National Institutes of Health faces leadership vacuum as director positions sit open

The world's largest public funder of biomedical research is in limbo.

The National Institutes of Health has, in large part, managed to withstand the Trump administration's attempts to slash its budget and upend how it distributes grants, thanks to decisions from the courts and Congress. But the agency now faces a growing vacuum in leadership in its top ranks — one that offers the administration a highly unusual opportunity to reshape NIH to its vision.

Of the 27 institutes and centers that make up NIH, 16 were missing permanent directors as of Friday, when staff received news of the latest departure. In an internal email viewed by NBC News, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya announced that Dr. Lindsey Criswell would no longer direct the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, effective immediately.

All but two of the vacant director positions at NIH have opened during President Donald Trump's second term — the result of a combination of terminations, resignations and retirements. Acting directors are filling in temporarily.

"It's like going to battle with half your generals in place," said Dr. Elias Zerhouni, who led NIH from 2002 to 2008 under President George W. Bush. "I don't think it's precedented to have so many vacancies so fast."

NIH director positions are some of the most powerful and prestigious in medicine, in some cases overseeing multibillion-dollar budgets and helping to decide how federal research funding is allocated for the country's biggest health threats, including Alzheimer's, diabetes and heart disease. They are typically nominated by the NIH director then approved by the health secretary. One of the most prominent figures to hold such a role in recent years was Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 to 2022.

The vacant roles are especially significant given that some of the administration's biggest attempted changes to NIH haven't come to fruition. Judges ruled against a cap that it tried to impose on government funding forthe overhead costsof research, and Congress last monthawarded NIHa modest funding increase for 2026, rebuffing Trump's request to slash the agency's budget by 40% and consolidate its 27 institutes and centers into eight.

For much of its 139-year history, NIH has been a quiet, nonpartisan nest for scientific breakthroughs, helping fund research that has led to the development of HIV treatments, Covid vaccines and cancer drugs. But several current and former staffers told NBC News that they worry the agency will become more politicized depending on whom Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. approves to fill the open director positions.

"I'm not confident that their appointments will be with the institute's mission in mind," said Shiv Prasad, a scientific review officer at NIH. "I think you're just there to be compliant with whatever the HHS secretary wants done."

Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement that "NIH is committed to filling all Director positions and advisory panels with the most highly qualified and meritorious individuals, ensuring expert representation to address the chronic disease epidemic and uphold gold-standard science."

"This Administration is strengthening scientific rigor, restoring accountability, and refocusing NIH on evidence-based research that serves the health needs of the American people," he added.

Bhattacharya did not respond to an NBC News inquiry about when he plans to fill the vacant spots or with whom.

'Speaking up and pushing back'

Turmoil and turnover in the top ranks of the country's public health agencies have become somewhat common under Kennedy's leadership, with perhaps the most visible examples at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kennedyfired CDC Director Susan Monarez, whom Trump had nominated for the role, just 29 days into the job. She later said it was because she had refused to blindly approve vaccine guidance changes. Several other CDC officials resigned in protest. After that, the agencyreduced the number of vaccines recommended for all childrenand rewrotea webpageto reverse its long-held position that there's no link between vaccines and autism.

Several NIH staffers said they have witnessed a similar situation.

"What was happening at NIH was entirely consistent with the mindset that was being promulgated much more publicly and sort of visibly at the CDC," said Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, who succeeded Fauci as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 2023 to 2025. "A lot of what has happened at NIH has not really been in the public eye."

When Marrazzo inherited the position, NIAID was alreadyunder scrutiny from Kennedy and some Senate Republicans who opposed Fauci's response to the Covid pandemic.Marrazzo was placed on administrative leave in April, then Kennedy fired her. NIAID remains without a permanent director.

Marrazzo believes she was removed partly because of her defense of vaccines, and for speaking out against the cancellation of NIH research. She filed a whistleblower complaint in September, then sued NIH and HHS in December, alleging that her firing was illegal and asking to be reinstated with back pay.

"Putting up resistance to the sort of RFK-speak that was infiltrating the leadership discussions at that time certainly didn't help my case," said Marrazzo, who is the CEO of the nonprofit Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Of the NIH institute directors no longer in their roles, six retired after Trump took office. Four were placed on administrative leave then fired midterm. Another was placed on administrative leave then resigned. Two left after NIH did not renew their contracts.

Current and former staffers view some of the oustings as ideologically driven.

Kennedy haspledged that NIHwill investigate subjects of personal interest to him, such as purported vaccine injuries and the root causes of autism. (Before going into politics, Kennedy was an anti-vaccine activist.) And Trumpissued an executive orderin August requiring federal grants to be "consistent with agency priorities and the national interest." Some of the administration's attempts to cancel research grants that focused on topics like gender, diversity, equity and inclusion have been reversed, but roughly 1,240 grants remain terminated, according to a tracking project calledGrant Witness.

"These leaders who have been removed, many of them were speaking up and pushing back. So when they were removed, I think that very much was received, and was likely intended, as a warning," said Jenna Norton, a program director at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases who was placed on administrative leave in November.

Nortonfiled a whistleblower complaintlast week alleging that she was put on leave for speaking out against the politicization of scientific research.

Nixon, however, said concerns that ideology is driving decisions about institute directors are "unfounded."

A series of oustings

To hire directors for NIH institutes, a search committee typically finds and interviews candidates, then recommends finalists to the agency's director (Bhattacharya in this case), who chooses which person to nominate.

But at a Senate committee hearing last week about changes at NIH, Bhattacharya — a former Stanford Medicine professor known for his opposition to lockdowns during the height of the Covid pandemic — said that's no longer the method.

"We've changed the process so that there's no formal committee because we don't have time for that," he said. "What we've done instead is we've informally reached out to external partners, but we've also made sure that scientists at the NIH are the ones that are leading the selection of the new leaders."

One of the most controversial leadership shake-ups at NIH took place in the fall at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which conducts and funds research on how the environment affects human health.

Richard Woychik, who had directed the institute for five years, was appointed to a second term in June. But in October, NIH announced that Woychik had been moved to a different role, and Kyle Walsh, a brain cancer epidemiologist and close friend of Vice President JD Vance's (Walsh officiated Vance's wedding), was taking over.

Some employees questioned why Walsh had been chosen, given that his research focus was quite different from that of the institute.

Nixon said in a statement that Walsh "was selected because his scientific background and leadership experience directly align with the NIEHS mission."

Many NIH staffers also puzzled over the removal of Dr. Walter Koroshetz, who directed the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) until his contract was not renewed in December. In an email to staff viewed by NBC News, Bhattacharya wrote: "Dr. Koroshetz's performance has been exceptional; however, the Department of Health and Human Services elected to pursue a leadership transition."

"It's an interesting way of saying the NIH director did not seem to have any input into that decision," Prasad said.

In a letter to Congress last month, 40 organizations representing neuroscience researchers, clinicians and patients expressed concern about the lack of a clear plan for appointing a new director of NINDS, which funds Alzheimer's research.

"Continuity of leadership is key in ensuring that NINDS is able to discover the next generation of treatments and cures for neurological conditions," the groups wrote.

Not all of the new directors at NIH have been controversial, however. Zerhouni said the selection of Dr. Anthony Letai, a renowned oncologist and researcher, to run the National Cancer Institute did not seem ideologically driven. (Unlike other director roles, the NCI director is appointed by the president.)

As for the future of NIH, Zerhouni said, avoiding chaos is essential for attracting talent and maintaining the competitiveness of U.S. biomedical research.

"I always saw NIH as a component of our national security and our national competitiveness," he said. "It's not going to be the same strength that we expressed in the past 75 years if we continue to do what we're seeing, or there's a reduction in the human capital that we need to be competitive."

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 15, 2026

National Institutes of Health faces leadership vacuum as director positions sit open

The world's largest public funder of biomedical research is in limbo. The National Institutes of Health has, in large part, managed t...

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A man shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis was charged with assaulting law enforcement. A startling admission ended the case

Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna was on shift in Minneapolis on a Wednesday evening last month, making deliveries as a DoorDash driver, when he realized he was being followed by ICE agents, his attorney said.

He drove home and was tackled by an agent but broke free and ran into the house where his cousin Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis was standing, the attorney said. As he shut the door and was trying to lock it, Sosa-Celis said he was shot in the leg by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

Coming just seven days after a federal agent fatally shotRenee Good, the incident spawned renewed protests andheated clasheswith police. An account of the events fromthe Department of Homeland Securitysoon after the incident conflicted with the narratives from the two men and their family members.

DHS claimed Sosa-Celis was driving the car and he, Aljorna and another man assaulted the agent before the agent fired his weapon.

The first inkling of the government questioning the DHS account came from the US Department of Justice. In a January 16 court filing supporting criminal charges against the two men, the DOJ asserted Aljorna was the one driving the vehicle.

In a stunning reversal, the Justice Department on Thursday filed a motion seeking to drop criminal charges against the two Venezuelan men. In it, the DOJ said federal prosecutors provided incorrect information to the court, while ICE issued a statement admitting its federal agents made "false statements" under oath.

The two federal agents involved have been placed on administrative leave while the Justice Department investigates their "untruthful statements," which were revealed by a review of video evidence, ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement.

The two officers may be fired and potentially face criminal prosecution, Lyons said.

DOJ's motion cited "newly discovered evidence" contradicting statements the agency included as the basis for filing criminal charges against the men.

It's not clear what video evidence was uncovered, described in the motion as "materially inconsistent with the allegations" from federal prosecutors in the charging document. CNN has reached out to DHS for further clarity on the evidence and whether it stands by the initial statement following the shooting but did not hear back. The DOJ declined to comment on the motion when contacted by CNN.

"This was an absolute unreasonable use of force, and the officer was fabricating claims against my client to justify that," said Aljorna's attorney, Frederick J. Goetz.

The dismissed case fits into a larger pattern in which the federal government has been quick to release accounts after a shooting by its law enforcement agents, which were later proven to be false, misleading or incomplete, according to CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig. Examples include video evidence after federal agents fatally shot Good andAlex Pretti, which appeared to undermine elements of the government's accounts of what happened.

Similarly, prosecutors last year filed to drop charges againstMarimar Martinezin Chicago, who the government said rammed a federal agent's vehicle before he shot her several times. A judge, who noted the government's case included omissions that caused her to tread carefully, dismissed the charges against Martinez last year.

Martinez asked for evidence in the case to be released. When it was put out last week, the evidence bolstered Martinez's account that hers was the vehicle rammed, not the agent's. And text messages from the agent showed him bragging about the number of times he shot her. In anews release, the DHS called the shots "defensive fire."

The shifting narratives from the federal government in the case of Sosa-Celis and Aljorna have further chipped away at the Trump administration's credibility, as the motion to dismiss the charges with prejudice is a more dramatic admission from federal prosecutors because it indicates they put forth wrong information and means the case cannot be brought back, Honig said.

Lawyers for both Sosa-Celis and Aljorna commended the department's motion, calling it "extraordinary" and "exceedingly rare" in statements to CNN.

Here's what we know about the case and how it fell apart:

Federal agencies offered conflicting narratives

In a January 15news release, DHS claimed federal agents were targeting Sosa-Celis in a traffic stop – not Aljorna – as part of an immigration enforcement operation on January 14 when he attempted to evade arrest, crashed into a parked car and tried to flee on foot.

Sosa-Celis allegedly began to "resist and violently assault" one of the officers and the two were in a "struggle on the ground," then "got loose and began striking the officer with a shovel or broom stick," at which point the officer fired a "defensive shot," DHS said. Two other people came out of a nearby apartment and attacked the officer, the agency said.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem described the men's actions as "an attempted murder of federal law enforcement." The agency stood by its initial statement a few days after the shooting when contacted by CNN.

On January 16, however, the Justice Department offered an account painting a different picture of the events in a filing supporting criminal charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna. That document said the driver of the car was Aljorna, who prosecutors said was zigzagging through traffic while agents pursued the vehicle.

Aljorna, the affidavit claimed, hit a light pole before fleeing from the car, with an ICE agent chasing him on foot toward the home. Both Sosa-Celis and Aljorna were accused of hitting one of the agents with a shovel or broom before the agent pointed his weapon at the two men, causing them to run toward the home, the affidavit said.

As Sosa-Celis and Aljorna ran inside, the agent fired one round from his pistol "towards the vicinity" of the two men but at the time, the officer was "uncertain if his shot struck any of them," the DOJ's affidavit said.

Videos, interviews with family discredit DHS account

Aljorna's attorney told CNN the Trump administration's claims his client and Sosa-Celis attacked federal agents with a broomstick or shovel "never happened."

Sosa-Celis, speaking from a hospital room on a livestream video on his Facebook account, described engaging in some sort of struggle with federal agents as he was helping his cousin escape arrest and get inside their shared home.

As Aljorna was being followed in his car, the fatal shooting of Good the week prior was fresh in his mind and he was fearful, according to Goetz, his attorney. Aljorna called his family members, who told him to get home.

Approaching his home, Aljorna lost control of the car due to ice on the roadway and hit a snowbank, Goetz said. Aljorna was then tackled by an ICE agent after running from the car, just 10 feet away from the door, where Sosa-Celis had walked out and called for him to get inside, the attorney said.

Aljorna was able to slip out of his jacket, freeing himself from the agent's grasp, and ran to his cousin, Goetz said. They both got behind the door and closed it when a shot rang out, he added.

The accounts from the two men were reiterated by their family members in interviews and livestream videos of their 911 calls, which differed from DHS' statement.

One of them showed a video call made by Sosa-Celis' partner and reviewed by CNN, frantically describing to family members what she says happened, according to Alicia Celis, Sosa-Celis' mother, who spoke to CNN.

In one video call, Sosa-Celis' partner said, "Julio arrived first. They were chasing Alfredo – he had to jump from his car."

"He ran and they threw themselves on top of him. After, Julio threw open the door, and they shot," she added.

A different video obtained by CNN shows what was happening outside the home while the family waited inside, revealing agents approaching the home and setting off a flash-bang. Smoke can be seen, and ramming sounds are heard as someone says, "They're in! There's more than a dozen of them."

"He told me, 'Mom, ICE was chasing me," Aljorna's mother Mabel Aljorna later said. "Once we were inside, they shot at Julio,'" she added.

In his livestream from the hospital, Sosa-Celis said, "The shot that was fired happened when my cousin managed to escape, and he entered inside. I closed the door and as I was locking it, I heard the shot, and that's when I realized I had been shot in the leg."

Judges call out government's credibility issues

Sosa-Celis is "relieved that the federal criminal case is over," his attorney Robin Wolpert said on his behalf, adding he is "determined to seek justice and hold the ICE officer accountable for his unlawful conduct."

Confrontations involving federal agents have routinely been captured on video from multiple angles, which later served to discount parts of the government's narrative of events. Videos fromthe killing of Renee Good, a mother of three, in her vehicle, raised questions about the federal agent's tactics and decision to use deadly force.

Similarly, footage showing federal agents killing Alex Pretti revealed the ICU nurse was holding a phone in his right hand, and an officer removing a gun from his back waistband before the shooting. The Trump administration claimed an agent "fired defensive shots" and asserted Pretti was "brandishing" a firearm.

"It's mind-boggling that DHS continues this pattern of making immediate, definitive statements about what happened that are very quickly disproved by actual evidence," said senior CNN legal analyst Honig.

Judges across the country who were appointed to the bench by presidents of both political parties have made findings on record about DHS not being forthcoming, truthful or credible, according to Honig.

The Trump administration has faced mounting credibility issues as its immigration crackdown has rolled out in blue cities nationwide. Even as several judges have acknowledged parts of its narratives may be true, others have described the government's claims in court as "unreliable," "untethered to the facts" and "simply not credible,"CNN previously reported.

The motion to dismiss the charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna with prejudice is "remarkably unusual," said Honig. It speaks to how the government has rushed to put out possibly premature statements, which are at times incomplete or inaccurate, only later to be contradicted by emerging facts, he added.

Federal prosecutors are put in a "very difficult position" when they realize later "that something they've said to a court is not true," Honig said, but they nevertheless have a duty to correct the record.

"While judges ordinarily give the Justice Department a lot of deference and a lot of implied credibility, that's changing now," he continued. "You have credibility only until you give it away."

CNN's Diego Mendoza, Caroll Alvarado and Alaa Elassar contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 15, 2026

A man shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis was charged with assaulting law enforcement. A startling admission ended the case

Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna was on shift in Minneapolis on a Wednesday evening last month, making deliveries as a DoorDash driver, when he r...

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Gaza's Nasser Hospital condemns move by MSF to suspend most services

CAIRO (AP) — One of Gaza's last functioning large hospitals condemned the move by an international organization topull out of operations over concerns about armed men, claiming on Sunday that the hospital had installed civil police for security. The move comes as at least 10 Palestinians were killed in clashes with the Israeli military in Gaza.

Israel Palestinians Gaza

Doctors Without Borders, also known by its acronym MSF, said in a statement Saturday that all its noncritical medical operations at Nasser Hospital were suspended due to security breaches that posed "serious" threats to its teams and patients. MSF said there had been an increase in patients and staff seeing armed men in parts of the compound since the U.S.-brokered October ceasefire was reached.

Nasser Hospital said Sunday that the increase in armed men was due to a civilian police presence aimed at protecting patients and staff and said MSF's "allegations are factually incorrect, irresponsible, and pose a serious risk to a protected civilian medical facility."

Nasser Hospital one of few functioning hospitals left in Gaza

Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis is one of the territory's few functioning hospitals. Hundreds of patients and war-wounded have been treated there daily, and the facility was a hub for Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange for Israeli hostages as part of the currentceasefire deal.

"MSF teams have reported a pattern of unacceptable acts including the presence of armed men, intimidation, arbitrary arrests of patients and a recent situation of suspicion of movement of weapons," the organization said. The suspension occurred in January but was only recently announced.

Nasser Hospital staff say that in recent months it has been repeatedly attacked by masked, armed men and militias, which is why the presence of an armed civilian police force is crucial. Hamas remains the dominant force in areas not under Israeli control, including in the area where Nasser Hospital is located. But other armed groups have mushroomed across Gaza as a result of the war, including groups backed by Israel's army in the Israeli-controlled part of the strip.

Throughout the war, which began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has repeatedly struck hospitals, including Nasser, accusing the militant group of operating in or around them. Hamas security men often have been seen inside hospitals, blocking access to some areas.

Some hostages released from Gaza have said theyspent time during captivityin a hospital, including Nasser Hospital.

Ten Palestinians killed in strikes across Gaza

At least 10 Palestinians were killed Sunday by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip, hospital authorities said.

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The dead include five men, all in their 20s, who were killed in an Israeli strike in the eastern part of Khan Younis city, according to the Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. The strike hit a group of people in an area close to theYellow Linewhich separates Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza, it said.

The Israeli military did not comment on the strike but has said in the past it will attack militants if its troops are threatened, especially near the Yellow Line.

Rami Shaqra said his son, al-Baraa, was among the militants who were securing the area from potential attacks by the Israeli forces or Israeli-backed armed groups, when they were hit by the Israeli military. He said that they were killed by an airstrike.

Associated Press footage from the morgue showed at least two of the men had headbands denoting membership in the Qassam Brigades, the militant arm of Hamas. In northern Gaza, a drone strike hit a group of people in the Falluja area of Jabaliya refugee camp, killing five people, according to the Shifa Hospital.

The Israeli military said it was striking northern Gaza in response to several ceasefire violations near the Yellow Line, including militants attempting to hide in debris and others who attempted to cross the line while armed.

The Oct. 10 U.S.-brokeredceasefire dealattempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas. While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire.

Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing 601 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. But it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed.

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 15, 2026

Gaza's Nasser Hospital condemns move by MSF to suspend most services

CAIRO (AP) — One of Gaza's last functioning large hospitals condemned the move by an international organization topu...

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’90s Rock Band Plays in American Fast Food Chain, Stuns Fans With Decision

Can you say you've ever seen a rock band perform live inside a fast food chain restaurant? Well, a few lucky Jimmy Eat World fans now can.

The rock band surprised fans in Daytona, Florida onFridaywith a pop-up performance inside of an Arby's restaurant in celebration of the fast food chain's sponsorship of the JR Motorsports team racing in the Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.

"HUGE thanks to@Arbysfor having us out at their Daytona location for some@jimmyeatworld!" wrote Carson Kvapil — the racing driver who will be driving the JR Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend — on social media. "IN AN ARBY'S RESTAURANT!!"

HUGE thanks to@Arbysfor having us out at their Daytona location for some@jimmyeatworld!IN AN ARBY'S RESTAURANT!!pic.twitter.com/f84ot9p21i

— Carson Kvapil (@Carson_Kvapil)February 14, 2026

Fans took to social media to express their surprise at this bizarre, impromptu concert, commending the band for making such a wild move.

RELATED: Beloved 90s Rock Band Announces 2026 Tour Celebrating Album That 'Changed Our Lives'

"I've never been to heaven, but double fisting two beef n cheddars while watching jimmy eat world gotta be pretty damn close,"wrote one fan on X.

Another wrote,"Attending this show would restore the will to live of any man, no matter how despondent."

"Thats pretty rad. And my favorite of their songs too. Odd venue, but great PR stunt!"said another.

While the band hosts unconventional performances this weekend, Jimmy Eat World is also preparing for their upcomingBleed American25th anniversary tour,which they announced earlier this week.The tour kicks off in June in Denver, Colorado, and will be a showcase of all themusicand growth the band has created in the last quarter of a century.

"This tour is designed to be an elevated version of our show, a heightened experience with production that reflects 25 years of learning how to stretch artistically in the live environment," the band said in theirinitial tour announcement.

Related: '60s Rock Band Announces Update on Exclusive Giveaway

This story was originally published byParadeon Feb 15, 2026, where it first appeared in theEntertainmentsection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 15, 2026

’90s Rock Band Plays in American Fast Food Chain, Stuns Fans With Decision

Can you say you've ever seen a rock band perform live inside a fast food chain restaurant? Well, a few lucky Jimmy E...

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Today's NYT 'Strands' Hints, Spangram and Answers for Sunday, February 15, 2026

Move over,Wordle,Connections,Connections Sports Edition, andMini Crossword—there's a newNYTword game in town! TheNew York Times' recent game, "Strands," is becoming increasingly popular as another daily activity fans can find on theNYTwebsite and app.

With daily themes and "spangrams" to discover, this is the latest addictive game to cross off your to-do list before a new one pops up 24 hours later.

We'll cover exactly how to play Strands, hints for today's Spangram, and all of the answers forStrands #714on Sunday, February 15.

How to Play Strands

According to theNew York Times, here's exactly how to play Strands:

Find theme words to fill the board.

• Theme words stay highlighted in blue when found.

• Drag or tap letters to create words. If tapping, double-tap the last letter to submit.

• Theme words fill the board entirely. No theme words overlap.

Find the "spangram."

• The spangram describes the puzzle's theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. It may be two words.

• The spangram highlights in yellow when found.

• An example spangram with corresponding theme words: PEAR, FRUIT, BANANA, APPLE, etc.

Need a hint?

• Find non-theme words to get hints.

• For every three non-theme words you find, you earn a hint.

• Hints show the letters of a theme word. If there is already an active hint on the board, a hint will show that word's letter order.

What Is Today's Strands Hint for the Theme:"Now I get it!"

A hint for today's Strands game: Makes total sense!

What Are Today's NYT Strands Hints?

Warning: Spoilers ahead!In today's puzzle, there aresixtheme words to find (including the spangram). Here are the first two letters for each word:

• AP

• UN

• GR

• FA

• RE

• SE (SPANGRAM)

NYT Strands Spangram Hint: Is It Vertical or Horizontal?

Today's Spangram is mostly vertical.

NYT Strands Spangram Answer for February 15

Today's Spangram answer on Today's NYT 'Strands' Hints, Spangram and Answers for Sunday, February 15, 2026, isSEETHELIGHT.

What Are Today's NYT Strands Answers, Word List for Sunday, February 15?

• APPREHEND

• UNDERSTAND

• GRASP

• FATHOM

• REALIZE

• SPANGRAM: SEETHELIGHT

Related: Sam's Club's Elegant $25 Tumbler Set Looks Eerily Similar to a Viral Style from Stanley 1913 Nearly 2x the Price

This story was originally published byParadeon Feb 15, 2026, where it first appeared in theLifesection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 15, 2026

Today's NYT 'Strands' Hints, Spangram and Answers for Sunday, February 15, 2026

Move over,Wordle,Connections,Connections Sports Edition, andMini Crossword—there's a newNYTword game in town! TheNew...

Read More