NPR News: 02-12-2026 12PM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – February 12, 2026, 12PM EST

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Episode Overview:
This five-minute episode delivers concise, up-to-the-minute coverage of major national and global stories, ranging from U.S. immigration enforcement and policy shifts, to Congressional moves on tariffs, developments in the Ukraine conflict, Olympic controversy, and a landmark court case scrutinizing social media’s responsibility to young users.

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Key Stories and Discussion Points

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1. U.S. Immigration Enforcement Wind-Down in Minnesota

[00:17 - 01:17]

• Context: The Trump administration is ceasing a highly visible immigration enforcement campaign in Minneapolis and St. Paul, described by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as an “unprecedented federal invasion.”
• Details:
  • Border czar Tom Homan announced the scale-down of enforcement amid intense local protests against federal operations.
  • The operations led to the deaths of two U.S. citizens last month, although Homan did not mention the victims’ names.
  • Homan condemned “unlaw agitators,” accusing them of impeding agents with actions like filming and making noise. About 200 have reportedly been arrested for interference, although legal experts note these arrests rarely result in charges or convictions.
• Notable Quote:
  • “He did not mention either Renee Macklengood or Alex Preddy, the two people killed, though he did say he wanted an end to bloodshed.” — Meg Anderson, [00:51]
• Memorable Moment: Homan’s omission of the victims’ names despite public outcry.

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2. Congressional Rebuke of Trump’s Canadian Tariffs

[01:17 - 02:17]

• Context: The House of Representatives, including six Republicans, voted to overturn President Trump’s emergency tariffs on Canadian goods.
• Key Points:
  • Rising consumer costs and economic uncertainty fueled pressure from Republican constituents and the business sector.
  • Brendan Duke (former National Economic Council, Biden era) emphasized that a CBO report found corporations are passing 95% of tariffs’ extra costs directly to U.S. consumers.
  • President Trump threatened to support primary challenges against Republicans who defy him on tariffs.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “[This] flies directly in the face of the justifications that Trump and his entire administration has given for these sweeping taxes.” — Brendan Duke, [01:56-02:01]
• Memorable Moment: Unusual bipartisan action in the House signaling internal GOP dissent.

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3. EPA Scheduled to Roll Back Obama-Era Climate Policy

[02:17 - 02:42]

• Context: The EPA aims to rescind the “endangerment finding” enabling federal regulation of climate pollutants from cars, power plants, and oil/gas industries.
• Implication: Would sharply limit federal tools to combat climate change at a regulatory level.

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4. Massive Airstrike on Kyiv, Ukraine

[02:42 - 03:12]

• Context: Ukraine’s capital was rocked by a significant missile and drone barrage overnight.
• Details:
  • Initial missile impacts followed by Iranian-made drones as air raid sirens and app alerts warned residents.
  • Despite four years of war, Ukrainians display resilience. Foreign journalists remain unsettled by the constant alerts.
• Notable Quote:
  • “A mass attack on the capital is underway, said Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko on telegram.” — Eleanor Beardsley, [02:51]

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5. Ukrainian Athlete Disqualified at Olympics for Helmet Protest

[03:12 - 04:00]

• Context:
  • Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladislav Karaskevich wore a helmet honoring athletes killed in Russia’s invasion—contravening Olympic Committee neutrality rules.
  • The IOC offered a compromise (black armband), but it was declined; Karaskevich was disqualified.
• Notable Quote:
  • “He said it was appropriate for him to memorialize those athletes, but the IOC said it amounted to political expression, banning rules designed to make the Olympics neutral.” — Brian Mann, [03:50]

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6. Instagram CEO Testifies Social Media is Not “Clinically Addictive”

[04:00 - 04:53]

• Context: Landmark legal showdown as Meta (Instagram’s parent) faces accusations of designing addictive apps, especially for youth.
• Key Points:
  • Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri testified, defending Instagram against claims of deliberate manipulation.
  • Parents of teen victims, including Juliana Arnold (whose daughter Coco was killed after meeting a predator via Instagram), attended the hearing, highlighting the platform’s potential risks.
  • Arnold criticized a medical response that does not examine behavioral factors in social media-linked mental health issues.
  • Meta maintains its commitment to supporting young users.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “She has clinical depression. She has anxiety... but they never wanted to figure out behaviorally what was going on.” — Juliana Arnold, [04:38]
• Memorable Moment: Emotional testimony from bereaved families underscores the gravity and scope of the trial.

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Additional Noteworthy Moments

• Ukrainian Resilience vs. Foreign Journalist Anxieties:
  • “But after four years of war, Ukrainians are getting used to it. Foreign journalists, not so much.” — Eleanor Beardsley, [03:07]

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Episode Timeline (Timestamps)

• 00:17–01:17 End to federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota
• 01:17–02:17 House rebuffs Trump’s tariffs on Canada
• 02:17–02:42 EPA climate policy rollback in progress
• 02:42–03:12 Ukraine: Massive attack on Kyiv
• 03:12–04:00 Ukrainian skeleton racer disqualified at Olympics
• 04:00–04:53 Instagram on trial over mental health and addiction claims

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Summary Takeaway

This NPR News Now segment unfolds fast-moving developments: from a scaled-back federal presence in Minnesota and a bipartisan stand against tariffs, to the rollback of climate protections, violent escalation in Ukraine, athletes confronting war through protest, and legal scrutiny of tech giants. Each story is framed by voices of those impacted or involved, providing immediacy and resonance to national headlines.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The Trump administration is announcing an end to what Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz characterizes as an unprecedented federal invasion. Today, border czar Tom Homan announced the heightened immigration enforcement presence in Minneapolis and St. Paul will wind down. NPR's Meg Anderson covered Homan's remarks today in Minneapolis, a flashpoint of the nationwide protests against sweeping immigration enforcement operations, including those that resulted in the deaths of two US Citizens last month.

[Carvana Finance Announcer]

He did not mention either Renee Macklengood or Alex Preddy, the two people killed, though he did say he wanted an end to bloodshed. And he talked a lot about unlaw agitators in his remarks, referring to the people watching immigration agents, filming them honking and whistling. Homan said They've arrested around 200 people for impeding operations, though legal experts told me that in other places those arrests have not led to charges or convictions.

[Lakshmi Singh]

NPR's Meg Anderson reporting. The U.S. house has voted to rebuff President Trump's emergency tariffs on goods from Canada. Six Republicans joined the Democrats in yesterday's vote. NPR's Franco Ordonez reports on the rare GOP rebuke to one of Trump's favorite economic tools.

[Franco Ordonez]

Republicans have faced increasing pressure from constituents about high costs and the business community is afraid to invest with all the uncertainty. Brendan Duke, who served at the National Economic Council in the Biden White House, says a new Congressional Budget Office report shows that companies are passing on 95% of those costs to consumers, which flies.

[Brendan Duke]

Directly in the face of the justifications.

[Franco Ordonez]

That Trump and his entire administration has.

[Brendan Duke]

Given for these sweeping taxes.

[Franco Ordonez]

And Trump is pushing back. Last night he threatened to support primary challengers against any Republican who votes against his. Franco Ordonez, NPR News, the White House.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The Trump administration is preparing to roll back key aspects of an Obama era policy to limit human caused climate change. The EPA wants to rescind the endangerment finding through which the agency had been regulating climate pollution from cars, power plants and the oil and gas industry. Ukraine's capital came under a massive missile and drone attack in the early morning hours, the damage still being assessed. Here's NPR's Eleanor Beardsley.

[Eleanor Beardsley]

The attack began with missiles that shook the air, followed by the buzzing of Iranian made drones. Ukraine's air defenses went into high gear. A mass attack on the capital is underway said Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko on telegram. Residents get an alert through an app on their telephones, and alarms blare across the city a couple minutes ahead of such attacks. But after four years of war, Ukrainians are getting used to it. Foreign journalists, not so much. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Kev, it's npr. A Ukrainian athlete at the Olympics has been disqualified for insisting on wearing a helmet with images of those killed in Russia's war against Ukraine. The Olympic Committee had suggested the skeleton racer compete wearing a black armband instead, but the athlete declined. NPR's Brian Mann reports from Cortina D', Ampizo, Italy.

[Brendan Duke]

Vladislav Karaskevich from Ukraine showed up at the Games with a helmet painted with the faces of more than a dozen athletes from Ukraine who've died since the full scale invasion in 2022. He said it was appropriate for him to memorialize those athletes, but the IOC said it amounted to political expression, banning rules designed to make The Olympics neutral.

[Lakshmi Singh]

NPR's Brian Mann reporting. The chief executive of Instagram says the social media app is not clinically addictive. NPR's Bobby Allen reports. On testimony from the landmark social media trial Against Meta and YouTube Instagram, CE.

[Bobby Allen]

Adam Museri took the witness stand to fight allegations that Meta deliberately designs apps to hook young people. This marquee trial could shape the outcome of thousands of pending cases against social media platforms. Bereaved parents like Juliana Arnold of New York packed the courtroom. Arnold's 17 year old daughter Coco, was killed by a predator she met on Instagram. The app, she says, made her daughter's mental health issues worse.

[Lakshmi Singh]

She has clinical depression. She has anxiety. They label it and want to give, you know, medications for it, but they never wanted to figure out behaviorally what was going on.

[Bobby Allen]

Meta says the trial will demonstrate its long standing commitment to supporting young people. Bobby Allen, NPR News, Los Angeles.

[Lakshmi Singh]

It's npr. Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now [e-mail] that's plus.NPR.org.