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Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb© NBC

Today Show hosts left confused over 'complicated' debate

Anchors Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin discussed the pros and cons of Daylight Saving Time

Beatriz Colon
Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
December 16, 2024
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The Today Show anchors are weighing in on a hotly contested debate.

On the Monday, December 16 installment of the show, hosts Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin waded into the "unending debate" of Daylight Saving Time, ahead of what is slated to be the shortest day of the year, and following President-elect Donald Trump's recent position on it.

"The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight SavingTime, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation," the former reality star recently wrote.

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Correspondent Emily Ikeda introduced the topic, noting that "the bi-annual clock change has become a bi-annual conversation," and that Congress is "finding it difficult to agree on a permanent solution."

She went on to explain: "The practice of springing forward and falling back was intended to take advantage of daylight and save on electricity, but today many find the flip-flopping antiquated," and noted: "Nearly ⅔ of Americans support locking the clock."

However, she then added: "But which way to lock the clock is more contentious," further explaining how "year-round Daylight Saving Time would prioritize light in the evening, something more than 700 bills and resolutions in state legislatures have pushed for," meanwhile "year-round Standard Time would prioritize light in the morning, and would be better suited for our biological clocks and health, according to the American Medical Association."

"Get Your Hoe Ready!" Government poster from 1918 showing Uncle Sam turning clock to daylight saving time after Congress Passes Daylight Savings Bill© Getty
1918 poster celebrating Congress passing Daylight Savings Bill

She quoted experts who argue that we sleep less on Daylight Saving Time, because of the inclination to stay up later when the sun doesn't fall as early, and sleep less in the morning when sunrise is earlier.

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"Here's the thing, if we were to stick to the same time all year, what would that actually look like in different parts of the country?" Craig then wondered.

The Misses Margaret L. Dowling (l) and Jean Baker, of Roslindale, get a preview of how the clocks in South Station at Boston will appear after 2 a.m., next Sun. morning after all of us set our watches and clocks ahead one hour to conform to Daylight Saving Time. Electrical foreman Frank L. Wilson tests out the extra red hou-hand which will appear on all the South Station clocks© Getty
Daylight Saving Time was introduced after World War I

To that, Emily explained some of the "complicated" pros and cons. She said: "Here's where it gets a little complicated. If we did Standard Time permanently year-round, parts of Maine would see the sunrise before 4am, and that also means it would set before 4pm."

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President Richard Nixon (1913 - 1994) signs the 'Daylight Saving' Act at the White House In Washington on December 15th, 1973. He is watched by Representative Normal Lent who pushed the bill through the House© Getty
President Richard Nixon signing the 'Daylight Saving' Act in 1973

However, she added: "On the other side of things, if we say Daylight Saving time permanent year-round, Indianapolis, Detroit, for the dreariest parts of winter, they could see the sunrise not until after 9am, and North Dakota that could be closer to 10am, but then you get the light later into the day, closer to 10pm, so it's a little complicated."

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TODAY -- Pictured: Craig Melvin, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker on Thursday, May 30, 2024© NBC
The Today anchors

She noted that in the 1970s, the country did try to do Daylight Saving Time year-round, "but they reverted back within a year because of all of the traffic accidents."

Savannah, who grew up in Arizona, where the time changes are not observed, then said: "It's just so weird, who is like, 'You know what let's just change time?'" arguing: "Who are we to change clocks?"

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