September 2007 - Posts
(From Stephanie Becker, TODAY Producer)
There's nothing more fundamental to a full day sitting at my Today Show desk for hours than a good solid foundation. It's the undercover work I do before I even log in that gives me the important backing and support I need. I was reminded of this by this morning's story about the history of the brassiere. WATCH VIDEO
I've been thinking about it alot lately because I'm undergoing a bit of restructuring. The earth's gravitational force is having an excessive pull on certain anatomical pairs. My earlobes, nostrils and regrettably, my mammary glands. They're all in cahoots and are in the midst of easing their way down like an old barn.
CONTINUED >>
In case you missed any of the action on allDAY this week, here's a look back:
Bruce Springsteen Specials:
Regular TODAY Coverage:
For those of you who couldn't tune in this morning, a netcast will be available on todayshow.com around 10 a.m.
Here's the setlist...Bruce being Bruce, he threw in unexpected performances of "Night" and "Last to Die" for us:
1. The Promised Land
2. Radio Nowhere
3. Livin' in the Future
4. My Hometown
5. Night
6. Last to Die
7. Long Walk Home
Hope to see some of you on the rest of the tour!
The day is finally here...and we got our first glimpse of Bruce and the band at a soundcheck this morning around 6 a.m. The whole crew was out there, running through the five songs they'll be performing this morning.
Four of the songs will air today, one will air Sunday on Weekend Today.
UPDATE: Soundcheck setlist
1. The Promised Land
2. Radio Nowhere
3. Livin' in the Future
4. My Hometown
5. Long Walk Home
I wanted to share a couple photos I took from the soundcheck to whet your appetites for the performance (after the jump):
CONTINUED >>
What does it take to be a true Bruce fanatic? There are many ways to show your dedication, and a few people are literally proving it all night (pardon the Bruce pun) as I write this. At 4:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, about 20 people were already lined up to get prime spots for Friday's concert on the plaza.
So who is first? Two women from Cleveland, Shelly and Laura, who flew in for Shelly's birthday. They arrived on the plaza at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning, watched the show, and said, "Everybody form a line!" on 48th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues (I promise that will be my last Bruce pun). Here they are:
CONTINUED >>
This morning, Meredith interviewed a very inspirational young woman, 12-year-old Shea Megale. She suffers from a disease called spinal muscular atrophy 2, which causes her muscles to weaken over time.
But she hasn't let the disease slow her down, and she has written a children's book called Marvelous Mercer about her adventures with her companion dog, Mercer. WATCH VIDEO
The story behind the publication of the book is remarkable. One day, Shea's mother, Megan, accidentally discovered a series of stories Shea had written in a diary. Megan recognized Shea's storytelling talent and decided to self-publish the book as a way to bring attention and raise money to fight SMA.
Megan and Shea took the book to the toy fair and pitched the story to an FAO Schwarz representative, and the toymaker embraced the idea. Now, FAO Schwarz is offering an exclusive first edition of the book as well as a plush toy of Mercer.
CONTINUED >>
Set your TIVOs, it's premiere week for most of the major networks! In honor of the beginning of the fall television season, I sat down with Al Roker (weatherman extraordinaire and pop culture aficionado) to get his thoughts on the new shows and some old favorites:
Q: The fall TV season is starting this week, what's the show that you're most excited about watching?
AL: Heroes. When I saw the pilot last year, I remember thinking, there were a lot of shows that everyone was really excited about...and the two that I thought were going to be the best were Heroes and 30 Rock. And I feel vindicated, so I'm looking forward to both those shows coming back.
Q: What about the new shows? What will you be watching?
CONTINUED >>
We're just one day away from Bruce Springsteen's appearance on TODAY, and everyone here is abuzz with anticipation to hear some of his and the E Street Band's new material as well as two classic songs.
With that in mind, I asked some of the TODAY staff's biggest Bruce fans to share their top five songs and favorite Bruce memories. I invite you to scroll through our lists and post yours as well in the comments section below.
Take a look (after the jump):
Mel Evans/AP
Bruce and the band warmed up for the upcoming tour and appearance
on TODAY with the first of two rehearsal shows at the Paramount
Theater in Asbury Park on Monday.
CONTINUED >>
This morning, NBC News correspondent John Larson did a piece discussing who is happier: men or women. According to two studies by professors at Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, the results are in, and it turns out that men are happier than women. WATCH VIDEO
On average, the studies showed, women are unhappy about 90 minutes more per week than men.
According to The New York Times, this is a shift in happiness research since the 1970s, when women said they were slightly happier than men. One of the studies also indicates that since the 1960s, men have cut back on unpleasant activities and now relax more.
CONTINUED >>
What We're Planning For Tomorrow:
Dem Debate
We're watching the Democratic debate tonight out of New Hampshire. Tomorrow we will talk to Tim Russert and we'll have a complete wrap up for you.
Men vs. Women- How Do We Define Sexual Harassment?
Whenever there is a high profile sexual harassment case it raises the question on just what classifies as offensive. And it also makes you wonder why in 2007 after human resource sexual harassment classes, people aren't on their best behavior at work. Tomorrow we'll talk to Donny Deutsch and Heidi Sumner about this subject.
Blond Hair Girl
Was that Madeleine? We'll tell you tomorrow what investigators found out about the blond haired child in the picture from Morocco. And we'll hear from Ed Smart and John Walsh about what parents of missing children do when leads come in.
Other Stories Planned:
- Possible Bin Laden Sighting Last Month Leads To Military Operation
- Iranian Reaction to the Reception of Ahmadinejad
- The Mystery of the Missing Boaters
- Who Is Happier? Men or Women?
- Zagat's Airline Survey
We'll keep you posted if anything changes. Otherwise, see you in the morning.
(Want to know more about what we have coming up Tomorrow on Today? Text message TODAY to 46833)
(From Andre Poulin, TODAY Producer)
One of the privileges of living in the Big Apple and working on TODAY is having access to New York City’s spectacular cultural life. As a producer and someone who enjoys the arts, I’ve spent many an extraordinary night attending the best shows on Broadway and world class ballet and opera productions at Lincoln Center. The evening sometimes includes rushing out of the office and sprinting to the theater to catch an 8 o’clock curtain. A post-show dinner sometimes follows at one of the city’s great late night restaurants where friends and I will talk about what we’ve just seen. We don't always agree on a show’s merits. Everyone’s a critic you know! CONTINUED >>
In anticipation of Bruce Springsteen's live concert on the plaza on Friday, Matt and I sat down to talk about the man and his music. Here's our Q&A:
Q: There are a lot of people out there who would love to get the chance to hang out with Bruce Springsteen. You've gotten to do that -- so what's he like?
Matt: He's the real deal. He is a no-frills rock star with no major entourage and none of the trappings of what you usually expect from a rock star.
Lauer interviews Springsteen on "Dateline" in 2002
I interviewed him in Asbury Park a few years ago. He drove himself into the parking lot of the Stone Pony and walked in, totally unassuming. Just a real down-to-earth guy. He's not the kind of guy who is requesting to have only red M&M's in his dressing room.
CONTINUED >>
This morning, fashion designer Marc Ecko -- the guy who bought Barry Bonds's 756th home run ball -- was back to announce the results of his online poll to determine the fate of the ball. WATCH VIDEO
He paid more than $750,000 for the ball and asked people to go to vote756.com to determine what he should do with the ball:
a) Bestow It -- give the ball to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
b) Brand It -- branding the ball with an asterisk before giving it to the Hall of Fame
c) Banish It -- put the ball on a rocket and send it into space
CONTINUED >>
(From Elliott Walker, TODAY Producer)
Danger. Suspense. Brilliant lawyers. These are what John Grisham's many fans expect from his legal thrillers with the similarly punchy titles. THE FIRM. THE CLIENT. THE PELICAN BRIEF. Books that keep you up all night, nervously turning pages, seething at injustice.
Now Grisham is publishing his 20th book and taking a short break from all that tension. "PLAYING FOR PIZZA" is a vacation, based in part on a real trip that Grisham took to Italy a few years ago when he was researching his novel "THE BROKER." He clearly had a great time. Now, in "PLAYING FOR PIZZA," the reader is invited to share in some of his most delicious memories which he discussed with us this morning. WATCH VIDEO
Yes, there's a plot, but it serves mostly to open a window on how lovely life is in La Bella Italia. Our hero, Rick Dockery, is an NFL quarterback who is not very good at his job. After a particularly humiliating episode, he is reduced to playing in one of the least-known outposts of American football: Italy, specifically Parma, Italy, just down the road from Milan. Yes, they play American football there, passionately, if not professionally.
CONTINUED >>
(From Curtis Vogel, TODAY Producer)
By now, you’ve seen the scene played out at least a dozen times in your local newscasts or among the favorite videos at YouTube. A bear is trapped in a tree after venturing too close to a residential neighborhood or suburban strip mall. Animal control officers or wildlife biologists are forced to shoot the bear with a tranquilizer to remove it not only from the tree, but also the urban environment into which it has wandered. WATCH VIDEO
The ensuing drama makes for great television, because the bear inevitably loses consciousness then falls like a rag doll out of the tree and onto the ground. While it is endlessly fascinating to watch these cat-and-mouse scenarios play out instead between people and bears, the spectacle belies what is actually a sad and desperate situation for the bears.
This summer, bears have been showing up in suburban backyards and dumpsters throughout the West in states like Colorado, Idaho and Montana, but the busiest hub of urban bear activity has been in the Biggest Little City in the World – Reno, Nevada. That is where I was sent last week to try to capture some of these bears in action.
It is a well-known axiom in broadcast television that when you decide to do a ride-along for a couple of days with police officers, firefighters, etc. to capture the essence of their daily routine, nothing interesting or newsworthy will happen during your watch. It has happened to me countless times. Maybe it is a sign of how prevalent this bear trend is right now that it only took us about 10 minutes for me and my crew to witness our first urban bear encounter.
CONTINUED >>
Here's What We're Planning for Tomorrow:
Ahmadinejad in America
So what did Iran's president have to say while he was on U.S. soil for his very controversial visit? Andrea Mitchell will have the whole story tomorrow.
Clooney Motorcycle Accident
The hunky movie star fractured a rib and his girlfriend broke her foot Friday after a motorcycling accident in New Jersey. The two were hit by an automobile that signaled to turn left, but actually turned right and hit Clooney and girlfriend Sarah Larson. We'll tell you more about the accident tomorrow.
Other Stories Planned:
- Some Breast Cancer Rates Decline
- It's a New Season of My Name is Earl- Jason Lee Stops By
- Queen Latifah Performs
We'll keep you posted if anything changes. Otherwise, see you in the morning.
(Want to know more about what we have coming up Tomorrow on Today? Text message TODAY to 46833)
This morning, Meredith opened the show at the United Nations alongside Andrea Mitchell, just a few blocks away from our studios here in New York.
John Smock/AP
Protesters gather outside Columbia University on Sunday to speak out
against Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's scheduled appearance
at the school on Monday afternoon.
It's officially a nutty time to be here in the city, with some of the most talked-about world leaders convening at the UN this week. We've got embattled Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki, new French prime minister Nicolas Sarkozy, and, yes, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran. As a result, we've got more traffic, more police escorts and generally heightened security around town.
Ahmadinejad's arrival has touched off heated debates over whether he should be permitted to visit Ground Zero and whether Columbia University should have invited him to speak at the school's World Leaders Forum. There, he is to engage in a question and answer session with Columbia students and faculty members later today.
CONTINUED >>
Hello, I’m Jodi, a 41-year-old married mother of three.
I had been overweight since the age of 10 and tried numerous diets for 25 years. Losing a few pounds and then gaining those back plus more was a common occurrence. Add those extra pounds up over 25 years and that equals an obese person. I was at the point of believing that it was truly impossible for me to lose even 10 pounds, not to mention a miracle if I ever lost enough weight to reach my goal. When I read a magazine article or watched a television show that featured an individual who lost an enormous amount of weight, I thought that only happens to “other people;” it would never happen to me. I had given up hope.
Jodi, right, had given up hope of losing weight
Then “that” funeral – the one that made me realize that I had to find that hope again because not only was being overweight uncomfortable, it was life threatening, a thought I had avoided for my entire life. At the funeral I witnessed a 17-year-old boy looking into the casket of his mother. She was overweight too. I looked at myself and knew that I was carrying more extra weight on my body than she was. My heart felt fine, but I’m sure hers did too…until it was too late. Then I thought of my three children having to be in the same situation as her son. I realized a change had to be made, and soon.
CONTINUED >>
(From Eric Jackson, TODAY Associate Producer)
First, before I get into my anchor Q&A with Ann Curry, I would like to thank her for taking the time to sit down with me not once, but twice, due to technical difficulties. You see, in preparation for this interview, I went out and bought this new tape recorder. I even did the cheesy "test, test, test, test" audio check before going to talk to Ann. Seriously--ask my cubicle neighbors. Well, little did I know that this tape recorder has this feature where, if the audio in the room is too low, it stops recording. And wouldn't you know it--the audio, at times, was too low. So I finish the interview, come back to write it up, and as I'm listening to it, panic sets in. I had practically nothing. I felt like I had just been Punk'd. I e-mail Ann and her assistant, Claire, right away, mortified beyond belief. Ann e-mails me right back and says that it's no problem, we'll do it again tomorrow, later explaining that early in her career, she had a similar problem. So, thank you again to Ann. What follows is our conversation....take two.
Q: First off, this is the second week of TODAY’s fourth hour. How's it going so far?
Ann: It seems to be going OK. It's feeling more and more comfortable every day, I hope so at least. I hope that process will continue, that it will continue to get better and better. I hope it's useful more than anything else.
Q: What sort of topics do you want to bring to that hour?
Ann: I want to show our viewers the world. That's my wish -- to let our viewers know what's going on in the world. We're talking a lot about how to improve their lives, friendships. These are important topics. We'll see how this progresses, but we're really trying to understand what women at this hour need. We're going to do our best to fulfill their needs.
CONTINUED >>
This morning, the world-famous Duggar family arrived at little old studio 1A. 17 kids and 2 parents later, our biggest green room has never looked so small. When I heard that the family was on the show this morning, I rushed over to the green room expecting this blog to practically write itself. Images of kids running around and mass chaos breaking out ran through my mind. So you can imagine my disappointment when I walked in and the scene was quieter and more orderly than just about any other morning in the history of the Today Show. All the kids were sitting patiently, eating breakfast and watching TV. I'm not sure what instructions the parents gave the kids, but whatever they said, it worked. They were the best behaved group of 19 one could possibly imagine.
I chatted with dad Jim Bob and mom Michelle about their past few days here in New York, and how they keep track of everyone in one of the biggest cities in the world.
Q: How do you make sure no one gets lost when you are in the middle of Times Square with 17 kids?
Jim Bob: Well, we're constantly counting. Lots of counting off. Everyone has a buddy so we all help keep track of each other. And we haven't lost anyone yet!
CONTINUED >>
(From Bob Dotson, NBC News National Correspondent)
Longing can chart a better course than Mapquest. After 65 years, the Abele brothers have finally found their father. Jim Abele commanded the Grunion, a U.S. Submarine that disappeared off the coast of Alaska during World War II.
Five years ago, his sons made a deal with their hearts, not their heads, and went looking for him. It cost them a bundle.
“If this were to be an official Navy project,” John Abele chuckled, “I would guess that the taxpayers would be paying about ten times what we’re paying.”
“How much are you paying?” I asked.
“That’s a secret,” he laughed.
Just like the mystery of what happened to their father’s sub.
CONTINUED >>
(From Janet Shamlian, NBC News Correspondent)
Their home is large and lovely, but what I noticed first driving up to the Duggars house was the industrial dumpster alongside it. And why not? With 17 children, the family would need at least as many trashcans...and who wants to haul those to the curb twice a week? When I got the call to meet the family (right) in Arkansas, I briefly wondered about typecasting. I have my own full house -- five children under the age of twelve. A starter kit, mom Michelle Duggar would later call my family!
NBC's Janet Shamlian with MOST of the Duggar family
Inside, this home was nothing like mine. It was fairly quiet, even though everyone was home. They were going about their chores and schoolwork, and the younger children were putting a backyard trampoline to the test. It was also clean; no dirty dishes in the sink, no clothes on the floor of bedrooms or stacked atop the washing machine. Certainly, they must have tidied up for our visit, I thought. Their grandmother later shared the truth that made me squirm: it always looked this way.
CONTINUED >>
Here's What We're Planning for Tomorrow:
The Prez vs. MoveOn.Org
What news came out of the President's press conference this morning? Tomorrow we'll hear MoveOn.Org's and Laura Ingraham's take on what President Bush had to say today.
Brit vs. K-Fed
Reports this week indicated that the tension was building in the Spears-Federline custody battle. We'll talk to Kevin Federline's attorney tomorrow.
17 Kids in NYC
It takes a bus to transport the entire family. Imagine what it must be like to parent a herd of kids. We'll spend some time with the Duggar family in the morning.
Other Stories Planned:
- Dan Rather Speaks
- Jena 6 Latest
- Splurge vs. Steal Fashion
We'll keep you posted if anything changes. Otherwise, see you in the morning.
(Want to know more about what we have coming up Tomorrow on Today? Text message TODAY to 46833)
Stage managers have it pretty rough. Besides making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be for each segment of the show, they get to taste all the good food, too.
AllDAY Vlog-espondent Dan Barbossa caught up with Leslie Fagan after tasting Sam's Lobster Roll. WATCH VIDEO.
For more on the America's Best Sandwich series, click here.
This morning we hosted many talented and inspirational people on our plaza in honor of Read for the Record, a campaign sponsored by the Jumpstart organization which aims to educate families on the benefits of reading to young children. Across the country today, political figures, parents, educators and celebrities alike are reading the same book out loud to children to promote awareness. First Lady Laura Bush was reading in Washington, Mayor Bloomberg stopped by the plaza before his morning meetings, and I caught up with a few other famous faces to ask them about their connections to literature and why they felt like reading for our record...
CONTINUED >>
Here's What We're Planning for Tomorrow:
OJ Simpson in Court
This morning we got a look at OJ Simpson wearing his prisoner jumpsuit at a hearing in Las Vegas. Then later in the afternoon we saw the former all-star football player in a light blue suit walking out of jail free on bond. Tomorrow we'll tell you what else is going on in OJ's latest legal and media blitz.
$70 Million for Network Scapegoat?
$70 million dollars is a large chunk of change. Tomorrow we'll tell you which newsman is suing his former network and what prompted him to file the suit.
Fall Travel
Labor Day has passed, school is in full swing and already some stores are pulling out the holiday decorations. No wonder we've all lost the summer vacation glow. Are you already itching to getaway this fall? Don't miss tomorrow's segment when we tell you the best bargains for autumn vacations.
Other Stories Planned:
- Why was Iran's President Rejected from Visiting Ground Zero
- Who is OJ's Girlfriend?
- The First Lady Reads for the Record
- The Jena 6 Protests
We'll keep you posted if anything changes. Otherwise, see you in the morning.
(Want to know more about what we have coming up Tomorrow on Today? Text message TODAY to 46833)
Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry stopped by the show today to talk about his new book, The History of the Millennium (So Far), and to show off his skills with a Telestrator (thanks to the fertile mind of TODAY producer Ryan Osborn). WATCH VIDEO
You can read an excerpt from the book HERE.
After the segment, I had a chance to talk to him for a few minutes about his book, what he's up to these days, and one of the biggest stories of the last millennium, O.J. Simpson (in terms of important moments from 1001-2000, O.J.'s murder trial clearly ranks somewhere between the invention of the printing press in 1450 and the advent of penicilin in 1929).
Q: This book covers a lot of territory -- this entire millennium. So we're talking about seven whole years or so.
Dave Barry: Yes, it's all about this millennium. I figured it would be good to get the first book out covering the history of the millennium. Most people would wait until the end of the millennium, but those people tend to use facts anyway. I find facts just slow a person down.
CONTINUED >>
Last week, Burger King announced that it was introducing healthier fast-food items for kids, including flame-broiled Chicken Tenders and raw apples cut to resemble french fries. A 2.4-ounce serving of these "apple fries" will have 35 calories -- compared to a small serving of regular french fries, which has 230 calories.
We had a few cartons of the "apple fries" in the studio this morning for our hosts to sample. WATCH VIDEO
I snuck one myself, and here's the result of my taste test:
It tasted like an apple. Because it was an apple.
Is Burger King to be lauded for offering a healthier alternative to french fries for kids? Sure. Are kids going to be clamoring for apple slices over french fries? I doubt it, but I assume Burger King has done the research to know there's some demand for this.
CONTINUED >>
TODAY vlog-o-spodent Dan Barbossa goes behind the scenes with TODAY stage manager and Katz's Deli fan Dave Auerbach to find out what's so great about Katz's pastrami sandwich, one of the contenders in TODAY's Best Sandwich in America challenge. WATCH VIDEO
We're in Day 3 of the University of Florida "Taser" story, and this morning, Rob Griscti, the lawyer for Andrew "Don't Tase Me, Bro!" Meyer, spoke with Matt for a few minutes. WATCH VIDEO
Photo by Andrew Stanfill -- Independent Florida Alligator
As I've watched the coverage of this story unfold over the past couple days, I was kind of confused as to what exactly happened. It's sometimes hard to understand the context of one of these cell phone videos that gets released with only sketchy details.
Now that a lot more information -- including the police report -- has become public, we have a better understanding of what went down.
In my view, this was a publicity stunt -- but one with a message. That message has largely been lost in the questions of whether Meyer's free speech was infringed, whether police overreacted or whether he's simply desperate for attention (or all of the above).
CONTINUED >>
Here's What We're Planning for Tomorrow:
OJ Charges
We are continuing to follow the latest in the OJ Simpson case. More suspects came forward today as prosecutors filed 10 charges against Simpson for allegedly storming into a hotel room in Las Vegas and taking collectors' items last week. Tomorrow we will have more on the story and we'll hear from Fred Goldman.
A Little Boost from the Fed
Today on Wall Street, the Dow surged more than 330 points... the biggest one day rally in almost five years. What caused the pop? The Federal Reserve cutting interest rates. We'll tell you tomorrow how this will impact you and your wallet.
Other Stories Planned:
- Latest on the Student Tasered at Kerry Event
- Man Survives Bear Attack
- Today Throws a Wedding- Wedding Cake Choices
We'll keep you posted if anything changes. Otherwise, see you in the morning.
(Want to know more about what we have coming up Tomorrow on Today? Text message TODAY to 46833)
Is 13 too young for a girl to become a fashion model? That's the question facing Australian teenager Maddison Gabriel, who was recently picked as the ambassador of Gold Coast Fashion Week.
Is this girl too young to model?
Supermodel Janice Dickinson spoke with Matt this morning, and in her view, 13 is indeed too young. WATCH VIDEO
Whenever I hear a story like this, I think of two things:
1. What is the role of the parents here?
2. What are the child labor laws?
Yes, there are stage parents out there who will do anything to make their kids (and, by extension, themselves) rich and famous. And Janice Dickinson would know better than I do about the physical and emotional travails of being a model. But at some point, don't we have to trust parents to make the right decisions for their children?
CONTINUED >>
(From Ron Allen, NBC News Correspondent)
Every now and again in this business you get the chance to meet someone who believes in magic. And, after spending a little time with them, you start to believe in the supernatural too.
Last spring a good friend of mine asked my wife and I to host an annual gala for a non-profit organization called Children's Village. It's a residential home for about 300 young boys who've had problems with the law, trouble at school or at home. Kids often labeled, "at risk."
Children's Village was honoring a woman named Pam Allyn, and her program “Books for Boys." Her acceptance speech was absolutely mesmerizing. Allyn said she believes books can change lives. Someone who's lost can be found through a book, she said.
A child who feels really alone can find companionship through a book, she added. People who feel disconnected, she went on to explain, can become connected to society, through a book. In short, that's how books do magical things. I immediately wanted to know what she'd been reading!!
Allyn is a literacy consultant who helps teachers and school systems figure out ways to improve reading. She has her own company called LitLife. Her latest book is called “The Complete 4”. Back when she was in high school, she volunteered and did some mentoring work with the boys of Children's Village. So, later in life, about 7 years ago, it was an obvious place for her to bring her love of books, and her skills to help young people become better readers.
CONTINUED >>
Here's What We're Planning for Tomorrow:
A Second Pass at Health Care
Fourteen years ago as first lady she unveiled her plan for health care reform. Now as a presidential candidate, Sen. Hillary Clinton has revealed her health care plan for every American. Andrea Mitchell will have all the details on Hillary Clinton's $110 billion plan.
How Young is Too Young to Model?
It's fashion week in Queensland, Australia and one model is certainly turning heads. It's not the clothes she's wearing, but the model's age that's causing the stir. Tomorrow we'll bring you the story that's having some fashion watchers asking how young is too young to walk the catwalk.
Was There a Hit on K-Fed?
The custody battle between Britney Spears and her husband Kevin Federline seemed heated to begin with. But now, a new report out today indicates that a hit was out on Federline's life. Does it have anything to do with the custody battle? We're looking into this report; we'll have more for you tomorrow.
Other Stories Planned:
- Latest on OJ's Request
- Student Tasered at John Kerry Speech
- Phuket Plane Crash Survivors
We'll keep you posted if anything changes. Otherwise, see you in the morning.
(Want to know more about what we have coming up Tomorrow on Today? Text message TODAY to 46833)
Remember Kyla Ebbert? She's the young woman who was on the show on September 7 to talk about her experience flying Southwest Airlines -- a Southwest customer service representative deemed her outfit too revealing to fly, and she eventually had to cover herself with a blanket during the flight.
Her appearance on TODAY received a tremendous amount of attention, including more than 1,000 comments here on allDAY.
Well, Southwest has decided to turn a potential PR fiasco into a marketing idea. WATCH VIDEO
CEO Gary Kelly apologized to Ms. Ebbert and released this statement: "Some have said we've gone from loving hot pants to having hot flashes but nothing could be further from the truth. The publicity caught us with our pants down, quite frankly. The story has such great legs, but we have an even better sense of humor, so we're going to jump out there and lower our fares to match the mini skirts we've all been hearing so much about."
CONTINUED >>
In a Sotheby's auction, fashion designer Marc Ecko paid $752,467 for Barry Bonds's 756th home run ball. He visited Matt and Ann this morning to talk about it. WATCH VIDEO
Photo by Buck Ennis
Instead of keeping the ball, he has created a website -- vote756.com -- where he has asked people to vote on whether they want him to a) donate the ball to the National Baseball Hall of Fame; b) brand the ball with an asterisk, then send it to the Hall of Fame; or c) send the ball into space.
I think I would vote for "b" myself, since the ball definitely belongs in the Hall of Fame, and branding it with an asterisk would force the curators there to address the performance-enhancing drugs issue when displaying the ball.
After the segment, I chatted with Marc for a few minutes. Here's our conversation:
CONTINUED >>
This morning, former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan came on the show to talk about his new book, The Age of Turbulence, which has made headlines for his criticism of the Bush administration. CNBC's Maria Bartiromo profiled Dr. Greenspan (WATCH VIDEO) followed by the live interview with Matt (WATCH VIDEO).
Dr. Greenspan with his wife, Andrea Mitchell of NBC News.
Among the subjects Matt broached with him -- whether we're heading for a recession and the role of oil in the Bush administration's drive to war in Iraq.
But Matt couldn't cover everything with Dr. Greenspan, so I asked him a few more questions via email. I wanted to give people some insight into "another side of Alan Greenspan." So here are his responses to my questions:
Q: Something people might not know about you: You were a clarinet and saxophone player, you attended the prestigious Julliard School and played professionally in a touring jazz band. How did you get into music? Who were some of your musical idols growing up? And why did you get out of the music business?
CONTINUED >>
(From Sean Reis, TODAY producer)
Producer Sean Reis, a self-professed "hick from a Massachusetts," traveled to Iran for TODAY's special coverage on Thursday. These are his observations...
Weather
When I saw the weather.com report that said it was going to be 95 every day, well, I didn’t think that was great news, especially as summer was beginning to give ground in New York, and it was cool enough to leave just your windows open at night. People always talk about it being a dry heat in Phoenix, and how that’s not exactly the case. Well, here it’s actually true. The sun’s hot, but not oppressive. 95 feels like about 85 with zero humidity. Good times. The air is another story. It’s like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. You know why? Up until only recently, cars weren’t required to have catalytic converters. It’s bad. You’re going to want to take a bath in Purell when this is over.
The City
Now, I’m a hick from Massachusetts, but this is the biggest city I’ve ever been in and ever hope to be in. The last census put the population at 12.5 million. It’s a lot more than that now. A conservative estimate is about 16 million people. Some say it’s as much as 19 million, and they are planning for something on the order of 25 million people by 2025. That breaks down like this:
CONTINUED >>
This morning we had Fred and Kim Goldman, Ron Goldman's father and sister, on the show to talk about O.J. Simpson's controversial book, "If I did It" which hits shelves today after a year of legal battles over its publication. WATCH VIDEO
There are two large components to this controversy: the legal implications that led to the Goldman's getting the rights to the book and then publishing it, and the emotional and passionate fight that all sides involved have made over the the text. I spoke with the Goldman's lawyer, Peter Haven, before the segment to hear about the legal situation, and followed up with Fred and Kim after their segment to ask a little more about their personal journey.
CONTINUED >>
Mandy Muniz, the first member of the Joy Fit Club, lost over 170 pounds in just over a year and is sharing her journey with TODAY. TODAY nutritionist Joy Bauer talked to Mandy about her current lifestyle and then gave her assessment of Mandy's chance of successfully keeping the weight off....
Joy Bauer: While losing, did you ever fall off the wagon and if yes, how did you motivate yourself to get back on your weight loss plan?
Mandy: Occasionally, I would go with friends and family out to eat and have some extra wine or a dessert, but I never got back into binging. What kept me going? For one, the accountability of weighing in three times a week with a counselor. There was no time to cheat. I’m traditionally a people pleaser and loved the praise when I did well (each visit, I’d show my counselor my food logs and step on the scale). The last thing I wanted was a negative session. And I never cancelled or postponed a meeting… partly because of monetary incentive… LA Weight Loss Center offered to give me back half my start up money (about $320) if I didn’t miss one single meeting.
CONTINUED >>
When your career spans nearly 60 years, five minutes is NEVER enough to do a full interview.
AllDAY Vlog-o-spondent Dan Barbossa sat down with Ed McMahon and Al Roker pos
t-interview to hear more stories and insight from the television legend.
WATCH VIDEO.
Today marked the one year anniversary of Meredith Vieira joining our team at TODAY, and it seemed like an opportune time to catch up with her about the past year and what is coming up for her this fall.
Q: So today is the day -- one year ago -- you started here at NBC. Highlights or lowlights from the year?
Meredith: I honestly can't believe it has been a whole year! So much has happened, and the range of opportunities I've been given are unbelievable. It's really been a wild ride. What amazes me is the arc of the year. I started off with some great fun, but then soon after covered the school shooting in Colorado and spoke with Emily Keyes' family. I've been thinking about everything that family has been through over this year.
And I did some goofy things. I'll never forget dancing with the Rockettes. And falling on the ice with Will Ferrell, and then having the control room roll it over and over and over again. I think a lot about the wide-range of topics covered, and especially some of the political coverage which will pick up now heading into the election.
CONTINUED >>
(From Curtis Vogel, TODAY Producer)
During my 20 years of producing stories for broadcast television, I’ve probably done a couple of hundred stories on education, and the logistical problem with doing those pieces is always the same. You’re trying to put a face on a story that is usually pegged around test scores, school board politics or a Supreme Court decision. The task is made all the more difficult because you have a limited amount of time to visit the school and try to see how all of these external forces affect the teachers’ efforts in the classroom.
Two parents of my closest childhood friends were teachers. One of my close childhood friends became a teacher herself. Now, my wife’s sister is in her third year of teaching elementary school. For years, I have listened to stories from these teachers about some of the amazing things that happen in the classroom, but they are moments that very few people outside of teachers get to see.
Earlier th
