A (3:11)

There was also, Tom, this reporting that there was a ransom note that had been sent to two news outlets. What can you tell us about that?

B (3:20)

Yeah, it's true. There were two ransom notes that were sent to two, one each to two different news outlets. They both reference Nancy Guthrie. Law enforcement is taking a look at it. The sheriff's office says in a statement, look, we're going to take a look at these. We've passed them along to the FBI. The FBI is going to take a look at them all. So I think they haven't been substantiated and I think with each hour they appear to be less and less credible. But that part of the investigation remains ongoing and they're going to continue to take a look, obviously.

A (3:48)

So just to be clear, as of now, investigators, they don't have a suspect. They don't necessarily have any strong leads right now as to where she may be.

B (3:55)

I wouldn't say the latter part of that. I don't know whether or not they have any strong leads. I would find it hard to believe they don't have some strong leads. And, you know, there's a lot of reporting around. There's always going to be a lot of reporting around about specific individuals, people they've talked to, people they've seized things from. At the moment, there's nothing that we have been told that sticks out to us as they are definitely looking at John Doe or Jane Doe or whoever it might be.

A (4:19)

Liz, you've been on the ground there in Arizona since this happened. Can you give us a sense of the mood there?

C (4:26)

Oh, it's so somber. The neighborhood is so shocked, so sad. People just can't believe that this happened. Nancy Guthrie, the Guthrie's are native people here in Tucson. The community knows them. They love them. Savannah has so many ties here herself, and people are heartbroken and terrified and they are just praying collectively that Nancy is brought home safely. There's a sign right now outside of Nancy Guthrie's home. It says dear Guth Guthrie family, your neighbors stand with you. And tonight, actually, there's going to be what they're calling a candlelight service at a local church where family friends are going to come and the community is going to come and just pray that Nancy is brought home safely. We don't believe the family is going to be there, but it's going to be a really big outpouring of support.

A (5:16)

Tell us more about the neighborhood. You mentioned that you've been speaking to folks there, to neighbors, that people feel relatively safe there. What is it like? Take us there.

C (5:25)

Yeah, so it's just imagine beautiful Arizona desert landscape. That's exactly what this is. It's very idyllic. It's very beautiful. Part of the challenge with this neighborhood, and we've been talking about the fact that it seems so surprising that they haven't been able to find any really usable surveillance video from ring cameras in the neighborhood. That's just been a huge question, like how we always see this type of thing. And it's just because of the landscape of the neighborhood. And you drive around and it's these beautiful homes. They're set back, though far from the streets. They're on large lots. And then all around the streets is this dense desert, tall vegetation and brush that largely on many of the homes, blocks the view from the home and the street. So it makes it very hard for a camera to catch anything that's happening on the street. It's also very dark at night there. These streets don't have any street lights, so that makes it even more challenging to capture anything on video. And some of the neighbors we were talking to, they said most people just have these ring cameras to be able to look at the wildlife that walks by.

A (6:29)

You know, Tom, there is this issue, it seems, with the video footage, obtaining the video footage in the cameras, not just outside the house, but also is there issues with the cameras and the footage from inside the home?

B (6:40)

We're just aware of some cameras that were outside of Nancy Guthrie's home that were facing, you know, looking out effectively. And there appear to be, according to a number of people we've talked, we've spoken to, some technical challenges with getting access to some of that video. These systems are simple to set up and complex on the back end. That can be sometimes a bit of a challenge. It is not, we are told, by law enforcement, as a result of tech companies dragging their feet or any sort of challenges. Everybody understands the gravity of the situation. We're told law enforcement has been trying to get this information for days. These are proprietary systems. It takes a while in the best of circumstances. And so that's definitely an effort that they want. But the fact that they can't get that at the moment, that would be a critical piece of evidence if they could get it.

A (7:29)

Liz the president made a statement yesterday saying that he wouldn't be opposed to sending more federal resources if in fact that's what they needed, because we know the FBI is on the ground there. What have you been seeing with regards to resources in making sure they find Nancy Guthrie?

C (7:43)

Yeah, well, we definitely have seen search and rescue teams that have been out mostly. That was in the initial 24 hours after she was reported missing, but that still has been ongoing at times. Even just last night, we saw a sheriff's helicopter flight flying overhead for about 30 minutes. It was circling not only Nancy Guthrie's home, but also some of the surrounding neighborhood areas. It made you think they were still trying to look through some of these areas to see if there was any kind of clue that they could find. We know search and rescue teams had been out there, and I actually went out with one of them yesterday, and she was telling me that they were canvassing the neighborhood, some of them going door to door, knocking on every home, asking neighbors, do you have video? Have you seen anything? Can you check your ring camera footage? Nothing is too small to flag to them. And then there were also people who were going through some of the desert brush, looking again for any clues. They said that meant any footprints, anything that could have been dropped or left behind. Unfortunately, so far they've come up empty in that search, but they are continuing. There was at some point more than 100 people out canvassing the area. And we did ask the sheriff at the press conference yesterday, were there any footprints or any tire marks around Nancy Guthrie's home? He said no. And that's also something surprising because it makes you wonder, how did this person get in and out so quickly?

A (9:02)

Is it unusual to be where we are at this moment right now in this investigation? Tom? No, it's not.

B (9:07)

Not at all. I mean, I think back to the Brown University shooter. I think back to all these high profile cases. They do take time. So, you know, we're reporting on this on an hour to hour basis. We're talking about it minute to minute, but it takes time. And as I always say, they're always ahead of where we're reporting. They are pretty much. And so I would not be surprised if today has been a real busy day of we've got these leads we're getting this evidence back and today we're tackling it and figuring who's in, what's in, what's out.

A (9:43)

Right. Because they said they're not going to do another press conference until tomorrow unless they have something major that they need to announce. Guys, I know you both have a lot to do because you've been working around the clock and the entire network is thankful for that. This is, you know, there's a real darkness over 30 rock right now here in New York. I think, considering this is not just a story. This is Savannah Guthrie, the co anchor of the Today show, a friend and a dear colleague to all of us. And I think, you know, all of us feel in a way wanting to make sure this turns out well because of our. Not just because she's a human being, but because of our closeness to Savannah and wanting everything to be okay. This must be hard for you, Liz, to be there covering this story in that way.

C (10:27)

It's surreal. I mean, we all, as journalists cover these types of sad, horrible stories, unfortunately, pretty regularly. I've never been in a situation like this where it hit so close to home. And that is our dear colleague. And it really puts it in perspective. We cover missing persons cases often. And now to have be so close to someone who's dealing with this, to see how agonizing it can be, waiting for every little detail, it really puts it in perspective. And I've thought about it with our colleagues here on the ground, we thought this is probably going to change how we cover these types of stories moving forward.

B (11:03)

I think we care about the life and about the well being of Nancy Guthrie. Then Savannah's a colleague who's been very helpful to all of us throughout our careers, who's been somebody who's been. I've known for well over a decade, decade and a half. So just on a human level, you want to help them out and then you want to get the story right. And it's a good moment for us to kind of let the public know not only how we're feeling, but also let the public know that, you know, this is how we do our jobs.

A (11:33)

Yeah. And in reporting the story as accurately as we can and making sure that in that we show the utmost respect to Savannah, to her family, to her.

B (11:44)

Mother, as we would with any victim.

A (11:46)

As we would with any victim.

B (11:47)

Totally.

A (11:47)

But it is unbelievably difficult considering it hits so incredibly close to home for all of us. By the way, if anybody has any information on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, I urge you to call 520-351-4900. Again, that is 520-351-4900. Liz Kreutz, Tom Winter. Thank you guys both. All right. We're gonna take a very quick break and when we are back, we are heading inside Iran looking for a Valentine's gift she'll truly love. 1-800-Flowers.com knows what she wants. For 50 years, 1-800-Flowers.Com has helped guys get it right, delivering millions of fresh Valentine's roses nationwide with high quality bouquets guaranteed to last. Right now, when you buy one dozen premium roses, they'll double your bouquet to two dozen for free. Valentine's is coming fast, so don't wait until the last minute. Double your blooms today at 1-800-flowers.com sxm. That's 1-800-flowers.

D (12:49)

Com.

A (12:50)

Sxm. On the night before Halloween in 1975, 15 year old Martha Moxley was murdered.

B (12:56)

But police failed to make an arrest.

D (12:58)

Until in 2000, her one time neighbor Michael Skakel was arrested. He was also a cousin of the Kennedys.

B (13:05)

The Kennedy connection is the reason that.

A (13:07)

Most people know about this case.

B (13:09)

But the deeper I dug, the more I came to question everything I thought I knew. Dead Certain the Martha Moxley Murder.

D (13:16)

All episodes are available now, wherever you get your podcasts. This week on Meet the press. As Minnesota remains on edge and the DOJ releases more Epstein files, Kristen Welker sits down with Speaker Mike Johnson and Congressman Ro Khanna. Plus a Meet the Moment conversation with filmmaker Ken Burns this week on MEET the Press. Listen to the full episode now, wherever you get your podcasts.

A (13:47)

And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. So we have been following the recent unrest in Iran since the beginning of the year. The death toll There is around 6,800 people because of those anti government protests. And that is according to hrana, a US Based advocacy group. So what is gonna come of all this? The president has not ruled out a military strike inside the country. And earlier this week there was some military escalation following two confrontations off Iran's coast. But there were also potential talks between the US And Iran that had been planned for Friday. So what is going on with Iran and where does the US Stand on this? For that, I wanna bring in NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engle who's on the ground for us in Iran. And Richard, I know that we've got really difficult communication with you right now both over audio and video. So we're super appreciative of you joining.

D (14:41)

US Great to talk to you, Yasmin, and once again, great to join you from Iran. And as you mentioned, communications are very difficult. This country was completely blacked out for about three weeks because first there were these demonstrations that became mass demonstrations. Then there was a violent crackdown. And amid that violent crackdown, the government shut off comps. They are only now coming back on, but they are still patchy. So when you're in Iran right now, you feel very cut off from, from the world by design. That was by design. You know, they, the government switched off the tap to contain the situation and to limit the amount of information that Iranians are able to receive from the outside world. And people now are just emerging from, from weeks of violence and isolation and trying to figure out where, where we go next.

A (15:37)

Let's get straight to what has taken place in Iran over the last 48 hours or so. We had two separate incidents involving Iranian forces and U.S. vessels there in the region. You had Central Command, U.S. central Command saying American forces shot down an Iranian drone there on Tuesday as it, quote, aggressively approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. Then hours later, you had two Iranian ships and a drone approach a US Commercial vessel. The Pentagon then, quote, maneuvering a warship nearby and the incident de escalating. What are these kind of two situations representing, indicating to you as to the current state of affairs between the United States and Iran? Is this a potential drumbeat?

D (16:19)

It seems like Iran is trying to show strength. They're trying to show the U.S. we can, we are not defeated. We are not a second or third rate power. If you engage in a war with us, we can still inflict harm, we can still do damage, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, particularly in this vital waterway. So it's no accident. I don't think that both of these incidents took place in this vital shipping lane. I think that's why you saw this ratcheting up in the lead up to the conversation, because they don't want to show they're looking weak and powerless.

A (17:00)

So if this is Iran potentially showing their strength, specifically in the Strait of Hormuz, you talk about these potential and I say potential because we don't even know if they're cemented yet. We thought they were and now it seems like they're not. These diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran, we thought it was going to happen in Turkey. Now it may actually move locations. Secretary, Secretary Marco Rubio was asked about this today. He said, listen, we're ready if the Iranians want to talk but if they don't, we're fine with that as well. We'd rather go the diplomatic route and then really even expressing doubt the whole thing is gonna take place. Does it take place, Richard? What do you see a potential here of happening?

D (17:38)

So the diplomatic piece is interesting. It's fascinating. So now Iran is going into these negotiations and is very nervous because it's negotiating from a weak point of view. What are they being asked? And if you look at the US side and you listen to the comments from President Trump and Marco Rubio and others, they say we want to go into negotiations. It's not at clear what the negotiations are about.

A (18:03)

Right. What are they actually talking about?

D (18:05)

What are they actually talking about? So Iranians and I've spoken to several government officials like what are we talking about? If it's just on the nuclear deal, they think they can get to an agreement. But if it's on the end of the government, how do you negotiate your suicide? That's not a negotiation. So are these open ended negotiations? What's the ask?

A (18:28)

If you would, Richard, read the tea leaves for me here. Because Secretary of State Rubio said today, listen, they need to include ballistic missiles. If we go forward with these negotiations, they need to include the nuclear program, which by the way, the United States and Israel over the summer said they had essentially obliterated the nuclear program that Iran was engaging in.

D (18:46)

Exactly.

A (18:46)

It needs to include the treatment of the Iranian people. There was no mention of potential regime change in these negotiations. But there is a. What is this thing really all about? And do either parties even know?

D (19:01)

Exactly. And that's what Iranians are very nervous about. And that's why they were nervous about this initial format. They were worried about going into negotiations in Turkey with lots of countries involved, and they were worried they were going to go there and suddenly everything is on the table. Their future, the treatment of human rights, missile program, nuclear program, what exactly are they negotiating? What's the agenda? So they want a specific agenda and talking about the nuclear program and they think if we want to talk about the nuclear program, we can get there. Because as you mentioned, most of their nuclear program has been destroyed anyway. And Iran's position has long been that it doesn't want to have a nuclear weapon. Whether you believe that or not is one thing. But Iranian officials have said to me several times, if we're just going to talk about the nukes and no nuclear weapons, we can do that, we can de escalate and we can get out of this crisis and avert another war. Which Iran insists this time will be a regional war, which is why they're trying to show strength now in the Strait of Hormuz. And you mentioned it was Marco Rubio who talked about no missiles. And Iranians keep pointing this out. The different members of the Trump administration seem to have different things that they want to talk about.

A (20:18)

Well, I'm wondering if the United States is making these negotiations or these potential negotiations vaguely impossible as a reason to then strike, as a justification.

D (20:28)

That's the way it's certainly seen here. I spoke to Iranians today on the street, and that's what they believe, that the US Is presenting impossible conditions, conditions that will undoubtedly fail, cannot be met in order to say to the world, hey, we tried. The Iranians rejected it. We had no other choice but to launch a war, a potentially regime change war, which is going to be complicated.

A (21:01)

So what do the people want? You've been there on the ground for a few days now. What are they telling you?

D (21:06)

You know, people are really scared. You know, people want to live better lives. They don't. They. This country doesn't work right now. You can't. It doesn't work. The communications are terrible. The banking system basically doesn't work. If you go to an ATM, you can get like $2, the equivalent of $2 a day. You can't use international credit cards. Almost impossible to travel unless you have a lot of money and connections. You can't import anything. You can't sell anything. Almost everything you buy in this, in the shop, is a sort of a, an Iranian version of a Western product, from soap to ice cream to, you know, to everything you get on a, on a sort of a commercial level. It is isolated and not functioning. That's why you saw the, the protest breakout, because people can't take it anymore. There's huge infl. Inflation. So people want better. They want better lives. They want to be connected to the world. They want to live without a boot on their neck. But they also don't want chaos and civil war. They don't want Afghanistan. They don't want Syria. They don't want Iraq. So how do you get there? How do you get there? And I, I haven't heard anyone who's got a great, great answer for that question.

A (22:25)

Richard Engel, we made it. We appreciate you as always. Thank you, my friend. Stay safe.

D (22:30)

Absolutely. Good. Good to talk to you. Aspen.

A (22:34)

All right. We're going to take a very quick break. And when we are back, the major change in the federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. Stay with us for the headlines. I'm CNN tech reporter Claire Duffy.

D (22:49)

Claire Duffy was one of I cover.

A (22:51)

Artificial intelligence and other new technologies for a living and even I sometimes get overwhelmed trying to keep up with it all. So I'm starting a new show where together we can explore how to experiment with these new tools without getting played by them. It's called Terms of Service.

D (23:08)

This technology is so crazy powerful.

C (23:11)

Follow CNN's Terms of Service wherever you get your podcasts. Hey everybody, it's Kate Snow. I'm an NBC News anchor and host of the new podcast the Drink with Kate Snow. So here's the deal. I sit down with all kinds of celebrities, actors, musicians, athletes for a casual conversation over a drink of their choice. It's always about their journey, the successes, the struggles, the lessons they learned. I thought I knew all about self help superstar Mel Robbins, but in our candid conversation, she got really honest about a business decision that almost bankrupted her and how she was able to pull herself out and then build an empire. Trust me, you're going to learn something. I always do. I hope you'll listen. Just search for the Drink with Kate Snow wherever you get your podcasts and follow now.

A (24:05)

This is Olympic figure skating medalist Adam Rippon. Are you wondering who you should root for at the 2026 Winter Olympics? Well, I'm hosting my new favorite Olympian where I will introduce you to Team USA's brightest stars and the causes they are passionate about. You're gonna have great days.

C (24:20)

You're gon rock bottom days. I think that that's part of life.

A (24:24)

Being a mom, being an Olympian. Get ready for the 2026 Winter Olympics by checking out my new favorite Olympian.

C (24:30)

Wherever you listen to your podcasts.

A (24:36)

And we are back with here's the scoop of NBC News. Let's get to some headlines. The border czar Tom Homan says 700 federal immigration agents will withdraw from Minnesota. It's after agents killed two people in Minneapolis, sparking weeks of protests. In a news conference Wednesday, Hohman said cooperation between county jails and federal immigration officials has improved, making it easier for immigration authorities to apprehend targets.

D (25:01)

My goal, with the support of President Trump, is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge as soon as we can.

A (25:12)

In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Tom Yamas, President Trump said that he believes his administration could use a quote, quote, softer touch in its immigration enforcement operations, while adding, but you still have to be tough. We're dealing with really hard criminals. We're going to share more of that interview in the podcast tomorrow. Negotiators for Ukraine and Russia have kicked off two days of peace talks in Abu Dhabi just a day after Russia hit Ukraine with a record number of ballistic missiles. Territorial disputes are central to these negotiations. Russia is demanding that Kiev give up land in the Donbas region. Ukraine says it's a non starter and wants the conflict to be frozen along the current front line, the man who was convicted of attempting to assassinate then presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2024 at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm beach has been sentenced to life in prison. Florida prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Ryan Ruth, quote, remains totally unrepentant. U.S. district Judge Eileen Cannon handed down the sentence. Cannon, a Trump appointee, had previously thrown former special counsel Jack Smith's classified documents case against the president, and she barred DOJ from sharing Smith's final report with Congress. The Washington Post has laid off roughly a third of its workforce, with cuts impacting the sports books and the podcast units, as well as the foreign, business and national teams. The Post has been owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos since 2013, and according to Bloomberg, Bezos has a network of about $260 billion. But it hasn't shielded the paper from the broader forces that are impacting legacy media everywhere. Post editor in Chief Matt Murray told staff that audiences have shifted their consumption habits in recent years, leading to dwindling ad revenue and forcing cost cutting measures. And if you're someone who has trouble falling asleep, well, you better not. And listen to this. That is what's known as pink noise. And while ocean waves type noise might actually sound relaxing, there is this new study showing that the soundscape could actually reduce your chances of a good night's sleep. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that the low frequencies in pink noise can disrupt some of the deepest stages of sleep, impacting mood regulation, mental focus. Instead, you might be better off switching to white noise like this, which has less of those low frequencies. Sweet dreams guys. That is gonna do it for us at here's the scoop from NBC News. Hopefully you're not sleeping. I'm Yasmin Desugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcast us. We'll see you tomorrow.