I'll be sitting-in for John Seigenthaler tonight.

We have been keeping close tabs on this afternoon's highway overpass collapse in suburban Montreal, Canada. The pictures we've been watching coming in over the satellite have been quite dramatic, as officials were racing to remove concrete slabs in search of victims.  We are planning a full report for tonight's broadcast…

Meantime, the sudden resignation of Florida Congressman Mark Foley over inappropriate emails sent to a young former Congressional page, is raising lots of questions about the House page program. NBC's Mike Taibbi will report tonight on when officials within the page program became aware of the correspondence, and what actions they took.

If you are one of those airline travelers who are comforted by the sight of a silver-haired, well-seasoned looking captain in command of your flight you'll be interested in a new push to raise the FAA's mandatory retirement age for U.S. commercial airline pilots. As it currently stands, pilots cannot operate a commercial flight after they turn 60.  But some argue today's 60-year-olds are a lot fitter and healthier than they were when the rule was first established in 1959. Tom Costello will have more in this evening's In-depth segment.

I'd be pleased to have you join us tonight.

SALINAS, Calif. - I've been talking with a lot of farmers, scientists and health officials over the past week about E. coli and spinach. But after learning much more than I could ever have imagined about the bacteria (for instance, they occur mostly in ruminant, or cud-chewing, animals), what's stunning is how little the experts know about how it gets into our food supply.

There have been 20 outbreaks of this deadly E. coli strain involving leafy green produce over the last 11 years. Yet in each of those incidents, officials have NEVER been able to determine where the E. coli contamination began. Did it come from irrigation water, or manure, or runoff from nearby livestock, or from workers who didn't wash their hands? These are difficult questions to answer.

Everyone agrees something needs to be done -- especially in this Central California farming area, where nearly half of those 20 outbreaks have occurred. There's a lot of talk about changing the voluntary FDA guidelines farmers use to employ "best practices" on their crops. But improvements in farm practices may be hard to formulate. How can you make changes when no one knows how the E. coli got into the spinach in the first place? Still, experts say they may need to tweak those guidelines, or perhaps even require them by law. Despite these kinds of warnings before, there seems to be more determination to tackle the issue this time. As an FDA official said today, changes are needed... or we could be facing the next outbreak two months from now.

In tonight's "Making a Difference" segment we profile an amazing woman, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, a native of Tasmania, Australia, who is now a professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Today she shared with two others the Lasker Award, America's premier recognition for biomedical science. Dr. Blackburn's research focuses on an enzyme called telomerase that helps determine how long cells live and whether or not they become cancerous. It is basic, but it has enormous potential to lead to new cancer drugs as well as diseases associated with aging and stress. You can read a lot more about her, the other winners and the science behind the discoveries on the Lasker Foundation's Web site.

I would especially recommend the introduction by Dr. Joseph Goldstein, the chairman of the jury and one of the most witty and erudite scientists I know.

You may have heard of Dr. Blackburn in a political context. In 2002 she was asked to join President Bush's Council on Bioethics set up to advise the White House on questions such as stem cell research.  In 2004 she was fired. She was never given a reason, but presumably she was canned because her scientific opinions did not conform to the administration expectations. She received thousands of e-mails and phone calls, almost all of them supportive of her efforts to try to stick with opinions  she thought were scientifically correct.

"It was a much bigger reaction nationwide then I had ever expected," she explained to me, "over something that in itself was not a big think. But it was the representation, I think, of something that had been much more consistently happening."

I close tonight's piece by saying  Dr. Blackburn might win the Nobel Prize on Monday when the award for Medicine for Physiology is announced. That is informed speculation. The Nobel committee in Sweden is notoriously secretive. I would bet a lot that Dr. Blackburn will win that prize, but it could take a few more years.

I guess we can agree the embargo on the Woodward book is no more. The best-laid plans of media empires have again fallen, days before a grand, intricately-planned debut. We awoke to a New York Times page 1 story [NYTimes.com login required for link] announcing a staffer had purchased the book before its official release "at retail price," which is SUCH a New York way of saying "we bought the book." A friend of mine in Washington reminded me today: only New Yorkers specify whether they paid "retail" for something.

At any rate and on to larger matters: there is a wealth of material in the book, we'll let Mr. Woodward stand by his work and his sourcing. Our own Andrea Mitchell is among the journalists who signed a confidentiality agreement (standard in these types of things) meaning she could possess and read the book, but could not discuss its contents with anyone. On conference calls that we had internally yesterday, Andrea excused herself from any discussion of the book's contents. We had to report what we could without her, and while yesterday's reporting was based largely on what had already been placed in the public record... and what Jim Miklaszewski and others could add... today's New York Times story (sharing the meat of the book with the world) left such agreements practically, if not legally,  moot. Tonight we'll report the book's major points and the White House defense.  We'll talk about all of it with Tim Russert. It also turns out Jack Abramoff was more familiar with the White House staff directory than was previously thought. We'll hit that, too.

Also tonight, a story that I've wanted to get on the air for some time: the airborne behemoths of the firefighting business out west: they are Russian-made and American-made jumbo jets, heavily retrofitted to carry thousands of gallons of water or fire retardant. With California's "Day" fire now burning since Labor Day, it's a fair question: Why aren't they being used more often? While it may not be a GOOD answer, there IS an answer to that question... George Lewis has filed a great piece on this topic tonight.

On the topic of a different, fatal fire: there is outrage in Rhode Island tonight over the case of the nightclub fire. Having been in that state that very summer, and having followed that case (and knowing full well how close-knit a place it is, and how the reality differs from the bad accents and hideous caricatures of Showtime's "Brotherhood"), this is an emotional story to watch. Also tonight we'll have a profile of an extraordinary woman of science in our "Making a Difference" segment. 

These past two days have been great outings for Tucker Carlson's "Beat the Press" segment on MSNBC -- quite often the most entertaining stuff on television at that time of day. Very excited about the season premiere of Saturday Night Live tomorrow night (I'm watching the rehearsal via closed-circuit television right now). I hope you all have a good weekend.

Please join us for tonight's broadcast.

Too dark, too light, too quiet, too slight -- Brian addresses viewer concerns about Early Nightly quality and reviews some of the top stories of the day.

Click here to watch the vlog.

If you missed Brian's full interview with Elizabeth Edwards on "Today" this morning, you can watch it by clicking here.

And a reminder that Mrs. Edwards will answer your e-mails this afternoon. Please click here to send us your questions. We'll post an audio transcript of the chat later this afternoon.

We have been in one endless meeting since 2:30 this afternoon -- a discussion of how we should handle several of the stories that will air up high in our broadcast tonight. In no particular order, we will cover the Colorado story, and various news out of Washington at the top of the broadcast. We're still working out a number of the pieces. We're also keeping an eye on the Western fires.

Tonight we will air the first installment of my interview in North Carolina yesterday with Elizabeth Edwards. We will air a longer segment tomorrow morning on "Today" (right now scheduled in the 8 a.m hour). She has written a very personal, very brave and emotional book which I note has risen to No. 2 on Amazon. I hope you can watch both segments.

In addition, our "Fleecing of America" series continues tonight...and we have an interesting look at the science of speech and what we're learning about childhood development.

So it's into the studio for a taping, then to the newsroom. We'll have everything in order by the time you come to us. That's a promise. I hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.

Photo caption: Elizabeth Edwards talks to Brian Wednesday in the Edwards' family home in North Carolina. Photo by Subrata De, NBC News.

Editor's note: Elizabeth Edwards will answer your questions Friday on MSNBC.com. Click here to submit yours via e-mail. We'll post a link to the audio chat in this blog tomorrow afternoon.

Brian mentioned in yesterday's post that he was in North Carolina for a morning interview. In today's vlog, he tells you why. Click here to watch.

A little later, I'll post a photo of the interview he mentions.

So many stories swirling around in the mix, and yet not a lock for the lead among them. This day will go down to the wire. We have reporting from the White House (on several fronts) on health (trans fats and the news made here in New York on that topic today) and much more. This is something of a rushed posting today as I'm just in from North Carolina, where I spent the first part of the day taping a segment that will air tomorrow night.

QUOTES OF THE DAY
"I'm just trying to clarify any of the rumors that's out there about me trying to have a suicide attempt..."
- TERRELL OWENS OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS

"Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive."
- KIM ETHEREDGE, TERRELL OWENS' PUBLICIST (did you all get the reference to his salary?)

And with that began the short news conference that explained (or attempted to) the most talked-about story in the sports world -- the rumored/misreported suicide attempt by a Dallas Cowboy.  He says that while he might have mixed medications and supplements and pain killers, he didn't try to kill himself. He later thanked the city of Dallas' Emergency Services. Glad that's resolved.

As I write this, WNBC-TV is breaking a major local political story, which we will keep an eye on in terms of impact and national scope. It's worth reading for its reporting and content.

We still have a few pieces to put in the right places, but it's early yet! We hope you will join us for tonight's broadcast.

Brian anchors the broadcast tonight, but while he's on assignment, Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory handles 'Early Nightly' today.

Click here to watch the vlog from the NBC News Washington bureau.

About this controversial leak of the intelligence report: the President today said he is having it "declassified" -- even as he himself said, in effect: this is no way to conduct the nation's business. As you can imagine, the Democrats have a few things to say on this matter. We'll hear from some of them tonight... notably, the Junior Senator from New York. Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke to reporters today about her husband and the nation's security. We'll hear from David Gregory and Andrea Mitchell.

Wall Street is making news... a big day on the Dow (six-year high) and NASDAQ, with a number of companies posting 12-month highs. The S&P had a big run today. The market is suddenly up like a rocket. How high? 24 of the 30 stocks in the Dow are up, many of them big-ticket stocks. Our friend Maria Bartiromo will be along to give us the big picture.

If you vacationed anywhere in New England this summer, or if you have attended a Red Sox game at Fenway, there's a good chance you have seen the Hood blimp. There's an even better chance that you have NOT seen it parked in the trees. It went down today, and we'll have the pictures tonight. 

Golfing great Byron Nelson has died at the age of 94. We will note his passing tonight.

Also tonight, Lisa Myers has our Fleecing of America segment, and Bob Faw has the story of an American veteran that is simply not to be missed.

A PARALLEL UNIVERSE AND A GOLD STATUE
We were fortunate last night to be awarded an Emmy for our coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. At the very same moment I was at the podium accepting for my colleagues, the New Orleans Saints were scoring a touchdown on a blocked punt 90 seconds into their home opener against the Atlanta Falcons. While we were forced to relive that week in New Orleans via the news clips that played on a big-screen television in the ballroom last night prior to each nomination... they were celebrating the re-birth of the Superdome, which so many of us had left for dead after the storm. It was a big night for our news organization, but much more importantly: it was a happy night in New Orleans. They haven't had too many of those. The Saints, undefeated, indeed came marching in, through the very same tunnel where on the day of Katrina we all huddled to escape the water cascading in through the ceiling of the dome.

Ed Bradley handed me the statue with great affection, and in my remarks I paid tribute to the NBC News employees who have put their professional calling above self and have made us so proud to work here.

Because we work in television and are constitutionally unable to plan ahead beyond the next hour or so, after last night's Emmy Awards, various network camps ended up at the revolving bar at the Marriott Marquis Hotel here in Midtown Manhattan. Not that there's anything wrong with the Marriott, mind you -- but it was a bit strange that in the city that leads the world in the category of cool bars -- there we were, alongside a tour group from Canada, four students from Virginia, and selected delegations from other networks who suffer from the same inability to event-plan. So I found it funny that while NBC staked out an area of about 100 square feet in the bar's inner immovable "core," our colleagues at ABC News chose several tables on the other side of the "seam" in the revolving part of the restaurant.

This meant that like the planets around the sun, our competitors passed by at a barely-perceptible crawl every 55 minutes or so (it's because I don't drink that I was able to make these observations and calculations with an unclouded mind), but they know better than to read anything into this in terms of "running circles around us" or any such play on words. We chose the area that looked out on 30 Rock... and enabled us to keep an eye on our world headquarters... and our competition... ever watchful. I do believe the constant swirling motion that separated the two groups ultimately prevented an ugly network rumble. We were ready, though.

To those of you who have written me such kind thoughts about our own Richard Engel over the years, please keep Richard in your thoughts and prayers. He is now heading back to the region, after attending the Emmys as a nominee last night. Richard is as savvy as he is brave, and has a wisdom about the region well beyond his years. We have loved having him around here for a few weeks, but as he keeps reminding us: he is happiest in the field. We'll do our best to watch over him from here.

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

Photo captions: Above left, the view from the NBC News table as Brian accepted the Emmy. Above right, Brian Williams celebrates with Nightly News producers Marisa Buchanan, Pat Burkey and Subrata De (left to right). Both photos by M.L. Flynn, NBC News.

Why did Brian record the vlog outside? Click here to watch 'Early Nightly' and find out.

As we have learned over the past 24 hours, former Presidents can control the news agenda depending on what they say... and how they say it. While we will reprise some of President Clinton's comments on FOX this weekend, we'll also add analysis as to the back story... and what might become the story from here. There's a lot of other news out there, including homeland security, housing prices and air travel. This was a good day for the manufacturers of 3 oz. sizes of moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners and hairspray. The folks who govern what we are allowed to carry (or not) on board airplanes have decided that the nation's need for gels outweighs the risk that several terrorists would pool their liquid resources while an aircraft is aloft. All of this leads me to ask again how inspections and detection would differ today if senior government officials flew commercial aircraft.  We will report this new TSA development tonight.

We will close the broadcast tonight... with a re-opening. The Superdome in New Orleans is hosting Monday Night Football this evening, and I must say that when I walked out of that structure after Katrina blew over, I assumed it would have to be torn down. It was the scene of great sadness, suffering and death. Now, it has become emblematic of rebirth -- a friend of mine in New Orleans, a police officer -- told me he was going to the game five hours early just to sample the flavor. He reports the city streets are full of people and businesses are closing early. The city (those who could not get tickets in the sold-out dome) will be watching tonight as President Bush (41) tosses the coin and the game gets underway. It will be about a whole lot more than beating the Falcons.

Tonight we gather as an industry here in New York for the Emmy Awards. While it is keeping me from being in New Orleans, I do want to represent and be with our great team if indeed our work is singled out for recognition. We will all be thinking of New Orleans.

RANDOM NOTES
Those in the literary/book world who enjoy an occasional filleting have probably by now already noted Jennifer Senior's review of the new books by Lewis Lapham and Sidney Blumenthal in Sunday's New York Times [registration required for link]. Both men are formidable figures -- big-name writers with big brains -- and both were dealt with in their own way by Ms. Senior's keyboard. While I take no ideological side in the authors' shared topic, I have enjoyed her writing in the past, and it is an object lesson in the balance of power. For the moment, at least, it's in the reviewer's hands.

For admirers of the outsized personalities that often take the world's best photographs, the special section in this week's Newsweek on Annie Leibovitz's new book is extraordinary. As the magazine correctly points out, she really is our most famous photographer. She creates icons, and has become iconic herself.

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

Heather Allan's Aug. 24 post about five dogs in Beirut rescued by NBC News drew quite a response. Sunday on Weekend Nightly News, correspondent Jim Maceda reported some good news: the dogs are safe at the BETA (Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) shelter. You can watch Jim's video report by clicking here.

NBC News producer Charlene Gubash, based in Cairo, Egypt, also tells us that Best Friends Animal Society, based in Kanab, Utah, has sponsored an airlift of about 300 dogs and cats from Beirut to Las Vegas. The airlift will virtually empty BETA's shelters and allow them to take in more homeless animals.

Members of BETA and Best Friends left Beirut this morning with the animals, en route to Las Vegas. Late tonight, they will travel about four hours in temperature-controlled vehicles to Kanab. The animals will be assessed for 2-4 weeks and then will be sent on to their homes. Most of the pets have already been adopted.

The AP has also covered this story. You can read the latest here.

Photo caption: Snooze, one of the dogs rescued by the NBC News crew, living up to his nickname at the shelter. Photo by NBC News.

As promised, producer Steve Majors has delivered four short videos he shot with his DV-cam during a tour last week of the New Orleans Superdome. The first video runs 1:49 and offers his impressions upon seeing the inside of the renovated dome for the first time. Additional segments take you to the 50-yard-line and the view that has changed so much since Brian pointed his cell phone toward the roof and captured the panels peeling away in Katrina's hurricane winds. Steve also gives you a look inside a luxury suite and the exclusive owner's box, which tonight will play host to former President George H.W. Bush and a host of other dignitaries.

Click here to watch all the videos, after the obligatory short advertisement.

Photo caption: One of the two bars enjoyed by New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson and guests in his Superdome luxury suite. Photo by Steve Majors, NBC News.

Brian anchors the broadcast tonight, which will feature a report from Martin Savidge on why tonight's Monday Night Football game is much more than a good matchup between divisional rivals.

Click here to watch the vlog.

Ushers take a tour of the the Louisiana Superdome on Saturday, hoping to learn the changes before tonight's game. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

Tonight, the New Orleans Saints return home to the Superdome for the first time since Katrina. And it's not just a source of pride for the team, it;s also become a source of inspiration for the city.

First, there is the dome itself. A year ago, it seemed irreparably damaged. Part of the roof had peeled away leaving the inside water-logged and moldy. Evacuees left behind 4,000 tons of debris and refuse as well as badly damaged seats, concession stands and suites. As for the dome's image? Well, to this day, no one expects, or wants, the world to forget those pictures of human suffering. But tonight, a "new" Superdome debuts to a nationwide audience with an image everyone hopes will be just as memorable.

It took $144 million dollars and 850 workers working nine months to give the dome its badly needed facelift. From top to bottom, it looks wholly different from that dark, windswept structure where thousands huddled during the storm and for days afterward.

Let's start at the top. That mangled roof, all 9.7 acres of it, has been entirely replaced. Inside, there's a new state-of-the-art lighting and sound system. On top of that, there are new scoreboards and video screens, a brighter paint scheme, modernized concession stands, upgraded luxury suites and a fresh paint job on brand new turf. In short, it looks like a brand new dome.

If the dome itself weren't enough to be proud of, the city is walking on air about the Saints. This will be their first home game since Katrina. And this season, unlike many others, fans have something to cheer about. The team comes into tonight's game 2-0. Most NFL teams wouldn't consider that a lot to brag about. But for fans accustomed to so many losing seasons, it's enough to let them dream. On top of that, they're playing their long time rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, who are also undefeated.

And tonight's game has also given the city what no FEMA official, politician or insurance adjuster could hope. Many have said; if the lackluster Saints can come back with a strong start to the season and if the Superdome, with its painful past, can rebuild in record time, perhaps there is hope for this city. The team and the dome have become symbols of what might be possible.

It may not be the Super Bowl, but it could indeed be the most important game of the season, emotionally. Why?  Perhaps it's because the game has given everyone something positive to focus on for a change. It's all everyone talks about. Instead of talking about whether they're back in their house, received their insurance check or are thinking about leaving, folks here can finally just talk about something normal -- a football game.

Editor's note: Steve also took his DV cam into the dome ... we'll crunch that video and deliver it to you in this blog shortly. Tonight on 'Nightly,' correspondent Martin Savidge reports on the Saints home opener.

Editor's note: Tonight on Weekend Nightly News, Lea Thompson reports on off-campus fires. She offers up these tips for parents with kids in college.

We spend all our kids' lives preparing them for college. We spend most of our lives coming up with the money to pay for it. But did you ever even think your child could die in an off-campus fire? Did you ever dream that cheap, hole-in-the-wall place your son is living in could go up like a tinderbox?

I am the parent of three college graduates and I am embarrassed to tell you that I just never thought enough about whether, when they moved off-campus, they were living in a firetrap. So what would I look for now that I have been educated by the experts?

-- Has the place your child is moving into ever been inspected? Has it ever had any citations? Knowing what I know today, I really would go to the trouble to visit City Hall and find out.

-- I wouldn't even check to find out if the smoke detectors are working. I would just go to the nearest hardware store and buy a new one. You want to put it on the ceiling right over every sleeping area, in the kitchen, and where kids are most likely going to hang out.

-- Does every bedroom have two ways to get out? It should. Just imagine your child having to jump from the third floor. At least get one of those metal ladders that folds and can go under the bed.

-- We saw a lot of windows that wouldn't open on our inspections. Many old buildings have windows that have been painted shut or painted so many times that it takes real effort to move them up and down.

-- Avoid halogen lamps and space heaters: They really are fire starters. And no 100 watt light bulbs. They really are too hot.

-- A lot of old houses have lousy electrical work and not enough plugs. Go to the basement and see what's down there. Electrical strips should not be daisy chained together. Also put your hand on the wall outlet; if it's hot or even warm, fewer electronics should be plugged in.

-- The No. 1 cause of campus fires is cooking. Inspect what your kids are going to cook on. 

-- Fire inspectors hate couches on front porches. They are too often fire starters. Students drink, they smoke, they fall asleep, and hours later the smoldering couch becomes an inferno.

Want to know even more? There is a nonprofit organization that has a terrific Web site for you and your children. Check out The Center for Campus Fire Safety.

Also, check to see if The Princeton Review has ranked the college or university your daughter or son is interested in or attending. There are about 500 schools rated at PrincetonReview.com. Just know they are rated based on a self-reporting system and what you see there is only for on-campus housing.

There are still places in this country where, if you know they are there, you can find major celebrities in the local phone book. Perhaps you know that they own an old beach house on an island... perhaps you know that they're listed under a spouse's name... perhaps they are local institutions (several come to mind, but it would hardly be fair to list them here!), who generally don't get bothered, and so they remain... right there, somewhere between Adams and Miller, for all the world to see. Well, time was when everyone was like that. The high and mighty and the regular folks, all jammed into the pages of a single volume. On tonight's broadcast, because we like to leave you with something on the lighter side at the end of a heavy week, we'll take you back to a time when everyone was "in the book."

Back to the top of the broadcast: a lot of news to report tonight. The topics: military readiness, the war in Iraq, the FDA, some politics with Tim Russert, a homecoming for astronauts, and a veteran -- a great man who fought for this country in Vietnam -- who is making a difference for families of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Speaking of the freedoms that so many have fought and died to protect: Glad to see the hornet's nest of Democracy that yesterday's posting stirred up -- including even more angry e-mails unsubtly calling into question the patriotism of any interviewer who would ask questions of the President of Iran, and any network that would dare to air them. To those on both sides of the issue: have a good weekend.

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

As Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf noted during today's news conference, his new book, "In the Line of Fire: A Memoir," published by Free Press (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), indeed will be released Monday, Sept. 25.

The cover price is $28, but if you order from Amazon.com, you can get it for $18.48. The New York City Public Library system has 10 copies on order (2 already reserved) -- www.nypl.org.

The book's current Amazon sales ranking is 1,289 (compared to the Hugo Chavez-endorsed "Hegemony or Survival" by Noam Chomsky, which is No. 1).

Have you heard about Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's book deal? It made for one of the most interesting moments in White House history this morning.

Watch the vlog to get the full story from Brian. 

"He captures their eyes." That's what family members say when they look at the portraits Michael Reagan sketches of their loved ones who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reagan is a Vietnam War veteran who took up drawing as a hobby during the war. It later became his profession. His home studio in Edmonds, Wash., is stacked with signed drawings of some of the 1,500 celebrities, athletes and presidents he's drawn.

Two years ago, Reagan drew a portrait of a serviceman killed in Iraq and presented it to the man's wife. Her reaction was so powerful and positive that Reagan realized he wanted to close his art studio, retire and draw for the families of all the fallen heroes.

Photo caption: Pfc. Sam Williams Huff, 18, of Tucson, Ariz., died on April 18, 2005, from inuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near her vehicle in Baghdad. Drawing courtesy of Michael Reagan.

Reagan begins work each day at 2:00 am and usually completes two portraits a day; each one takes him about five hours. When NBC cameraman Geoff Nelson arrived to shoot the story that will air on tonight's broadcast, he could see Reagan through the window, alone, sketching in the pre-dawn light. Reagan talked to us as he drew, and in his way he communicated with the pictures he was drawing, showing his tremendous respect for the veterans of this war. 

Reagan's wife Cheryl has made scrapbooks of all the cards received from family members of the fallen soldiers. She read for us from one card: "Dear Mr. Reagan, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the incredible drawing of my husband, the resemblance is very striking and the drawing has so much life in it, you captured the life in my husband's eyes so much I actually talk to the drawing, like I was talking to him."

There are hundreds of such notes. And there are more than 430 sketches of the fallen in Reagan's beautiful scrapbooks.

Michael Reagan's story is one of goodness, sadness and love. He respects and honors soldiers and their families more than anyone I've ever met. And he's committed.

"Any family that contacts me and wants a portrait, they'll get it," Regan told me. "Free of charge. All they have to do is get me the photograph. I'm paying the postage. We're covering the cost of everything that's associated with this because they've given up enough."

Visit his Web site for more about the fallen heroes project and a gallery of images and click here to e-mail Michael Reagan directly.

Photo caption: Lance Cpl. Jeremiah Savage, Tenn., killed in action on May 12, 2004. Drawing courtesy of Michael Reagan.

There are two big stories tonight involving Americans and their health. One involves Wal-Mart, the other HIV. We'll draw it all together tonight.

There are some disparate names in the news: Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, John McCain, Hugo Chavez and Dr. Z. If we do our jobs right, we'll tell you all the stories involving all those players.

VIEWER MAIL
If you watched last night's broadcast, you saw and heard a small selection of the e-mails we've been getting -- most having to do with our interview of the President of Iran. A staggering number of e-mails are harshly negative, and the writers vehemently argue that we should not have interviewed Ahmadinejad and should not air his comments on NBC. Some of the e-mails are rude and hateful. Some vow never to watch NBC again. The question I'd like to ask is: shouldn't Democracy be bigger than that?  How do we decide who we can interview...only those who are non-threatening and completely reasonable? Who decides that? I thought a comment made by "Lucy" on this blog put the argument best:

"What are people afraid of? That (the Iranian President) will somehow persuade us to become radical Muslim extremists? Let THEM be the ones who limit free speech. Let US be the ones who encourage it... even when we don't like it."

I'll leave you with that. I hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.

Editor's note: If you missed it, you can watch Brian open up the e-mail bag on Wednesday's broadcast. Just click here.

Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, the commanding general of Combined Forces Command in Afghanistan, briefed reporters today at the Pentagon. He was asked about the photo that NBC correspondent Kerry Sanders obtained and published in this blog last week, showing a funeral for a mid-level Taliban fighter with more than 100 alleged Taliban fighters in attendance. Eikenberry said a strike was not ordered because the commander on the ground knew there was a village nearby and that women and children from the village may have been present. Eikenberry said that the villagers were possible Taliban sympathizers, but they were still innocents. He added that his commanders make those decisions every day, and he has complete confidence in them.

As for ongoing military actions in Afghanistan, Eikenberry admitted "significant challenges do remain," and as a result, U.S. troop levels will remain at the current level -- about 21,000 -- through early 2007.

"The enemy we face today in the field is not extremely strong," said Eikenberry, pointing out that the Taliban is quickly overwhelmed in a showdown against coalition forces. But Eikenberry conceded that "in some areas (the South and Southeast) there are more Taliban extremists than there were at this point last year."

Those of us who have to deal with New York City traffic every day will be anxious to see the end of the gathering at the U.N. It occurred to me today that the Bush Administration will be equally anxious to see it end, for reasons having nothing to do with traffic flow.

Another foreign leader used his visibility on this week's world stage to take a broad swing at President Bush today. It doesn't get much worse than calling the President "the devil," but Hugo Chavez of Venezuela did. We'll look at his speech and talk about what it means (especially when combined with the comments made to us by the Iranian President yesterday) tonight with David Gregory.

What a fascinating color photograph of President Bush on page one of most print editions of today's New York Times [link requires NYTimes.com login]. If you look closely, you can see what the President does to his prepared remarks... going over them with his Sharpie (his pen of choice) to emphasize and break up expressions. It appears that virtually every line is underlined, with breaks right where the President wants them for emphasis during delivery. 

It has suddenly occurred to people who've filled up their tanks this week that gasoline prices are falling... rapidly. We'll look at what might be behind this development. Tonight there's also better news from NASA, a fascinating political story out of Virginia... and the e-mailers get equal time tonight. So many opinions, so little time...