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Today’s top stories
Intense efforts continue as authorities search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing for over a week. According to a local station, KGUN, the abductors have demanded a ransom of $6 million, to be paid by this evening. For further details, click here.
This image provided by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Feb. 2, 2026, shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie.
AP/Pima County Sheriff’s Department
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AP/Pima County Sheriff’s Department
- 🎧 Details about the ransom note remain unconfirmed by police, as NPR’s Bill Chappell explains to Up First. The FBI is considering the complexities of obtaining proof of life, especially as artificial intelligence could be used to fabricate a convincing video of Nancy Guthrie. No suspects have been named by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Chappell points out that the Guthries’ video messages consistently end with “Bring her home.”
Ghislaine Maxwell will be testifying virtually before lawmakers on Capitol Hill today. Currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role with Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell is summoned by the House Oversight Committee to discuss Epstein, his notorious activities, and his influential acquaintances, including President Trump. This deposition follows the Justice Department’s recent release of Epstein-related documents.
- 🎧 Maxwell’s testimony might reveal little, according to NPR’s Scott Neuman. Her recent statements to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in July 2025 might be reiterated. As she challenges her conviction, Maxwell is expected to avoid statements that could impact her appeal. Some members of Congress are eager to uncover the identities of 25 men implicated in a secret settlement not included in the Epstein probe.
The Seattle Seahawks triumphed over the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl 60. This victory marks the Seahawks’ second NFL championship. During halftime, Bad Bunny’s performance was rich in symbolism, featuring a Grammy Award presentation to a young Latino boy. While many believed the child was Liam Conejo Ramos, who was recently detained, NPR music verified otherwise.
- ➡️ Bad Bunny’s halftime show included appearances by Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, and even a real wedding, using the platform for political expression. Pop Culture Happy Hour delves into the performance and its cultural implications.
- ➡️ Simultaneously, Kid Rock headlined a halftime show for Turning Point USA, featuring country artists Brantley Gilbert, Gabby Barrett, and Lee Brice. Learn more about this alternative event.
The State Department plans to purge social media posts made before Trump’s tenure from its public X accounts. While these posts will be archived internally, access will require a Freedom of Information Act request. This approach is notably different from previous administrations’ methods of digital preservation.
- ➡️ This announcement follows a controversial post by the president depicting Barack and Michelle Obama in a racist manner. Although the post was deleted and attributed to a staff error, Trump has declined to apologize.
Today’s listen
Mehdi Mahmoudian, right, was arrested by the Iranian authorities in late January for denouncing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as being primarily responsible for the mass killing of Iranian protesters. He is a co-writer of It Was Just An Accident, a film by Jafar Panahi, left.
Neon
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Iranian screenwriter Mehdi Mahmoudian, co-writer of the Oscar-nominated film It Was Just an Accident, was arrested on Feb. 3, just weeks before the Academy Awards. The arrest came after he signed a statement holding Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, primarily responsible for the mass killing of Iranian protesters. Jafar Panahi, who directed the film, estimates that this arrest is Mahmoudian’s eighth time in jail. Panahi and Mahmoudian met in prison in 2022. Panahi joined Morning Edition host Leila Fadel from France to discuss Mahmoudian’s latest arrest and the powerful message behind their film. Listen to what he had to say or read the transcript of the interview.
Picture show
Paleontologist Lazarus Kgasi in front of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Pretoria, South Africa, where he works as a laboratory manager and junior curator. Kgasi, who began working on fossil sites as a hired labourer with no knowledge at all of fossils, has over time emerged as a prominent figure in South African paleontology, and one of only a handful of Black South Africans in what remains an overwhelmingly White-dominated field.
Tommy Trenchard for NPR
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Tommy Trenchard for NPR
For many years, white researchers dominated paleontology in South Africa, often erasing the contributions of Black workers who unearthed fossils. Lazarus Kgasi is changing that narrative. After about two years of digging up fossils for researchers without knowing why, Kgasi began asking questions about why he was doing the work. Now, the respected Black paleontologist isn’t just digging for others — he is coloring in the story of his own ancestors. Check out some of the fossils Kgasi has discovered and been credited for.
3 things to know before you go
Sarah Kaplan, a Washington Post journalist, protests outside of the newspaper’s headquarters on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. That same day, CEO Will Lewis was photographed at the NFL Honors in San Francisco.
Allison Robbert/AP/FR172296 AP
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Allison Robbert/AP/FR172296 AP
- The Washington Post Publisher and Chief Executive, Will Lewis, announced Saturday that he will depart after just two years in the role. The move follows Wednesday’s layoffs of a third of the newsroom.
- Health officials warn that confirmed measles cases may have been transmitted at this year’s National March for Life rally and concert in Washington, D.C.
- American skier Breezy Johnson claimed Team USA’s first Olympic gold in Milan at the women’s downhill race. Johnson’s win comes after ski star Lindsey Vonn crashed in the event and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
