The Headlines – February 20, 2026

Podcast: The Headlines (The New York Times)
Host: Tracy Mumford
Main Episode Theme:
Today's episode covers several major U.S. stories: a sweeping wave of state bills limiting transgender rights, Trump’s trade policy and its economic impact, the surprising backlash from the “MAHA Moms” (Make America Healthy Again) against President Trump, nationwide spikes in energy bills, and evolving trends in the chocolate industry. The episode also features a news quiz about prominent Democratic figures, FCC crackdowns, and the Winter Olympics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. States Accelerate Transgender Rights Restrictions

[00:46-04:36]

• Wave of Legislation: Republican lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing hundreds of new bills restricting transgender rights, many of which now target adults, not just minors.
  • Kansas passed a law allowing people to sue transgender individuals who use bathrooms not matching their birth sex.
  • Florida proposed a bill barring public employees from being required to use coworkers' preferred pronouns.
  • Utah advanced bills to strip anti-discrimination protections in housing and employment.
• Shift in Focus: The focus is moving from restricting gender-affirming care and sports participation for minors to limiting adults’ rights and even questioning whether trans identities are recognized by law.
  • Example: The Kansas bill would invalidate driver’s licenses of people who changed their gender marker.
• Arguments and Tension:
  • Supporters of these bills claim they’re necessary "to protect women" and often reject the existence of trans identities.
  • Notable Quote: “There is no such thing as gender. It’s a made up word and term. It's actually just two sexes. There’s male and female.” – Utah lawmaker [03:13]
  • Trans rights advocates say these efforts are discriminatory and harmful, even making public discussion harder for trans people.
• Public Opinion: Polls show rising support for restricting trans athletes, but most Americans still believe in basic discrimination protections for trans people.

2. The U.S. Trade Deficit Hits Record High Despite Tariffs

[04:37-05:42]

• 2025 Data: The U.S. trade deficit in goods reached a historic high; Trump’s tariffs haven’t delivered the promised reduction.
• Policy Backfire: Instead of reducing imports, some tariffs led to an increase as companies stockpiled goods pre-tariff.
• Shift in Import Sources: While imports from China decreased, those from Vietnam, Mexico, and India increased.
  • Raises the question: “Is the U.S. becoming less dependent on imports, or just changing where it gets them from?”
• Manufacturing Impact: No mass return of manufacturing; 80,000 U.S. factory jobs lost last year.
• Supreme Court Involvement: "The President could soon need to overhaul his trade policy," with a Supreme Court decision pending on tariff legality. [05:36]

3. MAHA Moms Turn Against Trump Over Weed Killer Policy

[05:43-07:12]

• Background: MAHA Moms (“Make America Healthy Again”), a subset of conservative Trump supporters inspired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s focus on eliminating environmental toxins, have become disillusioned.
• Trigger: Trump signed an executive order boosting production of glyphosate-based weed killer (e.g., Roundup), seen as dangerous by this group.
  • This clashes with health-conscious conservative voters and Kennedy’s activism—he’d previously won a lawsuit against the weed killer’s manufacturer.
• Corporate Settlement: Bayer, Roundup’s parent company, agreed to a $7 billion settlement over claims the herbicide causes cancer, though it maintains the product is safe.
• Community Backlash:
  • Notable Quote: “Women feel like they were lied to.” – Conservative health and wellness podcaster [06:49]
  • Notable Quote: “There is a level of anger and frustration like I’ve never witnessed before.” – Social media health influencer [06:55]
• Political Fallout: There's debate whether Kennedy was consulted by Trump; MAHA leaders see “a widening disconnect between voters who want to reduce pesticides and the White House, which has appointed former chemical industry executives and lobbyists to oversee regulations.” [07:09]

4. Soaring Energy Bills After Historic Cold Snap

[07:13-08:26]

• Personal Accounts: Americans are shocked by extraordinarily high heating bills after a severe winter storm—examples range from $475 to $742 in a single month.
  • Listener Quotes: "I can't pay this." [07:32]
• Multiple Factors:
  • Dramatic increase in natural gas prices (up 50% year-over-year).
  • Surging demand for firewood; some suppliers turning customers away due to shortages.
  • Skyrocketing electricity costs, made worse by new power-hungry data centers.
• Federal Aid Cuts: The budget for winter heating subsidies—vital for low-income families—has been slashed by a third this year.

5. The Mystery of Missing Milk Chocolate in Seasonal Candy

[08:27-09:29]

• Consumer Complaint: Brad Reese—the grandson of the original Reese’s inventor—discovered his Valentine’s Day “Reese’s Mini Hearts” lacked authentic milk chocolate, replaced by a generic “chocolate-flavored coating.”
  • Notable Moment: Brad Reese found them so disappointing, he “actually threw the bag away, the first time in his life he’d thrown away a Reese’s.” [08:40]
• Industry Trend: Hershey's and other candy makers are quietly switching seasonal treats from real milk chocolate to cheaper substitutes, citing rising cocoa prices due to drought and labor shortages.
  • "Other Hershey’s products, like Rolo’s, Mr. Goodbar, Almond Joy, no longer list [milk chocolate] in their ingredients."
• Consumer Tip: Look for labels describing products as “chocolatey candy”—that “y” signals the absence of real chocolate.
• Official Response: Hershey’s says their main Reese’s cups are still made with milk chocolate, but seasonal versions are not.

Quiz Segment Highlights

6. Democratic Hopefuls at the Munich Security Conference

[10:57-11:46]

• Clips played from California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:
  • Newsom: “I’m here in many respects to remind everyone that Trump is temporary. He’ll be gone in a matter of years. States like California are permanent...” [10:57]
  • Whitmer: “The two that I am on the panel with are much more steeped in foreign policy than a governor is. But you know, I do think that Ukraine’s independence, keeping their land mass is the goal...” [11:08]
  • Ocasio-Cortez: “We have to have a working class centered politics if we are going to succeed and also if we are going to stave off the scourges of authoritarianism...” [11:20]
• Commentary: So many potential 2028 candidates attended Munich that "Munich is the new Iowa."

7. FCC Crackdown on TV — Political Interviews

[12:16-13:02]

• The FCC is investigating "The View" for airing an interview with Texas lawmaker James Talarico, part of a Trump administration campaign against perceived media bias.
• Stephen Colbert’s network censored his segment, but posting it on YouTube led to huge fundraising for Talarico.
  • The investigation of “The View” is a new development in FCC oversight of political interviews.

8. Olympics Participation Trivia

[13:37-14:22]

• The most internationally represented sport at the current Winter Olympics is cross-country skiing (athletes from 65 nations).
  • Some countries were represented solely by a single cross-country skier.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On anti-trans bills: “There is no such thing as gender. It's a made up word and term. It's actually just two sexes.” – Utah lawmaker [03:13]
• On MAHA backlash: “There is a level of anger and frustration like I’ve never witnessed before.” – Health influencer [06:55]
• On utility bills: “I can't pay this.” – Unnamed customer [07:32]
• On chocolate: “He actually threw the bag away, the first time in his life he said that he’d thrown away a Reese’s.” – On Brad Reese’s reaction [08:40]
• Democratic vision (Newsom): “I’m here in many respects to remind everyone that Trump is temporary...” [10:57]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:46-04:36 – States rush to restrict transgender rights
• 04:37-05:42 – U.S. trade deficit at all-time high, tariffs scrutiny
• 05:43-07:12 – MAHA Moms turn on Trump over weed killer policy
• 07:13-08:26 – Eye-popping winter heating bills
• 08:27-09:29 – The rise of “chocolatey” (not chocolate) candy
• 10:57-11:46 – Quiz: Munich as a hotspot for Democratic hopefuls
• 12:16-13:02 – FCC investigates “The View”
• 13:37-14:22 – Olympics trivia: cross-country skiing's big representation

Conclusion

This jam-packed news recap spotlights the rapid policy changes on transgender rights, exposes a rift in Trump’s base over environmental policy, tracks U.S. trade and energy challenges, and explores unexpected corners of American life—from candy ingredients to the winter Olympics. Throughout, reporters and on-the-ground voices deliver breaking developments, personal reactions, and sharp analysis, capturing a week of shifting political and social currents.