Shutdown of Homeland Security

seems certain as funding talks stall

WASHINGTON — A shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security appears certain. Lawmakers in the House and Senate were set to leave Washington Thursday for a 10-day break, while negotiations with the White House over Democrats’ demands for new restrictions have stalled.

The White House and Democrats have traded offers in recent days. Democrats have said they want curbs on President Donald Trump’s broad campaign of immigration enforcement.

They’ve demanded better identification for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement officers, a new code of conduct for those agencies and more use of judicial warrants, among their requests.

Search for Nancy Guthrie seeks

nearby and older security videos

TUCSON, Ariz. — Investigators in Arizona want residents near Nancy Guthrie’s home to share surveillance camera footage of suspicious cars or people in the month before the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother.

The 84-year-old has been missing from her Tucson-area home since Feb. 1. Investigators are asking residents in a 2-mile radius around Nancy Guthrie’s home to share videos that could be “important to our investigation.”

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says investigators are analyzing several pieces of evidence, including a pair of gloves.

Canada community grieves over

8 killed in deadliest attack in years

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The families of the victims of the mass shooting in a remote Canadian town are grappling with unrelenting grief as details emerge about those killed in the country’s deadliest mass shooting in years.

Authorities said Thursday that the 18-year-old shooter killed her 39-year-old mother, Jennifer Jacobs, and 11-year-old stepbrother, Emmett Jacobs, in their northern British Columbia home on Tuesday before heading to the nearby Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opening fire, killing five children and a teacher before killing herself.

The motive remains unclear. Among the dead was 12-year-old student Kylie Smith, whose family remembered her as “the light in our family.”

The family of victim Zoey Benoit described her as “the strongest little girl you could meet.”

Judge blocks Pentagon from

punishing Kelly’s call to resist

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has blocked the Pentagon from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former U.S. Navy pilot, for participating in a video that called on troops to resist unlawful orders.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Thursday that Pentagon officials have violated Kelly’s First Amendment free speech rights.

Kelly, who represents Arizona, sued in federal court to block his Jan. 5 censure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

In November, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers appeared on a video in which they urged troops to uphold the Constitution and not to follow unlawful military directives from the Trump administration.

9 detained in Louvre ticket scheme

PARIS — Paris prosecutors say police are detaining nine people in an investigation into a long-running ticket fraud scheme at the Louvre museum.

Prosecutors say the arrests happened on Tuesday. The museum had filed a complaint in December 2024. Investigators found tour guides repeatedly reuse the same tickets for different visitors.

Prosecutors say guides also split groups to avoid a required speaking fee.

Two Louvre employees allegedly helped skipping ticket checks in exchange for cash.

The prosecutors’ office estimates losses top 10 million euros over a decade. Prosecutors also mentioned similar suspicions regarding a ticket fraud at the Palace of Versailles, without providing details.

Taiwan, US reach trade deal on tariffs

WASHINGTON — Taiwan has reached a trade deal with the United States that cuts almost all of its tariff barriers.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said the agreement covers 99% of Taiwan’s tariffs. The U.S. relies on Taiwan for computer chip production. U.S. data shows chip exports from Taiwan help drive a large trade imbalance.

The gap reached nearly $127 billion in the first 11 months of 2025. U.S. officials attended the signing through the American Institute in Taiwan. The deal comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in April.

Associated Press