Inside the “Today” Show's Temporary Host Plans as Savannah Guthrie's Mom Remains Missing After 6 Weeks

Hoda Kotb will continue anchoring Today as Savannah Guthrie remains off-air amid her mother's disappearance

NEED TO KNOW

• Sheinelle Jones and other anchors will occasionally join Kotb in the rotation, PEOPLE can confirm

• Nancy Guthrie has been missing for 38 days, and Savannah remains focused on supporting her family

Hoda Kotbwill remain at theTodayshow anchor desk as the search forSavannah Guthrie's missing mother,Nancy Guthrie, continues.

PEOPLE can confirm Kotb will cover for Savannah, as other anchors, includingSheinelle Jones, will take turns rotating in when needed.

Kotb, 61,has been co-anchoringTodayalongsideCraig Melvinsince Feb. 6 after Nancy disappeared in the early morning hours of Feb. 1. Jones sat beside Melvin during the first week of Savannah's absence.

Savannah has remained off the air since her mom's disappearance. She traveled to Tuscon, Ariz., for the first month of the investigation before returning to New York City last week.

On March 5, aTodayspokesperson confirmed in a statement that Savannah "stopped by the studio this morning to be with and thank herTodaycolleagues. While she plans to return to the show on air, she remains focused right now supporting her family and working to help bring Nancy home."

Guthrie's return does not have a date. Her mother has been missing for 38 days.

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On Friday, March 6, Carson Daly and hisTodaycolleagues Laura Jarrett, Dylan Dreyer,Al RokerandCraig Melvin— all of whom continue to wear yellow ribbon pins in support of the Guthrie family — reflected on Savannah's set visit the day before.

Daly said the visit "wasn't planned," noting Savannah came to the studio, spoke "from the heart" and greeted the "entire crew" atToday.

"[She] said the most perfect words you could ever imagine and looked every one of this family in the eyes," he said.

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Daly added, "I don't think it can be said enough. People watch this show and think, 'Oh, these are people who have to like each other for a few hours and they call themselves a TV family.' But we do life together and there is something very special about this group. And yesterday was one of the most special days, not just in our lives professionally, but personally."

Anyone with information about Nancy's disappearance is asked to please contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff's Department 520-351-4900.

Read the original article onPeople

byAlex Forten

in

March 10, 2026

Inside the “Today” Show's Temporary Host Plans as Savannah Guthrie's Mom Remains Missing After 6 Weeks

Hoda Kotb will continue anchoring Today as Savannah Guthrie remains off-air amid her mother's disappearance ...

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Misty Copeland Claps Back at Timothée Chalamet for His Comments Slamming Ballet and Opera

Misty Copeland clapped back at Timothée Chalamet after he claimed that "no one cares about" ballet and opera

NEED TO KNOW

• The professional ballet dancer shed light on the importance of those art forms, and why they've been around for over 400 years

• The Marty Supreme star's controversial comments were made in conversation with Matthew McConaughey on Feb. 24

Misty Copelandis speaking up.

The professional ballet dancer, 43, clapped back atTimothée Chalametafterthe actor, 30, slammed ballet and operaduring hisVarietyand CNN town hallwithMatthew McConaughey, claiming that "no one cares about" those art forms.

"First I have to say that it's very interesting that he invited me to be a part of promotingMarty Supremewith respect to my art form," she began whenspeaking on a panelat Aveeno and TOGETHXR's "The Strength Issue" launch at Lavan Midtown in New York City on Sunday, March 8.

"But I think that it's important that we acknowledge that, yes, this is an art form that's not 'popular' and a part of pop culture as movies are," Copeland continued. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't have enduring relevance in culture."

The famed ballerina said that it's "often mistaken when something is popular that it's meaningful or more impactful," but clarified, "There's a reason that the opera and ballet have been around for over 400 years."

Copeland — who made history in 2015 as thefirst Black woman promoted to principal dancerat the American Ballet Theatre — cited "access and opportunity" as factors that can change a person's life, which is what she's set out to do for her Misty Copeland Foundation.

"That's the work that I've been doing my whole career is to bring more people into it," she explained. "So that people do understand the importance and the relevance of it in our communities and our culture, and you see it reflected everywhere."

"I mean, he wouldn't be an actor and have the opportunities he has as a movie star if it weren't for opera and ballet in their relevance in that medium," Copeland said of Chalamet, concluding, "So all of these mediums have a space and we shouldn't be comparing them."

Copeland took her final bow with American Ballet Theatre in October 2025, marking an end to her 25-year career with the company.

The prima ballerina's comments come after Chalamet made the controversial remarks during his conversation with McConaughey in front of an audience at the University of Texas at Austin on Feb. 24.

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During that discussion, theInterstellarcostars talked about the current trend of movies placing "their biggest action set pieces up front," referencingMatt Damon's recent similarcomments.

Chalamet listed Netflix's 2025Frankensteinadaptation as an example of a popular movie that "pulled people in" without "extraordinarily fast" pacing.

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"It does take you having to wave a flag of, 'Hey, this is a serious movie,' or something, and some people do want to be entertained and quickly," theOscar-nominated actorsaid. "I'm really right in the middle, Matthew. I admire people, and I've done it myself, who go on a talk show and say, 'Hey, we've got to keep movie theaters alive, we've gotta keep this genre alive,' and another part of me feels like if people want to see it, likeBarbie, likeOppenheimer, they're going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it."

He continued, "I don't want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.' All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there."

TheMarty Supremestar immediately recognized that his comments could be seen as disparaging. "I just lost 14 cents in viewership," he said with a laugh. "I just took shots for no reason."

Sure enough, some opera and ballet performers responded negatively to Chalamet's comments in the nine days since the discussion aired.

Isabelle Leonard, a Grammy award-winning opera singer, wrote in a comment on the video that she felt "shocked that someone so seemingly successful can be so ineloquent and narrow-minded in his views about art while considering himself as artist as I would only imagine one would as an actor."

Chalamet is nominated for best actor at the upcoming Academy Awards for his performance inMarty Supreme.

Read the original article onPeople

byAlex Forten

in

March 10, 2026

Misty Copeland Claps Back at Timothée Chalamet for His Comments Slamming Ballet and Opera

Misty Copeland clapped back at Timothée Chalamet after he claimed that "no one cares about" ballet and opera ...

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Tina Knowles now selling Mama Tina’s Gumbo at Houston Rodeo

Tina Knowlesis adding another venture to her growing list of businesses, bringing her well-known recipe to the public with Mama Tina's Gumbo.

The businesswoman and designer, mother ofBeyoncéandSolange Knowles, is now selling Mama Tina's Gumbo at this year'sHouston Livestock and Rodeo Showuntil March 22, 2026.

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The gumbo is available in two options, a $25 seafood version with beef sausage, chicken, shrimp and blue crab, and a $23 chicken-and-sausage only option.

"It's sort of like a soup. I would liken it to Bouillabaisse, but it's better. It comes from the origin of Louisiana and we mix a little Texas in with it," Knowles said whenaskedabout her rendition of the staple Louisiana cuisine at the Houston rodeo.

byAlex Forten

in

March 10, 2026

Tina Knowles now selling Mama Tina’s Gumbo at Houston Rodeo

Tina Knowlesis adding another venture to her growing list of businesses, bringing her well-known recipe to the public wit...

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Pope announces resignation of US bishop accused of embezzling $270K from California parish

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — The bishop of a small Chaldean Catholic community in the San Diego area has resigned amid charges that he embezzled $270,000 from his parish, Pope Leo XIV announced Tuesday.

APTOPIX Vatican Pope

Bishop Emanuel Shaleta pleaded not guilty on Monday to 16 felony charges, including money laundering, during a hearing attended by many of his supporters. The hearing followed his Thursday arrest at San Diego International Airport as he was trying to leave the country, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.

Shaleta, 69, is accused of embezzling from the St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon, east of San Diego.

Last August, someone from Shaleta's church provided a statement and documentation "showing potential embezzlement from the church," the sheriff's office said in a news release.

The Vatican said in its daily bulletin Tuesday that Leo had accepted Shaleta's resignation under the code of canon law for Eastern Rite churches, which allows for the pope to agree if a bishop asks to step down. It also said Iraqi Cardinal Louis Sakoretired as patriarchof the global Chaldean Catholic Church, saying he wishes to pursue "prayer, writing and simple service." It's unclear if his retirement is connected to Shaleta's case.

Leo actually accepted Shaleta's resignation in February, but it wasn't announced until this week, according to the Vatican embassy in Washington. The Holy See appears to have waited to announce the decision to avoid interfering with the police investigation.

Prosecutor Joel Madero said the allegations against Shaleta are connected to monthly rental payments of more than $30,000 from a tenant of the church's social hall that allegedly were missing. He said there were discrepancies in church accounts and that Shaleta "provided completely unreasonable tales of where that money was going."

The judge set bail at $125,000 and seized Shaleta's passport. Madero said Shaleta was a flight risk, but the bishop's attorney said Thursday's flight had been planned for a while. Authorities didn't say where he was headed.

During a Feb. 22 Mass, Shaleta addressed allegations against him, saying he has never "abused any penny of the church money."

"On the contrary, I have done my best to preserve and manage the donations of the church properly," he said at the time.

Shaleta's attorney, Sharon Appelbaum, said she planned to show that the allegations were false. The priests of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle released a statement expressing solidarity with Shaleta.

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Shaleta could face 15 years in prison if convicted on all charges, the district attorney's office said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 27.

On Tuesday, the El Cajon parish church's doors were closed and its parking lot was empty. Leo named Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator.

Shaleta was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984. He was named to the San Diego branch of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church in the U.S. in 2017.

The Chaldean Catholic Church represents more than a million Aramaic-speaking Christians who are primarily from Iraq. While its beliefs align with Roman Catholic doctrine, including the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, the church maintains its own distinct, ancient Eastern traditions and identity.

Sako, 76, said in a statement that he freely offered his resignation to Pope Leo XIV, who granted it, and that he was leaving "of my own will." As the head of the global Chaldean Catholic Church, he occasionallyclashed with Iraq's political leaders.

This story was corrected to reflect that Shaleta faces 16 felony charges, not 17, which the sheriff's office reported.

Weber and Bharath reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Nicole Winfield in Rome and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP'scollaborationwith The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

byAlex Forten

in

March 10, 2026

Pope announces resignation of US bishop accused of embezzling $270K from California parish

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — The bishop of a small Chaldean Catholic community in the San Diego area has resigned amid charges...

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Press freedom in the Americas saw a 'dramatic deterioration' last year, watchdog says

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) —Press freedomin the Americas suffered a "dramatic deterioration" in 2025, a regional watchdog said on Tuesday, following an assessment of conditions for the profession in 23 countries across the Western Hemisphere.

"This has been one of the worst years in the region, with homicides, arbitrary arrests, and impunity" for crimes committed against journalists, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) said in its annual report.

The Miami-based group has been publishing an annual freedom of speech list, known as the Chapultepec index, since 2020. It evaluates how the United States, Canada and Latin American countries do when it comes to protecting media freedoms.

The 2025 index rankedVenezuelaand Nicaragua as nations "without freedom of speech," while Ecuador, Bolivia, Honduras, Peru, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, and El Salvador fall into the "high restriction" category. Other democracies including Canada, Brazil, Chile and Panama were ranked as countries with "low restrictions" on freedom of speech.

The United States ranks as a nation with "restrictions" on freedom of speech, the IAPA said, noting that there were 170 attacks against journalists there in 2025. The report added that attacks during coverage of procedures undertaken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had raised concerns about journalistic freedoms.

The researchers found that in the U.S. "there was poor government action against disinformation, as well as government actions aimed at limiting free expression and access to information." U.S. President Donald Trump and other White House officials have "stigmatized" media outlets that are critical of the administration, they added.

The IAPA notes that attacks on journalists have increased in the region as "authoritarian presidents" emerge in different countries. It said that in Venezuela, "self-censorship" became the norm among local media outlets, which provided almost no coverage of theNobel Peace Prize granted to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, fearing government reprisals.

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In Nicaragua censorship is "institutionalized," the report said, with a constitutional reform that put all branches of government under the control of the presidency.

The report classifies El Salvador as a country with "high restrictions" on freedom of speech, noting that government officials try to intimidate journalists with lawsuits and criminal investigations. It said that 180 attacks against media workers were recorded in the Central American country between May and July.

There were 290 acts of aggression against journalists in Ecuador last year, including four murders, committed allegedly by criminal gangs. One journalist was also shot in the shoulder by police while broadcasting a protest organized by an Indigenous community.

Haiti was included for the first time in the annual report and was ranked as one of the countries with the least press freedom in the Americas. It noted thattwo journalists were killed in 2024by gang members who attacked the reopening ceremony of a hospital in Port-au-Prince.

Furthermore, the report said that crimes against journalists go unpunished in Haiti, wheregangs control large swaths of the capital city, and have waged an intimidation campaign against media workers and local residents.

The IAPA has more than 1,300 member news organizations and promotes press freedoms throughout the Americas.

Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean athttps://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

byAlex Forten

in

March 10, 2026

Press freedom in the Americas saw a 'dramatic deterioration' last year, watchdog says

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) —Press freedomin the Americas suffered a "dramatic deterioration" in 2025, a regional wat...

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US is 'on top' of possible Iran sleeper cells, Trump says. What are they?

PresidentDonald Trumpsaid the administration is "on top of" possible Iranian sleeper cells operating inside the United States, offering few details about their existence and level of potential threat.

At a press conference on Monday, March 9, Trump responded to a question about whether the Iranian government had activated undercover groups, or cells, located within the country.

More:US launches its 'most intense day of strikes': Iran war live updates

"They've been trying for a long time, and we've been very much on top of it," Trump said.

"We're watching every single one of them, yeah. We know a lot about them," the president added. He alleged the Democrat-led shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security was impeding his administration's efforts to address such concerns.

Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Smoke rises following an explosion after the U.S. and Israel reportedly launched an attack against Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026, in this screen grab taken from video.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. Two loud blasts were heard in Tehran on February 28 morning by AFP journalists, and two plumes of thick smoke were seen over the centre and east of the Iranian capital.

Israel's defence ministry announced it had launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and people across the country received phone alerts about an "extremely serious" threat.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist after disembarking Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 27, 2026. Hours later, Trump made live comments about the military strikes he launched against Iran.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Buildings inin Tehran stand after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, February 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Latest photos capture US and Israeli strikes against Iran

Smoke rises following an explosion,after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.

The FBI is thelead agencyfor investigating and preventing acts of domestic and international terrorism. The funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security has primarily affected FEMA, the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection. However, much of Homeland Security'stypical work, including ICE operations, continues.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment. When asked about Trump's remarks about sleeper cells, the FBI said it had no comment.

ABC todayreportedthe United States has intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran that may serve as "an operational trigger" for "sleeper assets" outside the country, according to the news outlet's review of a federal government alert sent to law enforcement agencies.

What is a sleeper cell?

A sleeper cell refers to a group of operatives who are working undercover until activated inside enemy territory. It can refer to a spy network or terrorist group.

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More:Iranian operative convicted in 2024 plot to kill President Trump

The administration has not released any advisory about specific threats of Iranian or Iran-aligned sleeper cells in the United States since the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began on Feb. 28.

However, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are on a war footing, USA TODAY has reported, andhad already been in that status in thelead-up to the U.S. and Israel-launched strikes. The United States wenton high alertlast June overconcerns of retaliationfrom Tehran, after the United States and Israel bombedthree Iranian nuclear sitesduring the 12-day war.

The Iranian regime has a long history –dating back at least 46 years– of assassinations and other terrorist plots on U.S. soil and against Americans overseas.

Those include plots the United States has disrupted against Iranian dissidents, andagainst Trumpand his former National SecurityAdviser, John Bolton, in response to a 2020 military strike that killed Iranian military leaderGen. Qassem Soleimani.

On March 6, a federal juryconvicted an Iranian operative, Asif Raza Merchant, of taking part in a terrorism attempt andplot to assassinateTrump in 2024, well before the war in Iran.

Contributing: Josh Meyer, USA TODAY.

Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@usatoday.comand on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletterhere.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:US is monitoring possible Iran sleeper cells. What are they?

byAlex Forten

in

March 10, 2026

US is 'on top' of possible Iran sleeper cells, Trump says. What are they?

PresidentDonald Trumpsaid the administration is "on top of" possible Iranian sleeper cells operating inside the...

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Report: Bills, TE Dawson Knox agree to 3-year contract

Tight end Dawson Knox is staying in Buffalo, agreeing to a three-year contract extension with the Bills, according to multiple reports Tuesday.

While contract details were not immediately available, the contract is believed to restructure his current deal to lower his scheduled $17 million salary cap number. His existing contract had one year remaining.

Speaking in January on "Monday Mornings With Mitch," the podcast of former Bills center Mitch Morse, Knox said he anticipated the team to make changes to his contract.

"I know they want to bring me back, however they can't know right now what the cap is going to be, how much money they'll have to spend, what the market will be for tight ends," Knox said. "Whether they'll want to keep me under my current contact for one more year, or try to work out some type of extension."

Knox, 29, said he communicated to the front office that he and his family have made Buffalo their home and he wanted to remain with the Bills.

Buffalo selected Knox in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

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In 102 career games (83 starts), Knox has 229 catches for 2,694 yards with 27 touchdown receptions.

Last season, he appeared in all 17 games (12 starts) and caught 35 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns.

In other news on Tuesday, kicker Tyler Bass agreed to a revised contract, taking a $1.5 million pay cut for a guaranteed $1 million with a chance to earn up to $3.5 million in 2026 counting incentives, according to multiple reports.

Bass, 29, missed the entire 2025 season due to a hip and groin injury that led to surgery. He signed a four-year, $21 million contract extension in April 2023 that included more than $12 million in guarantees.

For his career, Bass is 131 of 155 (84.5%) on field-goal attempts and 264 of 274 (96.4%) on extra-point attempts in 83 regular-season games for the Bills from 2020-24. He also is 18-for-23 on field goals and 33-for-36 on extra points in 12 playoff games.

Buffalo selected Bass in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Georgia Southern.

--Field Level Media

byAlex Forten

in

March 10, 2026

Report: Bills, TE Dawson Knox agree to 3-year contract

Tight end Dawson Knox is staying in Buffalo, agreeing to a three-year contract extension with the Bills, according to ...

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