NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, February 12, 2026

Episode Date: February 13, 2026

Investigators search for clues in Nancy Guthrie abduction; Immigration surge ends in Minneapolis as DHS shutdown looms; Team USA racks up 14 medals at Milan Cortina Olympics; and more on tonight’s broadcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight we're live from Milan as the U.S. rockets to second in the metal count, and we have breaking news about the suspect in the search for Nancy Guthrie. The FBI just identifying this backpack as the one used by the suspect in Nancy's kidnapping. Investigators saying the suspect is male and narrowing down his height, what they've just revealed, and a reporter with law enforcement as they find this glove nearby, isn't the same one worn by this armed person at Nancy's door. borders are Tom Holman ending the immigration surge in Minnesota as Congress speeds towards an all but certain partial government shutdown over homeland security funding. The federal judge halting and slamming defense secretary Pete Hegseth's attempt to punish Senator Mark Kelly how the Pentagon is responding tonight.

NBC News exclusive Kristen Welker, one of the first American reporters inside of Venezuela, her one-on-one with the country's interim president. Will she let the opposition leader back in? Here in Italy, Chloe Kim's quest to make snowboarding history falling just short. The cross-country star collapsing at the finish line after scoring bronze, and we're in the arena as NHL players returned to the ice for the first time in more than a decade. Growing judging controversy were these Americans robbed of gold. I talked to the married power duo tonight. And putting an Olympic ring on it, skier Breezy Johnson,

scoring more than gold. Our cameras were right there when her boyfriend proposed at the finish line. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News. Live from the Winter Olympics in Italy, reporting tonight from Milan. Here's Tom Yamas. And good evening from Milan tonight where Team USA is not only running up the medal count, now in second place. We'll get that, we'll get to a moment, but we want to get right to the breaking news back at home. The FBI just moments ago releasing new details about the man they're now calling a suspect in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie. Law enforcement has been analyzing these images for days now, and late tonight, they put out new details assessing that the suspect is male, 59 to 510, and of average build. And they have

identified the brand of backpack he was wearing. Here it is. Take a close look at it. It's an Ozark trail hiker pack backpack. You can see it right there. And we now know that gloves have been found in the surrounding areas and are being analyzed. We don't know how closely they match the gloves worn by this armed man.

A lot of work to get through here. So let's get straight to Liz Kreutz in Tucson. Liz, how are they able to get these new details about the suspect? Yeah, Tom. Well, the most critical thing they did was analyze that surveillance footage that was taken here at the house.

That's how they were able to get those details like his height and his build. The FBI is hoping that this is now going to help narrow down the thousands of tips that are pouring in. Tonight, investigators back outside Nancy Guthrie's home, erecting this white pop-up tent on the front porch, the very place where Nancy's nest camera captured those chilling surveillance images the night she disappeared. Inside the tent, they were working and measuring to create the profile of the suspect. The Pima County Sheriff's Department says investigators casing the foothills around Nancy's neighborhood have now recovered several items of evidence, including gloves, which have been submitted for DNA testing.

The New York Post says they were there when this glove was recovered. Authorities have not said if that glove or any glove sent for analysis are the ones seen on the person outside Nancy's home. But every potential item, a possible new clue, 12 days into this agonizing search for Savannah's mom, that so far has yielded no suspect or persons of interest. Authorities also today broadening their request for surveillance video, Sending this alert out to people within a two-mile radius of Nancy's home, asking for all footage that includes vehicles, people, or anything deemed out of the ordinary from January 1st through February 2nd, the day after Nancy was abducted.

Videos like this one, showing a man with two backpacks attempting to open a gate at a home about four miles away at almost exactly the same time Nancy's ring camera was being disabled. Two officials briefed on the matter tell NBC News the man in this footage has been cleared. Each night we turn the alarm on, which we hadn't been doing for several years. David Romano, who lives around the corner from Nancy, says investigators have come to his home twice now and specifically asked what cars they drive and if they have a truck. No, we don't drive a truck. We're all very sympathetic here in the neighborhood.

We'd like to help in some way. The neighbors putting out yellow flowers and ribbons as a symbol of hope, as Savannah shares her own message and these heartwarming childhood home videos with her mother, writing, Our Lovely Mark we will never give up on her. Thank you for your prayers and hope. And Liz, we know there are more new developments tonight. The FBI just up the reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie? Yeah, Tom, that's right.

The FBI has now doubled the reward to $100,000 for any information that leads to Nancy or an arrest and conviction of whoever is behind this. Tom. All right, Liz, we thank you for that. For the latest developments on this story from a trusted source, so you can always go to NBCNews.com 24-7. Now to that major announcement from the Trump administration, ending its surge of immigration officers in Minneapolis after fierce backlash,

all as Congress is barreling towards another shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Ryan Nobles has the late details. Tonight, the Trump administration announcing it will end its recent surge of federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, following outrage in the wake of the shooting deaths of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti. We're going to continue to enforce immigration law. That's what American people voted for. But it's smart law enforcement

to do targeting enforcement operations. And now, Senate Democrats voting to block a bill that would fund the Department of Homeland Security, all but assuring a Friday shutdown of the department, which has more than 200,000 employees and includes FEMA, the Coast Guard, and TSA, in addition to Customs and Border Patrol and ICE. Democrats say they won't fund DHS without changes at ICE,

including using body cameras, a ban on officer face masks, and a uniform code of conduct. Does it in any way open the door then to you voting for maybe a short-term extension on the DHS bill, now that they're at least showing some sense of changing their tactics when it comes to ICE? I'm glad that there's negotiations going on, but at this point for me, this idea that we're going to continue to fund them at this level after what they've done to my state. That's not the cards for me. The White House touting the arrest of more than 4,000 undocumented criminal suspects during Minnesota immigration operations, with President Trump saying he will not give in on several of the Democrats' demands.

They want our law enforcement to be totally vulnerable and put them in a lot of danger. Tonight, just one Democrat voting to fund DHS, Senator John Fetterman, noting a shutdown won't impact ICE, which has already received $75 billion from what President Trump calls his big, beautiful bill. So you're going to punish all of these other parts, the very important parts of our government, TSA, Coast Guard, FEMA. And Ryan, our viewers should know if a Department of Homeland Security shutdown happens, the first place we could see an impact is at America's airports. Yeah, that's right, Tom.

TSA is warning that without DHS funding, some 61,000 TSA agents, at 400 different airports across the country will be working without pay. And with Congress scheduled to go on recess, this DHS shutdown could last a week or more. Tom. Ryan Nobles on Capitol Hill for us. A federal judge today issued a dramatic rebuke blocking the Trump administration from demoting Senator and retired Navy captain Mark Kelly over comments he made in a video posted to social media. Gabe Gutierrez is at the White House for us.

Tonight, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona is praising a federal judge's scathing ruling that has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from punishing him. This was a moment to hold these guys accountable. And this judge, you know, had the right decision. Kelly, a retired Navy captain was among six Democrats, all of whom had previously served in the military or the intelligence community who'd posted this video in November. You can refuse illegal orders. Days later, President Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition, punishable by death. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later said the Pentagon was taking steps to downgrade Kelly's military retirement rank and pay. After Kelly sued, Judge Richard Leon, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, is now issuing a preliminary injunction.

Writing the Trump administration has trampled on Senator Kelly's First Amendment freedoms and threaten the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees. Calling the administration's arguments horse feathers and anemic, the judge adding that Secretary Hexeth should more fully appreciate why the founding fathers made free speech the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. This isn't about me. This is about an administration that is out of control on so many different levels. Hexeth responding on social media late today.

This will be immediately appealed. sedition is sedition, Captain. The Trump administration had also tried to bring criminal charges, but the resources familiar with the matter tell NBC News that a grand jury refused to indict the lawmakers this week. And Gabe, I know you're tracking more breaking news out of the White House, the Trump administration gutting the government's power to fight climate change. Yes, Tom.

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency repealed the key Obama-era scientific finding that allowed the government to regulate greenhouse gases. The EPA administrator calls it the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. Environmental groups are preparing now to fight the move in court. Tom. Gabe Gutierrez, For us, now to Venezuela, where we're the first major American network to report from inside the country since U.S. forces captured authoritarian leader Nikola Os Maduro. Kristen Welker tonight with an exclusive interview with interim president, Delci Rodriguez.

Tonight, a rare look, inside. inside Venezuela after the removal of Nicholas Maduro. Interim President Delci Rodriguez meeting U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright telling us she will allow new elections here. Do you commit to holding free and fair elections here in Venezuela? Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. Rodriguez is a Maduro loyalist taking over after the U.S. captured Maduro and his wife, bringing them to the U.S. on narco-terrorism charges. They've pleaded not guilty.

The Maduro regime considered illegitimate by the U.S., the EU, and many other countries. Do you see Nicholas Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela? So, yes, I can tell you that President Nicolaas Maduro is the legitimate president. While Secretary Wright says opening the oil industry here can lead to democracy, The United States has enormous leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela. with them. Do you trust interim president Delci Rodriguez? Ronald Reagan, trust but verify. We've been dealing with Delci for five weeks now. It's been an amazing cooperation. As for opposition leader, Maria Karina Machado, who gifted her Nobel

Peace Prize to President Trump, will you make sure she can return here safely and even run for president if she wants to? With regards to her life, we do not understand why there is such a fuss about it. With regards to her coming back to the country, she will have to answer to Venezuela, why she called upon an intervention, a military intervention, so you won't help her return. It is not something that is up to me. Secretary Wright believes elections could happen here within three years, but Rodriguez says certain conditions have to be met first. Tom. Three years, all right, Kristen Walker with another big exclusive tonight. Back here at the Winter Olympics, in Milan. Look at this. Team USA is now tied for second place in the medal count. It comes as Chloe Kim

tried to make a three-peat tonight. And today the men's hockey team stacked with NHL players began their quest for the team's first Olympic gold since the miracle on ice in 1980. Here we go. Chloe Kim. Under the bright lights and with the snow coming down, Chloe Kim threw down a monster run in Levino going for a third consecutive gold medal. But tonight, She fell just short. Here we go. Into the doubles. Here's the first.

Up and over twice. Oh, an upset for Chloe Kim. I'm just really proud of myself for landing a run and walk away with a medal. According to plan for Team USA's men's hockey team, putting away Latvia in their first game here in Milan. Hockey fans came here to Milan because this is the competition they wanted. For the first time in 12 years, NHL players are here at the Olympics just inside. It's the best against the best. And for Team USA, they're one of three teams filled with just NHL pros.

They seem like they've really got the crem to the crib, the stars at the NHL. So it'll be awesome to put them up against the best of the rest of the world. I grew up playing hockey, and there's nothing better than watching the Men's Olympic hockey. And take a look at this finish from American cross-country skier, Jesse Diggins, who competed with a bruised rib. Jesse Diggins, thin to a metal position. Diggins collapsing from pain at the finish, but feeling much better by the time she got her bronze medal. There's so many people who got me through and got me to this moment. And I'm just really grateful.

And there was one athlete that didn't get to compete today. Ukrainian skeleton pilot Vladislav Horeskovich. The International Olympic Committee disqualified the 27-year-old because he insisted on wearing a helmet, covered in photos of Ukrainian athletes, killed since Russia's in. invasion. The IOC says it's a violation of its rule banning political statements during competition. To be honest, I cannot understand for what I was suspended. And primetime Olympics coverage kicks off tonight at 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock. In just 60 seconds, the judging controversy in figure skating here in Milan. Americans chalk and baits left it

all on the ice. I talk to them next about winning silver when we return. live from Milan. We are back tonight from Milan with the growing controversy after Americans Madison Chalk and Evan Bates missed out on gold in ice dancing. Some saying the judging wasn't fair. I spoke to the merry ice dancers today. Take me back to you last night. How was it feeling they're stating that last skate?

I think it was as good as we could have skated. It was nearly flawless for us. It was our gold medal performance we felt. And it was exactly what we had worked for and dreamt. But moments later, the scores came in. That's enough, and it was the French who prevailed by just over a point. And now, scores from the French judge are coming under scrutiny for giving chalk and bates a particularly low score

and rating the French much higher. Obviously, we're so proud of you guys. We argue you guys were the gold medal winners as well. So many fans, I don't know if you've seen the reaction, thought the same thing. What's your message to all your fans? Thank you for supporting us. We feel the love, we feel the appreciation, and the result here doesn't define us.

I think our work ethic and what we've learned and who we've become as people is the real reward. Their moms, Nancy Bates and Barbara Chalk, told us today about the moment they first realized their kids were more than just teammates. Their skaters, obviously, teammates, and then they tell you, hey, I think this goes deeper than the ice. Well, they didn't tell us. They didn't tell us. No, no. They kept it very quiet for quite a while. Until their skating really changed. And I did see him whisper in her ear.

Yeah, I did too. I did too. Yeah, I love you. Fast forward a decade. The husband and wife duo are now three-time Olympic medalists together. What does it like to share this experience as a couple, too? It's the best. It's honestly, it's the best.

We share it all. The good, the bad. The wonderful. I think we've just got a lot to be proud of. What a team. We are back in a moment. We're back now with a massive fire, an 18-wheeler bursting into flames in Houston. That fire shutting down several lanes along I-45. Traffic camps nearby also showing just how high those flames were. When we come back tonight right here on nightly news, first Breezy Johnson took home gold on the slopes, and that wasn't the only life-changing moment. What happened at the bottom?

of the mountain she'll never forget. That's next. We are back now with this stunning look at the mountain village of Cortina at night where no one is having a better weekend skier Breezy Johnson. On Sunday she won gold and today she got engaged and a shout out from Taylor Swift. Lolly Hunter was there for the big moment. For Breezy Johnson, today was unpredictable. The downhill gold medalist crashing out in the Super G early on. But in the bright sunshine on the Tafana race course, surrounded by her teammates. That doesn't even touch what happened to Breezy Johnson and her day. Breezy's boyfriend, Connor Watkins, got down on one knee.

Will you marry me? Another piece of hardware to add to her growing collection. What a week in Cortina, that Breezy will never forget. Okay, so you got a gold medal, you got a fiancé, top the world? Oh yeah, I mean, you know, there's nothing better than, you know, doing well and having somebody to share it with. The setting, perhaps not a total surprise for the two-time Olympian. Yes, I may have told him that I just had always kind of had the dream of getting engaged in the Olympics. The box engraved with the Olympic rings and their favorite Taylor Swift lyric.

After making it official on Instagram, Swift herself offering congratulations. There was a brief wrench in the plan, as Connor made his way down to the finish line, a dramatic flyover as the Italian president arrived. There were a lot of people involved, and luckily I had a lot of help, and a lot of people helped me do the thing. And it was awesome when it happened, and I'm just really happy the way it turned out.

I mean, how will you ever be able to talk this? I don't need to top it. Molly Hunter, NBC News, Cortina. What an Olympics for Breezy Johnson. That's nightly news for this Thursday. I'm Tom Yama. Thanks so much for watching tonight and always we're here for you good night