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By Erica Stapleton and Steve Gorman TUCSON, Arizona, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Popular U.S. morning news anchor Savannah Guthrie posted a video message on Wednesday addressing anyone who might be holding her missing elderly mother, presumed abducted from her Arizona home this week, pleading for them to open a line of communication. "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," the co-host of NBC's "Today" show said in the video message posted to Instagram. The emotional appeal came three days after Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her home at the edge of Tucson by family members in what investigators said they believe was an abduction. It coincided with a two-hour flurry of intense police activity at Nancy Guthrie's home, where yellow crime-scene tape was strung up around the property for the first time this week and investigators were seen coming and going from the house. FBI agents are assisting in the investigation. Savannah Guthrie, 54, who appeared with her brother and sister in the video, said the family had heard media reports of a ransom note but was taking into account the fact that electronic images can be easily manipulated or faked. The elder Guthrie was last seen on January 31 when she was dropped off at her home by relatives after having dinner with them, and she was reported missing the following day. 'HER HEALTH IS FRAGILE' Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said the elder Guthrie had limited mobility and could not have left her home unassisted, and that her disappearance was being treated by investigators as a kidnapping. Among other concerns for Nancy Guthrie's well-being was that her health was dependent on daily medication. "Her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer," Savannah Guthrie said during the four-minute video. The TV journalist, who has been co-anchor of "Today" since 2012, began Wednesday's Instagram message thanking supporters for the outpouring of prayers. "We feel them, and we continue to believe that she feels them too. Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light. She's funny, spunky and clever. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses. She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her and you'll see," she said. In an update on the case issued earlier in the day, the sheriff said investigators had yet to identify any suspect or person of interest in connection with the presumed abduction. A press conference is scheduled for Thursday. Nanos said investigators were aware of reports that some media outlets had received what appeared to be ransom notes, but he did not say whether those were being taken seriously. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had spoken with Savannah Guthrie to let her know that all federal law enforcement would be at the "complete disposal" of the family and local investigators. "We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely," Trump wrote, adding, "GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY!" (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Erica Stapleton and Steve Gorman TUCSON, Arizona, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Popular U.S. morning news anchor Savannah Guthrie posted a video message on Wednesday addressing anyone who might be holding her missing elderly mother, presumed abducted from her Arizona home this week, pleading for them to open a line of communication. "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," the co-host of NBC's "Today" show said in the video message posted to Instagram. The emotional appeal came three days after Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her home at the edge of Tucson by family members in what investigators said they believe was an abduction. It coincided with a two-hour flurry of intense police activity at Nancy Guthrie's home, where yellow crime-scene tape was strung up around the property for the first time this week and investigators were seen coming and going from the house. FBI agents are assisting in the investigation. Savannah Guthrie, 54, who appeared with her brother and sister in the video, said the family had heard media reports of a ransom note but was taking into account the fact that electronic images can be easily manipulated or faked. The elder Guthrie was last seen on January 31 when she was dropped off at her home by relatives after having dinner with them, and she was reported missing the following day. 'HER HEALTH IS FRAGILE' Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said the elder Guthrie had limited mobility and could not have left her home unassisted, and that her disappearance was being treated by investigators as a kidnapping. Among other concerns for Nancy Guthrie's well-being was that her health was dependent on daily medication. "Her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer," Savannah Guthrie said during the four-minute video. The TV journalist, who has been co-anchor of "Today" since 2012, began Wednesday's Instagram message thanking supporters for the outpouring of prayers. "We feel them, and we continue to believe that she feels them too. Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light. She's funny, spunky and clever. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses. She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her and you'll see," she said. In an update on the case issued earlier in the day, the sheriff said investigators had yet to identify any suspect or person of interest in connection with the presumed abduction. A press conference is scheduled for Thursday. Nanos said investigators were aware of reports that some media outlets had received what appeared to be ransom notes, but he did not say whether those were being taken seriously. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had spoken with Savannah Guthrie to let her know that all federal law enforcement would be at the "complete disposal" of the family and local investigators. "We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely," Trump wrote, adding, "GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY!" (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Feb 4 (Reuters) – Popular U.S. morning news anchor Savannah Guthrie posted a video message on Wednesday addressing anyone who might be holding her elderly mother, who vanished from her Arizona home several days ago, pleading for them to open a line of communication. "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," the co-host of NBC's "Today" show said in the video message posted to Instagram. The emotional appeal came three days after Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her home near Tucson by family members in what investigators said they believe was an abduction. Savannah Guthrie, who appeared with her brother and sister in the video, said the family had heard media reports of a ransom note, but said it was an age in which such material can be faked.   The elder Guthrie was last seen on January 31 when she was dropped off at her home by relatives after having dinner with them, and she was reported missing the following afternoon, authorities have said. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said the elder Guthrie had limited mobility and could not have left her home unassisted, and that her disappearance was being treated by investigators as a kidnapping. Among other concerns for Nancy Guthrie's well-being was that her health was dependent on daily medication, according to Nanos. Savannah Guthrie, 54, has been co-anchor of "Today" since 2012. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Feb 4 (Reuters) – Popular U.S. morning news anchor Savannah Guthrie posted a video message on Wednesday addressing anyone who might be holding her elderly mother, who vanished from her Arizona home several days ago, pleading for them to open a line of communication. "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," the co-host of NBC's "Today" show said in the video message posted to Instagram. The emotional appeal came three days after Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her home near Tucson by family members in what investigators said they believe was an abduction. Savannah Guthrie, who appeared with her brother and sister in the video, said the family had heard media reports of a ransom note, but said it was an age in which such material can be faked.   The elder Guthrie was last seen on January 31 when she was dropped off at her home by relatives after having dinner with them, and she was reported missing the following afternoon, authorities have said. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said the elder Guthrie had limited mobility and could not have left her home unassisted, and that her disappearance was being treated by investigators as a kidnapping. Among other concerns for Nancy Guthrie's well-being was that her health was dependent on daily medication, according to Nanos. Savannah Guthrie, 54, has been co-anchor of "Today" since 2012. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Feb 4 (Reuters) – Popular U.S. morning news anchor Savannah Guthrie posted a video message on Wednesday addressing anyone who might be holding her elderly mother, who vanished from her Arizona home several days ago, pleading for them to open a line of communication. "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," the co-host of NBC's "Today" show said in the video message posted to Instagram. The emotional appeal came three days after Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her home near Tucson by family members in what investigators said they believe was an abduction. Savannah Guthrie, who appeared with her brother and sister in the video, said the family had heard media reports of a ransom note, but said it was an age in which such material can be faked.   The elder Guthrie was last seen on January 31 when she was dropped off at her home by relatives after having dinner with them, and she was reported missing the following afternoon, authorities have said. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said the elder Guthrie had limited mobility and could not have left her home unassisted, and that her disappearance was being treated by investigators as a kidnapping. Among other concerns for Nancy Guthrie's well-being was that her health was dependent on daily medication, according to Nanos. Savannah Guthrie, 54, has been co-anchor of "Today" since 2012. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Daniel Trotta Feb 3 (Reuters) – Penny, a 4-year-old Doberman pinscher, won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Tuesday, capturing the most prestigious dog show prize in the United States. Penny cut a majestic stance in the final round of judging, when the finalists of seven groups competed at New York City's Madison Square Garden. The champion of the working group beat more than 3,000 dogs from all 50 states and 17 countries that competed in the 150th annual event. The winners of each of the 202 competing breeds advanced to compete for one of seven group titles, with each group winner moving on to the finals. Penny's handler Andy Linton, who has spoken publicly about his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, also handled the winning Doberman named Indy the last time the breed won Best in Show, in 1989. "We saw a dog that knew that it had to perform for Andy, and I think that's the bond we get," Jason Hoke, the television commentator for Fox Sports, said on the broadcast of the event.  "We saw that with this perfect show the dog put on. The dog was giving it back to Andy because Andy has had his own struggles and that's what dogs do, that unconditional love," Hoke said. Penny was bred by Theresa Connors-Chan and Gregory Chan, two of the co-owners along with Francis Sparagna and Diana Sparagna. Second place, known as Reserve Best in Show, went to Cota, a 5-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever from the sporting group. The other finalists were Zaida, an Afghan hound from the hound group; Cookie, a Maltese from the toy group; JJ, a Lhasa Apso from the non-sporting group; Graham, an old English sheepdog from the herding group; and Wager, a smooth fox terrier from the terrier group. "They always say, 'What a great lineup,' but this is one that will go down in history," Best in Show judge David Fitzpatrick, himself a breeder, owner and handler who has won Best in Show twice, told the crowd before announcing the winner. Judges, looking for each breed's ideal standard, examine the dogs' mouths and place their hands over the animals' bodies, checking for muscle tone before watching the dogs run through their paces.  Dobermans, which have a reputation as police dogs, have now won the top prize five times. The breed was developed for protection in the late 19th century by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, a German tax collector. It was later used in police and military service, notably by the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific theater of World War Two.  (Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Michael Perry)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Lisa Richwine LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Hip-hop group Public Enemy enlisted Olympians to help re-imagine one of its 1990s hits as a tribute to female athletes just as the Milano Cortina Winter Games get underway. The group changed the title and lyrics of "He Got Game," a song written for a 1998 Spike Lee movie of the same name, to "She Got Game," and released the new track on Wednesday. Public Enemy was co-founded by Flavor Flav, a supporter of the Olympics and women's sports. He sponsored the 2024 U.S. women's Olympic water polo team and the U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams that will compete at this month's Milano Cortina Games.  "I dedicate it to all the girls and women who play hard," Flavor Flav said about the song in a post on Instagram. Olympic swimmer Elizabeth Beisel plays strings on the recording, and members of the U.S. Olympic women's water polo team added vocals. Other performers included basketball star and rapper Flau'jae Johnson. The song begins with excerpts from a Gloria Steinem speech. "She Got Game" was released on Wednesday for National Girls and Women's Sports Day. Proceeds will be donated to Women's Sports Foundation and the Black Music Action Coalition Female Fund, Flavor Flav said. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine Editing by Toby Davis)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Dawn Chmielewski and Greg Bensinger LOS ANGELES, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Amazon plans to use artificial intelligence to speed up the process for making movies and TV shows even as Hollywood fears that AI will cut jobs and permanently reshape the industry. At the Amazon MGM Studio, veteran entertainment executive Albert Cheng is leading a team charged with developing new AI tools that he said will cut costs and streamline the creative process. Amazon plans to launch a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to test its AI tools. The company expects to have results to share by May.  Cheng described AI Studio as a "startup" operating under Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's "two pizza team" philosophy — keeping the group small enough to be fed by two pizzas. The team consists primarily of product engineers and scientists, with a smaller creative and business contingent. Amazon is publicly embracing AI in response to spiraling production budgets that limit the number of shows and films companies can finance. The technology will fast-track certain processes to make more movies and TV shows more efficiently. "The cost of creating is so high that it really is hard to make more and it really is hard to take great risk," Cheng said in an interview. "We fundamentally believe that AI can accelerate, but it won't replace, the innovation and the unique aspects that (humans) bring to create the work." The move to adopt artificial intelligence comes as A-list actors like Emily Blunt have expressed fears about the rise of AI — and particularly AI actress Tilly Norwood would make their jobs obsolete. Amazon emphasized writers, directors, actors, and character designers will be involved at every stage of production, using AI as a tool to enhance creativity.  Like many other tech companies, Amazon is also pushing nearly every division to find uses for AI and pointed to the successes of the technology as among the reasons it cut about 30,000 corporate jobs since October, its largest layoff ever. That included a number of job cuts at Prime Video. Cheng said AI could help Prime Video overcome some of the inherent challenges of large scale film and television production. The AI Studio is building tools that bridge what Cheng described as  "the last mile" — perhaps a cheeky reference to Amazon's delivery operation — between existing consumer AI offerings and the granular control directors need for cinematic content. That includes improving character consistency across shots, and integrating with industry-standard creative tools. Amazon is leaning on its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, for help and plans to work with multiple large language model providers to give creators a wider array of options for pre- and post-production filmmaking. Cheng said protecting intellectual property and ensuring AI-created content won't be absorbed into other AI models are essential to making the AI Studio work. The AI Studio is working with producers Robert Stromberg (“Maleficent”) and his company Secret City, Kunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”) and his company Good Karma Productions; and former Pixar and ILM animator Colin Brady, as it explores new tools and how best to implement them. The Studio, which launched last August, points to its hit series, "House of David," as an example of how AI could be used in the future. For the second season of the biblical epic, director Jon Erwin used AI combined with live-action footage to create battle scenes, seamlessly editing the two together to expand the scope of sequences at lower cost. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Greg Bensinger in San FranciscoEditing by Nick Zieminski)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Dawn Chmielewski and Greg Bensinger LOS ANGELES, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Amazon plans to use artificial intelligence to speed up the process for making movies and TV shows even as Hollywood fears that AI will cut jobs and permanently reshape the industry. At the Amazon MGM Studio, veteran entertainment executive Albert Cheng is leading a team charged with developing new AI tools that he said will cut costs and streamline the creative process. Amazon plans to launch a closed beta program in March, inviting industry partners to test its AI tools. The company expects to have results to share by May.  Cheng described AI Studio as a "startup" operating under Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's "two pizza team" philosophy — keeping the group small enough to be fed by two pizzas. The team consists primarily of product engineers and scientists, with a smaller creative and business contingent. Amazon is publicly embracing AI in response to spiraling production budgets that limit the number of shows and films companies can finance. The technology will fast-track certain processes to make more movies and TV shows more efficiently. "The cost of creating is so high that it really is hard to make more and it really is hard to take great risk," Cheng said in an interview. "We fundamentally believe that AI can accelerate, but it won't replace, the innovation and the unique aspects that (humans) bring to create the work." The move to adopt artificial intelligence comes as A-list actors like Emily Blunt have expressed fears about the rise of AI — and particularly AI actress Tilly Norwood would make their jobs obsolete. Amazon emphasized writers, directors, actors, and character designers will be involved at every stage of production, using AI as a tool to enhance creativity.  Like many other tech companies, Amazon is also pushing nearly every division to find uses for AI and pointed to the successes of the technology as among the reasons it cut about 30,000 corporate jobs since October, its largest layoff ever. That included a number of job cuts at Prime Video. Cheng said AI could help Prime Video overcome some of the inherent challenges of large scale film and television production. The AI Studio is building tools that bridge what Cheng described as  "the last mile" — perhaps a cheeky reference to Amazon's delivery operation — between existing consumer AI offerings and the granular control directors need for cinematic content. That includes improving character consistency across shots, and integrating with industry-standard creative tools. Amazon is leaning on its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, for help and plans to work with multiple large language model providers to give creators a wider array of options for pre- and post-production filmmaking. Cheng said protecting intellectual property and ensuring AI-created content won't be absorbed into other AI models are essential to making the AI Studio work. The AI Studio is working with producers Robert Stromberg (“Maleficent”) and his company Secret City, Kunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”) and his company Good Karma Productions; and former Pixar and ILM animator Colin Brady, as it explores new tools and how best to implement them. The Studio, which launched last August, points to its hit series, "House of David," as an example of how AI could be used in the future. For the second season of the biblical epic, director Jon Erwin used AI combined with live-action footage to create battle scenes, seamlessly editing the two together to expand the scope of sequences at lower cost. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Greg Bensinger in San FranciscoEditing by Nick Zieminski)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)