Up First – Episode Summary

Episode Date: February 5, 2026
Main Hosts: Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep
Key Reporters: Meg Anderson, Domenico Montanaro, Charles Mains

Episode Overview

This episode of NPR's Up First focuses on three major stories shaping US and international news:

1. The partial federal agent drawdown in Minnesota after high-profile confrontations involving ICE,
2. A new NPR/Marist poll showing public opinion swings against Trump and ICE enforcement tactics,
3. The expiration of New START, the last nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia, raising global security concerns.

Segment 1: Partial Federal Agent Drawdown in Minnesota

[02:08–05:42]

• What Happened:
  700 federal agents, primarily from ICE, are leaving Minnesota in response to community unrest and two fatal shootings of US citizens by immigration agents.
• Current Situation:
  Despite the withdrawal, about 2,300 federal agents remain in the state—more than the entire Twin Cities police force and more than before the agent-surge started.
  • ICE Director Tom Homan wants to eventually revert to pre-surge numbers, citing a need to redeploy agents to other states facing similar problems.
• Jail Cooperation Issue:
  • Sheriff Deanna Witt (Hennepin County) clarifies that her jail honors signed judicial warrants from ICE but not administrative detainers; she’s open to negotiation:
    • “You’re going to have to show me how it's going to make Hennepin County residents safer, and you’re going to have to actually act good on what you say.” — Sheriff Deanna Witt ([04:34])
  • Ongoing negotiations with ICE, but she emphasizes due process and legal constraints.
• Community Reaction:
  • Local officials—like Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey—call the drawdown progress but "not enough."
  • Faith and community coalitions say the situation remains an emergency:
    • “There are still thousands of, quote, masked, unaccountable agents terrorizing the community.… People who are not white are carrying their passports around. Immigrants are sheltering in place. Children are not going to school.” — Meg Anderson ([05:06])

Segment 2: Poll Shows Public Disapproval of Trump and ICE Tactics

[05:44–09:17]

• New Poll Findings:
  • 65% of Americans believe ICE has gone too far. Disapproval of the administration’s immigration tactics has jumped by double digits since last summer.
  • This shift comes after the shootings in Minnesota and ongoing ICE presence.
• Political Impact:
  • Domenico Montanaro (NPR): “That’s jumped double digits from last summer, you know, on something that really used to be Trump’s strongest issue here, immigration.” ([06:17])
  • Trump responds with a “softer tone,” hinting at lessons learned but defending tough stances:
    • “Maybe we can use a little bit of softer touch, but… you still have to be tough. These are criminal. We’re dealing with hard criminals.” — Donald Trump, reported by Montanaro ([06:48])
  • Notably, rhetoric remains harsh even though neither shooting victim matched Trump’s description of a “criminal.”
• Approval Ratings:
  • Trump’s overall approval is at 39%, with only 30% of independents approving. Disapproval of his economic policies and tariffs is high (60%), and the top public priority is lowering prices.
  • Headlines over the last month have been dominated by ICE, Venezuela military action, and Trump’s threats to take over Greenland.
• Foreign Policy:
  • Only 37% approve of Trump’s handling of foreign policy. Nearly 70% oppose the idea of “taking over Greenland.”
  • “Aside from Republicans… these policies and actions over the past month have been wildly unpopular…. The president’s actions tell us that he and the White House see he’s in a real vulnerable position here.” — Domenico Montanaro ([08:46])

Segment 3: Expiration of the New START Nuclear Treaty

[09:26–13:02]

• What is New START:
  • Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) limited US and Russian nuclear warheads to 1,550 each and enabled mutual inspections of nuclear facilities.
  • Signed in 2010 by Obama and Russia’s then-President Medvedev, intended to “build trust but verify.”
• Treaty’s End and Its Consequences:
  • The end has raised alarm about a new global arms race.
  • Russia’s President Putin offered to extend compliance for another year—if the US reciprocated—but President Trump declined, following his own “timeline.”
  • “Without New START, we’re entering into a more dangerous world, and many arms control experts agree.” — Charles Mains ([10:49])
  • Expert Dmitri Stefanovich (Primakov Institute, Moscow) warns: “Without New START, it’s coming. Both countries will plan for the worst-case scenario… you need tenfold of what you have now to somehow hedge against such a possibility.” ([11:37])
• Why Did Talks Fail?
  • Both sides accused each other of “not living by the letter” as they developed new nuclear-capable weapons.
  • COVID-19 suspended inspections.
  • Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine broke diplomatic trust: “With the clock ticking on New START, Russia refused to engage… because the US was supporting Ukraine militarily.” — Charles Mains ([11:49])
• What’s Next?
  • Trump claims New START is “outdated” and wants limits expanded to include other nuclear powers (China, UK, France, North Korea, India, Pakistan), which experts say is logistically unwieldy.
  • Fact: the US and Russia still account for nearly 90% of global nuclear weapons stockpiles, so bilateral leadership remains crucial.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You’re going to have to show me how it's going to make Hennepin county residents safer, and you’re going to have to actually act good on what you say.” — Sheriff Deanna Witt ([04:34])
• “Maybe we can use a little bit of softer touch, but… you still have to be tough. These are criminal. We’re dealing with really hard criminals.” — Donald Trump, via Domenico Montanaro ([06:48])
• “Aside from Republicans… these policies and actions over the past month have been wildly unpopular.… The president’s actions tell us that he and the White House see he’s in a real vulnerable position here.” — Domenico Montanaro ([08:46])
• “Without New START, we’re entering into a more dangerous world, and many arms control experts agree.” — Charles Mains ([10:49])
• “Both countries will plan for the worst-case scenario. And the worst-case scenario is always your adversary is capable of magic tricks, and you need tenfold of what you have right now.” — Dmitri Stefanovich ([11:37])

Quick Reference: Key Timestamps

• Minnesota ICE Drawdown and State-Federal Tensions – [02:08]–[05:42]
• Poll on Trump & ICE Public Opinion, Political Implications – [05:44]–[09:17]
• New START Treaty Expires, Nuclear Arms Control Tensions – [09:26]–[13:02]

This summary captures the core stories, insights, and public sentiment explored in the February 5th, 2026 episode of NPR’s Up First – providing a clear guide to today’s headlines, their context, and why they matter.