NPR News: 02-13-2026 12AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now – February 13, 2026, 12AM EST

Host: Gael Snyder
Podcast: NPR News Now
Episode: NPR News: 02-13-2026 12AM EST
Date: February 13, 2026

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Overview

This NPR News Now episode delivers a concise, five-minute roundup of major U.S. and global headlines. Coverage ranges from major policy reversals by the Trump administration to updates on financial markets, court rulings, developments in artificial intelligence, and a significant astronomical discovery. The tone is urgent, clear, and fact-focused, as is typical for NPR’s news updates.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Climate Policy Overhaul by the Trump Administration

• [00:15] President Trump announces the revocation of the "endangerment finding," the scientific basis connecting greenhouse gas emissions to human health and forming the legal foundation for many U.S. climate policies.
• [00:25] President Donald Trump:
  “We are officially terminating the so-called endangerment finding, a disastrous Obama era policy that severely damaged the American auto industry and massively drove up prices for American consumers. Prices went up incredibly for a worse product.”
• [00:44] Trump, appearing with EPA Director Lee Zeldin, also rescinds federal tailpipe pollution standards for cars and trucks. Expected legal challenges loom.

2. Changes to Immigration Enforcement in Minnesota

• [01:00] Tom Holman, Trump’s borders administrator, announces the conclusion of the immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
• [01:16] Senate Democrats demand new restrictions as federal funding for Homeland Security nears expiration. The crackdown has triggered mass protests, thousands of arrests, and two fatal shootings.
• [01:25] A federal judge orders DHS to ensure immigration detainees in a Minnesota facility have access to lawyers and restricts DHS from transferring detainees out of state for 72 hours.
• [01:45] Matt Sepik (Minnesota Public Radio):
  “Judge Nancy Brazel’s temporary restraining order comes after a human rights group sued on behalf of a woman from Honduras who’d been detained without access to a lawyer. … Brazel writes that the department provided only, quote, ‘threadbare declarations’ without examples or evidence that it’s providing access to counsel.”
• The order enforces unrestricted calls and in-person access for attorneys, prohibiting retaliation against detainees or lawyers.

3. International Markets & Inflation Outlook

• [02:24] Japan’s Nikkei index falls, mirroring Wall Street’s tech-driven losses.
• [02:38] Scott Horsley (NPR): Reports on the U.S. inflation outlook ahead of the latest Labor Department release.
  • “Forecasters expect the report to show prices rose about 2.5% over the last 12 months. That would be a slightly smaller annual increase than we saw in December. Inflation is still above the Federal Reserve’s target, though, and investors think the central bank will hold interest rates steady next month.”
  • Fast food giant McDonald’s credits its McValue menu for strong sales amidst tough economic times.

4. UN General Assembly Forms Global AI Panel

• [03:16] The UN approves a 40-member scientific panel on artificial intelligence, despite U.S. objections.
• [03:22] UN Secretary General António Guterres states the panel will provide “rigorous scientific insight.”
• The U.S. opposes, stating it will not cede AI authority to international bodies potentially influenced by authoritarian regimes.

5. AI Industry Milestone: Anthropic’s Valuation Soars

• [03:42] AI firm Anthropic, creator of the chatbot Claude, hits a $380 billion valuation.
• [03:49] The leap follows a $30 billion funding round from major investors, signaling massive investor confidence in AI development.

6. Astronomical Discovery: A Disappearing Star in Andromeda

• [03:58] A star in the Andromeda galaxy has vanished, likely becoming a black hole—a first for direct observational evidence.
• [04:05] Nell Greenfield Boyce (NPR):
  • Details archival research from a NASA spacecraft that tracked millions of stars.
  • Kishaloy Day (astronomer, Columbia University & Flatiron Institute) [04:24]:
    “What we found was that somewhere around 2015, 2016 or so, it actually brightened in infrared light for about a year before it essentially plummeted and disappeared.”
  • The event is believed to confirm a star’s direct transformation into a black hole—long theorized but rarely observed.

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Notable Quotes

• President Trump [00:25]:
  "We are officially terminating the so-called endangerment finding, a disastrous Obama era policy that severely damaged the American auto industry and massively drove up prices for American consumers. Prices went up incredibly for a worse product."
• Matt Sepik (Minnesota Public Radio) [01:45]:
  "Judge Nancy Brazel’s temporary restraining order comes after a human rights group sued on behalf of a woman from Honduras who’d been detained without access to a lawyer. ... Brazel writes that the department provided only, quote, 'threadbare declarations' without examples or evidence that it’s providing access to counsel."
• Scott Horsley [02:38]:
  "Forecasters expect the report to show prices rose about 2.5% over the last 12 months. That would be a slightly smaller annual increase than we saw in December. Inflation is still above the Federal Reserve’s target, though, and investors think the central bank will hold interest rates steady next month."
• Kishaloy Day [04:24]:
  "What we found was that somewhere around 2015, 2016 or so, it actually brightened in infrared light for about a year before it essentially plummeted and disappeared."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:15] – Climate policy reversal by Trump administration
• [01:00] – End of Minnesota immigration crackdown
• [01:25-01:45] – Federal judge orders on detainee rights (MN)
• [02:24-02:38] – Financial market update & inflation preview
• [03:16] – UN global AI panel vote
• [03:42] – Anthropic AI valuation news
• [03:58-04:35] – Disappearing star discovery in Andromeda

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Memorable Moments

• President Trump’s direct attack on past climate policy, setting up a contentious legal and political battle.
• The Minnesota federal court’s sharp reprimand of DHS for inadequate detainee legal access, with forceful judicial language.
• The combination of a plummeting star transforming into a black hole—science news bringing a cosmic sense of wonder to the day’s headlines.

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This episode gives listeners a rapid yet comprehensive view of major events driving U.S. politics, law, economics, and global science, all delivered in NPR’s signature informative, impartial style.

Transcript

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[Gael Snyder]

Live from NPR News, I'm Gael Snyder. The Trump administration is revoking the scientific finding the government uses for federal actions on climate change.

[President Donald Trump]

We are officially terminating the so called endangerment finding, a disastrous Obama era policy that severely damaged the American auto industry and massively drove up prices for American consumers. Prices went up incredibly for a worse product.

[Gael Snyder]

President Trump speaking at the White House with Environmental Protection Agency Director Lee Zeldin by his side.

[NPR News Reporter]

The endangerment finding links greenhouse gas emissions to human health. Trump also eliminated federal tailpipe standards for cars and trucks.

[Gael Snyder]

Is expected to lead to lengthy court battles. President Trump's borders are Tom Holman says the immigration crackdown in Minnesota is coming to an end.

[NPR News Reporter]

Homan made the announcement on Thursday, a day before the Homeland Security Department is.

[Gael Snyder]

Set to run out of money as.

[NPR News Reporter]

Senate Democrats are demanding new restrictions on immigration enforcement operations. A crackdown led to mass protests, thousands of arrests and two fatal shootings.

[Gael Snyder]

A federal judge ordering the Homeland Security Department to ensure that immigration detainees held at a facility near Minneapolis have access to lawyers. Matt Sepik of Minnesota Public Radio reports that the judge also says DHS must wait 72 hours before moving detainees out of the state.

[Matt Sepik]

Judge Nancy Brazel's temporary restraining order comes after a human rights group sued on behalf of a woman from Honduras who'd been detained without access to a lawyer. She was eventually released, but plaintiffs attorneys said DHS consistently violated the rights of many others in custody. Brazel writes that the department provided only quot threadbare declarations without examples or evidence that it's providing access to counsel. She ordered the department to allow unrestricted inbound and outbound private calls, plus in person visits with attorneys. Brazel is also prohibiting DHS from retaliating against detainees or their lawyers. For NPR News, I'm Matt Sepik in Minneapolis.

[NPR News Reporter]

Japan's benchmark Nikkei is down in Friday trading, tracking Thursday's declines on Wall street, where tech stocks tumbled, pulling down the broader market.

[Gael Snyder]

NPR's Scott Horsley. Investors are watching for an update Friday on inflation.

[Scott Horsley]

The Labor Department is set to report Friday on the cost of living for January. Forecasters expect the report to show prices rose about 2.5% over the last 12 months. That would be a slightly smaller annual increase than we saw in December. Inflation is still above the Federal Reserve's target, though, and investors think the central bank will hold interest rates steady next month. Many cost conscious shoppers are looking for bargains. McDonald's credited the McValue menu with helping to boost sales to the fast food chain during its most recent quarter. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[NPR News Reporter]

And you're listening to NPR News. The UN General assembly has voted to.

[Gael Snyder]

Approve a 40 member global scientific panel focused on artificial intelligence.

[NPR News Reporter]

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says the panel will provide rigorous scientific insight. The overwhelming approval came over the objections of the U.S. the counselor for the American mission said the U.S. will not cede authority over AI to international bodies that may be influenced by authoritarian regimes.

[Gael Snyder]

The artificial intelligence company Anthropic says it is now valued at $380 billion.

[NPR News Reporter]

Anthropic is behind the chatbot Claude. It says its valuation grew after its latest funding round raised $30 billion from dozens of major investors.

[Gael Snyder]

A star in the nearby Andromeda Galaxy has essentially vanished.

[NPR News Reporter]

Here's NPR's Nell Greenfield Boyce.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

Recently, some researchers were going through archival data from a NASA spacecraft to track and the brightness of millions of stars over a 15 year period. And this one massive star really stood out as unusual. Kishaloy Day is an astronomer with Columbia University and the Flatiron Institute.

[Kishaloy Day]

What we found was that somewhere around 2015, 2016 or so, it actually brightened in infrared light for about a year before it essentially plummeted and disappeared.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

In the journal Science, he and his colleagues say the best explanation for this star winking out is that it ran out of fuel and imploded, transforming into a black hole, something that's been seen as theoretically possible but hard to detect. Nell Greenfield Boyce, NPR News.

[NPR News Reporter]

This is NPR News.

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