So many people I've been in touch with today have been surprised at their own reaction to word this morning of the death of Dana Reeve. Some of us knew her work as an entertainer... most of us knew her as the woman who married Superman... and later became the selfless partner, nurse and advocate for her husband and the cause of spinal cord injury research. Then came the loss of her brave husband, Chris Reeve. Then came word that Dana Reeve, a non-smoker, had lung cancer. The alert sent to all of us this morning from our assignment desk at 8:19 a.m. was a shocker.

I instantly remembered her last interview on "Larry King Live" in the winter of last year. What was striking about it was that in our age of complete self-absorption, her answers to the questions showed us the classy, dignified, self-deprecating, brave, loving and balanced person that she was. I have seen snippets of that conversation running again today. It is a fine way to remember her. Our prayers are with the family, and we will remember Dana Reeve tonight.

We will take another look, as well, at the disease that killed her. Many of us at NBC News happily take part in fundraising for a charity organization called Joan's Legacy, in memory of former NBC Nightly News writer Joan Scarangello, who also died of non-smoker's lung cancer. Joan's Legacy has been taking part in some leading-edge research in this area.

Also on the broadcast: a look at the Bush administration's foreign and nuclear policy. And our continuing series on Alzheimer's and early detection... would you really want to know? In all cases?

There's also the Enron trial. Colleagues of mine tell me the ONLY way to follow the trial is by reading what they are calling "Enron Unplugged" -- the inside-the-courtroom blog coverage of the trial by the staff of the Houston Chronicle. You can find it here.

And Barry Bonds is back in the news, not for reasons he'll like. The man who is poised to break one or two major, long-standing baseball records is the subject of some new and devastating reporting concerning what is said to be his regimen of steroid intake.

A story we may expand on the broadcast this week: this morning's piece in the Washington Post... about the President... and his rug. The one in the Oval Office, and what it has come to mean to him. Having heard this story from him, it's interesting to read the reporting on it.

And a warning: one night this week, when the perfect time slot presents itself, we'll get off the air with a story by Ron Allen from New Orleans that made many of us very emotional when we saw it for the first time. Take my word for it: if you've suffered a loss in your life recently, it's hard to watch.  But I'd quickly add: it's an important story, well told... and it features a great man.

Please look for it. I wish I could offer more specificity, but due to the changeable nature of our broadcast, that's all I can tell you right now. We do hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast.

New tests are finding Alzheimer's earlier, but there's no cure in sight. What's it like to live with the reality that a terrible fate awaits? Tonight, we'll introduce you to families trying to cope. Would they be better off perhaps not knowing? Chief Science & Health Correspondent Robert Bazell continues our special report.  You can read part one here.

Its one of life's cruelties that it often takes a passing to make us realize things about the people around us. While I realized long before I lost my Sister that I was surrounded by outstanding, loyal friends and a loving family, I learned it all over again this past week. While I knew full well the quality of the people I'm blessed to work with every day here at NBC News, and while I knew full well that our audience is made up of millions of equally good, decent, kind people, I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of sympathy and good wishes from people I will never have the privilege of meeting. 

If you are among those who wrote to this blog, my family read it. If you were among those who prayed, we felt it. On behalf of every member of the family, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

MONDAY OUTLOOK
We have developments in the storm zone tonight... in fact, today was kind of a grim marker of sorts in the Lower Ninth Ward. And in the more upscale Lakeview section of New Orleans, imagine the surprise of searchers there yesterday when a trained sniffing dog sat down in the middle of the living room of an abandoned home: the dog was doing what it was trained to do when it sniffed out a "positive." The searchers went to where the dog seemed to be looking... above the ceiling in the living room... where adjacent to an air conditioning duct, they found the decomposed body of an elderly man, who apparently died while trying to escape the rising water over six months ago.  It continues to be an American Tragedy. 

On another front, a lot of Americans are going through a kind of telecommunications deja vu. Remember "The Phone Company?" The same one broken up by Judge Green of the federal bench in 1984?  It split Ma Bell up into several parts, which have dedicated their separate lives ever since to getting back together after their forced split. This latest AT&T merger is a vivid example, and we'll look at the deal and the impact tonight.

We have some superb reporting on Alzheimer's tonight, and the Abortion Law passed and signed in South Dakota. Also, was there any lasting meaning to be gleaned from last night's Academy Awards? 

My thanks to my friend Campbell Brown for stepping up and filling in so admirably last week. We hope you can join us for tonight's broadcast. We're back home now.

The work of the nation continues apace this week in your U.S. House of Representatives, which, relatively speaking, isn't saying much. The House has been slow getting off the mark this year, what with an historically late return from the holidays compounded by early signs of a bad case of election year gridlock setting in.

Into this void steps Rep. Chris Shays, the Connecticut Republican who is holding his second hearing into cruise ship safety on TUESDAY. Shays, who represents the family of missing honeymooner George Allen Smith, will host family members of victims of cruise ship dangers, along with representatives of some cruise lines.

Over on the floor, the full House will take up legislation related to the extension of the Patriot Act, also on TUESDAY. This is companion legislation to the Act itself, and its passage will clear the way for a presidential signing ceremony later this week.

A taste of legislative controversy comes on WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY when a bill requiring a national uniform food labeling system hits the floor. Proponents want national food label warnings to supersede those of individual states, giving the FDA prime authority. Opponents of the bill say that some states, such as California, have stronger standards for labeling, warning consumers of health risks. The bill's supporters say that having different standards in different states creates an undue burden for industry.

On THURSDAY the House will once again take up and likely pass a bill designed to protect children against predators. The measure would require states to create a registry of sex offenders; increase penalties; and expand the definition of sex offenders. The House passed a similar bill last year that has not been taken up by the Senate.

The winner of this week's trivia question will be the individual who can tell us what Gerard A. Fiorenza, Dewey F. Bartlett and Hiram L. Fong have in common. (Submit a comment with your answer.  We'll reveal the winner Tuesday at Noon ET.)

Every week around Tuesday I commiserate with the editor of this blog about the paucity of comments generated by my writings. If I had any sense, I would recognize this as a good thing. After all, the national legislature is a serious place and I am a straight news reporter. But instead, I allow this apparent disinterest to torment me. Consequently, I have gone so far as to develop something I call the "Volatility Coefficient" -- a list of keywords that is guaranteed to elicit reader feedback, with a value assigned to each word and a formula to calculate the number of responses per additional mention of the word. To wit:

On WEDNESDAY the House will take up a measure designating the William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home, in Hope, Arkansas as a National Historic Site and unit of the National Park System. True story.

The Viq VC says I will get 5 responses.

Two meetings taking place outside the United Nations in New York will greatly impact the work of the Security Council in the weeks ahead. The first is the crucial and expected week-long International Atomic Energy Agency board meeting in Vienna, Austria, where 35 members will determine if Iran is indeed referred to the Security Council for council action regarding its refusal so far to comply with board demands to renounce uranium enrichment and agree to the additional protocol of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that permits surprise inspections.

As the board opened its session Monday, IAEA director Mohammed Elbaradei of Egypt held out cautious hope that a diplomatic agreement was still possible with Russia and others and a referral might be avoided.  Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton has accused Iran of engaging in "doublespeak" during the negotiations. Bolton says Iran has been "flatly refusing" to give up its ambitions for a nuclear weapons program.

In any case, diplomats at the U.N. say the Security Council (because of differences among the 15 members) would deal with Iran's nuclear activities in "various stages" if the issue comes before them.  The first step would likely be closed-door consultations. Last week, some diplomats (including British Amb. Emyr Jones Parry) were expecting that initial Security Council action would include "backing up" IAEA demands on Iran and demanding immediate compliance. But as one diplomat put it, "if they don't, then the $64,000 question is what would the council do next?"

The second key meeting outside the U.N. is that of the African Union on Friday. The union will decide whether to approve the transfer of its 7,000-member force in Darfur to the U.N. The AU had previously agreed in principle to do so, but heavy lobbying by the Sudanese government against it has been underway. U.N. and U.S. officials want a U.N. takeover, believing that a larger, more mobile operation with air power would be more effective in dealing with the violence and atrocities in Darfur. However, most council members want the AU's blessing. Sudan has warned that if a U.N. operation (with possible Western help) is based in Darfur, al-Qaida might return to the country.   

Meanwhile, Security Council members have their work cut out for them this week dealing with an array of other issues and conflicts ranging from Somalia (which is still without a central government and security and humanitarian conditions are deteriorating) to the future status of Kosovo. They have their monthly lunch with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on Friday.

The threat of a Senate investigation into the controversial NSA surveillance program looms again over the Intelligence Committee this week. In a closed meeting on Tuesday, the panel's Democrats will again attempt to bring the matter up for a vote after being thwarted last month by a White House commitment to work toward a legislative fix and give the panel more oversight over the program. But a final deal has yet to be reached, and without it the vote for an investigation lies with non-committal Republicans Snowe, Maine, and Hagel, Neb.

The administration's recent requests for emergency funding for Hurricane Katrina relief and Iraq/Afghanistan wars will generate three hearings with several high profile witnesses in the Appropriations Committee. On Tuesday morning, the Governors of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas testify before the panel. On Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff and HUD Secretary Jackson weigh in on Gulf Coast assistance. 

And while Thursday's hearing will focus on emergency funds needed for the Global War on Terror, it will more than likely be a referendum of sorts on the war in Iraq. Scheduled to testify are Secretary of State Rice, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, Joint Chiefs of Staff Pace, and Centcom Gen. John Abizaid.  While the Appropriations Committee doesn't have some of the more recognizable names in the Iraq debate, Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Nev., is a panel member and will likely attend.

On the Senate floor this week, expect action on lobbying reform, a bill that would provide more money to a program that assists low income people with heating costs and probably a measure to increase the debt limit. The Democrat's agenda for the week will be to highlight shortcomings in the president's budget that will affect national security, with Reid's first news conference Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET.

Imagine there's a time bomb ticking in your brain. Would you want to know? Thanks to startling new technology, doctors are detecting Alzheimer's disease earlier and earlier. How does this affect treatment and medication? Tonight, Chief Science & Health Correspondent Robert Bazell has our special report.

As we sit down for our afternoon meeting, there are still a number of question about the death of Pat Tillman that have not been answered.  This weekend we learned that the Pentagon is recommending that the Army open a criminal investigation into Tillman's death in Afghanistan almost 2 years ago.  This would be the 4th investigation into his death.  The NFL football star made headlines when he joined the military, became an Army Ranger and fought the Taliban in Afghanistan.  Other investigations have found the Tillman was killed by "friendly fire".  But there are many questions.  What is the scope of the investigation and who are the targets?  NBC's Rosiland Jordan is following the story.

Also, there are new concerns about Iran's nuclear program.  U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton said today if Iran continues it's nuclear activities, there will be "tangible and painful consequences." NBC's Lisa Daniels will have the latest tonight.

On the business front, another mega-merger is in the works tonight.  This time AT&T announced that it plans to merge with BellSouth.  If the deal is approved, it would create the largest telecommunications company in the country.  CNBC's David Faber will be with us tonight to explain the details.
We'll have it all coming up tonight.  We hope to see you then.

We begin the broadcast on this Friday overseas... with major concern surrounding the President's trip to Pakistan. The President arrived in Islamabad under extremely tight security... Air Force One flying with no lights, under the cover of darkness. His arrival comes just one day after an American diplomat was killed in a suicide car bombing outside the U.S. consulate in Karachi. The President is being greeted by anti-Bush and anti-American protesters... on a trip aimed at showing solidarity with Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf and bolstering the fight against Islamic militants.

Security surrounding the President's visit was complicated today by the arrest of a Belgian citizen named Michal Bellen in Lahore. NBC's Bob Windrem and Sara Lusk report that Interpol has a "huge file" on him and that a senior U.S. official said, "We don't know that FOR A FACT that he was planning anything regarding the President, but we are certainly concerned that he might carry out mischief in Islamabad and possibly elsewhere..."

NBC Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory is traveling with the President and our terrorism analyst Roger Cressey will join us during the broadcast to help put all of this in perspective.

Also tonight... Mike Boettcher has a lot to report on al-Qaida's strategy in Iraq, with General George Casey saying "it appears that the crisis has passed" following days of deadly violence.

And Dawn Fratangelo has a heart-wrenching report tonight on the nursing home in Louisiana's St. Bernard parish where 35 people died after Hurricane Katrina. She tells us how one woman rescued her mother as the flood waters were rising. It is a powerful, powerful story. The owners of the nursing home have been charged with negligent homicide.

Finally... we are thinking of our anchorman and friend. His sister's funeral was today.

We will see you tonight.

Our afternoon outing in Delhi took us to the Sarozgini Nagar market, a teaming outdoor bazaar where the relentless push for a sale is overwhelmed by the sadness you feel when accosted by young, barefoot children begging for money.

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And this is NEW Delhi, an area filled with embassies and pockets of wealth. A city of almost 14 million people is caught between its poverty and its tremendous promise. The lead story in the Times of India this morning trumpets: "It’s A Deal. A Very Big Deal." The reference, of course, is to the agreement to share civilian nuclear energy with India. This is a big story and The New York Times explains why its so controversial back home. I remain enthralled with this part of the world and the growing U.S. interest in India as a counterbalance to China -- militarily and economically.

Meanwhile, USA Today previews our trip to Islamabad, Pakistan tonight, the final stop of this trip. U.S. officials acknowledge the visit is not without "its risks." A U.S. diplomat sitting in his car was killed when a suicide attacker rammed his car with a vehicle full of explosives yesterday.

I'm told the decision for the President to stay the night tonight was just made. The feeling was that Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf would consider a day trip to his country a snub by the President.

Our producer in Islamabad, Carol Grisanti, described the capital city as a fortress. They have cleared out the city, making the President's hotel part of the red zone. Apartments in the area have been searched and Afghan workers in the local hotels have been told to stay home. The White House will take a reduced staff. Nerves are frayed before the visit.

Editor's note: NBC News Producer Antoine Sanfuentes, on the trip with David, also snapped a few photos in India. Click here to watch his slideshow.

It was one of the worst stories reported in the wake of Hurricane Katrina -- the nursing home where 35 residents were left to die. All the other homes in the area evacuated, so why didn't they?

I just want to let everyone know again that Brian is taking some time off after the death of his sister on Monday. We miss him very much. He and his family are in our thoughts this week. Even in his absence, his interview with former FEMA director Michael Brown and a new review of videotapes and transcripts of the meetings among top administration officials just before Katrina hit, continue to drive our news coverage.

In the last 24 hours, this story has become a little confusing. Tonight we will try to bring some clarity to this tale of the tapes. Our investigative correspondent Lisa Myers has been going through all the material, taking a closer look. She will give us a reality check, now that all the participants are trying to spin this in their favor. And again tonight we will have Michael Brown on the show, this time responding to what we have learned from the tapes and transcripts. Brown voiced plenty of frustration with the White House and its response to Katrina, describing the "fog of bureaucracy." There is videotape showing Brown issuing a strong warning to the President and top officials the day before Katrina made landfall, saying "My gut tells me... this is a bad one and a big one." The tape shows the President asking no questions, but making confident statements about preparedness. But later Brown says that the President is engaged and asking the right questions. A White House spokesman is insisting today that there is nothing new here. But Democrats have jumped on the issue, using it to renew calls for an independent commission to investigate the federal response to Katrina. As our viewers know, this is a story we are not letting go of, and we believe with good reason.

Also on the broadcast tonight... the latest on the President's trip to Pakistan, in the wake of a suicide car bomb that killed an American diplomat and three others. Plus, the latest research on rising alcohol abuse among women, and why women suffer more serious health effects than men.

See you tonight.

A pair of "Ambassadors" outside the Indian Finance Ministry. Photo by David Gregory.

It's a handsome car and you can't miss it around Delhi -- the Ambassador. I took this picture outside the Finance Ministry. The pearly white compact provides added flair to a city of 7 million people so rich in history. It reminded me of a bygone era in India, one I've read about in the history books. The Ambassador was made in 1957 by Hindustan Motors. Here's what a local write up said about the car:

"Though the sturdy Ambassador does not find many takers in India, with people looking to more fancy cars, its export has been steadily increasing, mainly in the British and Japanese markets. Trucks are being exported to Bangladesh, Egypt, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. The Earth moving Equipments are being exported to Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Bangladesh, Mauritius and Libya."

Anyway, enough sightseeing.

The President has come all the way to India and he'll leave without seeing the Taj Mahal, known as the monument to love. Today during lunch, Indian Prime Minister Singh needled Mr. Bush, saying to the first lady, "I hope you will be more chivalrous the next time you are here." The President, during his toast, joked back blaming the oversight on "the George W. Bush schedulers," adding "Mr. Prime Minister, I'm sorry you brought up the Taj Mahal. I've been hearing about it from Laura ever since I told her we weren't going."

On a more serious note, the President responded today to the deadly suicide attack in Karachi, Pakistan. An American diplomat and three others were killed. Mr. Bush said he won't let "terrorists and killers" deter him from making the trip to Islamabad. A pared-down White House staff will be making the Pakistan trip and nerves are a bit on edge.

This is the President's first full day in Delhi. How is he being received? Well, the lead editorial in The Times of India says the President's schedule has been designed to created "maximum nuisance."

Big news here today is that the U.S. and India have reached an agreement on nuclear energy. This is actually a big deal. India needs nuclear energy if its economy is going to continue to grow at such high rates. American companies know that as Indians get richer they will buy more of what we produce. Consider this: the emerging Indian middle class is estimated at 300 million people -- bigger than the  entire U-S population. That is a rich prize for America's export market.

I spoke today with Ron Somers, who heads the U.S.-Indian business council and is part of the delegation of American CEOs on this trip. He imparted some interesting facts. India uses 400 kilowatts of electricity per person, per year. By comparison, the U.S. uses 11,000 kilowatts. India is a country of 1.1 billion people. That means that the country is going without adequate electricity. Brown-outs are not uncommon around the country. As India gets wealthier, the demand for energy will only grow. That's where nuclear energy comes in. Somers said this deal, if approved by Congress, would allow India to import nuclear fuel and equipment from nuclear providers like the United States and others. Why have U.S. CEOs accompanied the President on this trip? Because India's appetite for fuel and equipment creates, as Somers put it, "A $60 billion price tag of opportunity" for companies around the world selling those products. 

While India needs energy, it has also developed nuclear weapons. The U.S., through the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), is trying to contain the spread of nukes around the world. It is giving India a pass, however, because the world's largest democracy has agreed to let international nuclear inspectors look over their shoulder and has agreed not to let nuclear know-how fall into the hands of dangerous countries like Iran or North Korea.

The former ambassador to India, Robert Blackwill, who more recently coordinated Iraq policy for the White House, has written a very interesting piece on the deal and why it matters.

Tonight on NBC Nightly News... Women and substance abuse -- new evidence that women are more easily addicted to alcohol, tobacco and pills than men. What are the different risk factors and what does this mean for treatment? A look at cutting edge research and the hope for a cure.

As the regular readers know, Brian is deeply committed to his blog. I will try to keep posting in his absence... but you will have to forgive me if the commentary lacks his wit and wisdom. Brian and his family remain much in our thoughts this week.

Leaving New Orleans this morning... the city was silent. Not a soul on the streets of the French Quarter. No doubt, much of New Orleans is sleeping it off today. On the streets around our hotel and along Canal and St. Charles... nothing but crushed cups and scattered beads. Growing up in Louisiana... I remember being a little girl at Mardi Gras... and how on Wednesday it abruptly all came to an end. The sanitation workers would hit the streets late Tuesday and work all through the night so that, by the time people headed out to work and Ash Wednesday mass, there were only a few remnants of the blow out Mardi Gras day bash.

Not this year. The beads, doubloons and debris are going to sit in those streets for some time, I'm afraid. The street cleaners and sanitation crews who had the post-Mardi Gras clean up down to a science....  are now, like so many other Katrina victims , displaced and scattered... and mostly not on the job. I fall into the camp of those who believe it was all worth it. That there must be Mardi Gras. For locals it is a joyous reunion of families and New Orleans just wouldn't be New Orleans without it. But that doesn't make today any easier to wake up to.  Knowing that there are a lot of tough days still ahead, we want to wish all the best to all the families who shared their Mardi Gras spirit with us.

As for tonight's broadcast.... we are going to update you on the situation on the Gulf Coast. Ron Mott reports on how communities in that hard hit region are holding up... areas where there has been progress and areas where people are still in dire need.

Also tonight, David Gregory reports on the President's surprise stop in Afghanistan on his way to India. And Tom Brokaw, recently back from Pakistan, has an in depth look at the battle to win the hearts and minds in the earthquake zone.... now an area of contention between Taliban supporters and the Pakistani government and the U.S. military.

See you tonight.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gave the bulk of his speech to Congress in Italian Wednesday - a decision that left members of Congress who showed up to listen somewhat in the dark.

Because no one here in the Capitol knew until the last minute that Berlusconi would not be speaking in English, there were no accommodations made for simultaneous audio translation. That meant that the relatively few members of Congress who attended the speech would not have the benefit of those little earphones to help them understand what was being said, unless, of course, they "capisce Italiano". They were provided, however, with a written English translation of the remarks to help them try and follow along.

Typically, these speeches by foreign dignitaries to a joint meeting of Congress are poorly attended by our elected Representatives and Senators, and today's address was no exception. A House aide who was in the chamber estimated that there were about 100 members of Congress present out of the 533 who currently serve. Look closely at the wide shots when you rush home tonight to watch the replay on C-Span and you'll see an army of blue-jacketed, apple-cheeked pages and House interns filling in the chamber's back rows. House officials stick them there to avoid the international embarassment of a mostly empty chamber.

Asked when the Prime Minister made the decision to deliver the remarks in Italian, an embassy press attaché shrugged it off: "Only God himself knows the answer," she said.

But, as NBC producer Deb Pettit notes, at the end of his speech Berlusconi did speak in English, giving an emotional account of a father telling a boy about the brave soldiers who came from overseas to bring peace to their land in World War II.  "That father was my father, and I am the young man... I have never forgotten the sacrifices... and I never will," the Italian Prime Minister said.

Hearing and understanding this, the members of Congress who were present rose to their feet and applauded.

The much anticipated "10 Best Cars" list comes out today. Getting on the list gives a car maker bragging rights and a big sales boost. But will Detroit's prestige be further eroded by the onslaught of foreign car makers?