Few answers, much sadness

After a tragedy come the questions, and in the death of Cindy Conolly, the “whys” and “what-ifs” are many.

Conolly was accidentally run over and killed by a police SUV while sunbathing on an Oxnard beach last month -- the day after her son’s wedding on the same stretch of sand.

Now Conolly’s fiance asks himself if she’d still be alive if he had stayed with her longer on the beach. Her brother wants to know if the officers will be punished. And her son wonders whether he can ever separate his wedding weekend from the day his mother died. Page B1

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Iraqi lawmakers being targeted

The largest Sunni Arab coalition in Iraq says it will boycott parliamentary sessions until a female legislator abducted Saturday is released. Meanwhile, a Shiite legislator escapes from a kidnapping attempt, and a secular lawmaker survives an assassination attempt.

The Sunni coalition, known as the Iraqi Accordance Front, accuses the Iraqi government and U.S. troops of allowing criminal gangs to operate freely in the streets of Baghdad and demands that the Americans “spare no efforts to find her.” And another Sunni group, the Muslim Scholars Assn., condemns American soldiers accused of raping an Iraqi woman and then killing her and her family. Page A6

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Religion and the presidency

How much of an issue is religion when voters go to the polls in this country? A new survey says antipathy against Jewish and Catholic candidates is fading, but voters are uneasy about the prospect of a Mormon candidate -- and a majority say they wouldn’t vote for a Muslim.

The Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll found that 10% of respondents were unwilling to vote for a Catholic as president; 15% wouldn’t vote for a Jew; 21% would rule out an evangelical Christian; 37% would refuse to vote for a Mormon; and 54% wouldn’t vote for a Muslim.

The findings could be a problem for Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Mormon who is considering seeking the Republican nomination in 2008. But a Romney advisor insists the poll doesn’t mean much; if the governor runs, the advisor says, “I think he won’t be judged only through that prism.” Page A16

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Lots of sun, very little sin

In the California desert, practitioners of the oldest monastic tradition in Christendom quietly perform tasks of self-denial, committing themselves to poverty, chastity, obedience and worship.

Most of the 10 monks at St. Antony’s Monastery, a Coptic Orthodox retreat 25 miles northeast of Barstow, are from Egypt; much of their life is spent alone in a tiny room with only a bed and a chair. But they do get visitors; thousands of people come to the monastery annually, many to wash the detritus of modern life out of their systems.

“It’s just you and God,” one retreat visitor says. “No cellphones, no nothing. This place gives you endurance while you are living in the world.” Page B1

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Airbus pushes out two executives

Production woes and a controversy over stock options proved to be too much for the parent company of the European aircraft maker Airbus, which jettisoned two top executives.

Last month Airbus said wiring problems would delay production of a new super-jumbo airliner. Airlines and stockholders weren’t happy, and then French regulators said they would investigate the sale of stock options worth $8 million by Noel Forgeard, co-chief executive of the European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. On Sunday, EADS announced that Forgeard and Airbus unit chief Gustav Humbert were resigning. Page C1

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Judges who always seem to agree

It must be a lawyer’s fantasy: having the rapt attention of a Supreme Court justice who stands quietly and nods at everything you say.

A Washington legal journal makes the dream come true by creating bobbleheads of the Supreme beings. So far it has dispensed four 8-inch justices, with a fifth due next month. The magazine gives them away, but sometimes the figurines show up for sale on the Internet; one admittedly “obsessive” collector paid $2,100 for a William H. Rehnquist bobblehead and $800 for a John Paul Stevens. Page A16

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An understudy claims the spotlight

George Hincapie, a veteran of 10 Tour de France races and formerly a member of Lance Armstrong’s cycling team, becomes just the fourth American to hold the lead in the race. Page D5 ... This year’s Tour already has been marred by a doping investigation, but performance-enhancing drugs are hardly new to the event. Page D1

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CALENDAR

Capt. Fun Hog’s biggest mistake

Three years ago, Aron Ralston made global news when he cut off his own arm after being pinned under a boulder in the Utah wilderness. Today, the 30-year-old daredevil -- known to friends as Captain Fun Hog -- admits he committed a fundamental outdoor sin: He failed to tell anyone where he was going. Now, using a prosthetic arm, Ralston still indulges his thirst for adventure. In his spare time, he is an author, a motivational speaker and a pitchman for beer. Page E1

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The family that plays together

Straight out of Utah (with a detour at Juilliard), the brothers and sisters Brown are a one-of-a-kind act in the rarefied world of classical performance. Or, more accurately, they are five-of-a-kind: Well-scrubbed young folks, from 20 to 27 years old, who manage not only to get along but also to harmonize beautifully when they each take their piano benches in as many as 100 concerts a year.

The Brown kids -- Desirae, Deondra, Melody, Gregory and Ryan -- will perform Tuesday with the Pasadena Pops at the Rose Bowl. That’s the bowl’s 80th Independence Day bash, observed with one family, five pianos and 440 keys. Page E1

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Superman honcho under the radar

“Superman Returns” is also a comeback for producer Jon Peters -- a mercurial figure who has made his share of films, foes and tabloid headlines -- in a Hollywood increasingly dominated by less charismatic, more corporate types. Peters labored over the Man of Steel’s new incarnation for 13 years but has shied from publicity, evidently over concern that his own larger-than-life image would dwarf Superman’s.

Even his friends say he’s no Clark Kent: “He’s opinionated and talented,” says a fellow producer. “When I look around at the movies being made today, they’re made by committee. You can’t run that game on Jon.” Page E1

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HEALTH

Waiting out prostate cancer

True or false: You have cancer -- but it’s no big deal.

For some people with prostate cancer -- even for younger men -- that statement can be true. The trick is knowing how to tell -- and enduring the self-doubt the decision can bring.

The medical community has long been divided about how to treat some men whose biopsies indicate the presence of cancer. Because treatment can result in impotence, urinary incontinence or both, some patients opt for what’s known as “active surveillance.”

While that approach is not for the risk-averse, it’s a more refined version of what used to be called “watchful waiting” -- a strategy recommended for older men or those threatened by other diseases. Often, watchful waiting meant doing nothing.

For people who wait with vigilance -- tightly scheduled monitoring and a willingness to act promptly if conditions change -- there’s hope that cancer can be both present and manageable. Page F1

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If the goal is fitness, they win

It doesn’t take an aficionado to know that those World Cup guys are buff: Over 90 minutes, they might run 6 miles, often while jumping, twisting and kicking. Soccer players are among the fittest of athletes, but their singular beauty is proportion: They’re not hulks like American football players, skinny runts like marathoners or towering titans like basketball players. Even if you can’t kick a ball through a barn door, you can work out like Ronaldo -- who, despite the gossip, is not fat. Page F1

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BUSINESS

Pavlov figured this out a long time ago

Chances are you recognize the five-note “Intel Inside” theme and the three-tone NBC chime. Advertisers know you’re aware of them, too, and that makes Madison Avenue hear something else: cash registers.

“Sonic branding” is an emerging field that seeks to create tiny, charming melodies for products, then play them a gazillion times to push sales skyward.

“Someday a little girl will walk through a store with her parents, and she’ll faintly hear a few notes, and will turn to her dad and say, ‘I want a Barbie doll,’ ” says a sonic brander who’s working with Mattel.

Science backs up this scenario; studies even suggest how the brain makes it work. Page C1

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THE WEEK AHEAD

WEDNESDAY

Bicoastal talks on immigration

Special hearings on the thorny issue of immigration convene on each coast, with a House committee meeting in San Diego and a Senate panel in Philadelphia. The San Diego session, led by Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), will focus on “the security threat” posed by illegal immigration, he says. The House favors a narrow approach focused on tougher enforcement of existing laws; the Senate measure includes a path to citizenship.

THURSDAY

Emmys: fresh or stale? Stay tuned

Stung by criticism that many of the same shows and stars are nominated for the prime-time Emmy Awards year after year, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has revamped the process for choosing its finalists. The big question is whether the changes will produce different results. We’ll find out when the nominations are announced for the 58th annual television trophies; the winners will be named Aug. 27.

FRIDAY

Disney’s ‘Pirates’ sequel sets sail

“Pirates of the Caribbean” was a mammoth hit when it opened in 2003, grossing more than $300 million at the box office and earning an Academy Award nomination for Johnny Depp. It spawned an order from Disney for not one but two sequels and an overhaul of the theme park ride that inspired the adventures of Capt. Jack Sparrow & Co. Now the first of the follow-ups, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” is opening.

SUNDAY

World Cup’s biggest day

Soccer’s championship game takes place in Berlin, the field whittled to two teams vying for one of the most prestigious titles in sports. Teams from 32 nations began the tournament, some with hopes of winning it all, some merely thrilled to have qualified for the monthlong spectacle. As in each of the previous 17 World Cups, the U.S. team won’t be on the field; it was eliminated in the first round.

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ON LATIMES.COM

How to turn your book into a movie

Big screen dreams: A prominent agent reveals tricks of the trade that could help you turn your book or manuscript into a movie project in Hollywood How-Tos.

latimes.com/entertainment

The sound and the fury: Listen to pop music critic Ann Powers’ audio report about the protest messages permeating music. Song clips also are available in our multimedia package. Share your thoughts on our discussion forum. She will answer questions online on Monday.

www.latimes.com/warmusic

Baby brouhaha: A recent article inspired by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s plans to adopt another child from a Third World country drew an outpouring of responses from readers, with many saying the article’s tone was inappropriate for the serious subject of foreign adoption. See an extensive selection of letters at latimes.com/entertainment.