Plus: Police Investigate Ransom Notes As They Try To Find Nancy Guthrie; Winter Olympics Kick Off With Curling

Today is World Cancer Day, a day to raise awareness about cancer, encourage its prevention, and work towards making cancer treatment more accessible.

This year’s theme is “United by Unique.” It defines the crucial role of personalized, patient-centered care in the fight against cancer.
- In 2026, approximately 2.1 million new cancer cases and 600,000 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States.
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease, according to the most recent data from the CDC.

⚕️AI HELPING IN DIAGNOSIS: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, excluding skin cancers, with approximately 1 in 8 (roughly 13%) women in the U.S. diagnosed in their lifetime.

Some good news: A new study found that artificial intelligence can help doctors catch the disease sooner, which can lead to more effective treatment.

A major Swedish study involved more than 100,000 women who were part of mammography screening. They were randomly assigned to either AI-supported screening or to a standard reading by two radiologists.
- The AI analyzed mammograms and flagged high-risk cases for radiologists — boosting early detection rates from 74% to 81% without increasing false positives.
- Overall, cancer diagnoses in the years after screening dropped by about 12% in the AI group — suggesting earlier detection may be preventing later-stage diagnoses.
- Researchers say the goal is not to replace doctors. The system still requires human review — but it cut radiologist workload by 44%, allowing doctors to focus on the most urgent cases.

Mo News Team

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Homan Announces Immediate Pullback Of 700 Federal Agents In Minnesota As Congress Outlines DHS Demands

President Trump says U.S. immigration enforcement “could use a little bit of a softer touch.” He told NBC News on Wednesday that the decision to withdraw 700 federal immigration officers from Minneapolis earlier today came from him — after improved coordination between the federal government and state officials. But Trump said, “You still have to be tough.”

Border Czar Tom Homan announced the move this morning, saying 700 federal law enforcement officers would leave Minnesota effective immediately. It marks a roughly 25% reduction in the federal presence in the state. He said the goal is to “achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge as soon as we can.”

THE CHANGE: About 2,000 federal agents will remain in the Minneapolis area, down from a peak of as many as 4,000 last month. Homan credited “unprecedented cooperation” between the federal government and state and local entities for the pullback. He also said ICE would stick to “targeted” enforcement operations.
- CONTEXT: Dubbed the “largest immigration operation ever,” the federal government sent agents to Minnesota last month after the state became the focus of national attention over a massive fraud scandal.
  - Trump and other Republican lawmakers focused attention on the state's large Somali community, as most of the fraud defendants are of Somali descent.
REACTION: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said, “The continued presence of 2,000 federal agents in a city that only has 600 police officers is still not deescalation.”

BEGINNING OF THE END?
Following the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, Trump sent Homan to Minnesota. Federal officials have faced mounting criticism over tactics and accusations of harassment.

To address that, Homan said the administration is moving toward a unified command structure so all officers operate under the same leadership, guidance, and rules of engagement — a change he said would help ensure everyone is “on the same page.”
- He said the administration has heard concerns raised by local leaders and civil rights groups and argued that many problems stemmed from multiple agencies operating without a single chain of command.

“My goal, with the support of President Trump, is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge as soon as we can, but that is largely contingent upon the end of illegal and threatening activities against ICE and its federal partners that we’re seeing in the community,” Homan said.

ZOOMING OUT
As immigration enforcement has expanded under the Trump administration, internal watchdogs with the Department of Homeland Security have been gutted.

IN THE AGENCY: Despite DHS receiving tens of billions more in funding last year, three congressionally created watchdog offices — Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the USCIS Ombudsman — were nearly dismantled.
- The civil rights office had about 150 staffers reviewing hundreds of abuse and due-process complaints before Trump’s second term — it now has just nine employees.
- The administration argues the watchdog offices slowed enforcement and acted as internal adversaries. Former watchdog officials warn the cuts leave DHS with little independent oversight just as arrests and enforcement powers are rapidly expanding.
ON CAPITOL HILL: Now, lawmakers are pushing for more oversight. DHS funding expires in just nine days, and Democrats outlined demands Wednesday for the reforms they want before passing a full year of funding. DHS funding goes to ICE, as well as TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA and other agencies.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said all immigration agents will need to wear body cameras, stop wearing masks, and face tighter restrictions on how warrants are used during arrests.
  - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday that federal immigration agents in Minneapolis will wear body cameras, and will expand nationwide as funding allows. Cameras were supposed to have been fully operational for all ICE agents by September of last year, after years of testing.
  - House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) already said changes to judicial warrants are “unimplementable” and “not necessary.”
- GOP lawmakers have their own demands, including requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote (it’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote) and imposing new restrictions on sanctuary cities.

NEW LOWS
While deportations inside the U.S. remain a contentious political issue, migrant crossings at the U.S.–Mexico border are at the lowest level in more than 50 years. It comes as the U.S. saw negative net migration in 2025 — the first time in at least half a century — driven by the sharp drop in arrivals.

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🚨 ONE THING WE’RE MONITORING

Inside The Search For Nancy Guthrie

Authorities say they are operating on the belief that Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, is still alive after being reported missing from her Tucson, Arizona, home over the weekend.

"We have nothing else to go on but the belief that she is here,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told NBC in an interview that aired on Wednesday. “She's present. She's alive, and we want to save her."

The sheriff on Monday said Nancy takes daily medication crucial to her survival. Nanos told NBC that investigators are hopeful as they pursue leads shared with the FBI.

WHAT’S BEEN FOUND
An alleged ransom note was sent to a local Arizona news station Monday; TMZ reported Tuesday receiving a similar email. Investigators are looking into the notes, which reportedly demanded millions of dollars in bitcoin for Guthrie’s safe return, referenced specific evidence inside her home, and described what she was wearing the night she disappeared.

NewsNation found a blood trail leading from the front door of Guthrie’s home, where a doorbell camera had also been removed from its bracket.
- In an interview Tuesday, Nanos said "cameras are in our possession, and we’re downloading them and working with a lot of the makers of those cameras, because some of them are server based, but not cloud based, and so those things are actively being pursued.”
Nanos said Tuesday authorities do not believe there is a broader threat to the public because they don’t believe “there [is] somebody out there who’s kidnapping elderly people in the middle of the night every night.”

Officials urge anyone with information to contact local authorities or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Ryan Routh, attempted Trump assassin, sentenced to life in prison (MO NEWS)
Trump doubles down on calls for GOP to ‘nationalize’ voting as congressional leaders balk (FOX)
Trilateral US-Ukraine-Russia peace talks resume in UAE after major energy attack (ABC)
Trump admin attorney leaves Minnesota after telling judge her job ‘sucks’ amid crush of immigration cases (CNN)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Spain looks to ban social media for under-16s, joining others in Europe (CNBC)
Israel targets Hamas commander who invaded Nir Oz on Oct. 7 in Gaza strike that kills 24 (TIMES OF ISRAEL)
The former Prince Andrew moves to King Charles III’s private estate after Epstein document uproar (AP)
Collision between Greek coastguard patrol and boat carrying migrants kills 14 (GUARDIAN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

Bezos orders deep job cuts at ‘Washington Post’ (NPR)
Gold and silver extend rebound but concerns over volatility linger (CNBC)
Spotify upgrades its lyrics feature with offline access, more translations (TECHCRUNCH)
New Mexico officials warn against drinking raw milk after newborn dies from listeria (CBS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Penny the Doberman Pinscher wins Best in Show at the 2026 Westminster Dog Show (PEOPLE)
Amazon pulls ‘Melania’ from movie theater due to people writing jokes on its marquee (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
Dallas Mavericks trading Anthony Davis to Washington Wizards in blockbuster deal (CBS)
IOC says open to earlier dates for future Winter Olympics and Paralympics because of warmer temperature (AP)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony isn’t until Friday, but curling competitions kicked off today — the first sporting events of the games. 🥌

The U.S. mixed doubles curling team competes tomorrow. Check out the full 2026 Winter Olympics schedule.