Search For Nancy Guthrie Enters Third Week, Sparking Conversation On Senior Safety
Plus: Obama Says He Thinks Aliens Are Real, Clarifies They've Never Been To Earth
It’s President’s Day 🇺🇸 — which today I learned celebrates the birthday of America’s founding father George Washington. (Forgive me: I, Sam, went through the Canadian school system. 😅 🇨🇦)
Some fun facts about Washington:
Washington used a set of false teeth, but contrary to what pop culture says, they weren’t made out of wood. In real life, Washington’s dentures were made up of ivory, gold, and even human teeth.
Despite what Hamilton might have taught you, Washington was not a rapper. He was, however, known to be a fantastic dancer.
Washington’s decision to voluntarily resign at the end of the Revolutionary War was… well, revolutionary. England’s King George reportedly said, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.” (Hamilton covered this one pretty well.)
President’s Day is a joint birthday celebration. It also honors Abraham Lincoln, who was born earlier this month.
Lincoln, the president credited for ending slavery, was regarded as an incredible storyteller. He would sometimes stand on top of a tree stump and deliver grand speeches, TED Talk-style.
At 6’4, Lincoln was the tallest U.S. president in history. His lanky frame helped him become a talented wrestler.
Interested in learning more about Washington, Lincoln, and the other leaders who built this country? Our producer Aaryan Balu recommends two books: Ron Chernow’s Washington: A Life and Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
Looking for more recommendations? Consider becoming a member of the Mo News Premium community, where we have an entire channel on Slack dedicated to sharing book recs — presidential and otherwise. Join here. 📚
Sam
Associate Producer
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🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING
Search For Nancy Guthrie Sparks Concern Over Aging Adults Living Alone
The Guthrie family continues to plead with the public for information on their mother Nancy’s disappearance, as the search enters its third week. “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie made another video Sunday, saying it’s not too late to return her 84-year-old mother.
New leads: Pima County investigators believe the clothing and face mask worn by a potential suspect — seen in doorbell footage from Nancy’s home — may have been purchased at Walmart.
The person’s backpack is sold exclusively at Walmart. The company has reportedly provided records of online and in-store purchases over the past several months as authorities try to locate anyone involved.
DNA was also found on a glove, which appears to match the one worn by the individual in the video. It was recovered late last week about two miles from Nancy’s Tucson-area home.
Ruling out: The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Monday that the Guthrie family, including Nancy’s children and their spouses, are not considered suspects in her disappearance. “To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple,” said Sheriff Chris Nanos in a statement.
Meanwhile, President Trump told the New York Post on Monday that whoever is responsible for Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping must release her unharmed or face the “most severe” federal penalties — including the death penalty.
RETHINKING SENIOR INDEPENDENCE
Beyond the criminal investigation, this case is sparking a broader conversation about senior safety and independence. Anyone with aging parents or grandparents can attest to the underlying fear of leaving them alone — worrying about falls, medical emergencies, or scammers taking advantage of them. For Nancy’s family, the fear has become unimaginable.
By The Numbers: More than 16 million Americans age 65 and older live alone — nearly triple the share in 1950. And Americans are living longer than ever before.
Scams & Cyber Crimes: An FBI report shows that in 2024, people over 60 lost nearly $5 billion and filed the most cyber crime complaints — mostly phishing/spoofing, extortion, and personal data breaches — of any age group. That’s a 43% jump from the year before.
Physical Risks: Alert systems like Apple Watches or other fall detection devices can notify families or first responders if an older adult suffers a traumatic event; but that doesn’t cover all types of accidents.
As more seniors live alone, concerns are growing about isolation and loneliness — and how easily something can slip through the cracks. A 2024 study found that more than one-third of Americans between ages 50 to 80 feel lonely and isolated. In Nancy Guthrie’s case, it was her church community noticing she missed Sunday service that raised alarm.
THE MO NEWS COMMUNITY WEIGHS IN
We asked the Mo News Premium community if the Guthrie story has led to any changes or difficult conversations in their families. See below for some of the responses — and join premium to become part of these conversations.
Bottom line: There’s no simple answer to protecting loved ones as they age. But it’s important to start having conversations early.
“Whatever your concern, it’s important to talk about it before it happens. Ask your parent what they would like and how you can help,” Dr. Jerimya Fox says. “You want to collaborate, not dictate. No parent ever likes to be told what to do by their child… When people feel like they are making a choice, not being told what to do, they are more likely to do it.”
⏳ THE SPEED READ
🚨NATION
Trump’s border czar says ‘small’ security force will remain in Minnesota after enforcement drawdown (AP)
Partial government shutdown drags on as DHS funding talks stall (FOX)
Lawmakers want to let Congress block Trump pardons (AXIOS)
California bracing for potential flooding, feet of snow (WEATHER)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
Iran meets UN nuclear watchdog in Geneva ahead of a second round of U.S. talks (THE HILL)
Trump says Board of Peace members promise $5 billion for Gaza rebuild (PBS)
U.S. and Hungary sign nuclear cooperation deal as Trump deepens ties with controversial leader Viktor Orbán (CBS)
Kim Jong-un unveils housing for families of North Koreans killed in Ukraine war (GUARDIAN)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
Hollywood groups condemn ByteDance’s AI video generator, claiming copyright infringement (AP)
Ex-NPR host sues Google, claims it used his voice for AI (THE WRAP)
SpaceX rocket dazzles over Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day (NBC)
A bonobo’s pretend tea party is rewriting what we know about imagination (SCIENCE DAILY)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Actor Robert Duvall of ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’ dies at 95 (MO NEWS)
Powered by women, ‘Wuthering Heights’ digs up $34.8 million at the box office for a No. 1 debut (NBC)
Team USA women’s hockey shuts out Sweden, moves to gold medal game at Winter Olympics (FOX)
Top plastic surgeon fuels ‘Penisgate,’ says he injected ski jumper last month (USA TODAY)
Israeli co-creator of ‘Tehran’ found dead in Greece during filming of new season (MO NEWS)
ICYMI FROM THE 📲
In case you missed it… Former President Barack Obama clarified Sunday that he has not seen evidence of 👽 aliens making contact with Earth, after asserting that "they're real" during an interview with liberal podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen.
BIGGER PICTURE: Conspiracy theories about alien life have long centered on Area 51, the highly classified U.S. Air Force facility located in southern Nevada. There are rumors that the government tests extraterrestrial technology there – or hosts aliens themselves.
Obama debunked the Area 51 theory on the podcast, published Saturday, saying, “There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”
He’s not alone. For decades, presidents have sought answers about UFOs, dating back to Harry Truman. In 1947 and 1948, waves of “flying saucer” sightings fueled public fascination and led to Truman requesting quarterly reports from the Air Force on any threats presented by unidentified flying objects.