Today's Top Stories from NBC News

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2026

In today's newsletter: From historic gold medals to scandals that went viral, a look the top moments of the Winter Olympics. The killing of Mexico's most-wanted cartel boss sets off a wave of violence in the country. And tens of millions across the United States are under blizzard alerts as a powerful storm hits the northeast.

Here's what to know today.

▼ The Lead

The moments that defined the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

(Chelsea Stahl / NBC News; Getty Images)

After nearly three weeks of competition, the Olympic torches were extinguished to end the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. Athletes said Ciao to Italy in Verona's ancient Roman arena, where "Beauty in Action" was the theme of the closing ceremony.

The Winter Olympics will be remembered for historic triumphs, devastating losses and viral controversies. Here are some of the standout moments:

🏒 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 A hockey sweep: The U.S. defeated Canada to win hockey gold in overtime — twice. The men's team won its first gold medal since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" and the women clinched their first since 2018.

🧊 ⛸️ Figure skaters stun: Alysa Liu won gold in women's figure skating, the first for an American in the event in more than two decades. And in a major upset, Ilia Malinin missed the podium in his individual event.

🇳🇴 🥇 Norway leads with 41 medals: Cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, known as "King Klæbo," led the way with six golds, the most ever in a single Olympics.

🗣️ Cheating heard 'round the world: A skier's admission in a postrace interview that he had cheated on his girlfriend went viral. As did a shouting match after Sweden accused Canada's curling team of an illegal touch.

From crashes to records, see our full Olympics recap here. And the action isn't over yet, because the Paralympics begin March 6.

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Julie Tsirkin on the armed man fatally shot at Mar-a-Lago

An armed man was killed after he breached the perimeter of Trump's estate. Our White House correspondent details what we know about the incident.

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The Mexican army killed the leader of the country's most powerful drug cartel yesterday, thrusting swaths of the nation into chaos.

Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," was wounded in an operation to capture him and he died while he was being flown to Mexico City, the Defense Department said in a statement. The drug lord was part of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which is known for trafficking fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. "provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation" in which Oseguera Cervantes was killed.

The cartel had a forceful reaction to his death, setting up roadblocks with burning vehicles. Videos showed smoke billowing over the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco and people sprinting through the airport of the state's capital in panic. While no airports have been closed, roadblocks are affecting airline operations.

Read the full story here.

Heavy snow and travel chaos hits the Northeast

About 41 million people are under blizzard warnings from Maryland to Maine, as a historic storm. Forecasters were predicting up to 2 feet of snow for some areas, 70 mph wind gusts and dangerous whiteout conditions into this morning.

Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Connecticut have declared states of emergency, with commercial vehicle bans and travel restrictions taking effect. New York City's travel ban is in effect until noon, and officials warn the storm could rank among the city's 10 worst in 150 years.

For the first time in 30 years, all 21 counties in New Jersey are under a blizzard warning. David Sierotowicz, the acting superintendent for New Jersey State Police, advised anyone by the water to remain at home if they can. He reminded the public that "roads can wait, your life can't."

Follow live updates on our blog, and track the storm's path here.

Epstein files fallout: Tracking the resignations, firings and investigations

The Justice Department's release of millions of files related to Jeffrey Epstein has shaken the upper echelons of power across the globe. It's resulted in high profile firings and resignations, and a number of active criminal investigations overseas.

Peter Mandelson was fired as British ambassador to the U.S. after documents showed he had a much closer relationship with the convicted sex offender than was previously known. In some, he appeared to share sensitive government information with Epstein.

Thorbjørn Jagland, the former prime minister of Norway, was charged with "aggravated corruption" after searches of his home. And billionaire Tom Pritzker is stepping down from his role as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corp. because of revelations in the files.

Those are just some of the wealthy and powerful individuals impacted by the information released. NBC News is tracking the fallout, and you can read the full list here.

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▼ Read All About It

The search for Nancy Guthrie is in its fourth week, and authorities haven't publicly identified a suspect or a person of interest. Here's what could come next in the investigation.

The BBC apologized for a racial slur shouted at "Sinners" actors during the BAFTAs, saying it was the result of involuntary tics associated with Tourette syndrome.

TSA PreCheck will remain operational for now, a spokesperson for the agency said, reversing earlier suspension plans over Homeland Security's funding lapse.

▼ Staff Pick

This powerful forensic tool is cracking cold cases — but its price tag is often an obstacle

Since the arrest of the "Golden State Killer" nearly a decade ago, the forensic tool that made that case possible — genetic genealogy — has surged in popularity. It is often used to help law enforcement agencies and medical examiners solve the coldest of cold cases.

But I was shocked to find a crowdsourced fundraiser soliciting donations for a cold homicide investigation in California. Why would authorities have to rely on private donations to pay for an investigative tool with a track record like genetic genealogy? As I began trying to answer that question, I found dozens more fundraisers from across the United States and talked to experts about the grim financial reality faced by many who are trying to solve these long-stalled cases.

— Tim Stelloh, breaking news reporter

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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today's newsletter was curated for you by Kayla Hayempour.

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