Daily roundup — Feb. 12, 2026

Short summary: Federal agencies published multiple enforcement, economic and policy releases on Feb. 12, 2026, covering weekly unemployment data, labor and workplace‑enforcement actions, trade and critical‑minerals diplomacy, disaster‑flexibility guidance for two states, public‑lands access policy, and agency enforcement or litigation developments. Key items are grouped below.

Economy & labor

• Unemployment Insurance weekly claims (U.S. Department of Labor, ETA)
  • Advance seasonally adjusted initial claims: 227,000 for the week ending Feb. 7, 2026 (down 5,000 from the prior week's revised level).
  • Advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment: 1,862,000 for the week ending Jan. 31, 2026 (up 21,000).
  • Four‑week moving average of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment: 1,846,750 for the week ending Jan. 31, 2026 — the lowest four‑week average since Oct. 5, 2024.
  • No state triggered 'on' the Extended Benefits program for the week ending Jan. 24, 2026.
• DOL — Wage‑and‑Hour: Denver restaurant
  • The Department of Labor recovered $61,568 in back wages for 11 workers after finding the employer kept all employee tips, failed to record hours and did not display required FLSA notices; the employer paid a $990 civil money penalty.
• DOL/OSHA — Texas asbestos retaliation case
  • OSHA ordered two Houston construction companies to reinstate two workers and pay more than $200,000 in back wages, interest, and damages after finding retaliatory terminations following asbestos complaints.

Trade, critical minerals, and industrial policy

• U.S.–North Macedonia trade framework (White House joint statement)
  • Framework terms announced include North Macedonia eliminating customs duties for U.S. industrial and agricultural goods; the U.S. keeping a 15% reciprocal tariff on originating North Macedonian goods while identifying some North Macedonian products for a 0% reciprocal tariff rate.
  • North Macedonia will begin purchases of U.S. liquefied natural gas once a new Greece–North Macedonia interconnector is completed.
  • The two countries commit to deepen cooperation on supply‑chain resilience, anti‑evasion measures, investment‑review and export control coordination, and to finalize and complete domestic steps to bring the agreement into force.
  • Incentive note: tariff and procurement commitments are structured to provide market access for U.S. exporters while preserving reciprocal tariff tools to protect U.S. producers and leverage negotiation of targeted concessions.
• Critical Minerals Ministerial (State Department)
  • The ministerial convened in Washington on Feb. 4 with delegations from 54 countries and the European Commission.
  • Announced joint projects totaling over $30 billion to support critical‑minerals supply chains across the Americas; the U.S. DFC provided financing support for projects in Brazil (Serra Verde and Aclara).

Defense / war department and industrial support

• Secretary of War travel advisory
  • Secretary of War Pete Hegseth plans to travel to Fort Bragg, N.C., to meet senior leaders and engage with troops (advisory published Feb. 12, 2026).
• War Department investment in display technologies
  • Announced two investments totaling $24.5 million intended to strengthen domestic supply chains for advanced optical/display technologies.

Housing, disaster response, and public lands

• HUD — disaster aid and administrative flexibility
  • HUD announced disaster‑related financial flexibilities for residents in Mississippi (Major Disaster Declaration DR‑4899) and Tennessee; the President approved major disaster declarations for both states on Feb. 6, 2026.
  • Recipients of CDBG, HOPWA, CoC, ESG, HOME and HTF program funds may apply for waivers or administrative flexibility in response to the disaster declarations.
• Interior — Materials Access Program
  • DOI launched a Materials Access Program to expand access to public lands for material‑related uses.

Enforcement, oversight, and litigation

• Federal Election Commission — Bernegger v. FEC
  • Peter Bernegger filed suit in U.S. District Court (D.D.C.) alleging FEC inaction on an administrative complaint filed July 31, 2025. The complaint alleged roughly $11,090,385 in unlawful contributions and reporting inaccuracies involving Senator Lindsey Graham, Team Graham, Inc. and WinRed; the plaintiff asks the court to order the FEC to act within 30 days.
• FTC actions
  • FTC Chair Andrew N. Ferguson issued a warning letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook reminding Apple of regulatory obligations to customers.
  • The FTC finalized a consent order requiring Adamas Amenity Services LLC and affiliates to stop enforcing no‑hire agreements.
• DHS — immigration and prosecutions
  • ICE asked Georgia officials not to release Juan Carlos Salvador‑Diaz, a non‑citizen arrested Jan. 30, 2026 and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery; ICE stated Salvador‑Diaz illegally entered the U.S. in 2019.
  • DHS Secretary Kristi Noem provided an update on border security and drug‑seizure efforts.

Courts, trials, and other agency remarks

• Jury verdict in trial of Ismael Sanchez (agency statement released).
• Miscellaneous: agency testimony, remarks and other routine releases (Senate testimony, remarks to bar association, diplomatic congratulatory note to Barbados’ prime minister).

Notes on sources and incentives

• Items above are agency press releases or official statements. Where policies affect markets or enforcement incentives (trade tariffs, DFC financing, disaster waivers, no‑hire agreements, employer‑sanction enforcement), agencies’ actions change commercial and compliance incentives that affect private actors’ behavior; summaries above note the core commitments and enforcement outcomes without commentary.