By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

As we often try to do around here, we hosted a noted energy expert today for an informal lunch and editorial board meeting. Daniel Yergin came by, and was very generous with his time and opinions. He was quoted over the weekend in a New York Times piece on the current situation in Nigeria, and testified before Congress just days ago. He's a veteran of the energy wars -- and by temperament and experience he remains optimistic that technology will emerge to help us with our problems (he is quick to point out it will take more than technology alone). That is a gross oversimplification of the long and nuanced presentation he gave (answers to our non-stop questions), but as experts go in this vital field, he has seen it all, over two generations of American life -- from the gas lines of the mid-1970's... to the gas lines I saw while driving the family on the Jersey Turnpike this weekend.

The New York Times and the New Yorker magazine have both contributed to the renewal of the discussion of the war in Afghanistan. I feel as if our trip there was timed well to coincide with an increase in attention to that conflict, where we just learned that the number of coalition troops who died exceeded the U.S. death toll in Iraq for the second straight month. Our focus aired last week, in the story we hand-carried back from the field and , on the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden, is also proving timely. A lot of people have asked about the trip, and how I found the Americans in the fight. I found morale to be high -- highly-motivated soldiers who believe in the mission and the people (and history) of Afghanistan. I heard many open complaints about resources -- specifically, not having enough because of the drain that Iraq represents.

We're working on what we think is a very solid Monday night broadcast -- for a number of factors, a lot of our stories have to do with the environment tonight. We hope you can join us.

By Michelle Kosinski, NBC News correspondent

A few weeks ago, on a flight over the Pacific, I was surprised to be handed a menu-- with a gleaming photo of a lionfish on the cover. It wasn't actually ON the menu that night, but it reminded us that the formidable fish with the mane of poisonous spines and a seemingly boundless appetite of its own, is actually a food item on the other side of the world, and decidedly NOT an environmental menace.

Over here in the Atlantic, not so much.

Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among other entities studying the issue, have made lionfish Priority One, in the battle against invasive species. A rapid response plan is being crafted, to deal with them in our waters.

Avid divers, who know the reefs off Florida and the Bahamas, tell the story: A few years ago, they were somewhat awed to suddenly see the gorgeous specimen show up outside the Pacific. A fluke, they thought... maybe someone had released one from an aquarium, once they realized it would devour all the other pet fish in short order. Irresponsible to release them, but no real harm done-- they thought.

But since around 2000, those divers, fishermen, and scientists have rapidly had their amazement turn to dismay. On some reefs where they would see one or two lionfish, they began seeing dozens. In the Bahamas, they're now calling it an infestation.

Turns out, these lovely lions of the sea take no prisoners. Eat everything in sight. Multiply like there's no tomorrow. And grow. And spread. And spread.

The Atlantic has been very good to them. Lots of food, and no known predators. In just a few years time, the lionfish has made its merry way all the way up the East Coast to Massachusetts. It is the first time a Pacific marine fish has moved on into the Atlantic and thrived.

This is what happens when species invade.

We've seen it happen with pythons in the Everglades, or the snakehead fish in American rivers. Even invasive plants have caused trouble on our shores.

But many researchers told us they've never seen anything quite like this. How quickly and efficiently this one type of fish has been able to spread, and gain a foothold in delicate reef ecosystems. They're worried about the potential effect on native fish species and the ocean food chain.

One study that's to be published soon shows that ONE of these lionfish can devour around 80 percent of all new fish larvae on a section of reef in matter of a few weeks.

As NOAA biologist Paula Whitfield told us, " The densities of lionfish in North Carolina have increased over 300 percent since we started doing surveys, and that was in 2004. They have almost every attribute that could be valuable to survival."

It's too early to know what impact the lions are having, but anecdotally you hear it-- from fishermen and divers who say that where they see more lionfish, they see fewer of certain other species on a reef.

NOAA and other groups are working together to come up with a plan that will likely entail some localized eradication efforts. Bermuda has already started one, and the Bahamas has alerted fishermen to the problem. It is possible such efforts could help, as they've had success with other invasive species this way. It's just that when you see so many, in such a short amount of time, it's daunting.

"Cockroaches of the sea" is how one scientist glumly referred to these magnificent creatures. Yes, all depends on your perspective.

Sprung from their aquariums, these fish they must have thought they'd found paradise along the Gulf Stream.

One more reason why the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans is now reviewing draft legislation that would set up a screening process for bringing non-native animals into this country.

Lionfish are still legal to buy and keep-- and feed-- at home. Many people we talked to in researching this story, feel that ought to change.

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

Coming off a week that saw oil top $140, and the Dow sliding towards bear market territory, our colleagues at CNBC are releasing a poll this evening that shows, among other things, an overwhelming majority of Americans think the economy is in fair or poor shape.  There are also new indications of the brewing economic trouble; high gas prices and real estate woes are now beginning to take a toll on the wealthy. We'll have more findings from that poll on Nightly News tonight as we try to explain all the forces eating at the economy, and why turning the corner toward recovery seems so difficult.

On a related note, the price of crude oil is affecting drivers in more ways than just the cost of gasoline.  Savannah Guthrie is working on a piece for tonight about why we all may be facing more uneven and bumpy road surfaces as we drive this summer.

Michael Okwu continues his reporting on the Northern California fires, and the growing threat they pose to public health. Air pollution levels are high and it is having a profound effect on how many Californians are going about their lives.

We will also be looking at the science of speed and the controversy over the swim suits American athletes may be competing in at the summer Olympics. Some say they provide an unfair advantage, and NBC's Leanne Gregg will explain why.

I hope you'll join us for NBC Nightly News.

Editor's note: For a look inside the new planetarium, watch the video below.

By Denise Baker and Ron Mott, NBC News

I was the kid who missed all the class trips to the Adler Planetarium in my hometown of Chicago, so I learned alot of things while producing this story.  I learned that planetarium domes don't open up and present a magnified view of the sky.  (Yes, I now know, that's an observatory.)  I also learned that it's extremely relaxing to recline in the dark and watch images of galaxies digitally projected with music tracks in stereo surround sound.  But the most important lesson I will take away from this story is that dreams don't have to bow to limitations. 

Despite her visual challenges, Kris McCall chased her dreams and now shares them with thousands of others.  She credits her mother who fought to keep her in mainstream classrooms, and her 14-year-old daughter Kira Celeste, who keeps her  grounded.  I came up with the title "Star Lady" for this segment before we traveled to Nashville to tape the story.  After meeting Kris McCall, I can say she is that and so much more.

- Denise Baker, NBC News Producer

It was a thrill to be assigned this story, not because I'm a big science fiction follower or Trekkie -- both of which I am not -- but because there's so much visual candy to enjoy at the Sudekum Planetarium.

Most kids (and a lot of adults) are fascinated by astronomy. There's just something awesome about shrinking our universe down to a size we can comprehend. I find it very humbling to realize just what a small piece of this great mystery called life we occupy here on earth.

The new planetarium they've built in Nashville is really cool. Gazing up at the constellations does take you back to your childhood in a flash. I never quite connect the dots like many people to form the Big Dipper or Little dipper, but that's OK. It's still captivating. They've installed a high-tech projector -- the first of its kind in the United States, we're told. It's something to behold. They've also got a stunning original show called "Stars" that will knock your socks off. That alone was worth the trip. Believe me.

The subject of our story, though, is an attraction unto herself. Such an inspiring woman, Kris McCall, the planetarium's director. If you visit, you're likely to run into her. She's legally blind and is so passionate about outer space and the like that you can't help but to find your imagination running off with her. And who doesn't enjoy that ride from time to time?

- Ron Mott, NBC News Correspondent

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

The elements have stolen the headlines more times than I can count these past two months. From an especially active tornado season, to massive flooding in the Midwest, to drought and wildfires in the west, and we're only a week into summer. That's certainly a sobering thought in California where true to all the predictions, this has been an early and awful fire season. The Big Sur area, a popular weekend getaway with its art galleries and trendy inns, is under siege from a fire that has shutdown the famous Highway 1, and destroyed 16 homes. There have been at least a thousand wildfires reported this past week from the central California coast all the way to the northern tip of California. We're talking over 400 square miles that have been charred. NBC's Michael Okwu is reporting that story for us tonight. 

Much farther east, nature has won another round against man in the flood battle along the Mississippi River. We'll tell you about one town's valiant effort to save their community, and how it came to an end just before dawn today.

NBC's Jim Maceda is in Iraq tonight filing a report from the middle of a dangerous sandstorm.  Tonight, a reality check: Are Iraqi troops any closer to standing up so American forces can stand down and come home?

Savannah Guthrie has been speaking to travel experts who paint a troubling picture of air travel come this fall. Yes, I know it's bad now, but Savannah will tell us why another shoe will drop at the end of summer.

We're also following the story of those wayward dolphins lost in a New Jersey river, and we've got a great spot tonight from NBC's Ron Mott on a woman who is offering school kids a new vision of outer space at Nashville's brand new planetarium.

We'll look for you tonight on Nightly News. As always, thanks for checking in.

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

I'm typing this from our NBC News Washington Bureau. I'm in town to fulfill an obligation that was on Tim Russert's calendar -- as we all scramble to fulfill obligations and plug the many holes that his passing leaves behind in our lives and work. One good sign: our colleagues here in this bureau who work so hard to pump out so much television week in and week out -- are starting to take a little time off, sporadically -- letting up a bit from the non-stop tempo of recent days and weeks. We have plenty of folks to cover every story and guarantee that not a beat gets missed -- it's just cheering to see healing and the return of a few smiles to this great place. Besides, I got to see David Brooks in the hallway, talked about this past Supreme Court term with the great Pete Williams (no relation -- in family name or greatness) and watched just now as Pat Buchanan walked in from the parking lot. I take my excitement where I can get it.

Tonight we have a tale of Democratic Unity, a story on climate change, Tom Brokaw's interview with Bill Gates, an extraordinary woman to introduce you to (we discovered her in Afghanistan) and then I'm off for a battery-recharging day on my beloved home turf, the Jersey Shore. Please join us tonight and again on Monday. Have a good and safe weekend.

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

The headline on the Reuters News Agency wire story this afternoon was fairly declarative: SCIENTISTS SAY MARTIAN SOIL COULD SUPPORT LIFE. Alrighty then.

This on a day when the Supreme Court defined the Second Amendment for us, and Goldman Sachs put out a "sell" rating on General Motors. That's General Motors. That's a first.

We also learned today that we've lost a part of U.S. military history, with the death of Chuck Dryden.

This is no time to turn away. Take a day off from the consumption of news, and you're going to miss something big. Like Luke Russert on Larry King last night, and the new pieces of "public art" here in New York that we'll show you tonight.

I saw a screening of Gonzo last night. Anyone with even a passing interest in Hunter S. Thompson should try to see it. I was surprised to find that Nightly News plays a cameo role in the film -- among others much more notable, including Tom Wolfe and Jimmy Buffett and Jann Wenner, all three of whom were on hand last night.

We are watching the financial markets closely. All 30 of the Dow stocks are currently lower, and oil has set another record. One analyst wondered today whether we're "on the edge of an abyss" concerning major U.S. corporations and their role in the economy.

It's an eventful Thursday here in New York. We hope you can join us this Thursday night.

By Janet Shamlian, NBC News correspondent

It's only an hour from New Orleans by helicopter but it feels farther. For the last day or so, I've been working, eating and sleeping on an oil platform floating in thousands of feet of the bluest gulf waters I've ever seen.  It's much like a factory; I've been wearing steel-toe shoes, and hard-hats are standard issue. 

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

Having spent last evening and a good part of the day with my buddy Richard Engel (and in keeping with this week's theme of highlighting the work of others), allow me to remind everyone to buy Richard's superb new book. He's here in this country for a bit longer on book tour, and I highly recommend it.

In political circles, a recent column by Richard Cohen is receiving a lot of comment -- some of it having to do with Cohen's courage in writing it, in addition to his central point, which is central to the current campaign.

We have a number of important stories tonight -- climate, fires, the Court, Africa, the economy -- and more of our reporting from our last trip. We hope you can join us.

By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington

With their diverse backgrounds, they could have been characters in an old World War II novel, but their lives were very real, and so were their deaths.

Michael Washington was the son of a Seattle firefighter. Michael Patton recently married his high school sweetheart back home in Fenton, Mo. Dawid Pietrek was an immigrant from Poland. Layton Crass loved to mimic Jim Carrey growing up in eastern Indiana.

"I couldn't help laughing at the kid," Crass' mother told pal-item.com.

The four members of the 1st Marine Division died instantly when a roadside bomb tore through their Humvee on June 14, the latest casualties of the increasingly bloody conflict in Afghanistan.

"They didn't know what hit 'em," Crass' father said.

They are among 18 American combat deaths so far this month in Afghanistan, compared to 12 in Iraq. Last month, for the first time, the number of coalition soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan exceeded the death toll in Iraq.

"They've increased in an absolute sense, but more significantly, they're now higher than they are in Iraq, and of course that gets everyone's attention," NBC Military Analyst Jack Jacobs said in an interview.

Col. Jacobs said Afghanistan has always taken a back seat to Iraq, and he doesn't see that changing any time soon.

"We don't have enough troops in Afghanistan, there's no doubt about that," he said. "We've never had enough troops there, and I don't think it's going to get any better right away."

He sees the war in Afghanistan dragging on for a long time.

"What it's going to take to change that place is something that we're probably not willing to do, and that is a commitment to a significant number of resources and a lot of money and time," he said.

Meanwhile, a total of 461 Americans have died in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion in 2001, according to the Pentagon, including 324 combat casualties.

Click here to view tributes to the 249 service members killed this year in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the following 13 casualties from last week:

1. Army Sgt. 1st Class Gerard Reed, 40, of Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

2. Army Pvt. Eugene Kanakaole, 19, of Maui, Hawaii.

3. Marine Sgt. Michael Washington, 20, of Tacoma, Wash.

4. Marine Lance Cpl. Layton Crass, 22, of Richmond, Ind.

5. Marine Pfc. Dawid Pietrek, 24, of Bensenville, Ill.

6. Marine Pfc. Michael Patton, 19, of Fenton, Mo.

7. Army Spc. Jason Cox, 21, of Elyria, Ohio.

8. Navy Hospitalman Marc Retmier, 19, of Hemet, Calif.

9. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Ross Toles III, 37, of Davison, Mich.

10. Marine Capt. Eric Terhune, 34, of Lexington, Ky.

11. Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew Whitacre, 21, of Bryant, Ind.

12. Navy Hospitalman Dustin Burnett, 19, of Fort Mohave, Ariz.

13. Marine Sgt. Matthew Mendoza, 24, of San Antonio, Texas.

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 tribute gallery can be found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22802019/.

By Martin Fletcher, NBC News correspondent

What to do when a young man, with a student's fine fingers, in a land of rough farmers and mountain men, breaks down and cries that he just wants to go home to his mother and father?

The name Hamza is not his real name, but it's the name this alleged suicide bomber goes by. He's an Afghani who says he spent eight years studying Islam in a Pakistani Madrass, that he did a favor to an Arab, and now he's in jail in Kabul, facing a possible death sentence, or decades in a smelly prison.

When he walked into the room, a tiny prison cell, his wrists red and swollen from the metal handcuffs, his eyes shyly averted, I could only think - what a dope! He didn't have to say a word for me to understand. I've met a number of failed suicide bombers, in prisons around the world, and they mostly have the same kind of story: young men sold on paradise by radical Islamic fighters. The men who give the orders wouldn't kill themselves; after all, they're too critical for the struggle, but are happy to send naïve young people to their deaths. And here was another victim.

As Hamza told his story, and talked about his old parents who need him, tears coursed down his cheeks and he gulped back sobs. He's 28, six years older than the other guy we spoke to, Abdel Marouk, who was much more hard-core. He admitted freely that he belonged to Al-Qaeda, wanted to be a suicide bomber, explained why in a coherent, calm manner, and will certainly soon be killed: that's the way it is in Afghanistan.

But Hamza? I felt that I understood him, but that he was doomed. He said that an Arab trained him for two days on how to operate a video camera, and then asked him to go to Afghanistan with Marouk to film an explosion: a landmine in the road. I believed him when he said that he was tricked. But what I believe doesn't matter because the Afghani interrogator didn't believe him. The security official said that Hamza, like Marouk, was an al-Quaeda fighter who had fought in Iraq, trained in Pakistan, and had been on his way to kill Americans in Afghanistan.

When Hamza left the little cell, his head bowed, his eyes glistening, I shook his handcuffed hand and wished him luck. His eyes locked briefly onto mine, searching for encouragement, for a sign that he had a future, but I could only look away.

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

I think constantly about the struggle between optimism and pessimism as a world view.

Luke Russert held up a glass of water ("half full," he was sure to point out) at his father's memorial service to illustrate Tim's view of the world -- and yet, every day we're surrounded by evidence that the evidence is piling up to the contrary.

Those of us who are raising children have even more reason to fret over the world that we will hand them someday. Never have I seen a recitation of the ills of our current existence like the one I link to here. It's the work of two Associated Press writers; it appeared over the weekend.

How you react to the story may indicate how you view the world -- and the water glass. Take a look and tell me what you think.

And in your spare time: I hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.

By Michelle Kosinski, NBC News Correspondent

One after the other, trucks rumble into the dusty lot behind Cal Tigchelaar's sprawling complex and dump mountains of garbage at his feet.

By Mara Schiavocampo, NBC Nightly News digital correspondent

In the last few years border control has become a big issue, though recently it's been pushed off the radar by the three E's: Economy, Election, Engagement in Iraq (ok, so maybe the last 'E' is a creative stretch).

How big is the decline? Border arrests are down 17% so far this year. They were down 20% in 2007. When fewer people are arrested we can assume fewer people are attempting to cross. 

Why? First, U.S. Border Patrol is beefing up its force.

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

Today's luncheon in the Rainbow Room here at 30 Rock had been on my calendar for months. The Newhouse School at Syracuse University conferred upon Tim Russert its Mirror Award for Lifetime Achievement. Along with many others in the industry, I took part in an advance-produced videotape tribute for Tim -- I did that on the day before I left for Afghanistan. The only thing missing from today's lunch was the honoree himself. Instead, I accepted the award on his behalf, and made sure it will be sent to his widow and son.

There is one story from backstage at the Kennedy Center on the day of the Memorial Service that deserves repeating: it happened in the green room, a collection of black leather couches where all eight speakers sat chatting before the program. Mostly, we were going through our notes and remarks, writing and re-writing -- greeting old friends and visitors backstage -- a combination of laughter and tears, and we all piled on Maria Shriver when she arrived a bit late. The most extraordinary moment came when Sister Lucille of Buffalo sat down next to Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo. She greeted him in Italian. He responded. They proceeded to engage in a spirited conversation, employing not a word of English. It was great to watch...and I never did ask Sister Lucille what it was they were talking about! I couldn't help but remark to Mike Barnicle that the one guy who would have loved that moment -- and re-telling that story -- wasn't there to witness it.

I'm so happy for our NBC News family, and especially for all of my friends in the Washington bureau, that Tom has come forward to host Meet the Press throughout this political season. It means a lot to everyone, especially the incredible Meet the Press editorial and production staff, who somehow were able to put together a broadcast this past weekend.

The work of this broadcast goes on. Tonight we have many fronts covered, including a story I was writing on that Friday night in Afghanistan when I got the call about Tim. We'll also cover the oil situation, the floods and the death last night of the comedy iconoclast George Carlin.

We're glad to be settled back in New York, and I hope you can join us tonight and all this week.

By Lester Holt, NBC News Anchor

All eyes this weekend have been on Saudi Arabia where oil producers and oil company bosses met in an emergency summit to discuss soaring energy prices. The upshot of the meeting is that the Saudis have agreed to increase production if the market needs it. It is probably safe to say that the vague pledge falls short of what price weary American drivers were hoping to hear; we'll know for sure when the oil markets open tomorrow. In the meantime, Kevin Tibbles is talking to the experts and on Nightly News, he will have much more on that meeting and what it could mean for you at the pump.

Water is our other big story. There's still too much along the Mississippi River, though things today are looking better. And in California there is not enough water.  Hot temperatures, coupled with a drought, have created dangerously dry conditions. As a result, there have been lots of wildfires erupting.  We'll have reports from both places.

Overseas, NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports on the intimidation of opposition supporters in Zimbabwe, and the sudden withdrawal of the opposition leader from the runoff election in which he was to challenge Robert Mugabe for the presidency.

NBC's Mike Taibbi has a piece tonight that I guarantee will be difficult to watch, yet I urge you not to miss it. Mike profiles the work of a pair of Colorado journalists, who over a year, made the sad and final journeys home with many of those killed in Iraq, and shared "the experience of grief with some of their families."  As this war becomes background noise to more and more Americans—those both for and against—Mike's story serves as a wake-up call that it is not over, especially for those who have a personal stake in it.

As always, thanks for checking in. I hope you'll tune in for the Sunday edition of NBC Nightly News.

By Lester Holt, NBC News Anchor

The Midwest flooding is a regional tragedy, but it is increasingly having a national impact. Millions of acres of farm land have been ruined, and barge traffic that moves all manner of products on the Mississippi River, has been brought to a standstill. On tonight's broadcast we'll have the latest on the fight to hold back the waters, as well as the latest flood forecast.  We will also focus on the disruption of commerce that Americans far outside the flood zone may be feeling in the weeks to come.

By Ann Curry, NBC News Anchor

This morning's report in the New York Times, saying U.S. officials believe Israel has carried out a major military exercise for a potential bombing attack on Iran should have every other news organization scrambling.

More than 100 Israeli F-16's and F-15's were involved, according to the Times, carrying out long range strikes over the Mediterranean, and Greece, last June.

A high ranking cleric in Iran reacted, saying both the U.S. and Israel would receive a "strong slap in the face" if such an airstrike were to happen.

Also in reaction, oil prices rose three or four dollars a barrel at one point today.

So why is this report not playing big on the news cables and wires?

I worry news organizations are sensing that as Americans become increasingly self focused, struggling with worries about the economy, we are less interested in the troubles of the world.

We don't have to look back too many years to see the folly of this sort of myopia, so let us all hope we are instead rising into a citizenry that can handle the truth all over the world, if for no one else, our children.

We will tonight tell you about the economy, and there is indeed news about Ford delaying production of its once biggest selling truck because of diminishing sales, and also news about the ways people are learning to stretch their dollars.

But in our reporting tonight, we will also tell you what Israeli airstrikes on Iran would mean to the stability of the world.

Whether you want to know it or not, you should.

by Truus Bos, NBC Producer, London

The British government has announced a $200 million program to make 12 English towns more bicycle-friendly.  Bicycling has become much more popular here, but cyclists in London and other cities find themselves dodging cars and breaking traffic rules because few special lanes exist for them. The money will be spent on creating cycle-renting schemes like the one in Paris, building dedicated cycling lanes and bike parking facilities, and cycle training. The aim of this program is to get more people to build exercise into their daily lives and tackle growing levels of obesity in the UK.

I grew up in Holland, where everyone learns to bicycle shortly after they learn to walk. My mother bicycled until she was well in her 70s and her vision started failing. I haven't lived in Holland for some time now, but when I was working  there recently I noticed some odd bicycles I have never seen before.  I saw a two-generation red tandem bike leaning against a canal house and a small "bakfiets": a bike with an open box between the handlebars and the front wheel. Versions of these were around when I was growing up there, but these were new and different and used for different purposes.

I also saw the kind of bikes I rode on as a child:  first in a small seat tacked onto my mother's handlebars while my older sister rode in the back seat. I remember being  impatient to graduate to the rear seat, but when that finally happened, I had nightmares of falling out of the chair and being left sitting in the middle of the road while my mother rode off into the distance.

If we were lucky, my sister and I got a ride in a tradesman's "bakfiets," a  bicycle with a large open wooden box in front of the handlebar, used for moving goods like big wheels of Dutch cheese. The bakfiets I saw in Holland this time was much smaller, and used to ride small children, dogs and  groceries  around the Amsterdam canals.  I took some pictures as part of a selection of Amsterdam scenes for the NBC-Universal photobank, but forgot about it, until I read that London Transport had given a grant to four mothers who had proposed swapping their gas guzzling cars for these Dutch bikes -- which they now use to take their kids to school and do the shopping. 

My colleague Dawna Friesen  visited one of the mums, and gave the bike a try. Here's her report: 

By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor

On this day forward after saying goodbye to NBC News' mighty moral compass, Tim Russert, you can see the wear on the faces of our Nightly News staff back in New York.

Looking at us you can see we are transforming, each one of us doing our best to shore up ourselves and this lost cornerstone in the house of NBC News.

As we launch again into our daily battles for facts and questions and leads and as importantly, clarity over the direction this network should go, we have in our pockets the benefit of being able to ask ourselves, what would Russert do?

Anyone who knew him well enough to have an answer for that question should feel lucky. We have a chance to be inspired to be better parents, and better human beings, and also better at this job of informing with the truth, whether in our edit rooms, our editorial meetings, or executive offices.

However unworthy we feel we are to rise and grab the baton we are now being given, we at least can see the path before us, paved by one of the greats of our time.

What would Russert do?

Run, strong and sure toward our duty to give people the quality of journalism they deserve, taking care of each other along the way.

"Go, go, go," Tim would say, pumping his fist.

Brian Williams is among the eulogists at Tim Russert's memorial service, which ends shortly before air time. He will thus be unable to post today.

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

I write this on the sad train ride to Washington. A trip I wish I didn't have to make. Those of us who are members of the NBC News family are in for two excruciatingly sad days ahead.

But much more importantly -- speaking for the New York-based delegation that is today southbound by plane and train: we have an important role to provide comfort and support to those who need it most, the Russert family and our beloved friends and colleagues in the Washington bureau. They are a close-knit bunch. I was once a member of their ranks (now ex-officio, I guess) and I know the place and the people all too well. A lot of us have flown a lot of miles together and endured what seemed like various crises at the time. Nothing like this.

In talking to Tom Brokaw yesterday, I realized neither of us has yet caught our breath. It's still not there -- totally depleted since that afternoon when the word arrived. There are hundreds of us, all walking around the same way, pretending to function, not really caring about much else for now.

A conductor with a ruddy Irish complexion just stopped where my wife and I are sitting, and gently, respectfully -- apologetically, almost -- grabbed my hand and expressed his condolences over the loss of a man he had never met, but felt he knew nonetheless. He said, "If there's any way you could possibly tell his family how much he meant to us...I felt I knew him...he was a regular guy...I'd sure appreciate that. I appreciated him."

That's a common thing during these sad days: if you are a recognizable member of the NBC family, you're going to get stopped by people who just want to talk about Tim. They want to say how sorry they are. And I'm happy to meet them, happy to hear it -- and powerless to deflect it, direct it or change it.

And so we make our way south along a stretch of train track that seems to take on a certain sadness today -- and under summer skies that seem to darken as we near our destination.

What we're all suffering from can actually be expressed quite simply: we cannot believe that Tim Russert, our lion, is gone. We all fear that what awaits us in Washington is confirmation of that. It's human nature, I guess, to go on hoping that somehow this is all a big mistake -- one of Tim's gentle momentary hoaxes, the payoff line always delivered with a laugh that made his shoulders bounce, as his twinkling Irish eyes invariably teared up.

How is it that the heart that sustained so many, failed the one man we travel to Washington to mourn?

These are our sorrows, of course, and I share them here because of the enormous public outporing following Tim's death. We continue to cover the news aggressively -- and today it's again led by the suffering in the Midwest. Anger has taken its place alongside the rampant sadness in Iowa -- anger from homeowners who've been blocked from returning to their own homes, even though they as property owners wish to assume the risk, even though the waters have gone down. I completely understand their fury. A government they elected in a free country is preventing them from protecting their property. One man tried to drive through a police roadblock yesterday -- to get to his own house -- and the photo of the police officer drawing his weapon and aiming it at the driver (who was arrested) is disturbing. It is among the stories we will cover for you tonight.

We hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast from our NBC News Washington Bureau.

By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington

Judith O'Connor was only three months old when her father disappeared on a bombing run over Germany in World War II.

"I grew up thinking every day he would come home," Judith said in an interview. "I used to look at people who I knew were his age, thinking maybe he had amnesia, maybe he's back, maybe he has another family."

But Staff Sgt. Francis Larrivee never came home to Laconia, N.H. His remains were  recovered a few years ago from beneath a farm field in eastern Germany and buried last Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery, along with the remains of his crew mates aboard their crippled B-24J Liberator.

"We finally bring them here to rest, Section 60 after those 60 years of searching for them," Rabbi Marvin Bash told family members gathered for a brief graveside service.

For Judith O'Connor, it was the closure she had so long sought.

"I've thought of him every day, every single day of my life, and he's come home," she said. "I mean, is this so wonderful? I can come and see him any time I want."

Judith's dad and the other eight members of the "McMurray Crew" are among 75 to 100 missing American service members whose remains are recovered and identified each year by the government.

"There is still a commitment from here to find them and bring them home," said Larry Greer, spokesman for the Pentagon's POW/Missing Personnel Office.

That's a tall order. More than 78,000 Americans remain missing (mostly at sea) from World  War II, 8,100 from Korea, 1,759 from Vietnam and 125 from the Cold War. Eight Americans have died in recovery efforts - one in a 1973 ambush in Vietnam and seven in a helicopter crash, also in Vietnam, in 2001.

(Photo credits: Staff Sgt. Francis Larrivee, courtesy of Judith O'Connor; Judith O'Connor as a child, courtesy of Judith O'Connor; burial ceremony for the "McMurray Crew," courtesy of Bob Barlett)

(Click here to read more about the "McMurray Crew" and the recovery of their remains)

Click here to view tributes to the 236 service members killed this year in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the following six casualties from last week:

1. Army Staff Sgt. Tyler Pickett, 28, of Saratoga, Wyo.

2. Army Pfc. Thomas Duncan III, 21, of Rowlett, Texas.

3. Army Sgt. Steve McCoy, 23, of Moultrie, Ga.

4. Army Sgt. John Aragon, 22, of Antioch, Calif.

5. Marine Lance Cpl. Javier Perales Jr., 19, of San Elizario, Texas.

6. Marine Lance Cpl. Kelly Watters, 19, of Virginia Beach, Va.

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 tribute gallery can be found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22802019/.

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

I've heard the word "cornerstone" more than once today. It has been used to describe Tim Russert's role in our lives and our organization.

We are back from Afghanistan, by way of a long and circuitous route. I kept saying on the journey back that I just wanted to get home -- to my family, to my work family and to this newsroom.

Tomorrow I will go where we are all perhaps most needed: to visit our friends in the Washington bureau. These are dark days indeed. We have suffered a terrible blow, a colossal loss, and it's still so very fresh.

I hope you all got to see Meet the Press. I hope you all get to see what Luke Russert said on Today this morning. And how he said it. All you need to know about Tim and his wife Maureen as parents was on display this morning in the demeanor and command displayed by that terrific young man.

Our broadcast will originate from Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Please forgive us if we are so much as one notch under perfect this week, as we are struggling to do our jobs, cover stories, do the writing and producing and get it all on the air -- while missing and mourning our North Star.

Over time, we will also broadcast the work we were planning to air from Afghanistan. Tonight we'll air the interview with the American four-star commander. On this coming Friday night, we'll air the story I'd planned on airing last Friday night. In fact, I was in the middle of writing it when the phone call came from New York that Tim had collapsed in Washington. It's still in my computer, half-written, just sitting there. The time stamp on it represents the moment time stood still for all of us, as the wave of bad news crashed down upon us--from Washington to New York to Bagram Air Field.

Thank you, all of you, for the outpouring of support and condolences. We are obviously single-minded in our support for Tim's family members -- that, right now, is our only concern. We'll be alright -- the sun will come up tomorrow -- but we'll be without the man who cast such a formidable shadow around here, as a beloved figure in this organization.

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

We are dealing with the worst news imaginable here on the other side of the world in Afghanistan.

Tim Russert is gone.

He was a giant in our company, in our lives, and in the combined fields of journalism and politics.

He was my friend for many years, and my on-air partner during the most exciting political year in generations.

The members of Tim's NBC News family are thinking only of the members of Tim's own family in the wake of this staggering, overpowering and sudden loss.