(NECN: Greg Wayland, Boston, Mass.) - Friday morning was preparation time at the Hatch Shell for the 4th of July celebration.

Neil Diamond will headline the annual Boston Pops celebration on the Esplanade Saturday night, hosted by CBS' Late Late Show.

The Grammy Award winner arrived in Boston just in time for Friday morning's sound check.

The singer was delayed getting into New England Friday night due to the bad weather.

(NECN: Los Angeles, Calif.) - Officials have announced ticket plans for the memorial service to be held for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Staples Center boss Tim Leiweke said that 17,500 free tickets would be provided for the service, to go along with a free worldwide video feed.

11,000 tickets will be for seats inside Staples Center, while 6,500 will be for seats in the Nokia Theatre, in which a live simulcast will be displayed.

(NECN/ABC) - A quarter of a million Michael Jackson fans are expected in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday, when a memorial for the King of Pop will be held at the Staples Center.

There will be 11,000 free tickets distributed to the public.

"We have a creative team working on what the service would be. It's going to be reverential, it's not a show, it's a service," AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips said.

(NECN) - Convincing a child to reach for a book can be a challenge, especially with competition from computers, video games and television.

So, a couple of West Coast dads decided to get personal and do something about it.

Entrepreneur Mark Sarpa joined NECN on Friday morning to share more on the Frecklebox Literacy line.

The books are centered around each child, found throughout the storyline. Books are designed for children from the age of one through second grade.

Sarpa said that he also has tricks for young readers above the second grade level.

(NECN: Boston, Mass.) - The soggy set up was underway at the Hatch Shell Friday morning in preparation for the 4th of July celebration.

Neil Diamond will headline the annual Boston Pops celebration on the Esplanade Saturday night.

The Grammy Award winner arrived in Boston just in time for Friday morning's sound check.

The singer was delayed getting into New England Friday night due to the bad weather.

An estimated 500,000 people were expected to line the banks of the Charles River for Saturday's concert and fireworks display -- rain or shine.

(NECN) - The holidays are as good a time as any to head to the movie theater, and some of the new films out there may pique your interest.

Film critic Ed Symkus shares his thoughts on the newest films to hit the theaters.

Public Enemies Johnny Depp is well cast in this role, playing bank robber John Dillinger. The title should be adjusted to Public Enemy, as it is solely about Dillinger -- the rise and the fall. A great, classy movie. Also, it is a character study of Dillinger. Probable the best film on this character since 1973.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

(NECN) - The 4th of July weekend is upon us, and, if you're plans are still up in the air, you have a lot from which to choose -- not matter your budget.

Christine Liu, executive editor of CitySearch.com, runs us through some of the headlining events:

Upstairs on the Square -- HARVARD SQUARE

• Grilling: Nights July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
• Call for reservations.
• Lovely gardens

Provincetown

• Fireworks on July 4th
• Earlier in the day: Parades, bands, live music and performances.

(NECN) - In our weekly check on the neat events happening on Cape Cod, its all about the July 4th weekend.

Cape Cod Times books editor Melanie Lauwers has more on the fun events from the Cape Cod Times newsroom.

Included are parades, fireworks, a pow wow, lighthouse tour, and Shakespeare in the Park.

(NECN/APTN: London, England) - In an interview with British broadcaster Sky News on Thursday one of Michael Jackson's former bodyguards said the pop idol abused prescription medications, not recreational drugs.

"I knew they were there and I confiscated packages and Uri did too, I mean Uri confiscated, you know, injection equipment from his room and whisked it away and Uri would scream at Michael, you know, intensely to stop doing this," Matt Fiddes said, referring to Uri Geller, one of Jackson's confidants.

(NECN) - You may not immediately think of wine as a barbecue beverage, but wine expert Tyler Balliet from www.thesecondglass.com showed us how well wine pairs with some grilling staples.

When looking for a summer wine Balliet says that white isn't the only summer wine, and that a number of reds make excellent summer drinks.

"I look for the fruit component of it," Balliet said. "You can have a lighter red with a nice little fruit to it, or you can get a juicy red to go with barbecue, steak, and hamburgers."