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Drawdown in MN, Dems' SCOTUS Win & First Olympic Competitions - Thursday, February 5, 2026
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Today is Thursday, February 5th. We'll tell you why the federal government is pulling hundreds of agents out of Minnesota and what local leaders want to see next. Also, the US Supreme Court just weighed in on a case that could reshape the midterms. We'll explain. And TODAY show anchor Savannah Guthrie is pleading with whoever may be holding her missing mother. Plus, possible new controversial plans for a White House statue, which celebrities have already been spotted in super bowl commercials. And the Winter Olympics action has already begun even before the opening ceremony. Those stories and even more news to know next. Welcome to the Newsworthy all the Days News in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica. Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this. The number of federal immigration officers in Minnesota is shrinking. White House border czar Tom Homan announced 700 of the 3,000 agents in the state will be leaving. He cited significant progress in cooperation. Specifically, state and local officials have agreed to turn over arrested undocumented immigrants. Already, the White House says 4,000 undocumented immigrants have been detained since the start of the crackdown in the state, but it hasn't put out a list. And news outlets say they have not been able to confirm. Either way, the Trump administration still wants to see more progress. And Homan says a widespread withdrawal will only happen if protesters stop interfering with federal agents. Work. Several Democratic leaders like Governor Tim Walz, have welcomed the news of fewer agents, but say as long as the immigration crackdown continues, public safety is compromised. Walz is calling for a speedier drawdown. State led investigations into the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Preddy and more. Meanwhile, Minnesota educators are now suing the Trump administration to keep immigration agents off school property. Two school districts and a teachers union say since the crackdown has spilled onto campuses, it's caused fear, safety concerns and lower attendance. But the Trump administration defends ice, saying its agents are not going to schools to arrest children, but to protect them and that, quote, criminals are no longer able to hide in America's schools to avoid arrest. So expect the White House to push back. Speaking of court, government lawyers in Minnesota say they're overwhelmed. That was especially evident earlier this week when a federal prosecutor told a judge her job sucks. Local news outlets say she explained it was like pulling teeth to get the U.S. justice and Homeland Security departments to follow court orders. For example, they have not released several immigrant detainees despite orders that they be let out. She also told the judge, quote, I wish you could hold me in contempt so I could get 24 hours of sleep. So far, no comment from the DOJ or DHS. But news outlets say she's been fired. In an emotional video, today show anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings directly addressed whoever may be holding their missing mother. Remember, authorities believe 84 year old Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home against her will. NBC News cites officials who say they found signs of forced entry and possible blood outside Guthrie's home. It also appears her pacemaker was disconnected from its monitoring app. But at this point, authorities have not identified a suspect or person of interest. Now, Savannah and her family say they've heard reports of ransom letters being sent to local news stations, but they say they need proof Nancy is alive before they can negotiate. Meanwhile, reports say the FBI is sending more agents and experts to Arizona to help with this case. Savannah is also still in Arizona with family. In her Instagram video, she thanked the public for prayers, saying, quote, we feel them and we continue to believe that she feels them, too. A man who tried to assassinate President Trump has now been sentenced to life in prison. The assassination attempt happened when Trump was still running for President back in 2024, just months after a different assassination attempt when he was shot in the ear. In this case, the would be assassin hid outside one of the president's Florida golf courses as Trump was playing nearby. But a Secret Service agent found him and his rifle. A jury convicted the man last year after an unusual trial where he represented himself. After the verdict was read, he tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen. Now he says he's open to receiving mental health treatment in prison. The last remaining treaty between the US And Russia limiting nuclear capabilities has now expired. This marks the end of more than half a century of arms control between the two countries with the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. Specifically, the new START Treaty, as it's called, limited the number of strategic nuclear weapons and required on site inspections and notifications. But ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia stopped providing notifications and suspended inspections. Still, the State Department says it's not believed Russia has gone beyond the weapons limits. And Russia says it proposed keeping those limits another year, but that the Trump administration never responded. Critics of the new START Treaty have said it's been flawed because it doesn't account for China's nuclear buildup and it doesn't limit non strategic nuclear weapons. Still, its defenders said it was better than nothing and that letting it expire risks ushering in a new arms race that will also be fueled by China. President Trump has said it doesn't matter either way since the US And Russia already have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world many times over. The White House says Trump will decide a way forward on his own timeline. Separately, Russia and Ukraine resumed peace talks this week that include the U.S. the goal is still a possible end to Russia's full scale invasion and the White House has said talks have been productive. But there are still disagreements getting in the way of peace. And Russia is still launching attacks, mostly against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, causing regular blackouts from millions of Ukrainians in below freezing temperatures. This conflict will mark four years later. This month, California got the go ahead to use new voting maps that favor Democrats. The U.S. supreme Court rejected an emergency request from the California Republican Party. The state's GOP had asked the justices to override a federal court and block the map before November's midterms, but the high court said no. Similarly, the justices had already allowed Texas to use its Republican friendly map this year. Both maps are expected to flip up to five seats for Dems in California and for Republicans in Texas. Several other states, both red and blue, have also redrawn their maps in recent months for partisan purposes. We have more news for you still ahead, but first let's take a quick break to talk about our sponsor. Quince is all about elevated essentials that feel effortless. Designed for layering and mixing, each piece helps build a timeless wardrobe made to last. I'm talking 100% organic cotton sweaters, premium denim made with stretch for all day comfort luxe cotton cashmere blends perfect for the changing seasons. Everything you need for a wardrobe that actually lasts. My newest cashmere sweater from Quince is absolutely one of my favorite tops to wear this winter so far. I love the sea green color I got the feel of it is incredibly soft and comfortable and the quality is exactly what I'm looking for. And yet I don't have to pay for any type of brand markup. I so appreciate that Quince works directly with safe, ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen to keep prices down. With versatile silhouettes and thoughtful details, Quince offers the kind of styles you'll wear again and again. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to quince.comnewsworthy for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.comnewsworthy to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comnewsworthy now back to the news. President Trump is planning yet another addition to the White House grounds. This time, reports say he's eyeing a statue of famed explorer Christopher Columbus. The president of the Italian American organizations United says his group owns the statue, and yesterday the group agreed to loan it to the federal government. Of course, the traditional view of Columbus is as a leader of the 1492 mission that paved the way for European exploration of the Americas. But Columbus legacy has shifted as historians and educators point to the violence, enslavement, and exploitation Native Americans and enslaved Africans faced during European colonization. Well, yesterday a Trump spokesman said, quote, in this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero and he will continue to be honored as such. That's a reference to a similar quote from the HBO series the Sopranos. Despite the weeks of review and thousands of pages of redactions, a lot of sensitive information was left in the Epstein files that the US Justice Department published. We're talking about nude photos, the names and faces of sexual abuse victims, including some who have never identified themselves publicly, bank account and Social Security numbers, and more. Several news organizations have found these things within the mountains of documents, as well as some overzealous redactions like the name of a dog. So this week, some accusers and their lawyers called for the DOJ to take down the site completely and appoint an independent monitor to prevent more mistakes. A judge scheduled a hearing on it, but then it was canceled when one of the lawyers cited progress in resolving the issues. Well, as of last night, many of the same oversights, including explicit photos, were still up. And now the lawyer says she's considering further legal action. But the Trump administration defends its efforts, pointing out how hundreds of lawyers had to be pulled from their regular duties, including overseeing criminal cases, to try and complete the document review. And it's been working to correct any errors as it sees them. Meanwhile, the fallout from the latest Epstein file release continues for many of the high profile men who were mentioned. Several have made public apologies for their associations with Epstein, like Microsoft co founder Bill Gates, who said he regrets ever knowing the convicted sex offender. But Gaetz also said the allegations in the files were totally false. For example, there was an email Epstein wrote to himself in which he said Gaetz hid a sexually transmitted disease from his then wife and tried to give her antibiotics without her knowing in case she also became infected. Gaetz says that never happened. Still, some lawmakers want him to testify on Capitol Hill. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who were also named in the files, have already agreed to testify later this month. The Washington Post is now cutting a third of its staff, including more than 300 of the roughly 800 journalists in the newsroom. The news outlet completely eliminated its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage. It's seen as a major blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands. And it's a far cry from a half a century ago, when the Post's coverage of Watergate, led by reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, entered the history books. The Post's executive editor called the move painful but necessary to put the outlet on stronger footing. But a former editor called what's happened, quote, a case study in near instant self inflicted brand destruction. Also yesterday, the Atlanta Journal Constitution announced it was cutting 50 positions, roughly 15% of its stake. And in the last year, there have also been mass layoffs at the Chicago Sun Times, cbs, NBC and ABC News, CNN and more. Super Bowl Sunday is just days away, and this year a 30 second ad during the big game is reportedly costing as much as a record $10 million. That's before you even factor in production costs, celebrity talent and days of pre game hype. And there's no shortage of celebrities. George Clooney, for example, is promising that grubhub will eat the fees. Kendall Jenner is joking about her dating history and her super bowl bet for fanatics. Sportsbook Ben Affleck is back for Duncan. A teaser spot shows him with sitcom legends from the 90s. And Sabrina Carpenter is building her dream man out of Pringles. Telehealth companies and weight loss drug makers are also making a play this year, leading some marketers to dub the big game the GLP1 Super Bowl. And of course, expect to hear about AI from tech companies. NBC sold out of ad space months ago. The Winter Olympics opening ceremony is now just hours away, but the competition has already started. The first competitive events happened yesterday in curling, and already things have hit a snag. Officials had to pause matches at the historic stadium because lights dimmed and flickered and the main lights and heat went out at a nearby media center. But the interruption only lasted three minutes before the play got going again today. There are other activities like women's ice hockey, preliminaries and training in sports like alpine skiing, luge, ski jumping and snowboarding. Then the first medal competitions kick off Saturday after tomorrow's opening ceremony. The games will continue until the closing ceremony on February 22nd. That's it for the main news today. So now it's time for Thing to Know Thursday. But first, this episode is brought to you by Wild Grain. I'm so excited to get to talk about Wild Grain again. If you don't remember, Wild Grain is the first bake from frozen subscription box for sourdough breads, artisanal pastries and fresh pastas. And here's the key part. 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That's $30 off your first box and free Croissants for Life when YOU visit wildgrain.comnewworthy or use our promo code Newsworthy at checkout. Now back to Thing to Know Thursday we are now marking the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. One hundred years ago, historian and educator Dr. Carter G. Woodson started it all with a goal of integrating Black history into the education system, public libraries, local churches and communities at large. He wanted a time for all people, not just Black people, to celebrate Black history, heritage and contributions. Now, every year, the US And Canada spend the month of February not only honoring the achievements of Black people, but also reflecting on the struggle for racial justice. This year, civil rights organizations, artists and academics have planned hundreds of lectures, teach ins and new books to mark the centennial. And people are encouraged to do things like support Black owned creators and businesses, donate to a Black organization or visit a Black history or civil rights museum. There are dozens of virtual events happening as well. We'll add some links in today's episode Notes. Thank you so much for listening today and for telling other people about the newsworthy. We'll catch you up on more news to Know tomorrow. Until then, have a great day.