Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson has dropped out of the race following the fatal stabbing of his 22-year-old daughter, Hallie Marie Tobler.
Tobler was discovered in her locked apartment on Saturday by St. Cloud Police officers who were responding to a medical emergency at the residence, Just the News reported.
Police said her husband, 23-year-old Dylan Michale Tobler, was found alive at the apartment with what appeared to be self-inflicted stab wounds, according to the report. Police are treating him as the suspect in his wife’s homicide. He is in police custody and in stable condition at St. Cloud Hospital and will be transported to jail upon recovery.
The Minnesota Republican Party released a statement on Monday offering condolences to Johnson’s family.
“There are no words that can adequately express the sorrow we feel for Jeff and his family,” the statement reads. “The loss of a child is unimaginable, and our thoughts and prayers are with them as they grieve this devastating tragedy.”
“Out of respect for his family and the enormity of this loss, Jeff has suspended his campaign for Governor of Minnesota,” the party announced. “We ask all Minnesotans to join us in lifting up the Johnson family during this incredibly painful time.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who is running for the governor’s seat, also expressed her condolences in a post on X.
“My condolences to Jeff Johnson and his entire family for the loss of their daughter on Saturday night. [My husband] and I are praying for all those who loved her during this unimaginably difficult time,” she said.
Minnesota state Rep. Kristin Robbins, who was running against Johnson in the Republican primary, said she is “heartbroken for Jeff & his family over this horrifying tragedy.”
“I can’t imagine their grief. Please join Brent & me in praying for Jeff & his family. May God be their refuge & strength in the days ahead,” she said.
LeBron James’ latest absence for the Los Angeles Lakers ended a 21-year streak that might not be rivaled in NBA history.
James has officially hit 18 missed games this season, as he sits out Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs. As a result, James won’t be able to hit the 65-game minimum needed to be considered for league awards, as per the collective bargaining agreement.
So, for the first time since 2004, James won’t be on the All-NBA teams.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, on Feb. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
What didn’t help James’ case was missing the first 14 games of the 2025-26 season due to sciatica. Given James is 41 years old, there was always going to be load management absences, especially on back-to-backs.
That is the case in this Tuesday night matchup, as the Lakers are on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the league-best Oklahoma City Thunder, 119-110, on Monday night in Los Angeles.
LAKERS’ LEBRON JAMES SHRUGS OFF REPORTERD TENSION WITH JEANIE BUSS:’IT DON’T BOTHER ME’
James’ injury designation is currently left foot arthritis, and head coach JJ Redick is also dealing with Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart all ruled out, forcing him to get creative with his lineup in this game.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dunks during the second half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
But in the grand scheme of NBA history, James’ streak of 21 years making an All-NBA team straight is the definition of unprecedented. He also the all-time leader in first-team All-NBA selections with 13 — two ahead of Karl Malone and the late Kobe Bryant.
Bryant was a part of the first-team All-NBA squad that James missed during his rookie season in 2003-04. Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal and Jason Kidd filled out the rest of that group.
But after his first NBA season, where he was named Rookie of the Year after averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.6 steals over 79 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
From there, James made second-team All-NBA the next season and didn’t stop landing on one of the three teams until this season.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
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It’s Year 23 for James, who is still averaging 21.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game across 35 contests for the Lakers, who are 32-20 this season, good for fifth in the Western Conference.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
Social media users have been warned they risk breaking the law by promoting weight-loss jabs, after posts by members of the public endorsing the injections were banned by the advertising regulator for the first time.
The Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook posts used discount codes and referral links to advertise the drugs for the online pharmacies Voy, Zava, MedExpress and the online prescribing service UK Meds Direct, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said.
Weight-loss injections are a prescription-only medicine and cannot be advertised to the public.
The ASA said this meant Britons may be promoting weight-loss medicines to friends, family, and social media followers without realising they could be breaking the rules.
The posts promoted the medicines by naming them directly, using hashtags, showing images of injection pens, encouraging followers to start their own weight-loss journey and offering discounts or incentives.
ASA investigations manager Catherine Drewett said the rulings “send a clear message that affiliate marketing is not a loophole and that promoting prescription medicines through social media, whether as a brand, influencer or customer, is against the law and our rules”.
Voy and Zava responded by saying the posts were shared independently by customers.
Image: Weight-loss jabs have been used by people in the public eye. Pic: PA
Children exposed to ‘extreme’ products
The rulings came as Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza warned children were being routinely exposed online to products that claimed to change their bodies and appearance.
Some 78% of children said the ads had a negative impact on their self-esteem, with 41% of 13 to 17-year-olds seeing promotions for prescription-only weight loss drugs, according to her new report.
The report, “A healthy influence? Children’s exposure to appearance-changing products online”, also found 54% of children had seen exercise and diet plans and 52% had seen ads for food and drink products for weight loss.
Many had also seen ads for skin lightening products, including 46% of black children and 35% of Asian children. Many of these products are illegal in the UK because they contain toxic ingredients.
Dame Rachel is calling for an end to all advertising to children on social media by amending the Online Safety Act and changing Ofcom’s Children’s Code of Practice to explicitly protect children from body stigma content.
She has also proposed strengthening the regulation of online sales of age-restricted products.
“Extreme and potentially dangerous appearance-changing products are being normalised to children through advertising, influencer culture and online posts, despite many of these products being unsafe, illegal or strictly age-restricted,” she said.
Image: Dame Rachel de Souza has called for stronger action to protect children. Pic: PA
Read more from Sky News: Instagram and YouTube ‘engineer addiction’ Teenager sentenced for murder of 12-year-old
More than half of girls at 56% had also seen ads for cosmetic procedures such as fillers and Botox despite the treatments being illegal for under-18s, and 66% of children had seen teeth whitening products.
Some 8% of children had bought or tried non-prescription pills that claimed to aid weight loss, and 21% of children had bought or tried food or drink marketed for weight loss.
The study found black children were more likely to try these products, exercise, and diet plans than white children.
Some children reported harmful reactions after buying or trying appearance-changing products online, such as infections from eyelash products containing unknown chemicals.
The report follows survey findings by the commissioner in 2024 that found just 40% of girls and 60% of boys were happy with how they look.
Jeffrey Epstein had power and influence because he had money.
It attracted wealth and those who also sought it. His fortune enabled the crimes he committed. Its role cannot be underestimated.
The frenzied fallout from his death leaves a trail of questions over how he came by his money.
Epstein files: See the latest revelations
Epstein‘s empire once included the largest residential property in Manhattan, two sun-soaked islands and three planes.
But were they the product of pure financial acumen or were there also more sinister elements; blackmail disguised as financial expertise and a free rein to ensnare people of interest to the security services?
Here’s what we do know.
How much was Epstein worth?
A document, signed by the convicted paedophile just two days before his suicide in 2019, suggests his estate was worth in the region of $580m (£475m at that time) before the payment of any taxes and liabilities.
The 1953 Trust – likely named in reference to the year of his birth – was a trust fund that allowed the identities of his beneficiaries to be hidden, as opposed to a simple will.
The final version was released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ), with some redactions, for the first time last week and showed more than 40 people were set to inherit millions of dollars each, including Ghislaine Maxwell ($10m).
Image: Undated photo issued by US Department of Justice of Ghislaine Maxwell with Jeffrey Epstein: Pic: DoJ
Where it all began
To understand the end, we have to explore the beginning.
New York-born Epstein was considered a maths genius but never graduated, despite attending university.
He left education for education – to teach teenage boys and girls, without qualifications, at a private school that was attended by children of many of New York’s elite.
After being fired – apparently for lacking teaching skills – Epstein was given a job at the investment banking giant Bear Stearns by its soon-to-be chief executive Alan “Ace” Greenberg, who had children at the school.
It marked his first big break – one that would underpin his financial status for years to come.
Epstein worked his way up over five years but left Bear Stearns in 1981 over a trading violation for which the company fined him $2,500 – worth almost $9,000 (£6,597) in today’s money.
He told regulators at the time he was latterly earning over $200,000 per year – around $710,000 (£520,501) now – in total compensation from Bear Stearns for his work as an adviser and limited partner.
He may have left the bank, but that was not the end of his relations with the company that became the first domino to fall in the financial crisis 27 years later.
Image: Alan Greenberg, seen here in 1998, was credited with giving Epstein his big career break. He died in 2014. Pic: AP
The big bucks
It is from here that Epstein’s obsession with privacy starts to cloud his earnings.
His business interests from 1981 onwards lacked transparency as they were not listed entities, though lawsuits and some filings have revealed limited data on performance.
He started his own firm which specialised in recovering money for individuals and, reportedly, a number of foreign governments, and was also hired as a “consultant” in 1987 at the then Towers Financial Corporation.
He left in 1989, four years before it was exposed as a Ponzi scheme. He earned $25,000 per month for his role at Towers and was never charged over the $450m fraud.
J Epstein & Company, founded in 1988, was where the big bucks started to appear.
This entity became Financial Trust Company after Epstein based his financial operations in the US Virgin Islands – a tax haven.
He also started, in 2011, Southern Trust Company which latterly became his main source of income.
Image: Little St James Island, one of the properties of financier Jeffrey Epstein
How much did he rake in, and how did he do it?
The extent to which the revenue he generated – largely tax-free – from his clients and from investments was legitimate, is one of the big questions hanging over Epstein’s activities.
He certainly evaded regulations covering financial advisers, lawyers, and accountants globally by painting himself as a consultant.
A review by Forbes showed that two individuals accounted for the bulk of the fees that Epstein’s vehicles attracted.
First, J Epstein & Co managed the financial affairs of the US billionaire Les Wexner – the long-time boss of Victoria’s Secret.
He was found to have paid Epstein $200m until they parted ways in 2007.
Leon Black, the co-founder of private equity firm Apollo Global Management, is believed to have handed over $170m to the entities from 2012 to 2017. He said in a letter to Apollo investors in 2020 that “I deeply regret having had any involvement with him”, adding that their relationship was confined to “estate planning, tax and philanthropic endeavours”.
Mr Wexner has previously said he cut ties with Epstein in 2007 and also denied knowledge of his sexual abuse.
In all, Forbes said, Epstein took at least $360m in dividends from his companies between 1999 and 2018 and saved himself $300m in tax due to the US Virgin Islands jurisdiction.
US prosecutors have suggested, according to the Financial Times, that Mr Wexner received a $100m payment from Epstein in 2008.
It related to claims by the lingerie tycoon that hundreds of millions of dollars were stolen from him while Epstein had power of attorney over his personal financial affairs. It included allegations of improper property purchases, the FT said citing US Department of Justice documents, that saw Epstein buy real estate from Mr Wexner’s portfolio at a discount.
The repayment sum was said to have been divulged to the authorities as Mr Wexner’s legal team sought to assist their enquiries before Epstein’s death in 2019.
How did the King handle the Epstein scandal?
The financial crisis
Epstein suffered big losses in the wake of the financial crash later in 2008.
Financial Trust was an investor in a Bear Stearns fund that collapsed along with the bank in March of that year – the first major casualty of the crisis.
The company recorded net losses of $166m between 2008 and 2010 – losses that gave rise to his new venture Southern Trust.
It was also widely reported that Epstein lost money through an exposure to mortgage-backed securities at a Bermuda-based company where he previously served as chairman.
The Epstein files: Why all the redactions?
What about other income sources?
Epstein oversaw Liquid Funding Ltd for eight years until 2007.
Months before his death, a report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) highlighted evidence that Epstein’s wealth was being “cloaked” through a series of offshore shell companies based in tax havens.
The ICIJ, citing papers seen by its partners McClatchy and the Miami Herald, reported that Bear Stearns was among Liquid Funding’s owners and its interests were in financial products that became synonymous with the 2008 crash.
Epstein given ‘market sensitive info’
Were his interests legitimate?
Epstein clearly made money through various vehicles, investments, and tax avoidance. They may have been legal but a facade too.
Files released by the Department of Justice only add to the suspicions that the lining of Epstein’s pockets was facilitated by the blackmail of wealthy individuals, potentially through covert filming of sexual activities at his properties.
The “victims” could save themselves some tax in return for more business. It’s a theory that has gathered traction as journalists continue to flick through the vast document dump.
It is important to point out that the business relationships highlighted do not suggest any wrongdoing on the part of those identified.
‘The devil’ video and bank payments in new Epstein files
And the sex-trafficking operations?
JPMorgan – the US investment bank that retained Epstein as a client between 1998 and 2013 and paid for that relationship through a series of later settlements – flagged more than $1bn of suspicious transactions linked to Epstein soon after his death.
Financial journalists have spent years trying to get to the truth behind Epstein’s fortune.
You can see, from his story, he was a master of manipulation from the off.
But it would not be surprising if there is more money to be found, once his estate has been exhausted through legal costs, compensation, and victim settlements.
It is tempting to treat the fallout between Brooklyn Beckham and his A-list parents as mere celebrity gossip. But this story has struck a chord with many families because it disrupts a comforting assumption: that strong bonds, shared history and success protect families from fracture.
The breakdown of even highly visible, seemingly close families raises an uncomfortable question. Why do family relationships, often our longest lasting and most emotionally charged connections, sometimes become so strained that contact is reduced or cut off entirely?
Answering that requires a look at the relational dynamics that shape many families. Family rupture is not an anomaly confined to extreme circumstances or public families under scrutiny. It is part of everyday life for many people.
Large population surveys suggest that around one in four adults are estranged from at least one family member at any given point in time. This may involve a parent, sibling, child or other close relative.
When research focuses specifically on parent–child relationships, roughly one in ten adults report estrangement from a parent or child, with some differences between mothers and fathers. Across studies, estrangement from parents tends to begin in early adulthood, often during the early to mid-20s.
Conflict with family members can often feel more painful and enduring than other relationship breakdowns. The reason why has to do with identity and belonging. From early childhood, family relationships shape how we understand ourselves. In Brooklyn Beckham’s case, his public statements hint at this tension.
Growing up in a highly visible family meant that, for him, roles, expectations and identities were formed under constant public scrutiny. As adulthood brings new partnerships and a desire for autonomy, those early roles can become harder to inhabit, particularly when private family dynamics are played out in public.
Roles, expectations and emotional patterns become deeply embedded over time. When conflict emerges, it rarely challenges behaviour alone. It threatens how we see ourselves in relation to people who have known us longest.
When conflict becomes estrangement
Conflict escalation often follows predictable psychological patterns. Minor disagreements take on symbolic meaning. Old grievances resurface. People move from addressing an issue to defending their identity, values or sense of worth. Once this shift occurs, emotional responses intensify, positions harden and resolution becomes much harder to achieve.
Estrangement, then, is rarely about a single argument. It reflects accumulated disconnection, unmet expectations and unresolved emotional histories that have built up over years.
Research in psychology and family studies consistently highlights a few recurring and interacting dynamics. Over time, people can find themselves locked into family roles that no longer fit, particularly if they feel persistently misunderstood or undervalued. What once felt like shared history can begin to feel restrictive rather than supportive.
At the same time, criticism or dismissal within families is often experienced as an attack on core self-beliefs, not simply a disagreement. When repeated attempts to explain or resolve these tensions fail, many people turn to avoidance or emotional distance as a form of self-protection. Silence, while painful, can feel safer than continued conflict.
None of these dynamics are unique to celebrity families. Seeing them play out publicly simply makes visible what many families manage quietly behind closed doors.
How to cope
Popular advice about family conflict tends to emphasise openness and communication. While well-intentioned, suggestions to “just talk it out” often fail because they ignore emotional safety, timing and boundaries. Conversations entered without shared readiness or clear intent can easily reopen old wounds.
Psychological research points to more realistic approaches.
1. Separate repair from reconciliation
Repair may involve greater understanding or boundary setting rather than restoring closeness. Reconciliation is not always possible or healthy.
2. Manage expectations
Accepting that some conflicts reflect fundamental value differences rather than misunderstandings can reduce guilt and self-blame.
Brooklyn and his siblings have been in the spotlight since their birth. Mark Pain/Alamy
Estrangement is also rarely static. Many relationships fluctuate over time. Some reconnect after years or decades, while others remain distant but emotionally resolved.
Family rifts feel particularly unsettling because they collide with powerful cultural myths. In many western cultures, family life is still framed through powerful ideals of unconditional love, permanence and harmony. These narratives are reinforced through media, popular psychology and social expectations, leaving little room to acknowledge conflict, distance or estrangement as ordinary parts of relational life. When reality fails to match that ideal, people often carry shame alongside grief.
Recognising how common family estrangement is, and understanding the psychological dynamics behind it, helps shift the conversation away from blame. It allows space for compassion, boundaries and healthier coping.
The Beckhams’ situation serves as a reminder of something deeply ordinary. Families are complex systems shaped by history, identity and meaning. Sometimes that complexity holds. Sometimes it fractures. And when it does, the experience is painful, but far from unique.
The DWP has outlined five key points on Personal Independence Payment including eligibility criteria, how to apply, and the assessment process
Linda Howard Money and Consumer Writer
21:00, 10 Feb 2026
There are five things to know before making a PIP claim(Image: Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images)
The Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) has produced a series of four videos about Personal Independence Payment ( PIP ). They are designed to help people understand what the benefit entails, who it’s intended for, how to apply, and the assessment process. These YouTube videos are accompanied by an online document outlining five key points everyone should know about PIP.
Recent statistics from the DWP reveal that as of the end of October, nearly 3.9 million people in England and Wales were claiming PIP. Comparable data shows that nearly half a million people are now claiming the Adult Disability Payment (ADP), which replaced PIP for people in Scotland.
The DWP’s YouTube videos direct viewers to the dedicated PIP pages on GOV.UK, where more comprehensive information is available, including the process for people nearing the end of life. Viewers of the videos on the official DWP YouTube channel are encouraged to visit the website to ensure they have all the necessary information about PIP eligibility before submitting a new claim, according to the Daily Record.
The DWP has outlined five key points for anyone considering making a PIP claim. These include:
Entitlement to PIP is not based on an individual’s health condition or disability alone but on how much a long-term health condition or disability impacts an individual’s daily life or mobility.
To qualify for PIP, the impacts of a health condition or disability must have been present for three months and be expected to last at least another nine months.
PIP claimants will undergo a functional assessment of how their health condition or disability affects 12 key everyday activities, which are fundamental to living an independent life.
If an individual can manage the PIP daily living and mobility activities safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period, without being supported by someone or using equipment, it is unlikely they will get PIP.
When applying for PIP, individuals should provide any relevant information they already have about how their health condition affects them. This may mean that a health professional can assess the claim using this information without a face-to-face or virtual consultation, and that a decision can be made more quickly. DWP says people should not request new documents for their application as these can incur a fee, for example, from GPs.
Nancy Guthrie’s family has said they do not recognize the terrifying masked figure caught on camera outside her home as investigators started combing through bushes near her daughter Annie’s home.
Federal officers finally released doorbell camera footage from the home of Today show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother on Tuesday, after ten days without any leads into the 84-year-old’s disappearance.
The images show an armed figure clad in a ski mask and carrying a backpack, wearing black latex gloves. The suspect can also be seen tampering with the mother-of-three’s Nest doorbell camera.
In the footage, the suspect rips the camera from its holder on the door frame. The device was missing by the time sheriff’s deputies arrived that morning.
The individual also attempts to cover the lens with a clenched fist, then searches the area around the door before ripping a bunch of flowers from the entranceway and waving them at the camera.
Nancy’s three children have since said they do not recognize the suspect in the video and are pleading with the public for help catching the kidnapper, NBC News reports.
‘We believe she is still alive,’ Today Show host Savannah Guthrie wrote as she shared the images to Instagram. ‘Bring her home.’
Just hours after the disturbing footage was released, officers were seen going door-to-door in the neighborhood around Annie Guthrie and her husband Tommaso Cioni’s home, also asking nearby businesses for surveillance footage.
Nancy Guthrie’s family has said they do not recognize the masked man who was seen tampering with her Nest doorbell camera the night of her disappearance. The 84 year old is the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie
A masked figure was seen on Nancy Guthrie’s doorstep in the early hours of February 1
The individual stares right into the lens while holding some plants ripped from outside the Arizona home, seemingly to cover the Nest doorbell camera
Other agents were seen searching a junkyard, bushes behind Annie and Tommaso’s home as well as another house at the far end of their street.
Neighbor John Grove even told the Daily Mail that investigators asked to search a dry river bed on his property.
‘The cops wanted to know if they could go through that wash next to my house – I said they could,’ he recounted. ‘I asked if it was related to the kidnapping and they said “We can’t tell you that.”
‘They’re playing their cards close to their chest,’ Grove added.
‘I just hope she didn’t get into any difficulties around here – it’s very harsh terrain,’ he said. ‘We had a guy the other day who just moved here and got lost and died.
‘For someone like her, well, it wouldn’t end well.’
Annie and Tommaso were the last people to see Nany before her disappearance on January 31, after she went to their house for dinner.
Tommaso then dropped her back off at her house at around 9.48pm and her garage door closed at approximately 9.50pm, according to police.
By 1.47am, Nancy’s doorbell camera was disconnected, with the newly released footage showing the suspect ripping the camera from its holder on the door frame.
Officers from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department searched through desert land as the investigation into Nancy’s disappearance continued
Officers were seen surveilling the land and speaking to Annie’s neighbors
Investigators are pictured going through Annie Guthrie’s neighborhood
Another video released by officials showed the individual attempting to cover the lens with a clenched fist, then searching the area around the door, ripping a bunch of flowers from the entranceway, and waving them at the camera.
Another clip shared by the FBI showed the individual hunched over as they made their first approach to the door, bowing their head.
The terrifying footage was finally recovered on Tuesday after FBI agents and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted a deep dive into Nest’s backend systems, as Nancy did not have a Nest subscription – which would have automatically uploaded the images and saved them to a cloud storage platform.
Savannah Guthrie has since shared the haunting stills on Instagram, saying: ‘We believe she is still alive. Bring her home.’
Nancy was reported missing after failing to attend a virtual church service with friends, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
Since then, law enforcement has continued to comb over the home, which sits on a large lot on a street with no lights, while Guthrie and her two siblings, Annie and Camron, plead for help in finding their mother.
The figure raises their fist while wearing latex gloves, with apparent facial hair also visible, moments before the individual apparently removed the camera
Moments before the individual apparently removes the camera outside Nancy’s home
Annie and Tomaso have said they realized Nancy was missing around 11.10am last Sunday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office said.
They reported her disappearance to police at 12.15pm. Her phone, wallet, vital daily medications and car were still at her Catalina Foothills home.
Cioni said he saw his mother-in-law enter her home through the garage before driving off the night before at around 9:45pm MT.
Investigators found drops of blood on Nancy’s front porch that were later confirmed to be hers and that her doorbell camera was disconnected at around 1.45am.
Less than 30 minutes later, her security camera detected movement. Her pacemaker stopped transmitting data to her Apple Watch and phone shortly afterwards, suggesting she had been taken out of the devices’ range.
Nancy requires medication every 24 hours and it is unclear if whoever abducted her has ensured she has access to her medication.
Guthrie and her two siblings, Camron and Annie, in a video they shared online asking for help
A ransom note sent to multiple news outlets last week set an initial deadline of Thursday evening and a final deadline of Monday evening.
The notes are said to have made specific reference to damage to Nancy’s home and the placement of a possession, both details that have not been shared with the public.
It is unclear if those specific pieces of information were accurate.
Guthrie said she and her family were taking the demands seriously but there has been no official update on whether the notes’ contents have been verified and if their senders really are holding Nancy captive.
Efforts to negotiate with the alleged captors also stalled, as a digital wallet referenced in the first letter for a potential transaction remained empty, according to TMZ, which was sent a copy of the note.
Once the payment was made, the alleged kidnappers claimed they would return Nancy to Tucson within 12 hours, the outlet reported.
After Monday’s deadline passed, the FBI said it ‘is not aware of any continued communication between the Guthrie family and suspected kidnappers.’
The bureau is now leading all elements of the investigation in connection with Nancy’s kidnapping, including alleged ransom notes.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (R) talks with then-ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence on February 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Carl Court | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The release of further Epstein files last week triggered a series of events that left U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer fighting for his political life, despite the fact that he never knew the late financier and sex offender.
Starmer is under pressure over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador, despite knowledge of Mandelson’s connections to Epstein. The latest document release by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed more messages between Mandelson and Epstein, including after Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida to a state charge of felony solicitation of prostitution, a case that involved an underage girl.
Starmer, who is facing calls to step down, has apologized to the victims of Epstein for believing Mandelson’s “lies.”
Here’s the latest
Starmer’s Cabinet ministers have sought to rally around him, who has faced growing anger from opposition parties and members of his own party over the decision to appoint Mandelson.
Two resignations in quick succession had ratcheted up the pressure, with Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and communications director, Tim Allan, both stepping down.
Downing Street Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney arrives into Downing Street on October 06, 2025 in London, England.
Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The furor led Anas Sarwar, who leads Starmer’s Labour Party in Scotland, to call on Starmer to resign.
“The distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change,” Sarwar said at a press conference on Monday.
Starmer held a pivotal meeting with Labour members of parliament afterwards, in which he reportedly said he was “not prepared to walk away.”
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office was not immediately available for comment.
Who is Peter Mandelson?
Mandelson has been a key figure for the center-left Labour Party for decades, playing a pivotal role in the so-called “New Labour” movement that saw Tony Blair become prime minister after a landslide election victory in 1997.
Known as a behind-the-scenes fixer and nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness,” Mandelson was a Labour member of parliament from 1992 to 2004 and served in Blair’s cabinet.
He left parliament to become a European Commissioner before returning to Britain in 2008 to work with then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, having been appointed to parliament’s unelected House of Lords.
U.S. President Donald Trump along with Peter Mandelson, then-British Ambassador to the United States, on May 8, 2025 in the White House.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images
After becoming prime minister in July 2024, Starmer appointed Mandelson as ambassador in Washington that December, a role he described at the time as “a great honor.” The appointment was controversial as Mandelson had twice previously resigned — in 1998 and 2001 — over scandals: one about not declaring a loan and another about allegedly influencing a passport application.
Starmer fired Mandelson from the ambassadorship in September, after Downing Street said new information had come to light about the extent of his association with Epstein.
The subsequent release of millions of files from the U.S. Department of Justice last week showed further links between Mandelson and Epstein. They prompted accusations that Mandelson had sent market-sensitive government information to Epstein following the 2008 global financial crisis.
One exchange appeared to show Mandelson giving Epstein advance notice of an impending 500 billion euro bailout for banks in 2010.
In a statement to U.K. broadcaster Sky News last month, Mandelson apologized for remaining friends with Epstein following his 2008 conviction.
“I was not culpable, I was not knowledgeable for what he was doing, and I regret, and will regret to my dying day, the fact that powerless women were not given the protection they were entitled to expect,” he said.
Markets react
U.K. government borrowing costs jumped on Monday, amid growing pressure on Starmer.
By Tuesday, after many Cabinet ministers rallied around the prime minister, yields on U.K. government bonds, known as gilts, were moving lower.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year gilt was 3 basis points lower at 4.496%, while the 30-year gilt yield also fell by 4 basis points to settle at 5.309%.
“Uncertainty over Keir Starmer’s future is unhelpful for U.K. bond markets, particularly since inflation is on track to fall quite sharply in the coming months and the Bank of England appears to be gearing up to cut interest rates as soon as March, with one or two further cuts later in the year,” Charlie Lloyd, head of investments at Shackleton Advisers, said in a Monday note.
Starmer’s resignation would trigger a contest within the Labour Party to replace him as leader, which “would almost certainly lead to short-term volatility in U.K. bond markets and an increase in the cost of borrowing through higher yields,” Lloyd added.
“A prolonged contest could impact the economy if gilt yields traded at a premium to other bond markets for an extended period, not to mention the potential impact on consumer confidence,” he continued.
Who could replace Starmer?
Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Labour party, Angela Rayner, delivers a speech during Labour’s North West Regional Conference at the Titanic Hotel on January 25, 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Ryan Jenkinson | Getty Images News | Getty Images
If Starmer resigned, a leadership contest to replace him would start and involve a series of votes whittling down the candidates. If Starmer refused to resign but a challenger gained enough support to trigger a leadership vote, the prime minister and that challenger would be put to the ballot. Either process could take weeks.
Andy Burnham, the current mayor of Greater Manchester, was recently blocked from standing in a special election that could have seen him return to parliament — paving the way for a potential leadership challenge.
Despite Burnham’s popularity, investors are wary of a pivot away from efforts by Starmer and his finance minister, Rachel Reeves, to shore up the U.K.’s public finances.
Kallum Pickering, chief economist at Peel Hunt, said in a note on Tuesday that Burnham “polls strongly” but “whether his successful regional economic policies translate into successful national policies is an open question — his past snipes that the U.K. is ‘in hock to the bond markets’ have alarmed investors.”
Pickering said the fact that Rayner remained under investigation for her tax affairs “hurts her chances — and risks the narrative of replacing one scandalised PM with another.” But he added: “Her popularity within the party suggests she may be able to consolidate the left with the moderates.”
