Its beach time! Having grown up on Lake Erie, summertime brings back memories of E. coli alerts for me, but hey, we still have the best sunsets! Bacteria aside, this time of year is all about finding the best gadgets for the pool, beach and heat. Here are some of my top picks, as showcased on TODAY live from the Jersey Shore.Giant inflatable beach balls, prices varyThe standard beach ball has rec...

For those who grew up in the surrounding areas, the Jersey Shore is a strip filled with decades of sweet summer memories. But many people across the country got their first up-close look at the boardwalk when it served as the backdrop for MTV's reality TV bash with the same name.Last fall, Superstorm Sandy brought devastation to the famous stretch. Now the Shore is back in the spotlight again -- f...

How much would you pay to sit next to Leonardo DiCaprio? Now, how much would you pay to do it ... in space?Apparently $1.9 million is the going rate for a trip to the stars with a star, because that's what some lucky bidder ponied up at the amFAR Cinema Against AIDS Charity Thursday night at Cannes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The high bidder has paid a price worthy of Jay Gatsby to be se...

Pee-wee Herman was a beloved, if eccentric and odd, character Paul Reubens played for many years, and his "Pee-wee's Playhouse" series and "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" and "Big Top Pee-wee" feature films spawned a small, devoted group of followers who to this day still feel loyal to the pinched-voice man-boy. So much so that when Will Russell decided to throw a "Pee-Wee Over Louisville" day to honor ...

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie brushed off concerns Friday that President Obamas visit to his state next week will harm his political future.Obama plans to survey the areas recovery efforts since Superstorm Sandy hit the region last October, when he last paid a visit to the Jersey Shore. Christies enthusiastic reception of the president last fall was criticized by his fellow Republicans, some o...

In her first time back at the school since late Monday, Plaza Towers Elementary principal Amy Simpson recalled the moment the deadly tornado took aim at the school.I got on the intercom and said, It's here, Simpson told NBC's Kate Snow. At first, it's just a rattling, but then all of a sudden, bigger things. (I) could hear the air duct crash down and a pipe, and I could hear the other four l...

Listen to the voice of God: Morgan Freeman was not actually sleeping during an early-morning interview on Wednesday. The 75-year-old actor was sitting next to Michael Caine during a chat with Seattle's FOX affiliate Q13, when he appeared to doze off as Caine spoke. The two were promoting their new film, "Now You See Me."But seeing is not believing, Morgan wrote on his Facebook page late on Thursda...

Seven months after being devastated by the worst storm in New Jersey history, most of the beaches and boardwalks of the Jersey Shore are back and open for business in time for Memorial Day weekend.Take that, Sandy. On TODAY Friday, Gov. Chris Christie strolled the rebuilt boardwalk with Matt Lauer in Seaside Heights, the famed ground zero for MTVs Jersey Shore and a town hit hard by the storm....

American couples spent an average of $28,427 on weddings last year, and a number of them are going into the red to do so. Perhaps this kind of overspending could be avoided if they'd only be willing to shop at a certain red big box store instead.Target is now offering low-cost gowns for the whole wedding party, the retailer announced this week. The average bride spends about $1200 on her dress, bu...

A family of cuddling snow monkeys, a pig swimming in the Bahamas, and a pair of gentoo penguin chicks getting their first glimpse of the world are just a few of the moments captured in photos for this years National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest.For the 25th year in a row, National Geographic is accepting photos from readers around the world.The photo contest was created as a way to have a r...