Anne Thompson at the helm over the Great Barrier Reef.

even got to swim with sharks... the ones with fins rather than the two-footed kind. Producer Mario Garcia, photographer Nelson Tharp and I couldn't stop smiling at each other and high-fiving over this assignment. Between the three of us, we've seen enough wars andmurders and man-made disasters to merit years of therapy. To see and report on one of the natural wonders of the world is a privilege and a delight.

From left, First Mate Andy, Captain Perry Jones and son Jazz, Nelson Tharp, Mario Garcia and Anne Thompson.

remarkable day and nothing was going to mar it. But our guide and captain, Perry Jones, insisted on diving to find them. His first attempt turned up nothing. Then he asked me where I was standing when I took off my hat. I showed him. He went to the same spot on the boat and dropped his sunglasses in the water. Then he went in. Following the current that carried his glasses, he found mine! So glad I didn't litter on the reef.

A WELL-TIMED WAVEOn a purely personal note, I love this picture. It was taken right after I finished doing one of the standups (where I appear on camera) you'll see tonight. As I said my last words, a wave came over the reef and swamped me and the dinghy I was sitting in. When I got up, Nelson burst out laughing when he saw me from behind. He grabbed his still camera and snapped this photo. It makes me laugh every time I see it and reminds me of a wonderful day.

For all our excitement about this trip, there's a lot to be concerned about, and that's the real focus of our story tonight -- the many challenges from man that the reef faces. Overfishing and water pollution are two issues, but the most pressing may be global warming or climate change. There is no question this area is under siege from climate change. Corals are extraordinarily sensitive to warming waters, meaning it is affected much faster than other ecosystems around the world.

Tonight, we'll show what has already happened, whas is predicted, and what is being done to prevent more damage. I hope you'll come with us on what was the trip of a lifetime.

What would you give up for your dream job? That's right. I said "give up." When most of us think of our dream jobs, I think we think about what we would get: more security, a bigger paycheck, a chance to put more away for college or retirement, to take that incredible vacation.
Tonight on Nightly News, you will meet Persharon Dixon, a pediatrician who had those dreams too, but traded them in to take care of kids with little or no access to healthcare. In this case, the children along the Mississippi coast whose lives remain uprooted by Katrina. 
               

Dr. Dixon gave up a comfortable life in Atlanta, a big salary and a big house -- 3,000 square feet -- and moved her husband and three kids to a trailer in the Gulfport-Biloxi area to work for the Children's Health Fund.  Her office is a big blue RV that rolls from schools to churches to FEMA trailer parks to treat kids.  Her patients range from infants to 24 year olds -- with the typical aches and pains of growing up.  But she is seeing something else:  children stressed out, afraid, and presenting mental health challenges she never imagined.  A year and a half after the storm, Dr. Dixon says things are getting worse for these children, not better, and she fears they are a generation at risk.
                Many are still in those cramped FEMA trailers.  Some families are still living apart because jobs and housing remain difficult to find.  And there is the growing realization that Katrina was not just a short term event, but one with lasting impact that's forced some kids to grow up much faster than they should because they have had to assume adult responsibilites in families that were and remain torn apart by the storm.
                I know some you have written in to complain about "Katrina fatigue."  You are tired of stories about the aftermath of the storm.  But imagine losing your home and everything in it.  Imagine still living in a two bedroom trailer with 5 people a year and a half later. Imagine finally getting money from FEMA to help rebuild your home and you give $10,000 to a contractor you never see again.  Imagine that your child is now so unnerved by a rainstorm he can't sleep, wets the bed and you have to wait three months to see someone who can help him.  That is real "Katrina fatigue."
                Those are some of the stories producer John O'Rourke and I heard as we followed Dr. Dixon.  There are signs of progress and hope along the coast. Some casinos have re-opened.  A couple of Waffle Houses are back in business. And some of those gorgeous homes are being rebuilt.  But head inland just a couple of blocks and on some streets it looks like the storm just blew through last week. You can clearly see the difference that money and resources make.
                 This story will disturb and inspire you. Dr. Dixon and her team are doing extraordinary work and I hope you'll make the time tonight to watch her story.

Editor's note: Tonight on Weekend Nightly News, Lea Thompson reports on off-campus fires. She offers up these tips for parents with kids in college.

We spend all our kids' lives preparing them for college. We spend most of our lives coming up with the money to pay for it. But did you ever even think your child could die in an off-campus fire? Did you ever dream that cheap, hole-in-the-wall place your son is living in could go up like a tinderbox?

I am the parent of three college graduates and I am embarrassed to tell you that I just never thought enough about whether, when they moved off-campus, they were living in a firetrap. So what would I look for now that I have been educated by the experts?

-- Has the place your child is moving into ever been inspected? Has it ever had any citations? Knowing what I know today, I really would go to the trouble to visit City Hall and find out.

-- I wouldn't even check to find out if the smoke detectors are working. I would just go to the nearest hardware store and buy a new one. You want to put it on the ceiling right over every sleeping area, in the kitchen, and where kids are most likely going to hang out.

-- Does every bedroom have two ways to get out? It should. Just imagine your child having to jump from the third floor. At least get one of those metal ladders that folds and can go under the bed.

-- We saw a lot of windows that wouldn't open on our inspections. Many old buildings have windows that have been painted shut or painted so many times that it takes real effort to move them up and down.

-- Avoid halogen lamps and space heaters: They really are fire starters. And no 100 watt light bulbs. They really are too hot.

-- A lot of old houses have lousy electrical work and not enough plugs. Go to the basement and see what's down there. Electrical strips should not be daisy chained together. Also put your hand on the wall outlet; if it's hot or even warm, fewer electronics should be plugged in.

-- The No. 1 cause of campus fires is cooking. Inspect what your kids are going to cook on. 

-- Fire inspectors hate couches on front porches. They are too often fire starters. Students drink, they smoke, they fall asleep, and hours later the smoldering couch becomes an inferno.

Want to know even more? There is a nonprofit organization that has a terrific Web site for you and your children. Check out The Center for Campus Fire Safety.

Also, check to see if The Princeton Review has ranked the college or university your daughter or son is interested in or attending. There are about 500 schools rated at PrincetonReview.com. Just know they are rated based on a self-reporting system and what you see there is only for on-campus housing.

So many have worked so hard to try to stem the tide of drunk driving in this country. Local governments have cracked down on liquor stores that sell to underage teenagers, people more readily call the police about rowdy parties in the neighborhood.

But now comes the revelation that just about anybody can order anything alcoholic they want on the Internet. And it often comes wrapped in brown paper so parents don't have a clue what is inside.

We went online to see just how easy it is to order beer, wine and liquor through the mail. When we Googled online alcohol we were stunned to see a toy site come up, through which, with the click of a mouse, you could order liquor.

We also wondered how kids get enough money to order all this stuff. Teenagers told us they often just pool their money, walk into almost any local bank and buy a bank gift card. It works just like a credit card and parents can never find out.

How big of a problem is this? Well, that is our story for tonight. We'll also show you what happened when NBC news went surfing for booze. You can probably guess how easy it was. Now, what to do with all this liquor we bought?

In Ohio, there are two smoking initiatives on the ballot -– one is called "Smoke Free," the other is called "Smoke Less." Confused about which means what? The question and the answer are important, because one of them is sponsored by the tobacco industry.

In Arizona, there are also two initiatives. One is called "Smoke Free Arizona," the other is called the "Arizona Non-Smokers Protection Act." But they are far from being the same -- one allows a lot of smoking in public places.

We pulled our hidden cameras out to try to get to the bottom of all this. We set out to discover if the cigarette makers are playing sneaky and we did it during the hottest days of the year in Arizona. Yes, we know it isn't supposed to feel as hot because it is "dry heat," but it was 116 degrees, and to us, it sure felt like it. How do you Arizonians do it?

Tonight on Nightly, we'll show you how petitioners for the Arizona initiatives stretch the truth trying to get enough signatures to get the items on the ballot. We think you will be surprised at the tactics they are using. One thing is for sure: If you live in Ohio or Arizona, you need to study up and read the fine print or you may end up voting just the opposite of what you want to happen. I'll see you tonight.

Ben Bernanke "is the anti-Harriet Miers," says David Jones, fed watcher and head of the economics firm DMJ Advisor. Jones thinks the administration will get continuity with the Bernanke nomination. He was a well-respected fed governor who has good political experience, although little Wall Street experience. Though he and Greenspan have disagreed over inflation targeting (publicly establishing an inflation target -- Bernanke supports), Jones expects Bernanke to continue Greenspan's focus on inflation. He also expects Bernanke to be open and transparent about what the Fed thinks about the economy and that the days of trying to translate "Greenspeak" are over.

Mark Gertler, chairman of NYU's economics department and Bernanke's friend and colleague, agrees. Gertler describes Bernanke as a "very mainstream economist" who believes that when the economy is operating well, the private markets can handle it, but that it is the Fed's job to step in and avert a crisis.

Alan Skrainka, the chief market strategist for Edward Jones, says Wall Street is happy that this choice is not totally out of left field. He says the street is also pleased about the early announcement. Greenspan will step down January 31.

Editor's note: Anne will have much more reaction to the nomination from Washington to Wall Street on tonight's broadcast.