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High anxiety in the sky

A few changes to tell you about since the Early Nightly this morning. Pete Williams has shifted gears given the breaking news a bit ago about United Flight 923 from the U.K. Still a lot we don't know, but here is what we do: Fighter jets were scrambled and diverted the London-Washington, D.C. flight to Boston. The pilot had declared an emergency based on the behavior of a passenger. The concern involved a 59-year-old American woman who was returning home from an overseas visit. There were some earlier media reports suggesting she was carrying a screwdriver or an al-Qaida-related. But now several federal officials are telling us NOT to put much stock in those reports. She did apparently have matches, Pete reports, which are not banned. She may also have been carrying hand cream (a violation of the new rules). But bottom line... so far it appears to be a panic attack of some sort rather than a real threat... but again, given recent events, the reaction may well have been appropriate. Other passengers on the flight are being interviewed now by the FBI in Boston. They are hoping to make it to D.C. by tonight. Quite a detour for them and they will arrive at their final destinations many hours later than expected. It demonstrates how much anxiety there is to go around right now. Normally this is a story we may not give a lot of attention to, but given the current environment and how federal officials reacted to it, it is a story that now warrants our attention. We will aim to have more clarity for you tonight. See you in a bit.

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Speaking to Muslim youth in London

LONDON - There are 1.6 million Muslims in Britain and since last summer's London suicide bombings they've been living under an intense spotlight. Now with the arrests in the alleged airline bombing plot there's been a lot of talk about what can be done to combat extremism. The problem: There is no one voice that speaks for the very diverse Muslim community here. People can't seem to agree on what's the best course of action.   

Hoping to hear some of the voices, we took a camera Tuesday into East London, which is one of the city's most established Muslim communities. (Click to read the story that aired on Nightly News.) We talked with two young women. They're both 18 years old. With no hesitation, they denounced the violence and told us they've joined a community youth group that's working to speak out against extremist views. We also talked with the man who heads up the community youth group. He told us his biggest obstacle is in reaching the young people in the community.  Finally, we spoke with a man who's studying to become an Islamic cleric, or imam. He talked to us about his frustration and how religious leaders like himself are having almost no success in swaying people away from extremists. You can watch the video as cut for Nightly News, plus extended interviews with the teens, the youth leader and the student, here.

Photo caption: Eklima Begum and Navida Quadi during their interivew with Rehema.

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White House snubs a Republican

The party line apparently ends at the Connecticut border. The predictably loyal Bush White House will not endorse the Republican Senate candidate in the general election. 

You heard a great deal about the race because the incumbent Democrat, Sen. Joe Lieberman lost the primary to an anti-war newcomer, Ned Lamont. Alan Schlesinger is the Republican on the ballot. But he's getting no help from the RNC and none from the White House. I asked the president's spokesman Tony Snow about this and he said, "We are not making any endorsement in Connecticut. The Republican Party of Connecticut has suggested that we not make an endorsement in that race and so we are not." Really? The president, who is the head of the party, and has predicted Republicans will hold the House and Senate, is not weighing in during one of the most visible races? Snow says he believes it has happened before that a White House has withheld an endorsement and members of the press corps quickly asked for examples.  A list has not yet been provided, though we offered a friendly reminder that our request is still pending. When we get examples, we'll let you know.

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Early Nightly is up

Campbell Brown anchors the broadcast again tonight and offers an early preview of the stories under consideration. Click the link to the right (below the advertisement) to watch.

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Prostate cancer study

Tonight, we report on the latest study of what has become one of the most complex choices many men face: what to do after a prostate cancer diagnosis. Because of the widespread use of the PSA blood test, 234,000 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed this year with prostate cancer. Huge numbers get surgery or radiation even though most leading doctors in the field think a lot of them can get by with either no treatment (so called “watchful waiting”) or hormone therapy whose side effects, unlike surgery or radiation, are reversible. 

You can see a summary of the study we report on. 

For men and their loved ones facing the wrenching decisions involved with prostate cancer there are now a wealth of support groups. I think one of the best is Us Too.   

I would also point to the American Cancer Society’s information section on the disease.

Prostate cancer is clearly an area where many men and their families, armed with the best information, have to make their own decisions.

Read Robert's complete report and find more helpful links here.

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Tuesday's outlook

Much of what I told you about this morning on the Early Nightly holds for tonight's broadcast... but a few new developments to fill you in on. Lisa Myers has a number of new details on the terror investigation including an al-Qaida connection. Lisa reports that there is growing evidence the alleged ringleader of the plot had contact with senior al-Qaida leaders. Plus, new video of a key player for this cell in London... and another arrest to report. She will have a full wrap from Scotland Yard.  Also, Pete Williams reports tonight on Homeland Security, with aviation security officials defending the new order that all passengers must remove their shoes.  As you can see... the terror plot still dominating our news coverage. See you tonight.

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A vibrant nation of immigrants

Special Commentary:

Nothing like a good dose of reality among so many dreamy initiatives.

According to some House Republicans, you erect a big, long, scary wall and the problems at the border with Mexico will be solved. Right.

First of all, the border is 2,000 miles long. They are talking about a wall that will cover several hundred miles. Answer: The immigrants will change their path, but will not stop coming. There`s a powerful reason. You can easily make $50 or $60 a day north of the Rio Grande. In Mexico, millions live with the equivalent of $2 a day. Wouldn't you try to cross the river?

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Muslim genocide?

The scenes of devastation in Beirut and southern Lebanon are likely to increase the perception among Arabs and Muslims that they are under attack, that recent history is not about being “humiliated” or “impoverished” but instead about being the subject of genocide.

It is a common theme among radical Islamists: that the West is bent on eliminating Muslims everywhere -- a Muslim Holocaust, if you will, akin to what happened to the Armenians at the hands of the Turks or what happened to the Jews at the hands of the Nazis.   

It is their justification for much of what the West sees as terrorism, but what the radical Islamists see as war. 

It is also, in fact, a reference increasingly finding its way into the Muslim consciousness. And while the West may see the number of dead across the Islamic world as evidence of disparate wars or sectarian violence or in some cases, war crimes, the Muslim perspective, whether moderate or radical, is quite different.

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Early Nightly is up

Campbell Brown continues in the anchor chair tonight. Our camera caught up with her after the morning editorial meeting. Click the link to the right (below the advertisement) to watch. She'll update here in the blog later this afternoon.

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Dueling lead stories

Dueling lead stories tonight and a lot of ground to cover with both the extremely fragile ceasefire in the Middle East and new developments in the investigation of the airline terror plot.

First to the situation in southern Lebanon. Today, Richard Engel traveled south with aid workers to survey the damage and try to reach people who have been trapped in some of the hardest-hit areas. The trip was a struggle with bombed-out roads and traffic jams. Thousands of people are making the journey, trying to get back to their homes to see what is left.

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