gary tuchman. thank you so much. for more on gary's story, including behind the scene photos from his report, log on to ac360.com. >>> tomorrow night the cnn primetime event begins "black in america ii" soledad o'brien, the new stories, the new struggles. tomorrow 9:00 eastern and thursday at 8:00. >>> up next, profiting from pot and how taxing could help one california city get out of the red. >>> they're going a little bit country at the white house. the first family welcoming the stars of country and bluegrass including alison krauss. >>> you might know medical marijuana is legal in california. could it be the answer to the state's budget woes? voters in oakland are deciding whether medical marijuana dispensaries should pay more in taxes to help solve the city's cash crunch. if passed oakland would be the first city in the country to tax marijuana directly. dan simon live in oakland with the details. dan? >> reporter: hi, john. we are at the harborside medical center, the largest medical cannabis dispensary in oakl

gary tuchman has been following this story. an odd intwine here. >> we've dot done a lot of stories about polygamy and mexican drug cartel violence, but we never imagine they would mesh like this. we're in el paso, texas just to our south of the mexican state of chihuahua. there was a small town founded 80 years ago from american mormons from utah because they were angry they made polygamy against the religion. all the people are very vocal against drug cartel violence. apparently they made members of the drug cartel very mad. this week about 15 gunmen went inside one of the homes, dragged two men out of the homes, both american citizens with ten children between them and killed them in a very violent way. how did hundreds and hundreds of american polygamists end up living in mexico for the last eight decades? after the mainstream mormon church abandoned the practice of polygamy in the 1890s not all mormons were happy about it. some who wanted to practice plural marriage broke off from the church. some settled here, and others

also with us is gary tuchman in el paso tonight. fred, americans, as we learn from gary, beaten, dragged out of their homes, murdered in cold blood. it seems pretty brazen. but in some respects is this just another day, sadly, in mexico? >> erica, i'm afraid you're right. the area where this took place is a disputed territory. you have the juarez and the loras cartel fighting over this geography. what is more troubling is this location has the largest concentration of mexican law enforcement and military than any other place in mexico for the past two or three years. i look at this as a failure on the part of the mexican authorities to protect mr. lebaron and his family after the abduction of his brother. >> what do you think that failure stems from? is it the fact that the government simply can't control these drug cartels or is it more about corruption? >> i think it's a combination of both. i think you're looking at the inability to secure and hold territory. i think you're looking at intelligence gaps here as to what this group

gary tuchman investigates. first erica hill. >>> seven suicide bombers dressed as women targeted police officers in afghanistan. three blew themselves up killing three officers. officials blame the taliban. >>> new clashes between security forces and protesters. sources and witnesses telling cnn 200 to 300 protesters tried to gather and were met by 400 to 500 security forces. it is unclear how many arrests were made. >>> dramatic new video of what appears to be security forces, one in uniform, the other in a suit firing their guns at protesters. we want to point out, it is very important, cnn cannot confirm when this video was taken. try this again. on capitol hill the senate voting to block expansion of the f-22 fighter jet program. that gives the white house and the pentagon a key victory. for congressional supporters of the f-22. at this moment millions of people across asia gathering to see the longest total solar eclipse of the century. the live picture from india. the eclipse will last 6:36. we are lucky

gary tuchman is keeping them legal. >> we begin with breaking news out of michigan. a highway in detroit is shut down after a fiery crash. a police official told cnn affiliate wdiv two tanker trucks crashed on interstate 75 in hazel park north of downtown sending flames and smoke shooting hundreds of feet into the air. authorities believe the smoke could be toxic. >>> on the third day of her confirmation hearings, supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor strongly asserted her had heerns to the law while dodging questions about her personal beliefs. sotomayor was questioned today by republican and democratic senators including al franken. she faces one more day of questioning tomorrow. >>> secretary of state hillary clinton says the united states is appalled by iran's crack down on protesters after its disputed political election but says direct talks with the republic on the table for now. secretary clinton's remarks came in a wide-ranging speech on the administration's international policy priorities. >> the question is not whether our nation can or should lead but how

gary tuchman traveled across the border today for this 360 follow. >> reporter: what this mother hasone through in the last few months is difficult to comprehend. her son was kidnapped by a mexican drug cartel. eric was released despite the family not paying a million dollar ransom. ramona said it was a miracle. >> i got him back on mother's day. it was the most beautiful mother's day present i ever had in my life. >> reporter: ramona, her husband and 12 children live in mexico, a 200 mile drive south of el paso, texas, a town settled by their american an sestsers more than 80 years ago. they came to mexico to live in peace and quiet. for most of a century they did and then came the kidnapping. this week, something much worse. another one of ramona's sons, another relative, were shot to death after being kidnapped from this house, what is expected to be cartel members. it was believed they were angry her older son helped the street protests against the street protests and intimidation. this house was full of children. two trucks pulled up in front of the house, 25 commandos in camouf

for many people that means freedom. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn. >>> that looks pretty cool. all right. 160 million in five days. that's how much money this week's top movie earned. so what is it? announcer: what are you waiting for? all around the world, men with erectile dysfunction have asked their doctors about cialis. ask your doctor if a cialis option is right for you because in addition to 36-hour cialis, there's another dosing option: cialis for daily use, a low-dose tablet you take every day so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. man: tell your doctor about your medical condition and all medications and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. don't drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed back ache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision... stop taking cial

gary tuchman, cnn, colonial lebaron, mexico. >>> breaking news in a brutal double murder.dopted children gunned down in their florida home. we have the late es for you on the investigation. >>> levy johnston speaking out again. tonight we hear what he says is the real reason she is stepping down as governor of alaska. >>> want to get you caught up on the stories we're tom lowing. randi kaye joining us with a 360 bulletin. >> breaking news, police in florida are seeking two persons of interest in shooting deaths of a mother and father during a home invasion near pensacola. eight of the couple's 16 children were asleep in the house at the time. police say surveillance cameras recorded three young white men entering the house and driving away in a large, red dodge van. >>> at a news conference, levi johnston, the 19-year-old father of sarah palin's grandson, said he believes the alaska governor is stepping down to cash in on her fame. he told reporters while he was living with the palins months ago he heard the governor say how nice it would be to take advantage of the lucrat

cnn's gary tuchman takes us to the hamlet. >> reporter: what this mother has gone through in the lastwo months is difficult to comprehend. her son was kidnapped by five members of a mexican drug cartel. eric la barren was released a week after his kidnapping, despite the family not paying $1 million ransom. ramona says it was a miracle. >> i got him back on mother's day. it was the most beautiful mother's day present i have ever had in my life. >> reporter: ramona, her husband and 12 children live in mexico, a 200-mill drive of el paso, texas, settled by their american ancestors 80 years ago as they were leaving the mormon church when it banned polygamy. they came to mexico to practice polygamy and live in peace and quiet and for most of a century they did then came the kidnapping. and this week, something much worse, another one of ramona's sons and relative were shot to death after being kidnapped from this house by what are suspected to be cartel members. it is believed they are angry her oldest son, benjamin, held street protests against the drug cartel violence and intimidation.

you'll hear his plea and gary tuchman's exclusive interview. >>> talking about michael jackson's final moments and the drug diprivan or propofol. that is what michael jackson has been using on and off for years. the drug, every doctor we asked said would be dangerous to give outside of a hospital setting. you're about to see why. we're going to show you in real-time exactly how diprivan works, and you'll see for yourself all the equipment and expertise needed to make sure patients go under safely and come back up. 360 m.d. sanjay gupta takes up upfront. >> reporter: there's been a lot of discussion about propofol. is it considered safe in any setting, except a hospital or a medical setting? i decided pictures are worth 1,000 words, and i'll take you inside my operating room to show you firsthand what really happens. come on in. so we are here inside the operating room with dr. gerscon. he is the chief of anz thesology here. this is a medication he uses all the time. is this over here? >> where he. >> it looks like -- milk of amnesia. >> vincent, you okay? >> you have to monitor his ekg

gary tuchman is an avid roller blader. he brings them everywhere he goes. >> i notice he does. >> i hope he doesn't try it. >> have you roller bladed? >> no, once, and i wasn't very good. to stop i would literally throw myself on a grassy knoll. >> i'm not the most coordinated. >> i think you look goofy. >> true. >> plus you have to wear the helmet and thing. >> you ride a bike, though, right? you should wear a helmet when you ride a bike. i wear one. >>> coming up at the top of the hour, the latest. we'll be right back. >>> breaking news in the michael jackson case, the first inside account of what happened in the jackson home when it became clear that something was terribly wrong. also tonight, a money battle in the making over the jackson estate. money trouble for dr. conrad murray, revelations about his past, and more importantly new information about what could be his immediate legal future. at least one major arm of the investigation, the feds tightening their focus. as always, rande kaye has that angle. randi, what'

gary tuchman has tonight's "crime and punishment report." >> reporter: the sights and sounds like a darkhapter in american history. >> we will give them exactly what they came across the street for. >> do you understand? >> reporter: the story is about justice and deep-seeded racial suspicions. the question is what really happened in this highway outside paris, texas. this man, brandon mcclellan, was hit and dragged by a vehicle, left dead on the road. these two men were arrested, charged with murder and sat in jail for eight months. this man, who did not want his face shown on video, is one of them. you're saying you guys didn't hit him? >> that's what everything says. >> reporter: you mean the evidence, but what do you say? >> i say we didn't hit him. >> reporter: eventually they were released. investigators say they had a lack of evidence, but some say the decision was a cover-up. >> i believe without a doubt, without beyond a shadow of a doubt, the cover-up is based on racism. >> reporter: city officials say paris is roughly 70% white, 20% black. jacqueline mcclellan has lived here h

we couldn't believe it when gary tuchman learned new details, about how much money he was giving away. take a look. >> reporter: it literally paid to be loyal to this man. the former district attorney in texas who was extremely generous to his secretaries who he says watched his back. >> they were my eyes and ears. >> reporter: he says he wrote checks for hundreds of thousands of dollars. it may have quadrupled their income. cnn obtained records and garza paid $1.2 million to the three women over a five-year period, a bonus averaging $81,000 a year for county employees with salaries of $35,000 annually. >> i saw nothing wrong with it. >> reporter: anderson w so much money at stake the auditor says crime fighting could have happened. the sheer number of checks is fun issing. we will tell you more tomorrow on "360." anderson. >> how is this allowed to happen? we will have gary's full report tomorrow on "360." join the live chat at ac360.com. >>> coming up next the parents of more than a dozen kids killed in their home in florida. new clues, new suspects captured and a look at the lives

gary tuchman, cnn, chicago. >>> want to make sure you're away of a breaking news story out of tennessee. former nfl quarterback steve mcnair has been found dead this afternoon in an apartment complex there in nashville. let me give you history on his career and spent so much of his career with the tennessee titans retiring in 2007 after two seasons with the baltimore ravens. led the titans to the super bowl in 2000 playing for the titans and lost to the rams in a last-second play back in 2003. he was named co-mvp by the nfl. but, again, according to a brother of steve mcnair, the former baltimore ravens quarterback, former player with the tennessee titans has been found dead in an apartment in nashville, tennessee. we learned that news conference will be scheduled at any moment from nashville police. as soon as it gets started, we will keep you posted on this development. again, steve mcnair found dead today in an apartment in nashville. >>> also on the fourth of july remembering our soldiers. they were in afghanistan for a year, but a platoon of soldiers from ft. hood, texas, back home

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gary tuchman looks at a new technology that you'll have to see to believe in today's "edge of discovery." >> reporter: chuck hildreth lost his arms 28 years ago in an electrical accident. he hadn't used a drill since. now, he can. and unlatch a door chain. and even play jenga. he can do all these amazing things thanks to his new arm, a sophisticated prosthesis invented by the segway inventor. it all started when the pentagon's defense research project agency, called darpa, wanted something new for troops that lost an arm on the battlefield. >> the first time we met with darpa, they described, we wanted an arm that can do this and this and this and this, we told them they were nuts. >> reporter: but he delivered. >> until we started this project, most people would have said this was the state of the art. basically a plastic tube with the hook on the end of it. and our goal was to replace that technology with something that was a full hand with an opposed thumb and all the fingers. >> reporter: the arm is still in development. the most recent design weighs about the same as a human arm an

. >> gary tuchman, cnn. ( dramatic music playing ) live a little... a lot. hi. first ever is convertible from lexus. ( instrumental music playing ) - announcer: live a little... - ( crickets chirping ) - ( helicopter whirring ) - ...a lot. the first-ever is convertible from lexus. >>> just about half past the hour. checking our top stories this morning. u.s. missiles reportedly score a direct hit on a taliban camp in pakistan overnight killing ten insurgents. pakistani intelligence says six missiles were fired from an unmanned plane exploring a mountain top community near waziristan. the second time in two days u.s. missiles have struck a militant hideout in pakistan. >> stimulus -- this is personal stimulus if you spend a lot of money on gas. the price of gas continues to drop. triple a reporting the national average for unleaded regular is down to $2.59 a gallon, a penny less than it was tuesday. gas prices have dropped for 17 straight days. remember this number, back on july 17, 2008, gas was $4.11. >> we both remember that. guess what -- americans are using

gary tuchman explains in this "edge of discovery." >>> with every step you take, the body creates energyusually goes to waste -- until now. >> this particular device is designed to capture energy while you're walking. >> reporter: it's called the bionic energy harvester. it looks like a knee brace. but there's a generator that harness power from the natural motion of walking. >> muscles are the power house of the body. they're producing the mechanical energy. through the device, that's turned into electrical power. like a battery charger. >> reporter: strap on the two-pound brace and get moving. each step, the device transfers the energy from your step to the batteries. pop those in to a digital camera or cell phone, the more you walk, the more you talk. >> walk for one minute, you can produce 20 minutes of talk time on a cell phone. a lot of power. >> still in the development stage. researchers hope to have it available soon. it gives you a lot more space to roam. >> you become the juice for your devices and for many people that's freedom. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn. >>> remember as

here's cnn's gary tuchman. >> reporter: it's anything but a routine question. how scared of you are possibly being executed? the man i'm talking to, troy davis, may soon be a dead man. a jury only took a few hours to determine he murdered a police officer in savannah, georgia. a few more hours to decide to send him to death row. >> he was definitely guilty. all of the witnesses, they were able to, you know, to i.d. him as the person who actually did it. >> reporter: the primary reason he was convicted, the witness testimony. the slain police officer's wife agrees. >> they were just so adamant about what they saw, when they saw it. >> reporter: but this is how the juror feels now. >> if i knew then what i know now, troy davis would not be on death row. the verdict would be not guilty. >> reporter: what she knows now is this. almost all the prosecution star witnesses have changed chair stories. some saying police pressured them to say troy davis did it. darryl collins who signed a police statement implicating troy davis. >> i told him over and over i didn't see t

. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn. % >>> well, the right to bear arms is a right and abortion, the separation of powers. heavy stuff for the second day of "q" and "a" for the confirmation hearings and judge sonia sotomayor. it's due to start live here on cnn. >>> in the meantime, a variation on the question that every high court nominee faces. >> the white house goes on to say "white house press secretary said the president did not ask sotomayor specifically about abortion rights during their interview." is that correct? >> yes. it is absolutely correct. i was asked no question by anyone, including the president, about my views on any specific legal issue. >> do you know, then, on what basis, if that's the case -- and i accept your statement -- on what basis that the white house officials would subsequently send a message that abortion rights groups do not need to worry about how you might rule in a challenge to roe versus wade? >> no, sir, because you just have to look at my record to know that in the cases that i addressed on all issues, i follow the law. >> the nominee and senators are due

gary tuchman, cnn, savannah, georgia. >>> president obama taking his case for health care reform to the american people. i'm heidi collins. "cnn newsroom" continues right now with tony harris. >>> good morning, everyone. sorby, i got a little jumpy there. health care reform is the prelim issue playing out in washington right now and new developments unfolding this hour in the push and push back. the tug of war over reform. what happens with the health care debate determines the future of your medical care, so you need to be plugged in and we are focusing on the issues and the players and the process. >>> on capitol hill,. >>> white house correspondent suzanne malveaux is at her post. the president preparing to take his push for health care reform to primetime and there is dana. let's start with suzanne malveaux, the president not only dealing with a push back from republicans, but grumbling from democrats. they say they need more direction on health care reform, the entire overhaul package. so, suzanne, why is the president, let's tee it up, it's happening this evening, holding this new

here's cnn's gary tuchman.p joe frank garza was a district attorney in south texas who gave his secretaries shockingly large bonuses. he said he had good reason to write them checks totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. >> they were my eyes and ears in the community. >> reporter: over a five-year period garza wrote the three women checks. it same from a forfeiture funds. many states including texas allow police and d.a.s to spend this money so law enforcement can benefit from such arrests, but d.a.s are only supposed to spend this money on, quote, official purposes. the current district attorney of the county beat dwarz za this past election day. >> most of the money that was used by him was for -- for three secretaries. >> reporter: most of his forfeiture money? >> most of it. >> reporter: cnn has received a report from an auditor hired by the county which indicates that's correct. more than half went to the secretaries. the report saying between 2004 and 2008, the former d.a. wrote one secretary checks t

while he was in the courtroom, his ex-wife was with 360's gary tuchman watching the proceedings and talkingut the man she married. now in the exclusive interview you'll only see here, she described her life with roeder. she also shares with us the letter he wrote to her from jail with the "360" file. here's gary's reported. >> reporter: lindsey roberts married scott roeder 23 years ago. they're now divorced, but they had a child together, so their lives have remained enter twined, but the man she married has long scared her. did you think in years gone by that your ex-husband was capable of murdering a doctor who provided abortions? >> yes. >> reporter: lindsay roeder said the day she got married, she never could have imagined the downward spiral her life would take. were you in love when you got married? >> yes. >> do you still love him? >> i love the scott i married. >> reporter: this is the man she divorced. in court today pleading not guilty to murdering abortion provider dr. george tiller. lindsey did not want to see her ex-husband in person in wichita. she watched his preliminary hear

. >> gary tuchman, cnn. (voice 2) how bad is it? (voice 1) traffic's off the chart...) they're pinging more targets... (voice 3) isolate... prevent damage... (voice 2) got 'em. (voice 3) great exercise guys. let's run it again. >>> president obama, of course, has invited henry louis gates and the police officer who arrested him to the white house for a beer. that's what he said. they're going to get together for a beer. of course, this could be trouble, because the last time obama got a few beers in him, he bought general motors. >> welcome back to the most news in the morning. conan o'brien having a little bit of fun with president obama's meeting tomorrow with the white house with henry louis gates jr. and police sergeant james crowley. former secretary of state colin powell had something to say about the controversy surrounding gates' arrest. powell sat down exclusively with larry king last night. he said even he has been racially profiled. yes, colin powell. he thought how he talked about how professor gates should have been perhaps a little bit more patient in the