Somewhat quietly, Lester Holt has become an NBC News star. It started innocently enough as he began appearing in all sorts of situations for the network, reporting here, filling in there and hosting “Lester Holt Live” on MSNBC. He became the ubiquitous anchor of cable and broadcast news for the peacock, able to step into any situation and deliver calm, level-headed journalism no matter what was happening around him. LESTER HOLT audio excerpt: "One of the phenomenons we've seen late in what we like to think of as a recovery, is middle class families who have lost a lot of their net worth and slipped below the poverty line."  Holt, who joined NBC in 2000, was rewarded for his utility with two genuine, high-profile gigs: anchor of the Dateline NBC franchise on Friday nights and anchoring NBC Nightly News Weekend Edition on Saturdays and Sundays. Essentially, when Brian Williams signs off at 7 p.m. on Friday nights, NBC News is Holt’s playground until the Today show returns on Monday morning. On Sunday, June 24 at 8 p.m., Holt anchors a special edition of Dateline called America Now: Lost In Suburbia. It promises to make hay of a recent report that Americans lost 40% of their net worth between 2007 and 2010. Lester Holt, welcome to 40 percent less of Mr. Media! LESTER HOLT audio excerpt: "Bet on me (in a best-of-3 arm wrestling contest vs. Brian Williams). I'm in the gym every other day. Just an hour ago, I was bench-pressing 110 pounds. Go with me. But don't tell him I said so." Lester Holt •  • •