GUTHRIE UPDATE: A man detained for several hours and questioned regarding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie was released early Wednesday morning.
The individual, identified by multiple outlets as Carlos, was detained during a traffic stop south of Tucson, Ariz. The man told media outlets he doesn't know why he was questioned, saying he had no involvement in Guthrie's disappearance and hadn't heard of her.
"I hope they get the suspect, because I'm not it," he said. "They better do their job and find the suspect that did it so they can clear my name."
The man's mother-in-law told NewsNation's Brian Entin that he was innocent and hasn't shown any violent behavior. She spoke with media outlets as authorities searched a home in Rio Rico, Ariz.
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News on Tuesday night he believes investigators have made "substantial progress" in the past 36 to 48 hours and have multiple "persons of interest" in the case.
Earlier Tuesday the FBI released images and video captured through the Google Nest video system showing an armed and masked man wearing gloves approach the front of Guthrie's home.
The development was significant as officials had previously said they had no suspects or persons of interest in the case. The man detained Tuesday night was not referred to as a suspect by authorities.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had "pure disgust" after viewing the surveillance footage. She said the president is urging anyone with any knowledge about the individual to call authorities.
Another twist came Tuesday evening as TMZ founder Harvey Levin revealed a Bitcoin account listed in a ransom note sent to his outlet had activity for the first time, but he declined to provide additional details.
"There are reasons that I'm not going to say," he told NewsNation.
The search for the mother of "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie has continued to captivate the nation as it enters its 11th day.
Savannah Guthrie, her family and officials have confirmed they are aware of an apparent ransom note but have said they are growing increasingly concerned about Nancy Guthrie’s health.
▪ The New York Times: A timeline of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
▪ NPR: How AI, deepfakes are playing a role in the search.
DHS SHUTDOWN PENDING: Democrats are holding their ground ahead of the deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), raising the odds that it will run out of money at the end of the week.
Senate Democrats are unwilling to support another short-term funding measure to keep DHS open past Friday given a lack of progress in negotiations with the White House, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports. The White House responded to demands from Democrats on their 10-point plan to reform immigration enforcement, but Democrats are dismissing it as unserious.
Even the Democrats who voted with Republicans to fund the government and end the record-long shutdown in the fall appear to be on the same page about not yielding to the GOP this time.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) said the White House’s response was a “one-pager” that lacked details and that she likely won’t support a funding extension unless substantive progress is made in the coming days. She said she expects Republicans will continue proposing short-term funding agreements to avoid having to tackle wide-ranging reforms.
“It’s like a kid who says, ‘Mom, just one more story, just one more story,’ and pretty soon they’re up all night,” she said.
A senior Republican senator who requested anonymity told Bolton the situation “looks pretty grim right now.”
Twenty senators also plan to leave Thursday for the Munich Security Conference, further restricting the timeline. One Democrat said there’s no point in waiting around until Friday when a deal isn’t going to be reached.
Both houses of Congress are set to be out of town next week for Presidents Day, but Thune didn’t rule out keeping the Senate in session to address DHS funding.
Johnson and Thune met Tuesday to discuss their strategy, with the Speaker saying he would prefer a full-year funding bill.
▪ MS NOW: Dems unify behind hardball strategy.
▪ The Hill: Lawmakers grill officials over immigration enforcement killings.
NETANYAHU IN TOWN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Washington today to discuss the U.S.’s ongoing talks with Iran about its nuclear program.
The discussions come at a key moment in the Middle East and in the relationship between Netanyahu and Trump.
The president has repeatedly warned about the prospect of taking military action if diplomacy fails with Tehran as the administration has built up military assets in the region. One aircraft carrier is already stationed in the area, and Trump told Axios in an interview Tuesday that he’s considering sending another if talks don’t succeed.
"Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time," he said, referring to the preemptive strikes the U.S. carried out on Iran last summer.
Netanyahu has been much more skeptical about the idea of a deal with Iran, telling reporters before traveling to the U.S. that he would present Israel’s outlook on the negotiations to Trump.
Aside from Iran, the subject of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and efforts to create a lasting peace may be on the agenda. The first meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace, set to oversee Gaza, is scheduled for next week.
But Trump and Netanyahu have split over Israel’s growing efforts to annex the West Bank. The Israeli security Cabinet expanded its control over the West Bank on Sunday, including areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
Trump reiterated to Axios that he’s opposed to annexation.
"We have enough things to think about now. We don't need to be dealing with the West Bank," he said.
▪ CNBC: U.S. tells ships to stay away from Strait of Hormuz.
FAILED INDICTMENT: A grand jury has refused a request from the DOJ to indict six Democratic members of Congress for the video they took part in last year urging members of the military to refuse unlawful orders.
The New York Times first reported that the office of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, was pursuing the indictments over the video.
The lawmakers didn't refer to any specific orders in their video but reminded service members they are allowed to disobey orders that violate the law. The video was released as the Trump administration was intensifying its campaign of airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and East Pacific.
The Democrats who participated in the video all came from military or intelligence backgrounds: Sens. Mark Kelly (Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Reps. Jason Crow (Colo.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), Chris Deluzio (Pa.) and Maggie Goodlander (N.H.).
The lawmakers had previously signaled that they were under investigation from the DOJ, and the FBI had reached out to them for interviews.
The Times reported the U.S. attorney's office was seeking to indict them on allegations of breaching a law forbidding interfering with the U.S. military's loyalty.
The unsuccessful attempt also comes as the Pentagon has been pushing to demote Kelly, a retired Navy captain, for his participation in the video.
Failing to secure an indictment from a grand jury is highly unusual but has become somewhat more common during Trump's second term, especially in these types of high-profile cases.
After an indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) was dismissed, the DOJ attempted twice to reindict her but was rebuffed both times by separate grand juries.
