Advisors say the president's speech is running about 40 minutes, not counting applause. Brian anchors NBC News coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET and expected to last at least an hour.

The president is rehearsing in the family theater at the White House. The speech has been revised more than 30 times and every word change generates a new draft. Advisors say the president has been personally involved in editing since the very early drafts. About a half dozen speech writers have been working the text. We'll have fact sheets about the speech in the early afternoon, excerpts at about 5:30 p.m. ET and full text as prepared for delivery by 8 p.m.

Advisors describe the address as centered on a "handful" of issues, as opposed to a so-called "laundry list" of proposals. They say the focus is on areas where both parties can work together. Here's what I've been able to glean from advisors so far in terms of specifics. Words or phrases in quotes were used by the advisors in their conversations with me.

Iraq: The president will give a "relatively short" "justification" for his troop increase. They say because an entire prime time speech was devoted to the new plan two weeks ago, the president will not dwell on many specifics. They expect the House chamber could be "quiet" but they do not anticipate any rude reaction even though the war policy is unpopular.

War on terror: The president will talk about larger issues of the "ideological struggle" against terrorism in which advisors acknowledge both parties have more agreement.

Health care reform: Advisors use the example of the cell phone industry as a model of what healthcare reform could look like: Competition has driven down costs and provided more options for the consumer. That is not to say the president will use that analogy in his address, but he will call for making employer-paid health care coverage taxable income that might be offset by a standard tax deduction for purchasing health insurance. The proposal is already facing sharp criticism. The White House considers it a "bold" proposal.

Energy: The president will talk about incentives for reducing harmful emissions, but will not advocate any caps. He will encourage alternative fuels and argue that cleaner fuels will automatically improve the environment. Described as a more "holistic" approach to energy security and climate change.

Education: The president will ask Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act.

Immigration: The president will again argue for a guest worker program along with border security.

Advisors declined to talk about the guests in the first lady's box tonight and how the president will mention them tonight.

Brian anchors the broadcast from Washington, D.C., tonight. But as he wings his way to the nation's capital, Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory delivers the vlog. Topic No. 1 tonight: President Bush's State of the Union. Brian anchors NBC News coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Click here or on the image to watch the vlog.

It may well be easier to ask all Americans who are NOT running for president to raise their hands. The new week brings three new entrants in the race, and while they are all interesting, the woman who is perhaps the most prominent among them dropped by our studios today for an interview that will air tonight. Senator Clinton certainly wins the entourage sweepstakes. By dint of her Secret Service protection, and additionally due to the sheer size of her staff (a lot of familiar faces who have been at this a long time), she presents as a walking event when she goes anywhere. Today our central hallway, makeup room and studio were no exception. If you pay attention to the political and press types, Bill Richardson, another of this weekend's entrants, may be the guy sitting on top of a minor electoral gold mine. The thinking being expressed by some is that by getting into the race, he might be the most valuable potential VICE presidential candidate in the field: a Southwestern Governor with Cabinet-level international political experience, who is today at the heart of the immigration debate. We'll see, of course. He's running for the top job, after all. In this compressed existence, a day is a year -- and we have over a calendar year to go. It will be fascinating to go back through the clips, blogs and broadcasts to see who was whistling Dixie.

When I asked Senator Clinton about the "Obama effect" -- namely her declaring her candidacy so early -- even before the President's State of the Union address, she answered, "That was our plan, yes..." We'll have it all for you tonight.

Brian interviews Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in Studio 3A. Photo by NBC's Subrata De.

David Gregory will start us off by looking at the exploding field of candidates, and Tim Russert will unveil our brand new numbers in tonight's NBC News poll, including attitudes toward President Bush and the Iraq policy change that is now in motion. And we'll air the interview with Sen. Clinton, of course -- with minor edits merely for time and to accommodate all the other news of the day. The entire conversation will, per usual, be available on cable and on the Web. You can watch a snippet now at Nightly.MSNBC.com.

Then there's Iraq. 27 American deaths over just this past weekend. Mike Boettcher will have our report.

As you C-SPAN viewers may know, I moderated several panels this weekend at the symposium marking the 30th anniversary of President Carter's inauguration.  There was an extraordinary moment during a town meeting with President and Mrs. Carter, during which he disclosed, for the first time in detail, how close the Camp David talks came to collapse, and what he said to Anwar Sadat that convinced the Egyptian President not to leave for home. History buffs and others will find it an extraordinary and emotional moment when we air it tonight. Many of the old hands from those years were in attendance. Many of the audience questions had to do with the former President's controversial new book on the Israelis and the Palestinians, and he was forced at various times to defend himself from charges of bigotry and anti-Semitism. At one point he interrupted a panel about his administration and at his own symposium, as if to ask permission to say a few words from the stage. The moderator, Newsweek editor Jon Meacham, wisely "allowed" President Carter up on stage.

We kick off a new series of reports tonight called "Coming Home" -- a series title we have used before -- but this week we've commissioned and compiled a superb collection of stories on that front. Over the weekend we promoted a piece about spam (known by its official title as "unwanted computer e-mail") and the explosion in that particular menace: by one official count, spam doubled in just the past year.

RAZOR-SHARP FOCUS ON JOURNALISM
The old grey lady of newspapers, The New York Times, proved again this morning that she may be passing through a mid-life identity crisis. Today's paper -- the front page of the Business Section no less -- features an article about the perils of High Definition for the video porn business (NYTimes.com login required for link). Unsightly "razor burn" is listed among the imperfections that the industry is dealing with. The climax of the article is the retelling of a scene where a pimple on an "actor's" body was distracting. The remedy? "We just changed positions." Kind of like The New York Times has lately.

On to cleaner matters: We hope you can join us for the broadcast tonight.

An hour before dawn this morning, in a pouring rain, wounded Iraq war veteran Dan McKinney returned to his old law enforcement job at the Port of Miami, and received a hero's welcome. The many hugs, handshakes and warm wishes were a far cry from the reception he endured 37 years ago when he also returned injured from Vietnam, and was cursed by angry crowds. On tonight's broadcast, you'll get a chance to meet McKinney and hear from one of the many people at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), who took extraordinary steps to support and protect him this time around.

Nearly two years ago, the now 55-year-old McKinney was called up by the Army Reserves, and was sent to Iraq to train policemen. But while he was taking a lunch break at an Iraqi compound, a suicide bomber dressed as a policeman walked in the door and set off a deadly explosive. Two Americans were killed, and four were injured. McKinney suffered a severe abdominal injury. He would spend the next year and a half in treatment and rehabilitation facilities.

I met McKinney a few weeks ago, with the intent of using his story as part of a larger report on wounded vets supporting each other at a conference in Orlando. But, I quickly changed my mind and decided to feature him on his own after he gave an extraordinary account of all the people who had rallied to help him. He insisted this outpouring actually accelerated his recovery.

He told of incredible support from his boss, Thomas Winkowski, who went to see him at the Walter Reed Army Hospital promising that no matter how badly McKinney was hurt, no matter how disabled he was, he would always have a job at the Port of Miami. Jose Ramirez, the CBP port director, also pulled out all the stops, calling the hospital daily to make sure all was well. CBP officer Stephanie Mays, a close friend of McKinney's, was actually assigned to be with him at Walter Reed.  She says the first thing McKinney did when she saw him all broken up in the hospital was to apologize for getting hurt.   

As he recovered, McKinney was flooded with cards and letters from CBP officers and their families from around the world, too many to thank individually. Even schoolchildren wished him well. One of them wrote, "You're not lonely, you have friends here in Florida, and I hope you get better." Even for a tough old soldier-cop, it was powerful and emotional tonic.

This morning, McKinney finally came home again, well enough recovered to arrive for his first day back to work. He found himself surrounded by a crowd of blue uniforms -- officers young and old who had each played a role in bringing him back. When asked how he felt, he said simply, "I feel very humble." 

Brian anchors the broadcast tonight from New York, where at this hour he is interviewing Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who took the first step toward running for president in 2008. The early start to the presidential campaign will be one story in the broadcast.

Click here or on the image to watch the vlog.

The war in Iraq is our top story tonight... as it has been on this weekend broadcast many times over the past 3 years.  This is one of the bloodiest weekends for Americans since the war began.  5 more U.S. soldiers were killed today... 25 were killed in Iraq yesterday. NBC's Mike Boettcher joins us from Baghdad.

Here at home there are several new polls that indicate Americans are opposed to the President's plan to increase troops in Iraq.  In fact... Republican support for the President's plan appears to be eroding.  This comes as the President prepares to deliver his State of the Union address to the nation.  But NBC's John Yang reports from the White House... we are not expected to hear anything new on the Iraq front.

Another democrat jumped into the race for President today.  New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson joins Senator Hillary Clinton who announced Saturday.  NBC's Mike Taibbi takes a look at the field of candidates... and NBC's Washington Bureau Chief and Moderator of Meet the Press talks about how this race is shaping up.  It is important to remember... there are 652 days until the next Presidential election... a lot of time... and anything can happen.

NBC's Ron Allen brings us a special story from Asheville, North Carolina about pharmacists.  He reports on a new program to train pharmacists... to help customers understand more about the right way to take their medication. 

And NBC's George Lewis has an interesting story about hybrid cars.  George owns one... and talks about the advantages... and how much it costs to buy and operate a hybrid.

It's all coming up tonight.  We hope you'll join us.

This is a busy news day on several fronts.  We are following a helicopter crash in Baghdad that killed 13 Americans.  But there are few details.  We are still gathering information and NBC's Mike Boettcher will have the latest from Baghdad.

Presidential politics is in the news tonight.  Sen. Hillary Clinton has officially decided to get into the race for the democratic nomination for President.  Senator Sam Brownback made the same decision on the Republican side today.  And tomorrow we are expecting New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to join the field of democrats running for the nomination.  Some major political developments this weekend and NBC's Chip Reid will have the latest tonight.

At the White House President Bush met with his Secretary of State and new Defense Secretary today to discuss his new plan for Iraq.  NBC's John Yang will have that story.

We also will bring you the latest on the winter weather that has been dumping a sheet of ice on places like Oklahoma knocking out power to thousands.  NBC's Don Teague is there.

NBC's Charles Hadlock will tell us how new DNA evidence helped prove that a man had been wrongly convicted of a serious crime 25 years ago.

And NBC's Mike Taibbi with the story of a new law in Bangor Maine that makes it illegal for drivers to smoke... if they have a child under the age of 18 in the car.

It's all coming up tonight.  We hope to see you then.

I am struck by a story my colleagues are preparing for Nightly News this weekend that's also in today's New York Times concerning the city of Bangor, Maine. The city council there has made news by banning smoking in cars when children are present, effective immediately. Bangor is the first city to do this, but Arkansas, Louisiana and Puerto Rico have taken similar action, and several other states are considering it.

You don' t have to be a parent (I am one) to realize how much sense this makes in terms of protecting our children from the dangers of second-hand smoke. There are, of course, those who are protesting the Bangor ordinance as an invasion of privacy rights and who say the science doesn't support imposing such bans. It's part of a new front in the battle to restrict smoking, not just in public places, but increasingly, in the private realm.

Second-hand smoke concerns me greatly, and it is hard to avoid it. I regularly bob and weave my way through the streets of New York to avoid walking into someone' s smoke trail and often hold my breath when entering and leaving our office building here at 30 Rock so I don't have to breathe in from the cloud left by smokers on their breaks outside the revolving doors.

But it's the kids I worry most about, and it will be interesting so see whether other cities and states will now follow Bangor's lead and at least try to offer some level of protection for our most precious cargo, both on the road and off.

A brief rundown of the calendar leading to this moment: a two-hour meeting with producers; a meeting with the division president; a meeting with Jane Arraf, our visiting veteran Bagdhad correspondent (who will be joining us on the air tonight); a videotaped interview in my office for an hour-long documentary MSNBC is producing; a telephone interview for a trade publication; and other events too minor to mention.  In short, a thoroughly busy Friday, capped off by a flight to Atlanta right after the broadcast, where I will be moderating several panel discussions tomorrow at the Carter Center -- which I understand is being broadcast live on C-SPAN.  Now, to matters much more important: the news we're reporting on for tonight.

FROM SPACE
The front-page story in both today's New York Times and Washington Post told a story reminiscent of the "atmospherics" of the Cold War era in this country: the Chinese had pulled off a first -- blasting a satellite out of space from a ground station. While scientists, space specialists and others in the trade might know much more than we civilians, it was viewed and analyzed as a major statement (at minimum) and an unwelcome weaponization of space (at most). The central question: how is our world a safer place because of this? 

Also tonight, what one cable network was calling "Nancy Pelosi's OWN State of the Union" -- and what a White House spokeswoman called a "soundbite war" underway in Washington. At this moment, Bernie Kerik is on Fox looking concerned, and just said, "For some reason, we don't have the resolve we had in World War I and World War II."

Additionally, tonight we measure the achievements of the new Democratic management in the House based on the expectations and predictions of the "first 100 hours."

If you haven't seen the pictures of the weather in Europe, please tune in if only for that -- Dawna Friesen will have our report. Also tonight: the great Saints of New Orleans and the great things they've done for that city...and our "Making A Difference" segment tonight -- it's a winner.

We all wish you a good and safe weekend. We hope you can join us for our broadcast tonight, and hope additionally to see you on Monday evening. Thanks for joining us this past week.

I remember receiving a blue, flowery blanket when I was seven years old.  I can describe it perfectly, because "Blanks" rests in a drawer in my bedroom to this day.  It is just a scrap of its original form, but Blanks reminds me of the warmth and security that it provided me when I was so young; and it still makes me feel that way today.  I remember agonizing when my brother hid Blanks to torment me, and refusing to go to bed until my mother returned it to me from the laundry.  I think every adult that had a blanket has a memory or two just like mine, which makes it easy to appreciate the significance of tonight's "Making a Difference" segment.

Eleven years ago, a PARADE magazine photograph of a young cancer patient clutching her blanket inspired Karen Loucks Rinedollar, of Parker, Colo., to make blankets for children being treated for the disease at her local hospital.  "Project Linus"  -- appropriately named -- caught on, and today is a national enterprise comprising over 400 chapters and thousands of volunteer "blanketeers" who

have donated nearly two million homemade blankets to kids during a time when they could use one. In recent years, Project Linus has mobilized after national tragedies, such as the Columbine school shooting, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina, and for children that have lost a parent to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Karen Loucks Rinedollar covers a young patient at the Children's Hospital in Denver with a 'Project Linus' blanket.
Image by NBC's Ray Farmer

Karen's idea has touched a lot of lives. As we followed Karen through the halls of The Children's Hospitals in Denver and Parker last week, we witnessed the effect her gifts had on little children with big illnesses.  They loved it; the blankets were great therapy.  One nurse pointed out to me: "We can't make all of these children better, but we can make it a better situation."  Each of us that had a blanket as a child knows just what she means.  I hope you tune in tonight to meet Karen.

We have two big stories up top tonight and both go right to the heart of everyday life. The first is confirmation of a story that I think we all already know: health care depends on your class and other socioeconomic factors. Specifically, there are entire subgroups of women who receive alarmingly poor cancer care, based simply on who they are, and certain judgments that are made about them.

The second story involves a magazine, and our most precious cargo: the most prominent consumer publication in the country, CONSUMER REPORTS, is taking back their last big story: car seat safety. While they hired an outside firm to test the seats, the outside firm got it wrong. A lot of seat makers got praised and slimed in the process, and a lot of families spent a lot of money on safety -- based on bad data.

From the political/Iraq category: when you consider that the Bush policy on Iraq is based in large part on the performance of one man, this can't be welcome news. Maliki gave a print interview last night and said some unkind things about the U.S. role.

Weather across parts of the nation is still miserable. As you switch off your lights tonight and set your heat to the nighttime setting, please think of the 200,000 Americans who have neither because of the ice storms.

We have a wonderful story tonight from Lester Holt (you may have seen the promo) featuring new assistance for people with disabilities.

Finally: we lost Art Buchwald. He was an American original, a Marine veteran and a Pulitzer winner. A Washington fixture for several decades -- and a man who had the best friends in the world. One of them was Tom Brokaw, and in looking through the material today I realized that the best way to remember Art is to re-air some of Tom's last conversation with him.

OKLAHOMA GRUDGE
I was asked to write this story in this space today. I had a meeting with a co-worker from Tulsa, Okla., this morning and explained to him why I've never gotten over my feelings about Tulsa. Almost 25 years ago, while living in Kansas and working across the state line in Missouri, I found myself driving a new car on the interstate in Tulsa. My previous car, a slant-6 Dodge Dart, threw a rod one day, and to be honest, I parked it where it died, in a cornfield outside Cherokee, Kansas. It may still be there. My boss at the time worked a deal with Coffeyville Motors in Coffeyville, Kansas, to sell me a Ford Escort demonstrator vehicle (it had some miles on it and was painted what I used to call "chick-magnet beige") at a good price. I was making $168 a week (and could afford no health insurance -- for seven long years, for that matter), so I made a deal with my boss to work overtime and a 7-day-a-week schedule to pay it off. I had owned my car for a week when, just as Oral Roberts University came into sight on the interstate, the rear trap door of a gravel truck opened in front of me, and the stones broke my headlights, windshield and pockmarked by hood and roof. I was crestfallen, broke and couldn't afford my own deductible. I'm not sure where I found the money or how I got it all fixed, but I've never gotten over Tulsa -- which I know is a great city in a state I've traveled thoroughly (especially Oklahoma City, the Pitcher, Commerce and Miami area, and Grand Lake) that is full of great people. But those pebbles will get you every time. That's the story I was asked to tell.

WORLD BLOG
So many of my friends at this network have already written for the new World Blog -- Paul in Tel Aviv, Mary in Havana -- yesterday's posting by Richard Engel is required reading for anyone wanting to understand Iraq right now. This is a great idea, and we've got to get some of this on the air tonight.

We hope you can join our broadcast tonight.

Another busy news day, as Brian explains in today's vlog.

Click here or on the image to watch.

Oh, and if you missed Brian last night on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," the kind folks at NBC Entertainment granted us permission to put a 2:00 clip on MSNBC.com. Here it is. Brian and Conan discuss the presidential penchant for hand sanitizers.

Consider tonight's possible lineup of stories: National statistics showing the first hard evidence that the drop in cancer rates was indeed real; the beginning, in earnest, of the debate over the war strategy going forward (and the presidential politics that permeate it); the weather, and all that it entails (one of our correspondents, Janet Shamlian, had a flight diverted because of it today and couldn't even get to where she was needed); luckily, we have all the other bases covered tonight, (Don Teague has done a superb job reporting for us this week) including the crippling ice, the ruined citrus crop and the closing of "the 5" in California  -- a highway that seldom closes due to snow and ice. In other health news, there's the virulent and fast-moving stomach virus racing across the country, there's oil and gas prices, and we could go on and on. As we always seem to, we'll put it all into something approaching a logical order and find a way to fit it all onto the air. And to those who are positively overheating over politics: Let's take a breath and let's remember: There are two distinct subject areas at work here. There's the business of brave Americans who volunteered for duty fighting and dying in foreign conflicts (and the sincere debate over their mission and safety), and there's politics. It's going to be a long haul until Election Night 2008.

HOBSON AND SHORT TAKES
- Upon re-reading what I wrote on deadline yesterday, it appears to me that I misused the rugged old expression "Hobson's Choice" when describing last night's news lineup. It certainly generated more conversation than some of the Iraq war funding debates in the Senate in recent years.

- Is it possible Warren Beatty is still talking at the Golden Globes?

- After watching American Idol for all of five minutes last night, a question: Is it possible that the reason why we see so many atrocious would-be contestants storm off, shocked and in tears over being rejected, is perhaps because they've never been told before that they are bad at anything?

- Please read in on the NBC World Blog.

- The Doomsday Clock is among the more interesting stories of the day.

- Also of note, the controversial remarks by the Attorney General concerning federal judges. It's receiving a pretty robust response in the blogosphere.

ABOUT TONIGHT
A few hours from now I will take the stage at Columbia University to accept an award on behalf of some great people. Since our coverage of Katrina, the NBC Nightly News team has been awarded four straight awards which, when taken together, in terms of their prestige, may not have a precedent: The Edward R. Murrow Award, The Emmy, the Peabody, and as of tonight: the Columbia DuPont. I don't mean any immodesty in pointing this out, for I do so on behalf of the extraordinary people who work here and yet aren't known to you the way I am: The producers, camera crews, videotape editors and coordinators, satellite operators, technicians, truck drivers, and even the police officers who kept us safe in New Orleans. They all had their very best days when we needed them to, and I'm in awe of each of them.  That's pretty much what I plan to say tonight: No one does what we do for a living any better than this team did it during those dark days. I get to be the one who walks to the podium and accepts the various statuettes and batons and hunks of Lucite. Beyond their physical presence as shiny tokens of a job well done while under duress, they all speak to hard work and dedication by the very best in the business.

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

Apologies for the late posting. Technical difficulties prevented the delivery of the vlog until now.

Brian anchors the broadcast tonight and starts the vlog with news about another accolade for NBC Nightly News.

Click here or on the image to watch.

NBC News staked a new flag in the blogosphere today. World Blog aims "to provide a dynamic look at world events and trends -- both big and small -- from NBC News correspondents, producers, and bureaus around the world." So far, launch day features posts from Baghdad, Bangkok, Beijing, Ethiopia and Germany, with more to come from Cuba. World Blog replaces Blogging Baghdad, but the editor tells me that she expects frequent posts from Richard Engel and the rest of the NBC News team in Baghdad. So those of you who loved Blogging Baghdad, don't despair. News from Iraq will be a major portion of World Blog.

I'll link here in The Daily Nightly to posts that touch on topics reported by Nightly News and I'll add a perma-link shortly in the boxes to the right, but for now, just remember WorldBlog.MSNBC.com.

There are a lot of ways to begin the broadcast tonight: a thoroughly bloody day in Iraq, the genuine suffering and growing death toll from the relentless ice storm in the American South, the candidacy of Barack Obama. We will sort it all out between now and airtime.  Also tonight, we'll look at the insurance crisis in the wake of so many hurricanes, we'll continue our automotive series "Car Wars," and we'll talk about what may be the most interesting story of the day in societal terms: the New York Times extrapolation and analysis of the latest census figures (NYTimes.com login required for link), showing the percentage of American women (including breakdowns by category) currently living without a spouse. In whatever final configuration it takes on, it will be a news-filled half hour.

ONE OF THE GREATS IS GONE
This morning, assuming I'd already heard the news, my assistant innocently handed me a piece of wire copy announcing the death of Benny Parsons. Benny, or BP as he was known, was one of the great figures in American stock car racing, and among the very best and most colorful drivers of all time. He raced in the era of Yarborough, Allison, Pearson and Petty -- and made a name for himself through sheer courage, skill and determination. Stamina also played a part: he raced for 24 years and made 526 big-league starts. He was born poor and drove a taxi for a living before realizing that his true calling was driving a car without any passengers. He famously wrote down "taxi driver" under "profession" on race entry forms well into his professional years. His fans knew differently. In the parlance of the sport, Benny hauled the mail.

I have to add a personal note about what a thrill it was to get to know Benny Parsons. I had lunch with him in his native North Carolina back in May. We talked about the new home he was building and his life as a public figure of the sport. He learned he had cancer in July, and faced it with the very same bravery that served him so well behind the wheel. He spoke and wrote openly about his illness, and despite being declared cancer-free in October, the disease came roaring back, and it took him quickly. He was the first man to break the 200-mile per hour barrier in NASCAR, and BP did nothing slowly. Years ago, during a wild night in Alabama, I actually got to race against the legend. OK, so it was only at a go-kart track, but Benny would still find a way to beat you -- or leave you beaten up as a reminder of having competed against him. As a co-worker with us here at NBC, he was quickly beloved, and in no time became the best color commentator NASCAR ever had. I will never forget the night, while walking through a motel lobby on the eve of the Talladega 500, when Benny struck up a conversation with Steve Capus (NBC News President and veteran NASCAR fan) and me  -- looking back at it, I'm afraid we stood there afterward like two starstruck little kids. All those who love the sport are mourning one of its greats. There have been a lot of NASCAR drivers over the years -- some of them with a better record than Benny's 21 victories -- none of them with quite as much character, humor, presence or stature -- as BP.

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

As Brian mentioned in the vlog, weather will be among the stories in tonight's "A" block. NBC's Don Teague reports from McAlester, Okla., where statewide 98,000 people are without power.

One state to the south, my fellow Web editor, Constance, is stuck in Austin, Texas, where Weather.com reports the historic temperature range this time of year is 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. She snapped this photo of a snow-covered Loop 1 on-ramp with her cell phone.

Photo by Constance Parten, MSNBC.com.

Another holiday weekend ends with weather woes in parts of the country, and that story will play prominently on tonight's broadcast.

That's just one of the stories Brian previews in the vlog. Click here or on the image to watch.

Here's a link to the New York Times story he mentions. If you have an NYTimes.com login, you can read it.

In Midtown Manhattan, it's a neither-here-nor-there day. I suppose it's like that in a lot of places: the streets are virtually free of cars, stores are open but virtually free of customers. Nightly News is operating on a kind of modified holiday staff -- it doesn't feel like a normal Monday... nor does it feel like July 4th. Because the holiday we observe today is relatively new, and because its namesake was a figure of our own times, today at least has an impact among Federal Holidays. I was struck this morning by a live picture from Dr. King's grave. As members of the public filed by, I realized that this year, for the first time, Coretta Scott King is by her husband's side. That scholars and civilians alike can now examine Dr. King's papers also adds to the impact of this year's holiday. 

In the news, weather is a huge concern. As we will show with a graphic tonight, there is a clear dividing line between the liquid and frozen precipitation. North of the line there are real troubles and real suffering as a result.

Tonight we'll examine what is known about the President's new Iraq policy -- Richard Engel will walk us through the expected changes on the ground in Baghdad. Andrea Mitchell has been flying all over the Middle East with Secretary Rice and will report in for us tonight. Kevin Tibbles will wrap up all details on this double-abduction case in Missouri that still has people amazed. We will launch a series tonight that has to do with the survival of a proud American industry: It's called "Car Wars."

I have two favorite stories in tonight's broadcast: one long, one short. The long one makes me angry not to be a kid. The Museum of Natural History, one of the best places in the city of New York (thanks, Teddy Roosevelt) is sponsoring sleepovers for kids in conjunction with the new film "A Night at the Museum" starring Ben Stiller. Fossils by flashlight... sleeping under the whale... walking through the butterfly cage... what could be better than that? The small story of great interest tonight has to do with a proposed merger in the 1950s -- a high-level merger -- that would have left us with quite a different world had it gone through. I'll leave it at that.

I'm off to see my friend Conan -- taping a show that will air later this week. As they say, check your local listings.

We hope you can join us on this holiday Monday evening.

This has been a strange winter so far... now it's getting stranger.  A major storm is covering the Midwest with ice tonight... a layer of more than 1 inch in some places.  There are warnings as far south as Texas.  Oklahoma and Missouri have been hit hard, and in California some cold temperatures that are threatening the citrus crop.  We'll have more from Don Teague in Oklahoma... and Peter Alexander in California.

Also, NBC's Robert Bazell will tell us about the discovery of a gene associated with the most common form of Alzheimer's.  We'll find out what it means for future treatment of the disease.

NBC's Kevin Tibbles has the story of the man charged with kidnapping two boys in Missouri 4 years apart.  The boys were found together on Friday.

NBC's Kevin Corke is following the debate over Iraq in Washington… as the President tries to sell his new strategy to the American people.

We will hear about how technology is changing medical care.  NBC's Nancy Snyderman takes a look at a "medical internet" where people can compile their health records in one location ... allowing doctors access to everything from prescriptions to family histories.

And we will show you some incredible pictures from California... a scene that has birdwatchers looking up.

It's all coming up tonight.  We hope to see you then.

We are following several developing stories this afternoon.  One is unfolding right now.  North Carolina's Attorney General is holding a news conference today to talk about the review of the case involving 3 Duke lacrosse players charged with assault.  This comes after the D.A. in Durham... Michael Nifong recused himself from the case following accusations of prosecutorial misconduct.  NBC's Michelle Kosinski is there... and will have the latest.

Also... we heard from the parents of the 2 missing children who were found in Missouri.  We'll find out how police got a break in the case.  Kevin Tibbles is there.

There is a major winter storm brewing in the central part of the country... spreading ice as far south as Texas...  and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of residents in several states.  NBC's Charles Hadlock will have that story.

Plus... the President selling his new plan for Iraq to the American people... he faces a big challenge in Congress.  NBC's Kevin Corke reports.

And NBC's Andrea Mitchell is traveling with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and reports on the trouble the secretary is facing at home… and the tough questions she's facing tonight in Jerusalem.  Those are some of the stories we're working on tonight.  We hope to see you then.

"It was so cold today, Barry Bonds tested positive for SOUP."

"I don't read the newspapers and I don't watch TV -- and a lot of stories go right over my head."
-- Madonna (with recently-acquired British accent) to David Letterman, moments later

Two days now since the speech that launched a change in policy, and the President is at Camp David, Congress is at odds, and the American people are at loggerheads over what to think is right where Iraq policy is concerned. All this week we've been thinking about the American military families: those expecting a loved one home soon, those with a reservist in the family, and those who are preparing to say goodbye. They are at the heart of this, along with the stability of a nation and a region. We'll cover today's moving parts from the White House to Congress to Iraq.

Weather is making news in California (the kind that will ultimately affect costs) and insurance is in the news in New Orleans. And because it's Friday, we have a special and emotional segment in our "Making a Difference" series: A woman who has given of herself so that thousands of our men and women in uniform could have a proper send-off as they leave for war.

PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
It is time to come clean. For the past two days I've had a shadow. Annie Leibovitz has been taking photos of my life for an upcoming magazine profile (because I just love being so introspective) and beyond getting to know this great, kind, hugely talented American icon -- what a kick it is walking about with someone who turns as many heads as she does. She is an event. I'm convinced that long after her cameras (3 so far) are put away and her assistants (also 3) have gone back to wherever they buy those black pants, Velcro utility belts and black mock turtlenecks -- I will have gained a friend, by way of getting to know this great artist. I can only imagine that all of her subjects come away from these encounters feeling the same way. I'm now completely out of personal details and anecdotes, however.

TWEAKING TIKI, CON'T.
Richard Sandomir of the New York Times has written a devastating satire of the World of Tiki Barber (NYTimes.com login required for link) in this morning's paper. I'd of course like to think that the germ of the idea originated in this space. The gist of it is: Tiki will ultimately take over all the on-air jobs in television, and will someday be the only moving image Americans are allowed to see on the electronic screen.

HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND
We hope you can join us for our Friday night broadcast.  Have a good weekend, and we'll see you back here Monday night.

Brian anchors the broadcast tonight, but Chip Reid is on vlog duty in Washington, where the news continues to center on congressional reaction to President Bush's plan for Iraq.

Click here or on the image to watch.

"Show me a man who never made a mistake and I will show you a man who never did anything."
-- President Lyndon Baines Johnson, June 12, 1967

"Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me."
-- President George W. Bush, Jan. 10, 2007

"As a wise man once said: 'An error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.'"
-- President John F. Kennedy, April 27, 1961

Tonight: our coverage of the President's speech, the reaction and aftermath. We'll go from the White House to the Hill, the Pentagon to Iraq. We'll also talk to Tim Russert, and we'll hear from Americans reacting to the speech last night.

There's news from New Orleans today, and news regarding the confluence of soccer, high fashion, stylists and the like: the product known as David Beckham will be coming to America. For an insane amount of money. One of the most interesting debates in our editorial meeting for a good long while took place today. It had to do with a question we wrestle with constantly regarding news stories we're considering: Who cares? On the question of Beckham, where Americans are concerned, I have my own suspicions about socio-economic influences, but he is plainly not what he is overseas. His status as a Walking Event is safe, however. So are his chances of snagging a good free checking account with ATM privileges at a Los Angeles bank.

Open mic night
I couldn't help but notice this gem on the Reuters wire service:

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice let slip her media preferences Thursday, saying "I love every single one" of Fox News network's correspondents and also favors CBS anchor Harry Smith.

In comments overheard on an open microphone between morning television interviews, including one with Fox, the top U.S. diplomat said: "My Fox guys, I love every single one of them."

But Rice told an aide that when she was next in Iraq she would like to do a "one-on-one" interview with CBS "The Early Show" anchor Harry Smith.

"He's a decent guy. I know they are like 55 in the ratings, but I like him," Rice said in comments monitored by Reuters on a television feed.
(c) Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.

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

Brian anchors the broadcast tonight in New York, but Congressional Correspondent Chip Reid handles the vlog. He'll report tonight from Capitol Hill, where reaction to President Bush's plan for Iraq dominates the discussion.

Click here or on the image to watch.