November 2007 - Posts
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
We're going to make full use of viewer mail tonight -- and we went through a mountain of it to air tonight's representative sample. Our weeklong series generated the most interesting responses (I've read just about all of them) and we also plan to have some fun with other things people have written to us.
It has been a day of meetings here in New York -- I finally insisted on escaping the building (nowhere to go, just generically "out") and was able to walk exactly 3 blocks down 5th Avenue before the sheer crush of people became too much. From November 1 to January 2, I do most of my walking in the street -- as many New Yorkers do -- as the sidewalks are jammed with visitors who, shall we say gently, don't walk at quite the same pace.
Back in the newsroom, we started carefully watching the hostage situation in New Hampshire...and news on a number of other fronts.
When we next see you on Monday, it will be from Seattle. In the meantime, have a great weekend, and please join us for tonight's broadcast.
By Ron Allen, NBC News correspondent
It's been quite a week around here, and I've been fascinated by the feedback about our series on African American women. I think some of the stats -- like the 70% single parent birth rate in the black community -- are pretty shocking. I knew there were a lot of kids born to single moms, but that many? I think a lot of other people are amazed by that, too. And I think showing numbers like that to millions of people is pretty powerful.
One comment said that our series is "not in-depth" enough. But in the context of a half-hour news program, these stories have been pretty long, and some have taken many more hours than usual to produce and edit. What you see on the Nightly News -- all 22 minutes of it -- is only a starting point. We're putting more effort than ever before into the web site so that hopefully we can offer more depth.You'll find plenty of longer pieces, related links, and web exclusive reports there.
Someone wrote "please leave us alone" instead of doing a whole week about "how badly we're doing." I guess the glass is always half-empty or half-full. None of this information is best left in a closet, like some well guarded family secret. No one's trying to bash black men. Facts, as they say, can be stubborn things. Many of us feel that some of this is difficult to watch, and painful to get your head around.
And, lastly, I read, "it begins the discussion." Better yet, hopefully, the discussion will continue.
It's obvious that it's rare for a network like NBC to pay so much specific attention to the African American community. So why do it? I think it's a sign that things are changing a bit, and day by day the folks who run this place are seeing the importance of covering stories that impact a wider range of people in this country. Some of that is the result of much deliberation, and frankly some of it just makes good plain business sense, especially in a country with a rapidly changing demographic pattern where people have many new ways to "consume" news and information.
If you've been watching NBC News closely, you may have noticed there's been more diversity -- not just in stories like the African American women's series, but in everyday stories on the newscasts. We're looking for experts, analysts, families, issues and perspectives from a wider range of people. In fact, there's a mandate to do it. No, I'm not naive. Yes, we still see a lot of black people in trouble. And yes, everyone around here knows there's more work to do.
I've not done a survey, but it feels like we're looking more like America. Behind the scenes we're becoming more diverse as well.
But here's the bottom line: I hope you see this series for what it's meant to be, an attempt to take a hard look at some issues of importance to the African American community that are usually ignored, and that's a good thing. Those of us reporting and producing the stories take all of this quite seriously, and are trying to understand the broader context it's all happening in. I hope it continues to be very successful. Because success builds on itself. I hope it generates tons of email. I hope those of you who hate what you see keep writing. Tell us what you think we should saying. I admit we can sometimes get isolated in our own world. I used to travel around the world a bit, and I understand there are a lot of different realities out there. Because, frankly, the only way we're going to get things right is if more of you, and not the same old people, tell us what's happening.
Hopefully, all of this has been an opportunity as well, for you to speak out, and for us to listen.
By Mara Schiavocampo, NBC Nightly News digital correspondent
I know a lot about interracial relationships. I'm the product of one. My parents - married over 30 years - are an interracial couple. My mom is Black, my father White. It's been interesting for me to tackle this issue in the piece "Love, In Black and White", because it gives me an opportunity to compare my parent's experience as an interracial couple in the 1960s to what's happening today.
I've heard the story a million times. When my maternal grandmother discovered that a White man was coming to take her daughter on a date, she decided to sabotage their budding romance. When my father knocked on the door my grandmother answered with a t-shirt full of holes. She was eating a hot dog - no bun - with her bare hands. She stripped my twin cousins, toddlers at the time, down to their diapers and had them run around the apartment like little hellions. She was trying to make a bad impression and scare off my father. Thankfully for me, it didn't work.
Mara's parents, Hazel and Rino, with paternal grandmother, Maria
They faced other challenges as a couple. On one occasion a group of thugs from my mother's neighborhood met my father at his car and issued a not-so-subtle threat, saying, "It would be a shame for anything to happen to your nice car." "Yes," he agreed. "It would." And he kept seeing my mother.
One thing that I always found interesting was that in my parent's case, the Black community was more resistant than Whites.
Overall, the women I spoke with for my story have had a much easier time dating interracially these days. When I asked about discrimination they answered with a collective shrug. But when pressed about the response from the Black community they did start to talk about people giving them a hard time. "People in our communities will put their hands on us and say, ‘What are you doing?’" said Nikki Doughty, founder of the group Black Women Who Date Interracially. You can see more of that group discussion in "Girl Talk".
If you haven't seen it yet, you should check out "Love In Black and White". In addition to the women I mentioned, we hear from Essence Magazine Editor-In-Chief Angela Burt Murray, and many others. And after you watch, I hope to hear from all of you too.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
The more people I mention this column to, the more people I find have already read it, passed it along and talked about it. It's a fine and powerful piece of writing by Michael Wilbon on Sean Taylor.
We're putting together a broadcast tonight that features some interesting health news, politics (including fallout from last night's debate) and our continuing, high-interest series on African American women. Tonight we have a pretty shocking report on heart disease...and race.
We hope you can join us tonight.
By John Rutherford, NBC News Producer, Washington
Among six U.S. casualties last week in Iraq was Army Spc. Melvin Henley, 26, of Jackson, Miss., who died of a single gunshot wound to his head, according to an Army spokesman. The spokesman would not say if the gunshot was self-inflicted. "It is under investigation," he told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
But Henley's family told the newspaper he had been having trouble coping with a second tour in Iraq. "We know he was under stress," his uncle said. And Henley's wife said he had missed her terribly. "He hated to be away," she said. "We were everything to each other."
"Editor & Publisher" Journal reports military suicides are a growing problem. "Some 130 are now officially listed as suicides in Iraq, but dozens more are being probed," E & P said, "and then there are the suicides in Afghanistan, and hundreds or thousands more back in the U.S." The journal said military suicides are usually announced as "non-combat" deaths that are "under investigation."
1. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alejandro Ayala, 26, of Riverside, Calif., was based in Kuwait, where he spent a day in August with his brother, Cesar, a Marine corporal returning home from Iraq. At day's end, Cesar said, according to pe.com, "We're not saying goodbye, just 'see you later' because we'll see each other back in the states." But it was their final goodbye. Ayala was killed Nov. 18 in a vehicle accident. He leaves his widow, Megan, and children, Alexandra, 4, and Matthew, 2.
The following three members of the 2nd Infantry Division were killed Nov. 18 by a suicide bomber in Baquabah, Iraq:
CONTINUED >>
By Chris Colvin, NBC News writer
Hi. Lots of reaction to the Republican YouTube debate last night, also some pooh-poohing of financial armaggeddonists everywhere (ahem) and a Christmas shopping tip from me to you.
The consensus winner of the debate is former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.. NBC's Chuck Todd and the First Read team say Huckabee "stepped up his game." Rick Klein of ABC's "The Note" called him "the most consistent and confident star of a scattered, fractured stage." And Vaughan Ververs of CBS's "Horsesrace" blog called him "thoughtful and eloquent." The blogs on the right tended to agree with the MSM on this one: Erik at RedState gave it to Huckabee. John McIntyre at RealClearPolitics says Huckabee is "for real." Andrew Sullivan says Huckbee is "who the GOP now are." Jim Geraghty of NRO's Campaign Spot gave Huckabee "place" and McCain the win. And last but certainly not least, Republican voters.. they thought Huckabee won, too.
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
We’re working on a number of things that we hope will be worth a look on tonight’s broadcast, including my interview with Tony Blair, and our latest report on African-American Women. But for the moment here at the Daily Nightly, we’d like to extend special birthday wishes to Jon Stewart. He’s 45 today, though you wouldn’t know it to look at him. You may recall that Jon once hosted a show on Comedy Central called The Daily Show. The sad truth is that we haven’t seen Jon -- or Jay, Dave, Conan, Stephen and the rest, including the gang at SNL -- since the writers’ strike knocked them all off the air 24 days ago.
Life has gone on without them, of course, but not for the better. Word is that talks have resumed, and we hope that means the strike will soon be over. But in the meantime -- for weeks now -- much vital comedic work has gone undone. There has been no one to skewer the pompous or ridicule the self-important; no one to blow the lid off the story, whether the story has a lid or not. No one, in short, to slip a banana peel under the body politic. There’s a presidential campaign going on, for goodness’ sake -- not to mention stories about OJ Simpson and Miss Puerto Rico. There is so much out there to poke fun at -- so much that demands to be poked fun at -- and it is simply going unpoked. This is no laughing matter.
The serious fact is that Jon Stewart and his colleagues in comedy -- along with the writers who support them -- serve an invaluable purpose by skewering the pompous and deflating the egos of the high and mighty. They function almost as a separate branch of government. We need them, and we miss them
While they're away, here are a few web resources to tide us all over. In the meantime, happy birthday, Jon. And best wishes for a happy return.
YouTube: Not the Daily Show
YouTube: Colbert Report writers
Late Show writers’ blog
Picketer’s blog
Missing Jon Stewart
TV Week: Strike Central
National Journal article
Article about Daily Show writer
New York Times piece on SNL writers
By Mara Schiavocampo, NBC Nightly News digital correspondent
So far, our series on African American women has gotten a tremendous response. Tons of you are posting to the website, sending emails and calling.
We appreciate that and we're listening.
Since you've taken the time to tell us how you feel, I want to take a moment to respond to two of your biggest concerns:
NOT ENOUGH TIME
A number of you have complained that the pieces are too short and not in-depth enough. Some of you take that as a slight, like NBC News doesn't truly care enough about the series to devote major time to it.
CONTINUED >>
By Rehema Ellis, NBC News correspondent
When I was asked to participate in this series about African-American women I thought it would evoke a lot of responses from a lot of people.
It has.
I have read almost all of the blog entries that we've received. Many of them were complimentary. But some were angry or disappointed in Part One, which I wrote, saying it had not lived up to all of their expectations.
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I hope you'll forgive me, but it's been a busy day around here -- too busy to write a proper blog. I sat down for a conversation today with presidential candidate John Edwards; we'll have that for you on the broadcast as part of our "Making of a President" series, and we'll be posting the full interview on our website. We'll also have the latest on the shaky economy, as well the as next installment in our series of reports on African-American women. We've been getting some great feedback on that subject; thanks for all the emails. We'll also have the news out of Annapolis on the big Middle East peace conference President Bush hosted there today. I asked my colleague Andy Franklin for his thoughts about that, and he's written the piece below. Have a look, and please join us tonight for the Tuesday edition.
CONTINUED >>
By Chris Colvin, NBC News writer
Hi! Back from a lovely holiday, and lots going on in the financial world, politics, and right here in our own news media backyard.
Starting things off with the WSJ wrap-up of Citigroup's big cash infusion, which comes at a steep price (11%) that some analysts say reeks of desperation. The NYT's Dealbook blog crunches the numbers. And CalculatedRisk sums up nicely in a comment on his blog: "Citi clearly needed to raise capital. Their ratios are low - and they have more losses coming, and pier loans piling up, and - if the Superfund SIV fails - they might have to put the SIVs on their balance sheet. This was a needed move - although I'm surprised by the terms - clearly Citi is desperate." CR commenter mp is even more succinct: "Citibank has essentially become a subprime borrower!" And Fortune's Peter Eavis gets to the heart of the matter, Citi's SIV exposure. (Hat Tip: FFDIC)
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
The "breaking news" banners are up on all the cable networks as a result of what we learned toward the end of our afternoon editorial meeting, when our own Kelly O'Donnell called in from the White House to report a health abnormality regarding the vice president. While to simply report that he was taken to George Washington University Hospital is a bit misleading, because his doctor is based there, it does appear he has an electrical problem with the upper chamber of his heart -- an irregular heartbeat. Many Americans live regular lives with such a condition (ideally one that is properly treated) but because Vice President Cheney is who he is -- doctors are taking all precautions. We are right now re-arranging the broadcast to fit this story in -- we also have stories tonight about transportation, politics, the economy, Russia and more including the first of our special series on African-American women. Because my time is short and the hour is late, I'm thrilled that this is one of those days when my friend and co-conspirator Andy Franklin has written the great piece below.
CONTINUED >>
By Kerry Sanders, NBC News correspondent
No Name Key, Florida- I’m not a hunter. I’ve gone hunting, and enjoyed the camaraderie. I respect the skill involved in the hunt. Still, at the end of the day, it’s not my thing.
What surprised me to discover is the puny Key Deer was almost wiped out by hunters. This, of course, was a long time ago when perhaps we didn’t understand the delicate balance between man and nature. But then again, not so long ago that someone realized if man didn’t do something, the Key deer would be gone.
In 1939, Florida outlawed the hunt. That didn’t go over well with some hunters. They kept up, and overnight went from hunters to poachers. And that’s where Jack Watson enters the picture. A hunter himself, Watson who was a presence wherever he would go, decided to save the Key Deer. Hired first by a local group and then by the federal government, Watson protected the deer with a hard edge.
When he found a poachers boat, but couldn’t find the poachers, he set the boat of fire and then left. His son, Jack Watson, Jr. says his father was a gruff character who enjoyed giving poachers a little discomfort. With the boat destroyed, the poachers were stuck on the island where they were hunting. Watson took off on his boat. A day later when he returned, the poachers, half-eaten by mosquitoes, promised Watson they’d never hunt the Key Deer again.
If you hike a path in the Nation Key Deer refuge http://www.fws.gov/nationalkeydeer/ , go to a ball park here, or look at the street signs, you’ll see the name “Jack Watson” immortalized.
Visitors who see his name may not know who he was, just that he was someone important.
“Important” doesn’t say it well enough.
Without Jack Watson, there’s a good chance the only Key Deer we would be able to see today would be in a picture. I rather like taking a picture with the dog-sized deer myself.
By Rehema Ellis, NBC News correspondent
Editor's note: Rehema's report airs on tonight's broadcast, in Part One of our series, African American Women: Where They Stand
For years, Black women have told their daughters they may have to take care of themselves without a husband so it's imperative that young women develop skills.
It is happening.
The numbers of Black women earning college degrees and taking leadership roles in the workplace are impressive.
And the huge achievement gap between African-American women and men is astounding. Black women are making gains in record numbers. It may suggest to some that Black women have gotten the empowerment message and have met all accomplishment goals. That would be only half right. According to research, there is still a lot of work to do.
CONTINUED >>
By Janet Shamlian, NBC News correspondent
It was heartwarming to hear from Nightly News viewers who watched Friday's Making A Difference report on "Our Military Kids" and asked how they could help.
The organization is non-profit, and donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. To date, the group has awarded grants to more than 2,200 children in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. They'd sure love to help even more.
You can find additional details on their website. If you know a child who could benefit from one of these grants, qualification information and application forms are available for download as well.
By Peter Alexander, NBC News correspondent
I'm Peter Alexander sitting in for Lester tonight. Hope
you're enjoying a long holiday weekend with family and friends. My
family -- 90-year-old grandmother included -- was kind enough to join me
in New York
this Thanksgiving week. They're from California,
where I'm normally based, and where we'll begin tonight's broadcast.
If you flipped on your television at any point today, you
likely thought you were witnessing a devastating deja vu. Barely a month
after wildfires ravaged communities from Malibu
(north of Los Angeles) to San
Diego, fierce flames today once again tore through the canyons and
hills above Malibu.
At last check, at least 34 homes were destroyed. While most Americans are
witnessing the first signs of winter (as I type, it's 38 degrees outside our 30
Rock headquarters), across Southern California,
the temperature is hovering in the 70s. Dry Santa Ana winds -- a rite of the Southern
Californian fall -- are fueling these flames, forcing hundreds to leave their
homes. NBC’s Jim Forman will join us live from the firelines tonight.
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
For those wanting to stop the needless hacking apart of Thanksgiving turkeys, it turns out there is a solution: the New York Times how-to carving video, which we mentioned at the end of the broadcast on Monday, proved itself to be a panacea for many -- it was the most-emailed story on the paper's website yesterday, and I can tell you from our own household: it worked.
We've been following the drama in the cold waters of the Antarctic all day and we're thankful all were saved from the cruise ship that sank after hitting an iceberg. We're also following the retail industry, politics and the situation in Bangladesh. We have what we think is a very good newscast to air tonight. I hope you have a good weekend, and I'll see you back here on Monday.
By Janet Shamlian, NBC News correspondent
Editor's note: Janet Shamlian's report runs on tonight's broadcast.
Days like this are the most painful. While classmates throw a football in the backyard with dad, the children of our service people at war are separated from a parent this Thanksgiving weekend. There might be a phone call or visit by web cam, but there's no holiday from the stress these kids live with every day.. knowing mommy or daddy is in harms' way.
An estimated 115,000 American children have a parent serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Beyond the struggles of separation, many of these families also face financial challenges. Those little extras like piano lessons or soccer that provide diversion can be out of reach at a time when kids are most needy.
CONTINUED >>
By David Gregory, NBC News Chief White House correspondent
I'm David Gregory sitting in tonight for Brian - Happy Thanksgiving. I'm mixing a little family fun and work today. I took my wife, in-laws and three young children to see the Macy's Parade on the west side of Manhattan this morning. That was an experience! Rolled over a few feet with the SUV-like double stroller (sorry) before catching a wonderful view of the parade from a friend's apartment. My son, who worried we would be late and miss it, was pleased and that is the name of the game.
We'll try to capture the day from here in New York and around the country on this Thanksgiving by looking beyond the fun and family to see what people are doing for others in great need. This is a tense time in the country, on the verge of a busy campaign season and a multi-layered financial crisis that has many retailers wondering just what kind of holiday shopping season they are going to have.
We will also check in on the troops tonight - they are especially missed on the holidays. Their work in Iraq - particularly on a dangerous Baghdad street - is paying off.
I hope you will tune in tonight. Brian is back tomorrow. I'll have his desk straightened out by then.
By Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor
Among the stories in our broadcast tonight: with the dollar reaching another record low against the Euro today, Europeans are streaming into New York. There's proof of this story three floors below us: the lobby of 30 Rock, the plaza beneath the tree, any store or restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. I had lunch today next to an Irish couple -- I met three families from Ireland in Midtown last night. During a two-minute walk to the office this noon, I heard the voices of Scotland, France and Brazil. While much of Broadway is dark, the stores are packed and money is changing hands.
It's probably a good time to thank those of you who have emailed us with kind sentiments for the Thanksgiving holiday...its a good time to take a breath, pause and be with family and friends. If you'll allow me a night off with my family, (and please tune in to see my friend David Gregory, who will be substituting tomorrow night) I'll see you back here Friday night. We've got a great broadcast prepared for this evening. I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
By Ian Williams, NBC News correspondent
Editor's note: Ian filed this blog post from Kalika Bari, Bangladesh. His report airs tonight on the broadcast.
We could hear the angry crowd well before the yellow, squat government building came into view.
It was under siege from two to three hundred desperate cyclone survivors, jostling and shouting as they clambered for a share of the first aid to arrive in the village since the storm hit six days ago.
"We need more, we need more," said one man. "One hundred per cent of the people in this village were affected by cyclone Sidr. Everybody needs help. Everybody."
CONTINUED >>
By John Rutherford, NBC News Producer, Washington
U.S. military officials in Baghdad are thankful this week for a sharp drop in roadside bombings, which account for two-thirds of U.S. troop deaths in Iraq. The number of IEDs found last month in Iraq fell to the lowest level in two years, partly because Iran is apparently living up to a pledge made last summer to block the flow of explosives across its border into Iraq.
"We have not seen any evidence that weapons continue to come across the border into Iraq," Maj. Gen. James Simmons said in Baghdad.
Still, five of the eight American combat deaths last week in Iraq were caused by roadside bombs.
1. Army Sgt. Joseph Vanek, 22, of Elmhurst, Ill., had three goals when he returned home from Iraq: go to college, find an apartment, and buy a motorcycle. "He was a young man," explained his father on fayobserver.com. Vanek had his sister read him the classified ads. "He didn't want to pay more than $500 a month for a place," she told the Daily Herald, laughing through her tears. Vanek, with the 82nd Airborne Division, was killed Nov. 12 by small arms fire in Baghdad.
2. Army Capt. David Boris, 30, of Pottsville, Pa., asked students at Pottsville High School for a favor, and they complied. "He said, 'Would you consider adopting my platoon, sending them care packages because some of the men never receive anything?'" one of the teachers told WNEP. Boris, a West Point graduate, was a platoon leader in Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He was killed Nov. 12 by a roadside bomb in Bermei. Boris leaves his widow, Jamie.
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I was the recipient today of several emails from well-intentioned people, telling me I was being attacked in parts of the blogosphere for something I wrote and said on the air in last night's broadcast. It was a closing piece about Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip celebrating their 60th anniversary. I noted this accomplishment, especially in this era when, as I put it, marriage seems "under attack" as an institution. My meaning? Our national divorce rate, which is currently somewhere between 40 and 50 percent. Others took it upon themselves to decide that I was somehow attacking gay marriage. The simple fact is that nothing could have been further from my mind, as many others easily understood. In fact, one comment shared with me today came from a respected member of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, who said, "It seemed to me he was talking about the sky-high heterosexual divorce rates. Marriage IS under attack -- by straight people. It had nothing to do with the gay marriage movement."
CONTINUED >>
By Robert Bazell, Chief science correspondent
In the news about stem cells out today, part of the great fascination for me rests with the idea that we are learning more and more about one of the great wonders of life. How does a fertilized egg – a single cell – become the complex organism that is a mouse, an octopus or – yes a human being. That’s what this is all about. The quest for that answer led scientists to find embryonic stem cells – cells that can grow indefinitely in the laboratory and have the potential to become heart, liver brain, kidney or any part of the body. They had first been discovered in mice and then when they were found in humans in 1999, the great speculation about their potential to cure disease arose – as did the controversy because scientists obtain them from embryos.
The complex choreograph of cells that starts with the fertilized egg involves many signals telling cells when to start growing and when to stop. When those signals go awry in a child or an adult the result is the unrestrained growth called cancer. That is why among many things, studies of stem cells reveal a grat deal about cancer.
The current wave of studies began last year when Dr. Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University found that only four genes put into mouse skin cells created cells that behaved just like embryonic stem cells. Imagine only four genes can unwind the entire series of events starting with the fertilized egg and make a skin cell behave like an embryonic cell!
In today’s work Yamanaka and Dr. James Thompson’s group at the University of Wisconsin show that the same can be done with human skin cells You can read the actual research papers here (http://images.cell.com/images/Edimages/Cell/IEPs/3661.pdf) (http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1151526)
There will be lots of discussion whether these discoveries will end the need to use embryos to get embryonic stem cells. One reason they might not gets back to cancer. The genes that cause the adult cells to revert to the embryonic state have a great potential to make the cells cancerous.
But let those discussions and the research continue. We can stand back at marvel at all we are learning about that wondrous thing called life.
A five-part series to air beginning Monday, Nov. 26
Throughout the week of November 26, "NBC News With Brian Williams" will take a look at the issues facing African-American women across our nation in a new series "African-American Women: Where They Stand." The series will cover a wide-range of issues from their role in the '08 Presidential race, to the increased health-risks that they need to be concerned about.
Monday's installment will discuss African-American women's progress in the education field. Nearly two-thirds of African-American undergraduates are women. At black colleges, the ratio of women to men is 7 to 1. And that is leading to a disparity in the number of African-American women who go on to own their own businesses. Rehema Ellis will talk to educators, students and businesswomen about why this disparity exists.
Tuesday, Ellis will look at relationships within the African-American female community. Many agree the gender disparity in education and business among African-Americans is having an effect on relationships that African American women have. Some even say the implications could redefine "Black America's family and social structure." In the past fifty years, the percentage of African-American women between 25-54 who have never been married has doubled from 20% to 40%. (Compared to just 16% of white women who have never been married today). Ellis sits down with the members of a Chicago book club and talk about this difference and how it impacts them.
CONTINUED >>
By Robert Bazell, NBC News chief science correspondent
Yes I was wearing a tuxedo jacket on the Nightly News with Brian last night. No it is not a new NBC policy of increasing formal dress. No I am not trying to make any kind of fashion statement.
Here is what happened. Last night after the show I was meeting my wife Margot at a black tie benefit dinner for the American Italian Cancer Foundation, an excellent organization. The honorees were two great physician scientists and long time friends. Dr. John Mendelsohn president of M..D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Dr. José Baselga, of the Vall d’Hebrón Hospital in Barcelona. The third honoree was Joe Torre, whom I don’t know personally but I admire even as he leaves the Yankees for the Dodgers.
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My office is on the 7th floor of 30 Rock and about a five minute journey from the Nightly studio on the third floor. I had two jackets on hangers in my office. The sports coat I was wearing for air that day and the tuxedo jacket. Just as I was needed in the studio for the show, I got some phone calls and had to rush out, of course, putting on the wrong jacket by mistake.
When I sat next to Brian on the set he said “is that a tuxedo you are wearing.?” At first I actually denied it. I was so unaware. By the time I realized the error it was time to go on live. And so it went.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
My favorite item of the day, without question, is on page one of USA Today, below the fold. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is asking us to "pack neatly." They want us to fold our clothing and coil our electronic plug-in wires. The official advice: "Think layers. One layer of clothes, one layer of electronics." I admit I'm tired (Springsteen concert in Boston last night) but do these people travel?
Tonight we'll take a look at the new tenor of the campaign trail, the situation in Bangladesh, in Iraq, and the effect the stagehands' strike is having on the Broadway season. Ann Curry will be here to follow up on her great reporting last week, and we'll take a look at a notable anniversary in the U.K.
CONTINUED >>
By Mark Potter, NBC News correspondent
Much of the nationwide reporting on the housing and mortgage crisis involves cold, hard numbers. For example, homes sales in Orlando, Florida are down 45 percent over this time last year, foreclosures have at least tripled, and there are eight times the number of houses on the marketplace now compared to two years ago--and most of them are just sitting there.
Those are the numbers. But, right behind them are the tough human stories of desperation, layoffs, economic loss and increasing business difficulties. That's the side of the housing slump we went looking for in Orlando recently, and it didn't take long to find. It was everywhere.
CONTINUED >>
by Lester Holt
Good day. Here in the newsroom we're busy putting together tonight's edition of Nightly News. As Pakistan enters its third week under a state of emergency, NBC's John Yang will look at the Bush administration's dwindling options after President Musharraf rejected the latest call from Washington to restore democracy. The administration has critical interests in Pakistan, especially the security of its nuclear weapons and its role in the war against al Qaeda. From Pakistan itself, meantime, there are signs Musharraf may be weathering the storm. We'll get more on that from NBC's Richard Engel.
The human catastrophe in Bangladesh continues to widen after Thursday's tropical cyclone. The death toll has already topped 2,000 and as Ian Williams will tell us tonight there are fears it could reach 10,000. Two U.S. warships are en-route to assist recovery efforts, but Ian reports there are still thousands in need of aid who cannot be reached. CONTINUED >>
by Lester Holt
Good afternoon. On Nightly News tonight our chief environmental affairs correspondent Ann Thompson tells us about the final report just released by a United Nations panel that has been examining climate change. Ann tells us it's a plea for an end to talk and a move toward immediate action, all against a backdrop of some pretty scary global scenarios.
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
We were apparently guilty of an optical illusion on Monday night. As you may recall, we were live, on remote, in Cleveland -- in the pouring rain. Because we were under a tent (and thus bone dry) as the rain poured down behind us, several viewers thought it was somehow an electronic effect that we were projecting behind us.
Tonight, during a viewer e-mail segment, we will take on the rain -- and the complaints -- and make it right. Like last night, the top of the broadcast is under contruction. We will have our usual Friday night Making A Difference segment to round things out. Please join us -- and have a great weekend before we see you back here Monday night. The following was submitted by my colleague Andy Franklin -- and is a great piece of history.
CONTINUED >>
By Kevin Tibbles, NBC News correspondent
Editor's note: Kevin Tibbles's Making a Difference report runs on tonight's broadcast.
I remember Joey Juneau very well...lacing up the skates for the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals, and in the end for the fabled Montreal Canadiens.
Yes, Joey Juneau was a professional hockey player plying his trade in the NHL. No Gretzky (or Messier, for you New York types), but a soft-spoken French Canadian kid from Quebec who loved the game.
You just read it correctly. A "soft-spoken" professional athlete in a world of hot dogs, egomaniacs, overpayed babies and jerks.
Well, tonight we're going to show you a story about what happens to the soft-spoken types once they've gotten out of the game.
CONTINUED >>
By John Rutherford, NBC News Producer, Washington
This is the deadliest year yet for American forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Already in 2007, at least 862 U.S. troops have died in Iraq and 110 in Afghanistan, according to icasualties.org. That tops the previous highs of 849 in 2004 in Iraq and 99 in 2005 in Afghanistan. All told, 3,865 have died in Iraq and 467 in Afghanistan.
Last week, 23 Americans died in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Italy:
1. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Bewley, 27, of Hector, Ark., once camped out in minus-28-degree Arctic weather to see the Northern Lights. "He didn't need a lot around him to be happy," his brother told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Bewley was killed Nov. 5 by a roadside bomb in Salah ad Din Province, Iraq. "Let me tell you, man, it's hard to bury your boy when he gets killed in Iraq," his father told the Seattle Times. Bewley leaves a daughter, McKinnzie, 4.
2. Army Sgt. Daniel Shaw, 23, of West Seneca, N.Y., was planning to spend Christmas with his girlfriend's family in Colorado, then muster out of the Army next April and move back to the Buffalo area. "He was getting ready to send stuff home," his sister told the Buffalo News. Shaw's family was supposed to close on a house for him and his girlfriend on Nov. 8, but he was killed on Nov. 5 in an explosion in Taji, Iraq. He was with the 2nd Infantry Division.
The following four members of the 10th Mountain Division were killed Nov. 5 by a roadside bomb in Tal Al-Dahah, Iraq:
3. Army Staff Sgt. Carletta Davis, 34, of Anchorage, Alaska, wasn't able to give her husband and three sons a farewell hug when she left for war 10 weeks ago. They had driven from Seattle to Fort Drum, N.Y., to see her off, but they arrived the day after she deployed to Iraq for the third time in five years as a medic. They returned to Seattle, only to learn several months later of her death. They then set out for Alaska for her funeral.
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I want to say a word about two colleagues of mine, at the risk of committing sycophanticide. First, my friend Ann Curry. While I've always believed Ann's empathy, compassion and sincerity come across vividly on television, I wish you could all know her as her co-workers do. She's an extraordinary woman: warm, kind, fearless, committed and passionate. Her piece from Serbia last night was one example of what Ann has come to stand for. We treasure her around here.
Now, about Tim Russert. Last night in the soon-to-be new home of the Newseum in Washington, Meet the Press celebrated its 60th Anniversary before a glittering crowd. While I could not attend because I was hosting the Ad Council's benefit fund-raising dinner here in Manhattan, we had a strong NBC News turnout to pay tribute to the program and its long-time host. While Tim and I both see ourselves as temporary stewards of the jobs we hold, (and so lucky to have them) Tim is a special steward, who is remarkably good at what he does. He occupies a singular place in contemporary American political journalism. I was with Tim and my colleagues in spirit last night.
We've got a full boat tonight with a number of topics in the broadcast: transportation, Bangladesh, Christmas retailing. I'm off to begin working on it. We may also mention A-Rod. I'm sure he'd like that. Thanks for joining us tonight.
By Janet Shamlian, NBC News correspondent
She's got a smile that could have melted the snow falling outside the Denver gym where we met. Olivia is a cheerleader, but unlike most girls in the sport.. she struggles with the most basic of moves and her timing is just plain off. They're facts she would, cheerfully, tell you herself. Among her teammates, Olivia's Cerebral Palsy is no big deal because every member of the Suns cheerleading squad is, in some way, disabled.
 |
| Olivia with NBC's Janet Shamlian and producer Bethany Thomas |
Cheerleading is an activity usually reserved for the athletically inclined, but in a growing number of cities across the country the sport no longer belongs only to those who can pull off a perfect handspring. Special needs squads have been created in more than thirty states, offering children with challenges the chance to put on a pretty uniform and perform for an audience. More importantly, experts say, it gives them the experience of being on a team with all that entails; the opportunity to develop social networks and work together for a common goal.
As part of a report on the trend we're preparing for Nightly News, I spent time with two special needs teams in Denver. You couldn't help but cheer. It didn't matter that their jumps weren't as high as the teams alongside them. Hand down, these kids were the happiest in the room.
Click here to watch a preview of this story.
By Simran Sethi, contributing environmental correspondent
Editor’s note: As cleanup continues on last week’s massive San Francisco Bay oil spill, the investigation into what caused it has hit a new snag. You can read the latest here. Meanwhile, Simran had the rare opportunity to see the damage firsthand.
During our recent "Green is Universal" week, we detailed new ways to fuel our future. This week, an old form of fuel is having egregious impacts in one of this country’s great waterways, the San Francisco Bay.
I was ensconced in a hotel in San Francisco, reporting for CNBC at the Coop America Green Business Conference on the growth of socially and environmentally responsible businesses, when a container ship crashed into the Bay, spilling an estimated 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the water.
CONTINUED >>
Hi. My colleague Barbara Raab suggested I change the name of this blog feature to, well, you can see it above. Maybe the situation isn't as dire as it seems to some of us. (Though some of the some of us are a whole lot smarter and more sophisticated about this stuff than I am). But if you stopped by this space earlier this week, you saw the obsession with what kind of crappy investments might be lurking in your "safe" money market fund was back, front and center. So it was kind of unnerving yesterday when Barron's broke the news that a short-term bond fund (known as an "enhanced cash" fund) run by GE, the very parent company of this lowly employee, broke the buck. Yes, this is not a money market mutual fund. Yes, money market mutual funds operate under stricter rules than short-term bond funds. Yes, it says plain as day in the prospectus that you can lose some or all of your principle. Yes, a short-term bond fund is supposed to provide higher yield and with higher yield comes higher risk. Yes, yes, yes! But in reality, a fund like this is NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKE A 4% HAIRCUT. As Minyanville's Kevin Depew points out (in a stellar post), the main problem is perception and investor confidence. What does this do do both going forward? A lot of smart and sophisticated people are wondering today why GE wouldn't just pony up the $200 million loss (which is spillage.. c'mon this is GE we're talking about) and make the investors whole. If anyone out there can figure that out, please put the answer in comments. It's also curious that outside investors were the ones offered the 96 cents on the dollar cash-out option, while the bulk of the money invested in the fund (which is in large part GE employee pension money) will have to wait out the vagaries of the debt markets to see what kind of return on principle (return OF principle?) awaits. Here's Bloomberg's wrap.
And while we're perusing Bloomberg, here's today's item that Structured Investment Vehicles' (SIVs.. lurking in your portfolio?) Net Asset Values have falled to 69.7/100, according to ratings agency Fitch. And from the rumor bin, here's one about money market fund collossus Fidelity's SIV exposure.
What to do about all this? Linda Stern wrote for Reuters about the issue of where to park your cash in August. More advice from the Bull and Bear blog. Both are quite sanguine about risks associated with money market mutual funds. But hey if you're ready to stash some of your hard-earned savings in an old-fashioned bank CD, here are a couple of ways to figure out which banks are the safest.
Broadening out a bit, there's been some credit market fallout in the past couple of days: Citigroup was punished in the bond market; it's time for taxpayers to get ready to eat their share; and all bankruptcies are painful, but this homebuilder BK story seems particularly cruel.
Stepping back even further, Fortune's Shawn Tully had a really well-written piece about the general state of play earlier this week. And can you imagine Ben Bernanke saying what the governor of the Bank of England said yesterday? (The markets are going to plummet!) One of MSN Money Central columinists Jon Markman argues we need a recession and we need it now, and then off-handedly makes the rather startling statement that politicans in Washington are arm-twisting the Fed to keep cutting the fed Funds rate so as to push a recession off until after the next election. But, but the Fed is independent!! (Who's being naive now, Kay?) And FinancialSense offers up some intriguing skeptism on the jobs numbers the government keeps cranking out.
Stock market volatility seems to bring out the craziness in a lot of traders. Market Ticker's Karl Denninger went on a tirade yesterday about the fabled "Plunge Protection Team" which a lot of spooked short-sellers blame for wild market upswings that rig the game in favor of insiders with massive buying DONE BY insiders (with the help of the Treasury Department and the Fed). Denninger argues in his usual understated way (snarf) that there's no shadowy PPT, and if you can just wrap your mind around Fed Open Market Operations you can see how liquidity flows can help create wild market swings, right there in plain sight. But hold on, some guys from a Canadian hedge fund produced a paper back in 2005 which makes a rather convincing counter argument that there are some stark examples of market manipulation in recent years that go beyond the normal liquidity flow boundaries and into the very unusual. We link, you decide. Of course if there was an actual market crash, the PPT/Fed/Treasury/I-Bankers could gyrate all they wanted and it wouldn't work. See this for more.
And just to show that even Financial Armageddonists have a sense of humor, here's a theme song for the week. Thanks for the inspiration GE!
And finally, my personal guru of geekdom Brett Holey offers up a virtual punch in the gut. And yes ladies, it comes in pink!
(Nuthin' But 'Net is going home to annoy her family with conversations about credit derivatives over Thanksgiving. See you back here November 27th. And.. Go Pats!)
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
We're just back from the classic American business trip: two cities in two days, late flights, bad weather, grumpy travellers wearing wrinkled suits. The best moment? When the flight attendant on our commuter jet flight from Cleveland to Detroit said she'd soon be "coming around the cabin to collect any remaining service items..." How could we have service items? There was no service on the flight. Not a drop to drink -- nothing. As I pondered that question with my seatmate, I looked down and saw the sequential runway strobe lights -- on the runway where we were supposed to be at that very moment. Just as I realized something was wrong, I felt the extra .5 G-force pull of the acceleration of the jet, which pointed skyward again. A few minutes later, our First Officer came on the PA to sheepishly explain that we had performed a "go-around" -- and said something about air traffic control -- and how it would take "about five minutes" to bank around and re-join the pattern and actually land. And I thought to myself, in the wake of the "service items" announcement, and in the wake of the missed approach: that in the space of 30 seconds we'd been treated to both the absolute inanity...and the deathly seriousness...of air travel in this era.
Back home in New York, we're preparing -- should I say -- a "fluid" broadcast for tonight. The top of the broadcast is what's fluid -- any number of stories could find their way up there -- but we also have some superb reporting from Ann Curry, and an emotional reunion between soldier and son.
How Now, Dow?
Andy Franklin did some research today that reminded me: it’s getting to be the time of year when we all focus a lot of attention on the economy. It’s the holiday shopping season (formerly known simply as the holiday season), a time when our shopping habits and intentions are scrutinized for clues about the health of the economy, the well-being of retailers, and the general mood of the populace at large. This year there’s more uncertainty than usual to stir into the mix: rising oil prices, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, and a stock market that “goes from boom to doom on a daily basis,” as one analyst observed in today’s Times. (The same analyst also noted that “It’s an extremely emotional market,” and “investors better go to the drugstore and get a neck brace,” proving that - whatever his skills as an analyst - he knows how to give a good quote).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average - the Dow, among friends - is the barometer most often used to take our economic temperature (no, wait - that would be a thermometer). In any case, the Dow has traded this year between 12,000 and 14,000 - a range that not long ago would have been considered stratospheric. How long ago? How about 35 years ago today - when the Dow closed above 1,000 for the first time ever.
What was driving the market upwards back then? According to the Times that day, it was “the prospect of peace in Indochina, the re-election of Richard Nixon, the improving economy, and lessening business fears about 1973.” Looking back, some of that worked out pretty well, and some of it didn’t. But with all that - and with all that’s happened in the 35 years since - the Dow has climbed from 1,000 to over 13,000.
Not a bad return, and not a bad perspective. Happy holidays. We hope you'll join us for the Wednesday edition of the broadcast.
By Tom Costello, NBC News correspondent
We've had a lot of good questions about how scientists and environmental groups arrive at their estimates for carbon emissions. I too have asked this question repeatedly over the past two years.
The most recent questions e-mailed to us concern our story on Tuesday's NBC Nightly News about a half-dozen British Airways flights flying empty across the ocean.
Environmental groups expressed outrage at the amount of carbon those empty flights emitted.
Scientists argue that carbon's weight increases dramatically when it attaches to oxygen molecules.
For our story, we used a conservative estimate that a single empty 747 flying from London to New York would burn approximately 20,000 gallons of fuel.
The DOE estimates that for every gallon of jet fuel burned, 21.095 pounds of CO2 are emitted.
The Calculation:
20,000 gallons*21 pounds=420,000 pounds.
That equals 210 tons.
Here's where the calculation gets interesting:
The IPCC estimates that in the stratosphere, the impact of carbon is 2.7x greater than if emitted on land. (Tufts University agreed with that analysis)
But to be conservative, scientists and environmentalists simply double the number.
So the impact, say environmental groups, is 400 tons....conservatively.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
We're at the Chrysler assembly plant just outside Detroit tonight, where every 68 seconds, someone's steel dream with a hemi engine rolls off the line. It's a mesmerizing thing to watch, and we'll talk tonight about a big experiment in the car business: a private firm has taken over Chrysler, and they're trying to transform the way they build cars and trucks in the process. We'll talk about the economy, the environmental outrage story of the day, as well as Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (and the story that has her back in the news). We'll also have the story of a very special military veteran. And while we're on the subject of veterans, my colleague Andy Franklin offers the following, on an anniversary worth remembering. CONTINUED >>
Hi. It's always unnerving to write about all the doom/gloom in the housing and credit markets on days when the stock market is galloping upward, but wherever the markets end up today, the doom/gloom is pretty hard to ignore. Especially when it comes to a subject that's been harped on in this space since August: the safety of money market funds. And the news today is scary.
It's the subhead to the Wall Street Journal's Bank of America story (with the $3B writedown as the lead) but yikes, they had to shift $600 million in assets to Money Market funds to keep them from "breaking the buck." (Which happens when the Net Asset Value (NAV) falls below 1.) This of course is not supposed to happen. If you're reading this and you have retirement or any kind of savings in a MM fund, do your due diligence and see what debt instruments the fund invests in. As Bloomberg reports, it's not just B of A. Legg Mason also had to pony up. (Hat Tip: FInance guru Scott Gerstein.) Here's some commentary from the Wall Street Examiner.
CONTINUED >>
By Simran Sethi, NBC News contributing environmental correspondent
Today, Brian anchors from the Chrysler plant in Warren, Michigan, just outside Detroit, where there has been a lot of talk lately about impressive "green" offerings – from muscle cars powered with bio-diesel to luxury cars outfitted with fuel cells. These are inspiring innovations for the future, but how can we maximize our rides today?
For starters, we can improve the fuel efficiency of the cars we have and encourage improved fuel efficiency for models in production. Consider this: Two-thirds of the oil we consume in the United States goes toward powering our vehicles. And poor fuel economy is major contributing factor to pollution and global climate change.
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I used to think Cleveland was a summer resort. It's easy to think that when you are 9 years old and your parents put you on a Greyhound bus in Elmira, New York, and you arrive in this big city a few hours later, still clutching your favorite book on Hank Aaron. My sister lived here while my brother-in-law managed the cafeteria at Case Western Reserve. They were starting a family, living in a tiny Euclid Avenue apartment on very little money -- and I thought it was the Riviera. I used to walk to the Kroger food store to read the car magazines and spend an hour in air conditioning. We'd go to an amusement park on summer evenings, and life was great. In the 40 years since, it's safe to say Cleveland has changed and so have I.
In the newsroom of WKYC-TV, our NBC station here in town, we stumbled upon a great story -- an icon of sorts -- and we're posting it on this site.
Tonight we'll also feature the biggest employer here, by one estimate: the Cleveland Clinic.
We have a great broadcast planned for tonight, as we begin a two-day swing through this part of the country, ending up tomorrow night in Detroit (if Northwest Airlines cooperates) where we will look at the auto industry. I hope you can join us.
by Lester Holt
Good afternoon on this Veterans Day, 2007. I took some time out today to watch the Veterans Day parade on 5th avenue here in New York, and was reminded of a time the parade was more history lesson than current events. Now of course along with the World War II, Korea, and Vietnam vets, there were veterans of our current conflicts, Afghanistan and Iraq, taking their rightful place in the parade. I salute them all, and offer thanks for their service to our country. We'll wrap-up many of the Veterans Day observances around the country, and Tom Aspell will report from Iraq on another sign of an improving security situation in Iraq: a dropping civilian death toll that has resulted in some families returning to Baghdad.
Our big story today, however, is the nervous anticipation over what lies ahead this week at financial markets here and across the world. The soaring price of oil and last week's Wall Street sell off have investors bracing for more shoes to drop. CNBC's Erin Burnett will join me in the studio tonight to tell us what we should be watching over the next few days. CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Tonight we’re thinking of Judy and Joe Rivnyak, who have experienced what must be a bittersweet loss. Missing from the Rivnyak’s property in Shelton, Connecticut is a beautiful, 84-foot tall Norway spruce that has stood there for 75 years. There is no foul play involved, however. The tree was cut down this week with the Rivnyak’s blessing, and trucked to New York City. It arrived today, right outside our offices here at 30 Rock, where it will serve as the official Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
The tradition of having a holiday tree on the plaza began back in 1931, when Rockefeller Center was still under construction during the Great Depression. As Daniel Okrent recounts in “Great Fortune,” his superb history of Rockefeller Center, workers on the site that Christmas Eve raised a “relatively modest balsam,” and “dressed the tree in strings of cranberries, garlands of paper, even a few tin cans.” The first actual tree lighting took place in 1933 (broadcast nationally over the NBC radio network), and that tradition has continued ever since. Later this month, the Rockefeller Center tree will be lit for the 75th time. Rest assured, the trappings will be a bit more elaborate than cranberries, paper and tin cans. These days, the tree is festooned with 30,000 multicolored lights strung on five miles of wire, and topped with a 550-pound crystal star that is over nine feet in diameter and lit from within by light-emitting diodes. Whew.
The tree is a major tourist attraction every year, drawing enthusiastic crowds from around the world. To be honest, that seasonal sea of humanity does occasionally bring out the Scrooge in some of the people who work in this building, who are forced to navigate the teeming holiday throng for two months every year. But a little inconvenience is a small price to pay for sharing some real estate with the most famous Christmas tree in the world. Thanks, Judy and Joe.
CONTINUED >>
By Christiana Arvetis, NBC News producer
Offering us hot cider and a home cooked meal, Sam and Dixie Davis welcomed us into their homes like old friends. Although Medal of Honor recipient Sam Davis relives his harrowing Vietnam experience in his dreams every night, he was willing to sit for hours under hot lights and recount his incredible story.
As an NBC Network News producer for more than ten years, the weight of entering into a person's most private life in order to capture a story I hope will enlighten viewers in some small way, never lessens.
As you will see in our piece this evening, decorated Vietnam veteran Sam Davis is an extraordinary fellow. We spoke numerous times before he sat down in front of our cameras and on every call I learned something more incredible. Sadly, the story below could not be told in the three minutes we were allotted on tonight's broadcast, so I thought I would share it here instead.
Sam travels across the country and speaks to young school children about the importance of never giving up. "You don't lose until you quit trying!" is his mantra. A simple but important message that has inspired his former army brothers and impressionable school kids who listen to him with rapt attention.
A few years ago, Sam was delivering his inspirational talk in Indianapolis when his precious and very valuable Medal of Honor was stolen from the trunk of his car. "It was like I had let my brothers down. That's the feeling I had," he told us. Four days of hard work by Indianapolis police and fire departments finally led to a break in the case.
A phone tip came in from a twenty-year old man. He knew the Medal was missing because he had taken part in stealing it, he said. But he soon learned the medal belonged to Sam Davis, the inspirational man who visited his sixth grade class many years earlier. He admitted that although the guys he was hanging out with had stolen the medal, he didn't want to be a part of Sam losing what was most dear to him. He told officers they had been planning to sell the medal in order to score drug money. Instead, he stole it back, drilled holes into the briefcase which contained the medal and tossed it into the White River. The man told police they would find the medal at the bottom of the river and the next morning, a rookie police diver found it safely ensconced in its briefcase. Sam's message had remained with that sixth-grader for more than ten years after his speech.
Sam Davis remains a heroic figure in our nation's history. But he impressed me as a warm, kind and ordinary man who continues to welcome new friends into his life and passes on the simple but important lessons he learned from a terrible time in our nation's past. I feel so fortunate to have met him.
By John Rutherford, NBC News Producer, Washington
Despite a recent decrease in violence, the number of American troops killed this year in Iraq is the highest since the war began. At least 853 Americans have died so far in 2007, surpassing the 849 killed in 2004. The military put its best spin on these figures.
"The strategy was to interject our soldiers between the Iraqi citizens and the terrorists," Lt. Col. Douglas Ollivant, chief of plans for American forces in Baghdad, told the Washington Post. "A regrettable consequence of that is your casualties go up."
Among those casualties were 11 of the 15 Americans who died last week in Iraq and Afghanistan.
CONTINUED >>
by Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I made my annual pilgrimage to the Time magazine luncheon designed to narrow down the nominees for "_____ of the Year" on the cover of Time. Forgive the blank, but over the years it's been a noun, a pronoun, a proper noun -- it's been a lot of things. My nominee was a woman -- a victim of abuse. A strong, resilient woman who is a constant topic of discussion these days: Mother Earth. The undercurrent of the conversation seemed to be the confluence of our burgeoning media age (and the celebration and empowerment of the individual) and our dangerous world -- and all those brave Americans who have volunteered to go fight our battles.
Tonight we're watching the economy, toy safety, politics, the environment, and more. We'll have a wonderful Medal of Honor profile, and even a celebrity profile. With all the bad news these days, it's important to lighten up on occasion, or so I've learned.
CONTINUED >>
Tonight, go backstage with Brian as he talks to the legendary Mel Brooks about the high cost of entertainment, his high standards, and taking his cult classic "Young Frankenstein" to the Broadway stage.
Watch a preview.
By Bev Chase, NBC news editor
I was probably in the sixth grade when my Mel Brooks education began at home. It started with the film "The Producers" and was a steady diet until I moved out and headed for college. After that - it just became a way of life.
It was my Dad's deep love of movies, comedy and essentially anything that Mel Brooks ever made that was contagious. We'd sit for hours watching the films, laughing until our sides hurt and then would spend the rest of the week trying to "out-funny" each other at any given moment. It was the best kind of competition. When I was voted "Class Wit" during my senior year of high school, my Dad (that's his photo) was the one who took credit for it - claiming that, clearly, I was funny due to the "Mel Brooks Wheaties" that I had eaten as a child.
When I decided to go to film school, he said that it was all because of him (and Mel Brooks). When one of my student films won the Best Short Comedy award at a film festival, it was all because of him (and Mel Brooks). Whenever I did anything exciting at all, his first response when I told him about it was always to misquote Mel Brooks's King Louis XVI from "History of the World Part 1" and say, "It's good to be Bev."
CONTINUED >>
By Carol Eggers, NBC news producer
In my work here at NBC News I have had the privilege of meeting two recipients of the Medal of Honor, first our colleague Col. Jack Jacobs and now Vernon Baker. What I have found astonishing about both is how humble they are. When correspondent Dawn Fratangelo asked Vernon Baker how he would describe himself, he answered, "as a normal American citizen." And I suppose if you met him on the street, you might think that too. But once you know his story it's hard to think of him that way again.
Vernon Baker (third from the left in the photo below, along with me, Dawn Fratangelo, and our cameraman Geoff Nelson) joined the Army in 1941 because of the simple fact that he needed a job. As a young African American in Cheyenne, Wyoming there weren't a lot of opportunities. Even the Army wasn't a sure thing. On his first trip to the recruiting office, the officer told him didn't have, as he put it, "no quotas for you people" and sent him away. Thankfully, Vernon Baker is not a man who gives up easily.
In his book Lasting Valor, he tells the amazing story not just of the battle for which he earned his medal, but of months spent on night patrols in Italy. As a rifleman it was his job to go ahead and scout enemy positions. On some patrols that basically meant going out and getting shot at so the rest of the regiment knew where to aim American mortars and artillery. CONTINUED >>
By Jay Blackman, NBC news producer
As a parent of a beautiful five-and-a-half-year-old girl, my house is full of toys of all shapes and sizes, dolls, beads, arts and crafts, you name it... and you worry about it. With all the news out about these recalls, however, there is a way to be informed about every recall, be it a toy or a lawnmower or even a power saw.
You can sign up for the Consumer Product Safety Commission's simple listserv that sends an email about every recall CPSC orders. Here's the link. Even though, as a reporter, I get a press release every time they order one, I still signed up for my home email account. You can never be too careful.
Hi. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke talked to Congress today and sounded pretty gloomy, and the markets reacted nervously, also the Pat Robertson endorsement and a commercial that's actually fun to watch.
Can you say painted into a corner? Bernanke said economic growth will slow noticeably for the remainder of the year, and high home inventories are likely to put downward pressure on home prices into next year. But the weak dollar and commodity price inflation will also hurt Nice combo there. Here's Bloomberg's take. Here's Bernanke's prepared statement. The Wall Street Journal's economics blog picks up on Bernanke's non-endorsement of the Super-SIV that Citigroup is trying to set up to offload some of its off-balance sheet paper. Here's the latest estimate on the amount of bad mortgage and other corproate debt swirling out there: $500 billion. And here's another term to learn: Level 3 Assets. If there were a blogger MVP award, on mortgage and credit issues it'd be Tanta at Calculated Risk, who has another must-read post about the NY Attorney General's lawsuit on home appraisal fraud. Mish thinks WaMu is toast. And Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz places blame. (Hat tip: Cursor.org)
Political Animal's Kevin Drum notes Washington Post columnist Robert Samuelson's theory that recessions (like the one we're about to have or are already having) are good because your boss doesn't have to give you a raise. Go figure.
Tim Grieve at Salon looks at Giuliani endorser Pat Robertson's explanation of the whole secular-America-brought-9/11-on-itself thing. Andrew Sullivan finds a connection. And Will Bunch finds another.
Iranian President Ahmedinejad's claim that his country's nuclear scientists have 3,000 centrifuges up and running has the blogs on the right riled up. Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters posted on it yesterday.
Is this real? Hollywood's calling for the movie rights. Or actually maybe they already made this movie.
And heh.. it might not make you want a Guinness, but this is one awesome commercial.
By Jeannie Ohm, NBC News correspondent
It is not visible from the outside, but the most famous residence in the country has been changing colors. Yes, the White House boasts shades of green — a conscious decision to save energy and to reduce water consumption and waste.
While critics accuse the Bush administration of not doing enough to address climate change, the White House, in many respects, has become more environmentally friendly than many homes in the country. Previous administrations took action, but aides say President Bush and the first lady have implemented many more changes.
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By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Things are starting to get interesting on the campaign trail, as we get closer to the point when actual voters start casting actual votes. This is the time when sparks begin to fly between the candidates, and sometimes, between the candidates and the press. The sometimes-testy relationship between politicians and reporters has a long history, and that got my colleague Andy Franklin and I thinking back to a classic moment that unfolded 45 years ago today. On November 7, 1962, a legendary politician who had just lost a big election uttered one of the most memorable -- and most often quoted -- phrases in American political history: "You won't have Richard Nixon to kick around anymore."
In 1962, Richard M. Nixon was a candidate for governor of California. It was his home state, and he had carried it two years earlier as the Republican candidate for president, despite narrowly losing nationally to John F. Kennedy. Nixon hoped that winning the California statehouse would give him a platform from which he could launch another bid for the White House. It didn't quite work out that way; he lost decisively to Democratic incumbent Pat Brown. Nixon was then 49; he had been in politics for 16 years. His relationship with the press had never been good. But on that November morning 45 years ago, facing what seemed like the end of his political career, Richard Nixon let loose.
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By John Rutherford, NBC News Producer, Washington
"Richard Bernard Fitzgibbon Jr.,
"Harry Griffith Cramer,
"Dale Richard Buis,
"Chester Melvin Ovnand,
"George Wood Alexander ..."
The names of 58,256 Americans who went off to war in Vietnam and returned home in body bags are being read Wednesday through Saturday at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Politicans, sports figures, and ordinary Americans are reading the names of the fallen in chronological order of their deaths, beginning on June 8, 1956, and ending nearly nineteen years later on May 15, 1975.
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By Jack Chesnutt, NBC News producer
Editor's note: Jack Jacobs tells the story of Tibor "Ted" Rubin on tonight's broadcast. And Nightly News Digital Correspondent Mara Schiavocampo tells Jacobs's story later today at Nightly.msnbc.com.
Covering the story of this Medal of Honor recipient is doing much more than a profile of a heroic American. This is the reunion of two old friends, both of them foot-soldiers from the U.S. Army, and both decorated with the highest military honors this county bestows.
I am working with Col. Jack Jacobs (on the left), a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam. Jack was here in Orange County, California to interview another Medal of Honor soldier, 78 year-old Tibor Rubin (on the right), who served in Korea. Rubin had spent almost three years in a Nazi concentration camp before he was liberated by Gen. George Patton's troops. It was then he vowed to "become a GI Joe, 'cause that is what we call the American Army."
As Jack Jacobs asks Rubin about his time in combat, the tone is very matter-of-fact. These men take no pleasure in remembering similar shared experiences of escaping death while friends and fellow soldiers lost their lives.
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By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I am writing this while subsidizing Amtrak. I'm enroute back from Washington DC, where I interviewed former New York Mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani. I took a morning train, and was in Washington exactly 94 minutes before heading back to New York.
I greeted Rudy Giuliani in the hallway of the Capitol Hill Club in Washington. Right in front of some gathered onlookers, he walked up to me and enthusiastically blurted out, "You were GREAT!" After hesitating for a bit, I asked, "At WHAT?" And then he smiled and it dawned on me: our interview today was more than the usual reporter/newsmaker interrogation. It was a meeting of former hosts of Saturday Night Live. (Giuliani's turn came on November 22, 1997). Had we bothered to walk the half-mile or so to the Capitol, we could have found Senator McCain (October 19, 2002) and made it a trio.
We'll run highlights of our interview with Giuliani tonight, and of course we've posted the entire conversation on the website. CONTINUED >>
By Clare Duffy, NBC Nightly News producer
Editor's Note: Watch Tom Brokaw's profile of George "Bud" Day on tonight's broadcast.
Truth be told, it was a bit too hot for pheasant hunting. The sun beat down on the rolling hills near Sioux City, but that did not deter the group with whom I and my camera crew were tagging along (that's me on the far left with Col. Day, along with soundperson Heidi Hesse and cameraman Mark Falstad). After all, this outing was special. It's not every day you get to spend time in the presence of a genuine American hero.
At first glance, he doesn't look the part. 82-year-old Colonel George Everette Day, know to one and all as Bud, is the kindly grandfather/father/uncle anyone would adore. His relatively small stature betrays little evidence of the warrior within. An avid outdoorsman, Colonel Day never misses a chance to hunt here in Siouxland, the area where Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska meet.
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Hi. Starting out today with the most interesting political story of the day, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's monster one-day haul of $4.2 million, all from a viral fund-raising campaign on the internet. Also, some bad news from some big banks, and the new must-have accessory for lazy geeks everywhere.
The Ron Paul haul took everyone by surprise, and Glenn Greenwald has a trenchant post about why so many people would flock to a long-time Congressman with highly unconventional views on a lot of issues-- Greenwald points out that his candidacy allows those who are deeply dissatisfied with the Washington Beltway establishment "to read into (his candidacy) whatever they want to see -- even if it isn't really there -- and to use the candidate as a proxy for their otherwise ignored and stigmatized causes." And outsidethebeltway rounds up a lot of the coverage from today and says the haul won't catapault Paul into actual contention for the nomination, but I'd argue that's not really the point.
Now it's on to the perils of Citigroup, beginning with a nice overview of the whole mortgage/credit meltdown situation from the Financial Times. Mike Mish Shedlock blogs at Minyanville about Citi's regulatory filing yesterday. And Dean Baker at the American Prospect points out that Citi's interim Chairman Robert Rubin made an eyebrow-raising request to his former colleagues at the Treasury Department just before Enron blew up.
What else to we have to be concerned about? Business Week's Matthew Goldstein on bond insurers. And Mish again, writing on his own blog Global Economics on how commercial real estate could be the next domino to fall.
One of the posters at MarketTicker pointed out a blog called Bits of News last night-- love it. Here's a droll essay on dinner roll economics. And a cogent argument on the latest batch of government numbers (GDP and job creation) titled: "How to Hide a Recession."
And if you're persuaded by Ian Welsh at the Agonist, the presidential candidates of both parties might want to be careful what they wish for, because according to his analysis, the next president will be the next Herbert Hoover.
And on that cheerful note, my longtime friend and colleague Brett Holey calls to our attention an item that's a must have for the 40 year old virgin in your life. Talk about the ultimate pop up!
By Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor
Hosting SNL was a blast. I'm glad I did it. It was a tough decision, but in the end, it came down to the chance to have fun on my night off, and take part in an NBC television institution. I have come to love this cast and crew, and the incredibly talented producers and writers (some of whom are now picketing a few stories below my office window right now). Lorne Michaels warned me after the show that I would physically ache in some unexpected places over the next few days, and I woke up this morning and realized he was right. I just told a friend of mine that I think my veins are exhausted from the endorphins that rushed through them, and I know my muscles are tired from a scene that required physical contact -- which was later cut from the live broadcast. Lorne allowed me to have extraordinary input in the show, but in the end I had to hand myself over to the comedy professionals, who did a great job. They all made me feel great. Over the weekend, I received emails from co-workers alerting me to the postings on our blog, and I was overwhelmed by the expressions of support. I still am.
Back at my day job, trouble is brewing in Pakistan, there's a big labor/entertainment story (see: outside my office window), there's family health news, there's our week-long environmental campaign, and tonight we kick off a week-long celebration (in the days before Veterans Day) of recipients of the Medal of Honor. Please do not miss tonight's broadcast. Thanks for watching, and I hope you had a great weekend.
By Marisa Buchanan, NBC Nightly News producer
We knew we had a special story when we saw the sign at the top of a long dirt road. It was then, and this really isn't overstating it, that we drove into another world. In the mountains outside San Diego, small mounds of artifacts appeared before us: old cars, windows, metal signs. It was as if we had walked onto some elaborate set from years and years ago.
The NBC News team had come to meet and record the story of a Medal of Honor recipient -- the oldest living one, in fact, and one who defended his country on the day F.D.R said would live in infamy. What lay before us, though, was so much more than just that history. It was 98 years of one man's life.
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Nov. 5: NBC's Dawna Friesen previews her story for this evening's Nightly News. Of all the renewable energy sources, wind is the most competitive with coal and natural gas. Today, wind provides about 1% of America's electricity. But experts say wind power could provide up to 20% of America's energy by 2030. Click here to watch.
Did you catch Brian's gig as guest host on Saturday Night Live?
-Click here to see an excerpt of one of the skits.
-Click here for Brian's 'new' Nightly News intro
-Click here to see some of the highlights from the TODAY show Sunday.
Let us know what you think!
by Lester Holt
Good day. The events in Pakistan will once again lead Nightly news tonight. NBC's Richard Engel is in Islamabad where he will tell us the lengths the Pervez Musharraf government has gone to in order to prevent the opposition from mobilizing against his suspension of the country's constitution. Political activists have been arrested, TV stations forced off the air and public demonstrations have been banned. Musharraf's actions are a blow to the Bush administration, and NBC's chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell will join me to talk about the White House reaction and what options they are exploring to restore democratic order in Pakistan
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by Lester Holt
Good afternoon from New York. Tonight on Nightly News we will be covering the major developments out of Pakistan where President Pervez Musharraf has suspended the country's constitution and imposed emergency rule in a bid to move against political rivals and the country's judiciary. The potential implications of political unrest in Pakistan are enormous for the United States, which has relied heavily on the Musharraf government as an ally in the war on terror. Tom Aspell will lead our coverage from overseas, and Kevin Corke will have the White House reaction.
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By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
This week has been a juggling act. Even if you don’t count all the preparations required to host Saturday Night Live this weekend – and there have been plenty – it would have been a busy week. There was Tuesday’s debate in Philadelphia, and – as always – there are the daily demands of my number one priority, which is Nightly News. It’s a busy news day, so I’ll keep it brief on the blog today.
There’s been a lot of attention paid to the fact that I’m hosting Saturday Night Live – below are links to various press accounts on the subject. Just about everybody has been supportive and enthusiastic. I’ll be honest, I thought long and hard before accepting the invitation to host, and agreed to do so only after concluding that it would do no harm to the reputation and integrity of NBC News. As I’ve said before, I look forward to having a little fun on my night off, though I freely acknowledge that this is new ground for me.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ivRM88DtzcbOoHWXIquA_bCDEaiAD8SL5HT00
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2007/11/02/2007-11-02_brian_williams_hosts_saturday_night_live.html
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/11/brian_williams_likes_thincrust.html
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia9c51f5ef29150aa8ae6174de493395d
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDg4YmM1MTRmYzBiY2EwODRhMmNmZDg3MzVlYzM0YzU
With all this in mind, a friend reminded me that this comedic road was first paved by two legendary predecessors of mine: Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. Back in 1964, when their nightly newscast was at the very peak of its popularity, Chet and David dipped their collective toe into the world of entertainment and emerged unscathed. Comedian Jack Benny was returning to NBC after years with CBS, and he invited Huntley and Brinkley to tape a mock news report he could use as a gag for the open of his premiere episode. They did, and then life went on. This brief item about it appeared in the New York Times shortly before the show:
Brinkley, Huntley and Benny
The National Broadcasting Company, which recently expressed concern that journalistic joshing about David Brinkley’s dry humor might detract from his image as a serious news reporter, has granted permission for him and Chet Huntley to appear in connection with Jack Benny’s premiere on Sept. 25 at 9:30pm.
The introduction of the television comedy program will be a routine in which Mr. Huntley and Mr. Brinkley will discuss reaction to the return of Mr. Benny to N.B.C.
-- The New York Times, September 15, 1964
We look forward to having you join us tonight, and I sure hope you’ll be watching Saturday Night Live tomorrow night.
By John Rutherford, NBC News Producer, Washington
Violence is up in Afghanistan, down in Iraq. Last week, for the first week in memory, more Americans died in Afghanistan (4) than in Iraq (3). The death toll in Afghanistan for the first 10 months of this year (99) surpassed all of last year (98).
"The security situation in Afghanistan is assessed by most analysts as having deteriorated at a constant rate through 2007," a United Nations report said. "The numbers of incidents are higher than comparable periods in 2006."
In Iraq, attacks against U.S. forces dropped to the lowest level since early 2006. Thirty-seven Americans died in October, the lowest monthly total in a year and a half.
"This trend represents the longest continuous decline in attacks on record," the commander of day-to-day military operations in Iraq said.
Besides Afghanistan and Iraq, American service members died last week in Bahrain and the Philippines.
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By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
To paraphrase the old joke, if you looked up the word “multitasking” in the dictionary this week, you might very well find a picture of me there. A week this busy is fun and challenging, but fortunately, it’s also rare. Tuesday morning we drove down to Philadelphia to anchor Nightly News from there, and get into position to moderate the Democrats’ debate at Drexel University that night. My preparations for the debate had been underway for days, although the event itself seemed to go by in a flash. It ended a little after 11pm, and I was soon heading back up the New Jersey Turnpike to NBC headquarters in New York.
I got to 30 Rock at about 1am, and joined the Saturday Night Live writers for their all-night meeting (I don’t normally do this; perhaps I should add that I don’t normally host Saturday Night Live, which I am doing this Saturday). It’s been a long time since I’ve pulled an all-nighter, but the SNL gang hasn’t forgotten the rule we all learned in college for how to do it: consume mass quantities of snacks. To that end, dinner consisted of Tostitos and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
I should mention here that I have been a fan of Saturday Night Live ever since the show went on the air 32 years ago, back when I was still a teenager. I wrote in for tickets that first season, and got them for a show in the second season: episode #40, on March 19, 1977. The host that night was Broderick Crawford, a veteran movie and television actor best remembered for his starring role as Chief Dan Mathews in the 1950s TV series “Highway Patrol”. The musical guests that night? New Orleans’ own Dr. John and the Meters.
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Hi. So the stock market didn't hear the Halloween BOO! until this morning, but it was clear from the opening bell that fear is back, and Citigroup is wearing the scariest mask. Also, ganging up on Hillary Clinton, the AG and the torture debate, and Boston, you're my home.
The NYTimes reports on an analyst's estimate that Citigroup is facing a $30 billion capital shortfall which might lead it to cut its dividend or sell assets. And Reuters reports on Credit Suisse Q3 profits. After writedowns? Zero. Which puts them near the top of the Q3 class. Uh-oh Washington Mutual. Now it's criminal. Calculated Risk picks up on the New York Attornety General's investigation of the country's largest real estate appraisal company and Washington Mutual, allegedly conspiring to inflate propert values. And that's on top of THIS. And the NYPost's John Crudele (what makes me think they won't be booking him as a guest on FBN any time soon?) on the SEC poking around Goldman Sachs' miracle third-quarter profits that came from shorting mortgage debt (some of which they had a hand in originating) while the rest of the I-Banks were getting crushed.
The RealtyTrac foreclosure numbers are out and as you'd expect they were awful. Common Sense Forecaster has the release. And here's an interesting sign of the times on what it takes to seel your house these days.
A bunch of people took issue with yesterday's gangbusters GDP report, noting that the inflation measure contained therein was, ummm, not exactly credible. Crudele (again) sums up in plan language. Thanks to the BigPicture for introducing the term "quantum bogosity" in relation to this. But here's another more disturbing theory.
And everybody who was arguing after yesterday's GDP report and Fed Funds rate cut that the U.S. is in a "goldilocks economy," the American people don't seem to agree.
The Hill reports on a conference call of Hillary Clinton supporters, post-debate.
Sidney Blumenthal writes about AG nominee Michael Mukasey's short journey from restorer of integrity to waffler on torture. Macsmind doesn't think waterboarding is illegal, and thinks the Democrats are just posturing.
And finally, is this the greatest year any city has ever had, sports-wise? (JINX!)
