Episode Overview

In this February 19, 2026 episode of Apple News Today, host Cecilia Leigh leads listeners through a series of timely and impactful stories. The episode's main theme centers on the recent catastrophic avalanche in California—one of the deadliest in the state’s history—and delves into its unfolding, causes, aftermath, and ripple effects on rescue operations and local communities. The show also covers other prominent news: an ecological crisis in the Potomac River, political blame over infrastructure failures, gender equity struggles in the Winter Olympics, Les Wexner’s ties to Epstein, Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony in a social media lawsuit, and a humorous lawsuit over "boneless wings."

Main Segment 1: California’s Deadly Avalanche

What Happened?

• Fifteen skiers set out on a backcountry trip in the Sierra Mountains; only six survived ([00:50]).
• At least eight deaths confirmed, with one skier still missing ([00:52]).

How the Avalanche Unfolded

• Sarah Wright of KQED detailed the disaster:
  • Emergency call received Tuesday, 11:30am from Donner Summit.
  • The group was returning from a three-day trip when a “massive” football field–sized avalanche struck ([01:04], [01:11]).
  • Extreme weather with up to 8 feet of snow, strong winds, and whiteout conditions played a key role ([01:29], [01:48]).

Notable Quote:

• “This slide was around the size of a football field, so it was absolutely massive.” — Sarah Wright ([00:11])

Avalanche Warnings and Conditions

• Meteorologists had issued an avalanche watch, upgraded to a warning only hours before the avalanche ([01:35]).
• Wright explained dangerous layering conditions:
  • Old, slippery surfaces topped by a sudden, heavy snowfall increased risk ([01:48]).

Notable Quote:

• “When you have sort of this long dry spell that creates a melted out slippery surface and then you dump a bunch of snow on top of that, that can create really risky [situations]." — Sarah Wright ([01:48])

Rescue Operations and Challenges

• Rescuers faced blizzard-like conditions, limited visibility, and high ongoing avalanche danger; used snowcats and skis ([02:10]).
• Sheriff Shannon Moon (Nevada County Sheriff):
  • “Extreme weather conditions, I would say is an understatement… Winds making it impossible to see.” ([02:27])
• Emotional toll highlighted, as one victim was the spouse of a rescue team member ([02:53]).

Notable Quote:

• “This has not only been challenging for our community, it's been a challenging rescue but it's also been challenging emotionally for our team and our organization.” — Sheriff Wayne Wu ([02:53])

Who Was Involved?

• Group was led by Blackbird Mountain Guides, a “high-end skiing adventures” company.
• Participants required to be advanced resort and intermediate backcountry skiers (20+ days’ experience), but no avalanche certification required ([03:17]-[03:19]).

Key Avalanche Safety Tips (from Sarah Wright)

([03:38]–[04:25])

• Equipment: Always carry avalanche probes, shovels.
• Actions if caught:
  • Build speed, angle away from the sliding snow.
  • Grab onto something stable (like a tree).
  • If swept, “swim” to stay atop moving snow before it settles (“as soon as it stops, it becomes concrete”).

Notable Quote:

• “You're going to have to do this while you and the snow are moving, because as soon as it stops and you stop, it becomes concrete.” — Sarah Wright ([04:00])

• Always check and double-check avalanche forecasts before heading out.

• Current advisory: Sheriff Wu urged people to avoid the Sierras and mountain travel for now ([04:27]).

Main Segment 2: Potomac River Ecological Crisis

What Happened?

• Massive sewage spill: 60-year-old pipeline ruptured in Maryland, spilling hundreds of millions of gallons into the Potomac ([05:03]).
• Declared a public emergency in D.C.; drinking water is safe, but recreational use advised against due to high E. coli ([05:07], [07:35]).

Political Fallout

• President Trump and Maryland Governor Wes Moore traded barbs over blame and responsibility ([05:52]-[06:24]).

  • Trump: “He’s not doing the job… I’m going to have to get the federal government involved.” ([06:01])
  • Moore: “This federal administration has been shirking its responsibilities and putting people's health at risk.” ([06:09])

• Dana Hedgepeth (Washington Post):

  • Agencies are collaborating but finger-pointing abounds in D.C.
  • “Washington is the best at playing the blame game.” ([07:08])

• Long-term impacts unclear. Drinking water safe, but recreational advisory issued for the river ([07:43]).

Main Segment 3: Gender Equity in the Winter Olympics

Nordic Combined: The Last Men-Only Olympic Sport

• Despite progress, Nordic Combined remains men-only at 2026 Winter Olympics ([08:31]).

Chris Bumbaka (USA Today, Milan):

• Explains the sport: cross-country skiing plus ski jumping ([08:43]).
• Women's event only introduced in 2021, but not included in this Olympics ([08:57]).
• Advocates cite growing interest—Nielsen ratings for women’s Nordic Combined rose 25% ([09:02]).

Notable Quote:

• “There is that real fear that if people do not watch and tune in this time around, the IOC will use that as an opportunity to free up its program and perhaps introduce another sport or at least get rid of this one at the minimum.” — Chris Bumbaka ([09:46])

Athlete Voice

• Annika ModelCinski, top-ranked U.S. competitor, sidelined due to exclusion:
  • “I would hate to have the younger girls not want to try Nordic Combined because they can’t go to the Olympics… I’m trying to pave the way for the younger generation so they don’t have to question whether their dreams matter.” ([10:18])

Looking Ahead

• IOC to review the status of Nordic Combined for the 2030 Games after this Olympics ([11:10]).

Other Stories Covered

Les Wexner & Jeffrey Epstein

([11:37]–[12:25])

• Wexner (ex–Victoria’s Secret CEO) told Congress he was “naive, foolish and gullible” in trusting Epstein.
• Epstein accused of stealing “vast sums” from Wexner.
• “Mr. Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was without the support of Les Wexner.” — Congressman Robert Garcia ([12:25])

Mark Zuckerberg Testifies in Social Media Lawsuit

([12:45]–[13:28])

• Zuckerberg defended Meta in LA court against allegations of targeting young users and causing mental health issues.
• Plaintiff “kgm” alleges social media led to her struggles.
• Zuckerberg: Company bars under-13s, acting to protect children.

Buffalo Wild Wings "Boneless" Lawsuit

([13:43]–[14:26])

• Illinois man’s claim that “boneless wings” are deceptive dismissed by judge.
• “Diners don't order chicken fingers and expect to be served actual fingers.” — Judge ([14:10])

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "This slide was around the size of a football field, so it was absolutely massive." — Sarah Wright ([00:11])
• "Extreme weather conditions, I would say is an understatement… Winds making it impossible to see." — Sheriff Shannon Moon ([02:27])
• "They require...at least an advanced resort skier and an intermediate backcountry skier...but do not require avalanche certification." — Sarah Wright ([03:19])
• "You’re going to have to do this while you and the snow are moving, because as soon as it stops and you stop, it becomes concrete." — Sarah Wright ([04:00])
• "This has not only been challenging for our community… but also challenging emotionally for our team and our organization." — Sheriff Wayne Wu ([02:53])
• "Washington is the best at playing the blame game." — Dana Hedgepeth ([07:08])
• "I would hate to have the younger girls not want to try Nordic Combined because they can't go to the Olympics… I'm trying to pave the way for the younger generation so they don't have to question whether their dreams matter.” — Annika ModelCinski ([10:18])
• "Diners don't order chicken fingers and expect to be served actual fingers." — Judge ([14:10])

Key Timestamps

• 00:05–04:46: Avalanche coverage — event, causes, rescue, safety
• 05:03–07:58: Potomac River sewage spill and political fallout
• 08:27–11:25: Nordic Combined and Olympic gender equity
• 11:37–14:26: Quick hits (Epstein/Wexner, Zuckerberg, Buffalo Wild Wings lawsuit)

Tone & Takeaways

The episode maintains an informative, urgent tone, especially in the coverage of natural and ecological disasters, while shifting to empathy, advocacy, and even humor in its discussions of politics, sports equity, and consumer lawsuits. The speakers’ voices add gravity to the avalanche and sewage crisis stories, while the inclusion of athlete and lawmaker quotes amplify themes of accountability and change.

For further information, visit the Apple News app for narrated follow-up and deeper stories referenced in this episode.