Must-pass Funding Package, X Offices Raided, NASA Moon Mission Delayed and more

Summary of Must-pass Funding Package, X Offices Raided, NASA Moon Mission Delayed and more

by CNN Podcasts

7m•February 3, 2026
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Overview of Must-pass Funding Package, X Offices Raided, NASA Moon Mission Delayed and more

Host: CNN Podcasts (David Rind) | Date: Tuesday, February 3

This short news roundup highlights five stories you need to know: a House vote on a temporary funding deal to end a partial government shutdown; President Trump’s call to “nationalize” voting; tentative US–Iran nuclear talks; French raids on X (formerly Twitter) over its AI chatbot and alleged wrongdoing; and a delay to NASA’s Artemis II moon mission after a problematic wet dress rehearsal.

Five key stories

1) Must-pass DHS funding package — House vote expected

  • The House is set to vote on a short-term funding package (two-week DHS funding) intended to end a partial government shutdown.
  • The deal originated from talks between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and President Trump.
  • Purpose: buy time for larger negotiations over immigration enforcement — notably Democrats’ push to rein in ICE.
  • Republican leaders (Speaker Mike Johnson and President Trump) are pressuring holdout conservatives to advance the bill. Some hardliners had pushed to attach voter ID requirements; a few (e.g., Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Rep. Tim Burchett) signaled possible support after talks with the White House.
  • If not followed by a broader DHS funding agreement, another partial shutdown could occur later in the month.

2) Trump pushes to “nationalize” voting

  • On the Dan Bongino show, President Trump said Republicans “ought to nationalize the voting” in at least 15 places, claiming some states are “so crooked.”
  • Context: U.S. elections are run by state and local officials; federal role is limited. The remark comes after the FBI searched Fulton County election offices in Georgia — a focal point of Trump’s 2020 fraud claims — and ahead of pivotal midterms.
  • Political signal: a recent special election in a reliably red Texas seat produced a Democratic win over a Trump-backed candidate, raising alarm among Republicans.

3) Iran tentatively agrees to resume nuclear talks

  • Sources say Iran’s top diplomat is expected to meet U.S. representatives (named in the transcript as Steve Wyckoff and Jared Kushner) in Istanbul to restart negotiations — the first such talks since a prior escalation.
  • Iran’s leadership reportedly is open to talks with conditions; regional actors (UAE advisor Anwar Gargash) say a deal would help Iran recover geopolitically and economically.
  • Tensions had increased after the U.S. sent a naval force to the region and renewed threats of strikes if Iran didn’t agree to negotiations.

4) Paris raids X offices; Elon Musk summoned

  • French police raided X’s Paris offices and summoned owner Elon Musk amid an investigation into the social network and its AI chatbot Grok.
  • Allegations under investigation: manipulation of algorithms, illicit data extraction, creation of sexualized images and deepfakes.
  • Ex-employees are being questioned as witnesses. X has denied wrongdoing and previously labeled France’s probe politically motivated.

5) NASA delays Artemis II moon mission

  • After a wet dress rehearsal (WDR), NASA found problems including hydrogen leaks; teams will review data and run a second rehearsal.
  • Artemis II — the mission to send four astronauts into deep space — remains on the books, but the target launch is pushed to sometime in March.
  • NASA planned a press conference to discuss initial WDR results.

Notable quotes

  • President Trump: “We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked, we have states that I won that show I didn't win.”
  • UAE advisor Anwar Gargash (paraphrased): A deal with the U.S. would serve Iran’s interests to rebuild its economy and geopolitical standing.

What to watch next

  • Outcome of the House procedural and final votes on the DHS stopgap and whether hardliners force concessions (e.g., voter ID).
  • Developments from the planned Istanbul talks and any public statements from Iran, the U.S., or regional partners.
  • Results of the Paris prosecutor’s inquiry into X/Grok and any legal actions or regulatory responses in Europe.
  • NASA’s press conference and the updated Artemis II launch timeline after the second rehearsal.

Bottom line / Takeaways

  • Short-term politics: a temporary DHS funding deal may avert an immediate shutdown but leaves unresolved, high-stakes negotiations over immigration enforcement.
  • Elections and governance: Trump’s call to federalize elections escalates a debate over state control vs. federal oversight, against the backdrop of ongoing investigations tied to 2020 claims.
  • Geopolitics: tentative Iran–U.S. talks could ease regional tensions but are conditioned by recent military posturing.
  • Tech and regulation: European scrutiny of social platforms and AI (X/Grok) is intensifying and could shape future oversight.
  • Space program: NASA is exercising caution after technical issues — Artem is delayed but still moving forward.