NPR News: 02-26-2026 6PM EST

Coming up on the Here and Now Anytime podcast, squirrels, ferrets, and moose. Oh my, climate change is making it harder to be a mammal these days. Our reporting project, Reverse Course, returns with stories of science in action from the frozen north woods of Minnesota to the desert of Arizona. Listen to Here and Now Anytime wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. Former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton was deposed by the House Oversight Committee today as part of the committee's investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Clinton released the transcript of her opening statement on social media. NPR's Sage Miller reports. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, flew on Epstein's private jet and has taken many photos with him. But Clinton stands firm that she has no insight into Epstein's criminal history. Instead, she criticized the committee for what she sees as a lack of transparency. She accused the Republican-led committee of working to protect, quote, one political party and one public official rather than to seek truth and justice. Despite the Clintons calling for their testimony to be public, it is happening behind closed doors. Bill Clinton will face the committee tomorrow Sage Miller NPR News Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz says a move to defer million in Medicaid funding to the state is not helping combat fraud. Minnesota Public Radio's Dana Ferguson reports. Governor Tim Walz responded to Vice President J.D. Vance's announcement that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would halt the funds to ensure the state is a good steward of taxpayer dollars. In announcing a new package of fraud prevention measures, Wall said the state has already complied with federal investigators and that the Trump administration's actions set back efforts to fight fraud in the state. The governor asked for cooperation. We're tackling this. We want to partner with you. We need you to quit firing U.S. attorneys who are good at fraud. We need you to quit firing FBI agents because they carried out their job. Wall says the funding halt is part of a continued campaign of retribution from President Trump. For NPR News, I'm Dana Ferguson in St. Paul, Minnesota. The average rate for a 30-year mortgage fell below 6 percent this week, according to Freddie Mack. That's the lowest rate in about three and a half years. NPR's Stephen Basaha reports cheaper home interest rates could lead to more people in the U.S. getting into the housing market. Mortgage rates have been steadily declining since last May so it not like housing got drastically more affordable this week But Kate Wood with NerdWallet said the psychological effect of a mortgage below 6 and just how long people have been waiting to move could get more Americans house shopping. There are people who are certainly going to reach that breaking point of, you know, I love my mortgage rate, but my goodness, I cannot stand this house anymore. The U.S. is in a housing affordability crisis and cheaper mortgages can help. But the U.S. also has a housing shortage. So a flood of new buyers without more supply could drive prices up, cutting into any affordability gains. Stephen Passaja, NPR News. The worst day for chipmaker NVIDIA's stock since last spring dragged the U.S. market lower, even though most stocks rose. The S&P 500 fell half a percent. This is NPR News. A surprise meeting between New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani and President Trump today has paved the way for the release of a Columbia University student who was arrested by federal immigration agents. Azerbaijani student Ellie Agavanya was detained after agents entered a dorm by claiming they were searching for a missing person. Mamdani posted that she would be released soon. Scientists from the CDC are participating in a flu vaccine meeting led by the World Health Organization. That's despite the U.S. formally exiting the organization, as NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports Twice a year scientists from around the world cram into a conference room to talk flu They go over reams of data collected from 130 countries about how the virus is spreading to design next season's vaccine. There was some question over whether the U.S. would participate this year, since the U.S. says it's now officially out of the WHO. But the U.S. is there, at least virtually. Ali Khan is Dean of Public Health at the University of Nebraska. It's a global, whole global system that at the end of the day, the only piece we see is when we go to our pharmacist or physician and they put a vaccine in our arm to protect us from severe outcomes of influenza. The composition of the shot will be announced Friday. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News. The U.S. women's hockey team has a date with Flava Flav in Las Vegas in July to celebrate its gold medal victory from the Milan Cortina Olympics. It comes after the team declined President Trump's invitation to his State of the Union address over scheduling issues. The rapper posted a note on his X account announcing he's hosting the event to honor the women's hockey team and other female athletes. I'm Rylan Barton. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. This message comes from Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe. You can send, spend, and receive and up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps. Be smart. Get wise. Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com. T's and C's apply.