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Super Bowl Champs, Racist Video Backlash & Olympic Gold - Monday, February 9, 2026
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Today is Monday, February 9th. We'll recap all the most talked about moments from last night's super bowl, from the game to the halftime show. Also, what's known so far about a specific demand as the search for Savannah Guthrie's mother enters the second week and another tense weekend for some protesters in Minnesota. Plus, we're talking about the Winter Olympics so far, from America's first gold to a devastating injury to political pushback. Those stories and even more news to know coming up. Welcome to the Newsworthy all the days news in let than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this. For the second time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are Super bowl champions. They beat the New England Patriots 2913 in Super Bowl 60 last night. Seahawks player Kenneth Walker was the super bowl mvp, making him the first running back to get the honor since terrell Davis in 1998. It was also a big game for a couple of players who have been underestimated in their careers. For example, former Super Bowl MVP Cooper cup, who was released from the Los Angeles Rams last offseason. Also, quarterback Sam Darnold, who was considered by many to have been a draft bust. He didn't make the playoffs for the first six seasons of his career, then got through this year's playoffs without a single interception. And finally, there's head coach Mike McDonald, who has only been at the helm for two seasons now. He credited his team with the win, saying, quote, we believe in each other, we love each other, and now we're world champions. For a lot of people, the main event of the super bowl comes at halftime, and this year, Bad Bunny brought a lot of Latin love and celebrity cameos to the main stage. The Puerto Rican rapper and singer performed on a set inspired by his hometown community. His performance told a love story, including a couple that got legally married during the performance. In true Bad Bunny fashion, there was also a huge dance party featuring celebrities like Jessica Alba, Cardi B and Pedro Pascal. And there was a moment when Bad Bunny appeared to give a young child his Album of the Year Grammy. Both Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin also performed as part of the show, and flags from countries in North, Central and South America were brought out while he said God bless America and the screens inside the stadium said, quote, the only thing more powerful than hate is love. Well, President Trump wasn't a fan. He called the halftime show one of the worst ever and an affront to the greatness of America. Trump explained by criticizing Bad Bunny's Spanish songs, saying, quote, Nobody understands a word this guy is saying and the dancing is disgusting. Bad Bunny's performance was predicted to be one of the most watched halftime shows in history. Well, it was another tense weekend in Minneapolis with authorities once again coming head to head with protesters. Most weekend protests were peaceful, but one outside the Whipple Federal building escalated. About 1,000 people gathered there and the local sheriff's Office says about 100 of them became out of control. Some started throwing ice and other objects at law enforcement. Others refused to leave when they were asked. And in the end, several dozen were arrested. Earlier, some counter demonstrators also appeared, firing paintballs and pepper balls toward the crowd. That was actually just one of several events that happened Saturday, marking one month since Renee Goode was killed by a federal immigration agent in what some people call murder and others self defense. Hundreds of people also gathered for a memorial at a nearby park and Good's wife released a statement saying, quote, renee was not the first person killed and she was not the last. As we've told you, the death of Alex Preddy just weeks later also stoked outrage nationwide. And over the weekend, nearly 1,000 of Preddy's colleagues at the Minneapolis VA Hospital honored his life at another memorial. It has now been more than a week since TODAY show anchor Savannah Guthrie's mother disappeared. And now the Guthrie family is facing a deadline. A ransom note sent by someone who claims to have 84 year old Nancy Guthrie demand $6 million by 5pm today. The note includes a threat to Nancy's life if the deadline is not met. The Guthrie family has been trying to communicate to Nancy's potential captors via social media. In another video posted over the weekend, Savannah said, we will pay. But it's not clear if there has been any proof the person who wrote the note actually has Nancy and if she's okay all weekend. Investigators have also continued to examine her home as well as Savannah's sister's home. So far, no suspects or persons of interest have been identified, but President Trump says the FBI may be nearing definitive answers in this case. To be continued. The Northeast has broken more low temperature records as this unusually cold winter continues. And strong winds have made cold temperatures feel even colder. So warnings are still in effect across much of the region, including New York City, where wind chills could bottom out at minus 30 degrees. For comparison, the average high for New York City in February is around 40 degrees. But warmer air is expected starting this afternoon across the northern Great Lakes. Forecasts show it moving east over the next couple of days. We have more news for you still ahead. But first, a quick break because this episode is brought to you by Blueland. When I think about how I can make healthier choices in 2026, I think both about what's best for my own family as well as what's best for the planet. And I love Blueland products for both reasons. It helps me live a cleaner lifestyle inside our home and helps reduce single use plastics. So I've made the switch to Blueland across all the cleaning products in my home, especially at the start of the year when I'm rethinking routines and just trying to build more sustainable habits at home. Certified by Cradle to Cradle Blueland products meet the highest standard of clean they're effective, yet gentle on people and the planet. From cleaning sprays and toilet bowl cleaner to dishwasher and laundry detergent tablets, Blueland's 100% microplastic free EPA safe for choice certified formulas are safe to use around my child, my pet, and even our plants. I love not having to choose between the safe option and what actually gets my house clean. And in case you are wondering, but Erica, does Blueland really work well? Let me give you just one example. The dishwasher tablets are so easy to use and yet they work just as well. And actually I think better than the stuff with harsher chemicals and big heavy plastic bottles. Blueland has a special offer for listeners right now. Get 15% off your first order by going to blueland.comnewsworthy. you won't want to miss this blueland.comnewsworthy for 15% off. That's blueland.comnewsworthy to get 15% off. Now back to the news. It was a big first weekend for Team USA at the Winter Olympic Games in Italy. Reezy Johnson won the first gold medal for the US in women's downhill skiing. The Americans also won the team figure skating event, in large part thanks to Ilya Malinin. The the US And Japan were tied before he took the ice, but Malinin secured the win with an epic performance. Before that, American Amber Glenn became the first out LGBTQ woman to skate at an Olympic Games. But unfortunately, a lot of the focus has been on Lindsey Vonn, who had a devastating crash just seconds into what was supposed to be her Olympic comeback. She had to be airlifted off the slopes and taken to the hospital about 80 miles away. She had surgery to stabilize a broken leg, and now she's expected to be okay. Outside of competition, many American athletes are speaking out about the political situation at home. For example, freestyle skier Chris Lillis referenced the immigration crackdown and said, as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody's rights. Another skier, Hunter Hess, said, quote, just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the US While President Trump was not happy about that, he called Hess a real loser, saying, it's hard to root for someone like him. And. And the backlash goes well beyond Trump. Now the US And Paralympic Committee says it's been seeing abusive and harmful messages directed toward athletes, and it's reporting credible threats to law enforcement. President Trump faced some rare, widespread, bipartisan blowback over the weekend over a video he shared on social media. It's because part of the video depicted former President Obama and former first Lady Michelle Obama as apes. Of course, depicting black people as apes or animals has historically been used to dehumanize them and to justify slavery. At first, the White House press secretary defended the imagery, calling it an Internet meme and criticizing what she called fake outrage. But both Democrats and Republicans pushed back, calling it racist and offensive. For example, the only black Republican, Senator Tim Scott, called the video the, quote, most racist thing I've seen out of this White House. After that, President Trump says he didn't see the racist part of the video when he passed it on for a staffer to post, only the beginning, which referenced voter fraud. The president also said he would not apologize because he, quote, didn't make a mistake. And Trump called himself the least racist president the country has had in a long time. The post was up for about 12 hours before it was eventually deleted. There's reportedly a new effort underway to rename Virginia's Dulles Airport and New York's Penn Station as after President Trump. News outlets like Punchbowl News, the New York Times, and New York Post cite sources who say the White House suggested the idea to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, saying if Schumer could make it happen, Trump would unfreeze $16 billion in funds for a new commuter rail tunnel meant to connect New York and New Jersey, while Schumer apparently told the president he didn't have the power to deliver on that request. Then on Friday, a federal judge ended up unfreezing the tunnel funds anyway. But House Republicans have already introduced legislation to rename Dulles Airport after Trump. And New York Governor Kathy Hochul has said in the past she would be okay with calling Penn Station Trump station if the U.S. transportation Department finishes the multi billion dollar renovation. Of course, this isn't the first we've heard of President Trump and his allies renaming major American institutions. President Trump's allies have already tried to rename the Kennedy center to the Trump Kennedy center. And the US Institute of Peace was renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. Stay tuned. A leading US Health official urged people to get vaccinated against measles. It comes at a time when outbreaks are still growing across several states and 95% of those who have gotten the measles have been unvaccinated. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz made his plea on CNN yesterday saying, quote, take the vaccine, please. We have a solution for our problem. When asked if people should fear the measles, Oz said for sure. His boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has a long history of questioning both the safety and necessity of vaccines. And in the past, he made some controversial statements about the measles, mumps and rubella shot. But more recently, RFK Jr. Said he does believe people should get it, just that the government should not mandate it. The US Is now at risk of losing its measles elimination status. Either way, the CDC says it won't impact how the administration tackles the virus. Between cold weather on the east coast and major sports to watch at home, there were plenty of reasons not to go to the movie theaters over the weekend. So the box office saw an expected drop. Still, there were some moviegoers and the comedic horror comedy Send Help came in at number one, followed by the romantic comedy Solo Mio at number three was one of the most unusual releases. We're talking about the low budget indie Iron lung from a YouTube filmmaker. He Self financed and self distributed it after writing, directing and starring in it. The Melania movie about first lady Melania Trump dropped down to 10th in its second weekend. That's it for the main news. So now it's time for Money Monday when we talk about one interesting money related news story. But first, a quick break for our sponsor. You know what I actually look forward to every day? Getting my mail. Yeah, there's just something about the physical personal touch. And I even wave to my mailman when I see him. But let's be honest, do I want junk mail? No thanks. That's why I'm a fan of Gunder. They create smart, targeted direct mail that people actually want. It's not junk, it's intentional, well crafted mail going to the right audience for the products and services they need. And you know what? There's a level of trust with physical mail. In a world full of AI generated content and sketchy digital ads, this is something real. Hand delivered by a human. And here's the key part. Direct mail response rates are way higher than digital, often more than 30 times the response rate of email and other digital ads. So if you're a business owner, CMO or marketing manager and want to reach better customers and cut through the noise of digital clutter, check out Gunder. And don't miss their free 2026 direct mail lookbook packed with over 500 real creative examples that drive response. Just visit trustdirectmail.com and get yours free hand delivered. Of course. That's trustdirectmail.com now back to Money Monday Family minivans are having a moment. So much so that carmakers are having trouble keeping up with the demand. Data from Edmunds shows last year Minivan sales rose 21% in the US even though overall auto industry sales were only up by 2%. A lot of it has to do with older millennials and younger Gen X families growing and needing space for kids gear and Home Depot runs. But also there's the price factor since minivans can be $10,000 cheaper than market dominant SUVs. And then there are plenty of families who seem to be enticed by the extras like off road tires and rooftop tents. Even comedian Pete Davidson has been talking about his love for minivans that started before he was a father. So when he was expecting a new baby, he teamed up with ebay to create the ultimate dad van, complete with an entertainment center, mini fridge and bottle warmer. Davidson and ebay then auctioned off a nearly identical version with the proceeds going to the nonprofit Answer the Call that helps families of fallen New York City first responders. Thank you so much for joining us today and for supporting the newsworthy, making it part of your daily routine and telling others about it. And a special thank you to all of our insiders for helping make sure we continue the work we do here with your financial support. So thanks to a couple of our newest insiders like Brandon from Colorado, Michelle from Mississippi, and many more. If you'd like to become a newsworthy insider, we would be so grateful. And you will get ad free episodes. Just go to thenewsworthy.cominsider to sign up and start your free trial. That's thenewsworthy.cominsiders. all right, we'll be back with even more news to know tomorrow. For now, have a great day.