Thursday, 23 February 2023

The week I spent with our son after he died.

February 23, 2023 | VIEW IN BROWSER

This is TODAY

A television journalist and a 9-year-old girl were killed in Florida by a gunman who returned to the scene of an earlier slaying, police said. Plus, Mary Forrest Engel, wife of NBC's Richard Engel, shares a moving essay about the week she spent visiting her 6-year-old son's body after he died from complications brought on by his rare condition.

The Latest

A TV journalist and a 9-year-old girl were killed in Florida after suspect returned to the scene of an earlier fatal shooting, sheriff says.

A man suspected of killing a woman near Orlando yesterday returned to the scene hours later and shot four other people, killing a 9-year-old girl and a television journalist, the Orange County sheriff said. A crew from Spectrum News 13 was covering the initial slaying yesterday afternoon when suspect Keith Melvin Moses, 19, returned to the scene and fired at the reporter and photographer, the sheriff said. He then walked inside a nearby home and shot a mother and her 9-year-old daughter, the sheriff said. Reporter Dylan Lyons was killed and photographer Jesse Walden was critically injured, according to Spectrum 13. Moses, who is in police custody, was apparently an acquaintance of the woman who was killed earlier in the day. Here's the latest.

✍️ Essay: The surreal, heartbreaking week I spent with our son Henry after he died.

Mary Forrest Engel, the wife of NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, writes in a moving essay about sitting with her son Henry's body following his death at 6 years old in August from complications brought on by a neurological condition called Rett Syndrome. She remembers sitting with him for hours on the day he died before people from the funeral home came to get his body. "It was the last time I would ever carry my beautiful Henry," she wrote. She then went to the funeral home alone and with Richard and friends in the days leading up to his cremation to be with him. "I am thankful to have had that week. I know not every grieving person has the ability to do this, and not everyone wants or needs to. It was surreal, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching … and also filled with so much love," she wrote. Read the full essay here.

👩‍🍳 5 mistakes you should never make while cooking, according to a chef.

Set yourself up for success in the kitchen before you start slicing and sizzling by avoiding these common mistakes. Chef Calvin Eng, owner of Bonnie's in Brooklyn, N.Y., shared 5 things you want to steer clear of doing before you start cooking anything, including leaving the dishwasher full, letting your knives go dull, or failing to make sure your cutting board is on a steady surface. See all his tips here.

🧴 How often should you wash your face? A dermatologist weighs in.

Washing your face before bed is one of the foundational rules of skincare, but is there such a thing as overwashing? We turned to a dermatologist for the answer for how often you should be washing your face. And yes, cleaning your face too often can also become a problem because it removes natural oils that protect your skin. We also have tips on how to choose a face wash, and 11 cleansers and oils you can shop right now to add to your routine.

Live Better TODAY

Achieve your life goals with easy tips.

Hunching over a computer or scrolling on your phone can lead to that dreaded moment when you lean back and the ache makes it clear you've been sitting with bad posture for way too long. The good news is there are exercises you can do right in your chair to avoid "text neck" and back pain. Board-certified clinical specialist Karena Wu shared 7 exercises featuring easy moves that can correct your posture, strengthen your shoulders and give your back a good stretch. See them all here.

What's for dinner?

Allow us to do the meal-planning for you.

Save your takeout orders for the weekend by making a pair of easy noodle dishes from chef Elena Besser. Elena's hearty paccheri (above) comes together in one pot with pasta, Italian sausage, fennel and lemony pine nuts. Also, Elena's take on mac and cheese jazzes up a classic dish with miso paste and sweet potatoes. Get the recipes here.

Daily Delight

A little pick-me-up before you go.

Even non-basketball fans couldn't get enough of Riley Curry back in 2015, when she took over the NBA Finals with a full-court press of cuteness. The daughter of Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry stole the show as a toddler at the press conferences during the Warriors' run to a championship. That seemed like a long time ago after seeing 10-year-old Riley looking all grown up and hanging out with dad at a recent Stanford-UCLA women's basketball game. Riley, who is the oldest of Curry's three children, sat courtside with him to watch Stanford's victory. Unfortunately there were no microphones within reach to get her thoughts on it.