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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

End of Episode Content [04:55]