December 2008 - Posts
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
The snow is falling, and the wind chill in New York is 15-degrees as I write this. It will be a bitterly cold night for the millions of people who will gather here in Manhattan to watch the ball drop. Any one of them can tell you what a rough year this has been. From rising unemployment to falling home and stock prices. When I consider the drumbeat of bad news we have had to report this year my head hurts. Yet this afternoon as I walked back to the newsroom against the tide of tourists and visitors heading into Times Square, I saw nothing but smiles, excitement and expectation on their faces, and I was reminded there is something powerfully reaffirming about looking forward. We'll do more than turn the page of a calendar at midnight. We will celebrate our resilience, and the hope of new beginnings.
On Nightly News tonight we will see how the world is bringing in the New Year, as well as look at the economy and the signs of recovery we will all be watching for in 2009. Also, Lee Cowan has put together a terrific spot that will remind us how lucky we are, and that may make us all look back on 2008 in a much more positive way.
I'll be in for Brian again tonight on Nightly News. I hope you'll join me, and I wish you a safe night and a Happy New year.
By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington
A final tribute to the U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The following eight service members died last week in the two war zones:
1. Marine Lance Cpl. Robert Johnson, 21, liked to jump off waterfalls and tear up his dad's car while growing up in Central Point, Ore. "He was the one who always stirred up trouble in our family," his mother told the Oregonian. He enlisted in 2005 out of high school and was on his second tour in Iraq when he died Dec. 20 in a non-hostile incident in Anbar province. Johnson, with the 1st Marine Logistics Group, leaves his widow, Elizabeth, whom he married in March.
2. Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas Reilly Jr., 19, of London, Ky., was so good at decorating cakes in high school that he considered entering culinary school after his military service. Serving in Iraq with the 3rd Marine Division, he was killed Dec. 21 when a rocket propelled grenade struck his Humvee in Anbar province. His mother was told of his death while at a hospital where her daughter had just given birth. "She is really struggling," a friend told the Times Tribune.
3. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Smith, 28, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was an outdoorsman who loved to golf and hunt and a family man who loved to grill briskets and ribs. "He really lived for his family," his wife, Bobbi Jo, told detnew.com. "He was that kind of guy." He was one of three members of the 4th Infantry Division who were killed Dec. 24 in a vehicle rollover in Baghdad. Smith was on his second tour in Iraq. He also leaves a 15-month-old son, Adler.
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By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
The political and legal intrigue surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich just got a lot more interesting today, with Blagojevich announcing an appointment to fill President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat. In the face of an expected federal indictment against him and an active effort to impeach him, Blagojevich named former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the seat. The problem, of course, is that this is the same seat the feds earlier this month accused him of plotting to sell. Now the Illinois secretary of state says he will refuse to certify the appointment, and U.S. Senate leaders continue to say they won't seat anyone appointed by Blagojevich. So, where is all this headed? Our Lee Cowan is working the story for us tonight from Chicago, and NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd will be on from Washington to talk about the chances of this appointment sticking.
We'll also take a close look at an extremely detailed account of the space shuttle Columbia disaster that NASA is releasing. It goes into sometimes difficult to read detail about what the Columbia crew may have experienced in their final minutes. Tom Costello will explain what NASA is hoping to do with the information.
Also tonight--the latest on Israel's Gaza offensive, and some new information about the risk pregnant mothers face from mercury contaminated fish.
Brian is off this week. I hope you will join me later for NBC Nightly News.
By Robert Bazell, NBC News chief science correspondent
Many studies have shown that eating fish is healthy, but mercury which comes from industrial pollution makes its way into the ocean and into the meat of fish. Adults who eat very large quantities of fish can get mercury poisoning. But the biggest concern is the effect on the brains of fetuses and young children when pregnant or nursing mothers eat fish.
You can read current government guidelines about seafood and mercury here.
Here are two summaries of scientific articles from a group at Harvard that illustrate both sides of this issue:
The first, a survey of more than 25,000 birth records in Denmark shows that children whose mothers eat more fish do better developmentally.
The second shows a correlation between higher mercury levels in the mother's blood and less development in the children.
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
It's the third day of Israel's massive retaliatory attack on Gaza, and the death toll has now climbed above 360--many of those reported to be civilian non-combatants. Israel faces rising outrage from neighboring Arab countries and condemnation from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Bush administration, however, lays the blame on Hamas, which it regards as a terrorist organization, and says Hamas must stop firing shells into Israel. Tonight on Nightly News, our veteran Mideast correspondent Martin Fletcher reports from the war zone on what is happening inside Gaza and what Israel's apparent end game is. Savannah Guthrie will explain the White House's thinking as well as why President-elect Barack Obama is not weighing in for now.
At a time when many people are having to trim non-essential items from their budgets, we will report tonight on a disturbing trend of some Americans having to cut even deeper -- forgoing, or self-rationing, necessary prescription medications because they can no longer afford them.
There has been another case of a celebrated non-fiction memoir turning out to be fiction after all. This one was a soon-to-be-published holocaust story that Oprah Winfrey once called the "greatest love story...we've ever told." We will tell you how the hoax was exposed.
Brian is off tonight. I'll be looking for you on NBC Nightly News.
By Martin Fletcher, NBC News Correspondent
TEL AVIV – As Israel vows a war "to the bitter end" against Hamas, the surge in violence has spurred worries about another regional Mideast war as well as speculation about Israel’s ultimate aim with its broad assault on targets inside the Gaza Strip.
On the former question, there’s not a chance. Who would fight it?
Apart from the usual suspects -- Iran, Syria and their Lebanese proxies, Hezbollah -- most Arab leaders are probably delighted that Israel is taking apart Hamas fighting ability. Most pleased, privately, is the West Bank Palestinian leadership of Fatah, which saw Hamas obliterate its own power structure in Gaza in a few violent days 18 months ago.
This is payback time, courtesy of Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Fatah leaders, after calling for an urgent cease-fire, blame Hamas for provoking Israel by its refusal to continue the six-month truce, and its repeated rocket attacks into Israel.
Just as pleased is Egypt, which fears that its own fundamentalist Muslims will be encouraged by Hamas' success in Gaza. A bloody nose for Hamas fits Egypt's needs perfectly. Just as Palestinian police in the West Bank opened fire on pro-Hamas protestors on Sunday, so did Egyptian police on their border with Gaza.
Likewise, pro-Hamas demonstrations in Arab capitals like Amman and Baghdad will not force any military moves against Israel by their governments. And Iran, apart from its ability to support and encourage Hezbollah and Hamas, is a thousand miles away. The most Syria can do is to call off its indirect peace talks with Israel, which it has already done.
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By Mark Potter, NBC News correspondent
One thing about the criminal mind is that it's always working the angles, always searching for new ways to outsmart the authorities. We'll show you a vivid example of that tonight on NBC Nightly News.
When law enforcement officials cracked down on Colombian drug traffickers using speedboats and freighters to sneak hundreds of tons of cocaine into Mexico and, ultimately, the United States, the smugglers came up with a new and stealthier vessel which they are now mass-producing in the South American jungles.
The smugglers' latest ship is called an SPSS, a "self-propelled semi submersible," which looks like the Nautilus, the fictional Jules Verne submarine from the 1800's.
It's self propelled by an internal engine which can take the ship more than a thousand miles on a tank of gas. The ship is called semi submersible, because while running the high seas loaded with tons of cocaine, almost all of the vessel rides below the ocean surface, making it very hard to detect.
U.S. Coast Guard officials say the traffickers may be building as many as 80 of these ships a year now in remote factories protected by Colombia's insurgent guerillas. While the predominate concern is for their use in smuggling a third of all the cocaine reaching the U.S. now, there are also potential terrorism worries.
A hard-to-detect vessel in the hands of a terrorist group that could fill one of these ships with explosives and slide in next to a cruise ship, a U.S. warship or enter an American port is a national security nightmare. U.S. officials are clear to point that they've never seen it happen, and don't know of any such plots, but also insist they are aware of the possibilities and are keeping a watchful eye.
CONTINUED >>
By Amy Robach, NBC News anchor
Tonight, all eyes remain on the Middle East as the death toll continues to rise from Israel's airstrike in Gaza. We will have a live report from Martin Fletcher who has made his way to the border region for a first-hand account of the escalating situation. In addition, Richard Engel will join us to discuss the impact this will have on the region, as well as the United States.
We'll also touch upon the top domestic issue facing President-elect Barak Obama: the economy. Savannah Guthrie will report on Obama's plans live from Hawaii.
Finally, you won’t want to miss a heartwarming update on a brave young man who showed unbelievable strength and courage when he had both of his legs amputated. His one wish: to one day run alongside his classmates. We've followed young Nick Nelson's journey for the past year, and you won't want to miss his amazing story. We hope you'll join us tonight.
By Peter Alexander, NBC News anchor
Just two days ago, millions focused their attention on Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born more than 2,000 years ago. During that evening's Midnight Mass, Pope Benedict XVI prayed "that hatred and violence will cease" between the Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, today, an unprecedented surge of violence erupted in that region, marking one of the bloodiest days in the 60-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The death toll is rising in the Hamas-run territory of Gaza – the most recent reports from Palestinian officials have indicated more than 200 dead. Our veteran Middle Eastern correspondent Martin Fletcher will have the latest details tonight.
Ron Mott will bring us the sobering 911 calls from family members trying to escape this week's deadly Christmas Day rampage in California. Police say 45-year-old Bruce Pardo killed nine people at his former in-laws' home, before taking his own life. We're learning more about what may have led him to commit such a heinous act.
Weather is once again wrecking havoc across the United States, and the radar suggests it might be a rough trip home for millions of people. My neighbor in the newsroom Michelle Franzen will wrap up the nation's trouble spots.< CONTINUED >>
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
I haven't spoken to anyone yet who admits spending more money this Christmas than they did a year ago. We have all been forced to engage in some serious financial soul searching. As we know of course, what is good for our bottom line, is not necessarily good for the economy. As expected holiday retail sales numbers were considerably lower. The fight, however, for our holiday spending dollars isn't over. I opened my e-mail today and as usual it was filled with ads from clothing and computer companies. This season I've been really good at quickly hitting the delete button, but this time I paused. One ad caught my eye with a promise of an extra 15% off today only, on prices that were already cut in half. I took the bait, and clicked on the purchase icon. Only the fact they were out of the particular size I needed kept me from parting with my money. My impulse, however -- reaching for my credit card when offered a drastic discount, is exactly what retailers are hoping to see on a broad scale this weekend. CNBCs Margaret Brennan will report for us tonight on discounts being offered as high as 75% on this weekend after Christmas in an effort by retailers to empty their shelves, and salvage what they can in a weak economy. We will soon learn if there really is such a thing as a deal too good to pass up.
Brian is continuing to enjoy the holiday week off. I'll be anchoring Nightly News tonight, and in addition to the retail sales story, we will have the latest on the ash and sludge that is threatening a Tennessee community after a dike collapse. We will also update you on the search for bodies from that Christmas eve massacre outside Los Angeles.
I hope you will join us.
When cellist Yo-Yo Ma came to NBC last week, he brought his beloved cello "Petunia" with him and offered Brian a chance to play. You can listen to their lesson by clicking on the photo below:
Photo by Subrata De
By Amy Robach, NBC News anchor
It's more than appropriate on this Christmas night that we bring you stories of Americans here at home and overseas spreading joy and goodwill.
In Atlanta, Ron Mott will show us an army of cheerleaders, volunteers with the USO spending this holiday at the airport, welcoming home America's bravest from their latest missions and thanking those heading off tonight, back into the battlefield.
Also from Baghdad, a four star general getting into the spirit, trading his military hat for a Santa cap, thanking his troops for their service to this country.
We'll also have Mark Potter's heartwarming story of amazing generosity to those still suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as well as three singing priests from Ireland who have hit number one on the musical charts and are breaking world records with their hit new CD.
Nightly News begins this evening with a look at how the nation coast to coast is celebrating this Christmas, we hope you'll join us.
By Mark Potter, NBC News correspondent
Looking at his soon-to-be new neighborhood in the Gentilly area of New Orleans, with it's 20 brand-new homes, Edgar Williams couldn't help but dream about what he'd do once he moved in. He particularly had his eye on the screened-in back porch.
"My plan for the back one is a rocking chair, a cup of coffee and a newspaper in the early morning sun as it comes up," he said.
Edgar's dream is shared by nineteen other hard-working families who are also linked by a devastating experience. They all lost their homes three years ago to Hurricane Katrina and have been struggling ever since.
Now they are being given new homes, free of charge. It's a remarkably moving story that producer/photographers Amber Payne, Christina Vallice and I are proud to show you tonight on NBC Nightly News.
Watching the television coverage of that horrific storm back in August, 2005, Leonard Riggio, the chairman of the Barnes and Noble bookstore chain, and his wife Louise, were moved to tears and vowed to help the victims whose music, culture and cuisine they loved so much.
"We felt like we were part of it. We knew right then and there that we had to do something," Riggio said.
What he did was donate $20-million--the largest philanthropic gift from a single individual--to rebuild homes and lives in New Orleans, an effort known as Project Home Again.
With a team of dedicated planners, a local architect and a contractor who worked from dawn to dusk to finish way ahead of schedule, Riggio built 20 homes and created an entire neighborhood. Even more homes are on the drawing board in another part of town.
Recently, the families were all invited to come see their new places. Mothers and fathers escorted wide-eyed children into gleaming living rooms and kitchens. They stared in disbelief at spacious bedrooms where they would no longer have to share couches or FEMA trailers with other displaced relatives. Edgar Williams walked in the door and was awestruck.
There to greet them were Leonard Riggio, his wife and the entire building team. "I couldn't help crying going into that first house. It fills my heart with so much joy," Riggio said.
All he has asked of the families is for one of them to invite him inside their new house for a home-cooked New Orleans-style dinner when he returns for a block-party this spring.
The families have eagerly agreed. Watch tonight, and you'll see why.
By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor
Christmas Eve but news doesn't stop, and Executive Producer Bob Epstein starts our 2:30 talking about getting live pictures of the Midnight Mass underway at the Vatican at 6:30 ET tonight.
The good news is prayers are being answered today in the US. A break in the weather is allowing flights to take off and trains to run, so finally stranded holiday travelers are on their way home.
That isn't to say the weather nightmare ended. In Seattle, during the deicing of one plane the fluid got in the cabin and sickened some of the passengers.
Ron Allen has that story tonight, and will also have the other lingering weather problems nationwide, along with the forecast for Christmas Day.
We also have some news a lot of people can really use right now, there are huge discounts, by as much as 70 percent, in stores.
There is also a fantastic story by Jim Maceda about a man who gave up his law career to be a humanitarian 19 years ago, and has since become a force for good in the lives of children victimed by war in Afghanistan.
And Brian's story about the 40th anniversary of Apollo 8's flight around the moon, meant to run last night, will definitely run tonight. With all the troubles America faces on this Christmas Eve, seeing this first long view of our planet from space, may again lift us, reminding us we will rise again.
By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington
Army PFC Derek Derose, who was wounded Oct. 17 by a roadside bomb while on patrol near Beni Zaid, Iraq, has a mixed assessment of the situation in Iraq.
"As far as conflict-wise, it's pretty much over, mainly encountering IEDs," Derose, 20, of Stafford, Va., said last Friday after receiving a Purple Heart at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. "We are putting a really big dent in their [al Qaeda's] caches. We quickly became cache killers because we were finding some large caches.
"But as far as this country stabilizing, I don't see it happening any time soon, because they [the Iraqis] are lazy, and they just love to take handouts. So until they get the initiative to take it on their own and do stuff to get their country up and running, we're going to be over there for a while."
Derose (right) deployed to Iraq a year ago with the 25th Infantry Division. He was the only soldier at this month's ceremony to receive a Purple Heart, the lowest number in months.
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At the same time, the military is reporting a dramatic drop in casualties in both war zones. The last U.S. combat death in Iraq was on Dec. 4; in Afghanistan on Dec. 1.
"This shouldn't suggest that things will be easier in Afghanistan," MSNBC military analyst Col. Jack Jacobs told me. "Indeed, the opposite is true, and we are in for a hell of a ride next year."
Jacobs said the fighting and dying are down in Afghanistan because of the weather.
CONTINUED >>
By Ann Curry, NBC News Anchor
Nightly's 2:30 meeting began today with more worry than usual about how we are going to fit in all the stories we want to cover tonight.
The big story, a stunner for the economy: median U.S. home sales plunged more than 13 percent last month, more than expected, and the biggest year-over-year drop in 40 years.
The economy isn't getting any help from the weather today. There's lots of evidence, our Lee Cowan is finding, that even last minute Christmas shoppers who want to spend are having trouble getting to and from stores on this day before Christmas eve.
The weather is also still stranding people just trying to get home for Christmas. Get this: 250 flights out of Seattle and Chicago have been cancelled and Amtrak is reporting trains stuck for up to 19 hours and counting, stranding hundreds.
At this hour, the cold is being considered a possible factor in this morning's 66-inch water main break in Bethesda, Maryland. We are gathering not only the dramatic video of people being rescued from flooded cars on what is now ironically named River Road, but interviews with them as well.
And if that wasn't enough, later today we expect news to break on what communications anyone on the Obama team may have had with the embattled
governor of Illinois.
But amid all this, we're looking forward to some poignant stories too, including one by Brian himself, about the 40th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 8. The first to orbit the moon, the mission gives us a chance to once again get a look at ourselves from very far away. Maybe it's some perspective we can use right now.
(Editor's note: Due to breaking news, the Apollo 8 story will now air on Christmas Eve).
By Ann Curry, NBC News Anchor
Ann Curry in tonight for Brian Williams on this Christmas week.
As our Nightly News executive producer Bob Epstein begins our 2:30 meeting, the nation's stunning cold snap seems to be the day's lead story.
It's dangerous and widespread, already a killer, and also delaying flights, closing freeways, causing accidents...even a snowplow flipped over.
Yes, it's now officially winter, but that doesn't explain how it is that Seattle has five times the snow it usually has on average this time of the year.
We are addressing the why's and where's and, on the upside, who can count on a White Christmas.
Also on the burner: What contacts the President-elect Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, had with the embattled governor of Illinois; the Denver plane mishap's survivors and investigation; and surprising ways the recession is changing everything this holiday, except perhaps what's in our hearts. And on that point, the generous heart of America is revealed in a sweet Making a Difference story tonight.
Some inside baseball: Brian's old friend and colleague Aurelia Grayson joins us for the first time tonight as Senior Broadcast Producer. They last worked together at WCBS in the late '80s, and, like him, she enjoys fast food--a newsman's daily bread. (By the way, Brian, do not even think about reaching for her favorite: pepperoni pizza.)
By Michelle Kosinski, NBC News correspondent
YOU did this. Almost the minute our story about many Americans struggling to pay their heating bills aired last month, we heard from you.
Getting one or two calls wasn't a real surprise...but then, the calls and e-mails just kept coming--from you, our viewers, urgently looking for a way to reach the gentleman we featured, John MacPherson, in Boston.
A veteran of the Normandy invasion as a teenager, the 82-year-old told us most matter-of-factly--almost cheerfully--how he'd been cutting back on eating to pay his heating bills each month. He even chuckled to show us that Cup o' Noodles had become his dinner companion. His pantry was stacked with them--a circumstance that stunned, saddened and infuriated so many of you.
John, we should tell you, is sharp as a tack and the very definition of a "character"
--brimming with energy and crazy-but-true stories, laughing and joking, busting out with the Scottish accent, teasing us about our serious newsiness, in between telling us how hard it can be to winter in a big, drafty, 100-plus-year-old house all alone. We could practically feel the wind coming in from around every window. Yet, he told us, "I don't complain. I get by." He wouldn't let us leave without a big slice of the banana cake he had baked himself, and some hot tea.
So, something about that spirit must have just surged through. You wanted to help him. Right now. And, you did.
You sent him cards, gift baskets, personal stories about your husbands and fathers who served somewhere alongside John during those years of WWII. You sent him funds for heat, and food. You shipped him steaks to fill his freezer. Bought him groceries. One of you took the time to call Veterans' Affairs offices, to navigate the maze that he could not, and found out that John is entitled to far more in benefits than he's been getting--along with money that might now soon be coming to him, from some FORTY YEARS back. You gave him the gifts of new windows, and woodwork, and paint. And you sent him thanks. And love.
I can tell you, the guy for once was speechless. Well, almost.
"I've never gotten so much attention in my whole life!" he said incredulously,
We went back to see all of this in person last week. John never expected a bit of it, never dreamed his story would touch you in the way it did. It all made him uncharacteristically emotional, for a guy who'd been through some tough stuff in the war and had worked all his life to support his family.
"One lady said, all I got is $40, and I'll give it to you!" He paused, his voice breaking. "They don't even know who the heck I am!"
John's daughter Alexa had been helping him write the many thank you notes, as heartfelt as your wishes. Each one meant something to him--from the man who had survived for a while on Cup o' Noodles himself ("Yuck!" he wrote, and sent John a check), or the woman whose father had also served in Europe during WWII. She had lost him recently, and told John that he reminded her of her own dad. One more person who was a stranger yesterday, whom John now calls friend. He plans to stay in touch.
Alexa says that while her father tends to be a bit down during the holidays, having lost his own father on a Christmas Eve years ago, your outpouring has changed everything. She described him as being like a kid--yes, an 82-year-old kid--in a candy store.
"Now he feels recognized for having been in the war," she said. "He feels even prouder to be an American now."
On that freezing day in Boston last week, contractors were hammering and sawing all the way up to the top of John's house. He regaled them with stories all the while.
A group called Americans for Veterans had gathered carpenters and enlisted Commodore Builders to donate time and materials for some serious fixing-up around here. They are replacing all of his windows, and will paint this beautiful old home come springtime. Many are veterans themselves. One young man, looking barely out of his teens, had already served three tours in Iraq. He called his link to the older vets "an unspoken bond." John had fought for our very freedom, they all agreed.
This was their gift in return. And yours.
Susan Kooperstein, with ABCD of Boston, a group that helps people pay for heat in those wicked winters up there, was thrilled to see the outcome that day, but knowing well how many others like John are out there. She reminded us that if everyone just looks out for their immediate neighbors and gives a little time or something when they can, it would add up to a whole lot of hands, and a whole lot of help.
I can't quite describe the pleasure of having spoken to some of you directly these last few weeks, of having read your emails, and seen you reach out from those pages. To help, in ways big and small, a man you didn't know.
You have certainly brought a warmth to John MacPherson's holidays that no fuel could ever provide. It had to come from the heart. Here's to you, and here's hoping that it spreads.
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
It was just a little over a month ago I traveled to the FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) to do a story for the TODAY show on the keys to surviving a plane crash. I was placed in a passenger seat of a 747, instructed on how to position myself for impact (my head and arms braced on the seat back in front of me), and then the cabin was immediately filled with thick smoke. With practically zero visibility I had to make my way to an exit and jump down the emergency slide to safety. I was told in a real burning airplane, I'd have -- at most -- two minutes to escape. When I heard about last night's Continental Airlines 737 accident in Denver, in which all 115 people escaped a burning plane alive, my thoughts immediately turned back to that demonstration and what I learned.
Know where the exits are, and even take the time to count the number of seat backs between you and the closest exit. Trust me, you won't be able to see through the smoke, though emergency floor lighting will also help point the way. Don't try and grab your bags. It will cost you precious seconds. And listen to the flight attendant's pre-takeoff briefing -- even if you fly all the time. I log close to 100,000 air miles a year, but sometimes don't realize, for example, whether I'm on a 737-700, or a 737-800, or an A319 versus an A320. They look pretty much the same at first glance, but depending on which version of those two airplane families you're on, there might be two over-wing exits, or four. And those emergency slides? Some exits on some planes have them, others don't. You may be climbing down a wing to safety, or on one family of planes, even down a stairway under the tail. Knowing the details counts when you have two minutes to live.
The folks at the FAA's CAMI lab in Oklahoma City study airplane crashes for a living, so they can find ways to make airplane cabins safer. They will no doubt learn a lot from the survivors of last night's accident. What they already know however is that the majority of commercial airplane accidents are survivable -- especially for passengers who take the time to familiarize themselves with their surroundings before the plane leaves the gate.
On Nightly News tonight we'll have the latest on last night's Denver accident, as well as the blast of winter striking from Seattle to Chicago to Boston.
I hope you'll be able to join us.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
The end of the last week before Christmas, it's snowing horizontally in New York: the season has arrived. Full confession: I've spent part of this afternoon in my office wrapping gifts and writing cards for co-workers -- and now the broadcast gets my full attention. Some of our friends here at work are slipping away for the next week or two -- it has that feel to it. We are saying goodbye to one of the best who ever walked these halls: our friend (he's got a lot of titles -- Senior Producer, Investigative Producer, author) Bob Windrem is retiring. Bob has broken a ton of stories over his three decades here; he has contributed to countless others. Most important are the stories that never aired, were corrected or knocked down before any damage was done -- all because of Bob and his sources and his dogged reporting. He's the dean of all of us ... a terrific, moral character and a good person to his core. Now all I have to do is ask him to leave his vast mind behind as he turns in his I.D. card and leaves us tonight. Hate to end on a sentimental/sad note...but then...if you knew Bob as we do, you'd know how sad we all are about his departure.
If you notice that I take some time off over the holidays, please know it's just to be with my family -- nothing permanent -- as far as I know.
We hope you can join us tonight.
By Janet Shamlian, NBC correspondent
You don't think of the post office as a spot that stirs much emotion, which is why the box of tissues took me by surprise. I was in a Chicago branch Wednesday working on a feature story about the "Operation Santa" program. Maybe you've heard of it or served as one of Santa's elves yourself by answering one of the hard-luck letters. Postal worker Archie Culberson warned me. He'd been reading and sorting children's letters each Christmas for 25 years and said he'd never seen a year of such desperation. In a season of recession and unemployment, there were few requests for Nintendo and hundreds for necessities. How bad does it have to be when a little girl asks for a job for her daddy or a single mom wonders if Santa could bring Christmas dinner, because December food stamps won't stretch to the end of the month? After reading a dozen or so -- each more heart wrenching than the last -- I understood the tissues and was in need of a box of my own.
The spot was to run Christmas Eve, but developments in the last 48 hours have changed it into a more cautionary tale airing tonight on Nightly News. While I was meeting good Samaritans who wept openly as they tried to decide which needy child to help, postal workers in Maryland were stopping a known sex offender who wanted to answer one of the letters. The note was retrieved and the man is cooperating with authorities, but the incident was enough to shut down Operation Santa -- a week before Christmas and as thousands of letters sat in those bins, yet unanswered.
For its part, the US Postal Service acted quickly. Operation Santa resumes in New York and Chicago tomorrow with more restrictive rules protecting children's names and addresses. Archie Culberson hopes there will be enough 'substitute Santas' who will make the snowy trek to come read them, choose one and help keep the holiday magic alive. Don't forget some tissues.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
If you didn't see the story we aired about Sears last night, please take a look. While we don't engage in corporate boosterism, these tough times are tough times for Sears, and yet they continue a tradition that comes with a great cost to them, a tradition of caring for (and then some) their employees in uniform and their families. As I was watching Mike Taibbi's story air, I thought of my own past as a Sears employee in Middletown, New Jersey (a lesson in the power of repetition -- I will never forget my employee number, 14928, which had to be punched into the electronic cash register terminal with each transaction). I got my working papers the day I turned 14, and got my first real paycheck two weeks later...starting in Menswear, and graduating to Hardware. The Sears slogan was "Where America Shops", and it was true at least in my neighborhood. For years, the Sears card was the only credit card my parents had. The company that transformed American retailing with its catalog business...and later changed the Chicago skyline with its (former) corporate headquarters...has chosen to honor its commitment to our men and women in uniform, and that's the story we chose to highlight.
CONTINUED >>
By Les Kretman, NBC News White House producer
The parking garage is right across the street from the New Executive Office Building...maybe a block and a half away from the White House Northwest Gate that I enter and exit through everyday. Journalists, lawyers and lobbyists leave their cars here. You would be hard pressed to find a more efficient, dependable and nicer group of guys than the parking attendants who work here and wear down the rubber on their running shoes every day jockeying cars up and down the ramps.
There's a Christmas tree in the waiting room decorated with faux snow on it and peppermint sticks and at its base ... Seasons Greeting Cards from customers that usually contain tips of appreciation for the hard-working staff.
This year...only four cards. Four. All this in the shadow of the White House. Another sign of tough times.
By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington
Army Capt. Warren Orr Jr. hated injustice, whether it was in his hometown of Kewanee, Ill., or in the villages of Vietnam.
"One time he was coming home from school and he saw this man whipping his dog, and he told the man, 'I'm going to go home and tell my dad, and my dad's going to come down here and whip you like you whipped your dog,'" his father, Warren Orr Sr., recalled recently.
"The next thing I know there's two policemen at my door with a restraining order," his father said with a chuckle. "I didn't know that guy or anything about him, but my son just hated to see anybody abused."
Capt. Orr's sense of compassion continued in the Army, which he joined in 1960 and which sent him to Vietnam as a civil affairs officer, taking care of refugees.
"His main job was making sure they got food and medicine and housing, and he loved doing that," his father said.
Photo of Warren Orr Sr. holding a picture of his son, Army Capt. Warren Orr Jr., courtesy of Rod Veal, The Orange County Register.
On May 12, 1968, Capt. Orr was helping evacuate several hundred Vietnamese women and children from the besieged Kham Duc Special Forces Camp, near Da Nang, before it was overrun by North Vietnamese forces. Their C-130 transport plane was hit by enemy fire on takeoff, exploded in midair and crashed into the jungle. Everyone on board perished.
But was Capt. Orr actually on the plane?
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
So a friend of mine who is a proud product of the American West took issue with an event in Chicago today: the President-elect's choice for Interior Secretary, Colorado Senator Ken Salazar, wore a cowboy hat to a press conference. Indoors.
My buddy was not pleased. "A proper cowboy," he said in an email, "knows not to wear a hat indoors." I called another friend in Montana who agreed, while bemoaning the general dismantling of societal rules governing such things.
I'm just throwing it out there. Tossing it in the hat, so to speak. If we seem to be in a hurry to get off the air tonight, it's because we're having a little gathering for the holidays. It's my annual chance to thank the staff for being the very best at what they do.
By Robert Bazell, NBC News Chief science correspondent
No medical test is perfect. And today’s study from Canada, of 10,292 people who died of colon cancer, shows it.
The study found that colonoscopies failed to prevent 30 to 40 percent of colon cancer deaths.
You can see the study itself here (http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/0000605-200901060-00306v1) a lay summary of it here (http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/0000605-200901060-00307v1) and an editorial from the Annals of Internal Medicine where it appeared here (http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/0000605-200901060-00308v1).
Most health organizations recommend that everyone 50 and over gets some kind of screening for colon cancer. And despite this latest study, colonoscopy remains the gold standard for those whose insurance covers it or can afford to pay for it out of pocket. Medicare pays for the test for everyone 65 and over.
In a colonoscopy the doctor inserts a tube with a light into the intestine and the device has a scissors-like device so the doctor can remove pre-cancerous growths called polyps that have the potential to turn into cancer.
Colon cancer is the number two cancer killer in the United States for both men and women. But for the past decade, the death rate has been falling by more than two percent a year, and colonoscopies are the major reason. (Sadly, among African Americans who often lack access to proper care, there is little or no decline).
But colonoscopy, like so many medical tests, depends on the skill of the operator. In the Canadian study, a third of the tests were performed by family doctors. In the United States, the same problem with unskilled – or rushed – physicians can crop up. Doing it properly requires skill and time. To find a doctor who is certified, go to the website of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy where you can put in your zip code and find a specialist:(http://www.asge.org/Apps/FindADoctor/search.aspx).
The other issue is that in preparing for a colonoscopy, patients need to follow their doctors' instructions and take a strong laxative to thoroughly cleanse the colon. This is not stuff we are usually comfortable talking about. But even if colonoscopies are not perfect, there is no question that they save lives.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
I just heard my friend Norah O'Donnell say on MSNBC that she always thought the debate over compensation for the First Spouse would churn up "once a man was in that role." I note MSNBC is doing a segment this afternoon on a story we will air tonight as reported by Andrea Mitchell. It's a controversial topic: The notion that the First Lady, always on call, always an Ambassador for the United States, always engaged in charitable causes and the de facto management of much of the White House...should receive a salary for her work. We've had such a string of smart and capable First Ladies in the post-war era -- beginning with Eleanor Roosevelt, right through to Laura Bush. Washington is preparing to welcome a Princeton and Harvard Law-educated woman who is a super-achiever by every description. It certainly makes for an interesting argument. In cruising around the web on Sunday night, I saw that the mere mention of the topic (a promo that aired during Meet the Press promising the story for last night -- but as we explained on the air, the story had to be bumped to tonight due to the Caroline Kennedy news) had already prompted some folks to express an opinion. We expect a lot more of that after it airs.
We'll have that story for you tonight, along with the rest of the day's news. We have an emotional piece of reporting from Richard Engel as well. We hope you can join us.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
A word about yesterday's shoe attack on President Bush: I talked to several veterans of the security business today, who said the issue isn't so much the attack itself (all reporters passed through magnatometers or were "wanded", so the likelihood of a fatal weapon in the room was low) but the reaction, reaction time and aftermath. Some things are notable about the videotape: because of the small venue, the nearest "body" agent to the President was seated in the front row, halfway across the room, with two men standing by behind the doorway. The President waved off the first agent to rush him, while the only person who "broke the plane" or blocked the line of sight between the attacker and the President...was a journalist...and not the agent, who was equipped with both vest and weapon. Overseas venues are often tricky for the Secret Service, beginning with the premise that theirs is the most important protectee there is, period...on earth -- a view that isn't always shared wherever they go -- and because of the insistence of the host jurisdiction to control the venue...and mix members of their detail with the visiting detail. A trip to Iraq by an American President is fraught with issues and risks. Add shoes to that list.
The Secret Service will use this videotape for instruction for years to come. Videotape of Yitzak Rabin's assassination in Israel is used to train U.S. and Israeli Shin Bet agents. This time, thankfully, it was just a shoe. Had agents over-reacted and tackled or enveloped the President, that might have become the story, in an even more embarrassing way. Once it was clear what was happening, and that it was over, (and that the attacker had run out of shoes), the President was ready to shake it off and move on. His Secret Service detail will not have that same luxury.
I hope you had a good weekend, and we all hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
There is little debate as to today's most-discussed moment: President Bush was forced to duck as two shoes were thrown at him by an Iraqi TV reporter. Overnight, the president made a surprise trip to Iraq, and was appearing at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Malaki when the shoes came flying.
We're glad he is ok, but many of us were surprised that there didn’t appear to be an attempt to shield President Bush after the first shoe was thrown. I suspect the Secret Service response to the incident will be a popular topic among security professionals this week. We'll show you the entire episode on our newscast tonight.
We'll also be following up on our top story from last night. Several hundred thousand people in New England are still without power after last week's ice storm. In addition, blizzard conditions and sub-zero wind chills are making like miserable in the upper Midwest and Plains.
Let me finish by noting we don't do cooking segments on Nightly News, but if we did, today's program might feature our director Steve Lucas' seafood linguini, or producer Maria Alcon's Spanish omelet. Today was our annual Weekend Nightly News holiday potluck. Once again, the food was excellent. I not only work with a talented group of journalists, but some really good cooks as well (my contribution, by the way, was an Apple-raspberry cobbler). Now it's time to turn our attention to a very full plate of news, so goodbye for now.
I hope you can join us for NBC Nightly News.
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
It's beginning to feel a lot like…December. As the Northeast begins to recover from the ice storm that has left hundreds of thousands still in the dark, parts of the West are about to get clobbered. Cold temperatures and snow are threatening the Northwest, and blizzard warnings are blanketing parts of North Dakota and Montana. We'll be covering it all on the broadcast tonight.
Ron Allen continues his reporting from Detroit where he is speaking to GM workers suddenly idled by the temporary shutdown of some of the automaker's plants. Ron will also update us on the President Bush's plan to transfuse some emergency cash into the bleeding industry after a bailout bid failed.
Lee Cowan has a great spot about a heartwarming effort to distribute Christmas trees to American service members and their families – wherever they might be on duty this holiday season. It's no small task, but it also has a big pay off.
Thanks for checking in. We'll look for you tonight on NBC Nightly News.
By Janet Shamlian, NBC News correspondent
Even when times were good, Galveston never had it easy. Call it the proverbial middle child who struggles for identity among siblings who've firmly laid claim to theirs. Overshadowed by New Orleans to the East and Padre Island to the South, Galveston became, by necessity, a scrappy fighter known for a sliver of everything from tourism to medicine. Yet it's always been something of an also-ran in most categories, which only served to inspire fierce loyalty from those who stake their claim here... investing cash and heart and soul.
The deadly strike by Hurricane Ike three months ago was devastating -- but survivable. But what the city is dealing with now is a tougher call. Even the city's usually optimistic Mayor calls it catastrophic. No storm this time but a strike potentially more powerful. Just as the repairs were starting in earnest, the island's largest employer -- the University of Texas Medical Branch -- announced it would lay-off close to 4,000 workers. Men and women who may leave the Galveston for good, taking with them millions of dollars in property taxes and dollars spend at restaurants and retailers -- just when the broken and beaten island needs that money the most.
But this is Texas and like the rest of the Lone Star State, Galveston is a no-whining zone. People here generally avoid the "why-me's" and focus on creating something better and say "why not?". The city is without a doubt facing its biggest challenge since the Great Storm of 1900., but its track record should erase any doubt -- the smart money is betting on Galveston.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
The Nightly News studio today hosted a memorial service for our beloved former announcer Howard Reig. It was lovely, and it was a chance to reminisce and laugh and shed a tear with old friends and members of Howard's family. It only happened because our Director, Brett Holey, is a thoroughly decent guy. Brett pulled it all together -- the participants, the content, the venue, the speakers -- all of it. During this holiday season, even though we were marking a loss, we were celebrating a life well-lived -- and it felt good to remember a good soul.
I hope you can join us tonight. I also hope you have a good weekend. I'll see you on Monday.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
A viewer reminds me of an item we did not include in last night's broadcast: it has to do with one of the best to ever wear the NBC jacket in the booth. NBC Sportscaster Tony Kubek was given the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame. Because Tony was a great part of this company, and because Tony's voice was a part of American life and sports for so many years...this honor deserves our attention.
We sure have a lot of stories competing for our attention tonight -- and beyond the stories we've all been following today, we have an amazing story of heroism on a foreign battlefield tonight. We hope you can join us.
By Robert Bazell, Chief science correspondent
Today a panel of experts that advises the Food and Drug Administration looked at safety concerns involving four long acting asthma drugs. The panel recommended that two drugs be taken off the market as asthma treatments : Foradil and Serevent.
It said that two other drugs Advair and Symbicort should continue to be sold by prescription.
The panel's recommendations did not cover uses of the drugs for other conditions such as emphysema. The final decsion about what to do about the drugs will be made by officials at the FDA, although agency officials usually follow the panels' recomendations
By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington
The saying "only the good die young" was never truer than over the past week at Arlington National Cemetery, where three of the military's finest were laid to rest with full military honors.
All three were killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A flyover of four F-18s in a missing man formation preceded the burial last Friday of Marine Capt. Garrett Lawton, who died Aug. 4 of wounds suffered in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan.
Lawton, 31, graduated from West Virginia University in 1999 with dual degrees in 
aerospace and mechanical engineering. He served a combat tour in Iraq as a Marine aviator before his deployment to Afghanistan.
"It seems like everyone always has wonderful things to say about people when they die, even if they're not all true, but it is true for Garrett," his sister Kenna said at his memorial service, according to the Beaufort (S.C.) Gazette. "He was a wonderful man, father, husband, son, brother and Marine."
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife Deborah comforted Lawton's widow Trisha and their sons, Ryan, 6, and Caden, 4, at the end of his graveside service.
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Our political director Chuck Todd has said that one of the single biggest mistakes in the Bush Presidency is the lack of a call for sacrifice. Chuck is not alone in holding this opinion. We've heard it from various quarters since the early post-9-11 period. To that end, on the broadcast tonight, Chuck will debut our new poll numbers. They show, among other things, that the economic downturn has brought about a national mood swing -- and a profound willingness to sacrifice. The numbers also reveal the two people voters identify as their favorite Republican and Democratic politicians. I found the results surprising, and I think you will, too.
We hope you can join us tonight.
By Robert Bazell, NBC News Chief science correspondent
It has happened again. Two large, expensive government-funded studies have found that vitamins and supplements do nothing to reduce the risk of a life threatening disease. In Tuesday's studies, it was selenium and vitamins E and C--alone and in combination–-that did nothing to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
The two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association are available here (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/2008.862) and here (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/2008.864), as is an editorial commenting on both studies (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/2008.863).
The logic behind conducting the studies is understandable. Earlier trials looking to reduce the risk of other cancers did not pan out, but when the researchers looked at "subgroups," there seemed to be some effect on prostate cancer. That sort of observation, along with smaller studies, often give rise to the faddish ideas that some vitamin or supplement lowers the risks of some major deadly disease. Often, those of us in the media give attention to these early results. But over and over again, when researchers set up large, long-term studies that have a placebo arm, they find no effect. And the public gets the idea that health advice is ever-changing and confusing.
I have written before about the futility of the ongoing effort to test dietary supplements (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15387493/). Many solid
studies show the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and the importance of exercise. But the quest for the magic bullet continues. Everyone wants the pill that will replace diet and exercise. But it seems unlikely to ever happen.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
So there I was on Jay Leno's couch in the middle of a two-segment appearance on Thursday night's Tonight Show. We had spent every spare off-camera moment talking about cars -- we always do -- and then I changed the subject briefly. Pointing to the studio around us, I leaned over and asked, above the din of the band, "so all this goes away in March?" And Jay answered, "We have a plan." We were both wearing lapel microphones, and we were both talking across the top of his giant desk microphone...so I thought it would be a good move to leave it there.
I guess he had a plan. We all learned that plan today during a press conference that was beamed into this building from our LA facility. It was the second most interesting press conference of the day...the most interesting (and leader by a mile) had to do with the arrest of the Governor of Illinois, and the allegation that he tried to sell a seat in the U.S. Senate...among other things.
We will cover both tonight. We hope you can join us.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Because this is a public company, and because we ask the public to watch our work each day...often what happens INSIDE our company becomes public as well. Such has been the case over these past few days. Because we are not immune from the pressures of the current financial collapse, we've had to say goodbye to several friends -- some names you know, others you don't. They are all our friends. More than that, they have all worked hard for this place -- some of them have been shot at, snake-bit … they've flown several times around the world and have pulled more all-nighters than we can count. When companies make less money in a shrinking economy, there's no magic to it: we're forced to do more with less. While there is solace in knowing, as we often repeat to each other, that it’s "like this everywhere"...we will still miss our friends. We honor their service to us, and we cherish the time we've had with them.
The other bit of news around here is simpler: our Executive Producer, Alexandra Wallace, has been called to the front office. Alex is a close friend and professional partner -- who is being replaced by another close friend and professional partner, Bob Epstein. Alex and I have been kind of "TV spouses" during the workday -- while thankfully we both have loving "actual" spouses to go home to. We are both the parents of two children, and we both love what we do. It’s been a fantastic partnership, as is my partnership with Bob Epstein all the years I've been here. Most important: Nightly News will continue to be the same broadcast it has always been, night after night. Starting tonight. We hope you can join us.
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
As I watched “Meet the Press” this morning, I was struck by how fitting it was that on the day the torch was passed between moderators, the guest was no less than the President-elect of the United States. The institution that is “Meet the Press” is as strong as ever, and it remains the place that politicians and policy makers are heard, challenged and held accountable.
We are all extremely grateful for Tom Brokaw's stewardship on the program after we lost our dear friend Tim Russert last June. There was a poignant exchange on the program this morning between Tom and new moderator David Gregory as they reflected on Tim's legacy, and the critical role of such a program during these tough times. I want to extend my personal congratulations to David, and executive producer Betsy Fischer, as they continue to uphold a tradition that has endured on this network for 61 years.
If you missed this morning's announcement we will show you some of it on Nightly News tonight. As expected, President-elect Obama made news on the broadcast this morning with regard to his pick for Veterans Affairs Secretary. Ron Allen will report that story, along with some of what Obama said in defense of his proposed jobs program.
I hope you'll tune in tonight for NBC Nightly News.
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
We learned today that Martha "Sunny" von Bulow died today in New York – a sad postscript to a story that captivated the nation in the early 1980s with sensational headlines: Attempted murder, ruthless betrayal and the lavish life styles of Newport, Rhode Island's high society.
Her husband at the time, Claus von Bulow, faced multiple trials on charges that he tried to murder the wealthy heiress through injections of insulin. He was ultimately acquitted, though he was forever marked with a stain of suspicion by the court of public opinion. It's a case that is sometimes compared to the OJ Simpson murder trial. The story was later dramatized in the film "Reversal of Fortune."
As for Sunny, she spent the better part of the last 30-years in a coma. Though I was in Newport covering reaction the day of Claus von Bulow's second trial (in 1985), it is a story that I have not thought about in years – that was, until I heard the news today. Like many, I’d forgotten about the fate of the woman at the center of that infamous case, who we now know, never showed any signs of awareness from the time she slipped into a coma in 1980. I'll look back at the von Bulow story on Nightly News tonight.
In addition, we'll look at the smaller, short-term bailout that Congress seems ready to give the Big Three automakers, and why they've had a sudden change of heart. We also have a great feel-good story from NBC correspondent Michael Okwu about the smallest member of USC's highly regarded football family, and why he is in many ways, the big man on campus.
Thanks for checking in with us. I hope you'll be back later to watch NBC Nightly News.
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
Brian is off and I'll be in the anchor chair for him again this evening.
How many of the 533,000 Americans who lost their jobs last month do you personally know? I'm sure you can name several.
As can I, including some who are coming to terms with the painful reality of this economy today.
None of them, however is any different from the factory workers, car sales people, financial service workers, or the other 2 million people who have lost their jobs this year. They are members of our families, our friends, neighbors and acquaintances. Together they have become the faces of the financial meltdown. No one, and no industry, is immune from what is happening.
The size of the November unemployment number that came out today was staggering, yet it only reflects what we have all been seeing around us. We will do our best to put today's report in perspective on Nightly News tonight. I hope you'll join us.
By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
Good afternoon from New York. Brian is taking a few days off and I'll be sitting in for him.
I've been keeping one eye on the auto loan hearings going on in Washington today. The fact the company CEO's drove from Detroit, not to mention arrived with detailed plans of action, has contributed to a somewhat less contentious tone in today's congressional hearings than their last appearance. There have been plenty of mea culpas offered too. Formalities aside however, it's also clear to anyone listening that the industry's request for thirty four billion dollars is flying in the face of some pretty stiff head winds. We will bring you some of that testimony on the newscast tonight.
There are also more big layoffs in the news, and fresh pain in an industry that traditionally leads the economy. On a related note we also have story tonight on how some seasoned war veterans are successfully battling the depressed job market.
Thanks for checking in. I hope you can tune in later for NBC Nightly News.
By Kerry Sanders, NBC News correspondent
Americans groused that "the Big 3" executives recently flew in separate private jets to DC to ask for bailout billions. This week, they did a huge turnabout, and the Detroit auto bosses drove to Washington.
As all this is going on, I flew to Detroit (coach class, aisle seat).
I asked a question: Are there lessons possibly learned from Daimler, builder of the tiny Smart car, that could work in a US auto factory?
While there are remarkable differences, like the amount of money spent on average by a US automaker to market and advertise a car ($1000/per vehicle) and the amount Smart spends in the US ($100/per vehicle), I kept thinking about those private jets.
And nothing put an exclamation point on it more for me than my interview with SmartUSA President Dave Schembri.
He asked what time I’d land in Detroit. I told him and then asked what the drive time was to his office. He said, "Never mind renting a car. I’ll pick you up." I said, "what?" Schembri said, "I’ll pick you up."
Sure enough, when I landed, the 55-year old son of a Detroit autoworker texted my phone to direct me to the spot he was waiting.
I walked out and jumped in his tiny Smart car and we headed off to do an interview.
I kept wondering if his decision to pick me up was just a cheap PR trick to get a little "atta-boy" from a surprised journalist.
Then I discovered, Schembri puts his cellphone number on the internet so owners and potential owners can call him 24/7 to complain, pay compliments or ask questions.
What do you make of this?
Did Schembri reveal a new mindset for Detroit, or is he simply a Don Quixote tilting at windmills?
By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington
When the New York Giants thumped the Washington Redskins Sunday, 23-7, the Giants' honorary co-captain, Army Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, was on the sidelines, cheering the Super Bowl champs on to victory.
"They're playing with great confidence, and you can't underscore how well they're playing as a team," the 42-year-old Gadson said after the game.
That wasn't the case a year ago. Gadson, who lost both legs to a roadside bomb in Baghdad, was asked to give the winless Giants a pep talk before last year's game in Washington.
"I talked to them about their obligation as professionals to do their best," he said. 
The Giants responded by beating the Redskins, 24-17, turning their season around, and going on to win the Super Bowl. In April, they brought Gadson along with them to meet President Bush at the White House.
"Greg has just been an unbelievable inspiration to this team," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said at the time.
Gadson is modest about any role he's played in the Giants' success.
"I guess that would assume there was some direct linkage between me and their success," he said. "I would be the last to attribute their success to me."
Still, Gadson and the Giants remain in close contact.
CONTINUED >>
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Outside our building, crowds are already pressing against the barricades for tonight's Christmas tree lighting. The history of the tree is great, its roots are modest but these days, largely because of NBC's live telecast, the event has become massive...and quite frankly, other than the parties in every 30 Rock office with a tree-view (watch the live coverage to see how many people flash their office lights in order to be seen on live TV) it's a good day to avoid this building. We employees usually try to get clear of the place after our broadcast by using underground tunnels across 6th Avenue. For the television audience at home (and for those lucky enough for a good spot in the crowd and some source of warmth on a cold winter night) it's a great sight to witness...and it comes at a good time. I was just checking the headlines on the web. A sampling: CHRYSLER EXEC: FAILURE COULD SPARK DEPRESSION, FEDS TO EXPAND RESCUE; REVIEWING HUNDREDS OF BANKS, MORE JOB CUTS AT TIME, BALLY TOTAL FITNESS FILES CHAPTER 11. It's a grim holiday season for a lot of people. Tonight, for a while at least, music and light will distract us.
We hope you can join us tonight.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
The Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin is planning a major release later this week of recorded phone conversations -- and today the National Archives beat them to it -- releasing nearly 200 hours of President Nixon's conversations, bringing the total released so far close to 2,000 hours of conversation. While we can air but a portion of them tonight (we are still plowing through their contents) I recommend spending some time doing the same. They are blunt and profane, (and often hard to hear) and amount to an audio time capsule -- they tell us a lot about the President and our times.
One historic footnote that is often forgotten: we have these tapes of Nixon...because of the system installed by Johnson. When Nixon first visited the White House prior to moving in, Johnson showed him the system, and explained its use and benefits. The rest...is history. I recommend taking a listen.
Thanks for joining us tonight.
By Carl Sears, NBC News producer, Washington
I was living in Greenwich Village in 1981 when the AIDS plague arrived. First you heard the stories, then it hit people you knew— like Kevin, a young gay man living, and suddenly dying, in the apartment next door. It freaked me out. I had no idea that AIDS would eventually kill 25 million people around the globe, and 8,000 are still dying every day. Each of those people had a name—like Kevin, Maisha, or Azhar. Each had their life cut short.
Today is the 20th anniversary of World AIDs Day. While we grieve the losses, we can celebrate progress in battling the disease. Today, President Bush was honored with the first "International Medal of PEACE" from the Global PEACE Coalition in recognition of his unprecedented contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases. It may seem ironic that while President Bush has taken the nation into two wars, he is receiving a medal for peace. But his constructive and compassionate commitment to fighting the scourge of AIDS is arguably one of his greatest achievements. Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) launched in 2003, America has provided $18.8 billion in HIV/AIDS funding and Congress has authorized up to $48 billion to fight pandemic diseases over the next five years. That humanitarian commitment is working: more than 2 million lives have been saved through antiretrovirals treatment for HIV/AIDS in Africa. The U.S. has provided supporting care for more than 10 million people affected by HIV globally. As President Bush put it, "people given up for dead are now realizing there is life."
Pastor Rick Warren interviewed President Bush at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health in Washington today, noting that faith-based organizations who provide an army of volunteers—"boots on the ground"—have been a vital part of the public-private-faith partnership in battling HIV/AIDS. President Bush said, "It's in our moral interest. We're a better nation when we save lives."
When weighing the legacy of President Bush, we must count that African mother who is alive because she is receiving treatment, and her baby born without HIV/AIDS who may one day be a friend of the United States and a leader for the world.
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor
Judging by the early numbers for "Black Friday" and the traffic my wife and I encountered on the Jersey Turnpike yesterday, Americans were feeling robust (or at least marginally better) this weekend, where spending and driving were concerned. Then we came to work today and learned (officially) that we've been in a recession for some time. My friend who is an economist says there's a bright side to this: If we've indeed been in a recession for a while, and it started before we knew it, therefore it may end sooner than we're expecting it to. On the other hand, the Dow fell so far and so quickly this afternoon...we had to go on the network with a special report at the 4pm closing bell.
I hope you had a good, safe and family-filled Thanksgiving weekend. I hope you can join us tonight.
I can't remember exactly when I stumbled on the blog CalculatedRisk, but as a budding obsessive consumer of non-traditional financial media, I very quickly made CR my homepage, and found myself checking in with CalculatedRisk, his blog-partner Tanta, and their colorful gang of regular commenters several times a day. Tanta had a long career in mortgage banking and saying she knew her stuff is a massive understatement. She didn't just understand incredibly complicated topics down to the granular level, she could explain them to the layperson in an engaging way: she was quite simply one of the wittiest people to ever sit at a keyboard. Tanta's posts were always required reading, but I think I enjoyed watching her interact with readers in the comments section most of all, in threads that would go on and on. Sometimes it felt like eavesdropping on the most interesting dinner party conversation you ever heard, and the subject at hand was mortgage-backed securities.
Nothing I can say here would do justice to Tanta's writing, so I urge anyone who stops by the DailyNightly to go on over to CalculatedRisk and browse through the archives. Tragically, the archives are all we have. Tanta died yesterday morning after a long battle with ovarian cancer. I had a terrible time sleeping last night thinking of how much the world needs the kind of honestly and fearlessness Tanta brought to her blog. I never knew her "in real life" but I hope in hers-- which was much too short-- she realized how deeply she touched so many of her readers.
Doris Dungey-- Tanta-- was 47.
