WTDY SPLIT CLEAN 08:00 Hour NY-WTDY-20100103-0001 SPLIT TRACK Today Show

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Event Location(s): United States | Description: 08:02:01 Breaking News: Police Arrest Suspect In Thanksgiving Day Murder Paul Merhige, who was wanted for the shooting deaths of four family members at a Thanksgiving dinner, has been arrested after being found in a motel in the Florida Keys. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports live on-camera from Miami, Florida. EJ 08:02:10 (:49) INT WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA MS: Police escort Thanksgiving Day murder suspect Paul Merhige. MS: Police escort Merhige. EXT NIGHT JUPITER, FLORIDA 2009-11-26 MS: A police car with flashing lights seen outside the home where Merhige allegedly murdered members of his family after Thanksgiving dinner. MS: A police officer exits the home. MS: Police car with flashing lights. STILLS Photo of Merhige's twin sisters, whom he allegedly shot to death. Photo of Merhige's aunt, whom he allegedly shot to death. Photos of Merhige's sisters. EXT NIGHT JUPITER MS: In press conference, Jupiter Police Department Chief Frank Kitzerow says, "There's a weight lifted off our shoulders, obviously, by making this apprehension. You know, now I can stand before you, tell you this family's safe and give them a little peace and let them get on with their healing process." Kosinksi reports and closes live on-camera (no sign off). 08:03:16 Today Exclusive: Parents Of Makayla Sitton Speak Out: Jim and Murial Sitton Discuss the Arrest of Paul Merhige, Who Allegedly Shot Their Daughter EJ 08:03:45 (:21) INT WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA MS: Police escort Thanksgiving Day murder suspect Paul Merhige. MS: Police escort Merhige. EJ 08:04:25 (:25) EXT NIGHT LONG KEY, FLORIDA MS: Edgewater Lodge sign. MS: Police officer paces nearby Edgewater Lodge (where Merhige was hiding when caught) motel room doorway. MS: Police. MS: A car is pulled up onto a flatbed truck. MS: Police look in to a car. MS: A police officer. MS: Police officers look in to car. 08:05:10 STILL Insert still of Merhige. EJ 08:05:22 (:08) CLIPS: Clips from the TV show "America's Most Wanted" featuring host John Walsh and parents Jim and Murial Sitton, whose daughter was shot to death during the Thanksgiving Day shootings, allegedly by Merhige. EJ 09:06:11 (:30) CLIPS: Home video clips of the Sitton's daughter Makayla Sitton. STILLS Photo of Merhige's twin sisters, whom he allegedly shot to death. Photo of Merhige's aunt, whom he allegedly shot to death. Photos of Merhige's sisters. EJ 08:07:15 (:12) INT WEST PALM BEACH MS: Police escort Merhige. Murial Sitton and Jim Sitton join Lester Holt (in Studio 1A) in two-way live remote from Jupiter, Florida. LESTER HOLT: Good morning to both of you. Ms. MURIAL SITTON (Family Members Murdered on Thanksgiving Day): Good morning. Mr. JIM SITTON: Good morning. HOLT: Jim, if I could begin with you, none of us can understand what it must have been like these last five weeks, knowing he was still out there. What was it like for you to wake up this morning to know that you're safe? Mr. SITTON: Well, actually it was a huge relief to know that the monster's in the cage. The last, you know, ever since we've come back into the house, I've been in protective mode and we've had Jupiter police in front of our house and in back protecting us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But even with that, I would be inside my house, you know, patrolling the different windows, you know, till 4 or 5 in the morning, just because, you know, this--Paul's unpredictable and I was, you know, in protective mode trying to make sure that my family was safe. HOLT: Were you surprised that he was still in Florida after all these weeks, and apparently still driving the car that he was last seen in? Mr. SITTON: My theory was that he was within 10 miles of my house the whole time, and that's how I--that's what I thought and that's how I acted, you know, in the protective mode that I was. Yeah, I was very surprised that he drove to the Keys in the same car. You know, he's not as smart as I--he thought he was, I guess. HOLT: Murial, let me turn to you. This arrest comes after a huge effort on the part of your family and, frankly, on the part of a lot of people in the community there who were determined to find him. I know you want to acknowledge that effort this morning. What do you want to say? Ms. SITTON: Yes. We really want to thank the Jupiter police, the chief, all the officers that have been protecting us round the clock, all the US marshals, everybody, all the detectives have been involved night and day on this case. And also John Walsh and "America's Most Wanted" for their commitment to getting our story out, to putting it out nationally that led to this one tip that we were waiting for. And we hoped and prayed that it would come in, and it did yesterday. So we greatly thank John Walsh for his compassion, for his understanding what our family was going through and the real need to get this killer off the streets. And we're thankful--and we're thankful to God that this killer is off the streets right now and behind bars. HOLT: You know, and I can't help thinking at these weeks, as you've been waiting for this arrest, that, as a family, have you really had time to grieve your loss, Murial? Ms. SITTON: It's been--it's been an added stress, having this police manhunt going on. I've grieved my daughter every morning. I--all day long, I--my mom and my daughter are on my mind. And I wake up in tears, and the tears last for about an hour and a half, two hours. And so the grief is great. The manhunt definitely added a lot of stress to us and our family, and the fear of thinking that perhaps he would strike again. So it made it extremely difficult. But now we can--we can at least rest knowing that he's behind bars and that we can focus on the grieving process that we need to go through. HOLT: Right. And, Jim, you work in television down in Florida and you're the friend of many people here in the NBC family. You get the power of the media, you get the power of "America's Most Wanted" and keeping the story out there. When it got so much publicity over the weekend, did you feel the end was near in terms of solving this case and arresting the suspect? Mr. SITTON: I knew it was going--that his photo was going to go worldwide, international, with "America's Most Wanted." John Walsh, you know, he's a pretty powerful guy in that respect. And so whenever John sink his teeth into our case, I, you know, I felt really happy. And I know that the tenacity that that man has, was happy that he was on my side. I tried not to get our, you know, our hopes up, you know, that he would be found quickly, but I always knew that, you know, Paul will get justice, if not here on Earth, you know, in eternity. And so I'm not really worried about, you know, his outcome. I'm more worried about, you know, our--my family healing. HOLT: Well, Jim and Murial, know that you have been in our thoughts and we're happy that you're safe this morning. Please, again, accept our condolences and thank you for being with us this morning. We do appreciate it. Mr. SITTON: And thank you for helping us keep his photo out on a nationwide basis. The media's been really helpful to us, and we thank you. Ms. SITTON: Yes. HOLT: You bet. Ms. SITTON: Thank you. 080829 The Big Chill: Extreme Cold Weather Grips Country Much of New York state got a dumping of snow on Saturday, while high winds and waves battered the New England coast. The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports live on-camera from Orchard Park, New York. EJ 08:08:45 (1:06) EXT DAY MS: Cars drive on snowy road. MS: A car pulls slowly into snowy road. MS: Snow falls. MS: A man hands a shovel to a little girl, and she begins shoveling snow. MS: A man shovels snow from a driveway. MS: A snowplow clears slushy snow from a road. MS: A man overlooks choppy waters. MS: Choppy waters crash onto sea wall. Panning shot of footprints in snow reveals two men walking on ice. MS: A snowman. Seidel reports and closes live on-camera (no sign off). 081104 000232 Terror Scare: Obama To Meet With Intelligence Heads The Obama Administration blames the failed Christmas Day aircraft bombing on al Qaeda, who they say trained the suspect in Yemen, a country wracked by poverty and an ongoing civil war, now fertile ground for extremists driven from strongholds in Afghanistan and elsewhere. NBC's Mike Viqueira reports live on-camera from outside the White House in Washington, DC. EJ 08:11:23 (1:57) INT HONOLULU, HAWAII MS: President Barack Obama stands at podium and speaks at a press conference. CLIP In internet address, Obama says, "It appears that he joined an affiliate of al-Qaeda and that this group, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for America." STILL Insert still of would-be bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. EXT DAY YEMEN MS: Pedestrians walk. MS: A car drives down the street. GFX Map of Yemen highlighting Sanaa. EXT DAY YEMEN MS: Yemeni soldier fires machine gun from behind sandbag wall. OHS: Truck-based missile launches. OHS: Large group of men in dusty field surrounded by vehicles. INT MS: In interview, terrorism analyst Steve Emerson says, "There's really, basically, a de facto safe haven for Islamic terrorists, and the Yemeni government is almost powerless to stop them from operating." STILLS (White House photos) Two insert stills of Obama, one with another man (faces unseen) and one on the phone. EXT DAY WASHINGTON MS: White House. GFX Insert stills of National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair and Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano with GFX of the seals of their agencies and of the National Counterterrorism Center. EXT DAY NEW YORK 2001-09-11 WS: Smoke pours from World Trade Center towers. INT MS: People walk in train station. MS: Someone stamps a passport and the writes inside it. EXT DAY ROMULUS, MICHIGAN 2009-12-25 OHS: Vehicles surrounding Northwest Airlines Flight 253 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. INT MS: In interview, NBC News Military analyst Barry McCaffrey says, "They should all be in the hot seat. I mean, this is ludicrous. I think there should be some action taken to correct this. There was a lack of accountability in the system." GFX National Counterterrorism Center seal with insert still of director Michael Leiter and super "Al-Qaeda continue to refine their methods to test our defenses and pursue an attack on the homeland." INT MS: Former vice-president Dick Cheney delivers speech. CLIP In internet, address Obama says, "We've disrupted terrorist financing, cut off recruiting chains, inflicted major losses on al-Qaeda's leadership, thwarted plots here in the United States and saved countless American lives." EXT NIGHT WASHINGTON Viqueira closes on-camera (no signoff) 08:13:39 "Meet the Press" Moderator David Gregory Discusses the Week's Politics EJ 08:14:07 (:13) EXT DAY YEMEN WS: US embassy building. MS: American flag. MS: Embassy building. MS: American flag. 08:15:19 STILL Insert mug shot photo of would-be Northwest Airlines Flight 253 Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Photos of Abdulmutallab. EJ 08:15:58 (:13) EXT DAY GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA MS: Cap Delta sign. WS: Barbed wire fences and guard towers. MS: Muslim detainees walk in prison yard. "Meet the Press" moderator David Gregory joins Jenna Wolfe (in Studio 1A) in two-way live remote from Washington, DC. JENNA WOLFE: David, good morning. DAVID GREGORY: Good morning, Jenna. WOLFE: All right, so as we just heard from Mike right there, they have shut down the US Embassy in Yemen in response to the ongoing threats by al-Qaeda. This all in the wake of the failed Christmas Day plot bombing. What message does this really send out, them closing the embassy down? GREGORY: Well, they had specific information, officials are saying this morning, about an attack in Yemen. They're not saying precisely where. But not just the US Embassy, but the British Embassy has been closed, the British Embassy just at least for today. So there's obviously specific intelligence that they have. It comes as part of a busy weekend. The president really putting the focus on Yemen and that branch of al-Qaeda that's operating there. I think the message here is that there is a new front in this battle against al-Qaeda. What form that takes is another matter. But Yemen has been a flashpoint for al-Qaeda activity going back, of course, to the Cole bombing in 2000. So this is going to be an area of increased scrutiny and concern. WOLFE: All right, David, we know now this wasn't the act of one man acting alone; instead, this was the work of al-Qaeda. Could this ratchet up criticism over everything, from whether the administration dropped the ball on catching this guy a long time ago to the way the president's handling this matter from--on vacation in Hawaii? GREGORY: Well, there's no question, the president's performance in all of this will be scrutinized, as is always the case, going back to previous administrations as well. And I do think the--again, the focus on al Qaeda and what failures occurred in the intelligence system is really an important point here. There were significant red flags that were raised about this bomber who boarded that flight, including his own father reporting his concerns to the embassy, to the US Embassy; the British government revoking his visa to travel while the US had still given Abdulmutallab a visa to travel to the United States. How, when we've got a more sophisticated layering of intelligence information, is the government still not talking to itself from one branch to the other? I think this is going to be the real focus of the investigation. WOLFE: The other issue here is, with all this increased focus on Yemen, does this complicate the administration's plan on shutting down Gitmo? Because a lot of the detainees there are from Yemen. GREGORY: Well, you've already heard from the top Democrat of the Intelligence Committee, Dianne Feinstein of California, saying that there ought to be a halt to those Yemenis being returned. I think there's real questions about the Yemeni government right now, too, in terms of what kind of partner it is to the United States. There have been some operations that have been more or less joint operations with US intelligence and the like helping the Yemeni government. But I think this is a real question for those in the counterterror game right now, which is what kind of government is Yemen? Can they handle those prisoners back, or are we just adding to the level of danger there? WOLFE: All right, David Gregory. David, thank you. GREGORY: Thanks. 08:16:51 The FAA Is Increasing Oversight Of American Airlines After Three Mishaps During Landings In the Past Month, Including the Plane That Overshot the Runway In Jamaica EXT DAY KINGSTON, JAMAICA AERIAL: Wreckage of American Airlines Flight 331, after skiing off the runway while landing. VO: Ron Mott. 08:17:02 Elin Nordegren Reportedly Talked To Husband Tiger Woods Everyday During a Ski Trip But Only About Their Children GFX: Graphic of Sunday Mirror logo. GFX: Graphic of Sunday Mirror article about Elin Nordegren on a ski trip in France. EXT DAY MS: Nordegren hands her baby to a woman, who then places it in a car. STILL Photo of Nordegren and her husband professional golfer Tiger Woods. VO: Ron Mott. 08:17:23 Prince William Says He Will Not Become a Shadow King and Will Spend the Next Few Years Focusing On His Military Career EXT DAY (File) MS: Britain's Prince William poses in flight suit. MS: William walks down gangplank with a sailor. MS: William walks with others. VO: Ron Mott. 08:17:35 Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren's Plea For Donations To Fill a $900,000 Deficit At His Southern California Megachurch Brought In $2.4 Million After Three Days INT Shots of evangelical pastor Rick Warren preaching. EXT DAY MS: Warren greets congregants. INT MS: Warren preaches. VO: Ron Mott. 08:33:59 Eat This, Cure That: Illness Fighting Foods: Fitness Magazine Executive Editor Pam O'Brien Discusses Foods That Cure and Prevent Specific Illnesses GFX: Graphic of Fitness Magazine. GFX: Header "Fend Off a Cold." GFX: Super "Mushrooms, salmon, Yogurt, Sunflower Seeds." GFX: Header "Stop Stress." GFX: Super "Curry, Milk, Shrimp, Red Sweet Pepper, Pistachios." GFX: Header "Head-Off Headaches." GFX: Super "Snapper, Quinoa, Black Beans, Cayenne Pepper." GFX: Header "Soothe Stomach Pain." GFX: Super "Ginger, Peppermint Oil, Yogurt, Fennel, Fiber." Fitness Magazine Executive Editor Pam O'Brien joins Jenna Wolfe live in Studio 1A. O'Brien says there are foods that can actually take the place of medicine and cure us and even prevent illnesses. She discusses the foods that can relieve and prevent certain illnesses (as noted in the supers). 08:40:34 Cabin Fever Cures: Activities Inside Your Home: All You Magazine's Amy Goodman Discusses Activities To Relieve Cabin Fever GFX: Graphic of All You Magazine. GFX: Header "Cabin Fever Cures." GFX: Supers "Invite friends over for massages and at-home spa treatments", "Have everyone bring a different beer, taste and judge your favorites", "Recreate classic game shows like Price Is Right, Card Sharks and The Newlywed Game." All You Magazine's Amy Goodman joins Lester Holt live in Studio 1A. Goodman discusses various in-home activities that relieve cabin fever, including inviting a local dance to teach you and your friends a different forms of dancing and other activities (as noted in the supers). 08:42:49 Cabin Fever Cures: Easy Home Improvements: This Old House Magazine's Alex Bandon Discusses Home Improvement Repairs To Relieve Cabin Fever GFX: Graphic of This Old House Magazine. GFX: Header "Cabin Fever Fixes." GFX: Supers "Fix an outdoor light: clean socket with WD-40", "To quiet your noisy pipes: use garden hose to cushion pipes", "To reinvigorate a wimpy shower: soak in vinegar." This Old House Magazine's Alex Bandon joins Jenna Wolfe live in Studio 1A. Bandon discusses various home improvement project activities to do around the house to relieve cabin fever, inducing using vanilla extract on your air filter to make your home smell good, and other activities (as noted in the supers). 09:45:11 Cabin Fever Cures: Classic Curl-Up Winter Movies: Entertainment Weekly's Thom Geier Discusses What Movies To Watch To Relieve Cabin Fever GFX: Graphic of Entertainment Weekly. EJ 08:45:31 (:15) CLIPS: (Courtesy: Paramount Pictures) Clips from the movie "Downhill Racer" featuring actor Robert Redford. EJ 08:45:55 (:16) CLIPS: (Courtesy: Warner Brothers) Clips from the movie "The Shining" featuring actors Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall. EJ 08:46:16 (:21) CLIPS: (Courtesy: Focus Features) Clips from the movie "Groundhog Day" featuring actor Bill Murray. EJ 08:46:41 (:10) CLIPS: (Courtesy: Columbia Pictures) Clips from the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" featuring actors Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. EJ 08:46:56 (:13) CLIPS: (Courtesy: New Line Productions) Clips from the movie "The Notebook" featuring actors Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams Entertainment Weekly's Thom Geier joins Lester Holt live in Studio 1A. Geier discusses various movies to watch at home to relieve cabin fever (as seen in the EJ), describing their qualities including the plots. 084951 000302 Today's Taste Test: Hot Chocolate Taste Test: Katie Brown Workshop's Katie Brown Discusses the Best Hot Cocoa Katie Brown Workshop's Katie Brown joins Lester Holt live in Studio 1A. Brown says he believes that when you're dieting, you've got to give yourself a little bit of a splurge, something kind of fun that makes you feel like you're still indulging yourself, like hot cocoa, but you do a low-fat hot cocoa. She discusses various winning hot cocoas (as noted in the supers), noting their individual qualities and flavors, as Holt sips each one. GFX: Header "Best All-Around." GFX: Supers "Dagoba Organic Unsweetened Hot Cocoa", "Wonderslim Creamy Hot Chocolate", "Nestle No Sugar Added Hot Cocoa", "Swiss Miss No Sugar Added Hot Cocoa Mix", "Now Organic Low Fat Hot Chocolate." 08:52:01 Jenna-Really Speaking: What's Your New Year's Resolution?: People Waiting In Times Square On New Year's Eve Day Talked With Jenna About Their Resolutions Jenna Wolfe reports live in Studio 1A. EJ 08:53:14 (1:32) EXT NIGHT NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK 2009-12-31 HIGH WS: Fireworks shoot out of Times Square electronic billboard as the year turns. EXT NIGHT NEW YORK CITY MS: Reporting on-camera from Time Square, Wolfe says, "OK, so we've stopped time, we've gone back to 2009, a time when intentions were good and resolutions were running rampant." 2 MS: Wolfe asks Jane, "All right. So what is your New Year's resolution this year?' Jane says, "Mm. Teach my old dog new tricks." 2 MS: A man wearing 2010-themed hat and glasses says, "Wow. I need to lose some weight, so that's really my New Year's resolution, but I'll probably mess that up anyways." Wolfe says, "Not the hat or the glasses, it's the weight you're most concerned with?" 2 MS: The man says, "It's the weight. Yeah." 2 MS: Jane says, "I'm going to stop watching reality TV." Wolfe says, "OK." Jane says, "That's a bad one, isn't it?" 2 MS: Wolfe asks a man wearing a cow costume, "No reason why I'm asking you this as opposed to anybody else, it's not like you stand out or anything. What is your New Year's resolution this year?" The man says, "Well..." Wolfe says, "Besides, obviously, to make more milk." The man says, "You know, maybe if I can eat a little bit more grass instead of the cornmeal they feed me, I could shed a few pounds off my cowly physique, you know." MS: The man wearing the cow costume. 2 MS: Wolfe says, "I like your physique." The man says, "I fill it out pretty well." 2 MS: Jane says, "I'm going to de-friend all my Facebook stalkers." 2 MS: Wolfe asks a man, "Is this your first time here in Times Square for New Year's Eve?" Zoom out from the Times Square electronic billboard. 2 MS: The man tells Wolfe, "No, No, it isn't. We were here 26 years ago." Wolfe says, "Really?" The man says, "And we moved to Wisconsin and we came back to watch it again." Wolfe says, "Oh, so this is like summer for you if you're from Wisconsin." The man says, "This is like summer. Yes, it is." Wolfe says, "I would take this jacket off and run around in a tank top." The man says, "We thought about that." 2 MS: Jane says, "I'm going to stop kicking pigeons." 3 MS: A man tells Wolfe, "Just basically staying together and keeping our friends close and just..." A woman says, "But I...(unintelligible)." Wolfe says, "This is like a Hallmark commercial, I think I'm going to start tearing up." 2 MS: Wolfe says to Jane, "Well, we've only been talking for about an hour and a half now, but I think that last one is going to be a good one for you." Jane says, "I think so, too." Wolfe says, "Happy new year, Jane." Jane says, "Thank you so much." Wolfe says, "Can I get a hug?" Jane says, "Yes, you can." They hug. Wolfe says, "Ah. Thank you so much." Wolfe reports and closes live in-studio. Outside Segments 8:30:00 (1:54) Panning video of spectators holding up signs and waving outside of Studio 1A in New York City, New York. Holt and Wolfe preview upcoming segments. Commercials 8:18:48 Advair 8:20:35 Walgreens 8:21:05 Pillsbury 8:21:48 Perillo Tours 8:22:18 North Shore LIJ Hospital. 8:23:02 Quicken Loans 8:23:32 Intuit Websites 8:23:47 Wal Mart 8:25:33 Hyundai Vehicles 08:37:05 Chantix 08:39:05 Fidelity Investments 08:39:35 Crystal Light 08:47:24 Staples 08:47:54 Discover Card 08:48:09 Emergen-C 08:49:10 Empire Today 08:54:58 Alli 08:55:28 Wal-Mart 08:56:42 Pearle Vision 08:56:57 Papa John's Janice Huff Segs Janice Huff Segs 8:32:32 (:09) Huff speaks with spectators outside of Studio 1A in New York City, New York.

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