The NPR Politics Podcast Another government shutdown looms -- what you need to know
23 snips
Jan 30, 2026 
Stephen Fowler, an NPR political reporter who covers elections and voting, walks through the FBI raid on Fulton County and what investigators might be seeking. He also discusses how recent immigration shootings pushed Democrats to split DHS funding, creating a risk of a partial government shutdown. Short takes on political stakes and reactions accompany the reporting.
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Shooting Shifted Shutdown Stakes
- A second fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer changed the funding fight in Congress.
- Democrats used the incident to demand separating DHS funding from other government spending.
Democrats' Three Immigration Demands
- Democrats outlined three main demands: end administrative warrants, boost oversight, and mandate officer IDs and body cams.
- Those changes aim to limit aggressive ICE/Border Patrol tactics and increase accountability.
Republican Unease Opens Door
- Some Republicans reacted with rare public concern about ICE tactics after the second shooting.
- That opened a path to cleave DHS funding from the rest of the appropriations package.