todaynewsmain

Pint-size politician: Mayor of Minnesota town is 4 years old

Scott Stump — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:56:41 GMT

In his official capacity as mayor of his tiny Minnesota town, 4-year-old Bobby Tufts has enjoyed the benefits of his political power. “His biggest perks are that he gets to give hugs and gets lots of free ice cream,’’ his mother, Emma Tufts, told TODAY.com.Bobby, who will appear on TODAY Saturday, became the mayor of Dorset, Minn., in August of 2012 when he was only 3 years old after his name was ...

7-time Lotto winner shares his secrets

Tracy Saelinger — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:29:12 GMT

If you live in one of the 43 states where you can play Powerball, chances are you’ve been daydreaming about how you’ll spend this weekend’s record-breaking $600 million prize.The jackpot is the highest ever in Powerball history, thanks in part to the state of California, which just started selling the tickets last month. And while it’s nice to dream about calling your boss on Monday to announce yo...

A 'moral' issue: Vote on lifting Boy Scouts' gay ban divides members

Eun Kyung Kim — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:00:50 GMT

Tracie Felker and Joe Marion share a deep passion for Scouting. Each has a son who attained the top rank of Eagle, and each has spent numerous years and thousands of hours volunteering as Scout leaders, promoting Scout values.And that’s where they diverge. When the Boy Scouts of America votes next week on whether to admit gay youth as members, Felker and Marion hope for opposite outcomes.Marion s...

Town throws dream wedding for triple amputee Marine

Rebecca Fishbein — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:58:10 GMT

Juan Dominguez lost his both his legs and his right arm after stepping on improvised explosive device while serving as a Marine Corporal in Afghanistan in 2010. But that didn't stop him from finding true love a few months later, when he met his now-wife Alexis after returning to the States."I thought she was cute, so I kind of dumped my girlfriend at the time and asked her out," Dominguez told TOD...

Mom missing for 11 years thought family was 'better off without me'

By Lauren Ina — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:59:02 GMT

On February 8, 2002, life's problems had become too big for Brenda Heist.The Pennsylvania mother of two, who was getting a divorce and facing financial uncertainty, dropped off her children, daughter Morgan, 8 and son Lee, 12, at school and went to a park, where she began to cry. She was approached by some homeless people who asked if she was all right, and when they said they were leaving for Flo...

Don't expect Queen Elizabeth to get off the throne: Here's why

Eun Kyung Kim — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:53:17 GMT

Very few institutions in the world offer a job with the kind of lifetime tenure promised by the British monarchy. But when Buckingham Palace recently announced Queen Elizabeth would sit out a major upcoming meeting of nations and have Prince Charles go in her place, some wondered whether the prince’s awkwardly long wait as heir to the throne might end sooner than anticipated.“Queen Elizabeth could...

Amanda Knox's ex Raffaele Sollecito: She thinks I'm a hero

Laura T. Coffey, TODAY — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:53:17 GMT

In an exclusive interview with TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, Amanda Knox’s former boyfriend explained why he never abandoned Knox, and said he is not afraid he will be sent back to jail.“I'm innocent, and we got evidence of our innocence, so we will fight until the end without any worry," said Raffaele Sollecito, author of the new book “Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Back with Amanda Knox.”'Honor...

Art or invasion of privacy? Secret snapshots anger neighbors

Scott Stump — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:15:13 GMT

To the well-known photographer who shot them with a telephoto lens, the pictures of people going about their daily lives in the building across the street constitute art. To the residents of a Manhattan apartment complex who now find those personal images of themselves on display and for sale at a local art gallery, it’s invasion of privacy. Artist Arne Svenson took the pictures through the open ...

Millennials reject 'lazy, entitled' label: 'Who are they talking about?'

Nona Willis Aronowitz — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:30:40 GMT

Millennials have been called a lot of things recently — narcissistic, lazy, entitled, and obsessed with our smartphones, for a start — at least, according to a recent TIME magazine story.The piece, which didn't quote many actual millennials, appeared designed to poke a hornet's nest (and the Internet delivered in clever responses) but it begged the question: What does it mean to be a millennial? A...

Pint-sized politician: Mayor of Minnesota town is 4 years old

Scott Stump — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:39:16 GMT

In his official capacity as mayor of his tiny Minnesota town, 4-year-old Bobby Tufts has enjoyed the benefits of his political power. “His biggest perks are that he gets to give hugs and gets lots of free ice cream,’’ his mother, Emma Tufts, told TODAY.com. Bobby, who will appear on TODAY Saturday, became the mayor of Dorset, Minn., in August of 2012 when he was only 3 years old after his name was...

Woman left in dumpster as a newborn: I forgive my birth mom

Laura T. Coffey — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:35:48 GMT

Rachael Clark is OK now. The straight-A student is graduating from the University of Maryland this year, getting married this summer, and excitedly making plans beyond that: To write a book about adoption; to pursue a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy; to become a mom to at least four kids.The 23-year-old is so focused and busy that she sometimes forgets about the turmoil that’s dogge...

Barbie's Dreamhouse now life-size reality in Florida

Scott Stump — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:37:49 GMT

Barbie has opened her new dream house to visitors, and it’s not just young girls who are excited about checking it out. The 10,000-square-foot "Barbie The Dreamhouse Experience" building has opened at Sawgrass Mills mall in Sunrise, Fla., beckoning to kids and adult Barbie collectors alike with a giant closet, bedroom, kitchen and more, all covered in Barbie’s signature pink.Marl Davidson, a longt...

Kindergartner helps save dad's life by knowing his ABCs

Scott Stump — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:30:54 GMT

A New Jersey kindergartner was able to help save his father’s life on Monday thanks to some quick thinking and a firm grasp of his ABCs.Nathaniel Dancy Jr. had spent the day going to the movies and buying new shoes for school with his father on Monday afternoon when Nathaniel Dancy Sr. began suffering a stroke and an aneurysm while driving. He was able to pull the car off the highway and into a pa...

Prince Harry closes whirlwind US tour with Conn. polo match

Eun Kyung Kim — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:19:44 GMT

Prince Harry wrapped up a week-long American tour Wednesday in the affluent New York suburb of Greenwich, Conn., to play in a polo match benefiting his African charity. The prince, 28, concluded his visit at the exclusive Greenwich Polo Club to take part in an invitation-only fundraiser for Sentebale, an organization that helps poor children and AIDS orphans in the African nation of Lesotho.An aft...

Fired 'F-bomb anchor' back at work...as a bartender

Rebecca Ruiz — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:22:27 GMT

There’s probably no one better suited right now to listen to tales of heartbreak from behind a bar than A.J. Clemente. The aspiring TV anchor became a viral video sensation last month when he accidentally let two expletives slip during his first appearance on NBC affiliate KFYR in North Dakota.Despite apologizing for the incident, which Clemente called a “rookie mistake,” the Bismarck station let ...

Biden loves 7-year-old's 'chocolate bullets' idea

Scott Stump — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:04:05 GMT

When second-grader Myles Nelson came up with his unique way to make the world safer by using chocolate bullets instead of real ones, he decided he needed to share it with people in a position to do something about it. Little did the 7-year-old know that his handwritten letter would be answered by a handwritten response from Vice President Joe Biden. “I am sorry it took me so very long to respond t...

Prince Harry joins Gov. Chris Christie on tour of storm-damaged NJ

Eun Kyung Kim — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:39:19 GMT

Prince Harry continued his American tour Tuesday with a visit to New Jersey to inspect residential areas still devastated by last fall’s Superstorm Sandy.With Gov. Chris Christie as his tour guide, the prince played arcade games and strolled along the boardwalk of Seaside Heights, where a roller coaster hurled by Sandy into the sea remains in the water. Earlier, he also met with police during a vi...

Rumsfeld: Hillary Clinton is the 'sideshow' in Benghazi flap

Eun Kyung Kim — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:18:46 GMT

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said questions being raised by his fellow Republicans about the Benghazi embassy attack that killed four American diplomats are not politically motivated.Asked Tuesday on TODAY whether criticism over the attack was an effort to discredit former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, considered by many to be a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2016...

Angelina Jolie: I had double mastectomy because of high breast cancer risk

TODAY staff — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:11:04 GMT

Angelina Jolie says she has undergone a preventive double mastectomy after being told that she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer, along with a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer.In an article published in the opinion section of Tuesday's New York Times, Jolie said her decision was informed by her mother's long fight against cancer. Marcheline Bertrand died in 2007 at age 56.Jolie said she hop...

You think your love life's tough? Try being famous

Eun Kyung Kim — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:27:05 GMT

Stars. They really aren’t like us, particularly when it comes to dating. Martha Stewart’s recent revelation that she has a hard time finding dates may have stunned the general public, but it probably didn’t surprise other celebrities just as famous, rich and powerful as the multimedia mogul.Actors, singers, politicians, executives and other high-profile individuals who are single often have the sa...

Woman abducted by Somali pirates 'felt like animal on display'

Eun Kyung Kim — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:12:49 GMT

While working as a humanitarian worker in war-ravaged Somalia, Jessica Buchanan knew she lived with danger. Even so, she never thought she was at risk for abduction.But on Oct. 25, 2011, that’s what happened.She was “completely surrounded” the moment she was seized by Somali pirates, she recalled Monday on TODAY. “Yelling, screaming, hitting windshields with AK-47s. Guns in my face, and then we ju...

See military mom who survived breast cancer get surprise home improvement

Tracy Saelinger — Sun, 12 May 2013 15:23:20 GMT

It’s been a tough few years for Marily Considine and her family. Her husband, John, a major in the U.S. Army, is 8,000 miles away in Afghanistan — his third deployment in their 12 years of marriage. She and her sons, Johnily and Ryan, get to talk to him for just 15 minutes a day. “That 15 minutes I am on the phone with him is the only time I breathe during the day because I know he is ok. The othe...

Prince Harry sings 'Happy Birthday' to Missy Franklin

Jillian Eugenios — Sat, 11 May 2013 15:39:28 GMT

Prince Harry's visit to Colorado has been focused on meeting with wounded servicemen and women, but he took some time out to sing a special song to Olympian Missy Franklin. The swimmer was celebrating her 18th birthday at a golf club south of Denver, Colo., on Friday, while Harry was on charm duty, mixing and mingling with dignitaries, military officers and others at a cocktail party. When a crowd...

Parents who donated late daughter's organs: 'It was the right choice'

Meghan Holohan — Sat, 11 May 2013 14:22:45 GMT

Almost daily, Tara Storch gazes in the bedroom of her daughter and best friend, Taylor, and imagines the teen at 17, learning to drive, getting ready for prom, texting her friends and enjoying life. “I think about it every day,” Tara told TODAY. “I mean, I see her friends driving, I see prom pictures being posted and homecoming moms and everything that goes into being 17. And, I had plans with h...

Celebs pay moving tribute to teen with 'weeks to live'

Scott Stump — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:13:19 GMT

Last year, Minnesota teenager Zach Sobiech inspired millions with “Clouds,” a heartfelt song written in the midst of his battle against a rare form of bone cancer.In a video released on Monday, a group of celebrities decided to send some inspiration back his way. They took part in a moving tribute of his viral YouTube hit, lip-synching to “Clouds” in a video made for the Lakeland, Minn. teen who r...