NPR News Now – 02-13-2026 3PM EST

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Date: February 13, 2026
Duration: 5 minutes

Overview

This tightly packed NPR News Now episode delivers concise coverage of global and national headlines. Main themes include President Trump’s military and diplomatic maneuvers, high-stakes government funding negotiations, cutting-edge proposals for rural healthcare, updates on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and a spotlight on a transformative Olympic figure skater—all framed in NPR’s clear, journalistic tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. President Trump Honors Special Forces Amid Iran Tensions

• [00:16–00:56]
  • President Trump visits Fort Bragging, NC, to honor special forces involved in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
  • In the backdrop: negotiations with Iran escalate, with the USS Gerald Ford carrier group redeployed toward the Middle East.
  • Quote:

    “We have a situation right now where we sent a very big carrier group to Iran. I'd love to see if we could make a deal. They've been difficult to make a deal. I thought we would have had a deal last time. They wish they did.”
    — President Trump ([00:42])

2. Munich Security Conference: Calls to Strengthen Transatlantic Alliance

• [00:56–01:27]

  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urges the U.S. to reinforce its commitment to NATO alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

  • Quote:

    “Even the United States will not be powerful enough to go it alone, Dear friends, being a part of NATO is not only Europe's competitive advantage, it's also the United States competitive advantage.”
    — Chancellor Friedrich Merz ([01:05])

  • Secretary of State Rubio is scheduled to address the conference the following day.

3. Impending U.S. Government Shutdown: DHS Funding Standoff

• [01:27–02:17]
  • Another partial government shutdown looms as the Department of Homeland Security’s funding is set to expire at midnight.
  • Democrats demand reforms to DHS, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement, after a recent deadly incident involving US citizens.
  • Despite the potential shutdown, ICE will remain funded due to separate congressional appropriations.
  • Lawmakers are preparing to return to D.C. in case of a last-minute deal.
  • Quote:

    “…this shutdown wouldn't mean a shutdown of ICE itself. That agency received over $70 billion in separate funding from Congress…”
    — Barbara Spry, NPR ([01:44])

4. Debate Over AI Avatars in Rural Healthcare

• [02:17–03:13]
  • Dr. Mehmet Oz, as head of Medicare and Medicaid, proposes AI avatars to fill healthcare staffing gaps in rural areas.
  • Supporters argue AI can lighten workloads by handling initial triage.
    • Quote:

      “AI can serve as initial triage or even a early access opportunity for those patients to then get diverted to the right providers.”
      — Matt Faussman, Honey Health ([02:46])

  • Critics say rural communities might become experimental grounds for untested tech, pointing to bandwidth and trust issues.

5. Russia-Ukraine War at the Munich Conference

• [03:13–03:51]
  • The conflict in Ukraine is present at the Munich Security Conference agenda, but not the focal point.
  • President Zelensky and his foreign minister are attending and briefing the press, while Russian representatives are notably absent.
  • Quote:

    “It is not at all clear how the war in Ukraine will end. It is not at all clear that Russia wants to end it. Russia is not here, by the way. Russian officials were not invited.”
    — Mary Louise Kelly, NPR ([03:25])

6. Winter Olympics Highlight: Ilia Malinin’s Skating Dominance

• [03:51–04:54]
  • American figure skater Ilia “The Quad God” Malinin is the favorite to win gold in the men’s single event, potentially making history with a quadruple axel.
  • Observers hail Malinin as a unique athlete transforming the sport’s limits.
  • Quote:

    “Is it his limb length? Is it, you know, the, the perfect proportion in his body? Is it his strength? Is it his flexibility? I mean, it's some combination of all of those things, right?”
    — Paul Wiley, 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist ([04:29])

  • Malinin expected to perform six or seven quadruple jumps in his free skate.

Notable Quotes

• “We have a situation right now where we sent a very big carrier group to Iran. I'd love to see if we could make a deal…”
  — President Trump ([00:42])

• “Being a part of NATO is not only Europe's competitive advantage, it's also the United States competitive advantage.”
  — Chancellor Friedrich Merz ([01:05])

• “AI can serve as initial triage or even a early access opportunity…”
  — Matt Faussman ([02:46])

• “It is not at all clear how the war in Ukraine will end… Russia is not here, by the way.”
  — Mary Louise Kelly ([03:25])

• “Is it his limb length? Is it … the perfect proportion in his body? Is it his strength? Is it his flexibility? I mean, it's some combination of all of those things, right?”
  — Paul Wiley ([04:29])

Important Timestamps

• 00:16 – National & international headlines begin: Trump at Fort Bragging; Iran tensions
• 00:56 – Munich Security Conference: NATO and Transatlantic alliance
• 01:27 – U.S. government shutdown threat unfolds
• 02:17 – Debate over AI in rural healthcare
• 03:13 – Russia-Ukraine war coverage at Munich
• 03:51 – Ilia Malinin’s Olympic figure skating preview

NPR’s signature brisk reporting makes this episode both informative and accessible, updating listeners on critical global developments, contentious domestic debates, and remarkable achievements at the Olympic Games.