SH0CK ANNOUNCEMENT: Today unveils a new co-host in surprise shake-up - GMT - G1
‘NO NEED TO THINK TWICE’: Today ANNOUNCES New Co-Host in Sh0cking Move
TODAY Show hired a new lead co-anchor to take a seat at the desk in September in a surprise move as NBC executives praised the host’s “tireless reporting.”
The U.S. Sun has learned that Laura Garrett will be taking on the role at the desk, co-hosting Saturday Today as well as NBC News Saturday.
Laura Garrett has been named as the new co-anchor for Saturday Today and NBC News SaturdayCredit: Getty
NBC execs praised Laura’s tireless reporting in a statement obtained by The U.S. SunCredit: Instagram / Laura Jarrett
A new face has been added to the Today Show anchor deskCredit: NBC
For the big switch, Laura will be working for the weekend version of Today from its new home in New York City, after it was hosted from Washington D.C. for the past two years.
“In her first months at NBC News, Laura has quickly made her mark with tireless reporting, sharp legal insight and powerful storytelling,” Libby Leist, Executive Vice President of Today said in a statement.
“Not only is she a terrific journalist, she’s also a wonderful colleague. We can’t wait to officially welcome her to Saturday TODAY.”
The veteran journalist joined NBC News in January 2023 covering the Department of Justice and the Supreme Court while also providing analysis on legal issues, law enforcement and major breaking news stories.
NBC News correspondent Joe Fryer will also join the New York weekend team as the Today Feature Ancho, according to NBC.
Joining Peter Alexander, Laura Jarrett and Joe Fryer in studio 1A will be meteorologist Angie Lassman who joined NBC News in December 2022.
It was also recently announced that Kristen Welker, who has been co-hosting the Today weekend desk, had taken on a new role as moderator on Meet The Press.
Kristen will continue co-anchoring Saturday Today through August.
MAJOR MOVES
In June, Kristen’s move was announced with help from Today’s Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.
“Chief White House Correspondent, Saturday anchor of Weekend TODAY, and now we can announce: new moderator of ‘Meet the Press,’” Savannah said before breaking into applause.
“Come on girl,” Hoda said while clapping. “Way to go, way to go!”
Kristen beamed as Savannah described her as “one of the most capable and wonderful and best colleagues we have.”
“My TODAY show family, you guys have been so supportive of me, always, and in this moment I’m so grateful,” Kristen said.
“This is truly the honor of my life.”
Kristen replaces Chuck Todd as moderator, and is the second woman and first Black journalist to moderate ‘Meet the Press.’
“I’m just so fortunate, proud and I just feel so truly humbled that after nearly a decade of serving as moderator an extraordinary body of work that Chuck is the one passing the baton on to me,” she said during the June announcement.
In June it was announced that Kristen Welker was moving to Meet The Press as moderator, she will conclude her Saturday Today co-hosting responsibilities this monthCredit: Getty
Laura’s position will be in New York, as the studios for Saturday Today are heading back to the Big Apple from DCCredit: Getty
Tragic: Fox News Contributor Dies Following Hidden Battle With Cancer
Dr. Kelly Powers, a Fox News contributor known for her appearances on Red Eye and Fox Business, fought valiantly against a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer but succumbed to the illness on Sunday.
She was 45 years old, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
In 2020, Powers, a surgeon, received a diagnosis of glioblastoma, a devastating and frequently fatal form of brain cancer.
Powers passed away in New Jersey, according to an online obituary from Holmdel Funeral Home. The funeral home has scheduled a visitation for Thursday.
In recent years, Powers resided in Colts Neck with her family.
“She was a brave and beautiful soul who could make friends anywhere she went,” the obituary reads. “Kelly had a love for people and she was dedicated to helping others. … Kelly was an accomplished doctor and surgeon who held several spotlights on TV and in magazines. Most important to her was her family.”
“She was a brave and beautiful soul who could make friends anywhere she went. Kelly had a love for people and she was dedicated to helping others,” the obituary read.
Born on May 13, 1979, in Yonkers, Dr. Kelly Powers pursued her education at Baruch College in New York City before attending the New York College of Podiatric Medicine.
She went on to earn a master’s degree in science from the University of San Francisco and completed residency programs at Georgetown University and Boston University, the Daily News added.
Powers became a prominent medical expert, frequently appearing on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, NBC, and CBS to share her insights.
In 2020, she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.
Although she initially appeared to win her battle after successfully undergoing surgery to remove a tumor, the cancer returned earlier this year, according to her friend and Fox media colleague Cheryl Casone.
Powers is survived by her husband, Steven Doll, and their young son, Bennett.
A funeral service will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at Tower Hill Church in Red Bank, N.J., the Daily News noted.
After years of helping patients, Powers became a patient herself while hosting a Fox News segment about heart health when she began to experience shortness of breath and chest pains, the New York Post reported.
“It’s crazy. I went into heart failure while doing a report on Fox Business — live — on heart health and talking about the subtle signs that women often miss. You can’t make this up,” she told Preferred Health Magazine in an interview after her first diagnosis.
She fought through her illness, only to later learn she had aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma, The Post noted.
Despite undergoing three surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, Dr. Kelly Powers managed to overcome the cancer while also experiencing the joy of becoming pregnant and giving birth to her son, Bennett, according to a GoFundMe page.
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She humorously referred to herself as “the luckiest unlucky girl” for prevailing over her illness and often joked that her treatment left her and baby Bennett sharing the same haircut during his infancy, the page noted.
“When her cancer returned in 2024, friends raised nearly $100,000 to help pay for an experimental treatment that insurance wouldn’t cover,” The Post said.
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