It was just days ago that former CNNer Daryn Kagan, promoting her book What's Possible!, was interviewed in a YouTube-worthy segment with CNN anchor Don Lemon. Now there's been another unusual interview of Kagan at CNN Center, this time for the Robin Meade Expressed podcast.

So what's unconventional about this one? Conducted during a health fair at the building, both Meade and Kagan chat as they get back rubs on massage chairs. It's "the first interview on my book tour that has come with massage," Kagan says.

Now that's casual conversation.

Click here to see the podcast...

The rumors have been put to rest...again. Ryan Seacrest appeared on Larry King Live last night, and in the process of discussing the American Idol hosts various projects, the topic of Seacrest joining CNN came up.

"There were even rumors you were going to join CNN, which, we can tell viewers, there's nothing to that," said King.

Seacrest joked that, "the only rumor," was the duo having dinner last night — which was true.

Last week rumors started circling about negotiations between Seacrest and CNN.

When the news broke that the California Supreme Court struck down state laws against same-sex marriage, CNN was on top of the story. Unfortunately, for several minutes after the story broke, they got it wrong. Legal Pad writes, "I guess that's what happens when you only read the first few pages of a ginormous ruling."

Two weeks ago, when Daryn Kagan visited her former desk at CNN HQ in Atlanta, anchor Don Lemon used an odd, inner monologue sketch comedy route to introduce Kagan as a guest.

Today, another strange introduction took place, as anchor Tony Harris interviewed Tommy Lee and bandmate Johnny Colt about their new show on Planet Green. Besides CNN kicking off the interview by identifying the show in the lower third as the John Travolta smash hit, "Battlefield Earth," (the title is "Battleground Earth") the interview takes a surprising turn after the first couple minutes.

As Harris asks, "who is this walking on our set?" Chris "Ludacris" Bridges (another star of the Planet Green show) strolls over to the interview area, as the other three feign surprise. And the interview continues...as planned.

Click continued to see Ludacris' "surprise" entrance...

continued...

From the Xinhua news agency we read that CNN [Worldwide] President Jim Walton has apologized for "the insulting remarks by CNN commentator Jack Cafferty on China." (Their words, not ours.)

"On behalf of CNN I'd like to apologize to the Chinese people for that," said Walton in a letter to Chinese ambassador to the United States Zhou Wenzhong.

That would be this.

According to China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Walton also said, "CNN has the highest respect for Chinese people around the world and we have no doubt that there was genuine offense felt by them over the Jack Cafferty commentary."

> More: CNN confirms the Walton apology to TVNewser: "CNN delivered a letter to the Chinese people through the Chinese Ambassador in Washington. The letter reiterated what we have said publicly in the past."

Last week came the rumors about the possibility of Ryan Seacrest taking over for Larry King on CNN at 9pmET.

Now Seacrest speaking to Access Hollywood, is looking to settle the rumors later this week:

"I will be on Larry's show Thursday night. We will talk more about it with Larry," Ryan explained. "Larry is going to be on CNN as long as Larry wants to be but I am going to be Larry's guest Thursday night and Larry and I are going to talk about everything."

(via OCN)

CNN correspondent Dan Rivers is talking about his perilous journey out of cyclone-ravaged Myanmar (Burma). As TVNewser reported last Monday, Rivers was reporting anonymously at first, but by late Monday he'd begun identifying himself. That may have been his undoing.

Rivers soon found out the officials were looking for him. On Thursday, Rivers hid under a blanket at a police checkpoint. He returned reporting later that day, but was spotted again. He was told to return to his van where police would be waiting. "There were a lot of things going through our minds then about what we would find at the end of that journey," he told the AP. "At one point I was thinking, 'what if they just shot us and threw us into the river and said it was an accident?'"

The police handed Rivers over to another government official, who let him go after being convinced he and his group were part of the relief effort. The AP's David Bauder writes, "cigarettes, water and a candy bar helped."

"I kind of felt that I'd used my nine lives up and it was time to get out of the country," Rivers said.

But the drama didn't end there. Rivers was called off the airplane as it was ready to leave Yangoon. He was searched again, but thanks to an impatient flight attendent, Rivers was allowed back on the plane. By Friday, he was back in Thailand. "I was amazed at the lengths they apparently went just to catch me," Rivers said.

And already CNN has a correspondent back in Myanmar. This time, reporting anonymously. (Image below from 10:26amET today)

Headline News anchor Nancy Grace is one of the celebraties featured in this month's Mother's Day edition of Quick & Simple magazine (no link). Grace recalls some fond memories:

Some of my fondest memories are times built around saving money. I recall many wonderful nights sitting with my mother as she worked over our sewing machine, making my sister and me new dresses. Or when the weather was good, we'd pick fruits together on the weekends. We'd make jellies and preserves and enter them into the Georgia State Fair. With the blue ribbons came money! And that money went towards buying one another Christmas presents.

Grace will host a special Mother's Day edition of her show on Sunday, featuring the winner of HLN's Extraordinary Parent contest.

Don't look for Lanny Davis to appear on CNN anytime soon. The Clinton confidant called his Tuesday night appearance, the "worst experience I ever had on television." Not only was it a tension-filled booking, Davis tells Politico's Michael Calderone he ended up waiting 90 minutes to get on the air.

This, however, doesn't mean Davis will stop making the cable rounds in support of candidate Hillary Clinton. He was on with Neil Cavuto earlier on Your World.

FishbowlLA today quells some of those Ryan Seacrest-to-CNN rumors.

Mayrav Saar reports that sources close to Seacrest confirmed the American Idol host is in talks with CNN to take over for Larry King at 9pmET, but the source also says, "I don't think it's going to happen."

King just signed a new deal that will keep him with CNN into 2011. The deal, however, does not guarantee King will stay as 9pmET host of Larry King Live.