Fox News Hourly Update

Episode: 7AM ET 02/18/2026 Newscast
Date: February 18, 2026
Host: Dave Anthony
Reporter/Contributors: Ainslie Earhart, Brian Yenis, Jared Halpern, Tanya J. Powers

Overview

This Fox News Hourly Update delivers the latest breaking news from across the country and internationally. In this episode, listeners get quick updates on major developing stories including a deadly avalanche near Lake Tahoe, ongoing peace negotiations in Geneva, a missing-person probe in Arizona, a high-profile court order involving immigration, Ash Wednesday and Lent observances, stock market movements, and a Winter Olympics milestone.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Avalanche Search and Rescue Effort

Location: Castle Peak, near Lake Tahoe, California
Timestamps: 00:03–00:31

• An avalanche has buried 9–10 people, with ongoing rescue efforts.

• Rescue audio and on-the-ground updates highlight the dangerous conditions and difficulty in accessing the area.

• Quote – Nevada County Sheriff Russell Reen (via Fox 2 TV):

  “We’re doing so with snowcats, with people on skis. We have some snowmobilers on standby. So we’re doing the best we can to get there. But the conditions are making it very challenging.” [00:24]

• Current status: 6 skiers rescued, 9 still missing.

2. International Negotiations: Russia-Ukraine and Iran

Timestamps: 00:31–01:20

• US-brokered talks in Geneva between Russia and Ukraine described as “difficult.”
• Disagreement centers on land concessions and the terms of any peace deal.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insists Ukraine will not give up land Russia hasn’t conquered.
• Quote – Zelenskyy (via Axios):

  “His country will not accept a push from the American side for Ukraine to withdraw from territory that Russia has not yet conquered and said it’s not fair.” [00:54]

• President Trump urges Ukraine—not Russia—to make concessions.
• Indirect talks involving Iran continue, with some reported progress toward a nuclear deal amid threats from President Trump.
• Vice President Vance promises a “much more willing to act aggressively” approach to US national security.

3. Missing Person Investigation in Arizona

Case: Search for Nancy Guthrie
Timestamps: 01:21–01:56

• Day 18 in the case of missing woman Nancy Guthrie.
• DNA evidence complicates the investigation: DNA from a glove found two miles from Guthrie’s home doesn’t match the sample found inside the home, nor anyone in the FBI’s national database.
• Quote – Brian Yenis (Fox, reporting from Tucson):

  “The DNA found on that glove some two miles away from Nancy Guthrie’s home of an unknown male and the DNA sample of an unknown person found inside of Guthrie’s home did not match one another and did not deliver a match in the FBI’s national database.” [01:36]

4. Immigration and Court Rulings

Case: Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Timestamps: 02:32–03:18

• A federal judge rules that Garcia, a high-profile Salvadoran deportee, cannot be held indefinitely in ICE custody.
• Judge calls out the government’s “empty threats” to deport Garcia to African nations, seeing no realistic prospect of removal.
• Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, ordered back, and is now facing human smuggling charges (pleads not guilty).
• Quote – Jared Halpern:

  “The Trump administration has done nothing to show Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s continued detention in ICE custody is consistent with due process.” [02:37]

5. Faith and Society: Ash Wednesday & Lent

Timestamps: 03:19–04:06

• Mardi Gras festivities have concluded; it’s now Ash Wednesday, beginning the Christian observance of Lent.
• Many Catholic and Protestant (Episcopal, Lutheran) churches offer innovative ‘ashes to go’ for congregants on the move.
• Quote – Tanya J. Powers:

  “…there’s been an uptick in churches that offer ashes to go in parking lots, airport chapels and commuter rail stations, with clergy offering ashes to busy workers and others who might want to participate in the ritual but don’t have time to get to a church.” [03:41]

• Lent runs 40 days (excluding Sundays) and leads up to Easter.

6. Markets and Sports

Timestamps: 04:07–04:28

• Stock futures are on the rise following modest gains; Dow and Nasdaq both up by more than 100 points.
• In the Winter Olympics, Norway dominates:
  • Johannes Høsflot Klæbo wins his 10th career gold—a Winter Olympic record.
  • Norway leads with 32 medals.
  • US secures silver in cross-country, and bronze in snowboarding.

Notable Quotes

• Sheriff Russell Reen on Rescue Operations:
  "We’re doing so with snowcats, with people on skis. We have some snowmobilers on standby. So we’re doing the best we can to get there. But the conditions are making it very challenging." [00:24]

• Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Firm on No Land Concessions:
  "His country will not accept a push from the American side for Ukraine to withdraw from territory that Russia has not yet conquered and said it’s not fair." [00:54]

• Court Ruling on ICE Detention – Jared Halpern:
  "The Trump administration has done nothing to show Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s continued detention in ICE custody is consistent with due process." [02:37]

• Modernizing Ash Wednesday Rituals – Tanya J. Powers:
  "There’s been an uptick in churches that offer ashes to go in parking lots, airport chapels and commuter rail stations, with clergy offering ashes to busy workers and others who might want to participate in the ritual but don’t have time to get to a church." [03:41]

Memorable Moments and Segments (with Timestamps)

• Castle Peak Avalanche Search: [00:03–00:31]
• Geneva Peace Negotiations and Iran Talks: [00:31–01:20]
• Arizona Missing Person and DNA Findings: [01:35–01:56]
• Federal Judge Halts Indefinite Detention: [02:32–03:18]
• Ashes to Go for Ash Wednesday: [03:31–04:06]
• Klæbo’s Winter Olympics Record: [04:07–04:28]

This news update delivers succinct but comprehensive coverage of several significant stories, pairing on-the-ground reporting with deeper context on breaking developments, while maintaining a brisk and straightforward tone typical of hourly news casts.