Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

Appearing this morning on TODAY to promote his new book, Karl Rove was asked by Matt Lauer about Katrina, and the botched Government response to the storm. While I plan to read the pertinent sections of his book, I found several of his quotes and recollections bracing—and it continues to be apparent that the Bush Administration (the president was on vacation and many prominent West Wing staffers were attending a wedding in Europe) was out of position and not dialed-in to the growing crisis in New Orleans. 

Rove asserts, "We did not have the ability to get real-time information," and further, that "the media did not have real-time information." There's more, about what became the epicenter of suffering in that City—Rove says, "For example, you didn't know about the suffering at the Convention Center until the Government did..."

Because we were there, and reported what we saw and experienced, I've posted a clip below from NBC News cameraman Tony Zambado. No one who ever saw this moment on air that day—or since—will ever forget it. It's the truth, as Tony and the rest of us saw it, standing next to it.

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

We hope you can join us tonight for our Tuesday broadcast.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

The actor and comedian Zach Galifianakis took Saturday Night Live in a new direction this weekend. It had been a long time since a comedian—a true comedian—took the helm, and even longer since the last monologue delivered without a reliance on cue cards. But what I liked the best was the moment lost on a lot of viewers: during the second song by the band Vampire Weekend, Zach (he of prominent beard fame) shaved off his beard. He did the final sketch with only a mustache (that got the Twitter followers going) and then showed up minutes later during curtain calls with...a beard. But sharp-eyed viewers (including this reporter) noted his curtain call beard didn't quite reach the mustache, nor did it have the thickness of his natural beard. A quick Blackberry exchange with a "senior SNL source" confirmed my hunch--which was again confirmed by this "SNL Backstage" clip:

 Anyway, it was pretty darn entertaining at 12:55am on a Sunday morning!

Welcome back for another week. We're so happy to have you. I hope you can join us tonight.

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

The history and symbolism of this date is hard to escape.

Today, an African American president stood in the White House Rose Garden and congratulated the Iraqi people on their free and democratic election. He spoke 45 years to the day after the infamous "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma, Alabama, in which 600 African Americans were beaten as they peacefully demonstrated for voting rights in the South.

We'll have complete coverage from Baghdad on the next chapter in Iraq's road to a stable government, and on the exit ramp today's vote may provide for U.S. combat troops. We will also reflect on our country's bumpy journey toward inclusion as we remember "Bloody Sunday," a turning point in the American civil rights movement.

I hope you will join me tonight for NBC Nightly News.

Related link from theGrio: How Bloody Sunday changed America

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

Good day from New York. It's been a while since I've been able to say that. I was in Vancouver covering the 2010 Games for the last four weekends. While it is great to be home, I must admit I'm still going through a case of Olympics withdrawal.

I can't imagine what it will be like to anchor a newscast without the dramatic sight of those mountains and the harbor behind me, the sound of float planes taking off behind me, or the cheers erupting from crowds in the nearby street every time a Canadian athlete won a medal.  I may have to have our audio folks pipe in the strains of "Oh Canada" in my earpiece. Each of us got caught up in the moment every time Canadians spontaneously broke out in their national anthem.

The Canadians were great hosts, the American athletes made all of us proud, and some moments, like the electrifying gold medal men's hockey showdown will be hard to forget. It was a blast to be there to cover it all, and it has been so nice to hear from so many of you who were glued to the coverage here at home.  I look forward to joining you tonight for NBC Nightly News.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

It will go down as one of the high-interest stories of the week: The children's voices over air traffic control radios at JFK. We covered it, so did everyone else. Disciplinary action has been taken. Parents are torn. Safety advocates (and a lot of passengers) are outraged. Now, apparently, the kids feel bad. Here you go.

And if you can, please read the story of Robert McCall -- since its quite likely you have seen his work. As I've written before, reading about people who have left us is a great way to note where we've been.

We hope you can join us tonight. Have a great weekend.

Missed the Brian Williams 'Daily Show' cameo? Guess who Jon Stewart bumps into while persuing the new video chat site.

Like scores of other Washington journalists and news organizations who covered the Bush years, Karl Rove mentions me briefly in his new book, "Courage and Consequence," although not involving anything I reported on for tonight's Nightly News.

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

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

If anyone saw me running through Union Station here in Washington earlier today, I was not being chased. As our train neared D.C., I got a bulletin on my Blackberry from Radar Online saying Chief Justice John Roberts was resigning from the Supreme Court. Our own Justice Correspondent Pete Williams (and the class of the field) knocked the story down within minutes, but it was an anxious period--not knowing if I had to get myself to a studio the minute we pulled into the platform. You'll be happy to know the folks at Radar Online later reported that Chief Justice John Roberts is "not" resigning from his job.

Sharp-eyed viewers will note that our Washington newsroom will be our backdrop tonight, as several of us are here for an industry gathering.

And a thank-you is in order: Displaying the very same spirit I was trying to salute, so many of our viewers in Canada have responded to me concerning a blog I wrote after our Vancouver stay came to an end.  Reading the comments has been a wonderful experience. I only wish my late Mother was around to read the headline in McLeans that I was "well raised."  She'd get quite a chuckle out of that.

We hope you can join us from Washington tonight.
 

This week, NBC Nightly News brings you a special series of reports on how you can achieve your personal best in fitness and health. On Thursday night, NBC's Anne Thompson takes a look at what she calls the "stealth ingredient": Salt.

Below is a list of ways to curb your salt intake from The Mayo Clinic:

Menus for heart-healty eating: Cut the salt and fat
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-healthy-diet/HB00039

Blog: Pass the salt, please
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-healthy-diet/HB00039

Sodium: Are you getting too much?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284

10 ways to control high blood pressure without medication
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/HI00027

Is sea salt better for your health than table salt?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sea-salt/AN01142

Low-sodium diet: Why do processed foods contain so much sodium?
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN00350

Click on the below to watch more web-only videos from Anne Thompson's Personal Best report:

Sodium: The stealth ingredient
Chips vs. tomato juice: Which has more salt? 

Uncovering hidden sources of salt
Salt: What do the labels mean?
Salt: How much is too much?

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

The website FunnyOrDie.com this morning posted an amazing video done by an ensemble cast—some of the comedic stars of more than one American generation. A few caveats: It's not all family material, and at heart its highly political. These actors have come together to play our recent Presidents current and former, alive or dead, as you'll see) in a piece designed to push for the re-regulation of the financial industry—bankers and credit card companies. The website is the child of two twisted fathers: Will Ferrell and Adam McKay—both comedy veterans, and many of us know it as a repository of experimental comedy.

We received a lot of emails following our story on organic foods last night. I read them all, and clearly there's a lot of passion surrounding this issue. It's a label we see every day—it doesn't always mean the same thing in every case. How about this: We'll return to the topic again soon, and we'll try to follow up on some of the points our viewers have raised.

In local news, the world has been turned upside down. A coyote was seen on 50th Street in Manhattan today. Our building is on 50th Street in Manhattan. And in an unrelated story, another local headline today read: "BEAGLES ON LONG ISLAND GO WILD."  It's clearly not safe to go outside.

We hope you can stay in and join us tonight.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

I'll be brief today, as our task is a sad one. Those of you who watched and enjoyed our story last Friday from Vancouver got to meet (via television) the Patriarch of the Mayasich family, a member of the 1960 gold medal-winning U.S. men's hockey team.  A little over 24 hours after that story aired, John Mayasich's grandson Robby was running a leg of a relay race in Arizona, from Prescott to Mesa, when he was struck by a car.  This afternoon, Robby died from his injuries. 

Robby's dad, Dan, works for our NBC station in Phoenix, and so for many reasons this is a family loss to many of us here.  Please take a moment to read this account and join us in sending thoughts and prayers to this wonderful family during their time of need.

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

                     
                John Mayasich (right) with his grandson, Robby

By Jay Blackman, NBC News producer

For 17 days, the world's attention was riveted to Vancouver and the incredible feats accomplished by some of the world's most elite athletes.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor

What a hockey game. And about the call on NBC, let me say this: If most people were as good at what they do for a living as Mike "Doc" Emrick is at his job, we'd have a better country.

And how 'bout them Canadians? It was as if the Canadian organizers were waiting for the flame to be extinguished, for the official Games to be over. At that point in the Closing Ceremonies—it was time for a "here's who we really are" look at Canada and Canadians. It was fun, self-deprecating, at times borderline bizarre (one critic compared it to having a psychedelic reaction to maple syrup) but it was (in its own way) a modest and light-hearted way to wrap up a spectacular showing.  Where else are you going to see Mounties, human hockey pucks, giant beavers and inflatable moose on network television these days?

We're back in New York after our 16-day odyssey, and we hope you can join us tonight as we begin a new week.