Tim Russert was an American television journalist known best for hosting the political affairs talk show,* Meet the Press*. A 1972 graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, Russert also held a degree from Cleveland State University's Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1976). Before he began his TV career, Russert worked for both U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1977-82) and New York's Governor Mario Cuomo (1983-84), both Democrats. He was hired by NBC in 1984, and by the end of the decade was a bureau chief in Washington, D.C. He took over hosting *Meet the Press* in 1991 and within a few years became NBC's go-to guy in Washington and one of the most prominent political journalists in the business. Russert earned millions of dollars as a no-nonsense, working class guy from Buffalo asking tough questions of newsmakers ranging from George W. Bush to Barack Obama. He also published books, including *Big Russ and Me* (2004, about his dad) and *Wisdom of Our Fathers* (2006, a collection of letters about other dads).

As NPR's senior national correspondent, Linda Wertheimer travels the country and the globe for NPR News, bringing her unique insights and wealth of experience to bear on the day's top news stories. Wertheimer provides analysis and thoughtful reporting on all NPR News programs. Before taking the senior national correspondent post, Wertheimer spent 13 years as a host of NPR's flagship news magazine, *All Things Considered.*