NPR News: 02-23-2026 12PM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now: 02-23-2026, 12PM EST

Host: Lakshmi Singh
Date: February 23, 2026
Duration: ~5 minutes

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Episode Overview

This NPR News Now episode delivers concise coverage of major national and international news stories, emphasizing severe winter weather in the Northeast U.S., a pivotal cartel leader's death in Mexico, significant tariff refund questions following a Supreme Court ruling, judicial action regarding classified documents, proposed FDA policy changes for rare disease treatments, and a public apology from the BBC over a broadcast incident.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historic Blizzard Paralyzes the Northeast (00:20–01:22)

• Summary:
  Lower Manhattan and much of the Northeast experience quiet streets under heavy snowfall and strict travel bans. An official state of emergency spans multiple states as a powerful nor’easter results in severe disruptions.
• Details:
  • New York City and neighboring states blanketed with over 22 inches of snow.
  • Wind gusts over 35 mph worsen conditions.
  • State of emergency declared in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.
  • Widespread power outages and thousands of flight cancellations.
  • Officials urge citizens to stay off roads due to deadly hazards.
• Notable Quote:

  "As of this morning, some parts of New York got over 22 inches of snow... New York officials say it could be one of the worst storms in the last 150 years."
  — Jasmine Garris, [00:41]

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2. Death of Mexico’s Most Powerful Drug Lord (01:22–01:58)

• Summary:
  Mexican authorities confirm that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, died from injuries sustained in a firefight, triggering violent reprisals across the country.
• Details:
  • "El Mencho" was regarded as a global organized crime leader.
  • His death prompted cartel attacks: arson of banks and gas stations, blockading roads, and burning vehicles.
  • Cartel’s reach spans across Mexico and internationally.
• Notable Quote:

  "He was 59 years old, and within the past 10 years, this man allegedly built one of the most powerful organized crime groups in the world."
  — Zeta Peralta, [01:34]

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3. Supreme Court Ruling on Trump-Era Tariffs (01:58–03:11)

• Summary:
  The Supreme Court rules half of President Trump’s tariffs were collected illegally, yet provides no guidance for refunding billions to affected businesses, sparking uncertainty and concern among business owners.
• Details:
  • Over $200 billion in tariffs collected; half now considered illegally imposed.
  • Small businesses like Sarah Wells’ are concerned about refund processes.
  • Business owners express a strong desire for straightforward, accessible refund mechanisms, avoiding legal complexities.
• Notable Quotes:

  "Ask anyone who sells anything in the US what's on their mind and they'll probably say tariff refunds."
  — Narrator, [02:27]
  "...We not only need the money back, but we need a process to get the money back."
  — Sarah Wells (via Jasmine Garris), [02:58]

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4. Judicial Action on Trump Classified Doc Report (03:11–03:43)

• Summary:
  A federal judge grants a permanent block on the release of a report related to President Trump’s handling of classified information, complicating public oversight of an ongoing high-profile case.

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5. FDA Proposes New Policy for Rare Disease Treatments (03:43–04:29)

• Summary:
  The FDA announces a policy proposal aimed at expediting access to advanced therapies for patients with exceedingly rare diseases, allowing for conditional approval without initial efficacy studies.
• Details:
  • Applies to treatments like gene editing.
  • Intended for diseases so rare that clinical trials are unfeasible.
  • Approval based on "plausible evidence" with required follow-up studies.
• Notable Quote:

  "The FDA says the policy would allow the agency to approve new treatments in some cases without requiring a study be done first to demonstrate that therapy works."
  — Rob Stein, [03:50]

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6. BBC Apologizes for Racial Slur at BAFTAs (04:29–04:57)

• Summary:
  The BBC issues a public apology for not censoring a racial slur uttered during the BAFTA Awards broadcast. The outburst originated from a Tourette Syndrome awareness activist, prompting discussion around the nature of the disorder and representation in media.
• Details:
  • The incident occurred while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage.
  • The BBC acknowledges its failure to edit the delayed broadcast appropriately.
  • Distinction made between involuntary outbursts and actual intent due to Tourette Syndrome.

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Market & Policy Updates

• Stock Market:
  "U.S. stocks are trading lower this hour. The Dow is down 1.5%." — Lakshmi Singh, [03:11]

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Memorable Moments

• Vivid depiction of Manhattan subdued by historic snowfall; city compared to other major U.S. blizzards, intensifying the storm's significance.
• Immediate, violent cartel response in Mexico highlights ongoing instability post-leader’s death.
• Business owner Sarah Wells’ practical concern about the tariff refund process encapsulates small business anxieties.

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Additional Resources

• Entire episode and past hourly updates available via NPR News Now.

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Transcript

[Narrator/Announcer]

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

[Lakshmi Singh]

live from NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh. An unusual quiet settle across snowy lower Manhattan this morning as travel restrictions were in effect. As NPR Jasmine Garris tells us, a state of emergency was declared in New York and several other states because of a powerful nor'. Easter.

[Jasmine Garris]

As of this morning, some parts of New York got over 22 inches of snow. The blizzard began on Sunday evening and has continued with strong gusts of wind of more than 35 miles per hour, making conditions even more difficult. New York officials say it could be one of the worst storms in the last 150 years. Hundreds of thousands of people across the Northeast are without power, and thousands of flights have been canceled. New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York issued states of emergency and travel bans, urging residents to stay off the road and reminding people that these conditions can be deadly. Jasmine Garsd, NPR News, New York.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Mexican authorities say they have killed the country's most powerful drug lord. The head of the Jalisco New Generation cartel died from injuries sustained in a firefight. NPR Zeta Peralta has more from Mexico City.

[Zeta Peralta]

His name was Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, but he was known as El mencho. He was 59 years old, and within the past 10 years, this man allegedly built one of the most powerful organized crime groups in the world. He started in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, but he oversaw a massive virgin violent expansion. So they are now operating from north to south and even internationally.

[Lakshmi Singh]

NPR's Ada Peralta reporting. The drug lord's death Sunday led to violence across large parts of Mexico. Armed men torched government run banks and gas stations, blocked roads and set vehicles on fire. American businesses are puzzling over how they might get their money back for the tariffs they paid in the past year. This after the Supreme Court ruled Friday that about half of President Trump's tariffs were collected illegally. But the high court did not set out a way for that money to be refunded. Here's NPR's Alina Seliuk.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Ask anyone who sells anything in the US what's on their mind and they'll probably say tariff refunds. The US government has collected more than $200 billion in tariffs imposed by President Trump. But now the Supreme Court has struck down about half of them. Anyone who paid those tariffs should get their money back, and that anyone is often small business owners like Sarah Wells in Virginia. She sells backpacks and other products for new moms for breastfeed. They're made overseas and we not only

[Jasmine Garris]

need the money back, but we need a process to get the money back,

[Narrator/Announcer]

which she hopes will not require hiring lawyers or brokers, extensive paperwork or years long litigation. Alina seluk, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

U.S. stocks are trading lower this hour. The dow is down 1.5%. This is NPR News. A federal judge is granting President Trump's request to to permanently block a report from being released about his handling of large amounts of classified information. The case involves former special counsel Jack Smith's investigation of Trump's possession of documents at his Florida state and resulting criminal charges. The Food and Drug Administration today proposed a new policy designed to make it easier for patients with very rare diseases to get access to new, cutting edge treatments. Here's NPR's Rob Stein.

[Rob Stein]

The FDA says the policy would allow the agency to approve new treatments in some cases without requiring a study be done first to demonstrate that therapy works. The new policy is designed to make state of the art technologies like gene editing available to patients in situations where the disease is so rare that it would be impossible to conduct a study first. The FDA says the new approach would only apply to situations where there is, quote, plausible evidence the treatment would work and a follow up study would be needed to confirm the treatment is effective and safe. Rob Stein, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

The BBC is apologizing to the public for failing to censor a racial slur during a delayed broadcast of last night's BAFTA Awards while Sinner stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage. The outburst came from a Tourette Syndrome awareness activist in the audience. The disability is characterized by repetitive and involuntary tics that do not reflect a person's intentions. This is npr. Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or

[Zeta Peralta]

any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now [e-mail] that's plus.NPR.org.