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  • Doing it for Luka: Croatia’s World Cup stop in Philly has major motivation behind it.

    Doing it for Luka: Croatia’s World Cup stop in Philly has major motivation behind it.

    After finishing as runner-up in 2018 and earning bronze in 2022, Croatia will return to the World Cup stage seeking its first-ever first-place finish.

    This summer’s tournament will be the seventh for the Vatreni, who boast three top-three finishes at the World Cup since winning bronze in their first appearance in 1998.

    Croatia should have a path out of Group L, though it will have to contend with England. Can Croatia match the success of its most recent tournament appearances in this year’s expanded 48-team field?

    Croatia’s World Cup schedule

    (All times Eastern)

    June 17: vs. England in Arlington, Texas (4 p.m., Fox29)

    June 23: vs. Panama in Toronto (7 p.m., Fox29)

    June 27: vs. Ghana, at Lincoln Financial Field (5 p.m., FS1, tickets)

    Fast facts

    Croatia is ranked 11th in FIFA’s latest world rankings. … Despite three top-three finishes at the World Cup, Croatia has not advanced past the quarterfinals of the UEFA European Championship. … The Vatreni have been managed by Zlatko Dalić since 2017. … Ivan Perišić, a likely inclusion in Dalić’s squad this summer, needs eight international goals to match all-time leading goal scorer Davor Šuker’s mark of 45 goals. … Croatia will match up against England in Group L, a rematch of their semifinal meeting in the 2018 tournament, which Croatia won, 2-1, in extra time. … Croatia is the second-smallest nation, both by population and by land mass, to appear in a World Cup final.

    Andrej Kramarić (center) will be looking to improve upon his two-goal outburst in the 2022 World Cup.

    Three players to watch

    Croatia’s biggest star and captain is Luka Modrić, the midfield engine behind the team’s success in recent tournaments. Modrić, 40, will appear in his fifth World Cup this summer, a feat that has only been accomplished by eight players in tournament history. The former Real Madrid captain moved to AC Milan in July 2025, where he likely will finish his club career, but he will get one more run to try and lead the Croatian team to victory at the World Cup.

    Joining Modrić in that effort should be Andrej Kramarić, a forward who currently plays for Hoffenheim in Germany’s Bundesliga. Kramarić, 34, scored twice at the World Cup in 2022, making him the only Croatian player to find the back of the net multiple times in the team’s run to the semifinals. Kramarić, who netted six goals in eight matches during Croatia’s World Cup qualifiers, should be an important attacking piece for the Vatreni.

    Despite having played in just one World Cup match, Josip Šutalo could be the most important player in the Croatian back line. Šutalo was a first-choice defender for Dalić’s team at the Euros in 2024, starting all three of the team’s group-stage matches. The centerback may become important for Croatia this summer, as Joško Gvardiol, another top defender at the Euros, suffered a tibia fracture while playing for Manchester City in January that could keep him out of Croatia’s squad for the World Cup. Šutalo will need to be more effective than he was at the Euros, where the Vatreni allowed six goals in three matches.

    Philly meets Croatia moment

    Modrić’s last competition with Real Madrid was last summer’s Club World Cup. The midfielder got a chance to play at Lincoln Financial Field at the Club World Cup, coming onto the pitch in the 67th minute to help see through Madrid’s 3-0 win over Red Bull Salzburg. Modrić played 13 seasons with Real Madrid before joining AC Milan in July 2025, where he plays alongside Hershey native and U.S. midfielder Christian Pulisic.

    You should check out …

    There are no Croatian restaurants in Philadelphia, but you can find some Balkan comfort food at South Philly’s Two Eagles Cafe, according to Inquirer writer Kiki Aranita:

    At first glance, you might think that Two Eagles is owned by a Philadelphia Eagles fanatic, and the Karaj family owners certainly lean into the cross-cultural overlap. But the two eagles actually refer to the flag of their homeland, Albania.

    Check out the Inquirer’s curated list of the 76 best restaurants in the Philly area

    The menu here is predominantly made up of American breakfast and lunch staples — cheesesteaks, breakfast burritos, and BLTs — but Balkan hints turn up in the Russian dressing smeared on their smash burger, the Polish omelet with sliced kielbasa and mushrooms, and their Fergese, a creamy feta-and-bell pepper stew served in a mini skillet, topped with an egg, and served with slices of white toast.

    The real star of the show is their Albanian qofte, consisting of big, oblong kebabs simmered in tomato-bell pepper sauce and served with tangy, herbaceous sour cream. One thing that Croatia and Albania have in common is burek, which is served by the slice at the Point Breeze cafe. Grab one on your way out, along with a piece of baklava. 📍 Two Eagles Cafe, 1401 S. 20th St., ☎️ 267-748-2257, twoeaglescafe.square.site

    SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.

    Navigating Philly

    The best way to navigate getting to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.

    Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train, or trolley.

    Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.

  • Philly is a stop on Brazil’s path to World Cup glory. Here’s what to know about the Seleçao

    Philly is a stop on Brazil’s path to World Cup glory. Here’s what to know about the Seleçao

    Casual soccer fans, and even those who know nothing about the sport itself, know that when it comes to soccer excellence on a global scale, Brazil’s track record is unparalleled.

    As five-time World Cup champions, with one of those titles coming the last time the tournament was held in the United States in 1994, the Seleçao holds the record for the nation with the most World Cup trophies, dating back to 1930, their first appearance in the tournament, and in 2002, the last time they won it all.

    Brazil’s lore largely is propped up by its legends, players past — and even a few still present, who have put the sport on the map. However, even with a crop of natural talent, the nation has struggled over the last few years to regain its former dominance.

    Brazil has struggled in every men’s World Cup tournament since its 2002 victory, crashing out in the quarterfinals four times and the semifinals once, though that might just be the tournament many won’t soon forget: a 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

    Now, the nation that has qualified for every World Cup since the first iteration in 1930 will return to the United States, with its tournament aspirations making a stop in Philly against Haiti in Brazil’s second game of Group C on June 19 (9 p.m., Fox29).

    Brazil’s World Cup schedule

    (All times Eastern)

    June 13: vs. Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J. (6 p.m., FS1)

    June 19: vs. Haiti at Lincoln Financial Field (9 p.m., Fox29, tickets)

    June 24: vs. Scotland in Miami Gardens, Fla. (6 p.m., Fox29)

    Lincoln Financial Field, which will be renamed to Philadelphia Stadium, will host six matches in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

    Fast facts

    Brazil is currently ranked fifth in FIFA’s latest world rankings. … Neymar, who has been a key figure in Brazil’s attacking corps for over a decade, isn’t a guarantee to make manager Carlo Ancelotti’s team. Despite playing well for Santos in the Brazilian league, he’s still coming back from a meniscus tear. … Croatia in Group L also will be coming to Lincoln Financial Field this summer. The Vatreni knocked Brazil out on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. … According to city data, Northeast Philadelphia has one of the largest Brazilian contingencies in the city, housing the bulk of what’s an estimated 20,000 people living within the city limits.

    Brazil’s Rodrygo (left) is expected to have a breakthrough performance in this World Cup.

    Three players to watch

    It’s hard to just name three on a roster that undoubtedly will feature players competing on the top club teams in world soccer. However, the biggest name at the moment is Vinícius Jr., the 25-year-old star forward for Spanish club giants Real Madrid. Vinicius led the team to the semifinals of last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. He’s played in 45 matches for Brazil since debuting for the first team as a 19-year-old in 2019, with eight goals.

    He’ll most likely be joined by Rodrygo, his teammate at Real Madrid, who is a danger at either inside a four-man attacking front in Brazil’s iconic 4-2-4 formation but mainly outside on the right wing, where Rodrygo, 25, has scored nine goals for his country in just 37 matches.

    Finally, there’s a case to be made for Gabriel Magalhães, who, at 28, can be considered one of the most complete defenders in the world, starring in the back for Arsenal in the English Premier League.

    Philly meets Brazil moment

    One of the biggest arrived just last year, when Vini Jr. dazzled at Lincoln Financial Field during the FIFA Club World Cup, where he scored a remarkable goal in a win over Red Bull Salzburg, and then dished out the assist with a no-look back-heel pass on the game-winner just before halftime.

    Make sure you check out …

    If you’re rooting for Brazil, food writer Beatrice Forman has not one, but two great recommendations for you, covering sweet and savory:

    Brazilian-born pastry chef-owner Mallory Santos-Cepeda has a South Philly monopoly on the country’s traditional confections. Her bakery, Kouklet & Tanda, specializes in bolo de rolo (ultrathin cake rolls from northern Brazil), plus airy sourdough doughnuts called sonhos that are stuffed with a rotating fillings, from fig butter to white chocolate custard and poached pears. Kouklet & Tanda has two locations, both of which are takeout only, so grab empanadas to snack on in the stands of the Linc or fuel up with a big focaccia sandwich on the Broad Street Line. 📍 1647 E. Passyunk Ave. and 1429 Wolf St.; ☎️ 973-664-7076, kouklet.com

    Check out the Inquirer’s curated list of the 76 best restaurants in the Philly area

    Picanha Brazilian Steakhouse: For a savory (or celebratory) option, Northeast Philly’s Picanha steakhouse is open late daily, serving up charcoal-grilled cuts of rodizio (all-you-can eat meats) that theatrically turn on skewers in the back of the dining room. Picanha is BYOB with a salad bar that’s less upscale than those Brazilian steakhouse chains, so there’s nothing stopping you from celebrating a dub with mountains of pão de queijo (cheese bread) or Brazilian-style lasagna. 📍 6501 Castor Ave., ☎️ 215-743-4647, picanhasteakhouse.com

    Support a local Brazilian small business:

    By Brazil: It may look like your average convenience store on the outside, but inside the revamped shop, you can pick up authentic Brazilian wares, food items, and more. Soccer is a passion here, too, as By Brazil has a decent selection of jerseys on the club side along with the national team. 📍6400 Castor Avenue, ☎️ 215-533-9200.

    SEPTA’s Broad Street Line train is a direct path from the city to the stadium on game day.

    Navigating Philly

    The best way to get to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.

    Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train, or trolley.

    Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.

  • Letters to the Editor | Feb. 9, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | Feb. 9, 2026

    Kicking in doors

    MAGA Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, an attorney, practiced constitutional law before getting elected as a congressman from Louisiana. Constitutional law! And yet he doesn’t seem to give a flip about the U.S. Constitution.

    The Fourth Amendment says, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” Johnson says: “[I]f someone is, you know, they’re going to be apprehended, and they run behind a closed door and lock the door, I mean, what is Immigration and Customs Enforcement supposed to do at that point? ‘Oh, gee whiz, a locked door.’” Yes, exactly. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is supposed to say, ‘Oh, gee whiz, a locked door,’ not kick in the door, and get a signed judicial warrant for a legal search by describing the place to be searched and the person sought. It’s that simple. Please read the Constitution, people, and every day, after each new outrage, ask yourself: Is this constitutional?

    Ann Burruss, Newark, Del.

    . . .

    The Trump administration’s deportation policies are a disgrace. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that 70% of those detained have criminal records, ranging from speeding tickets to murder. The real figure, according to her own agency’s statistics, is about 47%. Legal immigrants, those going to court hearings about their status, those with Temporary Protected Status, and U.S. citizens who are Black or brown, are now targets for detention and deportation. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that racial profiling is acceptable in these cases. Rather than targeted efforts to identify the worst of the worst, Stephen Miller has given agents quotas of 3,000 a day to be met. The result is indiscriminate roundups. And these agents are using brutal force, not asking for ID, pushing people to the ground, brutalizing them, and — in the case of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — killing them because they dared to protest. If you protest, you may be detained, beaten, or shot, as well. Donald Trump’s claims that he is de-escalating are lies. Warehouses are now being bought to house detainees in poor conditions without legal representation, which will become incubators for the spread of disease. There has already been a measles outbreak at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Texas. Protesting against these un-American policies is one of the most effective ways of fighting for the soul of our nation.

    George Magakis Jr., Norristown

    . . .

    As a practicing attorney for more than 50 years, I have read with great trepidation the stories about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s crackdown on illegal immigration. It often appears to be an end run around the basic Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, which I presumed applied to all people. Agents drag people out of cars and homes without search warrants that traditionally require judicial review and approval. They are then often quickly deported to foreign countries, occasionally not even their country of origin. Apparently, ICE is permitted to operate outside the traditional constitutional guarantees the rest of us enjoy.

    Now, I am astonished to read a more clandestine effort to subvert our First Amendment protections of free speech via administrative subpoenas. Are we throwing away our Constitution in the insane quest to rid a country of immigrants — a group that includes myself — of recent immigrants from developing countries? As Ben Franklin said years ago, this is a republic, if we can keep it. It’s time to speak up and stop this madness.

    Angus Love, Narberth

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Horoscopes: Monday, Feb. 9, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). Today, you’ll gravitate toward people who nudge you forward, inspire you to work harder and catalyze your becoming. They might not be the nicest or easiest to be around, but that’s not what matters now because you’re in a phase of growth, not comfort.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It’s simple emotional math today: Positive emotions give you energy, and negative emotions drain energy. You can’t choose your feelings, but you can put yourself in the mindset and environment most conducive to feeling good.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re thinking a lot about how to make your daily life work better, and one solution keeps coming to mind. In theory, it could work. The only way to tell is to apply it. Test your idea in tiny, low-risk ways first.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). Some challenges unravel slowly if you tease them apart, strand by strand. Today’s are better approached as the landscaper does, snipping, cutting and mowing right through. Keep moving until it’s beautiful.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). There are seasons when it’s best to say yes to every invite, opportunity and offer, and there are times like now when more discretion is called for. You’ve paid your dues and can hold out for your specific preferences and vision.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Countless similar moments blur together, but when something brings up a feeling in you, a memory is born, too. Someone who is emotionally available can turn ordinary moments into a vivid experience. Their access to feeling invites your own.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Your social intuition will serve you well. You’ll sense when someone is telling the truth and when they aren’t. You can build on what’s real. It’s safe to leave the rest alone. Falsehoods tend to collapse under their own weight.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It’s a strong balance: feeling liberated from the need to own more, yet still committed to tending what’s already yours. The care you put into your things today saves you time and money later. Bonus: Someone is watching with respect.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Someone has you guarding your heart. But how do you protect something as invisible and volatile as a feeling? Today, it may be impossible to stay ahead of it. But if you agree to feel whatever comes up, it’s you who will be ahead.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Everyone knows you’re responsible, but it would actually be irresponsible to carry everything at once. Know your limits. A pause strengthens the foundation you’ve built. Even small rests renew your energy and focus.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). People get in sync with your ideas, feelings and rhythms. It’s as though there’s a drum line following you around, adding power, excitement and a steady beat that you and everyone around you can move to.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). People don’t have to be “on” to be accepted by you. They sense it, and this unspoken permission to relax and be themselves somehow still inspires people to impress you. It’s funny how comfort rouses vitality and excitement.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 9). The theme of your year: love shows up. Consistently, yet sometimes surprisingly, in forms you recognize and new ones you learn, even some you invent in a beautiful co-creation. Whether familiar or friendly, passionate or sweet, giving yourself over to relationships will be a pleasure. More highlights: the freedom to plan further ahead than before and opportunities to teach, guide or profit from what comes easily to you. Cancer and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 14, 26, 35 and 41.

  • Dear Abby | Husband gambles away retired couple’s nest egg

    DEAR ABBY: My husband developed an addiction to slot machines, but I didn’t realize it. He would leave the house in the early morning before I woke up. Abby, he gambled away every single asset we had accumulated during our 58 years of marriage — somewhere around $600,000! I found out after he asked his grown children for “grocery money.”

    We are now bankrupt and must rely on our son, who offered to bail us out if he could be the trustee of our land, home, everything. He takes our monthly pensions and gives us a tiny allowance when we beg for something, but we are so poor we can’t see a movie, eat out or go anywhere, including to visit our other kids.

    I’m extremely depressed that nothing can solve this problem for the rest of my life. I’d find another job teaching, but I’m in my 80s and have limited mobility. At least I’m still in my home. I realize this is a dead-end street, but it helps to vent. Can you comment?

    — LOST IT ALL IN TEXAS

    DEAR LOST IT: Is your son giving you such a tiny allowance because that is what your finances dictate, or is he trying to punish his father for getting into the predicament in which you find yourselves? Talk to your son and explain that the little money he doles out does not allow you to go anywhere, eat out or even see a movie, and see if you, his mother, can convince him to relent so you are not being punished for something you had no part in.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I disagree with your response to “Dutiful Daughter in Alabama” (Nov. 10), who put a camera in her 80-year-old mom’s den in case of a fall and overheard Mom make negative comments about her. Installing a camera in someone’s home without their consent is disgusting and wrong, legally and morally. The elderly, in addition to the rest of the population, have a right to privacy in their own homes.

    If “Dutiful Daughter” was really concerned about her mother falling, she should have considered a medical alert device, which would have notified family and summoned medical help the moment she fell. This is the safer, legal and common-sense solution.

    It sounds like “Dutiful” had other undisclosed reasons for installing a camera. Why did she listen to a conversation that was clearly private? How would she know if her mother fell in another room of the house? If her mother was talking on the phone or visiting with her son, it should have been clear that she was OK and no additional spying was required.

    After reading this letter, if children think it is OK to invade their parents’ privacy without their consent, I’m happier than ever to be child-free.

    — ANNE P. IN MINNESOTA

    DEAR ANNE: To put it mildly, you are not the only reader who disagreed with my answer to that letter. I confess, I didn’t consider the privacy issues that were ignored. Mea culpa.

  • Trump plans to keep Democratic governors out of traditionally bipartisan meeting

    Trump plans to keep Democratic governors out of traditionally bipartisan meeting

    President Donald Trump plans to keep Democrats out of a traditionally bipartisan White House gathering of governors typically held as part of the National Governors Association’s annual Washington summit, the organization said.

    According to the governors’ offices, the president also revoked invitations sent to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), the NGA’s vice chair; and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) to attend a second White House event scheduled to occur around the summit: a dinner for governors.

    “This week, I learned that I was uninvited to this year’s National Governors Association dinner — a decades-long annual tradition meant to bring governors from both parties together to build bonds and celebrate a shared service to our citizens with the President of the United States,” Moore said in a statement Sunday. “… It’s hard not to see this decision as another example of blatant disrespect and a snub to the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership.”

    Moore told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that he was confused by the White House’s decision, saying that, just a few weeks ago, he led a bipartisan group of governors who met with the president as Trump signed a memorandum on bringing down energy costs.

    Moore also said on CNN that it was “not lost” on him that he is the only Black governor of a state.

    “I find that to be particularly painful, considering the fact that the president is trying to exclude me from an organization that not only my peers have asked me to help to lead, but then also a place where I know I belong in,” he said. “I’m never in a room because of someone’s benevolence nor kindness. I’m not in a room because of a social experiment. I’m in the room because I belong there and the room was incomplete until I got there.”

    Spokespeople for Polis, as well as representatives of the Democratic Governors Association, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    While Moore and Polis were excluded from the dinner with Trump, some Democrats remained invited to the gathering.

    The White House did not explain why Democratic governors were not invited to the meeting with Trump, and a spokesperson did not respond to a request to provide a list of Democrats who were invited to the dinner.

    Trump has frequently clashed with Moore and Polis, and his decision comes after months of conflict between the federal government and Democratic governors.

    Moore has condemned the president’s threat to deploy the National Guard to Baltimore and defund Maryland’s efforts to replace the fallen Key Bridge. Trump has also repeatedly claimed that Baltimore is “crime ridden” despite the fact that the city is experiencing its lowest homicide rate in 50 years.

    Polis and Trump have repeatedly feuded over Tina Peters, a former county clerk in Colorado who was convicted in state court on felony charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Polis has defended the conviction and refused the White House’s request to transfer Peters to a federal prison. Because of this, in December, Trump in a Truth Social post called Polis a “scumbag” and said he should “rot in Hell.”

    The NGA’s Washington meetings are expected to take place Feb. 19 to 21. The organization said Friday that the White House meeting will no longer be part of the association’s official schedule.

    In a statement Friday, Brandon Tatum, the interim CEO of the NGA, said that the “bipartisan White House governors meeting is an important tradition, and we are disappointed in the administration’s decision to make it a partisan occasion this year.”

    “To disinvite individual governors to the White House sessions undermines an important opportunity for federal-state collaboration,” Tatum said. “At this moment in our nation’s history, it is critical that institutions continue to stand for unity, dignity and constructive engagement.”

  • Investigation continues a week after Savannah Guthrie mother was reported missing

    Investigation continues a week after Savannah Guthrie mother was reported missing

    TUCSON, Ariz. — The urgent investigation into the apparent kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie continued Sunday, a week after the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie was reported missing in Arizona.

    Savannah Guthrie solemnly told the potential kidnappers in a social media video released Saturday that the family was prepared to pay for her safe return. Flanked by her siblings, Guthrie said “we received your message” and that: “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

    An FBI spokesperson said Savannah Guthrie was referring to a message that was sent to the Tucson-based television station KOLD on Friday. The station declined to share details about the message’s contents as the FBI conducted its review.

    Detectives and agents continued to perform follow-up work at multiple locations as part of the investigation, according to an email Sunday from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. The agency said in the email to media that it would not yet provide details about that work.

    “Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” read the email.

    Two marked sheriff’s cars and another vehicle arrived at Nancy Guthrie’s house around midday Sunday and at least two people went to the back of the home for more than 20 minutes before leaving without comment.

    Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will last weekend from her home just outside Tucson. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.

    Multiple press outlets have received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and established Thursday evening and Monday evening as deadlines. Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously.

    The disappearance of the well-known TV host’s mother has fixated Americans over the past week. Candles remained lit early Sunday near Nancy Guthrie’s home, next to a sign expressing support for the family.

    The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week. The president told reporters on Friday that there are clues in the case “that I think are very strong.”

    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.

    The video released Saturday was the third this week that pleaded with potential kidnappers.

  • Moderate Republican willing to break with party is set to lead ICE hearing

    Moderate Republican willing to break with party is set to lead ICE hearing

    On Tuesday, Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino (R., N.Y.) plans to lead what is likely to be the most contentious and closely watched hearing of his short tenure as a House committee chairperson. The focus is the Trump administration’s surge in immigration enforcement in Minnesota and elsewhere that has included the shooting deaths of two people in Minneapolis by federal authorities.

    The Homeland Security Committee hearing, which follows public blowback against the administration’s actions, is notable for a Republican-led House that has scaled back oversight hearings since President Donald Trump returned to office. It will be led by a chairperson who also stands out — both for his rapid ascent into the ranks of House leaders and for his reputation as a moderate willing to break with his party on high-profile issues.

    Garbarino, 41, faces the challenge of leading the interrogation of top immigration officials at the peril of angering the White House over Trump’s marquee policy of immigration — at a time when polls suggest a majority of voters disapprove of the president’s handling of it. Those scheduled to testify Tuesday include leaders at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Citizenship and Immigration Services.

    Former member of Congress Peter T. King, a Republican who represented the same district as Garbarino for 28 years, said it will be a difficult balancing act for the third-term lawmaker, who ascended to chairperson of the Homeland Security Committee in July.

    “He’s going to run the risk of Democrats saying he’s stonewalling, and he’s protecting ICE,” King said, while some Republicans on the committee are going to say “you can’t give an inch” in defending the administration.

    Garbarino’s temperament suits him well for what’s ahead, King said.

    “He has a good style,” King said, adding that Garbarino doesn’t get rattled easily. “He’s not going to be hitting somebody with the gavel.”

    Garbarino, in an interview, said he doesn’t see his job Tuesday as protecting the administration.

    “One of our roles is congressional oversight,” he said. “It’s not my job at this hearing to tout any accomplishments.”

    During the hearing, Garbarino, who practiced law before joining Congress, said he plans to ask questions about the training of immigration agents and their use of force, among other topics.

    Garbarino’s independent streak has at times put him at odds with his party as he sided with Democrats on some consequential votes.

    He supported legislation in 2022 that codified same-sex and interracial marriage. The previous year, he was one of only eight House Republicans to support a bill with new background check requirements for firearm transfers. The same year, he was one of 13 House Republicans to vote for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill. The latter move prompted then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) to post Garbarino’s telephone number on social media in retaliation.

    And yet, Garbarino has vaulted past most rank-and-file House Republicans to land key committee assignments.

    Besides chairing Homeland Security, he sits on the coveted House Steering Committee that is responsible for doling out committee roles, and he also serves on the Financial Services and the Ethics committees. The latter often deals with controversies. During Garbarino’s tenure on Ethics, the panel voted in 2024 to release its report on former member of Congress Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) that concluded Gaetz regularly paid for sex and possessed illegal drugs, charges Gaetz consistently denied.

    Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, some of Garbarino’s more right-wing colleagues have expressed skepticism about how he’ll handle a high-profile examination of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.

    “I think we need to have strong conservative leadership on that issue in the House,” Rep. Michael Cloud (R., Texas) said. When asked if he doubts whether Garbarino fits that description, Cloud responded: “We’ll see.”

    Similar doubts surfaced at the start of Garbarino’s tenure as Homeland chairperson. Rep. Clay Higgins (R., La.) resigned from the committee after losing a bid to lead it to Garbarino.

    “I would have been disagreeing with probably 90% of the positions that he takes,” Higgins said. “So the best thing for me to do as a joyful warrior was to withdraw from that position that was going to be fraught with disagreement, and I would have essentially derailed the chairman.”

    Garbarino was recommended by the steering committee in July over two other lawmakers as well: Reps. Michael Guest (R., Miss.) and Carlos A. Gimenez (R., Fla.).

    During his tenure in Congress, Garbarino has accomplished a feat that few have in the GOP conference: winning the favor of both former speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) and the current speaker, Mike Johnson (R., La.), who helped Garbarino land a seat on the Ethics Committee. His shared first-floor Capitol hideaway is another signal of his close ties to leadership — a perk extended to a select few in the conference.

    “Part of my personality is being able to bring people together, you know, get things done, break down barriers, and part of that is … I do it through humor,” Garbarino said.

    For the most part, Garbarino, who represents Long Island’s South Shore, has won the respect of members of the New York delegation and fellow committee members, including those who represent red districts hundreds of miles from his home state.

    “In many ways, he’s very low-profile. From a public perspective, he doesn’t do a lot of press releases or social media or fanfare, but he has great relationships, and he’s utilized those relationships to deliver for New York,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R, N.Y.) said, adding that she considers Garbarino a “professional schmoozer.”

    Rep. Brad Knott (R., N.C.), a freshman on Homeland Security, said Garbarino “embraces every positive stereotype of a New Yorker: He’s loud, he’s brash, he’s hilarious, he’s off the cuff.”

    King attributed Garbarino’s rapid rise in the House to his affable nature and described him as being a “straight shooter.”

    “People don’t worry about him knifing them in the back, agreeing to one thing and then saying another or doing something else or criticizing something that he really supported,” King said.

    King also led Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee, serving from 2005 to 2013 as chairperson and ranking Republican when the focus was more on counterterrorism in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks — the events that led to the committee’s creation.

    The committee has since evolved, pivoting from counterterrorism to its current focus on immigration and border security. Given that, Garbarino faces another balancing act of guiding the committee’s priorities. Just recently, he shepherded the latest fix to the 9/11 healthcare program in a fraught spending package that passed after a temporary government shutdown.

    Tuesday’s hearing is long overdue, according to Garbarino’s Democratic counterpart, who said he’s been pushing for an oversight hearing on the Department of Homeland Security since Trump took office in January 2025.

    Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (Miss.), the panel’s ranking Democrat, said Garbarino “understands that part of our role is oversight,” adding that Mark Green (R., Tenn.), who led the panel until his resignation from Congress last summer, was not willing to convene a hearing focused on ICE.

    “He understands that part of our role is oversight based on our jurisdiction, so we’ve been able to get a commitment to have a specific hearing on ICE, which we couldn’t get Green to do,” Thompson said.

    Garbarino acknowledged some of the challenges that come with the hearing, which is expected to be confrontational and emotional. He pledged he will “keep order” and ensure every member adheres to the committee’s five-minute rule for questioning.

    “I’m not the Hulk, where all of a sudden I’ll turn angry,” he said.

  • 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.

  • Voters are worried about the cost of housing. But Trump wants home prices to keep climbing

    Voters are worried about the cost of housing. But Trump wants home prices to keep climbing

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump wants to keep home prices high, bypassing calls to ramp up construction so people can afford what has been a ticket to the middle class.

    Trump has instead argued for protecting existing owners who have watched the values of their homes climb. It’s a position that flies in the face of what many economists, the real estate industry, local officials, and apartment dwellers say is needed to fix a big chunk of America’s affordability problem.

    “I don’t want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up for people that own their homes, and they can be assured that’s what’s going to happen,” Trump told his cabinet on Jan. 29.

    That approach could bolster the Republican president’s standing with older voters, a group that over time has been more likely to vote in midterm elections. Those races in November will determine whether Trump’s party can retain control of the House and Senate.

    “You have a lot of people that have become wealthy in the last year because their house value has gone up,” Trump said. “And you know, when you get the housing — when you make it too easy and too cheap to buy houses — those values come down.”

    But by catering to older baby boomers on housing, Trump risks alienating the younger voters who expanded his coalition in 2024 and helped him win a second term, and he could wade into a “generational war” in the midterms, said Brent Buchanan, whose polling firm Cygnal advises Republicans.

    “The under-40 group is the most important right now — they are the ones who put Trump in the White House,” Buchanan said. “Their desire to show up in an election or not is going to make the difference in this election. If they feel that Donald Trump is taking care of the boomers at their expense, that is going to hurt Republicans.”

    The logic in appealing to older voters

    In the 2024 presidential election, 81% of Trump’s voters were homeowners, according to AP VoteCast data. This means many of his supporters already have mortgages with low rates or own their homes outright, possibly blunting the importance of housing as an issue.

    Older voters tend to show up to vote more than do younger people, said Oscar Pocasangre, a senior data analyst at liberal think tank New America who has studied the age divide in U.S. politics. “However, appealing to older voters may prove to be a misguided policy if what’s needed to win is to expand the voting base,” Pocasangre said.

    Before the 2026 elections, voters have consistently rated affordability as a top concern, and that is especially true for younger voters with regard to housing.

    Booker Lightman, 30, a software engineer in Highlands Ranch, Colo., who identifies politically as a libertarian Republican, said the shortage of housing has been a leading problem in his state.

    Lightman just closed on a home last month, and while he and his wife, Alice, were able to manage the cost, he said that the lack of construction is pushing people out of Colorado. “There’s just not enough housing supply,” he said.

    Shay Hata, a real estate agent in the Chicago and Denver areas, said she handles about 100 to 150 transactions a year. But she sees the potential for a lot more. “We have a lack of inventory to the point where most properties, particularly in the suburbs, are getting between five and 20 offers,” she said, describing what she sees in the Chicago area.

    New construction could help more people afford homes because in some cases, buyers qualify for discounted mortgage rates from the builders’ preferred lenders, Hata said. She called the current situation “very discouraging for buyers because they’re getting priced out of the market.”

    But pending construction has fallen under Trump. Permits to build single-family homes have plunged 9.4% over the past 12 months in October, the most recent month available, to an annual rate of 876,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

    Trump’s other ideas to help people buy houses

    Trump has not always been against increasing housing supply.

    During the 2024 campaign, Trump’s team said he would create tax breaks for homebuyers, trim regulations on construction, open up federal land for housing developments, and make monthly payments more manageable by cutting mortgage rates. Advisers also claimed that housing stock would open up because of Trump’s push for mass deportations of people who were in the United States illegally.

    As recently as October, Trump urged builders to ramp up construction. “They’re sitting on 2 Million empty lots, A RECORD. I’m asking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get Big Homebuilders going and, by so doing, help restore the American Dream!” Trump posted on social media, referring to the government-backed lenders.

    But more recently, he has been unequivocal on not wanting to pursue policies that would boost supply and lower prices.

    In office, Trump has so far focused his housing policy on lobbying the Federal Reserve to cut its benchmark interest rates. He believes that would make mortgages more affordable, although critics say it could spur higher inflation. Trump announced that the two mortgage companies, which are under government conservatorship, would buy at least $200 billion in home loan securities in a bid to reduce rates.

    Trump also wants Congress to ban large financial institutions from buying homes. But he has rejected suggestions for expanding rules to let buyers use 401(k) retirement accounts for down payments, telling reporters that he did not want people to take their money out of the stock market because it was doing so well.

    There are signs that lawmakers in both parties see the benefits of taking steps to add houses before this year’s elections. There are efforts in the Senate and House to jump-start construction through the use of incentives to change zoning restrictions, among other policies.

    One of the underlying challenges on affordability is that home prices have been generally rising faster than incomes for several years.

    This makes it harder to save for down payments or upgrade to a nicer home. It also means that the places where people live increasingly double as their key financial asset, one that leaves many families looking moneyed on paper even if they are struggling with monthly bills.

    There is another risk for Trump. If the economy grows this year, as he has promised, that could push up demand for houses — as well as their prices — making the affordability problem more pronounced, said Edward Pinto, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank.

    Pinto said construction of single-family homes would have to rise by 50% to 100% during the next three years for average home price gains to be flat — a sign, he said, that Trump’s fears about falling home prices were probably unwarranted.

    “It’s very hard to crater home prices,” Pinto said.