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When Savannah Guthrie made a heart-wrenching plea to the kidnapper of her 84-year-old mother to send “proof of life,” she addressed the possibility of people creating deepfakes.“We live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” she said.Before artificial intelligence tools proliferated making it possible to realistically impersonate someone, in photos, sound and video “proof of life” could simply mean sending a grainy image of a person who’s been abducted.That’s no longer true.“With AI these days you can make videos that appear to be very real. So we can’t just take a video and trust that that’s proof of life because of advancements in AI,” Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said at a news conference Thursday.Hoaxes whether high or low-tech have long challenged law enforcement, especially when it comes to high-profile cases such as Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance last weekend from her home in the Tucson area.As technology has advanced, criminals have grown savvy and used it to their benefit, confusing police and the public and masking their identities. The FBI in December warned that people posing as kidnappers can provide what appears to be a real photo or video of a loved one, along with demands for money.Police have not said that they have received any deepfake images of Guthrie. At least three news organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes that they have given to investigators, who said they are taking them seriously.Investigators said they believe she’s “still out there,” but they have not identified any suspects.Separately, a California man was charged Thursday with sending text messages to the Guthrie family seeking bitcoin after following the case on television. There’s no indication that he’s suspected of having a role in the disappearance, according to a court filing.She appeared in an emotional video on Instagram Wednesday, sitting in between her sister and brother. Her voice cracked as she spoke directly to the kidnapper, saying the family is “ready to talk” and “ready to listen” but also wanted to know that their mother is alive.Images of Nancy Guthrie, publicly shared by family, could be used to create deepfakes, said former FBI agent Katherine Schweit.She said ransom demands over history have evolved from phone calls and handwritten notes to email, texts and other digital tools. A century ago, ransom notes were analog. For example, when the toddler son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped, a piece of paper demanding $50,000 was found on a windowsill.“Investigative techniques accumulate over time,” Schweit said. “There’s never less to do as years go by; there’s more to do. Digital and forensic work is a perfect example. It just adds to the other shoe-leather work we would have done in years past. Nothing can be dismissed. Everything has to be run to ground.”Schweit said directly addressing a kidnapper, like Savannah Guthrie did in her video, is a tactical move.“The goal is to have the family or law enforcement speak directly to the victim and the perpetrator, and ask the perpetrator: What do you need? How can we solve this? Let’s move this forward,” she said.Janke suggested to reporters that the FBI may have had some influence on Guthrie’s decision to release a video message.“We have an expertise when it comes to kidnappings, and when families want advice, consultation, expertise, we will provide that,” he said. “But the ultimate decisions on what they say and how they put that out rests with the family itself.”Barbara Ortutay and Ed White, Associated Press
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President Trump and the Republican party have worked hard over the years to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA), leaving fewer people with access to health insurance. Now, the current administration is launching TrumpRx, a site that offers discounted prices on medications bought out-of-pocket. A note claims that the days of Big-Pharma price gouging are over and that the President has ensured every American gets the lowest prices on prescription medications in the developed world. How does TrumpRx work? TrumpRx currently offers 43 brand name drugs, including weight-loss medication like Ozempic and Wegovy alongside things like Premarin and Cortef. It claims that more options are on the way. Customers can download a coupondisplaying a golden eagleand bring it to participating pharmacies. If it sounds a lot like GoodRx, there’s a reason. The long-standing discount prescription company is a key integration partner for TrumpRx, connecting pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer. Transparent direct-to-consumer prescription pricing helps to ensure millions of Americans have access to the healthcare they deserve, Wendy Barnes, president and CEO of GoodRx, said in a statement. “GoodRx gives manufacturers a proven way to launch discounted cash pricing at scale and extend it directly into TrumpRx. Together, were turning the promise of prescription drug affordability into a reality for millions of Americans. TrumpRx and GoodRx even have similar disclaimers on their respective websites. Is TrumpRx really helping with healthcare affordability? At present, TrumpRx has limited options and in some cases less affordable ones than GoodRx. One Bluesky user noted that GoodRx offers generic versions of medications, allowing for much cheaper options. TrumpRx only carries brand names. Some health experts have openly criticized the effort. TrumpRx is a side show, Sean D. Sullivan, a health economist at the University of Washington, told The New York Times. I consider it not a real, serious effort in service to lowering prescription drug prices for Americans. Fast Company has reached out to GoodRx to ask about whether TrumpRx will offer any unique discounts or generic medications. We will update this post if we hear back.
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Friday is the opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics. But, if youve spent any time on TikTok over the past week, you might have already got a sneak peek at some behind-the-scenes content courtesy of the athletes themselves. In 2024, the International Olympic Committee loosened its rules governing what athletes can capture and share on social media. The shift helped spark viral moments during the Paris Games, when Team USA rugby star Ilona Maher and Norways swimmer Henrik Christiansen, whose chocolate muffin reviews became an unlikely hit, took over TikTok feeds. This year, Olympians have already been posting vlogs of their journeys to the Olympic Village from all over the world. The Team USA ice dancer Emilea Zingas shared a snippet into what makeup she packed for the Olympics, as well as a get-ready-with-me video before her first practice. Dutch speed skater Jutta Leederman, who’s dating American boxer Jake Paul, documented her journey to Milan via private jet. @zingaskolesnik33 Makeup is packed all my extras/other tools and things I packed yesterday:) #roadtomilanocortina2026 #icedance #iceskatingtiktok @Team USA original sound – Emi and Vadym Once inside the Village, room tours have become a major draw. Sleeping arrangements, in particular, have drawn attention in recent years, following the Tokyo and Paris Games, where athletes slept on beds made from reinforced cardboard, reportedly designed to discourage intimacy. This time around, a Team GB athlete revealed that the beds are made from sturdier materials. @nathanpare_ The details everyone wants to know!! Follow along to see the inside scoop of this Winter Olympics. #olympics #winterolympics #roomtour #fyp #teamusa original sound – nathanpare_ If youve ever wondered what Olympians eat in the run up to the games, look no further. South African snowboarder Matt Smith has been rating the food inside the athletes canteen, tucking into Italian staples like lasagna and pizza. The Olympic village gnocchi is my chocolate muffin, American snowboarder Hahna Norman said in a TikTok video of her own. @thesnowbok Couldnt help but start my canteen exploration in the Italian section. #crosscountryskiing #xcskiing #athlete #milanocortina2026 #nordicskiing @Milano Cortina 2026 Get Lucky – Stay Groove Band Olympic hauls are no longer limited to medals. Videos of athletes unboxing sponsored gear are going viral, too. Team USAs kit this year comes from Ralph Lauren, along with additional swag from Skims. Team South Korea ice dancer Hannah Lim modeled a North Face puffer jacket and matching luggage, while Canadian speed skater Brooklyn McDougall shared her Lululemon haul. @brooklyn_mcdougall Come be overstimulated with me thank you @lululemon original sound – brooklyn_mcdougall Between competitions and training sessions, athletes are also documenting how they spend their downtime. Coca-Cola has outfitted a recreational area with foosball tables, air hockey, and gaming systems, which American ice-dancing duo Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik toured for their nearly 36,000 followers. British ice dancer Phebe Bekker filmed herself attending a sound bath meditation session before being interrupted by media obligations. Speed skater Casey Dawson even treated followers to ice ASMR during a practice at the Milan arena. @phebebekker Sound bath class in the Olympic village?! #olympics #milanocortina2026 #olympicvillage #coronacero Carefree Days – Peaceful Reveries In between events, many Olympians are hoping to capitalize on this brief window of hyperattention. The hashtag #winterolympics has already been used in more than 37,000 TikTok posts, while #milancortina2026 has surpassed 900 tagged videos. As the Games get started, even more content will be coming out of the Olympic Village. After all, competing may be the top priority, but posting about it has become a close second.
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