The Morning Express blog has a new home at HLNtv.com.

Visit the site directly at HLNtv.com/shows/morning-express-robin-meade.

Filed under: Behind the Scenes

Thanks to Bert Weiss for taking time away from HIS morning radio show, "The Bert Show," (heard in Atlanta, Nashville, Indianapolis & thebertshow.com) to sit down on OUR morning show and tell us about this great thing you can do right now to say thanks to a military man or woman serving overseas this holiday season.

If you'd like to take part in "The Big Thank You" here are the guidelines (or visit thebertshow.com for full details):

LETTER FORMAT:
Each letter should be heartfelt, handwritten, original, and free of any political statements. The purpose of the letter is to express thanks to the military personnel currently deployed outside the United States. We reserve the right to eliminate those messages that are political in nature and do not reflect a positive message in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Those letters will be destroyed.

All letters must be on 8.5” x 11” paper or smaller. Do not use glue, tape, staples, cardboard, glitter or otherwise attach anything to the paper. Decorate using crayons, pencil, etc. Use both sides if you like, but use one page per letter only. Do not send cards or photographs. Feel free to include your mailing and email address, and you may get a response. Individual letters should not be sealed in envelopes.

Do not send anything except letters. We cannot accept donations of any kind, and they should not be included or attached to letters.

SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
The Bert Show’s Big Thank You
780 Johnson Ferry Road NE
Fifth Floor
Atlanta, GA 30342

There are other drop off and mail-in locations as well... visit thebertshow.com for all that information.

Want an example? Here's Robin's letter: Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Behind the Scenes • Extras • Salute to Troops

Left to right: Robin Meade, meteorologist Bob Van Dillen, personal finance expert Jennifer Westhoven, sports anchor Carlos Diaz & correspondent Ryan Smith at "the biscuit."

Great to have the whole team back on set! Between Carlos Diaz's fairly recent addition to the show, Ryan Smith's extended stay in Orlando covering the Casey Anthony murder trial and Jennifer Westhoven's maternity leave, it's been a while since the full 5 have been all together in the studio. In fact, today is the first day that Carlos and Jennifer have even worked together. This definitely called for a photo... which was easier said than done.

You might not realize that even during the show the "on-air" group is RARELY (if ever) all in the studio at the same time. Only Jennifer and Robin spend most of the morning in the studio. Ryan's office is upstairs in the "In Session" newsroom, Carlos spends most of his day at his desk in the "CNN Sports" newsroom and Bob's weather computer is out the sound-proof door and down the hall. They come in-and-out of the studio all morning which you'd think would be quite distracting for Robin, but watching the show, you'd never know.

For more behind the scenes pics, LIKE "Morning Express with Robin Meade" on Facebook or on Twitter follow @RobinMeade, @BobVanDillen, @CarlosHLN and @RyanSmithTV (Jennifer Westhoven coming to Twitter soon).

Posted by: HLN TV/Web producer Grayson
Filed under: Behind the Scenes • Bob Van Dillen • Carlos Diaz • Jennifer Westhoven • Robin Meade • Ryan Smith

At your doc's office you may have seen CNN Chief Medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta & I doing segments together on the "Accent Health" channel. Well, if smiles are medicine, you should see what a pill it can be behind the scenes! See what happens in between takes here.

Posted by: Anchor Robin Meade, Dr. Sanjay Gu
Filed under: Accent Health • Behind the Scenes • Dr. Sanjay Gupta • Extras

As soon as I saw Senior Editor Natalie’s face this morning, I knew. She was still in shock over the cancellation of ABC’s “All My Children” and “One Life to Live.” As we talked about the news, Senior Producer Susan joined in and we walked into the "Morning Express with Robin Meade" morning meeting together, talking about the shows.

“The opening with the photo album!”
“…and Jenny died on the jet ski!” said Natalie
“I expected her to come back! Nina’s mom came back, but she was always in this cloud of smoke.” Susan said.
“Yes! Daisy showed up at the wedding!”
“Of course! There was always drama at weddings or funerals.”
“Or the attic…”
“Right…Stuart Chandler, hidden away in the attic!”

The poor guys in the meeting. They had no idea what we were talking about. Only one guy joined in the conversation. “My son was born at 1pm.” said Gene. “My wife didn’t complain about labor pains. She complained that she missed ‘All My Children’ that day.”

Former soap watchers on the team (yes, all women) admit none of us have watched “All My Children” since our college days. That’s part of the reason that soap operas are going the way of the dinosaur: they aren’t drawing in younger viewers that advertisers want. Their attention is in too many other places: Facebook, reality shows and movies streaming online, commercial-free. Where our mothers were at home during the day (prime time for soaps), today’s mothers are often working outside the home. When modern moms get a second to themselves at the end of the day, they’re more likely to play Farmville or watch “The Daily Show” than catch up on their “stories.”

Speaking of mothers, most of them aren’t even watching any more. After decades of watching Erica Kane’s shenanigans, my mom quit watching “All My Children” about six months ago. “It just seemed silly and repetitious.” she said. “I got tired of it.” She can’t quit “One Life to Live”, though. “It’s silly, too, but I watch out of habit more than anything. Stuck in a rut? Is that what that is?”

Natalie’s mom is faithful to AMC, though. Her mom is battling multiple sclerosis, and fought cancer like a tigress. Illness has made her just a touch forgetful, but she can remember fine details of all of Erica Kane’s 10 marriages (only seven of them legal). Sad as she is about the departure of her favorite soap, she’s more disgusted about what’s replacing it: food and lifestyle shows. “Write a letter to ABC for me,” she told Natalie. “I’m switching to the Lifetime Movie Network and that’s that.”

Soap opera characters come and go. Sometimes multiple times. (Poor Jesse. How many times did he come back as a ghost before coming back for good?) Sometimes in bizarre ways. (Poisoned pancakes anyone?) But soap opera fans remain loyal, sometimes to the bitter end.

Posted by: Senior Writer Heather
Filed under: Behind the Scenes • Extras

Look for some of these faces in the days to come on "Morning Express with Robin Meade." They're a group of military journalists visiting Atlanta for training at a communications facility nearby.

After the show today they spent some time with Rafer and Robin, and then went back into the studio to record some special "Salutes to Troops." Instead of saluting their fellow service members, these men and women (from the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps) will be sending salutes to friends and family; to say, "thank you" for their support.

Filed under: Behind the Scenes • Rafer Weigel • Robin Meade • Salute to Troops

Look who showed up in Robin's twitter feed! Bo Bice recording backup vocals on a secret track that will be on Robin's upcoming album. Click the pic (below) to see his quick video hello:

from twitvid.com, courtesy Victoria Shaw (@VictoriaShawcom)

Filed under: Behind the Scenes • Extras • Morning Express crew • Robin Meade • Victoria Shaw

If I had a twitter account (I don’t/won’t because HLN and I don’t trust myself), I would have tweeted this last night: "Finally this blasted weather pattern is going to change." I can't take the heat, and now it’s moving out west for the weekend.

If you live on the West Coast, be prepared. Your temps are about to climb about 10-20 degrees. That’s the big story for you.

For the rest of the country, it appears that wind will be a major concern for travelers today. The big rain maker from yesterday in the MW is climbing through the Great lakes and is throwing more rain and wind to the area, and that will move to the NE today. Ahead of that, it’s one more hot day for the Mid Atlantic and SE. 96 in DC today, that could break a record. Foggy starts in NYC and Philly will only be temporary, but the sun will come back out and heat things to the mid 80s. Rain is moving through the mid MS valley now too, and that stretches to TX. I’ll have all the radars and satellite photos for you on the big show.

Now Tropical Storm Matthew: Looks like it will be a Central America problem for the next few days, then heads to the Yucatan. I hope it doesn’t reorganize in the Gulf of Mexico next week, but if it does it could be trouble for the US or Mexico. Models are currently all over the place from day 4 onward. Here’s the latest form the NHC:

500 AM EDT FRI SEP 24 2010

...MATTHEW STRENGTHENS SLIGHTLY AS IT APPROACHES HONDURAS AND
NICARAGUA...

SUMMARY OF 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------
LOCATION...14.3N 79.8W
ABOUT 240 MI...390 KM E OF PUERTO CABEZAS NICARAGUA
ABOUT 230 MI...375 KM ESE OF CABO GRACIAS A DIOS ON NIC/HON BORDER
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH...85 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 280 DEGREES AT 16 MPH...26 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1000 MB...29.53 INCHES

Half marathon training looks like this: 3 miles today, 3 miles fast Saturday, 6 miles on Sunday. Wretching all day Sunday night.

Later.

Support Bob in his efforts to raise funds and awareness for the Crohn's and Colitis foundation of America: CLICK HERE

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Behind the Scenes • Crohn's and colitis Foundation of America • Extras • Heat • Hot • Matthew • Rock and Roll Marathon • tropical storm • Weather

*Natasha Curry is filling in for the vacationing Robin Meade

I brought 3 "energy drinks" in to work this morning to wake me up. One of the engineers here knows I like them, so he (kindly) stopped by the local Asian market and brought me in their version of my favorite "wake-up juice." Same logo, but no English on the label. I’ve been scared to try it.

So Vincent, our floor director, popped it open and poured it into two cups and made me try it!

It was yellow… like… uh…. well anyway. The point is it tasted NOTHING like what I'm used to and now I have no idea what I just ingested!!! SO… our jib-cam operator, Adam, took a pic of it on his phone and texted this pic to his friend who speaks the language to translate! To be continued!!!

*UPDATE!
Breaking news… this just in…. (drum roll….) camera dude Adam's friend just texted back and it turns out that the label says: "RED BULL!"

But… NOW I want to know – is it a fake??? Because it tastes TOTALLY different!!!? What do you think? Drink it and forget it?

Posted by: Natasha Curry
Filed under: Behind the Scenes • Extras

Over 10” of rain so far for the Austin, TX area. There are flash flood warnings all over Central TX and the watches for flooding extend well into MO. Tropical depression Hermine continues to pump out the rain at about 2-4” per hour this morning, but at least the winds have died down to about 30 mph. That huge ball of rain is gradually steering northward, and it is also in OK and AR. I’ll have the radar for you on the show, plus a look at all the warnings.

I’m also following a cold front and storm moving into the NE this morning. Wind and some light rain will slow you down at the airports in NYC and Philly, maybe Boston too. The afternoon storms will be back for FL, and some rain is forecasted (by me) to hit parts of CO and NM this morning. The NW has a new storm to deal with too, with clouds and showers for WA down to northern CA. I’ll have that for you later in the show. For now though, TX is the really big deal.

I signed up to run and emcee the Las Vegas half marathon again in December. I’m running for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, and I’ll have a bunch more info soon. For now I need to buy new sneakers.

Later.

Posted by: Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen
Filed under: Behind the Scenes • Hermine • Tropical Depression • Weather