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Powerful anesthetic found at Jackson home

LOS ANGELES, July 3 (UPI) -- Investigators found the powerful anesthetic drug Diprivan in pop icon Michael Jackson's Los Angeles home, ABC News reported.

Diprivan, also known by the generic name propofol, was one of many medications found in Jackson's home, sources told ABC. The drugs had been prescribed by multiple doctors to multiple patient names, some believed to be aliases, the network said.

The reported discovery of Diprivan comes after nurse Cherilyn Lee, who had worked as a nutritionist for Jackson, told reporters he had been asking for the drug in the days before his death last week at 50.

Lee has told CNN and other media outlets Jackson said he suffered severe insomnia and pleaded for the drug, saying it helped him sleep.

Experts say Diprivan is not for insomnia and should normally be administered only by IV in a hospital, typically before a medical procedure.

ABC, citing unnamed emergency physicians, said the drug could have caused respiratory depression and, ultimately, cardiac arrest if Jackson used it for insomnia.

The drug, a white liquid, has been dubbed "milk of amnesia" because of its potency as an anesthetic.

"Propofol is an agent that requires very close monitoring and is often limited only to use by anesthesiologists," Dr. Richard Page, head of cardiology at the University of Washington medical center, told ABC. "The main issue with this agent is respiratory depression, which in turn could cause cardiac arrest."

Toxicology test results on Jackson are not expected to be back for several weeks.

The discovery follows reports the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the possible involvement of drugs in Jackson's death.

Public memorial set for Michael Jackson

LOS ANGELES, July 3 (UPI) -- Tickets for a public memorial service for Michael Jackson in Los Angeles will be distributed through a random drawing, organizers said Friday.

Fans can register online at Staplescenter.com. Organizers plan to select 8,750 people at random, distributing two free tickets and wristbands to each person Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The memorial is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. in the Staples Center where Jackson held his last rehearsal before his death.

City officials told the Times a massive police presence will be needed for the event, and it is unclear who should pay for it. They also questioned whether police had enough time for planning, given the number of officers already working overtime because of the three-day Fourth of July holiday.

Reports suggested as many as 1 million people could gather outside the Staples Center during the service.

Meanwhile, an attorney for Debbie Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two elder children, said she had not yet decided whether to seek custody, despite telling a television reporter that was her intention.

Beckhams pose for sexy ads together

MILAN, Italy, July 3 (UPI) -- Armani says it is set to unveil a series of sexy advertisements featuring British soccer star David Beckham and his singer wife, Victoria.

People.com said Thursday provocative photos of the couple will appear in fashion magazines and on billboards in cities like New York, London and Rome.

The sexy images were taken by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott in the Italian city of Milan.

Usmagazine.com said the advertisements feature both David and Victoria in their underwear as part of the Autumn/Winter 2009-10 underwear campaign for the Emporio Armani fashion line.

The advertisements featuring the nearly-nude Beckhams will make their debut sometime this month.

Billy Mays remembered in hometown

PITTSBURGH, July 3 (UPI) -- Co-workers Friday praised infomercial pitchman Billy Mays as he was buried in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pa.

Jerry Spanola, who worked as a pitchman with Mays, said the infomercial star's death Sunday at the age of 50 sent a shockwave through the industry, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Friday.

"He totally shut down the business when it happened," Spanola said. "Pitchmen are always talking. The morning Billy died, he rendered that business speechless."

Pitchman Jeremy Parker, who worked with Mays five years earlier, used Friday's burial to reiterate Mays' impact on the field of infomercials.

"If there was a Jimi Hendrix of the guitar, there was a Billy Mays of the pitchmen," Parker said at St. John of God Catholic Church in McKees Rocks.

"He made everyone feel important," former Home Shopping Network host John Cremeans said.

The bearded pitchman earned a name in the industry thanks to his energetic efforts selling various products on the Home Shopping Network and for Mays Promotions Inc.