NPR News: 02-13-2026 3AM EST

Summary

NPR News Now: February 13, 2026, 3AM EST — Detailed Summary

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now update delivers a concise roundup of major national and international news for early February 13, 2026. The episode centers on dramatic policy changes by the Trump administration regarding climate change, a looming Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, developments on immigration enforcement, renewed efforts for a nuclear deal with Iran, a significant election in Bangladesh, and a remarkable astronomy discovery.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump Administration Revokes Climate Change Endangerment Finding

• [00:15-00:46]
  President Trump announced the official termination of the “endangerment finding,” which has been the legal basis for federal action on climate change since the Obama era.
  • Quote:

    “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.”
    — President Donald Trump [00:26]

  • Details:
    • Trump criticizes the policy for harming the auto industry and raising prices.
    • The endangerment finding linked greenhouse gas emissions to human health.
    • Federal tailpipe emissions standards for cars and trucks also eliminated.
    • Move is expected to prompt lengthy court challenges.

2. Imminent Partial Shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security

• [00:46-01:47]
  DHS funding is set to expire, with the Senate failing to pass a funding bill.
  • Reporter: Barbara Sprunt
  • Background: The failed vote followed Senate Democrats’ insistence on major department policy changes after two fatal shootings by immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
  • Key Points:
    • Bipartisan negotiations on department reforms have stalled.
    • Democrats stress the need for changes to occur via legislative means, not executive orders.
  • Quote:

    “Democrats have said that any changes must be made through the legislative process, not by executive order, in order to ensure that they're codified into law.”
    — Barbara Sprunt [01:41]

3. End to Minnesota Immigration Crackdown

• [01:47-02:17]
  • Trump’s border czar, Tom Holman, declares the end of a controversial immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.
  • The crackdown saw mass protests, thousands of arrests, and two fatal shootings.

4. US-Israel Meeting on Iran Nuclear Deal and Gaza Stabilization

• [02:17-03:00]
  • President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discuss prospects for a new nuclear deal with Iran.
  • Reporter: Daniel Estrin
  • Quotes:

    “I will not hide from you that I expressed general skepticism regarding the nature of any agreement with Iran.”
    — Benjamin Netanyahu, as reported by Daniel Estrin [02:31]

  • Netanyahu insists any agreement must address Iran’s missiles and proxies.
  • Trump is planning to convene his Board of Peace in Washington.
  • NPR sources: US expected to announce a multinational stabilization force for Gaza and billions earmarked for reconstruction.

5. Federal Judge Blocks Pentagon Action Against Senator Mark Kelly

• [03:00-03:20]
  • A judge has stopped Pentagon attempts to punish Senator Kelly (D-AZ) for a video urging troops to resist unlawful orders.

6. Bangladesh Opposition Claims Election Win

• [03:20-03:57]
  • The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) proclaims victory in the first parliamentary election since the 2024 uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina.
  • No final results yet but BNP claims parliamentary majority.
  • Background: BNP previously spent years in opposition, boycotting elections and accusing Hasina’s government of repression.

7. Vanished Star in Andromeda Suggests Black Hole Formation

• [03:57-04:45]
  • NPR’s Nell Greenfield Boyce reports on astronomers discovering what may be the birth of a black hole.
  • Scientist: Kesha Loy Day, Columbia University & Flatiron Institute
  • Quote:

    “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.”
    — Kesha Loy Day [04:17]

  • The star, after brightening, vanished—a theoretical, but rarely observed phenomenon signifying a star’s transformation into a black hole.

8. Financial Markets in Asia

• [04:45-04:55]
  • Most markets fell; Japan’s Nikkei dropped 1.2%.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• President Donald Trump (On policy change):
  “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.” [00:26]

• Barbara Sprunt (On legislative change):
  “Democrats have said that any changes must be made through the legislative process, not by executive order, in order to ensure that they're codified into law.” [01:41]

• Prime Minister Netanyahu (Skepticism on Iran deal):
  “I will not hide from you that I expressed general skepticism regarding the nature of any agreement with Iran.” [02:31]

• Kesha Loy Day (On the Andromeda star):
  “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.” [04:17]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Description | Timestamp | |---------|-------------|-----------| | Trump revokes endangerment finding | National climate change policy rollback | 00:15-00:46 | | DHS funding, shutdown threat | Political gridlock and context | 00:46-01:47 | | End of MN immigration crackdown | Enforcement developments | 01:47-02:17 | | US-Israel: Iran/Gaza | Diplomacy and Middle East updates | 02:17-03:00 | | Block on Pentagon vs. Sen. Kelly | Legal ruling | 03:00-03:20 | | Bangladesh election | International politics | 03:20-03:57 | | Andromeda black hole | Science discovery | 03:57-04:45 | | Asian markets update | Financial news | 04:45-04:55 |

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Conclusion

This NPR News Now episode delivers quick, substantive coverage of late-breaking US policy actions and key international stories. From dramatic reversals of climate change rules to tense political negotiations, global diplomacy, and a star’s mysterious vanishing act, it’s a snapshot of a pivotal moment in world events for February 2026.

Transcript

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[Giles Snyder]

Live from NPR News, I'm Giles 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.

[Giles Snyder]

President Trump speaking at the White House with Environmental Protection Agency Director Lee Zeldin by his side. The endangerment finding links greenhouse gas emissions to human health. Trump also eliminated federal tail pipe standards for cars and trucks. The decision is expected to lead to lengthy court battles. Partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security appears imminent. DHS funding set to expire today. NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports. The Senate failed to pass a bill to fund the department through the end of September.

[Barbara Sprunt]

The failed vote was expected after Senate Democrats pledged not to support it without major changes to department policies in the wake of two fatal shootings by immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Both parties have been negotiating on a series of proposals for the department, but no consensus has been reached. Democrats have said that any changes must be made through the legislative process, not by executive order in order to ensure that they're codified into law. Barbara Sprent, NPR News, Washington.

[Giles Snyder]

President Trump's border czar Tom Holman says the immigration crackdown in Minnesota is coming to an end. Homan made the announcement on Thursday saying the Homeland Security Department has accomplished its goals in the state. The crackdown led to mass, mass protests, thousands of arrests and two fatal shootings. President Trump and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday and talked about the chances of securing a nuclear deal with Iran. Here's NPR's Daniel Estrin reporting.

[Daniel Estrin]

Netanyahu told reporters that Trump believes the conditions he's creating now can lead to a deal with Iran. Netanyahu said, quote, I will not hide from you that I expressed general skepticism regarding the nature of any agreement with Iran. He said any nuclear deal with Iran must also take into account Iran's ballistic missiles and proxies that threaten Israel. Next week, Trump will convene his Board of Peace in Washington. A U.S. official tells NPR on condition of anonymity that Trump is expected to announce an international stabilization force with thousands of troops from several countries to deploy in Gaza, along with raising billions of dollars for reconstruction. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

[Giles Snyder]

A federal judge has blocked the Pentagon from punishing Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly for participating in that video. They called on troops to resist unlawful orders. You're listening to NPR News. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the bnp, is claiming victory in Thursday's parliamentary election, the first since the 2024 uprising that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Final results have not yet been announced, but in a social media post, the BNP said it has secured enough seats in parliament to govern on its own. The BNP has spent years in opposition. It boycotted several elections, accusing Alcena's government of vote rigging and political repression. A star in the nearby Andromeda Galaxy has essentially vanished. NPR's Nell Greenfield Boyce reports that some astronomers think it indicates the birth of a black hole.

[Nell Greenfield Boyce]

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

[Kesha Loy 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.

[Giles Snyder]

Financial markets in Asia, mostly lower. Japan's Benchmark Nikkei fell 1.2% in Friday trading. I'm Giles Snyder, NPR News.

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