Another Shutdown Standoff Looms & Guthrie Mystery Deepens | 2.6.26

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: Another Shutdown Standoff Looms & Guthrie Mystery Deepens
Date: February 6, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley (Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief) & Georgia Howe
Main Topics: Looming government shutdown, ICE/DHS funding battle, White House/media dynamics, Nancy Guthrie abduction, Super Bowl 60 preview and halftime show controversy.

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Episode Overview

This episode of Morning Wire delivers in-depth updates on three major stories:

• The White House's scramble to avert another government shutdown centered on funding for ICE and DHS.
• New developments and unanswered questions in the ongoing disappearance case of Nancy Guthrie.
• Preview and controversies surrounding Super Bowl 60, particularly the halftime show and efforts at "counter-programming."

The hosts and reporters provide political analysis, investigative updates, and sports commentary with a brisk, fact-focused tone, peppered with critique of legacy media framing and cultural debates.

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Government Shutdown & White House Priorities

The Looming Shutdown and White House Response

[02:39 - 06:46]

• A government shutdown was narrowly averted with a recently signed spending package, but another crisis looms if Congress cannot agree on ICE and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding.

• President Trump has prioritized messaging around ICE and law enforcement support, especially in the aftermath of incidents in Minneapolis.

  “I’m not happy with what happened there. Nobody could be happy. And ICE wasn’t happy either. But I’m going to always be with our great people of law enforcement. If we don’t back them, we don’t have a country.”
  — Government Official / Politician (03:32)

• At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Trump vowed to "rededicate the United States as one nation under God," inviting all Americans to a May 17 prayer event on the National Mall.

  “To be a great nation, however, you have to have religion. You have to have it. You have to have faith. You have to have God. And thankfully, as we gather today, there are many signs that religion is coming back. It’s coming back so strong.” — Government Official / Politician (04:00)

• Ambitious cultural projects announced by the president include:

  • Shutting down the Kennedy Center for two years for renovations.
  • Erecting a statue of Christopher Columbus outside the White House (stirring controversy).
  • Constructing an “independent arc” in Washington, D.C.

Vice Presidential Diplomacy

• Vice President J.D. Vance is attending the Olympic Winter Games in Milan to support U.S. athletes and meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
• Plans to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan to reinforce a peace deal brokered by the Trump administration. (04:16)

Legacy Media Framing

[05:12 - 05:53]

• "Legacy media" is portrayed as more interested in narratives than reporting substance, focusing on secondary controversies (e.g., who instructed Tulsi Gabbard to be present at a Fulton County, Georgia, election search, and criticism of Melania Trump’s meeting with ex-Hostages).

  “The difference between the actual news and the way the legacy media is framing it ... they don’t always coincide.” — Mary Margaret Olihan, Daily Wire White House Correspondent (05:12)

• Legacy media criticism described as "fixating" and "spinning up" various Trump administration actions.

Daily Wire Achieves Briefing Room Seat

[06:06 - 06:42]

• The Daily Wire now holds a shared seat in the White House briefing room.

  “We are serious journalists. We’re reporting the news. And now we have a spot in the White House briefing room.” — Mary Margaret Olihan (06:06)

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Nancy Guthrie Disappearance: Timeline and New Clues

Timeline and Developments

[07:51 - 12:24]

• Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show’s Savannah Guthrie, has now been missing six days.

• Key reconstructed timeline (courtesy Lyndon Blake, Daily Wire Reporter):

  • Saturday, 9:48pm: Nancy returns home from family dinner.
  • Sunday, 1:47am: Doorbell camera disconnected.
  • 2:12am: Motion detected by interior camera.
  • 2:28am: Nancy’s pacemaker disconnects from her phone.

• No official suspects or persons of interest have been identified, despite media rumors focusing on son-in-law Tommaso Cione.

  • Early reports speculated Tommaso as a “prime suspect,” but the sheriff clarified: "We have not identified a suspect or a person of interest in this case." (09:30)

Ransom Note Details

• Multiple ransom notes received by Arizona stations and TMZ, demanding millions.

• Ransom note referenced specifics (her Apple watch, floodlight, payment deadlines), with direct threats against Nancy.

• Authorities warn about fraudulent ransom demands; one arrest made, but not connected to the actual abduction.

  “The ransom note demanded millions...had the language that it threatening towards Nancy's life.”
  — Lyndon Blake (10:23)

Guthrie Family Statement

[11:26]

“We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her.”
— Guthrie Family Statement (played at 11:26)

• The Daily Wire's Lyndon Blake continues to cover the case in "Finding Nancy Guthrie" podcast.

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Super Bowl 60: Preview & Halftime Show Controversy

Game Preview

[13:13 - 17:31]

• Super Bowl 60: New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks, rematch of 2015's dramatic finish.
• Patriots: First season under Coach Mike Vrabel (14-3 record); Seahawks: Led by Coach Mike McDonald (14-3).
• Both head coaches and their quarterbacks—Drake May (Patriots) and Sam Darnold (Seahawks)—will be making their first Super Bowl appearances.
• Statistically strong seasons for both teams and quarterbacks, and both defenses are among the league's best.

Halftime Show Controversy

• NFL selected Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper, as halftime show headliner.

• Selection criticized by Trump administration advisers and groups concerned over Bad Bunny’s public stances on immigration and America.

  “It’s so shameful that they’ve decided to pick someone who just seems to hate America so much at the halftime performance, a game of this magnitude.” — Corey Lewandowski, DHS adviser, as quoted by David Cohn (15:39)

• Additional controversy: Petition to remove Bad Bunny citing "drag performances" and singing primarily in Spanish; NFL defends the choice as strategy to grow international audience.

TPUSA "Counter Halftime Show"

• Turning Point USA (TPUSA) to host an "All American Halftime Show" featuring Kid Rock and country artists Lee Bryce, Brantley Gilbert, and Gabby Barrett.

• Described as a patriotic, traditionalist alternative for viewers.

• Daily Wire will stream TPUSA’s performance live.

  “The goal there is, as you would expect, give performers an opportunity to sing patriotic songs and to stand up for traditional American values. Basically the opposite of what many viewers are going to get from the Bad Bunny performance.” — David Cohn (16:59)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “If we don’t back them, we don’t have a country.” — Government Official / Politician on law enforcement (03:32)
• “To be a great nation, however, you have to have religion… faith… God.” — Government Official / Politician (04:00)
• “We are serious journalists. We’re reporting the news. And now we have a spot in the White House briefing room.” — Mary Margaret Olihan (06:06)
• “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her.” — Guthrie Family’s statement (11:26)
• “It’s so shameful that they’ve decided to pick someone who just seems to hate America so much at the halftime performance, a game of this magnitude.” — Corey Lewandowski, as quoted by David Cohn (15:39)
• “The goal… is to give performers an opportunity to sing patriotic songs and to stand up for traditional American values.” — David Cohn on TPUSA’s halftime show (16:59)

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Key Timestamps

• [02:39] – Shutdown standoff, ICE/DHS funding explained
• [03:32] – President on law enforcement and Minneapolis fallout
• [04:00] – National Prayer Breakfast speech clips
• [06:06] – Daily Wire earns briefing room seat
• [07:51] – Nancy Guthrie case timeline and new updates
• [10:23] – Ransom note demands and threats
• [11:26] – Guthrie family public statement
• [13:13] – Super Bowl preview: Patriots vs. Seahawks
• [15:39] – Halftime show controversy and Bad Bunny selection
• [16:59] – Details on TPUSA's counter-programming halftime show

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Conclusion

This Morning Wire episode delivers rapid-fire updates and critiques on major political, cultural, and sporting events shaping national conversations. The tone is direct and sometimes skeptical, especially of mainstream media framing and cultural trends. Listeners are left with new details, context, and a preview of the debates likely to define the coming week.

Transcript

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[Government Official / Politician]

We've succeeded in passing a fiscally responsible package that actually cuts wasteful federal spending while supporting critical programs for the safety, security, prosperity of the American people.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

A whirlwind week for the White House wraps up with the president working to avert another showdown over ICE funding. I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, February 6th. This is Morningwire.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

The search for Nancy Guthrie continues as officials provide urgent updates.

[Government Official / Politician]

We have nobody of interest. We're not there yet.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

And Super Bowl 60 kicks off this Sunday with a blockbuster rematch and brewing controversy surrounding the halftime show.

[Government Official / Politician]

We're simply gonna go play some great songs, like I've said, for people who love football, love America, love good music, love jes, pretty much that simple.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

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[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

After Congress just scrambled to end a government shutdown. President Trump is already working to avert another one over ice.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

Joining us now to discuss is Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olihan. Great to have you in the studio.

[Mary Margaret Olihan - Daily Wire White House Correspondent]

Great to be here.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

So a busy week as always in D.C. let's start with, you know, what the president has prioritized here, a lot of messaging on ICE and dhs. What is the latest?

[Mary Margaret Olihan - Daily Wire White House Correspondent]

Well, as usual, the president is keeping us absolutely inundated with new topics, new news. He signed a spending package on Tuesday that ends the partial government shutdown. But we have another one looming ahead of us if Republicans and Democrats can't come to an agreement on ICE and DHS business. Now, obviously, he's still fielding tons of questions on Minneapolis on ice on the situation out there. And he told NBC News on Wednesday that he will always have law enforcement's backs, but he's not totally happy with how things played out in Minneapolis.

[Government Official / Politician]

I'm not happy with what happened there. Nobody could be happy. And ICE wasn't happy either. But I'm going to always be with our great people of law enforcement. If we don't back them, we don't have a country.

[Mary Margaret Olihan - Daily Wire White House Correspondent]

Now, the president also spoke Thursday morning at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, where he vowed to rededicate the United States as one nation under God. And he announced that on May 17, all Americans are invited to the National Mall for an event of prayer and thanksgiving.

[Government Official / Politician]

To be a great nation, however, you have to have religion. You have to have it. You have to have faith. You have to have God. And thankfully, as we gather today, there are many signs that religion is coming back. It's coming back so strong.

[Mary Margaret Olihan - Daily Wire White House Correspondent]

And now our president is a builder. He has so many plans in store. He's talking about shutting down the Kennedy center for two years. As he spruces it up, he's also erecting a statue of Christopher Columbus outside the White House that has people in a tizzy. And he's putting an independent arc in the nation's capital. So all of these things happening. Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. vance is in Milan, Italy, where he's attending the Olympics Winter Games, supporting our athletes. And today he'll be meeting with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Maloney. Yesterday, he spoke with the athletes and he told them that their competition is one of the few things that unites the entire country. After that, he's going to be headed to Armenia and Azerbaijan to show support for the peace deal that he and the Trump administration brokered between those two countries.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

So as we said, A lot going on in D.C. we are interested, of course, on this show in the legacy media's framing of what happens in the White House. What is the latest from them? How are they responding to Trump's priorities this week?

[Mary Margaret Olihan - Daily Wire White House Correspondent]

Well, it's always worth pointing out the difference between the actual news and the way the legacy media is framing it, because they don't always coincide. Currently, reporters at CNN and other outlets are fixating on who exactly told Tulsi Gabbard to be at this recent high profile search of an election office in Fulton County, Georgia. Uh, as I reported earlier this week, Tulsi says that Trump told her to be there. Legacy reporters are also spinning up about the Kennedy center shutting down for two years. They're arguing that Trump's arc is going to be too big for Washington, D.C. and on Tuesday, during an event with Melania Trump at the White House, she was speaking with these two former Hamas hostages about their time in captivity. And a reporter accused Melania of trying to use these hostages to promote her new movie.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

So, again, Melania can't seem to catch a break. Final question before you go. You have some big news yourself. It's important here for the Daily Wire, of course, but also you personally tell us what happened this week.

[Mary Margaret Olihan - Daily Wire White House Correspondent]

Well, we just found out this week that the Daily Wire has a seat in the White House briefing room. This is a decision made by the legacy reporters at the White House Correspondents association, which took a look at all the outlets that have been coming to the White House and going to the briefings over the last year and then applied for seats. I, I am really proud that we got a seat, not just because we've been working so hard, but also it shows the world that the Daily Wire is there for serious reasons. We are serious journalists. We're reporting the news. And now we have a spot in the White House briefing room. We do share with two other outlets currently, the Black Press association and the Telegraph. But I'm confident that we're going to keep working hard and one of these days, you'll see me in the front of the room.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

I'm sure we will. Thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you in studio again.

[Mary Margaret Olihan - Daily Wire White House Correspondent]

Thanks for having me.

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[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

The nation has been holding its breath since the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Joining us to break down the timeline of the case is Daily Wire reporter Lyndon Blake. So Lyndon, we got some new information yesterday. What have we confirmed since last we reported?

[Lyndon Blake - Daily Wire Reporter]

Yeah, well now we have a clear picture of what went on Saturday into Sunday morning when Nancy Guthrie was forcefully taken from her home. We know she got home from family members house where she had dinner at 9:48 Saturday night. Her doorbell came, was disconnected at 1:47am Sunday. At 2:12 a person was detected on a camera inside the home and at 2:28 Nancy's pacemaker disconnected from her phone. So those gave us details that we have been wondering since this search has entered its sixth day. We don't though have any suspects or person of interest at this time.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Now on Wednesday it began to be reported at some outlets that there was a person of interest who some at least one outlet even called that person a suspect. They were talking about the son in law of Nancy Guthrie. What do we know about him?

[Lyndon Blake - Daily Wire Reporter]

So independent journalist Ashley Banfield, she says she has a source there working the case in law enforcement that told her that Tommaso Cione, the son in law of Nancy Guthrie, may be a prime suspect in the case. After this report was made, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nano said they have no suspect or person of interest in the case during the press conference Thursday that was brought up several times by reporters asking about the brother in law and if he's been questioned. Sheriff Nano said that no one is ruled out. They are questioning everybody because they have no suspect in custody at this time or person of interest they're looking at at this time.

[Government Official / Politician]

I know there's been a lot out there about suspects. And I want to be very clear at this time, we have not identified a suspect or a person of interest in this case. We are working our best to do that.

[Lyndon Blake - Daily Wire Reporter]

Now, the reason Tommaso was brought up is because it was originally reported that he was the last person to see Nancy. He was the person that dropped her. She Ubered to the family member's house on Saturday. She was taken home by Tommaso on Saturday night. But Sheriff Nanos did say no one specifically took her home. He rolled back on that and said, we're just gonna say a family member was the last to see her. Also, the impounded car that's in evidence that we know is another reason why Tommaso was brought up. Chris Nanos, the sheriff did say that that is standard procedure since they were the last person to see Nancy.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Now, the other major thing that came out was the ransom note. Can you tell us who received the ransom note and what did it say?

[Lyndon Blake - Daily Wire Reporter]

All right. There are two local stations in Arizona, plus TMC that received the same ransom note. Kold, KGUN and tmz. The ransom note demanded millions of dollars. That has been previously reported. The ransom note mentioned her Apple watch and mentioned a floodlight at her house. Another thing that the ransom note had, and this has been reported by kgun, one of the outlets that had the ransom note, were deadlines for the payment. The first deadline, Thursday, 5pm it said a payment wasn't received by this coming Monday. There was words in there that had the language that it threatening towards Nancy's life. So those are things that are looming, and you have to wonder if those deadlines is what pressured the Guthrie family to feel like they needed to make a response Wednesday night. Thursday, during the press conference, the FBI, who was handling the ransom note, part of the investigation, did say they can advise a family all day long about things they should do, shouldn't do. At the end of the day, it's the family's decision if they want to speak out and address the ransom note.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Now, you mentioned the statement the family made. We're going to play a little clip of that.

[Mary Margaret Olihan - Daily Wire White House Correspondent]

We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Now, it's also been reported that there's been an arrest, but it's not necessarily in connection with the abduction. It's been in connection with another ransom note. What happened there?

[Lyndon Blake - Daily Wire Reporter]

Yeah, unfortunately, authorities are aware that people out there are trying to take advantage of this case and trying to get money out of it. And they did arrest someone who they believes ransom note had nothing to do with Nancy Guthrie. No connection to Nancy Guthrie. It was someone that was wanting money and trying to, as the, as the authorities are saying, take advantage of this horrible situation. So that's the only arrest that's been made, I guess you could say, in relation to the case, but had nothing to do with the ransom notes that the Guthrie family addressed Wednesday night.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Well, a very fluid situation. And for people who want to follow the latest on this, Lyndon, can you tell them where they can find your reporting?

[Lyndon Blake - Daily Wire Reporter]

Yeah. We have a podcast called Finding Nancy Guthrie where we are going through this entire investigation. We're deep diving into the latest evidence. We're going to continue to follow this until this case is solved.

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All right.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Well, Lyndon, thank you so much for reporting.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

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[Mary Margaret Olihan - Daily Wire White House Correspondent]

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[Lyndon Blake - Daily Wire Reporter]

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[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots face off this Sunday In Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, California. In addition to the excite for the game, there is a good bit of controversy surrounding the halftime show.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

Here to tell us everything we need to know heading into the weekend is David Cohn, host of Crane and Cone. Great to have you back in the studio. So let's start with the matchup itself. How did these two teams get here? What do we need to know in terms of expectations on the field?

[David Cohn - Sports Analyst / Host of Crane and Cone]

Well, thank you for having me in. We're in for an incredible football game this weekend and this is a rematch of the 2015 Super bowl when New England defeated Seattle with that last minute interception by Malcolm Butler.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

That's right.

[David Cohn - Sports Analyst / Host of Crane and Cone]

The the Patriots are competing in their first super bowl since the tandem of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won the title in 2019. They are representing the AFC where they compiled a record of 14 and three under first year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Now remember he spent six seasons as the Tennessee Titans head coach. He also won three Super Bowls as a player for New England. The Seahawks, representing the NFC, also finished with a record of 14 and three this season under second year head coach Mike McDonald. A win this weekend would be the franchise's first Super bowl victory since 2014 when they won the title with Russell Wilson and underhead coach Pete Carroll.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

So both of these coaches, Vrabel and McDonald, their first super bowl appearances as head coaches. What about the quarterbacks? They're also new to the super bowl game, correct?

[David Cohn - Sports Analyst / Host of Crane and Cone]

Correct. Which is a little bit different than last year when Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts had already combined with five super bowl starts. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, he was the third overall quarterback taken. That was in 2018 and he's had incredible seasons back to back years. Last year with the Vikings, this year with Seattle throwing for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. Patriots quarterback Drake May was also taken third overall just last year. So the young kid is making a Super bowl appearance in just his second year as a professional quarterback and statistically he had even a better season thrown for over 4, 300 yards and 31 touchdowns. It's also worth noting both of these defenses are elite, ranking in the top of the NFL in almost every category.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

Now I also wanted to talk to you about the controversy over the halftime performance. A lot of buzz about that really building up and there was discussions early on about counter programming and TPUSA stepped in to provide exactly that. What is the latest on the TPUSA halftime show?

[David Cohn - Sports Analyst / Host of Crane and Cone]

So let's go back to the beginning here. The NFL announced in September that Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny would perform the super bowl halftime show. This was met with a lot of pushback, particularly from the Trump administration due to the rappers public criticism over his administration's immigration policies, among other things. In fact, the rapper even slammed ICE again at the Grammys just this week, starting off his speech by saying ice out. Now. Department of Homeland Security adviser Corey Lewandowski said on a podcast, and I'm quoting here, it's so shameful that they've decided to pick someone who just seems to hate America so much at the halftime performance, a game of this magnitude. There's also been a petition to have him removed, citing his his drag performances that he' had in the past. ESPN reported this week that some NFL owners were concerned with Bad Bunny particularly he sings primarily in Spanish. Ultimately, the owners okayed this decision due to the league's main objective, which is to grow the game internationally. And that's really what this halftime performance is about, is international growth. Even Roger Goodell himself has defended the decision to give Bad Bunny this platform.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

Right. The league's increasingly been focused on growing that international market, for sure. And then we have again, this counter programmin tpusa. What is the plan for this weekend?

[David Cohn - Sports Analyst / Host of Crane and Cone]

Correct. So TPUSA is going to host a counter halftime show, and that is titled the All American Halftime show for viewers, and I'm quoting here from them, seeking uplifting and patriotic entertainment. Now, Kid Rock will headline and he will be accompanied by country singers Lee Bryce, Brantley Gilbert and Gabby Barrett. The goal there is, as you would expect, give performers an opportunity to sing patriotic songs and to stand up for traditional American values. Basically the opposite of what many viewers are going to get from the Bad Bunny performance.

[Daily Wire Host / Anchor]

Right. And I should note that the Daily Wire will be streaming TPUSA's live show on our platform on DailyWire.com and the app for viewers. Dave, thanks so much for joining us.

[David Cohn - Sports Analyst / Host of Crane and Cone]

Excellent. Thank you for having me.

[Daily Wire Reporter / News Anchor]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're listening to the show now, you can watch for free on Daily Wire. Plus, we'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.