NPR News Now — February 25, 2026, 7PM EST

Host: Ryland Barton
Length: 5 minutes

Episode Overview

This episode of NPR News Now delivers a concise, five-minute roundup of major national and international news stories on February 25, 2026. Highlights include President Trump’s upcoming State of the Union address and policy announcements, updates on U.S. political redistricting, aftermath of a major cartel leader’s death in Mexico, a significant Supreme Court ruling, Miami Beach’s approach to spring break, and the latest on a disruptive winter storm in the Northeast.

1. State of the Union Address and Cost of Living (00:15–01:11)

• Main Theme: President Trump is set to emphasize measures to address the cost of living in his State of the Union speech.
• New Policy Announcement:
  • Trump will unveil a "ratepayer protection pledge" aimed at shielding electricity consumers from rising costs due to the energy demands of new AI data centers.
  • Under the policy, tech companies building these data centers would pay higher electricity rates to offset consumer burden.
• Context:
  • Follows court rulings on Trump’s import tariffs (recently deemed unconstitutional), which previously led to higher prices for U.S. consumers and businesses.

Notable Quote:

"Under these pledges, tech companies building new AI data centers will pay higher rates for electricity. The goal is to protect consumers from spiking electricity costs as the data centers use massive amounts of energy."
— Danielle Kurtzleben (00:35)

2. State of the Union Guests & Congressional Redistricting (01:11–02:21)

• White House Invitations:
  • U.S. men's Olympic gold medal hockey team invited to attend the State of the Union. Trump joked about needing to invite the women’s team as well, who declined the invitation citing scheduling conflicts.
• Reduced Congressional Competitiveness:
  • Ongoing mid-decade redistricting, led by President Trump’s initiatives, has resulted in fewer competitive congressional seats for the upcoming election.
  • According to the Cook Political Report, the number of toss-up or slightly partisan-leaning seats dropped from 48 in Trump’s previous term to just 36 this year.

Notable Quotes:

"There's no doubt that this mid decade redistricting war has diminished the ranks of competitive seats to the point where likely fewer than 5% of Americans are going to have a genuine say over who controls the House in November."
— David Wasserman, Cook Political Report (01:58)

3. Aftermath of Mexico Cartel Leader’s Death (02:21–03:12)

• Major Story:
  • Calm is returning to the Mexican state of Jalisco after the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," in a military operation.
  • His death triggered widespread violence across 20+ states.
  • Schools and businesses in Jalisco are reopening; international flights out of Puerto Vallarta set to resume.
  • El Mencho was found at a mountain country club frequented by politicians and business leaders.

Notable Quote:

"Authorities say they found El Mencho at a country club in the mountains surrounding Guadalajara. It was a place frequented by powerful people, including politicians and business leaders."
— Eder Peralta (02:31)

4. Supreme Court Ruling on USPS Lawsuit & Miami Beach Spring Break (03:12–04:27)

• Supreme Court Ruling:
  • The Court ruled Americans cannot sue the Postal Service, even for intentional mail refusal.
  • Case centered on a Black Texas landlord alleging racial discrimination; Supreme Court ruled against her.
• Spring Break Policy Shift:
  • Miami Beach is relaxing some restrictions in an effort to attract business, despite a continuing firm police presence.
  • City Manager Eric Carpenter underlines the ongoing strict stance on keeping rowdy festivities in check.
  • Expect high parking and towing fees, plus police checkpoints.

Notable Quote:

"Our police and enforcement presence remains unchanged, and we are still very much broken up with spring break with no interest in ever getting back together."
— Eric Carpenter, Miami Beach City Manager (04:03)

5. Northeast Storm & NYC Mayor’s Lighthearted Move (04:30–04:56)

• Winter Storm Impacts:
  • A major snowstorm in the Northeast canceled flights and knocked out power.
  • Another storm is forecasted soon.
• NYC Public Schools Response:
  • New York City’s public schools held a regular day; Mayor Zoran Mamdani invited students to pelt him with snowballs for the unpopular decision.

Memorable Moment:

"He invited kids to pelt him with snowballs over the decision."
— Ryland Barton (04:30)

6. Stock Market and Closing Note

• US Stock Market:
  • Rose today (no details provided).
• Closing:
  • Shorted due to episode’s strict time limit; transitions into a sponsor message.

Quick Reference Timestamps

• State of the Union & Electricity Costs — 00:15–01:11
• Redistricting & House Races — 01:43–02:21
• Death of ‘El Mencho’ in Mexico — 02:21–03:12
• Supreme Court on USPS Lawsuits — 03:12–03:48
• Miami Beach Spring Break Shift — 03:48–04:27
• Northeast Winter Storm & NYC Mayor — 04:30–04:56

Summary faithfully reflects all primary news content and tone, skipping ads and non-editorial segments.