Midday News Check-In: What's Happening Right Now + A Biblical Perspective to Keep You Steady

It's Friday, February 13, 2026, and if you're feeling like the news is coming at you faster than you can process, you're not alone. Let's take a breath together and walk through what's happening right now: with facts first, then a biblical lens to help you stay grounded.

The Facts: What's Happening at Midday

FBI Doubles Reward in Guthrie Case

The FBI has increased the reward to $100,000 for information leading to the safe return of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, who disappeared from her Tucson home on February 3. Law enforcement released surveillance footage showing an armed, masked individual on the property. The search radius has been expanded as investigators pursue multiple leads.

U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate

President Trump is considering military action against Iran's nuclear facilities amid rising tensions between the two nations. Details remain limited, but national security advisors are presenting the president with options as diplomatic efforts appear stalled.

Minneapolis Immigration Operation Concludes

Operation Metro Surge, a week-long immigration enforcement action in the Twin Cities, has concluded. The operation involved approximately 3,000 officers from ICE and Border Patrol and resulted in over 4,000 detentions. The operation drew widespread protests, during which federal agents used tear gas and pepper spray. Three people were shot by federal agents, two fatally. The White House defended the operation as necessary enforcement of immigration law, while local officials and advocacy groups condemned the tactics as excessive and traumatic to communities.

Federal Judge Orders Return of Deported Venezuelans

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of nearly 140 Venezuelan men who were detained and deported to El Salvador. The men were sent to what has been described as a mega prison facility. The judicial order represents one of the most significant legal challenges to the administration's mass deportation campaign to date.

Mexican Aid Arrives in Cuba Amid Humanitarian Crisis

Two Mexican naval vessels carrying 813 tons of humanitarian supplies, including food and powdered milk, have arrived in Havana as the United Nations warns Cuba faces potential humanitarian collapse. The crisis stems from the U.S. administration's oil blockade, which has halted Venezuela's fuel shipments to Cuba and deterred other nations from supplying oil due to threatened tariffs. The fuel shortage has disrupted transportation, healthcare, tourism, and daily life across the island.

The Lens: What Scripture Says When the World Feels Heavy

If you're reading this and feeling overwhelmed, let me speak directly to that heaviness in your chest.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Jesus didn't promise us a news cycle free from tragedy, injustice, or conflict. But He did promise us rest for our souls in the midst of it. That rest doesn't come from ignoring reality or pretending everything is fine. It comes from anchoring ourselves to truth that doesn't shift with headlines.

Here's what I keep coming back to when multiple crises compete for my attention:

God grieves with the grieving. Savannah Guthrie's family is living through unimaginable fear right now. The families separated in Minneapolis are traumatized. Cuban families are struggling to survive. Venezuelans detained far from home are desperate for justice. When we read these stories, we're not reading abstractions: we're reading about image-bearers of God in real pain.

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18)

God doesn't stand at a distance from human suffering. He's near. And that means when we weep for what's happening in the world, we're joining God's own heart.

God calls us to justice and mercy simultaneously. These stories force us into tension: How do we hold both border security concerns and compassion for vulnerable families? How do we care about national sovereignty and humanitarian crisis? How do we pursue justice without cruelty?

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

Justice, kindness, and humility. Not justice without mercy. Not mercy without truth. Not arrogance that assumes we have all the answers. The biblical posture is both/and, not either/or.

God doesn't panic, and neither should we. The geopolitical chess game between the U.S. and Iran feels scary. Military action carries enormous consequences. But even when nations rage, God remains sovereign.

"Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision." (Psalm 2:1, 4)

That's not a call to apathy. It's a reminder that no human power operates outside God's ultimate authority. We can pray for wisdom, restraint, and peace without spiraling into catastrophic thinking.

The Response: What We Can Do Right Now

So what does a Christ-centered response look like at midday on a heavy news day?

1. Pray specifically.

Don't just say "I'll pray" and move on. Actually pray. Right now. Pray for Nancy Guthrie's safety and her family's strength. Pray for wisdom for leaders making military decisions. Pray for immigrant families terrified in Minneapolis. Pray for Venezuelan men detained unjustly. Pray for Cuba's most vulnerable populations facing hunger and fuel shortages. Pray for federal agents, local officials, and activists: that God would give each person wisdom and compassion.

2. Resist tribal reflexes.

If your immediate reaction to any of these stories is to defend "your side" before considering the human cost, pause. Ask yourself: Am I responding with the mind of Christ, or with political loyalty? There's a difference between having convictions and having contempt. We can believe in border security without celebrating family separations. We can support humanitarian aid without endorsing every policy decision. Complexity isn't weakness. It's wisdom.

3. Limit your news intake intentionally.

If you've been scrolling for 30 minutes and your anxiety is climbing, that's your body telling you something. Set a timer. Check updates once or twice today, then step away. You don't have to carry the emotional weight of every developing story in real time. That's not faithfulness. That's burnout.

4. Check on someone you know who's struggling.

Stories like these trigger pain for people who've lost loved ones, experienced trauma, or fled violence. If you know someone who might be feeling this news deeply, reach out. Send a text. Make a call. Offer to pray. Presence matters more than you think.

5. Give where you can.

If the Cuba situation moves you, research vetted humanitarian organizations providing aid. If the Guthrie case breaks your heart, share the FBI tip line information responsibly. If immigrant rights matter to you, support legal aid organizations. Faith without works is dead. Put your compassion into action.

6. Hold leaders accountable while praying for them.

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Praying for leaders doesn't mean we don't critique their policies. It means we refuse to dehumanize them while we advocate for justice. Call your representatives. Write letters. Vote. Engage. But do it with the humility that recognizes we're all broken people trying to steward enormous responsibility.

The Invitation: Where to Go From Here

If this news has left you anxious, grieving, or angry, those feelings are valid. Don't stuff them down. Take them to God. He's big enough to handle your questions, your doubts, and your frustration.

But don't stay stuck there. Let Him meet you in the tension. Let Him remind you that He's still writing the story. Let Him anchor you to hope that doesn't depend on headlines.

Need prayers? Text us day or night at 1-901-213-7341.

Follow at LayneMcDonald.com for calm updates as this story develops.

---

Sources: FBI Public Affairs Office, White House Press Briefing, Reuters, Associated Press, United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Office