NPR News Now – February 22, 2026, 1 AM EST

Host: Dale Willman
Duration: 5 minutes
Main Theme:
A fast-paced update on the day’s top news: President Trump’s new tariff policy, political tensions at the White House dinner, a looming winter storm for the East Coast, key changes in travel security, a tragic avalanche in California, a whimsical Olympic gala, and the passing of a baseball legend.

Key News Stories & Discussion Points

1. President Trump Increases Global Tariffs

Timestamps: 00:16–01:19

• President Trump has raised new temporary global tariffs to 15%, up from the 10% announced the previous day.
• Motivation: This comes as a response to a Supreme Court decision ruling that Trump overstepped his authority last year when setting double-digit tariffs.
• The Supreme Court (6-3, including two Trump-appointed justices) decided the president can't impose tariffs via emergency statute without explicit Congressional authorization.
• Trump, undeterred, activated a different presidential authority to set a new, temporary universal tariff (lasting up to 150 days unless Congress extends it).
• Quote (Alina Selyuk, NPR Reporter, 00:47):

  "The high court had ruled with a notable majority of six to three, including two justices appointed by Trump. And they had struck down Trump's use of an emergency statute for his tariffs, saying the president could not rely on it to impose taxes without specific authorization from Congress."

• Trump has vowed to continue seeking avenues to enforce broader tariffs.

2. Democratic Governors Boycott White House Dinner

Timestamps: 01:19–02:01

• Democratic governors, in protest, did not attend a White House event after President Trump banned Maryland’s Wes Moore (the nation’s only Black governor) and Colorado's Jared Polis.
• This annual National Governors Association dinner is traditionally bipartisan; this year, it became marked by exclusion and political tension.
• During the event, Trump addressed Utah’s low water levels at the Great Salt Lake, presenting himself as attentive to “real environmental problems.”
• Quote (President Trump, impersonated or via resident, 01:45):

  "That is what I call an environment, a real environmental problem, not using hairspray and I'm going to ruin the ozone."

• Trump also joked about hairspray and mocked Democratic leadership, shifting the tone from policy to personal jabs.

3. Major Winter Storm Threatens U.S. East Coast

Timestamps: 02:01–03:11

• The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings for several states from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, including New York City.
• New York faces its second major snowstorm in under a month; power outages are expected.
• Quote (Steve Kastenbaum, NPR Reporter, 02:30):

  "The soot covered piles of snow had finally melted away and now they could be replaced by close to a foot and a half of snow by Monday."

• Mayor Zoran Mamdani emphasizes more hazardous conditions than last storm and prioritizes protecting the city’s homeless.
• Quote (Mayor Zoran Mamdani, 02:40):

  "These have the potential to be even more hazardous conditions than we faced the last time around."

• The mayor commits to connecting homeless New Yorkers with safe shelters and warming services.
• Quote (Mayor Mamdani, 02:53):

  "Our focus is going to be utilizing every tool that we have to connecting homeless New Yorkers with a safe haven, with a shelter, with a warming bus."

• Air travel significantly disrupted: hundreds of flights canceled preemptively.

4. Travel Security Programs Suspended Amid Shutdown

Timestamps: 03:11–03:28

• Department of Homeland Security temporarily halts TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, both of which speed airport security, due to a partial government shutdown now in its second week.
• DHS Secretary Kristi Noem cites the shutdown as the reason for the suspension.

5. California Avalanche: Recovery Update

Timestamps: 03:28–03:54

• Search teams have found the bodies of nine skiers who died in an avalanche in Tahoe National Forest; the last body was only recovered Friday night due to dangerous conditions.
• The effort to recover victims was hampered by high avalanche risk.

6. Olympic Figure Skating Gala Delights with Pandas

Timestamps: 03:54–04:36

• The Olympic figure skating exhibition gala spotlights U.S. skaters and an unexpected crowd-pleaser:
  • Mikhail Shaidarov (Kazakhstan), men’s gold medalist, skated in a panda suit to music from “Kung Fu Panda.”
  • Shaidarov was welcomed off the ice by Jackie Chan, a legendary martial artist and voice actor from the film.
• Quote (Rachel Treisman, NPR Reporter, 04:20):

  "But the star of the show was Mikhail Shaidarov of Kazakhstan...landing jumps and punches while wearing a panda suit. He was greeted off the ice by one of its voice actors, the legendary martial artist Jackie Chan."

• Other notable U.S. skaters featured: Alysa Liu, Madison Chock & Evan Bates, Amber Glenn, Ilya Malinin.

7. Baseball Legend Bill Mazeroski Dies at 89

Timestamps: 04:36–04:55

• Bill Mazeroski, famed Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman, has died at age 89.
• A Hall of Famer, he is remembered for his legendary walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series – still one of baseball’s iconic moments.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Supreme Court Tariff Ruling:
  "They had struck down Trump's use of an emergency statute for his tariffs, saying the president could not rely on it to impose taxes without specific authorization from Congress." — Alina Selyuk, 00:47
• On Real Environmental Concerns:
  "That is what I call an environment, a real environmental problem, not using hairspray and I'm going to ruin the ozone." — Trump Tower Resident (impersonating Trump), 01:45
• On Upcoming Storm Hazards:
  "These have the potential to be even more hazardous conditions than we faced the last time around." — Mayor Zoran Mamdani, 02:40
• On Olympics’ Panda Performance:
  "Landing jumps and punches while wearing a panda suit. He was greeted off the ice by...the legendary martial artist Jackie Chan." — Rachel Treisman, 04:20

Segment Timestamps for Reference

• Trump Tariffs Supreme Court Ruling: 00:16–01:19
• Governors’ Boycott/White House Dinner: 01:19–02:01
• Winter Storm/East Coast Outlook: 02:01–03:11
• DHS PreCheck Suspension: 03:11–03:28
• Tahoe Avalanche Update: 03:28–03:54
• Olympic Gala Panda Moment: 03:54–04:36
• Bill Mazeroski Obituary: 04:36–04:55

Overall Tone:
Concise, urgent, and matter-of-fact, typical of top-of-the-hour national news, with a hint of wit in quoting Trump and a heartfelt note in the tributes to both skaters and the late Mazeroski.

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