice Department, coverage of another partial government shutdown and its unusually charged political circumstances, and a significant winter storm threatening the U.S. Southeast. Each story offers on-the-ground reporting and expert analysis, prioritizing clarity and context on the nation’s core headlines.

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1. More Epstein Files Released

Overview:
The Justice Department released 3 million pages of Jeffrey Epstein documents—part of an effort aimed at transparency, yet marked by disorganization, heavy redactions, and ongoing controversy over the treatment of victims’ identities.

Key Insights & Discussion:

• Delayed Release & Reasons

  • The files were due last month; the delay stemmed from efforts to comply with laws protecting victims’ privacy and a new requirement to release as much information as possible.
  • Quote:

    "It took time for them to comb through 6 million documents and make sure that they complied with existing laws around victim privacy and this new law’s directive to share as much information as possible."
    —Stephen Fowler (03:14)

• Scope & Content

  • Approximately half of the 6 million documents will not be released due to containing child pornography, attorney-client privilege, duplications, or irrelevance.
  • Released materials include:
    • Over 2,000 videos
    • 180,000 images
    • Internal criminal case files
    • Epstein’s emails and texts
    • Disorganized, largely uncontextualized files, often heavily redacted.
  • Inconsistencies include unredacted victims’ names and faces, while Epstein’s own name is sometimes redacted in his own texts.
  • Quote:

    "We did find examples of Epstein’s victims' names and photographs being unredacted. In some cases, texts that Epstein sent—his name was redacted."
    —Stephen Fowler (03:45)

  • Quirky find: A news photo of President Trump’s face hidden behind a black square (04:07).

• New Revelations

  • The files detail a wider web of high-profile interactions:
    • Names seen include Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Howard Lutnick, Kathy Rummler, and Trump’s new Federal Reserve chair pick, Kevin Warsh (found on a 2010 Christmas party invite list).
  • The records include salacious claims, particularly regarding Trump, but the Justice Department cautions these may be sensational and untrue.
  • Quote:

    “Mentions and conversations in this file are not indications of wrongdoing or association with Epstein’s crimes... files may include, quote, untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump.”
    —Stephen Fowler (04:29)

• Looking Forward

  • Journalists are combing through the vast trove for genuinely new information — especially Epstein’s private correspondence and financials.
  • Victims express anger at the exposure of their identities, while alleged abusers remain protected.
  • Congress demands transparency over redactions (about 200,000 pages), with a report due in two weeks.
  • Quote:

    “Publishing 3 million files like this just makes closure and finality even less likely for everybody involved here.”
    —Stephen Fowler (06:14)

Segment Timestamp:

• Topic intro: 02:40
• Interview with Stephen Fowler: 03:00–06:28

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2. Government Shutdown — Political Clash Over Immigration Enforcement

Overview:
The latest partial government shutdown is distinct from previous ones—centered not on spending per se, but as leverage for Democrats seeking tighter constraints on federal immigration enforcement tactics after deadly incidents in Minneapolis.

Key Insights & Discussion:

• Scope & Impact

  • Senate voted to fund most of the government, but House approval is pending until at least Monday—meaning the shutdown could be brief, affecting relatively few services or paychecks.
  • Core services (like food assistance) are insulated due to earlier agreements; some workers (e.g., TSA) may be furloughed or work unpaid.
  • Quote:

    “If all goes smoothly, this could be really brief... not enough time for most federal workers to miss paychecks, though some might be furloughed or have to work without pay.”
    —Sam Gringlass (07:07)

• Why Another Shutdown So Soon?

  • The standoff began after Democrats opposed the Homeland Security funding bill—citing ICE-involved deaths of US citizens.
  • Republicans agreed to temporarily separate DHS funding (for 2 weeks) from the rest, allowing time for negotiations over ICE reform.
  • Quote:

    “Democrats pledged to oppose the Homeland Security funding bill, which includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement... Republicans agreed to Democrats’ demands to isolate DHS funding from the rest and only extend it for two weeks.”
    —Sam Gringlass (07:55)

• Demands & Political Stakes:

  • Democrats seek:
    • Judicial warrants for immigration raids
    • Impartial investigations after incidents
    • Body cameras and removal of masks for immigration officers
  • Democrats, emboldened by public outrage, are more willing to risk the shutdown this time.
  • Quote:

    “People want us to fight. People want us to act in an urgent way. So I think if we're fighting for these reforms, we're exactly where the American people want us to be.”
    —Sen. Chris Murphy (voiced by Scott Simon) (09:03)

• Unusual Republican Responses

  • Even GOP voices like Sen. Thom Tillis admit the Minneapolis images are damaging:
    • “It’s making the president look bad on policies that he won on... now nobody’s talking about securing the border, they’re talking about the incompetence of the leader of Homeland Security.”
  • Others, like Sen. Markwayne Mullin, defend ICE as upholding law and order, calling the deaths anomalies.

• What’s Next?

  • The House still must approve the funding; Democrats may yet use the opportunity to push further.
  • DHS funding remains on a two-week timer—Congress must rapidly negotiate reforms, a tall order for the deeply divided body.
  • Quote:

    “Funding for Homeland Security, it’s just temporary. Congress will have less than two weeks to coalesce around policy changes. And that is a really tall order here.”
    —Sam Gringlass (11:03)

Segment Timestamp:

• Topic intro: 06:35
• Congressional analysis: 07:03–11:14

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3. Major Winter Storm Threatens the U.S. Southeast

Overview:
A massive winter storm is heading for the Southeast, bringing unusual snowfall, wind, and cold to states unaccustomed to winter extremes.

Key Insights & Discussion:

• Scope of the Storm:

  • Affected states: From New England to the Carolinas, including North Carolina (expecting up to a foot of snow) and normally mild South Carolina (possible 2–5 inches).
  • South Carolina declared a state of emergency (11:35).
  • Snow expected even into Georgia.

• Lowcountry Unpreparedness & Risks

  • Charleston's geography (many bridges/barrier islands) raises hazards, as bridges ice before roads.
  • Charleston Mayor William Cogswell urges:

    “Stay off the roads, stay home. We don’t really have the equipment to manage this kind of winter weather... make sure that we’re not putting our emergency personnel in unnecessary danger.” (13:07)

  • Strong winds and record lows are forecasted; "feels like" temps may drop into the single digits.

• Community Reactions

  • Grocery shelves emptied; newcomers (especially from northern states) note the region’s unique vulnerabilities.
  • Quote:

    “Even if it’s a couple inches of snow... you shut down for days here, they don’t have the plows or the supplies to take care of it. I learned the hard way to stock up for a few days.”
    —Monica Pepe, Connecticut transplant (14:09)

  • Locals know to stock up and stay home:

    “Just have enough food in the house so you don’t have to get out in it because that’s dangerous... we do not know how to drive in it.”
    —John Radcliffe, 83, longtime resident (14:26)

  • Anticipated power outages not yet observed in Charleston, but other southern states are still reeling from last week’s outages.

• Community Spirit

  • Optimism for family fun is present—children preparing to sled, even if hills are few in the Lowcountry.

Segment Timestamp:

• Weather intro: 11:24
• On-the-ground reporting (Victoria Hanson): 12:04–15:09

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Notable Quotes

• On the chaos of the Epstein release:

  • "These files have no sense of organization or context and are often heavily redacted." —Stephen Fowler (03:45)

• On political willingness to risk a shutdown:

  • "People want us to fight. People want us to act in an urgent way." —Sen. Chris Murphy, as quoted by Scott Simon (09:03)

• On local snow in South Carolina:

  • "We don’t really have the equipment to manage this kind of winter weather." —Charleston Mayor William Cogswell (13:07)
  • "You shut down for days here, they don’t have the plows or the supplies to take care of it." —Monica Pepe (14:09)

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Timestamps Index

• [02:40] — Epstein file release coverage begins
• [03:00–06:28] — Interview with NPR’s Stephen Fowler
• [06:35] — Government shutdown story begins
• [07:03–11:14] — NPR’s Sam Gringlass analysis
• [11:24] — Winter storm update
• [12:04–15:09] — Victoria Hanson reports from Charleston

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Tone & Context

The hosts and reporters keep a brisk, conversational tone, but don’t shy from tough criticism or somber realities—especially regarding the sensitivity and ongoing wounds surrounding the Epstein case, and the political brinkmanship over immigration enforcement. Humor and local color lighten the mood in the weather segment, particularly with anecdotes about Southerners facing rare snow.

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This summary distills the major stories and their nuances for listeners needing a concise but thorough catch-up on January 31, 2026’s top headlines, as delivered on NPR’s Up First.

Transcript

[Scott Simon]

The Justice Department has released more of the Jeffrey Epstein files, 3 million pages.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

What does the new trove of documents, video and images reveal about the case?

[Scott Simon]

I'm Scott Simon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And I'm Aisha Rascoe. And this is up first from NPR News.

[Scott Simon]

Files related to the case of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were due to be released last month. Why the delay? We'll have more on that.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And we're in a partial government shutdown again. This time the fight isn't over health care spending.

[Scott Simon]

We'll tell you more about it. Plus, some parts of the US Brace for more winter storms.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

We'll tell you where that storm is heading and how they're bracing for it.

[Scott Simon]

So please stay with us. We've got the news. You need to start your weekend. Foreign.

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[Ayesha Rascoe]

Today, the Justice Department says they are done with releasing files related to the case of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

[Scott Simon]

They say the delay in releasing the files had to do with protecting the victims of the convicted sex offender.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

But NPR reporters reviewing the documents say that's not always the case.

[Scott Simon]

Political reporter Stephen Fowler is part of the team going through those files and joins us now. Stephen, thanks for being with us.

[Stephen Fowler]

Good morning.

[Scott Simon]

The deadline for sharing the Epstein files was over a month ago. Why? Why this enormous amount released now?

[Stephen Fowler]

Well, the Justice Department said it took time for them to comb through 6 million documents and make sure that they complied existing laws around victim privacy and this new law's directive to share as much information as possible. That said, about half of those 6 million files will not be released because the Justice Department says they contain child pornography, deliberative internal process and attorney client privileged information, duplicate information, or unrelated material.

[Scott Simon]

What has been released?

[Stephen Fowler]

There are more than 2,000 videos, 180,000 images. You've got internal files about Epstein's criminal cases and court documents, private files from his emails and text messages with people. And like the other releases, these files have no sense of organization or context and are often heavily redacted. That said, we did find examples of Epstein's victims names and photographs being unredacted. In some cases, texts that Epstein sent his name was redacted. And we even found a picture of President Trump's face in a news article hiding behind a black square.

[Scott Simon]

All of that being process. Anything new and noteworthy you found so far?

[Stephen Fowler]

Yeah, well, looking through the chaos, we did find new conversations with high profile figures that are deeper and in some cases more recent than we knew before. People like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, former Obama White House Counsel Kathy Rummler, even Trump's new Federal Reserve chair pick, Kevin Warsh, shows up on an invite list for a Christmas gathering in 2010. This is important to note, though, that mentions and conversations in this file are not indications of wrongdoing or association with Epstein's crimes. That's also true for an email in the files that contain a collection of unverified allegations of salacious and inappropriate conduct by Trump and others. The Justice Department pointed to a press release that says files may include, quote, untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump.

[Scott Simon]

Three million pages is a lot for you and other reporters to go through. What will you be looking for in the coming days?

[Stephen Fowler]

Our initial dive has found a trove of information that is already out there in court cases and early releases of the files. But there's so much left to explore from Epstein's private correspondence, financial documents and other communications that widened the web of Epstein's associates. Beyond the files themselves, though, attention is turning to what isn't there. The Epstein Files Transparency act directs the Justice Department to share with Congress all of the redactions they made and why within the next two weeks. And they said that covers about 200,000 pages worth. We've also already seen displeasure from victims who say their names were exposed while other people who committed abuse were left protected, and from members of Congress who say the Trump administration has not followed the law. And in a way, publishing 3 million files like this in this manner just makes closure and finality even less likely for everybody involved here.

[Scott Simon]

NPR, Stephen Fowler in Atlanta, thanks so much.

[Stephen Fowler]

Thank you.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Well, Scott, here we are yet again. Groundhog's Day came early, another government shutdown.

[Scott Simon]

But there's a chance this one will be shorter than the one in the fall that lasted a record 43 days. This shutdown comes as Democrats are pushing for more guardrails on the tactics used by federal immigration officers after they killed two US Citizens In Minneapolis, NPR congressional reporter Sam Gringlass joins us now. Good to have you, Sam.

[Sam Gringlass]

Hey, Scott. Good morning.

[Scott Simon]

Will most Americans even notice the shutdown?

[Sam Gringlass]

Probably not. You know, the Senate voted last night to fund large parts of the federal government that ran out of money at midnight, but the House still needs to greenlight this final deal, and that will not happen until until at least Monday. So if all goes smoothly, this could be really brief, you know, not enough time for most federal workers to miss paychecks, though some might be furloughed or have to work without pay, like TSA agents. And while some government services may be affected, other pinch points that we saw during the last shutdown, like food assistance, will not be impacted now because Congress managed to fund a few of these agencies through September 6th since the last shutdown.

[Scott Simon]

And Congress just got through that funding standoff in November. How did they get to the same brink just a few months later?

[Sam Gringlass]

Congress had been on track to avert a shutdown, but after that second deadly shooting in Minneapolis, Democrats pledged to oppose the Homeland Security funding bill, which includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But the money for the Department of Homeland Security was tied together with more than a trillion dollars for other departments, including Defense, Health and Housing. Republicans agreed to Democrats demands to isolate DHS funding from the rest and only extend it for two weeks, giving them time to negotiate policy changes to restrain the actions of federal immigration agents. But, Scott, it's not clear that lawmakers can come up with an agreement on that.

[Scott Simon]

What do Democrats want and why have they been willing to risk another shutdown?

[Stephen Fowler]

Yeah.

[Sam Gringlass]

Democrats are demanding a suite of changes, like requiring judicial warrants for immigration raids, ensuring impartial investigations and accountability after incidents, and mandating immigration officers wear body cameras and remove their masks. Democrats like Chris Murphy of Connecticut feel emboldened because they think the public agrees with them.

[Scott Simon]

I think people want us to fight. People want us to act in an urgent way. So I think if we're fighting for these reforms, we're exactly where the American people want us to be.

[Sam Gringlass]

And even more than the last shutdown debate over those health subsidies last fall, what's unfolded in Minneapolis maybe speaks to something more fundamental about the country at this moment. Last fall, six Senate Democrats broke with their party to reopen the government, saying the consequences of the shutdown were just too much. This time, though, five of those six say that they were willing to risk another shutdown here.

[Scott Simon]

And, Sam, what have you noticed in the Republican response this week?

[Sam Gringlass]

So we are in an era when congressional Republicans rarely criticize the Trump administration. But the images coming out of Minneapolis have made even many Republicans uneasy. Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told reporters this week that immigration was an issue that helped Republicans win, and this was undercutting all of that.

[Scott Simon]

It's making the president look bad on policies that he won on. He won on a strong message about immigration, and now nobody's talking about that. They're not talking about securing the border. They're talking about the incompetence of the leader of Homeland Security. These people are amateurs.

[Sam Gringlass]

We also heard some Republicans calling, not just for an investigation or hearings, but also saying they're open to policy changes. Though this is far from universal, many Republicans, like Senator Mark Wayne Mullen, Republican of Oklahoma, have praised the work of ICE and called the Minneapolis shootings an anomaly.

[Scott Simon]

We're not going to keep ICE from doing their job. The American people wanted the president to enforce law and order, and ICE is doing their job. And what happens if the two parties can't come to an agreement on ICE restrictions?

[Sam Gringlass]

Okay, so I mentioned the House on Monday has to give this final green light, and that is not a foregone conclusion. House Democrats are saying they're still weighing this deal, thinking maybe their party should hold up funding further to maximize their ability to extract policy changes. And then if this deal does pass, funding for homeland Security, it's just temporary. Congress will have less than two weeks to coalesce around policy changes. And that is a really tall order here, especially for this Congress, where bipartisan agreement has often proved so elusive.

[Scott Simon]

NPR congressional reporter Sam Greenglass, thanks so much.

[Sam Gringlass]

Thanks, Scott.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Another winter storm is coming, this time striking parts of the Southeast, bringing snow, strong winds and possible flooding from New England to the Carolinas.

[Scott Simon]

And states including North Carolina, which is expecting a foot of snow, by the way, have declared a state of emergency.

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Yes.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And even ordinarily, you know, sunny and balmy, South Carolina might get not just several inches of snow, but heavy winds and record low temperatures.

[Scott Simon]

We're going to hear how they're preparing for it from South Carolina Public Radio's Victoria Hanson, who's in Charleston. Thanks for being with us. You don't see a lot of snow there, do you?

[Victoria Hanson]

Oh, no, we do not. You know, if we see the snow they're talking about this weekend, in fact, this would be we had a little last year. This would be consecutive years for the first time in decades that we have. So today the entire state of South Carolina is under this winter warning. We've been so since yesterday with the storm already beginning to dump some snow near the border of North Carolina here in Charleston. Yeah, we're still waiting as the storm is expected to hit this afternoon, but we could see anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of snow throughout today and into tomorrow. And we should mention these winter warnings are extending all the way down the coast into Georgia.

[Scott Simon]

This is a rare experience for you, isn't it?

[Victoria Hanson]

Absolutely. We did not see any snow during last weekend's winter storm. We had, like I said, a little bit around this time last year, a dusting. But in this area, there are numerous bridges connecting the peninsula to surrounding areas as well as several barrier islands. So the that's why city officials have been reminding people those bridges can ice over long before the roadways. Here's our Charleston mayor, William Cogswell.

[Scott Simon]

Stay off the roads, stay home. We don't really have the equipment to manage this kind of winter weather. So we just ask you to be respectful of that and make sure that we're not putting our emergency personnel in unnecessary danger.

[Victoria Hanson]

Yes, this is the South. There aren't exactly a lot of snowplows around here. But the other problem is wind gusts, which could be quite strong and record cold, I should point out, at least for here in the teens this weekend with feels like temperatures for us in the single digits.

[Scott Simon]

How are people there preparing? I mean, emptying the shelves of grocery stores?

[Victoria Hanson]

Oh, yeah. I caught up with several folks at the grocery store and you know, it really depends upon who you talk to. We have a lot of newcomers here. This is one of the most moved to states in the nation. So when I talk to folks who've moved here from up north, let's say, like Monica Pepe, she's from Connecticut, she's found out the hard way that even a little snow goes a long way. I caught up with her getting groceries. Even if it's a couple inches of snow like you shut down for days here, they don't have the plows or.

[Sam Gringlass]

The supplies to take care of it.

[Victoria Hanson]

I learned the hard way to stock up for a few days. I have two kids. So meantime, people who have lived here for most of their life, like 83 year old John Radcliffe, they know the reality of snow in the South. And I spoke to him after he just finished up stocking up at the store.

[Scott Simon]

So just have enough food in the.

[Stephen Fowler]

House so you don't have to get.

[Scott Simon]

Out in it because that's dangerous, you.

[Stephen Fowler]

Know, with these people because we do not know how to drive in it.

[Scott Simon]

As you know, it's dangerous. Those people you mean yourself? Exactly. I'm one of them. What about power outages?

[Victoria Hanson]

Not right now, but officials never say never. We need to remember that places like Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, they're still dealing with more than 100,000 outages from last weekend's storm here in Charleston, though, hopefully, fingers crossed, we are expecting a power softer snow that the kids can take their boogie boards out in and try to sled down any hill that they can possibly find, which is quite difficult when you're in the Lowcountry.

[Scott Simon]

Victoria Hanson, South Carolina Public Radio, thanks so much. Good luck to you.

[Victoria Hanson]

Thanks for having me. Yes, thanks.

[Scott Simon]

And that's up first for Saturday, January 31st, 2026. I'm Scott Simon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

Dave Misch produced today's podcast along with Samantha Balaban, Elena Tworek and Margo Bauerlein.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Our editor is Dee Parvaz. She had help from Ed McNulty, Jacob Finston, Kelsey Snell, Megan Pratts and Susanna Capilouto. And we could never forget Andy Craig, our fearless director working with us.

[Scott Simon]

A man has to be fearless. Our technical director has been David Greenberg with engineering support from Simon Laszlo Jansen, Tom Marchetto and Zoe Vangenhoven.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Our senior supervising editor is Shannon Rhodes. Evie Stone is our executive producer and Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.

[Scott Simon]

Tomorrow on THE Sunday story, you can tune in for a conversation between Ayesha and NPR labor and workplace correspondent Andrea Hsu about how President Trump's stance on DEI is affecting women in the construction trades.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And you know, we always have so much more for you all the latest news, plus books, movies.

[Scott Simon]

We're overflowing. We can't wait.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The cup overflows. That's what we do.

[Scott Simon]

Sports, sports, sports.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Tune in to NPR. Find your local station at stations npr.org please.

[Scott Simon]

We're waiting here.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

That sounds a little scary.

[Scott Simon]

We're waiting and we won't leave until you tune in.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

But tune in.

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