U.S. and Iran to hold nuclear talks. And, Harvard professor resigns over Epstein ties

NPR | By Brittney Melton

Published February 26, 2026 at 5:19 AM MST

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Officials from the U.S. and Iran are set to meet today in Geneva to discuss Tehran's nuclear program in what appears to be the last opportunity to avoid war. The development comes after President Trump claimed, without providing evidence, in his State of the Union address that Iran was developing missiles that could reach the U.S. The U.S. military buildup in the Middle East is currently at its highest level since the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003.

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford departs Souda Bay on the island of Crete on Feb. 26.

🎧 The U.S.' threats against Iran and the possibility of Iranian retaliation have raised the risk of a wider war, putting the entire region on high alert, NPR's Jane Arraf tells Up First. Ahead of the two countries' meeting, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that there is a basis for an agreement with the U.S. on the nuclear issue, but made it clear that ballistic missiles are off the table. Arraf says no breakthroughs are expected today; however, scheduling more talks would signal progress. Meanwhile, several countries in the Middle East, such as Lebanon, are advising citizens to leave while they still can because of the risk of the conflict widening if Iran is attacked.

Prominent Harvard professor and economist Larry Summers announced his resignation from teaching later this year. His statement comes after a new revelation about Summers' relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Summers is one of Harvard's most well-known figures, serving as its president for five years starting in 2001. He was also Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton. Harvard continues to investigate Summers and others for their ties to Epstein.

🎧 Summers maintained communication with the late financier even after Epstein's first conviction in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution, Suevon Lee from NPR's network station WBUR says. The professor's personal correspondence with Epstein continued until 2019, shortly before Epstein's arrest on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. Summers hasn't faced any criminal accusations, but the emails demonstrate his closeness to Epstein, Lee says. Lee says that some staff members have applauded Harvard's decision to reopen investigations into Epstein's ties to professors since the emails came to light in November. Harvard is not the only academic institution with ties to Epstein. Lee says among the names in the Epstein files are at least a handful of professors and one college president.

Cuban border troops engaged in a gunfight late Wednesday with a boat registered in Florida, according to Cuban officials. The government says soldiers killed four people on board the boat, and six others were injured. Cuba says the boat was carrying "terrorists trying to infiltrate the island." Officials recovered assault rifles, handguns and Molotov cocktails from the vessel, according to Cuba's interior ministry.

🎧 The government confirms that the men on the boat were known to them. They were Cubans living in the U.S., and the Cuban government had designated some of them as terrorists, NPR's Eyder Peralta says. Amijail Sanchez Gonzalez, who runs Auto Defensa del Pueblo, or the people's self-defense group, is one of the survivors, according to the Cuban government. Gonzalez's friend Kiki Naranjo told Peralta that they run the organization and have been recruiting Cubans from the island over the past few years to build a clandestine society to sabotage the Cuban government from the inside. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would investigate the matter, but wouldn't jump to any conclusions. Michael Bustamante, who studies Cuba at the University of Miami, tells Peralta that he believes the Trump administration wants to escalate things with Cuba beyond a point, but doing so could lead to mass migration or regime change, triggering a U.S. military intervention that Trump doesn't want.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will not patrol polling locations during this year's midterm elections, a Department of Homeland Security official said yesterday on a call with top state voting officials. Kentucky Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams confirmed the promise in a social media post. The declaration comes as the president has continued to push false claims of noncitizen voter fraud, as recently as in Tuesday night's State of the Union address.

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Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt leads Oklahoma, a state that gave Trump 66% of its vote in 2024. Stitt has publicly diverged from the president multiple times this year. Most elected Republicans avoid direct criticism of the president, voting for his policies even when they may disagree with them. Stitt has made his disagreements clear, notably challenging Trump's determination to remove everyone without legal status from the U.S. For his part, Trump has described Stitt as a "wiseguy" on social media, among other things. On the sidelines of the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C., Stitt discussed his vision for the Republican party's post-Trump future and more with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep.

Listen to the interview, read the article about their discussion and watch the full video. You can also check out the conversation on NPR's YouTube page, a special Up First podcast episode and the NPR App.

Picture show

Sgt. Misha Varvarych, 28, an 80th Airborne Assault Brigade commander delights in the ocean waters of Daytona Beach FL on January 28, 2023. To live with joy and hope has become a weapon against war.

He faces a profound new battle - to walk again.

He and his fiancé Ira Botvynska, 19, traveled to the US to receive rehabilitation and state-of-the-art prosthetics with assistance from the nonprofit Revived Soldiers Ukraine. They navigate an altered destiny after he lost both legs fighting during the Russian invasion amid a growing number of war wounded amputees. Their unflinching romance speaks not of life interrupted but rather adapted and embraced.

The nonprofit, founded by Irina Vashchuk Discipio has brought soldiers to the US to heal since there is a shortage of specialists in Ukraine and hospitals are also under attack. A few weeks turned into four months at the Prosthetic & Orthotic Associates center. — Sgt. Misha Varvarych, 28, an 80th Airborne Assault Brigade commander delights in the ocean waters of Daytona Beach FL on January 28, 2023. To live with joy and hope has become a weapon against war. He faces a profound new battle - to walk again. He and his fiancé Ira Botvynska, 19, traveled to the US to receive rehabilitation and state-of-the-art prosthetics with assistance from the nonprofit Revived Soldiers Ukraine. They navigate an altered destiny after he lost both legs fighting during the Russian invasion amid a growing number of war wounded amputees. Their unflinching romance speaks not of life interrupted but rather adapted and embraced. The nonprofit, founded by Irina Vashchuk Discipio has brought soldiers to the US to heal since there is a shortage of specialists in Ukraine and hospitals are also under attack. A few weeks turned into four months at the Prosthetic & Orthotic Associates center.

Much like the growing number of war-wounded amputees, Sgt. Mykhailo "Misha" Varvarych, a Ukrainian 80th Airborne Assault Brigade commander, navigates an altered reality after he lost his legs during Russia's full-scale invasion. In January 2023, Varvarych and his partner, Iryna "Ira" Botvynska, traveled to Orlando, Fla., to visit Revived Soldiers Ukraine, a nonprofit organization that supports Ukrainian soldiers. There, they received rehabilitation and state-of-the-art prosthetics. Together, Varvarych and Botvynska's romance showcases a life marked by the changes of these years, from prosthetic fittings to a marriage proposal. Their decision to live with joy and hope has become a weapon against war. These photos capture how Varvarych has tackled life head-on.

3 things to know before you go

This year marks Lauryn Hill's first time appearing on the Rock Hall shortlist.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame yesterday announced its shortlist for the 2026 class of inductees, including Melissa Etheridge and the Wu-Tang Clan.
The prediction market app Kalshi has suspended an editor who works for YouTube creator MrBeast and reported the editor to federal regulators for insider trading, according to company officials.
NPR's Jane Arraf recalls a mid-February visit to Jordan's Wadi Rum desert, the otherworldly Star Wars filming location, in this week's Far Flung Postcard.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.