NPR News: 02-23-2026 4PM EST

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Lakshmi Singh 0:01
Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Much of the northeastern U.S. is trying to get through another massive snowstorm that forced tens of millions of people to stay home. New York City still under a blizzard warning, and most of the city has received 16 and 19 inches of snow. NPR's Sarah Ventry reports that while the travel ban has been lifted, there's still a travel advisory in place until midnight.
Sarah Ventry 0:26
The streets of New York have been unusually quiet as residents were advised to stay inside. A few New Yorkers decided to brave the weather, like Alex Arias, who was shoveling the snow from around his car in lower Manhattan. He's lived in New York for more than 55 years.
Lakshmi Singh 0:42
Oh, I remember growing up. It was all the time. This isn't too bad.
Sarah Ventry 0:45
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani has declared a local state of emergency and a snow day.
Unknown 0:51
I hope our students enjoy their snow day today and stay warm and safe throughout. But I do have some tough news to share. School will be in person tomorrow. You can still pelt me with snowballs when you see me.
Sarah Ventry 1:02
Warming centers and buses have been set up throughout the city and shelters are operating under an open door policy. Sarah Ventry, NPR News, New York.
Lakshmi Singh 1:12
President Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term tomorrow night. A new NPR-PBS News Marist poll shows that Americans are skeptical of how things are going in the country. Here's NPR's Michael Montanaro.
Domenico Montanaro 1:26
Fifty-seven percent of the more than 1,400 people that Marist surveyed say the State of the Union is not strong. That's a four-point increase from a year ago and includes eight in ten Democrats and two-thirds of independents. Republicans largely take the opposite view. With Trump in office, 73% of Republicans say the state of the union is strong. The splits by education and gender are also notable. 69% of college degree holders say the state of the union is weak, while those without degrees are split 50-50. What's more, 6 in 10 say the country is worse off than a year ago, and most describe the direction that Trump is moving the country as change for the worse. That presents a political challenge for Trump's State of the Union address in this midterm election year.
Domenico Montanaro 2:09
Domenico Montanaro, NPR News, Washington.
Lakshmi Singh 2:11
The stock markets dropped after President Trump said he would impose a new 15 percent global tariff. NPR's Rafael Nam reports fears about AI also hit Wall Street today.
Rafael Nam 2:22
Although the Supreme Court determined that some of Trump's tariffs were illegal, the president made clear he will try to use other rules to continue imposing them. Over the weekend, he announced a 15% tariff on all imports, higher than the 10% he had initially unveiled on Friday. The president used a provision that allows him to set tariffs for up to 150 days. On top of that, stocks are also reflecting fears that AI could hit the economy by leading to big job losses. Rafael Nam, NPR News.
Lakshmi Singh 2:54
The Dow's closed down 867 points. It's NPR News. Some scientific research will be funded by the U.S. government in 2026, despite President Trump's efforts to significantly cut the budget. That's because Congress voted to restore investments in science to many federal agencies. Here's NPR's Katie Riddle.
Katie Riddle 3:19
The appropriations process isn't glamorous, but it is one of the last places that bipartisan legislation happens regularly, according to Sudip Parikh of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Parikh says we owe many significant scientific achievements to this kind of funding, like the billions of dollars the country has invested into HIV and AIDS research.
Sudip Parikh 3:40
I can point to Magic Johnson. And I can say the fact that magic is still alive 35 years later is a miracle created by an appropriations bill.
Katie Riddle 3:50
For 2026, Congress protected more than $10 billion for federal science agencies from President Trump's proposed cuts. Katie Riddle, NPR News.
Lakshmi Singh 3:59
The BBC and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts are publicly apologizing today for a racial slur during last night's BAFTA Awards. At the time, Sinner stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, both of whom were black, were on stage.

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