NPR News: 02-23-2026 11AM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – Episode Summary

Episode: NPR News: 02-23-2026 11AM EST
Date: February 23, 2026
Length: 5 minutes
Host: Korva Coleman
Theme: A concise snapshot of top U.S. and world news, politics, extreme weather, and sports.

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Main Theme

This brief newscast delivers a fast overview of the day’s major headlines, focusing on the upcoming State of the Union address, a major winter storm in the northeast, deadly cartel violence in Mexico, Supreme Court news on climate lawsuits and tariffs, and a wrap-up of the Winter Olympics.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. President Trump’s Upcoming State of the Union & Polling Data

[00:21 – 01:21]

• President Trump is set to deliver the State of the Union address for his second term amid national skepticism, as measured by an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.
• Key points from Domenico Montanaro’s poll analysis:
  • 57% of over 1,400 Americans polled say the State of the Union is not strong — a 4-point increase from the previous year.
  • Democrat & Independent skepticism: Eight in ten Democrats and two-thirds of independents view the State of the Union negatively.
  • Republican optimism: 73% of Republicans say it is strong.
  • Notable divides: 69% of college degree holders rate the Union as weak, while those without degrees are split evenly.
  • Six in ten say the country is worse off than a year ago.
• Quote:

  “Most describe the direction that Trump is moving the country as change for the worse. That presents a political challenge for Trump’s State of the Union address in this midterm election year.” – Domenico Montanaro [01:17]

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2. Nor’easter Blizzard Pounds Northeast

[01:21 – 02:19]

• Blizzard warnings remain from Maryland’s Eastern Shore through Maine.
• The National Weather Service predicts 1–2 feet of snow across this area.
• In New York, community voices highlight daily life disruptions:
  • Sydney Buck (31, private chef):

    “Everything was shut down. I remember the streets were shut down. We couldn’t take the subway anywhere.” – Sydney Buck [01:54]

  • Tom Chernish (49):

    “'96. That was the big one. Blizzard of ‘96, people skiing down 5th Avenue. I remember this one. You know I’ll survive it.” – Tom Chernish [02:02]

• Forecasters warn some regions may see up to 20 inches of snow.

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3. Cartel Violence in Mexico Follows Raid

[02:19 – 03:11]

• At least 25 Mexican National Guard troops killed after the death of cartel leader Nemesio Osuguero Cervantes (“El Mencho”).
• NPR’s Ada Peralta captures the scene post-raid:
  • Civilians describe chaos and fear—armed cartel members closed streets, set fire to local infrastructure, and threatened violence if cartel members were not released.
  • Quote from a Guadalajara resident:

    “He called 911 and they simply told him, go home and stay indoors.” – Ada Peralta [02:44]

  • Quote from a woman near the scene:

    “She says first she heard helicopters and then the streets filled up with members of the cartels. They burnt a bank by her house and sent messages saying if the government didn’t release their members, they would begin attacking civilians.” – Ada Peralta [02:55]

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4. Supreme Court Takes Up Climate Lawsuits; Trump Tariff Update

[03:11 – 04:02]

• The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a climate-related case:
  • Oil and gas companies seek to block lawsuits demanding they pay billions for alleged misleading of the public regarding fossil fuels and climate change.
• President Trump promises to impose 15% global tariffs despite the Supreme Court overturning some tariffs last week.

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5. Winter Olympics in Milan: Highlights and U.S. Performance

[04:02 – 04:51]

• The U.S. claims gold in men’s ice hockey, their first since 1980’s “Miracle on Ice.”
• American athletes excel, earning a record 12 gold medals, but not without setbacks.
• Other notable moments:
  • U.S. women win women’s hockey gold.
  • Mikaela Shiffrin: Women’s slalom gold.
  • Alysa Liu: Women’s figure skating gold.
  • Ilia Malinin falls from first to eighth in men’s figure skating.
  • Star of the Games: Norway’s Johannes Klaebo wins six gold medals, setting a new Winter Games record.
• Quote:

  “For the US it couldn’t have ended better, capturing its first gold medal in men’s hockey since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.” – Steve Futterman [04:03]
  “Who was the biggest star during the two weeks? It would be hard to top Norway’s cross country skier, Johannes Klebo. He won six gold medals, the most ever by an athlete in a single Winter Games.” – Steve Futterman [04:35]

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6. Markets

[03:11, 04:51]

• The Dow is down over 650 points, reflecting continued market volatility.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Most describe the direction that Trump is moving the country as change for the worse.”
  — Domenico Montanaro [01:17]

• “Everything was shut down. I remember the streets were shut down. We couldn’t take the subway anywhere.”
  — Sydney Buck [01:54]

• “'96. That was the big one. Blizzard of ‘96, people skiing down 5th Avenue. I remember this one. You know I’ll survive it.”
  — Tom Chernish [02:02]

• “He called 911 and they simply told him, go home and stay indoors.”
  — Ada Peralta [02:44]

• “For the US it couldn’t have ended better, capturing its first gold medal in men’s hockey since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.”
  — Steve Futterman [04:03]

• “Who was the biggest star during the two weeks? It would be hard to top Norway’s cross country skier, Johannes Klebo ... six gold medals ... the most ever by an athlete in a single Winter Games.”
  — Steve Futterman [04:35]

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Useful Timestamps for Reference

• State of the Union poll & analysis: [00:21 – 01:21]
• Blizzard reports & local voices: [01:21 – 02:19]
• Cartel violence in Mexico: [02:19 – 03:11]
• Supreme Court & tariffs: [03:11 – 04:02]
• Olympics recap: [04:02 – 04:51]
• Stock market update: [03:11, 04:51]

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This NPR News Now episode offers a rapid yet vivid overview of America’s political tension, extreme weather, global violence, climate litigation, economic news, and sporting triumphs, interlaced with authentic voices offering both perspective and resilience.

Transcript

[Korva Coleman]

Support for NPR and the following message come from Warby Parker, the One Stop Shop for all your vision needs. They offer expertly crafted prescription eyewear plus contacts, eye exams and more for everything you need to see. Visit your nearest Warby Parker store or head to warbyparker.com live from NPR News, I'm Korva Coleman.

[NPR News Anchor]

President Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term tomorrow night. A new NPR PBS News Marist poll shows that Americans are skeptical of how things are going in the country. And Pierre's Domenico Montanaro, 57% of the

[Domenico Montanaro]

more than 1,400 people that Marist surveyed say the State of the Union is not strong. That's a four point increase from a year ago and includes eight in ten Democrats and two thirds of independents. Republicans largely take the opposite view. With Trump in office, 73% of Republicans say the State of the Union is strong. The splits by education and gender are also notable. 69% of college degree holders say the State of the Union is weak, while those without degrees are split 50, 50. What's more, six in 10 say the country is worse off than a year ago. And most describe the direction that Trump is moving the country as change for the worse. That presents a political challenge for Trump's State of the Union address in this midterm election year. Domenico Montanaro, NPR News, Washington.

[NPR News Anchor]

Blizzard warnings are still in effect from Maryland's Eastern Shore to Maine. The National Weather Service says a nor' easter is dumping one to two feet of snow widely across the region. From member station WNYC in New York, Catalina Gonella has more.

[Catalina Gonella]

It's shaping up to be one of those winters New Yorkers will remember. Snow from a storm last month has lingered for weeks due to freezing temperatures. 31 year old private chef Sydney Buck says it's already worse than 2016 when a blizzard left her without electricity.

[Sydney Buck]

Everything was shut down. I remember the streets were shut down. We couldn't take the subway anywhere.

[Catalina Gonella]

But 49 year old Tom Chernish says he's seen worse.

[Tom Chernish]

96. That was the big one. Blizzard of 96 people skiing down 5th Avenue. I remember this one. You know I'll survive it.

[Catalina Gonella]

Forecasters say some areas could get upwards of 20 inches of snow by the time it's over. For NPR, I'm Catalina Gonela in New York.

[NPR News Anchor]

Mexican officials say at least 25 Mexican National Guard members have been killed in attacks. Yesterday after a Mexican military raid killed a drug cartel leader. Nemesio Osuguero Cervantes, or El Mencho de Died of injuries as he was being flown to Mexico City. NPR's Ada Peralta reports. Armed members of his drug cartel then attacked banks and gas stations run by the Mexican government.

[Ada Peralta]

We spoke to one man in Guadalajara who was trying to get home yesterday, and he said that men pointed guns at him. He called 911 and they simply told him, go home and stay indoors. We spoke to one woman near the town where Mencho was killed, and she says first she heard helicopters and then the streets filled up with members of the cartels. She says they burnt a bank by her house and they sent messages saying if the government didn't release their members, they would begin attacking civilians.

[NPR News Anchor]

NPR's Ira Peralta reporting. On Wall street, the Dow's down 650 points. It's NPR. The U.S. supreme Court has agreed to take a case involving climate change. It involves oil and gas companies that want to block certain lawsuits. Plaintiffs are demanding the companies pay billions of dollars in damages. They allege the oil and gas companies misled the public about the risk of fossil fuels and their link to global warming. President Trump says he will still impose 15% global tariffs. That's after the Supreme Court overturned some of his massive tariffs in a ruling last week. The Winter Olympics have ended. In Italy, the final competitive event saw the U.S. beat Canada for the gold medal in men's ice hockey. From Milan, Italy, Steve Futterman looks back at the last two Olympic weeks.

[Steve Futterman]

For the US it couldn't have ended better, capturing its first gold medal in men's hockey since the 1980 Miracle on Ice. That was the 12th gold for the Americans here, more than they have ever won at a Winter Olympics. There were other memorable US Performers, the American women taking the women's hockey gold, Mikayla Shifrin winning the women's slalom and Alyssa Liu taking golden women's figure skating. Not everything went as planned for the US Ilia Malinin imploded in his free skate and went from first to eighth. Who was the biggest star during the two weeks? It would be hard to top Norway's cross country skier, Johannes Klebo. He won six gold medals, the most ever by an athlete in a single Winter Games. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Milan.

[NPR News Anchor]

Again, on Wall street, the Dow was down more than 660 points. You're listening to NPR News.

[NPR News Promo Announcer]

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