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

0:02If everything goes according to plan in the House, the partial government shutdown could end today. Will Republicans in the House of Representatives support a deal President Trump brokered with Senate Democrats? I'm Michelle Martin. That's A. Martinez. And this is Up First from NPR News.

0:19U.S. Envoy Steve Whitcoff 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? 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.

0:57On Planet Money, we have covered a lot of topics. Like, just try searching something on the internet and adding Planet Money to the end of it. Tariff prices, Planet Money? That's an episode. Stop sign war, Planet Money? That too. Alaska halibut derby, Planet Money? If you can ask it, we have probably answered it. Planet Money. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. There is a long history of misinformation about autism. From accusations about bad parenting to RFK Jr.'s false allegations that Tylenol has something to do with it. But science is getting closer to truly understanding what drives autism.

1:35It looks like there are hundreds of genes that are involved. To find out what the research actually says about autism and what we still don't know, listen to Shortwave in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you ever feel like no matter how many hours of sleep you got, you're still fatigued? We have to be able to differentiate sleep from the different ways that we can rest. On the Life Kit podcast, the seven types of rest and why each one is important to living a full, healthy life. Listen to the Life Kit podcast in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Today is day number four of the partial government shutdown.

2:13And if all goes according to plan in the House, it could also be the last day. 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 U.S. 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. NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales has been following all this.

2:48All 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? 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, one's 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.

3:20And this comes after both sides have seen an outpouring of anger following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Preddy in Minneapolis last month. Now, so this was a deal that the Senate, the Senate negotiated. Does it have enough to pass the House? Well, it could. This plan has faced both bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition in the House. And as you point out, 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.

3:59But 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. So is Speaker Mike Johnson sweating all this? 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.

4:38We also saw a preview to how Democrats may vote. As all the panel's Democrats voted no, while their top appropriations Democrat, Rosa DeLora, 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. All right. So that's step one in this process. How difficult do you expect these talks about reforms at DHS to get? 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.

5:10They also want new rules on the use of warrants. They want immigration agents to wear body cameras. That's something DHS Secretary Chrissy 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. That's NPR's Claudia Grisales. Thanks a lot. Thank you.

5:44U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is due to reopen negotiations with Iran this week over its nuclear program. The talks in Turkey are expected to include U.S. 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. NPR's international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam has been following all this. Jackie, so we've been hearing about this buildup of U.S. naval and air defense capabilities in that region, and now this Whitcoff meeting with Iranian officials. What's changed? 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.

6:23Iran is warned if the U.S. 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 shuttling by the main players. And Special Envoy Witkoff is due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv today. Okay, so the Turkey meeting. Tell us who Witkoff will be meeting with and what they will be discussing.

6:59Well, one of the people is expected to be Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Archi. And he's met with Witkoff 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 U.S. dictating terms. Overnight, Iran's president, Masoud Pazeshkian, said on social media that he's instructed Archi to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, provided a suitable environment exists. Those are his words. The U.S. wants Iran to give up its nuclear enrichment program in support for a proxy such as Hezbollah and Hamas and limit its ballistic missile arsenal.

7:39And all three are longstanding elements of Iranian power in the region. 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. And Stroll 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.

8:20It's unclear about its nuclear program. But to be sure, its ballistic missiles are still a serious threat. So Jackie, if nothing maybe is going to happen, why are they having these talks? I mean, just to be polite to 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 U.S. can 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 U.S.

8:57is 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. All right. That's NPR's Jackie Northam. Jackie, thanks. Thanks very much.

9:20Today's show host, Savannah Guthrie, is asking people to prey for her missing 84-year-old mother writing, bring her home on social media. 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. Arizona public media reporter L.M. Boyd is covering the story. She joins us now. So L.M., when's the last time someone saw Nancy Guthrie? Yeah, so we know that Nancy Guthrie was last seen by relatives Saturday night just before 10 p.m. at her home in Catalina Foothills Community.

10:00That'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. 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. Sheriff Nanos also said that homicide detectives were called to the home, but he said that was to process the scene. To be clear, investigators believe Guthrie was abducted.

10:42This is still being investigated as a missing person's case. Yeah, which takes us to a more frightening level than before. But what makes them think that? 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. Okay, wow. All right, now you went out to where Nancy Guthrie lives and spoke to some of her neighbors. What did you find out? So this area, It's not rural by any means, but there is open space between the homes. This is part of the desert.

11:20There'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, you know, report anything suspicious. Check, ring cameras and keep in touch with law enforcement. Yeah, it makes sense. What's been the reaction from the community there?

11:59The 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 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. That is L.M. Boyd of Arizona Public Media speaking with us from Tucson. L.M., thank you. Thank you.

12:41And that's Up First for Tuesday, February 3rd. I'm Amy Martinez. 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. 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 Ziyad Butch, Nia Dumas, and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Nisha Hainas. Our technical director is Carly Strange. Our supervising senior producer is Vince Pearson. Join us again tomorrow.

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