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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We are watching developments around Mount Hood in Oregon today... where the search continues for 3 missing climbers. The weather cleared early this morning... allowing the search to resume from the air and the ground. Their families are holding out hope that the 3 will be found alive. We'll have a report from NBC's Peter Alexander.
From the Middle East tonight... NBC's Mike Boettcher is covering a Palestinian struggle for power. There was more violence today between Hamas and Fatah. There are calls for new Palestinian elections.
In Baghdad... Iraqis held a reconciliation conference trying to bring Sunnis and Shiites together. Some are calling it the last best hope for reconciliation. But as NBC's Jane Arraf reports... there are still major obstacles.
President Bush is weighing his options in Iraq... and NBC's Kevin Corke reports... the President is considering the addition of sending 20- thousand more U.S. troops.
From England tonight authorities are trying to solve a murder mystery. 5 women... all prostitutes have been found murdered. Some are comparing this to the "Jack the Ripper" story. NBC's Michelle Kosinski has the latest... including new videotape of one of the victims on the day she disappeared.
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Link to thisAnother jumble of important news stories -- many more than we have time for, and it makes the order a tricky equation. The markets had another good day today as well.
It's been a rough go in the Pacific Northwest. Mission Ridge in Washington State recorded an overnight wind gust of 135 mph -- and SeaTac airport in Seattle recorded its fourth highest wind gust ever. The Weather Channel is running dramatic video from yesterday of what appears to be a 757 doing a go-around in an unstable landing attempt in what looks like freakish crosswinds. All of this weather is happening during a huge military search for three climbers. We'll have reports on each tonight.
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A funny thing happened on the way to the Internet. Searching for the Daily Nightly blog while traveling, I somehow managed to land at a Web site for The Monkees (people of a certain age will know of whom I speak). Lo and behold, there were the lyrics to, yes, “Daily Nightly” by Michael Nesmith. I have no idea what they mean, but I suspect that wasn’t the point when Nesmith wrote them in 1967.
"The Monkees"
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Brian Williams talks about some of the ailments being suffered around the Nightly News offices today, and, oh yes, some of the stories we're working on for tonight's broadcast.
Click here or on the image to watch.
Discuss (2 comments) Email this | Link to thisOn Nightly News Wednesday we reported how rare it was for the President to issue a body count -- the number of enemy killed. He said it at the Pentagon, and it struck me immediately that it may have been the first time I've heard him issue such a tally of enemy killed.
It's been reported that the President has always been keenly interested in learning what the numbers are. Thursday, during the White House briefing, Tony Snow was asked why he gave an enemy body count.
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When we first broke the news that Sen. Tim Johnson had suffered an apparent stroke, our thoughts and prayers went out to him and his family that he make a healthy and speedy recovery. As journalists, though, part of our responsibility was to explore the political ramifications of a possible vacancy in the U.S. Senate -- especially after Democrats wrestled control away from Republicans in a stunning upset election last month that gave them a one-seat majority. However, I know some people think we're callous to so quickly surmise what this might mean for the balance of power in the Senate.
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We here at Nightly News are big into holiday fun. We do, after all, have the famous Rockefeller Christmas tree right outside our door, and it puts us in a festive mood. So, again this year, we played Nightly-wide Secret Santa -- you know, where everybody picks somebody else's name, keeps it a secret, and presents that person -- anonymously -- with a stocking stuffer. We exchange Secret Santa gifts on the day of our office holiday party (which begins very shortly, and this year, we're going bowling).
More than half the fun is trying to guess who one's Secret Santa is -- does the handwriting on the card look like a man's or a woman's? Is my Secret Santa that shy person two cubicles away from me? Oh, wait--it's the person who's giggling whenever I walk by! -- but really, I can never guess. The idea is that Secret Santas reveal themselves to their Secret Santees at the party.
Discuss (4 comments) Email this | Link to thisAt the time of my post at this very same hour yesterday, there was a lot we didn't know -- and as far as we knew, control of the Senate was quite possibly in the balance. While we now have more information, the latter technically remains true. I'm happy to report that based on all the available information from official sources and others, Senator Johnson has passed through the darkest hours. As I said on the air last night -- and this bears repeating -- our thoughts and prayers are with this public servant and his family as they face this challenge and enter into this fight. While I just looked up at the TV and saw two people manipulating a plastic brain with a hinged top (to illustrate what happened to Senator Johnson) we're all trying to make clear that all of our coverage, at its root, is about a man in big medical trouble who may emerge from this a very lucky man indeed.
Discuss (4 comments) Email this | Link to thisYou have outdone yourselves -- all of you out there in cyberspace who have taken the time to respond to my posting about my beloved uncle, Peter Boyle. What I didn't realize was just how beloved he was by everyone he ever made laugh, smile, cry, wince, shiver or think.
From those who recalled his Philly roots (and so many of you remember my grandfather's television show) to those who mentioned some of his lesser-known roles or who simply wanted to share their prayers and good wishes, you have given my family a lasting gift. Your words will be a comfort to us and a testament to his life that we can savor for years to come. Thank you.
Discuss (2 comments) Email this | Link to thisFBI officials say they sent an advisory to local law enforcement agencies last week, informing them that the Blind Sheik, Omar Abdel Rahman, could be near death. His death, the notice says, might lead to attempts at reprisal.
But today, officials say his condition improved and that he is now stable. They believe his death is no longer imminent. They also say they have no specific intelligence of any actual plan to attack the U.S. in retaliation.
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