Anderson explores Ghana and the 'door of no return' tonight on 360º.

Anna Duning
AC360º Intern

Anderson is in Ghana where President Obama arrived just a couple hours ago. Tomorrow, Anderson will sit down with the President for an exclusive interview. Tonight, we’ll look at why Mr. Obama chose to visit the West African nation. Anderson joins us from the capital city Accra to share the excitement on the streets. And, he’ll take us inside a centuries-old trading post, a dark and eerie place where African slaves were kept before being shipped across the Atlantic.

We also have new developments on the Michael Jackson death investigation. A friend of Michael Jackson for 30 years says the singer was so weak and frail, he shouldn’t have had to prepare for 50 sold-out concerts in London. Concert prompter AEG says Jackson passed a five-hour medical exam. The friend is also sharing new details on what he says was Jackson’s addiction to prescription drugs.

And, we have a 360º follow from Gary Tuchman. He’s traveled to a small town in Mexico where two Americans who were members of polygamist sect have been shot and killed by drug cartels this week. The victims’ families share their emotional story. They talk about how 25 commandoes in camouflage ran up to their house — and the chaos and heartache that followed.

Also tonight, Dr. Sanjay Gupta teams up with activist and lawyer Erin Brockovich for a stunning report out of a small town in Tennessee. In December, one billion gallons of oil mixed with toxic sludge spilled over 300 acres. It’s the largest environmental disaster in U.S. Yes, bigger than the Exxon Valdez disaster. Who’s to blame? And, what’s being done to clean up the mess? We’re keeping them honest.

From Ghana to L.A. to Mexico to Tennessee, we give you a 360º view of the world tonight. See you at 10pm ET!

Boats along the shore in Ghana.

Eliza Browning
AC360° Associate Producer

Anderson is in Ghana today where he will meet up with President Obama for an exclusive interview tomorrow. The President’s visit to the West African nation has generated a lot of excitement among many people in Ghana.

Across the country street vendors have been stocking miniature American flags and citizens are wearing Obama clothing to celebrate his visit. Anderson will talk to Obama about the significance of the trip and also about the president’s own African history. We’ll have more of the interview next week.

The President arrives in Ghana later this evening after a busy day in Italy. He wrapped up his time at the G8 Summit and headed to Rome, where he and Michelle will meet with Pope Benedict.

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New details are emerging about Michael Jackson's suspected drug addiction.

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

Tonight on 360°, we have new details on Michael Jackson’s suspected drug use over the years. Randi Kaye has been breaking new information all week and does it again tonight. We’re talking about allegations that several doctors in several states helped the singer get powerful prescription drugs. Don’t miss Randi’s report.

As U.S. forces continue to target Taliban forces in southeastern Afghanistan, there may be a breakthrough that could help end the conflict. In a CNN exclusive, Michael Ware has learned that Pakistan’s military is talking with Afghan Taliban leaders and can get them to sit down with the U.S. and broker a ceasefire. Specifically, Pakistan military leaders say they can get Mullah Mohammed Omar and other Taliban leaders to the table. Even with a $10 million reward on his head, Mullah Omar has defied all American attempts to capture or kill him. The one-eyed cleric created the Taliban and has led its regime as they continue to kill U.S. and NATO troops. Will the U.S. sit down with the enemy? And, what does Pakistan want in return? Michael has the exclusive details.

We’re interested to know: Do you think the U.S. should talk with Mullah Omar to try to broker a ceasefire in Afghanistan? Share your thoughts below.

And, we have a stunning story out of Mexico where a group of polygamist Americans are fighting the drug cartels with deadly consequences.  A top member of the sect was dragged from his home on Tuesday in Mexico, along with his brother-in-law who was trying to help him.  They were both killed by multiple gunshots to the head.  One of the victims, Benjamin LeBaron, 31, led protests against the cartels earlier this year after his 16-year-old brother Eric LaBaron was kidnapped in May. He refused to pay a $1 million ransom, but his brother was eventually released.

Join us for these stories and much more tonight at 10pm ET. See you then!

Protests by Iranians, such as this one on June 15, have been defended by the reformist figures.

Eliza Browning
AC360° Associate Producer

A modern-day grave digging case has been uncovered in Chicago. Employees at an historic cemetery in one of the city’s suburbs allegedly dug up more than 100 graves as part of an off-the-books scheme to resell burial plots to unsuspecting customers. How did they get away with that? Many prominent African Americans, such as lynching victim Emmett Till, blues legend Dinah Washington and some Negro League baseball players, were buried in the famous cemetery.

And Chicago residents have seen a rash of violence plague their Windy City over the past year. We’ve been following reports of crime and shootings closely – on July 4th there were approximately 22 to 63 incidents of gunfire and eight deaths. Why is there so much bloodshed in this city? And how are people in Chicago dealing with the crime? Dr. Sanjay Gupta visited an ER in the city recently to see how the hospital staff is coping with the large numbers of victims of this unabated violence. Within minutes of his arrival, two people showed up to the ER with gunshot wounds. The doctors told him this was just a ‘routine’ night. Check out his report from inside the ER tonight.

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When asked if he were the father of Jackson's oldest children, Klein said 'not to the best of my knowledge.'

Anna Duning
AC360º Intern

The memorial service is over, but there are new twists in the investigation surrounding Michael Jackson’s death. “To the best of my knowledge, I’m not the father of these children,” Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson’s dermatologist, told ABC News this morning. It was a strange response, provoking questions about Klein’s relationship with the biological mother of Jackson’s two oldest children, Debbie Rowe, who worked in Klein’s office for 23 years.

Dr. Klein will be a guest on Larry King Live tonight. Don’t miss the interview on CNN at 9pm ET followed by AC360° at 10pm ET. Randi Kaye is working this story for us tonight. A source tells her that Dr. Klein is on a list of doctors investigators want to talk with as they look into the cause of Jackson’s death. We’ll have the late breaking details.

There’s also word tonight that the Jackson family tried an intervention to get Michael to stop using drugs. Drew Griffin will have that angle.

Overseas, President Obama is meeting with the world’s economic powers in Italy for the G8 conference where the global financial crisis is taking center stage. Mr. Obama is pushing foreign leaders to deliver stimulus packages abroad, but back inside the beltway, he took hard hits today from GOP congressional leaders. They’re concerned the $7.87 billion stimulus bill isn’t working at home and scrutinized the White House for overstating its ability to “save” and “create” jobs. We’ll have the raw politics.

And outgoing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said it herself: she’s not a quitter, but then what is she up to next? In her surprise announcement last week, she mentioned she’s resigning because of a host of accusations of ethics violations, which are costly and time consuming for her and the state. Tonight, we’ll look over those accusations lobbied at Palin.

We’ll also take you to Nashville, where police are calling the death of former NFL star Steve McNair a murder- suicide. Police revealed today that McNair was shot two times in the head and two times in the chest. Then they say McNair’s 20-year-old girlfriend Sahel Kazemi turned the gun on herself with a fatal bullet to her head. What might have led Kazemi to commit this crime of passion? And, keep in mind, McNair’s wife says she had no idea her husband had a girlfriend. Criminologist James Fox chimes in on this case.

We’ll have all this and more starting at 10pm ET. See you then!

A report cites lax security in federal buildings after investigators got bomb components past guards.

Eliza Browning
AC360° Associate Producer

Have you ever wondered why you have to take your shoes off at airports? If you find yourself impatient with the chore – here’s proof that it could be a pretty important security measure. Undercover investigators sent to test security at federal buildings in four U.S. cities were successful in smuggling bomb components through guard posts at all 10 of the sites they visited.

Once inside, they assembled the explosive devices and walked freely into numerous government offices, carrying the devices in briefcases. And get this: one of the federal buildings they entered contained offices for Homeland Security, the department responsible for safeguarding these buildings. How did the investigators fool security and how much are we spending to protect these buildings? We’re digging deeper on this story and will have more details tonight.

President Obama is in Italy today for the G8 Summit, which is being held on the outskirts of L’Aquila, Italy where the devastating earthquake took place in April. Leaders are expected to tackle the economy, global warming and global security.

Chinese President Hu Jintao left the summit early to return to Beijing to deal with ethnic violence in the country’s far-west Xinjiang region, where violent demonstrations over the past few days have last at least 156 people dead. Ed Henry will bring us more tonight.

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Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11, said goodbye to her father at the close of the memorial service.

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

There were a lot of tears at Michael Jackson’s memorial service in Los Angeles. Perhaps the most emotional moment came when Jackson’s 11-year-old daughter stepped up to the microphone to talk to the crowd. Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, the second of Jackson’s three children, was surrounded by her grandmother, aunts and uncles and two brothers as she spoke near the end of the service.

“Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine”, Paris said sobbing. “And I just want to say I love him so much.”

Tonight on AC360°, we’ll bring you some of the key moments of today’s memorial service at the Staples Center.  What did you think of the tribute to Jackson? Share your thoughts below.

With an estimated crowd of 20,000 people inside the arena and millions watching around the world, the pop singer’s casket was carried in by his brothers, who each wore white sequined gloves as a tribute to Jackson.

Then throughout the nearly three hour service, one by one, singers and speakers paid tribute to the “King of Pop”. Jackson’s three children sat in the front row at the arena along with other family members.

Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie and Jennifer Hudson were among the many who said farewell to Jackson by singing at today’s service.

One of the most touching performances was by Michael’s brother Jermaine, who sang the song “Smile”.

Just before he took the stage actress Brooke Shields, a longtime friend of Michael’s, explained why the song holds such special meaning.

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A fan signs a Michael Jackson poster covered in messages outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles Monday.

Eliza Browning
AC360° Associate Producer

We’re bringing you live coverage of Michael Jackson’s memorial service in Los Angeles today.

Anderson will report live from the Staples Center, where the service is set to begin at 10 a.m. local time, 1 p.m. on the east coast. Jackson’s body will be at service, which will follow a private family gathering at a Los Angeles cemetery. Make sure to join our live blog on the site during the service to share your thoughts on the memorial.

This is shaping up to be a massive event, complete with a star-studded list of performers from Lionel Richie to Mariah Carey to Stevie Wonder. We’ll bring you non-stop coverage of the event today so that you can watch these performers pay tribute to the ‘King of Pop.” CNN correspondents will be reporting on how people around the country — and around the world — are memorializing Jackson.

President Obama is on the second day of his trip to Russia where he met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and attended more events with President Dmitry Medvedev. Obama seeks to strengthen ties with the country and says he wants a “strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia.” Do you agree? Do you think the tensions of the Cold War have subsided? The president will sit down with CNN’s Ed Henry later today and we’ll have more of their conversation tonight.

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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.

Eliza Browning
AC360° Associate Producer

Anderson is anchoring from the Staples Center in Los Angeles tonight, where preparations for Michael Jackson’s memorial service tomorrow are under way. It is shaping up to be a huge international event. Last night, 8,750 tickets were distributed to people who were chosen from a lottery. Can you imagine the logistics involved in getting ready for this service?

Meanwhile, the investigation into Jackson’s death continues – the LAPD has executed at least three search warrants to determine if medication was responsible for his death and at least five doctors are under investigation. We’ll have more on the service and new developments in the investigation tonight.

Why did she do it? Over the weekend many fellow conservatives admitted they were “shocked” by Governor Sarah Palin’s decision to resign. While there is growing speculation as to what prompted the move, one thing is certain – no one knows for sure. The FBI says it’s not investigating Palin on public corruption charges and reports say growing criticism was taking its toll on her.

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