Somewhere near the top of the broadcast on this sparkling Friday here in New York, we will take on the rather grim and serious topic of protecting our national treasure: the men and women fighting under our flag in Iraq and Afghanistan. The issue is body armor... it was the topic of a Pentagon briefing today, and we'll package it all together for you tonight.  We'll also look at the strange first statements yesterday (in the view of some) by Jill Carroll, the journalist who had been held for more 80 days in Iraq. We'll take a look at the back story tonight.

Additionally, more of those 9/11 tapes were released today. They tell the story of a lot of things: confusion, courage, and ultimately great tragedy. Tonight we'll also look at the situation in New Orleans as the start date of the new hurricane season suddenly looms before us all.

Dawn Fratangelo will have our report on what so many considered an outlandish item on page one of today's New York Times (there's also a good version of the story in today's Los Angeles Times) about the power of prayer. The thesis of the study quoted? Prayer doesn't always help. The problem with that is obvious... especially for those of us who have prayed for someone, and those of us who have been the grateful recipients of the sincere and overwhelming faith-filled efforts of others. It's controversial, to say the least.

Then again, so were John Dean's words on President Bush today.

We have two stories from the workforce tonight: one on a disturbing trend, the other an inspiration. 

We'll close out the broadcast tonight with a good, old-fashioned public service. Tomorrow is April Fool's Day. Many will be fooled, as many have been in years past. Some efforts have been more brilliant and elaborate than others... and tonight we have rare footage of the event largely considered to be the Grandaddy of them all. It's my personal favorite.

It's a good broadcast planned for tonight, and we hope you can join us. We also hope you have a good weekend.

The e-mails appear to come from the IRS. One says you're entitled to a refund and directs you to a very realistic looking IRS Web site, but it's not. Another says you can check on your refund and offers to take you to another fake Web site. Both ask for your name, Social Security number, credit card number and ATM PIN number.

I'm producing a story set to air next Wed., April 5 about these e-mails -- the latest scam in what's called Internet "phishing." It's a "large and growing problem" according to a consumer watchdog group, and it's how bad guys get your personal information in order to take money from your account or commit identity theft. According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, the number of unique e-mail phishing attacks was just 176 in January 2004. By October 2005, it was 4,367! According to a 2005 consumer survey, approximately 4.5 million people provided personal information as requested.

Did you receive one of the e-mails and unknowingly respond? They do look real, even to the experts. One Internet insider tells me they are a "work of art." If you have been a victim of this phishing attack, we'd like to hear from you. Just click the "Discuss" button below and include your e-mail so we can follow-up. And thanks for contributing to our story.

Above: An example of one of the fraudulent e-mails circulating around the Internet.

It's 2006: Why is it even an issue?

You'll meet a woman who says she was fired for being pregnant. Her company says that's not true. Find out why some are calling it the fastest growing type of discrimination in the workplace.

Tonight we'll tell the story of the safe release of journalist Jill Carroll. She has already commented extensively on camera, and we'll have that for you tonight. We'll also take a look at how the conflict has changed on the ground in Baghdad: the rise of "organized crime" gangs on the streets, as if the insurgency needed a new wrinkle. David Gregory will report from the 3-way summit in Cancun, and Mike Taibbi will look at the heat that's been turned toward Barry Bonds... or has it?

Dawn Fratangelo will bring us some of the just-released 9/11 tapes (they are beyond chilling to hear, even in their edited form) and George Lewis has a fascinating look at one aspect of the immigration debate.

WASHINGTON & OTHER LINKS
There is much coverage available concerning the dinner that brought 2,300 of us together in Washington last night (the reason our broadcast originated from there), including this from fishbowlDC. We arrived back in New York to find a number of good stories simmering on the Internet. Among them: the "gesture" as performed by Justice Scalia while emerging from church services last weekend. The Boston Herald continues to run with the story, helped along greatly by the publication of the photo in question today. Then there's Don Powell's quote today about the recovery of New Orleans and his prediction of that city a quarter century from now. Treasury Secretary Snow finds himself anonymously fired again (that has to be a record) and we will ignore for now the e-mail campaign that has struck several of us today. It has to do with allegations that Jill Carroll was somehow complicit in her own abduction. As I exited the Washington Hilton this morning, I remembered that history was made there 25 years ago today. While the door that Ronald Reagan exited that morning has since been reconfigured, it's still striking to stand on that site.

9/11 WAS YESTERDAY
Just when you start to think that some time has passed since the 9/11 attacks, evidence presents itself, as it has this week, that would indicate otherwise. Here in New York, city officials say construction workers found HUMAN REMAINS from 9/11, apparently on the roof of the Deutsche Bank building, across from what used to be the World Trade Center. Think for a moment about what that means. Think about the acquaintance of mine who lost her son on that day, and was forced to bury the only remains that were ever recovered on the site: a jaw bone. And now all those families are forced to wonder all over again.

And how has air travel changed since that day? Let's look at one vignette from earlier today and ask how we've advanced the cause. The scene: Washington Reagan National Airport. An elderly man (a member, if I might say, of the Greatest Generation) arrived at the security checkpoint in his wheelchair. Absent a system in place to screen those in wheelchairs, he was forced to sit in a glassed-in bullpen and wait until a TSA agent was free to conduct a hand search. Veteran fliers know there's a certain indignity about the "bullpen" -- especially this one, as it's the focal point of all those passing through security. It has a vaguely criminalizing effect on even the most innocent of temporary inhabitants. And while common sense might perhaps dictate that this individual posed the least risk to aviation safety of anyone going through that checkpoint at that hour of the morning, he waited without complaint and endured a hand search that many would consider intrusive. Behind him a woman walking with the aid of a cane waited her turn for the same treatment. As one traveler muttered while retrieving his briefcase, coat, shoes, belt, watch, wallet, cellphone and pager from a flotilla of gray bins, "there has GOT to be a better way." While the TSA agents are following orders and procedures as they must, and while "a better way" in this case must come from science and industry, the question could fairly be posed: how far have we come since 9/11?

We hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.

The jury in the Zacarias Moussaoui trial resumed deliberations at 8:30 a.m. ET this morning. If they don't reach a decision by 4:30 p.m., they will resume again tomorrow.

The jury is NOT deliberating on whether Moussaoui should actually get the death penalty. Instead, it must answer: Is he eligible for it? To find that he is, jurors must conclude that Moussaoui:

-intentionally lied to the FBI when he was arrested in mid-August 2001;
-that he lied contemplating that lethal force would be used as a result;
-and that at least one person died in the 9-11 attacks as a direct result of his lies.

The jury must find each of those factors, and its verdict must be unanimous. As a technical matter, it will consider those three factors for each of the three death penalty counts to which he pleaded guilty. But if it answers yes to the three factors on ANY of the counts, then it finds him eligible.

If the jury answers no, then the trial is over, and he will automatically get life in prison. 

But if the jury finds him eligible for the death penalty, the trial moves into the second phase. After hearing another few weeks of evidence, the jury will then be asked to decide whether he should actually be sentenced to death.

Editor's note: If the jury reaches a decision today, click here for the very latest.

It's just like mom used to make, or is it? With more and more of us on the go, eating on the run has taken over our lives. Now there's a new, fast, easy trend in home cooking away from home. Will it bring families back to the dinner table?

Owing to the fact that our New York and Washington technical facilities are interchangeable, tonight Nightly News will originate from Washington, so that members of our team can attend this evening's Radio & Television Correspondents' Association dinner, which will be presided over by Vice President Cheney... and that just might make the President the happiest man in all of Mexico tonight. Not that he doesn't love to hang around with this crowd.

We've had some lead changes at the top of the broadcast already this afternoon, so I'm not ready to offer a firmed-up lineup here. At or near the top of the broadcast, we'll likely check in with David Gregory who is with the President on that aforementioned trip to Cancun. We'll talk about these new mileage standards announced today, the immigration lobbying effort on the Hill (we'll also continue our series of reports on the topic), the closing arguments in the Moussaoui trial and the disturbing story out of Duke University that has exploded across the national media today... beginning with the page one treatment by the New York Times. This afternoon, the Associated Press reports, "Duke University's president has suspended the school's highly ranked lacrosse team from play until school administrators learn more about the allegations."

Elsewhere in the broadcast, as we promoted yesterday, we'll examine the new trend toward c-sections -- which have gone from an almost "last resort" medical option to a commonplace birthing choice in the space of just a few decades. We'll also look at the battle over the Apples: the record label versus the computer company.

After one night in Washington, we'll be back at home base tomorrow night. My thanks to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Foundation for a wonderful event among friends last night. We hope you can join us for tonight's effort from here.

An authentic, "mom and pop" style Mexican restaurant in rural Iowa? Si, amigo! Welcome to Denison, Iowa, about 100 miles west of Des Moines, a place that hundreds of Hispanic immigrants now call home. I traveled to Denison last week to learn more about this changing town as part of our series on immigration called "Whose America?"

Correspondent Ron Allen, cameraman Ray Farmer and audio technician Dennis Fry rounded out our team. We went to talk with Denison residents, both native and newly-arrived, and to tour the Farmland Foods meat-packing plant, which is the main attraction for this new wave of workers. Its high-paying jobs rival those in big cities like Los Angeles, and the cost of living in Iowa is obviously far lower.

Upon arrival, Denison seems to be the typical portrait of "small town America." Coming into town, we passed the two biggest motels -- the Days Inn and the Super 8. No Four Seasons here! Drive a little farther, you'll come upon Main Street. Take Main Street a few blocks to Broadway, and you're in downtown Denison. But now, just near the theater which bears the name of Denison's favorite daughter, actress Donna Reed, you'll find tacquerias, beauty salons and other businesses owned and geared toward the growing Hispanic population. Visit the grade school, and you'll hear teachers giving lessons in both English and Spanish. This town is changing rapidly -- it's more diverse than anyone here ever could have imagined.

Yes, the town is experiencing some growing pains. The cultures are slowly learning to accept one another, and there's been some tension along the way. But what I learned on our trip, from talking to community officials, church leaders, and residents -- both Caucasian and Hispanic -- is that we all want the same things. We want to have a good life. We want to provide for our families. We want our kids to go to good schools. We want to feel safe in our hometowns. We want the American dream.

"Whose America?" examines who is or should be entitled to that dream... who takes great risks and travels great distances at the mere chance at achieving that dream... and who in this country wants to extend the dream seekers a helping hand or simply turn them away. I thank the residents of Denison for their hospitality, and I pray the two cultures will continue to grow together, not apart, all the while working to fulfill that sometimes elusive American dream.

They were once a last resort, now more and more women are choosing to have caesarean sections. It's a surgical procedure and it can bring complications. What's behind these pre-planned c-sections? How safe are they? When is it all right, and when is it not?

Playing his Card right
When the history of the Bush presidency is written, Andy Card may be referred to as the most powerful White House Chief of Staff of the modern era.  He has had an extraordinary influence over the execution of policy, the management of personnel and the direct control of the flow of information to the President. In a White House famous for its control of the message, it was notable recently when reporters' profiles of Mr. Card started mentioning his long work hours and weekly schedule -- seemingly always in the first paragraph.  Looking back, it was the first sign that these past five years in a tough job and at an unforgiving pace, had taken their toll.  In a political family that venerates loyalty, he is an icon.  He was the man who first told the President the nation had been attacked on 9/11, and it was then incumbent on him to re-design the Bush Presidency for an era of global terrorism.

Today an emotional President Bush announced his friend Andy Card will be moving on.  He'll be replaced by Josh Bolten, a well-known Washington hand in this administration, who brings a fresh budget background to the job.  Those who Googled Bolten today no doubt saw mention of Bo Derek and a Harley-Davidson. That keeps life interesting.  The White House staff shuffle (is there more to come?) will be at or near the top of our broadcast tonight.

Also this evening: the loss of two major figures from the Reagan years, today's case before the Supreme Court, and the troubles in Paris (more on that later).  We will also check in on the Gulf Coast tonight for an update on the Mississippi coast, as part of our "Long Road Back" series of reports.

And we'll look at a developing trend in this country that is horrifying to those of us with an aversion to mornings: the increasingly-early wake-up time across the United States.  Who better than Dawn Fratangelo to bring us that report tonight?

The perils of a live feed
With the cable networks airing the very same live pool pictures from Paris, I just saw a young man using his bare buttocks to express his sentiments to French Police spraying the protestors with water cannons.  His aforementioned derrière aired simultaneously on two different cable networks, followed by various one-finger salutes (it could be a regional thing, but I fear it means the same thing as it does where I grew up in Jersey) aired live on CNN.  It all makes for interesting, albeit R-rated, afternoon cable viewing.

From the author
I got a huge kick out of the e-mail posted on the blog last night asking if I was truly the author of this blog.  It was sympathetic in tone, noting the demands on my time.  But allow me to say, once and for all: Yes, it's me.  And while, as the nice man notes, it's time-consuming (considering I can't post until after our editorial meeting, which is then followed by a studio session taping promos for the next day, which is then followed by sitting down to write and edit copy for air) I've come to enjoy it enormously and I do feel it has made for a personal connection with our most-involved viewers that I don't think existed before.

Following the broadcast tonight, I will be with the one group of living Americans that I respect more than any other.  Each year I try to volunteer my time to help out the Medal of Honor Society, and this evening I will be hosting their dinner in lower Manhattan.  We will be honoring a huge contingent of living recipients and hearing from General Richard Myers, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, now retired.  It is an awe-inspiring group of men, and it is always a wonderful evening that serves to remind all of us in attendance about the very best of this country.  To a man, I contend they are all demonstrably better men than I am, by dint of their extraordinary service, selflessness and bravery while under fire. As their citations say: theirs is service performed in total disregard for their own personal safety.  Can we ask any more of a fellow citizen?  In a society sometimes devoid of good role models for our children, I will be in a room full of them tonight.  In a society that too often attaches the "hero" label to those who don't truly deserve it, these men do. While they walk through our airports and malls unrecognized, and while their faces have never been on the front of a trading card or a magazine, these are the Americans we should publicly celebrate.  I will try to do my small part tonight.

We have a good broadcast planned for this evening, and we hope you can join us.

More and more alarm clocks are sounding as early as 5 a.m. across the country. As work hours get longer, Americans are getting up earlier to juggle the demands of the day. What does it mean for health? Families? Lifestyle? Is what we gain really something to lose sleep over?

If someone tells you there is an easy solution to undocumented immigrants in this country, be suspicious. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but no matter what reform, if any, that comes down the pike from Washington, people will be upset. This issue has all the ingredients for a good fight, and not just in the U.S. capital.

I say this because for the past three days I have been talking to people along the border of Texas and Mexico in preparation for Lester Holt's piece tonight on immigration. This is our first story in this week's series we're calling "Whose America?" We came down here with lots of questions and got a slew of  different opinions. Not answers, opinions. Everyone here has first hand knowledge of the problem of porous borders and undocumented workers. Everyone here also knows there is no easy answer because it's so much more than just a statistic of nearly 12 million people. It's about human beings, livelihood and, for some, no less than the ideals this country was founded on.

While we were down by the river last night with U.S. Border Patrol agents, it didn't take long before we saw a man get caught crossing the Rio Grande. It happens all the time. With spring approaching, agents say the numbers are up again. Although attention is peaking this week with what is happening in Washington, being down here and watching people get caught and handcuffed while countless others get in unnoticed, is a stark reminder that whatever happens on the Senate floor will do little in the next year to stop the efforts of people in inner tubes trying to float across the river. The money is too good, and whether they acknowledge it or not, there are lots of willing employers in the U.S. who need the help. As I said, if someone tells you there is an easy answer to this issue, have them walk the 2,000-mile border in Texas, and ask them what they think then.

Today's news could easily fill up twice the time we are allotted for the broadcast.  There is the rather amazing testimony from the stand in the Moussaoui case: his assertion that he would have flown the fifth plane into the White House on 9/11... and who his co-pilot would have been. Pete Williams will report from the court. Pete described Moussaoui's demeanor in court today as "docile" -- and speculated that he was wearing a "stun belt" -- a device U.S. marshals sometimes use to control defendants (through the use of electric shock, or just the implied threat of it) who are given to violent outbursts in court.

Then there are the various moving parts on the topic of immigration -- the protests in California and the talks on Capitol Hill. On the plus side, our own Chip Reid told us earlier today that the scene at the Senate negotiations matched what many would define as the ideal for such a thing: lawmakers sitting across from one another with sleeves rolled up, negotiating compromises on a major issue. Tonight we'll look at the chances for real results.

And then there's Iraq -- today's page one story in The New York Times, since confirmed by NBC News, on the underpinnings of the war and the involvement and machinations of the United Nations. Today's story from the war zone has to do with accusations against U.S. troops following an incident at a mosque. James Hattori will report from Baghdad, Andrea Mitchell from Washington.

Elsewhere in the broadcast tonight, we'll have some exclusive reporting on national security, and health news that involves the intersection of nature and science. And on the topic of immigration, in addition to the news of the day from California and Capitol Hill, we'll kick off a week-long series of reports.

With thanks to Campbell Brown for so ably sitting in last week, tonight will find me back in the chair after a much-needed break with my family. I followed the news as much as I could from our family listening post to the south, and I must say I'm glad I was not here for the debate over war coverage in Iraq. I would only remind everyone that our colleague at ABC News, Bob Woodruff, is engaged in a personal and titanic struggle to fully recover from the wounds he received while trying to cover the "good news" in Iraq. That was exactly the mission he was on when his world was put on hold. Many of the journalists killed while covering this war were doing the exact same thing. The brave men and women who have volunteered for duty in our own NBC News Bureau in Baghdad put their own lives on the line each day. They will tell you -- as we have experienced for ourselves in Iraq -- that we'd like very much to beam home more stories of positive developments (especially the achievements of U.S. soldiers there, who I find are so mightily impressive when seen on the job) were it not for the palpable risk to life and limb that comes with each and every moment and movement on the streets. Yesterday's exchange on this topic among members of the roundtable on Meet the Press was particularly good, as was Tim's interview with Secretary of State Rice. (Click for MTP transcript.)

One final note on this topic: for those who missed it, Richard Engel's "reporter's notebook" story from last Friday's Nightly News was a gripping first-person video diary account of what life has been like during his years on post in Baghdad. We're always proud of Richard's work and in awe of his courage, but this broke new ground in terms of its honesty and emotion. It's great to be back in this newsroom, and we hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.

Again this week, the U.N. Security Council will focus on how to react to the International Atomic Energy Agency's report of Iran's failure to meet demands that it halt uranium enrichment and make clear that its nuclear program is not geared toward possibly creating an atomic bomb. But according to a knowledgeable western diplomat here, ongoing efforts to reach a successful agreement are not likely to bear fruit until later in the week, at the earliest. And, so far, diplomats have not given up on securing a so-called presidential statement, which requires consensus among all 15 members. (If unanimity becomes impossible, however, the option remains of seeking a "resolution," which would be voted upon and force nations to take a public stand, including casting a veto.)

Discussions and negotiations -- aimed mainly at getting Russia and China's approval of a draft statement -- are in high gear both in New York and among senior officials in the respective capitals of the five permanent veto-wielding Security Council members -- namely, Beijing, London, Moscow, Paris and Washington. Germany is also supporting the allied proposal and diplomats are confident that the 10 non-permanent council members, who sit on the council for two-year terms, will likely back a statement.

Several sticking points still divide the major powers. Russia is insisting that a council statement call for the IAEA's chief, Mohammed Elbaradei, to report back on Iran's compliance with demands at the next regularly-scheduled IAEA board of governors meeting in June and not in two weeks as the U.S., U.K. and France initially proposed.

Moscow also wants a council statement to be short (and not repeat the demands on Iran laid out in various IAEA resolutions) and not to refer to Iran's activities as being a possible threat to international peace and security, for fear the statement could become a "stepping stone" to council enforcement, including sanctions or more.

Late last week, the "unofficial" odds for a presidential statement, according to political insiders here, had dropped to 50-50. This week, western diplomats seem cautiously optimistic. A new round of talks among P5 foreign ministers and Germany, including U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, is scheduled for this Thursday in Berlin.

Twelve million illegal immigrants are already in the U.S., with more crossing the border every day. This week, Washington takes on immigration reform and we feature our special series "Whose America?"  Tonight, Lester Holt looks at what's happening in the border town of Laredo, Texas. Producer Marisa Buchanan e-mailed the photo below.  She estimates the Rio Grande dividing the U.S. and Mexico is less than 200 yards wide at this point.

Lester and Eugenio Rodriguez with the U.S. Border Patrol look across the Rio Grande, the river border between the U.S. and Mexico in Laredo, Texas. Photo by Marisa Buchanan, NBC News.

This week the Senate will immerse itself in the immigration debate, with what's expected to be a passionate and heated floor debate. There are very few things that are certain about how the debate will proceed, what is likely to become law, or more generally, "who wins, who loses." It contains multi-layered proposals with lots of moving pieces -- both legislative and political. But here are the broad outlines as it relates to what the Senate is doing.

There are two distinct components within immigration reform. The first part -- and the part where there is general consensus -- is physical border security. It involves adding more customs and border agents; better and additional surveillance tools like cameras and sensors; and more walls and fences along the Mexican border.   

The second, and most contentious issue within Republican ranks, deals with the immigrants themselves:  What to do with the 12 million people who are already in the country illegally? How to control the flow of those trying to come in? And, the hot-button issue of guest worker programs: Should those who are already here and working illegally be put on as fast track for permanent residency or should they be forced to return to their home countries and apply for citizenship from there?

So far the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction, has failed to produce a bill that has any type of guest worker provisions, only border security. It plans to meet in a rare Monday session to try to hammer one out addressing guest workers. But if they can't come up with a bill that is satisfactory to Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tenn., he will bring his own simple border security bill to the Senate floor on Tuesday, with no provisions addressing the controversial issues.   

Once that happens, senators will be allowed to offer amendments and call for votes on those more contentious matters, like the guest worker program. It's at this point we'll likely hear the passionate floor speeches and heated debate. 

There are still a few unresolved variables that could change the way this all plays out. Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Nev., has threatened to block Frist's bill, preferring something that comes directly from the committee, which would probably address guest workers. But it's unclear if Reid will have the votes to succeed with a blockade.

And even if the Senate was finally able to pass an immigration reform bill with a guest worker program, it could still never make it to the president's desk. When the House passed its immigration bill last year, it beat back any effort to address guest worker programs or residency status for illegal immigrants. And the House will be expected to put up the same fight if/when the two bills have to be reconciled and sent to President Bush.

Campbell is too busy to post today, so we'll fill this space with the copy from our e-mail newsletter. This is delivered to subscribers -- for free -- every weekday around 5:30 p.m. ET.  If interested, you can sign up by clicking here.

Immigration reform: It's another issue that divides Americans. Just what should the U.S. government do with immigrants who are in the country illegally?  Next week we'll take an in-depth look at the topic as the Senate considers a controversial bill, but we'll begin our coverage tonight with a report from NBC's Mark Mullen in our Burbank bureau.  He'll tell you why thousands of people in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Atlanta staged school walkouts, marches and other work stoppages today.

Among the other stories you won't want to miss tonight:

"THE WAR IN IRAQ: 3 YEARS LATER": Tonight, we conclude our anniversary coverage with a remarkable retrospective from our man in Baghdad, Richard Engel. Richard's been in Iraq from the beginning, before the first bombs fell. He's seen it all, and as you'll see tonight, recorded a lot of it in his personal video diary.

We'll also focus tonight on the shifting opinion of the war here at home.  NBC's Mike Taibbi reports from Susquehanna High School in rural Pennsylvania, where students continue to enlist even as some residents begin to raise doubts about what the U.S. is doing in Iraq. 

If you missed any of this week's series, you can find all the stories and video at www.Nightly.MSNBC.com.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: NBC's Anne Thompson brings you the story of a pink dress and how it kept one high school prom in Ocean Springs, Miss., from becoming another casualty of Katrina.

We hope you'll join us for those stories and all the rest of the day's news.

A diplomatic source tells NBC News:  In response to what the Afghan government is calling "the unprecedented international outcry," the Afghan government intends to release Abdul Rahman by Monday barring any unforseen circumstances. That would mean he would be out by Sunday U.S. time. This comes after a very tough call yesterday from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Afghan President Hamid Karzai. In particular, Rice wants the issue resolved quickly before she has to testify at scheduled congressional hearings next week. The controversy threatens to blow up politically for the president at a time when billions of dollars in supplemental aid to pay for the Afghan war and reconstruction are pending.

The primary basis for the release would be the Afghan's claim that Rahman is not mentally competent to stand trial. However, Rice has warned Karzai that that is not an appropriate solution. In any case, he would probably be given security and taken out of the country -- most likely to Germany. 

Secondly:  NBC News has learned that Karzai will submit nominees for a nine-member Afghan Supreme Court to parliament for confirmation, along with his new, 26-member cabinet. The Supreme Court -- once confirmed -- would help avoid future conflicts between the Afghan Constutition's guarantee of free speech and the underlying premises of Islamic law. However, that is long-term -- the court would likely not be confirmed by the parliament for at least a month.

It's just a pink dress, but to teens in one town hit by Katrina last fall, it's much more than that. Tonight, you'll meet a woman who collected hundreds of dresses to give kids the prom they thought they'd never have.

Tonight, the latest details on the successful hostage rescue in Baghdad. Three Christian peace activists are safe in the Green Zone after being freed from captivity by British and U.S. special forces. They were found tied up in a house in Western Baghdad.Two weeks earlier their American colleague Tom Fox was killed by his captors. Richard Engel reports for us tonight. Also, we continue our series "The Iraq War: Three Years Later." Mike Boettcher has been embedded with the 4th Infantry Division on a mission to hunt down insurgents. He talks to the troops about fighting an elusive enemy, and more generally about morale and how they feel about the debate over the war that is raging here at home.

Also... given how many Americans have died trying to liberate Afghanistan... a story that is shocking to a lot of people. Muslim clerics are demanding that an Afghan man who converted from Islam to Christianity be put to death. Top U.S. officials are trying to intervene with the man's trial now underway. John Seigenthaler will have more for us tonight.

And... Baton Rouge, Louisiana, sure has changed since Hurricane Katrina. The city's population has exploded in the last seven months... an additional 150,000 people. That has led to a housing boom and new construction is up, but it has also created traffic headaches and placed a burden on schools and hospitals. Now Baton Rouge is looking to the federal government for some help with its growing pains. Rehema Ellis has more.

Also... the booming business of document forgery, and a man making a difference in Africa. See you tonight.

The fake ID business is booming. Our undercover cameras show you just how easy it is to get fake driver's licenses and Social Security cards. But how many innocent victims are caught up in the fraud?

First... our apologies that my blog post did not appear yesterday. There was a technical problem. We have now resolved it. We all know our anchorman, who is off this week, is passionate about this blog, and would be greatly distressed if we abandoned it even for a day. So forgive us. 

This week has marked the third anniversary of the war in Iraq... and tonight we continue our series called "The War in Iraq - Three Years Later." David Gregory looks at how President Bush has staked his legacy on victory in Iraq, walking a fascinating political tightrope. We also reported last night on the debate over how the media is covering the war... and  complaints by some that the "good news" stories in Iraq are not being told. Many of you may have seen conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingram on the Today show complaining about reporters in Iraq covering the story from their hotel balconies. There is obviously a lot more to it than that... and I would urge anyone who hasn't read it yet to check out what our people in Baghdad have been posting in our sister blog "Blogging Baghdad."

Also tonight... big news for tens of thousands of auto workers... and a little more clarity on the future of General Motors. General Motors and its former subsidiary Delphi have announced separate agreements with United Auto Workers that would offer buyouts to 100,000 GM workers and about 13,000 Delphi workers. Payouts could be as high as $140,000, depending on years of service. But as Anne Thompson reports tonight, the devil may be in the details, as the deal would require workers to give up their health insurance. We will also have reaction from workers in Michigan, Wisconsin and Texas who are affected by the agreement.

And... how is New Orleans going to hold elections with so many people still displaced? Plus, interesting news from Chief Science Correspondent Robert Bazell, who tells us about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder... and how some doctors believe that the drugs to treat ADHD are being over-prescribed... especially to children.

See you tonight.

Today's Supreme Court ruling on police searches reads like an episode of "Law & Order."

Police officers respond to a domestic disturbance call at the home of a couple that's had a rocky marriage. In front of the officers, the husband and wife trade accusations. She claims her husband's drug use is causing money problems and says actual "items of drug evidence" are in their home.

Hearing the suggestion that evidence might be inside, the police ask the husband if they can search the house. No way, he says. But the wife gives her consent and leads the officers to an upstairs bedroom, where they find a drinking straw with what looks like cocaine on it.

That very scene played out in reality five years ago at the home of a Georgia lawyer who was arrested and charged with drug possession.

Today, by a vote of 5-3, the U.S. Supreme Court said the search was illegal and that police who don't have a warrant cannot come into a house (or apartment, or college dorm room, for that matter) when one of the "cohabitants" objects.

Justice David Souter wrote the majority opinion, joined by Justices Stevens, Kennedy, Ginsburg and Breyer. The opinion says past search cases in this area all come down to what's commonly understood about the rights and responsibilities of people who live together. "A caller standing at the door of shared premises would have no confidence that one occupant's invitation was a sufficiently good reason to enter when a fellow tenant stood there saying, 'stay out.'" The same idea, Souter writes, is reflected in property law. When people live together, there's no superior and inferior, and each has an equal say in how the property is used.

Chief Justice Roberts, Scalia and Thomas dissented. Justice Samuel Alito took no part, because the case was argued before he joined the court.

In his first written dissent, Roberts says the ruling makes no sense and "protects a co-occupant who happens to be at the front door when the other occupant consents to the search." But he says the decision would not protect another occupant "napping or watching television in the next room" who doesn't happen to be at the front door to object. "If an individual shares information, papers, or places with another, he assumes the risk that the other person will in turn share access to that information or those papers or places with the government," Roberts writes. In this particular case, he says, the wife could just have easily walked upstairs, gotten the cocaine straw, and turned it over police. And, Roberts says, she could have consented "to police entry and search of what is, after all, her home, too."

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President Bush's second news conference of 2006 was noteworthy because of the wide variety of subjects addressed. After a brief opening statement, the president fielded questions on everything from Iraq to Social Security.  You can read the complete transcript here.  We will, of course, have complete coverage on tonight's broadcast, led by White House Correspondent Kelly O'Donnell.

For now, here are the thoughts of retired Army Col. Jack Jacobs, who analyzes military issues for MSNBC. He called "The Daily Nightly" to offer his reaction to the remarks. And when one of just 116 living Congressional Medal of Honor recipients offers his insights, we listen. 

Iraq in civil war
The president's response was not enlightening. Militarily, either it is either an insurgency or a civil war. The administration doesn't want to call it an insurgency because it doesn't want to commit the resources to fight it in the time-proven way. And if it's not a civil war, what is it?

Iran
The president is right that a unified international voice is required, but we won't get it. Russia has too much at stake in Iran to be consistently helpful.

Senior staff changes at the White House
Bush doesn't fire anybody because his management style is inflexible. He lures people he trusts and cedes them an enormous -- actually unlimited -- authority. Exactly the opposite of former President Jimmy Carter, who micromanaged everything.

Should Donald Rumsfeld resign?
He won't, but his performance has not been good as a war fighter. The plan for Iraq was fundamentally flawed, and the current strategy will succeed only by sheer luck.

Ayman al-Zarqawi
Bush still has not learned that personalizing the battle undermines his assertion that this is a worldwide battle against terror. Here's some advice: Stop talking about Zarqawi and never mention Osama bin Laden again.

The threat of censure
Bush has a clever response: "Make my day." And he's right. For a relatively smart politician, Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., who proposed the censure resolution in Congress, does some pretty foolish things.

Immigration
Bush's plan is only half-baked at this point. Europe's guest worker programs have sown a sociologically catastrophic crop. And making the workers temporary visitors won't work either, since they'll just disappear and stay forever.