Glove DNA may link suspect in Guthrie case; 1,000 ICE agents leave Minnesota

Three weeks into the search for Nancy Guthrie, investigators now say a glove found near her Tucson home contains DNA and appears to match the masked man seen on her doorbell camera.

Plus, Homeland Security is partially shut down after lawmakers failed to reach a deal. Now, TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard are caught in the middle.

And American and Iranian officials are set to meet indirectly this week in Geneva. The White House says it wants diplomacy, while Israel says it doesn’t trust Tehran.

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, February 16, 2026.

Glove recovered near Guthrie’s home contains DNA, appears to match one in surveillance video

The search for Nancy Guthrie is now entering its third week, and investigators say a key piece of evidence may be emerging.

The FBI told Straight Arrow News that a black glove found about two miles from Guthrie’s Tucson home contains DNA and appears to match the gloves the masked suspect was seen wearing on her doorbell camera the night the 84-year-old vanished.

Agents say investigators recovered roughly sixteen gloves as they scoured the area, most belonging to search crews. But one, they say, is different.

Preliminary DNA results came back over the weekend. Final confirmation is pending before the profile is entered into the national database.

Authorities still have not named a suspect.

The FBI previously described the masked man as about five-foot-nine to five-foot-ten, average build, wearing dark clothing, black gloves and carrying an Ozark Trail backpack.

Late Friday, deputies shut down a nearby road, swarming a gray Range Rover in a restaurant parking lot before towing it away.

No arrests were made.

Outside Guthrie’s home, law enforcement remains present as neighbors continue to leave yellow flowers, calling for her safe return.

And last night, her daughter, “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, posted a new video message.

“I wanted to say to whoever has her or knows where she is that it’s never too late,” she said. “And you’re not lost or alone. And it’s never too late to do the right thing.”

The FBI has increased the reward to $100,000 for information leading to her location or an arrest.

Inspector general warns probes could be delayed amid DHS shutdown

The Department of Homeland Security is shut down, and with Congress in recess until next Monday, the stalemate could last at least a week.

The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations will continue as ICE has separate funding from last summer’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

But the department’s independent watchdog says the funding lapse could delay active investigations.

The inspector general is currently reviewing eight cases, including the use of facial recognition technology and allegations of excessive force by ICE agents, according to Politico.

Experts say most Americans won’t feel the impact immediately, though prolonged disruptions could eventually affect services such as air travel.

Meanwhile, Democrats are holding firm on demands for changes at ICE and Customs and Border Protection following the deadly officer-involved shootings of two American citizens in Minneapolis.

One sticking point is whether agents should be allowed to wear masks during operations.

Border czar Tom Homan says he dislikes the masks but defends them.

“Look, you know, I don’t like the masks either, but because threats against ICE officers, you know, are up over 1,500%, actual assaults, and threats are up over 8,000%, these men and women have to protect themselves,” Homan said. “As far as identifying themselves, they all have placards identifying themselves as ICE, ERO, HSI, DEA, FBI. So they all have placards on them. So I will let the White House and members of Congress, you know, fight that out.”

Democrats are also pushing for body cameras, judicial warrants before entering private property, and an end to racial profiling, which Homan says is not occurring.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats are not backing down.

“We’re willing to have a good faith conversation about everything, but, fundamentally, we need change that is dramatic, that is bold, that is meaningful, and that is transformational,” Jeffries said. “And these are commonsense things.”

ICE is out of control.

Republican extremists refuse to rein them in.

Democrats will hold the line until dramatic change occurs.

— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) February 13, 2026

Homan says more than 1,000 immigration agents have left Minnesota since “Operation Metro Surge” ended last week, with more expected to follow.

Video undercuts ICE officers’ testimony on Minneapolis shooting

Two ICE officers could face charges after new video evidence appears to contradict their testimony about a Minneapolis shooting involving a Venezuelan immigrant.

Protests broke out almost immediately after the shooting last month, which was not deadly.

At the time, the officers said two other immigrants attacked them with a broom and shovel as they tried to make an arrest, and that the shooting was in self-defense.

Now, ICE acting director Todd Lyons says a joint ICE and Justice Department review found “newly discovered evidence” that contradicts their account.

He says both officers were immediately placed on administrative leave while a more thorough investigation moves forward.

Meanwhile, the government has dropped charges against the two men who were accused of attacking the agents.

US, Iran resume nuclear talks

Iran’s top diplomat is en route to Geneva for another round of indirect talks with the United States, focused on Tehran’s nuclear program. Over the weekend in Slovakia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that, for now, diplomacy is the goal.

“We are focused on negotiations. That’s what we’re focused on. The president made that clear,” Rubio said. “If that changes, it’ll be obvious to everyone. And obviously, whatever the law requires us to do, we’ll do.”

The U.S. delegation, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, is expected to meet through Omani mediators on Tuesday, as it did earlier this month.

Iran has signaled it’s willing to curb some uranium enrichment but not eliminate it entirely. That’s still the sticking point. At the same time, the military pressure is unmistakable. 

The Pentagon has moved a second aircraft carrier into the region. CBS News reported that Trump has signed off on Israel targeting Iran’s ballistic missile program if negotiations collapse, including potential U.S. support such as aerial refueling.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he’s skeptical of any deal, even though Trump, he says, told him he’s still optimistic. 

“I will not hide from you that I expressed my skepticism of any deal with Iran because, frankly, Iran is reliable on one thing, they lie and they cheat,” Netanyahu said.

The Israeli prime minister said that any agreement must include dismantling Iran’s nuclear program and removing enriched material from the country, both of which Tehran has historically refused. This week, Israel’s stance on the issue remains uncertain.

Israel advances West Bank land plan, Palestinians warn of de facto annexation

Israel’s cabinet has approved a new land registration process in the occupied West Bank. The government has called it an administrative fix, but Palestinian officials and settlement watchdogs have called it de facto annexation.

The policy focuses on Area C — about 60% of the West Bank — which remains under full Israeli military control.

Under the new rules, anyone claiming ownership of private land must submit formal documentation or risk the area being automatically registered as Israeli state land.

Israeli officials said the move is about order and security, describing it as a response to what they call the Palestinian Authority’s illegal land registration.

Palestinian leaders said it will entrench settlement expansion and permanently shift control of the disputed territory. The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now has warned that the ownership requirements could be “draconian.”

Its settlement watch director told the Associated Press that Israel could take over as much as 83% of Area C. Separately, Axios reported that the White House is preparing a meeting this week for a Gaza “Board of Peace,” aimed at advancing the next phase of the ceasefire and raising reconstruction funds.

Shipwreck hunters discover 217-foot ship that sank 150 years ago in Lake Michigan

A piece of Great Lakes history resurfaces: A shipwreck team announced the discovery of the Lac La Belle, a luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan more than 150 years ago.

The 217-foot passenger steamer operated between Cleveland and Lake Superior in the mid to late 1800s.

In October 1872, the steamer, carrying 53 passengers, set out from Milwaukee and sprang a leak. The captain tried to turn back, but rough weather and heavy waves overtook the vessel.

The Lac La Belle sank.

All passengers fled the sinking ship in lifeboats. All but one lifeboat survived. Eight people on the lifeboat that capsized died. 

In 2022, shipwreck hunter Paul Ehron received a tip from a commercial fisherman after the fisherman snagged something on Lake Michigan’s floor that didn’t belong. Ehron and his team followed the lead and discovered the shipwreck about 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

The upper cabin is gone, but the hull remains largely intact, with much of the interior preserved.

The discovery was kept quiet until a dive team could create a 3D model of the site, which was completed last summer.

Here’s the stunning part: the University of Wisconsin Water Library estimates there may be between 6,000 and 10,000 undiscovered shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.

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More from Straight Arrow News:

Why millions are volunteering to be ‘eyes’ for strangers

Sarah Mielke was lounging around her New York City Upper West Side apartment, watching holiday movies and enjoying downtime on Christmas Eve, when her phone rang: A call to help a stranger. 

Mielke clicked into the video call, where she was greeted by an older gentleman who needed help sorting through documents. He’d been chronicling his life, he told her, in hopes that someone would know his story, even after he was gone. But now he met an obstacle. Because he was blind, he was having trouble sorting the items by date. 

He wondered: Could Mielke — a stranger until this video chat — help him?

Of course, she said. 

Mielke was on the call for about 10 minutes, and as the two prepared to say goodbye, she noticed another stack of papers in the corner. She offered to help the man continue sorting. Over the course of four hours, Mielke learned his life story as she helped catalog birthday cards, mementos from his first date with his late wife and photos.

“It just was really neat to get an inside peek into what his life looked like and then reflect on my own life after the call,” Mielke, 38, said. “At the end of your life, what really matters? It’s the people you have, the relationships and it’s the moments and the memories that really stay with you forever.” Read the full story now>

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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief