11PM ET 02/21/2026 Newscast

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update — 11PM ET Newscast

Date: February 22, 2026
Host: Chris DiMaio (with reports from Brian Yanes, Madeleine Rivera, Carmen Roberts, Madison Scorpiono Israel)

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Episode Overview

This Fox News Hourly Update delivers concise reporting on major events unfolding across the U.S. and the world. The February 22, 2026, newscast primarily covers the looming historic blizzard slamming the Northeast, the latest controversy and maneuvering around President Trump's tariffs, tragic avalanche fatalities in California, another delay in NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, a shocking murder case involving a former reality TV star, escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah, and a deadly tour bus accident in Russia.

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Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Historic Blizzard Threatens Northeast

[00:03–00:58]

• Overview: A massive blizzard is targeting the I-95 corridor, with historic snow expected across the Northeast.
• New Jersey:
  • Issued a state of emergency.
  • Heaviest snow forecast along the Jersey Shore; major power outages anticipated.
• New York:
  • Also under a state of emergency, with added warnings about coastal flooding.
  • NYC Mayor Zoram Mamdani, facing scrutiny, outlines preparations after criticism for previous snow response:
    • “What we are utilizing is even more workers per shift than we saw in the last time around. We have more than 2,600 workers per 12 hour shifts... supplemented by even more emergency snow shovelers.” — Mayor Mamdani [00:34]
  • Airlines have already canceled over 2,200 US flights for Sunday and Monday.
• Quote:
  • “Millions of Americans on the I-95 corridor are bracing themselves for a historic blizzard threatening to drop record amounts of snow...” — Chris DiMaio [00:03]

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2. Trump’s Tariff Shift After Supreme Court Defeat

[00:58–01:49]

• Supreme Court Ruling: Struck down President Trump’s use of emergency powers to raise tariffs.
• Administration’s Response:
  • “President says he intends to keep tariffs for now, he'll just be using a different trade law... invoking Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act to impose tariffs on a temporary basis.” — Madeleine Rivera [01:16]
  • New tariff levels: Raising the worldwide tariff from 10% to 15%.
  • The administration will begin investigations under different trade authorities to target unfair trading practices.
• Global Concern:
  • “A lot of world leaders have been looking at this Supreme Court ruling with caution, unsure of how it will affect the administration's deals and framework agreements...” — Madeleine Rivera [01:09]

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3. Avalanche Tragedy in California

[01:49–02:02]

• Update:
  • Rescuers have found the bodies of nine skiers who were killed in an avalanche in California earlier in the week.
• Brief Coverage: Tragic reminder of ongoing winter dangers in the U.S.

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4. NASA Delays Artemis 2 Moon Mission Again

[02:32–03:13]

• Delay Announcement:
  • NASA postpones the highly anticipated Artemis 2 mission due to a new technical issue.
  • Earliest possible launch is now April.
  • “Administrator Jared Isaacman says the disappointment is real, especially for the teams working tirelessly to make the mission happen.” — Carmen Roberts [02:54]
• Historical Context:
  • Artemis 2 would be the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years, but the actual lunar landing is still years away.

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5. Murder Charges for Ex-Reality TV Star Khalib Flynn

[03:13–03:56]

• Background:
  • Khalib Flynn, who gained fame as an “American Idol” contestant in 2013, is now accused of murdering his wife.
  • “Flynn got a golden ticket to Hollywood back in 2013... now investigators are accusing him of shooting and killing her, staging a crime scene, all while his daughters were home.” — Madison Scorpiono Israel [03:23]
• 911 Call:
  • Chilling audio played, with Flynn allegedly trying to mislead the operator.
    • “Somebody broke into my home and stole my wife... She got two shots to her head. Blood everywhere. Oh, my God.” — 911 Caller (Flynn) [03:42]
• Charges:
  • Murder, two counts of felonious assault, and two counts of tampering with evidence.

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6. Rising Middle East Tensions: Israeli Strikes in Lebanon

[04:05–04:13]

• Action:
  • Israeli airstrikes in Eastern Lebanon kill eight Hezbollah members, including three local officials.
  • Targeted missile units and command centers, indicating ongoing escalation.

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7. Tour Bus Tragedy in Russia

[04:13–04:28]

• Incident:
  • A tour bus carrying Chinese tourists in Russia plunged into a lake, resulting in eight deaths.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NYC Blizzard Prep:

  “What we are utilizing is even more workers per shift than we saw in the last time around. We have more than 2,600 workers per 12 hour shifts. Those are beginning tomorrow. They will be supplemented by even more emergency snow shovelers who will be assisting them.”
  — NYC Mayor Zoram Mamdani [00:34]

• On Tariff Policy Shift:

  “He'll just be using a different trade law... invoking Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act to impose tariffs on a temporary basis.”
  — Madeleine Rivera [01:16]

• On Artemis 2 Delay:

  “The disappointment is real, especially for the teams working tirelessly to make the mission happen.”
  — Carmen Roberts relaying NASA Administrator’s view [02:54]

• Dramatic 911 Call in Murder Case:

  “Somebody broke into my home and stole my wife... She got two shots to her head. Blood everywhere. Oh, my God.”
  — 911 Caller (Khalib Flynn) [03:42]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Blizzard Update & Prep: [00:03–00:58]
• Trump Tariff Strategy: [00:58–01:49]
• Avalanche Fatalities: [01:49–02:02]
• NASA Artemis 2 Delay: [02:32–03:13]
• Flynn Murder Case & 911 Call: [03:13–03:56]
• Israel-Hezbollah Strikes: [04:05–04:13]
• Russia Bus Accident: [04:13–04:28]

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This summary captures the fast-paced, urgent tone of the broadcast, highlighting major news developments and dramatic moments as they unfolded in this Fox News Hourly Update.

Transcript

[Chris DiMaio]

Racing for Mother Nature's Punch. I'm Chris DiMaio, Fox News. Millions of Americans on the i95 corridor are bracing themselves for a historic blizzard threatening to drop records amounts of snow across the Northeast.

[Brian Yanes]

New Jersey has issued a state of emergency expecting the heaviest snow along the Jersey Shore and a real threat of power outages there. New York has also issued a state of emergency with particular concerns about flooding along the coastline. New York City's Mayor Zoram Mamdani, criticized for poorly handling his first snowstorm as mayor last month, says he's ready for this one. What we are utilizing is even more workers per shift than we saw in the last time around. We have more than 2600 workers per 12 hour shifts. Those are beginning tomorrow. They will be supplemented by even more emergency snow shovelers who will be assisting them. Across the city, major airlines have already proactively canceled more than 2200 US flights Sunday and Monday.

[Chris DiMaio]

That's Fox's Brian Yanes reporting from New York City. After facing a stinging Supreme Court loss for using emergency powers to raise tariffs, President Trump is trying a different method.

[Madeleine Rivera]

A lot of world leaders have been looking at this Supreme Court ruling with caution, unsure of how it will affect the administration's deals and framework agreements that are also not off the hook just yet. Because the president says he intends to keep tariffs for now, he'll just be using a different trade law. He'll be invoking Section 122 of the 1974 Trade act to impose tariffs on a temporary basis. He made this announcement. He's raising the 10% worldwide tariff on countries to what he called the fully allowed and legally tested 15% level. The administration will also be conducting investigations using another authority that opens the door for tariffs on countries that engage in unfair trading practices.

[Chris DiMaio]

That's fox's Madeleine Rivera. Rescuers have recovered the bodies of nine skiers killed in an avalanche earlier this week in California. America's listening to FOX News.

[Ainsley Earhart]

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[Chris DiMaio]

NASA delays its moon launch again. Fox's Carmen Roberts has the details.

[Carmen Roberts]

It's another setback for NASA's plan to send astronauts back to the moon. The space agency had to delay the highly anticipated Artemis 2 mission after a new technical issue surfaced over the weekend. NASA says April is now the earliest the four astronauts could launch. Administrator Jared Isaacman says the disappointment is real, especially for the teams working tirelessly to make the mission happen. Artemis 2 would mark the first time astronauts traveled to the moon in more than 50 years, but the first lunar landing of the program is still years away. Carmen Roberts, FOX News.

[Chris DiMaio]

The setback comes just one day after NASA announced the March 6 launch target. Former reality show contestant Khalib Flynn, now the suspect behind a Midwest murder.

[Madison Scorpiono Israel]

Flynn got a golden ticket to Hollywood back in 2013 on American Idol and during his audition tape, he talked about his love for the Lord and his wife. Well, now investigators are accusing him of shooting and killing her, staging a crime scene, all while his daughters were home. And he then allegedly tried to fool a 911 operator.

[911 Caller]

Somebody. Somebody broke into my home. Somebody broke into my home and stole my wife. Are they still in there? I don't know. I don't know. My wife is. She got two shots to her head. Blood everywhere. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Madison Scorpiono Israel]

The man once described as a very talented church leader is now charged with murder, two counts of felonious assault and two counts of tampering with evidence.

[Chris DiMaio]

Fox's Madison Scorpiono Israel says its airstrikes have killed eight Hezbollah members in eastern Lebanon, including three local officials. The Israeli military says it hit Hezbollah missile units at command centers. Eight people are killed after a tour bus plunged into a lake in Russia. The bus carrying Chinese tourists. I'm Chris Dimaio. This is FOX News.

[Ainsley Earhart]

This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series the Life of

[Chris DiMaio]

J Listening Experience that will provide hope, comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.