Kate Snow writes: My family spent the day at a barbeque. Maybe yours did, too. But if you live anywhere along the Gulf Coast, I wonder, does it feel right to go to the beach on this Memorial Day weekend? Is it even safe? Kerry Sanders reports that people did get out to the shore today, but beaches were closed in the area nearest the spill. Kerry is going to tell us tonight about the potential health risks-- not just for all those crews on cleanup duty (who did not get a day off today), but for everyone living near the site. And when does it end? Anne Thompson will help us understand exactly what BP will do next to try and stop the flow and why it could mean even more oil gushing into the Gulf in the short term.

If you have been out grilling, we'll try to catch you up on another big story today. We woke up to news that Israeli commandos had boarded a flotilla filled with activists bound for Gaza. There were statements of condemnation from pro-Palestinian governments. The White House expressed "deep regret" over the loss of life but stressed the need to learn all the facts.

Of course we haven't lost sight of what this day is all about. Last night my kids (ages four and seven) asked me what "memorial" meant. We had a nice talk about service to our nation and the people we honor today. They understood when they saw the little flags in front of the graves at Arlington National Cemetery on the Today show. And tonight I'm going to make sure they see the piece by Jim Miklaszewski about the mementos families leave behind in Section 60 and a group trying to make sure those items are preserved.

I'm very happy to join the NBC family officially tonight. I hope you'll join us for the broadcast. Brian will be back again tomorrow, reporting live from the Gulf Coast.

We are 41 days into the Gulf oil spill crisis. With the exception of war coverage, I can't recall a major story that after 41 days was still getting bigger. Brushfires enter a containment phase. Hurricanes quickly turn into tropical storms after coming ashore. Earthquake aftershocks generally become smaller. In the Gulf of Mexico, however, the amount of oil, the amount of damage, and the amount of frustration grow larger every single day. This morning on Meet the Press White House Energy Advisor Carol Browner told David Gregory, "This is probably the biggest environmental disaster we've ever faced in this country." Exactly when we crossed that ugly threshold is anybody's guess. The milepost we're more eager to pinpoint is the day the oil is finally stopped, and when we can start measuring this story by the amount of oil recovered from the sea.

Today we were given something more to worry about. Health effects. The government is quietly mobilizing a medical response to what it fears could be growing health problems related to all that oil in the water, as well as what it is putting into the air and soil.

We are again tonight devoting a lot of time to this disaster, and will cover the health angle as well as detail BP's next and high-risk attempt to cap the leak.

I hope you can join us tonight on NBC Nightly News.

The Gulf oil spill is turning many of us into armchair engineers. Like a lot of people around the world, I've been watching the live internet feed of the oil gushing from beneath the Gulf and trying to discern changes of color that might indicate whether the "Top Kill" fix is working. We expect a definitive assessment of the operation from the company by the time we hit air tonight, but indications so far are that it is not working. Our Anne Thompson choppered over the spill today for an exclusive look and chat with BP's chief operating officer. Anne will be live tonight to share the pictures and tell us what the next step might be.

We'll also look back on the life of Hollywood legend Dennis Hopper who died today in Los Angeles and get to the bottom line of how an armed American drone killed 23 Afghan civilians in an attack last February.

I hope you can join us later for NBC Nightly News.

We're all allowed to try to relax and have an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend, but it will be hard, for some of us, to extract ourselves from the "mode" of following each and every development in the spill in the Gulf. I asked Chris Colvin of our staff to suggest the best links to follow the latest information and live feeds, and here they are:

Spew cam, direct link to BP's site

Deepwater Horizon Unified Command website

Good comment threads on live spew cam activity. Full disclosure: They are "Peak Oilers" in normal times

NOLA.com oil spill blog

Houston Chronicle's energy blog

Blogger with attitude, aggregating news and rumors

Google oil spill response page (with link to PBS Newshour running commentary thread)

In the meantime, we hope you can join us tonight -- please have a good weekend, and we'll look for you back here next week.

As we said on the broadcast last night, if you don't think this is an emotional issue, listen to this:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Veteran visitors will discover we have a new look, some new features, and a new home. Let me know what you think. I understand virtually none of it except for the fact that a bunch of people worked very hard to make our blog a beautiful place that works better.

Sadly, the day got underway with some bad news around here. My friend John Finn, who would have turned 101 in just a few weeks, died in California this morning. John was the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient, and the first man to receive the medal for his actions in World War II. In fact, when John did what he did, firing at incoming Japanese planes despite multiple wounds from shrapnel and gunshots, it wasn't yet clear that we were IN a second World War. I had a glorious evening with John a few months back in Chicago—the most recent of many occasions I spent with him. He enjoyed every moment of his life—he was an American original, and a genuine American hero. I was so proud to call him my friend, and it was a genuine honor to know him. My condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace, Chief.

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

Veteran New Orleans journalist Garland Robinette from WWL radio will be joining us again on the broadcast tonight to lend his perspective on "the continuing nightmare" that is the Gulf oil spill crisis.

On May 13, Garland spoke to us about the increasing anger and despair locals were already experiencing two weeks ago.

You can watch that clip here:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz, the Preservation Hall Band, Trombone Shorty, and Tim Robbins teamed up recently to record "It Ain't My Fault," to benefit Gulf Aid. Check out the video below:

by Brian Williams, Anchor and Managing Editor

Do you want to see what it's like to desperately love Louisiana? Make that: love, coupled with feelings of anger, fear, and flat-out panic.  This clip from this morning gave tone and tenor to this jittery day of waiting to see if the "top kill" will work, and seal the oil well.

On a lighter note, since I'm looking for humor anywhere I can find it these days, there's this gem of a line from this morning's New York Times. Food critic Sam Sifton, writing about the new restaurant "Prime Meats" in Brooklyn (part of the incessant faux-ing of a borough that was authentic to begin with), describes the staff of the restaurant as "a crew of handsome men and women dressed as if ready to ride horses back home to Bushwick, where they trap beaver and make their own candles." Brilliant. Well done. Someone had to say it. Can a nationwide boycott of the word "artisanal" be far behind, at long last?

We hope you can join us for the broadcast tonight.

by Brian Williams, Anchor and Managing Editor

John Hofmeister, the former President of Shell Oil who has written a book called "Why People Hate the Oil Companies," says the best minds in the nation are working on the oil spill. We have to hope he's right. I'm going to ask him a few questions on the broadcast tonight. The question no one can answer: what about the families who are out of work because of this, who make their living on an ecosystem now forever changed? Who do they see about that?

Thanks for your kind wishes following my daughter's graduation. It's still sinking in.

And congratulations to the Meadowlands in my home State of New Jersey for winning the rights to the 2014 Super Bowl. How can we not have a combined Bruce/Bon Jovi halftime show?

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

by Brian Williams, Anchor and Managing Editor

This morning, my daughter graduated from college, which is something her father failed to do. While I entered a stressful newsroom just two hours prior to air, and while that is much too close to deadline  for comfort (considering I am normally here all day every day), it was well worth it.

I'm sorry today's post does not contain any greater wisdom, but today our family officially fulfilled another aspect of the American Dream...something I enjoy every day as it is. Of the four siblings in my family, three of us dropped out of college. This was a big day—the first degree awarded to a Williams in over 50 years. My daughter broke the streak—and she knows how proud we are of her. Tomorrow, I'll resume my regular schedule—and the rest of her life begins!

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

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

That ash-spewing volcano that held millions of air travelers hostage, in some cases for weeks, has quietly gone to sleep. Scientists say the volcano, which thankfully I never had to pronounce on live television, is no longer active. For how long is anyone's guess, but nature has given the region a welcome break for now. Thousands of miles away in The Gulf of Mexico, however, the earth continues to spew massive amounts of crude oil into the sea, and nature will not cure what in this case man unleashed. We learned today there has been a setback in the operation to siphon off some of that oil. On last night's broadcast Ann Thompson shared pictures from her journey far out into the Gulf which showed a virtual orange tide of oil. She'll show us more tonight, including graphic evidence of the toll this disaster has taken on the region's wildlife.

There is a piece of video making its way around the world today that has shocked even the most jaded Royal watchers. It seems to show Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, accepting cash as she agrees to sell access to her ex-husband Prince Andrew to a reporter posing as a businessman. The undercover video was taken as part of a sting operation conducted by the British tabloid News of the World. Keir Simmons in our London bureau will show us some of that video, and the reaction sweeping across the globe today.

Some of you may have noticed by now that I have added one more newscast to my already busy weekend schedule. It's a minute-long snapshot of the day's news called Nightly News Now that we're posting mid-afternoon Eastern Time here on the Nightly website as well as on our Twitter and Facebook pages. I told our executive producer I'd do it if I didn't have to wear a tie. We're working up to the day the camera widens out to show my jeans. In all seriousness, keep it in mind as you go about your weekend afternoons. It's a great way to get caught up on what's making news. Take a look, it's embedded below.

In the meantime I'll look for you tonight -- tie and all -- on NBC Nightly News.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

Word from Mangalore, India is that at least 8 people survived the fiery crash of a 737 that careened off the runway while landing. Like the crash of an A330 in Libya a few weeks ago in which a 9-year-old boy was the sole survivor, one look at the wreckage and it is hard to imagine that anyone could live through it. On Nightly News this evening we will have details of the accident, and I will speak live with a veteran NTSB investigator about what may have caused it.

We'll also find out about the timetable for BP's latest attempt at plugging the Gulf oil leak. There's more fallout from that school textbook decision in Texas.

Plus, if you've ever played the game Pac-Man you won't want to miss Lee Cowan's report tonight.

I hope you can join us for NBC Nightly News.

From: BP spokesman Andrew Gowers:

We are surprised that Professor Bea, in his very brief report, has so quickly reached such firm conclusions about responsibility for the Horizon incident based on what he admits to be incomplete information.  There are many investigations ongoing that will examine data, physical evidence, 1000's of documents and testimony from 100's of people.  We think it appropriate to await their findings before further comment on the causes of this terrible accident.

Watch the NBC Nightly News report: Deepwater Horizon accident: What went wrong?

by Brian Williams, Anchor and Managing Editor

They have closed the beaches on Grand Isle, Louisiana. All those lives and businesses have simply come to a halt. The oil is working its way up the marsh, infiltrating the roots of the plants, covering all the wildlife as it goes. There is nothing to stop this spill. Nothing yet. Perhaps the weekend will bring a solution. Perhaps a member of the community of inventors will come forward and somehow get the attention of BP, the Coast Guard, and our population. Perhaps the President will issue a challenge to all of us, as Kennedy did in going to the moon, to clean up this mess. We need something, fast. When I saw the comments last night's blog generated overnight—posted on a number of social media—I realized the depth of our shared heartache over this. Please keep the people of the Gulf in your constant thoughts and prayers. And pray for ingenuity.

In the meantime, have as good a weekend as you can, and we hope to see you back here on Monday night.  We hope you can join us for our Friday broadcast.

by Brian Williams, Anchor and Managing Editor

Does it occur to anyone else that it's worth asking the following question: If we have the ability to see the oil spill on an array of live cameras in real time, why don't we have the ability to fix it?

The pictures of the oil encroaching on the marsh are sickening. It's been a month now. The oil is coming onshore. The marsh will now never be the same.  Scientists likely will, for the remainder of my children's generation on earth, be able to find microscopic evidence of crude oil in that marshland.  This spill will be with us for the foreseeable future. Our failure to prevent it, and our inability to stop it, have combined to make this a part of the new reality in the United States. We have seriously injured a part of the country that can ill afford the damage. This one is on all of us.

We hope you can join us tonight.

By Robert Bazell, NBC Chief Science and Health Correspondent

Tonight we report on some very exciting results about what could become a routine method for early detection of ovarian cancer. The research, from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, will be presented early next month at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncolology (ASCO).

Every year, 21,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with ovarian cancer; almost 15,000 die from it. The major reason for the high death rate is that the cancer is almost always detected at later stages, when treatment is very difficult. But if caught early, ovarian cancer can usually be cured completely.
 
Until now, there have been no easy methods for early detection of ovarian cancer. The problem is compounded bysymptoms, which are often vague and can easily be dismissed. Scientists have been searching for cutting-edge molecular technology to find ovarian cancer earlier, and although those searches may pay off, but so far they haven't.
 
There are two older methods for screening: A blood test for a protein called CA-125 and transvaginal ultrasound. The blood test has proven to be too non-specific, and the ultrasound all too often produces false positives that lead to unnecessary surgery. What scientists did in this latest study is combine the two approaches, giving women a CA-125 blood test yearly. If it goes up--according to an amount determined by a formula that includes the woman's age and family history--she is sent for an ultrasound. If the ultrasound finds something suspicious, only then is surgery performed.

In this latest study of 3252 women, only 85 received ultrasounds over nine years. Of those 85, only eight got surgery. Five of the eight had early stage ovarian cancer, and are all doing fine. Two had benign ovarian tumors, and only one was a false positive. 

The idea is that someday soon, women will get routine CA-125 tests on an annual basis when they get pap tests--and if there is a rising level they will get the surgery.
 
Why is that not recommended now? Doctors are awaiting the results of a study of 200,000 women in the United Kingdom that should show for certain whether the technique works and whether it saves lives. Those results will come out in a few years.
 
Is there anything to prevent doctors from using the technology now? No, as long as doctors and their patients understand that it has not been proven to save lives--even though it looks very promising.

Doctors or patients with questions about the study can ask them at: www.mdanderson.org/ASK

                     
                      VIDEO: New hope for ovarian cancer?

 

by Brian Williams, Anchor and Managing Editor

A lot of people in homes and offices across the country have now seen this video, and it is incredible. It is of a hailstorm in Oklahoma this past weekend. Those out in it faced physical injury—it damaged structures and cars, and you'll see what it's like when these chunks of ice fall all the way through the atmosphere and land in a swimming pool. I'm calling your attention to this because as we head into tonight: We're facing another highly predictable evening of severe weather. When I lived in Missouri and worked in Kansas (and Oklahoma), I remember nights like this, and the uneasy feeling of knowing bad weather was approaching—but not being able to predict severity or location.

On a less serious note—while we're on the subject of amazing web videos, take a look at this.

Leonardtown Criterium Crash - Pro/1/2 Race from Bryan Vaughan on Vimeo.

And this:

Back to reality. We hope you can join us for the broadcast tonight.

May 8

May 10

May 15

 

 

May 17

 

by Brian Williams, Anchor and Managing Editor

Tomorrow, the 2010 list of the most endangered historic places will come out. It is embargoed to be released in the middle of the night--and while I've seen it, I'm not allowed to share it.  I will say this: I hope it gets a lot of coverage. I've been to a few of the places on it. The complaint...the excuse...for the sorry shape a lot of our landmarks find themselves in is money.  Nobody has any. State governments have no money, and we know the story at the Federal level.

The other challenge is getting a news item--ANY news item--to break through and get public attention. It's what we do here every day. I hope this list motivates people, companies and governments to do something. It's our history, our past, part of who we are. 

Losing it will cost us more than it would to fix it.

by Brian Williams, Anchor and Managing Editor

It was a high honor this weekend to deliver the Commencement Address and receive an Honorary Doctorate at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. It was the experience of a lifetime, and it took the efforts of so many people to make it happen.  The students—the reason we were all there—were spectacular. Every single encounter my wife and I had—trustees, administrators, staff, clergy, volunteers, students, parents (even my escort from the airport, a Marine  Corps veteran of Da Nang and the Indiana State Police) added to the wonderful time we had. They honored me with the invitation, and they have my everlasting gratitude.

We hope you can join us tonight.

Below is a list of people and organizations profiled on  Making a Difference: 

Week of May 24

Hands on Nashville

Week of May 17, Celebrities Making a Difference

Week of May 10, 2010
Circle of Friends

Week of May 3, 2010
Guardian Angel for Soldiers' Pets

Week of April 26, 2010
Horses and Hope

Week of April 19, 2010
Opus 118: Harlem School of Music campaign to keep its doors open
http://www.opus118.org/

Everyone Wins DC

Week of March 29, 2010
University of Cincinnati - Gen 1 House

Families First

Week of March 23, 2010
Guardian Angel for Soldiers' Pets

Illusions of Anderson - U.S. solider performs magic

Week of Jan 11, 2010
New York City Clothing Bank
http://www.newyorkcityclothingbank.org/

Week of Jan 4, 2010
After School Matters: http://afterschoolmatters.org

Week of December 21, 2009
The Giving Store
To find out more, go to: http://www.Flaglervolunteer.org and specify that your inquiry or donation is to be directed to The Giving Store

Week of December 14, 2009
To e-mail Ethel's mittens:
Ethelsmittens@aol.com

For more on Portraits of Love
http://www.pmdaportraitsoflove.com

For more information about Rudolph,
please visit http://www.rudolphsnoseknows.com.

Wreaths Across America
http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/

Week of December 7, 2009
Norah O'Donnell blogs about Joe Youcha
Learn more about the Alexandria Seaport Foundation

The Robin Hood Foundation Website
http://www.robinhood.org/home.aspx

Week of Nov. 30, 2009
Project Cure will send out 125 huge shipping containers of medical supplies this year to hospitals around the world- about $50 million in supplies. But, the good work couldn't get done without the help of an army volunteers.

Learn more on Project Cure:
http://www.projectcure.org 

Children's Heart Fund of Ethiopia:
http://www.chfe.org

*Voices United can be found here
http://voicesunited.org/voicesunited/

Follow them on Facebook:
http://twitter.com/VoicesUnitedMIA 

Mark Potter blogs about Voices United on Field Notes

Week of Nov. 23, 2009
Tim Hammack feeds the hungry at Bay Area Rescue | Find them on Facebook

More on the Rockin' Appalachian Mom Project

Week of Nov. 16, 2009
Learn more about the Boy's Town Cowboys

Week of Nov. 9, 2009

MONDAY: Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation | Help USA
TUESDAY: Alicia Keys Keep a Child Alive
WEDNESDAY: Glenn Close Fountain House
THURSDAY: Halle Berry Jenesse Center
FRIDAY: Tim McGraw Neighbor's Keeper

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

Greetings from San Francisco. The streets here are filled with runners today of all stripes, some in serious athletic gear, others in costumes ranging from ballerinas to farm animals. It's all a part of the sometimes whacky annual Bay to Breakers race, a 7.65 mile contest from the Embarcadero on the bay side of the city, up and across its famous hills to the finish line along the Pacific Ocean. The race is relatively short, but the partying, if I recall from my days living here in the 1980s, will likely go into the evening.

With the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as my backdrop, I will be anchoring the broadcast from here this evening.  I came to California to deliver the commencement address at the University of California, Merced last night. You might recall that the 5-year-old institution made news when it landed Michelle Obama as the commencement speaker for its first full graduating class last year. I was introduced to the campus and the students when I visited last May to report on the first lady's visit, and it was wonderful returning as the university's guest last night.  I'll show you a brief clip of my remarks on tonight's broadcast. Congratulations to all members of the graduating classes of 2010!

My colleague Mark Potter will lead our coverage on the Gulf oil spill tonight. He'll tell us about some important progress being made in efforts to divert and cap the leak. At the same time there are deeply troubling reports about massive deep water plumes of oil, suggesting this situation is rapidly going from bad to worse.

We'll also tell you about more trouble in the skies being created by that erupting volcano in Iceland, when we see you later for NBC Nightly News.