NPR News: 02-23-2026 7PM EST

This is Ira Glass. On This American Life, we look for stories that are surprising, that you won't hear anywhere else. Like, for example, this one astronaut who went to the moon. You know what he's not into? Space. Was it cool to float around weightless? No, no, no. This American Life, unexpected stories, wherever you get your podcasts. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. Shipping giant FedEx is suing the Trump administration, calling for a full refund for tariffs the company paid during President Trump's trade war over the last year. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump had illegally levied the tariffs using an emergency power. FedEx is the first major company to seek a refund for tariffs since the decision. Snow is still piling up in New England after a bomb cyclone slammed into the Northeast, knocking out power and making travel impossible in some areas. A record-breaking amount of snow has fallen in Rhode Island, eclipsing a previous record set almost 50 years ago. The National Weather Service reported nearly 33 inches at the state's airport this afternoon, and the snow was still coming down hard. Ocean State Media's Ben Burke has more. Fall River, Massachusetts sits right on the Rhode Island border. In this city of 100 people ambulances and fire trucks are getting stuck in the snow Mayor Paul Coogan says medics have had to walk for blocks to fulfill some 911 calls He calling in outside help to plow and shovel It's going to be a while. I've got regular conversations with the governor and lieutenant governor and they're going to be sending some equipment. We're going to be working with the National Guard. But this is like the blizzard of 78 that you all heard about. This is it again. Coogan says that blizzard shut down driving for over a week and contributed to close to two dozen deaths across the region. For NPR News, I'm Ben Burke in Fall River, Massachusetts. A federal judge has permanently barred the release of a report by Special Counsel Jack Smith on his investigation into President Trump's hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon was appointed by Trump. She granted his request to keep the report under wraps. Cannon dismissed the case in 2024 after ruling that Smith was unlawfully appointed. Doctor and health commentator Peter Atiyah has resigned from CBS News after disclosures of graphic emails with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. NPR's David Fulkenflick says CBS editor-in-chief Barry Weiss had hired Atiyah as she reshaped the network's news division. Peter Atiyah came to CBS from the Free Press Barry Weiss opinion a news site that has stood against the idea of cancel culture Days later the U Justice Department released files showing crude exchanges between Atiyah and Epstein Atiyah emails were sent years after Epstein had served time for procuring a minor for prostitution. Atiyah apologized, calling his remarks embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible. Weiss stood by Atiyah, but pressure built on her from inside CBS News. Corporate parent Paramount doesn't want the headlines amid its long-shot bid to acquire CNN's owner. A colleague with direct knowledge confirmed the resignation. She spoke on condition of anonymity as she did not have permission to speak publicly about personnel matters. David Folkenflik, NPR News. U.S. stocks slumped today after President Trump ramped up his newest tariffs and investors continued to punish companies that could be losers in the artificial intelligence revolution. This is NPR News from Washington. Police have arrested Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to Washington, as part of an investigation into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. It comes after police arrested King Charles' brother, Andrew, four days ago, also in an Epstein-related investigation. Police are investigating whether Mandelson passed government information to the late financier and sex offender. Some scientific research will be funded this year, despite President Trump's budget-cutting efforts. That because Congress restored investments to many federal agencies NPR Katia Riddle reports The appropriations process isn 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. 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. For 2026, Congress protected more than $10 billion for federal science agencies from President Trump's proposed cuts. Katie Riddle, NPR News. The U.S. women's hockey gold medal winning team has politely declined an invitation from President Trump to attend his State of the Union address tomorrow. The team says it was sincerely grateful for the invitation but would be unable to attend due to the timing. Trump also invited the U.S. men's gold medal winning team. That could be a challenge, though, as the NHL schedule resumes on Wednesday. I'm Ryland Barton, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.