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Anatomy of a story
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

When our folks confirmed the report that Obama had selected Tim Geithner for his Treasury Secretary nominee, we were on our afternoon conference call. We learned the news the instant the confirmation came in -- then we listened as CNBC was notified. Just seconds later (literally within the minute), citing NBC News sources, they ran a banner headline -- and then we watched the dow start to move. When we started watching the number it was down $29.00 -- then it started its run...closing up close to 500 points. For days we've heard from sources that Wall Street movers and shakers were anxious for Obama to name his nominee -- hoping for some positive direction for a market that has lost 15% this week and 50% this year. Monday could be a very eventful day. Wall Street has the weekend to breathe, and journalists have the weekend to prepare their profiles of the new cabinet nominees. We hope you can join us tonight, and have a good weekend.

After the finish line

A tin cup ... and a tin ear?
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

The word "security" has taken on a powerful meaning since 9-11, and it is seldom questioned as the motivation for anything. But when the big-3 automakers insist that their CEO's must travel to Washington by private jet for reasons pertaining to their "security" -- that becomes a bit of a tough sell.

Especially when you consider that their trip to Washington is to ask for money. There are perfectly legitimate reasons for companies to own aircraft and executives to use them. They fly privately for reasons of efficiency, safety and time savings -- many CEO's fly with assistants and entire departmental management staffs, and often have meetings en route, and several stops a day which would be impossible to do by commercial air.

We've used chartered aircraft in our own business when commercial flights aren't available, and when the need is urgent to get from point A to point B. But yesterday, with all the attention on the automakers and their need for money given the colossal failure of their industry...yesterday was not the time for the three automotive chiefs to arrive in Washington on-board three separate private jets. It was just bad P.R., plain and simple.

Citing CEO's "security" as a justification is a bit shaky: what are the real chances that Chrysler Chief Bob Nardelli is going to be attacked (or generally in any grave danger) while in a first class airline seat on a commercial flight to Washington? It turns out the only attack had to do with Congressional, media and public reaction to his flight to Washington by private jet. As the proud and loyal owner of two American cars, I am conflicted, like so many other Americans, as to the state of the car business in this country. This is a colossal story right now, and we'll keep covering it. We hope you can join us tonight.

Fallen but not forgotten: Sgt. Cornelius Charlton

By John Rutherford, Producer, NBC News, Washington

Army Sgt. Cornelius Charlton, one of the last of the all-black Buffalo Soldiers and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his heroics during the Korean War, has finally been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

"I wish we didn't have to wait so long for this to happen, but he is now in his rightful resting place," said his niece, Zenobia Penn, of New London, Conn.

"Connie" Charlton served with the 24th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the Buffalo Soldiers by American Indians after its creation by Congress in 1866. The regiment, the last of the all-black Army units, was disbanded in 1951, shortly after Charlton was fatally wounded leading an assault on Communist forces northeast of Seoul, South Korea.

"The wounds received during his daring exploits resulted in his death, but his indomitable courage, superb leadership and gallant self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself, the infantry and the military service," his Medal of Honor citation reads.

His late brother Arthur said Charlton was initially denied burial at Arlington National Cemetery because he was black. The cemetery insisted that was not true.

"We have never denied burial to an eligible service member or veteran based on race or color," Arlington's superintendent, John Metzler, said.

Whoever's right, Charlton's mother had him buried in a family plot in Pocahontas, Va. When the cemetery fell into disrepair, his body was disinterred and reburied in 1990 in the American Legion Cemetery in Beckley, W.Va.

There it remained until his niece decided she wanted Charlton buried instead at Arlington National Cemetery.

"I became quite diligent in my efforts to find something that would acknowledge my Uncle Connie even more so as a hero," said Zenobia, who was born one month after her uncle died.

She sent in documentation of his Medal of Honor, and his burial at Arlington was quickly approved.

"Yeah, boy, it did move pretty quickly," she said. "I just got moving on it, and the rest all fell into place."

Zenobia was one of about 150 friends and family members who gathered on a chill November morning at Arlington National Cemetery for last week's re-interment ceremonies. Tears flowed freely during the brief graveside service.

"He was a good guy, according to everybody," Zenobia said.

Charlton was born 79 years ago, in 1929, in the coal-mining town of Eastgulf, W.Va. He was one of 17 children of Clara and Van Charlton.

The family moved to New York City in 1944, and he enlisted in the Army after attending James Monroe High School in the Bronx. He was shipped to Korea in 1950 and volunteered for combat.

"At last I am getting what I have been waiting for," he wrote home to one of his sisters.

His commanding officer didn't share his enthusiasm.

"Why'd they send him here?" the commander said, according to one account. "Is he a troublemaker?"

Hardly.

On June 2, 1951, Charlton assumed command of his platoon during an attack on Hill 543 near Chipo-Ri, South Korea. His Medal of Honor citation explains what happened next.

"... Personally eliminating two hostile positions and killing six of the enemy with his rifle fire and grenades, he continued up the slope until the unit suffered heavy casualties and became pinned down. Regrouping the men, he led them forward only to be again hurled back by a shower of grenades.

"Despite a severe chest wound, Sergeant Charlton refused medical attention and led a third daring charge which carried to the crest of the ridge. Observing that the remaining emplacement which had retarded the advance was situated on the reverse slope, he charged it alone, was again hit by a grenade, but raked the position with a devastating fire which eliminated it and routed the defenders ..."

Charlton died of his wounds at the age of 21. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously on March 19, 1952.

"We gave him the Medal of Honor," the Saturday Evening Post wrote in 1953. "He gave us his life."

Army photo of Sgt. Cornelius Charlton and AP photos of his burial ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and of Zenobia Penn wiping tears from her eyes at the ceremony.

Click here to view tributes to the 449 service members killed this year in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the following nine casualties from last week:

1. Army Spc. William McClellan, 22, of Indianapolis, Ind.

2. Army Sgt. Jose Regalado, 23, of Los Angeles, Calif.

3. Army Spc. Corey Shea, 21, of Mansfield, Mass.

4. Army Spc. Armando De La Paz, 21, of Riverside, Calif.

5. Army Spc. James Clay, 25, of Mountain Home, Ark.

6. Army Spc. Jonnie Stiles, 38, of Highland Ranch, Colo.

7. Marine Cpl. Aaron Allen, 24, of Buellton, Calif.

8. Army Chief Warrant Officer Donald Clark, 37, of Memphis, Tenn.

9. Army Chief Warrant Officer Christian Humphreys, 28, of Fallon, Nev.

Washington Producer John Rutherford is a decorated Vietnam veteran. He also posts stories on the military�at www.fieldnotes.msnbc.com (click on "John Rutherford" under "categories") and�at http://john-rutherford.newsvine.com. The first tribute gallery can be found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22802019/ and the second at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27336564.

The General
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

I met with General David Petraeus in New York today, the first time I've seen him since his elevation to the Command of Centcom, the sprawling, regional Central Command that first became well-known to the general public during the time of Gen. Schwarzkopf and the first Gulf War. Its always interesting to hear the General's assessment of things: beginning with the present state of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (he is just back from there) and his view of the Middle East -- all the way to the Horn of Africa.

We talked about this time of transition, the state of the military and the possible effects of an Obama presidency on geopolitics. At the end of the meeting, a friend of the General's toasted Bill Frist, the former Republican Senator from Tennessee.

To those unfamiliar with the Petraeus bio, it might sound like an odd thing to do -- but the backstory is this: Petraeus received a grievous accidental bullet wound the chest when a fellow soldier at Ft. Campbell tripped and discharged his weapon. The surgeon who was called in to operate that day, at Vanderbilt Medical Center, was Bill Frist. The story concludes with the unusual way Petraeus was discharged from the hospital: he convinced his reluctant doctors to let him go, after just a few days of recovery from chest surgery...by performing 50 pushups on the floor of his hospital room.

We've got a lot of news tonight: on the Obama cabinet, the Detroit automakers, piracy on the high seas, and Ann Curry's big (and harrowing) adventure. The news from Wall Street is almost too depressing to mention, but we'll report it anyway. We hope you can join us tonight.

Moment of levity at the White House

by Les Kretman, NBC News producer

From Dana Perino's daily White House briefing today word about a competition. No, not to come up with a formula to build an energy efficient car to get Americans into automobile showrooms again. No, not to come up with a solution to deal with the plummeting economy. No, not to come up with easy answers to withdrawal from Iraq, peace in the Mideast or how to deal with the Taliban. But this from Dana:

"Today we kick off the contest to name the 2008 National Thanksgiving Turkey. We have a couple of ideas, as I look out into the room." (Dana looks at the gathering of the journalists...then there's brief laughter) "The President will pardon the turkey during the annual ceremony, which will take place at the White House on November 26th. And we encourage everyone to log on to our website, whitehouse.gov, to vote for your favorite name for the National Thanksgiving Turkey. This year marks the 61st anniversary of that presentation."

A moment of levity in the nation's capital where some might say there's not much to smile about.

This is the captain...
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

So President Bush went to the Department of Transportation today (home of the FAA, among other things) and joked that he hasn't "waited for an airplane … or had (his) bags lost …" over the last 8 years. He said this to much laughter.

His remarks won't endear him to the road warriors who fly for a living, and wait on runways and deal with cancelled and overcrowded flights. As someone pointed out today: It’s not as if he'll ever get a sense of how bad it is out there, either -- as our former presidents fly mostly by private aircraft after their time in office is over. What are the chances he'll ever have his belongings spread out across a table by the TSA?

I didn't think so.

Anyway, here's a transcript of his remarks.

Meantime: we're putting together tonight's broadcast and we hope you can join us.

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Democracy (cont.)
By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

Another one of the great things during this Presidential transition process (at least during those cycles when it works the way it's supposed to) took place today, when Obama and McCain met earlier today. When you distill their positions looking for common ground, the two men agree on a surprising number of items, including matters like torture and the closing of Gitmo. Today's small talk was forced during the photo op (mostly about football) as it was, after all, their first face-to-face encounter since the "Bill Ayers" debate on Long Island late in the campaign. McCain and Obama are gentlemen, and they care about their country… and their country needs them both, right about now. Next we have to tackle Detroit.

GET WELLS

I've been in touch with Mrs. Reagan since her recent fall, and we continue to wish her a speedy and full recovery. And we should note the return to the Hill today of Senator Ted Kennedy, who was accompanied by his wife Vicky and his two beloved dogs. Senator Kennedy looked wonderful -- he was welcomed back to the Senate by a gathering of friends and staff -- and we wish him nothing but the best during his health struggle.

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

Waiting to exhale

By Lester Holt, NBC News anchor

If you live in Southern California – or have spoken to friends in the region – then you know that right now, residing in the region is akin to living in a bowl of smoke. Of the three major fires to break out in the last several days, the most threatening has burned 16 square miles of Orange and Riverside counties. On the program tonight you’ll hear my conversation with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who offers his take of the severity of the situation, and whether the state's budget crisis is having an effect on their ability to bring resources to bear against the fires.

Also, as you may have heard, the networks of NBC Universal are devoting this week to all things “green.”� Peter Alexander is starting us off on Nightly News tonight with a breathtaking journey into the Arctic to see how scientists are measuring the effects of climate change. I hope can join us later.

Stuck in the Arctic for 23 days

By Peter Alexander,�NBC News�correspondent

There we were,�in the Arctic and on a ship for 23 days.�Pass the Dramamine!

It promised to be one of those rare opportunities to visit one of the world's most extreme environments -- a place few people, including scientists, ever get to explore. Producer Paul Manson and I -- along with cameraman Callan Griffiths and soundman Ben Adam -- were sent�on assignment to report on climate change and�its impact on the Arctic. The�primary news peg for our trip?�For only the second time in recorded history the Northwest Passage�was ice free this summer,�effectively clearing this shortcut between Europe and Asia.

Our intention was to stay on board for 10 days, shooting video and interviews.� Mother Nature, apparently, had other plans.� Inclement weather, along with an emergency search and rescue mission, spoiled all five of our attempts to�disembark the ship.�Getting stuck�in the Arctic�-- due to bad weather --�isn't uncommon; getting stuck five times -- on a swaying ship, no less --�is mentally exhausting.

Joining the team
We left New York City on September 3, joining up with a team of scientists from ArcticNet on board the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, Amundsen. (In Canada, the Coast Guard is civilian, not military. It is part of the country's Department of Oceans and Fisheries.) This particular Coast Guard ship was dedicated to scientific research and outfitted with all the necessary tools.

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In�a unique partnership, the scientists�work side-by-side with the Coast Guard crew. For example, the scientists�were testing water samples and sediment samples (from the ocean floor) as well as mapping uncharted territories in this remote part of the world. There�were 40 scientists, 40 Coast Guard members and the four of us.�By the end of our stay, we're�treated like members of the�crew -- learning to help on deck, in the lab and at dinner (cleaning dishes, really).

We boarded the Amundsen Thursday, Sept. 4, in Resolute Bay, a small Inuit village, along the Northwest Passage. The plan was to fly off by helicopter at the northern most civilian community in North America, Grise Fjord, and then begin our long journey home. Freezing rain and harsh weather kept our chopper grounded both Monday and Tuesday. The ship kept going and our chance to get off passed. We continued North with the expedition along the coasts of the Canadian Arctic and Greenland, coming within 900 miles of the North Pole.

Over the next couple weeks, we would make three more attempts to fly to land. Each one failed due to weather. Unbelievably, on Thursday, our absolute best chance to get off the ship failed, too. The ship was diverted back north to assist a search and rescue mission, something the crew let us know�had only happened�at best two times in�the last couple years.� From the beginning, we were warned that the ship's primary mission was science. The cost of operating this icebreaker and moving the expedition forward --�$50,000 a day. While we were welcomed guests on board, we knew the ship wouldn't be�making any unscheduled stops for us.

Close quarters
Paul and I have�shared what would normally be the infirmary on�the overloaded ship. To our eye, it was roughly, 10- by 12-feet. A thin curtain�was the only thing separating us -- and our dignity. Callan and Ben shared a bunk bed in a slighter larger room downstairs.

In our 23 days on the ship we covered more than 2,587 miles. (Not that anyone was keeping track.)�The ship rocked incessantly and a sonar machine used for ocean floor mapping ticks loudly all day and night. It’s akin to being audibly poked day in and day out. Callan promised to buy each of us a metronome when we got home so that we'd be able to sleep�just as comfortably in�Manhattan. I'm still waiting.

We�were�essentially done shooting two weeks into the trip, leaving us with�plenty of time to fill. Meals�became a priority. It's often the only way we�kept track of the time of�day. Thursday�quckly became a favorite -- breakfast crepes. Speaking of crepes, we'll remind you�it was�a French-Canadian ship, so we ate well.�In fact, we were convinced Fabien, the ship's pastry chef -- yes, I said pastry chef --�was trying to kill us slowly with desserts.

Meals�were always heavy and large, but fear not, there�was a fitness club onboard. Let me describe it for you: it was half the size of our bedroom (read: infirmary), and consisted of a treadmill, two bikes and a bench that’s�parked beneath�a four-foot ceiling. (Running on a treadmill when the ship�was rocking could easily�have passed as its own Olympic sport.) Not to worry,�we�collectively ran or biked the length of Greenland six times over. The other hours�were spent staring at the ocean, staring in the abyss and staring at each other -- followed by routine games of Scrabble, "What's for dinner?" and "If you could be any kind of animal, what would you be?"

A once-in-a-lifetime experience
Let's be clear, although we were mentally ready to leave�after ten days,�we were extremely grateful for this�awe-inspiring experience, including�the chance to meet�numerous bright and passionate scientists whose dedication to their field reminded us�each day why we were there. We saw�polar bears, beluga whales and icebergs the size of floating hotels. Each sighting reminding us how far away we�were from home. In addition, we witnessed sea creatures from far below the ocean's surface that would rival the characters at the Star Wars bar.

As you've now seen for yourself, the�Arctic is both breathtaking and intimidating. We were awed by sights that most people will never see and�greatly appreciative for our once-in-a-lifetime�visit.

Nov. 16: The Arctic is one of the few unspoiled environments on Earth – eight million square miles that at first glance, seem frozen in time. But as NBC’s Peter Alexander reports, climate change is having a number of deleterious effects on the region. Watch the report.

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