Brian,
The news that you and your team bring to my household, when I get a chance to turn on the news, may not always be welcoming or pleasant. But your team of reporters all over tell it with facts and insight/in-depth beyond the headlines. Thanks. Hope you will be with NBC for a long time. I hope NBC realizes how lucky they are to have you. I am sure your reporter colleagues do.

Marian

Brian, I've made reading this blog a part of my day, and I must admit it's doing its job. I've made a point of tuning in more often to watch Nightly News based on what you've previewed. I didn't expect that to happen. I think the bigger benefit is, based on the added insight we get from your posts, now I view the newscast more as "my newscast" than "the newscast." I feel more like I'm part of the newsgathering process - and thus more loyal. Thanks for the revealing look into your day and NBC's efforts.

Brain,

I love your evening broadcast and I love it when you go to other cities and showcase them. As a local, I was happy to see you showcase Chicago. I am a working mom and I loved the story on Michelle Obama it's always nice to know that others, especially people in the spotlight, struggle with the same things as you do.

After reading your blog regarding your time here in Chicago, I decided I like you even more as you hinted that you are a baseball parent (my son is a catcher)

Love the nightly news. When your nbc collegue left, I tried to watch, just not the same. There is a certain personal quality from your show that I have grown to love and won't do without. Great work!

Thanks for the first-rate coverage out of Chicago. I especially found the story on that city's being one of this nation's first "green" cities and the interview with Michelle Obama interesting. It's sad, though, about the murders of students there. And I was happy to see the weather was good enough to show Chicago off to her best advantage.

There's an intriguing, scary world news story that so far has been getting very little attention, but I hope will come up now that Bush will be meeting with the G-8 (including Putin) next week. Ever since the Estonians relocated a Soviet World War II monument in Talinn, Russia has been carrying out cyber attacks against that little nation, which have been making it impossible to access government websites, etc. Perhaps it might not be a visually exciting story because, after all, the "war" is being carried out not by means of soldiers, bullets and bombs, but by means of computer hacking. But as noted, it is scary, because of the ramifications. The Russians' being able to do this in Estonia and effectively incapacitate her in cyberspace shows that terrorists, any other country, or anybody else who's up to no good could do it elsewhere--including here.

Hi Brian -

Just want to thank you again for the MOH histories, particularly the Barney Barnum one today. Barney was born and raised here in Cheshire, CT, so I've forwarded the article around to friends and family. My brother, John Baldwin, reminds me that Barney was the starting catcher on their Cheshire High baseball team.

These MOH stories are a unique part of Americana and your publication of them will like produce a lot of forwarding to friends and family around the country. What could be better than that?

Hi Mr Williams
Just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to meet and greet you outside the Shedd Aquaru=ium in Chicago this evening...I'm glad the rain held off for the broadcast. I really admire your work and look forward to many upcoming shows. i was sincere about my comments to you on aging and the aging US population. There's alot more serious coverage and attention that needs to be focused in this area....So many folks each day are thrown into their new job of "caregiver", They and their infirmed loved ones will really need guidance in the upcoming years
Best Dr Jessica

As a former Chicagoan who enjoyed a Richard Daley as my Mayor since I was a freshman in high school, I'm convinced that history will treat the current Mayor, Richard M. Daley, as an even greater mayor than his Dad. He may not be as active in national politics as his Dad was, but he's done a helluva job for, Chicago. On second thought, maybe national politics would benefit from his involvement!

And my opinion applies even though he takes Sundays off to be with his family!

I live in the City of Chicago and I just came home from a recycling meeting. We will be the 5th Ward (out of 50 Wards) to have any "real" recycling program...and it is considered a test program. There is no recyling in the Chicago Loop area. Some large corporations do not even recycle their paper. I find it crazy that this very large city is just getting on the bandwagon. Chicago is not a Green City but somehow, through the magic of publicity, people thoughout the US, believe that this city is green.

Good evening Mr Williams. I would like to compliment you on your (as always) excellent reporting this evening. It was a pleasure to watch a real professional such as yourself portray our fair city in such a favorable light. It did not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
In your report, you brought to light the identity of the XDR TB victim and the current news surrounding him but there was something missing. Since there is much concern for those who possibly came in contact with the victim in flight, etc., why hasn't there been any comments pertaining to the victim's new bride and her possibility of being infected and also friends and immediate family members? I hope to hear you touch on this in the near future.
Thanks for all you do.

Leroy Ashworth-Country Club Hills, Illinois

Much like MSNBC’s Cosmic Log about science, this blog has become a routine part of my life. Although I didn’t at first, I now watch the Nightly News because of it. I care about my world enough to try to help change things where I can. I personally appreciate having a place to voice my opinion and I hope they’ve been of some help.

I don’t blog up and down the net but MSNBC has been my home since the horrific 1999 hurricane season and their riveting five-part series on the environment called the Terminal Planet, which would instill activism in the most complacent person. As the Dalai Lama would say, “Now is the time for action!” and “in the times of the greatest adversity is the chance to do the most good!” As a person who was tape recording the Camp David Accords on his cassette player at the age of nine, I feel as though society has just walked off a cliff… we feel the sense of falling but have yet to experience the sharp jolt of hitting bottom. From my experience and commitment I give you guys and MSNBC everything I have. My intensions are true, even when our opinions are sometimes at odds.

P.S. I realize my spelling isn’t always what it could be, but then again you have to realize you are talking to a person who once spelled the word “canoe” as “knew” on his college canoeing final no less… Ha-ha! Ug…

I'm finding it interesting today that when something specific has happened, as in the TB incident, it's suddenly OK to track our citizens and know a great deal of private information about them. Hmmmm.

The TB man knew he could sneak back into the U.S. by flying to Canada first and he did get through border security.

If TB man knew he could sneak back in why don't the terrorists? Of course they do. And if you flash a card with Doctor, Attorney, CPA, Professor and don't have an Arab-sounding name you get a pass even though your name shows up on a warning list.

Sounds like there is some racial profiling going on at some border crossings.

Brian,
Thanks for making Chicago look so great and also for mentioning the disturbing but important news concerning gun violence and the Chicago Public School system. A very important if not mostly overlooked story by the local and national news media. Great job, come back to Chicago soon.

Brian, In closing your story on Chicago, you mentioned that most of the young people murdered recently in Chicago were killed with guns. It was said so quick I'm not sure a lot of people caught it. How can this be? Chicago has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. Something to look into. I enjoy your show.

Good Evening Mr.Williams, Watching the broadcast this evening I could see that it had stopped raining. The backdrop of the boats and the city was quite nice scenery. It is great that Mayor Daley is making a real effort to have that city be green. Regarding the troop surge in Iraq it would be nice to know exactly when our brave soldiers can come home. The mention of a Plan B was made concerning the eventual withdrawal from the urban areas and turn it over to the Iraqi's and their security force. I guess because Plan A didn't turn out the way they wanted. Hopefully the ultimate success will be peace for the citizens of that country. I certainly hope so. And finally all those bugs everywhere! Not a big fan of large bugs! I do not know how people can eat bugs. Anyway, thank you for your broadcast Mr.Williams. See you back in New York safe and sound. Peace to all!

How on earth has Mayor Daley managed to make people believe he is a 'green' Mayor? Yes, he's built a garden on top of City Hall (which no one is allowed to use, by the way), yet around the City acres of backyards have been lost to development of larger and larger homes, with the Mayor's blessing.

City workers increasingly drive around in SUV's when they don't need anything bigger than a Toyota Yaris.

The Mayor's Chicago Transit Authority now has a $5 billiion backlog of capital work and service continues to deteriorate. The Mayor refuses to use his power in the State capitol to secure adequate funding for the CTA. Instead, the CTA is forced to present annual 'doomsday' scenarios to scrape up enough money to limp along for another year.

New developments are built around automobile access, while more of the city is paved-over for larger roads and intersections. Chicago is now more like a suburb than a city.

The 'green' label is just a snowscreen, which NBC Nightly News fell for. Meanwhile, the Mayor's schools are a disgrace, his transit system is falling apart and his administration is under Federal investigation for corruption.

TB is serious business and the power granted to public health officials to deal with it is extensive. As an example, take a look at the law on emergency commitment in your own state. (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 19a-265, which may be accessed via cga.ct.gov, the Connecticut General Assembly website.)

Hi Brian: It's neat to see your broadcast from Chicago. I'm from the Chicagoland area and it's always exciting to see a network show from here. Hope the weather holds up for you. I also think Bob Sirott is one of the good ones in town. I'm always amazed on how you can hold up with all of your travels. Your the best.

Good Evening Mr.Williams, First of all congratulations on two years of "The Daily Nightly"! I have really enjoyed reading all the postings you have made this year so far. All the journalists that contribute to this posting do an excellent job. I will continue to be a loyal reader of your postings as I always learn something new every night. Thank you for your fine work. I do hope it does stop raining. Look forward to the broadcast. Peace to all!

Congratulations!

Brian,
Better hope Sue Simmons in NY doesn't read this today. Otherwise it will take more than flowers to suck up back into her good graces. (just kidding)

The TB story continues to be most interesting and downright scary the more people think and talk about it.

Each day when I read the Medal of Honor installment I find myself riveted to the recounting of the experiences. I think how could anyone endure this, nothing could compare, then I read the next day's posting and find the latest comparison. What lessons in history we are so lucky to learn from reading about these heroes.

ROB! Congratulations. How nice that your excellent work is acknowledged. Brian seems to be really good at that. I still have your Xmas card out--sometime I'm going to answer it. Think of you often and fondly, Gail