WSJ What’s News – PM Edition (Feb 18, 2026)

Episode Theme:
This episode provides a fast-paced roundup of key business and geopolitical stories, focusing on shocking leadership investments in health care, a high-profile social media lawsuit, movement on Moderna’s flu shot, a simmering arms deal with Taiwan, the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, and—headline of the day—the Seattle Seahawks’ impending record-breaking sale after their Super Bowl win.

Main Stories and Discussion Highlights

1. Zuckerberg Testifies in Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

• [00:32–01:04]
• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified at a pivotal trial in Los Angeles. Meta (formerly Facebook) and Google face one of over 3,000 lawsuits accusing them of making social media addictive for teens.
  • Key points:
    • Plaintiffs claim platforms actively seek teen attention, leading to addiction.
    • Zuckerberg defended Meta’s practices, stating:
      • “Meta's growth targets reflect an aim to give users something useful, not addict them, and that the company doesn't try to attract children as users.” (Alex Osila, 01:00)
• Tone: Defensive—Zuckerberg distances company goals from addiction accusations.

2. FDA Reconsiders Moderna’s mRNA-Based Flu Vaccine

• [01:04–04:09]
• Guest: Peter Loftus (WSJ)
• Discussion:
  • The FDA reverses its earlier decision and will now review Moderna’s new flu shot.
  • Moderna’s vaccine is based on mRNA (the same technology as its COVID-19 vaccine).
  • Why the reversal?
    • The original Moderna trial didn’t compare favorably to the high-dose flu vaccine, recommended for seniors.
    • Moderna adjusted its approach after meeting FDA officials, proposing to seek conditional approval for those over 65 and pledging further studies.
  • Implications:
    • Moderna faces a steep revenue decline as demand for COVID shots dries up; a flu vaccine approval could offset those losses.
  • Notable quote:
    • “The promise of mRNA technology is that things can be modified more quickly and be closer to the most recently circulating strain.” (Peter Loftus, 02:19)
    • “Now they're back on track and if the FDA does approve it, theoretically they would have a supply available for this upcoming flu season.” (Peter Loftus, 03:51)

3. New Acting Director at the CDC

• [04:10–04:57]
• Jay Bhattacharya is named acting director of the CDC by the Trump administration.
  • Background:
    • Economist and medical doctor.
    • Critic of school closures and masking.
    • Ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health movement.
  • The CDC has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader since August.

4. Private Healthcare Investments by UnitedHealth Chair

• [05:30–08:52]
• Guest: Mark Mermont (WSJ Senior Editor)
• Investigative scoop:
  • Stephen Hemsley, UnitedHealth’s leader, privately invested in healthcare startups via Cloverfields Capital (founded 2019).
  • Some companies were UnitedHealth partners or competitors.
    • Investments included autism therapy, vaccine administrators, and employer health platforms.
    • Details were unannounced, and shareholders were not told.
  • Possible conflict of interest?
    • Per UnitedHealth: Hemsley “abides by all of its disclosure and conflict of interest policies.”
    • Common industry practice is board oversight and public disclosure—in this case, Hemsley’s actions were quieter.
    • Not until returning as CEO in 2025 did Hemsley transfer these holdings to a trust and recuse himself from relevant discussions.
  • Notable quote:
    • “What we found is that there's this completely different side of Cloverfields which was really doing this venture capital investing in the healthcare industry on the quiet.” (Mark Mermont, 06:06)
    • “Ethics specialists we talked to said that … the same conflicts of interest existed in the years when he was chairman of the board … and there were no such trust arrangements at that point.” (Mark Mermont, 08:29)

5. Fed Minutes & Market Reaction

• [09:00]
  • Fed notes show little interest in near-term rate cuts.
  • Tech stocks rose following the news; NASDAQ closed up 0.8%.

6. U.S. Arms Deal to Taiwan in Limbo

• [09:00–11:00]
• Reporter: Alex Leary (WSJ White House Reporter)
• Key Details:
  • A major new U.S. arms package for Taiwan is uncertain, with internal debate in the Trump administration about how it might impact President Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing.
  • China exerts pressure; arms sales figured prominently in a recent call between Trump and Xi Jinping.
  • Notable quote:
    • “The uncertain nature of this next arms deal shows that President Trump is weighing carefully how much to push Beijing and his relationship with Xi Jinping over longtime support for Taiwan.” (Alex Leary, 09:38)
  • Trump is attempting a diplomatic balancing act to maintain trade stability and U.S. support for Taiwan and allies.

7. U.S. Ending Military Presence in Syria

• [11:00–11:38]
  • The U.S. will withdraw its last 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months, ending a decade-long operation.
  • Triggered by the near-collapse of Kurdish-led forces and increased Syrian government control.

8. Seattle Seahawks—Super Bowl Champs Up for Sale

• [11:38–12:35]
• Fresh off a Super Bowl victory, the Seattle Seahawks are now officially for sale.
• The team, held in trust after Paul Allen’s death, has operated under an unusual ownership arrangement that the NFL has now moved to resolve.
• Key points:
  • Sale expected to fetch a record-breaking price, possibly more than $6 billion.
  • Marks the end of an era and a major event in sports and business.
• Memorable moment:
  • “This isn't any old victory parade. It's the Seahawks being cheered in Seattle last week after winning the Super Bowl. And now these champions are officially available to the highest bidder.” (Alex Osila, 11:38)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Meta's growth targets reflect an aim to give users something useful, not addict them, and that the company doesn't try to attract children as users.” — Alex Osila, [01:00]
• “The promise of mRNA technology is that things can be modified more quickly and be closer to the most recently circulating strain.” — Peter Loftus, [02:19]
• “What we found is that there's this completely different side of Cloverfields which was really doing this venture capital investing in the healthcare industry on the quiet.” — Mark Mermont, [06:06]
• “The uncertain nature of this next arms deal shows that President Trump is weighing carefully how much to push Beijing and his relationship with Xi Jinping over longtime support for Taiwan.” — Alex Leary, [09:38]
• “This isn't any old victory parade. It's the Seahawks being cheered in Seattle last week after winning the Super Bowl. And now these champions are officially available to the highest bidder.” — Alex Osila, [11:38]

Episode Flow & Tone

• The episode maintains an authoritative, informative newsroom style, quickly cycling through headline stories with direct quotes from experts and reporting staff.
• Major global and business trends are covered with contextual insights for investors, policy watchers, and those tracking tech regulation, pharmaceutical innovation, U.S. foreign policy, and sports business.

For those who haven’t listened:
This episode delivers a rapid-fire briefing on pivotal stories shaping business and world affairs—Zuckerberg on the legal hot seat, Moderna’s regulatory revival, high-level intrigue at UnitedHealth, U.S.-China-Taiwan tension, America’s military retreat from Syria, and the unprecedented sale of an NFL champion franchise. Each story is explored concisely with expert insight and direct reporting.