the big question, why is sarah palin quitting? growing speculation over the governor's future. on the hunt for a serial killer. a small town terrorized and today another victim. 70 years later, remembering lou gehrig's famous farewell. >> today i consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. >> today, major league baseball goes to bat for a cure. and crowning glory. a spectacular view to celebrate and crowning glory. a spectacular view to celebrate the fourth. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening on this independence day. last july 4th, the name sarah palin would not have rung familiar to most of us. a year later, not only is an alaska governor a household name, but we're spending the holiday weekend actively speculating over her political future. palin was john mccain's presidential runningmate. that's why her abrupt announcement yesterday that she is stepping down from the governor's office more than a year early has members of both parties still scratching their heads tonight. here's nbc's mike vikara. >> reporter: one day after her stunning announcement -- >> i will not seek reelection as governor. >> reporter: questions mount about the conflicting signals sarah palin sent on her plans for the future. >> superficial, wasteful, political blood sport. >> reporter: or did she tip her

hand about a future run? >> we can effect positive change outside of government at this moment in time on another scale. >> reporter: or has the full story yet to be told? we'll soon attach info on decision to not seek reaection, palin said. john mccain installed her on the gop ticket said in a statement, i was deeply honored to have her as my running mate and believe she will continue to play an important leadership role in the republican party and our nation. at home in alaska today, a mixed reaction. though her polls were slipping at home, palin remains popular among core conservatives nationwide. now she is free to travel the country. >> she's the most attractive commodity right now in the republican party, and now is the time to exploit that tremendous celebrity status she's achieved and use her charisma for the benefit of her party. >> reporter: the man who will inherit the governor's office in three weeks says the decision

was vinten palin. >> she's independent, she's bold and she looks out for alaska. >> reporter: others describe her performance yesterday as erratic, comparing it to ross perot's presidential run iin 9 1992. democrats, meanwhile, are questioning palin's motives. >> i think most people will conclude that she either can't take the heat in alaska or that she is leaving so that she can make money. >> reporter: sarah palin is keeping a low profile this fourth of july, but national republicans are already looking forward to her help in tight governor's races next year in new jersey and virginia. mike vicara, nbc news, washington. a sad reminder of the dangers of holiday fireworks. an explosion killed one worker and injured four others as they prepared for festivities tonight on north carolina's island. the blast shook homes and businesses and was heard across the length of the 15-mile island. a teenage girl from south carolina died today, possibly

becoming the fifth victim of what police fear may be a serial killer on the loose. tonight as the manhunt intensifies, so does the fear over when, where, and if the killer will strike again. >> reporter: residents of gaffney, south carolina, had a worrisome fourth of july, aware that police were still looking for a spree killer believed responsible for at least five murders in the area since last weekend. >> oh, it's got us real frightened. to whoever you is out there doing this killing in gaffney, we're looking for you. >> reporter: this is a sketch of the man authorities hope to find and soon, driving a light-colored suv. police say he's a suspect in the deaths of 63-year-old cline cash, 83-year-old hazel linder and her 50-year-old daughter, gina linder parker, and 48-year-old steven tyler. today, tyler's 15-year-old daughter, abbey, died of her injuries. friday night, a vigil was held to honor the victims. the killings began last saturday

when cline cash welcomed a man into his home who was looking to buy hay. cash's body was found hours later. >> he's just accommodating. a good friend of mine. >> reporter: wednesday, a mother and daughter were slain. the younger, a second-generation educator. >> gina was the sunshine of our school. she loved calhoun. she was an encourager. she always was positive. not only for the children, but for our staff. >> reporter: thursday, steven tyler and his daughter abbey were gunned down. officials say that attack may have been carried out to taunt police. gaffney is no stranger to mass murder. in the late '60s, the so-called gaffney strangler killed four women in ten days. whatever the motive for these recent killings, fears and emotions are on edge throughout the region. ron mott. steve mcnair was found

murdered today in nashville. mcnair, who refired last year after 13 seasons, was the highest drafted black quarterback ever with the houston oilers in 1995. before injuries ended his career with the baltimore ravens last year, mcnair led the titans to the super bowl in 2000. mcnair was named co-mvp of the league in 2003. steve mcnair was 36 years old. tonight, the demand for tickets to next week's michael jackson memorial is overwhelming computers and threatening to overwhelm the city that will host the event. los angeles, a city that's no stranger to mega stars and big events, may not have seen anything before quite like this. we're at the staples center tonight. michael? >> reporter: lester, in planning for michael jackson's public memorial, los angeles is gearing up for what will be one of the largest deployments of law enforcement officers the city has ever seen. it's against this backdrop today

that there is a rare sighting of jackson's 79-year-old mother, katherine. with a small wave to michael jackson's fans, katherine jackson emerged from the family home in encino while 12 miles away at forest lawn, preparations were under way to bury her son. at the site for jackson's public memorial, they're in high gear. >> this has been a rather massive planning and preparation prosfor us. >> reporter: the website offering tickets crashed and then had to add another server. as of 1:00 this afternoon, 1.3 million people had registered. >> i think it just shows the power of michael jackson even when he's not here. he can still sell out the staples center. he can still have a mad rush for tickets. >> reporter: and with interest of the world, fans outside the u.s. will be included.

>> how are you feeding information from here to them? >> reporter: it's got police on the ready, at their command center, tracking twitter, myspace, airport and hotel traffic. bracing for up to 700,000 people and perfecting surveillance in a quarter-mile zone around the venue. >> we have cameras here where we can zoom in, zoom out, create a rich picture of the various locations in and around the staples center and nokia. >> reporter: dennis zin, who has been critical of using tax dollars to pay for the memorial, has requested a meeting with the jacksons. >> this is a situation where we have to deploy a lot of city resources on a city that's $530 million plus in debt. we need to make sure that compensation is there. we're not going in with our hand out asking for money. >> reporter: as for the investigation, a coroner returned to jackson's holmby hills estate where authorities discovered the powerful sedative diprivan. the jacksons are determined not

to be distracted by the reports. >> i think we should wait until the investigation is over, see what are the real facts and where the facts lead us, to whose door, if any. >> there's still very few details about the memorial service. we're told that that schedule changes on an almost hourly base. in the meantime, nods to michael jackson continue to pour in. tonight, madonna paid tribute to the king of pop. >> all right. michael, thank you. now to news from overseas. the communist nation launched seven short-range ballistic missiles, defying u.n. resolutions and u.s. efforts to enforce sanctions following the north's recent nuclear test. in southeast afghanistan, two american soldiers were killed when their base came under fire. the taliban attack follows a major u.s. offensive this week against the insurgent stronghold in a key opium-producing region.

and vice president joe biden spent this independence day in iraq, celebrating the holiday with american troops, including his son, beau, who is serving there. biden also presided over a naturalization ceremony. 237 u.s. soldiers were sworn in as american citizens at one of the palaces formerly owned by saddam hussein. on this independence day, an important milestone on the road to recovery from 9/11 was reached here in new york. it's offering americans and visitors alike a new perspective on the liberties we cherish. ron allen explains. >> reporter: she is perhaps the most powerful symbol of american freedom, an icon not yet fully recovered from the attacks of september 11th, until today. as the first visitors in eight years climb 354 steps to reach the statue's crown. >> happy fourth of july. >> we did it. >> reporter: the view of new york harbor is essentially the

same as lady liberty's. that's why the crown has such deep meaning for chris bartnic with his daughter. >> when i was a boy, i came up here all the time with my parents. my grandpa used to come with us. it was really great to be able to get up here again. >> reporter: the moment moved aaron to propose to erica. he said he chose this place because his grandparents arrived in american at nearby ellis island. security concerns kept the statue closed. hundreds of visitors used to press up and down the narrow staircases, waiting for hours with no way to evacuate. this park ranger explains the new plans. >> it's close up here, huh? >> it is very tight. the statue's crown holds comfortably eight to ten people. >> that's what you're going to bring up here? >> that's what we're going to bring up here. >> this rail is the only thing that's new up here in terms of physically changing the statue? >> additional hand rails have

been installed. and it basically provides just a -- a sense of security. >> reporter: the new rules mean that of the 15,000 or so visitors who arrive some days, only about 250 will be allowed to the top. ♪ give me your tired, your po popoo poor ♪ seven servicemen who fought for american today became citizens of american. and for those fortunate enough to get tickets online -- >> exhausting but exhilarating. >> reporter: a chance to take in the view and celebrate america's birthday in a very unique place. ron allen, nbc news, new york. when "nightly news" continues this fourth of july, 70 years later, remembering one man's courageous battle as another fights for a cure. and later, the all-american sister act on center court at wimbledon. two medium cappuccinos,

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years ago he was diagnosed with lou gehrig's disease, changing his life and his legacy. >> it's a disease that takes your life away from you in front of your eyes. one day you can do something. the next day you can't. and you know, it's never coming back. >> reporter: after his diagnosis, goldsmith says he was overwhelmed with self-pity. >> i went into a fetal position and tried to drag my nfl up. >> reporter: but he soon became determined to use the time he had left to raise money to combat the disease that's killing him. >> i thought if i have to have this, i want to be part of it. >> reporter: goldsmith, now 57,

found inspiration in the game of his youth. >> at the plate, number 10, michael goldsmith. >> reporter: it was last year while he was attending a baltimore orioles fantasy camp that goldssmith got an idea. he realized july 4th, 2009, would marng a critical anniversa anniversary, 70 years since lou gehrig bid a famous farewell after his own diagnosis with als. >> i consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. >> reporter: goldsmith wrote on essay calling on major league baseball to use the anniversary to raise money for research into this disease. the project is being called mlb for als. today, at ballparks nationwide, teams will autograph first bases, later to be auctioned off. and during the seventh inning stretch, famous americans will read aloud gehrig's immortal words. at yankee stadium today, michael

goldsmith threw ought the ceremonial first pitch. major league baseball has also launched a special website where people can donate to als research and learn more about the disease that afflicts 30,000 people in the u.s. each year. the als therapy development institute is one of four organizations that will benefit from baseball's auction. >> i wanted to show my kids and my students that you can press ahead and try and make something positive of a desperately horrible situation. >> reporter: a dream now realized, thanks to the courage of two men. one who gave his name to the disease, the other determined to stop it. peter alexander, nbc news, provost, utah. when we come back, your stimulus dollars at work. is it money well spent or a recipe for waste? that's why i use covergirl's simply ageless makeup

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arrive, and gregory, who usually oversees work on 100 homes a year, will now oversee 100 homes a month. >> nobody had a clue of that kind of money. that's beyond your wildest dreams. >> reporter: around the country, states are getting massive increases in weatherization money. for example, missouri from $6 million to $128 million. florida, $2 million to $176 million. texas, $5 million to $237 million. >> it's almost an overwhelming increase. >> reporter: for this local executive director in missouri, this means a new building, a lot more training, at least 50 new jobs, and new worries keeping him awake at night. >> making sure that we're accountable for every penny. all of those things combined to create a nightmare for a guy trying to manage all of that. >> reporter: the stimulus is breathing new life and new fears of waste into programs which are used to little attention and few resources. it's also forcing them to cope

with money they may not be prepared to handle. take the idyllic community of union, new york. local officials were surprised to learn they were getting stimulus money. a half million dollars for homeless prevention programs, programs they don't even have. >> well, my first reaction was holy mackerel, what are we going to do with all this money? >> reporter: art johnson is one of many homeless advocates rushing to advise union and b g bingingten on how to use the money effectively. >> it's a lot of money to come out of the clear, blue sky to a municipality that hasn't really ever administered itself, you know, that level of homeless service. >> reporter: across the country, small groups getting millions with a million concerns to go with it. lisa myers, nbc news, washington. it's a fourth of july tradition and a real test of stomach strength. the annual hot dog eating

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sister venus for the women's title. john yang was there for the match. >> reporter: today, the latest chapter in a long-running sibling rivalry. this time, serena williams prevailed, ending venus' two-year rein as queen of center court. it was serena's third wimbledon crown. >> i feel like i shouldn't be holding the trophy. i can't believe i'm holding it and venus isn't. >> reporter: ranked number two in the world, serena has won 3 of the last 4 major tournaments, a testament to her strength, physical and mental. >> great power and great belief. she has this -- nobody is going to beat me. i'm going to take it to you. great attitude, and it works. >> reporter: third-ranked venus, holder of five singles titles, played with a bad left knee, but she made no excuses. >> she played the best tennis today, so congratulations.

>> reporter: today was the fourth time the williams sisters met at center court in the finals and the eighth time they played for a major championship title. it's a rivalry that just gets better with age. the sisters practice together and live together, both at home and on the road. >> they want to play each other. they would rather play against each other than anybody else. >> reporter: amid the champagne, strawberries and cream and celebrity-packed stands at this english event, the stars and stripes were in evidence. >> it's good to see independence day celebrated with americans going to the wimbledon tournament. >> it's history. one of ingrate sibling dynasties in sports. >> reporter: a sister act that dominates the world of women's tennis. john yang, nbc news, england. and that's "nightly news" for this saturday. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today," then right back here tomorrow evening. happy fourth. tomorrow evening. happy fourth. good night, everyone. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com