. >> joy: to be fair to her meredith vieira was able to do both.erious to fun because that's her personality. and ann is serious. >> she makes no apology for it. she likes hard news. she thinks of herself of an journalist. she feels more comfortable in iraq than a cooking segment. >> how awkward on the set that these rumors are going around. that she only has a few weeks left, and they offered meredith-- >> joy: what point of no don't they understand to meredith vieira. she keeps saying no. i don't want the money. i'm not getting up at that hour. goodbye. [ laughing ] >> let's leave the door open a little bit. she did go to london for the queen's jubilee. >> she wanted her little trip. good for her. >> joy: well have fun in china. [ laughing ] >> joy: now let's talk about who should replace ann curry. >> judy gold. and the ladies from "the view." maybe you. i think the frontrunner is have a san in a. i think it will be savanna. >> joy: i like savanah. she's very nice and lovely. but hoda. >> and when they gave ann the week off they asked koble to c

nbc's special correspondent meredith vieira is at buckingham palace this morning. meredith, good morning to you. >> hey, savannah, good morning to you. of all the headlines in today's papers, today, this one is my favorite. drip, drip, hooray. it was really wet and cold all weekend, but actually that made the event more british, not less. it began with a day at the races on saturday, followed by that amazing flotilla yesterday. all in all a weekend fit for a queen. on the river thames sunday, a sea of boats, otherwise known as a flotilla. 1,000 vessels strong honoring queen elizabeth. dressed in white as she celebrated 60 years on the throne. by her side, members of the royal family. the queen's husband prince philip. her son prince charles. and charles' wife camilla. grandsons prince william and prince harry. and william's wife catherine, the duchess of cambridge, looking stunning in a red alexander mcqueen dress. not far behind a boat carrying the middletons, including catherine's younger sister pippa. despite the rain, the crowds came out in full force, bringing

and these stars, matt lauer, meredith vieira. you when you did it. >> right. >> you become, for the period that you're sitting there, part of millions of americans lives. >> and -- >> they don't want to be threatened by too much change. the key question i have for you, deborah, is this, do you think it was sexist that ann was singled out for the difficulty in that relationship with matt? would it have been fairer to say, as he has said, look, it may be my fault? >> he's not losing his job so i don't think anybody would agree with him when he says that. you had a similar situation. here you had three guys about whom a lot of reporting was done. you know, the tug-of-war going on over the time slot there. i actually wrote a piece for the hollywood reporter. it wasn't about, you know, is ann's job in jeopardy. what i was upset about and what i did believe was sexist was they had positioned the fact that katie couric was coming on to substitute for a week while robin roberts was on vacation at "good morning america" with the opportuni

am joined this morning by nbc's special correspondent, my former co-host on the "today" show, meredith vieiraovering all the jubilee celebrations. meredith, this has been quite a party over the last several days. >> absolutely, matt. this is the fourth day, actually. it started on saturday with a day at the races. sunday was very wet, very cold, and there was that massive 1,000 vessel flotilla on the thames. and then yesterday, last night, an unbelievable concert here. performers all honoring the queen. thousands of people that were gathered here behind us. we're joined by robert johnson. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> this is going to be very hard for the queen today. yesterday, as matt said, it was announced that prince philip was in the hospital, would not be attending any of the functions from this point on. >> yes, i thought she looked a little bit lost last night, actually. she looked absolutely preoccupied. he's been with her for all of her life and he's so important to her. at 91, they're not going to take any risk whatsoever. if it is a bladder infection, it follows from th

meredith vieira has a look at the celebration. >> reporter: on the river thames sunday p. 1,000 vesselong honoring queen elizabeth. she celebrated 60 years on the throne. by her side members of the royal family. the queen's husband, prince philip, her hundreds band, prince charles, and his wife camilla. prince william and prince harry and william's wife, catherine, duchess of cambridge, was stunning in a red alexandra queen dress. not far behind the boat carrying the middletons, including her younger sister, pipa. the crowds came out in full force. bringing with them their spirit. >> never see it again in my lifetime anything like that, a thousand boats going down the river thames. >> reporter: one of those boats carried dan fogle. part after fleet that created a dra mat wrik and h-- dramatic scene. >> original idea, going back in history. only been done 300 years ago when charles ii had a employee till a. they reinvented it for the modern age. >> reporter: elsewhere, street parties all around the country. >> celebrating history. and where you are on the day. >> reporter: even prince c

." >>> hello, i'm meredith vieira. every year human rights advocates estimate almost a million women worldwide are illegally bought and sold into sexual slavery. what you might not know is that over 17,000 of them end up right here in the united states. in the next hour, you will hear some of their harrowing stories. to protect these women, their names have been changed. it's a story that begins in the ruins of the shattered soviet empire and ends in heartland america. >> i was watching a lot of tv shows about human trafficking, and i could never believe that could happen to me. and when i get in this situation, i believe this can happen anytime. >> this woman we'll call katya now shares her destiny with a million young women and girls bought and sold in the global sex industry. it has long been a problem, particularly in katya's home country of ukraine where young women enticed by fake job ads and slick recruiters end up modern day sex slaves. >> salary starts from $200 a month. >> single mother sophia left her son in

i'm matt lauer alongside nbc special correspondent meredith vieira. ann has this morning off. and meredith, it doesn't seem like all that long ago, just about a year ago, in fact, that we were here together at buckingham palace just to give people a lay of the land. we are at australia gate here just to one side of the palace. and short time ago we were on the other side. >> exactly. the royal wedding, 1 million people lined the streets then, if you remember. i don't know if there will be that many today. but don't forget this is the fourth day of celebrating the queen's diamond jubilee and the people here absolutely love her. she has been their constant, in all these years of change, she has been the face that they turn to. >> and you've been here for the previous days of celebration. and it's fair to say that today the tone takes a little bit of a different turn. >> absolutely. the first day saturday there was a horse race, the derby, they have the derby. on sunday that thousand vessel flotilla, was a cold, wet day. but very celebratory. many, many people lined the thames. an

meredith vieira will be live in london with more on the queen's diamond jubilee.occer sensation david beckham. and those underwear ads. an interview with celine dion when we get started on a monday morning right here on "today." >> 6:53. >> coming up, we'll take a last look at weather and traffic together before you head out to start ut good morning! wow. want to start the day with something heart healthy and delicious? you're a talking bee... honey t cheerios has whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol. and it tastes good? sure does! right... ♪ wow. delicious, right? yeah. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... ♪ well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. [ male announcer ] we have more than 3,000 daily flights on southwest airlines. and that gives our customers thousands of options to fly where they want, when they want. fly nonstop service from bwi airport to greenville-spartanburg and charleston. book all of our destinations online only at southwest.com. >> time to get to your answers to our watercooler question of the

the celebrations begin on saturday and our good friend and nbc special correspondent meredith vieira is in london to cover all of the pomp and circumstance. perfect assignment for you, meredith. good morning. >> reporter: i'm loving it, ann. good morning to all of you guys. the military early this morning went through the final dress rehearsal for its role in the diamond jubilee. they have the horses out. they have the carriage out that the queen will ride in on her way back from st. paul's after the service on tuesday. obviously the queen wasn't in it today. they didn't shoot off the guns today. there was no music playing. because it was early in the morning quite frankly they didn't want to wake up everybody in london but there will be a lot more going on when this event actually takes place. it is a very big deal here. obviously this jubilee. you remember last year we covered the royal wedding and there were a million people lining the streets at that point. lots of flags waving and people cheering and all of that. you thought it couldn't be topped. this will definitely rival that.

before the decision, beckham recently opened up about his hopes to meredith vieira. >> how badly do youe on the team? >> i would love to be on the olympic team. >> are you nervous because they haven't made the decision yet? >> i'm not nervous. i'm excited. even if i'm not on the team, it's proud to be part of the team that has brought the olympics to a part of london where i grew up as a kid. >> reporter: a goal he worked on for seven years. the chief of the olympic organizing committee says becks is our number one supporter, let's give him some special role off the field. interestingly his wife victoria may be involved if her former group, the spice girls, is asked to play in one of the ceremonies and if she goes along with it. >>> the olympic trials continue tonight. starting at 8:00 ryan lochte swims the 200 meter backstroke and so does 17-year-old jack congresser of rockville. at 9:00 watch the olympic trials in gymnastics. all the action can be found right here on your olympic station and on nbcwashington.com. >>> the olympic games bring lots of tourist and confusion along with the

. >> coming up -- the new report meredith vieira turned down the offer to come back and replace ann curry. first, alec baldwin's paparazzi war is far from over. today his dauter is caught in the storm. jerr has new video. >> alec a his daughter ireland targeted on the streets of new york today. houppeded. >> you like all of this pus lib 'tis? >>teunted down just trying to good to breakfast with 16-year-old kim basinger look-alike. alec staying silent until he just couldn't take it anymore. >> can i ask you a question? >> go ahead. >> what is the job you wanted to do that you weren't good enough that you wound up doing this? >> hmm construction. >> the sidewalk showdown just hours after alec fired this new verbal volley with "extra" -- >> the paparazzi are never there to help. >> his latest war of words over the snapshot. >>>> most of the paparazzi have their foot out to trip you. they want you to fall on the ground and they want that shot. they're blocking the door to my apartment, which is against the law. >> on letterman alec insisting he broke in laws. >> no one got punched by the way.

. >>> also ahead, meredith vieira will be live in london with more on the queen's diamond jubilee includinges and preview of the star-studded concert. meredith got to talk to soccer sensation david beckham about the queen, his role in the upcoming london olympic, and, yes, she managed to get in a question about those underwear ads, as well. we'll have that interview. >>> and savannah's exclusive interviewdion as we get started here on "today." >> david beckham in his underwear, one way to get viewers. >> his a feeling that meredith would get around to that. >> looking forward to. that thank you. >> see you in a while. >> okay. >>> expanded rush hour service is coming to metro. it's called rush-plus. >> metro is out with new ads and updated maps. soon rush-plus will be in effect. this morning, the transit agency is launching the two-week countdown to one of the most dramatic service changes in history. news4's tracee wilkins live at the franconia/springfield metro station to clear up how it rush-plus thing works. >> reporter: yeah, there's a lot of changes. behind me, you see a team passing

meredith vieira spoke to him this morning. >> we're here in england right now for the jubilee. have met the queen. what does she mean to you? >> the queen is someone that i feel like i've grown up with, you know, like my grandmother. for us to be celebrating 65 years of her leading our country as she has is a special moment for us. >> another special moment will come in july when the summer olympic games take place in london. david beckham has made it clear that he would like to be on great britain's team. the uk is not qualified for olympic soccer since 1960. that was before he was born. there are also rumors that beckham may be asked to light the olympic torch at the opening ceremonies. he says it's an honor that would be hard to turn down, but his personal belief is that a former olympian should light the flame. >>> news 4 meteorologist doug kammerer is also covering the festivities. you can see his diamond jubilee report from london today on news 4 at 5:00 and 6:00. >>> problems on two fronts today for firefighters trying to battle two big wildfires out west. a record blaze

along with nbc special correspondent meredith vieira. >> this celebration has been going on. this is the fourth day of pomp and circumstance. thousands of people lining the roads. >> it's a little bit like you leaving the "today" show, when that happened, if you remember. >> that was so sad. but you lured me back. but you know, it's, when that, when the procession arrives at buckingham palace, this crowd is going to go crazy. because the next thing after that obviously will be her eventually emerging onto the balcony for the fly-pass. >> if you're someone who knows the city of london and the sights, well then you will probably recognize some of the points of interest you'll see along that route. the processional will depart from the new palace yard up whitehall, to trafalgar square, through admiralty arch, along the mall, as they say here, and in to the main center gates of buckingham palace. >> and the queen will be riding, i believe, in that 1902 landau that prince william and catherine rode on the occasion of their wedding. >> right. and because the weather seems to be coo

. >>> then, meredith vieira will be live in london where excitement is building for the celebration ofhe queen's diamond jubilee. she's going to have a sneak peek at the events. the royal barge that will be the centerpiece of sunday's much-anticipated flotilla, and never-before-seen home videos of the royal family. all of that and we also have a live concert on the plaza from the hit country group the band perry when we get started on a friday on "today." >> looking forward to it. thank you very much. have a great weekend. >> you, too. >> thank you. >>> 6:36. coming up, the robbery spree that kept d.c. police busy overnight. >>> the latest from the scene of a terrible incident. five children run over. new video just in. >>> a cruel crook stole something that a local woman desperately needs. >>> welcome back. still deciding on what to eat for breakfast this morning? you might want to ditch that bran muffin or bowl of cereal for a doughnut. that's because today is national doughnut day. several doughnut shops around town have great deals to celebrate. doughnut day falls each year on the

so it was in her contract that if meredith vieira left the "today" show she would be become the co-hostat one year ago is what happened. >> welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry in for, i guess, nobody this morning. me, myself and i. >> it's nice to be able to say that, isn't it? >> it's crazy. i can't believe it. it's such a thrill. >> curry had been known as a hard news reporter par shooting at the trouble spots around the globe and interviewing world leaders. >> i know people, mr. president, who i believe were innocent who were tortured. >> translator: it's possible. i don't have such information. >> but curry and matt lauer never looked like a comfortable pairing. this week nbc began negotiating with curry for a new assignment. what exactly went wrong? joining us in chicago, maureen ryan, television critic for the huffington post. in new york, adam buckman, television krit for xfinity. and david zorack. ann curry is a world-class journalist. she is at her core a hard news reporter. >> ratings is the answer. as everyone has reported. >> "good morn

and then on tuesday, matt lauer and meredith vieira are going to be watching the actual procession, thisthat's going to take, go to st. paul's cathedral and back again. i'm going over for that. i'm hugely looking forward to it. >> you'll be there for that, and thank you for being here with us. you have another hour of duty, andrew as we watch more of these events, so thank you very much. >>> time for strategy talk where this morning, actually afternoon, some heated exchange on the economy, actually those did happen this morning. massachusetts governor duvall patrick and ohio governor john case itch spoke for president obama and mitt romney. >> what we have is a congress that has decided there's a political advantage in stymieing this president, putting ideology ahead of country and that is what is this election is about. and what has -- >> i'm an executive in ohio, i can't blame the legislature for things not getting done. i have to ak sem responsibility. >> joining me democratic strategist, margie omara and msnbc analyst michael steele. welcome to you both. >> margie, ladies first here,

i'm matt lauer, alongside nbc news special correspondent meredith vieira. ann has this morning off. meredith, we were here about a year ago for the royal wedding and the other side of buckingham palace and this morning events have all the same feel to them. >> this is the fourth day of celebration it began on saturday with the horse race, sunday you had the flotilla, 1,000 vessels. it was cold, wet and rainy that day. of course monday night the concert that was right here outside buckingham palace. then today the service. it began with a church service at st. paul's cathedral just a short driving from buckingham palace but prince philip, the queen's husband of 64 years was not by her side. unfortunately he has come down with a bladder infection. he'll spen the next few days recov recovering in a london hospital. the archbishop said our prayers and very much with him this morning. >> i think that's probably the only real thing casting a shadow on today's ceremonies is the absence of prince philip. the weather could have been a little bit better. the other highlights of the day so far,

. >>> is meredith vieira gunning

our coverage continues tomorrow with meredith vieira in london.sday, matt joins her live at buckingham palace for our special coverage of the queen's diamond jubilee. >>> still to come on a sunday edition of "today," think you have a bad neighbor? this woman is going to jail for how she treated a family living on her block. find out what she did. but first, these messages. ♪ [ dog barking ] ♪ [ female announcer ] life is full of little tests, but your basic paper towel can handle them. especially if that towel is bounty basic. the towel that's durable and scrubbable. in this lab demo, bounty basic is stronger than the leading bargain brand. everyday life. bring it with bounty basic. affordably priced. tested by everyday life. and try bounty napkins. can boldly satisfy any craving. share an appetizer, then choose two chili's entrees, like our classic bacon burger or our famous slow-smoked baby back ribs. chili's $20 dinner for two. ♪ power surge, let it blow your mind. [ male announcer ] for fruits, veggies and natural green tea energy... new v8 v-

. >>> the "today" show is next and meredith vieira is back and more with the queen's diamond jubilee.f today's star-studded concert. she sat down with david beckham. i wonder if he had his shirt on. he talked about the queen and his role in the london olympics and, yes, yeah. all about the ratings. underwear ads and that kind of stuff. that was an exclusive interview. also, she'll have an interview with celine dion next on the "today" show starting at 7:00. one more gratuitous shot of david beckham. >> good morning to you. rain or shine. >> yeah. if that didn't get you going this morning, make sure you have an extra cup of coffee. we have slick conditions starting to develop across the bay area. starting with san francisco, you can see that here is some moisture on the lens, showers reported, and i've activated the doppler radar. our coastal communities are getting the first of the wet conditions. 6:48, we've got rain on the way to the bay area. and let's go ahead and start with your temperatures. 59 degrees in san mateo and 59 degrees in san francisco. as we head throughout the day t

before the decision beckham opened up about his hopes to meredith vieira. >> how bad would you like to be on the olympic team? >> i would love to be on the olympic team? >> are you nervous since they haven't made the decision yet? >> i'm not nervous, i'm excited. even if i'm not part of the team, i'm glad to be part of the team that brought the olympics to london where i grew up as a kid. >> reporter: a goal he worked on for years. he kicked a ball during the closing ceremony. beckham listed by forbes as one of the top paid athletes in the world, his income estimated at $40 million last year. endorsement deals with adidas. unveiled in more than one, underwear for h&m, fashion icon as well. the former national team captain will not be able to go for gold or glory in a game he fought for. the chief of the olympic organizing committee said, look, beck is our number one supporter. let's give him some special role off the field. his wife victoria may be involved if the former spice girls are asked to play at the ceremony and she goes along with it. >> michelle kosinski, thank you. now a che