After the birth of her first child in October 2000, Soledad took some time off from her news duties and returned to Weekend Today in December.
Soledad continued to co-anchor the weekend morning news program on Saturday (7 - 9 a.m. ET) and Sunday (8 - 9 a.m. ET) along with David Bloom.
With occasional reporting for NBC Nightly News during the week, Soledad's work stabilized at NBC where she would remain for the next two and half years.
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Soledad was also featured in a May 2001 piece in Latina magazine where she talked candidly about weight gain during pregnancy and how she accomplished her postpartum weight loss of 50 pounds.
on location after the Setpember 11 attack on NYC
As a New York-based journalist and lifelong New York resident, Soledad O'Brien was powerfully affected by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center which she covered for the network.
On September 11, 2001, she saw the first plane hit...
I was walking down the street running some errands and I ran home a few blocks and turned on the TV My husband called me, and we watched the second plane hit. I'm one of the fortunate ones. I really didn't know anyone that worked in the World Trade Towers . I didn't lose anybody close to me, so I'm sure there are thousands of people who are hurting much more than I am.
The NBC network and viewers were shocked in April 2003 by the sudden death from natural causes of Soledad's co-anchor David Bloom while he was reporting on the war in Iraq.
Soledad was asleep at home when NBC's Bill Wheatley phoned her with the news that David had died while covering the Iraq war.
"I thought he had been hit by a bomb or shot or ambushed. Then Bill told me it was a pulmonary embolism. Basically, I stayed up for the next two days. It's still so horrible. He was so young. I know his family. His kids came to the show a lot. It's very difficult. There's no way to make it better. Your heart breaks for them."
Soledad ran her first 10-K, finishing in 67 minutes. She was coached by Runners World Managing Editor, Adam Bean as part of a piece in the magazine.
Soledad with substituting co-host Lester Holt and Katie Couric at Today - May 2003
The rumors of June - (this one from New York Newsday http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/459.htm) turned out to be true.
NBC's "Weekend Today" anchor Soledad O'Brien - who was left to shoulder the show after co-host David Bloom died last April while covering the Iraq war - is in talks with CNN to co-anchor its fledgling morning show. CNN has been searching for a woman to team with its anchor Bill Hemmer on "American Morning" ever since it shifted Paula Zahn to primetime. Insiders confirmed yesterday reports first broken on the TV news industry web site, News Blues, that O'Brien, 36, is now the top contender for the CNN job. Her contract with NBC apparently expires later this summer. CNN and NBC officials declined to comment yesterday. CNN had reportedly offered the job to CBS' former "Early Show" anchor Jane Clayson, who decided ultimately to stay at CBS.
Soledad's last show at NBC. Her two daughters made a guest appearance.
It was announced that Soledad O'Brien would be leaving NBC and begin her duties at CNN in July.
As the new co-anchor of the network's flagship morning program, American Morning, she would remain based in New York City, and also be reporting from the scene on the transformational stories that break across the country and world.
