Trump criticizes Bad Bunny at Super Bowl; Guthrie ransom clock ticks
The Seahawks dominate the Super Bowl, but the loudest reaction comes from off the field. President Donald Trump blasts Bad Bunny’s halftime show as offensive and “a slap in the face.”
Plus, a desperate plea as the clock runs down. Savannah Guthrie and her siblings again ask for their mother’s safe return, with a second ransom deadline now just hours away.
And the fallout continues after a racist video depicting the Obamas circulates and then disappears from the president’s Truth Social account. What Trump says about demands for an apology, and why pressure is growing from both parties.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, February 9, 2026.
Seahawks win Super Bowl as Bad Bunny makes history
Super Bowl LX may be over, but between a dominant Seattle Seahawks win, a history-making halftime show, and sharp reaction from President Donald Trump, it’s a night that’s still driving conversation this morning.
The Seahawks’ swarming defense stepped up with sacks, fumbles and interceptions, carrying the team to a 29-13 victory over New England.
It’s the second Lombardi trophy win in team history.
Kenneth Walker III became the first running back to win the Super Bowl MVP award in nearly 30 years with 135 yards rushing.
However, much of the postgame buzz has centered on halftime and the reaction it sparked.
Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny made history as the first Latin solo artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
The performance leaned heavily into Puerto Rican culture, with palm trees, sugarcane, and dancers portraying farmers and local vendors. At one point, Bad Bunny climbed a malfunctioning utility pole to perform “El Apagón,” a song tied to Puerto Rico’s long-running power outage after Hurricane Maria.
The 13-minute set also included a real wedding on the field and a surprise appearance by Lady Gaga. Bad Bunny even signed the couple’s marriage certificate.
There was also an appearance from fellow Puerto Rican artist Ricky Martin.
Bad Bunny also presented his Grammy award, which he won last week, to a young boy while his speech played in the background.
In that speech, Bad Bunny spoke out against ICE and the Trump administration’s anti-immigration efforts.
Trump, who had already opposed Bad Bunny headlining the show, posted on Truth Social during the broadcast that the performance was “one of the worst ever,” an “affront to the greatness of America,” and mocked the Spanish-language songs by saying: “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”
He added that the show was a “’slap in the face’ to our country.”
Ransom deadline looms in Guthrie disappearance as family pleads for safe return
The search for Savannah Guthrie’s mother in Arizona is entering a critical day, as investigators return to the field and a key ransom deadline arrives.
Law enforcement returned to Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson on Sunday, with sheriff’s vehicles and investigators seen around the property. Now, the case enters its eighth day.
Authorities were also spotted over the weekend outside Guthrie’s daughter, Annie’s, home. It’s a sign investigators are widening their work across multiple locations tied to the family.
All of that comes as a second deadline tied to a purported ransom note is set to pass later today.
According to reporting from a local CNN affiliate, the note demands $6 million and threatens Guthrie’s life if the payment is not made by 5 p.m.
There are still no named suspects.
Over the weekend, Guthrie’s children released a new public plea — their most direct yet — saying they are prepared to pay for their mother’s return.
“We received your 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,” they said. “This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Investigators have said the decision to pay any ransom ultimately rests with the family, while law enforcement continues advising them behind the scenes.
Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home last weekend.
DNA testing previously confirmed blood found on the porch was a match for her, and officials have said she needs daily medication.
Backlash grows over Trump post depicting Obamas as apes
The fallout continues after Trump shared, and later deleted, a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes.
The video was posted to Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday and remained online for about twelve hours before being taken down.
The White House blamed the post on a staffer, but on Friday, the president took responsibility and made clear he will not apologize.
A reporter asked Trump, “A number of Republicans are calling on you to apologize for that post. Is that something you’re going to do?”
Trump replied, “No, I didn’t make a mistake. I mean, if I look at a lot of thousands of things, and I looked at the beginning of it, it was fine. They had that one post, and I guess it was a takeoff – by the way, a lot of people covered. If you look at where it came from, a lot of, I guess, it’s a takeoff on The Lion King.”
The response has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and rare pushback from some Republicans.
“He definitely needs to apologize … it was a disgusting video,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “And the president was rightly, and appropriately and forcefully denounced by people all across the country. Democrats and even a handful of Republicans who finally showed some backbone and pushed back against the president’s malignant bottom-feeder-like behavior.”
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said, “I think sometimes in our public discourse it is best to just say, ‘I’m sorry.’ I take the White House at their word that this was a mistake, but at the end of the day, given the history, given the sensitivities of the stereotypes that have long been promulgated to attack African Americans, I think it’s imperative to recognize that and meet the moment.”
The NAACP called Trump’s decision to share the video, especially during Black History Month, “A stark reminder of how Trump and his followers truly view people,” adding, “We’ll remember that in November.”
The backlash comes at a sensitive political moment for the president.
Trump made notable gains among Black voters in the 2024 election, winning about 15% of the Black vote. It was nearly double his share from four years earlier.
But recent polling shows his approval among Black Americans has declined since taking office.
Some Republicans worry this episode could undercut those gains heading into the midterm elections, especially as Democrats seize on it as part of a broader pattern.
Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa kidnapped after prison release
A Venezuelan opposition politician has gone missing, just hours after his release from prison. Allies say he was abducted by armed men in Caracas, while authorities maintain he breached his release conditions.
Opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa was taken overnight from a residential neighborhood in Caracas, according to opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Machado claimed that heavily armed men in civilian clothes arrived in multiple vehicles around midnight and seized Guanipa by force. Guanipa was freed earlier Sunday after more than eight months in detention.
Following his release, he spoke publicly, saying he believed the country had “completely changed” and urged supporters to keep pushing for a free and democratic country.
In a video posted after his release from prison, Guanipa also called for the release of other political prisoners and described the current government as illegitimate.
The seizure comes as Venezuela’s interim government, led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, continues a limited prisoner release program launched after former President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces earlier this year.
Venezuelan authorities now state they were seeking court approval to place Guanipa under house arrest, claiming he had breached the conditions of his release, although they have not publicly disclosed what those violations entail.
DOJ concludes Epstein was sole perpetrator of abuse
A deep review by The Associated Press of newly released Justice Department records confirms that Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused underage girls but finds no evidence of a broader sex-trafficking ring involving powerful men, as some conspiracy theories have claimed.
The AP examined millions of pages of documents recently released by the Justice Department, along with video and photographic evidence recovered from Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Although multiple accusers said other men abused them, investigators concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to bring federal charges against anyone beyond Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
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A document that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, photographed Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, shows an April 2012 International Driving Permit for Epstein. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) -
Pages that show New York grand jury subpoenas being issued into the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigation, then pages of redactions that follow, in this document released by the U.S. Justice Department, are photographed, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) -
A document that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, photographed Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, shows a U.S. passport renewal in 2012 and a federal booking system form from 2020 for Ghislaine Maxwell. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) -
A document that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, photographed Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, shows a diagram prepared by the FBI attempting to chart the network of Epstein’s victims and the timeline of their alleged abuse. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
Federal prosecutors confirmed that Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting an underage girl, served time and was arrested again in 2019. He sexually abused Virginia Giuffre, one of his most prominent accusers.
But according to an email cited by the AP from former assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey, investigators found no photos or videos showing victims being abused by others, no images implicating additional men, and no evidence supporting charges against anyone beyond Epstein and Maxwell.
Maxwell is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Monday and is expected to plead the Fifth Amendment.
Team USA scores two golds in downhill, figure skating
Team USA is off to a fast start at the Winter Olympics, already winning two gold medals.
The first gold medal goes to Breezy Johnson, who powered through the women’s alpine downhill to become just the second American woman to win Olympic gold in the event. Johnson finished in one minute and 36.10 seconds, edging Germany’s Emma Aicher by four hundredths of a second.
But the race also produced a scary moment. Skiiing legend Lindsey Vonn, competing at 41 and racing with a knee injury, crashed just 13 seconds into her run. She was airlifted to a hospital and later underwent surgery for a leg fracture.
Officials say she is in stable condition.
Meanwhile, Team USA delivered again on the ice.
The Americans successfully defended their gold medal in the figure skating team event, narrowly beating Japan, with “Quad god” Ilia Malinin attempting a total of five quad jumps.
The medal count is just getting started. The Winter Games continue through Feb. 22, with more chances ahead for Team USA to add to its haul.
More from Straight Arrow News:
Facing $32 million in federal cuts, Austin looks to self-fund rooftop solar
AUSTIN, Texas — With the Trump administration entering its second year, U.S. energy policy looks completely different from what it did 13 months ago. In a departure from his predecessor’s priorities, President Donald Trump has withdrawn grant funding from state and local governments for renewable energy and environmental projects.
In April 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded $250 million in solar grant funding to Texas municipalities, including a $32 million promise to Austin, as part of the agency’s $7 billion Solar for All program. It didn’t last long: In August 2025, the EPA announced all $7 billion in funding would be rescinded, along with another $20 billion for the EPA’s larger Greenhouse Gas Reduction fund.
At the Department of Energy, officials have also axed $7.6 billion in projects benefitting states that voted for former vice president Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, and had Democratic governors at the time. The DOE also terminated $3.7 billion in energy grants last May.
In total, the Trump administration has attempted to cancel around $40 billion in federal grants. For cities such as Austin, Texas, cancellations threw a wrench into plans to expand access to solar power for local communities.
Now, Austin officials are finding ways to continue pursuing energy projects without depending on federal funds. At a time when federal support for renewables is on a downward spiral, Austin has managed to invest in rooftop solar for publicly owned buildings and to incentivize commercial landowners to install panels. Read the full story now>
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
