February 2008 - Posts
By Lester Holt, NBC News Anchor
Good day from New York. Brian is taking the night off and I'll be sitting in tonight.
When my phone rings at 3 a.m., my first thought is, something awful has happened. If I'm lucky, it's just a wrong number. It's safe to assume wrong numbers aren't put through to the President of the United States, and so a middle of the night call to the commander-in-chief can't be good. That's the premise of a new Hillary Clinton ad airing in Texas, that has been getting plenty of airing on the cable news channels today as a point of political discussion.
The ad says, "It's 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there's a phone in the White House and it's ringing. Something's happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call."
The camera then shows Hillary Clinton picking up the phone. The spot, and its not-too-subtle implication that Senator Clinton is better qualified to handle a national security crisis, brought a quick response from Barack Obama. Tonight on Nightly News, NBC's Andrea Mitchell will show the ad, Obama's response, and report on the the tightening race in Texas as well as Ohio.
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By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
That the British press -- that any media -- kept the secret of Prince Harry's location in Afghanistan (for 10 weeks) is these days quite remarkable. As I write this, with the proverbial cat out of the bag -- and the Prince exposed -- the British military is apparently mulling over pulling him out. The fear is that any Taliban unit knowingly stationed near a British outpost could randomly shell, mortar and fire on the Brits in hopes of scoring a random and fatal shot, resulting in tragedy. The shame of it is that Prince Harry wants only to serve and fight, and for that he deserves thanks and praise. He also wants to be left alone. At least he had 10 weeks of infantry anonymity, even if it must now come to an end.
In this line of work, we often know more than we can say. When, early on in the Iraq war, retired General Wayne Downing walked me into a Tactical Operations Center in the desert and showed me the electronic wall map displaying the entire U.S. war plan and the real-time location of all American fighting units, he didn't need to tell me that I was not to speak of it elsewhere. Ditto when we learn of the President's plans to travel to a war zone, or of protection plans for the President or candidates for office. It's a simple equation we apply, which balances the right to know... the NEED to know... with the value of American lives. Thankfully, common sense prevails more often than not.
We'll cover the story of Prince Harry tonight, and we'll also look at the economy and politics, and the auto business.
I must say I was thrilled -- overwhelmed -- to see the robust response to our remembrance of William F. Buckley last night. The truth is, time was running short yesterday afternoon, I was being called to the studio, and I had yet to write the WFB remembrance for the broadcast. But I was determined to tell the peanut butter story for our blog readers, and I'm glad I soldiered through. I thank you all for reading it. I'm glad that it seems to have touched a lot of hearts, and I thank all of you for writing, as always.
We hope to see you on the broadcast tonight, and thanks for watching.
By Patrice Fletcher, NBC News producer
Tonight on Nightly News CNBC's Phil Lebeau reveals the Consumer Reports 2008 forecast on car reliability. The annual survey of nearly one million American car buyers found that Asian cars - mostly Japanese - still rank highest in dependability. Phil will highlight the winners, the laggards, and how long it takes to change public perceptions.
I've been working with Phil on this story, and I thought it worth a closer look at today's report to see which findings buck the survey trends. Just because you drive a Japanese car doesn't mean it's reliable. Korean cars are performing better and better. And many American models have begun to score average or better.
Two Toyota models and a Lexus fell below average and are no longer recommended by the survey. Some Nissan, Mazda and Suzuki models have on-going problems. They, too, are rated as unreliable. CONTINUED >>
That is the question, as the housing market's decline accellerates, commodity prices soar, consumer confidence crashes, and the question of what to do about it seems to stump just about everyone.
President Bush said this morning there'll be no recession, and rejected calls from governors around the country for a second stimulus package that would focus on (job-creating) infrastructure and transit improvements. And Treasury Secretary Paulson says the CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
A few years ago, while working at CBS, I interviewed William F. Buckley on politics. He was not scheduled to have any office hours in New York that day, so I drove to his home in Stamford, Connecticut. He lived on the water; viewed a certain way, the Buckley family home could easily have been situated on the coast of Maine -- instead, it's on a lovely spot along the jagged Connecticut shoreline, looking out across Long Island Sound, with the spires of Manhattan in the distance.
As a political junkie, I'd been curious to meet him for years. I'd seen him on Firing Line, and as a guest on talk shows. I'd seen his famous televised row with Gore Vidal, and I'd read a few of his books, mostly those about sailing. I knew his life story, his more famous quotes and his capacity to enrage liberals and generally stir up controversy. Our hours together in his home made for an odd combination at first: an erudite, to-the-manor-born Ivy Leaguer and public intellectual, hosting a college drop-out from the Jersey shore. But we quickly came to enjoy each other's company that day, due to his formidable charm. We spent a good long time talking, and truth be told, we did the television interview almost as an afterthought -- much to the consternation of the camera crew waiting for us in an adjacent room.
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By Chris Jansing, NBC News correspondent
In a hotly anticipated and controversial decision, a judge in suburban Denver has spared the life of a 5-year-old German Shepherd named Rolo. But the dog and his owner are definitely on probation.
As we first reported on Tuesday, a judge ordered Rolo euthanized after a neighbor said he bit her, though the extent of the injury was in dispute. While this kind of thing happens every day across America, few owners would do what Laura Hagan did. She has spent more than six months fighting to save the dog she calls her "baby" - hiring a lawyer and often carrying protest signs on the streets of Arvada. Denver TV stations and newspapers picked up the story, sparking a media sensation that was compared to the O.J. Simpson trial. Dog-lovers joined Hagan in her protest marches, one carrying a sign that said, in true O.J. fashion, "If she wasn't bit, you must acquit."
All of it has been detailed not just by the local media, but on www.rolodog.com. The Web site allowed Hagan to collect thousands of signatures on a petition to save Rolo, and collect money to pay for his defense. She hired a lawyer, but on Tuesday was convicted by six jurors of having a dangerous dog and letting him run loose. Some neighbors had started their own petition, arguing that Rolo should be destroyed, and prospects for Rolo looked grim.
But after hearing from 11 witnesses at a sentencing hearing Wednesday, the judge decided that Rolo is not a clear and present danger to the community. Rolo will live. But the judge did order a 90-day suspended sentence for Hagan, and behavioral training classes for Hagan and Rolo. If the dog stays out of trouble for a year, Hagan won't have to serve any time in jail. She also has to get a $100,000 liability insurance policy. We're still waiting to hear when Rolo might be released.
By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington
Navy SEAL Thomas Valentine, who survived multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, only to die in a parachute accident in Arizona, was buried Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery.
Valentine, 37, was killed while participating in a predeployment, free-fall training exercise early on the morning of Feb. 13. His body was found on a golf course green 50 miles south of Phoenix.
"This is a stark reminder that what these warriors do on a daily basis is very dangerous, both on and off of the battlefield," a Navy spokesman said. I asked the Navy for any public figures on training deaths but had not received a reply by the time of this posting.
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By Pete Williams, NBC News Justice correspondent
In many ways, today's showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court over the Exxon Valdez disaster is about numbers -- the amount of oil spilled, the number of Alaskans who suffered, and the size of the damages awarded. But the most important number may be this one: eight. That's how many justices are hearing the case, and that could make all the difference.
More than 30,000 Alaskans went to court after Exxon's supertanker hit a reef in 1989. Their lawsuit said the resulting spill of nearly 11 million gallons of oil into the state's coastal waters virtually wiped out their ability to earn a living from the sea. A jury awarded them five billion dollars in punitive damages. A federal appeals court later cut that in half, but Exxon is hoping the Supreme Court will find even that excessive.
Noting that punitive damages are intended to punish for wrongdoing, Exxon says the lower court should never have awarded them because they're legally unavailable here. CONTINUED >>
Update: Click here to read Brian Williams' account of this "must-see election" that ran in TV Guide on Wednesday, Feb. 27.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I'm sitting in a cinder-block green room (it's beige) with NBC News President Steve Capus and producer Subrata De. We'll now gather with Debate Producer Phil Alongi, Tim Russert, Political Director Chuck Todd, Meet the Press Executive Producer Betsy Fischer and others...for the next-to-last prep session before tonight's debate.
My attention is, for now, split -- we also have to turn our attention back to Nightly News -- we just concluded our afternoon editorial conference call. So that's going to be it from here until the evening has concluded. I've posted a video from the stage -- it should nicely set the scene until airtime. We hope you can join us from Cleveland -- where the snow is falling fast...and the clock is ticking down until the moment the candidates are seated and the red light goes on.
By Ian Williams, NBC News correspondent
Editor's note: Ian Williams is in North Korea covering the New York Philharmonic's historic concert. Click here to view a related slideshow.
There was a first note of discord in the concert hall today – over flags.
“They seem to have short-changed us,” said a grim-faced official with the New York Philharmonic, as he hauled down the Stars and Stripes. “There was discussion over flag size, and we wanted the flags to be the same size. So we’re changing it.”
So up went a new, bigger flag.
It had happened during rehearsals this morning, which were more like a full show, since the hall was packed. Yet nobody I spoke to could tell me who the audience was. The orchestra had expected a few students, but they looked like officials. As one member of the orchestra quipped to me, it might be tonight’s audience having their own rehearsal.
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By Robert Bazell, NBC News chief science correspondent
For more than two years, the ads have been a frequent presence on many television programs including ours.
Dr. Robert Jarvik, the inventor of the Jarvik Seven artificial heart has been extolling the virtues of Lipitor, a cholesterol lowering drug. Lipitor is in fact the world's best selling drug with sales exceeding $12 billion a year.
But today Pfizer which makes the drug announced it is pulling the ads.
In a letter to Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, a Pfizer representative said: "Unfortunately, the way Dr. Jarvik was presented in these ads has created misimpressions and distractions" from Pfizer's primary goals of reducing heart disease.
I knew Dr. Jarvik when I covered the artificial heart operations in the early 1980s. I recounted his qualifications in an article for this website last year.
I pointed out that Jarvik was not a practicing physician. After graduating from college he was admitted to the University of Bologna medical school. He left there, got a degree in biomechanical engineering and then went to work on artificial organs at the University of Utah, where he eventually received an M.D., but never practiced medicine.
That article was followed by an investigation by Dingell's committee -- and an article in the New York Times which pointed out that one of the ads, featuring Jarvik allegedly rowing a scull, was in fact played by an actor.
Pfizer announced its decision to pull the ads in this letter sent today to the House Committee.
Rep. Dingell who was expressed interest in the entire concept of consumer advertising of prescription drugs called Pfizer's decision to withdraw the ads "a wise one."
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Transcontinental pilots know that's what the FAA calls its regional air traffic control center for this part of the country. If you pass over these parts by air, you had better be in touch with "Cleveland Center" -- and right now, in the world of politics, I'm writing this from "Cleveland Center." We're in the bowels (the nice kind) of the arena which will tomorrow night serve as the centerpiece of this race -- the arena that will host the closely-watched final debate before Democrats in Ohio and Texas cast the votes that may play a decisive role in the race on the Democratic side. Tim Russert and I just toured the stage and tried out the technical set-up, and all is well and ready. We're meeting at an Undisclosed Location tonight with our production staff to have a working dinner and go over questions and segments for tomorrow evening.
This has been a nasty day of back-and-forth between the two campaigns, to be perfectly honest. It's late in the race, everyone is exhausted -- and political candidates often fight to the death. We all hope tomorrow night's discourse will be civil and instructive. We are going to do our level best to see to it.
Not inconsequentially, we are also in touch with our meteorologists because we are girding for a major snowstorm here. The high-end prediction is ten inches, with a snowfall rate of an inch an hour during the day tomorrow. I may be in Cleveland much longer than I'd been counting on. And we have some additional concerns about the travel of the candidates, spectators and fellow members of the media. The skies over this city are right now sporting a low, gray, mottled overcast -- and my high school football-injured, thrice-operated-upon knee (playing outside linebacker and offensive end at 164 pounds seemed like a REALLY good idea at the time) is telling me there's weather on the way. And a whole lot of people are on their way here, expecting a debate tomorrow night.
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By Carl Quintanilla, CNBC anchor
The great state of Ohio is known for many things (who doesn’t love “Cincinnati chili”, or OSU football?), but it’s the state’s weak economy that will get top billing as the Democratic presidential candidates prepare for their MSNBC debate there Tuesday night.
In a way, Ohio’s bleak economic outlook has become a microcosm of the nation’s overall troubles: a wave of lost manufacturing jobs, home foreclosures and the spillover from the turmoil that is the Big Three automakers. It’s also offered those of us at Nightly News a chance to look at the candidates and how their economic outlooks differ, now that the race has been boiled down to four remaining candidates.
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By Ian Williams, NBC News correspondent
Editor's note: Ian Williams' report airs tonight on the broadcast. Click here to view a related slideshow.
No sooner had Lorin Maazel stepped off the aircraft this afternoon, the maestro was surrounded by cameras and bombarded with questions.
“Hang on,” he said defensively, “I’ve only seen the airport.”
There is incredible interest in this visit to North Korea by the New York Philharmonic – the first cultural exchange of its kind, and the single largest group of Americans to come here since the end of the Korean War.
There was chaos for a while as journalists, musicians and agitated North Korean security men mingled at the foot of the aircraft steps before the orchestra posed for a group photograph in front of the aircraft, a Boeing 747. They were then ushered to a more agreeable backdrop (for the authorities) of the terminal building with a giant picture of the Great Leader, Kim Il Sung, who though dead, remains head of state.
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by Lester Holt, NBC News Anchor
Political pundits, and candidates are already talking about the "Nader factor." Ralph Nader told Tim Russert on "Meet the Press" this morning that he is launching an independent run for president. Many democrats still blame Nader for siphoning votes from Al Gore in the 2000 election, and tipping the election to George Bush. The big question today, is whether Nader can generate enough of a following to once again alter the political equation in this election. Senator Hillary Clinton has already weighed in on the news, and we'll let you hear what she has to say when we wrap up the day in politics on Nightly News tonight. In addition, NBC's Rehema Ellis begins a special series we are calling "Where They Stand." This week, we are breaking down where Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, and Mike Huckabee stand on key voting issues. Tonight, Rehema looks at education, including how the candidates approach school vouchers, no child left behind, and college tuition affordability.
We're watching the official transition of power in Cuba, and one very notable change under Raul Castro that is giving Cuban citizens something to talk about today.
As you may have discovered for yourself, the price of food is on the rise. We've asked NBC's Pat Dawson to look into why it's happening and the impact it is having on American consumers.
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by Lester Holt, NBC News Anchor
The race for the Democratic presidential nomination just moved into new territory. Anger. NBC correspondent Ron Allen, who was covering Hillary Clinton in Ohio today, alerted us that her tone today was unlike anything he had heard from her thus far. She unloaded on Barack Obama, accusing him of spreading campaign leaflets with "blatantly false" statements about her health care plan. "Shame on you, Barack Obama," she said as she suggested his actions are contrary to the image he projects in his speeches. If there was any doubt her campaign is changing tactics to attack Obama more directly, Mrs. Clinton said in a challenging tone, "meet me in Ohio," where she will debate Obama on Tuesday. Ron Allen will lead off our coverage tonight with more of what Senator Clinton had to say, and the quick response from the Obama camp. NBC's political director Chuck Todd will also come on with me to discuss the new Clinton strategy, and how it could affect the upcoming contests in Ohio and Texas.
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By Mara Schiavocampo, Nightly News digital correspondent
For the most part, when we cover political rallies, we focus on what the candidates have to say - as we should. But in the case of Barack Obama's campaign events, the crowds are also becoming a story.
The Senator is attracting tens of thousands of people, something that doesn't normally happen until the general election. In December, 29,000 people showed up to hear him speak at the University of South Carolina with Oprah. That's enough supporters to fill 64 Jumbo Jets. And there's a reason they call it Obama-mania. Barack's supporters are a pretty enthusiastic bunch. This YouTube video shows a number of people fainting while Obama speaks.
We wanted to know what those rallies are really like, not from the outside looking in, but from the inside. Armed with my mini-DV cam, I headed into the crowd in Austin, Texas last night to cover the event in a way we seldom do.
So what was it like? To me, it felt like a sporting event, albeit one where everyone is rooting for the same team. There were the glow sticks, t-shirts, Porta-potties, people carrying styrofoam cups filled with strong-smelling spirits, and even shirtless college kids covered in Obama-inspired body paint. No one started a wave, but surprisingly there was a lot of singing and dancing.
I didn't see any unsportsmanlike conduct. When Obama mentioned John McCain's stance on the Iraq War even the booing was pretty tame. The people that I interviewed talked at length about why they liked the Senator, not why they dislike the other guy.
I ended up with a pretty interesting look at who the Obama campaign is attracting. It will be on the Digital Dispatch soon. Of course it was just one rally in one city. But it still gave me a better idea of who is joining team Obama.
A few political notes to follow last night's debate -- and put an end (or try to) to a wild week.
First, did anyone else note what seemed to be HRC signals to John Edwards last night? At least two shoutouts, both complimenting Senator Edwards. It would make sense, given the oft-repeated inside sentiment -- heard underground as recently as this week -- that Edwards is said to favor Clinton, and conversely may be unwilling to endorse Obama. But one could simultaneously argue that Edwards' endorsement has decreased in political value each day since his withdrawal on January 30th, and that Obama is already cutting into the Edwards constituency even without an endorsement.
There is a story about Obama's security in the news today, which I am checking into for possible inclusion in the broadcast tonight. We don't report on such matters lightly, of course -- and often, in covering military matters and security matters, we put the safety of Americans and our public officials first when deciding what to air.
What a terrible loss of life in the Clinton motorcade today in Dallas. I have actually witnessed such a thing happen before, and my heart goes out to the family of the officer -- and to Senator Clinton (who was obviously shaken by it today) as the accident happened in the course of keeping her safe.
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By Maria Menounos, NBC News contributing correspondent
Editor's note: Maria Menounos' report airs tonight on the broadcast. Click here to watch the related video diary.
My coverage of the presidential candidates and their children continues. This time, it is with none other than Chelsea Clinton. Though Chelsea has the most campaign experience of the entire stock of candidates’ offspring, she has always been reserved about speaking to the press. In fact, she's never granted an interview.
Chelsea, from what I saw and heard, simply wants to support her mother at this crucial time. She is passionate about her mother’s quest, the social improvement she believes her mother can achieve for the country, and the overall well being of the world. I have been told by those who have seen Chelsea lecture publicly that she is gifted to the point that she could hold office herself one day -- if she were so inclined. Needless to say, I was sensitive to Chelsea’s reluctance to speak to media, yet intrigued over the opportunity to gain a closer look.
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By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
We had a good many discussions around here today about the New York Times story that appeared on the internet last night (and on the front page today, and at least every hour on cable since then) concerning John McCain. I'd like to hear what you all think about it. I will say it's on days like this that I'm awfully proud of our deliberative process around here, and of the folks who work here, and the different viewpoints they bring to the handling of editorial matters like this one.
At mid-day the pictures started coming in from Belgrade. I hope we are not looking at an extended period of violence, but some people whose opinions I respect believe we might be.
We have a full broadcast planned for tonight -- including a high-interest story on "clean coal"...and another on Al Capone. We'll also deal with the big story in both politics and journalism today. We thank you in advance for joining us tonight.
And for those of you who are hardy residents of Snowbelt states, know this: we're expecting some snow here in the New York area starting tomorrow and into Saturday. I just heard on local radio one school north of New York City has already cancelled tomorrow's classes, 13 hours before the first flake is scheduled to fall! Oh well. Its been a long, dry winter around here.
By Pete Williams, NBC News Justice correspondent
Editor's note: Pete Williams's report will air on tonight's broadcast.
"Only an accountant could catch Al Capone."
That's the headline on a poster distributed by the Internal Revenue Service, hoping to persuade potential recruits that life as a tax investigator won't be just columns of figures and Schedule A. Though many people think it was Elliot Ness, a fed from the forerunner of ATF, or the FBI that brought down Scarface, that honor belongs to the IRS.
On Nightly News tonight, we get a first look at secret IRS files, now being revealed nearly 70 years after the man declared Public Enemy Number One was convicted on tax charges.
The documents contain the candid assessments of the agents assigned to the case, who faced the daunting prospect of bringing down the king of the Chicago mobs, a task at which many had failed.
It was clear the Chicago cops were not equal to the mission. In one memo to headquarters, an IRS supervisor writes that Capone was, "free from arrest and prosecution by the local police, due, no doubt to his lavish spending of money and giving bribes. Some time ago, Capone was arrested on a vagrancy charge, and the states attorney [sic] had to dismiss the case for the reason that no policeman could be found in Chicago who knew Al Capone!"
A team of IRS investigators, dispatched from Washington at the direct urging of President Herbert Hoover, discovered just how difficult this case would be.
"Al Capone never had a bank account and only one occasion could it be found where he ever endorsed a check," an IRS man wrote. So how to prove he was evading taxes if the agents couldn't show how much he was making?
They quietly began interrogating the bookkeepers and cashiers who worked at the bootleg joints, gambling halls, and brothels that were the sources of Capone's income. To protect cooperating witnesses from being killed by Capone's mob, many were sent out of town -- one even to South America. Investigators also built a detailed picture of Capone's spending habits, from his custom made silk shirts to his vacation house in Florida.
The strategy worked. Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison. One unexpected benefit of the IRS success was noted in the files: "Many delinquent taxpayers, including those engaged in legitimate business ... immediately filed delinquent returns," an IRS supervisor wrote, doubling the amount collected in Chicago from the year before.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Wisconsin may have played the most crucial role of all in the march to the Democratic nomination. I woke up this morning to find the general election campaign underway. Just now on cable I heard (for the first time personally during this election cycle) a GOP strategist warn voters against "handing over the keys to the Democrats" in terms of terrorism and national security. And Bill Clinton's quote this afternoon makes it so tough to walk back from that standard for his wife, the candidate. It gets more interesting every day, as I note the posts get tougher on this blog.
We hope you can join us for the broadcast tonight.
By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington
The Pentagon reported one combat casualty last week in the Middle East. Army Sgt. Corey Spates was killed Feb. 10 by a roadside bomb in Iraq's Diyala Province.
"I'm 21 years old," he wrote earlier in MySpace. "I've been in the Army for over three years. I am looking forward to getting out after this deployment, but it has been good to me.
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By Carol Grisanti, NBC News producer
"We are ready," Mustafa Mandokhail, the deputy managing director of Pakistan Television (PTV) told me as he escorted me onto the set.
And indeed they were. Even the purple tulips were in place, neatly arranged in vases flanking the mauve and rose-colored leather sofa where Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf would sit for his interview with Brian Williams.
"Are you satisfied?" he asked me.
"Yes," I responded, "It looks very nice."
I did think there was a little too much mauve for my taste and wondered if I should ask him to at least change the tulips.
"We will provide two live cameras," Mandokhail said as he continued the tour, "to give a variety of shots of the president."
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By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Here we go again. Another primary night, another chance for the voters to decide the direction of this race. Judging from the tenor of the posts here, this thing keeps going.
When I woke up this morning, looked at my Blackberry, and saw the name "CASTRO" -- I thought to myself: so ends a vestige of the Cold War. Our sworn enemy to the south has met his end with a whimper, wearing an Adidas track suit in a Havana hospital. Like others, I read on -- and was surprised to learn it was not Castro's death, but instead his official resignation announcement, made effectively moot by his transfer of power to brother Raoul 18 months ago. Earlier today on MSNBC we re-ran a short piece we shot during my last trip to Havana, in September of 2006; you can link to it here if you're interested. What you'll see is what happened: we had a finite amount of time, we piled into a car and shot what we could in the space of one parking lot -- before being discovered and chased away. Speaking of Castro, have a look at what Andy Franklin came up with, below: ten American presidents, all speaking of Castro.
Finally, something for you to read -- and hear. It's from space. You may remember the astronaut Dan Tani, whose mother died while he was in orbit aboard the International Space Station. He'll be home tomorrow, but he wrote this -- and recorded it -- while in orbit. When he talks about his late mother, in the 6th paragraph, he does so with soaring simplicity.
We'll have the election and the world (as much of each as we can) covered for you tonight. We'll be back on the air with live updates when they call Wisconsin. Hawaii? If you plan to wait up for the polls to close...it happens at 3:30a Eastern time. Thanks for being with us.
By Andy Franklin, NBC News senior producer
Given the tempestuous relationship the United States has had with Fidel Castro over the past half-century, it seems remarkable that his reign finally ended not with a bang, but as Brian points out, something closer to a whimper. Castro took control in Cuba on New Year’s Day, 1959 - just two days before Alaska became a state; that’s how long he’s been in power. Since then, until his resignation today, he’s been a thorn in the side of ten U.S. Presidents. What follows are just some of the things they’ve had to say about him over the years.
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By Martin Fletcher, NBC News correspondent
Editor's note: Due to political coverage, some areas of the country did not see Martin Fletcher's full report. Click here to watch the entire segment.
Could these be new laws in tiny Singapore? Plastic bags in the entire country are illegal, as part of the fight to save the environment. Use leads to a fine equal to 10 U.S. dollars. Same fine for smoking or spitting in public. Civil guards in red uniforms carry rifles to enforce the laws.
On the last Saturday of each month, every citizen, including cabinet ministers and the President, must go outside and clean the streets. Each day, shopkeepers must sweep the sidewalk in front of their store. Paved streets in towns as well as dusty alleys in poor villages, and the highways in between, are spotless. A cigarette butt or old newspapers or abandoned coke cans on the ground are so rare as to be remarkable.
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By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Right now the newsroom sounds like the reading room at the New York Public Library. It's the lull that happens at about this time every afternoon. It follows our editorial meeting - so while we may know where we're going, we're not quite ready to get there. Our correspondents’ stories won't be coming in for a while yet. We often run out to briefly fuel up on coffee and start the first tentative writing, knowing there's a measurable chance that everything (or much of it) will change three more times before air.
About today's political news, allow me to simply say: Ask not what Nightly News can do for you, ask what you can do for Nightly News. You can start by joining us tonight. We'll have the latest on the Obama/Clinton dustup over words (and their provenance and power) and the Bush 41 endorsement of John McCain. We'll have a great story out of Texas related to the JFK assassination (the reporting of it has been interesting...bordering on irresponsible in some quarters today, where the transcript of the "conversation" between Ruby and Oswald is concerned) and we have more than one instance of good reporting from Africa tonight.
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by Lester Holt, NBC News Anchor
With our focus on the protracted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is hard to believe it was just nine years ago that U.S. forces were at war over the Serbian province of Kosovo. Today, with the United States and Western Europe behind it, Kosovo declared its independence. Not everyone, however, is celebrating. NBC's Stephanie Gosk will report tonight on why Russia quickly appealed to the U.N. Security Council to block Kosovo's independence. This is an important story that once again puts the Bush administration at sharp odds with Moscow, and we will have much more on Nightly News tonight.
We're also in Wisconsin covering developments in the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Today bad weather affected campaigning, just two days before Tuesday's Clinton-Obama primary showdown.
NBC's Chief Science Correspondent Robert Bazell will come on the program to update us about this particularly nasty flu season.
We also have a story about the driving boom in China, as more and more Chinese abandon their bicycles for cars. The surge of brand new drivers onto the road is turning some highways there into something more akin to a demolition derby. Mark Mullen will have that report from our Beijing bureau.
I hope you can join us later for NBC Nightly News.
by Lester Holt, NBC News Anchor
We know Steven Kazmierczak carried out Thursday's murderous shooting spree at Northern Illinois University. What we don't know is, which Steven Kazmierczak committed the heinous act? The fun loving and dependable grad student, or the erratic young man friends had observed over the last few weeks? Tonight on Nightly News our Kevin Tibbles continues his reporting with fresh details on what police found in a motel that Kazmierczak had apparently slept in before his rampage that may help them understand his state of mind.
Ron Allen is on the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton and will detail not only her effort to gain ground with voters, but also the fascinating behind-the-scenes battle between Clinton and Barack Obama for the support of Super Delegates. Those delegates are not bound to any candidate, and the question of whether they vote with their hearts, or with the prevailing political winds, may determine which candidate wins the nomination.
Kevin Corke is with President Bush in Africa and reports on the conflict and instability that affects so many countries there, and what the President hopes to accomplish. CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I'm anxious to bring this week to an end, at least in terms of wanting the hurt to go away for the Northern Illinois University community, and the families of the victims. What an awful thing in our society. While I'm quite sure that having a daughter in college amplifies my own feelings, I grieve for these families as if they were my closest friends.
Tonight we'll look at the very latest from there, and what we know about the investigation -- as well as politics and the rest of the day's news, including our Making a Difference segment.
Another day, another Bono clip: I was proud to be in attendance last night at Sotheby's as the "Red" charity auction set a record at more than 40 million dollars in pledged income from the auction of modern art.
It was a thrilling evening even BEFORE Bono chose to sing for us at the end.
To Stephanie, who wrote about L.L. Bean in Maine (versus the upstart Cabela's) -- Stephanie, please know that my brother lived in Freeport for many years (not far from Olympic marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson), and I go back with Bean as far as the rickety old wooden steps. My first memory of the place was the summer of 1966, when I caught my first fish in Casco Bay. I was just there a few months ago and could not believe it when I heard a Cabella's was coming to town. So much for leaving well enough alone! Surely the nation is big enough for each to have its own territory!
Also on tonight's broadcast: please join us in wishing Nightly News a happy 60th birthday!
Have a wonderful weekend. I'm off to get two days of rest, and maybe clean out the exhaust system of my Mustang. Please join my friend Lester Holt here this weekend, and look for us again on Monday night.
Feb 14: Ann Curry responds to viewer questions about the rape crisis in Congo.
Click here to watch video.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Below I've supplied a link to quite a dramatic moment on Capitol Hill today. It happened at the memorial service for California Democratic Tom Lantos, a holocaust survivor who died earlier this week of cancer. Remember as you watch this that Tom Lantos devoted his life to human rights. He was a modest man -- remembered today as a towering moral figure -- perfectly fitting what Secretary Condoleezza Rice called him upon his death: "An American hero." Our friend Bono was among the eulogists, and he did so bravely and beautifully.
I saw a few overnight emails complaining about our choice of the lead story last night -- the Roger Clemens testimony. Point taken. Reasonable people can disagree. I received another complaint about my comments on today's Hall of Fame-bound baseball players -- saying I was expressing an opinion in my choice not to count their numbers alongside the greats of the earlier era. Quick: can anybody compare Hank Aaron's numbers, homer for homer, with Bonds? I didn't think so.
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Editor's note: A fund has been established to help Amenah, the young Iraqi girl featured in Martin Savidge's Nightly News segment.
Here is the information:
Amenah Fund
c/o Grace Chapel
3279 Southall Road
Franklin, TN 37064
Watch Martin Savidge's segment
By Ann Curry, NBC News Anchor
"If we didn't fight, we were beaten."
He looks like a boy any mother would wish for. Gentle, smart, handsome and thoughtful, his brown eyes large and luminous.
You would never guess just a few months ago, he was on the front lines of war here in Congo, killing people, how many he does not even know.
You can see he doesn't know how to handle what he was forced to do. He keeps wringing his hands as he speaks about being kidnapped by soldiers from school and taught to shoot the enemy on sight.
He was just 14 then.
Our new team finds him now two years later in a center funded by Unicef, where he is finally getting to go back to his studies.
When the translator speaks in English, you can see this boy's eyes fall deep into a memory so distant that he is startled when he comes out of it.
For 10 years, a chaos of war has raged in eastern Congo between numerous militias and the government, sparked when the genocide in Rwanda spilled over the border.
More than 30,000 children have been used for war. As you read this, thousands -- some as young as 10 years old -- are out there, on the front lines.
Our 16-year-old interview subject escaped, and feels lucky to be "delivered," as he puts it, from his captors.
Now he wants to be a doctor or a teacher, to help people. But first he himself needs help, making peace with having been at war.
To see a slideshow of photos from producer Antoine Sanfuentes, click here.
To view the first part of Ann's report from the Congo which aired Wednesday on NBC Nightly News, click here.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
It is an awful, rainy, grim, windy, raunchy day here in New York. The mistake I made this morning was not leaving my apartment before the Clemens testimony started, and then I got trapped. I couldn't stop watching. My teenage son, home on a snow day and a pitcher in high school, was watching as well. Roger Clemens is a guy we have rooted for, a guy we have cheered for -- and there's a chance he is lying to Congress. There's also a chance, of course, that his accuser is doing that. Is it necessarily that cut and dried? One or the other? I suppose other, more benign factors, like cognitive dissonance, may play a role -- and it could be a combination of factors. But it was not a proud day for baseball in Congress. As one member of the Committee attempted to point out today, it wasn't a proud day for Congress, either: this House Committee, which is meant to have drug enforcement oversight, instead allowed today's hearing to become a personal, two-man affair -- charges and counter-charges, photos, quotes, stories of parties, babysitters, glutes, slacks and all sorts of things. And what about Andy Pettitte?
FUZZY MATH
I did a video blog a while back about the caution we use when handling exit polls and calling elections. I was reminded today why we take such great care in reporting the exit poll numbers, which when repeated often enough can become free-standing truths. For example, after much examination, we're not recognizing (using as justification or illustration for any story on election trends) last night's "Hispanic vote" sample in both Maryland and Virginia, as the raw number of voters was under 50 in each case. There was some bad sampling in the Massachusetts primary as well, which led to the reporting of some numbers that were downright counter-intuitive and likely wrong.
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