Safe travels, Brian, but honestly, I am a little disappointed that NBC thinks this continuing circus of Michael Jackson is worth network coverage. I think most of us are hoping the story goes away after tomorrow, and we get back to real news.  

Speaking of Michael Jackson, I find it amazing the celebrities who think they need to be at the memorial.  I'll bet some of them never even met the guy.  

Brian -
I agree with Andrea about the Michael Jackson coverage.  

I also agree with New York's Peter King who called Michael Jackson a "pervert and a child molester".  I feel that the networks and the cable news stations are making a big mistake by continuing to run footage of this person.

I also feel that funerals and memorial services should be solemn and private.

OK now I've spoken my piece - frankly I'd rather you'd gone to Alaska to cover the recent Palin 'announcement' or South Carolina to find out when Governor Sanford will admit he should leave his position.

Enough - have a safe trip -

Joan

Second that.  I'm surprised you think being in LA is more important than being in Moscow.

I'm glad to be working on Wednesday July 8th.  I have a feeling the entire 4 hours of the Today show will be devoted to the events of Tuesday July 7 and the Today show coverage will be longer than M. Jackson's actual memorial service.  And that doesn't include the coverage on your cable network.

I want to give a very heartfelt thank you for keeping Michael Jackson off the top story.  It took me a moment to swap channels at 6:30 and Katie Couric started her newscast from The Staples Center and MJ... when there are much more important world events going on.  Thank you for focusing on the president's trip first!

I took a hiatus from news for the holiday weekend so I'm only now getting the news about Steve McNair.  I am so sad to hear of his death.  He may not have been the brightest quarterback in the NFL but he was a good player whom I loved to watch on the occasion I got to see the Titans play.  

Sarah Palin scared me last year during the campaign, and her behavior this past weekend further worries me.  Resigning as governor for seemingly no reason?  What a slap in the face of all Alaskans, particularly those who voted for her.  Our largest state deserves to have a dedicated governor and it seems obvious that Palin doesn't have Alaska's best interest at heart.  I fear what she might want to do nationally.

I guess I show my age b/c McNamara was not a name that I recognized right away.  For better or worse, the country lost a prominent man that helped shape our history.  

I hope you all had a happy 4th!

Seven dead American Servicemen rated 25 seconds on your news broadcast, Michael Jackson's memorial rated 7 times that amount.
Brian, do you think we as a nation have our priorities wrong? Michael was a great entertainer, these young soldiers were heroes. The way you prioritize the news can make an impact on our nation, I think you (NBC) and all the other networks let these young men down. Their courage deserved more than an afterthought!!!!

Good Evening Mr.Williams, Great to see you back for the broadcast this evening! I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend with your family! Another fine broadcast this evening! First of all report by Mr.Todd about President Obama meeting with Russian President Medvedev which included talks on many major issues including nuclear arms, Iran, the War in Afghanistan and other majot issues. It is promising to learn of a new treaty for the reduction of nuclear war heads by the end of the year and the use of Russian air space for the transport of supplies for troops in Afghanistan. Nothing answered in the subject of Iran, but there is still reason for optimism. The two leaders have disagreements on certain subjects, but certainly could come to common ground soon. Time will tell.

Terrible to learn of 7 deaths of Us Soldiers in different parts of Afghanistan. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families of the soldiers.

The report by Mr.Cowan concerning preparations for the Memorial for Michael Jackson showed how many millions of people could show up even if they don't have tickets to the memorial. So many fans want to give their respects to Michael and it is a huge event with well known performers already scheduled to appear. A monumental task for law enforcement of Los Angeles to keep everyone safe. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly.

The "In Depth" report by Mr.Maceda concerning the power Prime Minister Putin holds in the country is incredible. He really holds much influence over many decisions and makes drastic changes when necessary. One does begin to wonder who is really in power because Medvedev is the Russian President. Yet, Putin does wield many decisions from behind the scenes so to speak. It will be an interesting meeeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Putin tomorrow.

Thank You for the broadcast this evening Mr.Williams. Safe travels to California! Peace to You and to All!

Lots of Love to Laurel,Jackie,Stephanie,Claudia,Celine,Anna,Lori,Cary and Matt!
Be Well Always!
Stay Extra Safe and Well Richard!
XOXO

Brian,

I am a long time fan, but I must agree with the post by Andrea. It's disgraceful enough that they are holding a funeral at the Staples Center for someone who a significant body of evidence argues was a pedophile. But at a time when a lot of real news is happening,  presidential trip to Russia, the debate over health-care, etc, it is even worse that the networks are paying this much attention to the story. Michael Jackson was not a head of state, and most of his fame over the last 15-20 years has come for all the wrong reasons. Many people die prematurely every day. It is tragic. But not worthy of this kind of hype. If only your network and others paid this much attention to the nuances of policy the American public might be better educated.

Speaking about Robert McNamara; I remembered in the mid sixties then President Johnson asked Mr. McNamara just what will it take to win this war in Vietnam.
His answer. "Another Fifty thousand troops.
That is a little less that were killed..

Robert Wright

Brian Williams...How dare you put this overblown story of Michael Jackson before our troops dying in Afghanistan!  Shame on you and MSNBC!  You disappoint me!

Brian, why not go to LA? You can't let the tabloids get ahead of you. Still, I miss the good old days when NBC knew the difference between news and entertainment. On average, your program contains 10-12 minutes of legitimate news each night. The rest is Sunday magazine fluff. We are witnessing the death of broadcast journalism. Oh, I forget! We still have 60 Minutes.

Hi Brian:

Never fails, your broadcast and blog were great again today.  Hope you and your family had a wonderful 4th and I'm glad to see you back at the desk.  Lester did a fantastic job filling in as usual.

I agree with Andrea, I hope you and anyone else traveling to LA for the memorial are safe but I am tired of the story. Any one living in California and especially in LA is saying "Oh how wonderful, LA with a million more people in it.  It's bad enough on a regular day".  Any one living in California knows that this is just going to be a fiasco.  I hope that tomorrow ends this and we can get back to real life.

I am hopeful that the President's visit to Russia will strengthen our relations with them and can resolve the differences we have in such vital issues, espeically nuclear issues and the problems with Iran. I know most people believe Putin still holds the strings and it will be interesting to see what developes after their meeting tomorrow.  

Palin, what was she thinking.  I was in North Carolina when the story broke and saw the speech she gave.  Needless to say, it was very odd, strange and lacking in the "WHY'S" to her decision and left people thinking something is going on that she is hiding.  They way she had talked about her beloved "Alaska" during the campaign and now just bailing out on them before her term is up with no real, honest, explanation was very odd.  Not sure if this will help her politcally if that is what she is trying to do.  I was not a fan of her's from the beginning and this only made me sure I was right.

Al Franken is finally where he should be.  Now we have a full Senate.  

So sad to hear of our 7 soldiers who were killed today in Afghanistan.  Our prayers are with their families and friends.  

I thoroughly enjoyed the interview you did with Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers and all the music you shared with us on BRITUNES. This is a CD that is a definite buy for me.  Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.  With your hectic schedule and all you do every day it is so awesome that you take the time to do these interviews and bring us such great music.  Thank you so much.  I can't wait till the next interview.

Again I hope you and all those traveling to LA are safe and return home safe.  

Will look for your blog tomorrow and see you tomorrow night from LA for the news.

Looks like the Bush Administration made a big impression on the World Leaders as many countries are follow their policies. Iran had a fixed election like we did in 2000 and 2004. Now Pulin learned from Cheney how to use a front man as President. Good news for UK's Dr. Kelly's family, they are now looking into his death as a murder. Remember Dr. Kelly was about to expose the lies told by Blair/Bush with the sexed up/cherry picked/fake documents which allowed the invasion of Iraq.

Sarah has a website for donations to her legal fund which is over 500,000 dollars. I'm sure her supporters who are currently suffering in this Recession will be more then glad to give their little mony to Sarah and her Family.

Congressman King and I remember Aug. 16, 1977 the day the King died. President Nixon had flags half mass in Elvis Presley's honor. The Media was respectful as it din't talk about Elvis's drug problem nor the fact he dated a fourteen year old. President Nixon had a Day dedicated to Elvis Presley as all Americans mourned the lost of the King. Elvis gave 20 plus years to entertain and inspire generations.  Now Congressman King didn't speak up for our troops for 7 years as he supported every criminal act done by the Bush Administration. He was silent when our troops didn't get medical care nor supplies. Now with Michael Jackson being mourned by Billions of people all over the World, King has a problem. I did notice how Congressman King stood proud with President Reagan when Micheal was honored for his Charity work at the White House. Michael gave over 40 years of his life to the public and always gave to charities. I guess Congressman King didn't hear Micheal's record " it doesn't matter if your black or white". It will be interesting to see what King has to say when he ask for votes during his re election bid.

Have a great day all

Good evening, Brian! It's great to be back, and great to have you back as well. I watched Today Saturday morning on a big TV and felt like I was in studio 1-A sitting across from Lester, it was nice of him to give you the day off, glad you could do it!

Great reporting tonight from everyone. Wonderful report from you on former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. It was an amazing report and I loved the perspective you put into it. I learned a lot from the report, and I always love learning something new from the broadcast. He lived a long eventful life, with good and bad (to put it short and lightly). I ran into this NYTimes article just a few minutes ago. It's a great read: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/us/07mcnamara.html?_r=1&hp

Being in our nation's capital for the Independence Day weekend was just as incredible as I had imagined it would be. Though we weren't in the crowd that night near the fireworks and performances, it was still a great time to be in Washington, D.C. The Newseum is such an amazing museum, it was very moving and inspiring. And the Holocaust museum was an incredibly moving and educating experience. I learned so much over the weekend, and had a great time talking politics with my very smart and amazing second aunt, and her husband who works at the Pentagon (originally from Long Island, NY.)  It was SO great having someone to talk to about history and politics, and especially to hear some debating within the family...lots of fun! There's something we talked about that I've been telling everyone, and I especially wanted to share with you. We started talking about the Sunday morning shows, and I was saying how I wish I had always watched every Sunday morning with Tim Russert. She told me she went to a Larry King book signing several years ago (in 2000 I think), and there were many people there for the signing including a shy Tim Russert. She said she walked up to Tim and said “You know, I don't really care much about having Larry King's signature, but I'd love to have yours” and suddenly he started blushing. That story really made me smile. She's so lucky to have had that moment with him.

It has been a very emotional weekend for me, and for my family. With July 4th, all of the moving things we saw and learned from Newseum and the Holocaust museum, and with the sudden passing of my 68 year old aunt to cancer. But, we're grateful she was able to live to see her 68th Birthday as they said it was highly unlikely. The family was there for her, and we'll get through it all together. Life is precious, and in so many ways this year I've come to realize that even more. It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive.

Again, thank you for the broadcast! Great having you back, and great being back home despite how much I miss Washington and my family living in Alexandria. But, my brother and I are already planning our next trip up to Alexandria and Washington! What a gorgeous capital...it's just amazing. I loved being surrounded by so much history. It felt just like home, and as I've been saying, in a sense...it is!

I hope you had a great long July 4th weekend with your family! Have safe flights back and forth from Los Angeles to New York. Look forward to joining you for the Michael Jackson memorial coverage, and the broadcast tomorrow.

Take care!
-Cary

Dear Brian,

I am very disappointed in you, and NBC News, who I had counted on for many years to report the news that effects all of our lives.

Yes, like it or not, Michael Jackson, the same as Elvis, Lennon, and many others in 'ENTERTAINMENT' pleased their fans and will be remembered by them. However, to stage a celebration performance in honor of his life with so much media coverage and guest performances leads to the following news worthy journalism questions:
1. How much money will the Jackson family make from the Michael Jackson's life celebration event?
2. Where will the money (proceeds) go to and how will it be accounted for?

Back to the news, tell me more about the seven U.S. soldiers we lost today in Afghanistan who gave back much more than all of us combined? How are their wives and children? What do they need to cope with their loss?

How about the lives of the people in Iran who gave their lives wanting a Democratic change?

Brian, please set the bar on reporting worthy news and leave it up to the tabloid media to report on the fantasies!

Sincerely,

George

I couldn't agree more with the above statement.  I am the mother of a marine in Afghanistan, which is now playing second, third, and fourth to Michael Jackson.  Please leave the entertainment news to the entertainment channels.

Brian, can you talk sense into the powers that be???

I whole-heartedly agree with Andrea. I understand Mr. Jackson made a contribution to the music industry. But this hullabaloo that the media is encouraging is way out of proportion.  No matter what die hard fans say, saner heads cannot ignore the charges that were brought against this man, nor the drastic change in his appearance over the years. He is not someone our youth should be looking up to as a role model. It baffles me why this person who did everything in his power to look Caucasian is hero-worshipped by the African American community.
Think how this world would be if the media gave even half the air time it has devoted to this musician, to the military personnel of our country. Maybe then there wouldn't have been the travesties of the Vet hospitals we saw all too briefly months ago. Might I note that no one has done follow up to see if improvements are taking place?
There are much better people, places and ideals to be holding up to our young people. Don't give me the old "we give the public what it wants." The public doesn't want it until the media makes in enticing or exciting.

Hi Brain,

Welcome back, even as I welcome myself back home. I haven't been able to watch you that much lately, But it's on tonight!(meaning you and your broadcast).

I'm getting ready to watch Michael Jackson's memorial service. I really wish they could have made better arrangements, as in a bigger setting than The Staple Center. This is for his fans from all over the world.

As I wrote Lester, I hope to be returning to work soon, but if I do, I'll find a way to watch both of you. See you tonight.

Vicki

Brain and Lester,

I just watched the Michael Jackson Memorial service. Thank you so much NBC for covering it. It broke my heart to see his children. And what his daughter, Paris said,simply, that he was the best father. I wish all of you people putting him down could have seen that one moment.

But thanks again Brian anld Lester, for your words and observations afterwards. And I love Nancy Giles.I hope she'll work for NBC.

See you tonight.

Vicki

Please stop broadcasting more Michael Jackson stuff!!! 300 million US citizens and only a small number care about this!   STOP please!  NBC has completely lost a realistic prospective.of this story!!!

Brian, like all journalist you got report what is newsworthy and controversial.  So shake the haters off who feel like Michael Jackson's story wasn't worthy. Maybe they should get a career or hobby that will make them newsworthy. Some people feel that they are losing control when they can't control everything. Some don't even want him remembered by anything that would seem to be measured as success. Keep watching the news, there's more Michael to come. After you listen to what you want to hear turn it to something else....ooops! I forgot he's the center of every channel, so put in a video or something.

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