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Today's top stories
Police last night detained a person for questioning in connection with Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31. Several news outlets have reported that the person has since been released. NPR has not independently confirmed this. Police yesterday released footage of a masked person outside the 84-year-old's home the morning she disappeared. The footage was taken from Guthrie's security camera and marks the first major break in the case.
Leaders from three immigration agencies appeared before House lawmakers yesterday for the first time since federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. All three will appear before a Senate committee tomorrow. Republicans and Democrats remain divided as they negotiate changes to immigration enforcement ahead of this Friday's funding deadline. Here are five takeaways from the House immigration oversight hearing.
- 🎧 Both parties suggested that Immigration and Customs Enforcement may have gone too far, NPR's Ximena Bustillo tells Up First. Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas said he believed "roving patrols" should be conducted at the border, not in major U.S. cities. Democrats also want an end to these roving patrols. But Republicans are still opposed to mandates that officers remove their masks. Democrats also want officers to wear body cameras. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott noted that only half of CPB officers currently have them, and requested funding for the program so that the organization can "be transparent." Congress granted Border Patrol and ICE an infusion of cash last summer.
Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee today. Lawmakers are expected to question the Justice Department's targeting of President Trump's political foes and its handling of the Epstein files. Since starting her tenure at the DOJ a year ago, Bondi has overseen the firing of officials who worked on Capitol riot prosecutions or Trump cases, dropped prosecutions of the president's allies and investigated his opponents. The department's workforce has seen a mass exodus. Bondi has publicly defended the department's actions and says she's made "tremendous progress" toward ending what she says was the DOJ's weaponization against Trump and conservatives.
President Trump is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House today. Trump recently said that "very good" talks were happening in Oman over Iran's nuclear program. With the potential for a deal between Washington and Tehran, Netanyahu is signaling he wants to ensure Israel's interests are taken into account.
- 🎧 Iran is one of Israel's greatest security threats in the region, NPR's Franco Ordoñez says. Matthew Kroenig, who worked on the Iranian file at the Pentagon, tells Ordoñez that Netanyahu is worried that, in the rush for a deal, the U.S. will agree to terms that harm Israel's security. He wants to make sure that whatever deal is presented is the strongest one possible and includes protections like ballistic missile reductions and an end to support for proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Ordoñez says he'll be watching to see if Trump lets the press into today's meeting with Netanyahu, as it will be a sign of whether he's happy with the discussions.
Today's listen
Double Dutch is experiencing a resurgence in the U.S. through viral social media videos of pop-up events in densely populated city centers. The jump-rope style, which involves two people at each end of two ropes turning them in opposite directions, has been kept alive in the Black community. It began as a children's game in urban neighborhoods and has been passed down for generations. Reporter Leslie E. Thompson takes Morning Edition to a Double Dutch event in New York City's Washington Square Park, where she gets in the ropes herself.
Life advice
Staying inside during the colder months can make your home feel like a little terrarium with its hot drinks and endless places to sit. Throughout most of human history, people rarely used chairs. Instead, shifting, squatting, perching, and getting up and down were far more common in everyday life. In a world built for sitting, try these tips to get out of your seat and move — even on cold days: 🚶♀️ March in place or do arm circles during a call.
🚶♀️ Do laps around your dining room table, or put on a song and dance.
🚶♀️ Walk the length of your home while scrolling on social media.
3 things to know before you go
- Some New York City officials have pledged to restore the Stonewall National Monument's Pride flag. This week, a Trump administration directive removed the flag from the only national park site dedicated to LGBTQ+ history.
- Olympic hockey fans have been eager to see a U.S. athlete potentially score three goals in a single game — better known as a hat trick. Though the term has a rich history in hockey, its origins lie in cricket. NPR's Word of the Week takes you through hat trick history.
- The ability to imagine has long been considered a trait unique to humans. But now, a series of tea parties with an ape named Kanzi suggests some of our closest ancestors may have this ability too.
This newsletter was edited by Yvonne Dennis. Brittney Melton contributed.
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