The Daily Nightly began on May 31, 2005. As Brian wrote in his first post it aims to provide a narrative of the broadcast day and a window into the editorial process at NBC Nightly News. Brian weighs in every weekday and NBC News correspondents and producers post regularly.
Brian Williams became the seventh anchor and managing editor in the history of NBC Nightly News on December 2, 2004. Read his full biography.
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As I foreshadowed on this morning's Early Nightly, this could be the first time in five nights when the lead story switches from domestic (the Amish murders and the Capitol Hill Page scandal) to foreign (Iraq). The Iraq story has picked up prominence based on this recent and horrible run of violence that has taken close to two dozen American lives in just the past few days, AND the intelligence that our reporters are picking up. We'll cover all three topics tonight.
Also this evening: two stories that are part of our ongoing series of reports: the "Homefront" segment tonight features Mike Taibbi, who will tell us about an interesting and unusual group of exceedingly patriotic Americans. Also, since it's Friday, it's time for "Making a Difference." Producer Shauna Alami blogged about it below, but it's a story you'll want to see on the air.
We'll show you what happened overnight in North Carolina that has left so many people in shelters or with relatives tonight, and we'll look at the sudden turnaround by the Governor of California. That is: Arnold WAS doing better politically... until some recent remarks about immigrants. Can he survive this, too? It's all part of our look at California politics in the era of the superstar.
LOOSE ENDS, CON'T.
Now to a bunch of things that don't fit any specific category:
Did anyone else notice the quiet mini-bombshell dropped by 41 last night on LKL? Former President Bush told Larry that former President Clinton recently dropped by the White House for a "quiet" lunch with President Bush. Realizing perhaps he'd just said something that wasn't known, the former President added that the lunch had been "off the record." Later, there wasn't a dry eye in the house (at least our house) when 41 started reminiscing about his mother, and talking about his own mortality. He is 82 years old and the class of his generation.
How about the page one photo in today's Washington Post? Would they publish that same photo, showing open grave(s) and mounds of dirt, at Arlington National Cemetery? Was anyone offended by it? The photo I mentioned here yesterday (which we deemed too private and chose not to use) was actually on page one of my edition of today's New York Times. It was a judgment call and I'm not making any judgments.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS
Hundreds of you have e-mailed us wanting to know how to reach out or contribute to the Amish community. We have done some digging and our blog editor will post contact information for a few organizations a little later this evening. Thank you for your generosity.
We're going to be kicking off a new blog feature on Monday that takes advantage of our vast NBC Nightly News tape archives, and our staff. Not only have we recorded the momentous events of the past several decades, many of my colleagues possess the intellectual capital to humanize the story. They COVERED the events and can talk about their recollections. So look for that on Monday.
And for the record: I'll be watching SNL from home this weekend, just like everybody else.
Have a good weekend. We hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.
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How to help the Amish
And Chris...yikes!!!!! You voted for Bill Clinton??? Poor soul!!!
Karen Castevens, Mount Airy, NC (Sent Oct 9, 2006 4:39:07 PM)
Per the "quiet mini-bombshell" about the White House lunch with Bush 41, President Bush, and ex-President Clinton that was off the record--I wonder if Clinton played "food police," as he has been regarding school lunches, lately.
I was interested to read that Chris from PA had voted for Bill Clinton in '92 because of his promise to help in the horrific situation in Bosnia. I'd thought I was the only American who'd cared enough about Bosnia to vote against Bush 41 for that same reason, because there were times when Bosnia wasn't getting much news coverage in spite of the ethnic cleansing, rape camps, and other atrocities. It seemed that, as with today regarding another serious issue I'll soon be going into, one uncaring Administration after the other did all it could to avert Americans' eyes from the tragic things happening in Bosnia.
Regarding the current Bush Administration, it seems to want us to focus on North Korea, Iran, and other so-called threats in order to avert our eyes from the fact that a beautiful, historic American city is now dying. According to the latest figures, New Orleans is a mere shadow of her former self, with only 41% of her pre-Katrina population. Problems with infrastructure and bureaucratic tangles that are keeping Louisiana's "Road Home" funds from quickly getting to those qualified for them have been discouraging evacuees from coming back to New Orleans and have been causing people who had returned to New Orleans to attempt to repair or rebuild their properties to pack it in and move on. And what has the federal govermnent been doing about this? Hardly anything--it seems as if ethnic cleansing by neglect has been going on in that part of Louisiana. The current population of New Orleans is now under 190,000.
Were President Bush as effective a leader as his father, he and his Administration would mobilize Congress to enact a "Marshall Plan" to rebuild New Orleans, the rest of Louisiana's ravaged parishes, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the rest of the areas damaged by Katrina and Rita. And he would be communicating to the American people the need for such a plan. But he has done very little--this after his Jackson Square promises that New Orleans would "rise again" and that he would "do what it takes" and "stay as long as it take" to see that she recovers. (Shades of Bill Clinton regarding Bosnia.)
The unfortunate thing--the reason they're getting little, if any, attention from the Bush Administration or the mainstream media is that people in Louisiana and Mississippi, the two poorest states in the nation, and the rest of the storm zone don't have any powerful, well-moneyed individuals or groups pulling for them and bringing attention to their plight. Where are George Soros and moveon.org, Michael Moore, and the lobbyists of K Street?
Olivia Elizabeth Burdon, Peoria, Ill. (Sent Oct 7, 2006 2:50:10 PM)
Thank you for your homefront segments this week. Usually, I watch your show two or three times each week. This week, I made a point to be in front of my tv at 6:30 every single night. It was worth it. Our soldiers are the treasures of our friends and neighbors. The segment in Dallas of people meeting planes goes down as unforgettable. I want to fly to Texas just to join the celebration!You will never go wrong by profiling the sacrifice. Thank you Brian. Our troops are heroes. But so are you and your team who telling us these reports. Please have a weekend with your loved ones you must be the busiest newsperson in America!
Doris Littwin
Doris Littwin (Sent Oct 6, 2006 7:42:19 PM)
Even as a democrat, I liked - if not loved - George Bush Sr.. James Baker et all was able to galvanize the world to boot Saddam out of Quate. It was heroic! But even more than that, I loved his (Bush Srs.) speech at the UN when he called for the *FULL* support of the UN! I think he knew that the US could not be the world's policeman and he came off very well.. Was that his "new world order speech?" I don't quite remember.
In the end, I decided to vote for Bill for one reason: his promise to help in the horrific situation in Bosnia. Bosnian Moslems were being rounded up 10 - 20 thousand at a time (even if supposed safe zones) to be shot or tortured. Yugoslavia was the pride of the world in 1982 when it held the Olympic games. That same memorable stadium, however, later became a place for so many of the dead.
Unfortunately, Bill DID NOT act as he promised to help in Bosnia for a year or two after entering office and I still hold that against him to this day.
Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA (Sent Oct 6, 2006 5:15:19 PM)
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