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Amazon has once again beat its own sales record.

The tech giant said on Wednesday that Cyber Monday was its single biggest shopping day of all time. The announcement comes just months after it reported unprecedented sales on Prime Day, its special shopping event is for Prime members.

Amazon said customers ordered "hundreds of millions of products" from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. Not surprisingly, the best-selling product on Cyber Monday was an Amazon-branded product: the Echo Dot smart speaker.

Other Amazon and Alexa-enabled devices were also popular, including its Fire TV Stick and Fire 7 tablets.

"Customers purchased millions of Amazon's Alexa-enabled devices this weekend, and Alexa devices were the top sellers across all of Amazon," said Dave Limp, senior VP of Amazon devices & services, in a statement.

Related: Amazon vs. Walmart: Rest of retail fights for crumbs

Cyber Monday was also the biggest sales day ever for small businesses and entrepreneurs selling items on the platform. Customers ordered almost 140 million products from small businesses globally in the five-day period following Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, Whole Foods -- which Amazon purchased earlier this year -- also hit a milestone: In the U.S., the grocery chain surpassed its record of turkeys sold during the holiday.

Related: Online holiday shopping scams to watch out for

Beyond Amazon, a record $6.59 billion was spent online overall by the end of Cyber Monday, a 16.8% jump year-over-year, according to Adobe Analytics data. It was the largest online shopping day in history.

Top selling items on the web in general included the Nintendo Switch, Apple AirPods and streaming devices like Google Chromecast and Roku. TVs were the most discounted items on Black Friday and continued to see big price drops into Cyber Monday,according to Adobe.

CNNMoney (New York) First published November 29, 2017: 10:46 AM ET

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Amazon's Cyber Monday was its biggest sales day ever

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The tech giant said on Wednesday that Cyber Monday was its single biggest shopping day of all time. The announcement comes just months after it reported unprecedented sales on Prime Day, its special shopping event is for Prime members. Amazon said customers ordered "hundreds of millions of products" from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday.

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The catastrophic Atlantic hurricane season officially ends Thursday.Ten hurricanes ripped through the Atlantic this year.

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Ten hurricanes ripped through the Atlantic this year, hurtling through parts of the US and the Caribbean and thrashing islands in their path, including Barbuda and Puerto Rico. One storm even veered as far east as Ireland -- underscoring how bizarre this hurricane season was.

Here are six ways the 2017 hurricane season (from June 1 to November 30), left its mark.

1. Costliest hurricane season ever?

A trio of major hurricanes hit US soil this year, in what could be the most expensive hurricane season with damage estimates ranging up to $300-$475 billion. Harvey, Irma and Maria are major hurricanes, meaning they reached Category 3 or higher.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is expected to release a cost assessment later this year that includes total costs for these three hurricanes.

For comparison, the damage from Katrina in 2005, which has been the costliest hurricane in US history, was $108 billion.

A fourth storm, Hurricane Nate also made US landfall, but never reached major hurricane level. Nate caused an estimated $2.5 billion in damages.

2. Largest blackout in US history

Since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in mid-September, the island has struggled to restore water and power. The official death toll there stands at 58, but a CNN investigation revealed 499 deaths recorded by funeral homes that could have been caused by the storm.

Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 hurricane, was the strongest storm tohit Puerto Rico in 85 years.

About 61% of the power has been restored in what has been considered the largest blackout in US history, according to economic research firm Rhodium Group.

3. Most number of consecutive hurricanes

The Atlantic saw a record 10 consecutive hurricanes this season -- tying a record that was set in 1893.

The hurricanes are: Franklin (August 6-10), Gert (August 13-17), Harvey (August 17-31), Irma (August 30 - September 12), Jose (September 5-22), Katia (September 5-9), Lee (September 15-30), Maria (September 16-30), Nate (October 4-9) and Ophelia (October 9-15).

4. Furthest hurricane to travel east

Hurricane Ophelia's path was very unusual. Fueled by warm ocean waters, Ophelia traveled farther east than any major hurricane to date in the Atlantic. The previous record was held by Hurricane Frances in 1980.

Ophelia, which at one point was a Category 3 hurricane, weakened as it moved northeast and reached Ireland as a post-tropical storm, where three deaths were attributed to the storm.

5. Record rainfall from Harvey

Some areas got over four feet of water, which was the most rainfall amount from a single storm in the continental US. The heavy rains inundated Houston and surrounding areas with unprecedented flooding.

6. A busy season... but not busiest

This season had more than the usual number of storms with 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes and six major hurricanes. In comparison, the average is 12 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

But it wasn't a record year. The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season -- the year of Katrina -- blew away records with 28 named storms, of which 15 were hurricanes.

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2017 hurricane season is finally ending - cnn

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Ten hurricanes ripped through the Atlantic this year, hurtling through parts of the US and the Caribbean and thrashing islands in their path, including Barbuda and Puerto Rico. One storm even veered as far east as Ireland -- underscoring how bizarre this hurricane season was.

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The Pacific Northwest is expecting a series of storms this morning. Heavy rain and snow is said to be very strong and cause some damage. A new larger storm system will begin to move into the western U.S. Friday and through the weekend. The heaviest rain and snow with gusty winds will move in on Saturday from Washington to northern California. ABC News meteorologists are expecting several inches of snow for the coastal areas and the lower elevations from northern California through Washington, and heavy snow will be measured in feet in the Rockies Mountains.

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Attention again falls on the Pacific Northwest Thursday as a series of storms are expected to bring heavy rain and snow to the area over the next few days.

Interested in Weather?

Add Weather as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Weather news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

The first storm is already moving into western Washington this morning, and it will reach Seattle later this morning into the afternoon.

A new larger storm system will begin to move into the western U.S. Friday and through the weekend.

The heaviest rain and snow with gusty winds will move in on Saturday from Washington to northern California.

Through the weekend, ABC News meteorologists are expecting several inches of snow for the coastal areas and the lower elevations from northern California through Washington, and heavy snow will be measured in feet for the Cascades and the northern Rockies.

Cold blast coming next week

The mild weather that most of the eastern U.S. has been having for the last few weeks will continue into this weekend and into early next week, before a shot of arctic air moves in from Canada.

Temperatures will be still near or above normal through the weekend from Chicago to New York City with highs in the 40s and 50s, and even 60s are not out of the question for some.

But by Tuesday and Wednesday, cold arctic air will begin to move into the northern Plains and the Great Lakes. By Wednesday evening into Thursday morning , the arctic air reaches the East Coast.

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Unsettled weather continues in Northwest, cold spell to hit Northeast

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Attention again falls on the Pacific Northwest Thursday as a series of storms are expected to bring heavy rain and snow to the area over the next few days. The first storm is already moving into western Washington this morning, and it will reach Seattle later this morning into the afternoon.

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North Korea has test fired a brand new intercontinental ballistic missile, which experts say its a major advance in technology and threat.

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North Korea's new Hwasong-15 missile: What the photos show | CNN

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North Korea test-fired the Hwasong-15 missile, a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which experts said shows a major advance in technology and threat.

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A Chicago man murdered and mutilated his 61-year-old father before allegedly posting several selfies on Facebook, prosecutors say. Police found Carl Edmondson’s body at the bottom of the basement stairs of his West Pullman home on Saturday. His skull had been crushed – with brain matter splattered on the floor and walls – and his private part has been cut off.

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A Chicago man murdered and mutilated his 61-year-old father before allegedly posting several selfies on Facebook, prosecutors say.

Police found Carl Edmondson's body at the bottom of the basement stairs of his West Pullman home on Saturday. His skull had been crushed - with brain matter splattered on the floor and walls - and his penis has been cut off.

His son Carlton, 26, has been charged with his murder.
TAMPA POLICE ARREST POSSIBLE SERIAL KILLER IN SEMINOLE HEIGHTS MURDERS
According to prosecutors, the elder Edmondson sought an order of protection against his son twice this year - once in August and again in October. On Nov. 20, Carlton Edmondson was served with a court order barring him from coming near his father.

Police went to the elder Edmondson's house over the weekend after Carlton Edmondson's uncle reported that he had seen his nephew inside the house and knew that he was not supposed to be there, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

When police arrived, the younger Edmondson answered the door and when asked about his father's whereabouts, he said the older man was "at the hospital," Assistant State's Attorney Julia Ramirez said during a bond hearing on Tuesday.

Carl Edmondson's body was found beside a Bowie knife, a circular saw and a "concrete capstone," Ramirez added.
WOMAN ACCUSED OF BITING OFF, SWALLOWING VICTIM'S FINGER
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office determined that Carl Edmondson died of multiple injuries from assault.

Investigators also found a black jacket that appeared to be the one the younger Edmondson was wearing when he posted to Facebook on Saturday.

In the photos, Carlton Edmondson holds a cigarette and grins at the camera, with what looks like blood spatter against the white logos on the jacket, the Sun Times reported.

During Tuesday's bond hearing, Carlton Edmondson appeared to mutter and rant throughout, prompting Judge Stephanie Miller to order him out of the courtroom before she ruled that he be held without bond.

"Not guilty!" Carlton Edmondson yelled, according to the Sun Times. "It wasn't me. It wasn't his jacket."

While Ramirez was describing the charges against Carlton Edmondson - including a single count of first-degree murder and pending charges for violating the order of protection - he yelled, smiling: "The order of protection is gone. He is no longer living."

According to court records, Carlton Edmondson was arrested five days before his father's body was discovered for throwing a brick through the window of his father's house. He was released on a recognized bond from the police station.

Additionally, he had been arrested six times since September on a variety of misdemeanor charges, including refusing to give his name to police officers who saw him drinking on a streetcorner; stealing a pair of $16 sunglasses from a South Side Target and snatching a 70-year-old woman's cellphone as she bought lottery tickets at a convenience store.
Lucia I. Suarez Sang is a Reporter for FoxNews.com. Follow her on Twitter @luciasuarezsang

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Chicago man allegedly mutilates father, posts selfies after murder: prosecutors

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A Chicago man murdered and mutilated his 61-year-old father before allegedly posting several selfies on Facebook, prosecutors say. Police found Carl Edmondson's body at the bottom of the basement stairs of his West Pullman home on Saturday. His skull had been crushed - with brain matter splattered on the floor and walls - and his penis has been cut off.

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Jay Z explains why he is unfaithful to beyonce:  Jay Z claims that he has personal issues, and he is going through therapy. He claims that he was unfaithful because of these "issues"

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James Harden averaged 34.9 PPG and 10.1 APG for the month of November. He finished one point shy of becoming the third player in NBA history to average 35 PPG and 10 APG for an entire calendar month, min. 10 games. Oscar Robertson and Tiny Archibald remain the only two to do it.

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HOUSTON -- James Harden had 29 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and the Houston Rockets rolled past the Indiana Pacers 118-97 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory.

Thaddeus Young cut the lead to 10 with a hook shot with about eight minutes left. The Rockets put it away with a 16-4 run that made it 110-88 with about four minutes left.

Trevor Ariza made a 3-pointer in that stretch and Ryan Anderson added two finished with 19 points.

The Pacers missed numerous shots, were called for defensive three seconds and committed an offensive foul to allow the Rockets to pad the lead.

The Rockets improved to 12-1 this month, with the only loss coming on Nov. 14 against Toronto.

Young finished with 23 points for the Pacers. They have won seven of their last 10 games.

Houston led by 18 after three, but Indiana scored the first seven points of the fourth to get within 89-78.

After a timeout, Chris Paul hit a 3-pointer right before the shot clock expired to give the Rockets their first points of the quarter before he found Ryan Anderson for a rare dunk to make it 94-80 with about nine minutes left.

The Pacers tied it early in the third quarter before Houston used a 13-4 run to take a 67-58 lead with about seven minutes left in the quarter. Anderson and Trevor Ariza made consecutive 3-pointers to power that run and Ariza added a second 3 later in that span.

Indiana got back on track after that, and used a 6-2 spurt, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Bojan Bogdanovic, to get to 69-64.

But Houston scored the next eight points, with the last seven from Harden, to push the advantage to 77-66 with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the third.

Victor Oladipo ended an almost 2 1/2 minute scoring drought with a 3-pointer after that. It was then that the Rockets got hot from long-range with P.J. Tucker and Harden making two 3s each to allow Houston to outscore the Pacers 12-2 for the rest of the quarter to make it 89-71 entering the fourth.

The Rockets led 54-49 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Pacers: Oladipo played despite dealing with a bruised right knee. He finished with 19 points. ... Bogdanovic added 15 points. ... Myles Turner had 15 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Rockets: Nene returned after missing one game with a strained right shoulder. He had one point and four rebounds in 10 minutes. ... The Rockets improved to 4-0 this season when all five starters score at least 10 points. ... Clint Capela had 22 points and 13 rebounds.

UP NEXT

Pacers: At Toronto on Friday.

Rockets: At Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

---

For more NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Check out the team sites for the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets for more game coverage.

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Pacers vs. Rockets - Game Recap - November 29, 2017 - ESPN

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HOUSTON -- James Harden had 29 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and the Houston Rockets rolled past the Indiana Pacers 118-97 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory. Thaddeus Young cut the lead to 10 with a hook shot with about eight minutes left.

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Matt Lauer said he is very sorry for the pain he has caused people and how much regret he has. He apologized to his family and his NBC family for the disappointment he has caused.

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A day after NBC announced his firing, Matt Lauer said Thursday that he is "truly sorry" for the pain he has caused.

Lauer stands accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. At least three women have filed complaints with NBC.

"There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions," Lauer said in a statement provided to CNN. "To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC."

"Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly," Lauer said.

Related: Read Matt Lauer's full apology

The statement was timed for release with Thursday's "Today" show. NBC read the entire statement aloud on the morning show.

"Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I'm committed to beginning that effort," Lauer said. "It is now my full time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It's been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace."

On Thursday's "Today," Savannah Guthrie was once again joined by Hoda Kotb, who also filled in for Lauer on Wednesday.

"It is a difficult morning here again," Kotb said. "Our top story is once again about our former colleague."

Stories about the fallout, containing new allegations of sexual harassment by Lauer, were featured on the front pages of Thursday's newspapers and early morning newscasts.

When NBC News chairman Andy Lack fired Lauer on Tuesday night, the proximate reason was a detailed harassment complaint filed by a female NBC employee on Monday night.

But Lack also knew that Variety and The New York Times were working on in-depth investigations.

Variety's story came out on Wednesday afternoon. It contained new allegations of sexual harassment by three unnamed women.

The New York Times published a chilling account later in the day. The newspaper said it interviewed a former employee who said Lauer "summoned her to his office in 2001, locked the door and sexually assaulted her." The accuser left NBC one year later. She asked The Times for anonymity.

Related: The media men who have been accused of sexual misconduct

The misconduct allegations came as a profound shock to many "Today" show viewers -- and to some NBC staffers.

Some NBC veterans said they did not recognize the man they were now reading about.

Some of the same sentiments were heard last week when CBS fired Charlie Rose.

This is an unprecedented moment in morning television, with two empty chairs on two network broadcasts -- "Today" and "CBS This Morning" -- because of sexual harassment allegations against anchormen.

"Today" is grappling with a scandal that threatens NBC's bottom line. The "Today" show makes hundreds of millions of dollars a year through ad sales, so any deterioration in the ratings will hurt the network's parent company, NBCUniversal.

The ratings race between "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America" is legendary. In recent years the third-place "CBS This Morning" has been edging closer to them.

Now there's a sense in the television news business that anything could happen -- that viewers may react to the NBC and CBS scandals in any number of ways.

Related: Charlie Rose staffers told they will be paid through the end of December

Insiders are also speculating about who might take over for Lauer. He was the face of the "Today" show for 20 years and had about a year left on his contract when he was suddenly terminated.

"The arrival of hard consequences for these men may have come too late in the news industry, but media organizations are unquestionably leading the national reckoning now underway," media columnist Jim Rutenberg wrote in Thursday's New York Times.

"For the news business, this is the way it has to be: Its main product, after all, is integrity, which, in the case of the networks, is personified by those who sit behind the desk," he wrote. "Once the audience's trust is lost, the entire enterprise falls apart."

CNNMoney (New York) First published November 30, 2017: 7:11 AM ET

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Matt Lauer: 'To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry'

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Lauer stands accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. At least three women have filed complaints with NBC. "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions," Lauer said in a statement provided to CNN.

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A man suspected of killing his girlfriend more than 10 years ago was arrested in Mexico on Tuesday. Authorities say they were able to identify the suspect because one of his toes was missing from his left foot.

William Joseph Greer, 52, was arrested in southern Mexico, 11 years after his girlfriend Tammy Marie Esquivel was killed, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The U.S. Marshals Service learned of Greer's location last week, and worked with the Mexican authorities and the Harris County Sheriff's Office to track him down. They had apparently identified Greer during surveillance several days before his arrest, the Chronicle reported.

Authorities were able to positively identify Greer after U.S. Marshals asked him to remove his left shoe, revealing that a toe was missing - a characteristic widely publicized when he went missing in 2006.
Click here for more from the Houston Chronicle.

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Missing toe key to murder suspect's arrest, authorities say

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A man suspected of killing his girlfriend more than 10 years ago was arrested in Mexico on Tuesday. Authorities say they were able to identify the suspect because one of his toes was missing from his left foot. William Joseph Greer, 52, was arrested in southern Mexico, 11 years after his girlfriend Tammy Marie Esquivel was killed, the Houston Chronicle reported.

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North Korea's new Hwasong-15 missile: What the photos show. Photos of the Hwasong-15 released Thursday by North Korean state media showed a large, tall missile that appears to be significantly wider than the Hwasong-14, previously Pyongyang's most-advanced missile, which was launched over Japan twice in July.  "This seems on the surface level to be that missile." CNS told CNN  "There are not a lot of countries who could build a missile this big and have it work."

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Matt Lauer a former NBC employee was fired Wednesday due to "inappropriate sexual behavior" Lauer supposedly summoned a married female employee into his office, locked the door, then sexually assaulted her until she passed out. This alleged incident happened in 2001, the women who asked not to be named in the report was in her 40's at the time, she says when she was summoned into his office she sat down and he locked the door from a button at his desk, he then asked her to unbutton her blouse, she claims she complied and got up from the seat but he then approached her from behind and had sex with her, she passed out during intercourse and later woke up on the ground.

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The parents of an 8th month girl died has been charged with felony neglect after police said the potent opioid fentanyl was found in the babys system

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The parents of an 8-month-old girl who died last week in Coventry, R.I., have been charged with felony neglect after police said the potent opioid fentanyl was found in the infant's system.

Steven Gilchrist and Jocelyn Belmore, both 32, were arrested Tuesday. They face one felony count each of cruelty to or neglect of a child. They both pleaded not guilty Wednesday at the Kent County Courthouse.

Their daughter, Mia Dorothy Gilchrist, was found unresponsive after authorities received a call Nov. 19, Coventry police said.

The infant was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. An investigation produced evidence of criminal neglect by the parents and a preliminary toxicology report revealed the presence of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic drug, police said.

It was unclear how the drug entered the child's system.

A judge set bail at $50,000 for the parents, and ordered them not to have contact with children under age 16. They were referred to the public defender's office.

Police say the charges could be upgraded depending on the final report from the medical examiner's office.

Gilchrist and Belmore both have minor criminal records, including larceny, shoplifting and domestic violence charges for Gilchrist and driving under the influence and traffic violations for Belmore, the Providence Journal reported.

The state Department of Children, Youth and Families is required to notify the public within two days of a child's death when abuse is suspected. The DCYF notified the public Wednesday following the criminal charges of Gilchrist and Belmore, the Providence Journal reported.

Kerri White, a spokeswoman for DCYF, said Gilchrist was known to them through an unrelated case having to do with a family member.

She said the family is the subject of an active DCYF investigation, and that the agency learned Wednesday of additional information in support of a finding of child maltreatment. White said she couldn't provide additional information because of confidentiality laws.

A fundraiser was subsequently posted to Facebook for "Baby Mia" that raised more than $4,700. One post read: "We are horrified to have to make this announcement and come to you all with this plea. This morning Baby Mia was called to heaven. Suddenly and unexpectedly, this beautiful butterfly transformed into a[n] angel."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Fentanyl found in dead baby's system; parents face charges

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The parents of an 8-month-old girl who died last week in Coventry, R.I., have been charged with felony neglect after police said the potent opioid fentanyl was found in the infant's system. Steven Gilchrist and Jocelyn Belmore, both 32, were arrested Tuesday. They face one felony count each of cruelty to or neglect of a child.

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A scheduling glitch has left American Airlines scrambling to find pilots to operate thousands of flights over the busy Christmas holiday period. The pilots' union estimated that when the problem was discovered late last week, about 19,000 cockpit seats were left empty. The glitch affected flights between Dec. 17 and Dec. 31 from nearly a dozen airports including hubs in Dallas, Chicago and Miami. The union has lodged a protest against the company's plan to fix the mistake by tapping reserve pilots and offering overtime pay for some of the unstaffed flights. The union says American is violating its labor contract by imposing a solution without union input, and is improperly restricting premium pay.

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American Airlines is scrambling to find pilots to operate thousands of flights over the busy Christmas holiday period after a glitch in the system used to schedule crews.

A spokesman for the airline said Wednesday that American expects to avoid canceling flights by paying overtime and using reserve pilots.

American isn't saying how many flights are affected, but the pilots' union says that about 15,000 flights were scheduled without a captain, a co-pilot or both.

A union spokesman calls it a potential crisis.

American is the world's biggest airline. It has about 15,000 active pilots and expects to operate more than 200,000 flights in December.

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Union: Many AA flights in December lack scheduled pilots

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American Airlines is scrambling to find pilots to operate thousands of flights over the busy Christmas holiday period after a glitch in the system used to schedule crews. A spokesman for the airline said Wednesday that American expects to avoid canceling flights by paying overtime and using...

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Show host kicked off the annual Christmas tree lighting after the allegations of sexual assault.

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The "Today" show hosts kicked off the annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday, and they were all smiles with no mention of Matt Lauer, though today marked arguably the worst PR-day in the long-running morning show's history.

In fact, Al Roker showed the group was in seemingly good spirits, sharing a snapshot of the three "Today" hosts with wide smiles ahead of the big event.

After allegations of sexual misconduct came out against the network's veteran host, the show had to press on with the festive holiday event without him. Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Roker introduced Brett Eldridge to sing "Blue Christmas" with no mention of their disgraced former co-host, who was booted from the network just hours earlier.

On Wednesday, the network quickly wiped Lauer's name off its synopsis for the event on its website, highlighting the three remaining hosts instead. Additionally, the 20-year NBC veteran's image was scrubbed from all social media extensions of the brand including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, some users on Twitter were quick to note that he still appeared in the synopsis for certain cable providers.

Lauer was abruptly let go from his position at NBC after an unnamed woman approached the network to lobby allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Soon after, Variety reported that Lauer had a history of being inappropriate with female staffers, allegedly exposing himself to someone on one occasion, gifting a sex toy to someone else on another occasion and, according to a separate report from the New York Times, reportedly having sex with a staff member who claimed she felt pressured to not refuse his advances.

But for most fans, while Lauer's absence was noticeable, the show carried a lot of star power to compensate for his absence with performances by artists including Jennifer Nettles, Leslie Odom Jr., Pentatonix, Seal, Gwen Stefani, Train and The Tenors. Still, some Twitter user took notice of the 59-year-old's absence.

"Damn I didn't realize Matt Lauer was fired on the day of the Rockefeller Christmas tree special. That must have caused some chaos," one user wrote.

"Must have needed time-filler with Matt Lauer firing," another user wrote. "Train Christmas, OK then."

"The lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas tree on NBC is just not the same without Matt Lauer," a user teased. "Actually, I can't really tell the difference. But if Roker ever leaves, it would be a shame."

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Matt Lauer scrubbed from Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting amid sexual harassment allegations

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The "Today" show hosts kicked off the annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday, and they were all smiles with no mention of Matt Lauer, though today marked arguably the worst PR-day in the long-running morning show's history.

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Keith Urban's recalls the first time of he had thanksgiving. 25 years ago Keith Urban moved to America. Urban is a Australian-born musician that didn't grow up with thanksgiving. " The first thanksgiving that I had been to was insane. A family invited me to spend thanksgiving with them, I couldn't believe the volume of food. After the food their were 12 desserts and I asked why their are so many desserts." said Urban. Urban's mother is coming in from Australia to spend thanksgiving with his family in Nashville.

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Keith Urban was astonished by the Thanksgiving holiday when he first moved to America.

The Australian-born musician didn't grow up with Thanksgiving, and he admits he was somewhat taken aback by the American custom the first time he experienced it firsthand.

"The first Thanksgiving I ever had here - which was 25 years ago, 'cause I've been here a long time now - but the first one I ever had, I remember going to this family's home, they invited me to Thanksgiving, and I couldn't believe the volume of food. It was insane. I've never seen so much food in my life," Urban recalls.

"Then after the food, there was like 12 desserts. I was like, 'Why are there so many desserts?' They said, 'Well, because every aunt and every grandma, everybody brought their thing, their special dessert, and you have to try every one of 'em.' I'm like, 'There's like three apple cobblers.' And they're like, 'Yeah, but they're made by different people and they're all watching, so you have to make sure you try everything up there.'"

Urban's mother is going to fly in from Australia to spend Thanksgiving with his family in Nashville this year.

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Keith Urban's recalls first Thanksgiving: It was 'insane'

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Keith Urban was astonished by the Thanksgiving holiday when he first moved to America. The Australian-born musician didn't grow up with Thanksgiving, and he admits he was somewhat taken aback by the American custom the first time he experienced it firsthand.

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Matt Lauer, the disgraced former anchor of NBC's "Today" show who was fired Wednesday for “inappropriate sexual behavior,” once summoned a married female employee to his office, locked the door and sexually assaulted her until she passed out.

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A 15 year old boy Logan Mott, ransacked  his dad and stepmoms home in Florida, he stole guns out of the gun safe. He's being accused of his grandmother's death and the remains buried in the backyard. Later U.S. Customs and Border protection agents in Buffalo, N.Y, when he made a wrong turn on the Peace Bridge which goes to Canada. On Tuesday, a Florida judge made an arrest warrant for murder of his grandmother.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- An arrest warrant on a murder charge has been issued for a Florida teen who was caught near Buffalo, New York after his grandmother was found dead in a shallow grave behind a home.

Logan Mott, 15, will be arraigned Wednesday in Erie County, New York, where he was pulled over Friday when he made a wrong turn on a bridge that spans the United States and Canada, reports CBS affiliate WJAX. Mott is charged as an adult with murder, according to Joanna Pasceri, a spokesperson for the Erie County District Attorney's Office. Mott faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted, but because of his age could be eligible for release earlier, Pasceri said.

An arrest warrant has been issued for #LoganMott for the murder of #KristinaFrench. Authorities in Buffalo, NY have been made aware of the warrant and are coordinating with #JSO for the extradition of Logan Mott. pic.twitter.com/KNxekAb2q3
- Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) November 28, 2017

Mott and his grandmother Kristina French, 53, were reported missing on Nov. 21 when they didn't pick up his father and the father's girlfriend after the couple arrived back to the Jacksonville area from a vacation. The two took an Uber back to their Neptune Beach home to find it ransacked with the door open and guns missing from a gun safe, and called police, WJAX reported.

The teen, who is insulin-dependent, was initially feared to be in danger and was the subject of a Florida missing child alert. But when French's buried remains were uncovered in the home's backyard Thursday along with evidence of "possible criminal violence" inside the home, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Mott was named as a person of interest and called "armed and dangerous."

As the investigation shifted to a manhunt, Mott was being sought on charges of stealing French's 2015 Dodge Dart. Police said he had been spotted on surveillance video with the car in Pennsylvania. He was reportedly pulled over on Friday night by U.S. Customs and Border protection agents in Buffalo, N.Y., when he made a wrong turn on the Peace Bridge, which connects the U.S. and Canada. Officials took him in to custody without incident on the auto theft warrant and he's been held in the Erie County Youth Detention Center, awaiting extradition to Florida, the station reports.

The Erie County District Attorney's Office said Mott "will be arraigned as a fugitive from justice from the State of Florida on the charge of murder" on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., the station reports.

Dominic Saraceno, a Buffalo attorney representing Mott, told WJAX Mott is very upset about his grandmother's death and denies any involvement. He asked the public "not to jump to any conclusions or rush to judgement until a thorough investigation is complete."

Kristina French worked as director of operations for the May Institute, a non-profit group that serves people with autism and other special needs. The Orange Park group released a statement to WJAX saying they are "devastated" by French's death and calling her a "true champion for people with disabilities."

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Murder warrant issued for Florida teen Logan Mott in grandmother's death

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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- An arrest warrant on a murder charge has been issued for a Florida teen who was caught near Buffalo, New York after his grandmother was found dead in a shallow grave behind a home.

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9th grader, Logan Mott, is being accused of killing his grandmother. whose body was found in a swallow grave Friday in Florida. Mott was found this weekend in Buffalo, New York, where he was taken into custody after making a wrong turn on the Peace Bridge while allegedly trying to cross into Canada. Police found many guns with what appeared to be blood on them. Mott was taken into custody on a grand theft auto warrant. On Tuesday, a judge in Florida issued an arrest warrant for murder. He denied having anything to do with his grandmothers death. Police say they understand he is only a 9th grader and have no history of crime.

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A Florida woman allegedly killed by her teenage grandson was shot and stabbed, prosecutors said this morning.

Logan Mott, 15, is accused of killing his grandmother, Kristina French, 53, whose body was found in a shallow grave Friday in Florida, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said.

Mott, who lives with his father in Florida, was staying with his grandmother while his father was on vacation, Flynn said at a news conference this morning. When his father came back on Wednesday, he found his home "in disarray" and guns missing from the home, Flynn said.

Mott was found this weekend in Buffalo, New York, where he was taken into custody after making a wrong turn on the Peace Bridge while allegedly trying to cross into Canada, Flynn said.

In the car were guns and a knife with what appears to be blood on it, Flynn said.

Mott was taken into custody on a grand theft auto warrant. On Tuesday, a judge in Florida issued an arrest warrant for murder.

Mott "adamantly denies any involvement in his grandmother's death and he's very upset about it," Dominic Saraceno, a lawyer hired by Mott's family, told ABC News on Sunday.

Saraceno said he spoke to Mott at the Erie County Youth Services Center, the detention center where he was being held on a grand theft auto warrant.

"My understanding is he has no history of crime, he's a ninth-grade student, he's a good student, he's well-liked by his classmates. And the only type of medication that he is on is for juvenile diabetes," Saraceno said.

Saraceno did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

Mott, who is being held without bail, is set to be arraigned on Friday in Buffalo, according to ABC affiliate WJXX in Jacksonville.

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Teen allegedly shot, stabbed grandmother to death: Prosecutors

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A Florida woman allegedly killed by her teenage grandson was shot and stabbed, prosecutors said this morning. Logan Mott, 15, is accused of killing his grandmother, Kristina French, 53, whose body was found in a shallow grave Friday in Florida, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said. ...

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Eleven states are anticipating running out of funding by the end of the year. Like states California, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Ohio, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Hawaii. Despite bipartisan backing, on Sept. 30, Congress missed the deadline to reauthorize funding for the CHIP program. CHIP is a program started in 1997 that provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but are too poor to afford private insurance. In almost two months , states are facing a situation where they may not be able to afford to cover health insurance for millions of children and pregnant women.

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Dr. Sam Bartle sees unexpected childhood ailments ranging from the flu to broken bones as an emergency room pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University. But at a Level 1 trauma center, he also regularly encounters families facing life-or-death situations for their children.

Treating serious injuries from a car crash, for example, without the financial safety net of insurance could bankrupt a family.

"I've talked to parents in the ER, and they get this look of fear on their face like, 'How am I going to pay for this?'" said Bartle, president of the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "I've had parents sit there and try to negotiate with me about whether or not their child needs an X-ray, and I'll find out they're paying out of pocket. How do you tell someone that you don't want to shortchange their child?"

Experiences like this, Bartle says, only underscore the importance of the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.

CHIP is a program started in 1997 that provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but are too poor to afford private insurance -- on average, no more than 255 percent above the federal poverty line. Authored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., it has been one of the few government health programs widely supported on both the left and the right.

Despite bipartisan backing, on Sept. 30, Congress missed the deadline to reauthorize funding for the CHIP program. At the time, lawmakers in Washington told states not to worry -- the program would quickly be reauthorized. But now, almost two months later, states are facing a situation where they may not be able to afford to cover health insurance for millions of children and pregnant women.

"There was some false cushioning from folks on the Hill," said Robin Rudowitz, associate director of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. "And while some states won't exhaust their funding for a while, that doesn't alleviate the need for states to have a contingency plan. They can't wait for the money to run out and then send out notices."

CHIP is administered by a block grant and works with Medicaid to provide coverage to children, either by extending Medicaid through CHIP, creating a separate CHIP option in addition to Medicaid or combining Medicaid and CHIP. Two states run completely separate programs, Washington and Connecticut, 14 states provide CHIP-financed Medicaid expansion, and 34 states provide CHIP funding as a combination of the two programs.

Eleven states are anticipating running out of funding by the end of the year, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation -- California, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Ohio, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Hawaii. Another 21 states anticipate their funding to run out soon after the new year.

ABC News

On Tuesday, Colorado's Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing sent out letters to the approximately 75,000 families that could be impacted by funding cuts to the state's CHIP program.

"We wanted to give our families that are enrolled in CHIP as much time as possible to research options for their families," Marc Williams, the public information officer for the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing, told ABC News. "This is program that has always enjoyed bipartisan support but they go in and start tinkering with it and here we are where neither bill is moving forward."

The state of Virginia is also working ahead on contingency plans if Congress fails to act before Dec. 8.

Congress must pass a spending bill by next Friday, and CHIP funding is expected to be part of the omnibus bill. But CHIP funding has been held up by disagreements between the House and Senate over how to offset funds. CHIP will cost the federal government approximately $15 billion to fund, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates.

Linda Nablo, the deputy director of the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, has a draft of the letter she plans on sending out to families sitting on her desk. On Tuesday, her department went over the list of things they need to accomplish if Congress fails to reauthorize CHIP funding -- and the list is costly and long.

In addition to removing over 50,000 kids from the program, they'll have to stop approving Virginia CHIP applications, change contract plans, hire IT staff to implement changes to their systems, cancel plans and hire additional workers to take care of the many phone calls they'll likely receive once they send letters out.

"The average family is just unaware," Nablo told ABC News. "Our phones are not ringing off the hook with concerned families so I don't think they're really aware that this is a real possibility that they'll lose coverage, and they're going to panic. It's going to be a lot of confusion and anxiety for these families. All states are facing this."

Like Colorado and Virginia, Texas plans on sending notices about ending the CHIP program on Dec. 22 if the state isn't able to secure $90 million in funding, according to the Dallas Morning News. The financial aftermath of Hurricane Harvey has only added pressure to Texas' need for children's health insurance funds. Other states, like Wisconsin, a state that operates its CHIP program in conjunction with its Medicaid program, could be left footing the bill entirely as children are required to stay insured as required by the state's law.

"I've worked on CHIP since its inception 20 years ago and I've never seen anything like this," said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown Center for Children and Families. Alker said states need to start informing families of their options soon. "Families have heard all year long about people potentially losing their health insurance privileges. It's way past time to get this done."

The hardest part, said Margaret Nimmo Holland, executive director of Voices for Virginia's Children, will be communicating these changes to families already feeling a financial pinch. "Kids are going to end up going to the emergency room. Parent's don't realize that if their children's insurance is taken away, they won't be able to get their kids' inhalers, their vaccines. The thought that everything about children's health care could be taken away is unthinkable."

Families losing their primary care physicians would mean more children coming to emergency rooms like the one Dr. Bartle serves in Richmond.

"I don't know how if they understand that it's not just a line on a budget, it's more than a number," said Bartle about inaction in Congress. "You're dealing with kids who could be physically harmed for the rest of their life. These are people's lives you're playing with."

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Thousands of kids could lose health insurance next month if Congress doesn't act fast

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Dr. Sam Bartle sees unexpected childhood ailments ranging from the flu to broken bones as an emergency room pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University. But at a Level 1 trauma center, he also regularly encounters families facing life-or-death situations for their children.

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On Wednesday morning at 1 am, a man wearing a bandana over his face broke into a McDonald's in San Antonio, by crawling through the drive thru window. he stole a whole cash register. 2 weeks later a lady in maryland was caught steeling money drinks and food through the window

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Yet another burglar has taken to climbing through the McDonald's drive-thru window to rob the fast food chain - two weeks after a woman in Maryland was caught on camera entering through a drive-thru window and stealing food, drinks and money.

Wednesday morning around 1 am, a man wearing a bandana over his face broke into a San Antonio, TX, McDonald's by crawling through the drive-thru window and stole a cash register.
REAL-LIFE HAMBURGLAR? WOMAN CLIMBS THROUGH MCDONALD'S DRIVE-THRU WINDOW TO STEAL
In the surveillance footage, the suspect is seen carrying a gun as he completes his heist. After grabbing the cash register, the man flees through the back door.

The restaurant manager said to KSAT 12 the cash register was empty, however, and no money was stolen.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS
The manager also said that employees were inside the building during the robbery, but no one was injured. It's uncertain if the employees witnessed the robbery as it happened.

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Man crawls through McDonald's drive-thru window, steals register

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Yet another burglar has taken to climbing through the McDonald's drive-thru window to rob the fast food chain - two weeks after a woman in Maryland was caught on camera entering through a drive-thru window and stealing food, drinks and money.

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a major storm is hitting Washington this morning, it should hit Seattle this after noon into tonight. a bigger storm is also going to hit Friday after noon going into the weekend

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Attention again falls on the Pacific Northwest Thursday as a series of storms are expected to bring heavy rain and snow to the area over the next few days.

Interested in Weather?

Add Weather as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Weather news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

The first storm is already moving into western Washington this morning, and it will reach Seattle later this morning into the afternoon.

A new larger storm system will begin to move into the western U.S. Friday and through the weekend.

The heaviest rain and snow with gusty winds will move in on Saturday from Washington to northern California.

Through the weekend, ABC News meteorologists are expecting several inches of snow for the coastal areas and the lower elevations from northern California through Washington, and heavy snow will be measured in feet for the Cascades and the northern Rockies.

Cold blast coming next week

The mild weather that most of the eastern U.S. has been having for the last few weeks will continue into this weekend and into early next week, before a shot of arctic air moves in from Canada.

Temperatures will be still near or above normal through the weekend from Chicago to New York City with highs in the 40s and 50s, and even 60s are not out of the question for some.

But by Tuesday and Wednesday, cold arctic air will begin to move into the northern Plains and the Great Lakes. By Wednesday evening into Thursday morning , the arctic air reaches the East Coast.

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Unsettled weather continues in Northwest, cold spell to hit Northeast

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Attention again falls on the Pacific Northwest Thursday as a series of storms are expected to bring heavy rain and snow to the area over the next few days. The first storm is already moving into western Washington this morning, and it will reach Seattle later this morning into the afternoon.

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© Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times/TNS

LOS ANGELES - From the beginning, the case of identical twins Jeen "Gina" Han and Sunny Han was destined for tabloid headlines, a story of greed, hatred and family strife.

Irvine, Calif., police even referred to them as "the evil twin and good twin."

The case received international headlines, with authorities saying Jeen Han plotted to kill her sister, Sunny Han, who had helped authorities mount a prosecution against her for her involvement in the theft of cash and credit cards from people in the San Diego area.

Jeen Han, now 43, has spent the last 19 years behind bars. But that might soon change.

Here's the story of the sensational case:
THE CRIME
Jeen Han and two teenage accomplices were convicted in 1998 of conspiracy to commit murder and other crimes for the attack in 1996 on Sunny Han and her then-roommate, Helen Kim. The young women were bound and gagged in their Irvine apartment moments before police burst in to rescue them.

The twins, who were co-valedictorians of their high school class in Campo, 40 miles east of San Diego, had become estranged in following years. By November 1996, Jeen was convinced that Sunny had some of her belongings and wouldn't return them. A murder plot, prosecutors contended, was hatched.

Co-defendants Archie Bryant, 18, and John Sayarath, 16, posed as magazine salesmen to get into Sunny Han's apartment. She was in her bedroom at the time and heard her roommate Kim scuffling with the men. She used her cellphone to call 911 before the two teens burst into her bedroom and tied her up.

"But for Sunny Han miraculously having a cell phone on her person when Gina Han's accomplices stormed the apartment, this would have most certainly been a first degree murder, if not a double-homicide," prosecutors wrote last week in a letter opposing Han's release.

Prosecutors at the time said Jeen Han had been telling people for days that she wanted her sister dead and was trying to recruit someone to help her do it. The sisters had been feuding earlier in the year and Sunny punched Jeen in the face and had her arrested on allegations of using her credit cards and taking her car.

After her arrest on the theft charges, Jeen Han escaped from a San Diego jail during a work furlough. She was arrested in Irvine in connection with attack on her sister.
SPEAKING OUT
Jeen Han was convicted in 1998 along with her accomplices.

While in custody, she tried to take her own life with sleeping pills.

Finally, in court, she spoke out for the first time.

"I am deeply sorry for everything that has happened," she said in a soft voice. "I am truly sorry." The woman said that "despite the circumstances, I had absolutely no intent to kill my twin sister. Sunny is my flesh and blood."

Han, who was born in South Korea, also apologized to the Korean American community, which had waged a campaign for leniency in her sentencing and submitted 17,000 signatures to the court.

Han reserved her final remarks for Sunny.

"I just want my sister to know that I love her very much," she said.

Sunny Han was not in court.
SERVING TIME
The parole board recommended release for Jeen Han, now 43. Gov. Jerry Brown will have final say on upholding or rejecting parole during a review period, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

But according to prosecutors, who cited a parole board psychologist's diagnosis that Han has borderline personality disorder with antisocial traits, Han "continues to pose an unreasonable risk of danger to society."

Though Han submitted letters from men in the U.S. and abroad that suggested she had a plan after her release, prosecutors said the correspondences pointed to her continued ability to manipulate.

"In just writing letters to them, she 'facilitated' them in offering her money, lodging, jobs, and with regard to a gentleman in England, even giving her $100,000 after only corresponding with her for 12 months. This manipulative ability is not surprising, given her extreme intelligence coupled with an untreated personality disorder," Deputy Dist. Atty. Nikki Chambers wrote in her letter to the governor. "The fact remains that she is still flexing the manipulation muscles that she used when she recruited two young men to murder her sister, and they appear to be as keen as they were in 1996."
Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

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'Evil twin' who plotted to kill her 'good twin' sister may leave prison after 19 years

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From the beginning, the case of identical twins Jeen "Gina" Han and Sunny Han was destined for tabloid headlines, a story of greed, hatred and family strife. Irvine, Calif., police even referred to them as "the evil twin and good twin."

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The Warriors barely squeak past the Lakers 127-123. Stephen Curry hurt the ring finger on his shooting hand and he asked advice from Kobe on how to deal with his pain.

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Warriors vs. Lakers - Game Summary - November 29, 2017 - ESPN

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Get a summary of the Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers basketball game.

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NBC fires Matt Lauer after sexual misconduct review. A female colleague reported a detailed complaint accusing him of inappropriate sexual behavior during the 2014 Olympics. Many were heart broken to hear he was fired until they realized why he was fired. Lauer said that he was truly sorry and slightly denied it but then admitted by saying, there is enough truth in these stories to make me embarrassed and ashamed.

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Matt Lauer, a familiar face in morning news as the anchor of "Today" for two decades, was fired by NBC News after a detailed complaint about inappropriate sexual behavior that took place during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

The accusation also noted that the alleged behavior continued in the workplace after the games, NBC News confirmed.

"Today" co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb were emotional as they announced Lauer's firing Wednesday, telling viewers at the top of the live broadcast that they were "heartbroken" over his departure but didn't yet know all of the details.

In a memo to employees sent Wednesday morning, NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said the complaint, which was made by a female colleague of Lauer's, prompted a serious review and represented a "clear violation of our company's standards."

Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer, 59, for his behavior since he took over as anchor of the show in 1997, but there was "reason to believe" it may not have been an isolated incident.

"Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender," Lack said.

Related: Since Weinstein, here's the list of men accused of sexual misconduct

Ari Wilkenfeld, who said he's the lawyer for the woman who accused Lauer, said in a statement that he and his client met Monday evening for several hours with representatives from NBC's Human Resources and Legal Department. He said she would not be identified.

"Our impression at this point is that NBC acted quickly, as all companies should, when confronted with credible allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace," Wilkenfeld said. "While I am encouraged by NBC's response to date, I am in awe of the courage my client showed to be the first to raise a complaint and to do so without making any demands other than the company do the right thing."

Guthrie, who joined Lauer at the anchor desk in 2012, said she was "heartbroken" for both him and the "brave colleague who came forward to tell her story and any other women who have their stories to tell."

"I'm sure we will be learning more details in the hours and days to come. And we promise we will share that with you," she said.

Kotb added that she has known Lauer as a friend and colleague for 15 years and "it's hard to reconcile what we are hearing with the man who we know, who walks in this building every single day."

Guthrie said it can be difficult to make sense of accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior against a longtime colleague.

"How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly and I don't know the answer to that," she said. "But I do know that this reckoning, that so many organizations have been going through, is important, it's long overdue and it must result in workplaces where all women - all people - feel safe and respected."

Lauer's departure comes in the wake of sexual misconduct complaints lodged in recent months against high-profile men working in entertainment, politics and media.

Last week, talk show host and journalist Charlie Rose was fired by CBS News, PBS and Bloomberg after eight women accused him of past sexual harassment and unwanted advances in a report in The Washington Post.

Rose, who co-hosted "CBS This Morning," released a statement apologizing for his behavior while maintaining that some of the allegations were inaccurate.

Lauer did not immediately respond publicly to the announcement of his firing.

The married father of three began his journalism career in television markets throughout the country before returning to his native New York and eventually working for the local NBC station WNBC as a co-anchor of the morning news program.

In 1992, he began filling in on "Today" and was promoted as a news anchor two years later before taking over for Bryant Gumbel in 1997. Paired with co-anchor Katie Couric, Lauer became a marquee name with the network, and helped "Today" remain a ratings powerhouse with countless interviews of world leaders and celebrities and the coverage of presidential campaigns and Olympic Games.

Before teaming up with Guthrie, Lauer also shared his "Today" co-anchor duties with Meredith Vieira and Ann Curry, who tearfully exited the show in 2012. The New York Times reported that Curry felt humiliated by a "boy's club atmosphere" at the show, and believed Lauer was indifferent to her concerns.

Variety reported last year that his contract with NBC was extended through 2018 for $20 million a year - keeping him one of the highest-paid anchors in the industry.

Early Wednesday, President Donald Trump noted Lauer's firing on Twitter, writing, "Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.' But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News."

Lauer's firing comes after NBC News also ended the employment of its senior vice president for booking, Matt Zimmerman, after learning about "inappropriate conduct" with more than one woman at NBC Universal, the parent company of NBC.

NBC News also cut ties with senior political analyst Mark Halperin after multiple reports surfaced that he sexually harassed at least a dozen women while serving as political director for ABC News. Halperin apologized on Twitter for his behavior.

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NBC News fires Matt Lauer after sexual misconduct review

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Matt Lauer, a familiar face in morning news as the anchor of "Today" for two decades, was fired by NBC News after a detailed complaint about inappropriate sexual behavior that took place during the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The accusation also noted that the alleged behavior continued in the workplace after the games, NBC News confirmed.

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a twitter employee shut down Donald Trumps twitter for 11 minits erlyer this month has been fired.

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A former Twitter employee who stunned the world earlier this month by deactivating President Donald Trump's account for 11 minutes has now stepped forward.

Bahtiyar Duysak owned up to his involvement in the Nov. 3 Trump outage Wednesday in an interview with TechCrunch.

Duysak, who is of Turkish decent but born and raised in Germany, called the outage a "mistake" and said he didn't think the president's Twitter account would actually get deactivated.

Duysak was assigned to the trust and safety division of customer support while he neared the end of his work and study visa. The team is in charge of responding to alerts of offensive tweets, bad behavior, etc.

During his last day on the job, Duysak said, someone had reported Trump's account. So as his final act as a Twitter employee, he decided to start the process of deactivating the account before he signed off for good.

Duysak said he didn't think much of it until several hours later, when he learned what happened to the president's account and that a media uproar followed.
Bypassing mainstream media
Trump has consistently used Twitter to bypass the mainstream media and reach his 43.6 million followers directly, sometimes with content that some consider inflammatory.

On Wednesday, Trump faced backlash for retweeting several videos that appeared to show Muslims committing acts of violence, with British Prime Minister Theresa May among the critics.

However, Trump seemed to ignore the criticism telling May in a tweet "don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom."

Trump's large social media presence was a crucial tool during his presidential campaign and a platform he acknowledged played a role in his election victory, the Washington Post noted.
'Full internal review'
According to TechCrunch, Trump's account was supposed to be protected from deactivation over a Terms of Service violation.

Twitter initially blamed the outage on "human error," but later learned that "a Twitter customer support employee" was responsible and promised to be "conducting a full internal review."

As for whether there will be legal repercussions, Duysak told TechCrunch he doesn't believe he did anything wrong and hopes to "continue an ordinary life."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Knocking Trump off Twitter was a 'mistake,' ex-employee says

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A former Twitter employee who stunned the world earlier this month by deactivating President Donald Trump's account for 11 minutes has now stepped forward. Bahtiyar Duysak owned up to his involvement in the Nov. 3 Trump outage Wednesday in an interview with TechCrunch.