by Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

Any cop will tell you there is no such thing as a "routine traffic stop."  Whenever they approach a stopped car, they are approaching a stranger who may simply be their way home from work – but they may also be on their way home from committing an armed robbery. This weekend there was a stark reminder of what police officers put on the line everyday as they uphold their duty to protect us.

Three police officers are dead, and another was left brain dead following two shooting incidents in Oakland. It is a dark day not only in Oakland, but for men and women in law enforcement across the country, and many of us today mourn with them. NBC's George Lewis is working the story and will have the latest on tonight's program.

We'll also look ahead to the Obama administration's expected announcement this week on how it plans to unsaddle the nation's banks of all those bad loans. CNBC's Steve Liesman will join me tonight to explain how it will work, and how the government plans to protect taxpayers from more unpleasant surprises like those AIG executive bonuses.

Finally, I had the chance to speak with a remarkable young woman this morning on TODAY. She suffers from a rare disorder that is slowly robbing her of both her sight and hearing. Peter Alexander will have her story and explain what the disorder is, and how doctors are racing to develop a treatment. For Peter, this all hits extremely close to home – that woman is his sister. I hope you are as inspired by their story as I am.