NPR News: 02-17-2026 10AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – February 17, 2026, 10AM EST

Host: Korva Coleman
Duration: ~5 minutes
Theme: Breaking and developing national and international news.

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Main Theme of the Episode

This episode delivers a rapid roundup of the day's most pressing headlines, ranging from the passing of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and major diplomatic talks involving the U.S., Iran, Russia, and Ukraine, to a lawsuit alleging AI voice theft, government funding debates, concerns about religious rights in detention centers during Ramadan, tech and financial news, and an experimental military micronuclear reactor transport.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson (00:15–01:16)

• Cheryl Corley reports the death of influential (and sometimes controversial) American leader Reverend Jesse Jackson.
• Jackson’s legacy:
  • 1960s: Active in the civil rights movement, aide to Martin Luther King Jr.
  • 1970s–1980s: Founded Rainbow PUSH Coalition; ran for president twice.
  • Democratic National Convention 1988: Renowned for his uplifting speech.
• Jackson's global impact highlighted by Howard University Professor Clarence Lusane.
• Memorable quote (archive, Jesse Jackson, 00:43):
  “America will get better and better. Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive.”
• During a 2016 NPR interview, Jackson reflected:
  • He survived to be a “long distance runner,” unlike civil rights martyrs.

2. International Diplomacy: U.S., Iran, Russia, and Ukraine Talks (01:16–01:23)

• U.S. envoys led two rounds of high-level discussions:
  • Morning: Indirect talks with Iranian officials concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
  • Now: Three-way discussion in Geneva with Russia and Ukraine regarding the ongoing war.

3. Business & Tech News (01:23–02:23)

• Warner Bros. Sale Saga:
  • Rival bid update: Warner Bros. favors sale to Netflix, but provides Paramount/Skydance extra time to make a new offer.
  • Market reaction: Dow Jones down ~170 points.
• General Mills Forecast:
  • Lowered forecast due to reduced consumer spending on cereals, snacks, and dog food.
• AI Investment Skepticism:
  • Fund managers (Bank of America survey): Optimism on tech, concern over excessive AI investment.
• Scott Horsley (01:55):
  “Paramount people are not eating their Wheaties as much as the cereal's maker would like.”

4. David Green’s AI Voice Lawsuit Against Google (02:23–02:59)

• David Green (former NPR host) sues Google:
  • Allegation: Google’s Notebook LM AI voice tool replicates his own voice.
  • Emotional impact:
    • David Green (02:41):
      “The only tool that I felt like I brought into the room was myself, you know—expressing empathy, curiosity, respect with my voice, and just the idea that that can somehow be stolen is something that I couldn't live with if I didn't at least see where the courts could take this.”
• Google denies the claim; says the AI voice is based on a professional actor.
• Note: Google is a financial supporter of NPR.

5. Department of Homeland Security Funding and Ramadan Concerns (02:59–04:25)

• Partial DHS Shutdown: Ongoing due to congressional disagreements:
  • Democrats push for changes (e.g., ban on agents wearing masks during operations).
  • Republicans have not agreed.
• Rights of Muslim Detainees (Jason DeRose, 03:40):
  • Muslim detainees at multiple ICE facilities report inadequate provision for religious practices, particularly for Ramadan.
    • Lack of prayer mats, Korans, prayer beads.
    • Advocacy for meal service adjustments to accommodate fasting.
  • NJ chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations:
    • Urges government to meet “legal and moral” obligations.
    • Working to provide religious items and access to imams.
  • DHS has not commented.

6. Micronuclear Reactor Transport (04:25–04:55)

• Defense Department: Recently moved a small micronuclear reactor from California to Utah via cargo plane.
• Purpose: To demonstrate rapid deployment capability of nuclear power tech for military and civilian purposes.

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Notable Quotes

• Jesse Jackson (archive, 00:43):
  “America will get better and better. Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive.”
• Professor Clarence Lusane (paraphrase, 01:00):
  “He was kind of a political Muhammad Ali to many people around the world.”
• David Green (02:41):
  “The only tool that I felt like I brought into the room was myself... just the idea that that can somehow be stolen is something that I couldn't live with if I didn't at least see where the courts could take this.”
• Scott Horsley (market commentary, 01:55):
  “Paramount people are not eating their Wheaties as much as the cereal's maker would like.”

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Important Timestamps

• 00:15 — Death of Jesse Jackson; career overview
• 01:16 — U.S.–Iran–Russia–Ukraine diplomatic talks; business headlines start
• 01:43 — Warner Bros./Netflix/Paramount acquisition struggle; Dow, AI skepticism
• 02:23 — David Green AI voice lawsuit against Google
• 02:59 — DHS shutdown and immigration oversight; Ramadan issues for ICE detainees
• 04:25 — Pentagon’s experimental micronuclear reactor transport

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This summary captures the serious, brisk tone familiar to NPR: an urgent but composed delivery of significant news, punctuated by archive audio and direct quotes from key figures.

Transcript

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[Korva Coleman]

Live from NPR News. In Washington, I'm Korva Coleman. The influential and at times controversial American leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson has died. NPR Cheryl Corley reports.

[Cheryl Corley]

Jesse Jackson's career spanned decades. In the 1960s, he was active in the civil rights movement and was an aide to Martin Luther King Jr. Later, he founded his Rainbow PUSH Coalition. In the 1980s, Jackson ran for president twice. His soaring speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention electrified the audience.

[Jesse Jackson (archive audio)]

America will get better and better. Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive.

[Cheryl Corley]

Howard University Professor Clarence Lusane said Jackson also had a global footprint as he spotlighted and mediated disputes during his travels. He was kind of a political Muhammad.

[Jesse Jackson (archive audio)]

Ali to many people around the world.

[Cheryl Corley]

During an NPR interview in 2016, Jackson said while other civil rights activists died young martyrs, he was blessed to be a long distance runner. Cheryl Corley, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

President Trump's envoys have held two sets of high level discussions today in Geneva. In the morning, they held indirect talks with officials from Iran over Iran's nuclear program. Now they're in three way discussions with Russia and Ukraine over Russia's war in Ukraine. Stocks opened lower this morning as the tug of war over Warner Bros. Gets renewed for another week. NPR's Scott Horsley reports. The Dow Jones industrial average slid about 170 points in early trading.

[Scott Horsley]

Warner Bros. Says it's still backing a sale of its studio and streaming services to Netflix, but the company's given rival bidder Paramount Skydance an extra seven days to sweeten its offer. Paramount has until Monday to come up with a better bid. Paramount people are not eating their Wheaties as much as the cereal's maker would like. General Mills lowered its sales forecast for the year, saying nervous shoppers are dialing back their purchases of cereal, snacks and dog food. A monthly survey of fund managers by bank of America finds skepticism about the massive investment in artificial intelligence. While generally bullish, fund managers say tech companies are spending too much on AI. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

[Korva Coleman]

Former NPR host David Green is suing big tech company Google. It's for allegedly creating an AI voice that sounds very much like his. The AI voice is on Google's Notebook LM AI tool. Green says the match of the AI voice is far too close to his.

[David Green]

The only tool that I felt like I brought into the room was myself, you know expressing empathy, curiosity, respect with my voice, and just the idea that that can somehow be stolen is something that I couldn't live with if I didn't at least see where the courts could take this.

[Korva Coleman]

Green is a former host of NPR's Morning Edition. Google says his accusation is baseless. The company says it hired a professional actor and built the AI voice around that actor. Google is a financial supporter of npr. This is npr. The Department of Homeland Security remains partially shut down because Congress has yet to pass funding for it. Democrats want changes to how the federal immigration agency works, such as banning agents from wearing masks. Republicans have not agreed to this. A Muslim rights group is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to make accommodations for those observing the holy month of Ramadan. NPR's Jason DeRose reports.

[Jason DeRose]

Detainees at several ICE facilities have raised concerns that they fail to accommodate a variety of religious practices. Muslim detainees at Delaney hall in New Jersey say they don't have prayer mats, Korans or prayer beads. One way to accommodate daytime fasting during Ramadan would be to serve meals after sunset and before sunrise throughout the month. The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations says DHS has a legal and moral obligation to ensure that detained Muslims can practice their faith with dignity. The group is working to purchase religious items for Muslim detainees and help make imams available to them in ICE facilities. DHS did not respond to a request for comment. Jason DeRose, NPR News.

[Korva Coleman]

The Defense Department says officials moved a micronuclear reactor from California to Utah. They did it last weekend on a cargo plane. The small nuclear reactor was taken from March Air Reserve Base in Southern California to Hill Air Force Base in Utah. The Defense Department says this is being done to demonstrate that the US can quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. This is npr.

[David Green]

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