NPR News: 02-21-2026 3PM EST
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Amy Held. President Trump says he's increasing his new temporary global tariffs from 10 to 15 percent. This in response to yesterday's Supreme Court ruling that found Trump overstepped his authority when he set double-digit taxes on virtually all imports into the U.S. NPR's Lena Selyuk reports.
What recent tariffs did President Trump announce and why?
President Trump made the latest announcement in a post on social media, once again deriding the Supreme Court ruling, saying it was, quote, "'ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American.'" The high court had ruled with a notable majority of six to three, including two justices appointed by Trump, and they had struck down Trump's use of an emergency statute for his tariffs, saying the president could not rely on it to impose taxes without specific authorization from Congress. Trump quickly used another presidential authority to set a new universal tariff, which is limited to 150 days unless extended by lawmakers, and he has vowed to find a way to set more. Alina Seluk, NPR News, Washington.
Trump says he's not yet decided whether to launch a military strike on Iran, but a military buildup in the Middle East suggests the U.S. is capable of bombing for weeks or more. NPR's Greg Myrie reports Trump is weighing options.
Now that U.S. forces have reached a critical mass in the region, we're talking about two aircraft carriers, more than a dozen ships, perhaps a couple hundred warplanes, all this spread around the region. Trump could opt for a brief limited military strike and then pause the attack and give Iran another chance to negotiate. Trump was asked about this scenario Friday and said, quote, I guess I can say I'm considering it.
While no new talks are planned, both sides have said they are open to negotiation. South Carolina is reporting nearly 1,000 cases of measles in what officials are calling an unprecedented outbreak. But as NPR's Maria Godoy reports, officials say the rise in new cases is slowing.
South Carolina reported just 23 new cases this week. That's a far cry from where things stood a month ago when officials reported a whopping 248 new cases in a single week. Public health officials credit the slowdown in new case reports to an uptick in the number of people getting vaccinated against measles, one of the most contagious diseases known. At a recent mobile vaccine clinic in Spartanburg County, the epicenter of the outbreak, Tracy Hobbs showed up to get her five-year-old twins vaccinated.
They just got their measles, mumps, rubella for the first time today. The measles aren't really something to play with.
Officials say more people will need to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of a new surge in cases. Maria Godoy, NPR News.
Officials in the eastern U.S. are urging residents in parts to stay home. As blizzard conditions are forecast from New Jersey into New England starting tomorrow, this could make for treacherous travel and likely power outages. This is NPR News. A salsa music superstar has died. Willie Colon's family says the trombonist, composer, and singer died today at the age of 75. Gabriela Rodriguez reports as a young teenager, Colon helped elevate the music of his Puerto Rican parents, blending it with New York jazz and funk.
Willie Colón began playing the trombone at age 14 in the South Bronx, where he was born. At 17, Colón released his first album, El Malo, with singer Héctor Lavoe. It sold hundreds of thousands of copies. In the 1970s, Colón was a Latin music star, creating hits with salsa legends such as Celia Cruz and Rubén Blades. Willie Colon was also an activist whose viewpoints moved steadily towards the right as he aged. He was deeply involved in New York City politics throughout his entire career. For NPR News, I'm Gabriela Rodriguez.
It could be one giant leap backward for NASA's Artemis Moon mission. NASA says it may have to roll back the 322-foot-tall rocket to its assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, weeks after it was rolled out to the launch pad with great fanfare.
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