Blog Posts by Lauren Sher


  • Robin Roberts made her return to “Good Morning America” Wednesday, five months to the day since she underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat myelodysplastic syndrome or MDS, a rare blood disorder.

    For the “GMA” anchor, anchoring again after 174 days was a major milestone. From coming to terms with her life-threatening diagnosis, to intensive chemotherapy, to the transplant and recovery process, the last year has been the toughest fight of her life, she said. She went through 30 days of complete isolation to protect against infection. There were days when she struggled to eat, to drink, and others where she was in a coma-like state.

    Roberts sat down with her friend and colleague, ABC News’ “World News” anchor Diane Sawyer, before she returned to the anchor chair and the morning television world she left behind, opening up in a candid conversation about how far she’s come.

    “When you wake up in the morning, what’s different now?” Sawyer asked.

    “It’s hard to explain to people how

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  • Connecticut Couple Honored as 'Longest Married' in U.S.

    By Lauren Sher | ABC News Blogs – Wed, Feb 6, 2013

    A Connecticut couple who tied the knot over 80 years ago will be named the longest married couple in the U.S.

    John and Ann Betar of Fairfield, Conn., said "I do" on Nov. 25, 1932, and have been happily married for 80 years. Together they have five children, 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

    The couple was selected for the 2013 award by Worldwide Marriage Encounter, a Christian marriage enrichment group based in San Bernardino, Calif., that organizes a search each year to promote the virtues of lasting marriages and inspire young couples.

    "What an inspiration Mr. and Mrs. Betar are to all of us. They made a commitment to each other 80-plus years ago and they have kept that commitment over these many years. They truly are a sign of hope to us all," Worldwide Marriage Encounter's Ron and Judy Pekny said in a statement.

    An award ceremony will take place on Saturday at the Fairfield, Conn., home of one of the Betars' granddaughters, Heather Mitchell.

    Read More »

  • J.K. Rowling's Daughter 'Tutored' Her on Teen Slang

    By Lauren Sher | Newsmakers – Wed, Sep 26, 2012

    J.K. Rowling, the bestselling author behind the wizard world of the wildly popular Harry Potter books, has invented hundreds of words – Muggle, Quidditch, apparating to name a few – that have entered our pop culture vocabulary. When it comes to today’s new digital language filled with LOLs, JKs, and OMGs, Rowling says her latest book embraces the new lexicon, though she had to enlist an assistant to sort them out.

    “[Those kind of abbreviations,] they really interest me because language isn't and shouldn't be static, ever. So, I'm the reverse of the person who wants to preserve it in aspic and say, ‘We still conform to a certain way of speaking and writing because that's how it was done 100 years ago,’” she told “Nightline” co-anchor Cynthia McFadden, in an interview for ABC News and the ABC News/Yahoo series, “Newsmakers.”

    To keep up with the always-evolving slang of the younger generation, Rowling says she was “tutored by a real professional,” her eldest daughter, Jessica.

    “There are Read More »

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