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Top Headlines of the Day
Justice Department’s Withheld Epstein Files: Despite the release of numerous pages from the Epstein files to the public, NPR has identified a significant gap. The Justice Department has either removed or withheld several documents concerning allegations that President Trump was involved in sexual misconduct with a minor many years ago. The department has opted not to comment on the matter.
An NPR investigation finds the Justice Department has removed or withheld Epstein files related to sexual abuse accusations that mention President Trump.
Department of Justice and Getty Images/Collage by Danielle A. Scruggs/NPR
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Department of Justice and Getty Images/Collage by Danielle A. Scruggs/NPR
- 🎧 Stephen Fowler from NPR reports on an FBI email uncovered last July, which lists various allegations and tips related to Trump. Among these, one accuses him of sexually abusing a minor around 1983, coinciding with alleged abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. The FBI has investigated the claim and interviewed the accuser multiple times, yet only one interview has been disclosed, with no mention of Trump. The Justice Department has kept at least 50 pages of these records unpublished. The Trump administration maintains that the documents do not incriminate the president.
Mexico Recovers Post-El Mencho: Following the death of El Mencho, Mexico’s infamous drug lord, the country is gradually stabilizing. Businesses in affected regions will resume operations, and schools in Jalisco will open soon. However, the implications of his death on Mexico’s ongoing fight against drug cartels remain uncertain.
- 🎧 Eyder Peralta from NPR describes Guadalajara’s atmosphere as reminiscent of the COVID lockdown, with vacant streets and remnants of violence. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum prefers addressing the root causes of organized crime rather than direct confrontation, contrary to Trump’s push for aggressive measures against cartels.
Trump’s State of the Union Address: President Trump is set to address Congress for his second-term State of the Union tonight. This speech provides a platform to highlight his policies and guide his party’s narrative for the upcoming midterm elections. The address is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
Allegations of Unconstitutional Retaliation by Federal Agents: A class-action lawsuit claims federal agents targeted observers documenting immigration enforcement, labeling them as “domestic terrorists.” The lawsuit, filed by the nonprofit Protect Democracy and several law firms, raises concerns about federal practices. The Department of Homeland Security denies maintaining a domestic terrorist database and asserts adherence to constitutional guidelines.
Watch This
Newsom in conversation with NPR host Ailsa Chang.
Bronson Arcuri/NPR
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Bronson Arcuri/NPR
Explore in-depth discussions with leading figures on NPR platforms, including the NPR App and NPR.org.
Governor Gavin Newsom is wrapping up his term by traveling across the U.S. to energize voters ahead of the midterms. Known for his outspoken opposition to Trump, Newsom often challenges right-wing personalities. “I’m putting a mirror up to President Trump and I’m fighting fire with fire and I am punching a bully back in the mouth,” he stated to NPR. He engages in these confrontations even as he faces criticism within his party. His recent conversation with All Things Considered touched on his memoir Young Man in a Hurry, sharing insights from his personal challenges with dyslexia to his political strategies.
Read more about Newsom’s conversation with NPR’s Ailsa Chang or watch the interview. You can also check out the conversation on NPR’s YouTube page, Consider This and the NPR App.
Behind the Story
Local residents inspect damaged cars at the site of a Russian attack in Odesa on Feb. 13, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP via Getty Images
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Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP via Getty Images
Four years ago, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NPR’s Ukraine correspondent Joanna Kakissis and Russia correspondent Charles Maynes reflect on what it’s been like reporting on the war and the toll it’s taken on residents.
We have documented Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine since the beginning: the awful human cost, the thousands of missing Ukrainian children, the exhausted front line towns, the way this war has changed modern warfare and geopolitics, as well as Ukrainian and Russian society. An invasion that the Kremlin — and many in the West — predicted would end with Ukrainian capitulation within days has now lasted four years, with enormous casualties on both sides, according to British and U.S. sources.
Ukrainians are exhausted. They have adjusted their lives to constant Russian drone and missile attacks, to the turmoil and grief of defending the country in a long war. Many flinch when praised as resilient, as if, they say, there is another choice. “We have paid too high a price to give up,” says Olha Chupikova, from the southern front-line city of Kherson. Her son, a soldier, was killed in action last year. Volodymyr Mykolayenko, a former Kherson mayor who came home last fall after years in Russian captivity, is skeptical that talks sponsored by the Trump administration will actually end the war. “We used to see America as a defender of democracy,” he says. “Now they chose [Russian President Vladimir] Putin as their friend.”
Whatever Trump’s diplomatic aim, it hasn’t been enough to convince Putin to stop his assault. Russians’ hope that Trump could deliver peace has faded as Putin rejected even the most generous terms on offer. Despite Kremlin claims to the contrary, Western sanctions are taking their toll on the economy. State repression used to be aimed squarely at the political opposition. Now, even the invasion’s most ardent supporters have been targeted. Government restrictions now increasingly reach into the digital and cultural space — with bans on movies, music and social media affecting nearly everyone. Open criticism of the war was criminalized early on. Yet there’s a growing sense that amid a conflict with no end in sight, the state’s need for control, too, is endless.
3 Things to Know Before You Go
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: John Davidson attends the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on February 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images)
Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images/Getty Images Europe
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Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images/Getty Images Europe
- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTAs) issued an apology after the BBC broadcast a delayed recording of the ceremony featuring a man with Tourette syndrome using a racial slur.
- Researchers have identified a new Spinosaurus dinosaur species, the first such discovery in over a century, which thrived during the Jurassic period, over 140 million years ago. Read more.
- NPR’s Far-Flung Postcards reports from Kyiv, where residents rely on candles as they endure power outages amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Learn more.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
