Dialed Out: NBC News suspended Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams for six months without pay for embellishing a story about his experience in the 2003 Iraq War. It’s a move unprecedented in network news.

The New York Post headline says “BRIAN SHOT DOWN, This time, for real.”

NBC/Universal chief Steve Burke released a blistering statement saying, “Brian has jeopardized the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News. His actions are inexcusable and this suspension is severe and appropriate.” Williams claimed to have been a passenger in a helicopter hit by machine gun and RPG fire when in fact he was not.

But Burke said the network does not plan to fire Williams. “He deserves a second chance and we are rooting for him,” he said.

   NBC’s utility anchorman Lester Holt will be sitting in for the disgraced Williams, who just signed a $10 million a year contract in December and was expected to be the face of the network for years to come. At age 55 Williams has been chairing the highest-rated network news broadcast. It’s unknown whether he can return, or would even try to return after this humiliation.

Stepping Out: Possibly even more damaging to the serious news business than the loss of Brian Williams, Jon Stewart of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show announced last night that he is leaving later this year. He didn’t say why he’s leaving, or announce alternate plans. “I’m going to have dinner on a school night with my family.”

In the last 16 years Stewart has skewered the pompous and powerful in a way that “real” journalists wouldn’t dare, but should. He jokes that it’s “fake” news, but it’s often more insightful that the real thing.

In particular, younger viewers have turned to Stewart to deliver a slashing version of the truth they would never get from other outlets. Stewart even turned on Brian Williams, a frequent guest of the show. “Finally someone is being held to account for misleading America about the Iraq War,” he said.

Nation: The US confirms that American aide worker Kayla Mueller is in fact dead as claimed by Islamic State extremists in Syria. The government and Mueller’s family say they have received convincing evidence. ISIS blames a Jordanian bombing attack for killing the 26-year-old hostage, but the US says ISIS caused her death by keeping her imprisoned.

>A rookie New York City police officer is expected to be charged today with killing an unarmed black man in the dark stairwell of a housing project last November. Officer Peter Liang was patrolling with his partner when his gun fired a single bullet, killing 28-year-old Akai Gurley, who was in the stairwell with his girlfriend one flight below. Liang had been going down the stairs with his gun drawn and said it went off inadvertently.

>The Muslim students at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill were shot and killed yesterday. A 46-year-old local man has been charged. Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, his wife Yusor Mohammad, 21, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were each shot in the head. It’s not immediately evident that it was a hate crime.

World: At least 300 migrants are missing in an attempt to cross the Mediterranean from Libya. They had been attempting to get to Europe in rubber boats. It’s the latest in a series of disasters in the last couple of years with smugglers transporting migrants.

The Big Dig: Boston and large parts of New England have had two days to dig out from up to two feet of snow, which is good. More snow is coming tomorrow. Boston subways, trolleys and commuter trains were sidetracked yesterday, and service is expected to be at a reduced level today as the tracks are cleared of snow and ice.

In the meantime, Bostonians are fighting over parking spaces dug into snow banks. One person, presumably a man, left a note on a car threatening to destroy the tires if the driver didn’t give up the spot and return the chair left as a marker. Of course, the chair was just a few feet away and the driver left a long reply saying “You are an idiot.”

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