Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ Al Roker returned Friday to NBC’s “Today” show after a twomonth hiatus as he underwent treatments and surge r y for blood clots and internal bleeding.
“I’m sorry, but the tears are already flowing,” Savannah Guthrie, the show’s co-host, said at the top of the show. “Al Roker is back!” Roker’s wife, Deborah Roberts, an ABC News correspondent, joined the show later and shared more details of how grave her husband’s condition had been. “It’s not lost on us that this is a major, major thing for Al to be here,” Roberts said. “He is a living, breathing miracle. … Al was a very, very, very sick man. And I think most people did not know that.” Roker, 68, was first hospitalized in mid-November for blood clots in his legs and lungs. He was discharged in time to have Thanksgiving dinner with his family, but returned to the hospital days later after experiencing complications. The treatments included a major surgery that removed Roker’s gallbladder and a section of his colon. “I lost half my blood,” Roker said.
■ Gunfire erupted near where rapper French Montana was filming a music video Thursday, leaving several wounded in a south Florida strip mall parking lot. He was not injured. It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were shot around 8 p.m. Thursday. The shooting took place outside The Licking, a soul food restaurant. “We believe it’s an isolated incident,” Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt said. Police spokesperson Diana Gourgue told reporters that she could not confirm reports that as many as 10 people had been wounded, saying “right now it is just multiple victims that were injured.” She said the condition of those hurt was unknown, but there were no fatalities. Miami rapper CED Mogul told reporters that the shooting happened after someone had their Rolex watch and car keys stolen. Police did not return calls Friday seeking an update. A worker at the restaurant Friday said no one was available to discuss the shooting. Montana’s publicist did not respond to emails seeking comment Friday and police did not confirm he was present. The 38-year-old rapper, born Karim Kharbouch in Morocco, is best known for his 2017 album “Jungle Rules” and its lead single “Unforgettable,” which made the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.