The Daily Brief - Feb. 23, 2026
The latest on President Trump’s tariffs, the US-Iran conflict, the crisis in Mexico, 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.
Iran
The US and Iran are heading toward a possible military conflict because of a basic disconnect: the Trump administration thinks Iran is weak enough that it has to accept American demands, but Iran’s leaders believe giving in would be more dangerous than getting bombed.
The administration wants Iran to agree to zero nuclear enrichment, limits on its ballistic missiles, and an end to its support for regional militias. After last summer’s bombing, heavy sanctions, and the terrible optics of a violent crackdown on protesters in January, the Trump administration views Iran as having little choice but to cooperate. Trump’s lead negotiator, Steve Witkoff, said the president is “curious as to why they haven’t” capitulated.
But Iran’s leaders see it differently. Ayatollah Khamenei views nuclear enrichment and long-range missiles as essential to the regime’s survival. Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group said Tehran believes “submitting to US terms is more dangerous than suffering another US strike,” because they expect that “would only encourage the US to go for the jugular.”
Danny Citronowicz, a former head of the Iran branch of Israel’s Defense Intelligence, agreed, saying that if Iran’s leaders concede on these points, “they will actually undermine the existence of the regime itself.”
The two sides are set to meet Thursday in Geneva in what is seen as a last-ditch effort at compromise, with both reportedly considering a proposal to allow Iran limited enrichment for civilian purposes. If that fails, analysts warn Iran would likely try to drag out any conflict — potentially disrupting oil shipping and driving up gas prices ahead of US midterm elections — rather than surrender.
Mexico Violence
American tourists were still being told to shelter in place in Mexico after a military operation took out the country’s most wanted drug cartel leader, and violence erupted. Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” was killed, along with dozens of cartel members. While the security situation is not as dire as yesterday, the State Department continued to advise Americans to stay put.
Oseguera was a police officer turned drug kingpin who founded Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which operated globally. There was a $15 million bounty from the US for information leading to his arrest or capture. The cartel is responsible for smuggling drugs into the US, including fentanyl.
His intimidation tactics were gruesome, including beheadings, and he targeted police. In 2020 Oseguera attempted to kill Mexico City’s police chief, Omar Garcia Harfuch, but the officer survived the attack. Harfuch helped oversee Oseguera’s killing this weekend.
The Mexican authorities were tipped off to his whereabouts from the romantic partner of one of Oseguera’s close associates, and the US helped provide intelligence before the raid. The cartel vowed revenge after the killing, and violence erupted shortly after the military assault. At least 25 members of the Mexican National Guard were killed in the violence. Mexican authorities also arrested 70 people.
Tourists and locals in Puerto Vallarta and surrounding areas were forced to take shelter after cars and buses were set on fire and gas stations torched, leaving roads blocked. Ride shares were shut down, and flights to and from the area were canceled.
The State Department yesterday told Americans in certain parts of Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and Cozumel, to remain inside residences or hotels, and it opened a 24/7 hotline for Americans stranded in the country.
Mar-a-Lago Shooting
A 21-year-old North Carolina man named Austin Tucker Martin was shot and killed by Secret Service agents early Sunday morning after getting inside the grounds of Mar-a-Lago carrying a shotgun and a fuel canister. Officers told him to drop the items, but he put down only the canister and raised the shotgun into a shooting position before he was shot. President Trump was not at the resort at the time.
Martin is believed to have driven to Florida on Saturday afternoon, reportedly obtaining the weapon along the way. His family — described by his cousin as “big Trump supporters, all of us” — grew alarmed when he went missing and posted on Facebook asking for help finding him, unaware of what had happened.
Friends and relatives described Martin as quiet, kind, and generally opposed to guns, saying the incident was completely out of character. He had started a small business last year called Fresh Sky Illustrations, selling handmade drawings of golf courses. A former high school classmate, Clarice Bonillo, said “it seems like a very out-of-character thing for him to do.”
TMZ reported that Martin had become increasingly fixated on the Epstein files. The website said it obtained a text he sent to a co-worker earlier in February that read in part: “I don’t know if you read up on the Epstein Files, but evil is real and unmistakable.”
The FBI is investigating what led Martin there, and a motive is still being explored.
DHS Funding
Negotiations over funding for the Department of Homeland Security remain stalled this week as lawmakers return to Washington ahead of the president’s State of the Union address. Democrats continue to seek limitations on how federal immigration officers can operate before they will agree to fund DHS, which ran out of money two weeks ago. Among their demands are restrictions on the use of force, banning masks, and requiring judicial warrants before entering homes. The White House has not submitted a counteroffer to the proposal Senate Democrats offered last week.
With the DHS shutdown stretching into its second week, federal workers are now on the verge of missing a paycheck due to the funding lapse, which Republicans believe will increase pressure on Democrats to compromise.
“Democrats are the reason that the Department of Homeland Security is currently shut down,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt last week. “Now we have FEMA workers, the men and women of the United States Coast Guard, men and women of TSA who keep our airports moving, who will be working without paychecks for no good reason other than the Democrats wanting to pick a fight with Donald Trump.”
Over the weekend, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that TSA PreCheck — the screening program that lets travelers get through airport security faster — and the similar Global Entry Program would be suspended starting on Sunday morning, but the Trump administration later backed down, with a spokesperson saying the TSA “will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly” depending on “staffing constraints.”
Tariffs
Since the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s tariffs last week — finding that he did not have the legal authority to impose them — the president has continued doubling down on its trade war. The Supreme Court found that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act doesn’t permit the president to impose tariffs, so the administration has sought out other legal avenues for recreating the tariffs.
On Friday, President Trump announced a new 10% global tariff, which he then raised to 15% on Saturday. This worldwide tariff is being imposed under the 1974 Trade Act, which allows the president to enact temporary tariffs when there are “large and serious” trade deficits or to prevent “imminent and significant depreciation of the [US] dollar in foreign exchange markets.” The tariffs may only last five months, unless Congress chooses to extend them.
The Supreme Court’s decision left open the question of whether the government would be required to refund the roughly $130 billion in tariffs that were already collected. Today, Senate Democrats announced legislation that would require the administration to issue reimbursements, with a priority focus on small businesses.
Judge Blocks Jack Smith Document Release
Trump-appointed Florida federal judge Aileen Cannon issued a ruling that permanently blocks the Justice Department from releasing a report that describes President Trump’s improper handling of classified documents after he left office in 2021. The report was written by special counsel Jack Smith using information he gathered during his investigation of the documents case.
After being appointed special counsel by US Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022, Smith brought two cases against President Trump — one regarding the classified documents, and one focused on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Judge Cannon dismissed the documents case in July 2024, and Smith dropped the election case — which had been filed in a different court — after Trump was re-elected.
Historically, special counsels appointed by both Republicans and Democrats have released reports to share their work with the public. Smith publicly released a report about the election case in January 2025, but Judge Cannon has blocked the release of his report on the documents case, first temporarily, now permanently.
Cannon accused Smith of violating the “spirit” of her order dismissing the case by writing the report at all, and wrote that releasing the report would “cause irreparable damage” to President Trump and his co-defendants and “contravene basic notions of fairness and justice in the process.” President Trump has repeatedly praised Cannon for her handling of the case against him.
The decision will likely be appealed.
Another Epstein-related Arrest
British police made another high-profile arrest today, this time taking in Peter Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to the US, over his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
He was taken in for questioning for “suspicion of misconduct in public office.”
Mandelson was fired by the UK prime minister in September after emails between him and Epstein were released. In the emails, he communicates with Epstein years after Epstein was convicted of the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl, even inviting him to his London home. In one email, Mandelson says Epstein’s 2008 conviction was “wrongful and should be challenged.”
But the more recent trove of Epstein documents show even more involvement between the two men, including messages sent from Mandelson in 2009, while he was a senior government minister. The emails show Mandelson talking about selling UK government assets, and how he would push other members of the government to reduce taxes on bankers’ bonuses. He continued to talk to Epstein until at least 2016.
Kash Patel Parties
FBI Director Kash Patel can be seen on video partying with the US Men’s Olympic hockey team after they won gold on Sunday, despite his spokesperson saying he was in Italy to meet with regional officials and oversee the FBI’s involvement in Olympic security.
The FBI Director can be seen inside the men’s locker room, chugging a beer and spraying its remnants in the air, while fist pumping, banging his hand on a table, and wearing a gold medal.
Patel defended himself by saying he was “humbled” to be invited into the locker room after their win.
House Democrats launched an investigation late last year into Patel’s use of the FBI jet, which he has allegedly flown to visit his girlfriend and for personal travel, like to sporting events. They want all records, including justification for the travel, and any reimbursements owed.
In 2023, Patel criticized his predecessor, Christopher Wray, for using the plane for personal travel, saying, “Chris Wray doesn’t need a government funded G5 jet to go to vacations. Maybe we ground that plane. $15,000 every time it takes off.”
FBI directors are required to use the agency’s jet for security reasons, but if they use it for personal travel, they must pay the government back whatever a commercial flight would cost.