US & Iran Plan To Meet Again, CBS: Colbert & Cooper, Social Media On Trial

Summary

Up First from NPR – February 18, 2026

"US & Iran Plan To Meet Again, CBS: Colbert & Cooper, Social Media On Trial"

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Episode Overview

This episode of Up First dives into three major news stories:

1. The latest on US-Iran negotiations amidst Iranian protests and governmental crackdowns.
2. Turmoil and controversy at CBS, including Anderson Cooper leaving 60 Minutes and network tensions with Stephen Colbert over political interviews.
3. Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance in court to defend Meta against accusations that social media platforms are addictive and harmful to minors.

The episode brings together voices from NPR’s international, media, and tech correspondents for concise updates and analysis.

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1. US–Iran Developments Amid Ongoing Protests

[02:08 – 05:27]

Key Points

• Two Timelines in Iran:

  • Ongoing diplomatic talks between Iranian and US officials (including indirect meetings in Geneva).
  • Forty days of mourning for those killed in the January protests, a period rooted in Iranian tradition.

• Regime Response:

  • The regime is allowing some mourning ceremonies but under tight surveillance and restrictions (night only, no flowers, no filming).
  • Undercover agents are present; some ceremonies are outright banned.
  • Social media posts have surfaced claiming security forces opened fire at ceremonies—NPR has not independently verified these.

• Diplomatic Talks Update:

  • Main negotiators: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi, US envoy Steve Wykoff, and Jared Kushner.
  • Meeting described as “constructive” by Arachi, but substantial issues remain, particularly on uranium enrichment.
  • Trump administration insists on “zero enrichment,” while Iran claims rights for civilian purposes.

• Regional Tensions:

  • Military posturing from both sides: US troop buildup; Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz for exercises.
  • Senator Lindsey Graham presses for possible regime change, echoing historical analogies:
    • Quote: “We got a chance here to stop this regime. History would judge you as poorly if we let the Ayatollah off the hook. How many times could we have stopped Hitler? A bunch.” — Lindsey Graham, [04:56]
  • Israel’s perspective: Wants Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities eliminated; ex-defense minister Yoav Gallant says conditions for strike are “coming.”

Notable Quotes

• “What we're seeing is people there starting to have ceremonies to honor those killed in the protest by the regime... there are undercover agents at the services and people are told they have to be held at night, no flowers, no filming.” — Jackie Northam, international affairs correspondent, [02:37]

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2. CBS Turmoil: Colbert, Cooper, and Corporate Influence

[05:37 – 09:22]

Key Points

• Anderson Cooper Leaves 60 Minutes:

  • Stays at CNN, leaves 60 Minutes after nearly 20 years.
  • Cites desire to spend time with his children and discomfort with new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss’s leadership and editorial direction.

• Stephen Colbert’s Blocked Interview:

  • CBS barred Colbert from airing an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico.
  • CBS told Colbert it was due to "equal time" election rules, which traditionally exempt news/talk shows.
  • Federal Communications Chair (Trump appointee) Brendan Carr has threatened to re-examine this exemption for late-night TV.
  • Colbert defied CBS by discussing the issue on-air:
    • Quote: “I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on. And because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this.” — Stephen Colbert (via David Folkenflick), [07:08]
  • Colbert was allowed to post the interview on YouTube.
  • CBS issued a denial, claiming only to have provided "legal guidance." Colbert fired back:
    • Quote: “They know damn well that every word of my script last night was approved by CBS's lawyers, who, for the record, approve every script that goes on the air, whether it's about equal time or this image of frogs having sex.” — Stephen Colbert (via David Folkenflick), [09:34]

• Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery Deal:

  • Warner Bros. Discovery is in final negotiations to be sold to Netflix; Paramount (CBS’s parent) given final chance to improve their bid.
  • The Ellison family, close to Trump, is guiding CBS corporate moves and possibly influencing editorial decisions.

• Overall Implications:

  • The day’s events (Cooper’s exit, Colbert’s blocked segment, and Paramount negotiations) seen as connected symptoms of broader corporate and political pressures inside CBS and its parent company.

Notable Quotes

• “I think you can't look at these as separate episodes… right now you have the Ellison family who are very close to Trump and want to stay on his right side. And you're seeing this play out inside the network, play out inside the news division… Colbert, of course, has been one of the chief critics of the president on major television.” — David Folkenflick, NPR media correspondent, [08:39]

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3. Social Media on Trial: Zuckerberg Faces Addictiveness Claims

[10:00 – 13:22]

Key Points

• Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Lawsuit:

  • Focus: Whether social platforms can be held legally responsible for “addicting” young users.
  • Zuckerberg appears in court to defend Meta against claims that Instagram is purposefully designed to hook teenagers.
  • Plaintiffs argue features like infinite scroll/autoplay “are like digital casinos” and affect children’s brains similar to slot machines.
  • Meta defends itself by citing safeguards and denying it prioritizes profits over youth safety.

• Case Background:

  • Main plaintiff: A young woman (Kaylee) and her mother claim Instagram/YouTube triggered or worsened her mental health struggles (anxiety, depression, body image).
  • Case is first of 1,600+ similar lawsuits alleging social media companies failed to protect youth from harm.
  • Legal strategy: Suing under product liability law, likening platforms to other defective products.

• Broader Legal Landscape:

  • Previous legal protections (Section 230) shielded tech platforms from liability, but “product defect” theory is now gaining traction.
  • The trial is expected to be lengthy, with expert testimony and high stakes:
    • If the plaintiffs win, it could lead to multi-billion-dollar settlements and major changes to social media design for kids.
  • Comparison to historic tobacco litigation.
    • Quote: "Lawyers battling the tech companies say the apps are like digital casinos... affect kids' brains no differently than a slot machine.” — Bobby Allen, NPR tech correspondent, [10:39]

Notable Quotes

• “This is why Zuckerberg will be taking the stand. He's defending exactly against that allegation, and in particular, the allegation that Instagram was deliberately designed to hook young people.” — Bobby Allen, [10:29]

• “If a jury sides with the families, this case could result in a multi billion dollar settlement and big changes to how social apps operate.” — Bobby Allen, [13:06]

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Memorable Moments & Tone

• Colbert’s Irreverence:

  • The late-night host’s on-air pushback against CBS’s guidance is both humorous and subversive, perfectly capturing his signature tone.

• Candid Honesty from NPR:

  • Journalists stress their commitment to verifying information (“NPR could not independently verify those social media posts,” [03:17]).

• Historical Parallels and High Stakes:

  • References to the dangers of appeasement (Iran/Hitler analogies) and “digital casinos” draw stark lines about the seriousness of the issues.

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Notable Quotes With Timestamps

• "There are undercover agents at the services and people are told they have to be held at night, no flowers, no filming." — Jackie Northam, [02:37]

• “We got a chance here to stop this regime. History would judge you as poorly if we let the Ayatollah off the hook. How many times could we have stopped Hitler? A bunch.” — Lindsey Graham, [04:56]

• “I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on. And because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this.” — Stephen Colbert (via Folkenflick), [07:08]

• "Lawyers battling the tech companies say the apps are like digital casinos... affect kids' brains no differently than a slot machine.” — Bobby Allen, [10:39]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• US–Iran protests & diplomacy: 02:08 – 05:27
• CBS/Colbert/Cooper/Paramount story: 05:37 – 09:22
• Social media addiction trial: 10:00 – 13:22

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Summary Conclusion

This episode spotlights a world in flux: Iranian citizens try to grieve amid repression, the US media grapples with political and corporate pressure, and tech giants finally face legal reckoning for the addictive impact of their products on youth. Up First delivers rapid, thoughtful reporting and context, giving listeners a clear map of the day’s most urgent headlines and the stakes behind them.

Transcript

[Michelle Martin]

Iranians are ending 40 days of mourning for people killed in protests.

[Steve Inskeep]

Authorities are watching intently while also negotiating with the United States. What do those talks mean for protesters and the world?

[Michelle Martin]

I'm Michelle Martin. That's Steve Inskeep. And this is up first from NPR News. Late show host Stephen Colbert has spent two days publicly debating his network. He says CBS blocked him from broadcasting an interview with a Democrat in response to government threats.

[David Folkenflick]

And because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this.

[Michelle Martin]

How, if at all, does the CBS move connect with its political interests?

[Steve Inskeep]

Also, how does Mark Zuckerberg defend social media platforms against the charge that they're addictive? Stay with us. We've got the news. You need to start your day.

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[Steve Inskeep]

Timelines of the story in Iran.

[Michelle Martin]

One is a schedule of talks with the United States negotiators met yesterday and talk of meeting again. The other is a timeline deeply rooted in Iranian culture. It's 40 days of mourning for the DE.

[Steve Inskeep]

Analysts have been watching to see what Iranians do when they emerge 40 days after the killings of thousands of protesters in January. NPR international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam is following both timelines. Jackie, good morning.

[Jackie Northam]

Morning, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

First, what's happening in Iran?

[Jackie Northam]

What we're seeing is people there starting to have ceremonies to honor those killed in the protest by the regime. Iranians mark the end of morning on the 40th day after the deaths, which is right about now. And NPR has talked to a number of people in Iran and they say the regime is in tolerant to these ceremonies. There are undercover agents at the services and people are told they have to be held at night, no flowers, no filming. And in some cases, the government is simply not allowing the ceremony to take place at all. And there have been plenty of social media posts coming out over the past couple of days where you can see security forces opening fire at 40th day ceremonies. But I have to say, Steve, NPR could not independently verify those social media posts.

[Steve Inskeep]

We'll continue to try to gather more information day by day and be frank with you about what we know and what we don't. Let's talk also about the meeting over Iran's nuclear program. What happened there?

[Jackie Northam]

Well, most of the information we're getting is from Iran's foreign Minister Abbas Arachi, who held these indirect talks in Geneva yesterday with U.S. special envoy Steve Wykoff and the President Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner. And afterwards, Arachi described the meeting as constructive with some progress, but said that there was still more to do before the next meeting, which is now expected to be in a couple of weeks. Arachi didn't say anything about Trump's core demand, which is zero enrichment. Trump doesn't want Iran to have nuclear weapons, but Iran insists that it has the right to enrich uranium for research and civilian use.

[Steve Inskeep]

Yeah, US Officials have made a variety of statements, sometimes indicating there was progress, sometimes indicating there was not nearly enough, a little bit hard to tell. And of course, the US Continues to gather military force in the region. How is Iran responding to that?

[Jackie Northam]

Well, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned ahead of the talks that Iran could retaliate if the US Launches a strike. And, you know, perhaps to press that point, Iran temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital global shipping lane, to conduct military exercises. Trump indicates he's willing to give diplomacy a chance. But there's a growing call for action against Iran from hawks and governments such as South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. My colleague Daniel Estrin asked Graham if that meant regime change.

[Bobby Allen]

We got a chance here to stop this regime. History would judge you as poorly if we let the Ayatollah off the hook. How many times could we have stopped Hitler? A bunch.

[Jackie Northam]

And Gram was speaking Monday while he was in Israel, which not only wants an end to Iran's nuclear program, as Trump does, but also wants to eliminate its ballistic missiles arsenal and its backing of proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah in the region. And yesterday, a former Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said that the conditions for striking Iran are coming.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Jackie Northam, thanks for the update.

[Jackie Northam]

Thanks, Steve.

[Michelle Martin]

Within 24 hours, CBS was the subject of a swirl of headlines.

[Steve Inskeep]

Anderson Cooper said He was leaving 60 minutes. A Stephen Colbert interview was knocked off course, and CBS's parent company Paramount was given one last chance to bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.

[Michelle Martin]

NPR media correspondent David Folkenflick is with us now to tell us all about this. Good morning, David.

[David Folkenflick]

Good morning, Michelle.

[Michelle Martin]

So, David, and Anderson Cooper is leaving 60 minutes after nearly two decades as a correspondent there. What's the story?

[David Folkenflick]

So Cooper staying at CNN, where he's been, you know, primetime star, but he's also held this role as a correspondent at 60 Minutes. He said he's doing to spend more time with his small children while they still want to spend time with him. He's expressed concern to associates, three of whom spoke to us on condition they not be named. They're not authorized to speak about what's happening within cbs. Cooper has said that he's concerned about the leadership of the new editor in chief, Bari Weiss. She came aboard with a proposition that the mainstream media is too woke to anti Trump and a lot of her decisions have been interpreted as corrective. That is unwelcome by many of the journalists there. Cooper decided he didn't want to be part of it anymore.

[Michelle Martin]

And then the late night host Stephen Colbert told viewers Monday night that he could not have on a particular guest what happened there.

[David Folkenflick]

So Colbert had invited on James Talarico. He's a Texas state representative. He's running in the Democratic primary for a U.S. senate seat. Colbert said that he was told that that interview could not run on the air. And here's what else he told viewers on Monday night. I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on. And because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this. And so Colbert did. Colbert said that he was told by CBS lawyers that they were worried about equal time rules. Now this rule applies to radio and television stations that have broadcast licenses like those affiliated with cbs, and it's in effect during political campaign seasons. But news and talk show interviews are traditionally exempt. The head regulator of broadcast for the federal government named Brendan Carr, he's the head of the Federal Communications Commission, appointed that chairmanship by President Trump. And he has suggested that he might change the way he enforces that rule for late night shows and no longer exempt them. He's called them too partisan. It hasn't happened yet. But as Colbert pointed out, CBS nonetheless still said, you could not present that interview on television. He pushed it onto his YouTube channel where people have consumed it.

[Michelle Martin]

And there's a new development with CBS corporate owner Paramount.

[Bobby Allen]

Yes.

[David Folkenflick]

So this week, Warner Brothers Discovery is telling its shareholders to approve a deal valued at more than $80 billion to sell all of their studios and streaming properties over to Netflix. But they're offering Paramount one last chance to make a sweetened bid to improve its offer for the entire company, which includes CNN and other cable channels. So Paramount, the Ellison family behind it, are keeping their fingers crossed.

[Michelle Martin]

Is there a connection among all these different stories?

[David Folkenflick]

I think you can't look at these as separate episodes. Right now you have the Ellison family who are very close to Trump and want to stay on his right side. And you're seeing this play out inside the network, play out inside the news division in terms of how decisions are made or how they're interpreted, play out in the entertainment division. Colbert had his show canceled by previous ownership as they were trying to get the sale of CBS and Paramount get through regulators. And Colbert, of course, has been one of the chief critics of the president on major television. So right now you're seeing a bunch of facets of the same issue as the Ellisons are hoping somehow to win over the bid for Warner and get approval from federal regulators.

[Michelle Martin]

That is NPR media correspondent David Folkenflick. David, thank you.

[Schwab Announcer]

You bet.

[Michelle Martin]

In a statement, CBS denied prohibiting the Late show from broadcasting the interview with Talarico. It said it gave, quote, unquote legal guidance about the equal time rule. Colbert responded last night.

[David Folkenflick]

They know damn well that every word of my script last night was approved by CBS's lawyers, who, for the record, approve every script that goes on the air, whether it's about equal time or this image of frogs having sex.

[Michelle Martin]

And I'll mention that Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and CNN are financial supporters of npr.

[Steve Inskeep]

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, will probably get some uncomfortable questions today.

[Michelle Martin]

He testifies in a state court trial in Los Angeles over social media. The case centers on whether social media companies are legally responsible for young people if they become addicted to products like Instagram and Facebook.

[Steve Inskeep]

NPR's Bobby Allen will be covering Zuckerberg's testimony. Hi there, Bobby.

[Bobby Allen]

Hey, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

I think it's pretty obvious to a lot of parents and even a lot of kids that the phone is addictive and that social media platforms are addictive on the phone. So what is that issue with this trial?

[Bobby Allen]

That issue is whether social media companies are legally culpable for social media addiction. And this is why Zuckerberg will be taking the stand. He's defending exactly against that allegation, and in particular, the allegation that Instagram was deliberately designed to hook young people. So the trial so far has focused on on whether Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube should be considered defective products for unleashing into the world all sorts of features that we all know by now, like Infinite Squirrel. You keep scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, autoplaying features, being able to like posts. So the lawyers battling the tech companies say the apps are like digital casinos. They argue that Instagram and YouTube affect kids brains no differently than a slot machine. So Zuckerberg will likely argue that there are many safeguards in place to protect children and that the company has not placed profits over child safety.

[Steve Inskeep]

How are the plaintiffs here, the people suing Meta and Google?

[Bobby Allen]

Yeah, it's someone identified by her first name, Kaylee. She and her mother are accusing the tech companies of causing all sorts of mental health issues to her, like anxiety and depression. She struggled with body image issues. A big debate in court so far has been whether social media caused these issues or if they were preexisting and social media just made them worse. And while this is just just one person's story, this case is tied to 1600 other pending cases filed by families, school districts, and others. And all these suits allege that social media apps downplayed the harms that platforms could cause young people, and that there have not been enough checks in place to prevent young people from these harms as they've been scrolling. And legal experts have compared these cases to the litigation of the 1990s against Big Tobacco that led to big changes and accountability.

[Steve Inskeep]

I feel that we've had interviews and stories about social media addiction, body issues, and a variety of other things for at least a decade, maybe more. Why has it taken so long to get a case like this to trial?

[Bobby Allen]

Yeah, the wheels of justice turn slowly, don't they? But for years, social media companies have used a legal shield known as section230 to avoid all sorts of legal consequences of what people post to their sites. It's been described as an impenetrable fortress for Silicon Valley. But in recent years, plaintiffs lawyers have gotten pretty creative, and they are now suing tech companies under product liability law to say, you know what? These platforms are essentially defective products, like a defective car or a defective toaster and that Meta and Google, so the equivalent of a manufacturer should be held liable. This theory has been so strong that it's, you know, it's made its way to this big trial. But the cases have been playing out for years and the trial is expected to be quite lengthy. Even after Zuckerberg's testimony today, there will be many more weeks of testimony from company officials, addiction experts, family members and others. And if a jury sides with the families, this case could result in a multi billion dollar settlement and big changes to how social apps operate. So, Steve, we will be awaiting the verdict.

[Steve Inskeep]

I'll be awaiting your coverage. Bobby, thanks so much.

[Bobby Allen]

Thanks, Steve.

[Steve Inskeep]

That's NPR's Bobby Allen. And Google, we should mention, is a financial supporter of npr. And that is up first for this Wednesday, February 18th. I'm Steve Inske.

[Michelle Martin]

And I'm Michelle Martin. Are you loving the Olympics?

[Steve Inskeep]

Yes.

[Michelle Martin]

Check out Me too. Check out Up First Winter Games, a new video podcast from the team that brings you up first. Find it every afternoon at YouTube.com NPR.

[Steve Inskeep]

I'm also loving that podcast. It's a really cool product. Today's up first was edited by James Heider, Pallavi goi, Brett Neely, Mohamed El Bardisi and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Bach and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacy Abbott. Our technical director is Simon Laszlo Jansen. And our supervising producer is Michael Lipkin, watching at all times. Join us tomorrow.

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