Top Stories • February 12, 2026

A partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown is looming this weekend unless Congress reaches a last-minute funding agreement, with negotiations stalled over new limits and oversight tied to ICE enforcement operations. Officials say frontline functions such as border protection, airport screening, and disaster response would continue, but thousands of administrative and support personnel could be furloughed. At the Pentagon, defense officials have directed a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for possible deployment to the Middle East, a move aimed at strengthening deterrence and force protection as tensions involving Iran and regional militias remain elevated. A final execution order has not yet been issued. Meanwhile, National Guard troops previously federalized and deployed to cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland have been withdrawn following court challenges that questioned the legal authority and mission scope of those deployments. And Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where Ukraine, Iran, NATO defense spending, and strained U.S.-European coordination are expected to dominate discussions among Western allies.

Daniel Compatangelo reports.