Today's Top Stories from NBC News

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026

In today's newsletter: Former Prince Andrew is arrested. NBC News polls indicate Minnesotans are even more sharply divided on Trump's immigration policies than Americans nationwide. And a new sport debuts at the Winter Olympics.

Here's what to know today.

▼ The Lead

Poll: Immigration operations in Minnesota increase polarization

(Alex Brandon / AP)

President Donald Trump's immigration policies have divided Minnesotans even more sharply than Americans nationwide, according to new NBC News Decision Desk polls.

After federal officers killed two U.S. citizens last month, self-identified Republicans in the state expressed stronger support for Trump's immigration agenda than Republicans nationwide. Minnesota Democrats and independents were more against the policies than their counterparts across the country.

Across a range of questions, Minnesotans frequently had stronger feelings compared with all U.S. adults. For example, adults from the state were less likely to respond that they "somewhat" approved or disapproved of the president's actions.

The pattern extended to Minnesotans' convictions about whether it was true that "regular, law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear" about immigration agents. Nationally, 31% of adults strongly agreed with that statement, compared with 34% in Minnesota. Meanwhile, 40% nationally strongly disagreed, compared with 46% of adult Minnesotans who strongly disagreed.

Here's what else we learned.

If you were planning on calling out of work sick to watch the Olympics, today would've been the day to do so.

A new sport will make its debut — a brutal, high-altitude event called ski mountaineering, or skimo. Athletes will climb uphill wearing carpet-like skins on their skis or just their stiff boots, before barreling back down the course.

Elsewhere, speed skater Jordan Stolz eyes his third gold in the 1500m, after the 21-year-old set record times in his other two events.

The final figure skating medal will be given in the women's single event, with American Alysa Liu in contention for the podium alongside Japan's Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto.

And it's a rivalry for the history books: The U.S. women's hockey team faces Canada for the fifth consecutive time in the gold medal game. In the previous four, Team USA only won once. Is this the year captain Hilary Knight flips the script on Marie-Philip Poulin?

Follow live updates on our blog.

More from Milan Cortina:

Quinn Hughes' wrist shot in overtime sent the U.S. men's hockey team past Sweden 2-1 to advance to the semifinals against Slovakia.

Mikaela Shiffrin stormed to gold in the slalom, ending her eight-year medal drought.

✱ FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Andrew Greif reports from Milan on a Paralympic controversy

Our sports reporter explains backlash from Ukrainian officials, who say they will boycott the Paralympics for allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their flags.

Become an NBC News subscriber to access this exclusive video briefing →

Former Prince Andrew arrested following Epstein files revelations

Police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on his 66th birthday following weeks of revelations over the former prince's dealings with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Thames Valley Police, which covers an area in southern England, said it had arrested a man in his sixties on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and that its officers were searching two addresses in regions that include the royal Sandringham Estate.

"We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time," Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said. "Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office."

Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing in connection to his affiliation with Epstein, and said he regrets the friendship.

Follow the latest developments on our liveblog.

Related news:

Billionaire Les Wexner testified to the House Oversight Committee that he was "conned" by Jeffrey Epstein but denied any wrongdoing, according to a prepared statement one of his representatives provided to NBC News.

Trump's 'Board of Peace' to hold first meeting, with key U.S. allies absent

Trump's "Board of Peace" will convene for its first long-awaited meeting today, with the next stage of the ceasefire in Gaza at the center of the talks.

Representatives from at least 40 countries are expected in Washington for the summit, among them Trump allies Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban and Argentinian President Javier Milei, according to a senior U.S. official.

The president is expected to announce a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza and funding contributions from board members. He is also slated to unveil the details of a United Nations-authorized stabilization force for the enclave, including the countries planning to dedicate troops, the official said.

Notably absent from the talks, however, will be key U.S. allies, with the U.K., France and Norway, Sweden and Slovenia among the countries declining to join the body.

Read the full story here.

Related news:

Palestinians in the West Bank fear annexation, as new Israeli regulations tighten control over the territory and strip the local governorate of planning and building authority.

The Defense Department is sending a large array of additional weaponry to the Middle East as Trump weighs whether to take military action against Iran.

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▼ Read All About It

Yoon Suk Yeol, the impeached president of South Korea, was found guilty of insurrection and sentenced to life in prison over his failed attempt to impose martial law in 2024.

Mark Zuckerberg said Instagram isn't designed to addict young users while on the stand in a landmark trial on the harms of social media.

Eight people were killed in the Lake Tahoe avalanche, with one person still missing but presumed dead, authorities said in an update.

"Pulp Fiction" actor Peter Greene died after he accidentally shot himself in the armpit, the medical examiner said.

▼ Staff Pick

Hollywood is thirsty for more romance adaptations

For years, the female audience has yearned for more romance films and TV show adaptations. Now, it seems, Hollywood is finally listening. While the '90s and 2000s had plenty of classic rom-coms, in recent years, studios have leaned more heavily into super hero adaptations and recycling IP.

But thanks to the surge in romance readers (many who count themselves part of the #booktok community online), many romance authors are being courted by producers, agents and executives. Some studios are even offering these top authors six- to seven-figure deals. Read more in senior Hollywood reporter Rebecca Keegan's deep dive, and subscribe to her newsletter On the Lot for more great insights.

— Saba Hamedy, culture and trends editor

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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Kayla Hayempour, with contributions from Rufina Chow.

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