Greetings from a hot and steamy New York City. It seemed like such a good idea to walk to work today. Sitting in front of a fan for 15 minutes once I got here turned out to be an even better idea. Memo to self: New York City cabs are air-conditioned.

We're juggling a lot for tonight's broadcast including more on what tropical depression – but soon to become a tropical storm again – Alex is going to do once it gets back out over the Gulf of Mexico. We'll have more from Anne Thompson's extraordinary tour of the rig where crews are drilling one of the relief wells that are expected to stop the oil leak once and for all. We're previewing this week's Senate confirmation hearing for Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. Also, Richard Engel has the story of one of the deadliest attacks on U.S. forces in the war in Afghanistan, and the parents of the dead who refused to stop pressing the Pentagon for answers about how and why they died.

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