NPR News: 02-24-2026 1PM EST

Summary

---

NPR News Now: February 24, 2026, 1PM EST

Overview

This episode delivers the top news headlines and key developments of February 24, 2026. Major themes include President Trump’s forthcoming State of the Union address amid political headwinds, the ongoing war in Ukraine on its fourth anniversary, missing documents from the Epstein Files, severe winter weather in the Northeast, a tech and defense policy standoff, and updates on Education Department restructuring and the financial markets.

---

1. President Trump’s State of the Union Address

[00:19–01:05]

• Context: President Trump will address a joint session of Congress tonight for his first State of the Union since returning to office.
• Political Stakes:
  • Trump faces low approval ratings; a majority say he is moving the country in the wrong direction.
  • Election year pressure: Republicans are trying to retain control of Congress.
  • Historical benchmark: The party in the White House typically loses seats in midterms.
• Key Quote:
  • Elena Moore (Reporter):

    "Low poll numbers are often a warning sign. Since World War II, the party controlling the White House historically loses an average of 27 seats in the House and four in the Senate in midterm elections." [00:51]

---

2. Ukraine War’s Fourth Anniversary & Zelenskyy’s Message to Trump

[01:05–01:33]

• Milestone: Four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• Zelenskyy’s Appeal:
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls on Trump to support Ukraine, seeking explicit security guarantees from the U.S. and allies for the post-war period.
• Key Quote:
  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy:

    "We have good things in these guarantees. It's true between us. It's true. But I want very specific answer what partners will be ready to do if Putin will come again." [01:21]

---

3. Missing Trump-Related Documents in Epstein Files

[01:33–02:27]

• Finding: Dozens of pages referencing President Trump are missing from the Epstein Files database.
• Allegations:
  • The missing documents concern accusations from a woman who alleged sexual abuse by Trump dating to the mid-1980s.
  • While investigators interviewed the woman multiple times, only her first interview appears in the released documents—without mention of Trump.
• Lack of Transparency:
  • DOJ declined to comment on why the documents are missing.
  • White House response: Trump is “totally exonerated” and “has done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him.”
• Key Quote:
  • Stephen Fowler (Reporter):

    "The Justice Department declined to answer NPR's questions on the record about these specific files, what's in them and why they're not published." [02:03]

---

4. Northeast Storms & Record Snowfall

[02:27–03:03]

• Recent Storm Impacts:
  • Widespread travel disruption, school closures, and thousands of delayed/canceled flights.
• Another Storm Incoming:
  • System tracking from Canada could bring up to 2 inches of snow to the upper Great Lakes and Buffalo, NY.
• Snow Record:
  • Providence, Rhode Island: 37.9 inches at the airport—a preliminary state record.
• Key Quote:
  • Lakshmi Singh (Anchor):

    "At the airport in Providence, 37.9 inches, a preliminary state record at last check." [02:56]

---

5. Wall Street Update

[03:03–03:11], [04:45–04:51]

• Current Market Numbers:
  • Dow up 444 points to 49,248 ([03:03])
  • Nasdaq up 262 points, S&P up 58 points, Dow up 460 points ([04:45–04:51])

---

6. Pentagon–Anthropic AI Standoff

[03:11–03:56]

• Meeting Scheduled:
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hackseth set to meet with Anthropic’s CEO.
• Key Issues:
  • Anthropic is the only major AI firm not supplying tech to a new U.S. military network, citing ethical concerns over AI militarization.
  • Pentagon insists Anthropic loosen its safeguards on “Claude,” their chatbot, used in classified settings.
  • Ethical focus: Dangers include fully autonomous drone warfare and mass-surveillance AI.
• Key Quote:
  • Lakshmi Singh (Anchor):

    "Anthropic's CEO has raised ethical concerns about unchecked government use of AI, including the dangers of fully autonomous armed drones and AI assisted mass surveillance." [03:31]

---

7. Department of Education Outsourcing Initiatives

[03:56–04:45]

• Agencies Involved:
  • Department of Health and Human Services: Administering K-12 grants (violence response, community schools, etc.)
  • State Department: Overseeing foreign gifts and contracts for U.S. colleges.
• Goal: Improved efficiency and coordination across federal agencies.
• Broader Effort:
  • Follows recent departmental transfers away from offices handling elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and Indian education.
• Key Quote:
  • Janet Wojun Lee (Reporter):

    'Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the moves as "a practical step toward greater efficiency, stronger coordination and meaningful improvement."' [04:23]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Zelenskyy's direct call for tangible U.S. support:

  "I want very specific answer what partners will be ready to do if Putin will come again." — Volodymyr Zelenskyy [01:21]

• Anthropic’s ethical stand against unrestrained military AI:

  "Anthropic's CEO has raised ethical concerns about unchecked government use of AI..." — Lakshmi Singh [03:31]

---

Timestamps for Quick Reference

• Trump’s State of the Union Preview: [00:19–01:05]
• Ukraine Four-Year Conflict & Zelenskyy’s Message: [01:05–01:33]
• Epstein Files Missing Pages: [01:33–02:27]
• Northeast Storm & Snowfall Records: [02:27–03:03]
• Financial Markets Update: [03:03–03:11], [04:45–04:51]
• Pentagon–Anthropic AI Dispute: [03:11–03:56]
• Education Dept. Outsourcing: [03:56–04:45]

---

Transcript

[Warby Parker Announcer]

This message comes from Warby Parker prescription eyewear that's expertly crafted and unexpectedly affordable. Glasses designed in house from premium materials starting at just $95, including prescription lenses. Stop by a Warby Parker store near you.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

[Elena Moore]

President Trump will address a joint session of Congress tonight.

[Lakshmi Singh]

NPR's Elena Moore reports. This is his first State of the

[Elena Moore]

Union address since returning to the White

[Lakshmi Singh]

House just over a year ago.

[Elena Moore Reporter]

The State of the Union is a formality, but there are potential political stakes for Trump. His speech comes at the start of an election year where Republicans are on the defensive. They're trying to keep control of Congress, but Trump is battling low approval numbers. In the latest NPR PBS News Marist poll, a majority of Americans say Trump is moving the country in the wrong direction. Low poll numbers are often a warning sign. Since World War II, the party controlling the White House historically loses an average of 27 seats in the House and four in the Senate in midterm elections. Elena Moore, NPR News.

[Elena Moore]

Today is the fourth anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells CNN that he wants to hear Trump say in his State of the Union address that he is on Ukraine's side and he

[Lakshmi Singh]

wants specific security guarantees from allies post war.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]

We have good things in these guarantees. It's true between us. It's true. But I want very specific answer what partners will be ready to do if Putin will come again.

[Elena Moore]

For now, the Russia Ukraine war drags on into a fifth year. An NPR investigation finds dozens of pages of documents that mention President Trump are

[Lakshmi Singh]

missing from the Epstein Files database.

[Elena Moore]

NPR's Stephen Fowler reports. Those pages relate to accusations Trump sexually

[Lakshmi Singh]

abused a minor more than four decades ago.

[Stephen Fowler]

Internal documents from the FBI and Justice Department released in the file show investigators spoke to a woman four times who said she was abused by Trump in the mid-80s when she was 13. But only her first interview is in the files with no mention of Trump. The Justice Department declined to answer NPR's questions on the record about these specific files, what's in them and why they're not published. A White House spokeswoman said Trump has been, quote, totally exonerated and he, quote, has done more for Epstein's victims than anyone before him. Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Atlanta.

[Elena Moore]

On the heels of a storm that paralyzed transportation, shut down schools and forced thousands of flight cancellations and delays across and northeast, at least for some places,

[Lakshmi Singh]

another one is coming.

[Elena Moore]

The National Weather Service is tracking a storm out of Canada that could hit

[Lakshmi Singh]

the upper Great Lakes today and produce

[Elena Moore]

up to 2 inches of snow before

[Lakshmi Singh]

it moves into Buffalo, New York.

[Elena Moore]

As for the latest accumulations, the national

[Lakshmi Singh]

oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tallied the snowfall,

[Elena Moore]

and Rhode island gets top mention at

[Lakshmi Singh]

the airport in Providence, 37.9 inches, a preliminary state record at last check.

[Elena Moore]

On Wall street, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 444 points, or nearly 1%, at 49,248.

[Lakshmi Singh]

This is NPR News. Defense Secretary Pete Hackseth is scheduled to meet today with the CEO of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic. It is reported to be the only major AI firm not to supply its technology to a new US Military internal network. Anthropic's CEO has raised ethical concerns about unchecked government use of AI, including the dangers of fully autonomous armed drones and AI assisted mass surveillance. The company's Claude is the only chatbot that can be used in classified settings, but the Pentagon is threatening to drop the service. The Pentagon says in order to remain a government contractor, Anthropic must loosen its safeguards.

[Elena Moore]

The Department of Education is moving to

[Lakshmi Singh]

outsource more of its work to other federal agencies. NPR's Gen Woo Jung Lee has details.

[Gen Woo Jung Lee]

The Department of Health and Human Services will soon help administer grants designed to support students and families like school emergency response to violence, community schools, family engagement and more. And on the higher ed side, the State Department will now help oversee foreign gifts and contracts to US colleges. In a statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the moves as a practical step toward greater efficiency, stronger coordination and meaningful improvement, end quote. In November, the department had already moved the work of offices dedicated to elementary and secondary education, post secondary ed and Indian education to other government agencies. Janet Wojun Lee, NPR News.

[Elena Moore]

The Nasdaq is up 262 points, or more than 1%. The S&P has risen 58 points, and

[Lakshmi Singh]

the Dow is up 460. It's NPR.

[NPR News Promo Announcer]

Listen to this podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app, by subscribing to npr news now [e-mail] that's +npr.org.