With the announcement last week that long time MSNBC star Norah O’Donnell is jumping ship to CBS, many insiders are now asking what is going on over at the Peacock network? On air talent jumping between networks is nothing new but the sheer number of recent defectors both on air and off from NBC News and CNBC has to make you wonder whether there is something bigger at play here.

In a major move, MSNBC’s chief Washington correspondent, Norah O’Donnell has decided to jump networks, signing with CBS News as White House correspondent. As Politico’s Mike Allen writes, “it’s a stunning shakeup for both the front row of the White House briefing room and for Washington’s intensely competitive network news bureaus.”

With Rep. Anthony Weiner‘s wife,Huma Abedin, back in the U.S. from an overseas trip with boss Hillary Clinton–and amid calls from key Democrats, including President Barack Obama to resign–the congressman’s future may be determined within days. NBC’s Luke Russert, on TODAY, said any effort to return to Congress by Weiner would find him surrounded by frustrated and furious fellow Democrats, one of whom said Weiner would be “a man without a country.”

Got weekend plans? Cancel them. The Great Sarah Palin Document Dump kicks off today, and that means 250 pounds of printed emails from Palin’s time as governor of Alaska will be carted off by eager reporters at 9 a.m. in Juneau (1 p.m. ET/US). The best of the emails will be immediately posted to news websites thanks to an eager army of journalists and volunteers who will sift through the emails looking for gems. The records were requested by msnbc.com, other news organizations and citizens in 2008, when Palin was named as Sen. John McCain‘s vice-presidential running mate.

In a typically over-the-top farewell from TODAY to its departing co-host Meredith Vieira, the NBC morning show’s entire staff, from co-host Matt Lauer to Vieira’s replacement Ann Curry and every member of the show’s production team–all wearing matching t-shirts–took to Rockefeller Plaza in a lip sync performance right out of Glee.

MSNBC’s Rundown co-host Chuck Todd said farewell to his co-host Savannah Guthrie Friday, popping the cork for an on-set champagne toast as Guthrie prepares for her move to NBC’s TODAY. In a tweet about the morning, Guthrie told followers she and Todd were “kickin it like KLG and Hoda,” a reference to TODAY’s Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, who’ve been known to enjoy a late morning mimosa from time to time.

Yesterday, we told you about rumors that Vivian Schiller, the former CEO of NPR, was in talks with NBC to lead digital efforts at the network. Today, those rumors have been confirmed. Schillr joins NBC News as its new chief digital officer, meaning she’s charged with overseeing digital strategy for for NBC News and MSNBC, as well as for properties like EducationNation.com and theGrio.com. (So much for concerns over leanings, amiright?)

You may remember Vivian Schiller, the former CEO of NPR, from her role in the media storm surrounding a sting video, created and edited by James O’Keefe, showing NPR executive Ron Schiller (no relation) making disparaging comments about Republicans and the Tea Party movement.

Shortly after announcing her departure, Schiller vowed to return to media, saying she planned to remain in journalism. She’s made good on that promise: Schiller is currently in talks with NBC News, where she will oversee digital projects.

NBC News doesn’t have a start date or a name for its new prime-time news show to be led by Nightly News Brian Williams, but it does have an executive producer, as of today. Rome Hartman, who helped create the BBC’s American flagship newscast, BBC World News America, has signed on with NBC in an announcement from the network today. ”

On Wednesday night’s The Last Word, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell delivered a spot-on critique of the way President Obama‘s remarks about Israel have been handled by the news media, and others. The false charge that the President has “called for Israel to return to the 1967 borders” has come tripping off of many a tongue, including O’Donnell’s NBC News colleague Brian Williams, barely a day earlier.

Newt Gingrich‘s refusal to discuss in detail his reported half-million dollar interest-free account at high end jeweler Tiffany has entered the next phase of the media cycle, having crossed from Sunday morning show questioning into the realm of late night comedy, and now, on this morning’s TODAY, the fact-checking and follow-up on the political fallout. Comparing the political impact of the story to John Edwards’ $400 haircuts, NBC News chief investigative correspondent Lisa Myers said reports of massive luxury spending–and the use of sweetheart deals unavailable to most consumers–may carry a significant political cost.

The New York City hotel maid who accused IMF chief Domique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault will testify before a grand jury sometime today, according to her lawyer, Jeffrey Shapiro. Shapiro, who appeared on NBC’s TODAY, described his client as a woman who’s not only “a rape victim, the victim of a physical assault,” but also a woman who has not had “a moment of peace” since she reported the attack to hotel security. Shapiro says client has yet to return to her home, but is in “a safe place” with her fifteen-year old daughter as the criminal case moves forward.

Shapiro says his client’s a single mom who came to the U.S. for “a better life,” and has worked at the hotel for three years. A native of Guinea, Shapiro says his client comes “from a part of the world where laws were few and far between” and now, accusing a tremendously powerful man of a crime that could send him to prison, “she fears not only for herself, but maybe more importantly for her daughter.”

Odds are, you saw the picture: shot from an aircraft window, a passenger, Stefanie Gordon, caught a perfect, brilliantly unique perspective of the liftoff of the space shuttle Endeavour on its final mission. In the picture, the shuttle’s contrail rising from a deck of clouds as the shuttle climbed toward space. Posted to the web, the photo went viral, and ended up on TV, including NBC Nightly News, whose anchor Brian Williams wrote about the picture–and its photographer–in his pre-show blog, The Daily Nightly.

NBC News confirmed Sunday a prime time newsmagazine is in active development for Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, with plans to add the show to the network’s fall lineup “as soon as it’s ready.” The Hollywood Reporter quotes NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt saying the show will be designed to showcase the wide range of BriWi talents. “It’s about being relevant and engaging and also entertaining, which is what Brian uniquely does,” Greenblatt told reporters during a conference on Sunday. “It’s his sensibility, personality and skill that can inform this.”

NBC News is reportedly developing a new, prime time news magazine for Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, according to The Wall Street Journal. WSJ‘s Jessica Vascellaro says the show is aimed at turning around the network’s slumping ratings in prime, and providing a high-profile vehicle for Williams and other NBC talent, including, potentially, soon-to-depart TODAY co-host Meredith Vieira.

The format of the show has not been finalized, but could debut as soon as the fall, Vascellaro reports, citing “two people familiar with the matter.”

CBS News is reporting that during a sit down interview for 60 Minutes, President Barack Obama revealed to Steve Kroft his decision to not release photos of a dead Osama bin Laden. Republican House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers reportedly said “the risk of release outweigh the benefits” before adding that there was concern over how the image would be viewed as a “trophy” and inflame public opinion in the Middle East.

Monday night’s Late Show featured plenty of bin Laden-related material, including a monologue that began with David Letterman asking his audience how they enjoyed “the Osama bin Laden season finale,” and included a Top Ten list of bin Laden’s last words.

The show had NBC’s Brian Williams as a guest, and Letterman wisely decided the two should pose for a photo holding a copy of Monday’s New York Post, saying “it’ll be in the Post tomorrow.”

The death of Osama bin Laden sent millions to their computers to catch up on the story by watching web video, with NBC News digital and Today.com having its second best day ever, with 21 million streams by 6 p.m. Monday evening. Of the top twenty most popular videos, all were related to the capture and killing of bin Laden.

The most-viewed video had 3 million streams, and was a TODAY show report by NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski on the operation that successfully landed SEALS into bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan.

NBC News is reporting that CIA director Leon Panetta has been chosen by the president to replace Robert Gates at the Pentagon. Gates has previously announced he would leave his post this year, probably over the summer.

Gen. David Petraeus is President Obama’s pick to replace Panetta as head of the CIA. As NBC’s Savannah Guthrie reports this morning, Petraeus, “who took over as Afghanistan war commander in June, was expected to leave that post before the end of this year. His name had been floated as a possible replacement for Panetta if President Barack Obama decided to tap Panetta to replace Robert Gates as Defense Secretary.

A featurelength article in this week’sNew York Magazine aims to confirm what many media critics have asserted for the last few years: NBC News anchor Brian Williams is a funny, funny man. The essay collects a number of anecdotes and video clips of Williams’ numerous appearances on late night talk shows (either as an entertaining guest or comedic cameo), in addition to numerous appearances playing himself on NBC sitcoms like 30 Rock. While we admire Williams’ willingness to show his range, and perhaps more importantly, not take himself too seriously, maybe it’s time for someone to come out and say it: he really isn’t that funny.

A former employee of Jesse Jackson‘s Rainbow Push Coalition says he was fired for being gay. On TODAY, NBC’s Pete Williams reports the accuser, Tommy Bennett, worked for Rev. Jackson in Chicago for two and a half years. During that time, Bennett claims he was subjected to overt anti-gay treatment, including workers refusing to work under his supervision, and an “office prayer” that asked God to “get these homosexuals out of here, and do it in Jesus’ name.”

And then, there’s a graphic allegation about Jesse Jackson himself, including “gestures and comments” that Bennett interpreted as an “invitation for sexual contact.”

Back at her old home, NBC’s TODAY, Katie Couric sat down with Matt Lauer to talk, naturally, about her new book. Making absolutely no mention of the frenzy of speculation surrounding Couric’s future as anchor of the CBS Evening News, Lauer and Couric had a casual chat about Couric’s book on life advice (“you have to keep trying” was one insider’s tip) for a full three minutes. It was only then that Lauer pivoted, asking “heard any good rumors lately?”

Will the last national news host or anchor to leave the national spotlight please turn off the lights? On a day when the opinion media world was focused on Glenn Beck‘s seemingly sudden departure from his Fox News program, reports have surfaced that NBC has been told that Today Show co-host Matt Lauer will be leaving the show when his contract expires at the end of next year.

With the announcement this week that Meredith Vieira, co-host of NBC’s top-rated TODAY might not extend her contract when it expires in the fall, attention will surely focus on TODAY‘s news anchor, Ann Curry. While she hasn’t commented on the reports of Vieira’s interest in sleeping in and escaping the rigor of a network morning show, Curry did write about Vieira’s hiring for the job–and her being passed over–back in 2006. “What some might consider a big professional disappointment—not being named cohost of TODAY when Katie Couric left—has only clarified my mission. I would’ve loved that job, but not getting it made me think, What is it I need to be doing?”

In the article, a cover story in Guideposts magazine, Curry wrote the answer to her question of “what is it I need to be doing” came in the form of humanitarian reporting, which she has done in the years since, traveling around the world and solidifying her stature as one of NBC News’ top correspondents. She shared a story from her reporting with Guideposts:

It’s a pretty frightening piece of videotape. Wendy Cobb, a mom from Shelby, N.C., said she was using her camera phone to record two trucks playing a dangerous game of “cat and mouse” when a piece of wood came flying at her car–and crashed right through the windshield.

Appearing on NBC’s TODAY, Cobb said her first thought was “thank goodness the kids weren’t in the car.” Cobb’s husband, who works in EMS, said he had seen plenty of people injured in accidents like this, but was shaken at the thought of having to treat his own family. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.