NPR News: 02-16-2026 11AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now: February 16, 2026, 11AM EST

Host: Windsor Johnston (NPR)
Episode Theme:
A concise update on major national and international news stories, including U.S. government shutdowns, electoral politics in Texas, AI copyright disputes, a notable school shooting trial in Georgia, and the Winter Olympics medal standings.

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1. Government Shutdown Over Immigration Enforcement

[00:15–01:05]

• Main Story:

  • Congress remains deadlocked on federal immigration enforcement, marking day three of a partial government shutdown.
  • Funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed Friday due to failure to reach agreement on new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) limits.

• Key Points:

  • Democrats demand more oversight: ICE agents to wear body cameras and to obtain judicial warrants before entering private homes.
  • "Border Czar" Tom Homan considers some requests excessive, particularly regarding agent mask protocols and officer safety.

• Notable Quote:

  • Tom Homan (00:50):
    “I think they're unreasonable because there is no racial profiling. There is identifying marks, but masks, you know, why don't they talk about maybe passing legislation to make it illegal to dox agents or something like that? But masks right now are for officer safety reasons.”

• Current Status:

  • Talks stalled; Congress is in recess until next week.

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2. Texas Senate Race Heats Up

[01:05–02:11]

• Main Story:

  • Early voting begins in Texas. Senator John Cornyn (Republican) is pursuing a fifth term amidst challenges from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Congressman Wesley Hunt.

• Key Points:

  • Cornyn faces strong opposition, especially from Paxton, who has polled ahead or tied with him over the year.
  • Cornyn criticizes his opponents for seeking attention and fundraising, rather than focusing on serious governance.

• Notable Quote:

  • John Cornyn (via Andrew Schneider, 01:41):
    “Unfortunately, my opponents are people who frankly just want to join those ranks of performance artists who want to come to Washington, D.C. and want to become famous, get the most clicks on social media and raise money. But the job entails a whole lot more than that.”

• Election Outlook:

  • Likelihood of a runoff after the March 3 primary if no candidate wins outright.

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3. Copyright Battle Over ByteDance’s AI Video Tool

[02:11–03:14]

• Main Story:

  • Chinese tech giant ByteDance is under fire for alleged unauthorized use of intellectual property in its AI video generator, Sea Dance 2.0.

• Key Points:

  • Sea Dance 2.0 produced hyper-realistic videos, including deepfakes of celebrities and intellectual property from major US studios (Disney, Paramount, Skydance).
  • U.S. studios accuse ByteDance of using copyrighted content for AI training without permission.
  • Motion Picture Association warns this threatens American jobs; ByteDance pledges stronger safeguards but gives no specifics.

• Notable Moment:

  • Jennifer Pack (02:32):
    “ByteDance's AI video tool, Sea Dance 2.0, was praised for its hyper realistic and cinematic videos. Then one of actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt went viral, among others, featuring characters from Japanese anime and Disney. Now US studios are accusing ByteDance of using copyrighted content to train its AI tool.”

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4. School Shooting Trial in Georgia

[03:14–03:46]

• Main Story:

  • Trial begins for Colin Gray, whose son is accused of a 2024 school shooting in Georgia that claimed four lives.

• Key Points:

  • Gray faces charges of child cruelty for giving his son a semiautomatic rifle as a Christmas gift, despite warnings about the teen’s potential for violence.
  • Reflects changing prosecutorial approaches to parental responsibility in school shootings.

• Notable Quote:

  • Professor Timothy Litton (03:38):
    “Colin Gray is being accused of child cruelty by providing a weapon with reckless disregard.”

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5. Winter Olympics Update

[03:46–04:55]

• Main Story:

  • Norway and Italy lead the medal count at the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. The US and traditional powerhouses China and Russia lag.

• Key Points:

  • Italy’s Federica Brunone triumphs despite previous injury, earning two gold medals.
  • Norway’s Johannes Klebo secures a record ninth Olympic gold in cross-country skiing.
  • US performance disappoints; Russia’s participation restricted due to Ukraine invasion; China underperforming compared to prior games.

• Notable Quote:

  • Brian Mann (04:11):
    “The hometown favorite Italian athletes are having a great Olympics, led by alpine skier Federica Brunone. She shattered her leg in a crash less than a year ago, but has come back to win two gold medals so far... Norway, where cross country skier Johannes Klebo made history over the weekend, winning his ninth career Olympic gold medal, the most of any Winter Games athlete.”

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End of Episode Content [04:55]

Transcript

[NPR Host]

Support for NPR and the following message come from Warby Parker, the One Stop Shop for all your vision needs. They offer expertly crafted prescription eyewear, plus contacts, eye exams and more for everything you need to see. Visit your nearest Warby Parker store or.

[Windsor Johnston]

Head to warbyparker.com live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Congress remains deadlocked over federal immigration enforcement on day three of a partial government shutdown. Funding for the department, Department of Homeland Security, ran out Friday after lawmakers failed to agree on new limits for ICE operations. Democrats want agents to wear body cameras and obtain judicial warrants before entering private property. Border czar Tom Homan says some of those requests go too far.

[Tom Homan]

I think they're unreasonable because there is no racial profiling. There is identifying marks, but masks, you know, why don't they talk about maybe passing legislation to make it illegal to dox agents or something like that? But masks right now are for officer safety reasons.

[Windsor Johnston]

Talks remain at a standstill because Congress is in recess until next week. Early voting begins this week in Texas, where Republican Senator John Cornyn is seeking the party's nomination for a fifth term in Congress. Andrew Schneider with Houston Public Media reports.

[Andrew Schneider]

If John Cornyn wins the general election this fall, he could become one of the longest serving senators in Texas history. First, he has to get past state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has led or tied Cornyn in most polls for nearly a year and fend off attacks from Congressman Wesley Hunt.

[Tom Homan]

Unfortunately, my opponents are people who frankly just want to join those ranks of performance artists who want to come to Washington, D.C. and want to become famous, get the most clicks on social media and raise money. But the job entails a whole lot more than that.

[Andrew Schneider]

Most analysts expect none of the three candidates will win an outright majority in the March 3 primary. That would force a runoff between the top two contenders in May. For NPR News, I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston.

[Windsor Johnston]

Chinese tech firm ByteDance says it's taking steps to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property on its AI video generator, Sea Dance. U.S. studios including Disney and Paramount Skydance have reportedly threatened to take legal action. NPR Jennifer Pack has more from Shanghai.

[Jennifer Pack]

ByteDance's AI video tool, Sea Dance 2.0, was praised for its hyper realistic and cinematic videos. Then one of actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt went viral, among others, featuring characters from Japanese anime and Disney. Now US studios are accusing ByteDance of using copyrighted content to train its AI tool. The Motion Picture association has said ByteDance is disregarding a copyright law that protect creators and underpins millions of American jobs. In a statement, ByteDance says it is strengthening safeguards to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness of users, but did not give further details. Jennifer Pack, NPR News, Shanghai.

[Windsor Johnston]

You're listening to NPR News from Washington. The trial of Colin Gray is scheduled to get underway in Georgia today. Authorities say his teenage son shot and killed two students and two teachers at a high school outside of Atlanta in 2024. Georgia State University law professor Professor Timothy Litton says cases like this reflect a broader shift in how prosecutors approach school shootings.

[Tom Homan]

Colin Gray is being accused of child cruelty by providing a weapon with reckless disregard.

[Windsor Johnston]

Prosecutors say gray gave his 14 year old son a semiautomatic rifle for Christmas, despite warnings that the teen could harm someone. Norway and Italy are leading the medal count so far at the Winter Olympics. The US has lagged so far, especially in gold medals, while past Winter Olympic powerhouses China and Russia have underperformed dramatically. NPR's Brian Mann has more.

[Brian Mann]

The hometown favorite Italian athletes are having a great Olympics, led by alpine skier Federica Brunone. She shattered her leg in a crash less than a year ago, but has come back to win two gold medals so far. Then there's Norway, where cross country skier Johannes Klebo made history over the weekend, winning his ninth career Olympic gold medal, the most of any Winter Games athlete. The US Trails those countries in the medal count after disappointing performances from some of the star US Athletes. Russia, mostly sidelined this year because of strict restrictions that followed the full scale invasion of Ukraine. And after a strong showing four years ago at the Beijing Games, China has faltered at Milan Cortina, winning only a handful of medals. Brian Mann, NPR News, Cortina d', Ampezzo, Italy.

[Windsor Johnston]

This is NPR News.

[Andrew Schneider]

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