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Friday, February 13, 2026

Partial shutdown hits DHS: What to know about negotiations, potential impacts

February 13, 2026
Partial shutdown hits DHS: What to know about negotiations, potential impacts

A partial government shutdown is in effect for the Department of Homeland Security, where funding ran out at the end of day Friday as lawmakers remain at an impasse over immigration enforcement.

ABC News

Earlier Friday, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought directed DHS to begin implementing its shutdown plans.

Members of Congresshave left Washingtonfor a weeklong recess or to head overseas to Munich for a security conference.

It's the third time since October that the federal government has experienced a lapse in funding.

A record 43-day shutdown last fall -- the longest in U.S. history -- heavily disrupted agencies and impacted millions of Americans. A partial government shutdown ensued for several days between the end of January and early February that temporarily affected funding for the Defense, Education, Treasury, Labor and State departments.

Now, caught in a funding fight are key areas of DHS -- the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard -- as Democrats demand reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images - PHOTO: The Department of Homeland Security seal on the podium at the Ronald Reagan Building, Aug. 21, 2019, in Washington, D.C.

Officials from those agencies warned lawmakers that teh lapse in funding will leave thousands of personnel working without pay, disrupt disaster reimbursements, delay cyber protections and more.

ICE, meanwhile, will largely continue operating because of $75 billion infusion provided in President Donald Trump's so-called "one big beautiful bill" that was passed by Congress last summer.

Democrats are calling for judicial warrants before agents can enter private property, a ban on ICE agents wearing face masks, requiring the use of body cameras and new laws for use-of-force standards.

Talks are expected to continue over the weekend.

President Trump on Friday told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce he will be personally involved in the DHS funding negotiations.

Evan Vucci/AP - PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he departs from the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, February 13, 2026.

"I will. But you have to remember, if you look at Homeland Security, if you look at what they've done, if you look at what ICE has done, and Border Patrol, we have the safest border in the history of our country," Trump said.

When asked how long he's preparing to let this funding battle play out or if he's willing to make any concessions, Trump said that he wants to "protect" law enforcement and is "always" in favor of them.

The White House and Democrats have been sending proposals for ICE reforms back and forth. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the latest White House proposal, the details of which have not been released publicly, "unserious." Democrats are expecting to make a counterproposal this weekend.

Jeffries told ABC News on Friday the shutdown is a "confrontation on behalf of the American people" as Democrats dig in on making changes to immigration enforcement.

"The reason why we have to have this confrontation on behalf of the American people is because in a spending bill, we have the ability to legislate dramatic change. That's what we're doing," Jeffries said.

"Every single change needs to be ironclad and part of the law," he added.

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How DHS agencies will feel the effects

Overall, more than 90% of the Department of Homeland Security's 272,000 employees would continue to work during a shutdown, according to the agency's September shutdown plan, though many without pay.

Officials from several DHS agencies testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee earlier this week on how they would be impacted by a shutdown.

TSA:A majority of TSA employees will still be required to show up for work, as around 95% of TSA employees are deemed essential. Many, however, would work without pay.

Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said putting those workers through another shutdown would be "unconscionable."

"Twelve weeks later, some are just recovering from the financial impact of the 43-day shutdown. Many are still reeling from it. We cannot put them through another such experience," McNeill told lawmakers on Wednesday.

FEMA:Gregg Phillips, associate administrator of FEMA's Office of Response and Recovery, said emergency response operations would continue and that the Disaster Relief Fund currently has sufficient resources for near-term response.

Although he did warn that a catastrophic event would quickly strain available funding.

CISA: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency faced one of the biggest hits within DHS in the 2025 shutdown with 65% of the division placed on furlough.

"When the government shuts down, cyber threats do not and our adversaries work 24/7," warned Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala, the acting director.

Coast Guard: Pay would be halted for 56,000 active duty, reserve and civilian personnel, but they would still be required to show up for work.

Vice Admiral Thomas Allen warned a lapse in appropriations "requires the Coast Guard to suspend all missions except those for national security or the protection of life and property."

He said a lack of funding has "severe and lasting challenges" for their workforce, operational readiness and long-term capabilities.

Secret Service:Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said protective and investigative missions would continue, as 94% of Secret Service workforce is considered mission-critical.

"There is no pause button on our mission. Paychecks may stop but the work will continue," Quinn said.

Though he warned of long-term consequences, especially for needed reform.

"The impacts may not be seen tomorrow, but I assure you, we will feel the ripple effects for some time. Delayed contracts, diminished hiring, halted new programs will be the result," Quinn said.

ABC News' Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report.

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A lawsuit seeks to stop Trump's overhaul of a 100-year-old public golf course in Washington

February 13, 2026
A lawsuit seeks to stop Trump's overhaul of a 100-year-old public golf course in Washington

Two golfers in Washington, D.C., sued the federal government on Friday to try to prevent the Trump administrationfrom overhaulinga more than 100-year-old public golf course, accusing the administration of violating environmental laws and polluting a park that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Associated Press

The suit is the latest in a series of legal battles challenging President Donald Trump's extraordinary efforts to put his mark on public spaces in the nation's capitol, includingshuttering the Kennedy Center.

At the end of last year, a group of preservationistsfiled a similar lawsuitseeking to prevent the administration from demolishing the East Wing of the White House in order to build a ballroom — a project slated to cost $400.

Trump, who is an avid golfer himself, also plans on renovating amilitary golf coursejust outside of Washington that has been used by past presidents going back decades.

The complaint filed against the Department of the Interior on Friday says that the Trump administration's reconstruction of East Potomac Park — which includes the East Potomac Golf Course — would violate the congressional act that created the park in 1897. The roughly 130-year-old act established the park for the "recreation and the pleasure of the people."

The golf course, which has since been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in part for its efforts to racially integrate in the 1940s. Municipal golf courses make up only 18% of courses in America.

"East Potomac Golf Links is a testament to what's possible with public land and why public spaces matter," said Washington resident and plaintiff Dave Roberts. "It deserves better than becoming a dumping ground for waste and yet another private playground for the privileged and powerful."

The lawsuit came after the Trump administration in December ended a lease agreement the nonprofit National Links Trust held for East Potomac and two other golf courses in Washington. The Interior Department said it did so because the nonprofit hadn't implemented required capital improvements and failed to meet the terms of the lease.

The Interior Department press office said in an email Friday that it doesn't comment on pending litigation.

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However, it said it would "ensure these courses are safe, beautiful, open, affordable, enjoyable and accessible for people visiting the greatest capital city in the world which is in line with President Trump's agenda."

The White House also didn't respond to an emailed request for comment on Friday evening.

Construction on the East Potomac course has already begun, according to the lawsuit. In October, the National Parks Service began dumping debris from the demolition of the East Wing of the White House onto the golf course, the complaint said, raising concerns that the materials could contain contaminants that could pollute the air.

As a result, the plaintiffs argued, the administration of also violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to consider the harmful environmental impacts of the project.

The National Links Trust said in December they were "devastated" by the decision to terminate the lease and defended their management of the courses.

They said $8.5 million had gone toward capital improvements at the courses and that rounds played and revenue had more than doubled in their tenure managing the courses. They also added that the termination of the lease jeopardized hundreds of local jobs.

The nonprofit has agreed to keep managing the courses for the time being, but long-term renovations will stop.

The first 18 holes of the East Potomac Park Golf Course were built from 1918 to 1923.

___ Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.

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New Mexico official seeks search near Epstein ranch over claim of buried girls

February 13, 2026
New Mexico official seeks search near Epstein ranch over claim of buried girls

A top New Mexico official is calling for an investigation into public land near Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch after a newly released email alleged that two foreign girls were buried there.

Scripps News

Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said she requested an investigation after learning about a 2019 email included in recently released Epstein-related documents. The email, sent to a conservative radio host, claimed that two girls were buried on public land leased near the ranch. The act was allegedly done at the direction of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for sex trafficking.

"There was a very disturbing allegation that came out that could potentially be linked to state land," Garcia Richard said. "Because I am the manager of that land. I'm the elected steward of that land and what occurs there and what the land is used for is of utmost interest and importance to us at the State Land Office."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT |Lutnick confirms 2012 boat visit with Epstein amid Senate questioning

She said, to her knowledge, neither the state land nor Zorro Ranch has ever been searched as part of a criminal investigation.

From reviewing historical documents, Garcia Richard said it appears the leased state land may have been used as a buffer around the ranch.

"It seems like the state land was used almost as a buffer, a shield to hide what activity was occurring on the ranch ... to insulate visibility to what was occurring there," she said.

Garcia Richard said she is concerned the land could be a potential crime scene.

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"If state land was used for criminal activity, that is definitely something New Mexicans need to know," she said. "Those are answers that victims and survivors need to have."

Garcia Richard said she has the authority to cancel leases on state land and confirmed that any party associated with Epstein was removed from the property. The lease was canceled in 2019 and has not been issued to anyone else.

However, she said the State Land Office does not have law enforcement authority.

RELATED STORY |FBI concluded Jeffrey Epstein wasn't running a sex trafficking ring for powerful men, files show

"We are looking to partner with other agencies that do have that capacity to investigate the land," Garcia Richard said.

Garcia Richard said technology exists in New Mexico to conduct searches for possible unmarked graves, including ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs.

The land in question is "fairly large," she said, but investigators would likely focus first on a specific area referenced as the hills behind Zorro Ranch, which she said is state land.

Garcia Richard said she has asked the New Mexico Department of Justice and federal authorities to get involved and plans to pursue other state partnerships if necessary.

Garcia Richard also said she reached out to the attorney general's office in 2019 seeking an investigation, but nothing was done at the time.

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William Byron, Denny Hamlin in sharp focus as Daytona 500 arrives

February 13, 2026
William Byron, Denny Hamlin in sharp focus as Daytona 500 arrives

The twice-postponed Clash is in the rearview mirror, and NASCAR's top drivers have headed to the Sunshine State for the 68th Daytona 500 on Sunday.

Two-time defending winner William Byron and Denny Hamlin arrive in Daytona Beach, Fla., on the verge of entering rarified air.

If Byron is the first to the checkers in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in Sunday's 200-lapper, he would become just the fifth driver to click off three 500 wins.

But in the previous 67 runnings, no winner has ever reeled off three straight checkered flags. Not seven-time winner Richard Petty nor four-time victor Cale Yarborough, the only wheelmen ever to elevate themselves past three career victories.

Byron, 28, is one of five drivers to ever record consecutive 500 triumphs, after Hamlin (2019, 2020), Sterling Marlin (1994, 1995), Yarborough (1983, 1984) and Petty (1973, 1974).

Byron, who enters his ninth Cup Series season with 16 total victories, would give owner Rick Hendrick his 11th in the Great American Race and allow Byron to match Hamlin, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Allison and Jeff Gordon with exactly three wins of the sport's crown jewel.

"I get reminders of the previous races, whether I see just the videos or whatnot," Byron said Wednesday. "Yeah, it's great career-defining moments that we've had. It's awesome. It's special. But I don't really think ahead too much. I just think about what it's going to take in these next couple days leading up to it."

However, Byron ran into trouble Thursday, wrecking his No. 24 in Duel No. 1, and will race with a backup car Sunday.

Meanwhile, Hamlin will try to find some sense of normalcy: in his life, with his health and on the track.

During a difficult, tragic November and December, Hamlin lost his chance at his first Cup championship in the final laps at Phoenix to Kyle Larson as Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota, which led 208 laps, was driving away on an emotional win dedicated to his ailing father.

Then, as 2025 was ending, Hamlin's father died following a house fire at the parents' home. The son is also not fully healthy, as Hamlin chose not to have surgery for a torn labrum that had been surgically repaired before but was re-injured in a fall while walking through the house's burned wreckage.

"It's just going to take a little while to kind of get back in the swing of things," said Hamlin, 45. "You know, it certainly has not been an easy offseason by any means, and I'm sure I'm probably in a different headspace than most of the competitors that have been rip-roaring, ready to go racing the last month or so.

"I'm probably in a different spot than that. I would certainly appreciate a few more months, but I don't have that. But we'll just kind of see how it goes."

So there will be another season for Hamlin to grapple with, a new Chase point system to figure out and another Daytona 500 this Sunday.

Polesitter Kyle Busch will lead the pack to green, while Joey Logano and Chase Elliott will be ones to watch after their Duel qualifying victories Thursday.

Hamlin could certainly win Sunday -- his Daytona 500 record shows it. However, that next phone call he will want to make, to the person who started it all, will be his hardest to reconcile because it can't be made.

--Field Level Media

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Rome Flynn repeats as NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP and Team Giannis wins 65-58

February 13, 2026
Rome Flynn repeats as NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP and Team Giannis wins 65-58

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Rome Flynn earned MVP honors for the second straight year in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night, scoring 17 points to lead a team coached by Giannis Antetokounmpo to a 65-58 victory.

Associated Press Coach Anthony Anderson, left, jokes around with Rick Schnall during an NBA basketball's All-Star Celebrity Game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Coaches Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, and Anthony Anderson watch action during an NBA basketball's All-Star Celebrity Game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Jeremy Lin, right, pressures Keenan Allen during an NBA basketball's All-Star Celebrity Game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts is introduced before an NBA basketball's All-Star Celebrity Game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

All Star Celebrity Game Basketball

Actor-comedian Anthony Anderson coached the losing team, led by former 7-foot-6 NBA player Tacko Fall with 20 points.

The game brought basketball back to the Forum, home of the Los Angeles Lakers' "Showtime" era until 1999, when they moved 10 miles away to downtown Los Angeles. Now, it has a different sponsor name under Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and is mostly used as a concert and entertainment venue.

K-pop made its debut at the game with boy group CORTIS performing at halftime.

Victor Wembanyama tossed up the opening tip between Team Giannis' Jenna Bandy and Team Anthony's Adrien Nunez, who got control, was fouled and missed his first throw.

Bandy was the only woman in either team's starting lineup.

Team Giannis had a huge advantage in the paint with Fall grabbing most of the rebounds. His dunk made it a one-point game in the third.

Chinese actor-singer Dylan Wang garnered the loudest screams of the night, especially after he scored back-to-back baskets in the first quarter for Team Giannis.

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Two of the oldest guys on the court were Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia (age 46) and Rick Schnall (50-something), who's part of the Charlotte Hornets ownership group. Schnall fouled Ishbia in the first quarter, and Ishbia hit the free throws in a throwback to his Michigan State playing days.

Los Angeles Chargers star Keenan Allen hit a long shot from the red, white and blue line that was worth 4 points for Team Anthony. It launched a flurry of points for the wide receiver in the second quarter and he finished with 18 points.

Mascots from the Hornets and Mavericks alternated as sixth men restricted to playing in the backcourt for a bit in the third quarter.

Sidelined since Jan. 23 with a calf strain, Antetokounmpo won't be playing in the All-Star Game on Sunday.

But the two-time MVP was assisted by his brothers Thanasis and Alex on Friday. Another assistant was Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts.

Former NBA player Jeremy Lin credited Betts for an inspiring halftime speech. "He definitely knows a lot about basketball," Lin said.

The game marked the start of All-Star weekend, followed by the Rising Stars game down the street at Intuit Dome.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Tony Stewart gets taken out in crash in first NASCAR start since 2016 retirement

February 13, 2026
Tony Stewart gets taken out in crash in first NASCAR start since 2016 retirement

Tony Stewart's hopes of a win in his first NASCAR race back from retirement ended before the race was even halfway over.

Yahoo Sports DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 12: Tony Stewart (#25 Kaulig Racing RAM) prepares to enter his race truck prior to practice for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Fresh from Florida 250 on February 12, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Stewart's truck was shoved into the wall when Jake Garcia's truck got loose off Turn 4 in the second stage of the 100-lap Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona. As Stewart was to his outside, Garcia overcorrected and collided with Stewart as he hit the wall.

The damage to Stewart's truck was significant enough that it ended any chance he had at winning the race. After his Kaulig Racing team made repairs, it decided to take the truck to the garage.

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The three-time Cup Series champion and Hall of Famer was making his first start in a NASCAR event since he retired after the 2016 season. Stewart won 49 races over 618 career Cup Series starts and was one of the best drivers of the 2000s before he stepped away. He won the 2002, 2005 and 2011 Cup Series titles, and his final title is widely credited with helping createNASCAR's recently ditched winner-take-all championship race.

That season, Stewart and Carl Edwards waged one of the greatest playoff battles in NASCAR history. Stewart, who won five races in the 10-race playoffs after going winless in the regular season, won the final race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway to tie Edwards and win the championship via tiebreaker because he had more wins.

Stewart was back in NASCAR on Friday thanks to Ram's reentry into the Truck Series. The manufacturer returned to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2025, and Stewart, whose NHRA team fields Dodges, was chosen to run the team's No. 25 truck, which will have a rotating cast of drivers throughout the 2026 season.

The race was Stewart's first Truck Series start in more than 20 years. He had last made a Truck start in 2005 and had won twice in six starts across NASCAR's third-tier series.

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FDA's Makary backs measles vaccinations as South Carolina cases rise

February 13, 2026
FDA's Makary backs measles vaccinations as South Carolina cases rise

Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary, in an interview on Friday, urged Americans to ‌get vaccinated for measles, as the country faces its ‌largest measles surge in more than three decades.

Reuters

"When we hear about cases of ​measles in an outbreak in South Carolina, that should serve as a good reminder for parents to make sure that their kids are vaccinated," Makary said during an appearance on MS NOW's "Chris Jansing ‌Reports".

The measles, mumps ⁠and rubella (MMR) two-shot protocol remains recommended at the federal level starting at 12 months of age, with ⁠a second at 4 to 6 years of age.

South Carolina reported 950 measles cases on Friday, including 17 new infections since Tuesday, ​according to ​state health officials. No deaths ​have been reported by the ‌state.

Among those infected, a significant majority of 883 individuals were unvaccinated, and 19 were partially vaccinated with one of the recommended two-dose measles-mumps-rubella vaccines.

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"I think everyone in this administration has been pretty clear that the best way to prevent measles is to ‌get your kid vaccinated against measles," ​Makary added.

Earlier this week, National Institutes of ​Health Director Jay Bhattacharya ​also expressed his support for Americans getting vaccinated ‌against measles.

"The answer is yes," Bhattacharya ​said about the ​vaccines when asked by Reuters about recent outbreaks.

On Sunday, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz also ​urged Americans to ‌take the measles vaccine in an interview with CNN. "Take the ​vaccine, please," he said.

(Reporting by Sneha S K in ​Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)

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