NPR News Now – 02-16-2026 9PM EST

Date: February 17, 2026
Host: Ryland Barton (NPR)
Episode Theme:
A fast-paced, five-minute update on pressing national and international news: U.S. politics, developments in Gaza, Olympic hockey triumphs, Cuba’s fuel crisis, the legacy of Frederick Wiseman, and an unusual animal rescue story in Germany.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Partial Shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security

• [00:17] Ryland Barton explains it's the third day of the shutdown as Democrats negotiate immigration enforcement changes with the White House.
• [00:34]
  • Democratic proposals seen by Republicans as "unreasonable," especially the call for judicial warrants for some enforcement.
  • Lawmakers appear far apart; negotiators dispersed hastily:

    "Judging by how fast lawmakers left D.C. last Thursday, the two sides are still very far apart." – NPR Reporter [00:45]

2. Trump Attacks Maryland Governor Amid Potomac Sewage Spill

• [00:53] President Trump criticizes Governor Wes Moore for what he calls a lagging response to a pipe rupture that sent sewage into the Potomac.
  • Federal government and D.C. utility have primary jurisdiction, not the Maryland governor.
  • Moore’s office fires back, accusing the Trump administration of "shirking its responsibility on the repair and cleanup."

3. Gaza: Ongoing Recovery from Deadly Israeli Strike

• [01:41] Anas Baba reports civil defense crews in Gaza are still digging through rubble of an Israeli airstrike that killed 132 members of one family.
  • Conditions on Scene:
    • Stacked concrete, twisted steel, the "heavy sour smell" of decomposing bodies.
    • Rescuers lack heavy machinery; only 20 bodies recovered so far.
    • Thousands likely remain buried across Gaza.
  • Quote from Anas Baba:

    "It's the odor of bodies decomposing between the debris. Rescuers say that they are lacking for the heavy machinery." [01:48]

  • Ongoing search for closure by families more than a year after the strikes.

4. U.S. Women's Hockey Heads to Olympic Gold Medal Game

• [02:17] U.S. team beats Sweden 5–0 in Milan semifinal (sixth consecutive win).
  • Americans scored three times in four minutes late in the second period; Swedish coach jokes about needing "plexiglass in front of their net."
  • U.S. to face Canada in the finals, having already beaten them 5–0 in earlier play.
  • Quote from star forward Taylor Hisy:

    "Nothing matters. It's the gold medal game. Everyone's going to show up, and if they don't, they're not meant to be there." [02:59]

  • U.S. aiming for third Olympic gold in women’s ice hockey; Canada has five.

5. Cuba’s Severe Fuel Shortages

• [03:12] Ongoing U.S. oil siege causes gas shortages in Cuba.
  • Government response: mandatory app-based appointments to fuel up.
  • App only schedules appointments weeks or months out, exacerbating commuter frustrations and delays.

6. Frederick Wiseman, Documentary Filmmaker, Dies at 96

• [03:52] Chloe Veltman highlights Wiseman’s prolific output (50 documentaries) and his signature fly-on-the-wall approach.
  • Covered U.S. institutions (legislatures, libraries, schools).
  • Renowned filmmaker Errol Morris:

    "He has a way of finding in reality some of the most surreal, absurd moments that I've ever seen anywhere." [04:13]

  • Wiseman’s debut, Titicut Follies (1967), exposed horrific conditions at a prison for the criminally insane; banned for over 20 years.

7. Unusual Animal Rescue in Germany

• [04:41] An injured cormorant with a triple fishing hook in its beak pecked on the door of a German hospital ER.
  • Staff removed the hook, treated the wound, and released the bird in the hospital park.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On U.S. gold medal ambitions:

  "Nothing matters. It's the gold medal game..." – Taylor Hisy, U.S. Hockey Forward [02:59]

• Surreal reality in documentaries:

  "He has a way of finding in reality some of the most surreal, absurd moments that I've ever seen anywhere." – Errol Morris, Oscar-winning filmmaker [04:13]

• Gazan reality after the strike:

  "Families for a year and a half now continue searching and waiting to bury their dead for a closure after the Israeli strikes." – Anas Baba [02:10]

Timestamps for Significant Segments

• Department of Homeland Security Shutdown: [00:17–00:53]
• Potomac Pipe Rupture/Political Fallout: [00:53–01:08]
• Gaza War, Recovery Efforts: [01:41–02:17]
• Olympic Women's Hockey Semi-final: [02:17–03:12]
• Cuba's Fuel Crisis: [03:12–03:52]
• Frederick Wiseman Obituary: [03:52–04:41]
• German Hospital Cormorant Rescue: [04:41–04:58]

Summary

This episode delivers urgent domestic and global updates: a U.S. government shutdown standoff over immigration, political blame games after a Potomac sewage spill, ongoing tragedy and search for closure in Gaza, American dominance in women’s Olympic hockey, Cuba’s desperate gas shortages, the passing of a documentary legend, and a heartwarming, odd medical rescue in Germany—all brought to listeners with the signature brevity and gravity of NPR’s reporting.