New Surveillance Photos in Nancy Guthrie Case; Top DHS Officials Testify | NTD News Today Feb. 10

Welcome to NTD News Today. Here are today's top stories. The search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, now in its 10th day. The FBI saying it's not aware of any ongoing communication between Guthrie's family and any suspected kidnappers. Senior officials of the Department of Homeland Security testifying before a House committee, their first appearance before Congress since tensions arose in Minnesota. Vice President J.D. Vance in Azerbaijan, meeting with the country's president. The strategic agreement the two leaders signed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting President Trump tomorrow with Iran negotiations topping the agenda. This is NTD News Today, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Today's Tuesday, February 10th. I'm Stefania Cox. The search for Nancy Guthrie has entered its 10th day after a second purported deadline passed. The FBI says it's not aware of any ongoing communication between Nancy's family and her suspected kidnappers. Co-host of the Today Show, Savannah Guthrie, posting another video saying the family believes their 84-year-old mother is still out there. Here's that story. A second purported deadline has passed in the disappearance of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie's mother. According to a purported ransom note sent to a Tucson TV station, Nancy Guthrie's possible abductors demanded $6 million by 5 p.m. Monday. The note included a threat to Guthrie's life if demands weren't met. Just hours before that deadline passed, Savannah Guthrie posted another video to social media, this time addressing the public instead of her mother's alleged kidnappers. We believe our mom is still out there. She was taken and we don't know where. And we need your help. People seem to have been heeding that call, with new billboards going up across the country urging anyone with information about the case to call authorities. The FBI releasing a new statement Monday night saying it still has not identified a suspect or person of interest in the case. The agency also appealing to the public, writing in part, quote, someone has that one piece of information that can help us bring Nancy home. Harvey Levin of TMZ, which also received the ransom note, reacting to the statement. Well, I think it aligns with Savannah Guthrie's desperate plea. Breaking just now, authorities have released a photograph from a doorbell camera showing a potential suspect in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. The Pima County, Arizona Sheriff's Office posted on social media that law enforcement uncovered previously inaccessible new images showing an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her appearance. Sheriff Chris Nanos said his department is working closely with their law enforcement partners and they will continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie's home. Meanwhile, former Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is weighing in on the circumstances surrounding Guthrie's disappearance. The first would be obviously it's a kidnapping. That was an intended kidnapping for a ransom payment. That would be the first possibility. Again, I'm not weighting any of them. The second possibility would be this was just a crime that went awry. Someone was at the house. Maybe it was a burglary. Something went bad. And that you've got some bad actors committing another crime, unrelated. In other words, requesting a ransom for something you didn't do just to take advantage of a situation like this. The third possibility, again, this is a very, this is where I think you have to kind of think outside of the boxes, especially given some of the messaging that we've seen lately, is the possibility that there may have been some kind of maybe a medical emergency or something, and maybe this was not a kidnapping. Bongino did not say which circumstance he found most credible. The former Deputy Director of the FBI added that kidnappers who demand a ransom usually do so quickly after the abduction. Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there on January 31st and was reported missing the next day. Meanwhile, President Trump's immigration agenda under the spotlight today on Capitol Hill, senior officials testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee. We have imposed consequences for those who break our laws, the laws that this body enacted. And today the United States, because of these efforts, enjoys the most secure border in our nation's history. But this progress did not happen by accident. It's a result of a comprehensive approach to border security. We ended catch and release, we prioritized detention and removal authorities, and we sent a clear message that illegal entry into the United States will not be tolerated. And the numbers speak for themselves. Customs and Border Protection says illegal crossings into the U.S. are at a record low. Commissioner Rodney Scott reports that daily encounters have dropped by 95%, averaging about 250 per day. Scott compared that figure to 5,000 a day, he said, under the Biden administration. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons says agents are facing the most dangerous environment in agency history. In fiscal year 2025, death threats against ICE personnel increased more than 8,000 percent. Assaults on officers have skyrocketed over 1,400 percent. One officer in Minnesota had his finger bitten off by a protester, egged on by elected officials characterizing our offices as the Gestapo or secret police. The families of personnel, ICE personnel, have been made to feel unsafe in their homes. I know this firsthand because my own family was targeted. But let me send a message to anyone who thinks they can intimidate us. You will fail. Despite these perils, our offices continue to execute their mission with unwavering resolve. In addition to arrests, deportations, and border security, the director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says his agency is working to end the exploitation of immigration programs. The director saying the agency made nearly 33,000 fraud referrals to law enforcement over the past year. Investigators have uncovered marriage fraud, visa misuse, and student visa abuses. The director said those discoveries have led to denials of immigration benefits, arrests, and removal proceedings. An update on the special New Jersey House primary. Progressive Annalena Mejia will win the tight race for the state's 11th congressional district after former Congressman Tom Malinowski conceded defeat. The vote count has been prolonged following the February 5th primary. The race is for the seat once held by Governor Mikey Sherrill. Mejia currently leads with 29.1 percent of the vote, while Malinowski has 27.7 percent. In a statement, Malinowski congratulates Mejia. He also criticizes spending by an AIPAC-aligned super PAC. Malinowski says he will campaign against any candidate backed by that group. That would take place during the regularly scheduled Democratic primary later this year. Mejia will face Republican Joe Hathaway, who ran unopposed in the general election on April 16th. Meanwhile, two men plead guilty in federal court to committing fraud in Minnesota. Prosecutors say they could face multiple years in prison. The two men plead guilty to repeatedly traveling from Philadelphia to Minneapolis to defraud Minnesota's housing stabilization services program of over $3 million. They concealed the scheme by using artificial intelligence to create fake records when questioned by insurance companies. Prosecutors say the individuals had no connection to the Minnesota community. They traveled from Pennsylvania to Minnesota solely to defraud the system there. The sentencing is scheduled to be announced at a later date. Vice President J.D. Vance is in Azerbaijan meeting with the country's president. The two leaders signed a strategic partnership agreement. The agreement aims to launch a fresh chapter in economic and security cooperation. Here's the vice president. I was one of the very first to fly along the new Trump road for international peace and prosperity that will connect the two separate parts of Azerbaijan. And our hope is that that will build the kind of economic and natural resource and critical mineral cooperation that will make it possible to really make this incredible peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia stick. Azerbaijan's president says the two nations are entering a new phase in cooperation on defense sales and artificial intelligence. He adds that the countries will also continue collaboration in energy security and counterterrorism. The vice president's visit comes a day after he was in Armenia. Vance has come away with an agreement on nuclear energy with Armenia. NTD's Daniel Monaghan reports on the agreement that could net billions of dollars in American exports. Vice President J.D. Vance and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the accord on civilian nuclear energy yesterday. Vance is on a two-day visit to Armenia. This is one of the oldest Christian countries in the entire world, a true bedrock of Christian civilization and culture. As a devout Christian myself, I know the meaning of this country to the entire world and to the religion that the prime minister and I share. The two leaders completed negotiations on a so-called 1-2-3 agreement permitting the United States to export nuclear technology and equipment. Vance called the agreement a classic win-win deal for Armenia and the U.S. It means stronger energy security for my own country, and it also, I think, means stronger energy security for Armenia, and it's also going to create a lot of new jobs back home in the United States. It means small modular reactors. American technology is going to be coming to this country again. Vance said the deal could bring as much as $5 billion in initial U.S. exports to Armenia, as well as $4 billion in long-term contracts for fuel and maintenance. The new agreement could advance the former Soviet Republic's move away from the orbit of Russia, especially if the United States wins the bid to build an energy plant. President Trump in January said Vance would travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan to bolster a peace accord signed in Washington in August. Peace is not made by cautious people. Peace is not made by people who are too focused on the past. Peace is made by people who are focused on the future. The peace deal stopped decades of hostilities over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. I think that we really do have an opportunity, not just to create a historic peace that can last, as you said, one that could reach the point of no return. I believe that we are at the point where we could actually have Armenia serve as an important anchor for economic development in this region of the world. On his trip, Vance is promoting the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIP. The segment is a planned 27-mile corridor spanning southern Armenia. The route would also circumvent Russia and Iran, rerouting energy and trade from Moscow. It would provide Azerbaijan direct access to its Nakhchivan exclave and its ally Turkey. An exclave is a portion of a country that is separate from the main territory. The TRIP also seeks to establish U.S. relations via agreements on nuclear cooperation, semiconductors, and defense equipment. The second family can be seen here arriving in Armenia. Today, Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Armenian Genocide Memorial to honor the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. The genocide was carried out mainly through the mass murder of around one million Armenians during death marches to the Syrian desert and the forced Islamization of others, primarily women and children. Daniel Monahan, NTD News. Thank you, Daniel. Next, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with President Trump tomorrow. The Israeli leader explains the main focus of the meeting. On this trip, we will discuss a series of issues, Gaza, the region, but of course, first and foremost, the negotiations with Iran. Netanyahu said it's his seventh trip to the United States since Trump started his second term. The Israeli leader saying the frequency reflects the bond between the two countries. The pair had been expected to meet next week, but the talks were brought forward amid the renewed engagement with Iran. Coming up, the president's new lower-cost drug website is here, Trump Rx. What's next for consumers and for the industry? We'll speak with an expert. Big wins in court for the Trump administration. A judge blocks California's mass ban for ICE agents and an appeals court backs ending temporary protected status for three countries. Welcome back. The president's new lower-cost medication website is up and running. Have you checked it out? TrumpRx.gov comes as a result of the Trump administration negotiating most favored nation status with drug manufacturers in other countries, which the president says has lowered the cost of some medicines by 80% or more. Joining us for insight from the industry is SharkX co-founder Paul Pruitt. Good to have you with us, Paul. How's the administration? Yeah. So let's start with how is the administration getting these lower costs? What's behind all that? Yep. So they're working directly with manufacturers to provide more affordable access for medications to individuals that do not have insurance. And which consumers will be benefiting most? Consumers that are looking for lower prices. So if you have a high deductible health plan and you're looking for something more affordable or you don't have insurance at all, those are the individuals that will benefit from this website. What can pharmaceutical industry as a whole be doing to bring down the cost of drugs and keep them low? Because currently, at least on TrumpRx, it's really just a range. It's not all medications. Yeah. So today there's a couple dozen medications from diabetes to hormone therapies to autoimmune conditions. So the hope is that more manufacturers and more medications will look to provide lower cost options for members that aren't leveraging an insurance product to provide access, which is how a lot of Americans have only been able to afford them in the past. And do you see that happening mostly through TrumpRx.org? I know that there's been a movement for lower cost alternatives or lower cost access, and TrumpRx does a great job of kind of aggregating what is available. And we certainly hope to see more manufacturers step up and provide options like ones that have already been presented by the key manufacturers that are on that site today. So the administration actually already negotiates drug prices in Medicare. And the Kaiser Family Foundation says a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act allows drug companies to exempt more products from those negotiations. How does TrumpRx compare or perhaps influence those moves, if at all? Yeah. So Medicare has only begun recently being able to negotiate on a handful of medications, which is a great progress and something that our government hasn't been able to do. And so if you have government insurance, you actually cannot use TrumpRx. It's explicitly for people that aren't using insurance at all, but I think it gives people more choice and more options on whether they can use their insurance should they have some or look at these cash options. And will the availability of drugs be affected with these new changes? I don't think the availability is an issue from a supply chain perspective. I think it just creates more options for the consumers to have something they can afford. And a lot of the medications that we're seeing there have pricing that's significantly less than it has been in the past. And how effective will voluntary agreements with drug companies be over time that really are the foundation of the TrumpRx functionality there? Well, I think it comes down to what concessions are they. I think we're seeing some additional coverage being agreed to in the Medicare space, which has allowed some concessions for manufacturers to agree on lower costs in certain circumstances. So I think there's always a give and take. And when the manufacturers feel like there's something in it for them and a market that they can capitalize on today that they may be missing out on, then I think that's where the conversations can have fruit. And of course, the focus really for the Trump administration has been right here in the U.S., but what could be the effects of the administration's recent moves on other countries' drug prices? Yeah, I know we've seen some shift and some increase in base pricing in other countries for medications like GLP-1s that you're showing today. And so I think we'll have more of a balancing approach, but none of this will be fast. I think it's going to take many years for the market to catch up because of the healthcare industry and medication in particular, you know, have a long cycle of manufacturing distribution agreements that are already in place that take a time to be updated. And how does your organization, Sharks, help its members access medicines? So our purpose is to look at the open market and what's available, including what Trump Rx is recently approaching and has approved and say, where can we understand access for the members that we work with that don't have coverage for medications that need something more affordable? And when we look at what the open market has globally and domestically, there are some great options, but they're not always easy to find. And that's our job is to help pair those individuals that need our solutions to provide access to medications, which currently today can, even with insurance, be expensive or difficult to obtain. Now, lowering drug prices really is a bipartisan issue, but is there anything that you think is missing from the conversation more broadly about this issue or perhaps doesn't get enough airtime? Yeah, I think there's a lot that is difficult and it's on purpose. For the industry itself, there's a lot of difficulty understanding where the dollars are created and value is created. And we have a system that's profits and is based upon usage. And how do we focus more on the cost of delivering services, whether it's medical care or pharmaceuticals, a lot of focus seems to be on insurance and its cost and its pricing. But insurance is really a function of the cost of healthcare itself. And what can we do to really help address the value that's created in the marketplace, the value of the medications that members take? How well does it help them actually achieve their objectives and health outcomes? And there's not much of that going on that I think should happen as we expose more of our economy and its market powers into this segment that have not really had enough chance to operate like they do in other segments. Lastly, what's your advice to folks out there who may be wondering if they're making the most of the recent changes? Yeah, is to be curious, shop around, look for options. There's great resources available. They're not always obvious, but certainly ask questions. If you have someone that can help you with this, please reach out and connect. If you do have an employer, they're a great resource and the health plans that are available. If you don't have coverage, there's actually more resources available for those because medications can be expensive. And we're really talking about just the branded products, most generics and very affordable resources, especially if you're looking at community pharmacies or mail-order pharmacies that have great pricing for those. Great to hear your insights today. Paul Pruitt, thank you so much. And next, two big wins in the court for the Trump administration. A judge says California's law forcing ICE agents to remove their masks is unlawful. And an appeals court ruling on temporary protected status. Here's that story. The federal judge blocking part of a California law that would have stopped law enforcement officers from wearing masks on the job, saying the rule unfairly targets federal agents. The ruling sides with the Trump administration and a legal fight over two California laws aimed at federal immigration enforcement. The judge finding that the state's no secret police act did not apply equally to all officers. And ruling California cannot enforce a mask ban against federal agents. On X, Attorney General Pam Bondi praising the decision saying these federal agents are harassed, doxxed, obstructed and attacked on a regular basis just for doing their jobs. The state's California passed both laws after federal immigration operations in the state last year. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court is clearing the way for the Trump administration to end temporary protected status for immigrants from three countries, Nepal, Honduras and Nicaragua. The Ninth Circuit says it is putting a lower court ruling on hold while the case is appealed. The panel explained TPS exists for foreign nationals who cannot return safely to their home country because of extraordinary circumstances like armed conflict or natural disaster. The judge is pointing out the Secretary of Homeland Security is required to regularly review whether those conditions still exist, saying if they don't, TPS must be terminated. In a post on X, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem saying TPS was never designed to be permanent, yet previous administrations have used it as a de facto amnesty program for decades. Nepalese citizens were granted TPS following a devastating 2015 earthquake. Hondurans and Nicaraguans got their designation back in 1999. That year, Hurricane Mitch resulted in the deaths of around 10,000 people in Central America. Secretary Noem says the situation in each of these countries has since improved. The appeals court's decision now allows the administration to move forward with ending protections for nearly 89,000 people. It comes amid attempts to end TPS for around 300,000 Haitians in the U.S. A judge last week ruling that termination unlawful. The administration is appealing that decision. And you've likely received your tax documents by now. That means the clock is ticking to file your taxes. The Trump administration made a lot of changes under the big beautiful bill, and that could mean a lower tax bill and a higher refund for filers. Take a look. The deadline to file your 2025 taxes is quickly approaching. I would just get it done as soon as possible. Lisa Green Lewis is a CPA and tax expert with TurboTax. Here's what she says you need to know. First, a higher standard deduction. That means more of your money is shielded from federal taxes. For single filers, it increases to $15,750 up from $15,000. For married couples filing jointly, it increases to $31,500 up from $30,000. Second, a higher state and local tax deduction, commonly known as SALT. It allows you to deduct your state and local income taxes or your state and local general sales taxes. That cap jumps to $40,000 from $10,000 for married couples filing together. You may also be able to deduct your property taxes as long as your income or sales taxes doesn't put you over that $40,000 cap. In those high property tax states and state tax states, they'll be able to claim some more of those deductions. Third, a larger tax credit for children. Parents can receive $2,200 per child. They must be under 17 at the end of the tax year, among other requirements. If you work in an industry where you get tips or overtime, there are some changes you need to know about. Eligible workers can deduct up to $25,000 in tipped income. If you're a service worker like a firefighter, police officer, you can deduct up to $12,500 in overtime. Last year, the average refund was around $3,100 according to the IRS. With these new changes, some can expect an even higher refund. We are expecting filers to see up to a $1,000 increase in their refund or lower balance due. Deadline to file your taxes is April 15. President Trump says he's halting approval of a new international bridge linking Michigan and Ontario, Canada. He's calling for negotiations on the project to restart. Trump questioned Canadian ownership of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and argued the United States should receive greater economic benefits. He also criticized Ontario's ban on U.S. alcohol sales, Canada's dairy policies, and recent Canadian agreements involving China. The $6.4 billion bridge is funded by Canada and is owned by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. The Obama administration approved the agreement in 2013. Construction of the bridge is now complete and testing is underway. Canadian officials have not yet responded publicly. President Trump previously expressed support for completing the cross-border project during his first term. The Trump administration can keep its funding freeze in place for the Hudson Tunnel project. At least for now. A federal judge paused her earlier order that required the money to be restored. The project will build a new commuter rail tunnel between Manhattan and New Jersey. The pause, though, gives the federal government time to file a motion with an appeals court. The judge put her original order on hold until Thursday 5 p.m. The Trump administration withheld funding last year over concerns that money was being spent based on unconstitutional DEI principles. The existing Hudson Tunnel was heavily damaged by Hurricane Sandy back in 2012. Since then, frequent emergency repairs have disrupted travel on the nation's most heavily used passenger rail line. The commission, which oversees the project, has halted construction, saying it will resume when funding is restored. Housing affordability is front and center on Capitol Hill. Housemakers pass a bipartisan bill with overwhelming support from both parties. The bill aims to cut regulations and speed up construction. House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill says the country needs A poll conducted for the National Association of Realtors found housing affordability is an important issue to more than half of all voters. Industry groups are praising the legislation, saying it will help alleviate the housing crisis. The jury is now seated in a landmark case accusing major social media platforms of intentionally targeting young users with addictive features. A 20-year-old plaintiff claims Instagram and YouTube fueled addiction and worsened her mental health. NTD's Christina Corona tells us more from Los Angeles. Opening statements began in a landmark lawsuit involving a woman who says men as Instagram and Google's YouTube are addictive and harmful to children and teens. The plaintiff, identified only as Kaylee GM, alleges the company's design addictive features contributing to her mental health struggles, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Her lawsuit claims the platforms were built to maximize addictiveness among children to drive profits. She compares those tactics to the tobacco and gambling industries. Meta and YouTube deny the allegations, arguing they are not legally responsible for third-party content posted on their platforms. Plaintiff's attorney Mark Lanier tells Fox that he plans to highlight internal documents he claims show Meta prioritizes profit over child safety. We've got documents where the companies themselves are claiming that they are addictive, that they are trying to drive addiction, because the more time they drive to their platforms, the more money they're able to garner. It's an attention economy that they're working. Lanier gives the first opening statement for the plaintiffs calling the case as easy as ABC, saying that stands for addicting the brains of children, and accusing Meta and Google of engineering addiction. 12 jurors and six alternates are seated after nearly two weeks of jury selection. Jurors are not being told to stop using social media during the trial, but the judge instructs them to not change how they use the platforms, including settings or accounts. Observers say this trial could help guide how roughly 1,500 similar lawsuits against social media companies are handled. Five families who say they lost their child to social media are also attending the trial. The plaintiff previously reached settlements with Snapchat and TikTok earlier this month, though these companies remain defendants in other similar cases. The trial is set to last six to eight weeks. Executives including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram CEO Adam Masseri, and YouTube CEO Neil Mahan are expected to testify in the Thanks to Christina for that report. Next, a small single-engine plane made an emergency landing on a roadway yesterday in Gainesville, Georgia. According to the Gainesville Police Department, it collided with multiple vehicles and shut down a major intersection. The city finished clearing the street last night, opening up the street for regular traffic. The police reported minor injuries but did not specify who was injured or the nature of the injuries. Up ahead, the U.S. is funding free speech initiatives in Europe. Why the Trump administration says it's critical right now. Four years in prison for the former campaign advisor of a Southern California city council member. He's convicted of acting as an agent for China. I'm Stefania Cox and this is World Watch. The Trump administration says it plans to fund free speech initiatives in Europe. Here's State Department Undersecretary Sarah Rogers discussing the initiative. Don't have self-governance without freedom of speech. You can't have democratic deliberation if viewpoints are proscribed from the public square. The bottom line in Europe is that the point of American foreign policy is to make America safe, strong, and prosperous. And that means we want safe, strong, prosperous allies. The initiative will include grants to support free expression in the wake of laws like the EU's Digital Services Act and Britain's Online Safety Act. The Trump administration criticized these rules for restricting the free speech of U.S. tech firms and stifling voices of critical of immigration. In December, the administration warned that censoring speech and suppressing immigration critics was leading to what it Next, Canada's largest airline says it's suspending flights to Cuba because the island does not have enough jet fuel. Air Canada says it will carry out ferry flights to get 3,000 customers home. The fuel shortage comes after the U.S. disrupted oil shipments from Venezuela after ousting former dictator Nicolas Maduro. Air Canada says it will bring in extra fuel from the Two other Canadian airlines also canceled flights over anticipated fuel shortages. And House lawmakers are meeting today over whether non-profits are being exploited by foreign actors such as China. The House Ways and Means Committee saying it will focus on how money is funneled through these non-profits, including environmental groups, as a way to shape U.S. policy. Senator Ted Cruz last year accused the Chinese Communist Party of working through environmental groups to file lawsuits against fossil fuel companies. The impact of anti-Semitism from hostility on college campuses to canceled bank accounts and more. Witnesses testify on threats to religious liberty. NTD's David Lam has more. At a hearing of the Justice Department's Religious Liberty Commission on Monday, witnesses testified on how anti-Semitism impacts religious freedom. One of the highlights, reports of hostility against Jewish students on college campuses, particularly after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Much of the hostility spreads in ways that are not easy to see. And in too many university classrooms, the notion that Israel is a settler colonial state is a taken, it's given, even though it's a lie that erases 3,000 years of Jewish history in connection to the Jewish homeland. Some students are so poisoned by such lies that they vandalize property or tear down posters with faces of Israeli children and mothers and hostages being held in Gaza. The Religious Liberty Commission was established by President Trump to increase awareness and celebrate religious freedom in the U.S. This comes as the War Department says it's cutting academic ties with Harvard University, saying military officers were coming back from the school with, quote, heads full of globalist and radical ideologies that do not improve our fighting ranks. The Chinese Communist Party literally refers to the Harvard Kennedy School, which is their school of public policy and government, as, quote, the party school. Chinese communists or individuals who work against American interests should not be allowed on American campuses for any reason. They should not be allowed to donate money to American campuses for any reason. So that would be one example of new policies that we should be looking into. Why is it that the Chinese communists or Islamic nations know that the secret to undermine the United States is to sort of politically indoctrinate young people? Other witnesses brought up additional issues, including the denial of banking services. Ambassador Sam Brownback said his bank closed the accounts for his nonprofit, which advocated for religious freedom. He said the bank representative claimed they were concerned about possible criminal activities. I go to the counter there in suburban Kansas City, and the lady looks at the computer screen. She says, I'm sorry, that account has been closed. The note here on the screen says it's been done at the corporate office. It was explained the decision was final and non-revocable, and they weren't supposed to say anything more to me. The commission will hold another hearing in March focused on religious liberty in health care and social services. David Lam, NTD News. The former campaign advisor of a Southern California city council member was sentenced to four years in prison. He's accused of acting as an agent for China without notifying US authorities. Sun Yao Ning, also known as Mike Sun, worked as a campaign advisor in the 2022 city council race in Arcadia, a Los Angeles suburb. He was arrested at the end of 2024. Prosecutors say he sought to influence US politicians on the issue of Taiwan and to suppress Chinese dissidents on US soil, including practitioners of Falun Gong, which is a spiritual group persecuted by Beijing. Sun also kept close tabs on then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during her April 2023 visit to Southern California, and he reported her movements directly to Chinese officials. On top of all that, he ran a news website aimed at the local Chinese-American community, posting content that supported the Chinese Communist Party. Coming up, a Ukrainian skeleton racer is barred from wearing a war tribute helmet at the Winter Olympics after an IOC ruling, but a compromise is offered. Welcome back. A Ukrainian skeleton racer will not be allowed to wear a helmet honoring athletes killed in the war in Ukraine during Winter Olympic competition. The International Olympic Committee ruled that political messaging is banned on the field of play. The committee will allow the 27-year-old to wear a black armband as a compromise. The athlete previously displayed a No War in Ukraine sign at the Beijing Games. He called the decision unfair, arguing the tribute is not political. Olympic officials say they respect athletes' wishes to remember victims, but must keep competition neutral. Training continues today with skeleton events set to begin on Thursday. Now that they've won the Super Bowl, what's next for the Seattle Seahawks? Head coach Mike McDonald says the team needs to ride the momentum and not take the win for granted. Well, you know, we use the term chasing edges here in Seattle. You have to live like that, you know. You can't be copying everybody else. We want to be on the forefront of things. We know that we're target number one now. But again, it's really going to be our mentality for us to keep pushing the envelope with our personnel where we can take things at our speed, you know. McDonald yesterday, alongside MVP Kenneth Walker III, posing with trophies and answering reporters' questions. The MVP saying what he plans to do is stay positive and continue to work hard because you never know when it can all be over. The Seahawks relied on a relentless defense to beat New England 29-13 in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday. The win marked Seattle's second Super Bowl championship in franchise history and their first since 2014. Before we wrap up this hour, we'd like to remind you of a slight change to our broadcast schedule starting next Monday, February 16th. The show will air from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time. Stay tuned for that. That's all we have time for this hour, but if you have any feedback on the show or have something you'd like to see us cover, send us an email at news.today at ntd.com. We'd love to hear from you. For round-the-clock regional news coverage, watch us live at ntd.com slash live or download our NTV app. I'm Stefania Cox. Thanks for watching.