Category: News
MrBeast Buys Gen Z Bank Just Weeks After BitMine’s $200M Bet
MrBeast Buys Gen Z Bank Just Weeks After BitMine’s $200M Bet
Authored by Brayden Lindrea via CoinTelegraph.com,
Beast Industries, the entertainment company founded by YouTuber Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, is acquiring Step, a mobile banking app focused on teenagers and young adults, marking its most significant push into finance to date.
In a post to X on Monday, Donaldson said the motivation behind the acquisition was to equip young people with the tools and guidance needed to navigate personal finance from an early age.
Source: MrBeast
Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold said, “Financial health is fundamental to overall wellbeing, yet too many people lack access to the tools and knowledge they need to build financial security.”
The acquisition cost was not disclosed.
The YouTube channel’s expansion into finance comes after it received a $200 million investment from Ethereum treasury firm BitMine Immersion Technologies in January and a separate trademark filing for “MrBeast Financial” in October.
That trademark filing mentioned “cryptocurrency exchange services,” “cryptocurrency payment processing,” and “cryptocurrency via decentralized exchanges.”
However, it isn’t clear whether that trademark filing is related to the Step acquisition.
Cointelegraph reached out to Beast Industries for comment, but didn’t receive an immediate response.
Step scales to 6.5 million users in 8 years
The Step app aims to help Gen Z users manage money, build credit, earn rewards, and deepen their financial literacy. Spending accounts are Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-insured through Evolve Bank & Trust.
The banking app has scaled to 6.5 million users since launching in 2018 and has raised around $500 million from the likes of Steph Curry, Justin Timberlake, Will Smith and Charli D’Amelio.
The MrBeast YouTube channel has 466 million subscribers, the largest channel on the video-streaming platform.
Housenbold said the Step acquisition “positions us to meet our audiences where they are, with practical, technology-driven solutions that can transform their financial futures for the better.”
At the time of the strategic $200 million BitMine investment, its chair, Tom Lee, said the company viewed the deal as a long-term bet on the creator economy, stating:
“MrBeast and Beast Industries, in our view, is the leading content creator of our generation, with a reach and engagement unmatched with GenZ, GenAlpha and Millennials.”
Lee said that BitMine’s corporate values were “strongly aligned” with Beast Industries, but didn’t mention anything about integrating crypto at the time.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/11/2026 – 08:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/mrbeast-buys-gen-z-bank-just-weeks-after-bitmines-200m-bet
Daywatch: Evidence released in Marimar Martinez shooting case
Good morning, Chicago.
A trove of evidence was released yesterday in the controversial shooting of Marimar Martínez by an immigration agent at the height of Operation Midway Blitz, including body-worn camera footage showing the tense moments just before their vehicles collided and an email sent later that day by Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino praising the agent’s conduct.
The evidence, obtained by the Tribune through an open records request after a judge agreed to lift a protective order, also included an email to Exum from Bovino, the now-demoted public face of the Trump administration’s ongoing deportation push, praising the agent on the afternoon of the shooting.
See the footage and read the full story from the Tribune’s Jason Meisner, Caroline Kubzansky and Gregory Royal Pratt.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including what a billionaire is donating to Northwestern for heart care, Brad Biggs’ weekly Bears mailbag and a look at the city symbol few Chicagoans know about.
Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History
Gov. JB Pritzker pays his respects after leaving flowers at a memorial Jan. 28, 2026, for Alex Pretti outside the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Medical Center in Chicago. Pretti, an ICU nurse, was fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Gov. JB Pritzker urges Democratic governors to confront Trump, seek accountability for immigration actions
Gov. JB Pritzker said yesterday he is asking fellow Democratic governors to convene and discuss ways to hold President Donald Trump and his administration accountable in the courts for their aggressive immigration enforcement actions — even if that accountability comes after the president is scheduled to leave office in 2029.
Rob Karr, of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, attends a meeting in Springfield in 2017. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)
Federal judge keeps in place key parts of Illinois’ landmark law banning some credit card swipe fees
In a decision that banks and credit unions have already said they will appeal, a federal judge ruled key provisions of Illinois’ first-in-the-nation law banning certain credit card fees can go into effect.
Passed in 2024 and set to take effect this July, the law bans certain so-called swipe fees on the tax and tip portions of customers’ bills, with a goal of lowering the amount that credit card companies can charge retailers.
Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks at the Choose Chicago gathering at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on Feb. 10, 2026. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Brandon Johnson says he won’t have say in charging ICE agents after prosecutor pushback
Mayor Brandon Johnson said he will not refer alleged cases of misconduct by federal immigration agents to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, following criticism by the top prosecutor that his “ICE on notice” executive order would politicize investigations.
Union warns janitor layoffs to hit Chicago police and fire stations, other city buildings
Dr. Jonathan D. Rich checks on patient Cheryl Andrews while she recovers Feb. 10, 2026, two weeks after her heart transplant at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Billionaire Neil Bluhm donating another $50 million to Northwestern for heart care
Casino magnate Neil Bluhm and his family’s foundation are donating another $50 million to Northwestern Medicine to further expand and support cardiac care.
The money will go toward a Northwestern cardiovascular institute that already bears Bluhm’s name: the Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute.
Pam cooking sprays on a shelf at a grocery store in Bainbridge Twp., Ohio, March 24, 2010. (Amy Sancetta/AP)
Conagra ordered to pay $25 million in lawsuit alleging Pam cooking spray caused lung disease
A jury awarded a Los Angeles man $25 million in a lawsuit against Chicago-based Conagra alleging its butter-flavored Pam cooking spray caused a rare chronic lung disease that will require a double lung transplant.
A sign sits at Indiana 249 and Ameriplex Drive in Portage for Sport Resort in 2018. The city is pitching the land for a potential site for the Chicago Bears new stadium. (Amy Lavalley/Post-Tribune)
Portage proposes Chicago Bears stadium on city land
The city of Portage is throwing a hail Mary pass at a privately funded Bears stadium built on city-owned land, city officials said.
Portage Mayor Austin Bonta said the city has proposed to build a stadium on 300 acres of city-owned land on the north side of the city. City officials are calling the proposal “Halas Harbor,” a nod to the Bears’ Halas Hall headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams looks to hand the ball off in overtime of the NFC divisional playoff game against the Rams on Jan. 18, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears Q&A: Should Ryan Poles show urgency with Caleb Williams on his rookie contract?
The 2025 NFL season is now in the books after the Seattle Seahawks’ resounding Super Bowl victory. Up next: the scouting combine later this month in Indianapolis, followed closely by the start of free agency in March.
As the Bears look to build on a division championship season, how aggressive should they — or can they — be with their offseason moves? Brad Biggs’ weekly Bears mailbag begins there.
United States’ Abbey Murphy makes an attempt to score during a preliminary round match of women’s ice hockey between USA and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Evergreen Park’s Abbey Murphy has 3 assists as US hockey team dominates in a 5-0 win over Canada
Hannah Bilka scored twice, and the United States’ youth and speed overwhelmed a Canadian women’s hockey team missing its captain in a 5-0 win at the Milan Cortina Games.
The lopsided victory clinched first place for the U.S. in Group A entering the quarterfinals and continued confirming why the Americans entered the tournament as favorites. Team USA swept all four preliminary-round games by a combined score of 20-1, and brought back memories of how a Canadian team in its prime rolled to winning gold at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Ilia Malinin leads in Olympic men’s figure skating after a near-perfect short program
Meet the medalists from the United States
Raoul Adwan at his coffee shop, Thrd Coffee, in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago on Feb. 5, 2026. He and his employees chose to stay open on January 30th and donate 20% of their proceeds to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
For immigrant-owned cafes and restaurants in Chicago, solidarity against ICE is not one-size-fits-all
Hundreds of businesses in Chicago, notably in immigrant neighborhoods, are still trying to recover from a downturn in sales after being hit from all sides by intense immigration enforcement activity that swept the city in recent months. As many brace for another such storm, the burden of balancing activism and survival has gotten heavier.
Maryanne Colter talks with fellow participants of a workshop about family and politics with the Chicago chapter of Braver Angels, an organization aimed at building trust and understanding across political differences, at St. Pauls United Church of Christ, Feb. 7, 2026. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
WTTW’s new season of ‘Firsthand’ hopes to show that democracy is ‘a participatory sport’
“Firsthand: Democracy” features five people filmed over the course of last summer and fall, including Isabel Aquilar, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Mexico who volunteers as a tutor for immigrants; Maryanne Colter, who teaches people how to tone down toxic partisanship; Julee Mortensen, a 72-year-old suburban grandmother who organizes and participates in protests; Miten Patel, an Evanston Township High School teacher and British-born Indian immigrant who encourages his students to engage with the political process; and Camille Williams, whose mother was murdered when she was 6 years old, and who works to ensure those impacted by the legal system know their rights, including the formerly incarcerated.
Joffrey Ballet students rehearse in a studio adjacent to the Chicago Theatre and its marquee on North State Street on Dec. 2, 2022, in Chicago. The marquee uses the Chicago Municipal Device. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago Municipal Device is the city symbol few Chicagoans know about
For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.
This became apparent when the writer and photographer Cristen Brown recently posted a pair of cufflinks featuring what most might assume is the letter “Y” in a circle.
But for Chicagoans with a deeper awareness, the symbol is recognizable as something else: The Chicago Municipal Device, a graphic design that can be found dotted around the city, from building facades to lampposts to the occasional manhole cover.
Nickel Futs Jump As Indonesia Instructs World’s Largest Mine To Slash Output
Nickel Futs Jump As Indonesia Instructs World’s Largest Mine To Slash Output
Nickel futures in London jumped on Wednesday after the world’s biggest nickel mine in Indonesia was forced to drastically reduce output, in an effort to tighten global supply to lift prices of the critical battery metal.
French miner Eramet, which operates Weda Bay Nickel alongside Tsingshan Holding Group, said Indonesian authorities have capped the mine’s 2026 production at 12 million tons of nickel ore, a massive reduction from the 42 million ton quota set by Jakarta in 2025.
Here is Eramet’s statement from earlier:
Eramet informs the market that its joint-venture PT Weda Bay Nickel (“PT WBN”) has received an initial notification from the Indonesian authorities to proceed with the submission of a Work Plan and Budget (RKAB) reflecting an annual production and sales (internal and external) volume of 12 Mwmt (vs an initial RKAB of 32 Mwmt granted for 2025 and revised upward to 42 Mwmt in July 2025).
The immediate market reaction was a 2.8% jump in nickel futures on the London Metal Exchange. Meanwhile, Eramet shares fell about 5%.
Nickel futs boom and bust cycle
The move by Indonesia comes as it controls 65% of global nickel output and has slashed mining quotas to reverse a two-year price decline that has squeezed higher-cost rivals in places like Australia and New Caledonia.
Miners such as BHP, once one of the world’s largest nickel producers, as well as several others, have closed nickel operations due to oversupply conditions. London-listed Anglo American is in the process of offloading nickel operations to MMG Singapore Resources, part of Chinese-controlled MMG.
Eramet said it was “committed to maintaining a constructive and ongoing dialogue with Indonesian authorities, with the objective of securing production levels that are consistent with the long-term sustainability of operations” and that it planned to apply for “a revision of this production quota to a higher volume.“
The metal is widely used in both stainless steel and electric-vehicle batteries, but demand, especially from EVs, has softened worldwide. This year, battery makers are pivoting to grid-scale batteries to help offset the EV slowdown (read report).
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/11/2026 – 07:45
Conservative Swiss MP Urges ‘End To Immigration From Stone Age Cultures’ As Stats Expose Prevalence Of Domestic Violence
Conservative Swiss MP Urges ‘End To Immigration From Stone Age Cultures’ As Stats Expose Prevalence Of Domestic Violence
New statistical data has highlighted the prevalence of domestic violence across different population groups in Switzerland, sparking a political debate over its root causes.
SVP National Councillor Pascal Schmid argues that the figures identify this primarily as a migration problem, noting that even foreign women are accused of these offenses more frequently than Swiss men.
Schmid requested data from the Federal Council, which provided an analysis of domestic violence frequency broken down by gender and nationality. The results show that for every 10,000 foreign men in the permanent resident population, 33.3 were accused of domestic violence in 2024, compared to 12.6 for Swiss men. For women, the rate was 13.2 for foreign women and 4.4 for Swiss women.
The data shows that foreign women are accused of domestic violence at slightly higher rates than Swiss men, however, foreign men clearly dominate in this category of crime overall, according to Blick.
In response to the latest Swiss data, Schmit wrote: “Domestic violence is not simply a problem solely affecting men, but primarily a migration problem.”
This data comes after similar findings in Germany showed that women from certain foreign groups in 2024 were more violent than German men. The data showed that for 100,000 German men, 272 were suspected of a violent offense. For Syrian women, this figure per 100,000 was 336. Clearly, Syrian women were more violent than German men. Afghan women are also more violent, with a rate of 359, even more violent than Syrian women. Iraqi women have an incredible rate of 394, which is considerably more than that of German men.
In Switzerland, research indicates that approximately 1 in 10 women will be a victim of physical or sexual violence in a romantic relationship during her adult life.
Between 2011 and 2014, an average of 22 female and four male victims died on an annual basis due to violence in intimate partner relationships. In 2024, Switzerland recorded over 21,000 cases of domestic violence, representing a 6 percent increase from the previous year. This involves a wide variety of violent categories, including sexual assault, rape, stalking, abuse, physical assault, and murder.
However, other politicians see violence as a multifaceted phenomenon, SP National Councillor Tamara Funiciello stated: “Violence is multidimensional” and that “we must combat it at all levels – now and regardless of its origin.”
Funiciello successfully led a campaign for increased funding for women’s protection during the December budget debate, which resulted in an additional million Swiss francs towards prevention efforts.
SVP stated that instead of throwing more money at the problem, the left needs to stop “turning a blind eye to the problem of crime committed by foreigners.”
Schmid notes that “foreign women are thus more frequently violent than Swiss men. This proves that domestic violence is not simply a male problem, but primarily a migration problem.” He argues that “Instead of placing Swiss men under general suspicion, we must” address the issue through migration policy.
“We have to put a stop to immigration from Stone Age cultures that have a completely different relationship with women and don’t know the concept of equality,” he added.
The SVP is now demanding an expansion of offenses that trigger mandatory deportation to include all official domestic violence offenses. Schmid argues, “We have to crack down harder on perpetrators,” adding that “simply distributing flyers in 20 languages and employing even more social workers won’t achieve anything.”
BREAKING: ‼️🇩🇪 Germany’s worst-kept secret is out — straight from the horse’s mouth.
“This year, we have to talk about non-German suspects,” says Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who admits that foreigners are significantly disproportionately represented in the country’s crime… pic.twitter.com/KLZpwz6vH5
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) April 2, 2025
Funiciello maintains that the SVP is avoiding the real issues, stating, “The SVP is once again shifting responsibility onto a group instead of rethinking its own role models and seeking solutions for society as a whole.”
She emphasizes that factors such as witnessing childhood violence and socioeconomic status are critical.
“Financial problems due to low wages or cramped living conditions, which disproportionately affect foreigners, are more likely to lead to conflict situations,” she notes. She concluded that because women often lack the financial safety net to leave abusive partners, “we must combat it at all levels — now and regardless of its origin.”
Of course, it could be argued that cramped living conditions in Switzerland are also a problem derived in large part due to mass immigration. There is currently a housing crisis in the country, with vacancy rates at a record low of less than 1 percent. This pattern of soaring housing prices tied to mass immigration has been seen throughout the Western world, including in Britain, Australia, Canada, and many other nations.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 02/11/2026 – 07:20
Trinity Jones reminds ‘why she’s a DI player,’ lifting Naperville Central over Waubonsie Valley for DVC title
Naperville Central star Trinity Jones cleared her mind as she stepped to the free-throw line with nine seconds remaining.
Jones, a Clemson recruit who was selected for the 2026 McDonald’s All-American Game, calmly hit the first shot. Then Waubonsie Valley called timeout before the second shot, but the 6-foot-2 senior guard made that too.
“When I was at the free-throw line, I didn’t think about anything,” Jones said. “I just shot them. When I’m on the free-throw line, I try to think about absolutely nothing, and it worked that time.”
But there was still work to be done to decide the DuPage Valley Conference title in Aurora on Tuesday night, and that required some thought. In a matchup of the best two players in the state, Jones was tasked with defending Waubonsie Valley star Danyella Mporokoso on the final play of the game.
Mporokoso, an Illinois State recruit who hit seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 43 points, was briefly open at the top of the key as Jones lunged forward to contest a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Jones’ effort was good enough. Mporokoso’s shot hit the front of the rim as time expired, and the visiting Redhawks prevailed 68-65 victory to win their first DVC title since 2018.
Naperville Central’s Trinity Jones, right, defends a last-second shot by Waubonsie Valley’s Danyella Mporokoso at the end of a DuPage Valley Conference game in Aurora on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Sean King / Naperville Sun)
“What I usually say is, ‘That’s a great game if you didn’t care who won,’” Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said. “Obviously, we did care who won.
“What a tremendous performance by Danyella, but what a tremendous performance by Erin Hackett, and Trinity Jones in the fourth quarter proved why she’s a DI player.”
Indeed, Jones scored 13 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter, including a layup with 38 seconds left to give the Redhawks (24-6, 9-1) a 66-65 lead. It was the 13th lead change of the second half.
The two-time defending conference champion Warriors (28-2, 8-2), whose only previous loss this season was to Naperville Central on Jan. 15, nearly made it 14 lead changes and three straight titles. Mporokoso, who has 2,819 career points and is just 67 shy of breaking Ashley Luke’s school scoring record, had a good look.
“She got open a little bit, which worried us, but Trinity was there,” Hackett said. “It’s always good to have a lengthy girl.”
That’s why Nussbaum had Jones come out on Mporokoso on the final play.
“We talked in the timeout out about how if she made the free throw, we would give them a two,” Nussbaum said. “So everybody was out there on the edge making sure, and we felt like Trinity’s length would maybe give Danyella some trouble. We knew she was the one that was going to be shooting the ball.”
Waubonsie Valley’s Danyella Mporokoso (10) drives to the basket against Naperville Central’s Colette McInerney during a DuPage Valley Conference game in Aurora on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Sean King / Naperville Sun)
Jones was ready.
“It was exciting,” Jones said. “She’s a great player — like, phenomenal — very consistent as well.
“I already knew, kind of, from watching her from the beginning of the game to the end, what to expect. So I adjusted my defense according to her playing style. It worked in our favor.”
Mporokoso, who extended her single-season school scoring record to 847 points, wished otherwise.
“It’s a tough shot,” she said. “At the end of the day, I have to be able to hit those. When it comes down to it, the last shot, it’s supposed to be my responsibility. Whether it’s contested or not, at the end of the day, I’ve got to make it.”
The trio of Mporokoso, Jones and Hackett combined to take 87 shots, most of them contested, and thrilled the crowd with their terrific play.
Jones, who also had 10 rebounds, was a force inside, while Hackett and Mporokoso traded 3-pointers in the second half like two boxers exchanging punches.
Naperville Central’s Erin Hackett, center, goes to the basket past Waubonsie Valley’s Aria Garcia-Evans on a fast break during a DuPage Valley Conference game in Aurora on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Sean King / Naperville Sun)
Hackett, a senior guard, made five 3-pointers and scored 19 of her 30 points in the second half, including a three that put her over 2,000 career points. Hackett, who has 2,004, is the fourth Naperville girl to reach 2,000, joining Luke, Mporokoso and former WNBA star Candace Parker.
“(Mporokoso) got really hot in the fourth quarter,” Hackett said. “She hit a bunch of threes. You can contest them all, but she’s a really good player. It’s hard to guard her, hard to game plan for her, but I think the biggest thing is we came as a team in the fourth quarter, which really helped us to keep it to a minimum in the fourth quarter.”
Although the Warriors were dethroned as DVC champions, they might get a chance to knock the Redhawks out of the playoffs. The teams could meet again in the Class 4A East Aurora Sectional semifinals on Feb. 24.
“This will teach us, and we’ll learn from it,” Waubonsie Valley coach Brett Love said. “The great thing about it is it’s not over. We’ve got an opportunity to make a run, and we may get another run at them.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
Investigators searching a location in Arizona in disappearance of Nancy Guthrie
RIO RICO, Ariz. — A person was detained for questioning Tuesday in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, hours after the FBI released surveillance videos of a masked person wearing a handgun holster outside Guthrie’s front door the night she vanished from her Arizona home.
News outlets later interviewed a man who said he was questioned and released. Authorities have not confirmed that the person they picked up was released.
Officers detained the person during a traffic stop south of Tucson, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. It did not immediately provide details about the person or the location. The FBI referred questions to the sheriff’s office.
A Phoenix, Arizona, television station, KNXV-TV, interviewed a delivery man who said he had been detained by police on suspicions of kidnapping Guthrie. He said he and his wife pulled the car over when they noticed that police were following them. The man, who gave only his first name and said he lived in the town of Rio Rico, said he was innocent and that police released him after several hours. His account could not be independently verified. Local and federal authorities have not confirmed that the person who they had detained was released.
The department and the FBI were conducting a court-authorized search Tuesday night at a location in Rio Rico, about an hour’s drive south of Tucson, the department said in a statement. It was expected to take several hours.
Guthrie disappeared on Feb. 1 and since then the case has gripped the nation. Until Tuesday, it seemed authorities were making little headway in determining what happened to the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie or finding who was responsible.
Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings have released a series of video statements pleading for the return of their mother and indicating a willingness to pay a ransom. Authorities have described Nancy Guthrie as mentally sound but with limited mobility. She takes several medications and there was concern from the start that she could die without them, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said repeatedly.
The community of Rio Rico — population 20,000 — is roughly an hour’s drive from Guthrie’s home and about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The videos released earlier Tuesday show a person wearing a ski mask and a backpack. At one point, they tilt their head down and away from a doorbell camera while approaching Guthrie’s front door. The footage also shows the person holding a flashlight in their mouth and trying to cover the camera with a gloved hand and part of a plant ripped from the yard.
The videos — less than a combined minute in length — gave investigators and the public their first glimpse of who was outside Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson. But the images did not show what happened to her or help determine whether she is still alive.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the “armed individual” appeared to “have tampered with the camera.” It was not entirely clear whether there was a gun in the holster.
The videos were pulled from data on “back-end systems” after investigators spent days trying to find lost, corrupted or inaccessible images, Patel said.
“This will get the phone ringing for lots of potential leads,” said former FBI agent Katherine Schweit. “Even when you have a person who appears to be completely covered, they’re really not. You can see their girth, the shape of their face, potentially their eyes or mouth.”
Tuesday afternoon, authorities were back near Guthrie’s neighborhood, using vehicles to block her driveway. A few miles away, law enforcement was going door-to-door in the area where daughter Annie Guthrie lives, talking with neighbors as well as walking through a drainage area and examining the inside of a culvert with a flashlight.
Investigators have said for more than a week that they believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will. She was last seen at home Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day. DNA tests showed blood on her porch was hers, authorities said.
Authorities initially could not pull images from camera
Until now, authorities have released few details, leaving it unclear if ransom notes demanding money with deadlines already passed were authentic, and whether the Guthrie family has had any contact with whoever took Guthrie.
Savannah Guthrie posted the new surveillance images on social media Tuesday, saying the family believes their mother is still alive and offering phone numbers for the FBI and county sheriff. Within minutes, the post had thousands of comments.
Investigators had hoped cameras would turn up evidence right away about how Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in an secluded neighborhood.
But the doorbell camera was disconnected early on Feb. 1. While software recorded movement at the home minutes later, Guthrie did not have an active subscription, so Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos had initially said none of the footage could be recovered. Officials continued working to get the footage.
Savannah Guthrie expressed desperation a day ago
Heartbreaking messages by Savannah Guthrie and her family shifted from hopeful to bleak as they made pleas for whoever took Nancy Guthrie. In a video just ahead of a purported ransom deadline Monday, Savannah Guthrie appeared alone and spoke directly to the public.
“We are at an hour of desperation,” she said. “We need your help.”
Much of the nation is closely following the case involving the longtime anchor of NBC’s morning show.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump watched the new surveillance footage and was in “pure disgust,” encouraging anyone with information to call the FBI.
The FBI this week began posting digital billboards about the case in major cities from Texas to California.
Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI, said Monday that the agency was not aware of ongoing communication between Guthrie’s family and any suspected kidnappers. Authorities also had not identified any suspects, he said.
Videos from Guthrie siblings appealed directly to whoever took their mom
Three days after the search began, Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings sent their first public appeal to whoever took their mother, saying, “We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen.”
In the recorded video, Guthrie said her family was aware of media reports about a ransom letter, but they first wanted proof their mother was alive.
“Please reach out to us,” they said.
The next day, Savannah Guthrie’s brother again made a plea, saying, “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven’t heard anything directly.”
Then over the past weekend, the family posted another video — one that was more cryptic and generated even more speculation about Nancy Guthrie’s fate.
“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” said Savannah Guthrie, flanked by her siblings. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”
Golden reported from Seattle and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press reporters Darlene Superville in Washington, Ed White in Detroit, and Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/11/disappearance-nancy-guthrie-search/
FAA closes airspace around El Paso, Texas, for 10 days, grounding all flights
EL PASO, Texas — The Federal Aviation Administration is closing the airspace around El Paso International Airport in Texas for 10 days, grounding all flights to and from the airport.
A notice posted on the FAA’s website said the temporary flight restrictions were for “special security reasons,” but did not provide additional details. The closure does not include Mexican airspace.
The airport said in an Instagram post that all flights to and from the airport would be grounded from late Tuesday through late on Feb. 20, including commercial, cargo and general aviation flights. It suggested travelers contact their airlines to get up-to-date flight information.
The shutdown is likely to create significant disruptions given the duration and the size of the metropolitan area. El Paso, a border city with a population of nearly 700,000 and larger when you include the surrounding metro area, is hub of cross-border commerce alongside neighboring Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.
The airport describes itself as the gateway to west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico. Southwest, United, American and Delta all operate flights there, among others.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/11/faa-airspace-el-paso-texas/
Chicago Bears Q&A: Should Ryan Poles show urgency with Caleb Williams on his rookie contract?
The 2025 NFL season is now in the books after the Seattle Seahawks’ resounding Super Bowl victory. Up next: the scouting combine later this month in Indianapolis, followed closely by the start of free agency in March.
As the Chicago Bears look to build on a division championship season, how aggressive should they — or can they — be with their offseason moves? Brad Biggs’ weekly Bears mailbag begins there.
Do you think the Bears will get aggressive and trade up in this draft to take advantage of Caleb Williams’ rookie contract window? — @michael16824439
There has been a handful of questions about roster building and salary-cap strategy as it pertains to Williams, who will be entering Year 3 of a four-year contract that includes a team option for 2028.
There’s no greater value in the NFL than having a starting quarterback on a rookie contract, which is basically what the Bears have had since the Jay Cutler era with some brief exceptions (Mike Glennon, Nick Foles). Cutler had a $17 million cap figure in 2016, his last year with the Bears, and that ranked 15th at the position leaguewide.
In the nine years since, Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields and Williams made the vast majority of the starts while on rookie contracts, so the Bears have made minimal investments at the position, especially compared with teams that have given their starting quarterbacks second and third contracts.
That’s one reason the team has had multiple offseasons with a lot of cap flexibility, and it was certainly a factor in the 2018 decision to trade for edge rusher Khalil Mack and sign him to a contract that, at the time, made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league.
The NFL established a rookie wage scale with the collective bargaining agreement in 2011, and that dramatically shifted how the top draft picks were paid. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was the top pick that year and received a four-year, $22 million contract. The year before, quarterback Sam Bradford was the No. 1 pick and signed a six-year, $78 million contract with the St. Louis Rams that included $50 million guaranteed and had a maximum value of $86 million.
The rookie wage scale has given teams extreme value with draft picks that become stars or even core players, and quarterbacks highlight that more than any other position. Williams has a cap number of $10.77 million for 2026, which ranks 25th at the position. Meanwhile, nine quarterbacks carry cap hits of $51.9 million or higher — a gap of more than $40 million in cap space.
As everyone knows, the Bears are snug against the cap right now as they plot offseason moves to create flexibility and fill roster holes. Some have pointed out that with a cut or two and a slew of restructures and extensions, the Bears could instantly have $60 million in cap space or more. That’s true, but kicking the can down the road would create a situation in which the Bears have similar cap decisions (with larger implications) in future years, when — if all goes as planned — Williams has one of those high cap figures that the elite quarterbacks on second contracts carry.
Don’t take this as doom and gloom because the Bears’ cap situation beyond 2026 isn’t cluttered. They can move on from some veterans before 2027 that would create space, and when you look ahead to 2028 — just two years from now — only 12 players are under contract and only two of those aren’t on rookie deals: wide receiver DJ Moore and nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon.
The question for general manager Ryan Poles, coach Ben Johnson, vice president of football administration Matt Feinstein and other core members of the front office is how aggressive the Bears want to be now in clearing space that they would have to account for in 2027, 2028 and potentially beyond? That’s a layered discussion with a lot of nuance, understanding that Poles is operating with parallel goals of making the Bears as competitive as possible in 2026 while also maintaining an eye on the future. What’s great is the Bears don’t have a staff that is backed into a win-or-else predicament in which moves are made for the present with little consideration to ramifications in the following seasons.
While I fully understand the value of having a successful quarterback on a rookie contract and the freedom that creates in roster development, I think it’s a little overblown from the standpoint that you have to strike now. In the 15 years since the rookie wage scale was implemented, two quarterbacks have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy while playing on their original contract: Russell Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII and Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. Wilson made it back to the Super Bowl the next season while still on his rookie deal but lost to the New England Patriots on the Malcolm Butler interception at the goal line.
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The Seahawks, under general manager John Schneider, became the model for roster building because of what they achieved in the first few years of Wilson’s career. It has been a difficult formula to re-create for a multitude of reasons, the greatest being that even with a high draft pick, it’s difficult to find the right quarterback.
Six other quarterbacks in that span have reached the Super Bowl on rookie contracts: the Patriots’ Drake Maye (2025), the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy (2023), the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts (2022), the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow (2021), the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff (2018) and the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick (2012). So nine of the 30 starting quarterbacks in the last 15 Super Bowls — 30% — have been on a rookie deal.
Mahomes has made it to four more Super Bowls (and won two more) since his first contract extension before the 2020 season. Hurts made it back to the Super Bowl and won after being rewarded with a second contract in Philadelphia. Tom Brady played in six Super Bowls and won four after the advent of the rookie wage scale.
The Bears have reason to believe they have opened a window to compete at the highest level for years to come with Johnson and Williams. Teams that have the right quarterback are in the hunt regularly, and to remain in striking distance it requires some shrewd and calculated decisions every offseason. I don’t get the sense the Bears are looking at the coming season as “2026 or bust.”
We’ll see how aggressive Poles and Co. are when things get rolling next month as they pursue both success in the season ahead and, ultimately, sustained winning at Halas Hall.
Think they do something similar to the defensive line like they did the offensive line last year? Obviously, probably could only make one move, but I wonder. — @keeegs2
Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo hops off the field on one foot after an injury in the fourth quarter against the Bengals on Nov. 2, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
That’s one of the fallacies out there. The Bears made efforts to strengthen the defensive line last offseason, signing tackle Grady Jarrett and end Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency while investing a second-round pick in Shemar Turner. It just so happened the new defensive linemen weren’t as impactful as the trio of veteran offensive linemen — guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and center Drew Dalman — that joined the fold.
So the Bears didn’t ignore the defensive line last year. The offensive linemen stayed healthy, and all three new defensive linemen were injured. Jarrett required arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and still played in 14 games. Odeyingbo made eight starts before suffering a torn Achilles tendon, and Turner played five games before suffering a torn ACL.
As I detailed after a week at the Senior Bowl and again after the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX victory Sunday, it’s no surprise the defensive line will be the primary need this offseason. Will there be teams interested in clearing cap space by flipping a high-priced veteran for a mid- to late-round draft pick like the Bears found last year when they traded for Thuney and Jackson? That’s probably wishful thinking. That was a perfect storm for Ryan Poles as the Chiefs couldn’t afford Thuney when they needed to re-sign guard Trey Smith and the Rams wanted to achieve cap savings after Jackson’s one season in Los Angeles went sideways.
The Bears are deep into the evaluation stage when it comes to free agency, the draft and exploring what might be available via other avenues, including trades. What will it look like when the new league year opens March 11? I expect the Bears to look for some combination of veterans and draft picks to fortify the defensive line and give coordinator Dennis Allen more talent, competition and depth in the trenches. I imagine you could see one veteran acquired, and in a good draft for defensive linemen, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bears used two of their top four picks to supplement that room.
It’s early to start guessing on names, but figure they’ll add two, maybe three linemen to the fold to help raise the level of performance.
How does the Bears roster compare to Seattle’s? If there’s a gap, what do the Bears need to do to close that gap? — @mmesq11
Fresh off the Super Bowl LX win, Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy as the team deplanes at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times via AP)
That’s a bit of a loaded question as the reigning Super Bowl champions enjoyed a 14-3 regular season that found them at or near the top of power rankings for the bulk of the season. According to Aaron Schatz, who developed the DVOA system that measures a team’s efficiency by comparing success on every play with a league average that factors situation and opponent, the Seahawks were an all-time great team.
In his DVOA rankings, the top five Super Bowl champions since 1978, including playoffs, are the 1991 Washington Redskins, 1985 Bears, 2025 Seahawks, 1989 49ers and 1996 Green Bay Packers. That Washington team is overlooked by many when discussing all-time elite teams, but it had an amazing plus-261 point differential — an average of plus-16.3 per regular-season game — before outscoring opponents 123-41 in the postseason.
That’s one metric that ranks the 2025 Seahawks very high. Seattle had a bounty of draft ammunition after trading quarterback Russell Wilson in 2022 (boy, the Bears are lucky they didn’t pull off the trade they attempted to engineer for Wilson the year before), and GM John Schneider has nailed it with picks since. They have 14 projected starters for 2026 who were drafted by the team, and they’re in position to extend players such as cornerback Devon Witherspoon and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba because they have salary-cap flexibility.
Let’s bring this back to the Bears, though. They have every reason to believe a window to compete for a championship is open. They went to overtime against the Rams in the divisional round and were a play away from going to Seattle for the NFC championship game. The nucleus, starting with quarterback Caleb Williams, is there for coach Ben Johnson and his staff. The Bears have to get better, but they have young players that should be expected to improve.
Las Vegas oddsmakers aren’t necessarily bullish on the Bears right now. They’re 14th or 15th in terms of odds to win Super Bowl LXI, depending on where you look, but 14 teams have 20-1 or shorter odds. That’s almost half the league. Westgate SuperBook had the Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars at 25-1 after Seattle’s victory Sunday. The Seahawks were the favorite at 9-1, followed by the Rams, Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions at 10-1. With a productive offseason, good health and a strong start in 2026, the Bears’ odds could be much shorter.
I know everybody wants a defensive end or defensive tackle with the first pick but I’d prefer a left tackle. After seeing the Super Bowl, if the Bears can’t protect Caleb Williams’ blind side, he can’t step up to throw. What do you think? And I would take a defensive tackle as I always say if you can’t stop the run, you can’t get to the quarterback. — @king962129502
There are a lot of layers to any answer here. Significant evaluations need to be made. First, what’s the long-term projection for Ozzy Trapilo? Is he more than a stop-gap measure at left tackle when he’s back to full health? What are the chances he returns to full health from what is a major injury, a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee?
Then, what are the options at No. 25 in Round 1? Is there a left tackle with a high grade still on the board there? What kind of grade does that player have versus potential defensive linemen, safeties, linebackers and other positions? I believe the Bears have to get the best player they can at No. 25 and not reach for need because when teams fall into that trap, they often are staring at the same need two or three years down the road.
With Press Taylor becoming the offensive coordinator, what names are you hearing to take over the passing game coordinator position? — @gravedigger5921
My suspicion is this is something Ben Johnson still is working through. What we know to this point is Taylor has been promoted to replace Declan Doyle, who departed to become the offensive coordinator in Baltimore, and the Bears went outside to replace running backs coach Eric Bieniemy (hired as the Chiefs OC) with former Bears assistant Eric Studesville.
NFL coaching and GM tracker: Chicago Bears hire new offensive coordinator and running backs coach
The only opening right now is for a passing game coordinator. We don’t know what title the team will give Will Lawing, whom the Bears reportedly hired last month after a stint at Boston College. Lawing was a wide receiver at North Carolina when Johnson was a backup quarterback there. He was the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at BC the last two seasons and served as tight ends coach (two seasons) and offensive assistant (two seasons) for the Houston Texans. Perhaps Lawing could be named passing game coordinator, or maybe Johnson will seek an external or even internal candidate to fill Taylor’s old position.
Arizona Cardinals passing game specialist Connor Senger interviewed for the Bears OC job that went to Taylor. Maybe he would be a candidate to become the passing game coordinator. Don’t discount that possibility, and in that scenario, perhaps Lawing would be an offensive assistant. I’d say we’re in a wait-and-see mode that the Bears might not clear up until shortly before the scouting combine.
At pick No. 25, does it matter as much if a prospect is older? — @dantepurify
Miami’s Akheem Mesidor reacts after sacking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the College Football Playoff national championship game Jan. 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
That’s a good question. When you talk about a first-round pick, especially a late first-rounder, you’re looking at a five-year window. What can this player be for the team over the next half-decade? It would be an interesting discussion for someone like Miami defensive end Akheem Mesidor, who will turn 25 in early April before the draft.
Mesidor had 12½ sacks for the Hurricanes this past season and 18 over the last two years. There are some medical questions surrounding Mesidor — a foot injury limited him to three games in 2023 — but if he checks out physically, he’s a very interesting prospect for the back half of Round 1, even at 25 years old.
As a Bears fan living in Argentina, I had a lot of hope that with the international games now adding Brazil, the Bears would be an obvious candidate since they have a Brazilian player on the roster (kicker Cairo Santos) and I would finally be able to go to a Bears game. How come the NFL didn’t pick the Bears? — @gongimenez
The NFL announced the Cowboys will play a regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro in 2026, and the Bears are not on Dallas’ list of opponents. The tie-in with Santos would make the Bears a popular pick for Brazil, but their international efforts have been centralized in the United Kingdom and Spain, two areas where they have claims in the league’s Global Markets Program.
The Lions, Dolphins, Patriots and Eagles have marketing rights in Brazil, and Miami is the only team that has a GMP affiliation with Argentina. The Dolphins are heavily invested in Latin America as they are also the only team claiming rights in Colombia and Mexico. My guess is the Bears’ next international home game will be in Spain or back in the UK.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/11/chicago-bears-mailbag-caleb-williams-rookie-contract/
Does Billy Donovan want to coach a rebuild? With the Chicago Bulls, he won’t have any other choice.
NEW YORK — Billy Donovan doesn’t have the answers.
The Chicago Bulls coach keeps using the word “unprecedented” to describe the Bulls. He’s not wrong. Monday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets featured only three players who had been rostered by the Bulls one week prior. This is a team currently surviving on placeholders and icebreakers as they attempt to form chemistry on the spot.
The Bulls haven’t won a game since January. This isn’t working. Donovan isn’t sure if it ever will. But for the next 28 games, it’s his job to mold this motley assembly of cast-offs into something resembling a team.
“We’re not going to be a finished product,” Donovan said. “It’s not going to work like that. And we’ll see if we can ever get there.”
Executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas still won’t use the word rebuild, but Donovan knows the Bulls are embracing significant change in an effort to build a better roster. As the Bulls reshape their identity, the coach is a crucial centerpiece for the future. But does Donovan even want a part in the messy process of building a roster from scratch?
Donovan hasn’t always been a favorite among Bulls fans. His tenure has been riddled by mediocrity at best. Those records are only going to get worse with time as the team tumbles toward the draft lottery. At the same time, his expertise and aptitude have often elevated the Bulls slightly above expectation for their relatively modest rosters — and guided the development of players like Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu along the way.
Chicago Bulls guard Collin Sexton and Bulls head coach Billy Donovan talk in the first half of a game against the Denver Nuggets at the United Center in Chicago on Feb. 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The Bulls extended Donovan’s contract last summer. The front office values the coach as a central asset of its future plans. Still, there’s a chance any time a front office asks a Hall of Famer to gut out a rebuild that his answer will simply be “no.”
When Donovan left the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2020, the prevailing belief was that the coach couldn’t buy into the idea of a long-term rebuild. This has always been a slightly overblown construct — Donovan had been hitting a wall in the playoffs and the Thunder were growing restless for new coaching options — but storylines are hard to shake in the NBA. Nearly six years later, Donovan still refuses to feed into this narrative surrounding his exit from Oklahoma City and his expectations in Chicago.
On the day of the trade deadline, for instance, Donovan argued that he spent the majority of his storied collegiate career rebuilding rosters. But there is no mechanism in the NCAA that rewards a program for years of suffering by offering an improved shot at top prospects. The two situations aren’t comparable, which makes Donovan’s outlook on the future in Chicago more difficult to discern.
That’s true even for Donovan, who voiced his own uncertainty about the path being charted by Karnišovas.
“I think we’ve got to sit down as an organization, quite honestly — myself, ownership, the front office — and just find the direction and the clarity,” Donovan said before last Thursday’s game against Toronto.
Donovan understands the importance of building a roster the right way. The Bulls failed in their attempt to construct a team around veterans through free agency and trades, briefly showing flashes of promise in the 2021-22 season before crashing back to earth. It makes sense to try a different approach, particularly in the face of high-level draft classes such as the 2026 prospects.
Like many others around the NBA, Donovan pointed to Detroit — a team that went from a 14-68 record in 2024 to the top of the Eastern Conference this year — as an example of how quickly a rebuild designed around top-level draft picks can snap into place.
“The NBA is getting younger,” Donovan said. “There’s a lot of younger people coming in. The speed and the pace of the game has changed. A lot of teams are getting younger.”
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan looks on from the bench in the second half of a game against the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center in Chicago on Dec. 3, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
And it’s not that Donovan doesn’t want to work with young players. The coach cherishes the relationships he built with Bulls draftees over the years. He derives great personal pride in the growth made by players like White and Dosunmu. He remembers how the belief and care of coaches like Rick Pitino changed his life as a young athlete. Providing that same support system to Bulls youngsters like Matas Buzelis still brings Donovan immense joy.
For a coach with a 195-205 record in Chicago, the improvements made by these young players serve as the top highlights for Donovan’s tenure with the Bulls.
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“When I reflect back to see where Coby was when I first got here, to see where he is now and to see where Ayo is and to be part of that and to witness that — I find that very rewarding and fulfilling,” Donovan said. “I do enjoy that.”
But Donovan doesn’t see development as a guarantee. Drafting is just the first step when a team chooses to tear a roster down and build from the ground up. The coach doesn’t believe that players can truly develop without being surrounded by a holistic system that encourages their growth. He emphasized the importance of role clarity, which gives a player specificity in their development needs.
And ultimately, Donovan doesn’t feel the Bulls can successfully rebuild if they don’t identify the right type of player cut out to weather several hard seasons while still improving individually. Without the correct attributes — competitiveness, mindset, IQ, internal drive — Donovan fears a young player could flounder in Chicago.
“The development piece is really a partnership,” Donovan said. “I don’t think Coby and Ayo would have made the steps and the growth and had the development that they had if it was not for the fact that both of those guys were incredibly driven, motivated and total team guys. If you get a young player that doesn’t have that mentality, it’s really, really hard to develop a guy.”
Ultimately, this is a question for the future. Donovan won’t have an answer until the summer. Right now, he only has room in his brain for the present — how to play through a frontcourt with only one healthy center, how to manage a clustered group of increasingly undersized guards, how to still keep Buzelis on track while the season falls apart around him.
But what the coach decides will shape the team’s long-term plans. A rebuild is happening, with or without Donovan. How that manifests will be decided by how much work — and losing — he can stomach over the coming years in Chicago.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/11/billy-donovan-chicago-bulls-rebuild/
“Special Security Reasons”: FAA Abruptly Halts All Flight Operations Above U.S. Border Town El Paso
“Special Security Reasons”: FAA Abruptly Halts All Flight Operations Above U.S. Border Town El Paso
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) late Tuesday, closing the airspace above the U.S. border town of El Paso and a large area of southern New Mexico west of Santa Teresa for 10 days. The notice suspends all commercial, cargo, and general aviation flights in the affected area.
The FAA has issued a NOTAM halting all flight operations at El Paso International Airport (ELP/KELP) for 10 days.
The reason given is “Temporary flight restrictions for special security reasons.” pic.twitter.com/H7NWZ3KnBp
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 11, 2026
The reason for the NOTAM is listed on the FAA website as “Special Security Reasons.” No further explanation was provided, but given that El Paso sits on the U.S. border with Mexico and the Trump administration is targeting drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere, the closure could be tied to a new perceived threat – or impending US military operation.
The NOTAM took effect at 11:30 p.m. Mountain Time Tuesday, and expires at 11:30 p.m. Feb. 20, or next Friday.
The El Paso city government issued an advisory earlier that read, “The FAA, on short notice, issued a temporary flight restriction halting all flights to and from El Paso and our neighboring community, Santa Teresa, NM. The restriction prohibits all aircraft operations (including commercial, cargo and general aviation) and is effective from February 10 at 11:30 PM (MST) to February 20 at 11:30PM (MST).”
Local newspaper El Paso Matters points out:
Closing off airspace over a major U.S. city is a rare action, and officials with the Federal Aviation Administration didn’t immediately respond to questions from El Paso Matters on the reasons for the action.
A person familiar with the notices, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, said the action to close airspace over a major U.S. city for security reasons over an extended period hasn’t happened since immediately after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Our assessment is that this unusually broad NOTAM over the border town reflects a time-bound, high-issue security concern rather than routine airspace management. It comes as the Trump administration repostures the military to secure the Western Hemisphere, including the early January capture of Nicolas Maduro and ongoing kinetic strikes against suspected narco trafficking vessels.
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Wed, 02/11/2026 – 06:55
