How one of California’s deadliest-ever avalanches unfolded

Summary

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."

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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]).

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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]).

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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]).

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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]).

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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])

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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])

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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)

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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.

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

Transcript

[Cecilia Leigh]

Good morning.

[Apple News Today Host]

One of the deadliest avalanches in California's history leaves at least eight skiers dead.

[Sarah Wright]

This slide was around the size of a football field, so it was absolutely massive.

[Apple News Today Host]

San Francisco's KQED explains how the tragedy unfolded. An ecological crisis hits the Potomac River. The Washington Post tells us why Trump and state officials are blaming each other and why one sport at the Winter Games is still men's only. It's Thursday, February 19th. I'm Cecilia Leigh and this is Apple News Today. This past Sunday, 15 skiers in Northern California set off into the Sierra Mountains

[Cecilia Leigh]

for a backcountry trip.

[Apple News Today Host]

In the end, only six came back alive. Yesterday, rescue teams said that one remains

[Cecilia Leigh]

missing and is presumed dead.

[Apple News Today Host]

Sarah Wright is the outdoors engagement reporter

[Cecilia Leigh]

for KQED who's been covering the story.

[Sarah Wright]

On Tuesday at around 11:30am first responders in Tahoe received notification, a 911 call essentially from skiers who had been in an avalanche up near Donner Summit. They were out on a three day trip to one of the backcountry huts back there and were returning on their final day when they got caught in the big slide.

[Apple News Today Host]

Meteorologists had predicted a pair of storms

[Cecilia Leigh]

would bring treacherous conditions to Northern California

[Apple News Today Host]

and up to 8ft of snow could ultimately fall.

[Cecilia Leigh]

An avalanche watch was issued on Sunday, the same day the skiers started their journey.

[Apple News Today Host]

Then that watch was upgraded to a warning only hours before it hit. Wright explained the weather dynamics that led to the disaster.

[Sarah Wright]

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. That's not even to mention the wind being a factor and the buildup of this snow and these whiteout conditions that can make the hillsides even steeper and more dangerous.

[Apple News Today Host]

Those conditions have also complicated things for

[Cecilia Leigh]

first responders who use snowcats, vehicles with

[Apple News Today Host]

tank like treads and individuals on skis

[Cecilia Leigh]

to navigate the harsh terrain.

[Apple News Today Host]

California's Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon spoke about what rescuers are facing at a press conference on Wednesday.

[Sheriff Shannon Moon]

Extreme weather conditions, I would say is an understatement. Lots of snow, gale force winds, winds making it impossible to see. So it was very much a slow and steady pace going with snowcats, skiers going up into the area, which is still considered a very high danger for avalanche.

[Apple News Today Host]

And Placer County Sheriff Wayne Wu told

[Cecilia Leigh]

reporters one of the deceased was the spouse of a rescue team member.

[Placer County Sheriff Wayne Wu]

So as you can understand, 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.

[Apple News Today Host]

The group was with a tour guide company, Blackbird Mountain Guides, which specializes in high end skiing adventures. They said in a statement they were assisting in search and rescue efforts. Wright said some skiing experience was a

[Cecilia Leigh]

prerequisite for the tour.

[Sarah Wright]

They require that anybody going on this trip is at least an advanced resort skier and an intermediate backcountry skier, which they qualify as having spent 20 or more days out in the backcountry. So that's not an insignificant amount of time. They don't, however, require their participants to have avalanche certification.

[Apple News Today Host]

Avalanches are extremely deadly, but Wright told us there are some steps you can

[Cecilia Leigh]

take in the event you're caught in

[Apple News Today Host]

one or in an area that experiences avalanches first. Coming prepared with avalanche equipment, things like

[Cecilia Leigh]

like probes that can ping your location and simple shovels can make a big

[Apple News Today Host]

difference if an avalanche is coming your way.

[Cecilia Leigh]

Here are some recommended maneuvers.

[Sarah Wright]

The first thing you should do is try to build up as much speed as you possibly can and then angle away from the sliding snow. If you get caught, the first attempt would be to try to grab onto something stable like a tree. If you can't do that, try to swim your way out of the snow. And you're gonna have to do this while you and the snow are moving because as soon as it stop and you stop, it becomes concrete.

[Apple News Today Host]

Wright also said skiers need to check

[Cecilia Leigh]

and then check again the forecasts before heading out. Yesterday, Sheriff Wu warned people to avoid the Sierras and mountain travel for the time being.

[Apple News Today Host]

It's been described as an ecological crisis of historic proportion and now it's become a toxic political dispute. Hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater has now spewed into the Potomac River. About a month ago, a 60 year

[Cecilia Leigh]

old sewage line broke in Maryland near the D.C. area.

[Apple News Today Host]

It's become one of the worst spills

[Cecilia Leigh]

in U.S. history, sending E. Coli levels in the water to dangerously high levels. Yesterday the D.C. mayor, Muriel Bowser, declared a public emergency and asked for federal assistance. Dana Hedgepeth has been following the story for the Washington Post.

[Dana Hedgepeth]

There was a collapse of a very large pipeline and it runs along a highway, a parkway, just off the Beltway in Maryland. It's 54 miles long. It's a sewer line. It's about 60 years old and it carries up to 60 million gallons of wastewater daily from Virginia, Maryland, to the wastewater treatment plant in D.C. where it's treated.

[Apple News Today Host]

While officials were able to stop the

[Cecilia Leigh]

flow into the river within a week, DC Water the Utility that owns and

[Apple News Today Host]

operates the pipeline said that repairs could

[Cecilia Leigh]

take more than a month.

[Apple News Today Host]

President Trump has said the disaster relief

[Cecilia Leigh]

agency FEMA will be dispatched, but he's at odds with Maryland Governor Wes Moore over who's really responsible.

[Donald Trump]

He's not doing the job. They gotta do it and we're gonna. I'm gonna have to get the federal government involved in getting it fixed because he can't fix anything.

[Maryland Governor Wes Moore]

The sewage pipe that he is talking about is on federal land. And over these past four weeks, the Trump Vance administration has failed to act. This federal administration has been shirking its responsibilities and putting people's health at risk.

[Apple News Today Host]

Trump has also pointed fingers at other

[Cecilia Leigh]

local and state officials in D.C. maryland and Virginia for the spill.

[Apple News Today Host]

Moore, a frequent critic of the president,

[Cecilia Leigh]

says Trump's blame of Maryland is politically motivated. While the pipe broke in Maryland, it's

[Apple News Today Host]

federally regulated and under the oversight of the EPA. D.C. waters said the spill underscored the risks of aging infrastructure and described it

[Cecilia Leigh]

as a shared responsibility.

[Apple News Today Host]

The Potomac Riverkeeper Network, an environmental nonprofit, told the publication the Hill that the

[Cecilia Leigh]

sewer line was already known to be needing repairs.

[Apple News Today Host]

Hedgepeth told us that ultimately it's a complicated problem and the discourse after the pipeline failure is indicative of the kind

[Cecilia Leigh]

of finger pointing that can happen in the nation's capital.

[Dana Hedgepeth]

Washington is the best at playing the blame game, so every agency is at the table, we've been told, and is working to try to figure it out. They've been able to stem the spill so that it's not overflowing at the rate that it was, she said.

[Apple News Today Host]

It remains to be seen if there are any long term impacts here, though. Trump's press secretary, Caroline Levitt, said that

[Cecilia Leigh]

the president was worried about the disruptions it could bring to upcoming celebrations for the nation's 250th anniversary.

[Apple News Today Host]

The drinking water is safe and separate, but experts are saying that people in

[Cecilia Leigh]

the area should maybe rethink outdoor activities on the water there.

[Dana Hedgepeth]

The Virginia Department of Health I talked to them this week. D.C. is an active town. People like to be outside boating. Fishing on the river is popular. So out of an abundance of caution, they did issue a recreational advisory to stay off the Potomac. Do not boat, do not fish.

[Apple News Today Host]

But given how bad the smell had become in some areas, people might not need to be told twice. Organizers of this year's Olympics say it's the most gender balanced competition in the history of the Winter Games. According to the International Olympic Committee, women make up around half of this year's athletes, but there's still one single sport

[Cecilia Leigh]

on the calendar that is reserved for men, Nordic Combined.

[Chris Bumbaka]

It's actually an original Olympic sport, going all the way back to the first Winter Games in 1924. Chamonix, France.

[Apple News Today Host]

Chris Bumbaka is a sports reporter for USA Today and he's in Milan covering the Games.

[Chris Bumbaka]

It combines what we know today as cross country skiing, that extremely grueling event, and also ski jumping.

[Apple News Today Host]

The sport has been a part of

[Cecilia Leigh]

the Olympics for more than 100 years,

[Apple News Today Host]

but it wasn't until 2021 that the

[Cecilia Leigh]

women's event was included.

[Apple News Today Host]

And even though the sport is pretty niche, advocates argue that interest is growing.

[Cecilia Leigh]

Nielsen data showed ratings for women's Nordic

[Apple News Today Host]

combined increased by 25% last season.

[Cecilia Leigh]

But Bambaka says that hasn't played out where it counts.

[Chris Bumbaka]

After the 2022 games when men's Nordic combined didn't rate well, it's really important to note that nothing really rated well in the 2022 Winter Olympics, which were contested in a COVID lockdown. China, with an unfavorable time zone for the United States and even Europe, which is a place that takes Nordic Combined very seriously. And the IOC used that as a way to justify not having women in this year's Olympics.

[Apple News Today Host]

The poor ratings put the entire event, men's and women's, on the potential chopping

[Cecilia Leigh]

block for the 2030 Winter Games in France.

[Chris Bumbaka]

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.

[Apple News Today Host]

But that hasn't stopped some women who love and compete in the sport to advocate for it. Annika ModelCinski is a 24 year old

[Cecilia Leigh]

Nordic combined competitor from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

[Apple News Today Host]

She traveled to this year's game to

[Cecilia Leigh]

watch her brother compete for Team USA and defend the sport. Here she is speaking to the Passion Stories podcast.

[Annika ModelCinski]

I would hate to have the younger girls not want to try Nordic Combined because they can't go to the Olympics. To be honest, as an athlete, like everybody's dream at the end of the day is to go to the Olympics. So I'm trying to like pave the way for the the younger generation so that they don't have to question whether their dreams matter.

[Chris Bumbaka]

She fell in love with it and for the past eight, nine years Nordic combined has become her passion. She's ranked 11th in the world now. But because women's Nordic Combined isn't in these Olympics, she has to watch. While Nicholas who's part of Team USA gets to live his Olympic dream. It's a really weird time for her because she is grieving so much, but at the same time she has immense pride for her brother and his friends and teammates who are her friends because like a lot of these winter sports, it's a really tight knit community.

[Apple News Today Host]

The IOC plans to do a full review after this year's Olympics end and make a decision about including women's and men's Nordic combined at the 2030 Games

[Cecilia Leigh]

at its annual meeting this summer.

[Apple News Today Host]

This year's Nordic Combined competition wraps up today, and for better or for worse,

[Cecilia Leigh]

all eyes are likely to be on the viewership numbers it generates.

[Apple News Today Host]

And finally, a few other stories were following. The billionaire and former Victoria Secret CEO

[Cecilia Leigh]

Les Wexner told Congress he was naive, foolish and gullible for trusting the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Wexner described Epstein as a loyal friend back in 2003 and the two had close financial connections.

[Apple News Today Host]

But in a statement he accused Epstein

[Cecilia Leigh]

of stealing vast sums of money after hiring him to manage his personal wealth. 88 year old Wexner was described as a potential co conspirator of Epstein's in a 2019 FBI document, but no charges were ever brought against him. Wexner has always denied knowing about or participating in any wrongdoing. Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia said Wexner was the single most responsible for providing Epstein with financial support.

[Placer County Sheriff Wayne Wu]

We should be very clear that there would be no Epstein island, there'd be no Epstein plane, there'd be no money to traffic women and girls. Mr. Epstein would not be the wealthy man he was without the support of Les Wexner.

[Apple News Today Host]

Mark Zuckerberg took to the stand on

[Cecilia Leigh]

Wednesday in the landmark social media addiction trial.

[Apple News Today Host]

In a Los Angeles courtroom, the Meta

[Cecilia Leigh]

CEO defended his company against claims that it targeted young users. The lead plaintiff in the case is a woman known as kgm, and she alleges that using social media in her youth led to mental health issues.

[Apple News Today Host]

Her lawyer, Mark Lanier, confronted the tech

[Cecilia Leigh]

CEO with internal documents raising concerns that the platform's age limits were not being enforced and that children's safety was not being prioritized. Zuckerberg maintains that communications are being mischaracterized and taken out of context.

[Apple News Today Host]

He said the company has taken action

[Cecilia Leigh]

to protect young users and bars people under the age of 13.

[Apple News Today Host]

The trial, in which Google's YouTube is

[Cecilia Leigh]

also defendant, is being watched closely as it may have implications for thousands of existing similar lawsuits filed by families, state prosecutors and school districts, and finally for chicken wing lovers.

[Apple News Today Host]

It's a debate that has raged on for years.

[Cecilia Leigh]

Is a wing a wing if it has no bones? A man in Illinois filed a lawsuit in 2023 against the restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings. He had ordered their boneless version and expected a traditional wing deboned, but that's not what he got. He argued the chain shouldn't be allowed to call them boneless, saying they're really more like nuggets than wings.

[Apple News Today Host]

A US District judge wasn't buying that

[Cecilia Leigh]

argument and ruled Buffalo Wild Wings can keep the boneless designation on their menu. The judge dismissed the idea they were being deceptive, saying that diners don't order chicken fingers and expect to be served actual fingers.

[Apple News Today Host]

You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the news app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next. The Hollywood Reporter pulls the curtain back on a shady network of websites that

[Cecilia Leigh]

are attacking celebrities involved in notable and

[Apple News Today Host]

highly public scandals, and how some of

[Cecilia Leigh]

the false claims posted online are nearly impossible to take down.

[Apple News Today Host]

If you're listening in the podcast app,

[Cecilia Leigh]

follow Apple News Narrated to find that story and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.