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Rock Center with Brian Williams - 50 Shades of Grey, GRIT and Howard Stern, preview

By April MacIntyre Sep 24, 2012, 17:41 GMT

Brian Williams © Charles Norfleet / PR Photos

Tune in alert for "Rock Center with Brian Williams" for Thursday September 27.

From NBC

The Department of Defense estimates a staggering 19,000 soldiers were sexually assaulted in the military last year alone. This is the hidden war the military is battling in its own ranks.

Natalie Morales sits down with female soldiers from every branch of the military who say they were raped while serving their country and then retaliated against for coming forward. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta admits to Morales that this is a pervasive problem, offers an apology to all the victims of sexual assault in the military, and says he's taking action.

As part of NBC News' Education Nation initiative, Brian Williams looks at a provocative new approach called GRIT, which emphasizes character as much as academic achievement.

Proponents say children must learn from their failures as well as their successes, and that parents and teachers need to get AWAY from the belief that all our kids should get trophies.

Can Howard Stern be a role model for social interaction? He is for David Finch - who was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, at age 31. Kate Snow tells the story of how Finch's diagnosis led him on a quest to be a better husband, and to the top of the New York Times best-seller list.

The surprising success of the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' book series has made an impact in some very unexpected places. The LEAST likely may be the tiny town of East Millinocket in northern Maine, which is experiencing a revival fueled by the racy books. What can this be about? Harry Smith goes to find out.

They're man's best friend in the office. "Rock Center" goes behind the scenes at the "Daily Show," where everyday is bring your dog to work day.

David Corvo is the senior executive producer, Rome Hartman is the executive producer and Brian Williams is the anchor and managing editor of “Rock Center with Brian Williams” (Thursdays at 10p/9c). Follow us at RockCenterNBC.com, facebook.com/RockCenterNBC and @RockCenterNBC.