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Groupon Coupon: WATCH How Online Coupons Save You Big Money (VIDEO)

2009-12-04T10:45:44Z

Groupon has had quite the week. In just days, the online coupon service based in Chicago secured additional funding and announced plans for major expansion in 2010.

Today, Groupon was featured on NBC's The Today Show.

WATCH THE TODAY SHOW PIECE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT GROUPON:

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Salahis Today Show Interview: White House Party Crashers Speak Out (VIDEO)

2009-12-01T07:35:21Z

Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the couple accused of crashing President Obama's first state dinner at the White House, appeared on the Today Show this morning and denied any wrongdoing. Mr. Salahi insisted that he and his wife did not crash the party but were in fact invited, telling host Matt Lauer "This has been the most devastating thing that has ever happened to us."

The couple said they are cooperating with the Secret Service and they are confident that "the truth will soon come out." But on MSNBC, Press Secretary Gibbs insisted the couple had not been invited and that this wasn't a misunderstanding. The AP reports:

"This wasn't a misunderstanding," the spokesman said. "You don't show up at the White House as a misunderstanding."

Said Salahi: "We're greatly saddened by all the circumstances ... portraying my wife and I as party crashers. I can tell you we did not party-crash the White House."

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Michaele Salahi had hoped to land a part on an upcoming Bravo reality show, "The Real Housewives of D.C." NBC's parent company, NBC Universal, also owns the cable network Bravo.

Earlier this year, the Salahis attended a Congressional Black Caucus party and there are now questions about whether they had invitations to that affair.
Story continues below

Muriel Cooper, a spokeswoman for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, confirmed that the Salahis were escorted out of a foundation dinner on Sept. 26. She said the couple was sitting at a $20,000-per-table section at the event where Obama was the keynote speaker. When other guests complained that someone was in their seats, the Salahis were asked to show their tickets. They were asked to leave when they couldn't produce them.

"They didn't argue," Cooper said. "They just looked a little sheepish and were escorted out."

Cooper added that a camera crew from Bravo requested permission to shoot video at the event a day or two before but was turned down because of heavy security required for Obama's appearance. In hindsight, she said she thinks the request was linked to the Salahis. The foundation raises money for scholarship and intern programs.

Last week's White House gate caper captivated a capital frequently as well known for its high-end social life and celebrity eruptions as the occasionally mundane day-to-day business of governance.

Interviewed on MSNBC, Gibbs said "it's safe to say he (Obama) was angry. Michelle was angry."

Gibbs noted that the Secret Service is investigating what went wrong and said the White House was also re-examining its procedures. He told the network, "I think the president really had the same reaction the Secret Service had, and that was great concern for how something like this happened."

Michaele Salahi described the couple as "shocked and devastated" when they saw accounts of the incident the following morning.

Asked if they had been mischaracterized, Tareq Salahi said, "No question ... It's been devastating what's happened to Michaele and I ... Our lives have really been destroyed."

"Everything we've worked for," Michaele Salahi told interviewer Matt Lauer.

"We were invited, not crashers, and there isn't anyone who would have the audacity or the poor behavior to do that," she said. "No one would do that, and certainly not us."

Bravo producers filmed the couple preparing for the event but did not photograph the White House grounds.

Tareq Salahi said that the couple has been "very candid" with the Secret Service and said "we have turned over documentation to them."

"We're going to definitely work with the Secret Service between Michaele and I to really shed light on this," Tareq Salahi said. He indicated the couple had e-mails that would reinforce their position that they did not go uninvited to the dinner.

The couple also said they had not discussed accepting money from any party or organization, including NBC, for telling their story.

On Monday there were more twists in the unfolding mystery. It was revealed that they communicated with a senior Pentagon official about going to the event, but the official denied that she helped the couple get in.

Michele Jones, a special assistant to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said in a written statement issued through the White House that she never said or implied she would get the Salahis into the event.

"I specifically stated that they did not have tickets and in fact that I did not have the authority to authorize attendance, admittance or access to any part of the evening's activities," Jones said. "Even though I informed them of this, they still decided to come."

Jones, the first female Sgt. Maj. of the U.S. Army, spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August 2008. Jones is now a Pentagon-based White House liaison.

Asked about this Tuesday, Gibbs declined to comment directly, except to note that the matter remains under investigation.

WTTG-TV, the Fox affiliate in Washington, reported that the Salahis insisted that they had, indeed, been invited to the Black Caucus dinner, saying they'd gotten the invitation from the Gardner Law Group.

The Salahis' lawyer, Paul Gardner, is the managing partner of the Baltimore law firm, which handles corporate and entertainment law. Gardner has not returned phone calls or e-mails.

A congressional hearing is planned for Thursday.

Lou Dobbs On "Today" Show: I Wouldn't Vote For Sarah Palin (VIDEO)

2009-11-17T09:33:26Z

Lou Dobbs took to the "Today" show Tuesday morning as the next step in his post-CNN media blitz, and he told Matt Lauer that he wouldn't vote for Sarah Palin right now.

"Would I consider voting for her? Frankly, based on what I have seen, personally, no," Dobbs said of Palin. "I think the woman had a brilliant address at the Republican Convention last year. I think that since then she's left a lot to be desired as a person who is seeking votes, but that may be what this is about, campaigning for those votes like mine that certainly are not persuaded at this point."

Dobbs did acknowledge, however, that Palin is "certainly the frontrunner in terms of her popularity" for the Republican nomination in 2012.

Earlier in the interview, Dobbs discussed his departure from CNN, repeating his talking point from "The O'Reilly Factor" that CNN didn't mind his opinions when he was criticizing President Bush, but when the Obama administration came into power his brand of journalism was no longer acceptable at the network.

Watch (Palin discussion around 3:40 in):

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30 Rock, Biggest Loser And Other NBC Shows Go Green

2009-11-11T10:43:40Z

NEW YORK — NBC gives new meaning to the phrase "green screen" next week, spreading a pro-environmental message across five of its prime-time entertainment programs.

"30 Rock," where Al Gore takes a cameo role, leads the way. Environmental themes were also added to the scripts of "The Biggest Loser," "The Office," "Heroes" and "Community."

New Mexico Suspended Player Elizabeth Lambert On Today Show (VIDEO)

2009-11-09T14:41:09Z

Elizabeth Lambert of the New Mexico Lobos women's soccer team has gained plenty of attention due to a hair-pulling takedown of a BYU player during a recent game.

New Mexico suspended her indefinitely and also released the following statement from Lambert:

I am deeply and wholeheartedly regretful for my actions. My actions were uncalled for. I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept any punishment felt necessary from the coaching staff and UNM administration. This is in no way indicative of my character or the soccer player that I am. I am sorry to my coaches and teammates for any and all damages I have brought upon them. I am especially sorry to BYU and the BYU women's soccer players that were personally affected by my actions. I have the utmost respect for the BYU women's soccer program and its players.

The incident received national attention this morning on The Today Show. WATCH HERE:

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Quinn Gray Faked Kidnapping In Extortion Scheme With Lover, Police Say (VIDEO)

2009-11-03T10:02:25Z

In a bizarre case with a plot straight from the movies, police are accusing wealthy Florida wife Quinn Gray of faking her abduction, and lying about being sexually assaulted during her captivity, in a scheme, cooked up with her lover Jasmin Osmanovic, to extort $50,000 from her husband Reid.

Authorities gradually became suspicious of Gray as evidence mounted that her story was not making sense:

Authorities cite, among other things, testimony from the manager of the hotel where Gray was allegedly being held saying she "didn't seem to be in distress at all," and a 90-minute audiotape they say captured the sounds of Gray and Osmanovic in the throes of passion, and then plotting the details of a fake kidnapping.

Gray's attorney claims the woman is mentally unbalanced and was taken advantage of by Osmanovic during one of her psychotic episodes. Her husband fully supports her, both standing by her version of events as well as funding her defense.

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Meredith Vieira McDonald's Drive Through Prank On Today Show (VIDEO)

2009-11-03T09:17:26Z

The Today Show introduced a new series this morning called "Today Show Gets A Laugh." In the first segment co-host Meredith Vieira donned the uniform of a McDonald's drive through attendant who was "less than accommodating."

While some customers appeared uncertain how to react, and others simply drove away rather than deal with the hassle, Vieira said the lesson she drew was how nice people could remain while she did her utmost to be obnoxious.

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Kate Gosselin: The Kids Have Changed Under Stress Of Public Divorce (VIDEO)

2009-11-02T11:31:07Z

The Gosselin kids are having trouble dealing with the media circus surrounding their parents' divorce, Kate tells Natalie Morales in an interview to air on TLC Monday night, a day after Jon's public recalibration of his moral compass at a New York City synagogue.

"She said some of the kids are starting to show signs of stress and behavioral changes," Morales told Meredith Viera on the Today Show Monday morning. Below you can watch some teased excerpts from the "brutally honest" interview.

"You look around and very close, trusted people who you swear on your life would never ever, ever cash you in, for lack of better words, and those people do that," Kate told Morales. "When people leave your house and tell completely different stories, you tend not to trust people."

Morales asked, "Who do you have on your side now?"

"A very, very small group of people," Kate said.

Morales also told Viera that Kate dismissed rumors of her hooking up with her bodyguard as "outrageous" and said that Jon was the one who brought those stories to the tabloids.

'Kate: Her Story' airs Monday night at 9 on TLC.

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Today Show Halloween Costumes: What The Cast Did For 2009 (VIDEOS)

2009-10-30T11:32:06Z

The Today Show had some fun this morning, with the cast decked out in Star Wars Halloween costumes with a special set for a Halloween-themed special.

Though airing the day before Halloween 2009, this was not the first time The Today Show has done this. Be sure to also have a look back at Halloween Today Show 2008 and other celebrities dressed up for Halloween.

WATCH A PORTION OF TODAY'S SHOW:

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SEE HOW THEY DID IT:

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Elena Desserich's Love Notes To Parents, Sister Inspire Book After She Passes Away (VIDEO)

2009-10-28T11:45:38Z

6-year-old Elena Desserich had only a few days to live and was too sick with cancer to speak, so she expressed her love for her family by hiding hundreds of love notes all over their house. Elena's parents "found the first notes in a backpack. Others were hidden between books on the bookshelf, in the corner of our dresser drawers, between dishes in the china cabinet or between photos stacked away in boxes."

The messages of love from Elena, along with a diary her parents kept for her sister Gracie, have been collected and formed into a book called "Notes Left Behind." Elena's family spoke about their experience with the Today Show

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Todd Hartley: New Blue Review: Up, Up and a Waste of Air Time

2009-10-26T11:24:51Z

Just when you thought the whole "Balloon Boy" saga out of Fort Collins couldn't get any more bizarre, along comes Robert Thomas, an associate of Richard Heene, with the revelation that Heene, the boy's father, staged the elaborate hoax in an effort to land himself a TV show in order to make enough money to save his family from the coming apocalypse.

According to Thomas' attorney, Linda Lee, Heene thinks the world is going to end in 2012 and figured that being a TV star would net him enough cash to build an underground bunker "where he can be safe from the sun exploding."

Now, I'm no astrophysicist, but I'm guessing that if the sun explodes, a backyard bunker in Fort Collins probably isn't going to save anybody. Does Heene think that after the cataclysm has ended his bunker will be floating safely through space, minus the rest of the Earth? Maybe he intends to build it out of kryptonite or something.

I suppose he could be forgiven for assuming there was such a thing as an exploding-sun-proof bunker if he was just your average idiot, but Heene aspires to much greater things. The theme song for the TV show, which he has already written and recorded, includes the lyrics: "When you want to learn the mysteries of how things work/The weather, the planets, the whole universe/Tune in to the show that's really effective/Watch Richard Heene, Psyience (sic) Detective."

OK, so maybe Heene doesn't really understand how exploding suns work -- or how to rhyme something with the word "work," for that matter -- but you can hardly blame the guy for wanting to land a TV show. This is America in the 21st century, after all.

The Octomom is getting a show. Hell, even that crying kid with the YouTube videos imploring the world to leave Britney Spears alone was in line to get a TV show before sanity prevailed. Everyone wants to get on TV these days. Heene's no different.

And if you don't think everyone wants to get on TV, I'd like to direct your attention to a Denver Post article about the "Balloon Boy" incident that claimed "hundreds" of emergency responders were involved in the effort to save Falcon Heene from the runaway balloon. That's one balloon and one 6-year-old boy. How many rescuers could that possibly involve? More importantly, do you really think all those people would have responded if there were no TV cameras covering the story?

So now the authorities are trying to figure out what crimes to charge Richard Heene with, and all sorts of terms are being bandied about: conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities, attempting to influence a public servant.

If he's found guilty of some of the more serious charges, Heene could spend up to six years in jail and face a $500,000 fine. In addition, if he's convicted, the Heene family will have to pay for the rescue operations, which, since they involved roughly 95 more people than was necessary, will likely cost tens of thousands of dollars more.

I think we can all agree Heene is an imbecile for trying to pull off a stunt like that, but is what he did really that criminal? He didn't kill anybody or steal anything. He didn't even put his child's life in jeopardy, as Falcon was safely hidden away in the garage during the whole ordeal. It seems obvious to me that many of the charges being levied at the Heenes are the result of people being pissed off because they were duped so easily.

Realistically, if anyone should face criminal charges, it's the morons in charge of Good Morning America and the Today show. Admittedly, they didn't engage in any overt criminal activity, but they sure committed crimes against common sense and reason. Both shows had the Heenes on as guests even after it was discovered that Falcon Heene never left his house.

Are people really that dumb, or are morning shows just that desperate for guests? What the hell did they ask Falcon anyway? "What was it like not being up in that balloon? Were you scared?"

At least by inviting the Heenes onto their shows Good Morning America and Today allowed Richard Heene to nearly realize his TV dreams. But the only one who had the right response to the whole situation was Falcon himself. He puked on live TV during both broadcasts.

Dylan Ratigan, Michael Moore Slam Wall St. Over Latest Round Of Bonuses (VIDEO)

2009-10-15T08:59:00Z

MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan and filmmaker Michael Moore appeared on the Today Show this morning to discuss the latest round of massive bonuses that Wall St. is doling out to their executives just a year after the financial industry paralyzed the economy.

With unemployment continuing to climb, and soon likely to break the 10 percent barrier nationally, Ratigan argued that Wall St. and Main St. are largely disconnected:

The government changed the rules on behalf of Wall St. to allow them access to trillions of our dollars, as Michael Moore has documented. When you have access to trillions of dollars of taxpayer money with no strings attached, it's very easy to make a few billion dollars...

There is a direct connection between those you see suffering in films that Michael documents and the abdication of duty by our government to allow all the taxpayer money we all work so hard to create to be the plaything, the gambling toy, of the financial industry as opposed to forcing the financial industry to get back to the business of being investors, actually putting money into the economy as opposed to taking it out.

Moore expressed his disgust over the bonuses:

They burned down our economy. They completely crashed it. And now they're getting rewarded for it... It's absolutely insane that we allow this to happen.

He also ridiculed the argument that these bonuses are a way to ensure that the financial companies don't lose their most important and productive employees: "Let's pay the best people, who helped to wreck and ruin our economy... This is absolutely crazy logic."

Ratigan also took on retention argument, used often by the banks, saying it's key to look at what you're paying, and retaining, these prized workers to do:

If you're paying your best people to extract as much money as possible from the economy, yes, they are creating that "value", if you want to call it that, but they're creating it at the expense of the totality of the system.

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Leslie Goldman: Ralph Lauren Model: I Was Fired For Being Too Fat

2009-10-14T13:30:47Z

By now you've surely heard about the Ralph Lauren photoshopping debacle. In a nutshell: Model Filippa Hamilton was digitally whittled and twisted into a comically carnivalesque Laffy Taffy of a human being. Website BoingBoing wrote about it in their Photoshop Disasters section, where writer Xeni Jardin now-famously mocked, "Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis." Ralph Lauren got its knickers in a bunch and had their lawyers send a take-down notice to BoingBoing, saying it was an "infringing image." The problem: BB is totally within its rights to post the ad -- it's called fair use. I mean, if I got sued every time I commented or snarked about an airbrushed image I saw, I'd be in a jailhouse slammer in rural Alabama.

Polo Ralph Lauren then tucked tail and admitted

For over 42 years we have built a brand based on quality and integrity. After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body. We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the caliber of our artwork represents our brand appropriately.

But today we're learning that Hamilton was actually fired months ago for being too heavy. This morning, I appeared on the Today Show (view segment here) where we broke the story. Hamilton, 23, spoke with the Today Show and the New York Daily News exclusively, saying, "They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore."

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Filippa Hamilton stands nearly six feet tall and weighs about 115 pounds.

In the Today segment, she appeared calm but obviously hurt, calling RL her "second family" (she has worked for them since she was 15). According to Geoffrey Menin, Hamilton's lawyer, the drastically altered image, in which the model's head is significantly larger than her waist or pelvis, is a "gross distortion of how she really looks and which we fear will be extremely damaging to her," not to mention the average woman at home reading a magazine and happening upon the pic.

Ralph Lauren has issued a statement in which that state they were forced to terminate Hamilton's contract because she no longer was able to fulfill her obligations, which include fitting into sample size clothing. I'm all for employees fulfilling their job obligations but those obligations have to be physically possible and not to the detriment of the worker's physical and mental health. I'm a writer, and if an editor hires me to write a story and turn it in on deadline, then I need to do that. But if an editor says, "I need you to type at 398 words per minute with zero mistakes," well, that just ain't gonna happen, no matter how speedy and talented I may be. Filippa Hamilton wears a size four, so I'm wondering just how microscopic RL's sample sizes are.

Here's my problem: Did anyone ever actually look at this image and think, for even one millisecond, that it was real? The poor model's body was manipulated to such an irrational extent that it ceases to look human any more. It's like someone holding up a picture of Oh No! Mr. Bill and saying, "No one has lips that full and luscious! He's obviously had Juvederm!" Um, no, it's a cartoon man, made of Playdoh. Same with this RL model. So much attention is being paid to this uber-obvious example, when there are a gazillion other equally egregious (but simply not as apparent) airbrushed women floating through our daily media. It's pictures like this and this, where the "after" picture has been radically altered but in very subtle ways. These are the images that catch people's eyes without them knowing it. These are the pictures that worm their way into our subconscious and make us feel like something is missing -- bigger boobs, fuller hair, fewer wrinkles. That Ralph Lauren pic was so out-of-whack, it was laughable. The other images that make us all feel like garbage are just sad.

Dangerously poor editing aside, though, ads like the Ralph Lauren model represent the one step forward, two steps back cycle we seem to be caught in when it comes to body image: Just when something positive happens, like the proposed French law that any airbrushed image come with a warning sign, we get knocked down a few rungs on the ladder with the news that a 5'11", 115-lb model was terminated for being too fat.

This certainly isn't the first time a model has been fired for being overweight. In May of last year, I was interviewed on Today about runway model Ali Michael who was all but banned from the Paris Fashion Week runways for her "fat" legs, after she gained five pounds during recovery from an eating disorder. More recently, model Paulina Porizkova alleged she was fired from America's Next Top Model for being too heavy, and there was speculation that Saturday Night Live actress Casey Wilson got the axe for the same reason.

Kathie Lee Gifford Not Shaking Hands Anymore, Bumping Butts Instead

2009-10-12T17:10:42Z

FishbowlNY editor Amanda Ernst appeared on the "Today" show Monday morning and wrote about the experience for her blog.

The most interesting detail? Kathie Lee Gifford — who co-hosts the fourth hour, when Ernst appeared — is no longer shaking hands, preferring instead to "bump butts."

Ernst writes:

After I was made pretty and mic'd up, I was all ready to be interviewed by Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford. Gifford is not shaking hands anymore because of swine flu, so she wanted to bump butts, which was hard to do while I was sitting down.

The ladies of "The View" recently had a similar discussion about how to greet guests without contracting swine flu, which led to Joy Behar planting a surprise kiss on Whoopi Goldberg's lips.

Earlier this year, the "Today" show canceled its planned vacation series over fears related to the swine flu outbreak.

Watch Ernst's appearance below:

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Rush Limbaugh Today Show Interview VIDEO: Business And Ideology Are 'Inseparable'

2009-10-12T08:41:31Z

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh gave a wide-ranging interview to the Today Show's Jamie Gangel, which NBC is airing over two days. In the segments aired this morning, Limbaugh denied leadership of Republican party, scoffed at the suggestion that he was in anyway responsible for the defeat of the McCain campaign, and confirmed that his show is mainly about making money: "I'm doing my show for ratings. I want the largest audience I can get because that's how I can charge the highest advertising rates, which means what else do I want? Money."

Perhaps the most revealing clip from today comes during a discussion about how ideology and business are "inseparable." Limbaugh became defensive about any hint that people consider him just an entertainer and not a serious critic.

I'm not an actor, but let's face it. Radio and showbiz, this rap, that I'm just an entertainer, is a way that critics of mine try to discredit me. You'll note nobody takes me on on my ideas. Nobody argues, they always say God, you hear what he said? He's this, he's that, he's outrageous, he's bombastic. Those are attempts to discredit me among people who don't listen to me. But the media didn't make me and they can't break me. They've been trying the same plays from their playbook for 21 years.

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Weirdest 'Today Show' Segment Ever? NBC Staffer Freaks-Out Paula Deen (VIDEO)

2009-10-11T14:46:40Z

Via Best Week Ever comes this hilarious video of an NBC staffer running into Paula Deen's shot and then hiding behind the kitchen island so as not to ruin the segment. Of course, this didn't go off smoothly considering Paula lost her cool and asked if the man had a gun and if he was from this country. (The latter either because she feared illegal immigration or Muslim extremists.) Roker initially joked that the man didn't work at the "Today Show," but of course he does. Even weirder than Paula's reaction is the fact that the man didn't leave the show kitchen, but stayed hidden on the floor until Paula served him cake.

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Eric Deggans: Rethinking David Letterman: Exactly How Are We Supposed to Feel About All This?

2009-10-08T13:30:19Z

I want to believe Maureen Dowd when she says the whole David Letterman affair is simply about "the erotic pull of proximity." But I'm not sure I'm there yet.

After a week of breathless reportage about the comic's admitted flings with female staffers -- and it's a sign of the media times that it feels like this story has been around so much longer -- one thing is obvious.

We have not yet, as a pop culture-breathing, tabloid-fueled nation, decided how we feel about powerful older guys seducing the young women who work for them.

I agree with MoDo on one thing; this is not a Polanski-level offense. Given what we know and how those involved are reacting, it doesn't seem likely anyone was forced to do anything they didn't want to happen.

But this is an example of a powerful entertainer having sexual relationships with young women who depend on him for their income and their careers. Much as I hate the idea of delving deeper into the details of these relationships, we don't know enough to say whether Letterman broke any laws or crossed any lines.

Brilliant as Dowd's column was -- dotted with dazzling pop culture references to Hannibal Lecter and Mad Men -- it seems to me she gives Letterman an awfully wide benefit of the doubt. This may be the first time I've seen a column gently defending an entertainer by noting two TV executives married subordinates. And Dowd, who has appeared on Letterman's show several times, doesn't spare a line to let us know how she feels about the guy personally, and whether those feelings have affected her conclusions.

And though Dowd downplays any connection to Bill Clinton, this reminds me exactly of the moment the Monica Lewinsky allegations were confirmed. Once again, an admired public figure admits a relationship with a woman many, many years his junior, who worked for him, after circumstances compelled the admission.

Most men, lacking the armor of celebrity, wealth, comedic genius and fan affection, would be less esteemed in the public sphere. Does Letterman get a pass, as Clinton did from many feminists, because we like him so?

I've written a brief analysis for a friend at TV Week collecting opinions from columnists around the country, and I don't think Letterman's show is in danger, unless there are substantially skeevy new revelations coming about his conduct. Any ratings bump probably won't be sustained enough to translate into advertising dollars and surely doesn't compensate for the public humiliation factor.

If anything, the constant media attention may help the accused suspect -- this morning, the Today show was still leading with the story -- whose strategy seems to consist of trying to scare everyone involved into avoiding a trial.

And to those whose knees are already jerking to pile on the "who cares?" comments, I would only say this: Such incidents help us all decide how we feel about this stuff if and when it happens in our own lives -- a teachable moment for some, a cautionary tale for others.

Right now, I'm feeling a little disappointed in a performer who always seemed to have a strong moral compass. And maybe a little disappointed in the people making excuses for him, too.

Willow, The Dog Who Can Read (VIDEO)

2009-10-08T10:51:11Z

The Today Show showcased a dog, Willow, today with a remarkable skill. Willow can read commands off signs that her owner holds in front of her. She only knows three words right now, "sit up", "wave", and, the coolest one, "bang", but there's no reason she couldn't expand her vocabulary with some more hard work.

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Joe Halderman's Lawyer, Gerald Shargel: Case 'Makes No Sense, Want To Cross-Examine Letterman' (VIDEO)

2009-10-05T08:15:07Z

Gerald Shargel, lawyer for Joe Halderman, the CBS News producer accused of blackmailing David Letterman over sexual indiscretions, defended his client vigorously on the Today Show this morning, telling host Ann Curry that "the prosecution's case in so many ways makes no sense."

Curry pressed Shargel over the mounting evidence that the police claim to have amassed during a sting operation in which Halderman took possession of a fake $2 million check. Shargel insisted that these points "only take on significance by looking at the surrounding circumstances":

What this trial will be about, it will be all about the surrounding circumstances. Motives, intent. It's not only the motive and intent and conduct of Joe Halderman, it's the motive, intent and conduct of David Letterman as well. As I've said, I look forward to cross-examining Letterman.

Shargel is not clear in how he will make the motive, intent and conduct of Letterman relevant, but the prospect of the late night host being cross-examined during a trial is sure to fan the flames of this story further.

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Anita Tedaldi: Woman Returns Adopted Child After 18-Months (VIDEO)

2009-10-01T17:58:51Z

Anita Tedaldi, a woman who returned her adopted son 18-months into their relationship because she felt they hadn't bonded, appeared on the "Today Show" this morning to explain her decision. This story first came to light when Anita blogged about her situation on "Motherlode"--the New York Times parenting blog. She was accompanied on the "Today Show" by NYT editor Lisa Belkin.

Anita explained in the blog that she had always wanted to adopt despite having five biological daughters.

"I was attentive, and I provided D. with a good home, but I wasn't connecting with him on the visceral level I experienced with my biological daughters. And while it was easy, and reassuring, to talk to all these experts about D.'s issues, it was terrifying to look at my own," she wrote.

After Anita made her decision, the adoption group found "D" a home with another family, and, according to Anita, he is doing well.

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Mike Bowes, 911 Operator, Gets Emergency Call About Fire At HIS House (VIDEO)

2009-10-01T10:25:25Z

911 operator Mike Bowes was given the shock of his life when he received an emergency call about a house on fire. It turned out to be his house. Bowes tried to handle the call as if it were any other, but he was understandably distraught because his parents live there as well.

Bowes' sergeant quickly covered for him so he could race back home. Bowes described the incident as "surreal": "You don't believe, you hear it, but it's not registering. Until you see it on the screen."

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Elizabeth Smart Testimony: Says She Was Raped Daily (VIDEO)

2009-10-01T08:14:10Z

(AP) SALT LAKE CITY - Elizabeth Smart testified Thursday she was raped repeatedly each day after she was abducted from her bedroom seven years ago and told she would be killed if she yelled or tried to escape.

She described Brian David Mitchell, her alleged kidnapper, as "evil, wicked, manipulative, stinky, slimy, selfish, not spiritual, not religious, not close to God."

Smart testified in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City as part of a competency proceeding for the man charged in her 2002 kidnapping.

Mitchell has twice been found incompetent for trial in state court. Mitchell and his estranged wife were found with Smart nine months after she disappeared from her Salt Lake City home.

A judge ruled earlier this week that testimony from Smart, now 21, is relevant to the mental competency of Mitchell, who was removed from the courtroom before Smart arrived and taken to a holding cell where he could listen to the proceedings.

Smart was poised and composed while testifying for just under two hours.

She was 14 when she was abducted from her Salt Lake City home at knifepoint in the middle of the night. Shortly after her abduction, Smart said Mitchell took her to a mountain camp and performed a ceremony she said was intended to marry the two.

"After that, he proceeded to rape me," Smart said.

She said he held her captive with a cable attached to her leg that had a 10-foot reach. That line was attached to another cable strung between two trees.

Smart said Mitchell plied her with alcohol and drugs to lower her resistance.

"He said that he would kill anybody that would come into the camp, or kill me if I ever tried to escape or yell out," Smart testified.

Smart said Mitchell was motivated by sex and used religion to get what he wanted.

Mitchell's defense attorneys had sought to limit Smart's testimony to her experiences with Mitchell, without her opinions about his mental state.

The defense objected to the 39 so-called "lay witnesses" proposed by prosecutors, including Mitchell's family, friends or workers at Utah State Hospital, because they lacked the expertise to evaluate competency.

In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball rejected the argument as it relates to Smart, saying her testimony may help the court settle differences in the findings of experts who have evaluated Mitchell.

Experts have split opinions over Mitchell's competency and have relied on statements from others -- including Smart -- and past evaluations to prepare reports for the court. Kimball's ruling said Mitchell has been uncooperative with evaluators and refused to participate in diagnostic tests.

In the state court system, Mitchell was twice found incompetent to stand trial.

Smart was rescued nine months after her abduction when a motorist spotted her walking through a suburb with Mitchell and his estranged wife, Wanda Eileen Barzee.

Last year, Mitchell was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor.

Once an itinerant street preacher, Mitchell is said to have wanted Smart as a polygamous wife and may have taken her to fulfill a religious prophecy he laid out in a 27-page manifesto drafted in April 2002.

* * * *

Elizabeth and her father spoke with the "Today Show."

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"Today Show" Explores Treatments To Get Rid Of Varicose And Spider Veins (VIDEO)

2009-09-28T10:27:45Z

"Today Show" host Natalie Morales had NBC's chief medical correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman on the program this morning to discuss the best treatments to get rid of varicose and spider veins, and what the differences are between the two.

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Today Show's Amy Robach Engaged To Andrew Shue

2009-09-27T17:11:31Z

Former Melrose Place heartthrob Andrew Shue and the Today show's Amy Robach are engaged, a spokesperson for Today confirms to PEOPLE.

Both Shue and Robach are recently divorced, a source says. Shue, 42, had been married to floral designer Jennifer Hageney since 1994. Robach, 36, was married to Tim McIntosh. The source says both of them have been separated from their former spouses for about a year and started dating this spring after being set up by friends.

Stephen Viscusi: Should Disney/ABC Change the Name of "Good Morning America" to ABC's "Good Morning Gay America"? My TOP TEN Picks to Replace Diane Sawyer

2009-09-25T22:35:16Z

I was recently reading on my friend Tory Johnson's blog (www.womanforhire.com). Tory's blog mentioned how she had met Suzie Orman and her "life partner," Kathy Travis ("KT"), at a speaking engagement called the Pennsylvania Governor's Conference for Women.

Orman is a lesbian TV personality who talks and writes about money related issues. She is a class act to whom I look up. According to the "Woman for Hire" blog, Suze and KT were both excited about Suzie's high ranks in the TVNewser poll, which, to that date, placed Orman as the highest contender to replace Diane Sawyer in January on ABC's Good Morning America.

Here is a little back-story about Tory Johnson. Tory founded a woman's job fair company called "Woman for Hire," after losing her job at NBC, where she had previously worked as a publicist. Tory is also a paid workplace expert on ABC's Good Morning America, and the author of the new book Fired to Hired, which I highly recommend.

If Tory can go from a public relations person at NBC, lose that job and somehow convince a producer from Good Morning America to hire her as "on-air" talent -- not to report on "public relations" but to give career advice, without her even needing to go back to school, you want to know her secret. I say, good for Tory. It's sweet revenge for her with NBC. After all, these are the same producers that hired all these childless "on-air" talents to lure parents to the show. Welcome to the world of television! Or, as I call GMA, "smoke-and-mirrors in Jimmy Choo shoes!"

However, I had to chuckle at the Suze Orman story Tory wrote. There is the sense of clear irony in what Tory wrote about regarding "Good Morning America" and the woman Tory said now feels like her "BFF" -- Suze Orman.

It was my impression that Disney/ABC had decided to focus on attracting moms (women), to score the all-time highest ratings war for television's morning shows. "Moms" are apparently the strongest demographic for morning television.

However, here is the thing. Disney/ABC's Good Morning America is the only morning show on network broadcast that does not have a parent at the helm. Diane Sawyer is not a mom. Robin Roberts is a single woman in her mid-to-late forties who never married, and never talks about having a boyfriend or even dating men, like Hode Kobe does on NBC's Today Show.

I was on a Ferry from the Fire Island Pines, a predominately lesbian and gay community near Long Island, NY, about two years ago. Robin Roberts had spent the weekend there and was on her way back with her doggy. She may have been visiting Sam Champion, who has also been out there.

All of the morning show's programming strategy seemed to be to attract women, mostly moms who would be home in the morning or at least part of it, before getting the kids off to school and then heading off to work ... and well, I found the whole story amusing. Tory would be an ideal host. As a working mom, she even looks like a Sawyer, that is, if Sawyer had had children.

I love to put on my headhunter hat with these TV "on -air" scenarios and add my two cents, even when not asked. I have no gripe with the lesbians, even single straight women, and non-moms ruling the morning talk-show world. After all, Oprah and Tyra are not married, and are not mothers, either -- at least that we have heard of.

First, picture this in your head. "Good Morning America" with your hosts, Robyn Roberts and Suze Orman, Sam Champion with the weather and our news reader Chris Cuomo (who has kids). If ABC does not give the job to Cuomo, (and if not, I would walk if I were Chris Cuomo), then give his job to Anderson Cooper! Better yet, here is an idea: ABC can hire MSNBC's, talk show host, Rachel Maddow. Then, ABC may be able to cross-sell their morning franchise to Viacom's LOGO network. (Just tongue-and-cheek here, before you write, and no pun intended!)

My last advice to ABC is that Barbara Walters should bring in Sarah Palin as a replacement for Elizabeth Hasselbeck! Boy did I hear from thousands of my readers about that. Wow! Therefore, I hope you will let me know what you think of this list of TOP TEN.

OK, here are my top ten more realistic picks (men and woman) to replace Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America. I write them as a recruiter, author of the HarperCollins book "Bulletproof Your Job," and as a TV-journalist and writer myself:

1. Ann Curry - ABC should be trying to steal her away.
2. Kathy Lee Gifford - Meredith Viera and her are roughly the same age, she is a mom and cannot stop talking about her kids.
3. Rosie O'Donnell - at least she has kids.
4. Campbell Brown - Former NBC Weekend anchor of the Today show, and now has her own gig on CNN. Moreover, she cannot seem to stop having kids.
5. Dr. Phil - Come on, you know he would be great to wake up to.
6. Heidi Klum -- Perfect complement to Robin and another one who can't stop having children!
7. Willie Geist - MSNBC's Morning Joe contributor.
8. Wendy Williams - ABC/Disney can go out on a limb and consider "How You Do-In'" gal (also my friend).
9. CBS Weekend Morning Show host Chris Wragge - A HUNK that everyone seems to love.
10. And -- for my Number TEN choice -- well of course... Paula Abdul, who I hear is still looking for work!

Tell me what you think!

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You're always welcome to write me with your career dilemmas, and I'll answer you on this column.

Follow me on Twitter (@WorkplaceGuru) and add me on Facebook or email me at: stephen@viscusi.com.

Disclaimer: The scenarios and events portrayed in this article are products of the author's imagination.
(c) Stephen Viscusi. All rights reserved. Article can be duplicated in part of full without author's permission.

Stephen Viscusi is the author of two books about jobs and the workplace. Charles Gibson from ABC's World News calls Viscusi, "America's Workplace Guru".

Viscusi is a TV broadcast journalist on jobs, a headhunter and resume spin doctor. His latest book, Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out On Top at Work (HarperCollins) has been published around the globe in at least 9 languages including Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese.

Viscusi is also the founder of www.BulletproofYourResume.com.

Viscusi's headhunting and workplace advice is usually considered counter-intuitive to the conventional wisdom. Viscusi is not a career or life coach. To the contrary, his current book, Bulletproof Your Job has been described as the New Millennium's The Art of War, by Sun Tzu, and that's how Viscusi sees the workplace. He's your workplace General.

Each week, Stephen Viscusi volunteers his headhunting career advice to the world.

His disciples can be celebrities, politico, world leaders, heads of industry, and some are just ordinary people who write him for advice. It's like Tony Robbins advising Al Gore or Deepak Chopra advising Michael Jackson (wait, scratch that one).

Even you can get your own advice by writing to Stephen at stephen@viscusi.com, Facebook him or Twitter him at WorkplaceGuru.