NEW YORK (AP) — Savannah Guthrie made an off-camera appearance Thursday at NBC’s “Today” show studios to thank colleagues for their support since her mother Nancy went missing from her Arizona home a month ago.

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The “Today” show said Guthrie, a longtime co-host of the morning news program, plans to return to the air at some point but “remains focused right now supporting her family and working to help bring Nancy home.”

Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home outside Tucson on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe the 84-year-old was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will.

The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of their mother, but solid information in the case has been hard to come by.

Savannah Guthrie has been a co-anchor of the venerable NBC morning show since 2012. One of her former colleagues, Hoda Kotb, has returned to “Today” to fill in while Guthrie has concentrated on finding her mother.

The St. Thomas women’s basketball team will have a special battle cry this week when it competes in the Summit League Tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota — with “cry” being the operative word.

“Do it for Ruth” will be the mantra as long as the Tommies can stay alive in the tournament, with coach Ruth Sinn having announced that she is retiring after leading the program for 21 years.

St. Thomas women’s basketball coach Ruth Sinn. (St. Thomas Athletics)

“She’s given so much to this program,” senior guard Faith Feuerbach said. “To send her off on a high note just adds a ton of fire to us.”

The Tommies (15-15 overall, 8-8 in the Summit) are the No. 5 seed and open play on Friday afternoon against No. 4 Oral Roberts. They’re looking at the game as just the start of something big.

“It would be awesome to go to the championship and send her off on the biggest note since we became Division I,” sophomore forward Alyssa Sand said. “We believe in each other and know that it’s possible, so we just want to make it happen for her.”

Sinn, a self-described basketball junkie, considers March Madness her “favorite holiday.” She’s prepared to savor being a part of it one last time.

“The beauty of this game is twofold,” Sinn said. “No. 1, the person you become. No. 2 is the impact that (the players) have. As a coach, the person I have become because of this program and because of these young women is insurmountable — (how) I have grown, and the impact.”

St. Thomas athletics honored Sinn prior to the team’s final home game on Feb. 25. She has coached basketball for 45 years, and among those in attendance were players she coached in grade school and high school, along with so many former Tommies.

It was an emotional night for all involved.

“As I told them, I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to be in contact and have a journey with such wonderful people,” Sinn said.

Sand spoke for her teammates and undoubtedly for past Tommies players who she said she’ll remember Sinn for her passion and intensity.

“We feed off that,” Sand said. “It’s just so nice to have a coach who cares that much about you as a player you, as a person. It makes you want to be so much more invested.”

Added Feuerbach: “She inspires us off the court, too. That’s a huge thing. She wants us to be strong, confident women. That’s something I’m thankful for and grateful for.”

The Tommies enter the tournament believing they are playing their best basketball of the season, having won five of their last seven games. The roster is young and inexperienced — Sands is the only returning starter from last season — and the Tommies dealt with the predictable growing pains.

Sinn said the difference between the team now compared to what it was at the start of the season is “night and day.”

The Tommies won five straight from Nov. 30 to Dec. 13 in advance of conference play. The inexperience and unfamiliarity of playing with one another started to become less of an issue.

“At this time of year, Coach says that all our freshmen are sophomores now and all our sophomores are juniors,” Feuerbach said, “because we have been playing basically since June together.

“As a leader, I’m just trying to build them up and encourage them. They all have a ton of skill, a lot of talent, and I know with the right encouragement that it will come out this postseason.”

Sands sees a commitment to being more consistent as the catalyst for the Tommies’ improved play down the stretch.

“Everyone says you want to be playing your best basketball in March,” she said. “So, I think that has sort of been coming through this past month. We trust each other and encourage each other, and I think right now that is the biggest thing you can do.”

The Tommies ended the regular season with a 67-52 loss at Oral Roberts. The Tommies beat the Golden Eagles 71-66 at Anderson Arena on Feb. 11.

“We’re really not worrying about them now, just trying to fix our correctives and getting back to how we played the first game, and how we can use that to motivate us,” Sands said. “They’re fresh in our minds, so I think that is going to help a lot.”

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BEIRUT — Traffic was gridlocked in Lebanon ‘s capital on Thursday as panicked residents tried to flee after Israel’s military issued a notice ordering all of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate, apparently signaling plans for a major bombardment of the area.

The notice for the area known as Dahiyeh advised residents to “save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” and specified which routes residents of different areas could take.

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Since the resurgence of hostilities between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, Israel has struck sites in Beirut’s suburbs and issued a blanket warning for residents south of the Litani River to evacuate their homes, but had not previously issued a blanket evacuation order for areas outside of Beirut’s capital.

After the attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran triggered a new war in the Middle East, Hezbollah launched missiles and drones into Israel on Monday for the first time in over a year, and Israel has retaliated with bombardment of southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The conflict had claimed 102 lives and forced the displacement of more than 83,000 people in Lebanon before Thursday’s evacuation order.

Hadi Kaakour, a resident of Beirut’s southern suburbs who was fleeing said he is not sure that even after leaving he will be safe.

“We don’t put anything past them (Israel), they will strike us no matter where we go,” he said.

Others expressed frustration at Lebanon being pulled into the larger war in the Middle East.

“We got sucked into a mess that we have nothing to do with,” said Yousef Nabulsi, another fleeing resident. “People have been displaced and are now staying on the streets, and this is wrong.”

U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have seen and heard clashes in the area as more Israeli forces have moved across the border, a spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, said Thursday. It was the first confirmation of combat taking place.

“Ground combat was observed west of Kfar Kila,” a village near the border with Israel, overnight, which included “firing of shots,” UNIFIL spokesperson Tilak Pokharel said. In Khiyam, a town about 3 miles from the border, he said peacekeepers saw “air attacks and flares and heard explosions.”

On Tuesday, Israel said it sent additional troops into southern Lebanon. Israeli forces had already been occupying several border points in Lebanon since a November 2024 ceasefire halted the previous Israel-Hezbollah war.

The Lebanese army has pulled back from the border as the Israeli troops moved in, while Hezbollah has issued a series of statements announcing attacks on Israeli troops attempting to advance and published a video showing a tank being struck by a missile. The Israeli army on Wednesday said two of its soldiers were wounded by anti-tank fire in Lebanon.

By Linda Gassenheimer, Tribune News Service

Here’s a simple, foolproof way to cook fish so it stays moist and tender every time. Gently poach the fillets in barely simmering water for just 4 to 5 minutes. The secret is to make sure the water is at a low simmer. Finish it with a light, flavorful sauce topped with briny capers.

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A vibrant corn and tomato side dish comes together in just 5 minutes in the microwave, making this an easy, colorful, and satisfying dinner.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Any type of white fish can be used instead of cod such as mahi mahi, halibut, tilapia.

COUNTDOWN:

Assemble ingredients.

Mix sauce and set aside.

Microwave the corn and tomatoes.

Poach fish.

SHOPPING LIST:

To buy: 12 ounces cod, 1 container reduced fat sour cream, 1 jar reduced-fat mayonnaise, 1 jar Dijon mustard, 1 small jar capers, 1 container frozen corn kernels, 1 container cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch fresh basil.

Staples: olive oil, onion, salt and black peppercorns

Simple Poached Fish with Caper Sauce

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream possible 1 more

2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise possible 1 more

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 teaspoons salt

3/4 pound cod

1 tablespoon capers

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard together in a small bowl and set aside. Fill a medium size saucepan half full of water. Add the salt and bring to a simmer. Place fish in saucepan and simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let the water boil. A meat thermometer should read 130 degrees. Remove the fish from the pan to a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Divide into two portions and place on two dinner plates. Spoon the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle the capers on top of the sauce and serve.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 217 calories (23 percent from fat), 8.1 g fat (2.1 g saturated, 2.0 g monounsaturated), 78 mg cholesterol, 31.4 g protein, 3.3 g carbohydrates, 0.6 g fiber, 395 mg sodium.

Quick Corn and Tomatoes

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

2 cups frozen corn kernels

2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 cup frozen diced onion

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons basil leaves

Place corn and tomatoes in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high 5 minutes. Drain any water that may remain. Mix in the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the basil. Divide in half and serve on the two dinner plates with the fish.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 224 calories (24 percent from fat), 6.0 g fat (0.9 g saturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 6.6 g protein, 42.7 g carbohydrates, 6.5 g fiber, 16 mg sodium.

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