El Paso Airspace Closure Mystery, Canadian School Shooting, Bondi Brawls on the Hill: AM Update 2/12

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0:32Good morning, everyone. I'm Mark Halpert, host of NextUp, filling in today for Megyn Kelly. It's Thursday, February 12th, 2026, and this is your AM Update. There's electronic breadcrumbs that would be left. Law enforcement continues searching Nancy and Annie Guthrie's neighborhood in Tucson and stumble on what may be a key piece of evidence. To close airspace for 10 days, I think you would think that something very, very significant is happening in real time. Federal officials reverse an unprecedented airspace closure over El Paso within hours. In an eyebrow-raising move, Canadian authorities identify the suspect in a deadly mass shooting at a school, which follows a familiar pattern.

1:13And Attorney General Pam Bondi goes toe-to-toe with Democratic lawmakers in a heated House Judiciary Committee hearing. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.

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2:05Just text MK to the number 989898 to receive your free info kit on gold. There's no obligation, just useful information. With an A-plus rating from the Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy customers, consider letting Birch Gold help you diversify with gold so you too can have peace of mind regardless of the uncertainty. Text MK to 989898. Law enforcement officials continuing their search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie and finding what might be a key piece of evidence yesterday. Since the release of videos and images recovered from a Nest camera showing a masked individual outside Nancy's door on the night of her disappearance, law enforcement receiving more than 4 ,000 calls.

2:50MK True Crime host Phil Holloway, reporting from Tucson, says much of yesterday's law enforcement activity was focused on searching roadways and foothills just north of Nancy's home. In a possible new breakthrough, investigators discovering a black glove on the roadside about one and a half miles from Nancy's home. Fox News reporting a second black glove was also discovered. The figure captured on Nancy's Nest Cam was wearing what appeared to be a similar pair. Investigators spotted recently going door-to-door in Nancy's daughter's Annie's neighborhood, again as well, about five miles away from Nancy's home.

3:27Holloway spoke to some of Annie's neighbors about what the FBI is asking them about. They are looking for the neighbors to turn over any relevant information from any electronic devices that they may have, But specifically, one of the things that I was told they were looking for was a phone. And apparently, a phone was believed to have been in the possession of the perpetrator, the one seen in the photos and videos at Nancy Guthrie's door. So if that phone were turned on, that phone would have talked, so to speak, with every cell tower between Nancy's home and wherever it went. And in addition, it would have talked to every wireless router.

4:14So there's electronic breadcrumbs that would be left when a phone, if it's turned on, is traveling. And so the FBI presumably would be able to trace the route that that phone would have taken if it were turned on when the perpetrator left Nancy's house. Megan will have much more on this case later today on The Megan Kelly Show. And anyone with information is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips at tips.fbi.gov. A dramatic and mysterious announcement of a 10-day shutdown of airspace over El Paso, Texas, now raising deeper questions about what really happened after it was quickly reversed.

4:56The FAA issuing a notice to airmen or NOTAM Tuesday night blocking flights in the airspace over El Paso and nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico, from yesterday through February 21st, citing, quote, temporary flight restrictions for special security reasons. The sweeping ground stopped disrupting commercial traffic, rewriting medical evacuation flights, and raising rapid alarm among the public. El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson describing it as, quote, a major and unnecessary disruption, one that has not occurred since 9-11. Within hours of issuing the 10-day grand stop, the FAA suddenly lifting the order.

5:34CBS News reporting the closure resulting from a spat between the FAA and the Department of War over drone-related testing. The Pentagon reportedly planning tests of anti-drone military technology near Fort Bliss adjoining the El Paso International Airport, including a high-energy laser. But safety coordination meetings with the FAA were still pending. According to CBS, the Pentagon felt ready to proceed with testing prior to scheduled safety meetings. FAA Administrator Brian Bedford then abruptly closing the airspace without first notifying the White House, the Pentagon, or DHS. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, pointing to the involvement of the cartels, posting to X, quote, The FAA and Department of War acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion.

6:20The threat has been neutralized and there's no danger to commercial travel in the region. The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming. However, CBS reporting at least one object initially believed to be a foreign drone during recent operations turned out to be a party balloon, and it was reportedly shot down. Now, with conflicting explanations emerging, questions mounting about whether this was a real security emergency, a breakdown in coordination, or maybe something else entirely. Former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf tells us cartel drone activity along the border is real and it's extensive.

6:55Yeah, I mean, there's a significant amount of cartel activity when it comes to the use of drones. I mean, thousands and thousands of recorded incursions and others. And usually, you know, an incursion of the U.S. is just very, very briefly because most of their operations are on the Mexican side. Or if they are dropping contraband, you know, they will drop it over the border and then the drone will retreat very, very quickly. This doesn't appear to be the same case. So we'll see what more information comes out. But the use of drones by cartels and limited amount of counter drone authority that the Department of Homeland Security has as well is kind of an ongoing battle.

7:39Despite that threat, Wolf tells us cartel drone activity rarely shuts down airspace, especially at any major airport. Historically, you do not see airspace closures because of drone activity. Usually, if it is, it's because the Department of War is interdicting or there's a significant amount of drones that are coming fairly close to commercial aircraft landing or takeoff paths at a commercial airport. and it's a prolonged incursion of some kind. I mean, normally where you see a lot of these incursions along the border are not in urban areas. Or if they are in urban areas, they're in small urban areas, unlike El Paso.

8:26You know, there are other airports in Del Rio and Brownsville, Rado, that are fairly close to the border. Wolf says the FAA is often cautious, but he has major questions about the initial 10-day shutdown. If there's any type of threat to commercial aviation, they're going to close that airspace. And then they're going to figure out what's going on and then try to open it back up, which is the case, right? I mean, the 10-day closure that FAA originally put out is highly unusual. You know, wherever the president's at, right, for instance, or when there's a Super Bowl or when there's a big event.

8:59But those are limited duration. In most cases, maybe a couple of days. And so to close airspace for 10 days, I think you would think that something very, very significant is happening in real time. And then, of course, the FAA pulls it back and says, OK, it's canceled. I think they probably do need to answer some questions to say, well, why did you jump to 10 days right away? And what was the coordination with the Department of War? And was it exactly what happened? And while some have speculated about unidentified aerial phenomena or UAPs, the new term for UFOs, Wolf dismisses that as unlikely.

9:37I suppose it's possible, but I think what's more logical is that either responding to drone incursions by the cartels, which we know they use, they use drones very liberally, or the fact that, you know, the Department of War was testing some type of technology as well. I think that's more plausible given the location. Coming up, Canadian authorities confirm the gunman who murdered eight in a remote British Columbia town was a young man living as a woman and temper slayer on Capitol Hill. Attorney General Pam Bondi battles Democrats over the Epstein files and pretty much everything else in a lengthy hearing.

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11:35local time on Tuesday, arriving at the scene within two minutes. Authorities finding six of the victims dead at school before discovering the bodies of two more victims at a residence in the remote town, which has just 2 ,400 residents. It remains unclear what time those murders took place. The gunman also injuring 25 people, two with, quote, serious or life-threatening injuries, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP. Dwayne McDonald, a deputy commissioner at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia, saying at a Wednesday press conference that one of the victims previously believed to have died in transport to the hospital actually remains in critical condition.

12:14Commissioner McDonald with more details on the victims. The deceased victims from the school include an adult female educator, three female students, and two male students between the ages of 13 and 17. Two additional victims, an adult female and a male youth, were located deceased in the local residence. The New York Times identifying the victims at the residence as the 18-year-old shooter's 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother. Police finding the suspect dead at the school, which is an enrollment of around 175 students in grades 7 to 12 from a, quote, self-inflicted injury. Authorities now coming under fire for what they did and did not say about the suspect in the aftermath of the shooting.

12:58An initial alert issued about the active shooter at the school Tuesday afternoon describing the suspect as, quote, female in a dress with brown hair. Police Superintendent Ked Floyd later characterizing the shooter in a press briefing as a, quote, gun person, fueling speculation that the shooter may have been identifying as transgender. On Wednesday, RCMP confirming the speculation, identifying the shooter as a resident of Tumblr Ridge, who was born male and began presenting as a girl around the age of 12. At yesterday's press conference, Commissioner McDonald pushing back on claims that authorities were withholding the information about the shooter, instead saying, the department is simply respecting his identity.

13:38We're not hiding it. I will say this. We identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and in social media. I can say that Jesse was born as a biological male, who approximately, the information that I have, approximately six years ago, began to transition to female and identified as female both socially and publicly. Attorney General Pam Bondi on the Hill yesterday, appearing before the House Judiciary Committee for more than five hours in a hearing with more fireworks than a typical Fourth of July. Ranking member Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, starting off the proceedings with this friendly greeting.

14:16I asked the chairman to add a few extra rounds of questions today because we each have five hours of questions, not five minutes, but we're stuck with five minutes. That's clearly insufficient to give voice to America's victims and survivors and to demand answers about all the corruption and cover-ups that we see at DOJ right now. We've got just one round, so we ask you politely but firmly, Madam Attorney General, please do not waste one second of our precious time by evading questions, by changing the subject, or engaging in personal attacks against members of Congress. We saw your performance in the Senate, and we're not going to accept that.

14:54This isn't a game. Democrats focusing largely on the Epstein files, pressing A.G. Bondi on the DOJ's handling of the document rollout, which was supposed to be completed by December 19th under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Trump. Democratic lawmakers frequently invoking the presence of a group of alleged Epstein victims in attendance, berating A.G. Bondi for what they call a lack of accountability for Epstein survivors. To promote justice for the people, you've got to listen to the victims, like the women seated behind you today. You still haven't met with these survivors.

15:31To the survivors in the room, if you are willing, please stand. And if you are willing, please raise your hands if you have still not been able to meet with this Department of Justice. I'm going to ask the victims behind you right now. First, can you please stand up? And then can you please raise your hand If you think after everything you've heard today, you feel that AG, the feds, have your back. Do we have your back? And that's the issue, Madam AG. Attorney General Bondi firing back, accusing Democrats of a glaring double standard, noting that many of the loudest voices regarding the Epstein files were silent on the issue for years.

16:13You all should be apologizing. You sit here and you attack the president and I am not going to have it. I'm not going to put up with it. you know, all they want to do, all the American people need to know this. They are talking about Epstein today. This has been around since the Obama administration. This administration released over 3 million pages of documents, over 3 million. And Donald Trump signed that law to release all of those documents. He is the most transparent president in the nation's history. And none of them, none of them ask Merrick Garland over the last four years, one word about Jeffrey Epstein.

17:01How ironic is that? In a rare moment of agreement, Congressman Eric Swalwell of California, raising concerns about violent threats against him and his family, A.G. Bondi pledging to work with the congressmen and all lawmakers who are dealing with threats. What I want to talk to you next is serious, and I did not expect this would happen, and I'd like your help on it. May through December of 2025, we received messages at my office that said, I hope somebody shoots you and your children and your wife in the head. I would stay indoors as much as possible, and my children, unfortunately, have to do that.

17:33The president can come after me. It's fine. I'm in the arena. So are these folks. But we never expected that the Department of Justice would not seek to prosecute and investigate those who are making threats against us. Congressman, I completely agree with you. I know about several of those personally involving you. I believe one has been charged publicly. None of you should be threatened ever. None of your children should be threatened. And none of your families should be threatened. I'll gladly talk to you after this hearing about your cases, but I can tell you some of them are very active. Appreciate that.

18:13I yield back. And of course, this testy exchange with Congressman Raskin. You can let her filibuster all day long, but not on our watch. Not on our time. No way. And I told you about that, Attorney General, before you started. You don't tell me anything. Yeah, I did tell you because we saw what you did in the Senate. You're a lawyer. Not even a lawyer. Maybe we'll be in order. I mean, I should get back at least 45 seconds. We will give you a few more seconds. I said that already. Well, that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Mark Kalper and host of Next Up on the MK Media Podcast Network. Catch the Megyn Kelly Show today, live on SiriusXM, the Megyn Kelly Channel, 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash Megyn Kelly, and on all your favorite podcast platforms.

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