The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Mon Feb 2 2026

Nicole Fallert
Reporter & Newsletter Writer

Morning! Welcome to the Daily Briefing. Here's what's breaking this morning:

•	The government is partially shut down — with immigration funding at the center.
•	Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos has been released from a Texas detention facility.
•	Will Lindsey Vonn ski at the Olympics after a crash?

Nicole Fallert here. How about a little brain teaser to kick off your week? Test how closely you were paying attention last week in our latest news quiz. We have Monday's news, from the Grammy Awards highlights to anti-ICE protests in Milan and Groundhog Day.

Grammys go for pop music performances and politics

Among many memorable moments , "ICE Out" was all over the 68th Grammy Awards Sunday night in Los Angeles, with numerous celebrities sending a message in response to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents in January.

•	Host Trevor Noah opened the night with a monologue that roasted Nicki Minaj and President Donald Trump.
•	Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber were among stars who stepped onto the red carpet at the Crypto.com Arena donning "ICE OUT" pins.
•	Jelly Roll said "Jesus is not owned by one political party."
•	Bad Bunny — who made history with an Album of the Year win — did not mince words when denouncing ICE while accepting his Grammy. Best New Artist winner Oliva Dean said immigrants "deserve to be celebrated" on stage, while Shaboozey thanked his Nigerian mother after winning best country duo/group performance.

USA TODAY was behind-the-scenes to capture Grammy highlights. Check out our rankings of the performances ( Justin Bieber in his boxers?!) and the full list of last night's winners.

More news to know now

•	Measles at ICE detention center. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has ceased "all movement" at a detention center for families in Texas after two measles cases were confirmed at the facility, the Department of Homeland Security said.
•	A tense time for the central bank: President Trump joked that he might sue his Federal Reserve nominee, Kevin Warsh, if he did not lower interest rates.
•	Forget your REAL ID? Better get ready to pay $45; the new fee for travelers lacking REAL ID-compliant identification.

Olympics 2026

'From Minneapolis to Milan'

Demonstrators protest against deployment of ICE agents during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Saturday in Milan, Italy.

Maja Hitij, Getty Images

Three U.S. Olympic winter sport national governing bodies have changed the name of their Milan hospitality space over concerns about ICE protests in Italy during the Olympics, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday. U.S. Figure Skating, USA Hockey and U.S. Speedskating decided to change the name of The Ice House to The Winter House.

Things to talk about

Will Phil see his shadow?

With one frigid winter storm over and another on its way, many Americans are keen for a sign that warmer days are ahead. Cue Punxsutawney Phil — the legendary groundhog that people look to each winter for a sign spring is on its way. On Monday, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is flooded with enthusiasts eager to see his prediction for the weeks ahead. Watch the livestream of the groundhog.

Before you go

•	Critics hated "Melania."
•	UConn women's basketball handed Tennessee its second-worst loss in program history.
•	See Alcaraz beat Djokovic to win the Australian Open.