The Daily Brief - Feb. 18, 2026
The latest on Mark Zuckerberg’s social media trial testimony, Supreme Court recusals, an arrest at the Capitol, and more
These are today’s top stories, delivered straight to your inbox. Read below to catch up on all the news you might’ve missed.
DHS Negotiations Stalled
Negotiations have stalled in the fight over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the department’s shutdown continuing into a fifth day. Senate Democrats have refused to provide the votes for a bill to fund DHS until Republican lawmakers and the White House agree to put limitations on federal officers, including banning masks, restricting the use of force, and requiring judicial warrants for home entry.
In the latest round of back-and-forth, on Tuesday a White House official said that the sides were “still pretty far apart” when asked about the Democrats’ most recent counterproposal. No details of any proposals have been made public.
“The White House and the president’s representatives have been in direct conversations with both Democrats and Republicans,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at a press briefing today. “But of course, Democrats are the reason the Department of Homeland Security is currently shut down.”
Since the department ran out of money over the weekend, DHS has stopped all travel, which has impacted the ability of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff to access disaster-affected areas like the locations impacted by January’s brutal winter storms.
While negotiations are expected to continue, Congress is currently not in session.
Zuckerberg Testimony
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court in a lawsuit seeking to hold social media apps responsible for their impact on youth mental health. In response to questions from the plaintiff’s attorney, he said that some users lie about their age when they sign up for Instagram, but that the company removes underage users when it’s made aware of them.
This isn’t Zuckerberg’s first time testifying about the safety of Meta apps for youth — he’s previously been called before Congress, and has also testified in other trials, though not in front of a jury. During his Congressional hearing testimony, documents showed that 4 million kids under 13 years old used Instagram in the U.S. despite the app’s terms and conditions barring them.
The 20-year-old plaintiff in the lawsuit, referred to by the initials KGM to protect her privacy, says that her use of Instagram and YouTube (which is owned by Google) as a child worsened her mental health, exacerbating suicidal thoughts and depression. She argues that Meta and YouTube designed their apps to be addictive to teen users by including features like infinite scroll and algorithmic personalization that increase engagement and time spent on the app.
As a result, KGM claims, young people are exposed to risks of body-image issues, anxiety, bullying, and more. The jury must decide whether Instagram was a “substantial factor” in KGM’s struggles as a teen user. She is asking the court for monetary damages, and to order the platforms to change several of their addictive features.
If successful, the lawsuit could set a legal precedent that allows social media companies to be held responsible for the apps’ effect on kids’ mental health. More than 1,500 similar suits have already been filed.
Supreme Court Recusal Software
The Supreme Court says it has rolled out an internal tool meant to flag potential conflicts of interest that could require a justice to step aside from a case.
Under the updated rules, parties to the case will have to include stock ticker symbols for companies tied to a case so the system can run automated checks. Similar software has already been in use in lower courts for decades.
The move follows the Court’s 2023 adoption of a code of conduct after reports about gifts and travel involving Justices Alito and Thomas.
Only two justices report owning individual stocks –– Alito and Roberts. In a recent case, Alito recused himself when it was determined that a ConocoPhillips subsidiary was party to a case, and Alito owned that company’s stock. The new requirements take effect March 16.
Calls for Congressman to Resign
Rep. Randy Fine (R–FL) is facing renewed calls from Democrats to resign or be disciplined after a Sunday post on X: “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”
Fine’s post replied to Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani, who had joked that New York City was “coming to Islam” and referenced the “uncleanliness” of dogs; she later said it was a joke and that her complaint was about owners not cleaning up after their pets.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Fine “an Islamophobic, disgusting and unrepentant bigot” and said he should be held “accountable.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote, “This is genuinely one of the most disgusting statements I have ever seen issued by an American official,” and urged censure and removal from committees. Rep. Ro Khanna wrote, “We must call this what it is. Disgusting bigotry. Fine must be censured. It’s about morality and decency, not politics.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom added: “Resign now, you racist slob.”
Censure can be forced to a House vote by any member and requires a simple majority; it is a formal, symbolic rebuke, but it does not remove the member from office. Members of Congress can also be expelled from their chamber.
US Capitol Arrest
US Capitol Police arrested an 18-year-old man on Tuesday after he began rushing toward the Capitol building with a loaded shotgun. The man was wearing a tactical vest and gloves. He was taken into custody after officers approached and ordered him to drop his weapon, and he complied.
In a news release, the man was identified as Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia. Police also searched Camacho’s car, which was found nearby, and discovered a Kevlar helmet and a gas mask. They have not yet released any information about a possible motive.
Members of Congress are currently on recess, with most being back home in their districts. Threats against lawmakers and other elected officials have increased significantly in recent years, and a Capitol Police report found that threats against Congress rose to their highest level in years in 2025.
Epstein and Wexner
Billionaire Leslie Wexner, retired founder of the parent company that once owned stores like Victoria’s Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch, is being deposed by members of the House Oversight Committee today over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Wexner was a close friend of Epstein’s and hired him to manage his personal finances decades ago, but said he severed ties with him in 2007 after he learned that Epstein was facing jail time over his abuse of a minor. Wexner’s name was found in the Epstein documents thousands of times.
In prepared testimony that was released today, Wexner said he has nothing to hide, and was taken advantage of by Epstein. “I was naïve, foolish, and gullible to put any trust in Jeffrey Epstein… To my enormous embarrassment and regret I, like many others, was duped by a world-class con man. I cannot undo that part of my personal history even as I regret ever having met him.”
Wexner said Epstein lived a double life and as the father of two girls, he never would have “tolerated his horrible behavior,” and the “thought of what he did makes me sick.”
He explained their close relationship, saying as his financial advisor, he gave Epstein power of attorney so he wouldn’t constantly need to bother Wexner for his signature. But, he claims, Epstein then stole “vast sums” of money from him, and after learning about it Wexner never spoke to Epstein again.
People have wondered for decades how Jeffrey Epstein, who at one point was a math teacher, could have amassed enough wealth to buy a private island, private plane, and one of the most expensive townhouses in Manhattan, along with other properties.
Rep. Robert Garcia says the answer lies with Wexner, saying the billionaire gave Epstein more than a billion dollars in cash and stocks over the years.
“There is no single person that was more involved in providing Jeffrey Epstein with the financial support to commit his crimes than Les Wexner… We’ve also directly heard from survivors about Mr. Wexner, about his involvement and their concerns as to the enormous amount of money that was essentially transferred over and paid to by Mr. Epstein,” said Garcia.
CBS Update
CBS News is denying it blocked an interview with Democrat James Talarico on The Late Show because of concerns it would anger the Trump administration. Stephen Colbert says that’s “crap.”
The entirety of CBS’s statement read, “THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled. THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options.”
Stephen Colbert responded last night, saying, “Clearly this statement was written by, and I’m guessing for, lawyers. Now I’m not a lawyer and I don’t want to tell them how to do their jobs but since they seem intent on telling me how to do mine, here we go… They know damn well that every word of my script last night was approved by CBS’s lawyers, who, for the record, approve every script that goes on the air… they told us the language they wanted me to use to describe that equal time exception, and I used that language.”
He went on to say he’s never had a bad relationship with the network, and that he’s surprised that the “giant, global corporation would not stand up to these bullies” and would release the statement without talking to him first. He ended by saying he didn’t know what to do with this “crap” but then grabbed a pet waste bag to pick up the paper statement and toss it in the trash.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who is running against James Talarico in the Texas Senate race said she has not gotten an interview offer from Colbert’s show recently, but acknowledged she’s been on his show several times in the past.
She said that Talarico probably got a “boost” from the segment, but that she supports what Colbert did, “Because we know that when we resist and when we know that it seems like they’re trying to change the rules and… or bend the knee to this president, that it backfires in historic fashion.”
Avalanche Deaths
Eight skiers were found dead after an avalanche in the mountains near Lake Tahoe. Six survivors were also rescued and taken to the hospital. The skiers were part of a group on a three-day trek in the Sierra Nevada in northern California. Authorities said that the search is ongoing for one more skier who remains missing.
Jame Talarico is a man of virtue and not one to try to be one up on his opponent in Jasmine Crockett by being interviewed for the first time by Stephen Colbert when she has been on Colbert's show more than once already. Nevertheless, I think it would be only fair to ask her to be interviewed again by Stephen in regards to this years election of the US Senate seat for Texas now being held by John Cornyn.
Thank you.