Natalie Morales

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Natalie Morales on MSNBC

Natalie Morales (born June 6, 1972 in Taiwan) joined NBC News "The Today Show" as a National Correspondent in February 2006. Morales also co-anchors for the program and fills in regularly at the news desk. Previously she was an anchor for MSNBC. Morales joined MSNBC as an anchor and correspondent in March 2002.

While at MSNBC and NBC News, Morales has anchored a number of major breaking news stories including the Battle for White House 2004; the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece; the Iraqi prisoner abuse; Operation Iraqi Freedom; the Shuttle Columbia explosion, the blackouts of 2003; the Washington D.C. area sniper shootings; and the Scott Peterson case. Additionally, she was named one of Hispanic Magazine’s Top Trendsetters of 2003 [1].

Prior to joining MSNBC, Morales served as a weekend anchor/reporter and morning co-anchor at WVIT-TV in Hartford, CT, where she reported on the Columbine shootings, Tropical Storm Floyd, Decision 2000 and the terrorist attacks on September 11. She also co-hosted and reported for the Emmy-nominated documentary, “Save Our Sound, ” a joint production with WNBC-TV New York on preserving the Long Island Sound. Morales began her on-air career at News 12 – The Bronx, as the first morning anchor. Morales also served as cameraperson, editor and producer for News 12 – The Bronx. In 1999, she was voted one of the 50 Most Influential Latinas for her news coverage and reports by the Hispanic daily newspaper El Diario La Prensa.

Previously, Morales spent two years working behind the scenes at Court TV. Morales, who speaks Spanish and Portuguese, was born in Taiwan and spent the first 18 years of her life living overseas in Panama, Brazil, and Spain as an Air Force “brat.” Morales is half Puerto Rican and half Brazilian.[2]

Morales holds a bachelor of arts degree from Rutgers University, New Jersey, with dual majors in journalism and Latin American studies. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and son.

Speculation about Morales' candidacy to replace Katie Couric as anchor of Today was put to rest when Meredith Vieira was named Couric's replacement. Morales had been previously thought to be a candidate, along with Campbell Brown and Ann Curry.^[1]