The Paper Trail: February 17, 2026

The Paper Trail

Top stories for February 17, 2026

Gabbard whistleblower complaint based on intercepted conversation about Jared Kushner: The highly classified whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is related to a conversation intercepted last spring in which two foreign nationals discussed President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Part of the conversation covered issues related to Iran. (Dustin Volz, Josh Dawsey, and C. Ryan Barber, Wall Street Journal)

Inside the debacle that led to the closure of El Paso’s airspace: The question of whether the DOD and DHS followed proper procedures and the law in deploying the laser weapon has become a flashpoint within the Trump administration. For the last year, FAA leaders have been locked in a war of wills with their national security counterparts over aviation safety and the use of counter-drone weapons. (Karoun Demirjian et al., New York Times)

ICE is expanding across the U.S. at breakneck speed. Here’s where it’s going next: ICE plans to lease offices throughout the country as part of a secret expansion campaign. More than 150 leases and office expansions will place new facilities in nearly every state, many of them in or near the country’s largest metropolitan areas, and near elementary schools, medical offices, places of worship, and other sensitive locations. (Leah Feiger, Wired)

ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion turning warehouses into detention centers: ICE plans to buy and convert 16 buildings across the country to serve as regional processing centers, each holding 1,000 to 1,500 detainees at a time. Another eight facilities will hold 7,000 to 10,000 detainees and serve as “the primary locations” for international removals. (Douglas MacMillan and Jonathan O'Connell, Washington Post)

🔎 See Also: Empty warehouses, secret deals: Insiders poised to profit from Trump’s deportation boom (Luke Goldstein and Katya Schwenk, The Lever)

ICE, Inc.: The top companies profiting from Trump’s immigration crackdown: Over the last year, many of ICE’s top contractors saw massive increases in the money they are making from the agency. Many of these companies or their executives have made significant political donations to Trump-aligned groups, lobbied on a law that massively boosted ICE’s budget, or hired former ICE officials. (Nick Schwellenbach, Luisa Clausen, and Aarushi Sahejpal, Project On Government Oversight)

🔎 See Also: Sick detainees describe poor care at facilities run by ICE contractor CoreCivic (Katie Thomas, Jessica Silver-Greenberg, and Melena Ryzik, New York Times)

Homeland Security wants social media sites to expose anti-ICE accounts: In recent months, DHS has sent Google, Reddit, Discord, and Meta hundreds of administrative subpoenas seeking to unmask accounts that track or criticize ICE. (Sheera Frenkel and Mike Isaac, New York Times)

“Not ready for prime time.” A federal tool to check voter citizenship keeps making mistakes: Tests of the DHS’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) resulted in persistent mistakes flagging voters as noncitizens. While 27 states have agreed to use SAVE, others have hesitated, concerned not only about inaccuracies but also privacy and the data’s potential to be used in immigration enforcement. (Jen Fifield and Zach Despart, ProPublica)

Homeland Security hires Labor Dept. aide whose posts raised alarms: DHS hired Peyton Rollins, a social media manager at the Labor Department, to run its social media accounts despite posts he made that echoed white supremacist messaging. (Evan Gorelick, New York Times)

Pam Bondi admits DOJ has a secret domestic terrorist list: During a congressional hearing last week, the attorney general for the first time acknowledged the existence of a secret list of domestic terrorist organizations being compiled under President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7). (Nick Turse, The Intercept)

FBI gathered intelligence on reporters, religious orgs using “assessment” authority, watchdog report says: Between 2018 and 2014, the FBI used various intelligence-gathering techniques to examine over 1,000 journalists, religious organizations, public officials, academics, and others using an authority that allows them to surveil individuals without the legal grounds to pursue a criminal investigation. (David DiMolfetta, Nextgov/FCW)

IRS improperly disclosed confidential immigrant tax data to DHS: In April 2025, the Treasury Department agreed to provide DHS with the names and addresses of individuals believed to be in the country illegally. Before courts blocked the data-sharing arrangement, DHS requested the addresses of 1.2 million individuals from the IRS, which responded with data on 47,000 individuals. When the IRS shared the data, it also inadvertently disclosed the private information of thousands of taxpayers. (Jacob Bogage, Jeff Stein, and Perry Stein, Washington Post)

“Suicide is only one option:” Social Security staff newly assigned to phone duties raise concerns over training: SSA recently began shifting new swaths of its workforce to phone answering duty. Although reassigned workers are ostensibly handling simple calls, some said the calls just in the first week were more complex than those for which they were trained. (Eric Katz, Government Executive)

EPA will stop regulating greenhouse gases, setting up a legal fight: The EPA last week formally rescinded a 2009 determination that pollutants from developing and burning fossil fuels can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The EPA is also expected to end rules to reduce climate pollution from cars and trucks. (Jeff Brady and Camila Domonoske, NPR)

🔎 See Also: After Republican complaints, judicial body pulls climate advice (John Timmer, Ars Technica)

New Mexico rebukes federal agency over nuclear waste at Los Alamos: After years of missed deadlines, New Mexico is demanding that the U.S. Department of Energy expedite the cleanup of nuclear and hazardous waste at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, amid rising fears of a new global arms race. The state will also fine the agency up to $16 million for violating groundwater safety standards near the lab. (Alicia Inez Guzmán, New York Times)

Firefighters wore gear containing “forever chemicals.” The Forest Service knew and stayed silent for years: As early as 2021, U.S. Forest Service officials were alerted to the presence of potentially dangerous chemicals known as PFAS in pants used by wildland firefighters, but the agency decided not to immediately share this information. (Abe Streep, Government Executive)

Opinion: If Congress is serious about addressing fraud, they must protect this key watchdog: While recent cases of fraud in federal programs have caught national attention, Congress must not overlook a core power it has to help tackle systemic fraud in the federal government: ensuring the next leader of the GAO has the experience, integrity, and nonpartisan qualities necessary for the job. (Janice Luong, FedWeek)

Tensions in the Twin Cities

Court rebukes Trump administration for denying immigration detainees access to lawyers: U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel ruled that the administration has been violating the rights of people detained by ICE in Minnesota, saying the agency had stashed them in an ill-equipped, overcrowded facility without access to attorneys. Brasel ordered the administration to dramatically revamp conditions in the Whipple federal building and provide routine and unmonitored phone access to detainees, including the chance to alert attorneys and family members before being transferred out of state. (Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein, Politico)

🔎 See Also: Judges have rebuked Trump’s mass detention of immigrants thousands of times (Katie Herchenroeder, Mother Jones)

Agents suspended after their story of shooting an immigrant falls apart: Two ICE agents were suspended, and criminal charges against a man one of them shot were dropped, after a prosecutor in Minnesota revealed that the story those agents told about the shooting wasn’t true. (Mitch Smith and Hamed Aleaziz, New York Times)

Epstein Files

Lawmakers accuse DOJ of “spying” on their Epstein file searches citing photo of Bondi’s “burn book”: Several lawmakers accused Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DOJ of spying on Congress members after a photo surfaced of Bondi’s notes during her congressional testimony showing Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s Epstein files search history. (Siladitya Ray, Forbes)

Former police chief said Trump told him “everyone” knew of Epstein’s actions: Former Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter told the FBI that in 2006 Trump told him, “Thank goodness you’re stopping [Jeffrey Epstein], everyone has known he’s been doing this,” and that Ghislaine Maxwell was “evil.” Shortly after Epstein’s arrest in 2019, Trump said he “had no idea” Epstein molested underaged women. (Luke Broadwater, New York Times)

Other Epstein Files News

→ Who are the six men named in the unredacted Epstein files?

→ The Deutsche Bank compliance officer who flagged Epstein and lost her job

→ Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer departs amid revelations about her ties to Epstein

→ Despite Epstein’s toxicity, Steve Bannon stood by him, texts indicate

→ Epstein’s ties with academics show the seedy side of college fundraising

→ Tom Pritzker, citing Epstein connection, steps down as Hyatt Hotels executive chairman

→ Casey Wasserman selling his talent agency after Epstein debacle: “I have become a distraction”

→ New Mexico approves comprehensive probe of Epstein’s Zorro Ranch

Insurrection

The FBI seizure of Georgia 2020 election ballots relies on debunked claims: The FBI affidavit used to seize the Fulton County ballots last month omitted key findings from state investigators that undercut many claims of electoral fraud. Additionally, the affidavit reveals that the FBI investigation was initiated by Kurt Olsen, a lawyer working for the Trump administration who also aided Trump’s efforts to try to overturn the 2020 election. The affidavit doesn’t mention any evidence or suspicion of foreign election interference, raising more questions about the involvement of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. (Stephen Fowler, NPR)

Weaponization of the Government

Justice Department sues Harvard for admissions records: The lawsuit, accusing the school of failing to produce documents sought as part of a probe into whether its admissions process discriminates against white applicants, is the second government action against Harvard in two weeks. (Michael C. Bender and Alan Blinder, New York Times)

Judge blocks Pete Hegseth’s censure of Sen. Mark Kelly over troops video, for now: U.S. District Judge Richard Leon temporarily barred Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from censuring and reducing the rank of Sen. Mark Kelly over his participation in a video reminding service members of their right to refuse illegal orders. Leon said Hegseth and the other defendants had “trampled on” Kelly’s First Amendment free speech protections, and that the senator is likely to win his lawsuit challenging the effort to punish him. (Dan Mangan, CNBC)

Trump’s campaign against “left-wing” media finds a new target: Apple News: FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to Apple chief executive Tim Cook expressing concern about “reports that Apple News has systematically promoted news articles from left-wing news outlets and suppressed news articles from more conservative publications.” Observers say the letter, which didn’t threaten an investigation or legal action, is part of a “concerted jawboning campaign” by the administration to get online platforms to include conservative viewpoints. (Will Oremus, Washington Post)

FCC investigates “The View”, reportedly says “fake news” will be punished: A source at the FCC said the probe was triggered by an alleged violation of the equal-time rule when the show featured a Democratic Senate candidate. (Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica)

Raskin launches probe into Ed Martin’s removal from Weaponization Working Group: Rep. Jamie Raskin demanded information from the DOJ related to the recent demotion of Ed Martin from his role as the head of the Weaponization Working Group amid reports that Martin improperly shared information about the prosecutions of Trump foes. Martin remains in his post as U.S. Pardon Attorney. (Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill

Inspectors General

DHS watchdog warns shutdown could imperil immigration enforcement oversight: DHS’s inspector general currently has eight active probes into the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. But with a lapse in funding for DHS, the IG has been forced to suspend approximately 85% of its audits, evaluations, and inspections. The funding lapse will also affect the office’s reviews of the Secret Service’s handling of the July 2024 assassination attempt against Trump and probes of DHS’s cybersecurity and counterintelligence operations. (Jacob Wendler, Politico)

Defense and Veterans Affairs

Senator grills senior enlisted leaders about privatized housing NDAs: A recent survey found that, although troops and families are being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements less frequently than in the past, it’s still a common practice by privatized military housing companies. (Jeff Schogol, Task & Purpose)

🔎 See Also: Health care access a top complaint among troops, top enlisted leaders tell lawmakers (Karen Jowers, Military Times)

National Guard troops were quietly withdrawn from some U.S. cities: The administration last month quietly withdrew all federalized National Guard troops from U.S. cities: more than 5,000 troops in Los Angeles, about 500 in Chicago, and 200 in Portland, Oregon. More than 2,500 troops remain in D.C., and there is an ongoing Guard presence in Memphis and New Orleans. (Tara Copp and Alex Horton, Washington Post)

The U.S. military is taking control of more Texas borderland: Nearly 200 more miles of the U.S. border with Mexico have been placed under Air Force supervision, enabling wider use of military force and heftier charges against people crossing illegally into the country. But experts wonder why the step is being taken as crossings plummet and heightened charges are getting thrown out by judges. (Thomas Novelly, Defense One)

Business and Finance

SEC denies all whistleblower awards in first quarter of 2026: The SEC denied all 24 whistleblower award claims in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. This denial streak follows FY 2025, which saw the lowest annual award total since 2017. Legal experts and whistleblower advocates say reduced awards could result in fewer tips, reducing the SEC’s ability to address securities-related misconduct and corruption. (Alice Wanamaker, Whistleblower Network News)

The lap dogs watching the watchdogs: After years of tougher enforcement, the Trump administration is cutting the budget of its financial auditing watchdog, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), and installing officials tied to the White House and industry. (Lucy Dean Stockton, The Lever)

Millions of student loan borrowers aren’t repaying their loans — and defaults are up: Roughly a million borrowers defaulted on their federal student loans last year with millions delinquent on their payments and sliding toward the same fate, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Experts say this default wave has serious consequences not only for borrowers but also for the broader U.S. economy. (Cory Turner, NPR)

Tech

How hate groups and terrorists use gaming platforms to recruit young children: Hate groups and terrorist organizations are using video games like Minecraft and Roblox and other online platforms to draw growing numbers of children to their causes. (Pranav Baskar, New York Times)

See ChatGPT’s hidden bias about your state or city: Regional stereotypes aren’t deliberately programmed into ChatGPT by its maker, OpenAI. They’re absorbed from the vast quantities of online text used to train it. (Geoffrey A. Fowler and Kevin Schaul, Washington Post)

Infrastructure

Bridge owner lobbied administration before Trump blasted competing span to Canada: The billionaire owner of a bridge connecting Michigan with Canada met Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. After the meeting, Lutnick spoke with President Trump. Shortly afterward, Trump threatened to block the planned opening of a competing bridge — which he had promoted during his first term. (Tyler Pager and Matina Stevis-Gridneff, New York Times)

Health Care

RFK Jr. made promises in order to become health secretary. He’s broken many of them: Before being confirmed to lead HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told senators he wouldn’t cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation’s official vaccine recommendations. He did both. (Amanda Seitz, KFF Health News)

🔎 See Also: FDA refuses to review Moderna flu vaccine (Christina Jewett and Rebecca Robbins, New York Times)

🔎 See Also: Vaccine makers curtail research and cut jobs (Rebecca Robbins, New York Times)

🔎 See Also: Kennedy allies target states to overturn vaccine mandates for schoolchildren (Christina Jewett, New York Times)

End of enhanced Obamacare subsidies puts tribal health lifeline at risk: Tribal organizations that offer Native Americans coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplace plans are struggling with rising costs. (Katheryn Houghton and Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, KFF Health News)

Can TrumpRx help you save money on drugs? Here’s what experts say: Experts and health care advocates say that limitations with the president’s new discounted drug platform could undermine its value to consumers. “For a small share of the market, it will deliver meaningful savings, but it is not going to change the whole drug pricing landscape for most Americans,” said one expert. (Megan Cerullo, CBS News)

Researcher skeptical of “Havana syndrome” tested secret weapon on himself: A government scientist in Norway built a machine capable of emitting powerful pulses of microwave energy and, in an effort to prove such devices are harmless to humans. When he tested it on himself in 2024, he suffered neurological symptoms similar to those of “Havana syndrome.” The incident bolstered the case of those who argue that such devices can affect human biology and are probably being developed by U.S. adversaries. (Warren P. Strobel and Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post)

Health advice from AI chatbots is frequently wrong, study shows: A new study found that AI chatbots are no better than Google — already a flawed source of health information — at guiding users toward the correct diagnoses or helping them determine what they should do next. The technology also gives false information and dramatically changes its advice depending on how a query is worded. (Teddy Rosenbluth, New York Times)

ICYMI

Immigration and Border Security:

→ U.S. spending millions to send migrants to third countries, report says

→ Trump administration working to expand effort to strip citizenship from foreign-born Americans

→ Public Health Service workers are quitting over assignments to Guantánamo

→ Idaho families sue over immigration raid that swept up hundreds, including U.S. citizens

→ Immigration judge says government can’t deport Tufts student

→ She bounced a $25 check in 2014. ICE tried to deport her

→ Lawyers of Chicago woman shot by federal agents say documents show how DHS lies about investigations

Other News:

→ OPM instructs agencies to terminate union contracts potentially in violation of court orders

→ White House fires U.S. attorney in NY hours after judges appointed him

→ Grand jury rebuffs DOJ attempt to indict 6 congressional Dems

→ The DOJ put an attorney back on the Visa antitrust case despite her financial conflict

→ Watchdog flags gaps in Coast Guard’s handling of discrimination complaints

→ Judge orders slavery exhibit to be restored after NPS removal

→ House GOP calls for investigation of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show

→ K Street’s Trump boom

→ Filibuster fight comes full circle as GOP faces internal pressure on elections bill

On The Lighter Side

Dispute over Cardi B’s Super Bowl cameo roils prediction markets: Debate over whether Cardi B’s appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show constituted a “performance” prompted one prediction market user to file a complaint with the CFTC. (Mary Cunningham, CBS News)

Hot Docs

🔥📃 GAO - U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Resources Deployed and Challenges Faced in Securing the Northern Border. GAO-26-107501 (PDF)

🔥📃 Office of the Whistleblower Ombuds: Fact Sheet: Healthcare Whistleblowing. February 17, 2026 (PDF)

🔥📃 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Minority Report: At What Cost? Inside the Trump Administration’s Secret Deportation Deals. February 13, 2026 (PDF)

🔥📃 Project On Government Oversight: Census Matters: How Florida’s 2020 Census Undercount Affects County-Level Funding. February 11, 2026

Nominations & Appointments

Nominations

• Catherine Dillon - Assistant Secretary of State (Educational and Cultural Affairs)
• William Hague - Assistant Secretary of the Interior
• Kyle Haustveit - Under Secretary of Energy
• George Kelesis - U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada
• Steven Lewis - U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri
• Kevin Lilly - Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife
• Asel Roberts - Ambassador, Slovenia
• Karen Sessions - Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Scott Socha - Director, National Park Service
• Todd Steggerda - U.S. Representative to the United Nations
• Ashley Stow - Member, Federal Election Commission
• Andrew Woodson - Member, Federal Election Commission

Pardons & Commutations

• Billy A. Cannon
• Elite Diesel Service, Inc.
• Travis Henry
• Joseph Klecko
• Jamal Lewis
• Nathaniel Newton, Jr.
• Timothy S. Smith