I interned at NBC News last summer (though not in NYC @ Nightly) and had a terrific experience. It was so much more than collecting mail and logging tape. As a brief insider I can say with much confidence that the people working on the air and behind the scenes at NBC News are extremely talented and driven to succeed. I hope your interns leave with similar feelings and wish them the best of luck in the coming years.

Thanks for such a compelling "Making A Difference" piece. Bear with me for not being able to recall the honorees' names--but they are the most deserving I've seen in some time. Indeed someday in the future someone will be profoundly grateful to those who are chronicling the conditions New Orleans is in now. Her story needs to be told, and based on what I saw of the powerful work of these 2 Lower 9th photographers, they truly are "bringing past and present into focus and honoring both" as Bob Faw put it.

That sounds so uplifting and inspiring, the way they're capturing a crippled yet slowly reviving New Orleans' healing spirit and her distinctive character that still shines through that the storms didn't eradicate, amidst hopeful signs that she is coming back, especially after having endured their own losses and hardships after Katrina. The pictures provide eloquent testimony to why other Americans should love and cherish New Orleans and her people and care about and support her struggle to survive and rebuild--and not just move on to the next crisis.

In light of the faint glimmers of recovery their photos portray, would it be too much to hope that New Orleans not only will prevail over the immense problems that darken her life, but will, as President Sweet-Talker once put it, "rise again"?

As hurricane season reaches its peak, there is plenty of cause for worry, as a fragile Louisiana faces it as one of 2 states least capable of dealing with major catastrophe, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Louisiana can ill afford a new chapter in the "relationship from hell" between her government and Washington, but that's exactly what's been going on between Governor Blanco and Michael Chertoff. Blanco recently sent a sometimes blistering letter to Chertoff asking the federal government to live up to its commitment to help evacuate and care for thousands of New Orleans area residents if another hurricane hits. She listed several instances of local agencies being left out of the loop regarding federal disaster plans.

So with hurricane season on the minds of Louisiana officials, many are finding that tension between Louisiana and Washington is slowing down progress and that state and federal agencies will not act as one. It is easy to imagine the ensuing blame game and finger-pointing in the wake of a new storm's hitting Louisiana. This time, it would be the "Mother of All Blame Games" because of lessons' not having been learned after Katrina.

At the same time, Louisiana is being plagued by a quiet crisis sapping her of a vital human resource she needs to regain full health after last year's storms and to deal with any new ones. I'm sure this would be garnering beaucoup media attention were a similar exodus occuring from Lebanon--but Louisiana is losing medical doctors one by one. Add to this the critical condition of New Orleans' few remaining hospitals and the fact that less than a third of hurricane-ravaged south Louisiana's nursing homes have workable plans to evacuate frail, disabled residents. If anything like Katrina hits, producing hordes of people needing emergency treatment, south Louisiana's medical system would be so overwhelmed a human tragedy dwarfing that now going on in Lebanon could take place.

Last but not least, more about the "relationship from hell." FEMA acting director R. David Paulison, according to an op-ed piece in the Baton Rouge Advocate, doesn't seem to think people in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are American citizens. Defending FEMA's new rule mandating that states pony up 25% of emergency relief costs, he said, "It's their citizens", with an us against them tone. And he said that if states don't agree to pay, FEMA won't help--which is another way of saying, "I'll take it out of your hide." Had Louisiana--one of the poorest states--had to have 25% of Katrina relief costs taken out of her hide, she would have had to cough up upwards of $375 million. Add to that the undue hardship it would mean for a family of 4 to make it on only $500/household disaster relief...

In light of all of the FEMA atrocities lately, I wonder what happened to calls by some members of Congress to eliminate and replace FEMA. Since nothing is currently being done, there should be some sort of oversight--to make sure FEMA doesn't abuse the states, localities, and people it should be helping.

I LOVE your blog as well as The Nightly News and I particularly like your signoff thanking the viewers at the end of each broadcast.
Quick question......and I have a ten dollar bet with my husband riding on the answer. Do you actually write your own contributions to "The Daily Nightly" or does some assistant? I look forward to your response.
With regards,
Sue Gordon

I have followed almost all of Richards’s reporting from Lebanon, since the conflict began. I’ve not come across a single line he said or wrote, that would characterize him as “anti-Israel or pro-Hezbollah”. His expertise and commitment to cover the Arab world, does not mean that he is anti -Israel. He is just doing what he did in Baghadad, letting people know how innocent lives (non-Hezbollah Labanese in this case), are affected as a result of a conflict. Does this make him anti_Israel or pro-Hezbollah?-Definitely not, just as it would not make a reporter covering Israel, an anti-Labanese. Therefore I am not sure as to how “a fellow American from Massachusetts” concluded Richard as “the most biased anti-Israeli "reporter"”. Guess it lies in the eyes of the beholder afterall!
My thanks to all the reporters, who risk their lives and bring us news from the most dangerous zones of the world.

To Brian Williams....I watch you every night on the NBC Nightly News, as I think you are the best news anchor on TV (a worthy successor to Tom Brokaw, my former favorite), and I thoroughly enjoy listening to you when you appear on Imus in the Morning. I consider you an A+ journalist, because you are an excellent reporter and writer and also because you are so fair, so unbiased...quite frankly, I have never been able to figure out where you come from politically and that is the supreme compliment one can pay a journalist. I would like to join the growing chorus of those who want you to have an hour to present the NBC Nightly News. After all this praise, I just have one question in reference to the Nightly News...what happened to Richard Engel who was such a reliable reporter from Baghdad? He became the Middle East Bureau Chief for NBC News in Beirut and turned into the most biased anti-Israeli "reporter" and Arab shill (along with the hideous Ann Curry) on NBC News.
I guess my real question to you, Brian Williams is: why do you accord them so much respect (legitimacy) when you "go" to them on Nightly News? they only provide a very one-sided, totally biased anti-Israeli, tacitly pro-Hezbollah view of the situation (by the way, I am not Jewish; I have no stake in Isreal except a moral one...I am a half-Irish and a quarter German and a quarter old Yankee going back to the Mayflower, so this is not personal.)
Again, I thank you for your terrific coverage of this conflict....I, for one, will keep watching!

Hi Brian,

Man... as a media student at Glasgow Caledonian University I'm dying of jealously from the interns. What I would do to be there!

As the Middle East crisis continues, I couldn't help think... is Bush himself feeling reluctant to get involved? I'm not playing Devil's Adovcate - he's got to do something, but like your broadcast showed people that side of the world think the US is supporting Israel.

That now famous recording of Bush and Blair talking off the record confirmed what a lot of people here (but not all) think, that Blair is simply Bush's lap-dog sometimes.

While there has been a "heatwave" in Scotland this summer, its nowhere near the painful temperatures in California - I'd be lucky to be alive in that.

Oh, one more thing - why were aircraft refueling in Prestwick Airport, Scotland transporting bombs to Israel.... which President Bush apologised for... through Blair's spokesperson?

I'm confused too.

As a former intern at an American news organization I find it very weird that none of your interns are from a diverse background. I also find this at other news organizations as well. The people behind the camera are usually less diverse which brings up the idea that tv news and other news orgs do not bring up other stories because most of their interns come from white or less diverse backgrounds.

I watch Nightly News every evening and I’d like to say that every newspaper, magazine, broadcast show is perhaps all a little bias and all at fault for not covering everything in the world. No news media is perfect, as a journalism major we’re taught that not everything is going to be covered by the papers or magazines and radios and TV. This is not do to lack of interest or effort but events in the world which is more important than our little corner of the world. Everything does come full circle and though we may not hear about the Middle East every night we will soon hear it again tonight or later on in the week.

Brian,
While I am a perennial viewer of the NBC Nightly News, I have long complained about the inability of your or frankly any of the networks to be able to cover a sufficient amount of news in 30 minutes. I had already planned on making a comment or sending e-mail about expanding your program into one hour; it seems you beat me to the punch, once more. In order for me to have a decent knowledge of what is going on in the world I typically watch your program, the BBC World News, the NewsHour, and scan through the Internet. Oh how I feel for the individuals that do not have the time which I am afforded. I'm sure it is important for everyone to have all the latest knowledge of the gossip going on in the entertainment world, thus the one hour dedicated on my network affiliate to entertainment "news. However, I feel it is much more vital to know what is going on in the world... and not just the Middle East and the USA. It is a darn shame NBC doesn't recognize that more viewers would want this program if it was more inclusive. Keep up the good work and I sincerely hope you will be afforded the opportunities which Jim Lehner currently has.