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Punxsutawney Phil makes Groundhog Day 2021 prediction: 6 more weeks of winter

Punxsutawney Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow on this Groundhog Day 2021. However, the tradition of Groundhog Day lived on as Americans watched from home. Punxsutawney Phil makes Groundhog Day 2021 prediction (NBC News)Punxsutawney Phil makes Groundhog Day 2021 prediction (NBC News)Punxsutawney Phil makes Groundhog Day 2021 prediction (NBC News)Not snow nor pandemic keeps Punxsutawney Phil from his job (AP):Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor pandemic stays Punxsutawney Phil from emerging from his burrow to forecast whether there will be six more weeks of winter or an early spring. There are two other high-profile “imposters,” as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club calls them, in the region. Also without fanfare, Chuckles, Connecticut’s official state groundhog, will make a prediction from home: the Lutz Children’s Museum in Manchester.

Retiring Brokaw: Journalists should get out of power centers

Brokaw says he is retiring from NBC News after working at the network for 55 years. Brokaw, who turns 81 next month, announced last week that he's retiring from NBC News, where he worked for 55 years. He's been away from the power centers himself, and hasn't been to New York since before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Brokaw said he's impressed with the work of young journalists at NBC News and elsewhere, and is invested in seeing them succeed. “It was bang, bang, bang, just like that,” he said, “and it frankly astonished me, astonished my parents and my friends back in South Dakota.

Tom Brokaw says he's retiring from NBC News after 55 years

FILE - "NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw delivers his closing remarks during his final broadcast, in New York on Dec. 1, 2004. Brokaw says he is retiring from NBC News after working at the network for 55 years. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)NEW YORK – Longtime NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, once television news' most popular broadcaster as he told viewers about the biggest events of that late 20th Century, said Friday that he's retiring from television. In 2013, Brokaw was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that affects the bone marrow. Brokaw said the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 400,000 Americans in the past year, was the country's greatest test since the Civil War.

Rashida Jones replaces Phil Griffin as MSNBC president

NEW YORK – Phil Griffin is stepping down as the longtime president of MSNBC, to be replaced early next year by rising NBC News executive Rashida Jones. Griffin, 64, has worked at NBC News for 35 years and has been president of MSNBC since 2008. Jones, who has been with NBC News for the past seven years, is currently chief of breaking news and major events at the network. She just led the network's coverage of the 2020 presidential election and the team preparing Kristen Welker as moderator of the third presidential debate. Cesar Conde, the new chairman of the NBC Universal News Group, has made diversity one of his top priorities.

2020 indelible TV moments: Trebek, debate bluster and Floyd

Trebek made no secret of the fight with pancreatic cancer that claimed his life on Nov. 8. Here are a selection of the defining moments of 2020 from the perspective of The Associated Press' media and television writers. ALEX TREBEKThe “Jeopardy!” host made no secret of the fight with pancreatic cancer that ultimately claimed his life on Nov. 8. Millions of viewers will see the story resolved on their own time, creating countless individual moments rather than a communal one. The actors were conciliatory toward each other about what occurred during a marital separation, but Will Smith couldn’t resist revising his wife’s description.

US House passes bill aimed at decriminalizing cannabis, clearing nonviolent federal convictions

The U.S House voted Friday to pass a bill that would decriminalize cannabis and clear the way to erasing nonviolent federal marijuana convictions. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, is aimed at decriminalizing cannabis (marijuana) and making it possible to erase nonviolent federal marijuana convictions. BREAKING: US House votes 228-164 to pass historic bill that would decriminalize cannabis and clear the way to erase nonviolent federal marijuana convictions; bill moves to US Senate. Related: UN agency removes cannabis from strictest drug categoryThis comes after more states voted to legalize recreational marijuana this past month. Friday’s vote would mark the first time a full chamber of Congress has taken up the issue of federally decriminalizing cannabis, NBC reports.

Wayne County Board of Canvassers GOP members attempt to rescind vote certification

The federal lawsuit in Michigan over votes in Wayne County has been withdrawn. The Trump Campaign said it achieved what it wanted when the Wayne County Board of Canvassers refused to certify the results. Hours later, the board did vote to certify them, but now the two Republican members said they want to rescind their votes. He said he didn’t agree to certification and that he believes there were more than clerical errors in Wayne County. She said the election has been certified in Wayne County and has already been sent to the state board of canvassers.

After tense night, election mystery remains for media

A man stops to watch election returns on electronic billboards in Times Square, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in New York. Cable and broadcast news divisions followed the story closely, even as they learned that election night coverage was a relative dud with viewers. An estimated 56.9 million people watched coverage over 21 networks during primetime hours Tuesday, down sharply from the 71.4 million viewers on election night 2016, the Nielsen company said. For weeks, media outlets had warned that Americans would need patience on election night and beyond, and that turned out to be their most accurate prediction. Even if Biden won the presidency, Democrats were sure to face questions about why the race was so close and why predicted gains in Congress didn't materialize.

ClickOnDetroit Morning Briefing -- Nov. 3, 2020

While millions have already voted in the 2020 General Election, millions of other will still be voting in person on Tuesday. Today Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris will campaign in Detroit, the Biden-Harris campaign announced Monday. Watch live coverage of Election Day 2020 from NBC News -- coverage of races from around the country all day long, starting Tuesday morning. The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 184,889 as of Monday, including 7,357 deaths, state officials report. Monday’s update represents 6,709 new cases and 17 additional deaths over the past two days.

Networks line up election law experts for vote coverage

Television networks are adding experts in election law to their election night coverage teams. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)NEW YORK – Television networks are adding experts in election law to their election night coverage teams so they're prepared to explain legal challenges or irregularities that may come up during the vote. ABC and NBC have made similar arrangements, although some of those experts will have more offscreen roles. “I think everyone recognizes that.”NBC News has hired a firm that specializes in election law for advice and to provide lawyers who can appear on the air if they need to, said division president Noah Oppenheim. Marc Burstein, the network's top elections producer, said ABC believes it's best for viewers to see faces they're familiar with.

NBC News explains what happened when it tried to report on alleged Hunter Biden emails

From the NBC News report:"The complaints from President Donald Trump and his allies have been growing louder as the election approaches: Why isn’t the mainstream media covering the Hunter Biden laptop story? Trump and his allies say there is evidence of corruption in emails and documents allegedly found on a laptop belonging to Democrat Joe Biden’s son. Trump and his allies alleged that means Joe Biden has lied when he said he never discussed his son’s business roles. Among others: Most mainstream news organizations, including NBC News, have not been granted access to the documents. Read more: How a fake persona laid the groundwork for a Hunter Biden conspiracy deluge

Mission impossible? Welker on tap to moderate second debate

On Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, Welker is scheduled to moderate the second and last Presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden. The NBC News White House correspondent is scheduled to moderate Thursday's second and last session between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. While Welker was one of four questioners at a Democratic presidential debate last fall, this is by far the 44-year-old journalist's biggest stage. She's the first Black woman to moderate a presidential debate since Carole Simpson in 1992. Andrea Mitchell, the NBC News correspondent who moderated last fall's Democratic debate with Welker, Rachel Maddow and Ashley Parker, doubted her colleague would be intimidated.

In head-to-head town halls, Biden beats Trump in audience

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)NEW YORK – It's not the tally that really matters, but Joe Biden scored something of an upset over President Donald Trump. In their dueling town halls, the Democratic presidential candidate reached more viewers on ABC than Trump did for NBC News Thursday night. The Biden town hall reached 14.1 million people on ABC between 8 and 9 p.m. and Trump had 13.5 million combined on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC, the Nielsen company said. “Well, that just happened,” MSNBC's Rachel Maddow said as soon as Trump's town hall with Savannah Guthrie ended, proceeding to launch into a lengthy fact-check. The Biden town hall, with questions from the audience and moderator George Stephanopoulos, lasted 90 minutes.

For grateful NBC, Savannah Guthrie changes the subject

Moderator Savannah Guthrie speaks during an NBC News Town Hall with President Donald Trump at Perez Art Museum Miami, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)NEW YORK – Savannah Guthrie did more than just display her journalistic chops at NBC News' town hall with President Donald Trump. As host of the “Today” show, Guthrie knows the importance of time and how to stop an interview subject from filibustering. “The biggest challenge with President Trump is that it’s never a linear conversation,” Swan said. “Why does anyone take Savannah Guthrie seriously?” tweeted conservative talk show host Buck Sexton.

Biden outraises Trump $383M to $248M in September

President Donald Trump wipes away sweat during an NBC News Town Hall, at Perez Art Museum Miami, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump was outraised by Democrat Joe Biden in September and is being outgunned financially by his rival with just weeks to go until Election Day. Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh tweeted that the Trump effort had $251.4 million on hand at the end of September, compared with $432 million for Biden. The president's campaign was betting on a well-stocked bank account to blanket airwaves and online with Trump ads. “President Trump hits final stretch with strength, resources, record & huge ground game needed to spread message and secure re-election,” Murtaugh tweeted.

TV gives viewers a split-screen comparison of Trump, Biden

President Donald Trump wipes his face during a break in an NBC News Town Hall, at Perez Art Museum Miami, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, in Miami. NBC News chief executive Cesar Conde said Thursday that NBC scheduled Trump out of fairness after Biden did a town hall at the same time last Thursday. There were apparently still hard feelings, given that Muir twice mentioned a nameless “another network” holding a Trump town hall. “Has there ever been two more different presidential candidates than Trump or Biden?” asked The Washington Post's Glenn Kessler in a tweet. At a rally in North Carolina on Thursday, Trump called NBC “the worst" and said he was being set up with the town hall.

President Trump participates in NBC News town hall in Miami

NBC News hosted a live town hall with Republican presidential nominee President Donald Trump, moderated by Savannah Guthrie, on Thursday night. Joe Biden participated in a simultaneous town hall Thursday night on ABC. Watch Local 4 News at 5 a.m. for a Trust Index fact check of both town halls. President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden competed for TV audiences in dueling town halls instead of meeting face-to-face for their second debate as originally planned. The two took questions in different cities on different networks Thursday night: Trump on NBC from Miami, Biden on ABC from Philadelphia.

Dueling town halls for Trump, Biden tonight after debate plan nixed

Coming just two and a half weeks before Election Day, the night offered crystalizing contrasts and a national, if divided, audience. Angry and combative, Trump refused to denounce the QAnon conspiracy group — and only testily did so regarding white supremacists. Trump and Biden were supposed to spend Thursday night on the same debate stage in Miami. The presidential rivals took questions in different cities on different networks: Trump on NBC from Miami, Biden on ABC from Philadelphia. Trump was Trump.

NBC faces backlash after agreeing to Trump town hall

During an interview with Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, Maddow asked whether she was “as mad as everybody else” about the Trump town hall. NBC said it agreed to set up the dueling town hall after Trump was administered a coronavirus test Tuesday by the National Institutes of Health. Trump's town hall on NBC is scheduled for an hour. An estimated 6.7 million people saw Biden at an NBC News-sponsored town hall last week. Trump's ABC town hall with Stephanopoulos on Sept. 15 was seen by 3.8 million people, Nielsen said.

The Latest: Biden raises record $383 million in September

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives to speak at Southwest Focal Point Community Center in Pembroke Pines, Fla., Tuesday Oct. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)WASHINGTON – The Latest on the 2020 presidential race (all times local):9:45 p.m.Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden raised $383 million for his election effort in September, a record-breaking sum that eclipses the unprecedented fundraising from the previous month. The gobs of cash Biden has raised since securing the nomination amount to a complete reversal in fortune for the former vice president. In the months since, a flood of donations and low spending has enabled him to eclipse President Donald Trump’s once-formidable cash reserves. In lieu of a formal debate, President Donald Trump has agreed to answer voters’ questions during a town hall program sponsored by NBC News on Thursday night.

Gov. Whitmer kidnapping suspects linked to ‘boogaloo’ anti-government movement, NBC News finds

LANSING, Mich. – Some of the Michigan men charged after a conspiracy to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have links to the national “boogaloo” anti-government movement, NBC News found. NBC News looked into the six men directly charged with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer -- Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, Brandon Caserta and Barry Croft. Croft was seen wearing the insignia of the Three Percenters, an armed anti-government movement, among other online warning signs, according to NBC News. Others in the group facing charges had anti-government memes and posts on social media before they were deleted, according to NBC News.

NBC’s Lester Holt is coming to Detroit for Nightly News ‘Across America’

Lester Holt and NBC News will be coming to Detroit next week. UPDATE Oct. 2: Across America travel to Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania will be postponed until October 26th week (the week before the election). Starting Oct. 5, the next edition of Nightly News “Across America” rolls out. Lester Holt will broadcast live each evening from four key battleground states, including Michigan. The schedule right now is:Monday – MiamiTuesday – MilwaukeeWednesday – DetroitThursday – ScrantonNightly News will feature stories on a variety of topics, including the election, COVID-19, and racial justice.

LIVE STREAM: Day 1 of 2020 Democratic National Convention

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistribu)The 2020 Democratic National Convention will kick off on Monday night with a slate of virtual speeches. Monday’s slate of speakers includes: Former First Lady Michelle Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Rep. Jim Clyburn, Convention Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, Rep. Gwen Moore, Former Gov. Related: 2020 Watch: Can a virtual convention generate excitement? Watch live coverage below:

Democratic National Convention delayed due to coronavirus pandemic

The Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee will be postponed until August due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Democratic National Convention Committee announced Thursday that the convention will now be held over four days beginning Aug. 17, instead of its scheduled July 13-16 dates. As the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the country, the convention has been postponed in an effort to protect public health, officials said. This will be Milwaukee’s first time ever hosting the political party’s national convention. The Republican National Convention is scheduled to take place in between August 24-27 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

NBC News staffer who died from coronavirus remembered by colleagues

NEW YORK – The coronavirus outbreak has claimed the life of NBC News staffer, Larry Edgeworth, the network announced Friday. According to NBC News, Edgeworth died Thursday after testing positive for the virus and had other underlying health issues. “As we have heard from medical professionals, those with underlying health concerns are sadly the most vulnerable,” NBC News Chairman Andy Lack wrote Friday morning in an email to staff members. Larry Edgeworth, a beloved NBC News colleague and "the guy you wanted by your side no matter where you were," has died after testing positive for coronavirus. https://t.co/eOghkAHeNb — NBC News (@NBCNews) March 20, 2020The man on the left is Larry Edgeworth.

NBC News: White House lockdown lifted after ‘airspace violation’ in Washington DC

WASHINGTON – The White House is on lockdown as of 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to NBC News. The lockdown has been lifted. NBC News reports: Airspace violation reported in Washington, DC, and fighter jets have been scrambled. US Northern Command: NORAD Command have tasked aircraft to respond to the security alert in Washington, DC. UPDATE: NBC News White House team says the lockdown has been LIFTED indicating that there’s no hostile threat there at this time.

NBC News report: How a lawsuit over Detroit schools could have an ‘earth-shattering’ impact

What’s less certain, however, is whether Hall's education in Detroit’s long-troubled school district was so awful, so insufficient, that it violated his constitutional rights. The Detroit case was filed in 2016 on behalf of Hall and other students who attended rodent-infested, crumbling schools that lacked certified teachers and up-to-date textbooks. A similar case was filed on behalf of students in Rhode Island last year, asserting that they were denied a basic civics education. “It would lay down a huge marker in terms of how all the states across the nation fund or don’t fund their schools,” Black said. “Every school in the country would be affected,” said Michael Rebell, a Teachers College, Columbia University professor who brought the Rhode Island case.

Gretchen Carlson wants to speak freely about Fox News tenure

This Oct. 31, 2019 photo shows former Fox News personality Gretchen Carlson during an interview in New York. "It would be nice to be able to be able to tell my full story," Carlson said. Carlson got a reported $20 million settlement in 2016 after she sued the network, claiming late Fox News chief Roger Ailes demoted then fired her when she rejected his sexual advances. Since her departure from Fox, Carlson has become an advocate for women, from writing books like "Be Fierce" to producing and hosting the Lifetime documentary "Breaking the Silence" about sexual harassment earlier this year. Carlson said she is amazed at how much progress has happened regarding sexual harassment cases in just three years.

Local 4 teams up with NBC for 'Education Now Detroit'

DETROIT - Six years after it went through the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, Detroit is undergoing a so-called revival. How do the issues Detroit faces extend to other parts of the state and the country? NBC News Learn, the education division of NBC News, is partnering with Local 4 to host a two-hour live town hall event aimed at addressing these pressing questions. NBC News Learn Presents: Education Now Detroit, sponsored by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, will take place on Thursday, October 24 from 5:50 to 8 p.m. ET at The Henry Ford and broadcast live on WDIV Local 4 from 7 to 8 p.m.

NBC News president skewers Ronan Farrow in memo to staff

In an extraordinary new letter, NBC News president Noah Oppenheim, pictured right, says former employee Ronan Farrow is engaged in an "effort to defame NBC News." (CNN) - In an extraordinary new letter, NBC News president Noah Oppenheim says former employee Ronan Farrow is engaged in an "effort to defame NBC News." In "Catch and Kill," which comes out Tuesday, Farrow alleges that his Weinstein reporting effort was shut down for inappropriate reasons. In a memo to staffers on Monday, Oppenheim said that NBC "assigned Farrow the Weinstein story and actively supported it, editorially and financially, for seven months. His termination came one day after an employee, publicly identified for the first time in Farrow's book, lodged a complaint with HR.

NBC, Local 4 host 'Education Now Detroit' on Oct. 24

DETROIT - Six years after it went through the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, Detroit is undergoing a so-called revival. NBC News Learn, the education division of NBC News, is partnering with Local 4 to host a two-hour live town hall event aimed at addressing these pressing questions. "NBC News Learn Presents: Education Now Detroit," sponsored by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, will take place on Thursday, October 24 from 5:50 to 8 p.m. NBC News Chief Education Correspondent Rehema Ellis will moderate panel discussions and Local 4 Anchor Kimberly Gill will take questions from the audience throughout the two-hour live discussion. Letting Teachers LeadWith so many children in Detroit experiencing instability, poverty, and trauma, teachers certainly feel the effects in their classrooms.

What to Know About the Woman Who's Accused Matt Lauer of Rape

Lauer, who was terminated by the network two years ago after Nevils complained of "inappropriate sexual behavior" on Lauer's part, hit back hard Wednesday against her new accusations of rape. We performed oral sex on each other, we had vaginal sex, and we had anal sex. But on this night, she said, Lauer pushed her onto the bed, "asking if she liked anal sex," Farrow wrote. It was nonconsensual in that I said, multiple times, that I didn't want to have anal sex," Farrow quotes her as saying. I want to say that we know it wasnt easy for our colleague Brooke to come forward then.

Matt Lauer calls rape allegation false, says it was consensual affair in letter to Variety

Matt Lauer is speaking out and calling a rape allegation by a former coworker at NBC News "categorically false." Variety got a copy of the book and was first to report the detailed rape claim against Lauer on Wednesday. Lauer has followed up with a letter to Variety that explains his side of the story:"I had an extramarital affair with Brooke Nevils in 2014. We engaged in a variety of sexual acts ... Each act was mutual and completely consensual," reads part of the letter to Variety. Lauer denies this claim, calling this "part of a promotional effort to sell a book" in his letter published by Variety.

NBC News, TODAY show address Matt Lauer rape allegations

NBC News and the TODAY Show spent time Wednesday morning addressing new sexual assault claims against former host Matt Lauer. Overnight, troubling new allegations about former TODAY anchor Matt Lauer were revealed from journalist Ronan Farrow's soon-to-be-released book "Catch and Kill." pic.twitter.com/7ooO3oAJ5X TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 9, 2019Lauer was fired from his position in 2017 after 20 years with NBC News. "This has to be the most popular decision NBC News has ever made," Guthrie said while celebrating the news on "Today." Once she was in his hotel room, Nevils alleges, Lauer who was wearing a T-shirt and boxers pushed her against the door and kissed her.

Former NBC staffer accuses Matt Lauer of rape in book

(CNN) - When NBC News fired Matt Lauer two years ago, the network said an employee accused him of "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace." NBC News responded by saying, in a statement, "Matt Lauer's conduct was appalling, horrific and reprehensible, as we said at the time. Nevils told Farrow in an interview that the rape occurred while she was in Sochi, Russia, covering the 2014 Winter Olympics. Lauer invited her up to his room but, according to Farrow, Nevils said she "had no reason to suspect Lauer would be anything but friendly based on prior experience." Nevils told Farrow that once in the room, Lauer forced himself on her and raped her.

Quibi adds '60 Minutes' to growing roster of news partnerships

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - "60 Minutes" is the latest big name news brand to partner up with Quibi -- the upcoming and much-discussed short-form streaming service from Hollywood and Silicon Valley giants Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman. CBS News and Quibi on Tuesday announced a licensing agreement that will bring a new news show called "60 in 6" to the streaming service. Each episode of the weekly series will be six minutes in length and will include a "wide range of compelling stories," according to the network. The new ESPN Quibi show will feature "daily episodes and breaking news covering the biggest stories in sports," the network said Monday. Quibi, which stands for "Quick Bites," will offer videos that are 10 minutes or less in length and created for viewing on mobile phones.

21-Year-Old Juror Jailed Sleeping Through Alarm and Missing Trial

Deandre Somerville of West Palm Beach was picked to be a juror on Aug. 20, according to multiple reports. He told NBC News that he searched online about what would happen if a juror missed court. "I should have called," Somerville told NBC News. The judge sentence Somerville to 10 days in jail, one year of probation, 150 hours of community service and a $223 fine to cover court costs. He told NBC News that while he regrest his actions, he believes his jail sentence was "a little overdone" and that his probation sentence was unnecessary.