NPR News: 02-15-2026 7PM EST

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Why is Slovakia positioning itself as a hub for Ukraine peace negotiations?

Jorge Sedano 0:00

Support for NPR comes from NPR member stations and Eric and Wendy Schmidt through the Schmidt Family Foundation, working toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all on the web at theschmidt.org.

Janine Herbst 0:15

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. Slovakia is pitching itself as a place for diplomacy on Ukraine. Imperial Michelle Kelleman reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounded interested as he visited the country which leans toward Russia.

Michelle Kellerman 0:33

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fito says he's ready to host any future peace negotiations. He blamed Europe for prolonging the war by supplying weapons to Ukraine and did not criticize Russia at all during his news conference with Secretary of State Rubio, who thanked him for his insights on Ukraine. Fito praised Rubio's boss, President Trump, as a quote very pragmatic and rational leader. Once again dismissing reports that he told some EU leaders that he was worried about Trump's mental state during a visit in Florida last month. Rubio is now in Hungary to meet another pro-Trump leader, Victor Orban, Michelle Kelleman, NPR News Budapest.

Janine Herbst 1:18

President Trump says he wants to nationalize this year's midterm elections, but as MPR's Mara Lyerson reports, the constitution would get in the way.

How could former President Trump’s push to “nationalize” the midterm elections affect voting rights?

Unknown 1:40

Many fifteen places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.

Mara Liason 1:54

But experts worry that Trump could undermine the vote. He's commandeered voter records in eleven states already and could move to disqualify certain voters. Ever since twenty sixteen, Trump has said he would only honor the results of elections his side wins. That's what january sixth was all about. Mara Lyason, NPR News.

Janine Herbst 2:14

Authorities investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie are testing DNA on a glove found about two miles from her home in Arizona. The FBI, which says the glove appears to match the gloves worn by the masked person seen at her door on the surveillance video, appears Alina Selyuk has more.

Alina Selyukh 2:34

The statement from the FBI says that investigators had collected about sixteen gloves in various areas around the house, but most of them belonged to people who helped search for the missing Nancy Guthrie.

What does the FBI’s DNA analysis of a glove reveal about the Nancy Guthrie disappearance?

Alina Selyukh 2:44

And this one glove with the DNA was found in a field near the side of the road on Thursday. By Friday, it arrived at a lab in Florida, and by Saturday, the FBI received preliminary results. Now the FBI says investigators are quote awaiting quality control and official confirmation before they'll put the profile into its national DNA database. Alina Selouch, NPR News.

Janine Herbst 3:08

Wall Streets closed tomorrow in observance of the President's Day Federal Holiday. This is NPR News. Participants in the annual Christmas bird count are on deadline to submit their data this month to Cornell University. Aspen Public Radio's Reagan Mertz reports birders in the Aspen area got some help from the Sea Patrol.

Unknown 3:30

This year, 1,200 birds were counted across 41 species. Rebecca Weiss with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies says there are usually way more.

How are unusual winter conditions impacting the annual Christmas bird count in Aspen?

Unknown 3:39

An unusually dry and warm winter is causing birds to behave differently, making it more difficult for birders to find them. Snowmass ski area ski patrollers came through though. They spotted the pharmigen, a rare high alpine bird that Rebecca Weiss describes as camouflaged. It's kind of hard for people to census ptarmigans because they live so remotely and in such rugged habitat, their plumage is pure white. The snowmass ski patrollers are some of the only patrollers in the world that participate in the bird count. For NPR News, I'm Reagan Mertz in Aspen, Colorado.

Janine Herbst 4:15

The National Weather Service says a powerful storm is heading to Southern California into this week. Meteorologist Jacob Spender says significant snowpall uh snowfall rather is possible in the higher elevations.

Unknown 4:29

More looking at four to eight feet. But then as we get down to around twenty five hundred to thirty five hundred feet, we're looking at around a range of one to two feet and up to a foot.