House Democratic leaders were exploring a deal that would clinch the votes to pass the legislation, but they faced stiff resistance from lawmakers who support abortion rights.

White House Memo: For Obama, Health Care Pushes Other Issues to the Margins

For several weeks the issue of health care has overshadowed every other issue, foreign and domestic, faced by President Obama.

Search for Aye Votes on Health Care Narrows in House

The Democratic search for health care votes grew more focused as the House leadership and the White House sought to cement victory.

Nuns Back Bill Amid Broad Rift Over Whether It Limits Abortion Enough

A divide over how tightly to restrict federal subsidies for insurance policies that cover abortion was proving central to the health care debate.

Threat of Red River Flooding Subsides at Fargo

After packing more than a million sandbags and building miles of temporary dikes to hold back the surging Red River, Fargo, N.D., got lucky on Friday with a sudden drop in temperature.

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World

Indonesians resigned to further delay in Obama's visit

Many understand the importance of the president staying in Washington until a healthcare bill is passed. Cancel the speeches, the honor guard and welcoming parties. Indonesia's adopted son isn't coming home just yet.

Little fanfare for 7th anniversary of war in Iraq

Seven years after the first bombs in the war to oust Saddam Hussein, Iraqis went about their business Friday with little observance of the anniversary, looking to the future with a mixture of trepidation and hope.

Dutch reject contention that gay troops undermined military

After retired U.S. Gen. John Sheehan criticized the Dutch policy, linking it to the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, the Netherlands' defense minister calls the comments 'unworthy of a soldier.' "Scandalous," declared one. "Way off the mark," fumed another.

Clinton upbeat on Israel ties

She and others at a Moscow meeting of the 'quartet' push for revived Mideast talks. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hailed "useful and productive" signs from Israel on Friday as the so-called quartet of Middle East peacemakers called on Israelis and Palestinians to resume stalled negotiations.

Indonesia's reaction to Obama's postponed trip? It's OK

Most understand the president's decision to delay a visit until June, saying his push for healthcare reform legislation should be a priority. Indonesia's adopted son isn't coming home just yet.

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Entertainment

SXSW: Is the future bright for independent labels?

Artists and labels were splashed with some cold, hard facts as a wake-up call Friday.

Katherine Heigl almost puts the 'show' in ShoWest

ShoWest's Female Star of the Year had a major wardrobe malfunction while accepting her award in Las Vegas.

Jamie Oliver aims to make school lunches more healthful

In 'Food Revolution,' the British chef hopes to overhaul the menu in Huntington, W.Va. In the film “We Are Marshall,” the town of Huntington, W.Va., reels, then regroups after most of Marshall University's football team is killed in a plane crash. Forty years later, Huntington is at the center of yet another potential turn-around tale. Only this time, rather than a phoenix emerging from the ashes, the image is more of a grilled chicken breast rising from a landfill of deep fryers.

Christiane Amanpour's challenge: Broadening 'This Week' as ABC News shrinks

By turning to Christiane Amanpour as host of "This Week," ABC hopes to send the message that Peter Jennings' legacy endures.

Separating fact from fiction in Iraq war films

The Times' former foreign editor assesses 'Green Zone,' 'The Ghost Writer' and 'The Hurt Locker.' Familiarity is not necessarily the friend of the Iraq moviegoer.

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Sports

NCAA tournament's first round had everything you could want

There's no need to expand the field when you can leave fantastic enough alone. There's no need to expand the field when you can leave fantastic enough alone.

Vin Scully is OK, making all of us OK

We've been listening to him weave tales in his baseball broadcasts for what seems like forever. And we're always eager for more. We've been listening to him weave tales in his baseball broadcasts for what seems like forever. And we're always eager for more.

Lakers get ugly win over 'Wolves but lose Andrew Bynum

Center suffers a strained Achilles’ tendon in third quarter of listless Lakers’ 104-96 victory over Minnesota, the NBA’s second-worst team. Center suffers a strained Achilles’ tendon in third quarter of listless Lakers’ 104-96 victory over Minnesota, the NBA’s second-worst team.

Mark Heisler: Things apparently were going too well for the Lakers

Bynum strains his Achilles tendon, just when he, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant were getting in sync. A funny thing happened on the Lakers' way back.

Late surge gives Ducks 5-4 victory over Islanders

Lubomir Visnovsky scores with 32 seconds left in regulation and Saku Koivu’s goal 14 seconds into overtime wins it. Time was running out for the Ducks on Friday night, which seemed a fitting metaphor for the season.

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Business

L.A., Anaheim vie to steal Comic-Con from San Diego

The huge comic book and pop culture convention is outgrowing the San Diego Convention Center. All three cities want the crowds and their tourist dollars. Call it a clash of the titans.

Option ARMs pose threat to housing market

Easy terms on the adjustable-rate mortgages, popular during the housing boom, are expiring. Higher bills could lead to more foreclosures, industry experts warn. Home values are slowly rising, and interest rates are still at low tide. But some analysts see a hidden reef that could sink the housing market: option-ARM loans.

Carl Icahn makes hostile bid for Lions Gate

The activist investor wants the studio to change its business strategy, cut costs and drop its effort to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's film library. But his offer is meager. Activist investor Carl Icahn launched a hostile $6-a-share takeover bid Friday for Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., ratcheting up his pressure on Hollywood's biggest independent studio to change its business strategy, cut costs and halt its effort to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's film library.

Smart phone maker Palm facing fight for survival

Its shares plummet nearly 30% after analysts offer grim assessments of the company's future. After nearly two decades of putting cutting-edge personal electronic devices in the hands of consumers, Palm Inc.'s grip on survival may finally be slipping.

If the stock market's up, it must be rigged...right?

Where was the stock market's Plunge Protection Team -- or at least, the Dip Protection Team -- when we needed them on Friday?

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Tech

Tax-preparation software from TurboTax and H&R Block have drawbacks, benefits

Tax-preparation programs are an unnecessary evil. We don't need special software to pay other bills, but our elected representatives' perpetual tinkering with the tax code makes paying for our share of government so mind-numbingly complex that most of us must outsource the math.

Internet Fraud Doubled in 2009, Says FBI

The cost of Internet fraud doubled in 2009 to about $560 million, the FBI said Friday. The most common type of frauds reported were scams from people falsely claiming to be from the FBI.

No .XXX Yet: Internet Agency Delays Porn Decision

Porn Web sites can't park themselves at a ".xxx" address quite yet: A global Internet oversight agency on Friday deferred a decision until June on whether to create a ".xxx" Internet suffix as an online red-light district.

Eco-Friendly Toilet Separates Urine, Feces

NoMix toilets have a raised area in the front of the bowl that drains urine into a different tank, while poop gets deposited in the back half of the bowl to flush away as normal.

William Shatner Has a Social Network: MyOuterSpace.com

MyOuterSpace.com is a Sci Fi Social Network for those with a passion for the arts," reads William Shatner's new social network. That's right, William Shatner is now competing with Facebook.

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Science

Did you feel that quake? Online survey helps USGS seismologists

Feedback from Web surfers about what they feel during quakes is proving valuable to scientists and emergency responders. When a magnitude 4.4 earthquake shook Southern Californians awake in the predawn hours Tuesday, many rushed to their computers to learn about it from the U.S. Geological Survey website.

Swine flu danger appears to be ebbing

The CDC says a third wave of the H1N1 pandemic is less likely in the U.S. Attention now turns to the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season is just beginning. The likelihood of a third wave of pandemic H1N1 influenza appears to be declining as all indicators of swine flu activity remain low throughout the bulk of the country, according to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Earthquake in Chile gives engineers some pointers

Professionals from Los Angeles traveled to South America to study the aftermath, hoping their observations will help them design safer buildings. When structural engineer Anuj Bansal designs systems for hospitals, university libraries and apartment complexes, seismic safety is a key consideration. But the best way to find out what it takes for a building to withstand a massive earthquake is to analyze the aftermath of an actual event.

Scientists side with smelt, salmon protections

A panel with the National Academy of Sciences says measures taken to save the fish that have also curbed water supplies from the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta are scientifically justified. A National Academy of Sciences panel has concluded that the much-disputed fish protections that have curbed water deliveries to the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California are scientifically justified.

Monarch butterflies suffer population loss

Storms in Mexico devastate an already low population of the migrating butterfly. An advocacy group encourages landowners to plant milkweed to help the survivors travel. Monarch butterflies, devastated by storms at their winter home in Mexico, have dwindled to their lowest population levels in decades as they begin to return to the United States and Canada.

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Travel

10 great places to find a lucky charm

Whether you smooch them, tickle them or jitterbug around them, good-luck monuments can leave you feeling, well, lucky.

Senate tackles regional airline safety

The Senate is pushing to strengthen pilot training and hiring requirements in an effort to improve the safety of regional airlines, ...

Second homes: There's more to Saratoga Springs than horse racing

Saratoga is a popular spot for the large drive market from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, but owners come from around ...

U.S. airlines flew fewer passengers in 2009

U.S. airlines flew fewer passengers last year than at any time since 2004. The good news: Travel is picking up.

Roatan helps put Honduras back on the travel map

The island's increasing fame is an economic boon in a country that's among the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.

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Politics

Pushing for healthcare measure, Obama calls on Congress to rise above politics

In another pitch for reform legislation, the president says an expected weekend House vote is 'historic.' 'It's a debate about the character of our country,' he says. President Obama, framing this weekend's expected House action on healthcare reform as "historic," called on Congress to rise above politics and do something for the good of millions of Americans.

UC could oversee prison health

A proposal by the Schwarzenegger administration to overhaul the troubled medical care system for inmates could save $12 billion over a decade, officials say. But it would also cost jobs. The Schwarzenegger administration wants to put the University of California in charge of state prison inmates' medical needs in an overhaul of the troubled corrections healthcare system that could save $12 billion over a decade, officials say.

Senators announce framework for bipartisan immigration bill

Charles Schumer, a Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, a Republican, propose increasing resources for border enforcement and legalizing millions of illegal immigrants. President Obama praises the proposal. Days before a planned march in Washington, D.C., two U.S. senators announced their framework Thursday for a bipartisan immigration bill that would increase resources for border enforcement, create a biometric Social Security card to prevent forgeries and legalize millions of undocumented immigrants.

Flags raised over sponsor of Democratic golf fundraiser

An association of cable companies that opposes Internet legislation before the California Legislature is footing the bill for an event at Torrey Pines in La Jolla. Democratic state senators will gather in La Jolla this weekend to enjoy rounds of golf, lavish hotel accommodations and gourmet meals at a fundraiser bankrolled largely by a group that wants a favor from them.

Virginia warns wife of Justice Clarence Thomas her group is violating law

State officials tell Virginia Thomas that her conservative advocacy group, Liberty Central Inc., must comply with a law that requires registration before seeking donations. Virginia consumer-protection officials have warned the wife of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that her advocacy group is improperly soliciting contributions in the state.

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Style

Patti Smith’s Eye for Fashion

For Patti Smith, rock and fashion have always been entwined, and style-world insiders embrace her as a kindred spirit.

A Program Helps Baby Boomers Transition to New Careers

A program helps baby boomers, who have gone back to full- or part-time work after retiring, transition to new careers.

On the Runway: In Search of Excitement

In an excerpt from the On the Runway blog, Cathy Horyn shares the bold-faced names competing for CFDA awards.

A Night Out With | Alicia Silverstone : Alicia Silverstone Lives a Vegan Life

The actress, best known for playing the matchmaking high school princess Cher Horowitz in the 1995 movie “Clueless,” is now on Broadway and has a new vegan cookbook.

Modern Love: The Ex-Husband Who Never Left

A couple’s divorce arrangement makes dating and moving on an awkward challenge.

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Health

Market Watch: When citrus is past its prime

Overmaturity may not be immediately apparent, and the signs vary by fruit. But there are key indicators. Overmaturity may not be immediately apparent, and the signs vary by fruit. But there are key indicators.

Zankou Chicken's tragic family rift impedes chain's growth

A fatal dispute has left the popular chain divided into two factions. The chain, which once had international ambitions, remains confined to the Southland. A fatal dispute has left the popular chain divided into two factions. The chain, which once had international ambitions, remains confined to the Southland.

With so many Zacatecans in L.A., why is the best cooking still found at home?

Two restaurants. Out of thousands of Mexican spots. I'll find a way to get my añejo , but that doesn't solve our Zacatecan culinary crisis.

The Find: Ngu Binh in Little Saigon

Subtle textures are the rule here. It’s no wonder Vietnamese locals keep going back, even with an hour-long lunch wait. Subtle textures are the rule here. It’s no wonder Vietnamese locals keep going back, even with an hour-long lunch wait.

The Review: Carlitos Gardel

Think of the festive Melrose Avenue restaurant with flavorful steaks and more as a place for Argentine home cooking. Think of the festive Melrose Avenue restaurant with flavorful steaks and more as a place for Argentine home cooking.

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