My heart is breaking… and I’ve been wandering around not knowing where I’m supposed to sit
“My heart is breaking… and I’ve been wandering around not knowing where I’m supposed to sit.” That was the very first thing Hoda Kotb said as she returned to the Today desk — while Savannah Guthrie remains in Arizona, waiting for news about her mother. Savannah’s familiar chair sat empty, the studio falling unusually quiet… until Sheinelle Jones softly said, “Because this is family. We’re here.” Hoda glanced toward the vacant seat and admitted, “I keep picturing Savannah sitting right there.” What should have been an ordinary morning broadcast suddenly turned into a moment that left everyone fighting back tears.
Hoda Kotb Returns to the Today Show as Search Continues for Savannah Guthrie’s Missing Mom
Savannah remains in Arizona with her family as the investigation into her missing mother, Nancy Guthrie, continues
NEED TO KNOW
Hoda Kotb returned to the Today show on Friday, Feb. 6
Savannah Guthrie has not appeared on Today the week of Feb. 2, as the investigation into her mother Nancy’s disappearance enters its sixth day
Kotb opened up about the outpouring of love and support for Savannah
Hoda Kotb returned to her Today show family on Friday, Feb. 6, as the investigation into Savannah Guthrie’s missing 84-year-old mother, Nancy, enters its sixth day
“It feels like our family’s here,” said Sheinelle Jones, who has been covering for Savannah while she remains in Arizona with her family.
Kotb, who sat at the anchor desk alongside Jones, Carson Daly and Craig Melvin, noted that she was “happy” to be back with the Today show co-hosts after originally exiting the show in January 2025.
“First of all, I just want to say this whole thing’s breaking my heart and I’m happy to be sitting here with you,” Kotb said of Savannah’s situation. “I’ve been, like, wandering around going, ‘Where do you go?’ ”
“Because we’re your family! We’re here,” Jones said.
“Yeah, and I picture Savannah sitting there,” Kotb noted, nodding to a seat at the table.
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After sharing a segment about the outpouring of support for Savannah and the Guthrie family, Kotb reflected on Savannah’s impact during their own family’s struggles.
“I think there’s this helpless feeling. I mean, we’re all so close to her and we all want to help her,” Kotb said, referencing her own daughter Hope’s medical struggles with type 1 diabetes. “I’m looking at us and I’m thinking, who was first in the hospital room when Hope was sick? Savannah.”
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Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on ‘Today’ show in Oct. 2024. Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage
She also referred to the 2017 deaths of Daly’s parents, saying, “Who hopped on a plane when your parents? Savannah.”
“Who was sitting by Uche?” Kotb said to Jones, referring to the death of Jones’ husband Uche Ojeh, who died of glioblastoma in 2025. To Melvin, Kotb asked, “How about when your brother passed? I mean, she was there.”
Kotb ended the segment with another message of hope, saying, “I was thinking this morning, you know when they say, ‘Love is patient. Love is kind.’ We’ll be patient and put prayers up.”
“It’s just that feeling of helplessness,” Melvin added. “And we’re not helpless because it’s prayer and hope.”
Nancy was first reported missing on Sunday, Feb. 1, after she failed to show up for church. Police believe the mother of three has been abducted and still have no suspects in the case. They are investigating an alleged ransom note sent to the media. FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke said whoever wrote the ransom note set a deadline of 5 p.m. the evening of Feb. 5.
“If a transfer wasn’t made, the second demand was for next Monday,” he said at the press conference attended by PEOPLE on Thursday, Feb. 5. “I’m not going to go beyond that.”
After the deadline on Feb. 5, Savannah’s brother Camron shared a video on Savannah’s social media account. “This is Camron Guthrie. I’m speaking for the Guthrie family. Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,” Camron said. “We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward.”
He continued, “But first we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact.”
The previous day, Savannah, Camron and their sister Annie sent a tearful video plea to their mom’s potential abductor.
“We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us,” Savannah said.
Kotb stepped down from her role at the Today show in January 2025 in order to spend more time with her two daughters, Haley, 9, and Hope, 6. She co-anchored the main hours of Today opposite Savannah from 2017 until her exit.
CHAOS On the Set! House Minority Leader Explodes At CNBC Host After He's Cornered Over Obamacare Subsidies
CHAOS On the Set! House Minority Leader Explodes At CNBC Host After He's Cornered Over Obamacare Subsidies
THE CNBC SHOWDOWN: BECKY QUICK CALLS OUT THE RADICAL DEMOCRAT TRAP
WASHINGTON — The legislative tension surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reached a boiling point on national television this week. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) grew visibly upset during a heated exchange on CNBC.
The confrontation began when host Becky Quick pressed Jeffries on the extension of taxpayer-provided subsidies for "Obamacare." These subsidies, instituted during the Biden era, were designed to sunset on December 1.
Jeffries attempted to deflect responsibility, blaming Republicans for a potential "healthcare crisis." However, Quick was quick to remind him that it was his own party that implemented the provision leading to the current deadline.
"Let’s not go back to what’s done in the past," Quick challenged. "If you want something to get done, you NEED to do something bipartisan." This logical stance appeared to rattle the Minority Leader, who has long resisted GOP-led reforms.
The exchange grew more intense when Quick accused Jeffries of utilizing the subsidies as a political weapon. She suggested that Democrats actually want to see insurance rates go higher to force a political "trap" for the Republican majority.
"I think this is something where you’d like to see the rates go higher and allow Republicans to hang themselves with it," Quick asserted. Jeffries exploded in response, shouting, "That is a ridiculous assertion! Shame on you!"
SPEAKER JOHNSON HITS BACK: THE 60% PREMIUM HIKES AND THE BILLION-DOLLAR BAILOUT
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) wasted no time in reinforcing the GOP’s stance on the healthcare debate. During a press conference, Johnson addressed the subsidies and blamed Democrats for creating a "manufactured crisis."
Johnson pointed out that "Obamacare" was passed without a single Republican vote in 2010. He argued that the policy has cost American taxpayers trillions while causing medical premiums for many families to skyrocket by an estimated 60 percent.
"It is their policies that made that happen," Johnson declared. "Instead of reforming it, the Democrats don’t reform Obamacare. They want to subsidize it. They want to spend more taxpayer dollars to bail out insurance companies."
The Speaker highlighted that the Democrats’ plan focuses on directed subsidies that primarily benefit massive insurance corporations. This, he argued, only causes the underlying costs of healthcare to rise further for the average American.
The GOP majority in the 119th Congress is now working to end this cycle of corporate welfare. Johnson affirmed that Republicans are the ones truly fighting to save healthcare through ideas that reduce costs and increase quality for all.
CLEANING UP THE MESS: GOP PROTECTS MEDICAID WHILE DEMOCRATS PUSH FEAR
While Jeffries and the radical Left push for more spending, the Republican majority has already begun implementing measures to eliminate fraud and waste. This includes a massive effort to clean up the Medicaid enrollment rolls.
"We got millions of ineligible enrollees off the program," Johnson stated. This move has strengthened Medicaid for the people who truly rely on it, including the elderly, the disabled, and young pregnant women in need of care.
The Speaker also dismissed claims that the recent government shutdown was about healthcare. He labeled such assertions as "false claims" intended to incite fear among the public and protect the radical Left’s spending agenda.
"Everybody knows this is about something else," Johnson continued. "It’s about FEAR." He argued that the Democrats are terrified of a government that actually lives within its means and prioritizes the taxpayer over the political elite.
As the debate moves forward, the GOP is focused on a "Make America Healthy Again" mandate. This includes reforming dietary guidelines and metabolic health standards to reduce the need for expensive, subsidized chronic care.
SECURING THE FUTURE: THE RECKONING FOR THE RADICAL HEALTHCARE AGENDA
The explosion on CNBC is a clear sign that the radical Left is losing its grip on the healthcare narrative. Jeffries’ inability to defend the sunsetting subsidies without resorting to personal attacks proves the GOP has the upper hand.
The 53-seat majority in the Senate and the decisive GOP House are now moving toward a unified healthcare plan. This plan will prioritize patient choice, price transparency, and the elimination of corporate insurance bailouts.
President Trump has made it clear that "woke" healthcare policy is coming to an end. From the border to the doctor's office, the administration is restoring the rule of law and the principles of fiscal sanity to the American Republic.
The final verdict on the Hakeem Jeffries meltdown is one of weakness and desperation. As Speaker Johnson and the GOP lead the charge for real reform, the American people can finally look forward to a system that is actually affordable and fair.
