By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

The snow is falling, and the wind chill in New York is 15-degrees as I write this. It will be a bitterly cold night for the millions of people who will gather here in Manhattan to watch the ball drop. Any one of them can tell you what a rough year this has been. From rising unemployment to falling home and stock prices. When I consider the drumbeat of bad news we have had to report this year my head hurts. Yet this afternoon as I walked back to the newsroom against the tide of tourists and visitors heading into Times Square, I saw nothing but smiles, excitement and expectation on their faces, and I was reminded there is something powerfully reaffirming about looking forward. We'll do more than turn the page of a calendar at midnight. We will celebrate our resilience, and the hope of new beginnings.

On Nightly News tonight we will see how the world is bringing in the New Year, as well as look at the economy and the signs of recovery we will all be watching for in 2009. Also, Lee Cowan has put together a terrific spot that will remind us how lucky we are, and that may make us all look back on 2008 in a much more positive way.

I'll be in for Brian again tonight on Nightly News. I hope you'll join me, and I wish you a safe night and a Happy New year.

By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington

A final tribute to the U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The following eight service members died last week in the two war zones:

1. Marine Lance Cpl. Robert Johnson, 21, liked to jump off waterfalls and tear up his dad's car while growing up in Central Point, Ore. "He was the one who always stirred up trouble in our family," his mother told the Oregonian. He enlisted in 2005 out of high school and was on his second tour in Iraq when he died Dec. 20 in a non-hostile incident in Anbar province. Johnson, with the 1st Marine Logistics Group, leaves his widow, Elizabeth, whom he married in March.

2. Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas Reilly Jr., 19, of London, Ky., was so good at decorating cakes in high school that he considered entering culinary school after his military service. Serving in Iraq with the 3rd Marine Division, he was killed Dec. 21 when a rocket propelled grenade struck his Humvee in Anbar province. His mother was told of his death while at a hospital where her daughter had just given birth. "She is really struggling," a friend told the Times Tribune.

3. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Smith, 28, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was an outdoorsman who loved to golf and hunt and a family man who loved to grill briskets and ribs. "He really lived for his family," his wife, Bobbi Jo, told detnew.com. "He was that kind of guy." He was one of three members of the 4th Infantry Division who were killed Dec. 24 in a vehicle rollover in Baghdad. Smith was on his second tour in Iraq. He also leaves a 15-month-old son, Adler.

4. Army Spc. Stephen Okray, 21, of St. Clair Shores, Mich., was described as a happy-go-lucky kid who loved hunting, fishing, cars, and motorcycles. "He walked in the room and it glowed," his uncle told freep.com. Okray enlisted in 2005 and deployed to Iraq in September with the 4th Infantry Division. He was one of three soldiers killed Christmas Eve when their armored vehicle rolled over in Baghdad. "It was just a tragic ending to a good kid," his uncle said.

5. Army Spc. Stephen Zapasnik, 19, of Broken Arrow, Okla., was scheduled to come home on leave Jan. 15 but died Dec. 24 along with two other members of the 4th Infantry Division when their armored vehicle rolled over in Baghdad. "He said, 'Mom, if I ever don't come back, you know I will always be with you, and I will be with Jesus, and I will be fine,'" his mother told the World. "I know that he's perfectly safe and spending Christmas up there with Jesus."

6. Army Cpl. Charles Gaffney Jr., 42, of Phoenix, Ariz., enlisted in August 2006 and was an infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division. He was killed Dec. 24 when his combat outpost in Patkia, Afghanistan, came under enemy rocket attack. Gaffney leaves his widow, Latticia, and their daughters, Cara and Mia, of Caldwell, Idaho. He was an M4-rifle expert whose awards and decorations included the Overseas Service Ribbon and the Combat Infantry Badge.

7. Army Maj. John Pryor, 42, of Moorestown, N.J., was certified in CPR at age 14, joined an ambulance corps at 17, and became an emergency medical technician at 18. He was a surgeon with a forward surgical team in Mosul, Iraq, when he was killed Dec. 25 by a mortar. "John wanted to be on the front lines where he could make a difference," a friend told the Saratogian. Pryor leaves his widow, Carmela Calvo, a pediatrician, and their three children, ages 4, 8, and 10.

8. Navy Master-at-Arms Seaman Apprentice Joshua Seitz, 19, of Sinking Springs, Pa., died Dec. 25 when his patrol boat collided with a barge moored in the harbor of Mina Salman in Bahrain. Two other sailors aboard the 25-foot boat suffered non-life threatening injuries. Seitz's body was given an official farewell by members of the Harbor Patrol unit as it left Dec. 29 for the states. Hundreds of service members attended a Dec. 30 memorial service in Bahrain for Seitz.

Click here to view tributes to the 469 service members killed in the Middle East in 2008.

Washington Producer John Rutherford is a decorated Vietnam veteran. He also posts stories on the military at www.fieldnotes.msnbc.com (click on "John Rutherford" under "categories") and at http://john-rutherford.newsvine.com. The first tribute gallery can be found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22802019/ and the second at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27336564.

 By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

The political and legal intrigue surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich just got a lot more interesting today, with Blagojevich announcing an appointment to fill President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat. In the face of an expected federal indictment against him and an active effort to impeach him, Blagojevich named former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the seat. The problem, of course, is that this is the same seat the feds earlier this month accused him of plotting to sell.  Now the Illinois secretary of state says he will refuse to certify the appointment, and U.S. Senate leaders continue to say they won't seat anyone appointed by Blagojevich. So, where is all this headed? Our Lee Cowan is working the story for us tonight from Chicago, and NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd will be on from Washington to talk about the chances of this appointment sticking.

We'll also take a close look at an extremely detailed account of the space shuttle Columbia disaster that NASA is releasing.  It goes into sometimes difficult to read detail about what the Columbia crew may have experienced in their final minutes. Tom Costello will explain what NASA is hoping to do with the information.

Also tonight--the latest on Israel's Gaza offensive, and some new information about the risk pregnant mothers face from mercury contaminated fish.

Brian is off this week. I hope you will join me later for NBC Nightly News.

By Robert Bazell, NBC News chief science correspondent

Many studies have shown that eating fish is healthy, but mercury which comes from industrial pollution makes its way into the ocean and into the meat of fish. Adults who eat very large quantities of fish can get mercury poisoning. But the biggest concern is the effect on the brains of fetuses and young children when pregnant or nursing mothers eat fish.
 
You can read current government guidelines about seafood and mercury here.

Here are two summaries of scientific articles from a group at Harvard that illustrate both sides of this issue:

 

The first, a survey of more than 25,000 birth records in Denmark shows that children whose mothers eat more fish do better developmentally.

The second shows a correlation between higher mercury levels in the mother's blood and less development in the children.

 By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

It's the third day of Israel's massive retaliatory attack on Gaza, and the death toll has now climbed above 360--many of those reported to be civilian non-combatants. Israel faces rising outrage from neighboring Arab countries and condemnation from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Bush administration, however, lays the blame on Hamas, which it regards as a terrorist organization, and says Hamas must stop firing shells into Israel. Tonight on Nightly News, our veteran Mideast correspondent Martin Fletcher reports from the war zone on what is happening inside Gaza and what Israel's apparent end game is. Savannah Guthrie will explain the White House's thinking as well as why President-elect Barack Obama is not weighing in for now.

At a time when many people are having to trim non-essential items from their budgets, we will report tonight on a disturbing trend of some Americans having to cut even deeper -- forgoing, or self-rationing, necessary prescription medications because they can no longer afford them.

There has been another case of a celebrated non-fiction memoir turning out to be fiction after all. This one was a soon-to-be-published holocaust story that Oprah Winfrey once called the "greatest love story...we've ever told." We will tell you how the hoax was exposed.

Brian is off tonight. I'll be looking for you on NBC Nightly News.

TEL AVIV – As Israel vows a war "to the bitter end" against Hamas, the surge in violence has spurred worries about another regional Mideast war as well as speculation about Israel's ultimate aim with its broad assault on targets inside the Gaza Strip.

On the former question, there's not a chance. Who would fight it?

Apart from the usual suspects -- Iran, Syria and their Lebanese proxies, Hezbollah -- most Arab leaders are probably delighted that Israel is taking apart Hamas fighting ability. Most pleased, privately, is the West Bank Palestinian leadership of Fatah, which saw Hamas obliterate its own power structure in Gaza in a few violent days 18 months ago.

VIDEO: Israel widens fight in Gaza

This is payback time, courtesy of Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Fatah leaders, after calling for an urgent cease-fire, blame Hamas for provoking Israel by its refusal to continue the six-month truce, and its repeated rocket attacks into Israel.

Just as pleased is Egypt, which fears that its own fundamentalist Muslims will be encouraged by Hamas' success in Gaza. A bloody nose for Hamas fits Egypt's needs perfectly. Just as Palestinian police in the West Bank opened fire on pro-Hamas protestors on Sunday, so did Egyptian police on their border with Gaza.

Likewise, pro-Hamas demonstrations in Arab capitals like Amman and Baghdad will not force any military moves against Israel by their governments. And Iran, apart from its ability to support and encourage Hezbollah and Hamas, is a thousand miles away. The most Syria can do is to call off its indirect peace talks with Israel, which it has already done.

How the fighting could spread

So there are only two ways the fighting could spread. One way is if Hezbollah, or Palestinian groups, in southern Lebanon open a second front by firing rockets into Israel.

But Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's lukewarm call to arms did not include his own men. He said, "I join my voice to the voices of other Palestinian leaderships that have called for a third intifada in Palestine." In other words – you guys do it.

And although there have been some protests at home, Israeli Arabs, as well as Palestinians in the West Bank, have limited themselves to highly-publicized but small-scale protests that include throwing stones at soldiers, but nothing worse.

If Israeli soldiers kill Israeli Arabs, that could provoke a much wider revolt. But because of the killing in October 2000 of Israeli Arabs by soldiers, which led to two months of violence by Israeli Arabs, Israeli soldiers today do not use live bullets in confrontations with their own citizens. 

SLIDESHOW: Violence in Gaza

So what will Israel do now?
Israel's attack is vastly different from its failed attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon during the summer of 2006.

The leaders then were two civilians, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who had minimal military experience, and an air force leader as chief of staff.

They raised the bar incrementally, sending ground troops in always a step behind Israel's needs, according to the inquiry commission that studied Israel's failings after the war. Today, alongside the same chastened and more experienced Olmert are war legends Ehud Barak, who is now the defense minister, and Gabi Ashkenazi, the chief of staff.

Their modus operandi is overwhelming force, applied at the right time in the right places. All the troops and tanks Israel needs for a ground invasion are already in place, yards from Gaza.

Moreover, Israel has much better intelligence than it had in southern Lebanon. Gaza is closer to home, in fact in some senses, it is home; and no doubt Fatah men in Gaza are helping Israel's own secret services identify the targets.

Israel says it is ready for a ground invasion, but that needn't be one sweeping attack. It could be quick forays and pullbacks. It could be an armored division demolishing one area at a time.

However, Hamas remains strong. It has up to 20,000 well-trained and well-armed fighters who have been preparing to repel an Israeli ground assault for a year. It still has plenty of anti-tank rockets, secret tunnels and booby-traps. The price could be high on both sides.

Israel's end game?

But Israel's goals are not clear. Olmert said the aim is to restore a cease-fire on terms Israel considers favorable. Israel knows it can't destroy Hamas completely, or even its ability to fire rockets. But Israel does want to make the price so high that Hamas will not want to fire any more rockets.

The model is the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who after Israel's invasion of southern Lebanon -- after he kidnapped two Israeli soldiers -- said if he had known the reaction from Israel, he would have never kidnapped the soldiers. And in the Israeli parliament on Monday, Barak declared that this is a "war to the bitter end against Hamas."

Essentially, Israel wants to destroy as much as possible of Hamas military infrastructure, teach Hamas the same lesson, and reach a cease-fire that will last.

But Hamas still has an arsenal of weapons, including thousands of rockets, suicide bombers ready to attack, and the support of its people in Gaza. Israel will overwhelm Hamas, but could yet suffer some nasty surprises.

The only other way the fighting could end soon is the way it has in the past: An Israeli rocket hits a school or an apartment building, killing a hundred people. Then Israel will not be able to withstand international pressure to call off the attack.

By Mark Potter, NBC News correspondent

One thing about the criminal mind is that it's always working the angles, always searching for new ways to outsmart the authorities. We'll show you a vivid example of that tonight on NBC Nightly News.

When law enforcement officials cracked down on Colombian drug traffickers using speedboats and freighters to sneak hundreds of tons of cocaine into Mexico and, ultimately, the United States, the smugglers came up with a new and stealthier vessel which they are now mass-producing in the South American jungles.

The smugglers' latest ship is called an SPSS, a "self-propelled semi submersible," which looks like the Nautilus, the fictional Jules Verne submarine from the 1800's.

It's self propelled by an internal engine which can take the ship more than a thousand miles on a tank of gas. The ship is called semi submersible, because while running the high seas loaded with tons of cocaine, almost all of the vessel rides below the ocean surface, making it very hard to detect.

U.S. Coast Guard officials say the traffickers may be building as many as 80 of these ships a year now in remote factories protected by Colombia's insurgent guerillas. While the predominate concern is for their use in smuggling a third of all the cocaine reaching the U.S. now, there are also potential terrorism worries.

A hard-to-detect vessel in the hands of a terrorist group that could fill one of these ships with explosives and slide in next to a cruise ship, a U.S. warship or enter an American port is a national security nightmare. U.S. officials are clear to point that they've never seen it happen, and don't know of any such plots, but also insist they are aware of the possibilities and are keeping a watchful eye.

While reporting this story, we got to see one of these semi-submersibles up close and to go inside. My thought immediately after climbing down the hatch into the cramped control room is that this is not a ship in which I would want to spent any time rolling around the ocean. The SPSS's typically have a crew of four or five people who can easily spend more than a week at sea. I just can't imagine that. Not me.

Perhaps the math explains why they do it. Officials say it costs the traffickers about $1-million dollars to make one of these vessels. While the vessel is normally used for only one smuggling voyage, the cocaine load it carries is worth more than $80-million on average--a staggering profit. An SPSS captain gets paid between $100-thousand and $150-thousand per trip. It's all about the money.

Learn more about the secret "submarines" examined by Mark Potter. Watch video.

 

 

 

By Amy Robach, NBC News anchor

Tonight, all eyes remain on the Middle East as the death toll continues to rise from Israel's airstrike in Gaza. We will have a live report from Martin Fletcher who has made his way to the border region for a first-hand account of the escalating situation. In addition, Richard Engel will join us to discuss the impact this will have on the region, as well as the United States.

We'll also touch upon the top domestic issue facing President-elect Barak Obama: the economy. Savannah Guthrie will report on Obama's plans live from Hawaii.

Finally, you won't want to miss a heartwarming update on a brave young man who showed unbelievable strength and courage when he had both of his legs amputated. His one wish: to one day run alongside his classmates. We've followed young Nick Nelson's journey for the past year, and you won't want to miss his amazing story. We hope you'll join us tonight.

By Peter Alexander, NBC News anchor

Just two days ago, millions focused their attention on Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born more than 2,000 years ago. During that evening's Midnight Mass, Pope Benedict XVI prayed "that hatred and violence will cease" between the Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, today, an unprecedented surge of violence erupted in that region, marking one of the bloodiest days in the 60-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

I haven't spoken to anyone yet who admits spending more money this Christmas than they did a year ago. We have all been forced to engage in some serious financial soul searching. As we know of course, what is good for our bottom line, is not necessarily good for the economy. As expected holiday retail sales numbers were considerably lower. The fight, however, for our holiday spending dollars isn't over. I opened my e-mail today and as usual it was filled with ads from clothing and computer companies. This season I've been really good at quickly hitting the delete button, but this time I paused. One ad caught my eye with a promise of an extra 15% off today only, on prices that were already cut in half. I took the bait, and clicked on the purchase icon. Only the fact they were out of the particular size I needed kept me from parting with my money. My impulse, however -- reaching for my credit card when offered a drastic discount, is exactly what retailers are hoping to see on a broad scale this weekend. CNBCs Margaret Brennan will report for us tonight on discounts being offered as high as 75% on this weekend after Christmas in an effort by retailers to empty their shelves, and salvage what they can in a weak economy. We will soon learn if there really is such a thing as a deal too good to pass up.

Brian is continuing to enjoy the holiday week off. I'll be anchoring Nightly News tonight, and in addition to the retail sales story, we will have the latest on the ash and sludge that is threatening a Tennessee community after a dike collapse. We will also update you on the search for bodies from that Christmas eve massacre outside Los Angeles.

I hope you will join us.

When cellist Yo-Yo Ma came to NBC last week, he brought his beloved cello "Petunia" with him and offered Brian a chance to play. You can listen to their lesson by clicking on the photo below:

                          
                                                            Photo by Subrata De

By Amy Robach, NBC News anchor

It's more than appropriate on this Christmas night that we bring you stories of Americans here at home and overseas spreading joy and goodwill. 

In Atlanta, Ron Mott will show us an army of cheerleaders, volunteers with the USO spending this holiday at the airport, welcoming home America's bravest from their latest missions and thanking those heading off tonight, back into the battlefield.

Also from Baghdad, a four star general getting into the spirit, trading his military hat for a Santa cap, thanking his troops for their service to this country. 

We'll also have Mark Potter's heartwarming story of amazing generosity to those still suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as well as three singing priests from Ireland who have hit number one on the musical charts and are breaking world records with their hit new CD.

Nightly News begins this evening with a look at how the nation coast to coast is celebrating this Christmas, we hope you'll join us.

By Mark Potter, NBC News correspondent

Looking at his soon-to-be new neighborhood in the Gentilly area of New Orleans, with it's 20 brand-new homes, Edgar Williams couldn't help but dream about what he'd do once he moved in. He particularly had his eye on the screened-in back porch.

"My plan for the back one is a rocking chair, a cup of coffee and a newspaper in the early morning sun as it comes up," he said.

Edgar's dream is shared by nineteen other hard-working families who are also linked by a devastating experience. They all lost their homes three years ago to Hurricane Katrina and have been struggling ever since.

Now they are being given new homes, free of charge. It's a remarkably moving story that producer/photographers Amber Payne, Christina Vallice and I are proud to show you tonight on NBC Nightly News.

Watching the television coverage of that horrific storm back in August, 2005, Leonard Riggio, the chairman of the Barnes and Noble bookstore chain, and his wife Louise, were moved to tears and vowed to help the victims whose music, culture and cuisine they loved so much.

"We felt like we were part of it. We knew right then and there that we had to do something," Riggio said.

What he did was donate $20-million--the largest philanthropic gift from a single individual--to rebuild homes and lives in New Orleans, an effort known as Project Home Again.

With a team of dedicated planners, a local architect and a contractor who worked from dawn to dusk to finish way ahead of schedule, Riggio built 20 homes and created an entire neighborhood. Even more homes are on the drawing board in another part of town.

Recently, the families were all invited to come see their new places. Mothers and fathers escorted wide-eyed children into gleaming living rooms and kitchens. They stared in disbelief at spacious bedrooms where they would no longer have to share couches or FEMA trailers with other displaced relatives. Edgar Williams walked in the door and was awestruck.

There to greet them were Leonard Riggio, his wife and the entire building team. "I couldn't help crying going into that first house. It fills my heart with so much joy," Riggio said.

All he has asked of the families is for one of them to invite him inside their new house for a home-cooked New Orleans-style dinner when he returns for a block-party this spring.

The families have eagerly agreed. Watch tonight, and you'll see why.

By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor

Christmas Eve but news doesn't stop, and Executive Producer Bob Epstein starts our 2:30 talking about getting live pictures of the Midnight Mass underway at the Vatican at 6:30 ET tonight.

The good news is prayers are being answered today in the US. A break in the weather is allowing flights to take off and trains to run, so finally stranded holiday travelers are on their way home.

That isn't to say the weather nightmare ended. In Seattle, during the deicing of one plane the fluid got in the cabin and sickened some of the passengers.

Ron Allen has that story tonight, and will also have the other lingering weather problems nationwide, along with the forecast for Christmas Day.

We also have some news a lot of people can really use right now, there are huge discounts, by as much as 70 percent, in stores.

There is also a fantastic story by Jim Maceda about a man who gave up his law career to be a humanitarian 19 years ago, and has since become a force for good in the lives of children victimed by war in Afghanistan.

And Brian's story about the 40th anniversary of Apollo 8's flight around the moon, meant to run last night, will definitely run tonight. With all the troubles America faces on this Christmas Eve, seeing this first long view of our planet from space, may again lift us, reminding us we will rise again.

By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington

Army PFC Derek Derose, who was wounded Oct. 17 by a roadside bomb while on patrol near Beni Zaid, Iraq, has a mixed assessment of the situation in Iraq.

"As far as conflict-wise, it's pretty much over, mainly encountering IEDs," Derose, 20, of Stafford, Va., said last Friday after receiving a Purple Heart at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. "We are putting a really big dent in their [al Qaeda's] caches. We quickly became cache killers because we were finding some large caches.

"But as far as this country stabilizing, I don't see it happening any time soon, because they [the Iraqis] are lazy, and they just love to take handouts. So until they get the initiative to take it on their own and do stuff to get their country up and running, we're going to be over there for a while."

Derose (right) deployed to Iraq a year ago with the 25th Infantry Division. He was the only soldier at this month's ceremony to receive a Purple Heart, the lowest number in months.

-----

At the same time, the military is reporting a dramatic drop in casualties in both war zones. The last U.S. combat death in Iraq was on Dec. 4; in Afghanistan on Dec. 1.

"This shouldn't suggest that things will be easier in Afghanistan," MSNBC military analyst Col. Jack Jacobs told me. "Indeed, the opposite is true, and we are in for a hell of a ride next year."

Jacobs said the fighting and dying are down in Afghanistan because of the weather.

"It's winter," he said. "Particularly in the mountains, the enemy holes up until the spring thaw. It's cold and snowy and miserable. Come springtime, it won't be so quiet."

In Iraq, he said, the Iraqi army is now carrying out many of the operations previously conducted by Americans.

"A larger number of our forces are now engaged as mobile training teams to train Iraqis, rather than chasing bad guys all over the country," Jacobs said.

-----

Army Sgt. Peter Neesley, 28, of Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., died in his sleep in Baghdad of an undetermined cause on Christmas Day of last year. After his death, his family began a successful effort to bring home to Michigan two stray dogs that Neesley had adopted off the streets of Baghdad (click here to read the earlier story).

This is a recent photo of the two dogs, Boris and Mama, much healthier and a lot chunkier than they were a year ago.

"They are doing really well," Peter's sister Carey wrote. "This last couple weeks have been hard for us as we approach the one year anniversary of Peter's death. We miss him so much. But we also have paused to remember all those that provided us with great comfort in those dark days.

"The dogs have brought a lot of comfort and some necessary comic relief at times. They are definitely Peter's children."

-----

One final note. I am retiring from NBC News at the end of this month and will no longer be writing the "Fallen but not forgotten" blog. I want to thank everyone who has read and commented on the blog over the past year and a half. I especially appreciated the thoughtful comments of Anna, Stephanie-Umbro and Jackie Rawlings. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and all the best.

WRC-TV photo of Army PFC Derek Derose, and Neesley family photo of Boris and Mama.

Click here to view tributes to the 461 service members killed this year in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the following three casualties from last week:

1. Army Pvt. Colman Meadows III, 19, of Senoia, Ga.

2. Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Dean, 25, of Henagar, Ala.

3. Army Pfc. Coleman Hinkefent, 19, of Coweta, Okla.

Washington Producer John Rutherford is a decorated Vietnam veteran. He also posts stories on the military at www.fieldnotes.msnbc.com (click on "John Rutherford" under "categories") and at http://john-rutherford.newsvine.com. The first tribute gallery can be found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22802019/ and the second at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27336564.

By Ann Curry, NBC News Anchor  

Nightly's 2:30 meeting began today with more worry than usual about how we are going to fit in all the stories we want to cover tonight.

The big story, a stunner for the economy: median U.S. home sales plunged more than 13 percent last month, more than expected, and the biggest year-over-year drop in 40 years.

The economy isn't getting any help from the weather today. There's lots of evidence, our Lee Cowan is finding, that even last minute Christmas shoppers who want to spend are having trouble getting to and from stores on this day before Christmas eve.

The weather is also still stranding people just trying to get home for Christmas.  Get this: 250 flights out of Seattle and Chicago have been cancelled and Amtrak is reporting trains stuck for up to 19 hours and counting, stranding hundreds.

At this hour, the cold is being considered a possible factor in this morning's 66-inch water main break in Bethesda, Maryland. We are gathering not only the dramatic video of people being rescued from flooded cars on what is now ironically named River Road, but interviews with them as well.

And if that wasn't enough, later today we expect news to break on what communications anyone on the Obama team may have had with the embattled
governor of Illinois.

But amid all this, we're looking forward to some poignant stories too, including one by Brian himself, about the 40th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 8. The first to orbit the moon, the mission gives us a chance to once again get a look at ourselves from very far away. Maybe it's some perspective we can use right now.

(Editor's note: Due to breaking news, the Apollo 8 story will now air on Christmas Eve).

By Ann Curry, NBC News Anchor  

Ann Curry in tonight for Brian Williams on this Christmas week.

As our Nightly News executive producer Bob Epstein begins our 2:30 meeting, the nation's stunning cold snap seems to be the day's lead story.

It's dangerous and widespread, already a killer, and also delaying flights, closing freeways, causing accidents...even a snowplow flipped over.

Yes, it's now officially winter, but that doesn't explain how it is that Seattle has five times the snow it usually has on average this time of the year.

We are addressing the why's and where's and, on the upside, who can count on a White Christmas.

Also on the burner: What contacts the President-elect Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, had with the embattled governor of Illinois; the Denver plane mishap's survivors and investigation; and surprising ways the recession is changing everything this holiday, except perhaps what's in our hearts. And on that point, the generous heart of America is revealed in a sweet Making a Difference story tonight. 

Some inside baseball: Brian's old friend and colleague Aurelia Grayson joins us for the first time tonight as Senior Broadcast Producer. They last worked together at WCBS in the late '80s, and, like him, she enjoys fast food--a newsman's daily bread. (By the way, Brian, do not even think about reaching for her favorite: pepperoni pizza.)

December 24, 2008

To track Santa's travels from the North Pole and beyond with Virtual Earth 3D visit:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28146841

December 16, 2008

In her report on Nightly News, "First Lady gets big perks, no pay," Andrea Mitchell asked the question, Should the First Lady be paid? Here's what the more than 2,000 MSNBC.com users who participated in our online vote had to say

December 13, 2008

To check the condition and inspection dates of the bridges you cross visit: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21840954

December 12, 2008

Making a Difference: Visit New Jersey's Electronic Information and Education Service site here: http://www.eiesofnj.org

Read NBC News Beijing Bureau Chief Eric Baculinao's World Blog post, "Amid growing unrest, will China Changes it's ways?"
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/12/11/1712172.aspx

December 11, 2008

Read the full NBC/WSJ survey
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/081210_NBC-WSJ_ReleasedPoll.pdf

December 8, 2008
Read the abstract of the "Sex Differences in Medical Care and Early Death After Acute Myocardial Infarction" study, as reported in the journal Circulation, here.

December 7, 2008

For more of Carmen Wong Ulrich's personal finance tips, visit "On the Money"
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15838483/

December 6, 2008

More information on the people filling the positions within Barack Obama's Cabinet: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27343359/

A state-by-state look at the deteriorating employment situation:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27913794

December 2, 2008

Information on the released Nixon tapes:
http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/tapeexcerpts/fifthchron_part_ii.php

For more information on the Institute of Medicine's report on the hours worked by doctors in training:
http://iom.edu/Object.File/Master/60/469/residency hours revised for web.pdf
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November 26, 2008

Tracking the toolbox:

Read the best summary of where it is, and how long it will be visible for here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27910795/
 
Watch it move across the planet here: http://www.n2yo.com/?s=33442
 
Find out when you can see it in your area here:
http://www.spaceweather.com/flybys/

November 25, 2008

List of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's 2009 "Top Safety Pick" cars.
http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr112508.html 

Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation
http://www.dslrf.org/index.asp

National Cancer Institute Report
http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/ReportNation2008Release

November 24, 2008

National Geographic's Crittercam Chronicles
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/crittercam/

November 23, 2008

To watch the live stream of the space shuttle Endeavour's nearly two-week visit to the orbiting outpost,click here.

November 18, 2008

For more information on the "Paws for Purple Hearts" program, which involves veterans with PTSD training dogs for physically wounded veterans, click here: http://www.assistancedog.org/about_us/PPH.html

November 17, 2008

For more information on the diabetes research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and carried out at the University of California, San Francisco, click here: http://news.ucsf.edu/

The research has so far only been conducted in mice; human trials are in the planning stages.

November 14, 2008

Puppy cam!
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam

Slideshow of big budget events
Milestones in government spending from CNBC.com

For more information from tonight's "Making a Difference," please contact:
Sabrina Brinson, Ph.D
Founder & National Director
Boys Booked on Barbershops / Girls Booked on Beautyshops
Associate Professor, Childhood Education and Family Studies
Missouri State University
901 S. National Avenue
Springfield, MO 65897
sbrinson@missouristate.edu
http://faculty.missouristate.edu/s/sbrinson
 
OR
 
Mocha Moms, Inc.
www.mochamoms.org
 
For more information on literacy services, please contact:
 
National Institute for Literacy
1775 I Street, NW, Suite 730
Washington, DC 20006-2401
(202) 233-2025
www.nifl.gov
 
The Institute, a federal agency, seeks solutions to improve literacy across the lifespan - children, youth, and adults. It also makes available free scientifically based publications on reading and literacy for learners.
 
The National Institute for Literacy also offers the America's Literacy Directory (ALD) to support your search for literacy, reading, GED, math, and English as a Second Language programs and resources in your area. The ALD, a free, national online resource, features more than 5,000 entries in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Please visit www.literacydirectory.org or call 1(800) 228-8813 (for English and in Spanish).
 
Reading is Fundamental, Inc.
1825 Connecticut Ave., NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20009-5726
1 (877) RIF-READ
www.rif.org
Reading is Fundamental, the nation's oldest and largest non-profit children's literacy organization, prepares and motivates children to read by delivering free books and literacy materials to those who need them most.

November 11, 2008

Community of Veterans: An Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America online community

November 9, 2008

More information on 'Witness to Jonestown' and Rev. Jim Jones

November 5, 2008

On the scene: Witnessing history
Msnbc.com documents the thoughts and emotions of voters.

November 4, 2008

Relive Election Day hour-by-hour
Watch the best of NBC News' coverage from November 4.

October 28, 2008

The cartilage repair procedure featured in Robert Bazell's arthritis report is called NeoCart and is carried out by the Histogenics Corporation located in Waltham, Massachusetts.  For more information go to:

www.histogenics.com

 

The adult stem cell research being conducted at the University of California San Francisco is still only in the laboratory stages. For more information on the research program, go to: http://irm.ucsf.edu/

October 23, 2008

More on placebos from Robert Bazell
Read the AP story on the NIH survey

October 21, 2008

'Tip of the Spear' -- How to help the Viper Company:

The Army servicemen featured in Richard Engel's reporting from their outpost in Afghanistan would welcome winter hats, gloves and socks, comedy DVDs, videogames, cigars and Christmas treats. Send them to:

Captain James Howell
126 INF 3-1 IBCT
apo ae 09354

Crib recalls:

For official information on the Delta Crib recalls, go to http://www.deltacribrecall.com.

Related News from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09016.html

 

 

Alzheimer's:

Alzheimer's Association: http://www.alz.org

Alzheimer's Association Spanish language web portal: http://www.alz.org/espanol_recursos_para_los_latinos.asp

Alzheimer's Association 24/7 toll-free national Helpline (Spanish-speaking operators available): 1-800-272-3900.

October 14, 2008

Our Second Generation Americans series is based in part on the following research:

Census national population projections (2008 to 2050): http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/2008projections.html

A state-by-state breakdown of the percent of people who are foreign born (2007 US Census).

More than 40 percent of America's population can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island.  The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation allows anyone to search passenger names for free: www.ellisisland.org

October 1, 2008

Join Dr. Susan Love's Army of Women -- visit here

Learn more about children and allergies

Sept. 30,  2008

Erin Burnett mentioned that you can look at the FDIC Web site to see the rules for insuring deposits

September 19, 2008

How to help victims of Hurricane Ike

• The Best Friends Animal Society has rescued dozens of animals in the Galveston area following Hurricane Ike. You can make donations through their Web site, http://www.bestfriends.org/

• The United Way of Greater Houston is asking anyone who would like to volunteer -- as well as those who need assistance -- in the Houston-Galveston area to call 2-1-1 Texas / United Way HELPLINE. Specialists will connect potential volunteers with local agencies in need of help.

• The American Red Cross generally accepts only trained volunteers, but it does need bilingual volunteers who will be given onsite training. Call 713-526-8300 for more information or go to www.redcross.org. Bilingual volunteers are also needed at several San Antonio shelters, a Red Cross spokesperson said. Call 210-224-5151, for more information.

• Catholic Charities of Houston: Call volunteer coordinator Nancy Mercado at 713-305-8268 for information on upcoming disaster relief projects.

• St. Vincent de Paul has activated its home visit program to the elderly and sick known as "Arms Wide Open." To volunteer, e-mail yayaministries@svdphouston.org.

• For more opportunties, contact Volunteer Houston by email at volunteerhouston@gmail.com or call 713 853-8802.

• Houston mayor Bill White set up the Houston Ike Relief Fund. Send cash donations to: Houston Ike Relief Fund, C/O Greater Houston Community Foundation, 4550 Post Oak Place, Suite 100, Houston TX 77027. 

• The Houston SPCA is working hard to reconnect lost pets with their owners, as well as rescuing animals from hard-hit areas. You can make a donation here. The animal rescue hotline is 713-435-2990.

The Houston Chronicle has also posted a comprehensive list of places to give and get help.

September 18, 2008

Where They Stand: The Kaiser Family Foundation has conducted an independent comparison of Sen. John McCain's and Sen. Barack Obama's positions on health care reform. You can also read the candidates' official position statements here:
Sen. John McCain: "Straight Talk on Health Care Reform"
Sen. Barack Obama: "Plan for a Healthy America"

September 12, 2008

Learn more about "To Write Love on Her Arms," the suicide prevention program featured in Savannah Guthrie's story, on the project's MySpace page. You can also order merchandise from the official website.

September 11, 2008

More information on neurologist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, who wrote a best-selling memoir about her own eight-year recovery from an aneurysm, can be found on her website, http://drjilltaylor.com.

September 5, 2008

Learn more about the Standup2Cancer effort at http://su2c.standup2cancer.org.

September 4, 2008

Is your plastic bottle safe?

September 2, 2008

PNAS, the journal that published the article referenced in Robert Bazell's report on the "monogamy gene," has the full research paper here.

The Karolinska Institute has issued public press release as well.

August 26, 2008
Read the full Stanford University study mentioned in John Larson's "Improving with Age" report: "Reduced Disability and Mortality Among Aging Runners."

August 12, 2008
According to a story today in the New York Times, U.S. spending on contractors in Iraq will reach $100 billion sometime this year.

A study appearing in the August 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests citizen-soldiers pressed into service have less preparation for the stress of war and fewer support services after they come back home.

August 11, 2008
Fit and fat: US Study shows it's possible
Low vitamin D shown to raise death risk

August 6, 2008
More on camp for children with special needs
Click here to read Tiki Barber's personal connection to the story

August 5, 2008
More on prostate health and screening

August 3, 2008
More on Newsweek's Christopher Dickey's diary

August 2, 2008

On Nightly Saturday, we reported more details on Ivers' possible motive and audio tapes posted on the New York Times' Web site. In court, a former therapist called Ivers a psychotic "revenge killer."

Read more on the new AIDS infection rate report from the CDC here.

And to learn more on Mark Potters' report on the Run For The Fallen, click here. You can track the runners' journey on the site.

August 1, 2008

News broke today that a top researcher apparently committed suicide as prosecutors prepared to seek an indictment.

On msnbc.com, NBC News employee Casey Chamberlain wrote about her ordeal, opening the lettter addressed to Tom Brokaw.

We also profiled China's Yiwu Commodity Market, the biggest in the world where merchants around the globe travel to buy the stuff they sell you. Click here to learn more about an author mentioned in the piece Sara Bongiorni, on her year on living without China.

At the end of tonight's broadcast, we featured a summer camp that's making a difference in the lives of dyslexic kids. You can learn more about that organization here.

July 31, 2008

NASA confirms water on Mars

Exercise in a pill? Drug shows promise in mice

And did you see the solar eclipse? Meet a man who travels the world just to witness an eclipse (video).

July 30, 2008

In tonight's broadcast, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell and Chuck Todd reported on the controversial new John McCain tv ad . The First Read folks also weighed in on the matter, offering a glimpse of what people were saying over at Drudge, politico.com, and theinsider.com. Lively discussions on the subject were also taking place over at Huffingtonpost.com, and talkingpointsmemo.com, and NBC's Andrea Mitchell summed up her conversation with Obama senior strategist David Axelrod here.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)  released its evaluation of the safety of synthetic turf athletic fields, concluding that young children are not at risk from exposure to lead in these fields. As an overall guideline, the CPSC recommends that children wash their hands after playing outside. The commission's evaluation is available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08348.html.

July 29, 2008

A strong earthquake shook Southern California on Tuesday, causing buildings to sway and triggering some precautionary evacuations. There were no immediate reports of major damage or serious injuries. Read the story here. Newsviners shared their accounts of the earthquake here. What causes quakes? See this interactive.

July 25, 2008

Mark Potter's report on parents who are deferring their own retirement to keep their kids out of debt refers to an AARP survey statistic that says 39 percent of respondents ages 45 and older are paying bills for their adult children. You can read the full AARP report, "The Economic Slowdown's Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans," here.

Several photos of the barge-and-tanker collision that caused a major oil spill in the Mississippi River near New Orleans can be viewed here.

NBC's Digital Correspondent Mara Schiavocampo has been blogging from the UNITY Convention in Chicago - you can read her posts here.

July 22, 2008

Caught on tape: The video showing President Bush making light of the economic and housing crisis at a fundraiser in Houston can be seen here.

RX for Sex?: You can read the full JAMA report on the use Viagra to treat women with antidepressant-associated sexual dysfunction here.

You can view Part One of Robert Bazell's report on Iceland's genetic jackpot here; NBC Producer Jane Derenowski also wrote this related blog post from Iceland.

By Michelle Kosinski, NBC News correspondent

 YOU did this. Almost the minute our story about many Americans struggling to pay their heating bills aired last month, we heard from you.

Getting one or two calls wasn't a real surprise...but then, the calls and e-mails just kept coming--from you, our viewers, urgently looking for a way to reach the gentleman we featured, John MacPherson, in Boston.
 
A veteran of the Normandy invasion as a teenager, the 82-year-old told us most matter-of-factly--almost cheerfully--how he'd been cutting back on eating to pay his heating bills each month.  He even chuckled to show us that Cup o' Noodles had become his dinner companion.  His pantry was stacked with them--a circumstance that stunned, saddened and infuriated so many of you.

John, we should tell you, is sharp as a tack and the very definition of a "character"
--brimming with energy and crazy-but-true stories, laughing and joking, busting out with the Scottish accent, teasing us about our serious newsiness, in between telling us how hard it can be to winter in a big, drafty, 100-plus-year-old house all alone. We could practically feel the wind coming in from around every window.  Yet, he told us, "I don't complain. I get by." He wouldn't let us leave without a big slice of the banana cake he had baked himself, and some hot tea. 

So, something about that spirit must have just surged through. You wanted to help him.  Right now. And, you did.

You sent him cards, gift baskets, personal stories about your husbands and fathers who served somewhere alongside John during those years of WWII. You sent him funds for heat, and food. You shipped him steaks to fill his freezer.  Bought him groceries.  One of you took the time to call Veterans' Affairs offices, to navigate the maze that he could not, and found out that John is entitled to far more in benefits than he's been getting--along with money that might now soon be coming to him, from some FORTY YEARS back.  You gave him the gifts of new windows, and woodwork, and paint. And you sent him thanks.  And love.

I can tell you, the guy for once was speechless. Well, almost.

"I've never gotten so much attention in my whole life!" he said incredulously,
We went back to see all of this in person last week.  John never expected a bit of it, never dreamed his story would touch you in the way it did. It all made him uncharacteristically emotional, for a guy who'd been through some tough stuff in the war and had worked all his life to support his family.

"One lady said, all I got is $40, and I'll give it to you!"  He paused, his voice breaking.  "They don't even know who the heck I am!"

John's daughter Alexa had been helping him write the many thank you notes, as heartfelt as your wishes. Each one meant something to him--from the man who had survived for a while on Cup o' Noodles himself ("Yuck!" he wrote, and sent John a check), or the woman whose father had also served in Europe during WWII.  She had lost him recently, and told John that he reminded her of her own dad.  One more person who was a stranger yesterday, whom John now calls friend. He plans to stay in touch.

Alexa says that while her father tends to be a bit down during the holidays, having lost his own father on a Christmas Eve years ago, your outpouring has changed everything. She described him as being like a kid--yes, an 82-year-old kid--in a candy store. 

"Now he feels recognized for having been in the war," she said.  "He feels even prouder to be an American now."

On that freezing day in Boston last week, contractors were hammering and sawing all the way up to the top of John's house.  He regaled them with stories all the while.

A group called Americans for Veterans had gathered carpenters and enlisted Commodore Builders to donate time and materials for some serious fixing-up around here.  They are replacing all of his windows, and will paint this beautiful old home come springtime.  Many are veterans themselves.  One young man, looking barely out of his teens, had already served three tours in Iraq.  He called his link to the older vets "an unspoken bond." John had fought for our very freedom, they all agreed.

This was their gift in return. And yours. 

Susan Kooperstein, with ABCD of Boston, a group that helps people pay for heat in those wicked winters up there, was thrilled to see the outcome that day, but knowing well how many others like John are out there. She reminded us that if everyone just looks out for their immediate neighbors and gives a little time or something when they can, it would add up to a whole lot of hands, and a whole lot of help.

I can't quite describe the pleasure of having spoken to some of you directly these last few weeks, of having read your emails, and seen you reach out from those pages. To help, in ways big and small, a man you didn't know. 

You have certainly brought a warmth to John MacPherson's holidays that no fuel could ever provide. It had to come from the heart. Here's to you, and here's hoping that it spreads.

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

It was just a little over a month ago I traveled to the FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) to do a story for the TODAY show on the keys to surviving a plane crash. I was placed in a passenger seat of a 747, instructed on how to position myself for impact (my head and arms braced on the seat back in front of me), and then the cabin was immediately filled with thick smoke. With practically zero visibility I had to make my way to an exit and jump down the emergency slide to safety. I was told in a real burning airplane, I'd have -- at most -- two minutes to escape. When I heard about last night's Continental Airlines 737 accident in Denver, in which all 115 people escaped a burning plane alive, my thoughts immediately turned back to that demonstration and what I learned.

Know where the exits are, and even take the time to count the number of seat backs between you and the closest exit. Trust me, you won't be able to see through the smoke, though emergency floor lighting will also help point the way. Don't try and grab your bags. It will cost you precious seconds. And listen to the flight attendant's pre-takeoff briefing -- even if you fly all the time. I log close to 100,000 air miles a year, but sometimes don't realize, for example, whether I'm on a 737-700, or a 737-800, or an A319 versus an A320. They look pretty much the same at first glance, but depending on which version of those two airplane families you're on, there might be two over-wing exits, or four. And those emergency slides? Some exits on some planes have them, others don't. You may be climbing down a wing to safety, or on one family of planes, even down a stairway under the tail. Knowing the details counts when you have two minutes to live.

The folks at the FAA's CAMI lab in Oklahoma City study airplane crashes for a living, so they can find ways to make airplane cabins safer. They will no doubt learn a lot from the survivors of last night's accident. What they already know however is that the majority of commercial airplane accidents are survivable -- especially for passengers who take the time to familiarize themselves with their surroundings before the plane leaves the gate.

On Nightly News tonight we'll have the latest on last night's Denver accident, as well as the blast of winter striking from Seattle to Chicago to Boston.

I hope you'll be able to join us.

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

The end of the last week before Christmas, it's snowing horizontally in New York: the season has arrived. Full confession: I've spent part of this afternoon in my office wrapping gifts and writing cards for co-workers -- and now the broadcast gets my full attention. Some of our friends here at work are slipping away for the next week or two -- it has that feel to it. We are saying goodbye to one of the best who ever walked these halls: our friend (he's got a lot of titles -- Senior Producer, Investigative Producer, author) Bob Windrem is retiring. Bob has broken a ton of stories over his three decades here; he has contributed to countless others. Most important are the stories that never aired, were corrected or knocked down before any damage was done -- all because of Bob and his sources and his dogged reporting. He's the dean of all of us ... a terrific, moral character and a good person to his core. Now all I have to do is ask him to leave his vast mind behind as he turns in his I.D. card and leaves us tonight. Hate to end on a sentimental/sad note...but then...if you knew Bob as we do, you'd know how sad we all are about his departure.

If you notice that I take some time off over the holidays, please know it's just to be with my family -- nothing permanent -- as far as I know.

We hope you can join us tonight.

By Janet Shamlian, NBC correspondent

You don't think of the post office as a spot that stirs much emotion, which is why the box of tissues took me by surprise. I was in a Chicago branch Wednesday working on a feature story about the "Operation Santa" program. Maybe you've heard of it or served as one of Santa's elves yourself by answering one of the hard-luck letters. Postal worker Archie Culberson warned me. He'd been reading and sorting children's letters each Christmas for 25 years and said he'd never seen a year of such desperation. In a season of recession and unemployment, there were few requests for Nintendo and hundreds for necessities. How bad does it have to be when a little girl asks for a job for her daddy or a single mom wonders if Santa could bring Christmas dinner, because December food stamps won't stretch to the end of the month? After reading a dozen or so -- each more heart wrenching than the last -- I understood the tissues and was in need of a box of my own.

The spot was to run Christmas Eve, but developments in the last 48 hours have changed it into a more cautionary tale airing tonight on Nightly News. While I was meeting good Samaritans who wept openly as they tried to decide which needy child to help, postal workers in Maryland were stopping a known sex offender who wanted to answer one of the letters. The note was retrieved and the man is cooperating with authorities, but the incident was enough to shut down Operation Santa -- a week before Christmas and as thousands of letters sat in those bins, yet unanswered.

For its part, the US Postal Service acted quickly. Operation Santa resumes in New York and Chicago tomorrow with more restrictive rules protecting children's names and addresses. Archie Culberson hopes there will be enough 'substitute Santas' who will make the snowy trek to come read them, choose one and help keep the holiday magic alive. Don't forget some tissues.

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

If you didn't see the story we aired about Sears last night, please take a look. While we don't engage in corporate boosterism, these tough times are tough times for Sears, and yet they continue a tradition that comes with a great cost to them, a tradition of caring for (and then some) their employees in uniform and their families. As I was watching Mike Taibbi's story air, I thought of my own past as a Sears employee in Middletown, New Jersey (a lesson in the power of repetition -- I will never forget my employee number, 14928, which had to be punched into the electronic cash register terminal with each transaction). I got my working papers the day I turned 14, and got my first real paycheck two weeks later...starting in Menswear, and graduating to Hardware. The Sears slogan was "Where America Shops", and it was true at least in my neighborhood. For years, the Sears card was the only credit card my parents had. The company that transformed American retailing with its catalog business...and later changed the Chicago skyline with its (former) corporate headquarters...has chosen to honor its commitment to our men and women in uniform, and that's the story we chose to highlight.

AND ANOTHER THING...

At some point in the next few days, we will air an interview I just conducted with Jack Jacobs, our military analyst. Jack, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, is a recipient of the Medal of Honor, one of fewer than 100 men alive today who can claim such an honor. Jack has written his astounding life story in a new book, "IF NOT NOW, WHEN?", and I agreed to write the foreword. The stories of his combat exploits are gripping and absolutely breathtaking...but the reason to buy the book is the lesson it contains about character, sacrifice, bravery and service. We're lucky to have Jack in our midst.

GOOD GUYS FINISHING FIRST

It's been a time of big promotions around here, from our friend David Gregory being named moderator of Meet the Press to today's announcement that Chuck Todd will become our new Chief White House correspondent. It's a job title I took over from Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory took over from me. We're thrilled for our friend Chuck, who will join Savannah Guthrie and John Yang -- the single best reporting team on the single most important beat in Washington (or anywhere else) these next four years.

In other news: we hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.

By Les Kretman, NBC News White House producer

The parking garage is right across the street from the New Executive Office Building...maybe a block and a half away from the White House Northwest Gate that I enter and exit through everyday. Journalists, lawyers and lobbyists leave their cars here. You would be hard pressed to find a more efficient, dependable and nicer group of guys than the parking attendants who work here and wear down the rubber on their running shoes every day jockeying cars up and down the ramps.

There's a Christmas tree in the waiting room decorated with faux snow on it and peppermint sticks and at its base ... Seasons Greeting Cards from customers that usually contain tips of appreciation for the hard-working staff.

This year...only four cards. Four. All this in the shadow of the White House. Another sign of tough times.

By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington

Army Capt. Warren Orr Jr. hated injustice, whether it was in his hometown of Kewanee, Ill., or in the villages of Vietnam.

"One time he was coming home from school and he saw this man whipping his dog, and he told the man, 'I'm going to go home and tell my dad, and my dad's going to come down here and whip you like you whipped your dog,'" his father, Warren Orr Sr., recalled recently.

"The next thing I know there's two policemen at my door with a restraining order," his father said with a chuckle. "I didn't know that guy or anything about him, but my son just hated to see anybody abused."

Capt. Orr's sense of compassion continued in the Army, which he joined in 1960 and which sent him to Vietnam as a civil affairs officer, taking care of refugees.

"His main job was making sure they got food and medicine and housing, and he loved doing that," his father said.

On May 12, 1968, Capt. Orr was helping evacuate several hundred Vietnamese women and children from the besieged Kham Duc Special Forces Camp, near Da Nang, before it was overrun by North Vietnamese forces. Their C-130 transport plane was hit by enemy fire on takeoff, exploded in midair and crashed into the jungle. Everyone on board perished.

But was Capt. Orr actually on the plane?

No American saw him get on board, and a 1969 investigation concluded, "Fate remains unknown." He was initially listed as missing in action, while the C-130's five crew members were listed as killed in action.

"It was many, many years later that they finally found him," his father said.

Nearly 40 years later, in fact. On Sept. 19, 2007, a Pentagon official knocked on his father's door in Santa Ana, Calif., and told him his son's remains had been recovered from near the crash site and positively identified through DNA testing.

"It meant a great deal to me," his 87-year-old father said. "It relieved all doubts about whether he was on that plane or whether he was captured or who knows what?"

On Thursday morning, Capt. Warren R. Orr Jr. was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, along with the five airmen aboard the C-130: Maj. Bernard L. Bucher of Eureka, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Frank M. Hepler of Glenside, Pa.; Airman 1st Class George W. Long of Medicine, Kan.; Maj. John L. McElroy of Eminence, Ky., and 1st Lt. Stephen C. Moreland of Los Angeles, Calif.

Capt. Orr's father and three sisters were among the mourners at the group burial. As an Air Force band played the haunting folk tune "Coming Home," his casket was laid beside one containing the comingled remains of all six service members.

"I get to lay him to rest in his own country now," Capt. Orr's father said. "I'm very proud of him. He was quite a man."

He was 25 years old when he died.

Photo of Warren Orr Sr. holding a picture of his son, Army Capt. Warren Orr Jr., courtesy of Rod Veal, The Orange County Register.

 

Click here to view tributes to the 458 service members killed this year in Iraq and Afghanistan. There were no casualties reported last week by the Pentagon.

 

Washington Producer John Rutherford is a decorated Vietnam veteran. He also posts stories on the military at www.fieldnotes.msnbc.com (click on "John Rutherford" under "categories") and at http://john-rutherford.newsvine.com. The first tribute gallery can be found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22802019/ and the second at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27336564.