NPR News: 02-18-2026 4PM EST
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What recent funding issues are affecting the Department of Homeland Security?
This week on Up First from NPR News, funding ran out for the Department of Homeland Security and Congress went home. DHS does a few important things like secure the airports or the coasts or the president. Now their funding is uncertain. And what does this say about the way Congress works or doesn't? Follow us for the latest each morning on Up First on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying today in a state court trial in Los Angeles that could reshape social media. At issue is whether social media companies are legally responsible for young people's addiction to companies' products, such as Instagram and Facebook. NPR's Bobbi Allen is covering Zuckerberg's testimony.
Social media companies have used a legal shield known as Section 230 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, the equivalent of a manufacturer, should be held liable.
NPR's Bobbi Allen. In the aftermath of yesterday's avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California, authorities confirmed today eight skiers are dead. A crew is still searching for one person. The ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee led a group of Democrats to Odessa, a key Ukrainian port that has been hard hit in Russia's war against Ukraine. NPR's Michelle Kellerman reports that the U.S. lawmakers say American businesses are being hit too.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen says she and her colleagues met with American business leaders in Odessa who have faced Russian attacks. Richard Blumenthal, another Senate Democrat, puts it this way.
It's open season on American business. There are about 600 major businesses here. Nearly half of them have been directly and purposefully attacked. The American people deserve to know that Putin is targeting American businesses.
He's also pushing for more sanctions, saying countries that are buying Russian gas should be given, quote, strong incentives to stop.
How is Mark Zuckerberg's testimony impacting social media regulations?
Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department.
Weeks after facing scathing criticism for a racist post on his social media account, today President Trump is hosting a reception in recognition of Black History Month.
Nearly 10,000 African-Americans fought for the patriot cause in the Revolutionary War. Did you know that? 10,000 and it's actually a number even, I've heard even higher than that, helping secure our independence and every generation since from the buffalo soldiers to the tuskegee airmen black americans have stepped forward to defend the flag and to defend our country earlier this month the white house faced swift backlash following a video shared on trump's social media account it concluded with images of barack and michelle obama's head superimposed on the bodies of apes
Trump has repeatedly said he is not racist and that his policies have helped lift up communities of color across the United States. The Dow's closed up 129 points. This is NPR News. A New Jersey Catholic diocese confirms a $180 million settlement to resolve clergy sex abuse allegations. On its website, the Catholic Church of South Jersey says the Survivors Committee unanimously agreed to accept the terms of the agreement. The federal health leadership is undergoing a new shakeup as the Trump administration faces a midterm election and voters divided over rollbacks in vaccine and health guidance policies. NPR's Learn NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya will also be in charge of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while President Trump looks for a permanent CDC director.
Rapper J. Cole and pop star Bad Bunny are vying for the top of this week's pop charts. And as NPR's Stephen Thompson tells us, the result is a split decision.
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