NPR News: 02-12-2026 3AM EST

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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Giles Snyder 0:00

Live from NPR News, I'm Giles Snyder.

What happened during the heated hearing on Capitol Hill?

Giles Snyder 0:04

A heated hearing on Capitol Hill. Attorney General Pam Bondi clashed Wednesday with Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee who pressed her on several issues, including the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files. NPR's Ryan Lucas.

Ryan Lucas 0:20

This has been a political weakness for the Trump administration. And so Democrats certainly were eager to focus on it. Several times, Democrats, in fact, noted that there was a group of women in the hearing room who were victims of Epstein at one point, several points, actually. They were even asked to stand up. But Democrats criticized the department for failing to produce all of the files by the deadline required by law. They also criticized the numerous problems that have been found with the redactions that the Justice Department made to the files.

What are the implications of the Trump administration's support for the coal industry?

Ryan Lucas 0:46

That includes redacting the names of Epstein's suspected co-conspirators and in some instances not redacting the names or photos of victims.

Giles Snyder 0:54

Bondi appearing before the judge at the Judiciary Committee with several Epstein victims seated behind her. The Trump administration on Wednesday announced boosts to the coal industry, including grants to four states to extend the lives of coal-burning power plants. As Curtis Tate reports from member station WEKU on the efforts aimed at reviving coal.

Curtis Tate 1:18

The U.S. Department of Energy said coal plants in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, and North Carolina would receive a total of $175 million for upgrades. Though none of the seven plants is scheduled to shut down, the grants are intended to help keep them on the grid longer. Ken Trosky, who teaches economics at the University of Kentucky, said the grants aren't likely to change coal's decline.

Unknown 1:40

Because I think the long run, um, is not a world in which this is how we're going to be generating electricity.

What was the outcome of the military's engagement with a suspected drone near El Paso?

Curtis Tate 1:47

President Donald Trump also announced plans for the military to prioritize using coal-fired energy. For NPR News, I'm Curtis Tate in Richmond, Kentucky.

Giles Snyder 1:56

The Trump administration says a U.S. military laser shot down what it said was a drug cartel drone near El Paso on the U.S.-Mexico border. However, it now appears the target may actually have been a party balloon. NPR's Greg Myrie has details.

Unknown 2:12

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the military and the Federal Aviation Administration, quote, acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized. The FAA also announced the highly unusual step of closing El Paso's airspace for 10 days, then lifted the ban several hours later. However, a U.S.

How did the recent elections in Bangladesh unfold?

Unknown 2:34

official familiar with the matter but not authorized to speak publicly gave NPR's Tom Bowman a different account. The source said the Pentagon recently authorized Customs and Border Protection to use the high-energy laser. The agency then shot down a suspected drone, but it now appears the object was a Mylar party balloon that posed no threat.

Giles Snyder 2:55

Greg Myhre, NPR News, Washington. This is NPR. Voters in Bangladesh are going to the polls. Voting opened Thursday in a parliamentary election, the first since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government collapsed in 2024 after weeks of mass protests. Hasina fled the country. Her party is banned from the election. She's living in exile in India.

What led to the House rejecting President Trump's tariffs on Canada?

Giles Snyder 3:19

The House is rejecting President Trump's tariffs on Canada. Over the objections of GOP leadership, several Republicans joined with Democrats Wednesday, voting 219 to 211 in favor of a resolution that seeks an end to the national emergency Trump declared to impose the tariffs. Passage mostly symbolic, Trump is not likely to sign such a measure. Actor James Van Der Beek has died at 48 years old. He was known for his starring role in the hit late 1990s TV show Dawson's Creek. Van Der Beek announced his colon cancer diagnosis back in 2024, as NPR's Mia Venkat reports.

Mia Venkat 3:58

James Van Der Beek was a high school theater kid who made it big when he was only 21. He dropped out of college to play 15-year-old aspiring filmmaker Dawson Leary, who had a long, complicated relationship with his best friend.