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Investigators Return To Nancy Guthrie's Property; Report: Ransom Letter Demands $5 Million For Guthrie's Safe Return; Trump Lashes Out At Olympic Skier Over Remarks On Representing The U.S. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired February 08, 2026 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JOY BENEDICT, KCBS REPORTER: Almost two months at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

JANINA AKPORAVBARE, NURSING STUDENT IMPALED WITH POLE ON CALIFORNIA FREEWAY: They took out part of my colon, part of my liver, part of my kidney. They were all injured.

BENEDICT: Thankfully, she had health insurance to help with million dollars' worth of medical bills. Her car is totaled.

Studying to be a nurse, she lost a semester of school and work, not to mention her struggle to drive again.

AKPORAVBARE: I feel terrified. I don't really drive that much. I don't drive on that freeway.

BENEDICT: Which is why she is hoping, someone remembers the crash or the pole on the freeway so she and her attorney can help figure out who left it there.

AKPORAVBARE: I'd really like to find the people who did this and get some peace about it.

BENEDICT: But for now, she is thankful to be walking, to be living. And for those who rescued her and helped her heal as she herself is studying to someday do the same for others.

AKPORAVBARE: It makes me want to be a nurse even more because I want to help people like the nurses at Loma Linda who helped me.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Wow. She is amazing. And so is her story of survival.

And thank you to Joy Benedict from CNN affiliate, KCBS for bringing us that story from Los Angeles.

[15:01:06]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: All right, hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we are following new developments in the exhaustive search for Nancy Guthrie. New video shows investigators back on the 84-year-old's property today, and CNN affiliate KGUN is now reporting the purported kidnappers demanded $6 million and threatened Guthrie's life if tomorrow's 5:00 P.M. deadline is not met. The report says that demand came in a ransom note sent to the television station.

The 84-year-old's family posted a new emotional plea for their mother's return Saturday, with her daughter, "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie telling the captors they will pay -- they will pay the ransom.

No suspects have been identified yet in the case, and the FBI is offering a $50,000.00 reward.

CNN senior national correspondent, Ed Lavandera is live for us in Tucson, Arizona.

Ed, tell us more about what you're learning.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we were really focused on that video that you mentioned that Savannah Guthrie and her brother and sister released yesterday evening, and this comes as investigators continue to do their work around here.

But there is a situation where there are multiple things happening at the same time. But first, let's focus on this ransom demand. It is the third video we have seen from the Guthrie family. Clearly, having established a direct contact with whoever is sending the messages to the local television stations and to the celebrity website, TMZ.

This is what Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE (NBC News host): -- message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace.

This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: I am assuming you can probably hear me, but I can go on to tell you that the investigation also continues out here in the neighborhood where Nancy Guthrie lives.

Once again, this morning, we are seeing investigators back on the property. We've seen them going around the backyard once again. That has happened multiple times this week.

It also comes after last night, we saw investigators at the home of the daughter of Nancy Guthrie, spending about three hours in there. We saw Sheriff's Department investigators coming out with latex gloves on. They were also carrying a bag that they put inside the home.

Investigators and officials here are not saying exactly why they went back or what was taken, but clearly, a great deal of law enforcement activity, and Sheriff's Department officials do say that that work continues not just in these neighborhoods, but across the city as well -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Lavandera in Arizona, thank you so much.

All right, I want to discuss this more with Calvin Chrustie. He is a senior partner and critical risk consultant at the security firm, Critical Risk Team.

Calvin, great to see you, sadly, under these kind of circumstances. This is so heartbreaking no matter which way you look at it.

Hostage negotiations are very delicate. But in this case, including high profile people, an insatiable public appetite for information now. I mean, these add to the pressures and the stressors.

I mean, how are you assessing what is going on right now?

CALVIN CHRUSTIE, SENIOR PARTNER AND CRITICAL RISK CONSULTANT, CRITICAL RISK TEAM: Well, obviously, an extremely difficult situation for the family and the community at large in that particular area, and an extremely difficult case for the police, inclusive of, likely an influx of a lot of tips and information coming in due to the social media coverage of it. So very complex, complicated case for all parties involved.

[15:05:07]

WHITFIELD: How do you see these kidnappers or kidnapper kind of taking advantage of this or at this juncture, perhaps feeling like they have the advantage?

CHRUSTIE: Well, I think I will take one step back from that. I mean, at this point, I think, you know, what we have in terms of factual situation is we have a missing person and I think it is a high risk disappearance that's under intense scrutiny and the major challenges, with some ransom demands that are out there in the public. However, at this particular juncture, it hasn't been confirmed publicly, at least that there is a proof of life, which means we are not at that point. I think we can say safely that were in a kidnap situation. High-risk missing person, yes. Kidnap, I am not sure if we are there in terms of the ransom demands.

And just because the demand came in doesn't necessarily mean there is ongoing negotiations and/or proof of life.

WHITFIELD: So, what do you mean? Help me understand that even further?

CHRUSTIE: So, although, you know, like from a kidnapped perspective, for somebody to verify that it is actually a kidnap, there needs to be proof of life. Right now, we just have a disappeared person. We have some ransom demands, but they haven't been verified to be legitimate.

Like, one of them already has been verified to be a hoax, and I think it is just really important for us to put it into context right now that we have somebody that's disappeared. High-risk, suspicious circumstances, but I don't think, to my knowledge, at this point, the police haven't verified, proof of life or any ongoing negotiations with the kidnappers.

So I am not sure if we can make that leap to going, hey, we have a kidnapping situation yet.

WHITFIELD: So then, even without that verification, we, you know, just saw and listened to the latest plea coming from Savannah Guthrie and her brother and her sister, you know, saying, we will pay you, you know, using words, "we beg you" and talking about how the return of their mother gives them peace and "allowing us to celebrate her."

So, how do you see this as, you know, assisting in the return of their mom? Even though you say, you know, it is -- you don't see verification of it being a kidnapping, but certainly a disappearance.

So, how might this help? And what is seemingly a powerless and agonizing situation for this family?

CHRUSTIE: Well, I would say, you know, from my interpretation, based on my experience, is all avenues are being considered, all possible situations are open including that it may be a kidnapping, but not verified yet. Thus, the doors being opened and the families coming forward and saying, if you if you are out there, please contact us.

But my interpretation of that is, if true and obviously the police aren't going to disclose if they are impossible kidnap negotiation situations. But if they're looking at this right now, the door is being open to go reach out and let us know. But just because they're reaching out doesn't necessarily mean it is a verified kidnapping at this particular time.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, it is -- go ahead.

CHRUSTIE: Yes, and I would suggest they're hoping to attempt to verify that.

WHITFIELD: Yes, all right, what a terrible situation. Of course, all of our prayers are going out to the Guthrie family.

Calvin Chrustie, thank you so much.

CHRUSTIE: Thank you.

All right, and a very tough turn because we are talking about the Winter Olympics now. It is in full swing, and President Trump today is lashing out at a member of Team USA who is speaking out against his administration's policies.

I want to go straight to CNN's Julia Benbrook in West Palm Beach, Florida. She is traveling with the President, who is spending the weekend there at his home in Mar-a-Lago.

So, Julia, what is Trump saying? What's the athlete saying?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as the Winter Olympics are taking place in Italy, President Donald Trump is calling one of the members of Team USA a "real loser," adding that he believes it will be difficult to cheer on this specific person.

Now, this comes after freestyle Olympic skier, Hunter Hess said that just because he is wearing the American flag doesn't mean that he personally represents everything that is going on in the United States right now. That comment sparked criticism online from various conservatives.

[15:10:02]

And today, Trump himself is weighing in.

In a post on Truth Social, he said, "U.S. Olympic skier, Hunter Hess, a real loser, says he doesn't represent his country in the current Winter Olympics. If that's the case, he shouldn't have tried out for the team and it is too bad he is on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. Make America great again."

Now, I want to play you part of the comments that Hess made. I think it provides some really important context. He made these comments during a press availability that took place late last week, and it did not just come unprompted. These athletes were fielding questions. Some of those on things happening in the United States right now and the political climate. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTER HESS, U.S. OLYMPIC SKIER: I think it brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It is a little hard. There is obviously a lot going on that I am not the biggest fan of and I think a lot of people aren't.

Just because I am wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: And he is not the only athlete to make remarks like this. In fact, during that same press conference, another skier said that while many athletes are a bit hesitant to speak about things that are going on in the United States and their political views, that he himself was heartbroken by some of the things happening right now.

This is all happening as Vice President J.D. Vance is there representing the United States delegation, and he did not receive the warmest of welcomes.

In fact, during the opening ceremonies at the Olympics, when his image went up on the big screen, there were boos there in that stadium, and that really illustrates how some are viewing the United States on the world stage right now.

One of the specific areas of tension is the immigration crackdown taking place here as anti-ICE protests spread across the country last month, they spilled into Italy as U.S. officials announced that ICE agents would be deployed to assist with American security operations there. WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Benbrook in West Palm Beach, Florida,

thanks so much.

All right, from the Olympics to now, the biggest NFL game of the year. It is set to take off or kick off rather in the next few hours in Santa Clara, California.

Today's matchup has the Seattle Seahawks taking on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Security preps for a game of this scale started months in advance, and as the countdown to kickoff nears, law enforcement officials tell CNN that there are currently no credible threats to the event. Thank goodness, right? They also say no ICE immigration operations are planned.

And coming into this game, some local residents and fans worried about rumors of ICE operations tied to the event.

For more on today's big game, let's bring in CNN's Andy Scholes.

Andy, the excitement is palpable. And, you know, we are hours away, but already a lot of pregame excitement. Take us there.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Oh, yes, I mean, Fredricka, nothing quite like Super Bowl Sunday, right, and we could not ask for a better day here in Santa Clara, California, 65 and sunny. It is going to be amazing weather for the Super Bowl.

And you know, all the buildup, all week long, it all comes down to today. Will it be the Patriots getting that record seventh Super Bowl title? Or will the Seahawks get their revenge for Super Bowl XLIX when Malcolm Butler crushed their dreams with that interception on the one yard line?

But you know for the Patriots, no one thought they were going to be in Super Bowl LX. They had 80 to one odds to win it all before the season started, but in his first season, Mike Vrabel has coached the team all the way to the Super Bowl. And yesterday, I spoke with Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, and he told me, he is just super proud that this team made it back to the Super Bowl so quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT KRAFT, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS OWNER: We dreamt about making the playoffs, and if you're fortunate to make the playoffs, anything can happen.

So, now we are fingers crossed, our fans had to endure a few rough years, so we want to make it up to them tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, so that was on the Fanatics Red Carpet where all kinds of celebrities and athletes always come through. And I spoke to a lot of them, see who they were picking in today's game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MICHAEL RUBIN, CEO, FANATICS: It is not even a question. New England

Patriots, they are going to surprise everybody. They are taking the Seahawks down.

KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER: I just think they are going to beat each other's brains and to see who wins, and I can't wait.

JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR, COMEDIAN, SINGER AND PRODUCER: Defense wins championships, man! Whose got the best defense?

SCHOLES: Seahawks!

FOXX: There you go.

GAYLE KING, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: Stop talking!

SCHOLES: Okay.

KING: Patriots.

GARY VAYNERCHUK, ENTREPRENEUR: I've got 44-nothing, Seahawks.

SCHOLES: Wow!

VAYNERCHUK: Yep.

SCHOLES: You seem sticking --

VAYNERCHUK: I think the Patriots have gotten fundamentally lucky to be here and they are going to get blown out on Sunday.

LIVVY DUNNE, INFLUENCER AND FORMER GYMNAST: I am only loyal to LSU Football, but I am rooting for the Patriots.

JOE BURROW, CINCINNATI BENGALS QUARTERBACK: Anything can happen on any given day. When it is one game, you never know how it is going to play out.

Turnovers are typically going to decide the outcome.

[15:15:10]

PETER SCHRANGER, ESPN SPORTS COMMENTATOR: Sam Darnold has been as steady as anybody the last two months. I am with my buddy, Danny, who is a Patriots ex-legend here, Danny Amendola.

DANNY AMENDOLA, FORMER FOOTBALL WIDE RECEIVER: Let's go!

SCHRANGER: And I am taking the Seahawks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right, we will see.

Now, the Patriots are going to be wearing white jerseys, white pants today. The Seahawks meanwhile are going to be wearing blue jerseys, blue pants. And Fredricka, if you are superstitious, this matters because the team wearing white jerseys has won 16 of the last 21 Super Bowls, and the Seahawks are oh and two while wearing the all blue.

So good news if you're a Patriots fan.

WHITFIELD: Wow!

SCHOLES: Not great if you're a Seahawks fan, but again, that only matters, I guess if you're superstitious.

WHITFIELD: Yes, well, and a lot of people are really superstitious on big events like this, that's for sure. All right, we will see what happens! It is all super exciting now for Super Bowl LX.

Andy Scholes, thanks so much.

All right, still to come, dozens of cold temperature records shattered in the Eastern U.S. We are tracking when this Arctic blast is going to end.

And later, one of the most unique sports in the Winter Olympics is curling. Our colleagues, Victor Blackwell and Coy Wire, get a gold medal lesson from meteorologist and curling aficionado, Allison Chinchar.

I bet you didn't know that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Once we got the rules, it was time to get into the game.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: As I push, you are going to sweep. You're trying to almost make a divot as you sweep.

Sweep! Sweep! Hard!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: And you thought we were going to talk about the Winter Olympics well, don't put away that parka or those mittens just yet, because yet another Arctic blast is freezing parts of the Northeast of this country with more than 50 million people under extreme cold alerts.

CNN meteorologist, Allison Chinchar explains while warmer air is coming, the reprieve will not last long.

CHINCHAR: Millions of people from North Carolina all the way up to Maine are under cold weather alerts, and a lot of these continue all the way through late Monday morning. But we are finally going to start to see a change.

All of the warmth, which has really been focused over the western half of the country, is finally going to start to spread eastwards -- areas of the Midwest, the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast are finally going to start to see their numbers for their high temperatures and low temperatures go up over the next couple of days.

But for some, it is going to be short lived as cold air is expected to come back at the latter end of this week. So, you can kind of see the jump here from temperatures. Atlanta going from 50s today, which is pretty close to normal up to the 70s by the time we get to Tuesday.

Washington, D.C. and New York City also going to see some of those numbers increasing, but it is not likely to get quite as much above normal as we are seeing in some other areas.

Take New York, for example. Yes, we are going from 19 today all the way to 42 by Wednesday, so a significant jump. But 42 really just puts us about where we should be this time of year.

Now Cincinnati, also going to see a little bit of a jump. This one actually does get above average on Tuesday, but it is short lived as those temperatures drop right back down towards the back half of the week.

And Raleigh is similar, again, you're going to get a couple of days here, Tuesday and Wednesday where those temperatures jump by at least 20 to 30 degrees compared to where they are today. But then they come right back down as we head into next weekend.

WHITFIELD: All right, thank you so much, Allison Chinchar.

All right, still to come, fans and friends express heartbreak and hopes for recovery for skier, Lindsey Vonn. A new update on her condition next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:27:50]

WHITFIELD: All right, today, heartbreak and sadness after Lindsey Vonn's comeback story came to a dramatic end during day two of the Winter Olympic Games.

Here with me now to fill us in on all this, CNN World Sports anchor and correspondent, Don Riddell.

I mean, this is one of the most highly anticipated moments of the Olympic Games. And then, ugh! I mean, you could hear her breathing and getting ready, you know, to come out of that gate. And then things went wrong.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT HOST: Thirteen seconds later, it was --

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh!

RIDDELL: I mean --

WHITFIELD: That was hard. RIDDELL: We've been talking about Lindsey Vonn all week because what

she has achieved in her career is incredible. She is so inspirational. She basically retired for six years. She came back last year, was brilliant at the age of 40-41, got on the top step of the podium a couple of times.

Going into the Olympics, looking for more medals, more glory, more history. She fell nine days ago, crashed down the mountain, had to be airlifted off. She completely ruptured her left ACL, and when we heard that news, we thought, well, that's the Olympic Dream over.

WHITFIELD: Right.

RIDDELL: But she said, no, I am going to ski.

So, she went down in these two training runs. She looked okay. I think there was -- there was some sort of optimism that she might actually make this kind of Hollywood comeback and medal again. But as we saw, 13 seconds, she clipped the gate, went down the mountain, had to be airlifted off again, taken to hospital 80 miles away, where we now know she fractured her left leg and has undergone an orthopedic operation to stabilize that left leg.

So, I mean, her Olympics are over, clearly. I doubt she will ski competitively again having gone through this at this age. But absolutely tragic, heartbreaking.

And, you know, I mean, I think she indicated before this run that it might not end well. She did post on Instagram that basically she said, "I can't guarantee a good result. I can guarantee I will give it everything I have." And I guess, she certainly did that.

WHITFIELD: She gives it. She gives everything she's got -- her heart. And we saw -- I mean, the polar opposite of that in Breezy. I mean, she gave it everything she had, too.

RIDDELL: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And she is now victorious in that, but I mean, that's tough because you know, that's her teammate, and she had to see that. But at the same time be in that spot of ultimately she would win gold.

[15:30:13]

RIDDELL: Yes, I mean mixed emotions for Breezy Johnson, as you say, an American athlete, a teammate of Lindsey Vonn. And of course, they all look up to Lindsey Vonn and everything that she has achieved.

So, this was Breezy Johnson's moment, but it is kind of tinged with sadness and slightly overshadowed by what's happened. But I mean, Johnson, in her own way, is a great story. She was injured here in Cortina four years ago and had to miss the last Olympics.

And here she is back at the Olympics, winning gold on this very course. WHITFIELD: Incredible. Of course, we all know that downhill skiing is

riveting for Winter Olympic Games, but there is another sport that people are really into and that would be curling.

And so Don, stick around. We are going to talk about that because some of our colleagues decided to give it a whirl.

Meteorologist, Allison Chinchar, I don't think anybody knew this. I never knew this, but she is like a curling expert, and so she gave our Victor Blackwell and Coy Wire some instructions when they went out on the ice.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHINCHAR: This may look like house cleaning on ice.

BLACKWELL: Lots of folks would not even think this is a sport.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: It is actually one of the most strategic sports in the Olympics.

(ALLISON CHINCHAR, VICTOR BLACKWELL, COY WIRE "Welcome to curling.")

CHINCHAR: Sweep! Keep sweeping!

BLACKWELL: We got to spend some time with the curlers at the Peachtree Curling Association in Marietta, Georgia. It is the only dedicated curling facility in the state, and our own Allison Chinchar showed us the ropes.

So what is curling?

CHINCHAR: So, it is kind of like shuffleboard on ice. Essentially, you have two teams of four different people, and the object is to get the stones all the way from one end, down to what looks like a bullseye, it is called the house.

Essentially, each team throws eight stones per end. The players will take turns sliding the stone down the ice toward the house, with the goal of getting it as close to the button as possible.

Now, the stones can also be used to knock other stones out of the way, or even block shots. Those are called guards. Once the stone is released and crosses the hogline, your teammates can begin sweeping.

Now it must cross the far hogline in order to actually stay in play. If not, its removed. You score one point for each stone closer to the button than the opponent's closest stone, but stones must be at least partly inside the house to count.

WIRE: That's a long way away. I didn't realize it was that far.

CHINCHAR: That's why you have sweepers. Because your sweepers can help assist the rock, making it all the way down just in case you don't quite give it that bump that is needed to make it all the way to the end.

BLACKWELL: Once we got the rules, it was time to get into the game.

CHINCHAR: As I push, you are going to sweep. You're trying to almost make a divot as you sweep.

Sweep! Sweep! Hard!

BLACKWELL: Sweeping melts the ice slightly.

WIRE: It makes the stone travel farther.

BLACKWELL: And sweeping isn't cleaning, it is science.

WIRE: The harder we sweep.

(COY WIRE, VICTOR BLACKWELL "The farther it goes.")

CHINCHAR: Get in your position, then put your foot on this.

WIRE: I can do it. Believe!

CHINCHAR: There you go.

BLACKWELL: Wait. I don't know what to do now.

CHINCHAR: One, two, three.

BLACKWELL: The best part, though, might be once the games are over.

CHINCHAR: And now that it is all over and you finally know what you're supposed to do, now is the best part. This is where we all hang out afterwards. It is called broom stacking. Have a drink, chat with some good friends, and enjoy the time.

But you're missing the very last step. That is what really separates you from a true fan. And that is the hats.

WIRE: Oh, Lord!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh! Well, we actually have that hat. You want to do the honors?

RIDDELL: So, somebody suggested I wear the hat.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RIDDELL: But I've been told these can be prone to some career ending wardrobe malfunctions.

WHITFIELD: Yes, no doubt! We've got the idea.

RIDDELL: I am not sure --

WHITFIELD: Okay, I learned a lot in that. We've got the sweeping poles here.

RIDDELL: It is such is such a cool sport!

WHITFIELD: Yes, our own version of the rock.

RIDDELL: Did you know the oldest rock they found is from 1511?

WHITFIELD: That is crazy. And this is from your home.

RIDDELL: They actually found it -- so I am Scottish.

WHITFIELD: That's right.

RIDDELL: The Scots are great at curling. Yes.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RIDDELL: And there is an island in Scotland where all the rocks come from, the stones that they push.

WHITFIELD: Incredible!

RIDDELL: And it is made from 60 million-year-old volcanic granite.

WHITFIELD: That's amazing. So, it has a particular porousness about it, which makes it the perfect dynamic for the ice.

RIDDELL: It kind of moisture resistant.

WHITFIELD: Unbelievable.

RIDDELL: Just like everything you got it. It is perfect.

WHITFIELD: We learned a lot. I like this, you know?

RIDDELL: It is such a fun sport and it is kind of --

WHITFIELD: It is fun to watch.

RIDDELL: I remember when it got big at the Olympics a few years ago --

WHITFIELD: In a weird way.

RIDDELL: People thought it was kind of ridiculous, but like, there is so much strategy to it.

WHITFIELD: You're right.

RIDDELL: There is so much history to it.

WHITFIELD: Right.

RIDDELL: And it was fun seeing those guys. They actually --

WHITFIELD: It was fun -- I think they did pretty well. I was really impressed. RIDDELL: Well, I don't know that --

[15:35:08]

WHITFIELD: I was really impressed until it meant pushing the ball. Then I am like, okay, well maybe --

RIDDELL: Let go -- let go, Victor. Let go, Victor.

WHITFIELD: -- it is not so easy! Yes.

RIDDELL: They invited me on that shoot. I had something on and I couldn't go. Now that I've seen it, I am glad I missed it.

WHITFIELD: Oh, really? I was like, you wish you were there.

RIDDELL: It would have been fun.

WHITFIELD: Yes, a lot of fun. All right, so, what are you watching, curling? I mean, it is a strange sport in which to watch. At first it seems a little boring. But then once you learn a little bit about the intricacies of, you know, making it work and, you know, the faster and the slower to make the ball or the rock go.

RIDDELL: And this thing, by the way.

WHITFIELD: We like it.

RIDDELL: I don't know if you can see this.

WHITFIELD: I think --

RIDDELL: It kind of looks like a Swiffer that you'd like go after your dust bunnies at home, but --

WHITFIELD: Okay.

RIDDELL: This is like --

WHITFIELD: Not this time.

RIDDELL: It is like Olympic standard.

WHITFIELD: Maybe we can try it out after break. We will see what happens.

We will be right back.

RIDDELL: All right.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:40:31]

WHITFIELD: All right starting tomorrow, members of Congress will be able to view unredacted versions of the Epstein files that have already been publicly released. It will be by appointment only, and no electronic devices can be brought into the room. More than three million pages have been released so far, many of them redacted.

Also tomorrow, Epstein's longtime accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell is set to give a virtual deposition to the House Oversight Committee. She is expected to assert her Fifth Amendment rights against self- incrimination and not answer questions.

All right, turning to the search for Nancy Guthrie. New police activity around the 84-year-old's home, where investigators can be seen in drone footage walking around the property.

Details have emerged about a $6 million ransom demand for Nancy Guthrie's safe return. This is after her children made heartbreaking appeals for prayers for Nancy.

CNN correspondent, Jason Carroll has more on the faith of Savannah Guthrie.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC "TODAY SHOW" HOST: On behalf of our family, we want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved mom, Nancy.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Guthries like to say that God is actually the sixth member of their family.

GUTHRIE: Mommy. If you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God's precious daughter, Nancy. We believe and know that even in this valley, he is with you.

CARROLL (voice over): Long before the tragic events that led to her mother's abduction, God has been at Guthrie's center. She says one of her earliest childhood memories is that of her mother and father being baptized.

Here is how she remembered turning to her faith after losing her father when she was just a teenager.

GUTHRIE: I remember being asked by friends, how can you still believe? And I remember saying, oh no, this is when I need him the most. I can't lose my dad and lose God at the same time.

CARROLL (voice over): Guthrie has carried that faith throughout her life and career.

GUTHRIE: Hi, everybody. I'm Savannah Guthrie and this is my new book.

CARROLL (voice over): Last year, she released an illustrated children's book she wrote titled "Mostly What God Does is Love You."

GUTHRIE: Just look at what God does. He hangs the stars every evening and every day summons the dawn. But mostly what God does is love you.

CARROLL (voice over): In 2024, she published an adult version of the book. She also appeared on "The Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith" podcast.

GUTHRIE: When we are consumed by the grief of the world are our own griefs, we are usually looking inward and sometimes we need to look up and out for help.

CARROLL (voice over): Prayers from across the country for Guthrie's mother, Nancy.

GUTHRIE: The greatest gift my mother gave me was faith and belief in God. It changed my whole life.

CARROLL (voice over): Guthrie, describing her as a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. It was a friend of her mother's from church who first reported her missing.

REVEREND JOHN TITTLE, ST. ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Bring her swiftly to safety.

CARROLL (voice over): The pastor from that church, Saint Andrew's Presbyterian, delivered a special prayer Wednesday. Saint Andrew's Facebook page offered these words, "Dear God, we pray for our dear friend, Nancy. Guide the search teams, law enforcement and those seeking answers."

At another Arizona Church, Saint Phillips, a candlelight service for Nancy Guthrie.

Sally Shamrell, who has been friends with Savannah for 30 years, helped to organize it.

SALLY SHAMRELL, FRIEND OF SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: I thought a lot of people are feeling kind of helpless right now. We can't -- all we're doing is sitting by waiting for the next alert, and that is -- that is not what Savannah and the Guthrie's are all about.

CARROLL (voice over): These simple words are what the Guthries are all about.

GUTHRIE: God is all around, and mostly what God does is love you.

CARROLL (voice over): Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC NEWS HOST: On behalf of our family, we want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved mom, Nancy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:49:18]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAD BUNNY, SINGER: I know that I -- that I told them that they had four months to learn Spanish, they don't even have to learn Spanish. They just -- it is better if they learn to dance. But I think there is no better dance than the one that comes from the heart. The -- you know, the heartbeat dance. That's the only thing that they need to worry about and have fun and enjoy it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: I like that, the heartbeat dance, and that was Bad Bunny giving us a sneak peek into his highly anticipated and hotly debated Super Bowl Halftime performance.

Tonight's show comes days after the Puerto Rican superstar made history with his Album of the Year win at the Grammy Awards, and while conservatives whip up outrage against his performance, the roar of support from Puerto Ricans and fans has equally resonated, if not louder.

I want to bring in now, Christopher Campo-Bowen, Assistant Professor of Musicology in the School of Performing Arts at Virginia Tech.

[15:50:18]

Professor, great to see you.

CHRISTOPHER CAMPO-BOWEN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MUSICOLOGY IN THE SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS, VIRGINIA TECH: Good to see you. Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: I love that he is talking about just moving from the heart. So, how do explain the significance of this moment to your students?

CAMPO-BOWEN: Oh, boy! I mean, the number of things we could say. I mean, for one thing, you know, this is the first time an artist who has made their career almost entirely in Spanish is headlining the Super Bowl, so that is huge.

I think I would definitely want to bring up that this is also a huge moment for Bad Bunny and Puerto Rico, right, and Puerto Rican music traditions, which he is drawing on in all sorts of different ways.

But I think also, you know, music is a really important kind of cultural force, and so this appearance, this performance, I think is a really important symbol, kind of in this moment of how the Latino people, their culture and their music are, you know, a part of this country and they belong here.

WHITFIELD: What has excited you about this evening? What are you looking forward to?

CAMPO-BOWEN: Oh, man! A lot of things. I am looking forward to definitely a couple of songs from Bad Bunny's most recent album, "NUEVAYoL" and " EoO" -- those are two of my favorites.

I am looking forward to seeing who are going to be guests. My money is on Cardi B. I am sure other people as well. But yes, just having a good time.

I mean, 20 minutes of uninterrupted Bad Bunny concert sounds great to me, so --

WHITFIELD: I know. Oh, so the NFL, I mean, it has stood by, you know, Bad Bunny after conservative Republicans, including the Trump administration blasted the choice, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the decision, saying he is, "One of the great artists in the world." And I am quoting him now. He says "That's one of the reasons we chose him."

So, what do you think? You know, viewers, I mean, people who are fans obviously embrace it already. They know what they're going to get in terms of the kinds of surprises and energy and excitement from it.

But for maybe, perhaps a lot of the naysayers, people maybe who didn't even -- don't even know him or don't want to respect what he is bringing, what do you think is going to happen once they, you know, put their eyes on this show?

CAMPO-BOWEN: I mean, I hope that, you know, they will hear the music and they will feel the rhythm and they will want to dance. I mean, Bad Bunny's music is a global phenomenon. I mean, it is everywhere.

And, you know, its danceable. It has a huge emotional range. He has got all sorts of different kinds of songs. He draws on lots of different kinds of musical traditions.

And, you know, language and lyrics are an incredibly important part of music. But in a song like the songs that Bad Bunny sings, it is only one part. So, you know, there is lots of people can, I think, draw from it.

And, you know, the thing too, translation capability is everywhere now, and so people can very easily say, oh, that's what he is talking about, and maybe learn some more, you know, widen horizons and kind of let music take them to different places.

WHITFIELD: Look, the language barrier didn't get in the way of the reason why, now, you know, Bad Bunny's album hit number one in China. It is the first ever Spanish language album to top the charts there.

So, what is it about his music, his rhythm, the messages -- all of it that's transcending languages and cultures?

CAMPO-BOWEN: I mean, I think, for one thing, it is -- Bad Bunny's attention to detail and also just the freshness, the novelty of his music. He is always changing things up, even within individual songs. He will change tempos, he will change styles, like " Safaera," one of his older songs, but also many of the songs on his most recent album, do this.

And I think, you know, people react to that. They hear something new and exciting, but they also, I hear, I think, you know, Bad Bunny's attention to kind of his heritage, to his Puerto Rican culture. He is drawing on different, you know, Puerto Rican traditions like plena, bomba, jibaro, salsa, right, which is huge.

And all of these things contribute to kind of the joy, I think, in Bad Bunny's music. So, I think people react to that, even if they don't necessarily understand Spanish.

WHITFIELD: Right. All right, well, a lot of folks are going to understand tonight, aren't they? They're going to understand something.

CAMPO-BOWEN: I think so.

WHITFIELD: It is going to move a lot of people, just my prediction.

CAMPO-BOWEN: I know so.

WHITFIELD: All right, Professor Christopher Campo-Bowen, great talking to you, thank you so much.

CAMPO-BOWEN: Thanks so much.

WHITFIELD: And of course, you can take an in-depth look into the new CNN flash doc, "Bad Bunny and the Halftime Show: Rhythms of Resistance" that airs tonight at 6:00 and 10:00 eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:59:34]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back.

Take a look at this video. An Amazon drone -- whoa -- appears to come crashing to the ground outside, not appears to, but it does, come crashing to the ground outside that apartment building near -- this is Dallas, Texas.

It hovered right by the building just before falling, and the woman said she started recording because it was her first time seeing an Amazon drone. Amazon says the building had only minimal damage, and they did apologize.

The cause of that crash still unclear. Whoa!

All right, and finally, in the deep freeze of a Wisconsin winter, a decades' old tradition is back.

At Madison's Winter Carnival, an inflatable Lady Liberty appeared on the frozen ice of Lake Mendota. She has become an iconic symbol of the winter celebration for the last several years.

All right. Thank you so much for joining me today this weekend. I am Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN NEWSROOM continues with Jessica Dean right now.

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