The Megyn Kelly Show - Zuck Testifies at Social Media Trial, Potomac Sewage Disaster, Deadly CA Avalanche: AM Update 2/19

Episode Date: February 19, 2026

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in a landmark trial that could reshape the future of social media, as plaintiffs accuse major platforms of deliberately designing addictive products for children. President Trump marks Black History Month at the White House, highlighting historic contributions of Black Americans while touting gains in employment and support within the community. A massive sewage spill into the Potomac River sparks a toxic environmental threat and an escalating political blame battle between the Trump administration and regional leaders. Nine back-country skiers are presumed dead after a devastating avalanche near Lake Tahoe, as brutal weather hampers rescue and recovery efforts. SelectQuote: Compare top‑rated life insurance options. Visit https://SelectQuote.com/megyn to get the right coverage at the right price. Relief Factor: Find out if Relief Factor can help you live pain-free—try the 3-Week QuickStart for just $19.95 at https://ReliefFactor.com or call 800-4-RELIEF. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Emily Jashinsky, host of After Party and the Megan Kelly wrap-up show on SiriusXM Channel 111. It's Thursday, February 19th, 2026. This is your AM update. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in a major trial that could fundamentally alter how social media companies operate. We thank God for the strength and courage and grit and devotion of black Americans. President Trump hosts a Black History Month event at the White House. President Trump and the federal government are standing by to step in. A toxic mess in the Potomac River leading to an even messier blame game in Washington. And after hours of treacherous rescue efforts, nine missing skiers presumed dead in a California avalanche. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update. These last few years have been a wild ride.

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Save more than 50% on term life insurance at selectquote.com slash Megan today to get started. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appearing in a Los Angeles court yesterday morning, testifying in a high-stakes legal battle that could fundamentally change how social media companies operate. At stake, whether platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat, designed their products to be addictive to children, regardless of the negative outcomes. The case brought by a 19-year-old from Chico, California, identified only by her initials, KGM, who alleges negligence and negligent failure to warn. It is the first case of its kind to reach a jury trial,

with thousands more potentially coming depending on the outcome. Legal analysts comparing the moment to the big tobacco trials of the 90s, which ultimately forced cigarette companies to pay billions and overhaul product marketing, preventing advertising that appeals to children. During questioning, Zuckerberg dodging a question about the addictive, of social media. Attorney for KGM, Mark Lanier, asking if people are likely to use something more if it's addictive. Zuckerberg, replying, quote, I'm not sure what to say about that. I don't think that applies here. Lanier questioning Zuckerberg about age limits on the platform. Users are required

to be at least 13 years old to sign up for Facebook and Instagram. Zuckerberg testifying that some people lie about their age when signing up. Lanier replying, quote, you expect a nine-year-old to read all of the fine print. That's your basis for swearing under oath that children under 13 are not allowed. Zuckerberg saying that the company works to remove all accounts operated by kids under 13. Lanier also questioning Zuckerberg about his preparation for his testimony and other public appearances. Linnear pointing to an internal document advising him to appear, quote, authentic, direct, human, insightful, and real. Zuckerberg replying that he is not coached, then saying, quote, I think I'm actually well known to be sort of bad at this.

Facebook and Instagram deny wrongdoing. TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap, reaching undisclosed settlements with KGM in January just ahead of the trial. The trial is expected to last several more weeks. Beyond financial damages, plaintiffs are seeking changes to the app's designs to prevent future harms to children. President Trump yesterday hosting a White House event celebrating Black History Month. The East Room, crowded with many of the president's prominent black supporters,

black support for Mr. Trump nearly doubling between the 2020 and 2024 election, from 8% to 15% according to Pew Research. The president honoring the contribution of Black Americans throughout the nation's history. But we thank God for the strength and courage and grit and devotion of black Americans who have helped make America the most powerful country in the history of the world. Nearly 10,000 African Americans fought for the patriot caused in the Revolutionary War. Did you know that? 10,000 and it's actually a number, I've heard even higher than that, helping secure our independence in every generation since from the Buffalo soldiers

to the Tuskegee Airmen, Black Americans have stepped forward to defend the flag and to defend our country, like few others, really, like few others. and you've never really been given the recognition that you should get for that. President Trump touting key wins for the black community under his administration. More Americans are working today than at any time in American history. So we have more Americans right now working than at any time. And you know, when I say this stuff, I get the fake news back there, a lot of it. Thank you. I agree.

And since I took office, African American employment has increased by 182,000, the highest ever. jobs. 182,000, nearly half a million black Americans have rejoined the labor force since we took office. Mr. Trump inviting seven attendees on stage to speak, including Dr. Ben Carson, HUD secretary Scott Turner, and D.C. resident for Lisa Cook, who lost her grandson to gun violence. Cook delivering this passionate defense of Mr. Trump. One thing I like about him, he keeps it real just like grandma. Thank God for this president. Because he allowed his people to come to my house to interview me to talk about the murder of my grandson. It seemed like nobody cared and nobody heard me.

Then they invited me twice before Congress to testify for the beautiful bill that's going to change crime in the district. If you kill somebody, you take a life, you do life. Just that simple. If you do a hush crime, you do hush time. Just that simple. And then we need National Guard, and which we did years ago, he brought it on. I love him. I don't want to hear nothing you got to say about that racist stuff.

And don't be looking at me on the news hating on me because I'm standing up for somebody that deserves to be standing up for. Get off the man's back. Let him do his job. He's doing the right thing. Back up off of him. The president largely sticking. to the script in the event, his remarks, including guests, lasting about 50 minutes,

and including this shoutout to rapper Nikki Minaj, who was not in attendance. How about Nikki Minaj? Do we love Nikki Minaj? Right? I love Nikki Minaj. She was here a couple of weeks ago. She's so beautiful. Her skin's so beautiful. I said, Nikki is so beautiful. Her nails, her nails are they like that long? I said, Nikki, are they real? She said, she didn't. She didn't, she want to get into that. But she was so beautiful, it's so great. And she, and she gets it, you know, more importantly, frankly, she gets it. Coming up, hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage spilling into the Potomac, leading to a toxic political battle. And tragedy in California, nine skiers presumed dead in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe. Relief factor loves hearing from pain-free

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Go to Relieffactor.com or call 804 relief. Let's see if you could be next in getting out of pain. A major sewage spill believed to potentially be the largest in U.S. history involving millions of gallons of stinky wastewater pouring into the Potomac River, now fueling a political storm in the nation's capital region. The crisis beginning on January 19th, a collapse in the Potomac Interceptor Sewer Line running along the Clara Barton Parkway in Montgomery County, Maryland, triggering an uncontrolled overflow of wastewater into the Potomac River. The Interceptor, operated by the DC Water Utility Company,

typically carrying up to 60 million gallons of wastewater daily from Virginia and Maryland to Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant on the banks of the Potomac in D.C., according to the Hill. As of February 6th, approximately 243 million gallons of dirty water flowing into the river as a result of the pipe break, reports the New York Times. Days after the break, weeks of below freezing temperatures complicating repair efforts, D.C. water implementing an emergency bypass system in late January, rerouting the flow away from the damaged pipe. USA Today reporting no overflow has gone into the Potomac since January 29th, though there are still intermittent spills, the most recent occurring on February 10th, according to the Times.

Officials saying emergency repairs are likely to take four to six weeks, with additional work continuing for up to nine months. In the meantime, environmental testing detecting high levels of bacteria, including E. coli, staff, and MRSA. While the drinking water has not been affected, officials warning the public and pets to avoid contact with the water. D.C. water pinning the cause of the pipe failure on aging infrastructure, noting the interceptor is more than 60 years old and had already been flagged for upgrades.

The disaster going largely unreported in mainstream media, That is until President Trump weighed in, posting to true social, quote, there is a massive ecological disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the gross mismanagement of local Democrat leaders, particularly Governor Westmore of Maryland. While state and local authorities have failed to request needed emergency help, I cannot allow incompetent local, quote, leadership to turn the river in the heart of Washington into a disaster zone.

Mr. Trump, following up in another post on Tuesday, quote, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., who are responsible for the massage, sewage spill in the Potomac River, must get to work immediately. If they can't do the job, they have to call me and ask politely to get it fixed. Maryland Governor Westmore, a Democrat and frequent Trump critic, responding to reporters on Tuesday, pointing the blame right back to Mr. Trump. I know this is breaking news to everyone, but the president is not telling the truth. In fact, the federal government has had responsibility for that for the past century. And now we were actually some of the first folks to respond.

Our Department of the Environment was already on the ground, testing water sewage, testing the water quality, making sure that our people were safe. I love the fact that the President of the United States is finally realizing that this was his job, and he hasn't been doing it for the past month. So I say, listen, we'd welcome you to help to address the remaining 1% that hasn't been complete while we've been doing your job. Meanwhile, EPA administration, Lee Zeldin offering a more technical view of who is running what aspects of the cleanup.

In a Tuesday ex post, Zeldon writing that D.C. Water is leading the cleanup and remediation efforts, quote, at no point in the lead up to today had D.C. Water or the state of Maryland requested EPA to take over their responsibilities, and EPA has continued to offer its full support to state and local leaders from the onset. Yesterday, press secretary Caroline Levitt urging local leaders to formally request government assistance. The next day, step in this process is for any of the three local jurisdictions involve, whether that's the Commonwealth of Virginia, the state of Maryland and Governor Moore, or the District of Columbia to step forward and to ask the federal government for help. President Trump and the federal government are standing

by to step in, but of course we need the state and local jurisdictions to make that formal request. That's part of the legal process to move forward. Last night, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser officially requesting a presidential emergency disaster declaration. Mayor Bowser requesting that President Trump, among other actions, direct FEMA to establish interagency coordination among federal agencies, affected states, and D.C. She was also asking for additional federal technical and testing support to expand water quality monitoring and for full federal reimbursement of cleanup costs. Nine backcountry skiers presumed dead following a Tuesday morning avalanche near Castle Peak outside Lake Tahoe in California.

with eight bodies located so far. The slide hitting around 1130 a.m. as a guided expedition was returning to the trailhead on the final day of a three-day trip. Fifteen people were on the outing, six survivors activating emergency equipment, but brutal weather slowed rescuers for hours. Crews finally reaching them more than 12 hours later.

Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon yesterday with details on the skiers. Of the 15 that were on this guided trip, they were nine women and six men we were able to rescue one man and five women so the survivors ranging in ages from 30 to 55 years of age eight of the additional nine additional skiers have been located deceased we are still looking for one of the members at this time due to the ongoing challenges of the weather the avalanche conditions the effort remains ongoing as well as our search for the remaining skier. Of the two that were injured, one individual was stabilized last night

and released. One is still being treated at the hospital. I've been told both subjects are non-life-threatening injuries. The survivors, including five guests and one guide, Sheriff Moon, describing the difficult search and rescue effort. We had two different teams deploying, roughly 50 skilled folks deploying into the scene, both from the south side and from the north side, to come in to this area. Extreme weather conditions, I would say is an understatement. Lots of snow, gale force winds, winds making it impossible to see. So it was very much a slow and steady pace going with snow cats, skiers going up into the area, which is still considered a very high danger for avalanche. The skiers staying in remote cabins during the three-day trip.

officials issuing an avalanche warning early Tuesday morning. It is unclear if the skiers ignored the warning before heading back to the trailhead. Sheriff Moon saying, an investigation is ongoing. The deceased skiers located through emergency beacons. The bodies have not yet been recovered, according to Nevada County Sheriff Captain Russell Green, who added that recovery efforts would begin when conditions improved. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Jishinsky, host of After Party.

Catch the Megan Kelly show live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly Channel 111 at noon east on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly and all podcast platforms.