by Brittney Melton

February 19, 2026

Good morning. The film industry is off to a roaring start this year, and this spring promises a great time at the movies! Plan your trip to the theaters now with these seven flicks you can catch before Memorial Day. Here’s the news we’re following today:

President Trump convenes the first-ever meeting of the Board of Peace today at the Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute for Peace in Washington. The president says he created the group to oversee his Gaza ceasefire plan and that member states have already pledged $5 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction. At today’s event, Trump will address heads of state and top diplomats from around 40 countries, including the European Union.

People snap photos outside the United States Peace Institute, with the recently added name of President Trump. The building's updated signage reads 'Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace.'

Allison Robbert / AFP via Getty Images

🎧 Today’s meeting is significant because the next steps in the ceasefire deal that Trump pushed through last October remain unclear, NPR’s Aya Batrawy tells Up First. Additionally, officials could unveil which countries made the initial pledges for reconstruction efforts. The $5 billion commitment is only a fraction of what Gaza needs. The money would go toward the Trump administration's vision for a new Gaza under Israeli control and not to the area where Palestinians are living, Batrawy says. Currently, Israeli forces occupy over half of Gaza, leaving some 2 million Palestinians in dire conditions in a sliver by the sea that Hamas governs. Among the topics that nations could discuss today is a crucial step in Trump’s ceasefire plan, which involves the deployment of thousands of international troops into Gaza.

U.K. police have arrested a man in his 60s on suspicion of “misconduct in public office.” U.K. media reports that this man is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew. Police have investigated whether Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential government information with his late friend, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while he was U.K.’s trade envoy. Mountbatten-Windsor admits to ties to Epstein and settled a lawsuit with one of Epstein’s underage victims, but denies wrongdoing. The media spotted several vehicles at the royals’ Sandringham estate this morning, NPR’s Lauren Frayer, who is in London, confirms. Mountbatten-Windsor turns 66 today. He has been living at the estate since being evicted from his royal cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

The U.S. has concluded another round of talks in an effort to end the war in Ukraine. While the White House pressures Kyiv to make concessions, it is negotiating with Moscow. Today, Russia’s negotiator offered $14 trillion in deals if the U.S. drops its sanctions.

🎧 Russia is tempting the White House with huge potential profits because the Kremlin knows the Trump administration views diplomacy through a business lens, NPR’s Charles Maynes says. Moscow suggests that lifting sanctions and achieving "peace" would unlock American investment in rare earth minerals, energy, and mining. Russia continues to insist its victory in Ukraine is inevitable, despite the glacial pace of its gains and heavy battlefield losses. Russia’s talking points are designed to convince Trump that Ukraine’s surrender serves everyone’s interests. Ukraine continues to refuse demands to surrender territory.

Trump is demanding billions of dollars from his own government by filing multiple claims against the Justice Department. He argues that past investigations and the leak of his tax returns years ago hurt him. Now, he has forced his own political appointees to decide whether to pay their boss with taxpayer funds. These claims amount to unfinished business for the president, says a White House official, who was not authorized to speak on the record.

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Wearing a winter coat and walking outdoors after dark, President Trump talks with reporters on his walk to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Feb. 6. A U.S. flag flies on a flagpole in the background.

Heather Diehl/Getty Images

President Trump’s Truth Social account recently posted an image depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes. The action prompted outcry over the racist trope. The White House deleted the post, and Trump deflected the blame to an aide. Scholars and civil rights advocates, steeped in the language and aesthetics of white nationalism, find the post to be part of an overtly racist trope. They say it fits a year-long pattern where extremist rhetoric, visual material and other media have found their way into public messaging from federal agencies.

➡️ The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is behind the most notable examples of extremist themes in federal messages, some extremist researchers say. The agency has generated a body of propaganda in its effort to recruit large numbers of new federal agents.
➡️ Researchers cite the characterization of immigration as an "invasion," federal calls to "defend the homeland" and the promotion of "remigration" as examples where the administration has mainstreamed once-fringe concepts.
➡️ The Trump administration dismissed connections between its messages and white nationalist movements. A DHS spokesperson suggested NPR is "manufacturing outrage" when responding to questions about the connections.

Marcus Mumford, with his eyes closed, sings into a mic and plays a guitar.

Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

After a seven-year hiatus between albums, British folk-rock band Mumford & Sons is back. Lead singer Marcus Mumford was in denial about his identity as a songwriter when he received a pep talk from Oasis' Noel Gallagher. He told Mumford he should be writing songs every day. Their conversation lit a fire under him. Now, Mumford & Sons are about to release Prizefighter, their second album in just seven months. The album includes several guest appearances, including Hozier on a track called "Rubber Band Man." Listen to snippets of the new music and hear Mumford discuss the musical decisions he made for the band's latest album.

Sweden's Mika Zibanejad (93), wearing a yellow and black uniform, and U.S.'s JT Miller (10), in a red, white and blue uniform, chase the puck during the third period of a men's ice hockey quarterfinal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Hassan Ammar/AP

The U.S. men’s hockey team advanced to the Olympic semifinals yesterday, guaranteeing them a chance to play for what would be the team’s first medal since 2010.

In this week’s Far-Flung Postcard, NPR’s Greg Dixon takes us to Cairo, Egypt, as Ramadan begins. There, traditional lanterns called fawanees don the busy streets as shoppers get ready for the holiday.

Barbara Alvarez lost her husband in 2017, just before their daughter left for college. Alvarez was struck hard by the realization she was a single mom when she saw parents helping other students at the dorms. A dorm hall minister helped them unpack. The unsung hero's assistance gave Alvarez hope, and her impact still resonates today.

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This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

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