He’s counting on protesters

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador refused to back away from his demand for a full recount of the Mexican presidential vote, announcing that his supporters will hold a mass rally today at the offices of the election tribunal.

“It’s for the well-being of the nation and all Mexicans,” said Lopez Obrador, who lost the July 2 election by about 244,000 votes out of 41 million cast.

At a rally Sunday in Mexico City, some of his supporters called for a blockade of streets around the capital’s airport or for a takeover of the congressional building or the National Palace. But a demonstration leader told them: “We have to use our heads.... In peaceful civil resistance, people have to ask, ‘What is the best idea?’ ” Page A5

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Iditarod champion Susan Butcher dies

Susan Butcher, a four-time winner of the Iditarod sled dog race, died of leukemia at 51, leaving behind a husband, two daughters and some remarkable stories.

Like the time an angry moose attacked her dogs and she had to keep the beast at bay with an ax for 20 minutes until help arrived. And the time she raced five hours in a blinding blizzard, navigating only with a small compass. And how, after being raised in New England, she moved to Alaska, lived in the bush and taught herself how to mush. Page B11

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Conflict leaves scorched earth

Human misery is, of course, paramount when discussing the toll of war. But mass conflict also leaves its mark on nature.

Israeli officials estimate that fires started by Hezbollah rocket attacks have destroyed half a million trees in the pine forests of northern Galilee. Thousands of acres of grasslands have also burned, ruining a key source of feed for cattle.

“One day I had 22 fires at the same time,” says an Israeli fire chief. Page A6

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Warrior dreamed of having a family

Marc Alan Lee, a Navy SEAL serving in Iraq, preferred not to discuss the war when he spoke with his wife back home. “Everything was planning for the future,” she said.

But he managed to combine the two subjects in an e-mail this summer, mentioning some children he saw in Ramadi: “The youngest girl was a glimpse into the future of our daughter, really cute curly hair, small and petite. It made me want a family so bad with you.”

That won’t happen. Lee, 28, was reported killed Friday -- the first SEAL to be slain in Iraq. A petty officer 2nd class, Lee was involved in a firefight with insurgents in Ramadi.

His wife of four years describes SEALs as having an aura of invincibility and a “toughness about life generally.” But the support she’s received from other SEALs, she says, shows another side: “They really care about you.” Page B3

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Making life easier, or maybe harder

What’s “universal design”? It’s a concept that stresses accessibility, with features such as wide doorways and level thresholds to make life easier for people who use wheelchairs or walkers. In Riverside County, the Murrieta City Council just approved an ordinance requiring builders to incorporate such amenities in 15% of their new residences.

Other cities are considering mandating more user-friendly dwellings too. But builders aren’t happy, saying many people who don’t need the special accommodations will wind up paying for them. Page B4

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500 channels and nothing to watch

Young people in 2006 have a diversion for just about every sound of the alphabet: e-mail, iPods, Xboxes and YouTube. Their opinion of this Nirvana of entertainment and technology options?

Bo-o-o-or-rrring!

A Times/Bloomberg poll of people ages 12 to 24 finds most of them saying they’re bored with their choices for entertainment. But they love their gadgets, and in fact tend to fiddle with them while also doing homework, partly because focusing on just one task isn’t very interesting.

The poll also turns up some conclusions that run counter to conventional wisdom: Young people are turned off by movie-going not because of bad films but because of high prices, rude patrons and excessive advertising; most kids 12 to 17 don’t have a MySpace.com or similar account; and young adults don’t get their news from the Internet or comedy programs such as “The Daily Show.” Page A1

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Big Apple, polishing

Do people in New York, where man-motor relationships supposedly last only as long as a taxi ride, really have long-term love affairs with cars? Sure they do. New Yorkers even hold classic-car nights like those in L.A., although the music might be more likely to come from “The Godfather” soundtrack than the Beach Boys. Page A10

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HEALTH

A new road to health

Western medicine and its patients like the familiarity of traditional practice. But a growing number of Americans seem eager to experiment with alternative therapies. Page F1

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You really can run from RSI

The initialism RSI is familiar to denizens of cubicles and assembly lines alike -- repetitive stress injury: the aches, shooting pains and weakness borne of performing too much activity in too few positions for too long.

Until recently, the sole therapy for RSI afflictions such as tendinitis and chronic joint or muscle pain was ergonomic: making adjustments in one’s work station, posture and equipment to relieve the burden of repetitive motion. New studies, however, show that exercise to improve both endurance and strength might be better than passive measures alone.

Although ergonomic evaluation is key to preventing RSI, treating it seems to require the synergy of committing to a stiff walk, a yoga class and quality time with the barbell. Even getting out of your chair at work a couple of times an hour can help. Page F1

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Hey, Junior, what’s your sign?

At first blush, teaching sign language to a 3-month-old sounds like a parlor trick parents employ to impress the neighbors. But teaching pre-verbal children how to communicate physically with family members, advocates say, not only helps them develop better language skills but later enables them to score higher on IQ tests.

Melanie Gersten of Gardena started signing to her son, Zachary, when he was a newborn. At only 3 months he started using the sign she taught him for milk, and by 9 months he was developing some degree of fluency.

Gersten was making the most of her infant’s natural urge to communicate. Just listen to them and you’ll know they want to talk, sometimes desperately.

Signing can also cultivate a closer bond with Ma-ma and Da-da. “Signing with Zachary wasn’t only helpful, it was also just so much fun,” Gersten says. Page F3

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SPORTS

Free advice for U.S. soccer

Who should coach the U.S. national soccer team? Columnist Grahame Jones says that if former German coach Juergen Klinsmann won’t take the job, the U.S. should hire Peter Nowak as coach -- and make Klinsmann technical director.

Nowak coached D.C. United to the MLS championship last season, and Jones says he has the respect of his peers.

Writes Jones: “So what if Nowak ... has a quick temper and no time for fools? That is only to the good. It’s high time American players stopped being coddled and learned to live in the real world. Unless, that is, they want to continue exiting the World Cup in the first round every four years.” Page D4

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Learning to follow the papa Bruin

UCLA’s football team opens fall practice today, and maybe it should start with a round of introductions. Six new assistants have joined Karl Dorrell’s staff, and as they go, so too, likely, will the Bruins.

“When you have the number of coaching changes that we had on our staff, there’s a transition ... [to] how to do things my way,” Dorrell says. Page D1

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BUSINESS

Congress tackles new technology

In dealing with legislation involving new technology, Congress faces tough learning curves along the information highway. Making wrong turns can cause unanticipated problems with unintended consequences.

Congress is facing important decisions, and one website executive said: “Much of the concern is [that] decisions might be made without a complete understanding of the facts.” Page C1

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ON LATIMES.COM

A history of the Gibson saga

All about Mel: Need a refresher? To read a comprehensive archive of Times coverage, plus photographs, videos and accompanying source documents, see www.latimes.com/gibson

Crisis at sea: Latimes.com expands on the recent five-part “Altered Oceans” series with video clips, photographs from around the world and a discussion forum.

latimes.com/oceans

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CALENDAR

This mogul always has time for more

Simon Fuller’s brush with success as the creator of the Fox television show “American Idol” doesn’t have him sitting back and basking in the glow of this cultural phenomenon.

Fuller, 46, the marketing and creative force behind the Spice Girls, has a pantry full of well-seasoned ideas. One is a songwriting competition that will be incorporated into “American Idol.” After that, he plans to use his production company and other partnerships to change the way talent is developed and find ways to help blossoming artists get past barriers. Page E1

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THE WEEK AHEAD

MONDAY

Legislature back with a full plate

The Legislature returns to Sacramento to conclude the year’s session. Among the hundreds of bills under consideration: an increase in California’s $6.75-an-hour minimum wage; new rules to limit emissions that cause global warming; changes L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is seeking to give him more control over schools; prison overcrowding; limits on hand-held cellphones; and deciding who can provide TV service to homes.

TUESDAY

‘Morning after’ policy aired

Plan B will be Topic A when representatives of the FDA and Barr Pharmaceuticals meet to discuss how the company’s “morning after” contraceptive can be sold without a prescription -- but only for women 18 and older. Plan B is a two-pill package that can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. Critics say that the FDA has delayed a decision because religious conservatives oppose the drug.

TUESDAY

‘Idol’ tryouts at the Rose Bowl

Fox won’t roll out the sixth season of “American Idol” until January, but auditions for a chance to follow in the musical footsteps of Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Hicks begin at the Rose Bowl. Thousands of aspiring singers are expected to show up. Available for downloading on the Internet: “American Idol Advantage,” an electronic book with the subtitle: “How to Audition and Make It Past the First Round!”

WEDNESDAY

Radio-wave space auctioned

The FCC will start auctioning off swaths of radio-wave spectrum for use by cellphones and other wireless devices. In one of the largest spectrum auctions ever, 168 qualified bidders -- including cellphone companies, cable and satellite TV providers, and small rural phone carriers -- will vie for licenses to the spectrum to deliver advanced wireless services, such as high-speed Internet access. The auction is expected to last several weeks.