NPR News: 02-24-2026 2PM EST

Summary

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NPR News Now – February 24, 2026, 2PM EST

Host: Lakshmi Singh

Episode Overview

This five-minute NPR News Now episode delivers major news from the United States and around the world for the afternoon of February 24, 2026. Anchored by Lakshmi Singh, the stories focus on President Trump’s upcoming State of the Union address and the political divides over his economic and tariff policies, ongoing legal action over alleged surveillance by federal immigration agents, the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, newly released documents concerning former Prince Andrew, breakthroughs in horse vocalization science, and a stock market update.

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Key Stories & Insights

1. Preview: President Trump's State of the Union

• (00:14–01:04)

• President Trump is scheduled to deliver the State of the Union address tonight amid skepticism from voters across parties about his economic management and tariffs.
• Unfavorable polling highlights dissatisfaction, particularly with the cost of living and overall economic direction.

Voices from the Public

• Karen Borman, Democrat from New York:
  Quote (00:41):
  “The cost of living is still up and the way Trump is making a mess out of this whole economy, I don't even know what's going on.”
• Deanna Killen, Texas Republican:
  Quote (00:56):
  “I would say I am extremely worried where the US Dollar is going as far as how it will affect my business.”

Key Point

• The State of the Union is anticipated to address these concerns along with the possibility of Trump criticizing the Supreme Court, which recently struck down his global tariff policy in a 6-3 decision.

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2. Federal Lawsuit over Alleged DHS Surveillance in Maine

• (01:04–02:12)

• A federal lawsuit in Maine claims Department of Homeland Security agents illegally surveilled people who film or observe immigration enforcement operations.
• Plaintiffs argue this violates the First Amendment by retaliating against citizen observers.

Notable Moment

• Colleen Fagan, observer in Portland, Maine:
  (Recalling an agent’s comment)
  Quote (01:51):
  “...and now you're considered a domestic terrorist, the agent said.”

DHS Response

• DHS denies maintaining a database on domestic terrorists and asserts its methods adhere to the U.S. Constitution.

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3. Four Years Since Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

• (02:12–02:57)

• The war continues with no resolution in sight, despite U.S.-led negotiation efforts.
• The Kremlin demands territory; Ukraine seeks security guarantees not yet offered by the U.S. On-the-ground advances remain slow and costly.

Insight from Moscow

• Charles Maynes, NPR Correspondent:
  Quote (02:22):
  “The Kremlin says its military will simply take what diplomacy doesn't deliver. Despite Russian forces going up against overstretched Ukrainian defenses, Russian battlefield advances have come at a glacial pace and with heavy losses.”

Russian Economic Fallout

• Roughly 40% of Russia’s budget is now dedicated to wartime security, yet recent growth has stalled and contraction looms.

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4. Prince Andrew Investigation

• (02:57–03:47)

• The UK House of Commons is releasing official papers about Prince Andrew’s time as trade envoy.
• Andrew faces a new inquiry into sensitive information he’s suspected of sharing with Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.
• Andrew Mountbatten Windsor denies any wrongdoing.

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5. New Research on the Complexity of Horse Whinnies

• (03:47–04:40)

• Scientists have unraveled the mechanics behind the horse’s distinct two-tone whinny.
• Research included video analysis and CT scans of horse larynxes, and audio recordings of horses with vocal fold paralysis.

Notable Quotes

• Ari Daniel, NPR Reporter:
  Quote (03:47):
  “A horse’s whinny is a far more complex sound than you might expect.”

• Elodie Brieferre, Animal Behavioral Scientist, University of Copenhagen:
  Quote (04:17):
  “We finally know how horses produce these two tones at the same time.”

• The low pitch arises from vocal fold vibrations, while the high pitch is created by whistling above the larynx.

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6. Stock Market Update

• (04:40–04:53)

• All major indices are up:
  • Dow: +450 points (almost 1%)
  • S&P: +53 points
  • Nasdaq: +240 points (more than 1%)

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Memorable Quotes

• Karen Borman (00:41):
  “The cost of living is still up and the way Trump is making a mess out of this whole economy, I don't even know what's going on.”
• Deanna Killen (00:56):
  “I would say I am extremely worried where the US Dollar is going as far as how it will affect my business.”
• Unnamed DHS Agent (via Colleen Fagan, 01:51):
  “…and now you’re considered a domestic terrorist, the agent said.”
• Charles Maynes (02:22):
  “The Kremlin says its military will simply take what diplomacy doesn't deliver…”
• Elodie Brieferre (04:17):
  “We finally know how horses produce these two tones at the same time.”

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Start | End | |------------------------------------------------|---------|---------| | President Trump’s State of the Union, economy | 00:14 | 01:04 | | Supreme Court tariffs decision, lawsuit in ME | 01:04 | 02:12 | | Ukraine War Anniversary & Russian economy | 02:12 | 02:57 | | Prince Andrew investigation | 02:57 | 03:47 | | Research on horse whinnies | 03:47 | 04:40 | | Stock Market Update | 04:40 | 04:53 |

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This episode provides a tight overview of global headlines, giving listeners sharp, quote-rich insight into politics, global conflict, legal controversies, science, and markets.

Transcript

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[Lakshmi Singh]

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The country will hear from President Trump tonight about the State of the Union. Voters across the political spectrum in the United States are expected to hear Trump detail his economic agenda this midterm election year. The latest polls on Trump's tariffs and overall handling of the economy have been unfavorable. NPR spoke with Karen Borman, a Democrat in New York.

[Karen Borman]

The cost of living is still up and the way Trump is making a mess out of this whole economy, I don't even know what's going on.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Texas Republican Deanna Killen says she thinks the economy is moving in the wrong direction.

[Karen Borman]

I would say I am extremely worried where the US Dollar is going as far as how it will affect my business.

[Lakshmi Singh]

People are also waiting to see if President Trump rails against the US Supreme Court as he delivers his speech while the justices are present tonight. Last week, The Supreme Court voted 6 to 3 against his global tariffs policy under an emergency powers law. A lawsuit in Maine accuses federal immigration enforcement agents of illegally surveilling people who record them. NPR's Jude Joffe block says the federal lawsuit accuses the Department of Homeland Security of violating the First Amendment.

[Colleen Fagan]

Observers who take video of federal immigration operations say agents are recording their faces and license plates. Colleen Fagan in Portland, Maine, filmed this exchange between herself and a federal agent last month after he seemed to record her license plate.

[Carvana Advertiser]

Why are you taking my information down?

[Lakshmi Singh]

Because we have a nice little database

[Colleen Fagan]

and now you're considered a domestic terrorist, the agent said. Fagan has joined a federal class action lawsuit asking a judge to stop DHS from tracking observers and retaliating against them. DHS told NPR there is no database of domestic terrorists run by the agency and its Methods follow the U.S. constitution. Jude Joffe Block, NPR News.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Today marks four years since Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine. As NPR's Charles Maines reports, the largest conflict in Europe Since World War II shows few signs of abating.

[Charles Maynes]

President Trump returned to office vowing he could leverage his relations in Moscow and Kyiv to resolve the conflict in short order. Yet months of U S led negotiations have bogged down over Russian demands for additional Ukrainian territory. Its forces do not hold and Ukraine's need for U S backed security guarantees that Washington has yet to offer. The Kremlin says its military will simply take what diplomacy doesn't deliver. Despite Russian forces going up against overstretched Ukrainian defenses, Russian battlefield advances have come at a glacial pace and with heavy losses. Charles Maynes, NPR News, Moscow.

[Lakshmi Singh]

Over the years, Russia has propped up its economy largely by focusing on wartime spending, with about 40% of its budget devoted to its security. But that growth has dropped off significantly, with a contraction possible this year. You're listening to NPR News. The British House of Commons is allowing papers related to the former Prince Andrew's appointment as trade envoy to be released to the public. Andrew is now the subject of a new investigation into sensitive information he is suspected of sharing with financier Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor denies wrongdoing. A horse's whinny is a far more complex sound than you might expect.

[Ari Daniel]

Reporter Ari Daniel explains horse whinnies are made up of two tones, one low and one high. A team of researchers wanted to know more, since it's rare for mammals to produce two simultaneous frequencies like this. So they videoed the vocal tract of whinnying stallions, they CT scanned half a dozen horse larynxes, and they audio recorded the whinnies of several horses with a rare disease that tends to paralyze one of the vocal folds. The result?

[Karen Borman]

We finally know how horses produce these two tones at the same time.

[Ari Daniel]

Elodie Briefferre is an animal behavioral scientist at the University of Copenhagen, and she and her colleagues conclude that a Winnie is a unique blend of vocal fold vibration that generates the low pitch and a whistling above the larynx that produces the high pitch. For NPR News, I'm Ari Daniel.

[Lakshmi Singh]

US Stocks are trading higher this hour. The dow is up 450 points, or nearly 1%. The S&P's gained 53 points. The Nasdaq is up 240 points, or more than 1%. It's NPR.

[NPR Promo Announcer]

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