Top Stories • February 16, 2026

A partial federal shutdown is continuing after funding for the Department of Homeland Security expired, with negotiations stalled over immigration enforcement conditions. Agencies including TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard are affected, while Congress remains in recess until next week. At the White House, President Trump is highlighting signs of economic improvement and arguing his policies are easing costs for Americans, even as voter surveys show continued concern about affordability and persistent price pressures. Overseas at the Munich Security Conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allies that the United States and Europe “belong together,” even as several European leaders renewed calls for greater European Union strategic independence on defense and foreign policy amid tensions over trade and Ukraine strategy. The gathering turned confrontational when Hillary Clinton publicly clashed with Czech Deputy Prime Minister Petr Macinka after she accused President Trump of weakening Western alliances and benefiting Russia’s strategic position; Macinka defended Trump and reframed the dispute around political ideology. And at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Team USA has won 17 medals — five gold, eight silver, and four bronze — ranking third overall behind Norway and host nation Italy, with six days remaining until the Games conclude.

Daniel Compatangelo reports.