June 25, 2026 - Powerful Quakes Rattle Venezuela

It is 2026. We carry supercomputers in our pockets. Doorbell cameras watch our porches. Our phones log every place we have been. And yet a beloved 84-year-old woman can vanish from her own home, and nearly five months later, there is still no suspect, no arrest, no body.

Yesterday's poll question asked: "Will the Nancy Guthrie case ever be solved?" It was a close vote, with those saying "yes" barely edging out the "no" votes. The situation makes no sense. Think about it.

That is the case of Nancy Guthrie - mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie. She was last seen the night of January 31. By the next morning she was gone from her Tucson home. There was blood on the front steps, confirmed to be hers. A doorbell camera caught a masked, armed figure tampering with the device. The public called him "Porch Guy." He has never been identified.

We knew about the notes. What we learned this week is how much was deliberately kept from us.

Within a week of her disappearance, two messages arrived - sent, investigators now believe, by the same person from the same IP address. The first demanded $4 million in bitcoin and was addressed to Savannah. It carried details only someone who had been inside could know: an Apple Watch with a white band on the bedroom floor, a broken back porch light. The second made no demand. It said Nancy had died, that her death was not intended, that she is "buried in nature now."

Now we are learning that CNN and a Tucson station held the contents of that second note for nearly five months - at the request of law enforcement and the family. Why? Because it was one of the few things only the real kidnapper would know. If a suspect ever surfaced, those withheld details could test whether he was telling the truth. The silence was a tool.

It has not worked yet. A Pima County sergeant described the early days, bluntly, as a mess - agencies not comparing notes, detectives not talking to one another. The FBI director and the local sheriff have spent months feuding over who fumbled the start. Savannah Guthrie has reportedly spent half a million dollars of her own on private investigators.

This week, on Today, she pleaded again through her grief. Somebody knows something, she said. We are in agony. We cannot be at peace.

We want to believe everything gets solved eventually. But some cases go dark. Hopefully there will be a break in the case.

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Powerful back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck Venezuela, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 700, collapsing buildings, disrupting infrastructure, and prompting a state of emergency as rescue crews searched for survivors while international aid began arriving.

Associated Press

Following a string of progressive victories in New York, the Democratic Socialists of America has launched a nationwide effort to identify and potentially back a democratic socialist candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, with members expected to decide through a formal grassroots selection process.

Politico

Investigators deliberately withheld details from notes purportedly sent by Nancy Guthrie’s kidnappers—including a claim that she had died—to preserve critical evidence, verify the notes’ authenticity, protect the investigation, and maintain public engagement as the search for the missing Arizona woman continues.

CNN

The Senate voted 50-47 to reject Sen. Tim Kaine's resolution restricting President Trump's authority to wage war against Iran, with only Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski crossing over after several Republicans who previously backed similar measures shifted their votes.

CBS News

The New York Times reports that Taylor Swift has rented Madison Square Garden for a multi-day celebration over the July 4 weekend, fueling speculation that wedding festivities with Travis Kelce will take place there as New York officials prepare for large crowds and heightened security.

The New York Times

The United States and England cannot meet in Philadelphia’s July 4 FIFA World Cup match because of the tournament bracket, leaving Germany as the only confirmed team with potential opponents including France, Norway or one of several advancing third-place finishers.

USA Today

Former President Barack Obama criticized President Trump’s continued focus on him, calling it “a strange thing” and suggesting it reflects misplaced priorities, while responding to questions about years of public criticism and personal attacks from the current president.

Mediaite

President Trump erupted at Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) during a closed-door Senate GOP meeting Wednesday after Cassidy accused him of misleading the public about the Iran war and defended his vote for a war powers resolution alongside Sens. Paul, Collins and Murkowski.

The Hill

Knicks captain Jalen Brunson said the team has not yet discussed whether it will visit the White House after winning the NBA championship, despite owner James Dolan accepting an invitation from President Trump and indicating the team plans to attend.

NJ.com

A new Gallup survey finds that 77% of Americans believe the nation’s founders would be disappointed with the country today, even as 69% say the United States has achieved at least a fair amount of success in advancing the ideals on which it was founded.

Gallup