Cate Vojdik
AC360º Writer

Tonight Anderson anchors live from Los Angeles, where the city is bracing for Michael Jackson’s memorial service at the Staples Center. A private funeral and burial will take place tomorrow morning before the memorial. We’ll have the latest details, including the superstar line-up of performers—many of them personal friends of Jackson–scheduled to take part.

We’ll also have the latest on the investigation into Jackson’s death and the battle for control over his estate. A judge today denied Katherine Jackson’s request to remain in temporary control her son’s estate—and instead appointed two longtime advisers of Michael Jackson — an entertainment attorney and a music executive named in a 2002 will — as temporary administrators pending an August hearing.

Another story we’re following closely: the fallout from Sarah Palin’s surprise resignation as governor of Alaska. She dropped the bombshell Friday, heading into the holiday weekend. Since then, the questions have only multiplied. Why is she stepping down with 18 months left in her term? Are there new and unwelcome revelations coming down the pike that forced her to bolt? Or is this just the latest left turn from a self-described “maverick.” We’re digging deeper.

In South Carolina, there’s a potential break in a string of killings that have terrorized a small rural community. Five people were shot to death over six days last week. Tonight, the manhunt for the suspected killer may be over. We’ll have the latest developments as they unfold.

Plus, in Moscow today President Obama kicked off two days of meetings with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. On Day One, they committed to deeper nuclear cuts and downplayed differences over American missile defense. They’re also expected to focus on nuclear arms control, Afghanistan, and the environment. We’ll talk strategy with David Gergen.

See you at 10 p.m. eastern.

Cate Vojdik
AC360º Writer

Here at 360º, we’re deciding what to order for dinner and waiting to hear President Obama’s remarks at the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington. Usually the event is a light-hearted affair, a chance for everyone to kick back and have some fun. Will the president hit the humor benchmark when he takes the stage? We’ll let you decide for yourself. It’s our “easing into the weekend” segment.

We’re following serious news tonight as well, including the provocative line in the sand that Iran’s Supreme Leader appeared to draw today.

In a sermon during Friday prayers at the University of Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khameini denied that last week’s presidential election was rigged and argued that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won in a landslide. He also insisted that post-election protests by Iranians must stop or demonstrators will be held responsible for “the chaos and the consequences.”

To a lot of analysts, that sounds like a green light for a harsher crackdown if protests continue. More protests rallies are planned tomorrow, and tonight there’s no sign they will be cancelled. In his sermon, Khameini also slammed U.S. policies in Afghanistan and Iraq and alleged the U.S., along with Britain, Israel and some factions in Iran, manipulated and undermined Iran’s election process.

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Cate Vojdik
AC360º Writer

Tonight on 360º, you’ll hear Angelina Jolie bring to life the plight of 42 million people whose individual stories of terror–and survivorship–are often untold. In an interview months in the making, she talks to Anderson about some of the men, women and children she’s met as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She has a deep passion for the work that takes her far from Hollywood and her own family. Just today, the U.N. announced that Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt, have donated $1 million to help Pakistani refugees. Tonight, hear why Jolie is especially concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan.

Plus, we’ll have the latest from Iran, where tens of thousands of protesters marched in the streets for a sixth day. Iran’s government is still doing its best to silence reporters and control the airwaves. We’ll bring you all the images and information we can, including i-reports and amateur video from Facebook and YouTube.

Also tonight, we continue our weeklong series “America’s High: The Case for and Against Pot.” You may not realize it, but marijuana turns out to be a growth industry in this recession. The collapse of the housing market has turned cheap property into pot houses—and they may be operating on your street.

And we’re learning more about the death of a Continental pilot during a cross-Atlantic flight today. The 60-year-old captain with more than three decades of flying experience apparently died from natural causes. The jet landed safely with the first officer at the controls. Only then, did passengers learned what had happened. Randi Kaye has been working the story and will have details at 10 p.m. eastern.

 See you then..

Culp, an Ohio mother of two, lost the mid-portion of her face after a gunshot wound in September 2004.

Connie Culp, 46, was identified as the first recipient of a face transplant in the United States.

Cate Vojdik
AC360 Writer

A shot gun blast fired at point blank range blew away much of Connie Culp’s face five years ago. Think about those words for a second. A shot gun blast. To the face. Fired at point blank range.

Culp’s husband pulled the trigger.

We learned those chilling facts Tuesday, when the first U.S. recipient of a face transplant revealed her identity for the first time.

Culp’s press conference at the Cleveland Clinic got a lot of coverage, most of which focused on the extraordinary surgical procedures that gave Culp a new face. The fact that she was left horribly disfigured–to the point where children ran from her–because her husband shot her in the face didn’t get as much attention. Culp herself has said she wants to move on with her life and has forgiven her husband, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence.

Today we’re following another story involving a woman shot at point-blank range, allegedly by a man she knew. Johanna Justin-Jinich, a junior at Wesleyan University, was working at a bookstore-café near the campus when she was killed yesterday afternoon. Police have launched a nationwide search for 29-year-old Stephen Morgan, against whom Justin-Jinich filed a harassment complaint nearly two years ago. He’s the main suspect.

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Cate Vojdik
AC360° Writer

The markets clearly liked what they saw today.

A better-than-expected housing market report sent the Dow soaring 214 points. The S&P added nearly 30, and the Nasdaq rose 44. Today’s gains erased all — or nearly all — of the year’s losses for the major indexes. Chief Business Correspondent Ali Velshi will explain what the rally and housing numbers mean for the economy overall—and for your bottom line.

Police in Chicago are asking for the public’s help in solving a brutal murder over the weekend. A 15-year-old high school student was found dead from a gunshot to the head; his body had been severely beaten and burned. Alex Arellano is the 34th Chicago public school student to be killed this year. Police say the 10th grader had no ties to gangs and no criminal record. Tonight, David Mattingly reports on the wave of killings claiming so many young lives in Chicago.

We’ll also have the reaction to the verdict in a Pennsylvania hate-crime trial. Three white teenagers were accused of beating to death an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. One pleaded guilty to a civil rights violation before the trial and testified that his friends had used racial slurs during the attack. On Friday, an all-white jury acquitted the two teens in the death. Latino rights proponents are enraged—and the small town where it all happened is struggling to deal with the media spotlight. Tonight Soledad O’Brien digs deeper into racial tensions in the town.

We’re also keeping a close eye on swine flu. The virus is still spreading, but there are some signs the worst may be over – at least for now. In Mexico, many public spaces are reopening. And in New York, a Catholic school that closed after an outbreak also reopened today. Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta joins us again with the latest.

And, a former co-worker of a suspected serial killer is speaking out. He worked alongside John Floyd Thomas, Jr., a 72-year-old California man arrested last week. Police believe he may have killed dozens of women during two killing sprees decades ago. Looking back, were there any missed clues to his alleged double life? We’ll take a close look tonight.

All that coming up.. see you at 10 p.m. eastern.
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Cate Vojdik
AC360° Writer

The swine flu crisis is erupting on a milestone week for President Obama; today is 100th day of his presidency.

Arbitrary or not, Day 100 has become part of the drill when it comes to covering new administrations – and tonight, CNN will have extensive coverage, starting with President Obama’s prime-time press conference at 8 p.m. eastern. We’ll cover the presser live and follow with plenty of analysis and reality-checking. We’ll also give you a chance to grade the president — and Congress — on their performance so far.

Starting at 11 p.m. eastern, 360 will have the latest on the swine flu outbreak, which health officials say is hurtling toward a pandemic.

Today brought a flood of new developments in this fast-moving story. The World Health Organization raised its alert another notch, from 4 to 5 – its second-highest level. More than 140 cases have been confirmed in at least 9 countries. Germany and Austria are the latest to report swine flu.

In the U.S., the number of confirmed cases grew to 91. The virus has been reported in at least 10 states, and hundreds of suspected cases are being investigated. A toddler in Texas became the first U.S. fatality. He was visiting from Mexico and died in a Houston hospital.

Health officials say we can expect more deaths. The new Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, held a news conference today, her first full day on the job. Talk about being thrown into the fire.

A lot of viewers have been asking why we’re devoting so much coverage to the swine flu story. They point out, rightly, that the death toll hasn’t yet come close to the average annual death toll from the common flu, which kills around 36,000 Americans each year. But that’s just one piece of the story and one measurement of the danger.

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Cate Vojdik
AC360° Writer

Flu fears are growing as the swine flu outbreak spreads.

More cases were reported worldwide today, including in the United States, where at least seven people have been hospitalized. Nationwide, at least 64 cases have been confirmed in five states. While there have been no deaths so far in the U.S., health officials today warned that will change.

“I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection,” said Richard Besser, acting director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the same.

As the outbreak spreads, the search for its source has intensified. Did it originate it Mexico? That’s still not clear. Tonight, 360 M.D. Sanjay Gupta visits a village where the first known case in Mexico is believed to have occurred. Is the young boy who fell ill weeks ago the Holy Grail in this health crisis — Patient Zero?

Experts say the illness likely emerged in a pig infected with avian and human flu strains, then jumped to humans. According to this theory, somewhere a person picked up the virus from an infected live pig, became ill, and then passed the flu on to other people. Tonight we’ll show you how a simple sneeze can set off an epidemic. Randi Kaye teamed up with a medical expert and braved New York’s subway. Yep, there’s a big ick factor in her report – but it’s one you need to watch for your own health.

While Congress held an emergency meeting on swine flu today, President Obama asked for $1.5 billion to help fight the outbreak. Meantime, Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in California to free up more resources to stop the virus’s spread.

The fight could be a tough one. In the annals of flu viruses, this one is a newbie – a previously unseen blend of bird, human and pig viruses. And that’s what has many health experts worried. Brand new viruses can be especially deadly because their victims haven’t developed immunities to them.

We’ll spend a lot of time on this fast-moving story tonight. Dr. Gupta and Dr. Carlos Del Rio will be taking your questions. Send them our way at AC360.com.

See you at 10 p.m. eastern…

Cate Vojdik
AC360° Writer

At 8 p.m. eastern, President Obama will give his second prime-time news conference since taking office. His aides are calling it a progress report on the economy. Mister Obama will also use the time to pitch his $3.6 trillion budget, which he released last month.

CNN will have full live coverage of the press conference, and afterward on AC360, we’ll dig deeper with the best political and financial team on television.

We’ll also have more reporting on Mexico’s escalating battle against drug cartels. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today unveiled a $700 million plan to help Mexico in its fight to stop drug cartel violence. The plan includes a U.S. crackdown on the flow of weapons and money into Mexico. Hundreds of additional agents from the U.S. departments of Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security will be assigned to the border with Mexico.

The new plan comes on the eve of a series of visits to Mexico by three Obama administration cabinet members, starting tomorrow with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Drug-related violence is already spilling over into the United States. Tomorrow and Thursday, Anderson will report live from the front lines of the battle — in south Texas near the border.

Tonight, Michael Ware brings us another update on Mexico. He’s recently returned from Juarez, a city caught in the cross-fire of the drug cartel wars.

See you at 10 p.m. eastern.

Cate Vojdik
AC360° Writer

Tonight we’re following breaking news on those outrage-inspiring bonuses paid to AIG executives. The payments have set off a national furor.

A short time ago, we got word that 15 out of 20 of AIG’s executives are giving the money back. In a conference call with reporters, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said that so far at least $50 million has been returned. Score one for average folks and the power of public opinion. We’ll have all the details for you by air time.

We’ll have to wait and see if the give-backs will quell the outrage that’s still overflowing. Over the weekend, some fuming community groups in Connecticut funneled their anger into action by organizing a “Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous” tour. The bus took sightseers to the homes of two AIG executives. Randi Kaye went along with her camera crew. We’ll have her report tonight.

What do you think? Was the tour a cheap publicity stunt that crossed a line? Or do the AIG execs, despite being private citizens, deserve all the scrutiny they’re getting? For the record, both of the execs who were targeted by the tour bus had already agreed to give back their bonuses before the bus rolled up. Does that change how you feel about the tour? Tell us what you think.

We’ll also devote considerable time to the government’s plan to move toxic assets off bank balance sheets. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner today unveiled his long-awaited plan to free up banks’ overloaded books. It basically aims to lure private investors, including big hedge funds, to buy up the bad debt by offering billions in low-interest loans to finance the purchases. The government will share the risks if the assets fall further in price. Wall Street seemed to like the plan; the Dow surged nearly 500 points. But not everyone is convinced it will work. Ali Velshi will breakdown the plan for us tonight. We’ll also dig deeper on the raw politics.

Plus, we’ll take you inside Bernie Madoff’s house of cards. We’re learning all kinds of bizarre details about the King of Ponzi schemes. People who used to work at his firm are talking – and the stories they’re telling will turn your head.

We’ll also have the latest on the shootings this weekend in Oakland, California. Four police officers were gunned down by the same killer. Two were shot during a traffic stop and two were hit while pursuing the shooter. Three of the officers are dead, a fourth is on life support and reportedly brain-dead. The shooter, who had a violent criminal history, was wanted for a parole violation. Tonight, there are plenty of questions about why he was on the streets of Oakland instead of behind bars. Joe Johns will have more for us tonight.

See you at 10 p.m. eastern.

Cate Vojdik
AC360° Writer

Tonight on 360, we’ll tackle a couple of key questions at the end of a head-spinning week for the White House. Is President Obama overexposed? Is he overextended? Both? Neither?

Mister Obama seemed to be everywhere this week — from a St. Patrick’s Day event on Capitol Hill to two town hall meetings in California to The Tonight Show. We counted 17 presidential photo ops in all. Meantime, back in Washington, the Obama administration was trying to douse the flames from the AIG bonus fiasco.

Some of the president’s critics say he should be spending more time in the Oval Office keeping a closer eye on the economic crisis and efforts to fix it. Do they have a point? Has President Obama taken on too many issues at once? What do you think?

We’ll also dig deeper on the fallout from the president’s remark about the Special Olympics that forced the White House to issue an apology. What’s your take?

But part of the money she’s turning down would go to special needs students. Meantime, today Palin took President Obama to task for making that insensitive remark about the Special Olympics.

According to the Anchorage Daily News, school superintendents in the state are already lobbying legislators to reverse Palin’s decision. They say they desperately need the stimulus money. We’ll have all the details.

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