Hey everyone, Campbell Brown in tonight for Brian Williams... who is finally getting a much deserved break.

We have a lot of ground to cover... and we have correspondents around the globe following new developments in this foiled plot to bomb flights from Britain to the U.S. Senior Investigative Correspondent Lisa Myers is in London tonight where she will have today's developments. Authorities are telling us they are still searching for as many as 20 additional suspects. Five have been identified by name. Lisa looks at just how advanced this plot was, as law enforcement officers today sift through evidence at the homes of the suspects now in custody. She will have more detail on who these suspects are... mostly young men, two women; some recent converts to Islam. Plus, how an arrest in Pakistan 10 days ago may have led to this week's dramatic developments.

From Washington, Pete Williams is looking at how real the threat was and what might have happened if the suspects had been able to get these liquid explosives on board U.S.-bound flights. Could they really have exploded a plane with the type of bomb they were planning to use? Investigators say yes and tell Pete that they are alarmed by the simplicity of the devices.

Tom Costello has been tracking the movement at airports around the country today. He reports long waits (3-5 hours) at security with some airline delays and cancellations. While Tom says passengers today have been surprisingly patient, airlines fear the current situation is not sustainable, that financially the airline industry won't be able to manage the disruption in schedule. He also points out that many airports are still without the technology to detect explosives, and that it could take 20 years and billions of dollars to make the technology available in all U.S. airports.

And as I am writing... there are reports of a cease-fire agreement in the Middle East brokered by the U.S. and France. A vote at the U.N. is expected tonight. Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell is here in New York and will have all the latest. Plus, Richard Engel from southern Lebanon on the effect the violence is having on civilians still trapped there.

Hope to see you tonight.

Hey everybody... Campbell Brown in tonight. Brian will be back in the chair on Monday.

Coming up tonight, a new report from the Department of Homeland Security has some troubling news about just how well we have (or have not) learned the lessons of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. The report found the most U.S. cities are not ready or prepared for disaster of any kind... natural or terrorism. The report did find that cities in hurricane zones were at least marginally better prepared than cities in less obvious danger. Homeland is also releasing details on individual cities. Tom Costello and Ron Mott will have reports tonight.

And more news on Iraq, both at home and abroad. The House of Representatives rejected setting a timetable for bringing the troops home. Politics played a huge role in this debate, but tonight we will look at whether this vote will have any bearing at all on what happens in November... with some suggesting that all that will matter come Election Day is what the situation looks like on the ground in Iraq.

Finally, we have been reaching out to viewers and soliciting ideas for our series about people who are "Making a Difference." Tonight, we'll bring you a great story about a teacher who rallied her students to raise enough money to save an old lighthouse in disrepair. This was a viewer idea... we loved it. So keep 'em coming. Just click here to send us your nominations via e-mail.

See you tonight.

Campbell Brown here... and in the chair for Brian tonight.

News breaking right now.... a big announcement from Bill Gates... he will give up day to day control of Microsoft so that he can devote more time to his charity work. Anne Thompson will have details on his plans and what this means for the company. 

Also... to Iraq. Some will call it a sad milestone and others will say that it is only a number. Today the Pentagon announced that the number of American troops killed in Iraq has reached 2,500. And in Congress the debate rages on over the wisdom of keeping American forces there... with both sides, Democrats and Republicans, accusing each other of focusing solely on politics and the mid-term elections. We will wrap up the news out of Washington. Plus, Richard Engel reports from Baghdad on a document released by the Iraqi government that suggests al-Qaida in Iraq is weaker than thought. But is the document even authentic? We'll take a look.

Also... over the last several months, a deadly heroin laced with fentanyl has killed more than 130 people in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Kevin Tibbles will have the full story.

See you tonight.

Hi, I'm substituting for Brian tonight. Here's what we're looking at two hours before air:

New details about the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Military officials now say he was still alive and even talking after air strikes pounded the safe house where he was hiding. Officials say it was unclear what he was mumbling... that he tried to roll off of the stretcher when he realized he was surrounded by U.S. forces... and that he died shortly after. We will have the latest from the Pentagon on Zarqawi's final moments. Plus, Richard Engel reports from Baghdad on how the most-wanted man in Iraq managed to elude U.S. forces for so long... and how special forces have been tracking him over the last several weeks.

Also... sober words from President Bush, who today made it clear that Zarqawi's death is not a reason to celebrate, or to begin bringing troops home from Iraq. Striking a far different tone than he has in the past after victorious moments in Iraq, the President said today, "I do not want the American people to think that a war is won with the death of one person." David Gregory will have a full report from the White House.

And... while Americans may not be entirely tuned in... the rest of the world is watching soccer. The World Cup kicked off in Germany today. Keith Miller looks at the most popular sport on the planet.

Finally, a special story pitched to us by a viewer. You'll meet an eight-year-old who is passionate about reading and writing and who is tutoring students much older.

See you tonight.

Brian Williams is off this Memorial Day. So in his absence... I will honestly tell you it is a difficult day in our newsroom as our hearts go out to our colleagues at CBS. Word came this morning from friends at CBS that two of their own had been killed and another colleague critically injured in Iraq.  Cameraman Paul Douglas and soundman James Brolan died, and Correspondent Kimberly Dozier was seriously injured when a car bomb exploded in their convoy. They were on patrol with the 4th Infantry Division in Baghdad. One soldier was also killed in the attack... and six soldiers were wounded. We will have the details on what happened tonight... and also report on what was an especially deadly day in Iraq.

But on this Memorial Day... we just want to say our thoughts and prayers are with the family of that soldier and all the military families who have lost loved ones in Iraq... and on this sad day... with the friends and families of our CBS colleagues.

Hey everybody. Brian is away tonight, but will be back in the chair tomorrow.

The big story today: verdicts in the Enron trial. Ken Lay, the founder of Enron, was found guilty on all counts. He was facing six counts of conspiracy and fraud. Jeffrey Skilling, the former CEO, was convicted on 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors. We will have all the details on the trial, what will happen to the two men and the reaction of former Enron employees, many of whom lost everything when the company collapsed.

Also coming up... are we one step closer to real legislation on immigration reform? Tonight, the latest on the search for compromise.

President Bush is meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair today... as rumors have been swirling in Washington that the two may make an announcement on troop withdrawals from Iraq tonight. Today the White House insisted there will be no announcement on that front. There will be a press conference this evening though. You can watch it live on MSNBC and here on MSNBC.com at 7:30 p.m. EDT, and we will be updating Nightly News tonight for our West Coast viewers.

Finally, we'll take a look at the increase in the rate of foreclosures in this country and why so many people are getting in over their heads. And the latest on the identify theft crisis that's affecting millions of veterans. It looks like even more information may have gotten out than was originally reported.

We'll see you tonight.

Closer to home, here are some of the stories we are covering in the broadcast tonight. We begin with the stunning revelation today from the Veterans Affairs Administration that the Social Security numbers of 26.5 million veterans have been stolen. We'll have the details on how this happened and what all those veterans are supposed to do to try to protect their identities. Then the government's forecast for another busy storm season... as many as 10 hurricanes are expected this season, with between four and six of those expected to be major storms. And more worrisome given that forecast, there are new concerns about the levees in New Orleans. I'll have those stories from New York with Brian in Africa. See you tonight. 

Tonight, the latest details on the successful hostage rescue in Baghdad. Three Christian peace activists are safe in the Green Zone after being freed from captivity by British and U.S. special forces. They were found tied up in a house in Western Baghdad.Two weeks earlier their American colleague Tom Fox was killed by his captors. Richard Engel reports for us tonight. Also, we continue our series "The Iraq War: Three Years Later." Mike Boettcher has been embedded with the 4th Infantry Division on a mission to hunt down insurgents. He talks to the troops about fighting an elusive enemy, and more generally about morale and how they feel about the debate over the war that is raging here at home.

Also... given how many Americans have died trying to liberate Afghanistan... a story that is shocking to a lot of people. Muslim clerics are demanding that an Afghan man who converted from Islam to Christianity be put to death. Top U.S. officials are trying to intervene with the man's trial now underway. John Seigenthaler will have more for us tonight.

And... Baton Rouge, Louisiana, sure has changed since Hurricane Katrina. The city's population has exploded in the last seven months... an additional 150,000 people. That has led to a housing boom and new construction is up, but it has also created traffic headaches and placed a burden on schools and hospitals. Now Baton Rouge is looking to the federal government for some help with its growing pains. Rehema Ellis has more.

Also... the booming business of document forgery, and a man making a difference in Africa. See you tonight.

First... our apologies that my blog post did not appear yesterday. There was a technical problem. We have now resolved it. We all know our anchorman, who is off this week, is passionate about this blog, and would be greatly distressed if we abandoned it even for a day. So forgive us. 

This week has marked the third anniversary of the war in Iraq... and tonight we continue our series called "The War in Iraq - Three Years Later." David Gregory looks at how President Bush has staked his legacy on victory in Iraq, walking a fascinating political tightrope. We also reported last night on the debate over how the media is covering the war... and  complaints by some that the "good news" stories in Iraq are not being told. Many of you may have seen conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingram on the Today show complaining about reporters in Iraq covering the story from their hotel balconies. There is obviously a lot more to it than that... and I would urge anyone who hasn't read it yet to check out what our people in Baghdad have been posting in our sister blog "Blogging Baghdad."

Also tonight... big news for tens of thousands of auto workers... and a little more clarity on the future of General Motors. General Motors and its former subsidiary Delphi have announced separate agreements with United Auto Workers that would offer buyouts to 100,000 GM workers and about 13,000 Delphi workers. Payouts could be as high as $140,000, depending on years of service. But as Anne Thompson reports tonight, the devil may be in the details, as the deal would require workers to give up their health insurance. We will also have reaction from workers in Michigan, Wisconsin and Texas who are affected by the agreement.

And... how is New Orleans going to hold elections with so many people still displaced? Plus, interesting news from Chief Science Correspondent Robert Bazell, who tells us about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder... and how some doctors believe that the drugs to treat ADHD are being over-prescribed... especially to children.

See you tonight.

Brian is taking a break this week and I will be keeping the chair warm and blogging in his absence. He is back next Monday.

By now you likely know that today marks the start of the fourth year of war in Iraq. Here at home a major public relations offensive is underway... the normally camera-abhorrent Vice President Cheney appeared yesterday on one of the Sunday shows to defend the U.S. strategy... Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made the case for staying the course in an op-ed... and today, President Bush traveled to Cleveland for a big speech urging Americans to look beyond the violence and see signs of progress. The question though, is whether the public is even open to hearing these arguments anymore. One recent poll found more than 75 percent of Americans think that Iraq is heading toward civil war. And further undermining the administration's case... Iraq's former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said this weekend that a civil war in Iraq is already underway. In fairness, there has been progress on the political front and there are many who do still believe in the mission, but after three years of continuous violence it is important to reflect on how we got to this point and where we go from here. That is our focus tonight.

Richard Engel has been in Baghdad since before the start of the war and tonight will give us a reality check on where things stand from Iraqis' perspective. He'll look at how they live their lives, their constant fear of attack and whether they are able to see the future with any optimism. Kelly O'Donnell reports on the president's speech as he tries to convince Americans to stay with the mission. Worth noting: in his remarks today the president sounded far more realistic about the situation on the ground in Iraq than the vice president did in his comments yesterday. An interesting contrast. Also, Lisa Myers, our senior investigative correspondent, has an exclusive report tonight that is going to raise new questions about WMD in Iraq. This is one you are not going to want to miss.

Also tonight... Rehema Ellis tells us about FEMA's effort to get back federal aid that was distributed improperly. She reports that more than 50,000 households received assistance that wasn't needed. Some cases do involve fraud, but a GAO investigation found that much of the blame does rest with FEMA and its accounting practices.

Finally, we will have a wrap-up of the rough weather around the country on this the first day of Spring. And do you know the words to "The Star Spangled Banner?" Are you sure?

See you tonight.

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.

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.