Dead Ann Walking': NBC botches one of host's final broadcasts

As you may have heard, NBC's "Today" has been lagging in the ratings as of late. To shake things up, the rumor mill reports that the network has decided to dump the newest co-host, Ann Curry. Officially, however, NBC has said nothing about Curry being replaced, but the NYTimes' Brian Stetler published a detailed story which strongly suggests Curry is about to get the boot.

Nevertheless, a determined Ann showed up for work this morning as usual, but the NY Post noticed some subtle hints that the network was showing her the door:

Maybe the most telling moment on "Today" Thursday came when Matt Lauer interviewed the 68-year-old woman who was bullied and taunted by students on a school bus.

Lauer looked almost physically angry when he talked about how he wished he could call out the bullies' names on national television.

It suggested a level of visceral frustration Lauer doesn't ordinarily show, and viewers might have wondered if it didn't stem from more than just the admittedly troubling story he was covering.

It also didn't help when an ill-advised lower third with the head, "Here Today, Gone [Tomorrow]," appeared under Curry during an interview segment with Steve Carell.

The text was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to Carell's new movie, "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," which is set during the days before an asteroid crashes into the planet. The poor timing, however, may have hit some watchers like an asteroid.

Here's the awkward moment as it happened earlier this morning: