- Shrinking Independents Hold Power to Decide Close Elections
- BRIEFLY
- Indiana Jones Raids Dunk Title; Lenard Is Three-Point Champ
- Fashion, food of Argentina
- Utah State Streak Ended by Pacific
- Kareem Looks for His Shot Again
- Effort to Curb Drinking and Driving Finds a New Focus
- If the masses won't come to the art ...
- Cruising the Ethanol Highway
- Stern Calls Johnson 'Historic'
- Wrongly Convicted Man Files Lawsuit
- Anonymity of Las Vegas Is a Magnet for Suicidal Tourists
- Bryant Is Leaving ... His Options Open
- Parental Steps Can Help Rich Kids Live Responsibly
- A snowy serendipity in the Eastern Sierra
- Author Learned Survival in Soviet Orphanages
- Shooter Strikes Another Vehicle Near Columbus
- Nation's Passion Is Playing Cupid
- U.S. Shrimpers Sink on Flood of Imports
- 310 Sickened on 5-Day Cruise to Mexico
- Automat of Legal Services on the Defensive
- Simi May Lose Safety Crown
- Can't get away to getaway
- Daly Soars With an Eagle
- California's $15-Billion Question
- Making a production of itself
- Theater Row stages a comeback
- What Did Bush Do in the Guard?
- Forest Service Backs Plan to Save Fish
- For the Record, Stanford Wins
- Advocates for Tenants Fight Oakland Plan
- Fish Defeats Agassi, Faces Roddick in Final
- Pepperdine Gets Last Call
- American Idol
- Or You Can Just Buy a Small Car
- A comeback is complete
- So not intimidated
- Spies, cops and cover-ups
- Old World style in a lux South Coast setting
- Reelect Cooley as D.A.
- Bush Conjures Up Ghost of Nixonomics
- Contempt Unites All Kinds in Haiti
- Game Theory Evolves With Mouse, Click, PhD
- Erasing Racial Data Erased Report's Truth
- Authorities Open Inquiry Over Bond Sale
- Where Nature Meets Culture
- Abandoned Boys Go Begging for a Childhood
- Counties Criticized for Protesting Voting Rule
- Youths' Dreams Soar in Aviation Program's Planes
- Time Is About to Expire on Free Parking in Seal Beach Business District
- One God, three religions
- Steer's Name Is Cleared, but It's Still Steak
- Time to Celebrate Kelly's 'Hero'
- Russian Water Park Roof Falls; 21 Die
- Holiday closings
- A Real Man About Town
- A religion blog with a sacrilegious calling
- Discoveries
- Refi drop roils cash-out loans
- Selecting fire-safe bars
- Mentoring Program Joins 'Bigs,' 'Littles'
- New U.S. Channel Airs on Arab TV
- Homes Near Nez Perce Grave OKd
- Fresh Outta the Farm and Straight to Compton
- Not quite so wild
- 2 Quakes Hit Pakistan, Killing 18
- A Diva's Digs
- Father's Trip to Vietnam Is His Daughter's Baggage
- Survivor Ready to Hit the Trail
- Among many secret worlds
- 4 Employed by U.N. Are Slain in Ambush
- Cleveland Coach Is Annoyed by Seeding; Fairfax Is No. 1
- Plane Speaking: Air Time With Dwindling Dean Press Corps
- Red Cross to Visit Hussein
- Images that call for action
- WESTERN CONFERENCE STARTERS
- Garden Grove Freeway Crash Kills 2
- 2 Slain, 6 Hurt After Party
- Steady Rain Delays Busch Opener
- Animal Activists Take March to Mayor Hahn's San Pedro Home
- Gunmen Raid Iraqi Police Post
- Holiday Closures
- Injuries Mounting at a Record Pace
- NASCAR Is New, but Improved?
- Too good to be true?
- THE TIMES' RANKINGS
- Star Trace Is on Eight-Race Streak
- An Event Stretches While Many Yawn
- In the moment, ever so jarringly
- Now on concourse 1: a health club, clinic and an aquarium
- Homicide Victims Often Had Criminal Records
- Drivers and New Rules Hit the Fast Track
- Arizona Students Are Interplanetary Rock Hunters
- Bird Flu Kills Boy; Human Death Toll at 20
- Gibson Talks About Film, Furor and Faith
- Tomorrow's home ready for serious work and play
- Oil Project Goes Underground for Cleaner Air
- The Year's First Three Oscars Go to Filmmaking's Sci-Tech 'Nerds'
- Families Try to Cope as Marines Return to Iraq
- Cuba Is Just a Friend, Venezuela Tells Suspicious U.S.
- Out of the Fog
- Quinn Leads UCLA, 73-64
- Aebischer Has Big Hand in Avalanche's Victory
- 2 Arrested in Slayings of 3 Men Found in Parked Car
- Marco Pantani, 34; Italian Cyclist Plagued by Doping Allegations
- THE TIMES RANKINGS
- Thanks to the Little People
- Arriving with 'Return'
- The family hour returns
- Woods, Singh, Weir Top Field for Nissan Open
- January restaurant closures
- Beyond Fossilized Thinking
- Searching for Truth Behind the Smoke
- Gilbert Has Interview for Dodger GM Job
- Thousands Protest Move to Ban Head Scarves
- Some Like It Pink
- Administration adept at keeping journalists at bay
- 550 in Iran Quit Race to Protest Bans of Reformists
- Some Legislative Seats Could See Horse Races
- A Stern Message for Those Other Leagues
- Governor Is a Wild Card in District Votes
- TOURS & CRUISES
- Costco Sees Value in Higher Pay
- Debate on TV This Afternoon
- Hotels doing their part to beat the online rate competition
- Warm Hearts, Cold Feet in WeHo
- In the eye of the storm
- Yankees Close to Deal for A-Rod
- Reason Runs Out in Fulbright Squabble
- Botox for the Bijou
- NBA Courts Technology's Possibilities
- Worth more than the paper it's printed on
- A Hollywood Headliner on Tap
- TOP STORIES -- Feb. 9-13
- Priests Too Have Rights
- One song at a time
- Lax Enforcement of Capital Punishment
- A Bitter Pill to Swallow
- Holiday closures
- Comcast Bid for Disney
- A Word on Grammar
- Ask about hotel rules for Fido
- Butch rocks
- Don't Dismiss Wally Funk
- Customers Moving On as Market Strike Lingers
- Cal Grants Should Be Equalized and Preserved
- Scalia to Critics: 'Quack, Quack'
- Alas, Security Industry Needs Threats to Thrive
- QUOTEBOOK
- Airport delays prompt false security
- Treatment of Fallen War Heroes' Families
- Taliban tyranny
- Warning label
- Antimissile System Must Have Options
- The Many Faces of California's Population Problem
- Writers Guild Decision Disappoints Member
- Haiti's Pain Is Left to Linger on the Doorstep of the U.S.
- Eisner Was Wise to Let Pixar Go
- Drawing Shows Strides Being Made by Women
- Voice to match?
- Naked truths
- The Casting Crib
- On the Riviera Maya, lost in a land of Nod
- The real secret to a civilized vacation
- The OD MD
- Long road down
- Kagel Canyon a rustic retreat, freeway close
- Paying homage to a land of presidents
- Beyond the Trappings
- LOVE LESSONS
- Consumer Sentiment Falls From 3-Year High
- FTC Ends Probe Into Allergan's Practices
- 2 Arrested in Attempts to Assassinate President
- In Choice of Bible Versions, We Shall Not Want
- Berlin's Annual Film Festival Projects a New Image
- Bar Assn. to Give O.C. Law School Second Opinion
- Third Time Capsule Could Be the Charm
- NBC to broadcast Princess Di tapes
- Singh's Top-10 List Won't Have This One
- Also
- Stocks Slump on Negative Reports
- Production of Hydrogen From Ethanol Advanced
- Bush Among 173 Nobel Peace Prize Nominees
- Report Details Long Road to English-Language Fluency
- Sheriff Extends Early Release at County Jail
- A Boon for Bogota
- It Takes Four Overtimes for TCU to Win
- Allegations About Michelin Guide Are Fodder for Table Gossip
- Hundreds Riot; Several Casualties Are Reported
- Southland's Population Still on the Rise
- CYA Programs Touch Young Lives Gone Astray
- Schools Should Just Let Children Be Children
- Maurice Deigh, 80; Pioneered Mental Health Programs
- Sweetheart of a Hunch Play
- Ducks Talked Into a Loss, 2-1
- Hasty Pudding title goes to ...
- Lawyer of 'Poison Pill' Fame Joins the Fray
- City Awarded $36 Million for Housing
- Man Defends Mother of His Young Accuser
- Gillick Says He's Interested in Dodger GM Job
- Stevens Returns After Having Security Concerns
- Glaxo Gets Subpoena in Marketing Probe
- Former POW Says She's 'a Survivor'
- Skier's Feet Removed After Ordeal in Cascades
- Woman Tries to Qualify
- Foreign Payments by Titan Come Under Scrutiny
- Lineage of Gene Tied to Cancer Is Traced
- Bush Will Meet With 9/11 Panel
- Edwards Isn't Leading, but Proves Winning Ways
- Lawmaker Is Convicted of Drug Trafficking
- Most Fertile Soil in U.S. Is Covered by Cities
- 3 Held in Assault on Guard, Police Say
- Oxnard Crime Rises Again in 2003
- Kings Come Tumbling Down
- Cingular Raises Offer for Rival AT&T; Wireless
- More Are Falling in Line Behind Kerry
- Dean Plays Up His Rural Resume
- U.S. Plans to Escalate Porn Fight
- Building Safety Into Schools
- Inmate Who Hanged Himself Dies
- Budget Fears at Cal State, UC Disputed
- Roddick and Agassi Advance
- Prado breaks with tradition
- London gallery wins Raphael fight
- 'Buffy' Spinoff 'Angel' to Be Terminated
- Bush Says School Voucher Programs Send a Message
- Ambitions of Mexico First Lady Stir Questions and Opposition
- Victim of Slaying at Store Mourned
- Soccer Star a Colorful Presence
- Cesare May Tackle the Derby
- CKE Says It Will Shutter 28 Hardee's
- Not Everyone in Utah Wedded to Its Official 'Marriage Week'
- South Korean Troops to Join Iraq Coalition Force
- Airline CEO Apologizes for Pilot's In-Flight Evangelism
- EPA Relaxes Estimations of Park Pollution
- Decision on Morning-After Pill Delayed
- Edward Jablonski, 81; Known for Biographies of Composers
- Activists Protest Same-Sex Marriages
- Oxnard College Raises Security
- Basketball, Rugby Find Common Ground in L.A.
- Some Rookie Soar Points and Sophomore High Jinks
- Public's response is perfectly tepid
- Search for Ship's Crew Halted in Snowstorm
- Panel Rules on Gifts From Public Contractors
- Authorities Seek Car Laden With Explosives
- Deputies Shoot Teen Suspected of Car Theft
- Reduced to Ash, Rebuilt in a Flash
- Lewis Looks Back, Ahead
- City Panel Rules in Sylmar's Favor
- Another O'Neal May Be Bigger Big Man
- Top Performers
- Stop the music
- Schiavo Right-to-Die Case Ordered Reopened
- Charges May Be Next for Skilling, Source Says
- Laker Turmoil Hogs All-Star Spotlight
- Four Plead Not Guilty in Athlete Drug Case
- Guerrero Always Ready to Turn His Swing Into Action
- Kindergartens Teach Supply and Demand
- State Refuses to Release Location of Sex Offender
- Navarro Plans to Resume Its Season
- Bruins Hope to Pick Up Pieces
- Did you see [fill in the blank] last night on TV? AOL has
- S.F. Wins Round 1 in Marriage Battle
- Roenick Might Sit Out Rest of Regular Season
- Koch Sets a Record With 62
- Total of 46 to Run for Spot in Maiden Stakes
- DAYTONA 500 FACTS
- TODAY
- Wilson sheds new light on 'Butterfly'
- Yucaipa to Buy Piccadilly Cafeteria
- The Week Ahead in Orange County
- Agency Gets $580,000 for Arts Education
- 24 hours to trade limbo for l'amour
- Giving up but getting ahead
- How Eisner Might Keep His Kingdom
- Killer Convicted in 67 Deaths Is Executed
- March Protests Cross-Burning at the Claremont Colleges
- Police to Use Decoys to Halt Underage Drinking
- Newman Wins IROC Opener
- To Stay, or Not to Stay?
- Grocers, Union Talks Expected to Run Through Weekend
- Senate to Hold Private Session on Intelligence
- Bye-Bye to a City's Bonbons
- O.C. State Senate Race Pits Right vs. Right
- Hotel Workers, Disney to Continue Negotiations
- Yao Still Not Comfortable in Role as the Chosen One
- He Keeps on Trucking at 90
- The Angels' $70-Million Homebody
- Options for Iraq Trouble Envoy
- Kucinich Says He'll Carry On
- He's Got 7 Million Ways to Tell Her 'I Love You'
- Couple Faces Federal Charges in Sex Case
- Baker Is Waived; Union Vows Fight
- Judge Denies Westchester's Plea to Stay City's Postseason Ban
- State's Exports See Healthy Gains
- Cypriots Near Pact to Reunify the Island
- Gene Study Links Snakes to Land Lizards
- Ballot May Be a Puzzle
- FDA Says Survey Raises Red Flags on Canadian Pharmacies
- Westchester Settles for a Split Decision