Questions in the news

Q: In regards to Ann Curry, why did NBC take her off “Today,” and what is she doing now?

—Juanita Childers, Lawrenceville

A: Ann Curry, who had been the co-host on the long-running morning show for about a year, was re-assigned at NBC in late June because of what The New York Times reported to be a slip in ratings for "Today." Curry replaced Meredith Vieira on June 9, 2011, and by April, ABC's "Good Morning America" had surpassed "Today" as the top-rated morning show, breaking the NBC show's 16-year run on top of the ratings, according to the Times. Curry is now an "anchor at large" for "Today" and an NBC News national and international correspondent. She's also producing network specials and segments for "NBC Nightly News," "Dateline," "Rock Center" and "Today."

Q: There was a recent article about Buddy Fowlkes being inducted into the USA Track and Field Georgia Hall of Fame. Is this the same person who was an Atlanta city councilman and who was indicted on bribery charges and spent time in prison?

—M.L. Evans, Atlanta

A: Douglas "Buddy" Fowlkes was a former Georgia Tech track standout who coached the school's men's track team from 1965-92 and women's team from 1989-92, an athletic department spokesman told Q&A on the News in an email. Fowlkes also was an Atlanta alderman and city councilman for nearly three decades. He and several others, including fellow city councilman Ira Jackson, were convicted in 1994 on federal bribery charges in Atlanta's airport scandal and sentenced to prison time.