Lawmakers Fail to Reach Agreement on DHS Funding; Agency Shuts Down. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will shut down at 12:00 a.m. EST on February 14, 2026, after the U.S. Senate failed to reach an agreement on both an underlying funding bill and a two-week extension of current funding levels. The disagreement centers around U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following their recent enforcement activities in Minnesota. The legislative standoff isn’t likely to end soon, as both the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives are already in recess and will be out next week. During the recess, the White House—which is leading the negotiations for the Republicans—will theoretically exchange offers with Senate Democrats. Lawmakers in both the Senate and the House have been notified that they will have forty-eight hours’ notice to return to Washington, D.C., if a deal is reached. Both chambers are scheduled to return to Washington, D.C., on February 23, 2026.
So, what will the DHS shutdown mean for employers? As the Buzz noted last week, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of State are all fully funded through September 30,...
In the Polish information space, disinformation messages about alleged mass deaths of Polish soldiers on Ukrainian territory are appearing. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation un...