NPR News Now – February 16, 2026, 1AM EST

Host: Dale Willman (NPR)
Duration: ~5 minutes
Episode Theme:
A concise, up-to-the-minute news briefing covering U.S. immigration enforcement developments in Minnesota, international security discussions, Israeli West Bank policies, Winter Olympics records, box office success stories, notable sports results, and highlights from the Film Independent Spirit Awards.

1. Major U.S. Immigration Enforcement Operation in Minnesota

Segment Start: 00:18

• Federal security presence:
  • Tom Homan, senior White House border official, confirmed on CBS’s Face the Nation that while much of the large federal immigration enforcement contingent in Minnesota has left, a small force will remain.
  • The temporary force’s purpose: to complete ongoing fraud investigations and address a protest that disrupted a church service.
• Details and rationale:
  • "Homan says more than a thousand immigration enforcement agents have already left and several hundred would be removed early in the week to get back to, quote, the original footprint." – [00:39], NPR’s Alina Selyuk
  • Some agents will stay on to finish investigations into fraud and protests.
  • An “additional security force” will remain to protect agents, especially “when they get surrounded by agitators and things get out of control.” No precise numbers were provided, beyond Homan calling the force “small” and expressing a wish for its rapid removal.

2. Munich Security Conference – U.S. Shifts Tone on Global Order

Segment Start: 01:20

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s address:
  • Rubio struck a more conciliatory note than Vice President J.D. Vance did in 2025, though he continued some criticism of Western policies.
• Key arguments:
  • According to NPR’s Rob Schmitz:
    • “Last year, Vance's speech was pretty scathing, pretty critical of Europe, and Rubio maintained some of that tone. But he expanded it to include the US, saying that the entire West had been naive...” – [01:36]
    • Rubio argued the post-Cold War order, which assumed free trade would “guarantee peace and break down borders,” instead led to “out of control migration and disintegrated what he called Christian values.”
• After Munich:
  • Rubio traveled to Slovakia following the conference.

3. Israeli Cabinet Approves New Land Seizure Measures

Segment Start: 02:01

• Policy development:
  • The Israeli cabinet authorized registering “large swaths of territory” as state land in the occupied West Bank.
• Controversy and context:
  • Critics argue the decision will hinder Palestinians’ ability to prove land ownership under Israeli legal criteria.
  • Follows recent measures to strengthen Israeli control over the West Bank.
  • President Trump, while publicly opposing formal annexation, has not intervened and is focused on Gaza-related developments.
• Current events in Gaza:
  • Ongoing lethal Israeli airstrikes; $5 billion and peacekeeping personnel pledged by various countries for Gaza’s future.
  • “Lethal Israeli strikes continued in Gaza today.” – Daniel Estrin, NPR [02:16]

4. Winter Olympics Highlights: Norway’s Klebo Sets Gold Medal Record

Segment Start: 02:59

• Athletic milestone:
  • Johannes Hoesflot Klebo anchored Norway’s team in the 4x7.5 km relay, securing his fourth gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
  • With nine career golds, Klebo now holds the Winter Games record for most gold medals.
  • NPR notes the international scope of Olympic stories outside headline competitions.

5. Valentine’s Day Box Office and Entertainment Updates

Segment Start: 03:25

• Box office trends:
  • “Wuthering Heights” filmmakers declined a lucrative Netflix offer to ensure theatrical release over Valentine’s Day weekend.
    • “Turns out they were right, with women making up 75% of the audience. Kiss me and let us both be damned.” – Bob Mondello, NPR [03:25]
  • The film will gross $40 million domestically and another $42 million overseas by Monday night.
• Runner-up:
  • “Goat,” an animated family comedy about teamwork and basketball, is projected to earn $34 million.
    • Memorable quote: “We’re all different, but that’s what makes us strong and together we can do something great.” [03:56]

6. Golf and Film Awards: Notable Results

Segment Start: 04:10

• Golf:
  • Colin Morikawa won the Pebble Beach Pro Am, clinching the title with a birdie on the 18th hole—his margin: one stroke.
    • Seb Straka and Min Wu Lee tied for second, Scottie Scheffler (current world number one) finished tied for fourth with a score of 63—his 18th consecutive top-10 finish.
• Film awards:
  • Clint Bentley won Best Director at the Film Independent Spirit Awards; his Netflix film, “Train Dreams,” took Best Picture.
  • Netflix’s “Adolescence” swept TV awards.
  • “The Perfect Neighbor” won for Best Documentary.
  • Roseburn claimed the lead acting prize for “If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You.”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “More than a thousand immigration enforcement agents have already left and several hundred would be removed early in the week to get back to, quote, the original footprint.” – Alina Selyuk (00:39)
• “The entire West had been naive, that the post-Cold War rules-based global order rested on the beliefs that free trade would guarantee peace and break down borders. Instead … it led to out of control migration and had disintegrated what he called Christian values.” – Rob Schmitz on Marco Rubio (01:36)
• “Lethal Israeli strikes continued in Gaza today.” – Daniel Estrin (02:16)
• “Kiss me and let us both be damned. Wuthering Heights was both a date movie and an excuse for a girls night out.” – Bob Mondello (03:25)
• “We’re all different, but that’s what makes us strong and together we can do something great.” – “Goat” film, as relayed by NPR (03:56)

Summary Table of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | Details/Quotes | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:18 | Immigration Enforcement in Minnesota | Withdrawal and small remaining security force; fraud probe focus | | 01:20 | Munich Security Conference | Marco Rubio’s speech, critique of Western policies, post-Cold War order | | 02:01 | Israeli West Bank Policy Changes | New land registration, Palestinian impact, Gaza update | | 02:59 | Winter Olympics | Klebo’s record-breaking 9th gold medal | | 03:25 | Valentine’s Day Box Office | “Wuthering Heights” success, “Goat” family film theme | | 04:10 | Pebble Beach Pro Am Golf | Morikawa’s win, Scheffler’s continued top 10 streak | | 04:10 | Film Independent Spirit Awards | “Train Dreams” wins best film and director, “Adolescence” sweeps TV |

Overall Tone: Straightforward, informative, balanced. The reporting style is concise and unsensational, reflecting NPR’s hallmark approach to news delivery.