NPR News Now: February 24, 2026, 9AM EST

Host: Korva Coleman
Duration: 5 minutes
Episode Theme:
A concise briefing on the day’s top national news stories, focusing on developments in the Jeffrey Epstein files, political stakes ahead of President Trump’s State of the Union, government pressure on AI companies, severe weather in the Northeast, new research on wildfire smoke’s effects on mental health, and a note on Olympic invitations to the State of the Union.

Main News Stories and Key Discussion Points

1. Department of Justice Withholds Epstein Files

[00:11–01:17]

• NPR Investigation Highlights:
  • The Justice Department (DOJ) has removed or withheld dozens of pages from public Epstein files.
  • Some missing documents pertain to sexual abuse allegations and mention former President Trump.
  • The DOJ prepared a slideshow in fall 2025 referencing a claim that Trump sexually abused a minor in 1983, who was also allegedly abused by Epstein.
  • This allegation was sent for further investigation, but did not appear in the latest document release.
• Reporting by Stephen Fowler:
  • Only one of four interviews with the accuser is in the public database, and it omits any mention of Trump.
  • DOJ’s own tracking indicates at least 50 unreleased pages.

“There’s records showing the FBI interviewed this accuser four times. Only one of those interviews is in the public Epstein database, and it does not mention Trump at all.”
— Stephen Fowler, [00:56]

2. Trump’s Upcoming State of the Union Address

[01:17–02:09]

• President Trump to address a joint session of Congress—his first State of the Union since returning to office just over a year ago.
• Political implications:
  • For Trump and Republicans, the election year is tense, with low approval numbers putting the party on the defensive.
  • NPR/PBS/Marist poll: majority of Americans believe the country is “moving in the wrong direction.”
  • Historical trend: governing party typically loses seats during midterms.

“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.”
— Elena Moore, [01:35]

3. Pentagon Pressures Anthropic Over AI Safeguards

[02:09–03:07]

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to meet Anthropic AI leaders regarding Pentagon demands.
• Pentagon demands: Anthropic must relax chatbot safeguards to sustain government contracts.
• Anthropic’s stance:
  • Refuses to allow its technology for domestic surveillance or lethal autonomous uses.
  • The only chatbot currently allowed in classified settings.
  • Trump administration labels Anthropic as “woke AI.”
• Axios first reported the upcoming meeting.

"Anthropic is drawing a red line. It says it will not allow its technology to be used for domestic surveillance and the deployment of autonomous lethal activities.”
— Bobby Allen, [02:28]

4. Northeast Blizzard Aftermath

[03:07–03:34]

• Record snow in the Northeast; Rhode Island sees over a yard of snow.
• Severe impact on regional transit—paralyzed travel by rail, car, and air.
• Reports of “thunder snow” and mass power outages (quarter million customers out in Massachusetts).

5. Wildfire Smoke and Mental Health Study

[03:34–04:34]

• New study links wildfire smoke exposure to short-term declines in mental health.
  • Worst effects occur a week after exposure; recovery after three weeks.
• Even thin, barely visible smoke has negative effects.
• Quote from lead author, Dr. Xu Guang Leung (University of New Mexico):

“When you live next to the burning spot, yes, it’s very smoky, suffocating, right. Most of the time it never gets to that level.”
— Dr. Xu Guang Leung, [04:11]

• Despite Clean Air Act advances, wildfires are reversing recent air quality progress.

6. US Women’s Ice Hockey Team Declines State of the Union Invite

[04:34–04:53]

• US Women’s Gold Medal Ice Hockey Team declines invitation to the State of the Union, citing scheduling conflicts.
• The men’s team was also invited.

Notable Quotes

• Stephen Fowler [00:56]:
  "There’s records showing the FBI interviewed this accuser four times. Only one of those interviews is in the public Epstein database, and it does not mention Trump at all."
• Elena Moore [01:35]:
  "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."
• Bobby Allen [02:28]:
  "Anthropic is drawing a red line. It says it will not allow its technology to be used for domestic surveillance and the deployment of autonomous lethal activities."
• Dr. Xu Guang Leung [04:11]:
  "When you live next to the burning spot, yes, it's very smoky, suffocating, right. Most of the time it never gets to that level."

Important Timestamps

• Epstein Files/Trump Allegations: [00:11–01:17]
• Trump State of the Union Preview: [01:17–02:09]
• Pentagon vs. Anthropic (AI Ethics): [02:09–03:07]
• Northeast Blizzard Update: [03:07–03:34]
• Wildfire Smoke & Mental Health: [03:34–04:34]
• Olympic Teams & State of the Union: [04:34–04:53]

This summary captures the major headlines, context, and discussions of the NPR News Now 9AM broadcast from February 24, 2026, designed for readers seeking a swift yet comprehensive overview.