Mourners sign condolence books at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Massachusetts.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

The lines outside the John F. Kennedy library are beginning to break up, after more than 30,000 people made their way to pay their respects to Sen. Edward Kennedy over the past 20 hours.

I arrived from Hyannis around noon today, and there has been a steady stream of Kennedy family members outside the library, greeting the public and thanking them for coming.

Sen. John Kerry is inside with his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and while they were entering the building, Vicki Kennedy, Sen. Kennedy's widow, made her way through a throng a well wishers, thanking them for coming to pay their respects.

They have come from all over the globe, and every age appears to be represented here. Parents can be heard telling their children stories about the Kennedy family and locals have relished in memories of when they saw or met the Senator. It seems as if everyone has a story, and today is the best day to share it.

We have a few hours before the private memorial begins. I will try to bring you some behind the scenes stories from outside the library a little later on.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

The streets were starting to fill up around 11: 45a.m. this morning, as residents of the Cape Cod area came out to pay their respects to Sen. Ted Kennedy's family as they brought his body to Boston.

I've spoken to many of the locals over the past few days and very few were willing to go on camera, but they were all willing to talk about their lives on the Cape, and their experiences with the Senator.

One woman I met last night told me that she and her husband are one of a small number of people who live here year round. She gave me a history of the area, including the street where the Kennedy compound stands and how the property was designed.

She actually laughed at me when I asked about the compound because she said it's really just four houses on land that is adjacent. She went on to tell me who owned what house and when.

I wish I'd had a tape recorder to get it all down because it was so fascinating, but unfortunately the notes I took now look like chicken scratch and I cannot begin to tell you who bought what house when.

She also pointed out other homes in the area, including one owned by Kennedy's sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who passed away just a few short weeks ago.

While walking around the neighborhood where the Kennedy's have spent so much time over the years, I could see why they love it so much. Children were barefoot on their bikes, looking like they were about to go to – or just got out of – the ocean. Men and women were walking dogs around the block, and stopping along their path to say hello to neighbors. And everyone smiles and waves at you as you drive by – a mark of a great, small community.

One man David Gergen and I met this afternoon told us of growing up just two houses away from where JFK lived. He told of the helicopter coming in to drop JFK off, and of watching the various children and grandchildren grow up. He moved out of the area several years ago, but told me he felt like he needed to come back, just to say goodbye.

During the processional today, as the family left the compound, scores of residents lined Scudder Avenue and waved, smiled, clapped and cried as the hearse carrying the senator's body passed by. In the limo directly behind the hearse, Kennedy's widow, Vicki, waved to well wishers and mouthed "Thank You".

And the line of cars made its way down the street and up to Boston, where Sen. Kennedy's body will lie in repose and the family prepares to say a final goodbye.

Paris Jackson, 11, is consoled by her uncle Marlon Jackson after delivering a tearful tribute to her father.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

It’s been a long couple of weeks since the moment we learned that Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest. From the immediate “that can’t be true” thought, to the rush of “what can we confirm,” then to my job: “who can we get?” I feel like I’ve been in Ludacris speed (note Spaceballs reference here!) since June 25.

But as the night nine of my time in Los Angeles and night 13 of our coverage winds down, I am sure the magnitude of the past two weeks will hit me soon.

Yesterday's memorial was more reverent, more respectful, more thoughtful and more appealing than I even thought possible. I knew early on in the planning process who might have been attending and performing, but even knowing who was on the preliminary list did not diminish what was on stage. And although it’s no secret that Michael Jackson was a controversial figure, the bottom line was the man was a great entertainer. It’s also obvious that he touched so many lives throughout his short life.

I spoke to my six-year-old nephew, Jackson, after the memorial. The first thing he asked was if I got to talk to Kobe Bryant. I find that funny because, although my family is a sports loving family, I do not remember ever watching any part of a NBA game with any of them.

However, Jackson knows all of the players and the Lakers are his favorite team. I thought it was cute he was asking about Kobe. Then he asked a question that really hit me: Wasn’t Michael Jackson close to Papa’s (my father) age?

I never really thought of it in that way, but yes. And so my mom told him that yes, but Michael Jackson was younger. Jackson then said, 'yeah but the first number is the same in their ages.' As a child who lost his other grandfather just a few short weeks ago, I knew he was concerned about my father leaving this world sometime soon. I never really realized just how much a death can affect a child, and I know many were watching the coverage as well.

It got me thinking about Michael Jackson’s three children. They were just joys to watch from the stands as the memorial was going on. Paris was comforting Blanket, the youngest, quite a bit, and Prince appeared to be the strong young man throughout the service. He shook hands with everyone who came by the family after speaking and performing. At one point, his grandmother got up to hug someone who had just stepped off stage, and he went to escort her back to her seat. No matter how you felt about Michael Jackson, the man left three children behind who now have to deal with all of this attention surrounding his death.

Word will get out throughout the coming months about exactly how Jackson died, and much more speculation about possible criminal charges will come out, but yesterday there was virtually none of that. Yes, some speakers mentioned some of his past troubles, but I think the primary goal of the day was to celebrate his life. And being in the Staples Center was just that: a celebration.

A new story will pop up soon that the media will focus on, a new last minute trip will be scheduled in my world, and the day will become a distant memory. But it will always be a memory and I’m very glad I was able to contribute to CNN's coverage, as well as Anderson's reporting. And I don’t think anyone will forget where they were when they watched a beautiful little girl bravely walk up to the microphone, with her aunts, uncles and two brothers bravely standing behind her, as she proudly said “Daddy has been the greatest father you could ever imagine. And I just want to say that I love him so much”.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

12:41 p.m. PT

Paris is breaking my heart. Not a dry eye in the arena

12:37 p.m. PT

Touching moment: Paris hugging her little brother and making sure he is ok.

12:33 p.m. PT

Rev Jesse Jackson swaying along, next to Rev Al Sharpton.

12:32 p.m. PT

Spike Lee just jumped up on stage too. Paris is hugging Blanket. Just so cute

12:30 p.m. PT

Wait not her. Just a look alike
Lots of hugging on stage right now

12:29 p.m. PT

Britney on stage!!!

12:28 p.m. PT

Blanket is on stage with his program. Prince and Paris are singing along. Just adorable

12:19 p.m. PT

Kid from Britain's Got Talent on stage now. Amazing!!!

12:10 p.m. PT

Usher is standing just a few steps from Jackson's kids and mother. Really touching song

11:52 a.m. PT

Ok, I admit it. Jermaine made me cry. So touching Now Dr Martin Luther King's children are speaking

11:45 a.m. PT

It is evident that Brooke Shields cared dearly about Jackson. She is so genuine in her words.

11:39 a.m. PT

Anyone else pick up on the brothers wearing glitter gloves?

Crowd cheering Brooke Shields on. She is trying to keep it together.

11:31 a.m. PT

Rev Al Sharpton is preaching on in here. He has the crowd responding with cheers and tears, and we know it's sincere. He told me Friday night that he wants us to remember the legacy.

11:24 a.m. PT

How the heck did Jennifer Hudson not win American Idol? She is truly amazing and sounds even better in person than on tv!

11:21 a.m. PT

Magic and Kobe just hugged Michael's children

11:09 a.m. PT

I think the entire arena is feeling Stevie Wonder. Tears are starting to flow all around, and I hate to admit, I even teared up.

11:04 a.m. PT

Huge roar, loudest so far, for Berry Gordy. You can feel the electricity in the arena.

The big screens are showing the arena what you are seeing on TV as well.

10:58 a.m. PT

I'm sitting next to 4 of the rudest people...Talking on the phone, to each other. I can barely hear Berry Gordy speak!!!

10:51 a.m. PT

Main message from Latoya: Keep the magic going!

10:46 a.m. PT

Some woman is wearing a mask and white gloves. Can't figure out if it's to be like Mike or if she's a germaphobe Queen Latifah has the crowd laughing. You can tell she is emotional and doing her best to hold it together.

10:43 a.m. PT

There is a group of about 50 people in all white. Really a mix of people and fashions, so to speak

10:33 a.m. PT

Lil Kim just walked by my section. Amazingly, the crowd just waved a little and showed her some respect. She is in all black

A choir is is on the stage now. The celebration is beginning

10:27 a.m. PT

Family got a standing ovation when they walked in. Was very nice, and not raukus at all.

People are still filing in. There are a smattering of empty seats but it's mostly full.

10:16 a.m. PT

Complete silence when Smokey Robinson spoke, now waiting for what's next. Someone just yelled "We love you Michael". Some hoots but mostly shhhhs.

10:10 a.m. PT

I'm in! Gold 8×10 programs handed to all ticket holders. Special message from Latoya inside as well as pics throughout his career. Starting soon.

10:04 a.m. PT

The motorcade just arrived, so I am heading into the Staples Center. We aren't allowed to take photos but hoping to sneak some.

Hearing from credible sources to expect surprises. The fact that his casket will be there was one, so wondering what else is in store.

9:14 a.m. PT
After a week and a half, we are here...

The public memorial service will begin in an hour or so, and everyone outside Staples Center is gearing up for this celebration of Michael Jackson's life.

I'll be inside, hoping to update you on what you can't see on CNN during the service. Will check in later!

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

Set up is underway for tomorrow's coverage of Michael Jackson's memorial service. Standing outside the Staples Center, media crews from all over the world are setting up their cameras and figuring out the best shots from the platforms that have been designated to them.

We have a great position, high in the sky, for Anderson, Soledad and Don to anchor our coverage tomorrow.

The CNN crew is hard at work today figuring out lighting, since the first shot is at 3am local time, as well as camera positions, shading from the sun, and any other problems that always tend to pop up at these major events.

Officials are starting to cordon off the area so that only people with credentials can be allowed in designated locations, but there are still more than one hundred fans are signing a huge condolence card to Jackson's family. They were mostly here early, and a LAPD rep said that they will shut off the area soon, only allowing those of us with credentials in.

Now it's off to our bureau to work on tonight's program as well as finalizing interviews for tomorrow. Will check in later, and hopefully have some good pics for you soon.

Anderson was supposed to interview Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at an event for World Refugee Day but will unable to because of her fractured elbow.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

The morning started off with a bang, as my cell phone rang at 1 AM with a question: have you gotten an email from Sec. Clinton's people?

In my still half-sleep stage, I think I mumbled "wha?" And then checked my email. I had, in fact, received an urgent email from Sec. Clinton's press person stating that she had broken her elbow in a fall and would not be able to do an interview with Anderson today. After alerting the people on our staff who needed to know, I finally went to sleep around 2 AM.

Fast forward 2 1/2 hours to my alarm going off. I took a shower, managed to get on a decent looking outfit and walked downstairs to get into the car to get to LaGuardia airport. Except: no car. I called the dispatch operator and learned it was stuck in traffic, to which I replied: "Really? At 5:30?" So I hopped a cab.

Relieved that I made it to the airport on time, and even more relieved that Anderson had as well, I boarded the plane alongside his publicist, Shimrit Sheetrit.

Since the shuttle flight is open seating, Shimrit and I decided to try and sit together. In true fashion of the way the day had gone so far, we found two seats together ... in the very back row.

Turbulence began almost immediately after takeoff. Being a seasoned flier, it didn't bother me that much, at first. Around 30 minutes later, as the plane was still shaking, the pilot informed us that we were in a holding pattern, as no planes were able to land at Reagan National in DC. Fifteen minutes later, he said they released us, and we would be able to land. But after 20 minutes, and still more turbulence, the pilot informed us we were heading back to New York.

Immediately, Shimrit and I began discussing the options of how to get Anderson to DC to host the UNHCR event for World Refugee Day, and then do the interview with Angelina Jolie.

As we were discussing, I looked back and saw one of the flight attendants, leaning over, garbage bag in hand. In my opinion: never a good sign. Cue lightning strike. Seriously, lightening struck the plane. To which said flight attendant said: "What was that? That's not good". My response cannot be repeated on this blog, but I can assure you, my confidence in getting home in one piece was slowly fading away.

Thirty-five minutes or so later, we finally made it back to LaGuardia airport. Immediately, Shimrit and I were on our phones trying to find a way to get to DC. However, Mother Nature was not cooperating and we had to head back to Time Warner Center to do the interview via satellite. Not the original plan, but when this many things go wrong, you just have to take what you can get.

As for me: I plan on going home, going to sleep, and hopefully starting over again ... this time with better results.

Program Note: Tune in tonight for Anderson's interview with Angelina Jolie for World Refugee Day on AC360° at 10 p.m. ET.

Martrell Stevens survived being hit by a stray bullet as he slept in a car in Chicago, but he was partially paralyzed.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

President Obama has met with the presidents of both Afghanistan and Pakistan this week, as the growing threat from militants has made both countries top headaches for the White House. We’ll have a report from the region tonight on the latest. How will Richard Holbrooke - the White House special envoy to the region Ambassador known for his tough diplomacy under President Clinton - handle these two international hairballs?

And speaking of strife, what about Chicago? And no, I’m not talking about Drew Peterson’s arrest on charges that he killed his third wife. (And his fourth wife, you know, is still missing.) But here's what we're wondering: Why are more and more school age kids are getting killed in the Chicago area - at least 36 so far this year. And it seems no one has figured out a way to stop it.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks with an emergency room doctor about what it's like to treat so many children who've been shot. And David Mattingly will report on why there are zillions of guns in the hands of teens. How does a 15-year-old kid get a gun, anyway?

And we'll talk with a former self-described street hustler who now hits the streets and gives kids ways to get out of a gang if they're stuck in one.

And finally a different kind of story about guns in America. The man who allegedly stalked and then gunned down a Wesleyan University student this week made his first court appearance today. We will dig deeper on this case - what happened, and why was she so vulnerable to him even after seeking an order of protection to keep him away from her.

Hope to see you on 360 tonight, and Happy Friday to the 360 community!

AC360° staffers Ella Perlis, Chuck Hadad, Mary Anne Fox and Kay Jones at the Time 100

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

It was a night of celebration. Hundreds of journalists, publicists, authors and celebrities turned out last night to recognize those who made the TIME 100 Most Influential list.

First Lady Michelle Obama gave a moving speech. And for those of you who pay attention to this kind of thing, she had on a floor length sleeveless black dress with a lot of long necklaces and her hair was in an updo. Bottom line: she looked awesome.

Oprah Winfrey was there, talking to fellow honoree Suze Orman. When our own Dr Sanjay Gupta walked in, Oprah stopped, gave him a hug and said loud enough for most of us to hear, "Look, it's Sanjay"!

Moments later, The View's Whoopi Goldberg practically ran over people to get to Dr. Gupta. It was a great to see the response to him. Unfortunately he had to run, so he could make his live appearance on No Bias, No Bull.

The View's Barbara Walters walked around on the arm of Executive Producer Bill Getty as celeb publicist Ken Sunshine caught up with Van Jones, the President's new Green Jobs coordinator. CNN's John King was seen chatting with 360 producer Mary Anne Fox and with Jeff Han, a Time honoree and creator of CNN's Magic Wall.

Honoree AR Rahman, who won an Oscar for the song Jai Ho in Slumdog Millionaire, began the entertainment after the brief dinner break, singing his Oscar winning hit. 360° producer Chuck Hadad was spotted in the overflow room doing – and I'm not kidding here – a dance he learned on a recent trip to India. Words cannot describe what we witnessed.

Soon afterward, honoree Oprah Winfrey took the mike, and as fellow honoree Michelle Obama looked on from the next seat, Oprah toasted her former teachers and all the teachers of the world.

Jimmy Fallon took the stage, guitar in hand, singing what can only be described an original song that I believed was titled "Car Wash For Peace." Afterward he took the mike and talked about Michelle Obama's greatest enemy: sleeves. It got a great response from the crowd and I missed his next two jokes – thanks to the laughs of Team 360.

Fashion designer, daughter of Paul McCartney, and honoree Stella McCartney, gave a toast to her parents and told Mrs. Obama to "never wear sleeves, ever."

The final act was honoree and Grammy award winning John Legend. I stopped blogging to listen while sipping champagne. I'll admit it: I am nothing short of enamored by him. Hopefully I can get him and Anderson together later this year to talk.

Post show consisted of dessert, cocktails and mingling. Suze Orman sat down at the Team 360 table and chatted with our newest Associate Producer Ella Perlis, while I managed to sneak away and meet Biz Stone, one of the co-founders of Twitter.

Mary Anne and I then ran into Pres. Obama's speechwriter and honoree Jon Favreau. It was a great way to end the night.

And now I am working on making sleeves my enemy, as well.

Kay Jones
Coordinating Editorial Producer

I got the assignment in early January, not realizing how difficult it would be.  CNN, and specifically the 360 staff, would be working on a TV special about the TIME 100 list that comes out today.  At the time, we had an idea of how we wanted to produce this, so all I was waiting on was the list.

As we got names on the list from the TIME editors and PR team, I started making calls and sending emails to various publicists, assistants, managers, and whatever other contacts I could get my hands on.  The idea for our special was to get those who wrote the profiles of the honorees to actually do an on camera interview.  It sounds so simple, but we decided to make it that much harder:  we wanted the honorees and those who wrote about them to be in the same location for the interviews.  That was not going to be easy.

After a few weeks of calling and sending emails, I finally got my first “yes”.  CNN founder Ted Turner was thrilled to be included in the special, but he only had a few days available to go on camera.  After several calls to T. Boone Pickens’ office, I finally got a “yes” from them as well.  Success!  Right?  Not so fast, my friend.  This is TV and it’s just not that easy.  After much back and forth, they were not going to be in the same city on the same day with the same time available.  We finally came up with a compromise and had Ted at CNN Headquarters in Atlanta, and T. Boone at CNN’s studios in NY.  Not the ideal way to do an interview, but it definitely worked.

From that point on, it was on to the other honorees.  After making roughly 100 phone calls, I finally got my second “yes” from George Clooney’s publicist.  Several days later, Bono’s press person called me and said he’d be interested in interviewing George.  They are friends and know each other’s work, so I knew we’d have a great interview.  I wasn’t disappointed.  The interview was fantastic, and it was clear that they admired one another.  They also were really cool with the crew, which always makes these interviews easier.

The next interview on my list was Suzy Welch interviewing Suze Orman.  That interview literally came together in less than a day and was surprisingly easy to get together even though both women had limited time available.  Fortunately, we had good luck getting the NY Stock Exchange to help us out, and a crack team of producers to put this together in no time.

Finally, the women of The View let me know they were interested. After much back and forth on timing and schedules, we decided to shoot it on Wednesday after their show.  Unfortunately, Whoopi Goldberg was sick that day. But because we had spent 6 hours setting up and this was the only day the other ladies would be available, we had to go ahead and get it done.  The ladies were great, and seemed to enjoy the conversation with Anderson.  There was a lot of laughter and we were all glad that we were able to make that one happen.

The interview ended around 12:40pm on Wednesday, and ever since then, producer Maryanne Fox and Senior Producer Sean Yates have been working with our editors to get the show together.  It’s in the final editing process now, and I’m anxious to see the final product tonight at 11pm.

Pontiac models, such as the 1969 GTO, helped usher in the era of the muscle cars, enthusiasts say. GM is retiring its Pontiac brand.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

Swine flu is on our minds today. Over the weekend, we found out about cases in the US on top of reports of more people infected in Mexico. CNN has reporters all over the place, including the good doctor, Dr. Sanjay Gupta in Mexico City. I know some of you are concerned about his well being, but Dr. Gupta and his crew are taking precautions to stay safe, including wearing the masks you see in all of the video coming out of Mexico City today. President Obama spoke about the outbreak this morning, saying this is a "cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert," but is not a "cause for alarm." We’ll be monitoring the White House all day to see if there are any updated statements on this.

Speaking of President Obama, Wednesday marks his 100th day in office. CNN has big plans, bringing you the Best Political Team on Television Wednesday night with their report cards on how the President is doing so far. You can bet his response to the swine flu outbreak will be discussed as well as all of the other big stories that have happened this year so far: TARP, the auto bailout, his trip to Europe, and the first dog, Bo. Nothing is off limits for our Best Political Team.

In other news, if you own a Firebird, Grand AM or any other Pontiac car, you are going to be one of the last. The Pontiac brand is going away. GM has announced plans to cut 23,000 jobs by 2011 as well as getting rid of the Pontiac brand in an effort to stay out of bankruptcy. Will this help GM? Only time will tell, but we’ll keep an eye out for reaction from Detroit and industry experts on if this is the right move for GM.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the crash I saw yesterday at the NASCAR race in Talladega, AL. On the final lap, Carl Edwards was involved in a crash that sent him into the air, and into the fence that separates the crowd from the track. Amazingly, the fence held, and while debris went into the crowd, only 7 people were injured, with none of those injuries being life threatening. It’s truly a testament to the safety precautions NASCAR has taken over the past few years, although I know they’ll be looking at this latest incident to see how they can improve even further.

Students walk through a passageway connecting Norris Hall to another building at Virginia Tech.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

I’ve been reading a book about the Columbine High School shootings and it got me thinking about where I was 10 years ago, as well as how things have changed in the way we cover a story such as a school shooting. I’m one of those weird people who remembers almost everything when it involves key points in my life and that includes the major stories I’ve covered.

The day of the Columbine shooting, I was sitting in our newsroom at WHBQ in Memphis, Tennessee, watching all of the networks cover the story. I had on a white shirt and blue pants. Weird, I know, but these are the random things I remember. Our entire newsroom watched the many screens on all the networks as they were streaming the Denver stations live. At some point in the afternoon, we had a staff meeting to talk about how we cover it, and make it interesting for our local audience. Unfortunately, we knew all too well how to cover this story: just a little over a year before, two boys under the age of 13 had opened fire on their classmates evacuating their middle school after one of them pulled the fire alarm. Five were dead and 10 injured. The Jonesboro school shootings were the third that happened within our viewing area during the 1997-1998 school year and we had plenty of ideas on how to relate what was going on at Columbine to people in the Mid-South.

Almost eight years to the day later, The Virginia Tech shootings happened. I was sitting in the airport in New Orleans waiting for my delayed flight, after the previous two were canceled the day before due to weather. After reading the numerous blackberry messages on how bad the shooting was, I called in to see if I needed to go. I got a “yes, please” before I finished my question, managed to get my bag off the plane, and booked myself on another airline for a flight to Virginia to cover the story.

The reason I bring up both of these shootings are not only that their anniversaries are this month, but that there were so many similarities with not only the coverage but the advances made in technology, and how they aided the news stations with getting the story out. Weird as it sounds, the Columbine shootings were really the first school shooting where cell phones played a prominent role. In 1999, beepers and pagers were still a pretty active way of staying in touch with your teenager. Although cell phones were picking up in popularity, they were still not the standard that they are today. However, at Columbine, students were calling in to local news stations to talk about what they were seeing, as they were hiding out from the shooters. Many students and teachers were able to call into 911 from the school and gave accounts of where the shooters were, how many were injured and what they were seeing. I can’t remember the station, but one had to tell the student to get off the phone because there was a fear the shooters would hear her location and come after her.

Almost eight years to the day after Columbine, Virginia Tech saw its campus under fire. This time, camera phones were becoming the big thing, and an alert student emailed his video into CNN’s iReport site that eerily included sounds of gunshots. We were able to verify the pictures and where it came from pretty quickly and get the video on air. It really gave us a sense of terror that many of the students who were near the building where the majority of shootings happened faced. Because of the location, we didn’t have a ton of photos and video coming in early on, so we relied on the video and pictures those on the scene sent to our iReport site. Once again, we saw how technology really changed the way we reported on this story.

In a perfect world, we would never have to cover a school shooting again. Of all the stories I’ve covered from both the newsroom to the field, these always are the hardest and worst to cover. But the reality is, something will happen again involving teenagers and young adults, and because of this, we’ll see how the next great technology will impact the way we report on these stories.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

Day 3 on the border of El Paso and Juarez for Team 360 tonight. We are working on more stories from that region, including the one mentioned yesterday about the mass graves that we couldn’t get together for last night.

We are still buzzing about the interview Anderson did last night with the drug cartel member. If you missed it, hopefully you can catch some more tonight on the show and we’ll try to post last night’s portion online as well. There were some chilling moments from that interview and I’m sure there will be more discussion today about some of the things this guy said to Anderson.

Have you heard about Felix Batista? He’s a kidnapping expert who has negotiated nearly a hundred hostage situations, many of which were in Mexico. On December 10th of last year, Batista was in Saltillo, Mexico and was kidnapped while there to give anti-kidnapping advice to the locals. He hasn’t been heard from since. So, we’ll bring you the latest on the search for him.

In other news, the Red River has reached a 112 year high and evacuations are underway in the Fargo, North Dakota area. We’ll bring you the latest from the area, as the river is expected to crest tomorrow morning. We were just told that the temps in that area won’t get above freezing today. Hopefully the volunteers will have luck in their sandbagging efforts and the rising waters won’t threaten the city any more than they already have.

We’ll also keep an eye out for other news today. Pres. Obama is speaking this morning about Afghanistan, and the markets have seen a bit of a rally this week, so we’ll see what the week’s end brings on Wall Street.

And finally, tonight is the 4th installment of the Money Summit. Ali Velshi and the gang, including 360’s Political Yoda, David Gergen, will bring you the latest on the job numbers, housing situation, and the stock market bounce this week. Be sure to tune it tonight at 11pm, as soon as night 3 from the border concludes.

Program Note: Tune in tonight to hear more about the project and the situation in the region as Anderson reports live from New Orleans on AC360° at 10 p.m. ET.

The St. Bernard Project is a nonprofit organization in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, that helps people return to their homes that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

One house that is being rebuilt by the St. Bernard Project.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

Is the economy hurting volunteerism? Not in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. I spent yesterday afternoon touring the business offices of the St. Bernard Project and was amazed at how much co-founders Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg have going on. Right now, they have 35 houses in some phase of rebuilding. By Wednesday, they will have completed their 200th home in this parish that was so devastated by Katrina.

When I talked to them about donations to the organization, they said while they can always use more, they haven’t seen any significant drop off in donations so far, and that is helping more and more families move back to the homes they love.

After touring the offices, I went to the home where we’ll be tonight bringing you the latest on the economy. The home is about two weeks away from when the homeowner will move in. She wasn’t there, but I heard from several of the volunteers about how excited she is to finally get back into the home in which she grew up.

The St. Bernard Project is making so much progress and will be expanding soon. I’m not sure I can give you all of the details yet, but hopefully Anderson can tonight.

After I finished my visit with the volunteers at the SBP, I made the drive to the Lower 9th Ward. The last time I was in that area, Hurricane Gustav was hitting and the waters of the Industrial Canal were lapping over the rebuilt levee. It’s amazing how much has been done for those who want to move back to that neighborhood, with several houses from the Make It Right Foundation already occupied and many in the process of being built. I ran into many people trying to break ground on a new home, and they were not letting the light rain deter their efforts.

While on my trek through some areas familiar to the 360 gang, I stopped by Mr. Herbert Gettridge’s home. Nobody was there, but I’m hoping to get by there today and say hello. I will let you know how it goes!

Program Note: Tune in tonight for “Road to Rescue: A CNN Survival Guide.” AC360° is traveling to five cities in five days to see how the economy is impacting people across the country. Tonight AC360° at 10 p.m. ET.

A crowd of people try to catch beads on Bourbon Street on Fat Tuesday last year.

Kay Jones
AC360° Editorial Producer

The economy may be bad, but for some reason, it didn’t feel that way flying into New Orleans last night.

The flight was full, mostly of school groups coming to volunteer on their Spring Break. I took a brief stroll down Bourbon Street, which was pretty crowded last night.

I remember a time when you could go to dinner on a Sunday night in New Orleans and not have to wait at all for a table, and that is if the restaurant was even open. It took 20 minutes for me to get seated, and there were full tables and lines out the door at several of Team 360’s favorite places to eat.

Signs of a recovery here in the Big Easy? I’m sure it’s not that simple, but 3 ½ years after Katrina hit, the city is definitely seeing some kind of tourist resurgence. It’s got to mean big dividends in the long run for this area.

Editor's Note: To see more accounts from covering the breaking news of the crash of Continental Flight 3407 outside Buffalo, N.Y., click here.

Bright flames obscured everything around the crash site, as iReporter Valerie Woodruff's photo shows.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

Our program, Anderson Cooper 360°, had finished up Thursday night before we even heard that a plane had crashed outside Buffalo. In fact, many of us were already home.

I had arrived home around midnight and checked my blackberry before hitting the sack, as most of us do. There were 3 emails, so I didn't think much, until I saw the CNN BREAKING NEWS email. After reading "A Continental plane has crashed into a house in Buffalo, New York," I immediately called into Atlanta to see what I could do to help. The supervising producer told me that they wanted Anderson to come back in to anchor and asked if I could head up our guest bookings.

You see, CNN International was up and running, but the guest producer on duty at that point was in Hong Kong. I knew it'd be difficult for her to get interviews lined up quickly in Buffalo, and I also knew that I could help since I had unfortunately covered many crashes in the past 10 years.

I called Executive Producer Kathleen Friery and told her the latest. As I changed out of my volleyball clothes into something a bit more suitable for the office, I got confirmation that Anderson was on his way in, so I ran outside and hailed a cab. I made it to Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle in 7 minutes. There is a bar across the street where some 360 staffers hang out after work, so I made an educated guess and found one of our video producers, Ashley, and a graphics producer, Kelly, in there. I begged them to come back in and help, and showed them the blackberry email to prove this was no joke.

As I came into our building, I called a former pilot who has been on 360 before, and his answer was priceless, "What took you so long?" He ended up staying with us throughout the 3 hours we were on air. Between making calls and gathering information for Anderson, I hopped onto a network conference call to plan our coverage.

As with any breaking news story, I found the hard reality of the story hit around an hour after I get home and decompress. I finally fell asleep around 6am after thinking about all the people I spoke with and those I didn't reach. I do think, as TV news people, some of us we go into a mode where we just do the job until we hand off to the next team. That was the case overnight, and on Friday I saw pictures from the scene and heard interviews of loved ones, eyewitnesses and others as if they were new.

Hollywood legend Cher joined other celebrities at the RIAA inaugural bash in Washington Tuesday night.

Kay Jones
Coordinating Editorial producer

Forget the "official" balls, it's the RIAA/Feeding America party that had all the action on Tuesday night. This party brought awareness to Feeding America while celebrating the next chapter in American history. And it didn't disappoint. If you weren't lucky enough to snag a ticket to one of the 10 balls the new President made an appearance at, then this was the place to be.

David Arquette and wife, Courtney Cox Arquette, made the media rounds, telling our Jessica Yellin about their inauguration experience. They are also very involved in Feeding America and filled us in on why filling our food banks is so important.

Next up, Shakira stopped by. Her excitement over our political process was infectious. She was quite lovely and I got a hug after it was over, which made fmr 360° producer Ted Fine insanely jealous.

Josh Grobin stopped by, still beaming from ear-to-ear over his performance at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday.

And the evening's headliner made time to tell us about her performance, as well as what it was like to be on another continent on election night.

That wasn't all the star power in the room, as Toby Maguire and wife Jennifer, Leo DiCaprio and Cher all made it out to see Rihanna perform at her best while celebrating the inauguration of Pres. Obama.

Oh, and a little side note: I made it to 3 parties this weekend, and at all 3, I saw former Clinton spokesperson, Joe Lockhardt. Just a fun little tidbit there!

That's it from me for this trip. Hope you enjoyed some of the behind the scenes stuff as well as the reports from the parties. It's been fun sharing with you.

Now I'm off to sleep for a week!!!

Tens of thousands of people had gathered on the National Mall by 7:15 a.m. ET Tuesday.

Kay Jones
AC360° Coordinating Editorial Producer

Team 360 is heading to the area of the Newseum. Yes, we got done at midnight last night, but because of the massive crowds, we had to leave the hotel super early in order to get through security and make sure we are set up before the 10a coverage begins on CNN.

Yesterday was crazy! We did some live shots during the day on the Mall. Then came back for the show. I was with Randi Kaye at the Huffington Post party so missed out on the crowds around Anderson last night. But if yesterday was any indication, he was probably mobbed. People were clamoring for pictures, hugs, hand shakes, and even just a glimpse of him.

At the party last night, it was so crowded, you couldn't move. After we left, Randi and I were talking about how wild it was there. I mean, as many people were stopping for pictures with our own John King and NBC's David Gregory as they were Ben Affleck and Sharon Stone. It was a bit surreal. I was really amazed with how many celebrities I saw, all in town for the same reason we are: to see the new President take his oath.

More from the Newseum later today. Be sure to watch tonight as well for all the latest from the top of the Newseum.

___________________________________
Update 9:33 a.m. ET

People, people as far as the eye can see. We are on the roof of the Newseum again. Everyone seems to be in fine spirits, even with the long walks in the cold to get here. We have a long day ahead, but will bring you all of the excitement both on CNN and on the blog.

_______________________________________
Update 10:58 p.m. ET

Obama’s caravan just passed by. People are cheering so loudly, and even though we are on the 10th floor of the Newseum, you can hear them!

It’s not nearly as cold, and the heaters seem to be working. So all of our analysts and anchors seem to be happy right now.

Maroon 5 performs on stage at the Declare Yourself party.

AC360° Senior Producer Eva Nordstrom and Coordinating Editorial Producer Kay Jones.

Kay Jones
Coordinating Editorial Producer

Last night, I made it out to one of the many parties in town. OK, let's be honest, it wasn't so much "out" but "downstairs" since the party was in my hotel. So it was kind of hard to pass up.

The party was hosted by Norman Lear's Declare Yourself organization. It was really just a celebration for all of those people who got out to vote in this election, especially the first-timers. And Declare Yourself did an awesome job.

The party was hosted by Jessica Alba, and John Legend and Maroon 5 performed. The night ended with Samantha Ronson DJ'ing a great mix of hits. You may know Ronson more from the tabloids, as she and Lindsay Lohan are quite tight. Lohan was there along with many other celebs.

I ran into Jamie Foxx backstage. He was so excited to be in DC and couldn't wait to get on stage and say "hi." Ben Affleck made an appearance and was talking to Maria Shriver and her kids for a bit between performances by Legend and Maroon 5.

Speaking of Shriver, she is quite the dancer and managed to out-dance me!!! Her security agent, who happened to be standing by me and 360° Sr producer, Eva Nordstrom, was singing along to Maroon 5.

Former Clinton spokesperson Joe Lockhart was hanging out at the bar while IAVA chief and 360° guest Paul Reickoff introduced me to a service dog that helps our vets when they return from Iraq and Afghanistan. I think Tuesday, the dog, was the biggest celeb at the party.

Team 360° is up and at 'em so will bring you more from DC a bit later. To see more photos from last night's party, click here.

Lindsay Lohan arrives at the 'Declare Yourself' inaugural party on Sunday night in Washington, D.C.

Maroon 5 arrives on the red carpet.

John Legend on stage at the 'Declare Yourself' inaugural party.

Host Jessica Alba and Hayden Panettiere perform at the party.

Kay Jones
Editorial Producer

Day 2 of our DC coverage is starting out slow for Team 360, since Anderson isn't on air until 2pm. The weather isn't as brutal today, but it's still cold.

The Newseum is bustling with the CNN team, since John King's new show, State of the Union with John King, debuted today from the rooftop set.

Yesterday, a lot of you wrote in asking about the color purple. No, not the movie, but why Anderson, Wolf and Soledad had on purple. It was a stroke of coincidence, that's all. I tried to get Anderson to admit to calling Wolf before boarding the plane yesterday and discussing the wardrobe choices for the weekend. He promises it didn't happen, so I have to take him at his word. I'm still holding out for a slip up, where Anderson admits to texting Wolf that Saturday is "purple day."

Also, we are trying to convince him to put on a hat, earmuffs, a scarf, something. But he is still responding with an "I'm OK." But I will still bug him until we leave. If I have any luck, you'll see it on 360.

Cheers for now, as it's time to get ready for more CNN coverage of Inauguration weekend.

__________________________________
UPDATE 6:32pm. ET
Sorry it's taken so long to update, but here's what happened today:
We wanted to get to the Lincoln Memorial so that Anderson could interview the crowds. Well, DC traffic didn't cooperate, so we ended up at our location in the mall area. They weren't prepared for us, but the crew guys busted it and had us up and running in a few short minutes.

When the crowds realized who was there, they went nuts. But it was fun being around everyone, and Anderson got some great interviews.

I did get him to wear gloves but still no hat or scarf. Fortunately it wasn't as bitter cold today but I do think he'll need a shoe shine since it was so dusty out there!

He's now prepping for tonight's show, and I'm heading to one of the many parties in town. Hopefully I will have some photos to show on Monday to everyone as well as some great stories.