+
upworthy
Most Shared

Hoda Kotb's new role on 'Today' just made history for the morning news show.

'It could not happen to a sweeter, better, more beloved person.'

It's official: Hoda Kotb is the new permanent co-host of "Today" on NBC.

Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images.

Kotb had been the temporary replacement for Matt Lauer since November.

But, throughout the past month, she seemed to impress all the right people.

Her earnest, delicate on-air handling of Lauer's dismissal was widely praised, CNN noted, after the former "Today" co-host was fired for mounting allegations of sexual harassment.


"This is a very tough morning for both of us," Kotb said on the day of Lauer's firing, sitting alongside co-host Savannah Guthrie. "It's hard to reconcile what we are hearing with the man who we know, who walks in this building every single day."

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

Kotb's promotion to co-host is a big deal, and fans and celebrities were quick to celebrate the occasion.

It's the first time "Today" as been anchored by two women, bucking tradition that typically places a man and woman in co-host roles.

Fellow NBC stars Kathie Lee Gifford, Al Roker, and Lester Holt sang Kotb's praises.

Actor and producer Mindy Kaling said she was "looking forward to [Kotb] lighting up [her] morning in a brand new way."

Singer-songwriter Darius Rucker chimed in, "You go girl."

Chelsea Clinton sent warm congratulations.

The fact that Kotb is a woman of color also shouldn't be overlooked, some pointed out.

Of course, Kotb seemed over the moon about her new role.

"Whaaaaaatttttttt!" she captioned on Twitter with a photo of her and Guthrie.

"It could not happen to a sweeter, better, more beloved person," Gifford said on-air Tuesday morning.

While Lauer's absence may have initially shaken the "Today" team, it hasn't shaken the morning show's ratings.

In fact, in the weeks that followed his dismissal, "Today's" viewership actually increased as Kotb sat in as co-host, besting rival "Good Morning America" for the first time in over a year, according to The New York Times.

Photo by Jason Carter Rinaldi/Getty Images.

Over on CBS' "This Morning," Charlie Rose's departure didn't spark a ratings downturn either; viewership has held steady after the iconic journalist was fired for sexual misconduct just days before Lauer's dismissal.

Maybe morning newsmen aren't so vital in 2018 after all?

True

Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

Keep ReadingShow less
Education

A school assignment asked for 3 benefits of slavery. This kid gave the only good answer.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

A school assignment asked for 3 "good" reasons for slavery.



It's not uncommon for parents to puzzle over their kids' homework.

Sometimes, it's just been too long since they've done long division for them to be of any help. Or teaching methods have just changed too dramatically since they were in school.

And other times, kids bring home something truly inexplicable.
Keep ReadingShow less
Democracy

This Map Reveals The True Value Of $100 In Each State

Your purchasing power can swing by 30% from state to state.

Image by Tax Foundation.

Map represents the value of 100 dollars.

As the cost of living in large cities continues to rise, more and more people are realizing that the value of a dollar in the United States is a very relative concept. For decades, cost of living indices have sought to address and benchmark the inconsistencies in what money will buy, but they are often so specific as to prevent a holistic picture or the ability to "browse" the data based on geographic location.

The Tax Foundation addressed many of these shortcomings using the most recent (2015) Bureau of Economic Analysis data to provide a familiar map of the United States overlaid with the relative value of what $100 is "worth" in each state. Granted, going state-by-state still introduces a fair amount of "smoothing" into the process — $100 will go farther in Los Angeles than in Fresno, for instance — but it does provide insight into where the value lies.

Keep ReadingShow less
via PixaBay

Being an adult is tough.

Nothing can ever fully prepare you for being an adult. Once you leave childhood behind, the responsibilities, let-downs and setbacks come at you fast. It’s tiring and expensive, and there's no easy-to-follow roadmap for happiness and success.

A Reddit user named u/Frequent-Pilot5243 asked the online forum, “What’s an adult problem nobody prepared you for?” and there were a lot of profound answers that get to the heart of the disappointing side of being an adult.

One theme that ran through many responses is the feeling of being set adrift. When you’re a kid, the world is laid out as a series of accomplishments. You learn to walk, you figure out how to use the bathroom, you start school, you finish school, maybe you go to college, and so on.

Keep ReadingShow less
Identity

One man turned nursing home design on its head when he created this stunning facility

"What if we design an environment that looks like outside?" he said. "What if I can have a sunrise and sunset inside the building?



92-year-old Norma had a strange and heartbreaking routine.

Every night around 5:30 p.m., she stood up and told the staff at her Ohio nursing home that she needed to leave. When they asked why, she said she needed to go home to take care of her mother. Her mom, of course, had long since passed away.

Behavior like Norma's is quite common for older folks suffering from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Walter, another man in the same assisted living facility, demanded breakfast from the staff every night around 7:30.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

7 things Black people want their well-meaning white friends to know

"You, white friend, need to speak up and say something when I can't."

Growing up black in a white neighborhood.

I grew up black in a very white neighborhood in a very white city in a very white state.

As such, I am a lot of people's only black friend.

Keep ReadingShow less

Charlie Munger of Berkshire Hathaway.

Charles Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffet’s closest business partner, passed away on Tuesday, November 28, at 99. Buffett and Munger's partnership lasted over 50 years, producing Berkshire Hathaway, one of the largest and most successful conglomerates in history.

When Munger passed, his estimated worth was $2.6 billion. Buffet, 93, is believed to be worth $119 billion.

But Munger was far more than just a wealthy man. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Munger a “keen observer of the world around him,” and he was known for his pithy bits of common-sense wisdom known as “Mungerisms.”

Keep ReadingShow less