Neural Newscast

[00:00] Victor Hale: From Neural Newscast, I'm Victor Hale.
[00:03] Victor Hale: And I'm Adriana Costa.
[00:04] Adriana Costa: Today is Sunday, February 22, 2026.
[00:09] Adriana Costa: Millions of residents along the Atlantic coast face a historic blizzard warning.
[00:15] Adriana Costa: New York City expects up to 20 inches of snow by Monday.
[00:19] Adriana Costa: Meanwhile, Team USA celebrates a record-breaking performance at the Winter Olympics.
[00:26] Victor Hale: We will also examine a critical court ruling in California that challenges federal policy.
[00:33] Victor Hale: And we look at the ticking clock on a major military decision regarding Iran.
[00:38] Adriana Costa: Turning now to the northeast, a powerful winter storm is bringing blizzard conditions to the Atlantic coast.
[00:46] Adriana Costa: The National Weather Service issued warnings for New Jersey, Long Island, and Connecticut.
[00:51] Victor Hale: New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani says the city could see 20 inches of snow.
[00:58] Victor Hale: This is the first blizzard warning for the five boroughs since 2017.
[01:03] Adriana Costa: Governors in New York and New Jersey have already declared states of emergency.
[01:08] Adriana Costa: Experts expect heavy snow to fall at rates of two inches per hour during the peak of the storm.
[01:15] Victor Hale: Travel will be extremely hazardous during the Monday morning commute.
[01:20] Victor Hale: More than 2,500 flights have already been canceled at regional airports like JFK and Newark.
[01:26] Adriana Costa: While the Northeast braces for the cold, Team USA is finding success in the snow of Milan Cortina.
[01:34] Adriana Costa: The Americans set a new record Saturday for the most gold medals won in a single winter games.
[01:41] Victor Hale: The Americans set a new record Saturday for the most gold medals won in a single winter games.
[01:48] Victor Hale: Connor Curran and Chris Lillis secured the 11th gold for the U.S. in the mixed-team aerials.
[01:54] Victor Hale: This performance surpasses the previous record of 10 golds set back in 2002.
[01:59] Adriana Costa: The weekend could bring even more hardware for the American delegation.
[02:04] Adriana Costa: The men's hockey team faces Canada today to play for another gold medal.
[02:10] Victor Hale: In other news, President Trump says he will decide on a military strike against Iran within the next 15 days.
[02:18] Victor Hale: He has not made a final call, but notes his preference is for a deal.
[02:23] Adriana Costa: The U.S. military has moved aircraft carriers and warplanes into position across the Middle East.
[02:30] Adriana Costa: Trump is demanding that Iran completely abandon its nuclear program as part of any negotiation.
[02:38] Victor Hale: Iranian officials say they are open to talks, but refuse to negotiate on issues outside of
[02:44] Victor Hale: their nuclear program.
[02:45] Victor Hale: They have also warned of potential responses that could target American interests far beyond
[02:51] Victor Hale: the region.
[02:51] Adriana Costa: Still, the administration is facing legal pushback at home regarding health care policy.
[02:58] Adriana Costa: A California judge just ordered a San Diego hospital to continue transgender treatments for minors, despite federal pressure.
[03:08] Victor Hale: Judge Matthew Branner extended a restraining order for 15 days for Rady Children's Hospital.
[03:14] Victor Hale: This blocks the president's executive order that threatens to pull federal funding from such facilities.
[03:20] Adriana Costa: The ruling highlights a growing legal divide between states.
[03:24] Adriana Costa: While California courts intervene, a hospital in New York City recently ended its youth gender program under administration pressure.
[03:34] Victor Hale: Next, we remember a pioneer who defined the sound of the Bronx and Puerto Rico.
[03:41] Victor Hale: Salsa legend Willie Cologne has died at the age of 75.
[03:46] Adriana Costa: His family says the trombonist and orchestra leader passed away peacefully on Saturday morning.
[03:52] Adriana Costa: Cologne's career spanned nearly 60 years and included 15 gold records and a lifetime achievement Grammy.
[04:00] Victor Hale: He was more than a musician.
[04:02] Victor Hale: He was a social activist who explored the Puerto Rican identity in the U.S.
[04:08] Victor Hale: His manager, Pietro Carlos, called him an architect of the New York Sound.
[04:13] Adriana Costa: Turning to sports and social change in India.
[04:17] Adriana Costa: Young women are using football to resist forced marriages.
[04:21] Adriana Costa: In Rajasthan, the game is providing girls with the confidence to say no to proposals.
[04:28] Adriana Costa: Nisha Vaishnav, who now plays for the state team, famously refused to proposal when she was just 14.
[04:36] Adriana Costa: For these athletes, the pitch is a space for autonomy where child marriage remains common.
[04:42] Adriana Costa: I'm Victor Hale. Thank you for listening.
[04:45] Victor Hale: And I'm Adriana Costa.
[04:48] Victor Hale: Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
[04:53] Victor Hale: View our AI transparency policy at neuralnewscast.com.
[04:58] Adriana Costa: Neural Newscast uses artificial intelligence in content creation
[05:02] Adriana Costa: with human editorial review prior to publication.
[05:05] Adriana Costa: While we strive for factual, unbiased reporting, AI-assisted content may occasionally contain
[05:10] Adriana Costa: errors. Verify critical information with trusted sources. Learn more at neuralnewscast.com.