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  • Boy who appeared in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show is not the 5-year-old detained by ICE in Minneapolis

    Boy who appeared in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show is not the 5-year-old detained by ICE in Minneapolis

    Social media users incorrectly identified a small boy who was part of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday as Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old who, along with his father, was detained by immigration officials in Minnesota and held at an ICE facility in Texas.

    The boy was actually Lincoln Fox Ramadan, a child actor from Costa Mesa, Calif., who is also 5 years old, according to his Instagram profile.

    After Bad Bunny finished his song “NUEVAYoL,” cameras showed Lincoln watching Bad Bunny accepting his Grammy for album of the year last week. The artist then walks over and hands Lincoln what appears to be a Grammy.

    Here’s a closer look at the facts.

    Claim: Bad Bunny handed his Grammy to Liam Conejo Ramos during his Super Bowl halftime performance.

    The Facts: This is false. The boy was child actor Lincoln Fox Ramadan.

    “An emotional, unforgettable day being cast as the young Benito — a symbolic moment where the future hands the past a Grammy,” reads a Monday post on Lincoln’s Instagram profile. “A reminder that dreams come true and it’s never too early to dream big.”

    The post includes photos from Lincoln’s appearance during the halftime show and other moments from the day, as well as a childhood photo of Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.

    In the caption, Lincoln also wrote that he’s “sending love to Liam Ramos” and that “we all deserve peace and love in America, a country built by and home to so many hard-working immigrants.”

    Another post from Lincoln’s Instagram, shared on Sunday, included a video of his cameo and was captioned, “I’ll remember this day forever! @badbunnypr — it was my truest honor.” His last post before the Super Bowl, on Jan. 31, was a photo of himself captioned, “I booked a cool gig! Can’t wait to share it with you guys.”

    Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who is originally from Ecuador, were detained by immigration officers in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20. They were taken to an ICE detention facility in Dilley, Texas, but returned to Minneapolis on Feb. 1 following a judge’s order.

    Images of immigration officers surrounding the young boy in a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack drew outrage about the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

    Lincoln, the child actor, is half Egyptian and half Argentinian, according to his Instagram and his acting profile. He previous work has included modeling for Walmart and Target.

    Bad Bunny has won six total Grammys, including three at the 2026 awards show. His album of the year win for the critically-acclaimed DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, is the first time a Spanish-language album has taken home the top prize.

    Representatives for Bad Bunny did not respond to a request for comment.

  • In new video, Savannah Guthrie says family is ‘at an hour of desperation’

    In new video, Savannah Guthrie says family is ‘at an hour of desperation’

    TUCSON, Ariz. — The FBI said Monday it is unaware of any continued communication between Savannah Guthrie’s family and suspected kidnappers more than a week after the Today show host’s mom went missing.

    The FBI has still not identified any suspects or persons of interest in the mysterious disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, said Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI.

    Savannah Guthrie said the family was “at an hour of desperation” in a video released Monday, just hours before a purported ransom deadline apparently set by her mom’s abductors.

    Savannah Guthrie didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family continues to believe their 84-year-old mother is out there and hearing everyone’s prayers.

    “She was taken and we don’t know where and we need your help,” Guthrie said in the video posted on Instagram that urged people nationwide to be on the lookout. “No matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything.”

    The mysterious disappearance and search has riveted the U.S. — from President Donald Trump, who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week, to the online sleuths who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories, and rumors.

    The FBI is now asking for the public’s help on digital billboards up in several major cities in Texas, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information.

    Multiple press outlets have received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second one was set for Monday evening.

    Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously.

    Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

    Investigators returned to Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona neighborhood several times over the weekend.

    Savannah Guthrie said over the weekend that the family was prepared to pay for her mother’s return.

    “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said in a video posted Saturday. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

    Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there on Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church services. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her and her doorbell camera was disconnected in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.

    Outside the home on Monday, neighbors strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff’s deputy remained stationed out front.

    Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work at multiple locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday. “Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.

    Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about 4 miles from Nancy Guthrie’s house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.

  • Brad Arnold, 47, lead singer of Grammy-nominated rock band 3 Doors Down, has died

    Brad Arnold, 47, lead singer of Grammy-nominated rock band 3 Doors Down, has died

    LOS ANGELES — Brad Arnold, the lead singer of the Grammy-nominated rock band 3 Doors Down, died Saturday, months after he announced that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer. He was 47.

    The band said in a statement that Mr. Arnold “passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in his sleep after his courageous battle with cancer.”

    3 Doors Down formed in Mississippi in 1995 and four years later received a Grammy nomination for the breakout hit “Kryptonite.” Mr. Arnold wrote the song in math class when he was 15 years old, according to the band statement.

    Their debut album, The Better Life, sold over 6 million copies. A second Grammy nomination came in 2003, for the song “When I’m Gone.”

    The band said Mr. Arnold “helped redefine mainstream rock music, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting and lyrical themes that resonated with everyday listeners.”

    3 Doors Down released six albums, most recently Us and the Night in 2016. Singles included “Loser,” “Duck and Run,” and “Be Like That,” which appeared on the soundtrack for the 2001 film American Pie 2.

    While promoting their fifth album, Time of My Life, Mr. Arnold said he considered himself lucky to have carved out a career in the music business.

    “If you do something as long as we’ve done it, you can’t help but get better at it, you know?” Mr. Arnold told the Associated Press in 2011.

    In 2017, 3 Doors Down performed at the first inauguration concert of President Donald Trump.

    Mr. Arnold announced his cancer diagnosis last May, saying clear cell renal carcinoma had metastasized to his lungs. The band was forced to cancel a summer tour.

    “His music reverberated far beyond the stage, creating moments of connection, joy, faith, and shared experiences that will live on long after the stages he performed on,” the band said.

  • Washington Post publisher Will Lewis says he’s stepping down, days after big layoffs at the paper

    Washington Post publisher Will Lewis says he’s stepping down, days after big layoffs at the paper

    Washington Post publisher Will Lewis said Saturday that he’s stepping down, ending a troubled tenure three days after the newspaper said that it was laying off one-third of its staff.

    Lewis announced his departure in a two-paragraph email to the newspaper’s staff, saying that after two years of transformation, “now is the right time for me to step aside.” The Post’s chief financial officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, was appointed temporary publisher.

    Neither Lewis nor the newspaper’s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, participated in the meeting with staff members announcing the layoffs on Wednesday. While anticipated, the cutbacks were deeper than expected, resulting in the shutdown of the Post’s renowned sports section, the elimination of its photography staff, and sharp reductions in personnel responsible for coverage of metropolitan Washington and overseas.

    They came on top of widespread talent defections in recent years at the newspaper, which lost tens of thousands of subscribers following Bezos’ order late in the 2024 presidential campaign pulling back from a planned endorsement of Kamala Harris, and a subsequent reorienting of its opinion section in a more conservative direction.

    Martin Baron, the Post’s first editor under Bezos, condemned his former boss last week for attempting to curry favor with President Donald Trump and called what has happened at the newspaper “a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”

    The British-born Lewis was a former top executive at the Wall Street Journal before taking over at the Post in January 2024. His tenure has been rocky from the start, marked by layoffs and a failed reorganization plan that led to the departure of former top editor Sally Buzbee.

    His initial choice to take over for Buzbee, Robert Winnett, withdrew from the job after ethical questions were raised about both he and Lewis’ actions while working in England. They include paying for information that produced major stories, actions that would be considered unethical in American journalism. The current executive editor, Matt Murray, took over shortly thereafter.

    Lewis didn’t endear himself to Washington Post journalists with blunt talk about their work, at one point saying in a staff meeting that they needed to make changes because not enough people were reading their work.

    This week’s layoffs have led to some calls for Bezos to either increase his investment in the Post or sell it to someone who will take a more active role. Lewis, in his note, praised Bezos: “The institution could not have had a better owner,” he said.

    “During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day,” Lewis said.

    The Washington Post Guild, the union representing staff members, called Lewis’ exit long overdue.

    “His legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution,” the Guild said in a statement. “But it’s not too late to save The Post. Jeff Bezos must immediately rescind these layoffs or sell the paper to someone willing to invest in its future.”

    Bezos did not mention Lewis in a statement saying D’Onofrio and his team are positioned to lead the Post into “an exciting and thriving next chapter.”

    “The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity,” Bezos said. “Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus.”

    D’Onofrio, who joined the paper last June after jobs at the digital ad management company Raptive, Google, Zagat, and Major League Baseball, said in a note to staff that “we are ending a hard week of change with more change.

    “This is a challenging time across all media organizations, and The Post is unfortunately no exception,” he wrote. “I’ve had the privilege of helping chart the course of disrupters and cultural stalwarts alike. All faced economic headwinds in changing industry landscapes, and we rose to meet those moments. I have no doubt we will do just that, together.”

  • ‘We will pay,’ Savannah Guthrie says in desperate video plea to potential kidnappers of her mother

    ‘We will pay,’ Savannah Guthrie says in desperate video plea to potential kidnappers of her mother

    TUCSON, Ariz. — Savannah Guthrie told the potential kidnappers of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on Saturday that the family is prepared to pay for her safe return.

    “We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” Guthrie said in the video, flanked by her siblings. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

    It was not immediately clear if Guthrie was referring to a new message from someone who might have kidnapped Nancy Guthrie. The Associated Press reached out to the Pima County Sheriff’s department seeking additional details.

    The frantic search for the 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has entered a seventh day. Authorities have not identified any suspects or ruled anyone out, Sheriff Chris Nanos said this week.

    Authorities think she was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, Nanos said.

  • Actor Timothy Busfield indicted on 4 counts of sexual contact with a child

    Actor Timothy Busfield indicted on 4 counts of sexual contact with a child

    SANTA FE, N.M. — West Wing and Field of Dreams actor Timothy Busfield has been indicted by a grand jury on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child under age 13, a New Mexico prosecutor announced Friday.

    The allegations are tied to Busfield’s work as a director on the set of the TV series The Cleaning Lady from 2022 to 2024.

    Busfield has denied the allegations, initially filed in court by police, and a defense attorney on Friday said he would “fight these charges at every stage.”

    Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced the indictment in a social media post.

    Busfield had turned himself in to authorities in January on related charges by police and was released from jail by a judge who found no pattern of criminal conduct or similar allegations involving children in Busfield’s past. The grand jury indictment allows the case against Busfield to proceed toward possible trial without a preliminary courtroom hearing on evidence.

    Larry Stein, an attorney for Busfield, did not comment directly on the sexual contact charge in the indictment but said the grand jury declined to endorse grooming charges sought by prosecutors. Prosecutors declined to comment on what accusations it brought before the grand jury.

    Stein said in a statement that a detention hearing already “exposed fatal weaknesses in the state’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure.”

    “Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court,” the statement said.

    An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department said a boy reported that Busfield touched his private areas over his clothing when he was 7 years old and again when he was 8, according to the initial criminal complaint from police. The boy’s twin told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but he didn’t say anything right away because he didn’t want to get in trouble, the complaint said.

    The indictment — filed Friday in state District Court — reiterates allegations that Busfield “touched or applied force to the intimate parts” of one of the boys on several occasions.

    At a detention hearing last month, Busfield’s attorneys pointed out that the children initially said during interviews with police that Busfield didn’t touch them inappropriately. Busfield’s attorneys then accused the boys’ parents of coaching their children toward incriminating statements after the boys lost lucrative roles on the show.

    But Assistant District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch has called evidence of abuse against Busfield strong and specific, with support from medical findings and the boys’ therapist. She also said witnesses expressed fear about potential retaliation and professional harm.

    Prosecutors have outlined what they said was grooming behavior and abuse of power by Busfield over three decades.

    Each count in the indictment against Busfied carries a possible penalty of six years in prison that can be enhanced if it involves a sexual offense, according to prosecutors.

    In freeing Busfield on Jan. 20, state District Court Judge David Murphy said that while the crimes Busfield is accused of inherently are dangerous and involve children, prosecutors didn’t prove the public wouldn’t be safe if he’s released.

    Busfield is best known for appearances on The West Wing, Field of Dreams, and Thirtysomething.

  • Savannah Guthrie’s family renews plea to mother’s kidnapper, while sheriff says they have no suspect

    Savannah Guthrie’s family renews plea to mother’s kidnapper, while sheriff says they have no suspect

    TUCSON, Ariz. — “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s brother on Thursday renewed the family’s plea for their mother’s kidnapper to contact them, hours after an Arizona sheriff said investigators don’t have proof Nancy Guthrie is alive but believe “she’s still out there.”

    “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly,” Camron Guthrie said in a video posted on social media.

    “We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward,” but first the family needs to know the kidnapper has their mother, he said, echoing a statement his famous sister read the day before.

    Five days into the desperate search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

    Authorities think she was taken against her will from her home in Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood found on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, the sheriff said.

    “Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said at a news conference earlier Thursday. He acknowledged, however, that authorities have no evidence she’s OK.

    Demands for ransom

    Investigators said they are taking seriously notes seeking ransom that were sent to some media outlets.

    It’s unclear if all of the notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasn’t met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch, Janke said.

    “To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma,” Janke said.

    At least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.

    A note e-mailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN.

    “When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,” she said.

    The sheriff said it’s possible Nancy Guthrie was targeted, but if she was, investigators don’t know if that’s because her daughter is one of television’s most visible anchors.

    Authorities say any decision on whether to fulfill ransom demands ultimately is up to the family.

    A day earlier, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a message to her mother’s kidnapper, saying they are ready to talk but want proof their mom is still alive. There’s been no response to their pleas so far.

    New timeline of Guthrie’s disappearance

    Investigators gave a more detailed timeline from the hours after Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night. She was eating dinner and playing games with family members before one of them dropped her off at her home in a upscale neighborhood that sits on hilly, desert terrain, the sheriff said.

    About four hours later, just before 2 a.m. Sunday, the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected, Nanos said. But Guthrie did not have an active subscription, so the doorbell company was unable to recover any footage.

    Software data recorded movement at the home minutes later, the sheriff said, acknowledging that the motion could have come from an animal.

    Then at 2:28 a.m. the app on Guthrie’s pacemaker was disconnected from her phone.

    Search enters a fifth day

    Guthrie was reported missing shortly before noon Sunday after she didn’t show up at a church.

    While she is able to drive and her mind is sharp, the sheriff said she has difficulty walking even short distances. She also requires daily medicine that’s vital to her health, he has said.

    A sheriff’s dispatcher said during the search Sunday that Guthrie has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.

    Investigators searched in and around Guthrie’s home again for several hours Wednesday.

    Authorities are bringing more resources and people into the investigation, and the FBI announced Thursday it was offering up to $50,000 for information. A day earlier, President Donald Trump posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can.

    The kidnapping has attracted the attention of the American public, much like other famous abductions in U.S. history.

    Savannah Guthrie’s emotional plea

    Savannah Guthrie has hosted “Today” — NBC’s flagship morning show — for more than a decade and had been set to co-anchor the network’s coverage of Friday’s opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics. For now, she’s staying close to her mother’s home.

    She joined her two siblings in an emotional plea on social media Wednesday to say they’re ready to talk to whoever sent the ransom notes.

    “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us,” she said while fighting off tears.

    With her voice cracking, she addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her. She was flanked by Camron and their sister, Annie.

    “Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.

  • Epstein emails show he helped arrange White House visit for Woody Allen

    Epstein emails show he helped arrange White House visit for Woody Allen

    NEW YORK — In 2015, Woody Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, went on a trip to Washington, D.C. With the help of their friend Jeffrey Epstein, they were able to tour the White House.

    Allen’s friendship with Epstein has been known for years, but emails in the huge trove of records released by the Justice Department in recent days illustrate that relationship in new depth.

    The filmmaker, his wife and Epstein were neighbors in New York City, and the three dined together often, records show. They offered each other emotional support during periods when they were being criticized in the media. They commiserated about being accused — unfairly, they told each other — of sexual misconduct.

    And in 2015, Epstein used his connections to another friend who had been in President Barack Obama’s administration to help the couple get a White House tour.

    “Could you show soon yi the White House,” Epstein wrote in a May 2015 email to former White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler. “I assume woody would be too politically sensitive?”

    “I am sure I could show both of them the White House,” Ruemmler responded, although she doubted whether Epstein, who in 2008 had pleaded guilty to solicitating prostitution from an underage girl, would be allowed in.

    “You are too politically sensitive, I think,” she added.

    White House records show that Allen, Previn, and Ruemmler visited on Dec. 27, a Sunday. Obama was in Hawaii at the time.

    Ruemmler and Allen were among a long list of notable people who maintained friendships with Epstein for years, even though he was a registered sex offender who had been accused of abusing children, and whose legal problems had been widely covered in newspapers.

    Some of the guests who accompanied Allen and Previn to dinners with Epstein included talk show host Dick Cavett, linguist Noam Chomsky, and the late comedian David Brenner. Epstein also attended screenings of Allen’s movies and, according to emails, would visit with Allen so he could watch him edit his latest film.

    “Wide variety of interesting people at every dinner,” was how Allen described some of their gatherings in a letter commissioned for a 2016 Epstein birthday party. “It’s always interesting and the food is sumptuous and abundant. Lots of dishes, plenty of choices, numerous desserts, well served. I say well served often it’s by some professional houseman and just as often by several young women reminding one of Castle Dracula where (actor Bela) Lugosi has three young female vampires who service the place.”

    A message sent to an assistant for Allen and Previn via email seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned. Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

    Emails suggest that Previn, too, had a close relationship to Epstein and she often served as the intermediary between Epstein and Allen.

    Numerous exchanges among Allen, Previn, and Epstein refer to the scandals that began in the early 1990s when Allen acknowledged he was having an affair with Previn, the adopted daughter of his then-girlfriend Mia Farrow. Around the same time, he was investigated by state authorities over allegations he had assaulted their adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, while visiting Mia’s Connecticut home.

    A Connecticut prosecutor said in 1993 that there was “probable cause” to charge Allen with molesting Dylan, but that he decided not to pursue the case.

    Allen, who married Previn in 1997 and has since adopted two daughters, has denied any wrongdoing. Dylan’s allegations returned to the news in 2014 when an open letter from her was published in the New York Times. Allen has since been largely ostracized by the American film community.

    In emails in 2016, Epstein, Previn, and Allen compared their own scandals to another celebrity in the news at the time: Bill Cosby, who had denied allegations that he drugged and sexually assaulting numerous women.

    “The crowd needs a witch to burn, and there are not many left,” Epstein wrote.

    Allen replied, in a message relayed through Previn, that his own situation is “radically different” from Cosby’s.

    “I do expect (and get) many ugly unfair accusations, (but) he has to battle 50 women and criminal charges,” Allen said, according to Previn’s email. “I have one irate mother whose case was investigated and discredited,” he said, referring to Mia Farrow.

    Epstein replied that the public scorn Allen received was more likely related to his relationship with Previn, which he called a “publicly broken taboo.”

    “Everything else is noise,” he added.

    Allen, in comments relayed through Previn, responded that if the couple’s taboo relationship was the issue, “there’s nothing to be done.”

    “I’m certainly not going to dump her and I’m not going to apologize because I don’t feel either of us did anything we have to apologize for,” he says. “Our romantic life is our business and not the business of the public so it’s a hopeless situation because there’s no way out if that’s what they’re holding against us.”

    Epstein advised his friends to just enjoy themselves and in life.

    “Some actors or actresses might decline a role,” Epstein wrote. “But, so what.”

    Allen hasn’t been accused of having any involvement in Epstein’s alleged sexual abuse of girls and women.

  • No public sign of a response to Savannah Guthrie’s message to her mother’s kidnapper

    No public sign of a response to Savannah Guthrie’s message to her mother’s kidnapper

    Investigators have no proof that the missing mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie is still alive but are holding out hope she is “still out there,” a sheriff in Arizona said Thursday.

    Five days into the desperate search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

    DNA tests showed blood found on Nancy Guthrie’s porch came back a match to her. Authorities think she was taken from her home in Tucson against her will over the weekend.

    “Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said at a news conference five days after she was reported missing. The sheriff, however, acknowledged that authorities have no proof she’s OK.

    Investigators released a more detailed timeline from the hours after she was last seen Saturday night, and said they are taking seriously a ransom note sent to a handful of media outlets.

    The note included a demand for money with a deadline set for Thursday evening and a second one for Monday if the first deadline wasn’t met, said Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix. The note also had details about a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch.

    “To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma,” Janke said.

    Authorities say that any decision on ransom demands ultimately is up to the family.

    A day earlier, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a message to her mother’s kidnapper, saying they are ready to talk but want proof their mom is still alive. However, there’s been no public sign of a response.

    New timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance

    Nancy Guthrie spent Saturday night eating dinner and playing games with family members before one of them dropped her off at her home in a well-to-do Tucson neighborhood, the sheriff said.

    About four hours later, just before 2 a.m. Sunday, the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected, Nanos said. But Guthrie did not have an active subscription so the company was unable to recover any video footage.

    Software data recorded movement at the home minutes later, the sheriff said, acknowledging that the motion could have come from an animal.

    Then at 2:28 a.m., the app on Guthrie’s pacemaker was disconnected from her phone.

    Search enters fifth day

    Guthrie was was reported missing shortly before noon Sunday after she didn’t show up at a church.

    While she is able to drive, regularly attended church and is sharp in her mind, she does have difficulty walking even short distances, the sheriff said. She also requires daily medicine that’s vital to her health, he has said.

    A sheriff’s dispatcher said during the search Sunday that Guthrie has high blood pressure and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.

    Investigators searched in and around Nancy Guthrie’s home again for several hours Wednesday.

    Chilling ransom notes

    At least three media organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after a ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said.

    One note emailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN.

    “When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,” she said in an interview aired Wednesday.

    Guthrie’s three children say they’re “ready to talk” to whoever sent the notes.

    “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us,” Savannah Guthrie said while fighting off tears.

    With her voice cracking, she addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her.

    Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron.

    “Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.

  • Still no suspect in the disappearance of ‘Today’ host Savannah Guthrie’s mother

    Still no suspect in the disappearance of ‘Today’ host Savannah Guthrie’s mother

    TUCSON, Ariz. — The search for Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother still had no suspect or person of interest Wednesday, authorities said, four days after she disappeared with signs of forced entry at her home in southern Arizona.

    Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will over the weekend and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said they don’t have credible information indicating Guthrie’s disappearance was targeted. Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials do not believe she left on her own. Nanos said she is of sound mind.

    “Detectives continue to speak with anyone who may have had contact with Mrs. Guthrie,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement on social media Wednesday. “Detectives are working closely with the Guthrie family.”

    Multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes Tuesday that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department has said it’s taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.

    The Pima County sheriff and the Tucson FBI chief urged the public to offer tips during a news conference Tuesday. Nanos has said Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it. Asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, “We hope we are.”

    Authorities say Nancy Guthrie was last seen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at her home in the Tucson area, where she lived alone, and she was reported missing midday Sunday. Someone at her church called a family member to say she was not there, leading family to search her home and then call 911.

    DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis as part of the investigation. “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects,” Nanos said.

    There were signs of forced entry at Guthrie’s home, evidence of a nighttime kidnapping, and several personal items were still there, including Guthrie’s cell phone, wallet and car, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of an anonymity. Investigators were reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and information from area license plate cameras and analyzing local cell phone towers data.

    Guthrie’s upscale Catalina Foothills neighborhood is quiet and mostly dark at night, lit mainly by car headlights and homes spaced far apart. Long driveways, front gates and desert plants provide a buffer from the winding streets. Saguaro cacti tower above her home’s roofline, and wispy trees partially block the view of the front door. Decorative streetlamps and prickly pear cacti dot the grassy front yard.

    Jim Mason, longtime commander of a search and rescue posse for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, said desert terrain can make looking for missing people difficult. Sometimes it’s hard to peer into areas that are dense with mesquite trees, cholla cactus and other brush, he said. His group is based 175 miles (280 kilometers) north of Tucson, and is not involved in the search for Guthrie.

    On the other side of the country, Victory Church in Albany, New York, said it’s offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to finding Nancy Guthrie.

    “Me and my wife, we watch Savannah every single morning. We’ve heard of her faith. We’ve heard of her mom’s faith. And she’s got such a sweet spirit,” Pastor Charlie Muller said.

    For a third day Wednesday, Today opened with Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Tuesday that Guthrie will not be covering the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”

    The Today host grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson television station KVOA. Her parents settled in Tucson in the 1970s when she was a young child. The youngest of three siblings, she credits her mom with holding their family together after her father died of a heart attack at 49, when Savannah was just 16.