Good morning. Here are the headlines shaping the day.

• Senate passes DHS funding; TSA still awaits clarity: The Senate approved funding for the Department of Homeland Security, but on-the-ground uncertainty remains. TSA Officer Darrell English told CNN they’re awaiting “more clarity” on when officers will actually get paid, underscoring how close-run budget fights can ripple through essential services [5].

  
  
  
  

• EPA moves to help with gas prices: The Environmental Protection Agency took a step aimed at easing prices at the pump, according to a brief from Newser, which notes the Associated Press contributed to the report. Details were sparse at publication, but the move signals continued federal attention on consumer energy costs [3].

• Moscow may auction seized gold stake: In a development with implications for commodities and geopolitics, Russia may auction off a seized stake in gold producer UGC as soon as next month, Mining Weekly reports, a reminder that the resource patch remains highly exposed to state actions and sanctions-era realignments [2].

• Savannah Guthrie to return to ‘Today’: NBC’s Savannah Guthrie is set to return to the “Today” show next month even as the investigation into her mother’s disappearance continues, Forbes reports, calling it a developing story [4].

• Quote of the day—on confidence as a habit: Lifestyle creator Gopali Tiwari argues that “self-belief is a practice,” not an innate trait, offering a timely reminder amid turbulent news cycles about the value of composure and repetition in building confidence [1].

Why it matters: Together, these threads sketch the week’s tension points—government funding that narrowly averts disruption yet leaves workers guessing; policymakers’ scramble to cool energy costs; commodity markets navigating state power; and the personal resilience stories that cut through the noise. Keep an eye on gas futures and airline operations for near-term knock-ons, and on the UGC auction chatter as a tell for how far Russia intends to reshape ownership in its extractive sector.

I’ll be tracking updates through the day.