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tonight, this news organization, the associated press and others are reporting the results of requests under public records law for a slew of e-mails to and from todd palin back when his wife was governor of alaska. the e-mails will make news because of what they contain, and because of reports and denials back then as to his level of involvement in state business. our report tonight from nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: the palins after she announced she was quitting as governor. no doubts at all? >> no doubts at all. >> reporter: the right decision for the kids and you? >> for the state. and the family. >> reporter: it was always clear that todd, like most political spouses was a close advisor.

>> i think it's a great idea also. >> reporter: 1,200 e-mails todd palin exchanged with state officials and obtained this week by msnbc.com show sarah palin's husband wamore than an iron dog snow machine champion. >> and we met in high school and two decades and five children later, he's still my guy. >> reporter: nbc news first requested the e-mails in september 2008. 18 months ago, a week after palin was put on the ticket. the government of alaska only turned them over this week, 3,000 pages. another 50,000 pages are pending. >> he started to be called the shadow governor, but until we see these e-mails, we didn't know he had his hand in so many policy issues. >> reporter: e-mails like this one reveal todd palin was involved in everything from vetting nominees for judicial appointments to state boards. 243 additional e-mails were withheld by the state claiming executive privilege. they have subject lines like

"board staffing and budget cutting," potential budget vetoes, appointee to board of agriculture, cuts to staff, judicial nominee. by coincidence, alaska governor's released the e-mail as sarah palin is about to keynote the tea party. she is going to get $$50,000. >> the speaker's fee will go back into the cause. >> reporter: hundreds are gathering in nashville today. >> the government is not listening to us. the people here are excited. it's an issue of optimism. >> reporter: they already changed histy in massachusetts, helping to propel scott brown to the senate. and they're having an impact in florida and texas, where palin will campaign sunday. the nashville convention is being boycotted by many tea party supporters who objt to the $549 ticket fee. conservative congresswoman michele bachmann and marcia blackburn canceled. in an e-mail response tonight, the palin's attorney wrote,

"this story reveals nothing new. todd palin was and remains a close advisor to the governor." adding, "there is nothing unusual, untoward or appropriate for a spouse of a chief executive to provide guidance, input and hands-on assistance." and the lawyer says ke many married couples, it is common for the spouse to play role to key advisor to the other spouse. the palins were no different. tonight it doesn't seem to be having any impact on palin's followers. to them she remains a huge political draw. by the way, we are posting the full e-mails and palin response on our website, nightly.msnbc.com. >> thank you, andrea mitchell from our washington newsroom tonight. when we come back, a really ose call. wsroom tonight. when we come back, a really close call. ♪

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♪ that's when'd had it with heartburn. the guy was hilarious. but i was in pain, so i stepped out. (comedian) hey, are you walkin' out on me-- is it past your curfew? i will never make that mistake again. that's when i'd had it with frequent heartburn. and that's when i got prevacid®24hr... and my sense of humor back. (announcer) the #1 prescribed acid reducer brand over the last decade is now over-the-counter to treat frequent heartburn a full 24 hours. prevacid®24hr. when you've had it with heartburn™ since we usually feature

people who are making a difference here on friday nights, tonight we'll conclude our week-long look at members of the list of 100 current history makers as compiled by our partner website the grio.com as we mark black history month. tonight a park ranger who is posted at a place that not only changed this country, but holds a special place in her own family history. >> reporter: on any given day in little rock, arkansas -- >> she was alone in the mob. >> reporter: spirit tricky could very well be the park ranger who leads the tour of this historic site. >> the arkansas national guardsmen lined up and down this block. >> reporter: she tells the story of nine black teenagers who desegregated central high school. >> about 15 soldiers close in and surround them like a shield and they marched down that sidewalk and up these stairs.

>> reporter: ask her a question and if she doesn't know the answer, there is one more person she can ask, her mother. minnie jean brown-tricky, one of the little rock nine. they moved back to little rock eight years ago after a lifetime away from the deeply-segregated south of 1957. raised in rural canada, spirit, onofive children was almost 16 before she began to understand her mother's role in history. >> i didn't really want them to know that the world was that ugly. >> reporter: now spirit is the keeper of family history, helping her mother heal from an era filled with racial hatred. >> think about at home where they had no soldiers. >> reporter: reminding her mother of the girl she was. >> she came out and said this once. she said it was like clutching a chain link fence, looking at a world i was not allowed to participate in. i wanted a chance to see what i was missing. >> reporter: spirit wrote a play called "one night" told through the eyes of the bubbly

15-year-old minnie jean. >> between the play itself, the dialogue and the actor, i got it. wow, i know why they hated me because i was so irrepressible. >> reporter: the play won a local competition and toured throughout the state. >> she is very committed to reaching young people and planting those seeds at an early age. >> reporter: spirit is finishing a graduate degree in public service, but knows no better lesson than little rock. >> it's not just my history, black and white history, it's all of our history. >> reporter: one story, one job that may never leave her. >> do you want to be that brave white kid who did something so simple as move your desk over and share your book? >> reporter: and honored to keep its lessons alive. nbc news, little rock, arkansas. that's our broadcast for this friday night and for this week. thank you for being with us for all of it. lester holt will be here with you this weekend.

i'm brian williams. we hope to see you back here on monday night. in the meantime, have a good weekend. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good evening, bob ryan stormcenter 4. blizzard warninges now in effect for the washington, d.c., and also the eastern suburbs as you can see including anne arundel county, southern maryland where because of the storm, the intensity of it with bands of heavy snow coming in. we're going to continue to see the snow pick