MORNING NEWS UPDATE: FEBRUARY 15, 2026

U.S. News

1. Partial government shutdown at Department of Homeland Security (DHS): Funding expired, leading to a partial shutdown amid disputes over immigration enforcement reforms and restrictions on ICE operations following incidents like shootings in Minneapolis and questions over agent conduct.
2. Ongoing immigration enforcement backlash: ICE's "Metro Surge" operation in Minneapolis winds down amid controversies, including disputed incidents and eroded public trust; a teen advocate for her father's release from ICE custody dies of cancer.
3. Student protests against ICE: Walkouts and demonstrations occur across states, with Texas threatening punishments for schools allowing participation.
4. Nancy Guthrie search updates: The ongoing investigation continues, with new details on suspects and rewards.
5. Olympics coverage in U.S. media: American athletes like pairs skater Danny O'Shea compete at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

6. TSA Shutdown Impact: Travelers face growing uncertainty as TSA agents continue working without pay following a Department of Homeland Security funding lapse that began Saturday. Security lines are expected to lengthen as the standoff over federal immigration restrictions continues.

7. Obama on UAPs: Former President Barack Obama reignited national interest in extraterrestrial life during a recent podcast, confirming the existence of "unexplained aerial phenomena" while debunking long-standing myths about underground facilities at Area 51.

8. Military Readiness: Reports indicate the U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, multi-week operations in the Middle East, signaling a significant shift in strategic posture regarding Iran.

Politics

1. DHS funding standoff and shutdown: Congress recesses without resolution; Democrats demand curbs on immigration agencies, while Trump administration officials like Border Czar Tom Homan defend operations.
2. Munich Security Conference tensions: Secretary of State Marco Rubio reassures Europe but pushes for reduced U.S. dependence, calls for Europe to strengthen itself, and rejects notions of "civilizational erasure" amid trans-Atlantic strains.
3. Trump administration pushback: Reports of GOP resistance to some policies, low approval ratings tied to immigration, and criticisms of authoritarian tendencies from figures like AOC.
4. Iran regime change rhetoric: Trump comments on potential regime change in Iran as military preparations are reported.

5. Munich Security Conference: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with G7 and NATO leaders in Germany. Key tensions involve the U.S. push to acquire Greenland and the strengthening of non-lethal aid to Ukraine.

6. Georgia Senate Race: Republican candidate Derek Dooley is making headlines in Georgia’s Senate race, focusing his campaign on workforce training and criticizing current federal immigration policies and taxpayer-funded campaign materials.

7. Transparency in Funding: Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and the Trump administration have launched a new portal to disclose foreign funding at U.S. universities, citing national security and research integrity.

World Affairs

1. Munich Security Conference highlights: Discussions on U.S.-Europe relations, with Rubio's speech emphasizing unity but change; EU officials push back on U.S. criticisms; Zelenskyy calls for a European army amid U.S. policy concerns.
2. U.S.-Iran tensions: Reports of military preparations for potential operations, aircraft carrier deployments, and talks on nuclear/energy deals; Trump-Netanyahu agreement to pressure Iran on oil sales to China.
3. Russia-Ukraine war developments: Ongoing talks clouded by incidents; Navalny death linked to poison by UK/EU allies.
4. Other global notes: Bangladesh invites India's PM Modi to an event; rallies in Munich for Iran regime change.

5. China-EU Relations: At the Munich Security Conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized that China and Europe should be "partners, not systemic rivals," urging a return to multilateralism and mutual respect.

6. African Union Summit: The 39th AU Summit opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with a primary focus on sustainable water security and safe sanitation systems across the continent for 2026.

7. Lunar New Year Diplomacy: As the 9-day Lunar New Year begins, Chinese tourism to Japan has plummeted due to ongoing diplomatic tensions over Taiwan, with travelers shifting toward South Korea and Russia instead.

Education

1. Greening of career education: U.S. schools add programs in clean energy, sustainability, and environmental lessons in fields like culinary and construction, despite federal climate policy shifts.
2. Higher education funding and priorities: Reports on college endowments, governors' priorities, and congressional budget impacts on education funding under the Trump administration.
3. Local recognitions: Student achievements like high PSSA scores and "Citizen of the Month" awards in various districts.

4. Math Policy Reform: State lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing for "Numeracy Acts" modeled after Alabama’s success, focusing on mandatory early math screenings and guaranteed access to Algebra I by 8th grade.

5. Phone-Free Schools: The "bell-to-bell" phone ban trend continues to gain momentum, with 22 states now requiring schools to limit cell phone use during the entire school day to improve student social interaction and academic outcomes.

6. Direct Admissions: More states are adopting "direct admission" policies, where students are proactively admitted to colleges based on GPA and coursework without the need for a traditional application.

Economy

1. Stock market highs amid mixed sentiment: Dow and S&P at or near records, but public views remain negative on Trump's handling; White House emphasizes affordability wins despite persistent anxieties.
2. Currency and data movements: Dollar pressure; yen strengthening; upcoming U.S. Q4 GDP and PCE inflation data eyed for Fed rate clues.
3. Market caution: S&P weekly decline signals complacency; rotation into value/foreign stocks.

4. Global Growth Outlook: The IMF has slightly upwardly revised global growth projections to 3.3% for 2026, citing improved financial conditions in the U.S. despite "downside risks" in other jurisdictions.

5. Crypto Market Volatility: Bitcoin is hovering near $70,000 as the SEC develops a new crypto asset taxonomy framework and X (formerly Twitter) prepares to offer cryptocurrency trading links.

6. Tariff Front-Loading: Economic data suggests a recent boost in U.S. GDP is partly due to businesses "front-loading" imports ahead of expected tariff adjustments.

Technology

1. Hyper-growth tech stocks spotlight: Recommendations for stocks like Ciena, Sandisk, and ServiceNow due to AI/data center demand and profitability.
2. 2026 tech trends: Defense tech rise amid geopolitics; AI reckoning; quantum computing leaps; gene tech and home robots advances.
3. Hardware leaks and launches: Intel's Nova Lake platform details (new chipsets, PCIe lanes); MSI RTX 5090 Lightning GPU.

4. "The Big Tech Flex": With Governor Gavin Newsom reaching his term limit, Silicon Valley billionaires are pouring tens of millions into California politics to influence regulation and support tech-friendly candidates like San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

5. AI Energy Compact: The Trump administration is reportedly pushing tech giants to sign a "draft compact" ensuring that the rapid expansion of AI data centers doesn't destabilize the national power grid or spike household electricity costs.

6. Tech Earnings: Twilio and Roku reported strong Q4 beats, while Lyft saw a revenue miss, highlighting a mixed start to the year for the tech sector.

Health

1. Chemotherapy side effects management: Advances make side effects like nausea and fatigue more manageable, per experts.
2. Evening eating habits for heart health: Study shows stopping food 3 hours before bed and extending overnight fast improves blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar.
3. No autism link from mRNA COVID vaccines in pregnancy: Large study finds no connection to developmental issues.
4. Other notes: Statins not causing most listed side effects; potential male birth control breakthrough.

5. Circadian Fasting: A new study from Northwestern Medicine found that stopping food intake and dimming lights three hours before bed—extending the overnight fast by just two hours—significantly improves blood pressure and heart health.

6. TrumpRx Launch: The administration has officially launched "TrumpRx," a new discount prescription drug platform aimed at reducing out-of-pocket costs for consumers.

7. FDA Food Additives: The FDA has finalized new rules allowing the expanded use of natural color additives like beetroot red and spirulina extract in human food to replace certain synthetic dyes.

Sports

1. 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Day 9 action: Events include figure skating (U.S. skaters like Danny O'Shea competing after long journeys; Ilia Malinin finishes 8th earlier), giant slalom (Mikaela Shiffrin misses out), and men's hockey (USA vs. Germany).
2. U.S. Olympic highlights: Pairs skating and other competitions ongoing, with golds for Canada/Britain in some events.
3. NBA All-Star Game: Set for today, overlapping with Olympics coverage.

4. College Basketball: No. 2 Michigan dominated UCLA 86-56, positioning the Wolverines to take the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 after previous No. 1 Arizona lost to Kansas.

5. College Baseball Openers: The college baseball season is in full swing; Oregon State and Stanford are set for a high-profile neutral-site matchup in Surprise, Arizona, following record-breaking attendance on opening weekend.

6. Big Ten Expansion: Early conference play highlights the new geographical reality of the Big Ten, with traditional West Coast teams like UCLA and Oregon now regularly competing in Midwest-centered schedules.

These reflect the most prominent stories circulating today, with heavy focus on U.S. immigration/political tensions, international diplomacy at Munich, and the ongoing Winter Olympics.

EDUCATION SPECIAL
TOP US EDUCATION NEWS TODAY
TOP WORLD EDUCATION NEWS TODAY

Today's education landscape is dominated by significant shifts in U.S. federal policy and a global focus on the "human capital" costs of learning loss.

Here are the top headlines for February 15, 2026.

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🇺🇸 Top US Education News

1. Major Overhaul of Federal Student Loans

The Department of Education has officially proposed the RISE (Reimagining and Improving Student Education) rules. These implement the "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) Act signed last year.

• Grad PLUS Phase-out: The Graduate PLUS loan program is being phased out for new borrowers.

• New Loan Limits: Annual and lifetime caps are being established for graduate and parent borrowers.

• Repayment Consolidation: Previous plans like SAVE are being replaced by two options: the Tiered Standard Plan and the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).

2. "Greening" of Career Education

A new trend is emerging in K-12 vocational training. States like Delaware are now integrating sustainability and environmental impact lessons into every career track—from carpentry to accounting—aiming to make students more competitive in a "green" economy.

3. Federal Religious & DEI Battles

• Prayer in Schools: New federal guidance has been issued affirming that teachers can pray with students, sparking debate over the separation of church and state.

• DEI Restrictions: State legislatures (notably Iowa) continue to pass bills restricting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) departments and hiring practices in public universities.

4. Transparency in Foreign Funding

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon recently released data showing U.S. universities received over $5.2 billion in foreign gifts in 2025. A new public portal has been launched to track these transactions, specifically flagging "entities of concern."

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🌍 Top World Education News

1. The World Bank’s "Human Capital" Warning

A landmark report released this week warns that deficits in nutrition and learning are costing low- and middle-income countries 51% of their future labor earnings. In Nigeria, the deficit is estimated to be as high as 111% of future earnings, highlighting a global "learning poverty" crisis.

2. The Global "Skills Economy" Shift

Education systems worldwide are moving away from traditional degrees toward competency-based frameworks.

• Europe & North America: Expanding industry-aligned micro-credentials.

• South Asia: Massive scaling of technical apprenticeships to address youth unemployment.

3. AI Governance in Classrooms

Countries are moving from "experimentation" to "execution" with AI. While the UK and Greece are piloting strictly bounded "AI companions" for students, several European nations have implemented total phone bans in schools to combat the "fractured attention economy" and improve student well-being.

4. Crisis in Girls' Education

In Afghanistan, tensions within the Taliban have surfaced following the reported flight of a high-ranking official who publicly criticized the ongoing ban on secondary and higher education for girls.