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Princess Beatrice and Eugenie Grapple With Epstein Scandal; Government to Take Second Look at Ultraprocessed Foods; Search for Nancy Guthrie Stretches Into Third Week; Still No Leading Theory of Motive in Guthrie's Disappearance; True Crime Streamers, Podcasters Covering Nancy Guthrie Disappearance Alongside Traditional Media Outlets. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired February 16, 2026 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: -- relationship. But more and more questions being really, really heaped on the monarchy and what they knew when.

And we have a criminal investigation now into Andrew Mountbatten- Windsor. So, I don't think this story is going away for them anytime soon.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Yeah, it keeps getting even more curious. All right. Max Foster, thank you so much.

A new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Could the DNA on a glove found near Nancy Guthrie's home be the key piece in figuring out who possibly abducted her? That's what investigators are hoping for as they wait for final forensic results.

Plus, bipartisan backlash. The Justice Department sending lawmakers a list of hundreds of prominent people named in the Epstein files, a list that's generating more questions than answers.

And taking a second look at ultra-processed foods. The government may be ready to reconsider the safety of the foods that millions of Americans eat every day.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

We're now in week three of a desperate search for the mother of "Today" show host, Savannah Guthrie. 16 days into this case, officials who believe Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home still appear to not know where she is, who may have taken her, or why the 84-year-old was targeted.

In the last 24 hours, Savannah Guthrie posted a new emotional plea to, quote, "whoever has her or knows where she is."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, HOST OF "TODAY" SHOW, NBC NEWS: It's never too late. And you're not lost or alone. And it is never too late to do the right thing. And we are here. We believe. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN's Josh Campbell is with us now. So Josh, walk us through the latest in the investigation.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, a significant development yesterday, Boris. We learned from the FBI that there have been these search parties out looking for any type of evidence or items that this alleged suspect may have discarded after the abduction of Nancy Guthrie.

We're now learning that investigators, among the various gloves that they recovered, they found one glove that they believe actually visually matches that glove you see there on your screen, which was from the doorbell camera video at the home of Nancy Guthrie. They also had determined that there's some type of DNA that they found on that glove. They sent it off for testing, which is currently underway, to see if they can possibly determine an identity.

There are a few ways they can do that. You can see here on your screen there's this database called CODIS. It's among different databases that authorities will use to determine if that DNA profile already exists within the holdings of law enforcement and the U.S. government. And that could be a rapid way to determine, OK, this is a known criminal that has already been in the system.

We also suspect that authorities would be submitting this DNA for analysis. There's this field called familial genetic DNA mapping that has been used in several high-profile cases, including the case of Bryan Kohberger who, of course, killed four Idaho University students. This could be helpful for authorities because a lot of people these days will use these private companies to check their own lineage.

But even if the suspect himself never used one of these services, if a family member did, because of how similar DNA profiles are, that could potentially be a clue. And then, of course, the final thing is the location where that glove was actually found might also be helpful because if it ends up being the suspect, this could be the biggest clue to date that authorities have on the route of travel after this alleged abduction.

SANCHEZ: Josh, given that we're now in the third week and we've seen all manner of theories emerge out there about what might have happened to Nancy Guthrie, what are you hearing from law enforcement about how they're viewing the case now? Yeah, so many theories and so much speculation. But, you know, this is frustrating. We're hearing from law enforcement officials that there's still no primary theory that they are working with as far as the investigation, the motive, what actually happened. Of course, they're keeping everything on the table. Could this have been some type of burglary gone wrong, a home invasion? Was this someone who wasn't targeting Nancy Guthrie specifically? Or could it, in fact, be related to her relation, obviously, with her high-profile daughter? All of that is on the table right now.

Authorities say that they're continuing to gather as many clues as they can, which is, I think, why we also continue to hear just these really emotional, heart-wrenching pleas from Savannah Guthrie and the family themselves, pleading to this person that if you're out there, we want you to do the right thing.

Of course, they're asking the public as well to help kind of crowdsource this investigation and come forward if they know anything.

SANCHEZ: Josh Campbell, thank you so much for the latest there. To anyone who may have seen something suspicious or potentially knows anything about the whereabouts of Nancy Guthrie, please call the numbers that are on your screen.

[14:05:00]

You can reach the Pima County Sheriff or just call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, the Justice Department is being accused of muddying the waters after it released a list of what it calls, quote, "politically exposed persons" in the Jeffrey Epstein Files.

The DOJ sent more than 300 names to Congress in a six-page letter saying the disclosure complies with requirements outlined in the Epstein Files Transparency Act. CNN's Kara Scannell is here to explain.

So, Kara, why are some lawmakers critical of the release of these names?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, as you said, the DOJ had sent this letter to Congress as they're required to under the law, and in it, they included over 300 names of people that are in the Epstein Files. And as the law requires, they are supposed to identify anyone who is a government official, past or present, and any politically exposed persons, which can be a definition people argue about.

But what some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are saying is that this is really not a helpful exposure of peoples and names because, on the one hand, it includes celebrities who may have been referenced, say, in a news article that is in the files and not necessarily someone who was more engaged with Jeffrey Epstein.

In the words of Ro Khanna, he was the author, co-author of the bill. He said the DOJ is once again purposefully muddying the waters of who was a predator and who was mentioned in an e-mail. He's taking him (ph) there at the lack of distinction in trying to separate who might have been, as the lawmakers have been really focused on, a co- conspirator in this. But the criticism is also coming from the right.

Representative Nancy Mace has been critical saying that there are names that are missing from this list that should be included. She's also critical of DOJ's redactions here, saying that they're relying on certain privileges, such as work product privileges and attorney- client privilege, which is not something that the law allows.

So, every day when there is seemingly some new information that comes out, it is met with a lot of criticism that it is not cohesive enough. Fred?

WHITFIELD: So, you're also learning about a sting operation involving Epstein's butler, a little black book was involved that potentially could have made a huge difference in the initial investigation of the convicted sex offender?

SCANNELL: Yes, as our team continues to go through the three million plus records that have been released, we have discovered this video of a sting operation where a former House Manager for Epstein is meeting with an employee of the FBI.

The House Manager believes he's meeting with someone who's representing Epstein's victims and not the undercover FBI agent. And this man attempts to sell the little black book, that is Epstein's book of contacts, to the FBI official for about $50,000. This man was charged with obstructing the investigation.

This sting took place in 2009. And at his sentencing, a prosecutor had said, if he had come forward with this information when he was first asked for it two years earlier, it could have potentially impacted the deal that Epstein ultimately got. And that deal, of course, was widely criticized because it was a non-prosecution agreement and he was not convicted of sex trafficking at that time. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Kara Scannell, thank you so much.

All right, still to come, Hollywood remembers Academy Award-winning actor, Robert Duvall. We'll look back at his legendary career.

Plus, after video evidence contradicted their version of a shooting, two ICE agents are now under federal investigation.

And later, families in Southern California are being warned about heavy rains that may set off flooding in several areas. We've got the forecast coming up on "CNN News Central."

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[14:13:40]

SANCHEZ: We're following Breaking News on the death of Hollywood legend, Robert Duvall, who's passed away at the age of 95. In a career spanning seven decades, he won a Best Actor Academy Award for his role in "Tender Mercies" and appeared in classics like "The Godfather."

He may be best known, though, for his role in this iconic line in "Apocalypse Now."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. BILL KILGORE, PLAYED BY ROBERT DUVALL, APOCALYPSE NOW: I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Smells like victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We're joined now by entertainment journalist, Brian Balthazar. Brian, great to see you. Talk to us about what impressions you're having about the legacy of Robert Duvall.

BRIAN BALTHAZAR, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Well, you know, I look at that scene right there, which he only had one take to do because of the planes overhead. He heard in his ear that he only had this one shot. And he led most of his scenes with this kind of quiet reserve.

You know, there's an expression in acting that some people chew the scenery, meaning they're trying way too hard to be seen and acting really hard. He was the opposite of that. He just took control of a scene in a room without trying.

And I think that speaks to his legacy. You know, he really led some sort of gravity of films. He made films better. And I think you look at his long resume, more than 80 films over the course of his six or seven decades in this business, and there was a credibility, a strength.

[14:15:00]

He didn't do a lot of comedy. But when he did comedy, he also did that with a bit of subtlety and irony. So, I think this is a loss. Again, you know, we've had quite a year. We've seen some losses. And this is another one. It's sad, but 95 years, and what a career he's left behind.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, an incredible career. And if you could, speak to those roles that aren't as familiar to a lot of folks. Because obviously, we talk about "The Godfather, Apocalypse Now." But he was in so many movies, including "The Judge," just about a decade ago. So he was still acting even later in life.

BALTHAZAR: Right. Well, you know, he was memorable in "The Great Santini, The Apostle." I personally really enjoyed him in the CBS miniseries "Lonesome Dove." You know, he was a cowboy. And one of the reasons he got that role is the original actor, James Garner, who was up for that lead role, couldn't do it.

He said he couldn't handle all that horseback riding. And enter Robert Duvall, who was like, I can handle it, you know, he was riding on a ranch. I think, you know, he had many big roles, but also many small roles that added to the kind of great kind of the luster of a film by having Robert Duvall even in a small role.

And he wasn't afraid of taking small roles because he could command a scene and make them memorable. SANCHEZ: You spoke a moment ago about sort of a passing of a generation of actors. And we were digging to find out more about Robert Duvall in the early years.

And in the beginning of his career, it turns out that he was roommates with Dustin Hoffman, and they both hung out a lot with Gene Hackman who, as you noted --

BALTHAZAR: Dustin Hoffman?

SANCHEZ: -- passed away last year. Can you talk about that era of actors and sort of the passing of so many notable names?

BALTHAZAR: Yeah, I mean, as you said, he shared an apartment with Dustin Hoffman. He was friends and sharing stages and rooms with James Caan, another one. We are, you know -- it's an interesting time in our lives when we see these, like, storied actors that we've kind of grown up with seeing on a screen, and we're losing them, and this is kind of the way life goes.

But it doesn't make it any less poignant and powerful when we suffer a loss like this. You know, we also are seeing movies are changing, and we don't see a lot of -- we're seeing a lot of explosions and not a lot of substance, as we look at the way movies are chosen and commissioned now. It's a lot of flash, a lot of franchises, a lot of sequels.

He was one of those storytellers, those actors that inhabited a lot of different tales. You didn't see him in -- certainly, "The Godfather" had sequels, right? But we don't see him in something that, you know, we're on Part 7, we're seeing him play the same character over and over again. And I think that's also part of what we're mourning. We're mourning the loss of a genre of movies that we just don't see that much anymore.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, Brian Balthazar, great way to put it. Thank you so much for joining us.

BALTHAZAR: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, two ICE officers put on administrative leave after their account of a Minneapolis shooting was challenged by newly uncovered video evidence. We have the latest on this investigation and a closer look at a new discovery in the Nancy Guthrie investigation. These stories and much more coming your way next.

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[14:22:51]

WHITFIELD: All right. The FBI says it is analyzing the DNA found on a glove that agents recovered just a couple miles from Nancy Guthrie's home, a glove that matches the style of the one seen on the suspect who was captured on Guthrie's doorbell camera the night that she vanished. And as the desperate search stretches into now a third week, Guthrie's daughter, Savannah, posted another emotional Instagram video pleading directly to her mom's suspected abductor, saying "It's never too late to do the right thing."

A source familiar with the investigation tells CNN investigators have still not zeroed in on a leading motive for her disappearance and they have yet to identify a primary suspect. Let's discuss now with former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, Lance Leising.

Lance, great to see you. So, this latest video from Savannah Guthrie combines hope that her mom will be returned and is also appealing to the conscience of the apparent kidnapper. How important do you believe this latest appeal is?

LANCE LEISING, FORMER FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: Well, I think it's important for a lot of reasons. I mean, it's heartfelt, right? I mean, it's important for the family to feel like they have a role in this. They feel very helpless at this point. Families of victims of violent crime have that sense of hopelessness throughout the case.

So, just her getting in front of the camera and talking to everybody out there that's trying to help her, that does help. Now, pleading to either the kidnappers or anybody that might have evidence, anybody that might know who is in that surveillance image might identify something from that image that the police haven't identified yet. That's who she's pleading to.

Say, anybody who's on the verge but hasn't yet made the decision to call, that's who she's hoping she can talk emotionally to.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. All right. Now, entering a third week into this search for Guthrie. I mean, what are investigators, in your view, either doubling down on or pulling back from in their strategies?

LEISING: Well, pulling back from, I think, the ransom notes that you saw. Both the ones that were proven to be fraudulent and then the ones where we never had a proof of life or an open line of communication that appear fraudulent.

[14:25:00]

So, I think they're pulling back on those. They're doubling down on the surveillance images that were released last week. Those were a break in the case. Those were direct evidence of the individual that night at the scene. And then, they're following up on any leads that come of that. And there could be a lot.

There's also likely a lot of other evidence, maybe other retrieved video from the camera that was on the roof or maybe some potential interior cameras or other things gleaned from inside the house that we're not aware of. That's what they're doubling down on.

WHITFIELD: An Arizona lawmaker publicly asked YouTubers, influencers, you know, to get out of the Guthrie neighborhood because it's just too much. I spoke with her yesterday. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALMA HERNANDEZ, (D) ARIZONA STATE HOUSE: We have individuals who are calling themselves journalists, who are YouTubers and quite frankly, just really random individuals who are out there with their cameras and live streaming. But I think at the end of the day, what we need to be talking about is the fact that these individuals are actually, like I said, causing more harm than good.

They're trying to find anything at this point to stay relevant and get the clicks on social media, and it's extremely frustrating. And, you know, I felt like I needed to call it out because every single day when I log on to social media and I live here in Tucson, every day I log into social media, it is a random "reporter," if you want to call it that, who's saying, oh, I'm following FBI. I'm on the mission to go and find these individuals that they're serving a warrant on. And I just think that's extremely inappropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So how might all this added attention, the speculation and even misinformation be impacting the work that investigators are doing?

LEISING: It's a double-edged sword. You want the information out there, you want the news out there, you want it in the public eye because you want tips. And historically, probability speaking, it's a tip from the public that's going to break this case wide open. So you want that out there.

But at the same time, the white noise, the conspiracy theories that are created out there, people who are trying to profit from this, so creating facts that really aren't out there, that causes irrelevant tips to come in, distracts investigators from the priority tips. It doesn't help the investigation at all.

And I agree with the lady in the video just now. It's -- as an investigator, it's just it's more than disheartening. It's tragic to see people trying to profit from this.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. All right. Lance Leising, thank you so much.

Still to come, new details about the investigation into two ICE officers. They've been placed on leave after video evidence contradicted their sworn statements about a shooting in Minneapolis.

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