"nightly news" coming up next. >> hope you join us for "news4 at 11:00." on the broadcast tonight, the final journey begins for senator edward kennedy as family, friends and the people he served say good-bye. out of the blue -- 18 years ago this 11-year-old girl disappeared. now the mystery may be solved by the woman herself. money in the bank, but how much? what to do to make sure your money is safe. and, battle lines in the fight against swine flu. we take you behind the scenes as a potential big new outbreak approaches. a potential big new outbreak approaches. "nightly news" begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. i'm lester holt in tonight for brian williams. we're coming to you from the john f. kennedy presidential library in boston where the body of j.f.k.'s yngest brother, senator edward kennedy now lies in repose. thousands have joined the line here to pay the respects to the senator who died late tuesday evening. many here can't remember a time when there wasn't a kennedy representing this state in washington. the senator's body accompanied by 85 members of the kennedy family arrived here late this afternoon. after a touching journey from his home in hyannis port. past waving crowds and through somef the places in the city that he cherished. to most of us, kennedy was an iconic, bigger-than-life political figure. but heret was something much more. nbs drea mitchell is here to start off oucoverage. it was an incredible outpouring

today, andrea. this line, we should note is just the beginning of a very, very long crowd. >> exactly, lester. many more, thousands, lined up behind, well beyond. it is going to go all night. what we are seeing here tonight and what we have been seeing all day is an outpouring of affeion for a politician. that in itself is rare in this day and age. but teddy kennedy was one of a kind. >> reporter: ted kennedy began his nal journey from the house where a political dynasty was born. a military escort. and the family. so soon after burying eunice shriver. enduring a second funeral as many weeks. his wife, vicki o epherded him through his battle with cancer, helping him survive long enou to witness onlast political victory, the election of barack obama. his first wife, joan. jean kennedy smithnow the sole survivor of the origal family. caroline saying good-bye to her uncle and surrogate father. another reminder that the public man was also because of past tragedies the patrrch of a vast extended family.

a family never forgetting those whserve. and as they headed out, the neighbors sharing memories of a sail across the sound on a cold thanksgiving day. >> it was about 25 degrees. you know he decided he wanted to have oyster stew on nantucket. off we went. pull up the blankets sang irish ballads the whole way to stay warm. >> reporter: and strangers. >> our hearts are here and with this family that has given so much. >> he has done so much for so many. he has been a blessing to us. >> reporter: crowds clustered along the road for the 70 mile drive to boston. the senator's familiar route past sentimental landmarks -- a park named for his mother rose in the north end neighborhood where she was born and ised. naaniel hallhere the senator launched his ill-fated presidential challenge against jimmy carter. today the people he rved, returnedis love. >> i have gotten a lot of people stopping me saying, "hey, i like your button."

so -- it's my small way of respect. >> reporter: fally his last arrival at the presidential library he helped build to memorialize his brother jack. dedicated with his nephew john jr. and jackie kennedy onassis in 1993. now all are gone. and tonight, a final salute past two cordons of his senate staff as the family invited the public in to pay respects to the senator lying in repose. the last of the original knedy brothers will remain here tonight and tomorrow. members of the kennedy family will be here throughout to thank members of the public for coming to express sympathy and respect. we should note we are beneath the approach course to boston logan airport. you will hear jets from time to time. edward kennedy the political veteran would have understood better than most people amid all the mourning there is a cold reality to this. that brings us to the political piece to senator kennedy. he held his senate seat since the early 60s. and our kelly o'donnell is here with us with more on the scramble for what has become

known as the kennedy seat. >> good evening, lester. i just want to point out that members of the kennedy family have now come out to greet those who are in here. of course in addition to these remembnces, there is also a big question hanging in the air. who will come next? while no one can replace ted kennedy, someone will have to take over his seat. the name game has begun and speculation is running high. >> reporter: for more than half a centurit was a political fact of life, this was the kennedy seat. first held by john. >> who takes the 5th amendment. >> reporter: when he won the white house, ted was too young . not the required 30 years of age. >> i am teddy kennedy's brothe >> there was a plan, j's form roomme, benjamin smith was appointed and stayed until ted was eligible and won himself in 1962. >> this is the man for massachusetts.

>> reporter: but will another kennedy come forward now? rfks oldest son joe who has served in the house remains visible in boston. with his business that provides heating oil to low income families. >> no one should be left out in thcold. >> reporter: political wives have often steed in. but aides say victoria, a lawyer and ted's closest adviser, is not interested. >> if either joe kennedy, former congressman, or vicki kennedy, the widow of senator kennedy should decide to run, i think it would seriously affect the field. >> reporter: the field could fill with several current and former members of congress. poised to jump in. the ate's attorney general is on the so-called sho list. but the biggest intrigue is over a move encouraged by kennedy himself to change current law and allow the governor power to choose a temporary replacent. massachusetts law is different from most states. and requires that kennedy's seat remain vacant for about five months until a special election must be held after 145 to 160 days. >> given the significance of the proposals before the congress

right now, massachusetts needs two voices in the united states senate. so i think if that bill comes to me i will sign it. >> reporter: and behind us right now in line, caroline kennedy and her family, robert f. kenny, jr. members of the kennedy family here to greet those who have come to pay respects to ted keedy. ster, as we talk about the politics, certainly great focus tonight on simply remembering the man. the politics will come down the line. >> you noted members of the kennedy family here. there will be a member of the family for the entire viewing here over the next couple days. all right, kelly, thank you very much. after lying in repose tonight and tomorrow. a funeral mass for senor kennedy is scheduled for turday morning here in bton. brian willia anchors our coverage at 10:00 a.m. eastern here on nbc. we have a stunning story to report out of california tonight. a story that began8 years ago with the disappearance of an 11-year-old girl. what happened to her? that mystery may now be solved. we have late details from nbc's

george lewis in plasserville, california. george, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. jaycee dugard was 11 when taken. she is 29 years old today and may have had two chdren by her abductor. police have been briefing the press about this 18-year-old cold case with a happy ending. >> reporter: june of 1991, jaycee lee dugard was taken from a bus stop near her home in lake tahoe, california. her mom made an emotional appeal for her return. >> i nd her home. i need her to come home tonight. jayc, you hear mommy. i love you. and i want you to come home tonight. safe and sound. >> reporter: policbegan searching the area near the dugard home. witnesses said they saw a couple in a gray car race off with jaycee. one of the witnesses was the girl stepfather. >> i figured there was somethi wrong. and i jumped on my bike, realized

i couldn't catch them. i heard her scream. came back down the hill. called 911. within two minutes of what happened. ke as an adu.jaycee might lookr her parents had all but given up hope of finding her alive when the word came last night she had amazingly shown up. >> now to get r back alive it isike winning the lotto. >> reporter: police arrested registered sex offender phillip garrido and his wife on kidnappi, child molestation and conspiracy charges. th afternoon as investigators began searching the garrido's house, neighbors said theyad long been suspicious of the couple. >> we already knew he was a registered sex offender. and you have a feeling, something not right going on over. >> i don't knoif she was actually there or not. if she was there that is kind of a real shocker. >> reporter: now tonight, jaycee lee dugard is starting her life over getting reacquated with r family. aprently an alert parole officer tipped police that garrido was acting strangely and that led to the conclusion of this case. lester. remarkabletory. george lewis tonight. thank you.

in southern california tonight the story is weather. extreme heat and next to no wind compounded by a rash of wildfires. all this creating a smoky, hazardous mess. nbc's chris jansing has more from la canada, california. chris. good evening, lester. the air quality around los angeles is so orhat millions of people are being vised to stay indoors. you can see smoke billowing from one of the fires behin. and the high temperature in the region today hit 106. in other words, it's hot, it's dry, and it's dangerous. reporter: smoke and ash hang over much of greater los angeles like a toxic cloud. two wildfires are burning in the angelos national forest northeast of l.a. and while water-dropping aircraft and more than 1,000 fire fighters have kept the flames away from suburban homes, officials say the air is seriously polluted. state scientists have been king the rounds of a quality monitoring stations.

>> we have very poor air quality right now due to the wildfires. in fact it is unhealthy for a large area where 2 million residents live. >> reporter: for a seconday. >> red flag warnings still up and smoke advisory now extended. >> reporter: warnings are going out over the airwaves, aising people to stay indoors. the l.a. school district issued a memo ordering suspension of all outdoor physical activity including physical education and after-school sports. even young healthy athletes are at risk. so practice fields at local high schools are empty. >> it is difficulto breathe, obviously we don't want the kids out there getting sick. we don't want thkids out there developing problems. >> rorter: even student registrationad to be moved indoors because of the smoke. >> it makes you feel a bit dizzy and a lile bit drowsy. since you can't breathe. >> reporter: and the problem is likely to get worse before it gets better. the los angeles basin bounded on the north and east by mountain ranges and the tck smoke from the fires is settling down io the valleys. weak winds have kept the smoke from dissipating so a layer of

pollution grows hour by hour. e area closest to the fires, normally draws huge crowds of hikers, mountain bikers and campers this time of year. now campgrounds are closed and a group of boy scouts had to be air lifted to safety. more fire fighters are on stand-by in san diego to come up in case they're needed. and the forecast calls for triple digit temperatures into the weekend. lester. chris jansing, thanks. and back here in boston, weather also on the minds. it could be a messy weekend here and in other parts of neha tovenexheervet nve wset l s over the next sevel hournyto.encaan d. da ntlaatda.icut nig heingh and trying to decide if it is going to move closer to shore. the good news, however, is that the national hurricane center now says dny will not become a hurricane. still ahead as "nightly news" continues on this thursday -- behind the scenes with a flu tracker, trying to stay on the trail of h1/n1 and plan a strategy tstop it from spreading. later what some of the people in this city are telling us about why ted kennedy was special to them. why ted kennedy was

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health news now as we have been reporting. there argrowing concerns about a dangerous resurgee health news now as we have been reporting. the are growing concerns about a ngerous resurgence of swine flu this fall. health officials are mobilizing across the country and the nerve center for those efforts is in atlanta georgia at the centers for disease control. our chief science correspondent hind the scenes.ves us a look >> reporter: at the cdcs

emergency operations center in atlanta. reports arrive 24 hours a day. >> good morning, cdc emergency operations center -- >> reporter: some are rumors of new outbreaks. some are reports of small events like a sick airline atteant. officials say that a major defense against swine flu is constant surveillance. scientists are keenly aware that this is the first pandemic in history that they have been able to observe almost in real-time. with the new vus the concerns are where is it striking? how severe is the disease? what arehe strains on the local medical system? and ishe virus changing. at the cdc's labs, 2,000 samples of human and animal flu virus om around the worlarrive every month for genetic and structural analysis. >> cdc was originally communicable disease center. >> reporter: dr. michael shaw is assistant lab director. how different is this from anything circulating for a while

in the united states? >> it's extremely different. this particular combination genes that has never been scene in humans or animals anywhere ever before. >> reporr: so far there is some good news. as the virus spreads throughout the worl it is changing very little. that means three critical things. ainst it should work well.ped and it is still treatable with the anti-viral drugs tamiflu. and relenza. the lab studies show the virus spreads more by touch and not so much through the air like seasonal flu or the common cold. but flu being flu is subject to change unexpectedly. so we have to be art for something that might change that picture. >> reporter: it is that risk of change that worries scientists most. robert bazell, nbc news, atlanta. there is news tonight that the fdic bank insurance fund has shrunk considerably. should that scare you? when wcome back, what you should know about thsafety net for your money.

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back now with news about your money. u may have heard the headline today that the fc, the back stop for deposits when a bank fails, may itself need a bailout soon. nbc's tom costello explains why and what you need to know to make sure your money remains covered. >> reporter: for 76 years it's been the stamp of approval that americans have relied on to keep their monesafe. but the nation's financial crisis has now got the insurer running low on cash. in 2007 three banks failed. last year, 25. so far this year, 81 have gone under. shrinking the fdic insance fund from $45.2 billion a year

ago to $10.4 billion at the end of june. the lowest sincehe savings and loan crisis in 1992. >> i think that you will see more banks get into trouble but keep in mind in the s & l crisis we had between 1,500 and 1,600 banks go under. >> reporter: the number thought in trouble, 416 with assets of nearly $300 billion. today the fdic insisted customer deposits are safe. >> the fdic was created specifically forimes such as these. our resours are strong. your insured deposits are sa. >> reporter: here is how the fdic works. its insurance only covers deposits up to $250,000 for individual accounts per bank, up to $500,000 for joint accounts. checking and savings accounts, cds and money market deposit accounts, not mutualunds, all count toward the cap. any money over that limit is at risk. and experts say now is the time to move it to safety. >> either moving some of the

money to a separately titled acunt to lift your covere ceiling, or just move some money to a different bank that way you can maintain full coverage >> holding both individual and joint accounts, a couple can protect up to $1 million in one bank. the fdic insures americans posits at some 8,200 banks and financial institutions. no insured depositor has ever lost a penny. and the fdic says no one ever will. tom costello, nbc news, washington. on wall street today, the dow extended its rally for an eighth straight day up 37 points. when we continue tonight fm ted kennedy's fries from the neighborhood, he had a lot of

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we speak car. we speak innovation. introducing the all-new taurus sho fr ford. drivone. senator edward kennedy lying in repe tonight as mourners stop by to pay their respects. finally from here at the kennedy library in boston, the farewell journey of senator edward kennedy will end satday afternoon in washington when he is buried near his brothers in arlington national cemetery. for 46 years, washington was his seat of power.

but the source of that power and the heart that drove it will forever remain here in massachusetts. here is nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: in boston many will tell you ted kennedy was one of theirs, like jimmy sullivan at the storied union oyster house where the senator was a frequent unannounced visitor. >> sitting at the oyster bar, you can't help but be a regular guy. you are sitting face to face, back to back witall the regular peop. >> reporter: it was how kennedy practiced politics that bound him indelibly to the voters who returned him to the senate eight times and in 1970 with 62% of the vote barely a year after chappaquiddick he wasn't just a colleague. says veteran congressman bill dellahunt. >> he had 10,000 best friends because he made people feel that way. >> reporter: and he heard what they said and knew what they needed. >> he had a passion to help and a capacity to love that s extraordinary. >> reporter: the family chose this church for the funeral mass in one of the mixed and struggling corners of the ci, kennedy made it his life work to know.

>> the neighborhood really embodies the type of people he served his whole life. >> reporter: there were certainly plenty of people who couldn't stand ted kennedy's politics or forgive his flaws not in these neighborhoods where he focused his political craft. >> you know, he overcame a lot of his problems. and excelled to be a great man. >> i loved him. i don't know what to say. >> reporter: one example, wh money was needed so more inner city kids could join programs at the boston's children's museum, kennedy left this voicemail for muum president lou casagrande. >> lou, ted kennedy. out of the labor commiee. >> reporter:o press release. just done and done. another chunk of the $3 million he directed tords the museum. >> i felt i was at congress when you got to talk to him. >> reporter: at the dedication of the library where he now lies in repose, he had spoken about his brother jack. >> he was an irresistible force that made immovable objects move.

>> reporter: words many e now saying about him. mike taibbi, nbc news, boston. and that is our broadcast for this thursday night. thank you for being with us, everyone. i'm lester holt, reporting tonight from the kennedy library in boston. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com