NPR News: 02-24-2026 7PM EST

How could your favorite NPR podcast get any better? Well, what if it had bonus features such as extended interviews and zero sponsor breaks? There is a remarkably easy way to turn that fantasy into reality. It's called NPR Plus. You get perks across more than 25 NPR podcasts while supporting the teams that make them. Make great podcasts even greater by visiting plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. In his State of the Union address tonight, President Trump will continue his months-long message that he's working to ease the cost of living. That will include new policies, according to the White House, one aimed at easing electricity costs. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben has more. Trump will unveil ratepayer protection pledges in the speech as first reported by the Wall Street Journal and confirmed to NPR by the White House. Under these pledges, tech companies building new AI data centers will pay higher rates for electricity. The goal is to protect consumers from spiking electricity costs as the data centers use massive amounts of energy. Trump's affordability message comes as he has also pledged to impose new tariffs after the Supreme Court last week ruled a raft of his import taxes unconstitutional. Studies have shown that Trump tariffs have raised prices for U businesses and consumers Danielle Kurtzleben NPR News the White House And the U men gold medal winning hockey team will attend the State of the Union After extending the invitation to the men team on Sunday night Trump quipped that if he didn't also invite the women's team, quote, I probably would be impeached. The women's team also won gold over Canada. They politely declined the invite, citing scheduling conflicts. Fewer congressional races are expected to be competitive this fall, and experts say the extraordinary mid-decade redistricting efforts initiated by President Trump are largely to blame. NPR's Ashley Lopez reports. David Wasserman is with the Cook Political Report, which ranks the competitive and partisan leaning of political districts. He says efforts in states across the country to create more safe seats for their respective parties has led to a situation where there are fewer seats that will be competitive come November. There's no doubt that this mid-decade redistricting war has diminished the ranks of competitive seats to the point where likely fewer than 5% of Americans are going to have a genuine say over who controls the House in November. Wasserman says in Trump's first term, his group rated 48 seats as either toss-ups or leaning toward one party. This year, though, there are just 36 of those seats. Ashley Lopez, NPR News. Cities across the state of Jalisco in Mexico are returning to normal after the killing of the country biggest drug lord NPR Ada Peralta reports authorities have lifted a red alert The Mexican military says Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes who was better known as El Mencho was killed during an operation to capture him on Sunday His death unleashed waves of violence across more than 20 states, but calm has returned to the state of Alisco, where he wielded most of his power. The governor says schools will reopen on Wednesday, and many businesses have already reopened. The government of Mexico says that international airlines will also restart flights soon out of the resort town of Puerto Vallarta. Authorities say they found El Mencho at a country club in the mountains surrounding Guadalajara. It was a place frequented by powerful people, including politicians and business leaders. Adapralta, NPR News, Tapalpa in Jalisco State, Mexico. The U.S. stock market rose today. This is NPR News. A divided Supreme Court has ruled that Americans can't sue the Postal Service even when employees deliberately refused to deliver mail. The justices ruled against a black Texas landlord who alleges racial prejudice played a role in postal employees intentionally withholding her mail for two years. The city of Miami Beach broke up with spring break two years ago after a string of deadly shootings. Now it wants to bring in business by loosening its grip on the festivities. From member station WLRN Joshua Ceballos reports After facing complaints from businesses that crackdowns were driving customers away Miami Beach has softened some of its harsher restrictions Its relationship status with spring break is still icy however Here's Miami Beach City Manager Eric Carpenter. Our police and enforcement presence remains unchanged, and we are still very much broken up with spring break with no interest in ever getting back together. Spring breakers are warned that parking will cost between $40 and $100 on South Beach, and towing fees are doubled. Police will also set up checkpoints at beach entrances. For NPR News, I'm Joshua Ceballos in Miami. Meanwhile, millions across the Northeast are digging out after a storm blanketed the region with snow, canceled flights, and downed power lines. The National Weather Service warns another storm is right around the corner. In New York City, Mayor Zaran Mamdani declared that students in the nation's largest public school system had a regular day. He invited kids to pelt him with snowballs over the decision. You are listening to NPR News from Washington. Listen to this podcast sponsor-free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now Plus at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.